Sitting on the backseat of a car, with one of my friends driving, I look up at the night sky, painted in deep hues of blue and black. There is a quiet joy in the air. My friend seems happy driving, and I feel the same, carried gently without needing to know where we are going.
As always, I get lost in the vastness above me.
And then, suddenly, I see it – a rainbow.
A rainbow in the night sky.
βItβs not something I ever saw beforeβ, I thought
How can this be possible?
I pause without a blink already in awe of what I am witnessing.
But it doesnβt stop there.
The rainbow begins to change.
Slowly, softly, it transforms into something even more beautiful, more luminous.
βIs this real?β I ask myself.β¨
βIs the rainbowβ¦ turning into a galaxy?β
The colors deepen – bright blues, purples, yellows, and pinks- expanding, growing, filling the space I was looking at.
βI want the time to pause, I do not want this to disappear, I want to stay there, β¨I want to keep watching.β I thought.
When light meets the rains – a rainbow appears.β¨But a galaxy? Itβs like the slow evolution of life unfolding, with the creation of something beautiful in the midst of chaos, the vastness within which I can rarely see, and the knowing that I am a part of something so big, grandeur and mysterious!
I woke up! Happy! Smiling!β¨Holding onto the feeling before it slips away.β¨Quickly reaching for my phone, trying to capture what I saw, what I felt.
The start of this year was filled with many beautiful moments.
I usually do not give much importance to the change of the year. I do not focus much on the celebrations that come with it. Nevertheless, this year particularly stood out because of the difference it made for me.
On New Yearβs Day, we played βLe lotoβ, also known as Bingo, with the family. A traditional French loto usually has several stages:
Quine β one full horizontal line
Double quine β two full lines
Carton plein β when the entire card is filled, which qualifies for the biggest prize.
I decided to play just for fun. From my past experiences playing games, I was quite confident that I was not going to win anything at all.
The numbers started to be called out, one by one. I began striking them off my card. Finally, I completed my first line.
βQuine!β I shouted.
I saw the happiness in everyone’s eyes. I was handed my gift. When I opened it, I found three angel figurines, similar but slightly different in color. I was told they had belonged to the grandmother. Holding something that looked so old made me unexpectedly happy.
After celebrating my win, we continued the game. Once again, I began striking off the numbers that were called out.
βDeuxiΓ¨me quine!β I shouted.
It was my second one. I couldnβt believe this was happening. Even though it was not a big professional game, just having the chance to win something made me happy. My second gift was a box filled with small packets of jams and honey.
βWhy not?β I thought. My breakfasts were sorted.
That feeling of winning stayed with me for the first few weeks of the year.
Then came another big tradition in France: La Galette des Rois.
The Festival of Kings, called Γpiphanie, is often celebrated on the first Sunday of January. It commemorates the visit of the three wise men to the baby Jesus. During Γpiphanie, families and friends share a special cake called Galette des Rois (Kingβs Cake).
The cake is cut into slices, and inside it there is a small hidden charm called a fève. Whoever finds the fève in their slice becomes the king or queen of the day. They get to wear the paper crown that comes with the cake.
During January, I had my first Galette des Rois at a friendβs place where we gathered to celebrate this tradition. As we enjoyed the homemade treats, I appreciated the slice of cake I had taken. Its taste was so delightful that I wanted another piece.
And in that second slice, my eyes fell on the fève hiding inside.
My happiness had no bounds. It was a small thing, but once again I had won something.
From that moment on, every time we gathered for the tradition, I seemed to find another fève. Slowly, I started building a small collection of them.
I talked about this repeated streak of luck to one of my colleagues. She introduced me to something called βLucky Girl Syndrome.β
It was the first time I had heard about it, so naturally I became curious.
Apparently, it is another way of expressing the law of attraction. It is a mindset, the idea that if you assume things will work out for you, they often do. Our beliefs influence our actions, our confidence, and even the opportunities we notice.
If you have read my blogs before, you have often seen me write about the act of surrendering. I trust that everything will eventually fall into place. This is true no matter how difficult the path seems.
For me, Lucky Girl Syndrome felt like a new way of putting that same belief into words.
A way of reminding myself that I am lucky.
Every time I tell myself that I am lucky, I feel like I am sending a message to the universe. It feels as if I am communicating quietly with it. This small act seems to invite more moments of grace to find their way to me.
I am so thankful to my colleague for introducing me to this lovely concept. You never really know where your next little dose of positivity will come from.
Are there days you can’t decide? Should you stay home or go to that place on your mind? Maybe itβs just for a quiet walk or a visit to your favorite Chinese restaurant. And when you are having a hard time deciding, just go for it.
Hereβs why – in my own little story.
βShould I go or should I not go?β I asked myself. It had been a long day at work, and I thought I would reward myself with a little walk. At the same time, I liked the idea of staying home, watching a movie on my phone while cooking. After spending a few minutes on this important question, I finally made up my mind to just step out.
The moment I left the house, I felt the sun rays on my face and saw the beautiful sky. All my doubts quietly disappeared. I had my music on, as always, listening to βBiutyfulβ by Coldplay.
Carefree, I walked toward a metro station when I sensed someone trying to grab my attention by waving his hands. I paused my music and turned toward a gentleman who looked relieved to have caught my attention.
βDo you speak English?β he asked.
βYes, I do,β I replied.
βWow, thatβs great. Iβve been struggling to find someone who can speak English. They generally only speak French. I need help.β
βWhat happened?β I asked.
βItβs a long story,β he began. βI am visiting Paris for a few days. Earlier today, while I was in the metro, someone stole my wallet. I lost my money, my credit cards, my identity card. You know how these people surround the tourists, and you donβt really know whatβs happening.β
βIβm very sorry to hear that. I understand your situation. What do you expect of me?β
βI need to go back home to Italy. I donβt have money even to buy a ticket. If itβs not too much to ask, could you help me fund it?β
Living in a big city like Paris, where you can be tricked anytime, I wasnβt sure if this was genuine.
βDo you have anything that proves your identity? Or a copy of the police complaint?β I asked, trying to protect myself.
βI lost my ID, and my papers are in my room. Itβs not far, you come with me, Iβll show you.β
A red flag, I thought.
I kept asking questions, trying to test the sincerity of his appeal. And yet, somewhere between caution and compassion, I felt a pull.
