Is Life a Bargain?

'have been on this planet for over 40 years now, and so far Life has been about ups and downs. However, I had learnt to maneuver my driving wheel when any obstruction came flying to me and applied brakes when needed. Alas, when it came to pressing the accelerator; nothing happened. This car called Life drives at its own speed!

Thus, allowing me to taste many flavors of existence.

Happiness, Honesty, Karma were some values instilled in me as a teen, and that helped me evolve today to who I am today with contentment and satisfaction. Cause if I don't stand for something, I have been told that I will tend to fall for anything! That will eventually lead to cutting my conscious, which is the chord of existence.

As they say, that what you give, you shall receive.
Life is all about give and take.
But is that true?

Cause we all had come to junctions in our life when we wanted something from an individual but instead felt cheated, and dishonored.

Thus, making me always rant about one thing that I'll never compromise on Integrity!

This virtue can help us take any relationship miles, or we could dump it by traveling only half a mile owing to deceit, crafty, uncanny dealing or behavior.

Sometimes, I mock over such people (even though it is hard) and thank the karma chameleon cause it is better to be ditched sooner than being left isolated in the woods amongst the hungry howling noises.

At that junction in time, man tends to either look up at the energy beyond him and question, "WHY" or lean into scholar's wise words who blame it on kismet or karma. Call it giving respite from the daily drill or bestowing peace within to that heart that jumps and flickers and refuses to sit still cause of the sentiments that once involved that relationship, and now have been strained by someone being dishonest and fraudulent.

In the end, as I gather my strength, and brush off the dust from my behind. I console myself that such people threaten their own self-esteem and their relationship cause it is their loss, and not mine.

My 2 cents
Honesty is not just about earning your livelihood. It is about how you deal with people and interact with them. This world is complete with you and me in it, then why don't we learn to respect each other's presence.

Mantra for today: The world is ours!

With USA entering the sweet 16  round in the FIFA. I could not resist myself in pasting this song!
Enjoy!

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FTSF is live and their sentence for this week is: I'll never compromise on
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Dear Dad

A Mom and a Dad are the pre-requisites of life for all human beings. There are most who are fortunate to get their love and attention, and there are some, who don't.

Characteristics of a Dad
A Dad is supposed to be the bread earner of the family, and he always takes on the responsibility for keeping his family safe and happy. He is supposed to be the IRON-MAN of his family and the children dote on him. He is never supposed to cry, and he can withstand all the extreme calamities of the universe. Children love him, and they want to be like him in the future to come. Most children take up the profession of their Dads since they adore all that he does. Such is the wonder of a Papa.

My Papa
I had a similar Dad who was as strong as Super-Man and was as tough as a hurricane. 
Nothing could bend him over in his life but when he was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer at a Stage 4. I could see all the above disappear into thin air. He bent down to this disease gracefully but fought it, till the end. He could not carry the burden of being dependent on people, thus always fought with a brave heart and a smile. Although, he had this strong urge to go back to work and had his briefcase next to his bed, which used to inspire him day in and out. The disease had spread into his bones, which made the pain unbearable. There used to be tears in his eyes cause of the pain but the strong urge to get better and get on with his LIFE was  contagious. 

Front Left: myself, Dad, brother, coz sis

Till the end, he was making plans of visiting places but, towards his last few hours left on this planet, he realized that the Almighty had something else in store for him so, he made sure he rewarded all the Attendants who looked after him in the hospital and bid them Adios with a peaceful expression on his face and a gentle smile.

He was a Great and a Strong father yet gentle at heart. I never saw him take a U-Turn and give up on things. He was always at his work whether rain or shine, duped or success from his work. I am proud to be his daughter, and I pray that his soul rests in peace since, he went through enough turmoil in this lifetime BUT with a SMILE. Although, I regret not telling him all the above while he was alive. Maybe, I took his presence for granted.

I am hoping I can adapt some key points from his attitude towards life.

A Happy Birthday to you where ever you are, dad (14th June!) 

Dear Dad, You will be dearly missed, and I am so proud to be your daughter!

Mantra for today: If you are proud of someone, just say it cause tomorrow never comes for such an event.

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FTSF is here. Join in the fun with the prompt, "Dear Dad"

An interesting perception!

My son used to love Thomas trains, and his interest was devouring our entire household since we had music playing for those all those hours that we would be awake.

