zoom out

 i guess all things are absolutely beautiful - including whatever we consider NOT to be - IF we can 'zoom out' (or 'zoom in') at 'right' level ... is the key in the 'balance' of our sight/mind?

https://earthview.withgoogle.com/gujarat-india-13818

https://earthview.withgoogle.com/kondh-india-13814

(both above from Earth View of Google)

iceberg यथा पिण्डे तथा ब्रह्मण्डे

it was a trip being planned for a long time .. wanted to again visit dark-sky reserve (some few hours from our place) during the recent neowise comet's appearance .. but it did not happen

finally - my son got a new phone - and he wanted to try out some night sky photography with it - and yes, he also wanted to drive for long (making good use of his recent learning license) - so, we both thought of going on a weekday 18th sep (though it was a weekday; since it was closer to new moon - for darker sky & better observation) .. 

it was indeed a good view - away from the light polluted night sky of a city .. but it was little chilly .. despite of the cold and the pandemic situation .. it was quite crowded (the ride through the rural roads made us feel we might be just 2 of us - but as soon as we reached the actual dark-sky reserve location - our assumptions were proved wrong .. we had to wait for getting a parking spot) ... we hardly spent half-an-hour out in the dark/cold night .. his excitement did not last long - his new phone settings that he wanted to try did not turn out exactly as he wanted .. but all in all it was good experience .. we even got a glimpse of a black baby bear on the way back (very close to our car/road)

we live in a high-rise building - and our parking spot is on the 3rd basement (that is 3 floors under the ground) .. the access to the lot is secured - and we have key/fob that we show at the door to open the locked gate .. our fob is attached with the car key - and we have to switch off the engine to take it out - roll down the window glass and show it to the sensor .. i think power of positive intention (or LoA - Law Of Attraction) helps me a lot .. almost always someone is coming out from the other side - so that I get the garage door open for me to smoothly get in without need to turn on/turn off ignition .. [sometimes i wait for few seconds - and off late i have noticed people have helped me from not only other side - but also from behind .. they have remote 'fob' and they come to my rescue :-) ]

while coming back from the dark-sky reserve trip - it was about 3am .. and coming close to the door - i made a passing comment to my son - "it is so late .. that my logical brain is not able to digest the thought that some car would be coming out from the other side so that we don't have to stop" .. and we used the key/fob - after putting off the engine for a while .. and when the door pulled up - i was happily shocked to notice - a guy was walking out on foot from the other side .. i was right! had i convinced my logical brain to wait for few seconds - the door would have been opened up for me even at 3am on a dark/cold night - and if not by an outcoming car - then by a man walking out on foot - very unlikely and unbelievable - but if you do allow - the universe has extraordinary power to re-arrange itself in a such a manner that it works out in your favor - because you want and believe - and it is win-win - where all involved are happy :-)

from - http://stock.adobe.com/free

our brain/mind - whatever we say is like an iceberg! the logical/conscious  'component' is very small/visible part - and it does the 'reasoning' (necessary for routine functions like 'driving') ... it also acts like a 'door keeper' and allows only logically convincing (or 'reasonable') thoughts or desires/day-dreams to enter the much bigger 'sub-conscious' mind - but if somehow we let those ideas (at times after 'fooling' the sentry) pass on to the super-powerful component - it invariably makes it happen - and it does it in its own unique effortless manner in most harmonious way - since it is in alignment/connection with the all knowing universe (that we often term as "God") .. that omnipotent is what is inside each one of us - and hence we bow to all with "namaste"  reminding i bow to divinity within you .. what is inside is what is out there यथा पिण्डे तथा ब्रह्मण्डे yathaa piNDe tathaa brahmaNDe

PS: while I share this with humility & gratefulness - I am also reminded of the guidance of the author of "The Science of Getting Rich" - where he says "Do not brag .." but instead "Take an honest pride .." :-) --> here

99 out of 100 is good enough ?!

 just finished '100 days or running' challenge for 2020 ... i could keep the self-commitment on 99 out of 100 days and i am happy ! ... grateful for the daily walks :-)

#comewhatmay was catchy - and that made me interested to explore this https://hdor.com/ in 2018 .. 

2020 was my 3rd consecutive year !! 

https://facebook.com/groups/769735296556908?view=permalink&id=1358265824370516 or https://bit.ly/HarshHDOR has one small write-up

what a day?!

with sun-rise starts one cycle of nature - and it was great to witness a rainbow

Yes! morning rainbow that too without rain was unusual treat i am grateful for :-)

and then in the night - i could witness the full-moon too :-)

Thank you GOD for the beautiful nature around all of us!

Apples OR Peaches?

