In the Chrysalis of life.

“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls a butterfly.” Richard Bach.

A cocoon is an imaginary cover you make for yourself, to keep yourself safe.  A cocoon can be a place to cultivate the courage to accept, stop fighting hard, regenerate, replenish and embrace the metamorphosis of life.  Sometimes it is a phase of quiet contemplation of your life’s journey or introspection to have a breather to a beautiful spell of insight into life. They sometimes become a respite for a weary soul and a precious time to cherish the lovely memories.  The cocooning is a challenging one, going through the whole process of metamorphosis because it is the most breathtaking, majestic and awe-inspiring transformation of life. The cocooning is not a thing or place to fear or hide forever, but for bringing a positive transformation to your life. Everyone gets cocooned in life sometime or the other. The change that goes on in a cocoon is not always a pretty one, but the result of it is a very beautiful one.

Even a very positive person sometimes gets cocooned in the day to day challenges of life. It is quite natural to feel low and wanting to disappear from the face of the earth.  It is a temporary phase, because you are confused, sometimes hurt, or angry with yourself.  All those who have been through a trauma, a major life transition, may understand this. As a human being, you do it too, though not physically. It is a psychological metamorphosis that may happen several times in our lives.  You have a lot of transitions from baby to child, child to adolescent and adolescent to adult, and the obvious well-recognized stages of a life cycle of a man.  They may seem rather difficult.  Even after growing up, sometimes your identity is not a fixed one because you change when you get married, become a parent, switch jobs,  change places, get sick and many other responsibilities that never ends till you reach your grave. But it depends on how you take all this. Yes there are moments where you are at your wits end, not knowing what to do, which way to turn or which path to take.  It overpowers you only when you become a victim to that feeling or situation and; that can make you miserable and hopelessly helpless.  Your challenges and sufferings, do not have to cripple you, it can actually help us fly if you can look at it as a part of your growth in life. The most wonderful part of any stress or suffering is the moment you let the situation be as it is, leaving it to nature to take its own course and come out of it......that is the time when you feel that every minute of your worry and suffering was worth all the pain and anguish.

In all the stages of life, however it is, you  who needs to alter your definitions of self, which requires not only small adjustments in way of life and thoughts, but sometimes a full -fledged metamorphosis. Whether the caterpillar is emotionally stressed is a big question, but what needs to be pondered is that for humans it is stressful many a time.  The best way out is to understand the process of change, and keep going.  The metamorphosis also includes catalytic changes like falling in love, breaking up, getting or losing jobs, having children and emptying the nest. Each phase needs to be dealt with carefully, though it is  a very difficult and traumatic phase. It never helps to sulk or brood over it.  You need to cocoon by taking care of yourself and not  grieving or going into sympathy seeking and self pity, .  It is frustrating and the least you can do is to relax,control and trust the process with a will to get out of it.  You will cycle through all sorts of denial, anger, sorrow or acceptance that you have to experience and come out of it just as a caterpillar painfully comes out as a beautiful butterfly.

It is really a great thing to contemplate on the concept of cocooning through the major transitions of life. It does help us to grow with a deeper insight to life.  Most of us spend our life mindlessly crawling like caterpillars. Then lot of things interrupts our crawl, making us suddenly look beyond our horizons and long to become a butterfly. What we often forget is the painful transition from a caterpillar to a butterfly. In fact we avoid that to a ‘feel good’ attitude. But the fact of the matter is that cocooning is the secret of healing in a positive way.  It teaches us a lot, if you look at the depth of that transition. Looking at it in a positive way, the caterpillar spends most of its time wandering aimlessly. When the time comes to its becoming an adult, it wanders away to a sheltered, safe place and pupates or transforms into an adult. During this metamorphosis, its body is broken down and goes through a lot of physical changes; the cocooning then turns into a safe place for all its painful changes which makes it a beautiful butterfly.  The transition that takes place gives us a deeper insight that we may not always be in a comfort zone and that we can really tackle all challenges without fear and in a positive way.

