Everything has a purpose

That is the way of mindfulness and mental peace which is propagated  by positive thinkers and wellness teachers  and therein lies their value

Have  you ever passed the site of a horrendous road accident minutes after it has happened and realised you could have been part of it if it wasn't because of 

the jammed door lock 

or the phone call on your landline just as you were stepping out

 or that obstinate tie which was refusing to knot correctly 

or even that collar button that was being difficult 

or the neighbour who way laid you as you were going out of the building insisting on talking to you 

or the car ignition that refused to fire ( today of all days ) 

Do you then regret all the curses and abuses you rained down on there innocent events ?

They possibly saved your life and made it possible for you to help those involved in the accident !

In every event , the smallest of them , ( not just big ones like missing a flight  etc ) there is a purpose which we must learn to recognise and immediately we can think clearly .

Lifetimes

#Lifetimes remain for Souls to be together ! 

There is a connection 

With Each Person 

Sometimes you sense it 

Sometimes you don't 

Sometimes it throbs and 

Sometimes it tingles 

Sometimes it tickles and 

Sometimes it groans 

When people sense it 

The pull is very great

But if not resonated 

It remains for a future date

Plan B in Life

Just a small funny story to try and emphasise on the importance of having a  #PlanB  in life's situation

===========

  A puny frail fellow having had a couple at the local bar went out and found that someone had painted graffiti on his car ! Realising it must have  been someone from inside he swaggered in to the best of his ability and menacingly demanded to know who had done it ! 

A huge body builder type got onto his feet and looking down on our hero admitted to have done it 

Mark you , his tone had under currents of " So what are you going to do about it ? " 

The hero , quickly ' sized '  up the situation but not to appear a coward ( and still being a bit under the influence of the couple he had taken ) asked 

" Did you do that on purpose  or was it a joke ? " 

The big guy ( deepening the underline to ' what are you going to do about it ' ) said " I did it on purpose " 

Our Hero , showing great presence of mind ( #PlanB ) said : 

" Good , because I don't like jokes like that ! " 

And beat a dignified retreat 😊😊

Joy - more experienced than defined

This image causes an explosion of hope would you say ?

I have this terrible habit of continuously posting images like this , which have an impact on me 

Trust me it's caused by an impulse to share a moment experienced , an idea pronounced or just the sheer thrill of observing something creative 

(Am an idiot whose eyes moisten or well up when I hear great pieces of music or watch a marching parade with a band .)

Anyway , what I realise is that , there is a whole lot of persons who are coming  up with similar images and sharing them and I suppose they have intentions similar to mine ! 

Those who feel inflicted by this barrage would be wise to adopt a scrolling policy as it's not likely to end in the foreseeable future 

( Did I just see a lot of people unfriending me ? 😀😀😀😀)

Impulse - foolish or otherwise

#Impulse - foolish or otherwise 

It's a matter of conjecture 

If I am heading in the right direction 

I only know that the path taken 

Is documented in the Happiness Section 

I continue to hold the goal in view 

Moving forward with determination 

Convinced that there is nothing wrong 

With my efforts and sincere intention

People may join or misunderstand 

My expressions , actions and emotions 

But what matters most to me my self 

Is that I act firmly on my notions .

If I do act in my belief 

That I do it for others benefit 

Let them not judge that I am pushed 

Because of any personal profit 

When an emotion is strong 

It can blind us to Reason 

But  loving and impulsive action 

Do not have any season !

Some stories with insights

Reminded , for some strange reason, of two stories related to slightly inebriated persons (" high " in the vernacular of the uncouth ) . What appears to be juvenile humour may, on closer inspection, have a lesson in them 

A drunk driving the wrong way on a ' one way street ' was stopped and asked by the policeman on duty

" Where do you think you are going ?" He replied:  " Dunno but wherever it is I seem to be late ! Everyone seems to be com⁰ing back ! " 

⁰My take away : 

On the path of life make sure you are facing in the right direction suited to your purpose or be prepared to swim against the current.

