Dream Dreamer Dream,
For the dream will set you free
Look at what you see,
The sight will guide your destiny
Look around when comfort you need,
Look above the guidance to feel
Never alone no matter where
Around you love will always be there.
Life is a journey,
Towards the free blue high
You have grown the wings you need,
Use them to soar up high
I wrote these words a while back. While clearing up my computer i came across them again and found it strangely comforting. Life has become a journey alright. A journey filled with bad roads, portholes a lot of traffic and long distances. But the thing is this, those are just the smallar aspects. Somewhere down the way, you have to learn how to watch that plane land on a gorgeous runway, to grin at the sight of a obnoxious person in the next car who is blaring music and thumping his head. To smile at the anticipation of the girl who checks her make up right before she jumps out.
Every person is in their own little world with their own dreams and anticipations. But therein lies the lesson - do what you can to achieve that dream. An above all to dream. Because indeed, a dream puts a smile on your face and helps you move on. And the ability to capture even 5 minutes of that feeling of being in your own world is something worth admiring
"Hum"of the day
We remember the rules of the game. The acceptable, the unacceptable and the decorum of life. We forget that the greatest joys in life some times are those times we get to ourselves where you really break all the rules. The thrill of the 3 year old traunt child. We look around too much. Perhaps there is a time to just close your eyes and breathe.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
No higher goals
I have decided that no one likes change. Anyone who tells you they like is just trying to make you feel bad. Think about it. Who would want to voluntarily move out of a comfort zone. Its like saying- what do i do today- oh yeah.. let me just take my entire life.. toss it up in the air.
Let me go to that new job, let me work those long hours.. figure out the new boss...get used to another odd guy who works with me... learn to work with a new voice screaming on the phone. Or would you really move cities, leave friends behind, start afresh for boredom or for thr challange of it all? no way.
These things are always borne of some kind of a need- money, potential for money (thats what we all call need for challange and growth) or power. If not, most people who say they are stagnating intellectually etc would join the social sector. Where is there greater challange? you are doing work that is intelligent, helping the needy making the world a better place etc.
Oh, not to lose track, what makes me ponder change. Well it does not take einstein to figure the obvious. But the less obvious was an observation regarding a new senior member of my team. Remember how i said work is a leveller, well it is. Irrespective of levels, change makes people jittery, it makes them unsure of themselves and always makes them wonder if the older option was better. Unless of course you ran away from a job from hell. In which case you will probably be just be so happy to be in a less unhappy enviornment - give it time- you will join the race of us mortals.
Hum of the day
I like comfort. I like knowing how to deal with things. I do not like to prove myself.I do not like to have people testing me and i do not like unfamilar situations. And most of all i do not like people who tell me that they love these things. I am only human with no higher objectives. I like to be liked, i like to be successful and yes, if i can do it with ease, i like it even more.
Let me go to that new job, let me work those long hours.. figure out the new boss...get used to another odd guy who works with me... learn to work with a new voice screaming on the phone. Or would you really move cities, leave friends behind, start afresh for boredom or for thr challange of it all? no way.
These things are always borne of some kind of a need- money, potential for money (thats what we all call need for challange and growth) or power. If not, most people who say they are stagnating intellectually etc would join the social sector. Where is there greater challange? you are doing work that is intelligent, helping the needy making the world a better place etc.
Oh, not to lose track, what makes me ponder change. Well it does not take einstein to figure the obvious. But the less obvious was an observation regarding a new senior member of my team. Remember how i said work is a leveller, well it is. Irrespective of levels, change makes people jittery, it makes them unsure of themselves and always makes them wonder if the older option was better. Unless of course you ran away from a job from hell. In which case you will probably be just be so happy to be in a less unhappy enviornment - give it time- you will join the race of us mortals.
