Clap your Hands!

The learned have taught us and shall continue to preach, "Happiness is a state of mind!" 

I am happy when things go my way, however; the situations are usually never in our hand. 

Man proposes God disposes. 

We want to turn left at a certain junction, but life throws lemons, apples, and oranges at us. 

We pause. 

We are dejected, and we turn right instead. 

No doubt that path is so gloomy since it was not our decision. But, to embrace the situation is considered wise.

So be it! 

We stretch those muscles around our lips and force a smile. The society terms it happiness! 

A smile is happiness you'll find right under your nose. Tom Wilson

The peer pressure is such that we live under makes us embrace what the society tags us as. Some cases it is in our favor, however; most of the cases it is not. After a couple of chokes, we ingest the problem and try to carry on. Alas! the situation has still got us constipated. 

But, man is so resilient that he continues to row his boat even though the muscles ache, the oars have cracked up. 

'Giving up' should never be in thy dictionary since each breath is precious.  To be gifted a human machine is an out-of-the-world experience, being mindful of what comes our way allows us to use the intellect. 

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” 

― Mahatma Gandhi

This intelligence if used can help us cement the cracks that have developed due to some failures, ruptures or inadequacies. 

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. T. S. Eliot

To learn to take a U-turn or pause at any junction just shows how adequate you are to bear upon the challenges. No doubt when that event turns in your favor..happiness becomes unlimited. 

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” 

― Dalai Lama XIV

 It's the feeling like touching the Mars and coming back without paying a single dollar from your hard earned money.

“Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” 

― Abraham Lincoln

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‘This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.’ 

A Roti

The sun broke the blackness triumphantly just as it promises each day; by spreading its bright tendrils to every corner of the globe and warming the planet including the city Delhi, India while chasing away the darkness. 

One such household was awaiting the return of the brightest star as the clock struck 5 am. A tall frame lady with a round figure dragged herself out of the bed while embracing herself tight to keep her warm as she walked in the cold corridor towards the kitchen. Her eyes were dull, body lethargic as she yawned wide to get more oxygen into her body so that she could go on with the new day but same old routine with a bunch of new instructions that were on the side of her mind marked with a red flag.

Once she entered the kitchen, her hands started to move diligently as she multi-tasked on preparing the morning and afternoon menu.

Kitchen chores began as the utensils clinked. Mortar and Pestle crushed the ginger for the morning tea. Cutting board pulled out for chopping the vegetables as the cumin seeds hissed in the hot oil in a pan while she methodically placed the produce in it followed by essential herbs and spices.  The bangles on her wrist also jingled along as she stirred with one hand while rolling the dough with another.

Just then she heard a loud curse from the adjacent room. That made her retract for a bit. Paused and continued with the drill but, this time was mindful of her actions and kept the volume low.

Within a few minutes, a command made her quick in her steps, and she hurriedly moved in that direction with a cup and a saucer.

Thereafter, the radio was ON with bhajans playing in the background as she hummed along and prepared a meal while sipping her tea along with it. Her hands got busy again by rolling out the dough into a neat circular form via a rolling pin on a flat surface and placing it on the hot pan.

The husband beckoned for his cup of tea, and she was quick to serve him inside along with an extra cup for his mom as he accompanied her while Sarita went in for a quick shower.

As the clock was ticking, Sarita's footsteps got quicker as she finished packing lunch for herself, her better half and placing it neatly in a casserole for her mother-in-law whom she lovingly called Mummy jee.

Once ready, she put the tiffin on the counter while shouting out in a particular direction, "Do not forget your tiffin" and just when she was about to leave with her's a distinct voice made her falter.

"How many roti's did you pack for him?"

That made her frown, ponder and after a brief pause she turned towards that voice and responded with respect, "Mummy jee, I put four this time."

Before the mother-in-law could say anything, another boisterous voice irritated her, "What! Do you think I am an elephant to be eating so many during the day?" the husband came out while combing his hair and expecting a response from his wife.

Sarita fumed and rolled her eyes as she viewed her watch, "Darn it! I will miss my bus today thanks to the mother and son." she muttered.

