When I am gone.

When I am gone,  find me in

The sunsets and twilights,
The billowing and colorful clouds,
The waxing and waning of moon,
The chirping of  birds.

The mist over mountains,
The music of flowing river,
The undulation of the waves,
The cascading waterfall over rocks.

The rustle of the leaves,
The fragrance of flowers,
The fallen leaf and flower,
The cool breeze that comes to caress you.


Dewdrops reflecting the world around,
Pitter-patter of raindrops,
The beauty of weeds,
And the wonders of nature.


The solitude of life,
The soothing lullaby,
The melody of a lonely soul,
The shade of an ever giving tree.

My love for sunsets as a landscape and whisper of my heart and soul.

" The first stab of love, is like a sunset, a blaze of colours - oranges, pearly pinks, vibrant purples..."
Anna Godbersen.

Sunsets are always resplendent that  you fall in love with the sunset , over and over again.   They sometimes are landscapes of a heart or the whispers of a lonely heart. Sunsets are always spectacular backdrops with an array of colours and afire in a warm glow.  It is so magnificently moving to an aching  heart, mind and soul. It encompasses your body to feel the rhythm of everything around you.  At times they are so beautiful and mesmerising, it takes your breath away making your heart race at a speed that leaves you in awe, turning the sky into a lovely display of colors.

The sun caught up in a huge dark grey heart, emanating yellow rays, in a silhoutte of white fluffy clouds with a pinkish hue captivated me. The sun a fiery red ball, looked as if it was perched on the tree top. Birds flying in gay abandon across a sky that was beautiful with shades of pink, white, yellow and a slight tinge of purple. The sun was caught up inside the clouds and  swallowed by them for a few seconds. The hues with the comforting stillness,  an image that was shining with beauty on everything and  a calmness truly amazing. The sky lit up into a pinkish-purple palette with grey rays shading the sky into a pink and peach; a twilight curtain spreading a feeling of warmth through my veins casting a spell  in my heart and soul.

The canvas of the sky is painted differently with vibrant colours, each day, making it magical.  It spreads a light within me through its breathtakingly beautiful, most gorgeous sunset leaving me with a feeling of love and tenderness that I had never known before, healing all my aches and pains. I realized there is a sunset within each one of us.

I love sunsets, because no matter whatever happens, it inspires me with a hope and glory of life. It never fails to heal me. Sunsets for me are a metaphor of joy, gazing at the Creator's masterpieces every evening. When I watch every sunset from start till it disappears below the horizon, I experience a love, a beauty and joy that makes me enjoy the solitude around me watching the sky, sun, birds and the gentle breeze caressing me. The beauty of each sunset brightens up my life and fills me with wonder.

Life waits for me,
Just beyond the sunset,
Where I find a treasure,
Of eternal love.

In the expanse of the sky,
A paradise of colours,
Where you'll find me,
If you care to see.

If you listen to the magic in sunsets,
Its silent sighs,
With beautiful rays,
Spreading a light of hope.

I long for the moments,
When the twilight curtain,
Drops down with a palette of
Artistic tapestry across the sky.

My sunsets take me along,
With deep passion,
To the end of my day,
For a beautiful tomorrow.

It gives me strength,
To endure the beautiful pains,
And bring back the lost me,
With a promise of a wholesome life.

A grandmother's bundles of joy.

"Becoming a grandmother is wonderful. One moment you are just a mother. The next you are all-wise and prehistoric." Pam Brown.

The most magical bond and love of all is between grandparents and grandchildren, a rare rapport like no other bond, an unconditional love and a joy forever. It is sheer bliss to behold your brats beholding their little ones. To hold your  child is really amazing, but to hold your child's child is a different feeling altogether. Being a parent like a marriage, has lot of commitments,  pain , joy and a lot of hard work.   But being a grandparent is simple like being in love. Every little word, smile, hug and actions of grandchildren are something that washes away all pains from your life. Being a grandmother is an honour that time bestows, when you are lucky and one you don't have to work for.

Being a grandparent is a rejuvenating glow when you are growing old. You re-ignite, live  and feel the joys of childhood through your grandchildren. Those are golden moments to treasure, every milestones of  that life as you grow older with your grandchildren. Everything you do for them and with them is really special by definition. The thrill of being a grandma, the love and joy felt holding a wrapped up bundle of whom we call babies, melt your heart at the  first sight of them. Life as you really know it, becomes more unique and special, as we learn through our grandchildren's eyes.

There is nothing like spending the day with a baby to make you remember why it is so thrilling to be alive. Where the treasures are, there our hearts will be. Life is a gift and life with grandchildren are precious moments to capture and cherish. Life is loving every moment of being a mom and then a grandma. A grandma's heart is fullest known only by her grandchildren. Always celebrate the uniqueness and beauty of being a grandmother, that is always filled with hope.


"It is as grandmothers that our mothers come into the fullness of their grace. When a man's mother holds his child in her gladden arms he is aware of the roundness of life's cycle; of the mystic harmony of life's ways." Christopher Morley.

The expanse of the sky, an open canvas of beauty.

" If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if the simplest things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive." Eleanora Duse.

The sky is an open canvas of beauty  just like life. In the expanse of the sky, life moves like the beating of the heart inviting you in all its reflections and silent conversations.  There is nothing more inspiring  and delightful than simply staring at the sky  and watching the clouds drift by, making different shapes and forms.  You sometimes stop and stare in awe seeing the spectacular sunset or the blue sky that is overcast on one side, one part covered with  white fluffy clouds that look like cotton puff balls , and the blue sky covered with pink clouds on another side. Even the side covered with dark grey clouds, instill a kind of hope, with the layers of different hues of grey spread out and the sun's rays trying to penetrate through a small opening amidst the dark clouds. Gazing at the differently coloured expanse of the sky, you feel that there is some kind of symphony going on behind the clouds, marvelling at the palette of colours in the same sky.

The eyes and brains of all have different perceptions of the colours in the sky and the vision depends a lot on the outlook of life. A clear sky is calming, an overcast sky to many may be gloomy but it is a sign of rains and rainbows;  the expanse of the sky is freedom and space in life.  Just like the sky, life's forecast also is clear blue skies, overcast with clouds, rainbows, gentle breeze or storms.  However dark the sky may be, the sun eventually shines. Sometimes huge billowing clouds of pain can darken your landscape of life, but the next moment a rainbow appears to soothe the pain. The  sky can offer different  spectacular views depending on the time of the day. Even when the sky is dark, covered with clouds, you can see the sky clear and beautiful at another point.

 Moods of the different seasons are accepted by the sky in a very unassuming way. It doesn't lose its nature then. Life like the sky is boundless and unpredictable, but the opportunities of life too are vast like the expanse of the sky. If you care to watch the sky closely, you see the magnificence of most beautiful colours and nature's rare phenomenons when the  sun hides behind dark clouds. Watching the changing colours in the   limitless sky, illuminates and inspires your heart, soul and mind. When you look at the vastness of the sky, it is different all over like the different phases of life. You feel the significance of life looking at the sky, stars, moon and all the wonders of the sky.

