knife

 

down but not "out"

our beloved knife 🗡which has not only adorned our kitchen but also kept it "sharp" has been generally obedient and conforming for years ... but one day this week, it felt adventurous 😎.. it decided to wander in the forbidden parts of the dishwasher .. forget about asking for permission, it did not even inform us about its explorative journey .. (we could have at least warned or educated 😁) ...

and, when we started search and rescue operation after it went missing, you can imagine from the picture above as to where did we finally find it from .. it had slipped (without anyone noticing) on the floor of the machine - in the heart of the battle - where it had to bear the brunt of the maximum heat ... the hot water helps remove the grease and stains faster but like anything else, "excess is harmful" .. and the consequences our sharp weapon had to face is visible .. it has undergone major (irreversible) "deformation" ..  extreme conditions it experienced has changed its "face" forever ...

in the age of "use and throw" (or "single use") we were tempted to let it go and enjoy its after-life .. but then the miser hidden inside me prompted to test it one more time before we add to the ever-growing landfills .. and yes, it needs little different way of handling .. but it works! it may be deformed (and differently abled) but it is functional .. in fact, as sharp as it was earlier ..

It reminded me of a phrase "Brownouts may not be burnouts" from the book "Tough Times Never Last But Tough People Do" long time ago

when we keep using our essential kitchen accessory more, we will find out if our beloved knife has got any better/sharper 🤔 (and confirm if "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" is applicable in this case 😊)

leap of faith

 

water the roots ..

 .. to enjoy the fruits!

nice quote that i heard today - by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi ji .. when we attended an info. session about Transcendental Meditation (TM) here

 

Misbehaviour!?

 

we were fortunate to participate in this Film screening and also listen to Ms. Hosten who trained with the BBC and worked as a broadcaster and airline stewardess before winning the 1970 Miss World

"If you can see it, you can do it!"

beauty in diversity

 

guess

 where is this?

wow

if you want a cake ...

Attempt to draw one with https://www.autodraw.com/

... then just ask for it!

Universe will always answer every prayer :)

It will bring to you what you want ... just keep in mind few points
- it knows when the time is best
- it knows what is the best flavor and healthy (better) alternative
- it sometimes present you with not the cake but the ingredients to make one for yourself (and the recipe as well - in some case, the recipe will be unfolded as you go along with following the steps) :D

[Every month, I try to post one blog entry on 1st ... and today it is already 2nd of Nov 2022 .. since, I was unable to come up with anything .. I thought - why don't I scroll through the long list of DRAFTs I have saved for a while .. and this is what I found - seemed it was saved in Aug 2012 - makes the CAKE more than 10 years old !]

help!?

from http://res.freestockphotos.biz/pictures/9/9278-red-f1-help-key-on-a-keyboard-pv.jpg

this is real incident i happened to be part of sometime last month .. i was at a grocery store when i noticed an elderly person with his blind-man's stick seemingly lost near the icecream freezers .. i casually inquired - "do you need to go somewhere?" and he asked if i can take him to the 'customer service' .. i said something like 'let me try or find out' .. and when i tried to hold his hand he corrected me how he needs to hold my shoulder/hand and then he can follow ... not knowing exactly where the customer service was i led him to the checkout lanes and asked one of the person at the counter .. she was obviously busy serving customers and seemed to be uninterested and she quipped - "sir, he should be with his support worker" .. and then asked the gentleman - "where is your helper?" .. the person did not like to be reminded that he is 'lost' .. and he started shouting at me instead - 'is this customer service department? i told you to take me there - why did you bring me here?' .. i tried to reason with him .. 'i did not know and i am trying to find it out for you ..' .. and he further fumed - 'if you did not know - why did you not tell me so when i requested for help' .. and i was little shocked .. another store employee rushed to me and asked if i was ok .. even before i try to explain her the situation .. she mentioned 'do not worry .. i understand .. a little while ago, he did something similar to me too ..' .. and i had no choice but to leave him alone once again roaming around in the big store trying to figure out things on his own .. and it made me ponder .. is it possible that in life too many of us might be 'lost' .. unable to 'see' things ... hope i do not push away those who are trying to genuinely help me by simply finding (non-existing/other/unrelated) 'faults' in them .. ...सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु (sarve bhadraaNi pashyantu) ... "May All See what is Auspicious" [from https://greenmesg.org/stotras/vedas/om_sarve_bhavantu_sukhinah.php]

↱ (right) affirmation

"right" image from Adobe Stock (free)

First, I thought of "I am always at right place on right time with right people to do the right things"

and then I remembered ... as per श्वेताश्वर उपनिषद ... वयम् अमृतस्य पुत्राः .. so, I can even expand it to "we have right to be always at right place on right time with right people and resources to do the right things"

I am sure if we repeat this "right" positive affirmation so that it gets imprinted on our subconscious mind everything will go "right" :-)

help - from unexpected quarters!

 i have been running (rather jogging/walking) 2kms everyday - for the hdor.com 'challenge' (i guess my 5th year!) .. and during my walk/run past month - i was humbled by getting 'help' from unexpected quarters - twice!

somedays, i club my errands/chores with the run .. and below is when i was (running?!) with some groceries from nearby shop .. that is when a lady (in her nineties?!) who also dwells in our building insisted i put my bags in her walker (to reduce the weight i have to carry on the uphill way back home!) .. i tried to say no - but couldn't win against her persistence :-)

another similar humbling incident was below .. while i approached a highway intersection - which is usually frequented by someone or other who is seeking help (begging for alms) .. it is not common for any pedestrian (runner/walker) to end up at that place on foot .. hence, when a guy (seemingly homeless) noticed me coming close by .. inquired - "hello brother, are you ok? do you need anything .. take some water" - and pointed to his only visible possession of a bag (hinting there was a bottle in there) .. 

   

i thanked and continued my run ..

but these instances does increase my belief that every human being is inherently happy/healthy/helpful .. and all other contrary behaviors are due to layers of experiences/situations/circumstances .. in the name of learning/growing/smartness are we 'picking' up harmful traits/habits? we are created creative .. and then somewhere maybe we become 'competitive' ?

may we all continue to run into lots of kindness and real human all around us .. ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः

yay!! i succeed ... wait! what? .. in getting rejected :-) [RT-1]

i just heard about this - Rejection Therapy .. and i wanted to try it out myself :-) 

during my morning run today - i came across this commercial vehicle - with which this guy was improving the running track in nearby public school .. and i asked him if i can drive it? of course, i succeeded in getting outright 'rejection' .. then i tried to convince him to at least allow me to take my picture on the 'steering' wheel .. and yet he did not budge .. i guess, he might have - but his friend (or boss?) chatting with him was more reluctant (or following their process/rules - good thing, in a way)

finally - i could at least get my 'selfie' with them .. 

where is me? - well .., edited and not visible :-)

train your brain for positive 'trend'

 

from https://stock.adobe.com/free with gratefulness

I think our human brain is 'lazy' ... and hence it tries to form a 'trend' from whatever it observes around us (which saves it effort from 'analyzing' everything it senses) .. it should be our effort to train it so that it ignores whatever it considers 'negative' as an 'outlier' .. so, only positive 'experiences' will be 'recorded' in the 'trend' it comes up with ... this is how you can increase the probability of more positive outcomes in the future :-)

just focus on the fun/good things/people/experiences or positive aspects/qualities/parts within 'stuff' (living and non-living) around you .. easier said the done - but i guess effort is rewarding enough that is worth !!

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

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.

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 !!

you're right ..

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

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 :)