Savvy Raj

Live Life Lovingly!


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Power of Words

An interesting read on the value of positive words as reminders.

*Your password can change your life….. lovely read*

How a Password Changed a Life…….

I was having an average morning until I sat down in front of my office computer .
“your password has expired”, a server message flashed on my screen, with instructions for changing it…
In my company we have to change passwords monthly..
I was deeply depressed after my recent divorce. Disbelief over what she had done to me was what I thought all day long ….

I remembered a tip I’d heard from my former boss. He’d said, “I’m going to use a password that is going to change my life”.

I couldn’t focus on getting things done in my current mood.. My password reminded me that I shouldn’t let myself be a victim of my recent breakup and that I was strong enough to do something about it.

I made my password – Forgive@her. I had to type this password several times every day, each time my computer would lock. Each time I came back from lunch I wrote forgive her.
The simple action changed the way I looked at my ex-wife.. That constant reminder of reconciliation led me to accept the way things happened and helped me deal with my depression..
By the time the server prompted me to change my password following month, I felt free.

The next time I had to change my password I thought about the next thing that I had to get done. My password became Quit@smoking4ever .
It motivated me to follow my goal and I was able to quit smoking.

One month later, my password became Save4trip@europe, and in three months I was able to visit Europe.

Reminders helped me materialize my goals and kept me motivated and excited, it’s sometimes difficult to come up with your next goal

Keeping at it brings great results.

After a few months my password was –
lifeis#beautiful !!! Life going to change again…

*Moral of the Story is Your Internal Talk Matters, what you tell yourself conditions you to think in that direction and you are able to witness realtime RESULTS.*

Reading this made me think more on the power of words.

There is immense power in positive affirmation.

As much as in manifestations through sincere intention.

Daily repetitions of chantings in prayer

And grace in words of gratitude.

So much for self suggestions towards well being.

The words we think ,read, speak or write all have immense power to change our ways.

Words we choose is a choice we have

Let’s care to choose well.

Savvy


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LOVE

Love is a gift of life
Our life is full of love
We are born of love
Love brings meaning to living

True Love is a beyond words and action
It is in the sensing of hearts and soul
The spirit of love shines through us
Whenever Love finds its way in us.

When Love speaks listen well
As it is meant to bring harmony
And peace to your being
For without love there is discord.

Love is powerful
It changes the course of destiny
Love makes the world go around.
Be faithful to love.

A lack of love creates disease
When love flows between hearts
There is abundance and joy
And true sense of well being

Be in love with the world
Beyond Around and within
For love is the answer
To every human problem


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Soul Connect

My salute to this amazing horse!

Life is truly mystical

And magical are its ways…

This beautiful video depicts the soul connection that flows in all beings.

I had written earlier a few verses on Connection between humans .

But I today I dedicate these very verses to include all beings.

Universal Oneness is an awareness

In reflections of the truth of the being

Interweaved and interconnected in every life .

Strength shines through the vulnerabilities.

As a power in the very fragility

Touched by divine grace

Enmeshed in the senses

Comes a consciousness of the flow

In and around us

Beyond the illusion of separation

Is the dance of connection.

Savvy


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Gentle is the Way!

Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet. THICH NHAT HANH

Words of wisdom from the gentle soul!!!

Gentle is the Way

Yes you are born into this world

But how must you be

Now that you are a part of it?

Your time is preordained.

Yet your destiny is in your being

So be kind and gentle with this world

And be the gift that you are meant to be.

Your gifts are in awakening your senses

So be in harmony with the living you

Flow with the now and just be

To receive what this moment offers you.

Tread carefully, hurt no one

To feel the flow of grace in and around you

Yes, Gentle is the way!

Savvy


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Soul of the Dancer

Sharing one of my favorites 🙂

THE DANCER An Excerpt From The Wanderer by Khalil Gibran

Once there came to the court of the Prince of Birkasha a dancer and her musicians. And she was admitted to the court. And she danced to the music of the flute, the lute, and the zither.

She danced the dance of flames and fire, and the dance of swords and spears; she danced the dance of stars and the dance of space, and then she danced the dance of flowers in the wind.

When she had finished, she approached the prince and bowed her body before him. The prince bade her to come nearer, and said unto her, “Beautiful woman, daughter of grace and delight, whence comes your art? And how is it that you command all the elements in your rhythms and your rhymes?”