βHow much do you need?β I finally asked.
He mentioned the amount.
βLook, Iβm a student here. I live on a small budget. But if this helps you get back home, Iβll give it to you. Iβll need to withdraw it from the ATM.β
We walked toward the ATM near my home. He spoke about his work, about life during Covid in Italy. When we reached, I said, βPlease wait outside. Iβll get the money.β
βAre you sure?β he asked.
βYes.β
A few minutes later, I handed him the money. He seemed deeply relieved. He thanked me again and again.
βYou are an angel. Itβs rare to find people like you,β he said.
βItβs my pleasure,β I replied, wishing him luck on his way back home.
As I walked back, I kept wondering, was he truly in need, or had I just been tricked?
And then I realized something.
That evening, I had two choices. One was to walk away with suspicion. The other was to walk away with peace.
I chose the one that let me sleep gently that night.
Maybe he was honest. Maybe he wasnβt.
In that small moment, I made a choice under the beautiful sky. Music was still echoing softly in my ears. I chose to be someone who helps.
And sometimes, that is a good enough reason to step outside.
Do you have an interesting story to share with a stranger? Do you have story about how you found peace? Please comment below – I would love to know and be inspired.
I had a dream recently . Dreams follow me wherever I go especially when I move places.
What I saw was one of the strangest one on the surface.
“I wake up one morning to find that there is a hole in my wrist. It was not bleeding nor was it painful. And turns out there is something hidden beneath. It looked like a coin, rusted and brown in color. I uncover that what I was holding was probably from the ancient times. What I not understand was the reason behind what I was experiencing.
My first question to myself was – how did this get there. Who placed it? Is there a story that only my ancestors know about? I wanted an answer. I wanted to know the full story. But alas, like most of the dreams, I woke up. It was right when I was close to finding it.”
When I woke up, I felt like the shepherd from the Alchemist – standing at the edge of a mystery. A book I read years ago when I started my self discovery path.
Maybe the hole was not a void, but a doorway to something deeper than I can imagine. Something that invites me to follow the path with curiosity, not panic.
Becoming a little wiser with each step I take. And maybe, one day, I will find the answer when I am least expecting it.
Some mysteries arenβt meant to be solved! Just followed. πβ¨
After a walk of over an hour, we finally reached the top of a rock overlooking the sea, the Mediterranean Sea. The wind was very strong. I was trying my best not to be carried away by it. With some effort, I found a rock to lean on and slowly lay down. I put my scarf over my face only to cover my nose so I don’t catch cold.
When I turned, I saw myself facing the sky. In front of me, a vast blue sea, with a cruise in the middle, surrounded by rocks and gentle green of trees. When I started the walk, it was mostly cloudy but now I saw myself facing not only the sky but also the sun hiding behind a little bit of clouds.
As I stayed there in silence, all I could hear was the sound of the wind rushing over me. Above there were clouds like snow in all different forms. Slowly turning into different shapes. They all looked so effortless, as if changing their shape didnβt matter at all. They just kept adding to the beauty of the sky wherever they paced slowly with the wind.
The Big Bang or God, how did this all come into existence is a question I am often reflecting to. I canβt help but sit in silent wonder and awe at the creation of nature. My mind is constantly asking, how does this all work? Who created it? Why is everything around me so beautiful? I look so small in front of this vast sky and this sea. The life under the sea must be so interesting and mysterious.
Each question bringing me a little closer to my own being. For I know that I am source of this wonder and mystery that I create in the world around me.
Ever felt like youβve lost that spark within you – buried under the weight of the routines or major life transitions?
In the past, Iβve found myself in situations where I thought I lost my cherished belongings. I panicked about it for a while, then gave up on the idea that they were gone forever.
Whether it was forgetting my suitcase at the airport security check and only remembering it on reaching the terminal; losing my favourite pair of glasses, or misplacing a beautiful pair of earrings that I received as a gift. I felt sadness, frustration, and hopelessness.
Yet, in each instance, I found them again- my suitcase was still at the security checkpoint (yes a miracle), my beloved glasses were safely kept in a drawer and so were the beautiful earrings.
Reflecting on this, I realize the immense joy I felt when I got them back. Losing them reminded me just how much they meant. And Iβve felt the same way about the spark inside me. Over the past few years, Iβve missed a version of myself. It felt like I had lost her. But this moment that I share with you, is proof that she is still here. The only step β is to do what I want to do.
If you have read this far and connected with my story, be proud of yourself. Even, if youβre taking a break and giving yourself the time that you need. You can always come back stronger when you are ready because you just have to reignite the spark – childlike, curious to experience the world, letting art flow through you or conquering your fears.
Being an appreciative follower of Rumiβs work, I have always turned to his poems as a source of solace when faced with challenges. They often work as a gentle reminder of resilience and hope. There have also been moments. I never understood the depth of what his words meant.
βYou have to keep breaking your heart until it opens.β – Rumi
I wondered.
How is that even possible? Doesn’t breaking your heart make you more cautious towards trusting the unknown? Doesn’t it make you bitter with everything that has accumulated over the years?
I could not understand it all until I experienced the transformation for myself.
Each chapter was a stepping stone. They took me closer to myself. They revealed parts of me that I would not have discovered otherwise.
I began to see what I am truly capable of and what I genuinely deserve. The heart fully opens when you find peace within yourself and no longer rely on external factors for joy. You trust the process, and youβre ready to accept what comes with wholehearted gratitude.
Inspired by this realisation, I penned this poem as my own version of Rumiβs reflections on deeper love and connecting with the divine.
“Had it not been for all the stormy days, How would I have appreciated the rays of sunshine? Had it not been for all the lost embraces, How would I have known the face of true love? A love that sees through my soul, As gentle and soft as the touch of a breeze. A love that lifts me beyond my insecurities, Burying them beneath a bloom of flowers. A love that looks into my eyes, Without speaking, Unveils the beauty hidden within. A love that heals every wound, And makes me fall in love with love again. A love that everyone deserves, to experience once in a lifetime.π
As I think on this year that slipped by so quickly, one constant remains: the presence of water.
River, sea, ocean! The vastness of which makes me feel so smallβ a feeling of nothingness that makes me feel so grounded.
Water washes away everythingβ scars, pain, coldness that bites, the freshness that renews my soul. A reminder that, in comparison to its vastness, my pain is nothing but a drop in the water.
