It’s that time again. You feel agitated, irritated with others, feel like your life is not going anywhere and you know energy has drained out.

So, infuse some positivity in your life to get back on track.

Following are some simple things which help. I admit these are tips I found online, hence can’t take credit but I have tried and found them working.

1. Declutter the house. It may not be possible to clean or declutter the whole house in one go, but at least start with a corner. The process itself worked wonders to clear my mind in addition to having a clean space at the end of it.

2. Open the windows and let the light in. I am unable to open the windows to air the house, but as I open the shades and let the light in, I must say some light fell on my mind too.

3. Light a lamp. Definitely the effect is different from switching on a light.

“But those of you who light a lamp, if you simply be there around it, you will notice it makes a difference. You don’t need to believe in any God. It need not even be dark, the lamp need not be a visual aid, but do you notice it makes some kind of a difference? This is because the moment you light a lamp, not the flame itself but around the flame a certain etheric sphere will naturally happen.”

Sadhguru

4. Detox your body. In addition to the health benefits like lowering BP, sugar, improving cardiac health etc, it also makes you more energetic. And be sure, improvements are on the way!

5. Meditate. A sure-shot means of detoxing the mind infusing positivity! Relaxed and stress-free, you are capable to take on the world!

Infuse

Impression

It’s all that I was worried about,

My only thought above all,

All efforts on my appearance,

The impression I make, the praise I get.

 

Confident, beautiful and intelligent,

Complements I received galore,

Oh, why then I felt so empty?

Lonely, meaningless and forlorn.

 

It took time and heart breaks,

Oh! Impressions are much more,

Not just superficial but character,

Who and what I am leaves lasting impressions.

 

 

Bosses may think they control all those working under them. Mothers may think they control their children. How many do realize it takes just the blink of an eye for things to go out of control.

One example: Take a look at the emergency of a trauma center (or any hospital for that matter), I am sure it will be an eye opening experience for all. One minute you are racing down the highway, the next you scream in pain, unable to move your legs or worse! I see these patients in the emergency and I think about the pedestrians who cross the road even while the light is red, the drivers who try to save a minute of two by jumping a red light, speedsters who get their thrill at no less than a 100km, pedestrians walking /crossing the road while on the phone…. When will one understand that most of the things in our own life are not in our control?

Does that mean there is absolutely nothing that we can control?

What about our own self?  Control over our thoughts, emotions and actions!

“First learn to know yourself perfectly and then to control yourself perfectly. You will be able to do it by aspiring every moment. It is too never early to begin, never too late to continue.”

                                         The Mother

Control

Unmoored

A boat adrift, unmoored and losing sight

Of shore, its anchor and support,

Waves moving it further from light,

Just as I am, with no course or port.

Days turn to months and year,

I go about my daily chores and wear,

And see no charm and luster anywhere,

Oh how unmoored I am, amidst the cheer.

Pursue

      “Ever tried, ever failed. No matter. Try again, fail again, fail better”                                                                                                  Samuel Beckett.

I remember reading the story of Thomas Edison while he was trying to invent the light bulb. He made a bulb without success. He again attempted, failed miserably. He kept at it for 999 times without any success. But he pursued in his efforts. And voila! 1000^th attempt was a viable light bulb, a common place object which we now take for granted!

Had he not pursued his efforts… had he given up thinking he was no good…had he changed his focus and tried to do something else…

Who knows how the course of history would have changed?

   “Our greatest glory is not in never failing but in rising everytime we fail”                                                                                                                    Confucius 

Thomas Edison is not the only one. There are thousands of stories of people who pursued, who kept going against all odds and finally achieved what they aimed at. Abraham Lincoln, Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein, Walt Disney, Van Gogh, J.K Rowling.. Success came to them after so much time and troubles only because they did not give up.

The take away:

Work on something you love and pursue it adamantly.

“Everyone of you should have an aim. But do not forget that on the quality of your aim will depend the quality of your life. Your aim should be high and wide, generous and disinterested; this will make your life precious to yourself and to others.”                                                                                                             The Mother

I remember the day the little kitten walked into our house. As soon as we opened the cage in which she was brought in, she walked out elegantly, tail up and walked around the house as if she owns it. And really she made it her home in no time!

Her name was also apt! Deliberating on a name for her, the
name Percy came up, just suitable for a Persian cat that she was.

Her nuances are unforgettable. The way she walked towards you when she felt like being pampered, stayed by your feet till you have run your hand over her back for a while and then the way she walked away…I must  say animals do need as much attention as your children!

She was very particular about drinking water. She would never drink water from her bowl which we keep in her room; she always came outside and drank water outside. And if you hesitated about letting her out, she meowed, soft initially as if calling you sweetly and then so hard and loud as if scolding you till you finally obliged.

One time, we had to go out of station for 7 days. Though arrangements were made for taking care of her, her reaction after we came back was exceptional. She meowed, high pitched and looking straight at our daughter (unheard till then), as if complaining about being left alone.

Little things she did, looks she gave, she made her place right in our hearts within a short while. She was a part of our family.

I might even say our elder daughter took more care of Percy than her own sister. And for the little one, she was a play thing. The expression in Percy’s eyes when our little girl was holding her tight or making her up was just adorable. It could only described as that of resignation – I am yours, you may do whatever you wish to…

I am a ‘no-pet’ person, not that I don’t like animals, I just don’t want them roaming around in my home. But Percy brought on a change in me, I can’t specify what exactly, but fact of the matter remains. She roamed freely through the house, sat on the dining table, made a comfy sleeping place in a basket with my dupattas and I just could not feel angry at her.