Turned towards him with her arms on her hips and said in a low voice, "Ask your mom about the logic of not serving odd but only an even number of rotis."

"Huh!" he said in a confused tone.

"Ma, what is this? You know I eat only three rotis during the day. Why did you ask her to pack four for me?" he posed in a baby voice, which made Sarita chortle as she placed her tiffin in her bag and waited impatiently to hear her side of the story.

"Listen, beta numbers such as one, three, five are never favorable."

She wanted to explain further but got interrupted by a fuming Sarita, "But, Mummy jee I also take an odd number roti, and you did not care to justify for me?"

Mummy jee blushed but immediately made it clear, "These figures not good for a man's career. You don't earn as much as him so do not worry." she continued with innocence.

That boiled Sarita further as she stormed out of the house wearing her chappals and with her bag on her shoulder.

"Oh God! Ma now look what you have done," said the tensed husband, "I will have to send her hundreds of texts to bring back her good mood." 

Mummy jee realized the impact, and clarified to her son by going on, "Odd numbers always lead to adversity. They tend to upset the digestion if consumed, and could also lead to weight gain."

The son at that moment was not interested in the odd even saga, and continued to get ready for work but mentally upset over his wife's reaction, and was fishing out ideas to please her.

Mummy jee went back to her knitting without giving a darn of what just happened but internally satisfied that her family had embraced the odd-even fundamental and shall continue to walk on it for a brighter future.

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‘This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.’

TV and Reality

If I Could Create A TV Show, I would vouch for a reality show.

When it comes to reality TV, I am a dolt since I don't quite understand why these people in the show leave their "normal" life and try to mimic a scripted life on screen and portray that it is theirs.


If it had been a show such as Bold and the Beautiful or the Young and the Restless, I would understand that the characters are playing specific roles. But, seriously coming to a show where you portray your life as if it is real...drives me nuts!

But surprisingly such shows are a mega hit, which concludes that it brings in a lot of dough to the producers.
Money is the king!

How about putting my thoughts aside on scripted shows on the sideline and create an outline on how to start a reality TV show? I am sure I will gather enough funds for my retirement, and make unemployed people stars of the century.

1. Pick a bunch of unemployed people from the employment center. Make sure they bring in their families too. There should be a couple of kids who are smart to understand the directions such as when to cry and when to laugh.

2. Rent a camera and their handy dandy stuff needed to shoot and employ some of the dimwit people to work for it when not in the show. After all, these guys just have to point and shoot, when someone pretends to act crazy!

3.Make your home like your TV Set. All the actors are in custody and do not leave that home until they are kicked out by polls, which would occur every week.

4. Ask the above players to talk or walk or act strangely in that home. Some can even curse or strip to get attention. The stranger they behave, the more time they get to stay in that home.

5. Then time it for two months. Kick everyone out of the house until one remains. Finish the production.

6. Market your Show as one of the wackiest ever seen while advertising the weirdest moments of the actors.

7. Voila, it will have a buyer in no time.

8. Air on television, and before you know it; you will be asked to shoot more of such shows.

There, your future is bright!

Mantra for today: Have the presence of mind to go with the present times!



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This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

Celebrations on a Valentine's Day

 February 14th, many people exchange cards, candy, gifts or flowers with their special “valentine.” The day of romance we call Valentine's Day is named for a Christian martyr and dates back to the 5th century, but has origins in the Roman holiday Lupercalia. 

What amazes me that the male human who majority of them have no sense of planning a romantic evening are thrust upon this celebration. Thus, leading to most of them with a burden and stress for that special day.

We changed the table and our 9 fun ways to celebrate V-day

Uno: The most memorable Valentine's Day I ever had was; when we flipped the whole scenario, and I was supposed to surprise my better half with stuff while he would sit and praise for everything that I did. However, I was expected to act classy and bring out the best in that evening.

This was decided a month before the D-Day, and the man never brought it up or agreed to the above. Result: I thought the ball of surprise is in his court. 

Anyhow, the D-day is around the corner, he reminds me of the "decision", and just then my whole day was put on hold.