 Below is a "guest" post - by 'Apple lady' :-)

“Apples or Peaches?” is a question I always had. To give more details let me present my question. I feel there is a thin line between compromise and positivity. Let’s say you want to eat an apple. You are really craving for an apple. You can almost feel how wonderful it is to bite into your crispy apple and enjoy its sweetness. With that thought you walk into a farmer’s market, excited to enjoy your apple. But its not apple season, its the time for peaches. Beautiful juicy yummy peaches all around you. So, what would you do? Would you buy a peach and say may be this is what is meant to be? May be peach is good for me? I will accept it and enjoy it. Or would you say good to see peaches, but I would still want to eat my apple  . What would you do? If the peach makes you happy, forget about the apple then the peach is really meant for you. You should go for it. But if in-spite of enjoying the best peaches of the season, you still crave for your apple what should be done? I personally think go for your apple. At least that is what I want to do, get my apples, and not compromise on peaches. Peaches are not for me. May be after trying the apple, I might want some grapes. That is ok because it would be my decision at that point not a decision I was forced to obey or was expected to abide by.

 

Now does that work, is the biggest question. Will it be considered as arrogance? Will I be punished by God, universe, or supreme self for not accepting the "peach" and going after the "apple"? I think No. Because everything goes from inside out and not the other way around. If God is all about Love, and only means well, He is above all the feelings of anger, rejection, arrogance. By that I mean if you thank him for the peach and continue your journey toward the apple, He will just assist you. and eventually make it happen. Now that is self love. You love and care for your decision or choice to the point that you are not ready to give up or compromise. And when you take care of yourself you will have the love and energy to do the same for others.

 

How do I know all this? Well I m learning it all myself... but I did do an experiment  . People who know me will tell you how I love the ‘why’s and ‘how’s and ‘what if’s? Curiosity is my second nature. So, let me tell you about my experiment. I was listening to "Awesome AJ”, I enjoy his small 10-minute videos on law of attraction. One of the videos he said try manifestation with something small... like a rubber duck. Yes, you heard it small yellow rubber ducky. He said think of it and it will show up as an image somewhere on TV or website you surf. So, I did. But I imagined that I am holding it in my hands. So that is my apple. I do not want to see an image of it, I want to touch it. Usually its there in homes that have small babies and I have grown up kids. So, it was going to hard, but I wanted to get some answers. First 24 hrs nothing. Next day I saw a real duck in a TV series I watch. I said, ‘thank you’, but I want to touch and feel a rubber ducky. Third day I saw a green ducky image on my son's shampoo bottle. I again said thank you universe, but I still want to touch and feel a rubber yellow ducky. By now trust me I thought maybe I am pushing it. But I continued. 4th day I walked into my daughter's room to give her a message from her friend. She is 17. We talked and I turned around and saw 2 yellow rubber duckies on her desk. I gasped and picked them up. I could touch and feel them. I asked my daughter where did she get these and she explained that her math teacher likes to give out rubber duckies to her students who do a good job. She was proud to get 2. She had lost them, but cleaning lady who had come a day before found them and put them on her desk.

 

why just 'OR' - make it an 'AND' :-)

I felt humbled and loved at the same time. For me that was the biggest lesson of self love that I needed to learn and also got a glimpse of the abundant enormous energy power, we refer to as GOD.

 

So, the Universe will give you whatever you are ready to work towards... apples or peaches. Nothing is enforced on us; we sometimes give up or lose faith in our self.

wave of GRACE

sharing one of the creation during the recent road-trip below -

All we need is a gentle wave of GRACE to see all our negativity effortlessly erased :-) 

universe is amazing!

have you slept on a WalMart parking lot?

it is not as bad as you might think ... telling from recent experience :-) ... yes, we have! in fact, it was a 'dream' for few years that finally came true ..

i checked my inbox - and it seems i had signed up for CanaDream's promotional offers way back in 2017 .. after 3 long years - finally, it happened - we rented an RV on a deal and had great time for the past weekend (some 3-4 days one way journey in a 'home' on wheels for 800 kms culminated with a train ride back home) .. apart from many experiences and learning - one of them was 'sleeping' in the 'luxurious' home parked on a WalMart lot .. for 2 nights in a row (not the same lot though - few 100 kms apart)

and yes - it was not just concrete jungle that we got to explore - there is more to share - but let's see one of the sunsets we got to experience at the Sandbanks Provincial Park below (where we could even do 'om mitraaya namaH' to the suryadeva

(to be continued .. ?)

ghatmaa ghoDaa

I have wonderful memories about the following few lines (Shri Jhaverchand Meghani)

- ઝવેરચંદ મેઘાણી

ઘટમાં ઘોડા થનગને આતમ વીંઝે પાંખ
અણદીઠેલી ભોમ પર યૌવન માંડે આંખ
    
ghaTamAM ghoDA thanagane Atama vIMjhe pAMkha
aNadIThelI bhoma para yauvana mAMDe AMkha

Full poetry here

I had used it for an elocution contest - and come up with my own version then

filam jova thanagane ne vyasane minche aankh
sanmarge kadie na vade upaya choo kare sau lakh