To hear the waves crash with forceβ a force that is uncontrollable. When water decides to take me into its bosom, there is no escape. Even the rocks, despite their strength, have chosen to be at its mercy.
Who am I then, a mere human, just a whisper in the ocean’s roar?
There is no doubt his paintings have gained popularity ( and some even say it’s overrated) but what I resonate most with is the painful journey. Each visit has only left me with a heavy heart thinking about the silent battles each one of us go through. His creativity and artistic pursuits were the only way he expressed these emotions.
The writings on this mirror were a true reflection of the countless times, we feel lost, with no direction but still continue to wake up each day and face it with the hope that the path will appear and that everything will fall in place.
It’s often difficult to forget painful memories, traumatising experiences, and hurt faced from those we thought were our closed ones. Having myself gone through various chapters in life, two important words that has become a part of me now is:
Forgetfulness – Living in the past has never helped anyone. There were many questions I had – why did this happen to me? why did this person act this way? Why did they break my trust? There was no way I could go back and undo the things that happened in the past. Sooner I realised that, the best thing to do was to accept knowing it is beyond my control. Completely erasing them from the memory is difficult but the less importance I gave, it helped me to minimise the impact of it in my life.
Forgiveness: This one has been tough, but the most important one. Whether it has been forgiving someone or forgiving myself – the acceptance that there is always a reason why people behave certain way. The best is to give a benefit of doubt and move on in life. But this doesn’t mean, to allow yourself to be taken advantage of. The learnings has been a key in helping me in setting boundaries and prioritising myself.
The favourite feeling for me, has been to see my own spiritual transformation and growth! To see myself outgrow all those painful moments and memories.
A few months ago, one of my friends pointed out that most of the manifestations I had put up on my wall had come true. I remembered that it had been more than a year since I wrote them and stuck them on my wall so I could see and remind myself every day.
Interestingly enough, I never looked at the list as I had planned to. So being reminded that what I wrote had come true was very satisfying. The last item on the list was “I want to experience peace and contentment.” My friend asked, “That’s a tricky one. How would you measure or decide if it happened?”
I had no answer to that until recently, when I started experiencing it for myself. I don’t know if there was a turning point or something that changed significantly in my life, but what’s been happening lately, and not just today but over the past few days, is that I am at peace with myself and doing my best to keep this spark alive.
Exhausted from tirelessly searching and travelling between multiple prefectures in pursuit of the right place for my visa renewal, I finally succumbed to fatigue. Collapsing into a nearby seat, I watched the metros passing by, my mind swirling with uncertainty and self-doubt. Tears welled in my eyes as I silently blamed myself for not having done enough.
Then, with a heavy sigh, I surrendered. Quietly, I whispered to the universe above, ‘If you can hear me, I am tired π€. Tired of navigating this journey. I surrender everything to you. I am ready to accept whatever lies ahead, wearing a smile as always.’
That moment of surrender was liberatingβI released the need for control, entrusting my fate to the divine. Now I truly understand what it means to live in the moment. π
βSurrender but buy yourself a good umbrellaβ β π
The choir was getting ready for the Festival. There were rehearsals going on as I looked for a seat not in the front and not too behind as well. When I came in, there were only a few people, and slowly it started to be occupied. In few minutes, I could hear the bells ringing as a sign for everyone to come to the church as they started getting to begin.
As I sat there in silence observing people who came in, I was reminded of my childhood dream. Yes, I always wanted to be a part of church choirs and everywhere I could sing with all my heart and soul. Each time I come to a church and when I see the choir singing, I am reminded of this unfulfilled dream.
Maybe it’s too late now, I think that often. Especially, in a country where language is always a struggle. To get to a community, to make meaningful connections and be at service all seems like a big task now as I try to build my life here from scratch and still in the process.
But here’s what, singing is what I loved, where and how probably did not matter now because I have convinced myself. Instead of whining over what I did not achieve below are some changes that I did that keeps be closer to this passion:
1) Singing for myself: If I could have been trained and taken music as a profession, it would have been great, but sooner I realised, that I just have to sing for myself when I feel like. Sing wholeheartedly with joy.
2) Healing inner wounds: This habit became a way for me to shift my mind from things I was worried about. Heartbreaks, disappointments, being hurt, singing and recording myself singing became the most joyful thing I liked doing.
3) Sharing it with the world: A little bit of what I recorded,I started sharing to the world in the form of social media. I was scared to do this in the beginning, because I never liked seeing myself in videos and to add my sound. I had fear of being judged or mocked for doing it. To my surprise, the response I received has been pleasantly overwhelming. I have been showered with so much love and encouragement every time I post a new song.
4) Finding my voice: Expressing myself had always been a challenge for me, which I am still trying to overcome. Recording my songs, became a perfect way for me to be comfortable in my own voice and to express myself fully by immersing myself with the music and flow.
I am sure there are many other things, music and singing has been helping me to cope with. I finally feel happy expressing it in my personal blog. I hope you liked this blog and found it useful.
What’s your story? How has music shaped you as a person? I would be interested to know.
It’s true. After years of being disconnected from WordPress and visiting periodically, I am back finally to restart my writing journey here and sharing with my WordPress community. My interest in expression did not fade, I was trying different options – mostly instagram because I thought that’s “The platform” these days.
I continued creating posts from my travel and writing my reflections. When I came back to this page yesterday and viewed all my old content, I started feeling nostalgic. A lot of memories came back in the form of comments and beautiful friends for life that I made here.
I am happy to be finally back home. My goal is to continue writing and pouring my thoughts here. There is a lot I have to share, and I can’t wait to break them down into blog posts and also get to read what my fellow-bloggers have been writing.
If you have come this far, please go ahead and comment with your recent post – I would love to read them to get some inspiration.
Remember noticing something for the first time, and all of a sudden, it starts appearing everywhere? Making us think, has this become more important now? Is this a sign? Or is the brain simply starting to notice something that has always been there?
That’s what I felt when I visited my favorite city, Auvers-sur-Oise, for the second time, this time as a tour guide for my friend (though not in the literal sense).
“Would you like to see the grave of Vincent Van Gogh?” I asked while taking a tour of the wheat field near the cemetery.
“Yessss,” came the response.