Dos: I quickly picked up the phone, asking for reservations at any restaurant, but even with a slack in the economy, these business establishments serving food and drinks were overly booked.

Tres: Anyhow, I thought I just go out and buy some gift and landed up paying double the price for it. Roses were incredibly priced as if they were gold plated, and his favorite cologne was sold out in many stores. My day went in planning stuff and little on my work.

Well serves me right, cause I was the one who asked for that change.

Cuatro: Evening comes, I bring "take out" from a fancy restaurant which took me an hour to get it. 

Cinco: Came home and placed it on an elegant dinnerware stating "I cooked it."

Seis:  Set the table with lights, Gold plated roses, Champagne, and some soft music.

We sat down to eat our "home" cooked meal, to which I repeated umpteen times more to console myself that I had planned out the evening well.

He started to dig in his plate while I watched him and I was hoping that my better half would appreciate my "home" cooked meal.

No response.

Hmmm

I put the fork in my mouth, and to my dismay found the food utterly bland.  "Eww, What happened, this was a good restaurant, and I waited for an hour to get my order," I said out loud!

There, that was the end of my white lie. I was blushing so hard that even the Red Roses were feeling embarrassed seeing my color since they thought they were the ones to bring in Romance in that room, but not now.

My better half broke the silence by a loud laughter, and I could not resist but, joined in.

No doubt that lead to the release of my stress hormones and love was back in the room.

Siete: The soft music synchronized with our heart beats and soon we were dancing arm in arm.

Ocho: Reminiscences of 'how we met', 'the awkward moments' made the whole scenario light up as we chuckled over our clumsiness and uncoordinated skills. 

 Just then the door bell rung. I jumped out of fright since it was not in the itinerary. While the better half nudged me to answer it, I opened to find a LARGE RED packet at my doorstep with a string hanging out. Instructions were to pull the string. Curiosity caught the cat, and I was quick to follow suit.

Nueve: The box popped open with helium balloons and a special gift. I did not have to guess on this one. It was from my Valentine indeed.

What made it even more special was that I was not expecting anything from him. On the other hand, I was disappointed at my planning, execution. 

Mantra for today: Expectations always lead to disappointment.

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This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

Shhh...A Secret!

Nobody knew it!
Not until I gave it out!

This was a secret I told my friends ~20 years back, and while it was with me; it squeezed the pulp out of me.

Seriously!

It was so bad that I could hardly sleep since I would enjoy the "checking out" but giggle over it, ALONE!

That was so annoying, but I continued to do it.

Nobody knows that I had a crush on a guy!

Then finally, after a year or so I gave in. I told the world (i.e., my parents and 'close' friends)
Yes, it soon became "had" since I lost the thrill of giggling all alone.

Sure, that was the 80's then and talking about crushes during that time was a hush hush or let's say at least in my family.

Saying it out loud was like a tranquilizer to me, and I felt all my nerves relax as I was back to enjoying my teen years.

I also wanted to go back and have a 're-crush' on him. But, my solo harsh comments had wiped off all the cuteness in him.
Sigh!

“A good friend keeps your secrets for you. A best friend helps you keep your own secrets.” 
― Lauren Oliver, Before I Fall

Some Gyaan that I gathered after keeping a Secret
We keep secrets within or share it with just a handful of people cause we are embarrassed to say it out loud to the general public.

Then we fear about those secrets, and we stay cautioned about it always. It is like being on guard 24/7 or hounding like a dog over those people who know our code.

Just imagine all our energy is going wasted over people whom we confided in or just digging one's conscious over a secret we dare not whisper about it.

Research has indicated that usually woman can't keep secrets and tends to confide in people around and then repent over it. While men are from another planet, they can suck inside them way deep and thus, the reason of a pot belly!!

Either way, why keep secrets?

 Although again researchers have indicated that you ought to keep some from your friend, or a better half just to keep the relationship healthy.

Okay if you do want to keep them...flush them down your backside cause keeping it within you will just keep eating you alive.

Our memory is the basis of our intolerance towards anything unfavorable. Memories die hard especially the bad ones thus, difficult to eradicate from the grey cells.

