“She sat at the back and they said she was shy, She led from the front and they hated her pride, They asked her advice and then questioned her guidance, They branded her loud, then were shocked by her silence, When she shared no ambition they said it was sad, So she told them her dreams and they said she was mad, They told her they’d listen, then covered their ears, And gave her a hug while they laughed at her fears, And she listened to all of it thinking she should, Be the girl they told her to be best as she could, But one day she asked what was best for herself, Instead of trying to please everyone else, So she walked to the forest and stood with the trees, She heard the wind whisper and dance with the leaves, She spoke to the willow, the elm and the pine, And she told them what she’d been told time after time, She told them she felt she was never enough, She was either too little or far far too much, Too loud or too quiet, too fierce or too weak, Too wise or too foolish, too bold or too meek, Then she found a small clearing surrounded by firs, And she stopped…and she heard what the trees said to her, And she sat there for hours not wanting to leave, For the forest said nothing, it just let her breathe”
We all want to be in the safe zone for ourselves and others. Let us be mindful in this now and practice sanitation protocols to the best of our abilities from wherever we are. But we also need to be empathically aware of the many who are doing their best to save lives. Salute to all the selfless souls.
God be the protective shield of all the frontliners of the health, sanitation, essential services and many invisible heroes who are doing their best in spite of all odds. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Or simply a clarity of illusions in the reflections.
Savvy
Was watching the reflections of sunlight dancing on this patch of water on the window sill of my terrace one evening. I was mesmerized by the fleeting cloud it had captured and its amazing colours that held my fancy for a long while…
When words propose in a flow
That is persuading and all pervading
No matter the rhyme or form
It becomes poetry
Creating a zen like feeling
That makes you want to be
In that state of awareness
Inspite of knowing
Everything moves on…
Have you ever been enticed by the eloquence of words?
Personally I have many favorites
But these profound words by Gibran deeply impacted me… Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
Infact all the lines that follow are equally poignant as well as profound.
So much wisdom in those words for life and living.
Which is your favorite piece of poetry?
Do your remember those verses vividly ?
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.
The picture above was shared by a dear friend on social media. It speaks the truth of life today.
Helplessly surviving the carelessness of mankind,
These birds are seen flying after their own once lived homes.
Totally shattered and in deep despair.
Isnt this world theirs too?
As logs of wood are transported
It’s hard to see them fly this way
Searching for their lost homes.
Desperate to find their babies in the woods.
Wooded forests are fast disappearing
Birds are losing their safe havens
They are clueless where to nest
They have no place to roost and rest
Why is the human being so monstrous
It is nothing short of disastrous
It is wrong of us to tamper the ecosystem
And be without any guilt or remorse.
Cutting and felling the trees
Burning the world’s forest cover
Where would we go without the oxygen
How can we survive without clean air?
Why are we playing with fire?
Can we each undo the damage?
In adopting sustainable ways of living.
Every bit will make a difference…
If we only understand
Every element has a purpose
Every matter exists for a reason
Every life is strengthened in the interconnects.
Let’s care and nurture trees
Let’s plant and grow more trees
Let’s help the birds live on trees
Let us learn to coexist, so every life will breathe easy.
“I choose gentleness…
Nothing is won by force.
I choose to be gentle.
If I raise my voice may it be only in praise.
If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.”
Max Lucado
Truly beautiful and I deeply appreciate the profound strength of gentleness.
Would you spare a thought
For the way your appear
Yes indeed
People spend millions
For the way they look
Beauty is big business
Image consultancy is huge now.
But would you spare a thought
On the way you make another feel
Your words
Be it in written or spoken
Have immense power
To hurt or heal
For words leave lasting impressions.
Tune in to the way you sound
Check your pitch and tone
As you speak to another
Reread the words you write
Remember words live on in eternity
Think twice and check
If what you write can make a difference
To someone somewhere
Spare a thought
As you take a step
Every step leaves a trail
That another may follow
Choose to step well.
Thoughts to action
Words to deeds
Each play a role
For all are significant
In life and living.
Do we remember to thank every day.
Yes most days perhaps not always. Sometimes life can be tough too!
Are we grateful to life?
Yes deeply grateful
But we often take it for granted too!
A reminder is sent along
In the most unexpected turns of events
Sometimes to value what we still have
To remind us to let go the frivolities
To spare a thought for the blessings
And offer a prayer for them.
And thus pause for a moment
In gratitude for the good and the bad
And all things in between
In knowing all is well
As all is meant to be.
Savvy
Savvy Raj 
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