This time, I did not have to search for the place where he rests, and took them there directly. Unlike all the other magnificent graves in the cemetery, there it was βa simple grave covered with thick foliage. What immediately caught my attention was the beautiful crochet sunflower, positioned right behind a real one that had already begun to dry.
And there came the Frequency Illusion!
A few weeks ago, my friend introduced me to crocheting. Drawing inspiration from her incredible work, I decided to try it for myself. I’ve always loved the idea of creating something, so this seemed like the best way. We spent hours sitting in a park, and all I could manage was to do a foundation crochet, the easiest one.
Returning home, I started to practise again, but in vain. I began to lose my patience, and then my crochet hook and yarn both found a resting place in a corner. That’s until I saw this pretty Sunflower. My illusion of starting to see crochet everywhere, that this was a sign for me to begin again, to give it another try.
Because, the process of creation is not easy; it comes with a lot of patience and the passion to put together something beautiful that I could be proud of.
Thanks to this, I began again this time, armed with determination and without thoughts of failure.
While scrolling through my archives, I stumbled upon this picture from few years ago. Although, mostly I notice only my niece, this time my attention went to the little plant she is pointing to.
The soil at my home is not very friendly for plants, because of lack of water and dryness. No matter how hard we try, the plant would lose it’s life at some point, unless it doesn’t need lots of water.
Nevertheless, I always dreamt of having a beautiful garden. This little plant was the outcome of that. I don’t remember how long it survived but it was always a precious moment to wake up each morning and see how it is doing. It was like my baby, and I wanted it to succeed and grow.
It makes so much sense how important the environment is for us to grow and nurture ourselves. But there are two things that can happen, when faced with this – either we find a way to grow or we push ourselves to find that place(s). And sometimes it is an ongoing discovery. π»
During my school days, I remember creating a lot of cards for my close friends and often I ended up with a caption “Friends Forever”
Randomly reflecting upon it recently, I observed how we often tag “forever” to what we think and feel about certain things, especially to find peace and happiness.
“Friends forever” ” Happiness forever” “I’ll be with you forever” ” I’d be happy if I have this forever”
As we grow wiser with time, we see our lives moving so fast in front of our eyes.
The forever is then replaced with the acceptance of the impermanence.
Because,
Nothing stays forever, the breath we take, the seasons that we experience, the moving clouds in the sky the people that we meet the emotions that we go through Our never ending thoughts, that just keeps flowing like water ο
Even who we are is not forever, We learn, grow and evolve!
That’s the beautiful impermanence of life The sooner we realize it It’s easier to accept the changes we go through.
Just like everyday, Ayesha returned home late after a long and tiring day at work. She had dinner with her family and excused herself for bed. She could never go to sleep directly without listening to some music or reading a bit. Ayesha led a life surrounded by a lot of people but she was at peace only when she was all alone by herself with her headphones on β dreaming about accomplishing her dreams. To her, music was like the blood pumping into her heart. Her passion for music was well known to everyone in the house and was often scolded by her mom for not concentrating on her tasks because of music.
Reading through some pages of Sherlock Holmes, she fell asleep, not realizing the lights were still on. She had entered into her zone of dreams where she was once again in the midst of things she liked the most. Suddenly, she woke up to a loud thumping at her door. βWhoβs there?β asked Ayesha. βItβs us!β came a shout from the other side of the door. Still in a shock and rubbing her sleepy eyes, she opened the door to find her mom and dad standing there. She stood staring at them wondering what could have compelled them to wake her up at 2:00 in the morning. βWhat happened? Is everything alright?β she inquired.
With a worried face, her mom replied ββNo, nothing is alright. We heard you singing in sleepβ.Β βWhat! Are you out of your mind? Iβve been in deep sleep and I know for sure, I havenβt been singing.β βNoβ came the response from the other side. βYou have been singing, we heard you singing aloud. You were singing an old Bollywood song. And since you have been singing in your sleep, it seems like evil has come over you. We observed that you havenβt been praying enough lately and now the consequences are visible.β βBut mom, Iβ¦β. βNo, donβt say anything. Come downstairs with us now and letβs pray for youβ.
Bewildered and irritated, she accompanied them downstairs. And there she was, sitting at 2.00 a.m. in the drawing room. Her mom handed her a Bible and said βRead this and ask for forgiveness of your sinsβ. For almost half an hour, she sat there like a statue. Not understanding what to do, she finally submitted herself to her parents and read the Bible. Taking this step was like freeing herself from jail. She was allowed to go back to sleep.
Next day, early morning – it was again time to go to office. The previous nightβs hangover forced her not to talk to her parents and leave with a gloomy face still wondering what made them act so weird and deprive her of sleep.
As soon as she reached her office, she got a call. She answered the phone to find it was her brother Roger βAyesha dear, how are you doing?β With a grim face, she replied βI am okayβ. Roger continued, βWhat had happened yesterday?β Ayesha sighed, βNot again! Donβt remind me about thatβ. βHey, hey, hey my little sister, donβt you worry. That was me singing in the middle of the night with my headphones on because of which I didnβt realize that I was loud enough to be heard downstairs. Sorry for what happened last night! It was all because of me.β
Ayesha froze there thinking whether she should get angry with him or laugh at the silly incident.
As I passed by a tree, I saw a little birdie welcoming the morning sun with its beautiful singing. I stood there, watching it, to hear the singing without having to tune into YouTube or Spotify. There was so much energy and hope in its voice. I can’t recall the last time I woke up with so much zeal to welcome a new day. All I can think of is to snooze that alarm for another 15 minutes. These 15 minutes often turn into hours.
The little birdie flied from one tree to another now joining its group of friends. The chirping becoming stronger than before.
I told the birdie,
“I wish to be like you, like your friends –
To welcome each day with arms wide open
To be swift to embrace the new adventures,
To have wings like you, so I fly, wherever I wish to go,
I wish to be a free-bird,
Like you!”
“YOU ALREADY ARE”, replied the birdie and flew away with the flock of birds.
The flowers had started to bloom. Sophie looked on each side observing the colors of the different flowers and soaking in all the happiness she could.
She decides to sit for a while under the shade of the tree. Settling down,her hands felt something strange on the ground. She picks it up to find a little mirror. It was not an ordinary mirror. It was shining like gold. She saw herself and smiled.
“Hello, my friend” – she heard a voice. There was no one around her. It’s me, the one you are holding in your hands. Sophie panicked. Was she dreaming. She had read in fairytales about a speaking mirror,but was this for real?