I'd say, "If there is a will there is a way."

My 2 cents
Reason out within yourself about that little secret of yours and make a justification in your favor. This will definitely pep you up mentally and emotionally, and thus, help you let go of it. Also, if your unrevealed act is bid farewell in a positive way, the chances are that whenever you do get a flashback of it. It will not haunt you or make you feel guilty.

Mantra for today: Reason within yourself for every act and justify it for a life without secrets!


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This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

Toying with Disaster

Man is an emotional soul and loves to toy with anything that talks back to him. 

Any response he gets from somebody, there and then starts the flirting!

Sometimes, this could be a harmless event but, at times it could turn disastrous. 

Our Planet, Earth has exhibited significant and pretty landscapes of herself, to which man has got weak in his knees.

He has been enjoying all the bounties that nature has to offer, however; when it comes to giving back, he has not reciprocated to her. 

Lately, Man has been flirting with Mother Nature. 

Emissions from fumes, garbage, cutting down trees and constructions everywhere!

What is the Result?

Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Extreme cold or hot conditions.

Result: We are flirting with disaster! 

Sure, according to science these are the tectonic plates that are always moving on the surface of the planet. Thus, when the ground shakes it leads to disaster as man has constructed zillions of concrete everywhere for his enjoyment, comfort, and pleasure. 

One planet, many needs!

Mantra for today: Got to prioritize our wants so that we all can live in harmony with nature and ourselves. 

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This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

Darkness and my Perspective

Technically, darkness is another aspect of our life just as the brightness is. It usually teaches us to unwind from the day and get ready for the other day.

But, statistics show that a crime is conducted by adults after 6pm to 3am.

Ponder over this: When we are hiking in the forest during the day, we feel that the nature is out to hug us, and we feel blessed to be surrounded by greenery. But if we are returning on the same tracks when it gets dark, we would prefer to possess a flashlight or a lantern.

Darkness is defined as the absence of light.

The preference to have the path illuminated when walking could be due to two factors. One would be to avoid tripping over and hurting oneself and second is to avoid being the victim of some crazy lunatic who considers darkness a prime moment to attack.

As it gets dark so; do some minds. With the intelligence getting dim, it means there are bad thoughts. These evil ideas start spinning like a wheel in motion, and this circulation is difficult to stop unless it hits someone. Immoral or negative thoughts bring in the urge of destruction that leads to sorrow.

While few homo sapiens are going through the urge to hurt someone, there are people who are aware of such vibes around them and are scared. They are afraid of being the target of  reckless behavior; they are apprehensive of being hurt. Who likes to be victims of such aimless targets that are out just for the urge to cause mental and physical pain?

That is unfortunate.

WHY do "some" people start getting negative thoughts when it begins to get dark? Why do all evil things happen once the sun sets?

Is it because the person does not want to be judged, and as it gets dark, no one will recognize him and so, it is easy to go astray and take out one's vengeance?

 Is that justified?

Why does Darkness encourage "some" to become evil? Is it because, with no lights, no sight thus, no one to assess our behavior?

Is this world becoming so competitive and we are scanning each other so minutely that, we feel naked in daylight? But then when the sun dawns upon us, there are some who take out their frustration and put other people's lives in jeopardy just to relieve that tension?

Frustration, Annoyance, Resentment are the causes that man tends to retaliate when no one is watching him. Although, many get caught in their inappropriate actions, there are some who still roam the planet.

My 2 cents
Let's throw away the barriers of intolerance, bigotry and partiality amongst us. Darkness will be embraced just as well as Sunlight, by all.

Mantra for today: Man is born with the same number of cartilage, thus equal in all aspects. But the society that he has created has made discrimination amongst him. 


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The above post is written for BlogAdda.
This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

Spring Cleaning in the Air

Winter made everything dull, but with spring around the corner, we have lots of cleaning to do. Our lawns need a makeover, so does our house and our wardrobe.