Train sets were lying around and we would nickname every person we came across with Thomas's characters such as Toby, Bertie, Henry, James, Gordon, etc.
Life around us was so British!

Then came the Barney days when everything my kid saw was loved and that landed up as a big old lovey dovey family.


Forget an adult, thanks to media, there has been knowledge even in a toddler that his curiosity kept changing.

Interests keep varying as we age.

Ever wonder why?

Things that tickled or amused us a couple of months back, give us the creeps or we show no interest in it.

This is a clear indication that our tastes our evolving. This could be due to our understanding, impression and awareness.

Evolution of man has lead to all of us utter this statement, "I have absolutely no interest in Xyz" at least once in our lifetime.

No wonder man has progressed this far. Our Ape days are history as we have all emerged from our caves into our homes that are submerged with various gadgets and modes of entertainment.

Our perception over several issues has made us opinionated. We believe in analysis, discussion and scrutiny over any matter, and most of the time we avoid giving in easily.

As long as man continues to tread along the journey of change of interests and pursue different passions, to bring about positive change within and around him, he shall continue to make a difference in his and someone else lifetime.

Mantra for today: Interests have a right to hop and leap, as long as they are beneficial to mankind.


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Decisions, and how they govern our life!

The one thing I regret being an adult is making decisions. These conclusions are made every minute of my day and they start in the morning with the alarm clock beeping loud and clear, now do I wake up or just hit the snooze button? 

Decision made...I wake up!

Gotta make breakfast for the family. What to make? After peeping in the refrigerator, a choice is made!

A dilemma solved when lunch bags are packed, and I am proud of my decision.

As the minutes keep ticking, compromises are made until I lay my head on my pillow to start this process the next day.

This pathway is visited each day, and to be able to brainstorm and come to a decision is what makes us a mature adult versus being tagged as immature or child-like.

This is one of the central activities of management and is a huge part of any process of implementation and best fits with our goals, desires, and values.

The decisions that I have made so far has made me come at this stage of my life that I am surrounded by people who right now are either reading this or enveloping me with their love, and trust or have nothing to do with me. 

We all come across paths in our lives where we have to make decisions, and when a selection is made out of fear, it results in confusion and failure.

Decisions are sometimes tough and sometimes easy, but help us reach the goal in our life that we choose either to hate or to love. Sometimes, our decisions are also a part of our fate since they help shape our destiny.

Mantra for today: We make decisions, and then decisions make our life!

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My Assumptions

As a child, I used to find my parents work very easy and would detest at my life cause all the hardships lay with me.

You would wonder what I am talking about...

Well, it is the truth. All my parents had to do was go to a place, which they used to call work/office. Sit there for a couple of hours (9am-5pm to be precise) and come back with cheque every fortnightly. Food on the table was always mom's choice. She used to cook it in a jiffy and then me and my brother had to clean up besides doing our dreary homework and we were not allowed late nights.

Sigh!

On the other hand, parents got to watch TV and stay up late and even enjoy coffee (I was not allowed to have caffeine in my milk)

Life as parents is so darn easy and all they  had to do was give instructions and command their kids to do things, and if we ever rolled our eyes over it. Time out was another nightmare, while they would party late.

 I used to overhear my parents talk about various issues such job, money, security, old age, children's education with their friends, and their expressions would always make me wonder what's the big deal cause all the work is done by their kids.

For example: "R could you, please hand me that remote" would be my dad's request.
"M could you, please clean this mess?" was heard now and then by my mom.

Seriously! Why the sullen face, parents?

“Before I got married I had six theories about raising children; now, I have six children and no theories.” 
― John Wilmot

I never understood what the big deal was about parenting.

Until one fine day, when I had my kid and saw that it is a long winding road.

Oh, boy! Life never ceases to pause. The to-do list never ends and it takes me back to the days of my parents who did it with enthusiasm and I never heard them fret over it as much as I do.

Sure, life was simpler during those times, but fundamentals of economics and management remain the same.

I am glad I could wash off my theories cause life would be wasted if I would not have given them their due credit.

Mantra for today: Scrub off your assumptions to let the light come in. Life lived in ignorance is a wasted one!

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FTSF is here and today's sentence is: I never understood what the big deal was

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A decade to remember!

Man lives to make memories because if these flashbacks (pleasant or ugly) did not exist, how would our mind keep us company when sitting idle under a tree or staring at the ocean's waves. A mind without thoughts is just darn boring. 