Each one of us has a choice, everyday; to go right or left, straight or ahead, backwards, crawl or soar towards the sky, leading us to different destinations.  You can be successful or defeated in life. You can strengthen your wings; gather courage and your inner strength to continue the journey of life that we are on.  It is your attitude towards life that governs you. It is a life of accepting changes in a gentle way, with patience.  If you don’t even try to overcome the turbulence that rocks your life, then you will be sucked deeply to be a victim of your circumstances and perhaps never find an escape from it. Sometimes the struggles are an important part of life, because if you were to go through life without any obstacles, you would not be strong nor been able to fly high with strength and enthusiasm.  Just when the caterpillar thought that world was over, it became a butterfly.  So when you get weighed down in life with all the stress, suffering, challenges or obstacles, think of it as  a cocoon stage to emerge out of it painfully with a positive attitude and more strength that makes you beautiful, unique and different from others.

We all have times when life feels hard, when we are frustrated and tired and just want to hide away. If that’s you right now, don’t worry- every caterpillar has to rest to become a butterfly and you'll soon find your wings again.  Anna Taylor.

Be content in one’s own shell.

“Try to be like a turtle, at ease in your own shell.” Bill Copeland.

I have sometimes wondered, what it meant by shell....Our home....Our mind....Or our self on the whole. What happens to us, when the shell is our mind?  What is it that makes us uneasy?  Would we be comfortable? We have to be at ease in our own shell. I am pondering over how we would do that? So I turned to the quote, what if we were a turtle, and then what?

The turtle is the animal most at ease in its own shell. Most of us are sensitive of our own strength and drawbacks, whether it is real or imagined. “Be at ease”, “take it easy,” are some of the phrases we come across on a day to day basis. Life sometimes keeps throwing curve balls at us and we have to keep picking up ourselves, to keep going through the journey of life. We learn to become at ease in our own shell. We are in a constant battle with ourselves, which means we have to believe in ourselves or we lose peace in life. If we take a few moments to look within, and discover the wonders of ourselves, we learn to be at ease in our own shell. It can be challenging because we are being ourselves and being at ease with the thought of being what we are, who we are and being content with it.

All of us sometimes go into our own shell once in a while to introspect or contemplate on what we are. Why we do it, is certainly a very difficult question to answer.  But, then there are moments we want to be in our own shell, to be in solitude with oneself.  It is a kind of feeling that is difficult to comprehend. It is a kind of desire to detach oneself from everything around you and form a kind of detached attachment to bear the cross on our own. 

The moment we open up, a whole new world opens up. It is a good to be out from a quiet withdrawn state, out into the open with determination to be what you are and stand up for what you believe in.  To be like a turtle, at ease in our own shell, means imbibing the values of a turtle’s life.  To be patient, challenging, unique, different and shining in our own way. Be indomitable and one who inspires, treading carefully carrying a baggage of life.  Realize that each shell is unique.

The fact remains that all are not the same. It is a unique and amazing quality to be content and comfortable to be what you are. The most important fact is, find the inner talents and make use of them.  Imbibe a positive attitude, realizing that we all have our own invisible shells, just like the turtle that has a real one. We have our own comfort zone within the carapace. Be content with it and respect it. It is a space that defines what we love and what we are unique at. Believe in yourself and remain what you are. Improve on the characteristics already there and attain new talents and put them in. This shell defines you and you have to be proud of it, carrying it with confidence wherever you are or wherever you go. It is a shell, your own shell, something from where you emerge.....with an innate, indwelling peace, stillness, positivity and a state of being alive. It is the unconditioned person, who you are in your essence, content to be what you are and the talents you have. It is a self acceptance and self love, knowing who you are and being comfortable with it.

Life makes such an impact that you learn to be content with what you are and what you are doing. It is the mindset that you have learned to appreciate yourself. The mindset of waiting to be content, is a never ending cycle.  Focus on the little things that bring joy and be happy with yourself, in your own shell.

"When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, you are always at ease in your own shell."

The Paradox of vulnerability in being Positive.

I believe in the curious philosophy of questioning and reasoning whatever comes my way; then understanding the big “Why questions” and the process of reasoning to conclusions.  I believe that there are no “Unanswerable Questions.”  And that is the reason, why I question myself when others define me. I am surrounded by the questions, why, how, when, what and where to come to a conclusion of introspecting myself.