Unfortunately her time with us was so short and it has been difficult to come to terms with it.

She passed away a few days ago. She had killed a rat and the theory is probably that rat was poisoned. Even in her last hours, she didn’t trouble anyone, she just went quietly.

She will be in our hearts forever, her presence changed us all!

Foot note: No more pets in our home, the space left void when Percy left may never fill!

 

Warning: this is the first of a series of blog posts to remind and motivate myself of the importance and need of losing weight. So, you are free to close the page!

                     “Good health is an exterior expression of inner harmony”.

The Mother.

Initially I thought of starting a new blog site, to monitor my progress. But that would be unfair to myself!

To acquaint you all: I am the heaviest I have ever been! Due to yo-yo dieting and yo-yo exercising, I got where I am – sad, achy and predisposed to several medical problems. But, it is not where I want to be!

“The perfection of the body, as great a perfection as we can bring about by the means at our disposal, must be the ultimate aim of physical culture. Perfection is the true aim of all culture, the spiritual and psychic, the mental, the vital and it must be the aim of our physical culture also. If our seeking is for a total perfection of the being, the physical part of it cannot be left aside; for the body is the material basis, the body is the instrument which we have to use. Sariram. khalu dharma- sãdhanam, says the old Sanskrit adage, – the body is the means of fulfilment of dharma, and dharma means every ideal which we can propose to ourselves and the law of its working out and its action. A total perfection is the ultimate aim which we set before us, for our ideal is the Divine Life which we wish to create here, the life of the Spirit fulfilled on earth, life accomplishing its own spiritual transformation even here on earth in the conditions of the material universe. That cannot be unless the body too undergoes a transformation, unless its action and functioning attain to a supreme capacity and the perfection which is possible to it or which can be made possible.”

Sri Aurobindo

Perfection – here I have my aim spelled out for me!

And what is more, I have more motivation, something to look forward to…

My hubby and his class mates are celebrating their 25^th year in AIIMS. A get together is planned on 27^th December and several families are flying in for the event.  Most of them have never met me or him (after they finished MBBS) and I want them to see me as who I was, with whom their class mate fell in love with and decided to spend his life with, rather than this pathetic self! Not that I care too much about what people think, but hey! It is motivation!

Foot note: any one of you reading this blog is always free to ask, motivate and /or pester me about my progress!

Image courtesy: http://www.stopfryingyourbrain.com

 

It is not that I have anything against visiting temples, or waiting patiently for my turn to have the darshan. This article is neither a generalization of the experiences or a criticism of people who visit temples. It is just my experience and overwhelming feelings which I would like to express.

We visited six temples / shaktipeeths in Himachal during the past long weekend. This one is about Chintpurni temple in Kangra.

The temple is situated at a height of 940 meters and we have to park around 2 km away from the temple. The whole path leading to the temple is very scenic. This temple is one of the 51 shaktipeeths, where the feet of mata Sati fell. According to markandeya purana, this is where the goddess Chandi defeated demons here and satisfied the thirst of two of her emanations by cutting her own head and feeding them blood. The devi is depicted as Chinnamastika here. It is also said that any wish of the devotee of pure heart is granted here.

We were forewarned that since this is the month of Sawan, there will be a queue of at least 4-5 hours for darshan but no forewarning prepared us for what we faced! Well, the queue as expected was more than a kilometer long and we moved inch by inch ahead. There were police personnel everywhere keeping the crowd in order, even a token system  was established and finally we reached the temple compound in an hour and half. As they waited, people were chanting ‘Jai Mata Di’ on one hand and arguing with others who were trying to sneak their way into the queue. With kids constantly cribbing, rain and sun tiring us out, the only motivation that kept us going was the thought of how we would feel later about turning back without the Mata’s darshan after reaching Her ‘dwar’. But then the real torture was yet to begin!

As we entered the temple compound, it seemed as if all police personnel vanished and same with queues as well! The whole crowd became unruly, pushing and I am surprised how people with small kids managed! My own little one was on the shoulders of her father (more because she was totally tired but it really saved her from being smothered, I believe). Well, for the ones advocating positive thinking, one only had to stand to reach the mata’s darbar! The crowd was totally out of control as we neared the sanctum santorum ….

Moreover by the time I reached the sanctum santorum, I also had to devote my attention to offering the Prasad and making sure that I receive the packet back from the pandit( it was not at all possible for the pandit to ensure that the right packet goes to the right hand, it had to be our onus!).  And in a matter of seconds, I was pushed out, my time in front of the Devi was over! I didn’t even get a glimpse of the Diety.

To tell the truth, I had something specific to pray and I was thinking about it the whole way, framing the prayer to the mata, but by the time we reached in front of Her, I forgot about it completely! So pestered I was with the crowd, busy with the Prasad and other religious rites, the wish didn’t even come up in my mind.

Was it a darshan in the true sense? Was reaching the temple and infront of the Devi was sufficient? Many more questions propped up in my mind as we got out to the outer compound. I wondered about others as well.

Did anyone in the queue feel any devotion while pushing and shoving?

Are people just visiting because of the stories of miracles happening here and have heard stories about the power of the Devi?

Or have they accepted that this type of behavior is norm and part of visiting a temple?

Frankly,  I was relieved (and my kids more!) once we were out of the temple and sitting in the car again!

Did the darshan serve any purpose – I am not sure. But it has been one of a kind experience, I would say!