What if ?
Flowers were green and leaves blue
All that you believe, flipped the script
Reality turns an illusion
And illusions a reality
Random thoughts turn specific
And what you focus on gets out of control.
Truth is…
Life is so much more than what you see
So different from your expectations
So many possibilities in this now
Trust life to unravel the pathway.
Hold on to hope in your heart.
And keep the wonder in you alive…
Savvy
Some of you might have read this before but I have posted it as it’s worth reading again and again 😊
Motivational Story – The Bamboo Tree
A man got frustrated with life. Despite all the hard work and effort, failure was all that he learnt. Feeling defeated with life, he left everything and exiled himself in the woods. There he met a Hermit. The disappointed man shared is failure with the hermit. “Give me one good reason not to quit?”- He pleaded the Hermit
“Look”, the hermit said, pointing towards two plants. “Do you see that fern and bamboo there?
“Yes”, the man nodded.
“When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them water, light and fertilizer. Within a short period of time the fern quickly grew from the earth”, the hermit continued.
“But despite the Bamboo seed being watered and nurtured for years, it did not outwardly grow as much as an inch. In fact, nothing at all happened in the first year. There was no sign of growth. But, I did not give up on the Bamboo seed and continued to water and nurture it. By the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. And within six months, the tree grew a hundred feet tall.”
“So, did the bamboo tree lie dormant for four years only to grow exponentially in the fifth?” the hermit asked. Baffled by the question the man kept quiet. “The answer is quite obvious. The little tree was growing underground, developing a root system strong enough to support its potential for outward growth in the fifth year and beyond. Had the tree not developed a strong foundation, it would not have sustained its life as it grew.”
“Did you know that all the time you had been struggling, you were growing strong roots”, remarked the hermit
The man learned his lesson that day. He learnt the value of persistence and hard work. The fern and the bamboo stood right in front of him as he walked towards his life to continue to work on his dreams
During the course of a Management Seminar, Mr. T.N.Seshan, former Chief Election Commissioner shared an experience he had while travelling in Uttar Pradesh with his wife. As they were travelling by road, they saw a large mango plantation filled with sparrow nests. Seshan’s wife decided to carry two nests to their home.
The police escort called a young boy who was grazing cows and asked him to bring down two nests and offered to pay him Ten Rupees.
The boy refused as Seshan raised the offer to Rupees Fifty.
The boy told Seshan and his wife, “Sahib, I will not do it for whatever you will give. Inside these nests are baby sparrows. If I give those nests to you, in the evening, when the mother sparrow returns with food for the babies and does not find them there, she will cry. I do not have the heart to see that.”*
Seshan and his wife were taken aback and felt small. Seshan later recounted that his position and the IAS label melted away in front of that little boy. He stood in front of the young boy feeling as small as a mustard seed. He added that after returning home, this incident continued to haunt him with guilt for several days.
Education, position or social status is never a yardstick for the measure of humanity. Let’s not forget that knowledge is to know and understand the beauty of nature. We don’t achieve anything by gathering a lot of information as long as that information does not get transformed into wisdom. And wisdom is useless as long as we don’t apply it in our daily life.
A dedication and fond wishes to my daughter on her Graduation Day!
Congratulations and many blessings!!!!👏 ❤️ 🙌
Today as I prepare to attend my daughters graduation ceremony in one of the prestigious institutions in France, serendipitous moments washes over me of the many memories of nurturing my child.
I present here, one of my older posts written when my daughter was a growing teenager… but still true in every word.
On Staying Happy In the Now….
As a mother of a growing teenager I have been witnessing a number of amazing experiences that only a mother and child are privy to and I hold each of these moments close to my heart. I watch as my child is evolving into a vivacious yet emotionally intelligent teen, bubbly,full of life yet practical and sensible with a heart and mind of her own.
Although my heart oft yearns for some of these wonderful moments to stay on forever, I know I have got to let it go, as time and tide waits for none. But each time I have this immense respect for this power of the infinite to carry on creating, and wonder where all this harnessing of energies is taking place. And to this divine form, which could possibly be creative feminism or the power of Shakti, the creator I humbly bow and hope that you bestow some of latent creative potential on all the beings around for them to evolve to the best of their beings .
Coming back to the silent amazement that I feel is the way in which a child is moving from a situation of pure bliss of ignorance on to the happy in the here and now state of existence and later on moves on to a state of awareness of the world with all its actions and consequences.
Gradually the child starts searching a meaning to this life and its relation to the world at large.
More than everything else I watch as the curiosity leads to discoveries and at times frustrations to accomplishments.
I, as a parent can try to necessitate an awareness in my child to be holistic in her thinking process. For instance, from a very young age, if reading and writing are made an enjoyable habit, it definitely hones & helps balance thoughts, as one learns to be aware as well as acknowledge the sequence of changes bound to happen…
After all change is inevitable and the natural order of growth . It enables one to have a beginning, middle and an end to a thought or action and thus helps you learn to be present in the moment and also let it go. This makes you less prone to being a victim of situations & circumstances of life.
