With all heart! : Blog # 100

With all heart!

        When was the last time you did something which consumed you so much that when you were about to call it a day, you were utterly tired even to lift a finger , yet felt blissfully happy? For this to have happened, you should have invested heavily in that endeavor -   emotionally.

     Many a time, I have wondered whether I should get in to something with all heart or with a sense of detached attachment.

Maintaining an arm’s length is the easier option for if at all we are faced with an undesired outcome, the heart ache will be less. If one is involved passionately, the stake will be higher and hence the reactions to the outcome will be more personal and emotional.

The flip side in being detached is that we lower the stakes ourselves and hence the aim gets blurred. A transmigration of sorts happens between Plan B and the original plan. There is less regret and remorse even if the desired accomplishment is not met. This might become counterproductive.

Also, it is important that one be passionate about whatever one does. Only then will come a sense of sincerity. Unless one can convince oneself about the genuineness of one’s intention, how can it be communicated to others? It takes a lot of courage and trust to invest much, especially when it come to matters of heart J.

Today, one of my friends proclaimed “What will be....will be!”If that is the case, the destination is already decided by destiny or a higher force. All that we can hope for is to make the journey enjoyable. For that to happen, whatever be the endeavor , no half measures will do; one should give it all that one has J.                                                                                                           

Arun Babu.

Of Tales Untold : Blog # 99

*A Short Story

Of Tales Untold

      Amit was coming home after 2 years. As much as he fell in love with the seasons of that foreign land twice over, he missed those seasons he grew up in.

            He reached home early in the morning. The breakfast along with family was blissful, the one he longed for while gulping down the toasted bread and the bottled juice. Promising his mom to be back for dinner, he called up a dear old friend and went out for lunch. It was a restaurant they frequented during their college days. The waiter came asking for starters and his friend told him “It has been a while since you bought me spring rolls” J.

            The family was having evening tea in the balcony, their favourite place in the house. Breaking in to laughter, Amit and his sister sat on the old swing at the same time else one side of it will go off balance. It was something that both of them did right from their schooldays. She said “No one else gets it right!”J. His mom told “Remember, how we used to go and buy groceries when your dad was away? And the evening walks we used to go on when you came back from college?”.Both of them smiled in fond remembrance.

            Amit’s girl friend, Ashima was performing a play in the nearby theatre. He reached there just when the show was about to begin. Calling one of the boys in the supporting cast, he sent across his wishes and a bouquet.

            The vacation got over in a blink and it was time to go. While packing his bags, his father told him “Amit, your wallet didn’t have change. I have kept some”. J

        Hearing the cab honking outside, he touched his grandmother’s feet. Cupping his face, she told him “Don’t send me money order on New year. It is not the post man whom I want to see” J     

As the cab approached the airport, his cell phone beeped. It was Ashima’s message.“The hall would have looked empty, had you not come.” J

                                                                                                 Arun Babu.

World in our lap : Blog # 97

World in our lap

       Technology has become so much of a part of our lives that we have the world in our ‘laps’, literally! It is astounding how significant a part of our lives, laptops have become.

Many of us should start counting the Laptop as our conscience keeper. No one else knows a person as much as his/her laptop does. Our deepest secrets are stored in its folders of anonymity, hidden from the world.

Many a time, our day begins at the start button on the task bar. It plans our day with post its. It stores our past in pixels. It helps us keep in touch.

It sings to us when we are stressed. It hosts movies when we are bored. It plays games to remind us about the child within.

It is omnipresent when we are among friends and among family. It is there when we are travelling and when we have settled down. It gives words to our thoughts. It mirrors our aspirations in its background.

It is where we book our tickets – be it to go around or to sit through two hours of entertainment.

We come home from a long day and who  do we look at for hours on end? Who else gets as much undivided attention?                

          It is by our side when we go to sleep and when we wake up. It is in this 14 X 14” portmanteau of memory that many of ours’ worlds reside. It is not just on top of our laps; it is indeed on top of our world itself!

                                                                                                             Arun Babu

Ladies of our Lives : Blog # 96

Ladies of our Lives

                   

            Let me begin on a note of apology for more often than not, we take the ladies of our lives for granted.

No man is blessed with the ability to feel and love like a woman does for she is the one who possesses the boon of motherhood. A mother hand holds a child right from the first cry through the first steps till a child becomes a self reliant man or woman. She weaves the best years of her life around the child’s , being fully aware that he/she will fly out of her nest one day. It is the epitome of selflessness that I have known.

For those who are blessed with a sister will know how bland life can become once she leaves the home. She is the one who fills the air with happiness, who often bridges the gap between family and who spreads a smile by just being there.

