Mind speak

ಕನಸ್ಸಿನ ರೆಕ್ಕೆಯನ್ನೇರಿ ಹಾರುತ್ತಿರುವ ನನಗೆ ನಿನ್ನ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯ ದಿಕ್ಕೇ ಕಾಣಬೇಕಿತ್ತು. ಮನಸ್ಸಿನ ಕತ್ತಲಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಳಕಾದ ನಿನ್ನನ್ನು ನನ್ನ ದಾರಿದೀಪವಾಗಿ ಮಾಡಿದವರಾರು? ವಿಧಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಂಬಿಕೆ ಇಲ್ಲ ನನಗೆ, ರೇಖೆಗಳನ್ನು ಓದಲು ನನಗೆ ಬಾರದು. ಇವೆಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ಮೀರಿ ಒಂದು ಸೂತ್ರವಿಹುದೇನೋ, ನಮ್ಮಿಬ್ಬರನ್ನು ಒಂದು ಮಾಡಿಹುದು.  

ರಾತ್ರಿ ಪಯಣ ಮಾಡಲೆಂದು ದೀಪ ಹಿಡಿದು ನಿಂತಿಹೆ, ದಾರಿ ಕಾಣದೆಂದು ಭಯವೇಕೆ? ಮನಸ್ಸು  ಮಾಡಿ ಹೆಜ್ಜೆ ಇಟ್ಟ ಗಳಿಗೆಯೇ ಶುಭ ಗಳಿಗೆ. ಮುಂದೆ ಸಾಗಬೇಕು ಇನ್ನೂ, ಮೇಲು, ಕೆಳಗೆ, ತಿರುವು, ಮುರುವು, ಏನೇ ಬರಲಿ ಸೈ ಎಂದು ಹೊರಟು  ನಿಂತ ನನಗೆ ಯಾವ ಅಳುಕು, ಯಾವ ಚಿಂತೆ? ಬರುವ ಮುನ್ನ ಸೂಚನೆ ಕೊಡುವ ಮರ್ಮ ಮರ್ಮವೇ ? ಅಳುವ ಮುನ್ನ ಭಾವನೆ ಇರದೆ ಇರುವುದು ಸಾಧ್ಯವೇ ? ಬಾಳ ಹಾದಿ ಉದ್ದಕ್ಕೂ ಹೂವ ಹಾಸು ಬಯಸಲು ನನ್ನ ಜೀವನ ಕನಸಲ್ಲ ಭ್ರಮೆ ಪಡುವಂತಹ ನನ್ನ ಮನಸಲ್ಲ.

Grace, her attire Smile, her make up Tears, her expression Courage, her strength Love, her nature Affection, her personality Woe, her companion Passion, her beauty Faith, her anchor Intuition, her gift The better of creation, The epitome of love, No world without her, Woman- no one like her!

Sing me a song of the days gone by Of happy times and calmer moments Of tender love and beautiful relationships Of quiet content and silent remorse Of simple joys and life’s little sorrows Of unspoken dreams and unheard places Of gentle flowing rivers and loud crashing waves Of wild thoughts and tame desires Of all that’s new and all that’s old Of precious ones and loyal friends Sing me a song to keep me going Through thick and thin Through life’s travails Through ups and downs Through tough times Sing me one and sing it now For a good song is the best healer

A bit of love, a bit of hope, a bit of dreams, a bit of dissapointment, a bit of luck, a bit of failure, a bit of happiness, a bit of sorrow, a bit of friendship, a bit of family, a bit of search, a bit of contentment, a bit of remorse, a bit of gratification, a bit of dissatisfaction, a bit of peace, a bit of challenge, a bit of revenge, a bit of prayer, a bit of action, a bit of favour, a bit of achievement, a bit of help, a bit of independence, a bit of faith, a bit of skepticism, a bit of this and a bit of that, a bit of everything but a bit too less, Is that what it's all about?

A frog in the well is happy where it is- happy not knowing what is outside, happy being within the walls of the well. There exists no world beyond the well, for the frog. The waters are tested, the inmates all known. There is no risk, no unknown dangers to face. Once in a while the curiosity gets the better of it and it peeps outside, wondering what is out there, wondering what the world beyond has to offer. But never actually venturing out. Life is set and there is no room for surprises. While I was watching this little fellow in the picture I was wondering what was going on in his mind. Is he different from us? I was peeping into the well too, but would I dare to step in to see what's there? I don't think so. So for the frog the well is his world, for me the world is my well!

There is so much more to me than what I see, There is so much more to life than the breathe I add. There is so much more to the world around that makes more sense that I think, There are so many more moments, so many more laughs, so many more places. There is so much more to experience, so many more disappointments to face, So many more successes to celebrate, so many more dreams to be fulfilled. So many more milestones to be crossed, so many more obstacles to be overcome- That a little more time would not hurt, a little more patience would be great. A little more courage would be perfect and a little more perseverance  would do wonders. Looks like the day is too short, the moments are too trivial One life doesn't seem to be enough to say, truly- That I have lived a complete life!

