Source of Happiness

Happiness. The word itself can make you smile if you are in a good mood, or can reflect all the bad memories if you are in a dull mood, and can set your minds thinking psychologically if you are bit crazy.

Thinking of third aspect, what is your ultimate goal in life? Some say, thats the question which drives our lives, some say its attaining Moksha or Nirvana, some say it is to perform our duties and responsibilities, and some even say its to reach near God! These are all spiritual goals in one way or another. What about materialistic goals? Gaining money or Becoming famous or is it living happily? I know I know, its all.

I remember studying a story as part of school curriculum, about three brothers. I don’t remember the exact details, but it was something like, inorder to settle the dispute (over the inheritance of wealth or something), the King announced that who ever is successful after 3 (or 5) years, he would be chosen as the favourable chosen person. The chosen one was a poor farmer, but he was happy. The story ends with the moral that contentment is the ultimate wealth.

Every person in the world faces troubles. There happens mood swings when all thoughts pour in your mind. The self-development and inspirational websites help us to some extent to give instant boost, but the effects fade away easily. In many of the websites, they preach to develop friends, or to get busy in something or other, or to work towards your goals and etc. But for all, you need a li’l inspiration, a lovely pat, a small cheer up or a wonderful smile…If you are happy and smiling, you can give a try making others smile too and talking them out. But what if you are not? Thats where we need to improve.

Some people call up their friends to talk. They are lucky to have such close ones to talk them out. But there are situations when they are not reachable or times when we cannot reveal to others. Some just brood over for some time and then recover themselves. Some just hide it in the corner of their heart leaving them to pile up and live as if nothing happened. Then when limit reaches, everything blurts out leaving you shattered. Is this worth? Can’t we share out? No. Because people are not willing to hear out the troubles of others, but just expects the world to solve all the problems.

Why don’t we share both the happiness and sorrows. Have people become so narrow minded or selfish? Some blame it on individual behaviour and some blame on the rules of the society. But isn’t it influenced by the environment we live in? Why don’t people change themselves and love others, instead of learning to hurt them. Why don’t they realize that the source of happiness and peace is themselves? As usual, there would be no answer…!!

Sabse anmol…

Ek nayi raah hai, ek nayi aas hai,
humsafar ban ne ka ehsaas hai,
pyar tho sirf bol hai,
saath nibhana hi sabse anmol hai…

Lambi safar hai, raastha shayad katin hai,
agar neev ho vishwas ki, ban jaatha aasaan hai,
Rishte jaise ped hai, pyar tho sirf phool hai,
samajdhari hi dali hai, wahi sabse anmol hai…

Mann mein kayi raaz hai, jaise phool par kaante hai,
simte hue rishte mein, karte ve chedh hai,
bandh kamrein mein raaz dabaana hi bhool hai,
udne do khuli hawa mein usko, sachhai hi sabse anmol hai..

Ab tho yahi prarthana hai, yahi dua hai,
Har rishtha tho usee ki dhen hai,
Denge saath hamesha, ye sab tho sirf bol hai,
saath nibhaana hi sabse anmol hai…

Happy Valentines Day… 😀

Just browsed in to see what state I was last year, and I got this…

PS: Dedicated to RK…

Book review – The Alchemist

Hi my beloved heart, are you listening?

If ever you wondering whether I have gone nuts, no, I haven’t. I am just following what “The Alchemist” preaches. The book, written by Paul Coelho puts forward the quote “Follow your dreams”. I got the book for just Rs. 195 in exchange for gift vouchers I had with me. I had heard about this book long ago, but I was not into following the dreams that time. Rather I thought its about self-inspirational and motivational theme, the genre which I felt I ‘d never need. But having no other option than to get myself busy with some thing or the other, I starting reading about the alchemist and travelled along with The Boy in his journey.

There are several good quotes in the book, which are thought provoking and which provides the insight into the reality. Till the middle of the book, the quote which lingers around is the one which rhymes like, “When you work towards achieving your dreams, the entire universe conspires to help you to succeed”.For a second, I thought how the universe has helped me in achieving my dreams, when all I see is shattered dreams. Then again I tried to justify whether, what has happened is it what I dreamt of. I still don’t have an answer. Or maybe I am reluctant to accept the fact?

The book also speaks of love as part of the Soul of the world. Most of the religions and their practices speaks of spreading love and to love thyself and others. But I have not liked the way, the love story evolves in the book. The normal boy meets girl-love at first sight-kinda scenarios I can never accept, and I can never believe in it. But I do accept the quote it says, “listen to your heart as it speaks the truth”.

There are many more instances in the book, which makes us reminds of the old wise sayings of our elders. About life, about following our dreams, about reality, about the difficulties to face, about the omens we see, and especially, about relying on our heart and self. The strange thing is this book, as far to me, never portrayed about the emotional conflict and the social aspect we need to follow in the life.

There are many reviews online about this book, which speaks on and on about the inspiring quotes and how the book made an impression on them and all. This review provides some of the quotes provided in the book, while the wikipedia enlists the whole story in the form of summary.