A man saw another searching for something on the ground , under a  lamp post and being helpful by nature asked if could help. The searcher said he was looking for his keys which he seemed to have  dropped. The man started looking but in vain . On being asked where exactly the keys were dropped the man pointed to a place a few meters away. On being asked why he was not searching there  the man said 

" But the light is shining here,  isn't it ? !" 

My take away : What you seek is not ALWAYS where the light is shining but you may have to work at finding it in the shadows ( with some help of course 😊)

The Universe Show

Just sharing a thought that crossed my mind 

If  we consider it , now a days the same movies , TV shows and Google and You Tube can be viewed all over the world the only difference is that of time zones. Content  seen is constant . Also , there may be particular spots where viewing may not be possible ! 

The Show of the Universe in which the Sun , Moon and other  Celestial Bodies  are cast can also be viewed from everywhere subject to time zones ! 

It's a great show without disturbing ads and needing no sub-titles and there is nowhere it can't be seen and also has beautiful backdrops ! 

Give " The God Show "the thumbs up and lets push up its TRP ratings ! 😊😊

Self - Sufficiency ( Loneliness etc)

#The #Catalyst 

#self #sufficiency for a #happy #life 

#Think #People #Into #Being 

Loneliness , depression and such maladies are common complaints . Symptoms of a basic lack experienced by humans because they are social animals . 

Often , disappointment  upon expectations is a root cause . No one else is to blame .

Waiting to be able to meet someone you like to meet and who is busy elsewhere is like waiting on the side of a rural road for the bus to come by . Unknown schedules making the ears strain for a distant sound and the eyes ache for a sighting . 

That is Loneliness ! It is also the build up of expectation because you BELIEVE the bus #Will come and as the minutes stretch to hours - seeming much longer than normal - one stands Alone .....

But are we really alone ? Can we experience the Presence of that Witness ?  Tough call !

Personally , I like to divert attention from the expectant waiting to keeping the mind busy composing essays and poems and telling myself jokes .. 

One other  way i find useful - 

We can bring into virtual existence anyone/anything  we think of . Think of a person / place or thing and you are no longer alone 😊 

May not be as good as the real thing but then do we have a choice ? 

Trust me , I have had some great conversations like this. 

Not that I don't crave meeting people but in the absence loneliness and depression are somewhat relieved .

The Voice within

It all started this morning when i did not want to get out of bed ! Just didnt feel like it.

The Voice said: "DONT keep lying there "

Me: (back up )" WHO is to stop me ?"

Rebellion and resistance 

The Voice : " Well you SOULDNT be "

Reason crept in ( albeit slowly but it did ) 

Got me thinking ( for a change ) about operatives like DON'T , CAN'T, SHOULD and of course SHOULD NOT 

The design and structure of every Creation existing allows it the total and absolute freedom of action . There is no restriction to doing anything . No blockage from the Universe .

The limitation -to do -comes from our own thinking or sometimes ' physical or mental handicaps ' BUT the choice is freely available. 

Nothing blocks us from raising our hands , running , sitting , standing, speaking ......etc

We have TOTAL FREEDOM 

IF we are told or tell someone imperiously  ( colleagues , team members , children)  

Don't do it ,  resistance and rebellion is created 

Instead if we say or are told the same as SHOULDN'T do it there is a better chance of reasoning 

Ultimately we do as  we please and the only true Mentor and Guide is 

The Voice whose pitch and tone is perfect but our hearing can be sometimes flawed .

The Voice also has this irritating habit of saying , at every opportunity it gets  " I told you so " or " Did I not say so ?" 😊😊😊

Friendship

Life was a barren desert

Till along came the Friend

That Oasis of cooling waters

Where every thirst could end

The One who listened

Shared all that was felt

In gratitude to whom

The very being knelt 

When a friend leaves

And sails upon the Tide

There is an emptiness

Where only memories reside

Thoughts that haunt 

Spectres of shared dreams 

Reverberating in hollowness

Once the source of streams

Such is the mirage of life 

That imagined future dear

Which fades into oblivion

As far as it is near 

Vikaas Nafde  May 2017

Fugitive from Planet Earth

#The #Catalyst #Influencer 

On the subject of 

#Seeking #happiness #in #death.

