Review of the Year 2020

 

 Welcoming year 2020 was not any different from previous years. We stayed awake until midnight as if assuring that the time ticked gracefully into the new year. We ushered in 2020 with the same kind of hugs, cheers, and jubilations as any other year. 

But like you invite a guest over and don't realize what impact that person will leave upon you...we were as clueless as to the world. Although the cases of Covid19 were already present in China, little did any of us realize that this virus will choose to travel the globe ticketless. 

Within a passage of a few months, our county declared stay-at-home as this bug was traveling at the speed of light. 

It was beating the marvel characters who would travel at the speed of light. 

 March 2020, when the abrupt lockdown announcement came. Thank fully all of my family was in town to get couped in the four walls of our home. However, we didn't have enough time to stock our pantry or the fridge with the essentials. Was always in the habit of shopping enough for five days, but then with the announcement of everything shutting down, chaos began. I could see it on people's faces while standing in long lines for checking out their essentials along with toilet paper and bottled water while I 'only' had the basics such as bread, vegetables, milk.

I still fail to understand why our community opted to shop more than required toilet paper and bottled water!!

Days ticked away to weeks and months while we chose to be indoors. Cooking, cleaning was my criteria, and my mind was busy scanning headlines and getting anxious. At the same time, the intellect decided to calm that agitated mind as I would mutter, "The Universe has a plan!" 

Plan alright!!

At a personal level: 

 I chose to make the most of this lockdown by creating some 'Me' time. I decided to exercise my physical body and my mental body and then hone my cooking skills. 

I finished writing a manuscript and published a book while being in gratitude every single day for good health and food on the table. 

These months the world was also shifting towards a change for the better. 

Some that I feel deserves mention:

• #BlackLivesMatter awareness.
• Climate changed for the better as the sky was visible and birds could be 'heard' chirping. 

Few pointers to ponder upon: 

When we said our goodbye to 2020 and welcomed 2021, I realize that most of humanity showed resilience and adapted well to the change. 

Although we have miles to go before we can move around on this planet like before, that awareness of freedom will always be deep down in our hearts that will fill us with gratitude over what he had. 

This period also saw the longing and embracing of our family members as we all were cooped up in those four walls. 

No doubt, man is considered a social animal, but this quarantine also taught us that distances could make people fonder. Since we all made, Zoom/WebEx calls to connect with relatives, friends world wide. 

People who caught the bug were quarantined. That I feel was a test of their mind as they were fighting this virus that has a reputation of creating havoc in the human body. For those who came out of the room hale and hearty not only defeated the virus but also got a victory over their mind's chatter. 

This bug has also taught us the importance of silencing our mind and it's constant chatter. Being an energy healer by profession, I always advocate the importance of mental quietude since that eventually affects our physical health. This period was a classic example. I came across many anxious people who couldn't understand why their mind was chattering so much, while they had to be stationed inside their walls. Sure, all those minds had personal issues. Having a mind over your mind is the key, and not mingling with humanity helped solve that issue. It also proved that every human's mind is so powerful that it can either choose to outshine or destroy oneself. 

Now when we think of all the above in terms of Vedanta: The Covid-19 could be an illusion, and maybe all of humanity is in the dream state imagining all the havoc this virus is displaying over the world? 

No doubt, there are no words for the loss of lives. 

If that's the truth: I pray we all wake up from this dream in the year 2021 and have a laugh at Maya's display. 

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 (9 am-5 pm to be precise) and come back with a check every fortnightly. Food on the table was always mom's choice. She used to cook it in a jiffy, and then my brother and I 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 as 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 their kids do all the work. All the burden lies only on the children, so what are they fretting about? 

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, and making a living.

Until one beautiful 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 the fundamentals of economics and management remain the same.

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

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

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Attempted to answer Ind inspire: 

"Ignorance is the mother of prejudice" - How true is this statement? Do you agree? #Ignorance

Wanderlust

Travel is defined as moving predictably. 

When a man decides to go on an excursion, he plans out every minute detail such as which hotel, car rental, which places to tour, and if possible even purchase the tickets of a tour or an expedition if it gets sold out quickly. 

Time is not a factor since the To-Do list is put on hold and we can practically watch the sunrise and the sunset. Time our breakfast, lunch, and dinner all according to our needs and wants. However, what memories we collect from such travel is not in our hands even if minute details have been taken care of! 

Any trip can be an eye-opener cause they always tend to teach us something in the end.

Man Proposes, God Disposes === Aldous Huxley 

I remember making this road trip to India when I was a teenager. We were taking an excursion towards Jaipur, a city in Rajasthan.

We had rented a car and hired a driver. While he was driving the car, my family was sitting and enjoying the ride and the sights around the town.

It was a hot summer afternoon, and Rajasthan is known for its' high temperatures cause of the desert. However, we had our windows rolled up, and the air conditioner was on, with music in the background.

I was in the back seat near the window, enjoying the music and feeling relaxed with the fresh air surrounding me.