As I look back my years of breath, I ponder upon several hurdles that I eventually lunged with a few victories that made me whistle, "sweet mama!" 

“Memories warm you up from the inside. But they also tear you apart.” 
― Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore

My favorite year was when my infant was handed into my arms and as the months rolled by, my ears would get ecstatic hearing "ma" and I would jump like a bunny rabbit to do whatever he desired (actually, do it even now!) Well along came a physical hurdle that I made my movements restricted as joints got inflamed. This crushed my spirits, but when I would see that innocent smile it would make me forget my sorrows as I would limp to him and snuggle him with my swollen and painful fingers, which he would very fondly hold them tight while I would shriek with pain. After a few months when diagnosis was done, and medicines were pumped into my system, things were getting back to normal but in the midst I lost my job. This turned out fine since; we both got to bond. 

Years rolled by, and my infant was a toddler and had started attending pre-school. For those few hours, I started thinking about myself and what I need to do in this spare time. 

Started blogging with the name Abracabadra since life so far had taught me in abundance and this autoimmune disease was keeping me grounded whenever I would stress about anything. Thought of sharing my teeny bit gyaan (knowledge) to the world with daily mantras and some uplifting talks. ~3 hours for a few hundred words was a good exchange.

“The worst memories stick with us, while the nice ones always seem to slip through our fingers.” 
― Rachel Vincent, My Soul to Save

As my toddler ventured into kindergarten, his hours in school were longer, and that gave me an avenue to write on a different platform by challenging myself further. Hubpages came along where I started to write articles and many more paths opened up as I befriended many writers on Facebook who invited me to join many writing groups, which gave me the awareness of what this writing life is all about and how a novice writer can pave the path for herself.

I crafted the art of writing by myself. I was my own teacher and guru. With a scientific background where only lab reports were expected from a scientist, writing an article of 500-1000 words was initially a challenge, but now I can ramble about it with few hurdles. I guess practice makes a person perfect, huh!

This led me to write on many platforms, and I challenged myself further to participate in NaNoWriMo, in November'2012 along with many fellow writers. The outcome is my self-published novel, titled Choices. 

My favorite decade started in 2003, and even though the tenth year was 2013; I am still enjoying this ride because of my fellow bloggers, writers that spark my grey cells and bring innovation to my writing.

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” 
― Marcel Proust

Aha! The memories made in the last decade were fun and they still keep my emotions in a static state because of the continuous ride. 

Mantra for today: Gratitude for all sorts of memories while dumping the ugly ones and carrying forward the sweet ones to another decade. 

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FTSF is here. The sentence is, "My favorite decade"

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Live it up!

March 8th is International Women's day!

This woman is facing bricks and turning to mortar and yet when approached is tender, loving and has a consistent smile.

Always wonder what is this skeleton made of?

 Although, scientifically the composition of man and woman is the same except for some different hormones that make her a SHE and a man a HE.

This lady is tortured, abused and goes under the knife for all the wrong reasons!

Unfortunately, this is not limited to any one country. It is happening behind walls even in developed nations. 

Even though there  is a bunch of women who have proved that it is not just a man's world, but there are millions who are persecuted, tormented, and maltreated. Some victims are bold to make headlines and just reading about them gives the heebie-jeebies down the spine.

“Being a woman is a terribly difficult task since it consists principally in dealing with men.” ― Joseph Conrad

Dealing with men has become an issue for this weaker sex. Ego is the number one factor for all the above reasons cause women are definitely proving themselves to be multi-talented yet organized while man is idling away his time getting his adrenaline high by either watching sports or god knows what!!

“When a man gives his opinion, he is a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she is a bitch.” ― Bette Davis

Thus, explaining that a man's success is not just his since there is a woman behind it. This woman could be his mother, sister or wife. They are their to constantly guide him or pilot his aircraft to a safe landing.

“As usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot.” ― John Lennon

This important day (March 8th) as we put this woman on the international platter; we ought to not just throw a few crumbs at her, but also patronize for all that she has done so far and give her the respect, dignity, and appreciation for all that she has undergone and yet prefers to put a man on the pedestal. 

What I really want to scream out loud is that no one is weak or strong when it comes to humans. Man and woman were created to live in unity and breed a community.

Mantra for today: “Men are from Earth, women are from Earth. Deal with it.” 