Outlive all the storms, as life is a lot like the sky. True existence is like the expanse of the sky. It is said the night sky is a world lit by itself. When you contemplate on the scenario, gazing at  the sky during dusk or dawn, you can sense the difference between the two, and in reality life's perceptions too are a lot different, like the ups and downs. The descending sun gives a sense of hope, that a new day is at hand. The morning sky at dawn and evening sky at dusk, are one of the most spectacular and beautiful sights to behold. Just like some of those precious and beautiful moments of life are the sky at dawn and dusk, one that draws a breath or draws a sigh of appreciation. The dawn shines with a promise of a beautiful day and the dusk promises renewed hopes of   waiting for a new day.

"Life is the fire that burns and the sun that gives light. Life is the wind and the rain and the thunder in the sky. Life is matter and is earth, what is and what is not, and what is beyond is in eternity."
Lucius Annaeus Seneca.


  

A contemplation down the memory lane of a Teacher.

"A teacher's influence affects eternity, he can never tell where his influence stops." A quote by Henry Adams is a fact, sometimes a bitter truth. A teacher influences the students to a great extent, when  they go out to the world, they in turn influence all around them. In fact it has a ripple effect of a pebble thrown into a stream, the ripples ever expanding in circles that just goes on and on.

I would say a teacher is like a candle, that consumes itself to light the way of  others. Someone who inspires a child to do the best while correcting them with compassion;  trying to make learning creative and interesting. The teacher has immense influence on the children, who finds the best approach of teaching to make the class amusing and ignite their minds. In the primary classes, the teacher has to be one amongst the children to create an awe and interest in them to understand and think on their own.

As I look back on my teaching years, I realize that the life of a teacher is challenging, varied rewarding and  one that gives the best satisfaction of having moulded a child to take up the challenges of life. Many a times you have to experience the pressures of taking several roles simultaneously with simplicity: a teacher, psychologist,  disciplinarian, traffic cop, counsellor to both student and parents, father, mother, coach, referee, nurse, judge and jury. Doing multi tasks is a teacher's greatest plus point.

As a teacher, you have to accept the call to step in and show compassion, honesty, stability, durability and impartiality, in all situations. The school and classrooms are places where the heart and minds comes together,  and it is the teacher's responsibility to inspire and motivate. In turn you are lifted up and inspired by the love and laughter of your students. It is in you to do it as a teacher and that is the nature of a teacher.

A positive or negative influence from a teacher in the learning period of a child, can have a great effect on the life of a child. It can make or break a child. A teacher's influence can reach far beyond the classroom into the lifelong development of a child. If  you took some time to reflect the time in school, you may remember the teachers who made a difference in life. And it is a blessing and joy to feel and know that as a teacher you are remembered with fond memories. It is enough for a teacher to understand that you have inspired and made a difference in the smallest way possible.

As in life, even in school and in the formative years of  a child, it is the 'Little things' that count the most. It creates a huge impact in the life of a  growing child. The power and influence in these little things is immeasurable. Most importantly you have to be a caring one, with a smile that influences a child positively and that can help you get through to  the most difficult child in your classroom. The words of a teacher and parents have a great aftereffect on a growing child.

Teaching is not easy or intuitive, it is a skill. It is understanding both the psychology and physiology of a child, offering an attentive ear while being stern, being a role model and mentor, convincing and instilling belief in the child, understanding a child's skill and bringing out the best  in him/her. You can measure your inspiration only when students recognise you and stop you,  asking  if you remember them and cares enough to thank you. That is the greatest blessing and gift for a teacher.

" There are two kinds of teachers: The one that fill you with so much quail shot that you can't move and the kind that just gives you a little prod behind and you jump to the skies." Robert Frost.

Over the mist of Life.

Life is just like the mist that is seen  for a little while and then disappears. Even when there is mist in your horizon, or your body, mind, heart, soul is hurting, eventually it will clear and bring light. At times, things don't make sense in life, things that you cannot explain or understand, no matter how hard you try, but like mist it may just vanish.  You cannot hold or cling to them, nor keep in a treasure box. Some things in life are inevitable,  they  come like the mist and disappear.

On certain days, the same mist is beautiful and breathtaking, making fascinating masterpieces pleasing the beholder forming clouds of different form and colour. Sometimes you just look at the sky and you see them change into splendid forms and giving a portrayal of magnificence for poetry or a painting. You may be enshrouded by mist or clouds, that is veiled and beautiful leaving you amazed at its breathtaking beauty. What 'sun' is to the clouds and the mist, is our 'attitude' towards life. The mist of life can end anywhere, because you are just a whiff of the mist, that catches the light of the sun before it disappears.

Mist is a  blurred vision of something real and true in life, that cannot be understood or not meant to be understood. It is  mystic but natural, more than what can be seen in the horizon and a force that connects everything in life. The mist in the sky disappears as the sun's light enters,painting the sky with beautiful colours, illuminating it with a brightness and its shining rays with changing scenes of splendor.

Some of your most magical times of a day may be the early morning, when the whole universe is just waking up,  mist covered around you with faint light seeping in,  a whiff of cool breeze  caressing you,  getting out to the surrounding nature to see,  enjoy  and forget yourself in its beauty.It is bliss watching different shapes appear from the mist as it hovers above you,   in silence moving on in its morning spree and inhaling  that fresh misty air makes you fresh and alive as it shrouds your way with a ghostly glee. There is something strange about the mist, drifting in its beauty, that is magical.

Capture the morning mist that is beauty at its best. A misty morning is quiet and beautiful with the sun just rising and coming up. It is a joy riding or walking  through the mist and then the sun's rays clearing  up your path. The beauty of mist is incredible and coming out of a mist filled path of life too is mysterious and magical.

The journey of a blooming bud.

" And the day came when the risk  to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. " Anais Nin.

The time comes and the risk is to remain tight or blossom. A great dichotomy of life.  The image of a bud painfully clenched, closed and the inevitable pain in the process. These types of situations do happen is life sometimes. It is a reflection of helplessness in some situations of life. It is finding a new meaning to the quote, a  determined magic of getting out of a pain which has to be defeated, because remaining in that pain would be just stopping your fight for life. It is hard and painful to be in that emotional rock bottom state, that tends to torture your core of life with a helpless feeling. You learn a new lesson of life and struggle to find a release that you need for a significant change to your emotions. It is an outcry of reaching the end of your rope and then an awakening to a greater  fight and well being.

The opening of yourself from that bud of mental turmoil, though very painfully. The blossoming of the bud summarizes the process. The petals release itself  from the cluster with abandon, spreading  beautifully and bloom. The energy released in the process is great and it is same in a state of numb pain that engulfs you.  The pained soul would have loved to remain in that state, but difficult for a fighter to accept it. It is then an outburst of the soul's pain, and the pain is released, giving an inspiration to keep fighting and a new sense of commitment. No one may see it, but it is you remaining 'you' and a fulfillment of your life to grow, bud and bloom, whatever happens. It is your  will to fight and persevere with  determination; your will power that is at stake, so you have to come out of the bud of pain that engulfed you and bloom, with a positive glow.