Hum of the day
I like comfort. I like knowing how to deal with things. I do not like to prove myself.I do not like to have people testing me and i do not like unfamilar situations. And most of all i do not like people who tell me that they love these things. I am only human with no higher objectives. I like to be liked, i like to be successful and yes, if i can do it with ease, i like it even more.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
It's a blur
Tuesday afternoon, Delhi "monsoon" (what is that anyways?- a drizzle is not rain!) no electricity, no UPS and therefore NO work. Ironic huh? Well anyway, given the power situation, here we were a bunch of people in office at the start of the day. And as i stared around helplessly wondering how to look busy i chanced a glance around- I was not alone.
Irrespective of levels people were shuffling around. Some picked up a newspaper, some got into one of those “intellectual” discussions – so where is India really going; while there less wise sat and gossiped about the usual suspects. That’s when it hit me. I like working. There i said it. I LIKE working.
No don’t tell me that of course you like working on days like this. That’s just the thing. I realized I like work, the environment that work offers and the way an office can become a complete leveler. Like mini-world of its own.
There is the girl who deals with in laws, children, irritable husbands, housework and herself at home. There is the other who has all the luxuries life can offer but still wants more. The boy who is supporting his family and feels like his shoulders cannot take it any more and the man with a family, parents , education and health to fend for. But then they walk through it. That one door- the buzz of the access card and everyone is the same.
All worries can be left behind. For the next few hours, life is about the boss, the annoying colleague, the office gossip source and target and yes, the actual task at hand. Work is a fantastic distraction from life. And what a distraction it is- it forces you into not fretting about the rest of your life and pays you for it so you can actually take care of the causes of your worry to the extent money can buy. And therein is the thing to think about - work really is what helps maintain a balance because it puts you on level ground. Something that life sometimes cannot.
“Hum” of the day
There is a very fine line between difference and similarity. I often can’t tell which really matters and which does not. Sometimes it’s all so irrelevant.
Irrespective of levels people were shuffling around. Some picked up a newspaper, some got into one of those “intellectual” discussions – so where is India really going; while there less wise sat and gossiped about the usual suspects. That’s when it hit me. I like working. There i said it. I LIKE working.
No don’t tell me that of course you like working on days like this. That’s just the thing. I realized I like work, the environment that work offers and the way an office can become a complete leveler. Like mini-world of its own.
There is the girl who deals with in laws, children, irritable husbands, housework and herself at home. There is the other who has all the luxuries life can offer but still wants more. The boy who is supporting his family and feels like his shoulders cannot take it any more and the man with a family, parents , education and health to fend for. But then they walk through it. That one door- the buzz of the access card and everyone is the same.
All worries can be left behind. For the next few hours, life is about the boss, the annoying colleague, the office gossip source and target and yes, the actual task at hand. Work is a fantastic distraction from life. And what a distraction it is- it forces you into not fretting about the rest of your life and pays you for it so you can actually take care of the causes of your worry to the extent money can buy. And therein is the thing to think about - work really is what helps maintain a balance because it puts you on level ground. Something that life sometimes cannot.
“Hum” of the day
There is a very fine line between difference and similarity. I often can’t tell which really matters and which does not. Sometimes it’s all so irrelevant.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Thats a Monday huh?
Monday bloody Monday -the start of another week – the knowledge that there are 5 days in entirety to get through any respite (hopefully no work next weekend). I swear- every single Monday morning I wake up with positive intentions- new week, new day new promises. And somehow, by the time I get into my car and get past RTR Marg (that’s Delhi’s repartee to Saki Naka (sans the elephants and cranes) only Delhi actually has a reason for the chaos- a flyover construction) all I can think is- GOD 4 more days and 9 more 40 kilometer trips to office.