― George Carlin

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FTSF is here. Join in the fun. This week's sentence is: I want to scream out loud

Linking it up with WriteTribe in commemoration for Women International Day!

What to expect from a grown up?

As adults, we all remember our childhood and reminiscence those moments that gave us utmost pleasure or hurt us the most. It is the superlative part that is always commemorated. Such is the philosophy of mind. 

"I got a new racquet for scoring well in my test. Wow! this is the best memory ever"

"I lost my way while hiking in the snow path, and that was the scariest moment ever!"

"She was my best friend, but ever since she fooled me, I don't like her anymore!"

"She called me xxxx name, and I will never forget it!"

Best and Worst memories tend to take some storage in our brain. 

Thus, when reliving some moments from our childhood, there are chances that the above thoughts could come back to us.

What would be our instant reaction?

We would either cringe our teeth over it, and swear silently. 

But, then after pondering over it for a couple of seconds. We try to catch our breath and let it go!

"The most unexpected part of being a grownup is that we have to be responsible and control our emotions!"

The purpose of life is to fight maturity. - Dick Werthimer

Can you imagine a world where adults emotions go haywire when they have a heated discussion with an individual who is half their age?

Science has proved that if emotions are not expressed, they tend to cause stress and eventually this stress could lead to diseases. So then why can't man express his emotions out loud, why can an adult not roll in the store if the shelf is empty and he missed out on the sale price or why can't he behave like a kid when things don't favor him?

Unfortunately, we have to be a role model to our children or younger generation so that they know how to behave in a supermarket when they insist upon purchasing that sugary cereal or that junk food dipped in high fructose syrup. 

It is a bummer, but we have to!

However, to be childlike in many instances such as a halt to smell the roses or to pass a smile to a stranger whose eyebrows are twitched up due to stress or laugh, sing, clap your hands, or play can be good stress busters and are highly recommended.

Adults are just obsolete children and the hell with them.”― Dr. Seuss

This makes me retrospect that we ought to cherish our years and learn to live in the present by not rushing the moments and putting "If...then" clauses in our lives.

When we turned thirteen, we wished to be twenty one so that we could enjoy bounties of freedom by moving out of our parent's home but, alas that came with responsibilities, and that has led me to chant OM many times during the day just to keep my sanity and behavior under check!

Mantra for today: Enjoy your present!

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Join in the fun at FTSF. Their sentence for this week is: The most unexpected part of being a grownup is

A Superwoman!

"Mom I need a new bag" shouts my kid from his room. 

As I am in the kitchen preparing dinner, I frown and talk to myself, "Oh God, another TO-DO list." 

"Sure, we will get it this weekend."I reply back but then hesitate and review my schedule, "I have to go to Sports Basement for his cleats, and then his baseball game and then Target is in the opposite direction. Phew! that is a long drive." 

Thus, correct myself with remorse,"P could we buy your bag next weekend?" And before he could continue, I justified myself with our itinerary. He sure was not happy with what he heard cause the reply was a passive one, and honestly I was quite satisfied, and did not care!

You could either tag me as an inadequate parent, but juggling amidst his activities and my schedule, things can get overwhelming at times. 

Sure, the other way is plan better but even how hard I try weekends usually go slow in my household (as I want the day off as a mom in the kitchen and chores) I usually slacken and even though the clock keeps ticking tick tock tick tock the usual way whether it is a Monday or a Saturday...I am running after time if I have too many things planned out. Then to see the sulky face of the kid who was promised to touch the moon (well not realistically!) is disheartening. I feel bad for not having planned out the day. 

I tend to put too much on my plate and then when dusk falls upon our little town my list is only half done. Promise to finish them next day, which unfortunately, already has a full calendar. 

The disappointments are natural. I had to slow down, and my first reaction to everything that needs to be done gets a piggyback ride from me. 

But, I am learning and with being an adult it is hard to discipline oneself cause I ought to be very aware of my thoughts and what all I choose to carry on my plate for over the weekend is important.

Yes, my hidden talent is that I have a strong back and can take upon any errand/assignment/task. 

 I am not a superwoman, but I just cannot say NO. 

“Being unable to say no can make you exhausted, stressed and irritable.” ― Auliq Ice

However, am taking baby steps and getting there (fingers crossed!)

I got to keep myself first to have a happy family cause if I am not happy and content I will be shouting or sneering at them.

Mantra for today: Your welfare comes first for a happy family!