And the dancer came near and bowed her body again and said, “Gracious majesty, I know not the answer to your questionings. Only this I know: The philosopher soul dwells within his head, the poets soul dwells within his heart, the singers soul dwells about his throat, but the soul of the dancer abides in all her body.

A few lines I had written on similar thoughts… on the Dance and the Dancer.

How can you separate the dancer from the dance?

For there is no one without the other
Body and soul united in spirit.
When the two meet there emerges energy
In unison of the cohesive oneness
The heart knows what the mind speaks
And mind tells what the heart wants…

Embedded is the dance in a dancer
Embalmed is the dancer in the dance.

Savvy


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This Moment

This Now’ is a just a flicker
In the vast endless space.
A fleeting moment,
That travels backwards in Time.
Never to return on its one-way path.
Never blink your eyes, lest you miss
The beauty of the Moment.

Some moments well captured in this time frame.
Stays afresh like the etching on a rock.
A single moment, so potent
To change the course of your life.

A bliss or curse depends on the Awakening Awareness of its Transcience.

Seek an understanding mind
Make no effort to stagnate,
As flowing is its innate Nature.

Senses wandering free
Unmindful of the other
Thoughts floating like clouds
Unconnected actions of body n mind
Aimless moments, effortless wastage
Unaware of the flow of Time.
Like sand seeping through the fingers
‘This Now’ dissolving in the past,
Creating a formless future, at what cost?
Potent moments become futile.

Detachment is different from disconnection.
Awareness is not aligned to alienation.
Make an effort to be consciously present
Not to miss a moment of breath,
‘Be in the Now’ to witness the magic of Life.
Anjana

Sharing my mothers reflections here on the value of the moments. She wrote this after reflecting on my earlier poem

The Potent Now! https://savvyraj.com/2018/09/26/the-potent-now/

Just added some images to go with her thoughts.


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Life is how you live it. (Part2)

Infinite moments are meant to happen;

No moment would ever be the same.

There is much within you

That can turn the way this moment feels.

Sometimes life can be challenging,

Making every moment difficult.

There can be pain and agony that may seem endless,

Or every moment may seem like a chore.

Yet, whatever the times that must pass us by,

How we feel, deep within is

In how we learn to take the moment.

In happiness and sorrow, in joy and pain

Allow the moment to manifest itself,

As it is meant to.

Don’t fight it; for as it comes, it shall go.

Remember nothing lasts forever.

In the river of time, these moments slip on

In the passage of time.

So, gear up to experience a brand-new moment

As every moment is a fresh start.

See every moment in goodwill of hope.

Awaken to the present moment

Because that’s what truly matters.

Life is how you live it

Savvy

A few musings in continuation of yesterday’s post and its comments.


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Life is how you live it .

Live in the moment & make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering.

Savvy


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Powers within.

Your ability to think ,imagine, create and express is a gift of life.

Your own positive thoughts create positive expressions and leaves lasting positive benefits in and around you .

Remember you are creating the future with your thoughts.

Think well. Intend well.

Just having the courage to express ourselves, we open ourselves to a vulnerable yet creative self, and that is the light in us shining through….:)

Savvy


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You lead I follow : I lead you follow… Life is a dance!

Do you love to dance?

Do you enjoy leading a dance?

What makes a dance enjoyable?

Dance is a lot like life . Here I bring forth a few simple pointers on Partner Dancing.

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Important lessons in leadership are easily learned, on the dance floor…as you lead and as you follow.

They are very simple lessons and yet very powerful and contribute in making one a better dancer immediately. But more importantly it helps to know how to be a better leader in life too.

About two decades or more, Social dancing workshops and lessons in India were rarely common. We decided to do something about it and the Dance Concepts Latin &ballroom dance workshops began . We started with the basics :a Foxtrot , a Waltz , Jive , Rock n Roll and of course a Cha Cha Cha.

The idea was to teach as naturally and as simply as possible, so that the students made quick progress in learning the concepts of dancing rather than just a routine. Having had the privilege of sharing our social dancing skills with so many eager learners over the years we made a few observations … when the learners were learning the footwork side by side they would find it a breeze. But when we instructed them to join hands and dance together in an open hold some of them felt as if they were wrestling more than dancing with the lady pulling one way, while the man was pushing her another way Each had their ideas about how they should move and how it would look.