The bud within me, has to bloom, however hard the struggle is, unless I want it to wither and die. And I am not made that way, nor do I want to live with that pain. It is not like me to do that. I don't think I would live with that, even though it is painful. Those moments of pain is too hard to take and feels like the chest would rip open, but it is always better to wrap your arms around yourself and say, I have to do it. I have to come out of it. I can't become a victim to this. You feel you are at the edge of a cliff and the knots in your stomach prevent you to leap and then you realize you are strong enough to withstand it. You find that an ache swells up and it suffocates you thinking how could a fighter like you come to such a rock bottom state.

Every positive person too is a human being. Though born fighters in life, there are moments that make it impossible to go through, because you feel it is not in your hands to make a situation possible to be mended and being brave alone doesn't help. When you fight and come out of such a situation, it is like being given the choice to remain tightly  in your bud of pain or go through that pain and bloom with renewed hope and spread the petals and let the fragrance spread. It is a realization that to keep fighting in life is being like a blooming bud forever.

The lighthouse inside you.

“There are times when the ocean is not the ocean - not blue, not even water, but some violent explosion of energy and danger: ferocity on a scale only Gods can summon. It hurls itself at the island, sending spray right over the top of the lighthouse, biting pieces off the cliff. And the sound is a roaring of a beast whose anger knows no limits. Those are the nights the light is needed most.” 

― M. L. Stedman

A lighthouse has always fascinated me in many ways, a mystical presence, a sign of undying hope, determination, perseverance and its mysterious ways of warning with a beam , a beacon of light.  A lighthouse stands  tall alone both in light and darkness, it is a beacon and a focal symbol of strength, guidance and a comforting sign that calm waters of a welcoming harbour is close at hand. It is a sign of stability and steadfastness; its immovability inspires perseverance and dedication.  Its burning light provoke feelings of determination and continued diligence. A lighthouse might have been the only light in a violent storm giving hope and optimism to those who saw it.

Light is often used to symbolically suggest guidance, hope, and strength, though it is darkness that reigns at the foot of a lighthouse. It is like a star- a guide and beacon of hope to all voyaging or adrift in life's journey. The storms are representation of all adversities and challenges. Storms are also metaphors of inner demons existent or non-existent, tormenting the mind. Just like the quote," It is always darkest before dawn," things are most hopeless in the middle of a turmoil or trauma. The light that guides you at such times is the inner strength or inner light that keeps you going with hope. 

The strength of the lighthouse is symbolized by its location and the circular motion makes it unaffected to the most bitter gales which time and nature can hurl, showing its stability and reliability. A beacon of hope shining in all directions and enabling all who are adrift, steer   away from storms to calm waters of life, which the lighthouse always oversees. It always reminds us that regardless of how turbulent life is, you need only your guiding light within to keep you afloat. Your inner strength is the lighthouse of your life. 

Lighthouse symbolizes your inner spark or the irreplaceable spark that gives hope in the darkest hours of life, a reminder that you can fight out all tempests that come to shake your fortress of strength, a sense of protection or connection to life. It is a tower of strength that warns you of impending dangers and anchorages to reduce the hazards of life. There is always an inner light to face any storm. 

Life is always like the sea, with raging storms, rainstorms or a storm cloud to bring you pain, but just as rainbows follow;  your journey is never worn out because the darkest  times lead to a bright new day if your inner sparking lighthouse is always there leading you out of all storms of life. It is your belief in yourself which will be your lighthouse, when you are tossed in the sea of life. Even when you are challenged with the tsunamis of life, the inner positive light holds the spark to the shining bright light of your lighthouse. 

All of us have a lighthouse inside, an inner shining light that gives a positive light. Let it shine to create a beam of a lighthouse.  Stand tall and shining in all storms of life.  I have mostly faced only adversity and challenges; gone through and going through a lot of pain ,  I have endured hardships, I have suffered loss of loved ones, I have beautiful memories and memories that I would love to forget.  But everything has made me stronger, those who love me are always there for me,  today I face the world with a smile because I believe in myself and my inner strength to bounce back and fight life. I have a lighthouse of strength inside me to be a torch of hope,  inspiration and  a fortress to my loved ones, though the day to day turmoils do come to threaten the ever glowing inner positive light.

A Contemplative Transition of Life.

" How strange that the nature of life is change, yet the nature of human beings is to resist change. And how ironic that the difficult times we fear might ruin us are the ones that can break us open and help us blossom into who we were meant to be." Elizabeth Lesser

A contemplative transition while being temporarily painful, leads you to the highest mountains and creates bridges to a brighter inner spark that can be irreplaceable, a more courageous inner-self who has the strength and confidence to fight the challenges of life; both physically and psychologically. While looking at yourself, like the unwavering sun, how strong and powerful you really are; it is a way of being contented that you are able to fight your own blues away, doing away with everything unreasonable, relaxed in the positive self, conveying that you have a clear, satisfying understanding of what you are, what you want to do and your belief in withstanding the crossover of  any crossroads of life.

A deep realization of your 'self' consciously keeping at bay certain questions and  emotions, re-evaluating yourself and your inner strengths; and then liberating yourself from all doubs, thoughts and emotions to help in a transition that can be as painful as the shedding of the snake's skin. It is a process the snake undergoes a lot of pain. It is visibly uncomfortable, irritated, uncertain, putting all its energy to the task of ridding its skin to become renewed again. While snakes do it physically for man it is metaphorical and many a time it occurs during repeated challenges of illness, fighting through the trauma and also loss of all types. It is very painful yet profoundly alter your experiences and catapult you through an unknown phase of life.

The process of self re-evaluating oneself is very painful, especially at such a phase of life when you are going through the worst challenge of fighting life itself, enduring all pains without a complaint. It is a self determination to persevere and a motivation reflected within to the self statement," This is not me, I have got to do something and if anything can change, it is my thoughts and emotions." You know your  ability to change those  situations into a positive one with grit and will power. Even though you go through a lot of pain both physical and emotional, it is a commitment to yourself. An urge to always be the born fighter and only a positive fortress of strength to your loved ones. A realization that to maintain it, the best way is to keep going irrespective of all that goes on around you and inside of you.

It is an understanding of all silences, and a step-by-step process of self-preservation and being true to yourself. A mysterious revelation of what 'was', 'is' and 'will be' leaving everything to nature. A contemplative time with nature to both heal and invigorate, be calm and rejuvenate; connecting yourself to the wisdom of nature, providing yourself surprising answers to all personal and existential questions, that helps devote your time to fulfill your dream and purpose. Treasure each living moment because it is a miracle. Nature, time and patience are the greatest  physicians;  take the goodness of nature, with time and be patient to heal yourself.

The spectacular Sunset - a rare phenomenon with cloud Iridescence.

We all know that a cloud has a silver lining, but  a cloud with  a rainbow lining is definitely a rare phenomenon. Cloud iridescence is the occurrence of colours in a cloud, a diffraction phenomenon caused by water droplets in the air. Raindrops act like a thousand prisms,  reflecting colours. I have heard of rainbow clouds, but to view a silver lining of a cloud, filled with rainbow colours is a rare sight to behold. Iridescent clouds are clouds with rainbow colours that happen when tiny water droplets individually scatter light. When such a cloud is seen, it is  especially due to the tiny droplets in the air.