Now is the time when the trees will blossom, and there will be color everywhere. This is the time to rejoice and be happy since there will be luminosity and vibrancy in the surroundings. Spring is the season of growth. We see buds blooming, birds chirping, bees humming, all animals are at their peak of enjoyment. They all are moving hither-tither to collect food.


Meanwhile...


While we are renovating our lawns, our wardrobe, and our house, it is also the time to clean our minds. Detoxify it and cleanse it. Spring is the beginning of each year. Although according to a Calendar, we celebrate New Year on January of each calendar year but season wise, spring is the start of the new year since it is a season of growth and new life. With such a deep meaning to spring, why don't we also clean up our inner selves beside cleaning up our surroundings?


What to do with ourselves?



Take a few extra moments to do a chore that will help us create a sense of awareness around us and learn to be grateful for what we have. For instance, when you open your wardrobe to choose what to wear for that day, look at the number of clothing hanging in your cupboard. Being Grateful and Thankful for what we have, makes a person humble and always makes one count their blessings and stay positive under any circumstances.



On your way to work, observe rather than think about your problems. When looking around, you will observe the nature around you, which is in the process of blossoming with different colors. And don't forget to Smile and appreciate it.



Always be true to yourself by expressing yourself whether in distress or happy moment. Laughter can do wonders, and if laughing mindlessly then that is like a cherry over an ice cream because that will make one feel much lighter.



Positivity is the key to success under all circumstances. It will not make the mind go astray. The mind's problem is solved when the mind is illumined by divine faith.



If something planned does not go your way, no worries. Why, fret because another door will open up for you to tread along. Humans always have a plan for themselves, but destiny has something else planned out. Be happy in whatever situation you are in because No situation is constant.



Do not worry about being judged. A tree will stand strong even if it is alone. This tree will continue to give shelter to anyone passing by. Using that example, continue on the journey of life even if not being appreciated by the people you want to. Your duties towards your life are the prime motive of you living and breathing. Rest is all history and marked by destiny.

Mantra for today: Live for the moment and savor each breath!

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This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

A World Remade

I woke up with a jolt and was sweating profusely.

Woah! I force my eyes open, as I grab a glass of water and force it down my dry throat, not realizing how parched I was when the first sip went in.

Something strange was happening, I wanted to take in immediate gulps but could not. The water was quite warm for me to take mouthfuls thus, had to linger the process.

Curious, since the water was lying at room temperature, and the first few sips were cool, then how did the water turn warm?

Confused and perplexed, I placed the glass on the table and noticed my heated palms. The first instance was to touch the back side of my hand to my forehead.

Nah! not warm.

But, still went ahead and thrust a thermometer under the tongue. After a minute or two, I took out to see that it was normal.

My hands still warm like a ball of fire, but the body exhibiting average temperature.

What is happening?

The above scenario was enough to disorient me mentally.

Maybe it was the lack of sleep? I lay down, but something was not right. Pulled out my favorite book, which was in tatters.

"Aah! I wish I could revive this old book of mine," was my instant thought.

What did I notice?

The touch of my fingers to the book restored the torn worn out pages. It turned into a brand new book. My eyes were as wide as could be.

Baffled, I walked around my room and touched things needing restoration, and voila, with my intention made it new.

I stared at the palms of my hand, as they emitted the warmth to me. Just then, I sighted my globe.

Went towards it with the intention to build a new world that would make all living creatures live a mindful life. As my hands surrounded the earth, I set in my intention, and I could feel the radiance warm up the entire globe like a ball of fire.

Mindful living, if creeped into civilization of today; will help us differentiate between right and wrong, thanks to the conscious within us, which usually gets coated with dust cause of the pandemonium kind of lifestyle we live in, which usually involves I- Me-Myself. 

My hands were in that position for quite some time until I let it go.

Tired and fatigued I took a few sips of water and called it a night.

My eyes opened to soothing melodious chirps of the birds. That stunned me cause I usually hear the blaring horns of vehicles thus muting the chirps of these flying animals.
The thought that today would be the strike of public transportations made me jump out of bed in fright cause the fear of how to get to work, gave me the jitters.

Peeped outside to see normalcy.

Strange!