The thought that I am becoming too sensitive haunted me day and night, making me think and reason with myself.  Is it vulnerability? Does being positive in all situations ban you from being vulnerable sometimes?  Vulnerability is a part I show to very few close people in life.  It may be a doorway to affection that gives true strength.  We always erect self protective armour, which very few people can invade. Awareness of it is a huge step towards courage and strength.  When a person unconsciously hurts while being defensive, we are faced with a sense of getting vulnerable; that we feel is a threat to our feelings.

I have been thinking a lot about being positive and vulnerability. The idea of the word itself, the hard V and the falling of it, just before it picks itself back in hopefulness is part of being described as relentless. Is it a dedication to being joy, peace of being mindful, and compassion to the ones we hold close?  Is it a commitment of providing a warm, supportive environment, fostering mindfulness and compassion in the relationship with yourself and your loved ones? Isn't it humane to be vulnerable? And does it mean that being positive, you are out of all fears, pains and feelings? Could be it is a connection to feel at ease.... or is it that I chose to be vulnerable in spite of the positivity?

I wonder what it would be to just miss so many moments of our life because we think it doesn't matter at all. The truth is that I don’t let such feelings linger in me to weigh me down. I voice my feelings to very few people whom I think; I can show that part of me that is soft and vulnerable. Yes being vulnerable involves a lot of risk. But being positive in all circumstances, helps to squash everything and smile at it; life being a continuous process in learning.

A crab teaches a great lesson in vulnerability.  It has an outer skeleton, known as  exoskeleton   which is hard and inflexible protects it from an outside attack. But as the crab grows, its outer shell doesn't grow with it. This same structure, because of its inflexibility, ironically becomes a ceiling for growth and development of the organism. The crab intuitively knows that, in order to grow, it must back out of its shell.  This is what the crab, in fact, does. But, what if you were to outgrow your armour?  What could you do or be if you refused to suffocate in your protective shell? It is a thought worth pondering over.

When you decide to live your life authentically and honestly by discarding your exoskeleton, you are indeed more open to hurts.  Those entire why’s, what-ifs swirling around in your head just has to be left as it is, when you want to progress in your new set of challenges and believe in yourself. And at the same time, become all you are meant to be by staying what you are and who you are. The question that put me to think made me analyse my own actions and outgrow all that was haunting  in my mind. Transitions are a time of great vulnerability because we do not know what is going to happen and how things might turn out for us; however, we can learn from it. There is no growth without vulnerability; being vulnerable is a temporary state that if worked through, can actually make you stronger and  tackle even some difficult challenges with unbelievable courage, strength and confidence. 

The tumors of Life.

Time and again we are told, we are what our mind decides to be, we are what we eat, etc. But what is our fate or destiny......kind or cruel?

I do believe we reap what we sow....but is that what decides our fate....Life is full of uncertainties and unpredictable… it always takes us unawares and when we least expect it. Take everything in your stride....sounds easy isn't it? Of course all of us know the power of a positive thought. But for many thought don't serve us at the right time. Yet we go on thinking, making ourselves confused. When we think negatively and dwell in it, we allow that to take hold of our life to become victims of it. 

Correcting our minds means stopping them from trying to control our lives,   because they never will. They’ll only control the misery we manufacture for ourselves out of the pain we’ll inevitably experience. Much of our misery comes from thinking negative, when we can think of possible ways of fighting out of life's battle that comes unawares, throwing us out of balance.

The word tumor creates ripples of fear surrounding it.......irrespective of it being benign or malignant. Actually FEAR is the tumor of life. If the fear factor is replaced by the positive will to fight half your battle is fought. It is easier said than done, but that is the best path one can follow and endure the pain. The fear and anxiety can be crippling, if a positive will to face the demon with strength and courage is not the encouraging factor that is sought. Stop thinking " why me",  even knowing that life is not always fair. There is no way to skip what has to be endured. Think of ways to cope with it, manage it and deal with it with courage, to fight it out.