The dark grey clouds in an otherwise blue sky is considered dull and drab by many. But I have always loved the heavy dark clouds, for the sheer fact that it is a sign of hope for a parched soul, a parched land and for nature itself. The sun brightly shining, silhouetted behind the dark grey clouds, in the blue sky was a sight to behold. The clouds gave a feeling of a mountain range, and a man's face looking up at the sky with hope. Just beside them were bluish grey clouds , that looked like  snow capped mountains. It was a soothing sight watching the sun slowly hiding behind the heavy clouds till it was out of view.

The dark clouds then got covered with an arc of silver lining and  dark grey rays of the sun covering the sky above the clouds. Next to it were white small white clouds. as time ticked by, the silver lining of the cloud was covered with a palette of rainbow colours that made me awe struck. The sun's rays were emanating all the rainbow colours, because of the water particles in the heavy dark clouds. Wishing for a rainbow to appear, watched the spectacular, splendid sky in awe.

It is said every cloud has a silver lining, but that silver lining displaying all the different colours of the rainbow was indeed a rare sight and felt it to be a blessing to soothe the mind, soul and body.  How these dark clouds could display such a beautiful sight, that really spreads hope and inspiration to the beholder. Even the birds were perched all over, watching the sky, making a lot of noise chirping. It could be a call to its flock, is what I felt witnessing such a spellbinding rare beauty of nature.

My daily rendezvous with sunset, a part of my daily life, taught me a lot in life. A daily motivator and the oneness with nature inspires me in a way no one and nothing else. You are always in the company of all that surrounds you and it gives hope. I did really wish that I had a beautiful camera to capture those rare sights. But was happy doing it in my mobile, though I could not capture it in its full beauty because I am not good at photography.

The journey of a tiny seed.

1. "The tiny seed knew that in order to grow, it needed to be dropped in dirt, covered in darkness, and struggle to reach the light." Sandra Kring.
2. The journey of a  tiny seed is a valuable insight to the life, of a man, the toils, struggles, challenges, adversities...at the end of all the struggles a tiny seed goes through,  it may emerge as a mighty oak. The tiny seeds too bears all the elements like the wind, storm and at times the drought, just like in life when every day is not fine weather but when you fight through and persevere, it may be another sunny day and end up as a stronger person or a sturdier seedling. Like a seedling, if you are strong, you are able to prevail. An entire plant or tree is present inside a seedling.
3. A seed that grows, sprouts, blossoms and bears fruits goes through the various seasons of its life, in its journey. Nature in reality mirrors a lot of extraordinary learning experience, if at all you care to notice. Every seed or man, is designed to grow to its best capacity at a certain depth. Not a single seed, no matter, the best, however perfect and remarkable cannot come up on its own. It requires sun, water,etc., to grow and man also needs external elements to grow. A seed does grow even when it does not know where it will go nor what it will become. Just as a seed grows through darkness in the soil, that is inevitable, man's journey also is through resistance, only through pain it can push and glow in the light.  A seedling, buried beneath the soil keeps growing even if it is in the dark. Similarly man's journey has lot of pressure, to get  a sense of certainty and clarity about who, what and where each one is going. Most of the journey of life is unknown, but it goes on.
4. A seed doesn't stop growing even when it is unknown about where it is going or what it will become. It has its faith, the faith of a tiny seedling and you are surrounded by such innumerous seeds. It is a great inspiration to think of its journey because it grows through pain and resistance. Once it pushes its way through resistance it carries on its journey through light. This is the experience a man too goes through but a man judges it and tries to evade it or get over it fast. Nature gives a lot of clues to man and the simplest of all is the journey of a tiny seedling. It doesn't know what it has to encounter on its journey, still it grows and that is the courage of the seed.
5. Your body helps you to resist and you resist through the pain- physical, emotional and all sorts of pain required to grow. Pain and resistance are closely related and it is a fact of life that if you lack resistance, there is no pain and that may be  the end of a point of breaking, blossoming and emerging into the light. You can neither hurry with it nor avoid it. A seed grows irrespective of everything around it, into a plant, blossoms and bears fruit.  It is your awareness of life, you have problems, pains, dissatisfactions and that is where the real journey of life begins. When the seed pops out of the darkness of the soil, into the light it is rapturous.For man too after going through all the pain and resistance, emerging from the long tunnel of trauma, it is a moment of ecstatic joy. When adversities strike continuously, you cannot avoid pain, you have to go through it with resilience and it needs extraordinary faith, grit and determination to live with it.
6. It is indeed a glorious experience to be able to emerge out of  the challenging pains and realize your potential to see where you are getting at. To try and know that you grow with that pain is not easy, it can be frustrating and consume a lot of your positive energy, but in the end when you emerge; you may be able to laugh at it because it is no more a mystery to you. The changes that happens to you is like that of a seed, the painful endurance to split and become what it is meant to  be. It struggles in the dark to find what it needs and finally it comes out still remembering its journey - a journey through the unknown - to the finality of cracking open into the light.

        

   
   

   Going through a challenging life of pain daily, is a process like that of a seed crackling out of its old shell into a sprout  of soft tenderness. It is surrendering to an enduring process of that you cannot see,  with resilience and perseverance; knowing very well  that at the end of it all what will emerge is beyond your imagination, something marvellous worth all the pain. It is a new lease of life.As Mark Nepo quoted in his book, "As a seed buried in the earth cannot imagine itself as an orchid or hyacinth, neither can a heart packed with hurt imagine itself loved or at peace. The courage of a seed is that once cracking, it cracks all the way." It is a metaphor and makes you realize that when you look at nature, you see 'Life's Journey' reflected in it. It is an awakening inside you that you have a life spark and a seed's spirit. All changes that takes place in your life is compared to the courage of a seed to break through the soil. It is the painful experience of a seed enduring the pain to split apart and become something it is unaware of. Deep under the earth it fights for water, sun and all the nutrients it needs to grow and when it finally comes out of the soil, it is not recognised by those who knew it to be only a seed. It still understands and perceives its journey of life into something unknown.
7. Going through a challenging life of pain daily, is a process like that of a seed crackling out of its old shell into a sprout  of soft tenderness. It is surrendering to an enduring process of that you cannot see,  with resilience and perseverance; knowing very well  that at the end of it all what will emerge is beyond your imagination, something marvellous worth all the pain. It is a new lease of life.

The pain and anguish of a Positive soul.

" Pain is a pesky part of being human, I've learned that it feels like a stab wound to the heart, something I wish we all could do without, in our life here. Pain is a sudden hurt that can't be escaped. But then I have also learned that because of pain, I can feel the beauty, tenderness, and feeling of pain. Pain feels like a fast stab wound to the heart. But then healing feels like the wind against your face when you are spreading your wings and flying through the air! We may not have wings growing out of our backs,  but healing is the closest thing that will give wind against our faces." C.Joybell.C

When a person like me, apparently known as an 'Epitome of Positivity, goes through a short phase of gnawing pain, emptiness or feeling of being a helpless soul, it is hard for anyone to digest, even for me.  I am an optimist and I do believe in being positive always. But am I an 'epitome of positivity', who is refreshing and inspiring I really don't know. I do have the faith that I don't let negative thoughts come that easily to break me. Even the most positive person, has times of uncertainty and  weakness, going through a lot of pain physically and emotionally. I have been a born fighter always and still am, but sometimes it does become very difficult to fight a battle and everything else surrounding you.