“Yes,it is” , said the mirror. “Since you now have me,you can ask me anything. I am your friend”
“Hello, mirror? Is that how I should call you?” -Sophie asked reluctantly.
“Call me your friend! Now, tell me what’s on your mind? But remember,I do not make wishes come true, I only show you the way.”
“I still can’t believe what’s going on, but since you ask what’s going on my mind. Tell me despite this beautiful day, despite me enjoying it, why do I feel an emptiness inside? Why do I feel that I am not loved? I think about all the occasions when I poured out love for the people I cared for, but why doesn’t it come back?” – Sophie asked. It was as if she was waiting for someone to ask her how she was feeling.
“Maybe, you should love yourself (a little bit more) to be able to love someone else. Unless, you don’t fill yourself with the love you deserve, how is it going to reach others?” – Her mirror friend responded.
“How to do that? I have seen and read things about self-love but I don’t really understand how far to go. “
” It is not as complicated as it may seem. Think about the last time you had a proper meal savoring the taste of what you are having? You probably don’t know or remember, because it has become so difficult to stay in the moment with yourself.
The happiness that you seek is inside you, the more you know yourself,the more you learn to accept who you are and love yourself despite the flaws.
Take time to pat yourself for how far you come. There are so many reasons to believe you are stronger than what you think you are. You have an immense power living inside you, eagerly waiting to be activated.
Give it a try and see where it leads you to!”
In a blink of an eye, Sophie’s hand became empty. She felt as if she was woken up from a dream. But there was a peace that she was experiencing like the one after a strom. She felt good to have been in face to face with reality even in her dream-like conversation.
This month marks the start of my six months, living in a different country away from home, and also since I left a stable job to give wings to my dreams.
Last year same time, I wouldβt have imagined that I would have been here. A lot happened in the last few years. There were moments where I felt lost, which is still true. Because I still am searching for my destination.
What is happening in between, is me taking the path which I think will lead me to where I want to be. There are lots of uncertainties. Not a day goes by when I do not think about the future. But more often I replace them by reminding myself there is nothing to worry.
Because if I had the courage to decide and take a path, soon the way would become clear. I remind myself of the people I met here, whom I was destined to meet. All beautiful people from different parts of the world. I see a reflection of myself in each one of them, with light in their heart and moving towards their dreams, one day at a time.
And what about the city? Well, yes. People and places are no different to me.
I have lost count of the number of cities I changed in the past few years. As soon as I think this is going to be the place for life, I have to pack my bags again to another place. Whereever I go, the city embraces me as I am. It has been a witness to so many stories, heartbreaks, scars and dreams. And it continues to take and absorb more and more with all love and warmth it has to offer.
For two weeks, the classes are generally conducted in an older building of the school located near the main one. Initially, I was too lazy to find this building and wondered what was the need to switch between two buildings. The first day was okay, I was already late for the class and then looking for the class room. I could barely notice what was around me.
The second day, a more familiar place, I could notice the silence of the place. During my first break, I thought to move out of the classroom to take a look around. As I starting observing, I wondered how old the building would be. One of my classmates said it used to be a religious building.
That added to my curiosity. The building is from 17th century and currently residence to students and nuns. There are also offices and classes conducted like ours.
βAt that time, the Ursuline sisters lived semi-cloistered, and a hundred nuns were responsible for the education of young girls.β βWhen one enters the enclosure of this cloister today, the gaze of the visitor is drawn to the inner courtyard where a mascaron fountain sits in its center. Time travel begins here.β β Lamontagne.fr
Unfortunately, the entry to the courtyard is restrictedο
I am yet to explore this historic site, but this image made my day. It felt like this picture just paused the time, a nostalgic feeling for the women in the picture, whom I do not know of. The picture itself is worth thousand smiles.οο₯°
Tired after a long-day of walking and exploring, I was rushing back to my hotel. It was 5.30 in the evening. The roads had already started getting deserted. In all the rush, I heard someone calling me from behind. I looked back to find Mr. Balan waving at me. “Going back?”, he asked. I said “Yes, I am going back”. “Come, have a cup of tea with us before you go”. I agreed to it and was there again, after having filling lunch with masala-dosa, chutney and sambhar in the noon.
“How about parotta and chicken curry with tea?” He asked again. I said, “No, but thank you, I am already full with the lunch, tea should be enough”. He replied, “Have one at least, you would like it.” I couldn’t deny after all it was about kerala porotta, I could manage to create some space for it π
We had conversations around the pandemic, the struggles of the tourism industry and how the pandemic had badly impacted his business. He talked about how his restaurant had over 500 visitors each day and now hardly few. Which was evident from the fact that I was the only one even during lunch and then during dinner.
After the grand dinner, I started to leave, I asked how much I had to pay. He said, “No, this is on me”. I did not understand how to respond, I said,” That’s unfair, please take it you have a business to run especially during these trying times”. Despite the number of times I tried to convince, he denied politely with a big smile. I finally gave up for that day, but I thought to visit again and have lunch. I had to catch a train in the evening.
When I entered the restaurant, there were already few customers. After I took a table, there was one more person who entered and then two more and so on. After what I saw the day earlier, the sight was an absolute delight. I ordered the same as the dinner I had the day before. I had my lunch quitely, enjoying the delicious meal that was in front of me.
It was time to leave. “How much?”, I asked. “11 euros”, he said with the same big smile.
“Have a safe journey, know that we are here next time you come. “
P.S. –
This is from my recent trip to Lourdes. I am not a great travel blogger :), but I do enjoy the small moments and conversations I get to have with complete strangers while travelling solo, which I hope to post in next few days. π
One of my goals for the new year to be consistent with my writing. I have tried to put my content on several other platforms but I have to say, I keep coming back to WordPress because this is the best community one can have to keep getting better. Thanks for all the love all through these years β€
This plant was one of my treasured possession few years ago. I bought this and few other plants when I moved to my new home. “New Home”, the thought of it was surreal because I never dreamt of owning one. And each morning, I looked forward to seeing if they were doing fine. To make them survive in the scorching heat of a city like Ahmedabad was a challenge. Nevertheless, thinking about those days still fills me with gratitude.