When we fight against emotional pain caused by the tumor, we get trapped in it. Difficult emotions are destructive and breakdown the mind, body and spirit. Feelings sometimes get stuck frozen in time and also get stuck in them to be their victims. It needs a strong will to come out of it. The trauma of life can break a person, if negative thoughts seep in. Be positive against all odds and take it in your stride.

In life there are different types of tumors. And it is alarmingly connected to cancer. Cancer can be treated and healed with a positive approach to life. But in life there are some stubborn tumors like ego, one that is most fatal and cancerous, the only one that cannot be treated or healed in any way, without compromises and sacrifices. Or an understanding and compassion for each other....and most importantly an empathy for the other.

A Teacher’s Influence.

A teacher’s influence extends into eternity. While Emerson declared that men are what their mothers make them, Aristotle placed teachers on a higher plane when he said: “They who educate children are to be honoured more than those who bear them, for these only give life, those the art of living well.”

A teacher is considered to be a second mother to the children whom they teach, and a school a second home to them. If only a teacher could realize that a year of negative influence by a teacher in a child’s life, is a year lost many problems could be averted. A teacher’s duty is to bring the light of knowledge into the darkness of the mind, have patience to deal with the exuberance and waywardness of a child, so that each child thought of their teachers with respect, gratitude and love.

Children don’t learn to walk, just because they want to be able to get somewhere efficiently. So too with reading and learning, they want to read and learn so that they can make sense of the world around them. It is here a teacher can capitalize on the intrinsic motivation and inspire children. How can schools and teachers change to keep up with the current educational landscape, a world in which young children can learn how to ask the right questions, not merely parrot back the 'right' answers? This is an urgent and insightful area which needs to be thought about.

A teacher’s influence reaches far beyond the classroom. A teacher, first and foremost,  should see each student as an individual with hopes, dreams, strengths, and vulnerabilities. A  teacher  should work to create a classroom atmosphere in which every student sees every other student in this light – an area where respect for each other is the guiding light, an atmosphere in which every student should feel safe enough to share their thoughts and feelings,  a place in which making a mistake is seen as an opportunity to learn rather than an opportunity to feel like a failure. A place where the teacher knows about the academic strengths and needs, but more about their interests, fears, hopes and worries. Each child should be helped in learning about themselves and also help each other.

A considerate teacher should see through the child’s eye as well, working hard enough to be fair, empathetic and encouraging, not ridiculing and punishing if a child is problematic. The teacher should be strong, firm, and determined and show students that learning and doing one’s best are the objectives to excel and that grades are just means to reach a higher path. It should be exciting to help each child areas of interest to explore and master. A teacher plays the key role in shaping the future of a child.

As in life, so it is in school – it’s “the little things” that matter the most.  Teachers should  take time to celebrate all the small accomplishments in life, as well as focusing on the child being taught in the best way possible.  They should never feel that a child is a burden and influence a child too to think so. Hopefully the role should be a positive one that possess the qualities of a charismatic and inspiring  person who not only touches  the child’s mind, but also their spirits in  such a way  that the child sees and feels assured  for the rest of their lives. Such influence is a truly rare privilege that can be prized and nurtured. Hope and wish each school and teacher works with a motive of influencing each child in the best positive way with commitment and not as a means of money making. A teacher can make or break a child’s confidence in life.

How much influence does a teacher have on a child’s achievements? The answer may surprise many because it can influence a child in varying degrees. The fact is that the classroom teacher has a high degree of influence on the child’s life and learning. The power of a teacher to inspire, motivate and support a child is immense. Though it is not an easy work, it is the most rewarding one and also difficult. But if a teacher decides to do it, it can be a fruitful one with a little extra effort.

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”Henry Adams.

In quiet contemplation by the beach.

Though it is the misty mountains, I love and prefer to be;  the sea always soothes my rebelling mind.

There would have been times in life, where you felt that you need to freeze a moment so that it could stay forever; just before it flew away on an outstretched wings to nowhere. A moment in which you felt your heart full of rich colors of blue, white, pink and a tinge of many other colors- perhaps the color of miracles. A moment of tranquility to a rebelling mind left with a lot of unanswered questions.