I got ready, and stepped out of my home to see a cordial nod and a gentle smile by my neighbor who used to have a snooty face all the time. This act surprised me, but I was quick to reciprocate.

Hailed a taxi, who was very courteous in driving, and I did not hear him swear even once. That raised my eyebrows, tipped him generously more so since he admitted his meter was off and that he intends to fix it so that he could charge the right amount.

With all the drama happening at night, I was late for work and expected my manager to give me a cold attitude. Went to apologize to which she  nodded, sympathized with me, and wanted me start the day with no regrets.

I gulped.

Work was unusual that day. With deadlines around the corner, anxiety was on the rise, but I was observing my manager now and then, who was very appreciative of our work and kept uttering thankful mantras.

Lunch time, I browsed through the net for the local news, and was shocked to read news that were pertaining to either welfare, sustaining, service, support, assistance. This made me double check the website address since thought I went to an NPO page.

That positive surrounding gave me the extra boost to work over time and give in my best shot. Result: productivity was high, and the goal was achieved.

It was past ten, and I got the quivers with the thought of going home alone. Somehow the day's positivity still seemed to stagger around. Thus, making me walk into a taxi and allow an unknown person to drive me home.

Reached untouched, and that made me breathe in a big puff due to relief.  Mind was still fresh, cause of the positive vibes around.

Felt satisfied, wholesome, and complete as a human being!

Wore the snooze cap, with the hope that this pattern of mindfulness continued the next day.

To have a smooth life without hardships will not make mankind mature. However, if his surroundings could become friendly, cordial, sympathetic, and helpful. It will help the journey go steady till he breathes his last.

Thanks to my intentions, this new world is all about vigilant living. People are aware of their actions, deeds, speech, that it makes them step back if they have been irrational, wrong or loony.

Mantra for today: Mindful living can contribute to creating a benevolent world. All it needs is; us to pause, and think of the actions performed.

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“I am participating in the #TheWorldRemade activity at BlogAdda in association with India Today #Conclave15 “.

Basics of Life

Hunger is not just a noun, since when it strikes, a human can turn his actions into a rash verb by becoming aggressive to get just a crumb either by hook or crook.

Food is one of the necessities for a human to survive. Feeding a child is very essential since it is a crucial circle of life as he is growing and needs all the required nourishment to be able to stay focussed. A child can only concentrate when the stomach is not rumbling, and that in turn can help him learn and grow.  Education can help him attain a decent job, which in turn will help him to sleep on a filled stomach each night. When there is food in the body, normal growth is happening and everyone is minding their own business by going to work, and earning decent amount to be able to satiate hunger with food, when it strikes.

A Chain reaction, but so crucial for the development of each especially a child since he is at a stage of growth, and development in all forms.

The global report indicates that 1 in 4 children is malnourished. Thus, wrecking the chain reaction of staying hungry, and not being able to focus and grow. The result is a bleak future!

In Mumbai, India there are a group of tiffin carriers (dubbawaala's) who actually deliver lunch to office goers during daytime. They have been known to be efficient in their delivery that even Harvard School of Business has acknowledged their expertise and competence. Besides being adept to the latter, they also have a system of any left over food, they request their clientele to put a particular dot on their lunch box. That particular box gets emptied, and hungry children are fed in stead of the leftovers going down the gutters.


The vast majority of the world's hungry people live in developing countries, where 13.5 percent of the population is undernourished.


The above is one such classic example, which I feel can be taken into consideration on a day to day basis. Each city, can recycle the left over food, and there should be centers in alternate neighborhood to drop off that food, so that it can be used to feed the hungry.

 Asia is the continent with the most hungry people - two thirds of the total. The percentage in southern Asia has fallen in recent years but in western Asia it has increased slightly.

When hunger is satisfied, there is fulfillment, and that leads to contentment which in turn helps an individual to progress since desires tend to evolve. A man can only think beyond his basics once they are satisfied.

Let's unite on this front so that each human can get the basic commodities of life.

Mantra for today: Man has to get back to basics of life for humankind to thrive!



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• I am going to #BlogToFeedAChild with Akshaya Patra and BlogAdda.
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