Happy in the here and now is a wonderful habit to cultivate for all of us; however it is equally necessary to have a focus in life and necessitate actions towards that goal and evolve further. This adds meaning in to life and life begets the ultimate satisfaction of having lived consciously.
Loving every moment of life and learning to be aware and conscious of each moment as it passes by is a fact ,which also can be so easily learned watching your own child grow…
Thank you dear child as you teach me the lessons of life and living fine.
Savvy
To all my Care giving friends the lightworkers , the mentors and spiritual guiders, the motivators and healers on their special journey stepping in tandem with their calling! Keep going… you are on track!
Savvy
An interesting share
All Fused Bulbs are the Same !
A senior executive retired and shifted from his palatial official quarters to the housing society, where he owned a flat.
He considered himself big and never talked to anyone.
Even while walking in the society park every evening, he ignored others, looking at them with contempt.
One day, it somehow transpired that an elderly person sitting beside him started a conversation, and they continued to meet.
Every conversation was mostly a monologue with the retired executive harping on his pet topic,
Nobody can imagine the big post and high position I held before retirement;
I came here due to compulsions”; and so on, and the other elderly person used to listen to him quietly.
After many days, when the retired executive was inquisitive about others, the elderly listener opened his mouth and said,
After retirement, we are all like fused bulbs.
It does not matter what a bulb’s wattage was, how much light or glitter it gave, after it gets fused.
He continued, “I have been living in this society for the last 5 years and have not told anyone that I was a Member of the Parliament for two terms.
On your right, over there is Vermaji, who retired as General Manager in Indian Railways.
Over there is Singh Saheb, who was a Major General in the Army.
That person sitting on the bench in spotless white dress is Mehraji, who was the chief of ISRO before retirement.
He hasn’t revealed it to anyone, not even to me, but I know.”
All fused bulbs are now the same – whatever its wattage was – 0, 10, 40, 60, 100 watts – it doesn’t matter now.
Neither does it matter what type of bulb it was before it got fused – LED, CFL, Halogen, Incandescent, fluorescent, or decorative.
And that, my friend, applies to you too.
The day you understand this, you will find peace and tranquillity even in this housing society.
The rising sun as well as the setting sun are both beautiful and adorable.
But, in reality, the rising sun gets more importance and adoration, and is even worshipped , whereas the setting sun is not given the same reverence.
It is better to understand this sooner than later.
Our current designation, title and power are not permanent.
Keeping lot of emotions with these things only complicate our life when we lose this one day.
Remember that when the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.
Enjoy what you have today . Have a fabulous time ahead….
🙏🙏
Today I came across this interesting proverb.
If a man fools me once, shame on him. If he fools me twice, shame on me. ~ Chinese Proverb
It makes me think a little more…
How much of experiences does one need to help learn from making mistakes?
Till we use our mistakes as stepping stones to success.
If there is a surefire way to surf through life without issues…
It is in the ability to take the self lightly!
To realise what seems like a big issue today may seem very insignificant in time.
How much does one depend on the armour of God to help in tiding through lifes crisis?
In sensing that faith is all there is…
There is a knowing that there is always hope beyond despair.
How can we learn to see through the facades?
In understanding that there is more to seeing beyond the looking.
How can we protect ourselves from being conned?
In trusting the self before all else!
Does loneliness or loss and the ensuing vulnerability make one a target or a victim?
It depends on ones perspective of life .
For in the loneliness there is a opportunity for self awareness
And our strengths can emanate from our vulnerabilities.
How to keep the spirit calm, collected & contented ?
In witnessing the world while breathing deeply and bringing our awareness to the now…
And how can we learn to take responsibility for our errors of judgment?
In knowing we have the power of choice with us! And remember to think well and choose equally well!.
Savvy
Our world is not so perfect
Yet it must go on
And Ants know it best
They work as a team to solve their own set of problems.
All fingers of a hand are different
All are meant to be for a purpose that is not yet visible.
Yet much can happen in coordination & collaboration.
When one that is weak is supported by the stronger.
There is a semblance of balance
In this ball of blue.
Savvy
According to Psychologists, there are four types of Intelligence:
1) Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
2) Emotional Quotient (EQ)
3) Social Quotient (SQ)
4) Adversity Quotient (AQ)
People that have higher EQ and SQ tend to go further in life than those with a high IQ but low EQ and SQ. Most schools capitalize on improving IQ levels while EQ and SQ are played down.
A man of high IQ can end up being employed by a man of high EQ and SQ even though he has an average IQ.
Your EQ represents your Character, while your SQ represents your Charisma. Give in to habits that will improve these three Qs, especially your EQ and SQ.
Now there is a 4th one, a new paradigm:
When faced with troubles, AQ determines who will give up, who will abandon their family, and who will consider suicide.
