books/Reviews/Thoughts

Book Review – Tuesdays with Morrie!!!

Posted on by Archana K B / 2 Comments

I just finished “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Alboom. The book is all about conversations between a student and a Coach, who is about to succumb to ALS disease. You can find instant similarity with the student, Mitch, if you are questioning the meaning of life. They talk about death, money, love, marriage, aging, emotions, family and friends, forgiveness and their essence in our lives. The Coach, Morrie Shwartz, is a teacher in sociology, and his interpretations of human relations and needs is very much true. It also talks abstractly about souls and life after death, and speaks along the borders of life and death.

Every human being is in search of love, and craves for attention. People are different, and hence all need not accept it publicly, the universal truth. We keep expecting more, and end up immersed in material needs like money, things, places, houses, cars, etc. As Morrie says, there is a clear line of distinction in what we need and what we want. But only when we realize that its our last day, we get to the essentials. Relationships and love only survive till our end. His famous aphorism was “Love each other or perish“. True indeed, thats the only one which can give you internal satisfaction, rather than the immaterial ones, which have an expiry date. “Death kills life, not the relationships“.

This book has similarities in ideas referenced by other books like “The Present” or the “LOA”(law of attraction). There are good days and bad days, and there would be times, when we cannot live our life fully as we expected. But we just need to live through the emotion, to experience it fully, and then move on to experience other emotions of life. Its easy to move on, once you grasped the idea of forgiveness. But how many of us do that in our day-to-day life? Maybe thats where people become unique. Every one has their own way of living life and thinking ways.

I would rate the book an 8.5/10 for its excellent message and impact on me. The marks lost in the descriptions of ALS disease, which lefts the strong realization of life in us, that everything is impermanent. But nevertheless, this book has brightened my mood, and I am sure, it can affect you too.

Happy reading.

Relationship/Thoughts

The last leaf

Posted on by Archana K B / 1 Comment

Its raining heavily in Chennai. And that too in summer. Totally unexpected. But I guess, in life, the only thing that should be expected is the unexpected. Thats the only thing that sustains. Seasons do change. But how and when, is unpredictable. Does Man knows about these?? Do they care about the climate? Whether it rains or not? Whether its sunny or not??? They just complain. “Oh its so hot”. “What a stupid rain”. “What a gloomy day” blah blah… But after all, they are not at fault. When someone says, “its so hot”, its crazy to say “hey no, its sunny but its a beautiful day”. Strange!

Is it so hard to be different?? People say those are some hard core facts of life which we need to accept and move on. True indeed, there are some situations which is out of our control, but chasing our dreams is always in our hand. The dreams need to be flexible indeed as per the situations, and in some cases, its upto us, to find out the fulfillment of our dreams in what is happening around us.

The leaves have worn off now due to the climate change. And what is left are the dropped off leaves and their memories. Some people are busy cleaning up the dry leaves and clearing the mess. But then what will be left out? Isn’t life beautiful with the dry leaves filled on the ground, with some few leaves left on the rusted tree??? Isn’t the last leaf always beautiful???

Internet/Thoughts

A to Z Tag!!

Posted on by Archana K B / 3 Comments

Experiencing writer’s block. When people have nothing to write about, some gain knowledge, and some others enjoys doing time pass. I am doing the latter now, by taking along a tag!
Read about this here and here.

A -Available? Yup. But always as a friend. 😉
B-Best friend: One or Two.. All are busy these days.. 🙁
C-Cake or Pie? Cake. Had an apple pie once. I don’t want to lose its taste. 😛
D-Drink of choice: Coffee. Usual ones are tea, water n all. I dont mind squash juice too, and flavours should be the usual ones, like pineapple, mango etc.
E-Essential thing used everyday: Ehem… 😀 Pass
F-Favourite colour: Blue. Sometimes I do like green or pink or black, depending on the mood.
G-Gummi bears or worms: What are those????
H-Hometown: Trivandrum, Kerala
I-Indulgence: blogging, reading blog posts, or chatting with friends
J-January or February: Both. Memories cannot be confined for one month!
K-Kids and names: Not yet!!
L-Life is incomplete without: friends, love and trust!!
M-Marriage date: May 25, 2008( It will be!)
N-Number of siblings: 1, Elder sister, married.
O-Oranges or apples: Again both, but mostly i prefer sweet oranges!
P-Phobias: So many. Heights, Darkness, Deep water etc etc
Q-Quote: “Do onto others as you want them to do onto you” and “Everything will be OK at the end. If its not, its not the end”
R-Reason to smile: Amma. I am sure, she would be happy if I am smiling.
S-Season: Spring
T-Tag three people: Ashwin, Deep, and whoever wants to take the tag!
U-Unknown fact about me: Find for yourself!! 😛
V-Vegetable you do not like: So many again!! Bitter guard and brinjal to name two.
W-Worst habit: Gets fooled or dependant easily.
X-x-rays you have had: Dental! Don’t remember any other as of now.
Y-Your favorite food: Pizza, sandwiches, red-colored rice
Z-Zodiac: Libra

Relationship/Thoughts

Source of Happiness

Posted on by Archana K B / 2 Comments

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…!!

Personal/Verses

Sabse anmol…

Posted on by Archana K B / 0 Comment

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…

books/Reviews/Thoughts

Book review – The Alchemist

Posted on by Archana K B / 6 Comments

“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