Just when I thought this is it. This is where I am supposed to be, things changed and I had to move to another city and a new home. I had to let go off my treasured possesions. And my aunt got this hybrid bougainvillea. Like us humans, plants also takes time to adjust in their new environment. So it took time for it to adjust to the new soil. Years have passed but she still takes care of it like her child. All these years, it never bloomed, when it did, it was just a few, so seeing this picture only makes me feel happy about it no matter how far I am. And proud of the hands it has landed to.
Something I wrote for my friend when I was recovering from Covid few months ago. Posting it here as a memory and to be grateful always..
“My life after beating the corona virus. My dear friend @sapkalibirlady asked me this question. The first thought that came to my mind, was that, even though I didn’t consciously think about its impact, the virus and the vulnerability did had an effect on my outlook towards worldly things.
The last few weeks, was a battle to survive. Fighting my own thoughts about life and death. To live or not to live. To fill myself with positive energy or not. There was a part of me that wanted to give up this worldly life, and a part of me that wanted to live life to the fullest before I die. The beauty of life is such you got to go with the latter. Once my mind was made up, it was easier to convince myself to stay strong and let the medications work. The prayers and wishes from loved ones had a powerful effect.
To hit the rock bottom, to suffer and to see your loved ones suffer was a painful experience. Now when I look back it all seems like a nightmare. I can’t be thankful enough to see my family safe and recovering.
For me, this is a second life that I have got. Although, life is uncertain, I see a bright future and a long journey ahead to experience the adventures of life. I haven’t made up my mind yet, but it would have something to do with self – discovery and losing myself to mysticism. Life need to have more meaning and purpose than it has now. I am in search of that path into the unknown. οοοβ€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈ”
My favourite search generally on the internet is the “things to do” for the city I am visiting. It’s been a week, I have been in this new city and I know that in a blink of an eye this is also going to become a memory. So I want to explore whatever possible within my reach for now and keep the rest for new adventures.
One of the place that caught my attention was “Parc Montjuzet“. While deciding my city for my studies, the pictures that I mostly found were from this place. I looked for the maps – 30 mins walking. I thought that’s not a big deal. Finally, I made up my mind to go and explore. The best feeling about these little adventures is to walk aimlessly even though I know my destination. I can still take time to enjoy the journey and observe the little things that comes my way.
Whether it is the streets or the houses with little balconies full of colorful flowers, makes me want to pause the time for a bit, for time moves so fast. It’s towards the close of the destination that I realized I had to climb a passageway of stairs. I was already so tired, at one point I thought I should go back and then convinced myself to move ahead. After taking little breaks in between, the view that I finally got to see was worth all the pain.
All it takes is to give yourself a break from being productive to being in the moment. We look for happiness when it’s right there around us, within us. The choice is ours. Be kind to yourself, the world is not going to end. Make the best out of the present.
Something woke me up in the middle of the night. From my bed, I could see the living room filled with the moon light. Staying alone was never a nightmare for me but there was something different about today.
A fear took over me, as I just sat there, I felt my throat dry. I was thirsty. But do I dare to move from my bed. No!
I reached out for my phone, to check the time. 4:00 a.m! .
All of a sudden, it struck me, “It is 4.00 a. m. The time when granny used to wake up, read the Bible and said her prayers.”
When she read the Bible and sung her songs of praise and worship,it was so comforting. It was like angels singing for our protection. Had she been alive, this would have been her time of prayer.
My fear was replaced with her warmth and love.
I said Γ prayer for her and for my loved ones and then went back to sleep.
The nights that followed were no different. Between 3 a. m. to 4 a. m. I found myself wide awake with the thought about Granny. The silence and the light that filled the room made me feel as if Granny was watching over me, to say something.
It’s been years that she left us, but since then there have been many occasions, she has visited me in my dreams. I don’t know how this happens. But I want it to be like this forever. The last I saw her was a few weeks ago, all bright and ready to go to church.
And few days later my paternal grandmom left for her heavenly abode. I can only imagine the signs.
Miss you both, my Wonder women. The love and compassion with which you are filled is hard to find.
I have not often expressed openly about my spiritual beliefs, even though from a very young age, I have had the privilege to experience feelings/moments that have been beyond my understanding. To this day, thinking about each of those experiences gives me goosebumps. I realize how much I have been protected and loved by “The One”.
But there is always a phase in life, when you lose hope from everything even your greatest strength doesn’t seem to exist then. In one of those phases in my life, I chose to seek an answer. I prayed and opened the Bible and started reading – I couldn’t believe my eyes. Was I dreaming? Aren’t these words unbelievably hopeful? Nevertheless, I wrote those words in my tiny book which I fill with all words of wisdom that I have come across.
Now when I look back, each of these words feels so powerfully connected. For everyone going through hard times, this is a reminder that you are not alone. And there is still hope even in those moments. Somethings are beyond our control, but what we can do is chose to be hopeful and give our best. The universe will care for you.
Language, considered to be the most common way to communicate and converse. When left to a completely new place without the fluency of the local language, it leads to a fear for survival and the dire need to know the basics.
It has been no different for me. I’ve always dreamt spending my time in social work and getting connected with the local community in need. But, how will I converse with them has been the question that goes on, in the back of my mind.
My grandma however has been a perfect example for me that language isn’t a barrier in conversing. After spending her lifetime at her native, she willingly accepted the opportunity to travel and stay with her children and their families, spread across different states of India.
Our house was situated in the outskirts of a little town. And the people who surrounded us were farmers who owned huge acres of land and spent most of their time taking care of them.
The owner of the land was a lady, aged probably same as grandma. When she was on her usual visits to the farm which was near our house, she never missed an opportunity to talk to my grandma. Both didn’t had a common language to talk, my grandma spoke in her native and the old woman spoke in gujarati.
After she would leave , we used to ask grandma, what were you two talking about. And to our surprise, grandma always had a perfect answer to it with details around their conversation.
Well, to this day it still remains a mystery how they made it work. Even though, both of them left for their Heavenly abode they continue to inspire us with these memories of them.
She looked at her watch again. It was half past 12. She had been standing at that place for more than an hour. Still there was no sign of the bus that would have taken her home.
Her school had closed earlier than expected, that’s when she decided to take the public transport instead of waiting for her school bus. After all, someday she had to try this, to be independent, to explore the roads never taken, to be bold enough to travel alone. Someday she had to, so why not now.
