The Odyssey - An eventful journey as it means ! Writing has always been a passion for me but since the time I have started working it has merely reduced to a "past" and therefore this step... my blog ! Here I plan to publish a few articles I wrote during my freelancing days, and some topics on which I have something to talk about! So, welcome to my world... I hope I do make your time worthwhile as you read on. CHEERS !
Friday, December 26, 2008
Finally...
i am eagerly waiting to start afresh... to breathe.. to live...
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Mumbai, the city of my dreams - well, not really !!!
Countless frustrations have not cowed me.
I am still alive, vibrant with life.
The black cloud will disappear,
The morning sun will appear once again
In all its supernal glory.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Mi "Marathi"
What can i say about this day! On one end, we hear news about the successful lauch of
It feels sad that mankind has stooped so low that for selfish reasons the peace and harmony of a nation is impaired. I just read
“A seed while growing makes no sound.
A tree while falling makes huge noise.
Destruction shouts and the creation is always quiet.
This is the power of silence.”
Well, coming back to the issue at hand... it was high time that made a blog entry on the so-called issue of 'justice to marathi manoos'.
I am a maharashtrian, born and brought up in this city of dreams- Mumbai, and so are my parents as also my ancestors but i completely abhor what 'some people' are doing in the name of caste. I was talking to a friend of mine this morning and he jokingly mentioned that whatever is happening is for the good of my community... so i should be happy! Not that i took his words seriously, but just that most of us tend to have a generalised opinion about a 'basket of mangoes' even though only a few 'mangoes' in that basket are rotten. Reiterating my point- the way every muslim is not a terrorist, every maharashtrian isn't a part of the corroborative network of these peace-invaders.
The problem with our country is that the politicians are so involved in crusading for personal grudges, they barely notice what the commonman ever wants! Everyone knows that Bihar is one of the most corrupted states in our country; it, therefore, wouldn't be surprising to know that the railway examination papers are leaked to the students of Bihar. It was reported that out of 54000 students who took this exam- only 2-digit figure 'maharashtrian' students cleared whereas a thousand-digit figure of bihar students cleared this exam. Similar cases were registered for other states of India; however, these cases weren't blow out of proportion (or should i say- brought to the notice of commonman) the way the case about 'mararashtrian' students was! My point here is, the problem is about corruption (leaking of exam papers) and not that 'a certain community is never given a fair chance'. Why can't these politicians concentrate particularly on this point? Why does this peace-invader 'leader' (rather- misleader) need to keep the gun on the shoulders of 'maharashtrian' man and shoot at his target? Just because he wishes to drain out the votes of a rival party (which happens to be formed and run by his own family), do WE need to suffer???
And the best joke is - the father preaches that everyone in mumbai must practice 'marathi' as their language of communication; the signboards, hoardings, billboards, etc. be written in bold-face marathi and the son of this great leader(misleader) opts for German over Marathi as an optional subject in college! People are such hypocrites!
'He' is fighting for the rights for the maharashtrian men claiming that the boot-polishwalas, the taxiwalas, the rickshawalas who mostly hail from the north-indian states have all usurped the jobs of maharashtrians... what does this fellow want?? A maharashtrian to work as boot-polishwala? taxiwala? rickshawala?? He has basically even forgotten the nitty-gritties of his protest...!
And above all this lies the point that who has given these peace-invaders the right to kill, burn and torment innocent people? We- the commonman- struggle,toil and travail day-in and day-out to set up shops,to set up our businesses, to buy a car ... just so that all these objects of our hardwork are reduced to pieces by inhumane activities of some nonsensical followers? What is the use of violence?? Why do we all forget that above all, we are one nation-we are INDIANS. The essence of Indian lies in the Diversity with Integrity and why is one Indian trying to kill another Indian in the name of caste, religion or creed? If all states in our country start fighting similarly, India will not remain India- every state would want to proclaim itself as an independent nation... it wouldn't take too long then for some more "kashmir"s to be born where a beautiful heaven would get converted into an atrocious valley of death!
Our country definitely needs better, responsible, level-headed leaders who can show the path of harmony and equality than squabble over impertinent, impudent issues.
It isn't about - "mi marathi" ... it's about - 'Us Indians'!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The Secret ...
"... Woh kehte hain na.. Tum agar kisi cheej ko sachhe dil se chaho, toh puri kaynat tumhe usse milane mein jut jati hai ! "
Below is one of the articles i had wriiten for a client, a year back, on the same... happy reading ...
The Power of Visualization
“I am thought. I can see what the eyes cannot see. I can hear what the ears cannot hear. I can feel what the heart cannot feel.”
- Peter Nivio Zarlenga, American Businessman.
That how powerful visualisation can be! It goes beyond any chains of fear or any other limits. Visualising is daydreaming but with a purpose. It is a form of testing how far you can go in achieving your goals. There is this uncanny grandeur in knowing that in the realm of thought - you are without a chain, that you have the right to explore all heights and depth, that there are no walls nor fences, nor prohibited places, nor sacred corners in all the vast expanse of thought!