Have you ever felt so much pain there were no words to describe how you felt?There are times when pain, distress, hurt seem too great to bear; you grasp for words but cannot describe the pain. Sometimes you are filled with an anguish of all sorts and become paralyzed to think clearly or take any positive steps to change a situation. But you interrupt the flooding by holding on to the fact that it is a passing phase. I really believe in what John Burroughs quoted, " I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to put my senses in order." Nature has a very unique way of  healing and soothing your senses. To be one with nature is a great feeling. When I find that all my physical and emotional pains are too much to handle, I feel like packing my bags and getting away to the mountains, to be refreshed by the misty mountains. I remember my Cardiologist telling me, to go to a hill station for a change, to undo all that I have gone through.

I hate the feeling of being miserable, something I have never liked in myself. The biggest battle that goes on inside me. And it is then a fear is born of may be the inevitable, that causes a lot of concern in the most positive person too.  It is a feeling that roots from being helpless or the daily fight that goes on  when you fight to drag yourself from the physical helplessness that curbs certain movements in you.. My friend, my family doctor, confidante, counsellor told me to just let that feeling take its stride, as it is a fight between the mind and the body.

It is not an easy task to quieten your racing heart, a feeling of a big boulder pressing your chest and the pain you go through when you go to bed after a tiring day, with all the aches and pains of the day.  Every night I fight the squeezing feeling of the chest, which I was told that I have no other go but to live with it. Sometimes it does make you helpless. I went through a phase of fear and anxiety, but I really managed to squash all those feelings and got back on my feet with a smile, thinking if I let those feelings take the better of me, I would become an emotional wreck, that I almost became.  I hate that feeling and decided to just kick it off. I cannot allow the inner spark of light to die down just like that. My physical pains have never bothered me too much, so decided not to brood over things that I cannot change. Let it take its own course, as I know it is a passing phase.

I was going through all the forwards that some of my close friends had e-mailed me, and re-read something about a friend who was a fighter like me,  the passing phases in life she underwent.  I found out ways of using my time to do many other things that I love to do. Everyone goes through a phase, when the positivity dwindles a bit, due to many reasons, then it gets back in full force. My passing phases are always very short and I usually never let anyone get even an inkling of it, but sometimes it happens that my close ones do get to know of it. If at all anyone comes to know of it, it is mostly one statement " I never expected you to be like this,"  except  those who really know me, for what I am.

My pains I have to live with it, is what all doctors advise me. And I have learnt to challenge it and fight it out. I realized if I can fight all the trauma that the emperor of maladies gave me, then I can fight out anything in life. Life only makes you miserable by brooding over things, and that stress can lead to the emperor of maladies poking its head again. Why allow it to gnaw at my tissues again, by inviting stress? So I bounced back with a smile, squashing away all that came to weaken my fortress of strength, counting only the little blessings that came my way and still comes my way. Why not just work for the little wish I have in me, streamlining my time and efforts to reach my goal.

So though I did slip and fall within myself, I decided that my fortress cannot be attacked by anything, because it is not worth it to let anything come in my way to fight my battles. It is my own battles and no one would understand anything  of my trauma and journey throughout my life. When I have come so far with my head high and  a smile, why not go forward the same way. So I picked myself up with a renewed spark of inner power and strength.

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising everytime we fall." Nelson Mandela.

Time the soothsayer of life

Life and time are the world's best teachers. Life teaches us the value of time and time teaches us the value of life.


Time is life. It is time that teaches you what life is. The times you should have spent for important things when you were slogging beyond your capacity takes over your health and then it is gone forever. There are times you could have spent in learning more constructive things, but did not when you needed to know, is felt when that time is lost forever. There are times when you should have spent time giving importance to a  relationship that counts in life, the consequences of which you lose it, get hurt and struggle to bear the loss of it. You sometimes give time to all except the ones who genuinely need it and end up losing what is most important to you. Longing for the lost  time, love, care, affection, is as futile as searching for the sun after sunset.  Time lost is life lost. Life is made up of time.

It takes a lifetime to earn love, affection, respect, honesty, passion and in split seconds all can be lost. Start pursuing what you are passionate about, when you find little time for it.  What you do is important, because you are exchanging your life for it. Do it with earnest and you will be rewarded, little efforts taken daily pays off, in the course of time. How often you rush through things without giving it time that you  miss the beauty and wonder of a moment.  Time never returns. 

The most remarkable aspect of time and life is its preciousness. Its value no one can fathom and its power is inestimable, the potential of which you can never calculate. A fraction of a second can make a difference between life and death; the depth of a relationship,  and for something  to slip away to nothingness. As you go through the journey of life, you realize that if there is anything in this world that can never come back it is time, words uttered and life. Once time and life  crosses into the threshold of the past, it can never return to the present and this is the basic truth of life itself. 

The passing of time escapes no one in this universe. Getting the most of each day, living life as it comes, helps you understand the importance of every moment in life.  Time  and life moves at its own pace,  without waiting for anyone nor allowing to be commanded, analysed or criticized.  Though all are conscious of the passing time and life, its importance, it is rarely valued till it is lost forever. Some say time is money. It is more precious than money because lost money can be made up later, but a moment lost  is lost forever.  Every breath and every second is to be valued. Nobody can escape the hold of time.  Your life and identity through time can never be answered, only time will show the truth. What was yesterday is not today. What is today, may not be tomorrow. Yesterday is gone, today is and tomorrow is yet to come. It exists always. 

There is a time and season for everything in life. One cannot grow anything in a moment  nor can a baby become an adult in a minute. Everything in life has its own time. Time is a medicine and healer they say,  time is also a wise counselor of life. The passage of time allows growth and this growth gives lessons and experiences. Some always complain that there is no time to do anything. Time and life is fleeting. Only time can show you the fruits of your efforts and the truth of your life or anything connected to your life. In fact life and time goes on side by side and you can never predict time or your life. 

Your life starts from the time you are born, unaware of the world- happy, tension free and then as time passes you realize what life is, adapt to learn new things,   realize the value of people who love and care, the preciousness of life;  you make mistakes and try to learn from them.  As time passes, you realize the real challenges of life and that life doesn't remain the same always. With the threat of the core of life, you realize the real value of time and life; you find new meaning in life and to count the little blessings time brings you. The beauty of life is you hope for the best but  it is the unexpected that happen and time gives you important lessons of life that always take you unawares. 

Time gives you gifts of precious memories, that you love to think of as flashback scenes of life. Life is a beautiful journey, even if it is adversities visiting you often. “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present, ” as this quote says, you can never predict your future, but you can make use of the present. The beauty of life is to live life as it comes, enjoy every moment because life and moments that has passed can never come back. 

Those good old days of letter writing and greeting cards.

“There is simply nothing as personal as a handwritten note. In a stack of bills and flyers, it's a treasure in a sealed packet, full of promise and potential. It is a lovely reminder of someone far away."