There is a school of thought that suicide is a cowardly act of someone who ceased to fight .

Not true about the ' cowardly ' part I think . It takes courage and strength to take natural laws into ones own  hands . Personally also i have experienced this at some points of time and came out short but the task to cut off the life force is a #super #human task .

When I try to extrapolate my thinking to that of the ' victim ' I feel it is so difficult to take that #final #step - the #last #moment when all is ended - the deal is signed , sealed and delivered .

That time would be so tormenting and possibly one of  desperation due to the impossibility to ' abort ' the mission ! 

The Mind is a strange place . I am not a psychologist and this is my lay man way of understanding 

BUT I believe that 

 The #courage #of #will, needed for suicide, #SHOULD be diverted to facing ones challeges 

No Heartbreak or disappointment 

Loss of some person , place or thing or no other darkness warrants seeking happiness in death.

introducing Mr Crow

Introducing Mr. Crow , an #old #friend #newly #found ! 

Gives a photo - op 

They are supposed to be ancestors keeping us company ! 

Since about a week ago he visits my terrace every morning, while I am, there gazing upon me,  as I potter around , doing his little dance steps on the railing .

Interestingly he never leaves without making contact either a tap on the shoulder or a flap on the ear as he flies low past me. 

One day when my back was turned on him he gave me nudge in my back ( making me spill my cup of tea ).

==========

The crow represents change or transformation. But much more than that, it refers more to a spiritual or emotional change. These intelligent birds give us valuable insight into situations around us and help us adapt as needed.

Moment of Revelation

Wish to share a very personal incident -

Has it ever happened to you that , turning a corner in the road of life, suddenly , you find yourself doing something which .. er , um is astounding . I mean you end up ( to say the least ) impressing yourself ! 😜😜

Rare in my life so worth mentioning.

I was commenting on somones post on LinkdIn and caught myself writing 

" .... life is but a string of moments each one having the power to start a new flight path if you can defy the gravitational pull of inevitability ! "

Totally non premeditated and just in the flow......must say I have a great Ghost Writer.i don't know where they came from .

 Impressed though I say it myself  😊😊😊

Deja Vu !

There are times when

You meet someone new

But get the feeling

This one I always knew

Maybe an earlier lifetime

In a past forgotten age

We shared glorious moments

Now dates in a history page

It doesn’t take you long

To know the other deep

As it were you have awoken

From a long refreshing sleep

There are no formal silences

As in new friends conversations

How can there be formality

It’s only a continuation

@Vikaas Nafde - from the collection " Emoticons from a Rambling Life "

Why have brakes ?

Extremely useful- please do read this 

As received from my friend Salil Dutt 

The answer will blow your mind... 

Someone asked, "Why do we have brakes in a car"?

Varied answers were received, like,

"To stop", 

"To reduce speed",

"To avoid collision" etc., 

but the best answer was, 

"To enable you to drive faster" 

Give it a thought. It's true but seldom such smart out of box thinking is done,  much less appreciated. 

For a moment assume you have no brakes in your car then how fast will you drive your car?!

It's because of brakes that we can dare to accelerate, dare to go fast and reach destinations we desire. 

At various points in life, we find our parents, teachers, managers, mentors, friends and spouse etc. questioning your progress, direction or decision. We consider them as irritants or consider such inquiries as "brakes" to our ongoing work and career. 

But, remember, it's because of such questions (and periodical brakes) that you have managed to reach where you are today. Without brakes, you could have skid, lost direction or gone astray or met with an unfortunate accident  !!!.  

Learn to appreciate the 'brakes' in your life.

Use them wisely...

Have a great time. 😊

Myth and Reality of Work Life Balance

I mean nothing can be more accurate than this description ! 

Imagine what would be said when centuries  later this would be found somewhere just as we wonder today on the cave paintings depicting life of that time !

Courage from Confidence

#The #Catalyst 

I just ❤ the spirit of this message ! ( and I admire the guy in the picture ) 

Ultimately , in Life , we are truly on our own . Contribution  from people , environment , circumstances is what we imagine but what remains , after all , what counts -Is 

the inner Lion , the indomitable spirit , the lessons of which our scars are evidence and the realisation that if you don't do it yourself it will never get done.