But now, she stood there feeling stupid of her decision. And started getting worried more than ever. Calling mom wasn’t an option because there was no mobile phones back then and a public phone bhooth was no where to be found.
All she could do was just stand there and wait. To her relief, Γ bus finally arrived. Having waited impatiently for a few hours now, she just hopped on without giving a second thought. The bell of the bus rang and it took off. She stood there shocked as there was no passenger except her.
It was just the driver and the conductor. Not knowing what to do, she quickly took a window seat and sat there hoping the next stops will have passengers.
One, two, three, four, and so on. The bus passed stops, but no one to take it. Her heart started beating faster. What if something happened to her. She was the only girl in the bus. No one to witness if anything happened to her.
She reached out to her bag, and found her weapon to fight any harm. She held the white rosary, closed her eyes and starting chanting her routine prayer. Seeking help ! With hope!
The bus stopped, and there emerged a woman and sat in the front seat.
Ayesha looked out of the window to get a glimpse of the sky. “Thank you” she said and closed her eyes in relief.
This was my third visit to Agra. The first time I visited was 4 years ago. Then and now, my love for this place still remains as is. What changed is probably the surroundings and the state of this place. This time due to pollution – all the pictures I took were blur, but does that take away the beauty and charm of this huge monument which is and forever will be a symbol of love?
There was a 2.5 hours halt at the Black Sea which was part of our Sile-Agva Bus Tour. Sufficient time probably for people who wanted to enjoy the beach. But when we reached the place, there were two sides to it – one that was too crowded and the other one quieter.
We had already lost an hour figuring out the way and a place to sit and relax. Finally, we gave up and thought to just stay at the beachside cafe and enjoy a hot coffee. There were all sorts of sounds I was able to hear apart from just enjoying the view – the laughter of kids playing with their parents, the waves crashing against the shores, squawking of seagulls, people walking on the shore, cycling, and whatnot.
All of a sudden, I could see the crowd’s attention move to a young lady who is accompanied by a guard. What I notice later is a little girl, on a wheel-chair. I don’t know what to assume what she might be suffering from – all I could see was a Mom carrying her child in her arms and sitting aside the seashore allowing the little one to feel the water and let her soak the light of the Sun.
As I got back to my sight-seeing, all I could think of was the life I should be grateful for. There are so many reasons to be happy which we fail to realize when we get into the tangles of our daily routine.
I woke up to the sounds of birds chirping. I thought to myself, what time is it? Is it morning already, time to wake up? The chirping seemed closer now, and I was sitting on my bed looking for where it came from.
From a little hole on the wall, came a flock birds rushing and flying around me in circles. Down they came still in flight but closer to me, some flying near my hands. Suddenly, one of it caught my hand and stayed there for a while. I moved my hands closer to take a look cause it was still so dark. A tiny little bird, looked somewhat like the jungle babbler. Reminded me of my home where we were always surrounded by them.
Before I could make myself sure, off it went alongwith the rest. Flying off! Outside the window, stood a bigger version of the bird. All I could see was it’s head and a clear blue sky in the backdrop.
What was happening, I thought again and looked on the bed to find myself in deep sleep.
When I was discussing TED talks during a coffee break with my friends, little did we know that we were only hours away from witnessing one for ourselves.
The theme for this year’s TEDxGurugram was βLEVEL UPβ. With 8 speakers and 200 attendees, the event was a perfect opportunity to meet people from diverse backgrounds.
The event started off with an activity where the audience came together to play a unique game with boom whackers and made music in unison. The challenge was to level-up with each attempt that set the pace with the theme. Since we had our own misconceptions about Talk events, it was refreshing to start the day and prepare ourselves for what was to come. What followed was a journey of various speakers and their incredible ideas and contribution to society.
Avik Sarkar, Assistant Professor, ISB, shared his journey while working on several projects with the government. He introduced his idea to create a βPartnership based Accountability Platformβ, that will be a centralized platform for the citizens to report and take advantage of the facilities that are available and at the same time defining accountabilities and building transparency around it by utilizing the data at disposal.
The project N-Pulse Prognostics was born out ofKajal Shrivastavaβs dream to make Ayurveda and health practices more accessible and trustworthy to the world. NadiPulse is focused on building ergonomically precise, data-driven devices, which brings together modern technology and wisdom from the Vedas to create a revolutionary device.
Atishiβs talk on βDelhiβs Education Revolutionβwas a very inspiring success story on the transformation of Delhi Government Schools. With over 60% of the school-going children, dependent on government schools, she shared the governmentβs vision to provide not just a dignified environment but also preparing them to take on the future challenges, through the introduction of happiness project in the curriculum. The School Management Systems comprised of parents are set-up who support them in their undertakings.
When Rajiv Bajaj, Chairman, and MD, Bajaj Capital came on stage, our obvious assumption was him talking probably about his enterprise. To our surprise, he brought to light a very beautiful and interesting Japanese concept “Ikigai”. “Iki” stands for “Life” and “gai” for “flow”. Despite all success in his professional journey, he set on a quest for finding his purpose in life and that’s how he discovered his love for Japanese culture and Ikigai. Since then, he has been researching on the subject and also conducting “Ikigai” workshops.
Jonas Suchanek, born and brought up in Auroville, he is an “arborist” a concept that is new to India. Under the banner TreeCare India, his team has been doing exceptional work for creating a sustainable environment. In addition, has been working toward promoting and creating awareness around arboriculture in India through Education, Legislation, and Passion.
Last but the most powerful talk that also received a standing ovation from the audience was the story of Zainab Patel. As she grew up, she faced a lot of abuse while fighting for her identity. She was one of the petitioners of National Legal Services of Authority vs. Union of India, that led to a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of India, which declared transgender people to be a ‘third gender’, affirmed that the fundamental rights granted under the Constitution of India will be equally applicable to transgender people, and gave them the right to self-identification of their gender.
As the theme goes, each moment about the event was a “Level Up”. The event closed with amazing performances by Shruti Jalhar and Djembefola United band.
And this is not the end, this is just a beginning – the talks and experiences shared by everyone including the speakers and the performers not just gives us reasons to be grateful for what we have and but also to make the best out of life through simple and impactful ideas. After all, its gratitude and what we give back to the society that gives real happiness.