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FTSF is here and today's sentence is: Your hidden talent. Join in the fun!

Shhh....Secrets!

I want to tell you my little secret.

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

Seriously! 

It was so bad that I could hardly sleep and even enjoy this little secret of mine. Then finally after a year or so I gave in. I told the world (i.e my parents) that I had a crush on a guy.

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. 

“A good friend keeps your secrets for you. A best friend helps you keep your own secrets.” 

― Lauren Oliver, Before I Fall

We keep secrets within us 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 and 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 wanna 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" 

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, 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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FTSF is here and their sentence for today is, "I want to tell you"

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Living life the futuristic way!

Life throws a lot at us thus, making man categorize it as hurdles, obstacles, loss, clear path, opening, which leads to various emotions such as happiness, joy, sorrow, grief.

When the path is clear, and there is a wide opening to success. Man does not need any guidance whatsoever. However, it is the hurdles when man tends to stumble upon and ponder over ways to clear the obstruction and continue his journey.

To be confused during times of plight is natural. It proves that we are not super humans and need to think over the situation.

Think is a wonderful word, which most of us don't perform. We usually like to take short cuts so that we can put our life back on track.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” 
― Albert Einstein

There are many books available in the market that are titled as "How to"and they tend to become the bestsellers without any promotion.

Cause most of them have steps in solving a problem. Thus, calling it a traditional way to get your problems solved. Sure, it works for some while there are a few who get entangled in the circle of life and just don't know how to get out of it.

Reading books from an author who has a Ph.d in philosophy is mind blowing cause the knowledge they tend to transmit is remarkable. But, many do it in steps, and many individuals tend to use that as a manual for their success/remove obstacles/happiness in life.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” 
― Helen Keller, The Open Door

My 2 cents

Gain knowledge from all these books but do not intertwine your life to the steps mentioned in a traditional way in most of the books.


We can either be traditional or non traditional when we do things. I prefer to solve problems using knowledge and common sense. 

You are a special individual and solving problems in your life should be in your own non traditional way.

Mantra for today: Knowledge is important to make common sense judgments.

Disclaimer: This is a general take on "How to" non fiction books. I have nothing against them. It is just the mind set of people that I want to change.

FTSF is here and their sentence for today is: We can either be traditional or non traditional when we do things.

Blogging Goals for this year!

This year I wanna CARE since caring is an important aspect of life. Usually we care about all kinds of things, and that is what makes us human and humane.

However, we don't care to that extent where we could see a change in our society. But, research indicates that caring should start from within and then we gotta reach out.

I love Challenges cause it makes me tickle the gray matter and help strategize on various topics. This kind of scripting not only makes me research and investigate on a particular subject but, will also help me grow wiser by each challenge I undertake.

With the many challenges,  I take...Awareness will come. This is an essential commodity for any individual to grow. Knowledge makes an individual wiser and helps him/her think strategically especially in times of crisis.

Rational is also an attribute I wanna conquer since it helps one balance the pros and cons of each subject. That will help me be realistic and analytical to whatever life shall offer.

Enlightenment is a feature that is missing from our society. Before I pinpoint it to others, I ought to learn to walk that path. This path will not only free me from my sorrows but will also help me climb a whole new platform where I can stop judging people and learn to embrace them with compassion.

Today our world needs empathy and compassion. Let us start from our doorstep and move forward with that notion since charity begins at home.

The above characteristics I wanna include in my blog...Challenges-Awareness-Rational-Enlightenment

The facet of caring will take me an extra mile or two than what it did last year with regards to my blogging.

Mantra for today: Caring will lead to dispassion. This will lead to an important change on our planet.

FTSF is here. Today's sentence is about your blogging goals. 

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Rocked the Summer!

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Today's sentence is:

My best summertime memory this year was to see my kid play in a Rock Band

It was an emotional scene for a mom to see her son on the stage in front of new faces but, his passion made him draw a translucent sheet that he could only see his parents and thus, was not at all petrified.

He started his music journey 3 years back with a $25 guitar bought from Target. Baby steps but steady indeed made him move from his two digit valued guitar to an acoustic and then hop to an electric guitar. However, the passion did not happen overnight. I had to sit beside him encouraging him to rehearse his music and at times even remind him endlessly to practice each day.

Phew! there were times I used to pull my hair and wished that I could practice on his behalf; just to avoid the on and on reminders.

Mom and son were sharing an incompatible relationship when it came to practicing music.