All capabilities are within us and whenever we look in the mirror we have to see only the Lion within and the roar is only for our inner ear driving us to that place of courage !

Song and Dance of Life

Song and Dance of Life 

Life is just 

The March of Time ,

Sometimes Blank verse 

Sometimes Rhyme 

Rhythm and metre 

Is within our choosing 

Pacing it out well makes 

For Winning or Losing ! 

Can go on till we are breathing

Filling out the history of ages 

Only thing we can't control is

What will be the number of pages

So my friends Be quick to compose 

Create , Daily ,  your 'top of the chart'

Dance to the  symphonies and the beat

Do everything with a Happy Heart ! 

Choreograph it for a group 

Or for a solo dance 

Make use of the Stage you are given

Till you physically have the chance.

This Daily soap is full of excitement 

Highs and lows are all contained 

In your strides they must be taken

Happiness , at all costs , must be  maintained 

Vikaas Nafde 12th May 2018  

Kathmandu , Nepal

Of Percy the fly !

#Confessions #from #Quarantine 

#Introducing #PERCY 

It must be admitted that this period of having to stay at home by myself has been more than a trifle trying but then help always comes in ! 

Since the last three weeks i have had a house guest albeit #uninvited ! 

He refuses to leave 😀

He just moved in one day and has not allowed me to be alone . Has been a source of entertainment and a #patient #listener  without offering any opinion or advice . 

Helpfully his presence has been non - invasive in a sense but he always likes to let me know he is around by lighting on my sleeve when i am busy doing something but NEVER in the morning or when i am sleeping . 

The only  irritating habit he has is that , when i am ' still ' in thoughtful meditation , he is not happy and makes it a point to alight on my nose , ear or cheek ! 

As if to say " Hey ! Where have you gone away ? " 

The #attention #seeker ! 

Otherwise , he does his own thing and i do mine and though its a spacious flat , he likes to be around wherever i may be , during the day

#Healthy #Companionship

Medicinal plants

Interestingly at one point of time quite long ago when involved in exports of agricultural products from West Africa I got interested in the business of medicinal plants . For my research I was very fortunate to lay my hands on a book which was a comparative study of the treatment of a large number of diseases by " modern medicine " and " native medicine" by the so called " witch doctors " 

It was seen that the preparations concocted by the local medicine  man ( consisting of barks of specific trees , roots , leaves etc ) for a specific ailment contained THE SAME  elements and chemicals which modern medicine was going to combine to treat it and wanted the plants for extraction.

Also , animals instinctively know about plants and treat themselves 

Eg: Dogs eat certain types of leaves and grass to settle their stomachs .

Loneliness is a Myth

Howsoever the constituents of the known and unknown world manifest it is only my perception of them that will determine the quality of my life because the Self is the only inseparable .

Loneliness is a #myth created by persons suffering from self pity .

It is a #misnomer because in the final analysis we are #never #alone

Right and Wrong

The #Catalyst 

It is said about the musk deer that s/he goes all around the forest to find the source of the fragrance which emanates actually from his/Her  navel 

In the same way persons with woes look to blame this that and the other instead of introspecting and finding the fault within. Its easier to control and change what's at hand than external things

Nobody can mess up our lives unless we permit them to do so

We  #can't always be right by making everyone else wrong !

Some people are very good at " Heads I win , Tails you lose "

They can never be on the wrong side of winning !

I say that every individual has the RIGHT to be wrong once in a while ☺

innovate - be different

#The #Catalyst 

BE #INNOVATIVE - 

NOT #COMBATIVE

Believe it's pragmatic to understand that, in real life , Goliaths will not be easily overpowered by your playing David how so ever in the right you may consider yourself .

It's a mythical concept and David- like victories are mostly a matter of imagination and dreams and filmy lore. 

Reality Check : See a Goliath looming on the horizon - choose a suitable alternative route.

Discretion is the better part of valour

In every seeming obstacle lies the kernel of something better !

For many of us , a short winter of discontent makes us seem to forget the many joys of summer , spring and autumn.

We hold #grudges much longer than #gratefulness.