Imagine what the great achievers like scientists, athletes, etc would have done if they had not visualised there victory or if they had not believed in their dreams and worked towards them. There would have been no great achievement, no discovery, no uniqueness that would have come to light if these people had not visualised. The power of visualisation is what gave them faith and courage in moving ahead to make such humongous achievements and thus becoming legends. History has proved time and again that all the peak performers mentally go through the important events or tasks even before they happen.
It is said that ideas cross mountains, borders, and seas. They go anywhere a man may not go. With visualisation, your mind starts formulating ways to get closer to your goal. Visualisation gives us the zeal and patience to reach the podium of victory.
Imagine an ideal life for yourself; who would not then strive to paint such an ideal life in reality too? Get yourself accustomed to visualising your aim. Mould your mind in believing that you can do better with each day and with each try as what you actually get is just what you see. Instead of being preoccupied with worry and concerns, daydream and visualise with an unwavering faith that whatever you dream of will come true. Visualisation is what will give you strength in crossing all the hurdles in your path towards your goal, it will give you the energy to withstand any negative forces, it will give you the enthusiasm to get what you truly want and deserve.
So, do not waste time worrying about failures or problems; just visualise yourself confronting your fears in your mind's eye and handling those fears like a winner in the pursuit of attaining your desires, your dreams, your fantasies!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
And they'll always inspire me...
But anyways, better late than never ;)
My this post is about all those people who have influenced me, touched me in some way or the other. May be it wil get a bit boring for the readers but i must owe this bit to all those people who have made even an iota of difference by being in life.
The first person whom i am gonna name here is none other than the one who gave birth to me... my Mom. She's not only a woman of substance but also someone who personifies positive attitude, undying courage and a rare spirit! My family wouldn't have been where it is now if she wasn't there to uplift it single-handedly when my father got a paralytic attack. She's like that piece of clay that moulded itself into a claypot at the right time only so that the water (my sis n i)inside it could be well safeguarded. Thanks Maa, Di n I love a lot and we owe our existence to you.
The next person on the list is my sister- a young girl who had to shoulder the responsilbilities suddenly thrown at her at a tender age of ten... and I am so proud of her that she has been doing that with sovereign diligence. She's one person who stands rock-solid by her decisions no matter what the consequences may be. She's the one from whom i have realised what it takes to travel the untrodden path in this world of harsh realities and narrowminded people. She has what you call "gutts"! Whatever she has achieved in her life is only and only because of her hard work and "never-say-die" attitude. 3 cheers to u Di... !
Then there are many other people whom i wouldn't like to name but just that i am grateful to them that they have taught me some lessons in life. Some of them've come in my life and left at the right time. There's one point that i would like to emphasize here is that somewhere down the lane i have learnt that one must not sulk over people who have come and left... no matter what and how... life must move on, and if so, why not move on gracefully? At any point in time, we must not regret anything in our past... just consider it as an enriching experience. And believe me, however good or bad an issue might seem at the start, in the end... it only leaves us much stronger than we were before.
The next on the list isn't a person but some specific books that have made me change my thinking and attitude drastically. The first one is an autobiography -"A child called It" by Dave Pelzer. i remember reading this book when i was barely 15 yrs or so. ; and it completely touched me... i could somehow feel the pain that the author went through and i realised when you are in pain you only need to look around to understand that your pain is nothing as compared to thousands of other people who live in far worse situations.
Another book is "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho- this author has till date, with each and every writing of his, has managed to touch my soul. "Not without my Daughter" is one book that gave me goosebumps; it is based on one topic that every woman will be able to relate with... motherhood!
To end with, here is a beautiful poem that caught my eye::
As I drive my truck each day I wonder what it is I will see today?
Each day brings something new for my eyes and ears
From state to state, from coast to coast what new things will I see this day?
The sunrises from my front window to my back from day to day
The colors are different each and every day from that sunrise
The scenery is never the same even though I’ve been here dozens of time
Where does my inspiration lie?
Some people have to get up to go to work and it is the same old thing day after day
But here in my old truck things are not that way.
I look forward to the days drive and the sites I’ll see and just what’s ahead of me
I have been very lucky to be able to travel and see this most beautiful land
The seasons change and I drive from season to season for just that reason
The seasons are never quite the same the colors are very bright with the changes
Where does my inspiration lie?
The people I meet, the things I’ve seen God you have blest me through my travels
Snow on the mountain peaks, creeks where fish are seen, great rivers miles long
Mother bears teaching her young to fish, deer’s, antelopes, long horned mountain goats
Flowers in a field of gold, windmills that you make go fast in the breath of your wind
Craters that have fallen from the sky large enough to make a hugh bright blue lake
Cactus that bloom in the hot desert sun, sand storms that scared us to death
Where does my inspiration lie? !