With the sun just disappearing behind me, I stood facing the sea in quiet contemplation. The sound, the smell and the caress of the waves evaporated all the tossed up question marks in my mind, lifting my doubt, lightening my heart and emptying my soul of all that was weighing me down. Before me on the wet sand were the forgotten footprints and; the froth and foam of the waves that caressed them. I stood there watching the waves come and go in pure abandonment, wishing that the mind too could reason out with the heart and make things more easy, instead of muddling it up with more obstacles. I could feel the waves tickling my feet, the sand moving away from where I stood and I dug my toes into the sand. I could hear the echoes of happy laughter, and the lost cries of some sulking seagulls. The waves sparkled and tickled by playfully, splashing over me. They seemed happy, calm and gentle; leaving behind their endless potential that could destruct.

My mind that was in a turmoil, seeking answers for a challenge I had taken up, suddenly calmed down at the sight of the calm sea and the playful waves. It was a sudden insight to my endless unanswered questions. All that happens are like the endless potential of the waves. The vast sea was a miracle preserved with intricate beauty, but one that could destruct everything in a state of fury. The sea is full of so many wonders, breathtaking beauty and also hidden secrets kept safe in its depth.  So is the human mind. It is also one that can destroy everything in a state of fury. A calm mind can suddenly swoop down like a tsunami destroying all peace around it and leave all devastated at the change in a flicker, which at that time has no place for any how, what, when, who, why nor any other reasoning left in it.

I  was observing the people stroll along the beach, enjoying the cool breeze, some sitting in a pensive mood, and the children who were happiest dipping their little feet in the cool sea water, letting out squeals of delight as the waves teased them. The sea held me spellbound as I watched the changing colors of the sky and there was a magical touch, created by the dancing waves that shimmered in the twilight. My mind was at peace, surrounded by the miraculous beauty of mother nature and I was filled with a sense of tranquility as I embraced the close of the day, by the beach in quiet contemplation.

" Mind is an ethereal sea, which ebbs and flows, which surges and washes hither and thither, carrying its whole virtue into every creek and inlet which it bathes. To this sea every human house has a water front." Emerson.

THE LITTLE THOUGHTS THAT, RUSTLE THROUGH THE MIND, BRINGING WHISPERS OF JOY.

“We have to bloom where we are planted, enjoy the sunlight while we can, and thank the heavens for the rain that not only beats us down, but feeds us and makes us stronger.” 

Ben Behunin

We often say that it is the thoughts that count.  I always feel compelled on that endless highway of life, to think of all that has happened in my life. Days can become endless, and where we can think of all the blessings of life, we end up counting the troubles. I have often realized that my life is abundant in smaller blessings. We often fail to look at these little gems bestowed on us each day of our life. . I can see many of them throughout the day. Sometimes the thought of someone dear to you can bring in sheer glimmer of tiny ripples like the waves that cascade towards the shore. That brings a smile on my face and I realize that God’s ways are mysterious. It makes me wonder why I look for bigger blessing, when I am blessed with multitudes of little blessings that come my way.

I learnt to take notice of the things throughout the day that made me happy. I learnt to relish in them, they build more positive energy, with the wonderful things that come my way. This includes the beautiful moments that I spent with my sons. It has the joy of acceptance.  It gives a new era of hope that I am loved more than I could ever hope for in my life. I learnt to really concentrate on the little things that in the past I would have just taken for granted. It’s the little things that bring me immense joy. And my prayer is that I continue to realize “the little blessings” and I am able to share it with those close to me.

Life does bring changes.  It’s  a joy to look at the obvious things in life that has come unforeseen and the joy of these little things we experience, but don’t really realize how it came into my life.  It would have been very easy to attribute that up to chance, but I truly believe that it was God’s provision in my life.  Though I have been blessed with a lot of the little things that rustles through my life unknown and unforeseen, it really helps with my outlook, and builds my faith knowing that I am cared for enough in life,  to take care of the little things in my day-to-day life.

Well, every small thing brings me joy.  Be it a picture of a flower, a favourite song, an unexpected text message, or a call.... it just makes me feel so happy when I know that my loved ones do care for me. Counting these little blessings makes my life feel richer! The presence of these amazing ones in my life is a realization of the little blessing in my life.

