Savvy Raj

Live Life Lovingly!


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A price to pay!

Everything I want
Comes with a cost
So ring me up, Put it on my tab
Whatever the cost I’m good for it!!!

A recent series on Netflix Spinning Out starts with these above lines from the song In the water by Jay Downer.

In reflection perhaps it is something every one of us can identify with at one point or the other.

In times of chaos and changes
Where lines get blurred
Between the future and past
In the now that yesterday brings us to
And the moments that can design itself to be
All our intentions are the reason
That things begin to happen
And then when it does
All our truths start to matter.

Life stares at you before you blink
And you got to learn to keep your eyes open.

No more is it make believe
For when reality dawns
It is reciprocal arrangement all the way!
You pay for what you want,
It comes to you with a price to pay!

Savvy


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When Love Matters Most.

LETTER FROM A MOTHER TO A DAUGHTER …

” My dear girl, the day you realize that I’m older, I ask you to be patient , but above all , try to understand what you ‘ll be passing by . When we talk , I repeat the same thing dozens of times , do not interrupt me saying : ” You said the same thing a minute ago .” Just listen , please. Try to remember the times when you were a child and I read the same story night after night until you sleep . When I do not want to bathe , do not be angry and not encabule me . Remember when you were a kid I had to run behind you making excuses and trying to put you in the bath ? When you realize you have difficulties with new technologies , give me time to learn and not look at me that way … remember, dear , how I patiently taught you many things such as eating right , getting dressed , fix your hair and give you with the problems of everyday life … the day you see that I’m older, I ask you to be patient , but above all , try to understand what you ‘ll be passing by . If I occasionally get lost in a conversation , give me time to remember and I do not, do not be nervous , impatient or arrogant . Just remember , in your heart , that the most important thing for me is to be with you . And when I grow old and my legs do not allow me to go as fast as before , give me your hand the same way that I offered him my much in its infancy . When that day comes , do not feel sad. Just stay with me and get me while I finish my life with love . I will love and thank you for the time and joy we share. With a smile and always had immense love for you, I just want to say I love you my dear daughter. “


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Every Face Tells A Story

A story plays on in every face.
Every face fascinates me.
I love to understand what the face expresses
A face is like an interesting book to me
Linger a little longer and you are hooked.

There is a reason for every line & dot.
Every thing connects to their story of life.
A face speaks volumes about the person
Beyond the many masks it may have on.

A face emotes the truth of the being
Eyes may shine a light of their own
The nose may crinkle
The brow may arch up
The forehead may crease
And the mouth may shape itself in myriad ways

There is much there to fathom
And unravel the depths of the being
Every contour has a reason to be
Every flinch & every twitch tells more.
So much more to learn
Every face tells a story.

Savvy


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Dance baby dance…

Dance Baby Dance…

As simple as that!

Delight the soul

Lighten the heart.

When you move freely

Beyond fear and apprehensions

Beyond self doubts & restrictions

Beyond assumptions & judgements

You are in tune with the spirit within.

Stay tuned in & keep dancing!

Savvy


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Ethics & Conscience

To get ahead no matter the consequences

Not bothering to care

Not caring to understand

Not understanding to reach out

Not reaching out to help

Not helping as there is lack of knowing how.

Fumbling through life without focus

Fudging grades in education

Feeling one as more important than another.

Favoritism nepotism

Ego raising its ugly head.

Corrupt practices, red tapism at work

Muddling & messing with others

Lack of knowledge of what matters

Until it all comes back to haunt

This is the truth of life lived without ethics.

This attitude is the root cause of the collapse of a collective conscience of a community.

Interestingly while writing this post I happened to come across this beautiful quote below by Mahatma Gandhi in a post by Beth

https://wp.me/p27iYj-55m.

What is the answer?

Educating hearts as much as educating minds.

As there is no one without the other.

Savvy


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When Creativity Dares

Today I complete my 500 days of writing consecutively here on WordPress, with my 500th post. Special and heartfelt thanks to all my readers and followers who have supported me in this journey of writing.

I would like to mark this day by writing about one of my favorite topics Creativity.

Creativity is fueled by the fire of passion. Often instinctual and deeply captivating, it is an expression of your innate potential. With it you are in touch with your deepest core. You are consciously awakening to the infinite abundance within, in every channelling.

Creativity spurts in the most unexpected ways.

It surges forth a river of possibilities

It amplifies the potential within

It leads you to rethink and challenge the norms.

It dares to question the accepted and projects perspectives.

It explores and creates paths for evolution.

It defies conventions to envision out of the box ideas.