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Kal Aaj aur Kal
Just a brief background on what makes me write this article... The gone few days have been very hectic, work... work ... n more work... i barely got/get time to sit at peace/ spend time with my near-n-dear ones... and yes... my allies in the past GOOD SLEEP n TV have now become the most insignificant and inconspicuous present! ... and all this suddenly stirred me into walking down the memory lane...
So here's the "KAL":
My schooling - My beautiful convent... I owe all the values, the discipline that i have imbibed to this place... those innocent years of nothing but fun !
Juniour college- We were a group of 6 six girls... the nicest of friends i have ever made. I still vividly remember the journey from Borivli to Matunga, 45 mins in the slow train -all 6 of us used to try and amke it to the same train, the non-stop chattering, the junk shopping in the train...and then the best part of getting down at matunga station - jumping off the platform .. crossing the tracks so as to get a shortcut to the D.G. Ruparel gate. ( We always made sure that the guys from r class weren't around while we jumped off the platform -- SO CLUMSILY! )
Then came Engineering- the 4 years that amalgamated hard work during exams, euphoria on winning TPP( Technical paper presentation) at each and every college in mumbai, the never-ending opportunities to script-write n compere shows, the discontent over certain issues/misunderstandings, the strange feeling of loneliness at times, the pain of losing good friends, the pride in representating final year BE project at an International conference held in Chennai, the realisation of mistakes in knowing people... et al.
I think these 4 years have really taught me a lot... more so, about "trust". Sometimes, we know in our heart that what we are doing might be wrong, but we still go ahead and do it... this is when u need to tame ur mind in getting full control of ur emotions. It's just about understanding the practicalities of life and more importantly - accepting n implementing them.
I have also realised that everything in life is/"should be" a give-n-take process.. be it help, well-being, friendship, love, ... everything. And most of the times, by the time u realise that either you are giving too much or taking too much... you have already crossed ur limits ! We must have surely heard the saying "the more you chase a butterfly, the more it eludes you" ... everything should be given it's own time and space. Again reiterating the fact of being cognizant of your limits and good ol' "practicality" and yes, "moderation" is the keyword !
THE "AAJ":
Life is good... though busy.
i dont think i can crib about anything- things that looked vague a few months back have now fallen into place.. my new house is really beautiful, Mastek is fine - good exposure, - the mosaic is now complete! :)
THE "KAL" :: will be continued in the next post !
I would like to end this post with a these 2 lines that i completely believe in :
"It doesn't matter where you've been,
You can always change where your going ! "
Friday, April 4, 2008
Fear- Is it really worth it?
‘Dare to dream…
Dream to Discover’.
Certainly! How can you ever achieve your dreams, your goals if you do not even dare to do so? The thought above truly emphasizes how important it is to dream.
But at times there is this creepy feeling in our mind that holds us back, debars us from daring, from dreaming and thus from discovering… it is nothing but fear. The fear of failure. The fear of losing. The fear of fallout. And unknowingly we give up, we lose hope. But is it really worth giving up all your dreams, your aspirations for a feeling as trivial as fear? No it isn’t! Walt Disney has rightly said- “If you can DREAM it, you can DO it.” It’s just a matter of faith and courage to pursue them.
Have you ever seen small children play? How innocently and fearlessly a child fiddles with anything that you give him. He is ready to experiment, to dream, and learn a lot more things without shying away even once. The reason behind this is that children are naïve, ingenuous. They have no fear, they are not bothered about this world or for that matter they don’t even know what the word fear means. So if children can be so fearless, why can’t we as adults be fearless too?
Have you ever wondered what it takes to make new inventions or new discoveries? All great achievers, scientists, explorers have been brave. Along with hardwork it was their faith and courage that motivated them. They have progressively and intrepidly moved in the direction of their dreams. These daring people are the ones who live their life according to their imagination. No fearful person would ever venture into the unknown territories of life or the untrodden path of science and technology and if so, there wouldn’t have been any discoveries. Imagine the world if these people weren’t there… if they would have backed off from their dreams. It would have been dull, monotonous. There wouldn’t have been any of the luxuries that we are enjoying now. Life would have lacked its true essence and luster.
“Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.”- George W. Carver. People who are apprehensive of crossing the unknown paths are usually lazy and scared. They have low self-esteem and can never really achieve much in life because they do not have any dreams to motivate them. Such people can never be the leaders as they are so accustomed to being a follower throughout their life. What they do not realize is that the key to success is through failure.
Isn’t it always taught to us in school to try and try until you succeed? So why do we stop believing in this proverb once we grow up? Why do we refrain from believing in the supreme power above us who knows exactly what is good or bad for us. Certainly, we need to work towards our goals fearlessly and with a strong determination. We need to realize that God is going to show us a way out if we atleast try. “The stories of past courage... can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this each man must look into his own soul.” - John F. Kennedy. It’s on us and only us to make our dreams come true.
It’s time for us to believe in:
“Life is full of froth and bubble But two things stand alone Kindness in another man's trouble And courage in your own!”