Abundance, happiness, peace, miracles, joyous life and amazing healing of oneself comes from within, not from ego limitations and its paralyzing fear. I don’t know what is in store for me except that I am living a miraculous life irrespective of what I am going through, but I believe in the blessings that come my way. A blessing is how we choose to see something. It is a motherly instinct that a child is a unique bundle of joy. A son is always an over grown boy.

It may be a close friend, who understands you, your journey of life and helps you in all walks of life, knowing the boundaries that one needs to keep. It is these little thoughts that bring you joy to tide over the daily challenges of life. It could be a soothing thought that irrespective of where life takes you, whatever you go through, you are always there to tell your loved ones” When memories are deep and eyes are dew...when there is a storm in the heart, yet words are few, and you feel you will be broken to pieces, just remember one thing, that I was, I am and I will always be there for you.” Be a fortress of strength, for my loved ones. 

I am truly blessed to have those loved ones, who are in my life in a positive way. Life is beautiful and I know the importance of them in my life. I cherish every second of it. Their happiness inspires and doubles my happiness. Life is made up of special moments that make it worth living. There are many such cherished moments, which are missed due to stress and fast pace of daily living. Slow down and remember how precious it is to be alive.

Blessed is he who has learned to admire but not envy, to follow but not imitate, to praise but not flatter, and to lead but not  manipulate. William Arthur Ward.

My life with challenges.

We are not given a good life or a bad life. We are given life. And it's up to you to make it good or bad.”  “My reaction to their opinions helped me see that I was maturing, and beginning truly to accept and like who I was. Others could no longer break the confidence I had in myself. I could love myself when somebody loved me, and I could love myself when others were angry or even hated me. I was no longer reacting with anger or frustration, but only sadness at other’s ignorance and their inability to understand and accept that we all are different. In other words, I was beginning to see the advantages of my struggles in life.”  “My mother always told me that my condition didn't affect my smiley muscles, don’t let them affect yours.”Ward Foley, “THANK MY LUCKY SCARS.”

I read these small excerpts in Positive blog. That made me, a rebel think and reason out with myself. How true it was. My life had always been one with lot of obstacles and challenges. And yes, my scars, both psychological and physical, did make me think that nothing can affect me without me allowing it to victimize me. All these taught me a great lesson in life, to only count on my little blessings that God sent my way.

 I know that it’s up to me to be positive regardless of what’s happening around me. I don’t point fingers and place blame on anyone for what is happening in my life. . I realize that everything happens how it happens; it’s up to me to choose how I want to feel about it and that I am in control of my attitude, and no one can take that away from me. Whatever happens is for a reason to become what I should be in future. To live a positive, joyful life, should not get affected by negative things that increases my stress level and that which can affect my health.

I learnt that the best thing to focus is on the positive things I was doing—such as working on my blog and cultivating a new positive role of encouraging those who were going through a trauma and let go of the negative ones. Though it was not easy and, to be honest, is still ongoing, but I learnt that: It’s hard to bring out the change in those that we are working on. I also realized that I could do a lot in helping children out of their confused state of mind. And a teacher’s experience was enough to do that. Spending time with little kids was the most rewarding experience of my life. And with this conclusion I am at peace with my life, thinking I could use my teachers experience and the trauma I myself went through as a cancer patient was enough to help the little ones and also the those going through the trauma of any illness.

I have often heard the words “be yourself.” I just love these words, and I do really believe that everyone should strive to be the truest version of who they are. I have learnt the hard way that there is nothing more attractive than a person who is just so utterly themselves. Being strong willed I know what I want, What I am, and also realize that nobody else can determine my definitions of myself.. I stand up for what I believe, even when others call me over positive and a perfectionist, because no one has seen my life for what it has been or what it is. . And most importantly, I stand up for others where it matters.