ફ઼િલમ જોવા થનગને ને વ્યસને મીંચે આંખ
સન્માર્ગે કદિએ ન વળે ઉપાય છો કરે સૌ લાખ

filama jovaa thanagane ne vyasane mIMche AMkha

sanmaarge kadie na vaLe upaaya chho kare sau laakha

Point I wanted then to make was - Shri Jhaverchand Meghani had visualized a youth - who is full of energy and enthusiastic to take on unseen land in positive sense ... where as some folks who are devoid of 'satsang' (or misguided) might waste their efforts and energies in wrongdoings/vices


PS: used aksharamukha.appspot.com/converter to have script conversion :-)

potatoes OR karma?

this is no ordinary bag of potatoes .. it is really special - it is one i bought from a big grocery store on Friday (29th May) evening .. but after paying for it - along with few other items - i left the checkout counter little absent minded maybe .. i forgot to pick it up (and i wasn't even aware)

i had checked it off from my list of things to buy - and came home with almost all things from that list .. and then i got a call (after an hour or so) from a friend - whom i did interact with at the store .. no hand-shake of course - just 'namaste' :-) from safe distance

he asked - did i forget a bag of potatoes at the store .. it so happened - that he was there with his dad - and they too bought a similar bag .. and they were just behind me at the counter - and out of confusion - they carried my forgotten bag of potatoes along with their rightfully purchased one .. only when they reached home and unloaded stuff from the vehicle - they realized they both carried one bag each of potatoes (assuming it was their own; the one they paid for) - and the friend mentioned it is extra one they carried - so was thinking to return it back to the store - when his father reminded him about me - and mentioned he did see me carry/pay for a bag of potatoes too ...

when he called and asked and explained the above situation - it is then i realized - i had not been aware that i was missing the bag of potatoes i was supposed to bring home along with other grocery items .. he then said he will drop at our place - soon - which actually happened on Mon (1st June)

i was very happy to know - that even in a big box store - where many do shopping - there was a friend sent by the almighty looking after my special bag of potatoes :-) .. really grateful to the universe for all the blessings

it reminded me of a subhashitam (#187 here)

यथा धेनुसहस्त्रेषु वत्सो विन्दति मातरम् |

तथा पूर्वकॄतं कर्म कर्तारमनुगच्छति ||

- महाभारत

yathaa dhenusahastreShu vatso vindati maataram |

tathaa puurvakRRItaM karma kartaaramanugachChati ||

- mahaabhaarata

which means "Calf recognizes its mother among the herd of thousands of cows; the same way, karma of previous birth (good and bad deeds) goes with the doer."

it also reminded me of somewhat similar incident i had experienced some 2 decades ago .. i was studying for one of my Master degree's interim exam at friends place overnight ... woke up in the morning and rushed for the exam venue - and while getting on to my two wheeler (a scooter) dropped my prized wrist watch (hmt brand) - and when i reached the venue - couldn't find it ... and then my friend (where i was studying overnight) came after me (on his own two wheeler) and asked me if i was missing my watch .. it so happened he noticed it and picked up .. and all fell in place for me by grace of Almighty .. :-)

i am grateful for the GRACE!

learn from the past?

I recall 'grand' story I have heard about my 'great-grand-father' .. according to the 'legend' that goes around in our household - he was once very hard-working and had to work as farm-hand to earn his livelihood (and make ends meet) ... but then he made mental note of all the places he toiled at and somehow became land-lord of all those farms through his great deeds .. and would have many people working for him as farm-hands.

He had 3 sons ..

one of his grand-son - my father - vaguely remembers (when he was very young) that on arrival of a new-born child in the extended family, a cow would be set aside - milk/etc from that cow would be for that particular young one :-)

I like to think he understood the way 'the abundance of universe' works and was in alignment with 'law of attraction' to grow by being in harmony with the flow of nature ..

In absence of detailed account of his business deals if i try to think - did he get 'rich' by creative means OR by competitive ways? ..

I also remember hearing further accounts - there came a time in the history of the then bhaarat (or India) - whereby British rulers of those days brought in the rule where the land would be only owned by those who would till themselves .. i don't know exact details - but it was (from what i understand) in favor or laborers (or workers/farm-hands) and thereby against the land-lords ..

in such situation, any farm-hand raising a claim on any land would get to keep the farm which was owned by the land-lord .. to go through the official procedure, they would have to of course go to nearby town where documentation etc would get done and verified ..

so, as per the story, my great-grand-father was going on his horse to the town when 'summoned' in one such case .. and on his way he sees the farm-hand who had filed (& had been fighting) the 'case' against him for a particular piece of land (where he was working for my great-grand-father) .. of course, as yet - he is not the owner yet - and he was walking on foot .. my great-grand-father gives him ride on his horse-back and they both together go to the 'court' - to 'fight' over the ownership of the land in question :-)

this anecdote makes me happy that my great-grand-father was not 'competitive' in this incident - he could have ignored the farm-hand or even worse - he could have shown behavior depicting enmity - but rather he showed kindness towards one who was going to take away land (of course as per the then 'legal' process) :-)

there is no 'competition' to creativity - because thereby we all can 'win'!