Letter writing is an art, which is long lost in the modern technology of the new times. There used to be days of pen pals, which now social media and email has taken over. The art of choosing the right words and sending greeting cards for all occasions too has gone, taken over by the greetings through mails.  Very few people take pains to write a personal hand written letter or send a greeting for those special occasions.  In today's, modern world that has no value, I guess. Writing is a privilege,  a gift to yourself and others.

The process of writing is special, which is almost a personal journal of a relationship. Part of the beauty of writing, is really finding a beautiful sheet of paper and using materials that heightens the significance.  It’s an experience. The art of letter writing is one, which a person reading it feels that the sender is personally talking through the letter.  There is nothing like a hand written letter or a greeting sent personally. It’s that personal relationship cultivated with a lure of a personal touch, a love for handwritten letters. With the digital age of emails and text messages, the handwritten note that has the personality and the passion, is not valued anymore, though it is the mark of someone’s touch.

I was always one of those peculiar kinds who loved collecting letters, and the stationary that goes with it.  Selecting a greeting card too is an art. Now there is no  clue of all these, it is  just stuck to text, tweeting and twittering. Today you email or text, but not really in touch.  Hand written letters are more expressive than emails or text messages.  Though you are constantly chatting, very little is said and human emotions are substituted with punctuation or emoticons or short forms.

When is the last time you wrote someone a letter? Not an e-mail or a text message but a real handwritten one with paper and pen, mailed in a stamped envelope. One is so addicted to the instant communication that it seems very ancient and remote. An instant messaging is enough, with a lot of abbreviations that is difficult to keep up with. A letter is a personal one, more so because you hardly receive them. They matter a lot because it is something personal in an increasingly disconnected world and one that takes time and effort to write. 


 To put it in a nutshell, the greatest benefit of letter writing is that it is like keeping a daily journal, that makes you slow down to think. You can benefit from slowing down a little, think of someone you care, turn off the computer and write to them. It is like personally talking to the person you are writing to.Letters are intimate, words from one mind or heart to another. Today even e-mail letters are declining, being taken over by  instant texts and messages. 
Hand written letters need time and thought. They need sitting in solitude with your words before sending them out. It is crafted, not just dashed off, it is personal and for an individual, a little work of art. Letters allow us the beautiful ability to collect treasured thoughts and feelings, which is like talking to that individual personally. Even a greeting card takes time to be chosen, reading the words within to suit and a handwritten note in them, adds a personal touch to it. It is a tangible reminder of the life, thoughts and love shared. It holds a concrete space in this ever changing world. 

Sometimes, I do feel like we may be losing touch with how important personal connections are. It's so easy to get caught up in using our smartphones and computers to send messages and e-mails that we forget how lovely it is to receive a genuine letter.Can you reflect on the last time you received a handwritten letter or card from someone. The act of writing a letter engages you altogether differently from typing or using a computer. The combination of thoughts,  feelings, reflection and motor skills  are needed to craft your words into the letter that you are writing.

The finger has taken the place of a pen. I still cherish writing letters and sending beautifully worded greeting cards.

The mountainous trekking of Life.

Life is like a mountain with highs and lows and many a time you have to change course and speed to reach the peak. What is important to remember is that you are headed forward in life's journey. On a mountainous path you may be on a well traveled or less traveled road. Sometimes you reach an unknown territory that may seem difficult. As you climb up in life, just like these mountains, there may be obstacles and challenges, that seem insurmountable, you may stumble and bruise yourself, but just remember though the path is difficult, when you reach the top after having gone through everything the view is breathtaking and beautiful. After all the hairpin bends in your path, it is majestic and worth all the pain.

The mountains of your life are all the obstacles and challenges out there, but you have to reach the peak sustaining all the challenges and enduring all the pains. If you really take time to know, deep within that you need to climb a mountain, then it holds meaning for you. When you climb and get good tidings, peace will flow as sunshine flows into trees, the wind will blow freshness and storms their energy. It is a great challenge, but when you finally reach the top you will realize that it is worth all the pains.

Climb the mountain of life slowly, enjoying the view, facing all obstacles, keeping  the good moments and forgetting the hard climbing through boulders. You go through exciting adventures, all that matters is you take the challenges, move skillfully, with courage and determination. Life's destination is to learn from the journey and walk to the peak. Life's path also like mountains, needs stopping over and looking around, learning and enjoying the present moments. Mountains at the bottom, like all wilderness, challenge you and it is a winding path with all harsh conditions, rocks, lack of oxygen and tired muscles. In the journey you keep putting effort and that gives a big sense of accomplishment. It is a proof that if you can do that, you can also go through anything in life, that is worth your efforts despite the fear and doubts. No one can take away that. When you reflect upon life and its challenges, you are ready to face anything.

There is something about the natural landscapes that instill life and inspiration. You just think of a mountain and it connects to so many aspects of life. The sight of a misty mountain has a magical effect in your heart, mind and soul. A mountain is a strange metaphor for the insignificance of man, and an awesome reminder of nature. It depicts stability, obstacles, strength and courage. Climbing a mountain is a metaphor for overcoming obstacles and challenges life throws at you.  It indicates adventure and can also be seen as a pinnacle of life.

Climbing some peaks of life needs the nerves of steel. Most people love the valley below because they feel it is secure, familiar and comfortable. Very few opt for the mountains due to the challenges it holds and the effort that is needed to climb involving lot of stress, hardships, discomfort and a great deal of courage. Those who  reach the top know that it is worth the effort and that is the secret of life.

If you are faced with a mountain, you have several options. You can climb it, and cross to the other side. You can go around it. You can dig under it. You can fly over it, which is easiest. You can ignore it and pretend it is not there. You can turn around and go back. Or you can stay on it and make it your home, stand there in admiration, breathing in the misty fresh air, and enjoy every bit of it. It is up to you to make it beautiful. Keep close to nature's heart and wash your soul clean.

Mountains of nature and life has always been with me and I love them. They inspire me, and fills me with a tranquil serenity. The majestic mountains silhouetted against  the sky and clouds hovering over the mountains, captivates my heart.

The 'Fly' or 'Die' attitude of Life.

Even the greatest, powerful, and most positive people have their weak moments. A time when you need to push yourself and stretch your wings to soar high. If you never stretch at such a time, you will never fly in life. You can learn a great lesson of life from birds around you. Among birds eagles are symbols of strength, bravery, courage and great independence. Being strong and positive does not mean that you will never get hurt, but it just means that when you do get hurt, you will never give up or let it defeat you. You become stronger than what tried to pull you down.

Freeing yourself from all the clustered doubts and thoughts,  is not very easy, but you have to do it to be who you are; to fight the negativity that tries to seep in. The birds always inspires and  are messengers of life. A nest is a safety zone of comfort, so are favorable conditions of life.  But  if you are always made to face the unknown and fight challenges, then you find that the unknown is an experience that makes you what you are. You never know your strength when you are only in a comfort zone. When you are facing the unknown only you learn to grow and live life fully.