While serving on the board of our organization’s Employee Resources Group, I was always on the lookout of great speakers whom we could invite for speaker series. From Srijan Pal Singh (Founder & CEO), Kalam Center, to National Award winners Shasha Tirupathi and Ashish Vidhyarthi. What this gave me was access to amazing people whose life is a living example for one and all.
Although it didn’t materialize, it’s my hunt for the best speakers that led me to Ashish Vidyarthi’s page. I always knew him as an actor more known for his antagonist and character roles. Since then I had been looking for opportunities to attend his workshop.
And finally, this happened – “Partnering with Ashish and Piloo Vidhyarthi” Both of them make a powerful couple who can motivate you with simple and practical examples. I absolutely had a great time attending this workshop.
Also, one of the “Am I dreaming?” moments π
Do share your “Am I dreaming? Moments in the comment section below. I’d love to read. π
Looking out of the window, I could see the sky painted bright as the sun rose. I was excited about my tripβa solo journey with a group of strangers that I had impulsively decided to take.
I put on my earphones and started playing my favourite music. With three hours to reach my destination, it was the perfect choice to make the most of the window seat and immerse myself in my own world.
“Can I take the seat next to you?” I heard a voice. I looked up and said, “Oh yes, absolutely.” While my fellow traveler was settling down, we shook hands and introduced ourselves.
“And… that was the start of a beautiful friendship filled with trust, spirituality, humour, and a shared sense of purpose in life. This became one of my favourite moments, one that I still cherish.”
The days may be cloudy now, But soon there would be a clear sky, So I can see the Sun clearly, Let its light shine upon me. I will see the flock of birds rushing to their sacred places I will see the beautiful colors painted in the sky Colors never seen before, Never witnessed. I will stand in awe of your super powers. And I would repeatedly say “Thank you” so my voice reaches out to you. Of how grateful I am for your unconditional love! β€οΈπ
My spiritual journey started at a very young age. I remember, as a child, I always felt a divine intervention in everything I did. Being a quiet kid at school and home, I found solace in talking to a “Jesus, I trust in you” poster. I remember, when I came back from school, I closed the doors of my room and spoke to this person in front of me whom I addressed as my friend, my Father. Endless talks about the day, my insecurities, fears, and joy.
Then and now, nothing has changed. I never had a habit of taking out time to pray or read the Bible, but I have been in conversation with Jesus in the happiest moments and in the trying times.
I say a thank you when I am happy and I ask for strength when in doubt.
Is there a childhood memory that you could connect with from this. I’d love to read it in the comments section below.
If you feel lost, disappointed, hesitant, or weak, return to yourself, to who you are, here and now and when you get there, you will discover yourself, like a lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong.
The feel of some places stay with you forever. This was one of them for me. I visited this church for the first time to attend a wedding. And I instantly fell in love with it. All through the wedding ceremony, I couldn’t help but appreciate how beautifully the church is still preserved.
“Arthat St Mary’s Orthodox Cathedral a.k.a. Arthat Valiyapally also called Paloor-Chattukulangara Church is an ancient church located in Arthat village of Thalapilly Taluk, one mile south of Kunnamkulam town, Thrissur, Kerala, India.This is the first and the oldest church in India founded in AD 52. This church is also known as Chattukulangara pally. It is believed that this church is the most ancient church in this region and is one of the Seven and Half church founded by St Thomas Apostle in AD 52” – Source – Wikipedia
βThe past is an interpretation. The future is an illusion. The world does not move through time as if it were a straight line, proceeding from the past to the future.
Instead time moves through and within us, in endless spirals.
Eternity does not mean infinite time, but simply timelessness.
If you want to experience eternal illumination, put the past and the future out of your mind and remain within the present moment.β
Driving back home with my grand-aunt, we were having conversations about life, dealing with adversity and making key decisions that would shape one’s future. The conversation with grand-aunt was filled with precious lessons, and one that stands out for me is-
“When you are taking important decisions in your life, if you feel even a red-flag, don’t go for it!”
I was reminded of this conversation once again, when I started reading the book – Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, “The Power of Thinking Without Thinking” as part of an activity by Lean In Personal Branding led by Suba Lakshminarasimhan.
Blink is an interesting book that offers a unique narrative to how a human mind can bring as much value in the blink of an eye as in months spent on analysis. Malcolm introduces the readers to snap judgement that can be taken in seconds with limited information through – βThin-slicingβ. When I was contemplating with myself if this theory is right or wrong, I went down to my memory lane to recollect the instances where I might have applied this theory.
And the one simple instance from my routine that I could recollect was my regular commute to the office. I had to cover a brief distance by hiring an auto-rickshaw. Every time I got off the bus, I would take a quick glance at the auto-drivers and in seconds decided whom I should go with. That was me, applying the Thin-slicing theory, analyzing with the limited information I had based on the auto-drivers personality, body language and facial expressions because I was too conscious about my safety. Most of the times I was right, for I never had a bad experience except for few.
There is no right or wrong approach to this. It all depends on the data and information that is available.
βThe truth is that it can. Just as we can teach ourselves to think logically and deliberately, we can also teach ourselves to make better snap judgments. The power of knowing, in that first two seconds, is not a gift given magically to a fortunate few. It is an ability that we can all cultivate for ourselvesβ
In 2005, the National Science Foundation published an article summarizing research on human thoughts per day. It was found that the average person has about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Of those thousands of thoughts, 80% were negative, and 95% were exactly the same repetitive thoughts as the day before. Just as important it is to provide relevant data to build a meaningful model with machine learning and artificial intelligence, we have to make conscious efforts to send information that can teach us in taking better snap judgments. We need to filter our thoughts to an extent that our decisions are not driven by our biases, past experiences, stereotypes etc.
βBlink is concerned with the very smallest components of our everyday lives-the content and origin of those instantaneous impressions and conclusions that spontaneously arise whenever we meet a new person or confront a complex situation or have to make a decision under conditions of stress.β
Is there an experience that you can recall, share in the comments section below.
P. S. This is my first attempt at writing a book review based on the first two chapters of the book. π
Life has always been uncertain. But this year, it has been different. Every day we wake up to a news that gives us reminders about the fragility of the Life.
So when everything is temporary, the best thing to do is appreciate the present – the gifts that we posses in form of mother nature, our family, our loved ones, ourself and everything that holds a dear place in our heart.
I pray may you and your loved ones be protected and be safe. God bless!
A Blossoming Spirit 