Social Dancing is a partnership, a partnership where there is a leader and a follower. Even if you don’t like to follow, to dance well together it is wise to respect the partnership rules. Learning to follow is a skill that one needs to develop and is not necessarily easy. It’s difficult as you have to do the same thing your partner is doing, except backward.

Just as important, you have to follow his lead even if it seems as if he’s going the wrong way. And thus if one learns to lead well, the partner may actually enjoy the feeling of being led than feeling yanked and shoved around.

Traditionally the man takes the lead on the dance floor. Yes, in ballroom dancing – even in these days -mostly the man leads. But roles can be and are reversed as well. After all it takes two to tango… if one leads the other follows.

Being a leader is more about sensitivity and definitely not about pushing your partner around, but to lead well, it is necessary to develop spatial awareness so you know exactly where your partner is at every moment, which foot their weight is balanced on without looking. You have to be aware of their pacing, and be mindful of the strengths, and weaknesses. And you have to take all that into consideration every time you move with a partner in your arms.

A good leader connects than controls.

Savvy

Sense what you are going to do before you do it. Just be aware of what your next step is going to be, and give your partner the signal at the right time so they can follow you gracefully. Like so in life: Having some foresight of what your life should become is like knowing what type of dance you want to do. But being a good leader requires more of you than that. It demands that you also have good ideas about the medium- and short-term tasks that are required to achieve that vision. And it means you have to communicate those ideas to your partners – those who are working closely with you to achieve your vision.

When dancing together it is very important to …

Signal your intentions with clarity. To lead well, and the way to avoid using force is to give strong, clear signals. The clearer your signals are, the easier it is to follow you. And the easier it is for your partner to follow you, the better you will look and feel together and the better they will like dancing with you.

In life: knowing what you want from your partners, colleagues etc is not enough. You have to let them know what you want them to do by communicating it to them with clarity. And most of all you have to develop the art of patience.

Lead to demonstrate your partner’s strengths.In dancing, the purpose of the leader is to lead – but the purpose of the dance itself is to enjoy the moment with your partner, each focusing on the bringing the best of each others strengths than the weaknesses…

Wise leaders hardly blame the follower when things go haphazard , which it might at times! After all exhilaration and excitement are a stones throw away from comfort zones that one might trespass at times , yet when ever the leader and the follower work in harmony … it is magnetic and mesmerizing indeed! It is then a dance beyond all expectations!

Savvy Raj

Member of International Dance Council

UNESCO

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What is God?

Dear child,
Today you asked me what is GOD?

In your growing years, many emotional fluctuations of belief and disbelief will arise from curiosity to concern, from doubt to belief, questioning the purpose of our existence, questioning the powers undefined , the supremeness of it all ..!!!!
May my thoughts be well scrutinized by you in your quest to answers that resonate to your being . But hope to pass on a share of my simple understanding of the complexities of the undefinable ‘Faith’ in the name of God!

To me faith is the hope and strength of divinity in each of us …Without which we cease to exist as living beings .

Acknowledging the presence of divine compassion in our lives is about being able to receive as much easily as much as being able to give.

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When we are focused on evolving deeper into our spiritual path of awareness , very often the body is neglected … it could be physically neglected, abused, deprived in more ways than one ,either out of sheer ignorance or due to assumption that austerity and overt practices of discipline over our body will only lead to salvation .

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When the very dwelling place of our being is neglected how are the roots going to dig deeper… wisdom is not intellectual understanding alone.

True wisdom is acknowledgement of the divinity in every living being … being able to understand the union of the heart and the mind , and in the awakening of the wisdom one finds the balance in the union of action and thoughts.

Caring for our body,is a prerequisite to spiritual growth .. if you don’t love yourself, how can you love others .Eastern philosophies extoll the virtues of equanimity and the consciousness of the intuitive intellect, a sense intelligence than just rational thoughts … And when we learn that you and I are simply one… the connectedness of consciousness becomes easy to unravel . We are also able see and to accept the reality of the shades of grey in between the black and white of human behavior .

When we are able to do so , the so called negative traits of reaction , rebuttal to an action converts itself to a mindful response with equanimity .
This method invokes a sense of balance in the living being .

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Simply adding an element of gratitude to all that we are blessed with will only let us ingrain a spirit of gratefulness in whatever we do …as we learn to respect and love another being as part of the same source … AND THAT TO ME IS ….