But today was different. I don’t know how. It was one of those days where well somehow I kept my promises. I stayed positive, I did not grumble, I took deep breaths etc. Odd to have a Monday like that
The oddities continued. A local radio channel (make that ALL) were having a rocking Himesh evening. So aap ka suroooooor was blaring almost everywhere. And THAT got me thinking. Himesh is successful- he is awful but he is successful. And he must have really tried before he reached here. Something would have kept him going. Look around at bollywood itself, movies like Apne, singers like Heemeis, actors –well what actors. And yet they move on. The same people keep making the movies, they keep singing the songs and somehow, once or twice they strike gold. And therein lies the answer. You only need to strike gold once to restore your faith. And that is what keeps the industry- any industry going. Belief. Belief that if you keep at it, if you keep trying somehow, it will work.
"Hum" of the day
This one is ode to all those that are persistent. Persistent about getting on the right side of the boss, about convincing that special someone that they are indeed special, about smiling because they don't want to be the cause of a frown. It is not easy. I remember my interpretation of a line from To Kill a Mockingbird " sometimes victory is not about winning- it is about knowing that you will probably lose. But going through it anyway just to prove that you can. And sometimes- you do."
But today was different. I don’t know how. It was one of those days where well somehow I kept my promises. I stayed positive, I did not grumble, I took deep breaths etc. Odd to have a Monday like that
The oddities continued. A local radio channel (make that ALL) were having a rocking Himesh evening. So aap ka suroooooor was blaring almost everywhere. And THAT got me thinking. Himesh is successful- he is awful but he is successful. And he must have really tried before he reached here. Something would have kept him going. Look around at bollywood itself, movies like Apne, singers like Heemeis, actors –well what actors. And yet they move on. The same people keep making the movies, they keep singing the songs and somehow, once or twice they strike gold. And therein lies the answer. You only need to strike gold once to restore your faith. And that is what keeps the industry- any industry going. Belief. Belief that if you keep at it, if you keep trying somehow, it will work.
"Hum" of the day
This one is ode to all those that are persistent. Persistent about getting on the right side of the boss, about convincing that special someone that they are indeed special, about smiling because they don't want to be the cause of a frown. It is not easy. I remember my interpretation of a line from To Kill a Mockingbird " sometimes victory is not about winning- it is about knowing that you will probably lose. But going through it anyway just to prove that you can. And sometimes- you do."
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Harry versus Artemis
It’s Sunday, it’s cloudy and I am bored. My usual quick-fix – a book. This time I picked up Artemis Fowl. I am certain I am not thinking anything new, but this book can perhaps be the Nancy Drew version of Harry Potter. Let me explain.
When I was growing up (yes it was a while back!) Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys were contemporaries - 2 sets of crime fighting teenagers saving the world from heinous high school crime. And everyone had a preference. I was always a Hardy Boys fan. Nancy Drew was a little over the top, often a little too perfect. Hardy Boys on the other hand had a more real appeal. They got into trouble; they got into fights they got out of it but not always with complete ease. Nancy Drew was nice, but it was a poor cousin- just like Artemis is to Harry.
For the uninitiated into these books, please read no further. Books and certainly children's books are not for all adults!
For my fellow potter fans, well I would say read about Artemis. Why? It’s a really fun book. Artemis is a child prodigy from a criminal family whose father has disappeared. Unfathomable to the author (u have to read the book to get this) this child has a penchant for crime and a mission to avenge his fathers loss of riches. He does not attend school and has a “butler” at his disposal to unquestioningly aid him in his activities. And what are his activities - To swindle the “fairy people” of their gold. For this, he decodes gnomish (fairy language of course) and uses technology and mind games to try and outwit them. It’s a fairly fast paced story and I read just the first book but seriously, compared to what Harry potter did – I cant say it fared well.
Harry is a character with far more hope. It’s a story written with love. One of a boy genuinely coming to terms with his life, his powers and his destiny. And it is this lack of cockiness that touches a cord. You want Harry to win. Artemis – well not so much.
“Hum” of the day:
I really have a strange love for the innocent, the ones looking and not finding... the ones still in search. It gives me hope - that the world will and can become a better place. And it links with the next book I picked up “Being Indian” where alongside all our corruption, our desire for growth, our entrepreneurial abilities (no apparently we do NOT have as noble goals as we think we do) – what keeps us going is hope. Hope that one can survive… and stories just give the evidence that it could come true.