A young bird is often pushed out of the nest to learn the strength of its wings to make it fly. A fledgling-a baby bird that has some feathers, hops around and almost ready to fly, is pushed out of the nest to help them learn how to fly. So are the challenges that come into your lives, they make you realize how strong you are and you need to push yourself, to fly out of all adversities. It is a FLY or DIE situation, if you want to fly you have to fight it out, but if you succumb to it, you die.

When I was working as a teacher , the School  premises was such that created  oneness with nature.   I used to watch with fascination,  birds make their  nest with things available to them, the  eggs,  hatching, feeding by mother birds and when they were old enough, the push of the mother bird, to make them fly. The first time it was pushed, it kept going down and then it flapped its wings, and the mother bird picked it up to the nest, till finally it flapped and flew away. It was an experience and a lesson I learned. Birds always inspired me to ponder on life.

What made me contemplate on all this is, the breathtaking flight of birds in the evening. It was drizzling and I lifted my face towards the sky to feel the raindrops on my face. The sight of a flock of small birds, black with a stripe on their long tail feathers, flying in the shape of a heart made me gaze at them awe struck. As they were flying in gay abandon, they changed patterns from a heart to a wave, then a line and finally to a V formation. I was really in a trance watching them and feeling inspired. Like a man, it has such beautiful mysteries.

You need to know your inner potential, trust in your talents and creativity, fight all challenges life throws at you time and again, spread your wings, soar and fly high like a majestic bird. You may crash but the more you get up and come out of it, the sooner you will be soaring back to life. Only you can push yourself, to stretch your wings and fly high in life by challenging the very core of life itself. Even in solitude, a bird sings the most beautiful melody of life.

There are beautiful insights that you learn from a bird about life. What I have always pondered is, not to feel ashamed to learn from others, not to get affected when others crap about you by being mean or nasty, not to feel burdened and weighed down by the struggles and pains of day to day life and that you have the strength and courage to flap away with a smile. A bird can teach you that it is easy to build a house, but you owe it to yourself to always make  a home, be happy with what you have and always  learn to keep a  happy balance in life. To value  spending some  time in solitude. Birds enthral me.

" Be like the bird, pausing in her flight on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing that she hath wings." Victor Hugo.

The awe inspiring beauty of the insignificant.

 "Who would have thought it possible that a tiny flower could preoccupy a person so completely that that there wasn't room for any other thought." Sophie Scholl.

Often it is the unnoticed and the unseen that adds beauty to life.Tiny things have a subtle beauty. It is those small things which may seem unimportant, of no meaning  or consequence,  but becomes the most beautiful and awe inspiring things in life. Life sometimes has a way of making us look at our journey and reflect on the most insignificant entity of life. Sometimes it makes you startled when you realize the insignificance of the very core of your life. A journey with more of pains, obstacles, challenges that you have overcome with a smile, but feeling that it had no significance whatsoever even when it was a struggle of life; it makes you look at the tiny, weeny, small events that you missed or left it as insignificant.

All these contemplation came through when I  really started admiring the baby's breath and the tiny flower of bougainvillea. The baby's breath too are tiny white flowers  in clusters that stand for their purity, innocence and everlasting love. Baby's breath is tender, delicate and quick to bloom. These tiny flowers  are seen   in most bouquets and that's how I started loving that flower. But those days I never knew it was the baby's breath. The tiny white flowers gained my admiration and I used to love them, when my friend, Suja started sending me baby's breath flower clicks and I realized that the tiny flower I loved a lot was the same.

The actual flower of the bougainvillea is small and usually white, but each cluster of three flower is surrounded by three or six bracts with bring colors. Usually known as the paper flowers because of the papery quality of the bracts. But I closely looked at the small flowers, that is breathtakingly beautiful. A tiny  white flower, with a tinge of green, pink and a tiny yellow stamen.  It is seen in many houses and in the streets, but  never stopped to look at the flowers like other flowers. The tiny fragile flowers inspires me to think,  that there is nothing  insignificant in the life.

A quote on a symbolic photograph , "Like tiny wild flowers, hope brightens up even the darkest of corners," shows the importance of  looking at all the small things of life with a different perspective.To see a tiny flower bloom in intricately woven beauty is  definitely one that inspires  me to hope  and be happy . That always used to make me think of the weeds, least looked at, but always the ones that gave the highest hope in the time of need. The insignificance is its beauty and the rebel that grows anywhere though least sought after, but always positive. All these  very insignificantly plays a positive message to those who look for it.

On a collective note, you are just a flash in the pan. Sometimes you insignificantly do a lot, not for the sake of being recognized as the one who really worked for something, but for the welfare on the whole. You make a lot of sacrifices, pains to create something good. Every single thing is important, it is never insignificant, though it may seem to be at a point of time. A rebel with a lot of how, why, when, what, who, where, is always an insignificant entity for very many reasons, but the significance shines out as a positive spark when you least expect it.

 " Tiny is the flower, yet it scents the grasses around it." It is a 'ripple effect' concept that says small things may have a large effect. It really doesn't matter how small you really are in all aspects of life. It is easy to acknowledge words and things you can see. It may not be significant to many, but they are reflected in many ways. You start realizing the value of the insignificant things when you value the core of life. Positive thoughts may irritate many, but its value is known only at that time when you realize that being positive alone can make you fight life itself. Loving the insignificance of life, may be like a telepathic message that many fail to understand.

The spoken words just brush past into nothingness as it is not valued. But the unspoken, the unseen, the unnoticed become very significant when you are fighting a lone battle of life itself, bearing the brunt of everything and many a time the value of it is realized and longed for when it is lost forever with life itself. To thrive when conditions are good is easy, but to thrive in unfavorable conditions of life needs grit and perseverance.  It is then the value of a positive influence is felt the most.
The fights to challenge the threats of the very core of life, makes you love all the small things that are immaterial in life. You value and hold close all those little blessings and moments that came into your life to give new meanings  and help you fight the challenging times of life. All the little things become the most important ones that gives immense joy.

I love tiny flowers, weeds and all those little things that others feel as insignificant. In the light of what's happening, it is more imperative  for me to always have a positive and upbeat attitude, someone with a positive glow. It is not what happens to me that counts, but how I react to all that is happening, where life is taking me and the attitude towards it. A positive attitude can cause a chain of reactions, being a catalyst and a spark.

"Glow in positive influence,
Though tiny and insignificant,
Its effect you may not see,
it may spread in ripples,
And make a difference,
Down the path of life."

Pave your own path with a smile.

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and 

I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference." 

Robert Frost. 

In the new crossroad of life, take the path less travelled and make a difference in life. Make use of your talent and creativity to create the best experience of life. You are the master key to 'YOU'. Believe in yourself and be yourself. Keep a positive attitude, take up all hurdles as a challenge and keep going forward. Your determination and perseverance is what makes you unique and special. Reason with the mind all that your heart dictates and create a balance. Ignore all negativity, explore and achieve.  Time has the greatest power. Aim to accomplish what you crave for, pursue those that you love doing and then do them so well that you 'Stand Out' and shine. 


Believe that you can excel in every field, with a positive influence, never bowing down to the challenges and pressures of life. Attitude and influence can be compared to a liquid that flows into and out of all of us. Character is what flows into you directly affecting what flows out with a great impact. Aspire to inspire and meet all challenges; motivate yourself to reach the highest peak of life. Life is a continual flow of learning and teaching. Always accept the concept of abundance and purity instead of deficiency and toxicity. You have the power within you to be something amazing. 