What I want for myself, I want for everybody

i am fortunate to be able to revisit wonderful book that i read some time back - The Science of Getting Rich in a group setting where we discuss one chapter every week on tele-conference - the wonderful interactions of friendly reading buddies (despite of being couple of thousand miles apart in physical distance!) make the understanding much deeper - and the motivation/cohesiveness of the group ensures there is discipline along with fun
[power of संगच्छध्वं ? :-) ... to know more about the invocation/prayer; refer to page 4 of Yoga doc here https://yoga.ayush.gov.in/yoga/public/assets/front/pdf/CYPEnglishLeaflet.pdf ]

Chapter 14 ends with ... the favorite declaration of the late "Golden Rule" Jones of Toledo: "What I want for myself, I want for everybody." (NOTE to SELF - explore more about it/him - TODO)

it reminded me of blog post in Dec 2008 and one more in Feb 2013 :-)

life?

i have read somewhere (some long time back?) -

life is a bitch .. and then you die

Certainly, it sounded pessimistic to me - so, i had to twist it to something happier

Life is a BLISS .. and then you FLY :-)

why be angry? let go :-)

past weekend, i was reminded of a childhood incident - i am kind of ashamed, but i was very young - (when my age was somewhere between 5 to 7?) - and i have forgiven myself now :-)

[from Intenet search]

i was mad at my elder sister for something (since we both were so young - it must have been something trivial or silly - which i don't remember) .. and started running after her - she started going around our dining table - and since she seemed to be out of reach, my 'anger' increased - i noticed simple knife on the table - and i grabbed it in my right hand and started scaring her with that .. while i was 'blinded' by the 'rage', i started to rub the knife on MY own left palm (while continuing to chase her) .. after a round or two around our small dining table, i started feeling some pain and noticed that my sister too had stopped going away from me (saving herself) but came towards me pointing to couple of drops of blood that had fallen on the ground from my delicate and hurt left palm (or fingers) ... soon, i realized that with intent to just express my anger at her, i had actually hurt my own self - And, yes, I forgave my sister too :-)

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned" .. internet search attributes this quote to Gautam Buddha - so, i tag this post on 6th May 2020 (Buddha purnima)

want to hop on the 'happy' train?

universe is a 'happy' bus (or train) ... it takes any happy passenger that hops on to wherever he or she wants to go :-)

it probably doesn't like whining or unhappy folks - hence it makes them detrain for sometime ... don't worry - it goes round and round - so it will again happily take you onboard once you have dealt with your cribbing - so, be cheerful and you will get where you want to go !!

life lesson - from a 'toilet story'?

i was recently reminded - by my son - about how funny i sounded when i shared a 'toilet story'

we all had joined a life skills and leadership development 'camp' for holistic growth - as participants - but maybe because of my grey hairs i was also given some additional responsibility of being 'in charge' of many young participants

many were teens - and some were away from family/home for the first time .. for the entire week. the camp was not planned for five-star experience - it was meant to be 'harsh' enough to induce growth - they wake up early in the morning - clean their own dishes (or use the same for their own future meals!) and show up for activities at expected times (at the call of a whistle) till late in the night.

on the first or 2nd day itself, i encountered a situation - i entered the shared (not so posh) washroom - and noticed the 'flush' task had not completed successfully - on further exploration (not elaborate) i could figure out it was probably one pin that had moved out of place from its required position in the lever/valve 'system' - and trying to put it in place took fraction of minute - i was hopeful it had 'fixed' it and yes, i was true - just pressing the knob made it work at first attempt - and the problem was solved!

i then asked the camp organizing team to share the story for life lesson (during the evening assembly - when they are required to be all attentive to official announcements) - and i started saying how i found un-flushed toilet - purpose was not to 'scare'/'scold' them (even my son was one amongst the crowd - easy to be kind and sensitive, when your 'own' skin is in the game, isn't it?)

then i explained the whole incident and said - if i were such a young boy in a place where i might have either 'broke' it or noticed it dys-functional i too might have chosen the safe option to ignore or walk away ... but many times (like in this case) life's problems are not that hard (or dirty) as they might appear - it probably needs just some careful observation and a simple fix OR talking to someone 'experienced' for whom it is easy enough to solve it in a jiffy .. so don't be shy - if you have a problem (or see something around) just try or get help and you might be pleasantly surprised!

i am not sure - how others took such a talk/lecture - but my son even now remembers it as 'funny' that i mentioned 'toilet story' ..  :)

this note also reminded me of another (similar?) blog i had posted long back here

Boston @ 10 becomes Tin?

Today is 19th April .. exactly 10 years after I was fortunate to complete 'The Boston Marathon' in 2010. A 10 year anniversary is also named 'Tin' !!

This weekend was so different in many ways .. I was surrounded by crowds all along the 40+ km stretch .. and when I tried to run yesterday 1/10th of the distance in a nearby school track, even scarce joggers were trying to keep away for safety .. I tried to recreate as much as I can though :-)

I tried to RUN ..


I put on the same T-shirt ... [yes, it still fits perfectly :D ] ..