It justifies the necessity of freewill through the art of movements

To create resolutions in times of confusion and chaos.

To manifest simplicity in times of complexity.

To innovate and change the statuesque in times of staid compliance.

To design and redesign towards efficiency and effectivity of purpose.

When creativity dares it is in communion with infinite abundance.

It is creativity that stokes the fire

It is creativity douses the flames.

Creativity has a solution for every problem.

Savvy


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Art of Management

Team Management

Management calls for special skillsets but with changing times the skills have much to do with empathy in people management. Every head of department faces different sets of difficult situations but most common to all is getting the work done by the team effectively increasing productivity with the available resources.

You are improving your team every time you incorporate the following ways

1. When you talk less, and are listening more.

2 . When you begin to delegate work to the right team members and increase the sense of responsibility in them.

3.When you are able to speak assertively with confidence and empathy than simply ordering people around.

4. When you are able to analyze and share appraisals to resolve and find solutions in a non judgmental manner.

5. When you are able to steer and guide them in their endeavors without overtaking the joy of effort.

6. When you practising collaborating with your team instead of trying to be the controlling one.

Every team is unique as the people in it and this makes it uniquely interesting to manage as well.

Savvy


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Live and let live.

To Those Who Bring Small Children to Church:

There you are at church. Your baby or toddler is restless. Perhaps even a little boisterous. You try to silence them, and nothing. You try to pacify them with food or toys, and nothing. Eventually, you resort to the last thing you wanted to do: you pick them up, and before a watching audience, you make the march out of the church. All the while you’re a little embarrassed, maybe a little frustrated too. You might even think to yourself, “There’s no point in coming to church. I get nothing out of it because I have to constantly care for my kid.”

I want you – mothers and/or fathers – to know just how encouraging you are to so many. The elderly woman who often feels alone beams with a smile at the sight of you wrestling with your little one. She’s been there before. She knows how hard it can be, but she smiles because to hear that brings back precious memories. Seeing young parents and their small children brighten her day; she may have just received bad news about her health but seeing the vitality of young ones removes – if but for a moment – her fears. The older man who always seems to be grouchy notices you too. He’s always talking about how children in this day have no respect or sense of goodness. But he sees you – a young family – in church every week. Like clockwork, he can depend on the sight of you and your young family. You give him hope that maybe the Church isn’t doomed after all, because there are still young parents who love God enough to bring their restless children to church.

Bring your children to church! If we don’t hear crying, the church is dying. As hard as it might be for you as a parent who’s half-asleep, keep on doing what you’re doing. You are an encouragement, and you’re starting off your children’s lives as you should. – Author unknown

Came across this beautifully expressed piece recently. Was moved to share it here. Have encountered this kind of approach to parenting in many cultures across the world. Not only in churches but where people are silencing self expression in their growing years.

And there is also the other extreme where whatever the child does is ok! That is the other side of the issue in question.

Yes I agree, we must ensure our children are well behaved in society as they grow.We need to help instill good values.

But there are cultures where if a little child speaks out aloud while traveling in a bus for example the mother goes apologizing for the sounds the little kid is making.

Extreme restraint restrictions, repriminding and silencing are negative reinforcements in suppression of self expression.

Yes there are limits to tolerating childrens tantrums, and bad behavior. Teaching them proper social etiquette is part of good nurturing. But controlling even natural things like laughter and speech can become a little too suffocating. What do you think?

Are you free at all then? Isn’t that a little too restrictive. I wonder?

What is life without a little expression.

Life is meant to live and let life live.

Yes there are stark differences across the world in raising children. To each his own.

Lets hope to share the world with them in positive possibilities lovingly.

Chances are they will hopefully treat you just as well in your old age.

Here are a few of my musings…

Life can never thrive in suppression

Or in denial and disapproval.

Or control and criticism

Choose to appreciate and approve

Let go of the nagging and niggles.

Let go of judgements, fear and worry

Life is in each of us just the same.

Allow life to live.

Engage with it lovingly

Life can be beautiful!

Live and let live.

Savvy


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Nurturing nature.

All it took is a random picture,

And it bought me immense peace.

Simply seeing it made me feel so good.

Sharing it here and hoping it infuses the same serenity I feel in seeing it, to you readers.

There is something grounding in the giving.

There is something nurturing about nature.

There is something compassionate about caring.

There is something gladdening about green living.

There is something enabling in our environment.

There is trust & faith in nurturing life.

There is connection in the care…&

There is hope in every heartfelt share.

Savvy


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Appreciation Matters.