This includes being wrong sometimes and even admitting it. Even opening my mind to the possibility of all possibilities; seeing the positive in the negative, understanding the behavior of those who may seem  to morally attack me and learning from the other side of a passionate debate or knowing when to reject it. I am strong enough to know that I should not a victim of life’s circumstances. After having faced so many obstacles and challenges in life, I have learnt to be a warrior and not a victim. When I shift my mind to the state of being positive against all odds in my life, I realize that other people do not control me, it is I who control myself and that nobody is in charge of my now or how I feel.  A warrior is one who makes her life what it is and I would like to create it myself. I have been a born fighter and that is what I would like to remain at all costs. It is always in adverse situations that I have great potential in myself to come out of all that tries to threaten my very foundation of being positive and stand up staring at all challenges on the face. I have always smiled at the face of adversity. Every time, something tries to rob me of my positivity, I make a comeback with renewed strength to face all the battles of life with a smile. Come what may, I know that those who doubt me never knew me and those that know me will never doubt me.

It is not that I never feel down or depressed. I have feelings like any other human being. I too feel hurt. There are times when I have felt small and the world crashing around me. It is like a crashing wave of emotions that come at you like a tsunami. While it’s happening, I feel completely blindsided by it. But I try shifting my mind set into one that is proactive and ready to take charge of my life by the irreplaceable spark of positivity.  I try to channelize my thoughts to come out of the negativity that seeps in, with a determination of not giving in to any negative thoughts that could harm my thoughts and victimize me. It is very difficult at times to fight out the low feeling that seeps in, when your mind and body is at loggerheads with each other. I energize myself with music, reading or writing, to channelize my thoughts in a positive way.

It’s one of life’s great ironies that it feels so natural to feel low and keep us stuck. It requires sheer grit and perseverance to stay positive against all odds of life. The challenges and obstacles I have faced, made me strong and a fighter of life. The scars of my mind and body, doesn't deter me from being positive. In fact it gives me the strength and determination to let go of what I cannot change and face all those daily challenges of life with a renewed grit.

“Sometimes you need to take a few moments to wipe away the world's grime from your eyes and refill your soul with joy. Your attitude in the morning reflects your personality. You can either wake up grumpily, with a smile.  You can either choose to whine, or hum a tune. Wake up to a good start, and you will see that every day presents a host of joys and miracles. Consider yourself lucky to be awake and alive; to live, breathe, and enjoy the gift of life. Even if you had a long and weary yesterday, always greet today with a smile. Spread the enthusiasm and cheer with a lot of positive vibes because it is contagious.”

"Your perception of me is a reflection of you; my reaction to you is an awareness of me."

“There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.” 
― Aldous Huxley

A perception, most importantly our perception of something is an observation, interpretation, or a mental image that we hold in connection to some event, condition, or circumstance. To be precise, it is how we see things in the world around us that moulds, shapes and determines our individual perception. But the reflection of it is our awareness to it. In other words, often our "perceptions" are formed based on what we can see, hear, taste, touch and smell. If what we see unfolding all around us conflicts with what we desire individually, we are often judged as someone who poses as one  without any blemishes. All of us have the right, the ability and the free will to view and recognize what is true or untrue in reality. But the reality is in fact each individual's making.

The Power Of Perception, shows us in the simplest and understanding way possible, how vitally important it is to see all that we encounter and experience in our life, regardless of how it appears at the time, ultimately unfolds precisely as we "perceive” and serves as a means of growth which is designed to enable us to fully experience life based on the most precious gift that you could have ever been given...our absolute right of free will to think,, believe and perceive as we choose.

. When we get to understand this, it will allow us to better release emotions and built up anger, hurt, resentment, hurt feelings, or anything that we may be suppressing inside. That is why so much anger and resentment is released individually and collectively. How we perceive a situation, regardless of what that situation may be, or which area of life it is, does have a direct impact on the future actions and attitude that we experience due to that perception, or to be more specific the emotions that we experience. 

May be it’s something we have been struggling for a long time, or may be a piece of advice, whatever the insight; it is those moments that bring us to a deeper understanding of where we stand. The better understanding we have of life, the more we live in that truth, that life is the largest stage. Everyone has their own truth, though what is true for one may not be true for the other. Giving up is really about honouring feelings..It is interesting to see how the perception and reflection of oneself changes according to each situation.