And I am trying to blog as well ... I will try to reach out to all who commented on my blog then :)

ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः

JUMBO

while the world is caught up in the jumbo sized pandemic and equally large response to it - we tried to make lemonade out of the lemons 'thrown' at us - finally, got to make a visit to the memorial - just about 2 hours drive from our place - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumbo

the story (especially the end) of Jumbo is certainly sad - https://www.railwaycitytourism.com/the-story-of-jumbo

however - very impressive that an animal had garnered the love of so many folks around the globe - that too without any support/power of social media that can make things go 'viral'

let almighty give us all - the human race and beyond - the 'jumbo' strength and blessings to make world a better place for everyone on it.

.. ऐसे ही शाम ढले

opposite of WORRY?

not sure if there is any antonym of Worry that I like or feel is appropriate ...

i have been thinking how to define worry?
it is creative imagination under the dark clutches (control) of FEAR ... then the opposite best suited would be BLISS (another 5 letter word) - which I want to define as Imaginative Creation guided/driven by HOPE

is our mind constantly playing a game of ping-pong between Worry & BLISS .. let HOPE be the winner all the time then :-)

ऐसे ही जग में, आती हैं सुबहें ...

नीले गगन के तले, धरती का प्यार पले

ऐसे ही जग में, आती हैं सुबहें
ऐसे ही शाम ढले

count your smiles ..

many happy memories flooding from the past .. one decal I remember from our old home (some 25 years ago) attached to a glass showcase had this couplet

Count your smiles not tears

Count your friends not years

might be a birthday gift ? 😋😜

what's with numbers?

the below is our car odometer reading as of Wednesday night .. there is some math calculations and random driving involved before we could match up the trip meter and odometer to line up the digits (at least the numbers ignoring the decimal point) .. it had some equation solving by my son while i picked him and his friend up from the cadet program

it reminded me of an incident - while i was young - i used to track - along with my dad - currency notes with special/peculiar numbers .. and one day he is far away in different town and he was about to pay someone with a note - and (according to him) he heard me whispering in his ears "hey look dad, why are you giving away that bill - it has some 'collectible' sequence" - he did pause and checked and was surprised the inner voice he heard was true - so he saved it for us - and later told me the story

our minds are very powerful - if we are into something with 'passion' - the universe is a playground and supportive friend - miracles happen and make you feel blessed/grateful .. where there is a will - there is a way!

seeing a worm in your apple?

we live in a high rise building - and occasionally (sometimes past mid-night) we get disturbed with fire alarm .. later to discover it was a 'false alarm' - since, we get disturbed from our deep sleep we do feel frustrated - but trying to keep our calm - i think - it could be even worse - what if the 'alarm' was real? 

... that reminded me the 'funny' way of looking positively at any situation

Finding 'half' a worm :(

you're right ..

Whether you think you can or you can't .. you're right :-) -- Henry Ford

lost in space?

Sergei Krikalev
https://www.rbth.com/history/330415-last-soviet-citizen-cosmonaut

when we hit roadblocks in our life - we think we are the only ones with difficulties - or ours is the biggest challenge - that is when we should look around - and if we realize people have so many greater difficulties or tougher times - we might probably feel stronger to face our own situation ..

i recently revisited the story - a high performing astronaut was 'stuck in outer space' apparently for nothing of his own doing :-)

let's hope and pray everyone finds the right direction out of their 'darkness' - no matter how/where they are 'lost'

what is more strange - real life or fiction ?

wow - what a inspirational/comeback story

Emergency Hockey Player, a 42-Year-Old Zamboni Driver, Becomes Oldest Goalie to Win in NHL Debut

https://teachingkidsnews.com/2020/02/23/zamboni-driver-subs-as-nhl-goalie-becomes-a-hockey-hero/ certainly qualifies for a great sports/motivation movie story !!

i guess - life and fiction have healthy competition - sometimes life beats fiction in being more strange - and then at times fiction gets ahead - it is more like yin-yang then linear race :)

making you happy ..

Yes - this is marketing slogan of corporate in hospitality industry .. but wondering if can we as individuals try this out around us

सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः

:-)

I've found ..

I have not failed .. I've found 10,000 ways that won't work ! :-)

(grateful 🙏 to be reminded of positive ways of thinking by great men from past - y'day at "Edison and Ford winter Estates nr Ft. Myers, Florida)

old is beyond gold

I happened to meet today a mentor/guide after a very long time (some 20 years or so) .. he was the CEO of first company I joined in 1999 .. I was employee # 200+ at that time .. still he is not only in touch but enthusiastically supports cause of Samskritam that I am passionate about .. he is older than my father - at this age he spent almost whole day with me showing around - very impressed .. mama saubhagyam 

'old' relationships/friends/connections .. all are certainly invaluable .. gold is nothing :)

Art with logic?

it was fun to try out some Rubiks cube art (below one is created from 9 of them - in 3x3 formation)

i was born to ..