Suddenly, there was a loud noise, and my reflexes were sharp enough to turn and hide my face. A person had thrown a stone towards our car, and it hit my window. The shattered glass was all around me. Our driver was quick enough to screech his brakes on time, to avoid a mishap on the road.

He was quick to take an exit to the nearest hospital while I lay still since did not want any of the glass to penetrate further into the skin. That moment, while he was driving, I could feel the warm air blowing through that open window, and felt the changes in temperature and how my body was laying there vulnerable to the circumstance.

No man has control over mishaps. One moment I was enjoying the cool temperature, rustic sighting, majestic architecture with fond company, and the second moment the same body was exposed to brittles, was tensed, mind became restless and agitated. 

 Although we try hard to make our trips memorable and fun, no journey is perfect.

Thank God, my wounds were not harsh, and I recovered in no time. We toured the city. No doubt the city was still the same old but my perception had changed as I was cautious all the time. 

Returned Home with Memories.

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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

Next time an adversity comes your way; clap your hands. I will assure you with the clap will come a solution! 

Sacrifices make a Masterpiece!

Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do. – Pele

It takes me back to the days when I was a student. When board exams were around the corner; curfew would set in my home. The Radio and the television would be switched off. Not only was I cocooned to my room; but even my parents had cut off all ties with my extended family and friends on Sundays' and even talked in whispers. The only distraction would be the telephone; but even that my mom would keep the talk to the minimum and I would usually hear her end her talk with, "Let's meet after R's board exams." 
x

The whole scenario was revolving around me and my schedule that at times I would get overwhelmed and pressured to do well. 'What if I don't the whole society will mock me' were the nightmares I would get. Dreams of dejection, mockery, and frowning upon were more than ever! 

At times I would even confide in my mom asking her to not broadcast to the whole world, but then she had a very concise response. "You can't change them ever! They will even react if you succeed!" 

That was an eye-opener!

My train of thoughts started chugging on the opposite track where the goal was bright and luminous accompanied by laughter and celebration. That brought a smile, but then I realized the journey to that goal is sweaty, toiled with hard labor and sacrifice of lots of Me time to grasp the fundamentals of physics, biology, chemistry, and mathematics. I gave up daydreaming and toiled along. 

Days were numbered, but the goal made me smile so everything around me was temporary as I knew I wanted to latch on to that target. 

Soon the exams were over. The wait time was up, and the results were out! 

My hard work paid off!! I got into my dream college and today am happy at how my life turned out. 

If a writer chooses to step away from social media to create a master piece. So be it! 

Sacrifices made to attain that step are brief, but they are so worth it! 

Conclusion: A dream doesn't become a reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work. Colin Powell

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Is leaving the social media the right step for those who wish to focus on writing? Must writers stop interacting even in real life?#GoodWriting
This has been an Indispire write up!

Belief in God

Morals are defined as the rules of right conduct.

Does a man follow the set of rules because he believes in God since he worships him or does he believe in God because he has morals in his life?

Morality and Philosophy

All living beings have a soul. This is a living thing that is within the body. This Soul is our guide, our knowledge to help us distinguish between right and wrong.  This knowledge usually directs and chaperones us in the daily hustle bustle of life while we face the many challenges, pitfalls and talks to us when emotionally down. Consciousness is our awareness that we think about, and experience it on a daily basis.

Consciousness is a vast field, which encircles around a wide range of possibilities that get thrown at us it is also a field of creativity that allows us to come up with solutions when surrounded by problems; it is a set of intuitions that make us take decisions accordingly. Our intentions are also surrounded by our consciousness. Consciousness is about love, friendship, imagination, compassion, kindness, and peace of mind.

Consciousness is our blue print. How we act, react, and think can bring changes in our body and our life.

Our Morals strongly govern our life, and the life we lead solely depends on our actions, reactions and thoughts.

Who is God?

God is understood to be a superficial force above us that is supreme and is an object of faith.

Many modern and medieval philosophers have argued existence of God.

Those that believe in this supreme force address him by the name of the religion they follow.

Today Christianity, Hinduism, and Muslims are the most followed and popular religions in the world.

Some noted examples are Allah for Muslims, Jesus for Christians, and Krishna for Hindus

God and Philosophy

For those who believe in God, have a fear factor within them, and that makes them perform good deeds or go on a road that is full of morals. God is their anchor, and that helps them develop their path towards a righteous one. This honest route helps them shape a conscientious life for themselves by the decisions they make and implement.

Does God Exist

For those who do not believe in the existence of the supreme, but have consciousness continue to perform their duties and walk on the path of virtue, which in turn helps them shape a bright destiny for themselves.

Morality today

Morality is gradually becoming extinct. We are living in a world of “Me-Myself-Mine”. With the rise of social media, we are becoming like a robot. Constantly hooked to the Internet where feelings and authenticity go missing.

The result: Dust covers our consciousness thus, making the living of a man a sham.

Conclusion

For those who believe in god, worshipping him could be a blessing in disguise since such a population will tend to look into their consciousness every now and then; and try to walk on the path of morals.