Here are somethings that make me happy and make life worth living :- - A good night's sleep after a hard day at work - A ride back home under a sprinkle of a drizzle - Cloudy days - A hug and kiss from my daughter - An unexpected mail/message/call/meeting with an old friend - Endless sessions of gossip and chit chat with family/ friends - Impulsive plans/ travels/experiments/cooking sessions that turn out well - A good book to read and plenty of "my alone time" - Re-runs of my favorite TV shows and movies - Bedtime story telling 'mother-daughter-daddy' sessions - Chocolates, chats, desserts - Long drives and mellow ghazals - Hand made gifts and crafts - Writing poems - Participating in contests- online, in magazines, at work, anywhere - Singing- to no one in particular! - The fact that someone finds me fun to be with/ trustworthy/ simple - Family dinner/ TV times

It's so easy to get lost in the crowd. Anonymity is the best disguise. When you fade into oblivion you realize just how big the world around is.  So how easy is it to make a difference then? To leave a mark of your own? It is obviously easier to follow foot prints and take the treaded path. However, it takes great courage and conviction to discover new places, to go where no one has. Most of us just exist. We come, do what we are expected to and leave. I really admire those who choose to move away from the ordinary, who find that "extra" in the ordinary, to put it correctly. It's so inspiring to learn about such people. Their grit and focus bear testimonials to the undying human spirit. It also makes me feel that it is not so difficult after all. But the truth is it's anything but easy. We all come with our share of brains and genius. It's only some of us who recognize that this exists in us and use it for the good. I often wonder if I have it in me too. I me...

This is one of my favorite topics and one that I have a personal attachment to. Having grown up in the city, it's close to my heart. So much so any criticism about the city, I take quiet personally and get defensive. It has a persona, a life of it's own, a personality complete with personal attributes as well. A casual ride around the city one day got me capturing pictures that I associate/connect so much with the city. Amazing weather- perfect and unparalled Drizzly afternoons like this one- a chronic part of early childhood memories Roads laced with trees that form a canopy- a sight now becoming increasingly less! Giant BMTC buses- a necessary evil Notorious auto drivers- world famous in India!! Namma Metro- a source of perennial discomfort to the average commuter Traffic woes- chocked and full

One look at him and you will want to smile. He radiates warmth and exudes happiness. I am talking about the laughing buddha. This big guy above, sitting happily on a shelf, at our office, got me thinking. Suddenly a curiosity set in, to know why he is called so. A bit of research revealed that he is wrongly associated with Gautham Buddha. He is infact the Budai not Buddha- a Zen monk believed to be a person having extraordinary happiness, patience and compassion. He is supposed to have the stomach to take in all troubles and bad luck and transform them into happiness. One gifts a laughing buddha to someone in the hope that it will bring prosperity and good luck to the receiver. So what lessons have we to learn from him? 1) To keep smiling- always! 2) To convert all misfortunes that come our way into something positive (it is atleast a lesson for future, I guess) 3) To be looked at as a person who spreads positivity and good vibes 4) Last but not the least, the fact that we c...

I have never made New Year Resolutions because I don't believe in them. We make them and conveniently forget them only to feel bad later on about not sticking to them. I make resolutions throughout the year and try to stick to them when I make one. If I don't then I make sure I don't make such resolutions in future. The other day I went to the gym as usual at 6:30 in the morning. I was surprised to see that it was too crowded. Not like it usually is, with people around but enough place to breathe and stretch out. The instructor saw my surprise and told me "Don't worry Madam, this is only for one week. All these people are here because they made a new year resolution to work out and be regular to the gym. This will wear out soon". I was amused. But that got me thinking how true it is that people make New Year Resolutions for the sake of it. Like as if someone forced them too. I guess they think it is cool to tell someone they have such resolutions for the new y...

The human mind is the most fascinating thing. Nobody can ever create or imitate this creation. So complex yet so amazing. It can multitask, it can process information at super speed, it can store memory up to unlimited capacity. But I often wonder, does it ever rest? Of course we sleep, but does the mind do so as well? Even while we are asleep the mind is at work. Aren't dreams a part of the sub conscious mind? I am very sure though that the mind does tire at times. Just like how an over used machine heats up, our mind does too. You can literally feel it, when you are over worked, exhausted or have too many things to handle at one time, you tend to lose cool and you can feel the heat getting to your brain! Yoga, meditation and things like that help a lot to rejuvenate the mind. But then, every person has their own way of cajoling the mind to get back to it's normalcy. Some work out, some dance, some sing, some take off on a vacation, some just completely switch off.  For me, ...

I remember attending this work shop at one of my previous places of work. It was on Time Management. I also remember the person conducting this work shop telling us that one of the essentials of effective time management is prioritization. Set your priorities right, he said, and half your problem is solved. We are supposed to segregate our daily tasks and put them under labels such as Urgent and Important, Urgent but not Important, Important but not Urgent, not Urgent not Important etc; Apparently if most of your tasks fall under the third category ( Important but not Urgent), then you are like the Guru of Time Management. Quiet fascinating actually! But practical too? I don't think so. How many of us would actually be able to follow this? Time Management apart, the concept of prioritization somehow fascinates me. I mean look at it from a Woman's point of view- Career or family? Husband or Children? Parents or Husband? Friends or Children? Beauty Parlor or work? The last one ...