.. be happy :-)

In one session some place (professional development?) we were asked to finish this quote "i was born to .." (after little thought/reflection) .. and i am grateful it took me only a short while to fill up the blanks with ".. be happy"

https://media.lifehack.org/wp-content/files/2013/07/Your-purpose-in-life-is-to-find-your-purpose-and-give-your-whole-heart-and-soul-to-it..jpg

I remember we had to pick one out of few motivational quotes/images (something that resonates) - and I picked up the above one .. I searched up the quote - and found it attributed to Shri Gautam Buddha here https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/26838-your-purpose-in-life-is-to-find-your-purpose-and

“Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it”
― Buddha

ABCD

Long back I was told - the acronym ABCD stands for going Above and Beyond the Call of Duty .. best done without expectations :) .. but it does bring joy when one gets small token of appreciation

how to find passion?

some random questions that comes to my mind - might be useful to do little probing of  one's calling/passion ..

- what makes you feel most lively?
- when are you the most happy?
- what were your childhood dreams? what were your parents dreams?
- what would you like to keep doing - if there were no constraints/limitations?
- how you spend your time if nobody or nothing was going to stop you?
- if you had the entire universe at your 'command' what do you do/want?

creative use of pizza box/cardboard

was felt joy to see usual cardboard for pizza delivery being put to creative use as shown below - has anyone else tried/seen such good example(s)?

catalyst

There is one interesting/well-known 'puzzle' I happened to think about again

A farmer wants to divide his 17 horses among his three sons. According to farmer the oldest son should get half of the horses, the middle son should get one third of the horses and the youngest son should get one ninth of the horses. When their father died they were not able to divide the horses as the result was coming in fractions. As the sons were fighting on how to divide the horses a traveling mathematician came and heard their problem. He proposed a solution with which all the sons got their share in the property without harming any animal. What was the advice given and how the group of horses were divided?

[Above referred from http://www.crazyforcode.com/17-horses-puzzle/]

Simple math leads to fractions (impractical in case of horses) .. The 'solution' is interesting as well  (creative or 'out-of-the-box') - a wise passerby 'offers' one of his own horses - and then when division/distribution is down from (now) 18 horses - not only they all get 'more' that they originally would have expected but also the passerby takes out his 'loaned' horse without any issue :-)

I was just pondering up on the role of passerby .. is it result of 'creativity' or should we consider 'divine intervention' helping us in such a way at times ... ?

'catalyst' is defined as "a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change."

[PS: It has been even pointed out - by few - that the fractions do not add up to whole unit 1 - and hence it is 'mathematically' flawed to begin with?]

you are ..

though I do not bank with ScotiaBank - I like their tag-line ... "You're richer than you think" ..

in fact, i like to believe -

we all ARE more ___ (insert any positive adjective) than we think!! ..

that is hopeful creative way of thinking - and it will strive us all to get better isn't it?

drum roll

i get to try my hands on African drum today :-)

Hurricane @ 99

i was fortunate to meet (Chancellor) Hurricane Hazel and seek her blessing - when Sheridan is celebrating her 99th birthday (little belated) today

another tongue twister?

after my recent post on Gujarati tongue twister (kacho paapad) - i was thinking about trying Sanskrit one from "Garuda Gamana" (Maha Vishnu stotram) ...

मम तापमपाकुरु देव

मम पापमपाकुरु देव ॥

I could do about 20 repetitions in 1 minute :-)

As such it seems easier - but since it is longer text - count is less ..

gold in dirt

y'day, in my blog - i mentioned about "gold"

i was looking for a particular phrase/story - but a quick search led me to  .. https://www.goldprospectors.org/News/ArtMID/406/ArticleID/668/In-The-DIRT-All-Eyes-on-Gold-Don%E2%80%99t-be-Fooled from where I read the following

You know upfront that if you’re going to find gold, you’re going to move a lot of dirt. Realistically, several tons of dirt must be moved to get an ounce of gold. You don’t go into the goldfields looking for dirt, you go in looking for gold!

idea

colorful classics ?

there is a large pool of classic literature now available in public domain - thanks to Project Gutenberg .. has anyone tried to bring out the hidden 'colors' within such text? analyzing the string for presence of six digit 'valid' hex codes - and applying the 'style' of background color to that 'chunk' of text might make it interesting rendering ... should be not very tricky/difficult ... might try some day ..

UPDATE:
------------
some quick & easy JavaScript test showed there isn't much 'color' in classics :( ... at least the one i used as first sample 'Alice in Wonderland' from https://www.gutenberg.org/files/11/11-h/11-h.htm#link2HCH0001 had NOT a single hex-color pattern (assuming my logic & implementation is correct) in first 4 chapters ... the 5th chapter however showed first occurrence that too in the word 'succeeded' (what a coincidence!) .. this also reminds me of another thought/story i get inspired (another blog on mining 'gold' and getting 'dirt' and so on ..?)

a star ..