Today’s society needs someone with the authority to keep reminding us of our sheer existence and the reason we are on this planet.

However, man could in turn blame the factors of inflation and corruption, but the bottom line is that a man invented those means. Thus, getting us back to the front of morals and how we could keep our consciousness alive.

Soul is the blue print of our body

We can bring changes in our body by only being conscious of our actions, thoughts, and reactions towards others.

Mantra for today: The universal energy that runs our life, is supreme. Bow thee!

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The above post has been written for Indiblogger. Their topic of discussion is: 

Why do we worship god? Share your reasons for worshipping gods

My Kind of Diwali Celebration

"Try this outfit. It will suit you" urged mom.

"Nah! its too dull. I am too young to be wearing such boring colors." I protested.

"Just try it. We are not buying," mom added with a slightly higher pitch.

http://webneel.com/daily/sites/default/files/images/daily/09-2013/14-diwali-greeting-card.jpg

I go in the trial room whilst blowing the bangs on my forehead, and come out with a broad smile and a jubilant cheer, "I love it!"

Mom rolls her eyes as it trying to say, "Told ya!" but restraining the words more so cause that will start another round of arguments with a teen daughter, and she already had quite a few things on her plate this evening.

With the ring of the register, payment is done, and sale is final.

I wait up for my younger brother to decide on a shirt as I try to chip in my expert comments from the sidelines with a stare from my mom now and then to stop it.

Shopping is done!

Next stop, buying fresh flowers, and all the items needed for a puja.

http://www.abhyasika.com/10/10SandT/Chapter02/Fig0205M.jpg

We finally reach home, and it is late in the evening. Dad is already home, and after showing him our purchases, we are quick to gobble all the food laid out on the table. Shopping  makes us hungry especially when the festival is around the corner, and yummy things are on the menu.

Next day came pretty early more so since that is the day all the shopping was all about.

Yes, it is Diwali. According to a teen, it is the festival of lights, fun, sweets and socializing, and a new attire.

Dressed up, and soon we were driving to my dad's office where my extended family would also meet up for the puja. This is called the Laxmi puja where the family prays for wealth, and prosperity, and what better place to worship for it than the location where work is conducted.

Puja was usually for adults while we kids played, mimicked on my dad's typewriters and calculators as if bringing in the dough.

Once the prayers were finished, food would be ordered from the nearby restaurants, and yes the kids could request anything they wanted.

We all used to hog, and try out everything in their menu. The vanilla milkshakes with ice-cream was my favorite, and I used to order it every time besides the new delicacies.

By the time, we would disperse from my dad's offices; it would be early evening, and then driving home for another prayer session while myself and my sibling lighting the diyas around the house. That was followed by bursting crackers since dinner was usually avoided after consuming so many extra calories.

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I grew up with this scenario year after year.

Till date, I miss Diwali celebration since it involved my family, and it was a package deal with all the ingredients of a good celebration of any festival.

Was it the new clothes, the visit to my dad's office, the mimicking in his workplace, the order anything from the menu thing, the laughs and the giggles with all my cousins?

Could not yet figure out what enchanted me.

But on the day of Diwali, the above tradition is rewinded in my mind as I sit miles away from home, and it always gives me happiness to celebrate #GharWaliDiwali

Mantra for today: Some rituals that are repeated year after year can never become boring if they bring a smile.

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This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours'#GharWaliDiwali in association with PepsiCo and IndiBlogger.
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How much Education can make you a literate?

As the Learned say, Education is one investment that will never go waste.

But, I wonder how much education is enough to make you a literate, and cultured enough to stand in a crowd and yet be confident of the decisions you made?

 Although, a man should be open to learning at any age, should he be earning a degree after the degree to get the label of a wise man? Sometimes, common sense and being in the right place at the right moment can do wonders for some. Luck also plays a prominent role in those who aim high. Examples are many that literally a site has been dedicated for college dropouts who have dared to touch the sky. Now, I am not encouraging anyone to drop out of college just to test drive their luck. But, with the increasing costs for everything, there is no harm in introspecting the courses one has enrolled in and finding his worth, passion or his future?  Nothing comes for free, thus taking loans to get a degree that will be the pride of your glass cabinet while you stress day in and out to work towards the payment of the credit makes no sense! Thus, next time when you get an enrollment form for a particular course; dig within and find something that we all have in common, which is not that common since we hardly use it, but it prevails! Common Sense!

There are people with degrees stacked up, and still not have the fundamental sense of living or dealing with pesky neighbors or relatives or any practical matter.

It is a good sense that enables judgment in practical matters and gives an individual the capability to be savvy and street smart.

Research has indicated that it is within all, but seldom do we tweet within and try to learn from our experiences and combine it with the wisdom we have attained from a mere degree!

Mantra for today: Common sense is not common, but it would make a lot of sense if understood.

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Written in context to a prompt by Indiblogger:

What is Your Definition Of an Educated Person? And what is your opinion about Educated Illiterates