A wife or a lover is the wind beneath a man’s wings. It is not that she doesn't have a flight of her own. In spite of having to chase her dreams, she finds time to support and encourage the love of her life.

Quite often, we forget to acknowledge the ladies of our lives. On this woman’s day, we thank you for being who you are and for making us who we are!

                                                                                                  Arun Babu

Bask in the Glory : Blog # 95

Bask in the Glory

         I am not someone who gets complimented very often. Still, whenever some compliments come my way as rarely it may be, I am completely at sea.

         Most of us handle criticisms well. It is a fight or flight situation. Either you confront it upfront or ignore it completely. But when it comes to compliments, we do not know where to look or what to say.

       Let us look at some ways of accepting compliments graciously and how to bask in the glory :).

          The most common scenario is when we are complimented on having achieved something or for having executed a process. For instance, you organized an event and someone walks up to you and says “I haven’t seen a more organized event. Great Job!”.The trick here is to pass on the credit. You may say “The accolades should go to the team. I just showed them the way. It is them who walked the path.”

        There might be people who might compliment you by showing others in poor light. This is a path that needs to be tread cautiously. For instance, when you win a competition. You may say “It is my worthy opponents who brought out the best in me. They made me give my best shot. As far as winning the competition goes, it is just that the stars were on my side that day.”

           Many get complimented on aspects which they have not spent any effort on. For example,those who are blessed with good looks. When someone complements you on such aspects, a self depreciating humour will come handy. This will show that you are not narcissistic or self indulgent in nature.

        You might get complimented on any of your talent. People might be generous with their praises. One should humbly accept the compliment without sounding pompous, at the same time not putting off the person who is appreciating you.

        Now, when you get appreciated at work place. Your manager says you have improved on a specific skill. To be safe, pay the compliment right back. Tell your manager that it was he/she who gave you the feedback a few days before. You saw the merit in the advice and put in some efforts in that regard. This way, the manager gets the hint that you are taking his/her suggestions seriously and constructively.

        Having said all this, why is it important that we take compliments seriously?We all need reassurances that we are doing things the right way. We need reaffirmations that we are progressing in the right direction. A compliment is a validation of just that. Also, more often than not a compliment comes with a  piece of constructive criticism. “You are good at presentation. It is your strength. If  you work on voice your modulation, you will make a greater impact”. It is in these little advises hidden around the corner where the secret of success to Life lies.

                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                     Arun Babu

Someday : Blog # 94

Someday

       The good thing about ‘Someday...’ is that it doesn’t restrain you with the thread of time. It is a long leash. It is about letting go, but only to earn back later.

           It is a comfortable time space where we can park our dreams. There is a definiteness to it yet which is not suffocating. There is a certainty to it which still accords some degree of freedom.

It is a take on life where ambition is not just an acquaintance in the faint past. It is a state of being where the desire is still there burning like a cinder without the paraphernalia of fire and smoke.

It is a mindset which never gives up. It is 'will' in its most quaint form. It is passion personified in the subtlest of states.

It is the glimmer of hope that one keeps alive in the coldest of nights and the tempestuous of days.

I believe it is not always the brightest of minds who discover 'someday' between the pages of their life's diary, it is those who believe in their conviction who will realize their dreams, sooner or later.

The moment someday appears as a milestone in one’s Life, the existence has met its purpose. 

I wish someday shows up on all our calendars soon enough J.

                      Arun Babu.      

Ping! : Blog # 93

Ping!

         A couple of decades ago, it was the postman’s cycle bell which resonated as the sound that depicted ‘staying connected’. Then it became the telephone rings and today, it is just a ‘Ping!’.

            Never before in our recorded history, have we been more connected. How many of our grandparents would have got the chance to meet their child hood friends after their thirties, even our parents for that matter? We know where each of them are and what they are up to through a simple ping!

            These days, even if a person goes abroad, it doesn’t feel they are as much far. You ‘like’ their happiness, ‘poke’ to remind them and ‘comment’ to show your approval or concern.

            Of the greatest gifts the social media has given us is the ability to say and be heard. It takes away loneliness without the need of being in the middle of a crowd. Twitter is the classic example.

            Another fascinating fact is that the social media has eliminated the social awkwardness from our relations. Put two strangers together and in 5 minutes, they would have run out of topics to talk about. Had those two met after having met on some social media platform earlier, Facebook for instance, the conversation can go on and on.

            But the day we start preferring 2D images to real meets, then ping starts sounding like the death knell for human relations!

                                                                                                            Arun Babu.