From the time we are born, we receive both positive and negative messages from our surroundings. The perceptions of life, whether true or false, make us the person we believe we are. Our identity and quality of life are based largely on those perceptions. They give us our identity…. They make us who we think we are! We then act like the person our perceptions have created.

Our mind is the ultimate frontier…our potential is probably yet unrealized. Improving our thoughts involves redefining ourselves by redefining that wonderful computer between our ears. Redefining allows us to move forward towards the growth we need to best accomplish our personal and professional life.  It is about taking responsibility for our life. Enthusiasm and being positive is contagious. Come what may; let others call you a perfectionist. It may be a perception.  Others don’t know what battle of life you are fighting, so let the words flow, so that it satisfies them and their perception of life to reflect it on others.

How we perceive ourselves and the life we lead is what will determine how our future will indeed unfold.

We are full of emotions and behaviours but don’t we all have a  choice to make our lives what we want; our perceptions and reactions can be controlled if we understand that there are hundreds of inputs everyday that make us to respond. How we respond is not dictated to us as if we are designed to respond a certain way; we are not robots. Choose your reactions based on who you are not on some extraneous event or someone else's needs. It is your life. It is easy to give in, quit, or become stuck in the past. But, remember this, it takes just as much energy to move forward as it does to engage in self-destructive moaning, blaming, and being miserable. 

Remember the wisdom of Horace, who once said, "Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant.” "

Perseverance allows you to get back on track when you hit a detour."

"We can't stop what happens to us, we can only survive it."

Before one can define oneself, one needs to introspect oneself, about the attitude, actions and behaviors. No one is perfect nor spotless. Patience to wait, the drive to keep going, compassion and understanding that; all these come from the experiences one has gone through. Getting the courage to keep oneself up when there are retaliations of all sorts, when life has already been giving enough challenges in life, needs a lot of perseverance and grit. The sarcasm that surrounds, when one is trying to keep stress at bay to fight life's battle daily, cannot be understood by those that are determined to retaliate and throw sarcasm. 

The attitude is entirely one's own making. The actions  and decisions taken show the attitude. Either one is patient or not; a responsible person or not, the only way to change the attitude is by accepting that one cannot stop anyone's attitude, retaliations, or sarcasm or what ever that is happening, one can only survive it and go on in life. 

Being positive and upbeat can influence everyone around, so also negativity. Understanding is a great way to start a journey, through retaliations and sarcasm. Once retaliations commences, it is rarely limited to one or two individuals, it is likely to include close friends and family members, who is shunned, accused of being perfect and positive. The sheer grit and perseverance, through all the pains and challenges that one goes through, brings about the positive attitude, but the saddest fact is it is taken by many as being over positive and perfect.

When one is facing a massive challenge, the best solution is to embrace the situation. When one recognizes that  it is a trying time, and accept that it cannot be changed, then one is no longer prisoner to that situation. Be courageous enough to deal the best way one can with the challenge ahead, without letting stress take charge of the invading crab inside. Feel thankful for the lessons  life taught. One doesn't need to face a life threatening situation to remind oneself to live more mindfully. Once that is understood and figured out, what really matters, is the steps one takes to fight out of life's battle. 

There is tremendous power in facing adversity. Harness the power, and one can survive and thrive through all challenging times, be it a life saving one too. One can succumb to negativity or fight life's battle and ride out of the storm with a smile. Much of who one is, depends on how one reacts to challenging situations of life. Life throws challenges and obstacles, when it is least expected and then life becomes an emotional roller coaster ride.

At the end of the day, it is the state of mind and the key to stay positive and the belief that one can do what needs to be done, which is important to fight the battle of life. Everyone needs different things to help stay positive, know oneself, believe and never accept defeat that is a state of mind. Remember the best times, let go of all that hurts and just move on to face the challenging battle of life, with a smile. 

Life can be a true challenge at times, facing the hard realities of life and fighting a battle that is traumatic, but the way to see your way through these challenges is to stay positive in spite of all the odds, get motivated by your own journey of life, and believe in yourself and your abilities. 

"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, Your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well developed, not deficient in any way." James 1:2-4 (The Message).

"You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.' Maya Angelou.