“A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by, and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace, and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping, and continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally, the mother pushed hard, and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most talented musicians in the world. He had just played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?”

Share if you took the time to read this 🙂


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The tree speaks for itself…

The tree above signifies the connection

Of how the microscopic characteristics

Relate to the macroscopic structures.

The tree speaks for itself…

Overall ensuring a form and identity

That speaks of structure and integrity

That can withstand stress & pressure

Erosion & the aging processes.

The tree perhaps is shriveled & stark

Within its roots the winter wilts its will

Yet the tree upholds itself in tenacity

Branching out to balance itself.

Standing strong and proud

In the autumn of life

In being all it needs to be.

The tree speaks for itself.

Savvy


When Simplicity Speaks

On black and white photography.

What is it about the black and the white

That evokes much emotion

In all its simplicity and elegance?

Monochrome has a surreal magic

That captures your attention

Strangely beguiling almost misleading

For it blurs the truths that appear

In the vividity of colour.

Yet it provides a stark definition

Devoid of any colour, yet not lifeless

It emotes through simplicity

Through the play of light and dark

Creating sensibilities and sustaining drama.

Both evocative and enigmatic in its elements

Inspite of the hidden hues.

Retaining charecter.

Reminiscent of old world charm

Of a translucent transparency.

A simplification of the complexity.

A composure of composition.

A completeness of capture.

Savvy


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Empathy Matters

Today’s ever changing corporate environment calls for new kinds of people management skills.
From managing teams to peoples problems and handling customer service,an empathetic approach helps create a positive difference and transform work culture.

So what is empathy after all?
Empathy is about being able to perceive and understand another’s point of view using their frame of reference.

To sense the flow of the moment with another.
To communicate with & be able to understand another’s perspectives insecurities and pain points.

Empathy is a positive approach aimed at improving teamwork and building teams , bridges gaps of communication implementing changes through appreciation, support & encouragement than unnerving others with negativity & criticism that can be rather demoralizing.

Empathy can create and build trust and rapport that you can tap into. In using empathic responses, problems can find meaningful and lasting solutions.

In using empathy with skill, you show respect & value for another.

There is a huge wave of empathy oriented approaches in businesses across the world. This is truly valuable and must be encouraged.

After all empathy is a main contender in a list of skills that show emotional intelligence quotient of an individual.

Savvy


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Waltzing on ice.

Can you waltz on ice?
When winters turn grim and cold
Can you create joy and cheer?
Even in moments of melancholy.

Can you see a silver lining of hope?
In the dark dreary night to help you cope
Can you see beauty in every dusk and dawn?
Letting go of fear & doubts in the twilight hours.

Can you instill trust in another & move in faith?
Inspite of not knowing the way as yet.
Can you believe you can lead the way?
Inspite of being in a maze in the now.

Verily you are stable in balance

And you have taken your stance.

Clearly then you are dancing in this moment.
Clearly you are waltzing on ice.

Savvy


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Birthing ideas

A beautiful post on Germination of Ideas by my dear friend Ali Anani brought me to spring forth with some of my reflections.

Birthing ideas…

Ideas find their own way to germinate
At times they stay dormant almost invisible and untraceable.
And sometimes they emerge out of nowhere
As if they have a mind all their own.

So whether there are plenty of ideas or one is starved of ideas.
It matters not where they originated from…if it is the mind or heart spaces.
But it matters what path they take how they are applied?
What seeds they sprout in the emergence?

And yet, an idea that remains undeveloped, unappreciated today becomes a genius breakthrough someday.

On too much and too less

Too much of liberty and free will
At times may lead to aimless explorations and confusions.
Too less freedom leads to slavery and subjugation.
Too much thinking can create stress and be overwhelming
Too many ideas can be hard to contain.
Too little fodder for thoughts leads to bland existence.
It’s our choice actually…
Are we to live or simply exist?

Is there a paradox of enrichment?

Is overdoing a crime
To answer this, I ask
Is there bad in the good and good in the bad?
Too much of anything will lose its charm and character.
Appreciation declines and contentment reduces.

As it all turns to excess!

So I believe in equanimity that comes in finding equilibrium
Moderation is the key.
Too much sadness is unbearable
Too much happiness may lead to boredom.
For in too much of the good times
Values are lost and things are taken for granted.

Let there be a balance
In thoughts words and deeds
So there is neither depression of deprivations
Nor extravagance in enrichments.

Guess like ideas find their way to shoot in suitable time in time.

Like life itself, ideas also know how to balance and counterbalance themselves in life and living.

Life itself is a great idea after all!

What say, aren’t you one?🙂👍

Savvy