When he was standing on the stage, all those memories seemed to pass by me as I gave a gentle smile and thanked my patience and persistence to go on about his practice each day like a Duracell battery.

Passion can be evoked by practice, and I am happy that my tenacity could make him reach this level due to his hard work and my intimations.

Mantra for today: Persistence can evoke a hobby into a passion.

Enclosing a video of his performance above.

A Magic Wand

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Today's sentence is: "If I had a magic wand, the first thing I'd do is disappear each morning!

Seriously!

I am usually the one to clean up and take care of chores. The first thing my family remembers when they do not see their respective things around is, "Mom!"

Mornings are crazy when all have to leave for work and I am running from one room to another shouting out to them for their misplaced things. Although every night, I make sure things are organized. Each one of them is informed about the whereabouts of their personal belongings.

Alas, when dawn hits our household, its like the beginning of a new day with no memories of last night. That is when my name comes in the wanted list!

“A girl expecting rescue never learns to save herself. Even with the means, she will find her courage wanting.”
― Kate Morton, The Forgotten Garden

Being invisible for a few hours will help them be self-sufficient and that will make things move quickly. It will also make my family realize that they ought to not be dependent on one individual.

Although, I agree that we all are interdependent on each other, but to close your eyes and always fall back on another is not favorable for anyone's growth.

Thus, limitation is the key factor. Everything in moderation is recommended and appreciated.

Mantra for today: Dependence tends to handicap a person.

Steps to Enlightenment

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Today's sentence is:
I wasn't  really myself when my joints were swollen with impaired mobility and a 6 month old toddler beside me.

As the saying goes, "Becoming  parents, changes everything."

Prior to becoming parents, we changed our habits, disciplined ourselves, child proofed our home.

“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.”
― Allen Saunders

Alas, when fate has something else in store for you then, all an individual gotta do are stand still in that storm and wonder what went wrong and how can this blizzard be diverted.

“Sometimes life has a cruel sense of humor, giving you the thing you always wanted at the worst time possible.” ― Lisa Kleypas, Sugar Daddy

Thus, blame it on my fate, my karma or my destiny.

I was diagnosed with arthritis and this toddler who needed comfort and cuddling was just attended with the primary requirements.

However, man is an intelligent soul, and he learns to adapt especially when surrounded by love.

“Fate is never fair. You are caught in a current much stronger than you are; struggle against it and you'll drown not just yourself but those who try to save you. Swim with it. And you'll survive” ― Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes

Our family survived this storm. We swam towards the shore with pain and determination to endure it cause of responsibility in our hands. Our child was our obligation, and that made it our prime focus to survive the blizzard.

As they say, that the storm does not last for long. After every bad day a good one accompanies, we saw sunshine at the end of the tunnel. This sunshine consisted of wisdom and enlightenment.

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.” ― Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds

At the end of this turmoil and commotion, we learnt about our ourselves. We became aware of our temperaments, mannerisms, and idiosyncrasy.

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
 Aristotle

Since then, there has been no looking back. We are climbing the ladder of wisdom as we continue to walk along the path of life and live each day.

Mantra for today: Life has lots to teach. We ought to be aware of the circumstances and be prepared to ponder over it.

My Infatuations!

FTSF is here.

Today's sentence is: I used to love a bunch of things, but with age & circumstances many things changed.

As a teenager, I used to love watching television, listening to music, gossiping, and sleeping. But with time my love affair with the above fizzled.

When I started work; I loved shopping, and sleeping was still in my agenda. Unfortunately, this also lasted temporary due to a shift in priorities.

“Age does not make us childish as some say; it finds us true children.”
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Then came marriage when life was an adventure at each step as we were discovering each other in all aspects. I remember during weekends we would stay awake till 1am and go for grocery shopping or go to the movies. Sleeping at 5am, and waking up not until dusk. Indulging in junk food, and partying like crazy. Weekends consisted of Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Parenthood:  That state of being better chaperoned than you were before marriage.  ~Marcelene Cox

When we became parents, things changed around drastically. Priorities were set, and what we loved was history.

Yes, having a child is surely the most beautifully irrational act that two people in love can commit.  ~Bill Cosby, Fatherhood

As we are aging, our priorities are shifting focus. This has resulted in changes within us. This change is good and shows our character. It shows how trustworthy, accountable and mature we could be. The chronicle of events that take place in our lives is left as memories as you age.