We tend to linger and loiter around hurt much much longer than  over moments of joy

We tend to question God about the reason for challenges in our life and can overlook  the millions of examples of His Grace !

strength from training

A thought process shared

If and when we perceive someone intentionally or unintentionally creating challenges for us we should have the first and last laugh because unwittingly s/he is doing us a favour by helping us in becoming stronger through the experience .

Then we should turn to our perennial Helper and not ask Why it is so ? But instead say 

 " OK Boss ! How do you want me to tackle this ?"

Then undertake the training program and come out stronger and better equipped for the road ahead !

Advent of Spring

Was standing on the terrace of my flat and got the scents of Spring ! 

Almost simultaneously Juvita DaRosa 's post of this photo came in !

Life is replete with such coincidences! 

Spring " in the air " is a truism . There is a surge in hope and aspiration mirroring the advent of the " new" in nature. It is mostly involuntary . Many traditions in the East have built religious events around this renewal of the Earth and all the creatures dwelling there.

Wodehouse put it beautifully when he described an exhilarating morning for Bertie Wooster as  -his Red blood corpuscles were running up and down his spine in rowdy groups ! ( or something to that effect) 

Another thing about Spring 

" Love is in the air " 😊😊

Happiness

I was asked today 

What is Happiness ?

and instictively replied 

" Its the state of light before Life punches you in the nose , and you see stars " 

Sounds frivolous doesn't it ?

But then , really , I realised that in the

" busy "moments of Life I have never stopped to contemplate and define this emotion .

Memories of time with people , many likes to photos and posts on Social Media , a nice word of praise , a smile from a stranger ( especially a beautiful girl ) , time spent with four legged people or winged ones , etc etc . I ask is this Happiness ? 

Satisfactory meditation , moments in Communion with God , good philosophy sessions , the worķing of an affirmation etc 

Is this Happiness? 

Well I suppose they are all contributors ! 

Happiness is really , to me , the smile on the face of another and as it got written in one of my poems 

" In your hair , the sunshine 

In your eyes , the sun 

On your lips the laughter 

From which my life is spun "

The fabric of #happiness is woven with the smiles of others .

That and good things being said about me,  by my grave . It would be too late for me but it would be a legacy of happiness ! 😊😊

intellectual defined

Rodinns  " Le Penseur " 

"The Thinker "

It's a well known fact that if we read through a book of ailments and their  remedies we end up thinking we have symptoms of each one of them ! 

Curiosity about whether I am an intellectual or who or what is an intellectual led to a Google search for the meaning and now I am wondering which one applies 

Intellectual  : noun

synonyms: intelligent person, learned person, highbrow, academic, bookworm, bookish person, man of letters, woman of letters, bluestocking, thinker, brain, scholar, sage; genius, Einstein, polymath, expert, prodigy, gifted child; mastermind; pandit; informalegghead, brains, bright spark, whizz, wizard, walking encyclopedia; informalbrainbox, clever clogs, boffin; informalbrainiac, rocket scientist, maven, Brahmin, pointy-head; archaicbookman

One thing is clear 

"intellectuals are appalled by the mentality of the popular soap operas"

Learning from Competition - not shattering it

On the benefits of competition 

Triumph is for those who do battle and not of those who work at just keeping the enemy / competition out .

Just thinking , what wasted and negative  energy is  " boycotting " an idea or product 

We could get much further if we diverted the same energy in doing things  better so that the object of our discomfort would get dislodged . 

Free competition and open markets are important spurs for efficient productivity ! 

Nationalism , protectionism and politics only offer  easy crutches  for being second and limping.

Nothing in life ever goes away by pretending it does not exist ! That is the hard reality and the earlier we recognise it as a hidden blessing and not an unwanted curse , the better and quicker is our effort to overcome any disadvantage , percieved or otherwise .

A connection on LinkedIn mooted a theme 

" Educate for Life , Not for Work " 

which I believe captures the core of the thought behind education and it's purpose. 

How can this be reconciled with the fact that work and what it gets you is also very important and to be good at it ( work ) one must have the right education 😊

I suppose the blend would be achieved if students were taught and trained to get into the right mould individually so that they get to do the best suited work and they have enjoyable lives! 