.. may forget the fact that it is 'shining' :)

we know that the light emitted from a 'star' reaches the viewer after several seconds OR minutes (based on the distance) - but if the 'star' was the 'viewer' itself - light would never reach back to itself isn't it? .. so, the 'star' may forget the fact that it is bright and shining :D

just another forward :-)

vasundhara वसुंधरा

earlier (long back) i had written about 'बहु-रत्ना-वसुंधरा' ... recent news/blog on Google Earth View has reminded me about that ... not only there are so many 'jewels' on this wonderful planet earth - the world (वसुंधरा) itself is gem in itself - we often forget to appreciate the wonderful beauty since we get caught up with details around our life but loose track/awareness of the 'big picture' - the Google Earth View now has not 10s or 100s but 2500 such big pictures :)

one from https://g.co/ev/13823 is show below

there is inspiration all around us ..

i had long back written about how 'old' marathon runner - Fauja Singh - had started running only in his 60s - recently got reminded about him ... and similar (or even more impressive?) personality - https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/08/28/753479752/whatever-happened-to-the-101-year-old-champion-runner-from-india

age IS just a number :) :D found this nice image/quote on the internet

it works for me!

I deeply and completely love, accept and forgive myself. I deeply and completely love, accept and forgive everyone and everything!

the above statement (affirmation) is very helpful to me - not only during meditation but even otherwise - before writing this i looked up to clearly remember how/where I got it - and it seems it is from the EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique or Tapping) .. seems some people feel better in certain situation if they tweak it a little like - "I (want to) deeply ..." :-)

what is meditation? 1

well, i think - who am i to say anything about topic like meditation? am i 'qualified' enough ..

but then - i am not planning a 'thesis' on the subject - i can share at least what it means to me? what do i feel ... :-)

so, just my personal views on what is it?

i think it is simple act of spending time with oneself - we all (especially in this busy city lifestyle) get caught up in so many things - work, family and what not is ever demanding - we seldom have time to 'think' - to 'see' our self - to talk with and listen to our own inner voice.

but seemingly 'simple' act also gets complex - since it is not 'urgent' - we tend to easily postpone it .. it is not always 'attractive' enough - we are so used to 'satisfy' our (external facing) five senses almost all the while - if any of the sense is not 'pampered' we don't like to 'waste' our time ..

so, this simple act needs strong resolve and discipline :-)

in fact, sometimes it can get 'scary' or 'ugly' - we all have 'unknown unknown' quadrants in our mind/brain - and while spending time with ourselves we might end up wandering in that 'dark' space - we didn't even know existed - hence, we are 'faced' to see our image which we do not want or like

so, only a 'brave' person can continue such 'soul searching'

now - when you explain it to someone like that - only a brave, committed person can do such a 'boring' task which does not appeal to any of the senses - who in their sanity going to even attempt doing it - that too 'regularly' :-) ? ... well, it is not something to be tried out in ideal situation -- i think if one keeps attempting (despite of several lapses) one gets 'braver' or 'more disciplined' ... and one enjoys long lasting benefits - of 'clearer' inner vision ... it can even turn your 'heart' attacks into 'heal' attacks.

there is no 'perfect' or 'ideal' meditation ... it is always 'work in progress' for me .. it helps if it is done in presence of positive 'symbols' and objects to get power to fight the 'internal demons'

wish all of us can get on with our 'samudra manthan' where we might face the dreaded poison on the way - but our motivation is always the blissful nectar that will eventually certainly show up - because there is only 'happy endings' for meditation - if it is not happy it means you have to still go on ! :-)

kacho papad (Gujarati tongue twister)

i attempt to record me saying "કાચો પાપડ પાકો પાપડ" [Gujarati tongue twister] ..

i wanted to get as many as i can in a minute .. i guess at 3rd attempt i did about 50 - but it was more than a minute (about 1 minute and 8 seconds) ...




[to save you from boring whole 3+ minute episode, i tried uploading the 'core' 69 seconds! but i couldn't somehow do it - maybe you can jump directly to 2min - last part has the successful attempt]

balloon story ...

I do not recall where/when I heard the story - I think more people should know and put it in practice in whatever ways they can in their given situation :-)

A group of kids were put together in a room with as many balloons - each kid's name was put up on one balloon - they were asked to find their "own" balloon - while they frantically tried to be "the first" they realized it was not easy - in fact, some balloons popped (blew off) - and hardly one or two might have found their own 'named' balloon after several minutes.

The same 'experiment' was repeated - but this time with little different set of 'instructions' - they were asked to pair up the balloon with the child whose name was on it (it was not competition anymore - rather collaboration) - the group soon realized it was much more calm environment (less anxiety) and many rightful owners found their 'own' balloon in comparatively less time.

i guess in life too - running blindly after my own happiness is more stressful and less effective/rewarding than even making a humble attempt to pair up someone with their joy

[I found one version here - https://www.slideshare.net/RishibhaKurichh/balloons-in-a-room]

visualize

The Secret resurfaces :-)

 I came across this article .. Visualizing Your Future Can Hack Your Brain and Change Your Life - and it makes me grateful again - the central thought is reminded once again ..

when do i get to visit triniDAD?