Mantra for today: Fond memories tend to stick with us like magnets.

My Habits

Opening my Pandora box in public is gonna shatter all my goody image (at least, I assume I have one!)

But today's FTSF sentence is: I have a bad habit of

Before I proceed, let me try to convince myself that we all are mostly surrounded by bad habits than good ones. It is just our thoughts and belief in ourselves that help us translate our bad to good and help us look confident and bold.

My daily practices that could be damaging for some, but good according to me are:

 Undecided where to go for any family outing: I feel it is a good habit since I am just going with the flow of my family members and they have one less person to argue or deal with another random suggestion.

Like to keep decor simple: Being an Energy healer, I feel that energy moves if the decor is less, or else it tends to become stagnant in one place. But, it gives an impression that I am a lazy person to decorate my home, and I usually get that statement from friends, "You have still not furnished your living room?"

 I do not like to wear a smile everywhere.  It makes me feel yucky from inside. Alas, this world loves playing charades, and I have been sidelined by friends and sometimes family for that matter.

 I care for my clothes. As a result, they are worn for months to come. I do not go out and buy new clothes and am behind trends. Thus, at times given a label of a simpleton!

These bad habits make me feel comfortable within me and give me the assurance that I have a spine of my own!

Mantra for today (Mahatma Gandhi): “Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.” 

Place of Worship

FTSF is here. Join in the fun.

Today's sentence is: In temple, I learned about expansion and monetization.

My journey of going to temple started as a kid with my dad. He used to visit a small temple down the street of our home every Saturday evening.

It became a ritual in our household since it was happening week after week. Dad would usually throw in ice-creams after our weekly ritual since the next day would be a holiday for all. I and my brother would look forward to visit every week.

For starters,  this was a very small temple and we hardly had people visiting the deity. Thus, was a quick affair.

As weeks turned into months and years, we saw an increase in number of people visiting that temple. The priest started requesting all to form a line and take turns to visit the deity.

That ten minute visit to the temple had started becoming an hour long.

I and my brother did not complain since firstly it became a hang out place, and we would bump into our friends while standing in the queue to enter the temple and secondly that attraction of having dessert after paying a visit to the Almighty was supreme!

Gradually with the charity and donations of all the people visiting this temple. It got sufficient funds to expand the temple's boundaries and get a fancy interior. A priest was replaced by 3 clerics.

Today, when I visit my hometown, I pass by that temple. It is a huge one, and they have about 5-8 priests, and that temple even has a rumor of granting all the wishes come true thingie!

Seriously, I am amazed how this temple expanded and monetized in  three decades. The turn around of people in this temple is enormous and with that comes donations and belief.

Mantra for today: The belief of man can make even a stone turn into a diamond.

Independence on 4th of July

FTSF is here. Join in the fun. Today's sentence is:

The best fourth of July I had was when I turned 18

4th of July signifies independence!

I was given the liberty to make my own decisions after I turn 18.

I do not deny that I made all the right decisions in life, but to fall and then get up and lick my wounds is another way to get going!

Correct?

I made quite a few blunders and wasted some money of my parents.  Allowing me to trod on a path without any guards, was the decision, thus there was no argument at home.

Computer programming was one of them.

Being a chemistry major, I was told that Computer programming is like writing a recipe, and since I had been making concoctions in my lab on a daily basis. I thought of venturing into the BASIC  programming language.

Example :

PUT "What is your name: ", UserName$
PRINT "Hello "; UserName$
DO
  INPUT "How many stars do you want: ", NumStars
  Stars$ = STRING$(NumStars, "*")
  PRINT Stars$
  DO
    INPUT "Do you want more stars? ", Answer$
  LOOP UNTIL Answer$ <> ""
  Answer$ = LEFT$(Answer$, 1)
LOOP WHILE UCASE$(Answer$) = "Y" 

PRINT "Goodbye "; UserName$

Unfortunately, my logic would not work.

What's in a name? Why need stars? What for?

Seriously, do you get it?

I remember my computer instructor would ask us to make such weird programs, which made no sense.

Result: My brain did not absorb any logistics of this class. I suffered for 6 long months. All that was taught bounced off my gray matter. I was left with bitterness since firstly wasted money and secondly, I was left confused why do they say that computer programming is like writing a recipe.

I left that statement as is, and continued on with my life.

Mantra for today: Sometimes, things unresolved is the key to happiness