Rating: 8/10

Silent passengers…

The rise of a new dawn,
Or is it another dusk,
Yet another week forlorn,
When bygone memories sink

Change is needed indeed,
But not that much to carry the soul away,
Thats too much then I feel,
To live a life with dead hearts which doesn’t awake,

Some say, life is a quest,
From which we churn the answers,
And very few do we trust,
Amidst the hunt, without fears,

Why the customs n the rules,
If they cannot sustain the bonds,
Its hard to live like a mute,
To pertain to life without fonds,

But why blame the rules, when the near can stand
To wash away the pearls and golden moments,
As if all the hope and love I do is just pretend,
And giving back is not worth even a few cents!

Its time I realize my priorities; they explain,
But to foresee not, the throne i bestow them,
Their blindness do pricks, and thrusts damn pain,
After all, how can they do to me such a maim!!!

High Tide

Jan 6th. May 25th. April 10th. April 28th. June 14th.. so many numbers. I still can’t believe it. Can you?

So many things happening around. Majority of my friends and college mates are getting married this year in 2008. Few already did in 2007. Did they too go through all I am facing now? Some say yes, its all natural and blah blah. But I guess it depends on how you approach the practical aspects apart from the dreamy world you live in. Some just close their dreams and move on with hard-hearted attitude. Some not-so-strong people like me, keep thinking why this is happening, why it didn’t happen that way etc, and keep brooding our minds with mixed thoughts.

Within these two months, there had been huge waves of hopes and dreams and uncertainty.The tide kept changing between high and low. Its almost like I am being dumb and deaf to the outside world and I am tending to withdraw within. As if people have moved on thinking my future is sealed. As if they need not help me anymore. As if they cannot be close to me anymore. There are so many to advise my future decisions, but none to pull me or with me to sail the boat in the turbulence. Some say R.K is there, why I am considering myself alone. Does that mean, married people never feel lonely? I had thought of inter-weaving the interactions with the two separate worlds and thereby forming a new Universal Union of which I can be part of the intersection. But as of now, all are dislike sets and member A is wandering here and there trying to find out its identity to where it belonged to. Career, Shifting location, new life, new friends, the responsibilities, the uncertainty and so on, on one side. The old friends, the inter-woven threads of memories, what about them? Do any of them still miss those sweet moments and chemistry we shared among us even now? So many has got scattered by the winds of time, and the thread seems swinging heavily.

When will the tide be calm?

PS: The PMT sucks!!! (the M stands for marital!!)

In Retrospect… Happy New Year!

Its another new year. As usual, I was watching TV when the clock striked twelve, watching how people enjoyed new year all over the world. This had been my routine from my childhood. This habit had been guided by my own sister, who was a TV freak, and especially with the special new year programmes aired on the same, we were almost glued to it on new year’s eve.

Over the last two years, the routine had changed owing to my change in location to Chennai. But this year, it was refreshing to be at home again. As I sat along the sofa surfing the channels, the time was playing itself rewinding all the memories in front of me. How the times have changed.!

I was there, lying on my sis’ lap watching SRK’s latest movie climax. And Amma was preparing dinner, Appa watching the film over the dining table, and advising me to come and sit beside him, with the usual dose of advice that eyes will go kaput if I watch that idiot box at such a small distance.

I was there in the inner room, when my brother-in-law came to see my sister at Cochin. On the way back home, Amma and sis was talking about the groom. The engagement was decided on Jan 4th and I was in my 9th about to join my class after X’mas holidays. On Feb 14th, my bro-in-law had sent a red balloon heart to my sis. I don’t remember whether they had talked over phone, just as in the new generation where in they don’t wait for “ladki dekhna” function to start phoning each other.

I was there running around the tensed Amma and Appa during marriage preparations. The wedding card was plain and simple; the wedding had to be held in Cochin near the groom’s house; the sarees were brought from Nagercoil, for which we travelled in bus for 3 hours. I hated the saree and jewellery shops from childhood and the huge rampo revolving around it. And for the same reason I don’t remember any of the other preparations.

I was there, carrying the shoulder bag and purse of my parents nearby the wedding stage. I was about to enroll in my tenth standard when this happened. I still remember the wedding hall and the known faces present for the marriage. My sis was forced to wear saree as per the old tradition, which no one had ever worn in these days, and being the old-fashioned custom prevailing, my parents were eager not to say a word against the groom family, though it meant crushing sis’s wishes. And then when leaving sis at her new home, I saw the tiny drop at the corner of her eye and I wondered why…

Now I am here on another Jan 4th in Chennai after celebrating new year at my sweet home.

I still cannot believe that I had been living independently for two years and that too far at a metro city like Chennai! There had been many sweet and sour experiences over these years. Every year have one or the other memories or milestones which I came across. I have met so many friends, and I am happy that I could understand myself better through them. As my Amma says, there are lot many things I have to know in this world, and I prefer to learn it the hard way. As some one said, experience is the best teacher. But with all these happenings in these two years I am not able to segregate the thoughts together. Life is moving very fast without giving time to plan my present or the future, not that I am expert in it, but still.

I would be there, in the hall this Sunday Jan 6th at Kollam. All the eyes would be on me, on what I have worn, as if checking out, just as I had done at all the similar functions I attended. But very few of them would be knowing whats going on in my mind, when I would be walking across. The rest would be small kids roaming around wondering, why such a crowd here, collecting the memories to write another similar post after ten years…

Strange how some events repeat year after year…!

PS: I am getting engaged to R.K on Jan 6th 2008 at Swayamvara Auditorium, South Collectorate, Kollam. All are invited…

Happy New Year 2008!