i remember sometime (in 2018?) i was asked to make an impromptu short speech (1 min?) on 'why I want to visit Trinidad?' ... i am not sure if they asked me to keep it funny - but i tried to crack some (poor) jokes anyway :-)

it was something on the lines of following -

मम नाम हर्षः .. [mama naama harShaH ..] .. to those who do not know संस्कृतम् [saMskRRitam  a.k.a Sanskrit] i introduce myself as 'happy' harsh :-)  ... my topic is 'why I want to visit Trinidad' - well, triiNi (त्रीणि) in Sanskrit means 'three' - and 'dad' - we all relate it to 'father' - so, it makes me wonder - is this country/place named 'Trinidad' after 3 fathers? it is intriguing to me and reminds of ब्रह्मा विष्णु महेश [brahmaa, viShNu and mahesha] - that is somewhere explained as trio behind these universe - the Generator, Operator & Destroyer - 'nifty' expansion of the acronym GOD .. who doesn't want to meet GOD or see the place named after HIM? so, now I want to certainly visit Trinidad !

[just sharing for some lighthearted fun]

happy OR very happy

if my memory serves right (after all, it was more than a decade ago - mid 2009?), it was a great 'roller-coaster' ride in my real life

our family was all packed up for our new phase of life - for work, i was supposed to move out of country for an extended period - it involved lot of planning - we had to end our lease agreement with the landlord - there was furniture and household stuff to be packed/moved with selling or other related arrangement - our kids' education was also to be considered - though he was young, school leaving certificate and all such things were big part of the 'logistics' - many laps of this marathon were falling in place - there was excitement and other emotions/anxiety involved - but with grace of almighty GOD it was all moving ahead well ... (like 'layers of onion' - NOTE to SELF - another blog post?)

and THEN on last day (or 2 days) before the actual travel i received phone call from my employer (HR team) - i think it was on my way back home AFTER I collected my son's school leaving certificate (that too worked out nicely with so much helpful - out of way - support from his school and teacher) .. not so unusual in IT industry - but very 'uncomfortable' at that moment for us - information conveyed on that phone call was short and straightforward - it was Saturday or Sunday - and the message was travel that was supposed to happen on Monday has been INDEFINITELY POSTPONED!!

I was alone in the car - and I had two choices - to be HAPPY ... OR to be VERY HAPPY ... yes, if someone had watched me react then - they would be confused - have I gone MAD?

In normal situation it would be something to be very SAD and worried ... what about all the arrangements that has been going on for not days or weeks BUT months ? it was so close - just 1 or 2% of the marathon course was supposed to be covered ... I guess i too might have been 'bombarded' with negative emotions - feeling of helplessness or setback - but it was probably momentary - it was overshadowed with over joy! Yes, I was VERY HAPPY (or maybe that is how I forced my mind to counter the otherwise devastating situation) - I used my 'creative' logic to think - if all was going smooth and well as per plan and expectation - and if I was grateful to almighty GOD for his GRACE till now - there is NO reason to DOUBT - in fact, this was possible ONLY because of HIS intervention - I could feel blessed that he is PRESENT then and there looking AFTER us - so that we are saved from some future unseen troubles OR bigger setbacks - and when ALMIGHTY can craft such a miraculous unexpected turn of events - should I not CELEBRATE and REJOICE with GRATEFULNESS? it would be sheer disrespect of HIS blessings if I allow even slightest of sadness to dampen my spirits.

I put on very energetic positive upbeat song from the movie Rock On! in the car on loud volume and started to dance/sing along with it (while paying careful attention on the road as well) - and I am sure if someone who knew the details would have recommended direct trip to psychiatrist - but I instead went home VERY HAPPY - and somehow broke the news to the family .. our son was very young - but he still remembers the incident by saying - 'oh, you mean the time - when we did not have spoon in the home to eat our food' (we had to scramble for plastic cutlery for our meals) .. there were many compromises from so many for sometime

[all is well that ends well - the move eventually happened :-) ]

I am trying to 'train my brain' to be HAPPY when I get something I wanted and tried for and to be VERY HAPPY when i DON'T get it despite of trying hard (which is clear indication GOD has something better in place) - i TRUST that HE can certainly SEE much more than i can COMPREHEND

it might be easier if what is said in Bhagavad Geeta can be understood and practiced (we all might have failed umpteen times and hence felt sad) - do your 'karma' but don't get attached to the 'fruit' - whatever HE gives is after all 'prasad' - take it with blissful disposition and you will be in joy forever

sources of happiness

lot of things bring joy ..

learning and creating are two important (inter-connected as well?) activities that do make me feel happier :-)

just recently - got to use https://www.autodraw.com/ for coming up with some quick illustrations .. though i had heard about it earlier - probably spent more time just now - see one sample below

what are you creating/learning ?? :-)

are we all hanuman-s?

i recently happened to hear once again about childhood of Shri Hanuman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanuman#Childhood .. and was pondering - maybe somehow sometime we too forget about our strengths - and it takes someone to remind us of our 'hidden' powers

may all of us have 'our' Jambavan around to remind us how special we are - and lift our 'curse' - so we shine bright for spreading more joy and happiness around :-)