This might require an overhaul of the present education system or at least the introduction of supplementary programs .

Let me have your views if you feel inclined to comment

bow wow

Verse in appreciation of our four legged bretheren 

=====

I met this guy on the street 

He was looking at my feet 

I asked " What ails you brother ? "

His reply was in a language another 

Bow ! Wow ! ( Barking )

Translation : 

Bow i offer to the Creator 

Wow is for the breath of Nature 

Which makes me find all that I need 

People who voluntarily do me feed ! 

Then he seemed to ask : 

What  ails  YOU  Brother ? 

Your step is heavy , plodding along 

Your brow is creased ,face is long 

Here ' s a  paw , get de-stressed

Trust that , like me , You are Blessed 

So much said and so much learned 

Exchange of energy without a word 

Brought me to the realisation 

It's not speech but the  right vibration 

Vikaas Nafde Kathmandu 13 Sep 2018

The Circular Path

#thecircularpath  

The Universe operates with immaculate precision to carry out it's devious designs which we have been programmed to believe as inevitable and ' for the highest good ' 

Do we have a choice not to believe this ?

 

One thing is true- that the Universe is mostly predictable because it implicitly follows the laid down rules and even what seem miracles are explained logically in retrospect . For example the manner  of any death is only a creative way for the timely exit of a Soul .

 Whose Timing ? " God only knows " 

God does not cheat or do one - upmanship though I dare say He / She could at a snap of His/Her fingers . 

Herein lies the object lesson of doing what you expect others to do . 

So what do we do to tread carefully through the minefield called life ? 

Learn to read the tracks and spoor like the natural habitants of the Jungle , I guess, and attain the objective 

But then that  has already been set for our finding ...

The Other Side

Who can know 

What my dreams are 

What I want to do 

Where I want to go 

How can they know 

To do that 

They have to live 

My life first 

But then these shoes 

Fit only on my feet ! 

Not everyone can 

Do as I do 

Stand in another's shoes 

And see life 

From the " other side "

Vikaas Nafde Feb 19 KTM

Emotional Poise

Gaining Emotional Poise -Remember the Hourglass – Extracts from a sermon by Dr James G Gilkey

“Most of us think of ourselves as standing wearily and helplessly at the centre of a circle bristling with ,#tasks, ,#burdens, #problems, #annoyances and #responsibilities  are rushing in upon us .At every moment we have a dozen different things to do , a dozen problems to solve , a dozen strains to endure . We see ourselves as #overdriven, #overburdened, #overtired.

This is a common mental picture – and it is totally false !No one of us , however crowded his life , has such an existence . 

What is the true picture of life? Imagine that there is an hourglass on your desk. Connecting the bowl on top with the bowl at the bottom is a tube so thin that only one grain of sand can pass through it at a time .

That is the true picture of your life even on a super busy day. The crowded hours come to you always one moment at a time. That is the only way that they can come. The day may bring many tasks , many problems, strains , but invariably they come in single file 

You want to gain Emotional Poise ? Remember the hourglass, the grains of sand dropping one by one ……….. “

 

“

Dance of Seven Veils

The #Catalyst
This is totally my view and represents  a thought that came to me .
In different traditions and mythologies , separated from each other , have two different stories about
The Dance of the Seven Veils ,  both having approximately similar endings .
One by Draupadi for the Karavs and the other by Salome for King Herod .
I have been wondering as to the reason why they appear .
In my view , sooner or later - knowingly or unknowingly , all Humans search for the  Divinity or The Divine .
To do this , they have to pass through Seven Layers that mask their goal from them .
1.The #5 senses of Sight , Hearing , Smell , Touch and Taste
2. The Sixth Sense or instinct
It is when the Seventh is reached that God manifests . In the case of Draupadi it is when 6 drapings were removed that The Divine Manifested as Lord Krishna .
In the case of Salome she achieved her goal of attracting King Herod .
This is what i think is the lesson we get about meditation and overcoming the senses to achieve that which is Paramount .
Omnipresent, Omnipotent , Omniscient