Parents please expose your children to other areas of life than just Academics. They should adore manual labour (never use work as a form of punishment), Sports and Arts.
Develop their IQ, as well as their EQ, SQ and AQ. They should become multifaceted human beings able to do things independently of their parents.
Finally, do not prepare the road for your children. Prepare your children for the road.”
✏️ Author unknown
Power of one candle to light the darkness
Power of one tree to give shade
Power in one smile to change the mood
Power of one hand to feed the hungry
Power of one kind word to change hearts
Power of one heart to ignite hope in the world
Power of one touch to lift the soul
Just one heartfelt move… makes all the difference!
If only we could realize how valuable it is to be appreciated and supported .
If we could only know how important it is to feel inclusive in our diverse ways.
We must understand that love and kindness is the only way besides adopting a non-judgmental approach.
We must realise how vulnerable life is, but beyond feeling victimized and create further suffering due to negative thoughts
We need to respond with empathy, show unity through kindness and compassionate deeds.
The power of kindness is truly infinite.
KINDNESS IS THE PRAYER IN ACTION.
Savvy
Life reflects itself through the things you do, the people you meet as well as in your passions and perseverances, in so many intriguing yet enthralling ways.
One such beautiful reflection I experienced in my travels earlier in France.
A sense of deja vu, a throwback to the fond memories of teaching dances to people in the different places, all thanks to the Dance & the magic of movements.
While visiting France I met my colleague from the world of dance, Celine Maheo who resides in Rennes
Celine is a practicing clinical psychologist and an Argentine tango dancer.
What’s beautiful is that she is a dedicated professional who uses the dance therapy for helping Parkinson’s patients with their movements through Tango dance sessions.
My interest was piqued, as earlier I had been conducting very similar dance sessions as well, especially remembered our Seniors Dance for Wellness workshops back in India.
So over a beautiful meet and greet sipping cups of hot herbal tea at the Les Grands Gamin at the heart of Rennes, ensued a free flowing conversation where we exchanged notes on each others life. Our passion for dancing was the visible to see as we hardly knew how moments passed by.
To dance is to sense connections beyond the dancing bodies.
To dance is to honour life and its unique expressions in the movements.
Savvy Raj
And when Celine invited me to her next Tango Therapy Workshop, it was an offer I could not refuse. I was actually keen to understand whether and how the cultural differences change the way of conducting and experiencing workshops here.
Dancing can improve the mobility and balance in senior adults.
Adapting the dance to suit the requirements of the group, like simplifying the steps, the placement of the feet, improves their coordination, mobility and balance.
The dance session was deeply engrossing & truly inspiring to witness and participate as well. The music played that day stayed with me well after the session.
So the next step turned out to be me conducting a Chacha session for them. The challenges of language barriers were surrmounted easily as Celine offered to translate my teaching from English to French.
Everything fell in place beautifully and voila time flew again.We danced a bit of Chacha that day and also some more in the next few sessions as well. I was told later by the learners how much they enjoyed it!
It was an amazing experience sharing the joys of movements and I thank Celine for her inclusivity in requesting me to conduct the dance sessions as well. And I deeply appreciate all her beautiful learners that I met,connected and danced with. It was a truly warm and wonderful time spent with them all.
After the sessions we would gather together and discuss opening many facets of the learning and imbibing. It was a beautiful way of empathising and understanding each other.
Some of the beautiful souls I got to interact with in the few months I was there.
Dance has a way of soothing your entire being and bringing forth and connecting you with the depth of who you are. That is when dance begins to feel meaningful and transforms life.
The dance connects established, in those sessions is a beautiful memory etched in my heart, that I will cherish forever.
I chanced on these beautiful moments again as I found the photos I clicked back then and I decided to give them a little artistic effect.
All across the world April 29th every year is celebrated as International Dance Day, although every day is a great day to dance!
I dedicate this post to all my dance friends and colleagues and all the dance educators in the world who are making the world a better place, with every step in time.
Savvy Raj
True Appreciation nurtures
The nature of the individual.
Care to nurture an attitude
Of true appreciation and share
Whenever and wherever you deem fit.
It doesn’t hurt to appreciate in authenticity
You might be surprised by melting walls.
And at work how teams bond along the way.
Savvy
On Beliefs
Our beliefs are self created patterns
A representation of our expectations
Of how things relate in ourselves
And how the world ought to conform.
It’s our anchor within to navigate
With or without proof of existence
In a sea of uncertainty called life
As much as the challenges of change.
At the meta level are our beliefs are about beliefs in the sensing
At the emotional level it’s based on feelings
At the interpretational level are the opinions, feedbacks that are based in communicating
At the contemplative level its based on predictions in thinking.
But beliefs are within you to choose.
Do know your beliefs can create an ‘Empowered You’.
And you have the power to choose well.
Savvy
Savvy Raj 
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