Do your best always.
And fulfil all your dreams. 

Aim for the expanse of the sky,
Reach out for the impossible,
Be humble and simple,
As your name depicts. 

Stand tall to cut through,
All clouds of doubts,
Believe in your ability,
To glow each day.

Always be the little angel,
 Open deeper potentials
Within your heart and soul,
And shine forth with a smile.

The Gifted creativity of Life.

"I believe talent is like electricity. We don't understand electricity. We don't use it. You can plug into it and light up a lamp, keep a heart pump going, light a cathedral or you can electrocute a person with it."
Maya Angelou.

Talent is an inborn gift, but creativity is a skill. Though an inborn talent, one has to reach out and take it. That taking may be as difficult as not waiting until it manifests on its own. It is the underlying passion, a feeling inside,that brings it out, loaded with words and a lot of meaning. It is long patience, an effort and intense observation that flows out. Talent is having a fountain of words in the mind. Not everyone has an underlying talent and rare is the courage to follow that talent and make it creative.

Talent is always on its own level, which rises like the sun, rested, refreshed and  ready to dawn; always full and aplenty with new treasures. Those that are genuinely talented are unaware of their own ability and potential. It has its own increases and decreases, like everything that breathes. As Sophia Loren quotes, There is a fountain of youth: It is in your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring in your life and the lives of people you love."

Writing is a play of words, adeptly placed and turns out to be either a prose or a poem. Writing a poem is an inborn talent and a poem is usually a whisper, a shout, thoughts turned inside out, a laugh, a sigh, an echo passing by, a rhythm, a rhyme, a moment caught in time, a fear, an anguish, an epitome, an euphoria, or a glimpse of who you are. It is often like a spider's web beautifully spun with words of wonder, with all the woven laces that is held in place by the whispers of the heart. The depth and meaning of a true poem lies in the intricately placed words and the spirit between the lines.

Gifted is a man who has the innate ability to do a particular thing, it is talent inborn, one can really never change it because it is fixed inside and cannot be lost. Creativity is a skill to write or create something in a unique way. As the saying goes" Eyes that look are common, but eyes that see are rare." It is a rare eye that sees and captures those that are realistic and natural. The creativity is a skill that can be developed with experience, and experience is a knowledge one gains through grit and perseverance. There is a strong relationship between talented, creativity and experience.

Some just blow up their talent and passion; while some use their talent to connect to everything around them with creativity and experience it. Be it writing, photography, painting or any form of art and craft, it is the passion and the underlying inborn talent that makes them creative and experience makes them excel. While talent is inborn, creativity is an ability that needs to be noticed, recognized and nurtured to bloom. An opportunity for the creative talent to be expressed. It is the characteristics of creative talent to be curious, persistent, metaphorical and open to ideas.

Only a gifted man can play with words and bring forth what is in the mind. It is creative talent that bleeds from the pen, in the form of chords that tug the heart, create a flutter, touch the soul to ponder over or dive into its depth to sink and then float in them. It lingers on in your heart, mind and soul to haunt, provoke thoughts, contemplate or inspire. The command over the language and the expertise to use it the right way is an added ability to the creativity of talent.

Creativity is a mind skill that equips a man in any area. What matters more is to make use of the gifted talent to create, a natural ability and flair to make something that is beautiful. The beauty is developing analytic, creative and practical skills without the 'know-hows' and that comes out of a gifted talent and the zest to be creative. Life as such is creative in all its forms. It is a gift of life to be born talented, becoming creative is an added skill and experience adds beauty to everything.

"Use what talents you possess. The woods would be silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best." Henry Van Dyke.

Believe in the underlying talent,
Create the unbelievable masterpiece,
Challenge all hurdles,
Shine like the sun,
That your name depicts.

Burst out through the clouds,
With worded rays,
That shrouds in cluttered clusters,
In the depth of your,
Heart and soul.

Be reminded of your infinite potential,
With the pen that is mightier than the sword,
Let thoughts always flow out,
To reach the expanse of the sky,
And reach greater heights of life."

Mind is like the vast expanse of the ocean.

We are like oceans. A positive approach to this subject, that the ocean is a vast expanse, as a comparison to the mind. The contents of the mind, the visions, sounds, thoughts, when clouds of doubt engulf, making waves of infinite uncertainty.   The very phrase says it all....fathomless....mysterious... Soft and calm; rough and salvaging like the waves. The depth of character like the ocean beds which during the ebb and flow of life exposes personality that was hidden inside like the sea shells.

Why are we compared to the oceans? It is a thought that is always  contemplated upon. The ocean is liberating and captivating, a destination and an uncertainty.  It may be because man as a whole can never be understood fully. But there are people who are genuinely what they seem to be. But the mind of man is like a horse that is always racing, that he himself fails to understand.  Oceans depict the soul, the sub consciousness, emotions, and nature; the best parts of existence and dreams, often somewhat opposed to, but not necessarily conflicting to the intellect. They represent the unknown, hidden depths, unexplored thoughts, emotions, feelings that may not surface outward. They are also connected to the soul, the tranquil, inner part of self that lies in its core, the depth.   

Isn't it the emotions that make a man lose all his understanding, ethics, reasoning, etc., to a personality that becomes mysterious to him? When fear factor takes over, a sort of confusion takes over the mind. This fear and the confusion creeps in, enslaving it to its full capacity. Coming out of this, needs strength of mind, by making use of the mind in a fruitful way, giving and feeding the mind space to motivate and inspire itself in every way.Mind is like the ocean in many ways, both have a titanic capacity for anything and everything. The largest and most awe-inspiring waves are the invisible ones, that move on in the depths, unceasingly.

Thoughts are like the ocean. They come and go or engulf the mind at times. Sometimes thoughts and emotions do smack us like a tidal wave, making  it difficult for the mind to be calm and watchful.When it is riding a wave, being hit by a tsunami or being in a peaceful state,each moment is a gift.  The proverb, “An idle mind is the devil's workshop" says it all. That is where the fear originates. If only we look around, we can find lots of ways to keep the idle mind occupied. To use the time in a fruitful way by doing something, we love to do. Pursue a hobby, read or write. We just have to look around us to find ways. It is a way of becoming one with nature, emotions and other things and becoming one with oneself.

The vast expanse of the ocean represents life and living. The struggles and hardships a man goes through and how that affects the mind. A tired overworked body and the constant fight of life, tends to weaken an otherwise strong mind. Oceans are sources of inspired art, poetry, healing and contemplation. It is a calming presence, to reflect, dream and hope for.  

Mind is like the waves of the ocean, when some cover us with tides of refreshment,  others drown us in floods of turmoil.We need time to visit the ocean of our own mind! 

"Mind can be compared to an ocean, and momentary mental events such as happiness, irritation, fantasies, and boredom to the waves that rise and fall on its surface. Just as the waves can subside to reveal the stillness of the ocean's depths, so too is it possible to calm the turbulence of our mind to reveal its natural pristine clarity."~ Kathleen McDonald