When I was growing up (yes it was a while back!) Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys were contemporaries - 2 sets of crime fighting teenagers saving the world from heinous high school crime. And everyone had a preference. I was always a Hardy Boys fan. Nancy Drew was a little over the top, often a little too perfect. Hardy Boys on the other hand had a more real appeal. They got into trouble; they got into fights they got out of it but not always with complete ease. Nancy Drew was nice, but it was a poor cousin- just like Artemis is to Harry.
For the uninitiated into these books, please read no further. Books and certainly children's books are not for all adults!
For my fellow potter fans, well I would say read about Artemis. Why? It’s a really fun book. Artemis is a child prodigy from a criminal family whose father has disappeared. Unfathomable to the author (u have to read the book to get this) this child has a penchant for crime and a mission to avenge his fathers loss of riches. He does not attend school and has a “butler” at his disposal to unquestioningly aid him in his activities. And what are his activities - To swindle the “fairy people” of their gold. For this, he decodes gnomish (fairy language of course) and uses technology and mind games to try and outwit them. It’s a fairly fast paced story and I read just the first book but seriously, compared to what Harry potter did – I cant say it fared well.
Harry is a character with far more hope. It’s a story written with love. One of a boy genuinely coming to terms with his life, his powers and his destiny. And it is this lack of cockiness that touches a cord. You want Harry to win. Artemis – well not so much.
“Hum” of the day:
I really have a strange love for the innocent, the ones looking and not finding... the ones still in search. It gives me hope - that the world will and can become a better place. And it links with the next book I picked up “Being Indian” where alongside all our corruption, our desire for growth, our entrepreneurial abilities (no apparently we do NOT have as noble goals as we think we do) – what keeps us going is hope. Hope that one can survive… and stories just give the evidence that it could come true.
Self-talk
I could start by rambling about myself and my life- it’s fairly easy. Ever notice how we all claim to have boring lives, yet give anyone - and i mean anyone- more than 2 minutes of genuine time, and they will start of on their lives like its the most enthralling novel. Well I'm only human so i shall start my novel now...or rather let me start with the reason for this blog.
We live a not-so-easy-yet-not-so-difficult life. Almost all of us do. And often it’s easy to do the yo-yo... I mean... to feel bad for your state of life and then to self-motivate yourself into counting the good things in your life. That’s where it started; I realized just how much time of our day goes into self-talk. And somehow it saddened me.
Why? Because being a part of the privileged world (literacy, access to computers and knowing what a blog IS, is in itself a privilege!) I should not have to emotionally coerce myself into being positive, it should come automatically. Yet it does not. I always want more.
Is that healthy I don’t know. I like to think it is… because if I don’t want more i will not want to do anything about it. Yet patience is a virtue apparently. And there is a fine line between patience and lack of ambition. Will someone please specify what those lines are?!
So that is where this blog comes in. A million thoughts a day... something is bound to strike a cord strong enough to merit a few written words.
We live a not-so-easy-yet-not-so-difficult life. Almost all of us do. And often it’s easy to do the yo-yo... I mean... to feel bad for your state of life and then to self-motivate yourself into counting the good things in your life. That’s where it started; I realized just how much time of our day goes into self-talk. And somehow it saddened me.
Why? Because being a part of the privileged world (literacy, access to computers and knowing what a blog IS, is in itself a privilege!) I should not have to emotionally coerce myself into being positive, it should come automatically. Yet it does not. I always want more.
Is that healthy I don’t know. I like to think it is… because if I don’t want more i will not want to do anything about it. Yet patience is a virtue apparently. And there is a fine line between patience and lack of ambition. Will someone please specify what those lines are?!
So that is where this blog comes in. A million thoughts a day... something is bound to strike a cord strong enough to merit a few written words.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)