BEING HAPPY WHERE YOU ARE, AS YOU ARE, WITH ALL THAT YOU ARE …. LOVING THE SELF …AND CARING ENOUGH TO LOVE THE WORLD AROUND YOU !

AND THEN THE FAITH IN THE GOD -NESS IN YOU AND ME IS ONE !
Love
Mom

Savvy

This is an excerpt from a few reflections written to my daughter in her growing years.


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Once upon a time…

This beautiful story conveys the preciousness of every life.

We are born for a purpose

Many times we are so busy searching

That we fail to see our own worth

In being as we are

There is always a reason

Why we are as we are

Just because we dont know it

Does not mean life is not worth living.

We are only as good as we learn

To see ourselves in our hearts

Cheer up from your trials and errors

For there are many paths on our way

To nourish with our nature

To heal and help evolve.

There is much that requires our being

To do, to care, to share, to love and live

In our own special way…

The way only we can !

Savvy


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The Bond

To my loving child.
The Bond
Who says the umbilical card is severed.

Never, it can be so.
The bond of blood,
Sculpting every day
With ur flesh and blood.

Never a moment
In those nine months
Was careless or thoughtless
Of the growing life inside.

The miracle of life energies
To continue its cycle on earth Seeps in every cell in its own synergy
A bond that lasts a lifetime.

Age, time and distance doesn’t matter,
A child will ever be a child in the eyes of a Mother,
A continuation of her life
A source of her joy for ever.

A child’s misery bleeds her heart
All the foibles are erased without effort
How nice this world would be
If all have a mother’s outlook towards others.

Putting her child first comes natural, not by intention,
The only love that expects nothing in return.
Everything else becomes a shadow
When the child comes in a Mother’s vision.

A mother is a messenger of God
Not confined to humans alone
Look around to see this motherhood
In all the Species of Nature around.

Selfless and pure ,unconditional love
Caring and sharing comes untold.
The bond is in the senses and soul
Who says this cord is severed at birth.

Anjana

I am touched by the above verses that my mother has penned. I share this here with all my heart and soul, knowing every mother and child out there will relate to this beautiful poem from the heart of my dear mother Anjana.

Thank you dearest mom.

Savvy


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Think well!

Here is a beautiful story that is worth a read and share.

A young woman was sitting at her dining table, worried about taxes to be paid, house-work to be done and to top it all, her family was coming over for Thanksgiving the next day. She was not feeling very thankful at that time. As she turned her gaze sideways, she noticed her young daughter scribbling furiously into her notebook. “My teacher asked us to write a paragraph on “Negative Thanksgiving” for homework today.” said the daughter, “She asked us to write down things that we are thankful for, things that make us feel not so good in the beginning, but turn out to be good after all.”

With curiosity, the mother peeked into the book. This is what the daughter had written:
“I’m thankful for Final Exams, because that means school is almost over. I’m thankful for bad-tasting medicine, because it helps me feel better. I’m thankful for waking up to alarm clocks, because it means I’m still alive.” It then dawned on the mother, that she had a lot of things to be thankful for! She thought again… She had to pay taxes but that meant she was fortunate to be employed. She had house-work to do but that meant she had her own home to live in. She had to cook for her family for Thanksgiving but that meant she had a family with whom she could celebrate.

Moral:We generally complain about the negative things in life but we fail to look at the positive side of it. What is the positive in your negatives?
Look at the better part of life this day and make it a great day”


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Work & life

Work is not all of life
And life is not all work

All is in a days work ?
I wonder if the world could see
The simplest truth of life and work.

Work has its place in life
But it must not takeover life
Treat work well meet and greet
On its terms but dont get bound by it.

The canvas of life is expansive
And yet inclusive
And work is not all.
Many facets of life bring on the shine
Each facet carrying its purpose of being.

An experience of each begets the wisdom
Make time for it all.

Work is work only if work is treated like work.
Dont abuse it. dont disregard .
Treat it with dignity own up to it
Value it as an opportunity .

Give it your best shot
Take nothing for granted
For every bit matters.
Respect work as it t comes as it is tough to live without work
Life is life only if you care to live it well
What use is life if you are not even able to
Live it
All you have is one life.

Heartbeats in every now
Every moment matters for its your life
To do all that you truly can
Every day is fresh with all the possibilities
Make life work for yourself
As you gear up to step up to life
Life will open up the path for you.

Savvy