Savvy Raj

Live Life Lovingly!


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The Deciding Factor

On life management and taking a decision.

Decision is often the difference between greatness and mediocrity. In every person’s life there comes a time when one must search for a cause, a work, an ideal to which one can give oneself. Whether one says ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to the challenge will determine one’s future!

Every decision we make has the power to change our life significantly Have you had one or many such life turning moments where you took a decision that you are now thankful for?

A few tips on effective decision making

Often it is a gut instinct that we go along with telling us to act or take a step.

Then it is a matter of perseverance and tenacity to continue on the path that determines the course of changes.

Taking a decision is not enough until one stays committed to accomplishing the task. This motivates for further goal setting in the future.

The trick to effective decision making is being able to focus and distinguish the long term goals with the short term ones. And check where and what to prioritize upon.

Staying open minded adaptable and flexible to new ways of doing things and gaining knowledge about it are great ways to move out of the rut of rigidity in conformity.

And most of all, enjoy the journey whatever path you are on as keeping good attitude while working out on a decision, helps you stick with it and you will find yourself happier along the way!

Savvy


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Colors of the Spirit

Colours of the spirit
Reside in nature
The energy manifests
In various ways
In the sky and the sea
So many shades of blue

In the forestland and the garden
So many shades of green
In land and in sand
So many shades of yellow

In the mind heart and the body
Are a spectrum of colors
Like the beautiful rainbow
Blessed are we to sense nature

Nature says, in the most colorful way,

Flow through the day

Expressing your self uniquely along the way!

Happy Festival of Colors

Happy Holi!!

Savvy

We are…

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Soul Signature

Creativity abounds
Artist delivers
Critiques interpret
Art flourishes.

Every piece of art is a creative signature
Of the soul of the artist
Artworks retain its interpretation within
As they leave the chamber of creation.

Once the art is set free and open
Making it visible and vulnerable
To reviews, critiques or applause
It is open to manifold interpretations.

The inference is never complete
Nor is it free of judgements in assumptions
For how can it be so?
It is nature of art to manifest counter views.

These very varied interpretations
Give life to the art
For as new meaning is born
The art flourishes in its wake.

Savvy Raj


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Hope is here to stay!

As a daughter of a retired Air force man who has served the nation at the borders in the two wars in his time, I have seen the effect of those service years up close on him. Today all those experiences are a memory that makes for some interesting dinner conversations. But nevertheless as a youngster I have witnessed how much the rigours of training set deep imprints on the psyche of the soldiers.The mindset and attitude is strengthened and trained to bear the consequences of war.

Serving the armed forces creates a never say die attitude that makes me concur on this again and again … You can take a man out of Air force but you can never take Air force out of the man!

Every soldier is different no doubt with his own set of life experiences and background . But what is strikingly similar and significant is the solidarity of spirit to serve the nation at all costs.

Amazing is the spirit of a soldier indeed!

In hope of the Abhinandhan Effect

In the wake of the release of our brave soldier in today’s times there arises a question and kindled hope in the hearts of the families of the now well known list of the Missing 54 (and who knows how many more ) Pow’s of the 71 war .

The families are still hoping that they are alive and awaiting their return someday sooner than later.

Recently there were media reports that when Indian delegates visited to check the prisons that the POWs were supposedly held they would be shifted from jail to jail so that there would be no trace of them .So without proof of their existence the case was difficult to pursue.

Perhaps if the pressure that was exerted today for the return of our soldier through all channels right from governments to the media photos of his capture and his leaked video clips, which made the world notice, if it was possible then, it would have possibly made a difference in freeing them as well.

For the sake of the anguishing families that sincerely still pray for their return …. perhaps some way will materialize and they will be released as well .
Hope is here to stay!

Savvy Raj


#peace #peacebuilding #peacelovers #humanity #writers #wordpress #poems #motivationalwriters #writing #Globalgoodwill #universalpeace #oneness

Related links

Building peace

Middle path of peace


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The things I like…

Every little moment of life is a celebration when you care to value it!

So today on my birthday here is my wish for you all!

And yes, here is a list of my reflections on the simple things I truly like...
Seems endless!

I like ….

The old world charm of an elegant Foxtrot

The magic in gliding to a whirling Waltz

The tantalising passion of a Tango

The sizzling chemistry in a Rumba

The gay abandon of a Samba

The freedom and gaiety of a Jive

The spiritedness and fun of Swing

The stylish charms of the Cha Cha cha

The sensuality and speed of Salsa

The teasing hips moving to a Bachata

The synergy of a march in a Merengue

The flamboyant frills of a Flamenco.

I like it all and more

And yet most of all I like the simple joy of dancing naturally.

I like…

The touch of pen to paper

The flow of colour on canvas

The smell of a brand new book

The joy of reading and writing

The rhythm of rhyming stanzas

The soulfulness of a profound poem


I like …

The smiling eyes of a happy child

In the joy of holding a present unopened

The caring ways of friends so dear

The warmth of a genuine smile.

I like…

The peace in every mindful moment acknowledged…

The morning walk on a sandy beach

The gentle waves embracing my feet

The smell of the first rain invigorating a patch of earth

The fragrance of jasmine flowers

The whiff of warm enchanting woods

The chirping of birds in the trees nearby

The caress of a breeze so cool

The chill of winters day

The twinkling of the stars on a clear night sky

The passion play of a full moons day

The dancing lights of twilight

The shimmering moonlight on a tranquil lake

The magic of morning break at dawn

The enthralling evening shadows playing at dusk

The enchantment and rapture of a saxophone

The twang and elan of a accoustic guitar

I like…

The smell of fresh ground coffee waiting to be sipped

The aroma of baked goodies out from a hot oven

The melt in the mouth bite of a dutch truffle cake

The steaming cup of cheer on a cold winters day

The tinge of warmth of ginger

The spice n flavour of aromatic cinnamon

The chewy goodness of an oats and raisin cookie

The quench of thirst from a pure glass of water

I like it all and so much more…

Yes there is so much in life to like and love

The list is endless! And I am pretty sure it is the same with you :))

‘This is a mindful and gratefulness practise that I do every once in a while …. What we like may be very unique and may change with time, but that is not as important as acknowledging it . Gradually we learn to see the bliss in the blessings.

To acknowledge the simple pleasures of life and living is to know its worth .

Try to make your own list … adding as you go along and you will soon have so much to be thankful for that you learn to live like this moment is completely worth it and never take a moment of life for granted.’

Savvy


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Infinity of Creativity

Creativity is innate potential.
Deeply entwined in humility
In every realisation of potential infinite.
Creation manifests itself time and again.
Savvy


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Honour and Respect

A Matter of Honouring the Self and Respecting Others.

“Nothing in Nature can be fully free without restricions or interdependence. Such is the way of Nature, like so is its creations. There can be free will for all, but care should be taken in its extension so it never suffocates others. All natural elements like Sun, Ocean confine to their own boundaries, in spite of being so potent and powerful. If they cross calamities can happen.”

I received these above reflections from my mother on reading my recent post On Freedom

This is an important aspect of freedom which is about respect for edges and spaces. Knowing your edges… is knowing your freedom ends at the tip of your fingers and toes. So honour your personal space… Beyond that there are boundaries to be respected.

On respecting another’s personal space

The term “personal space” generally refers to the physical distance between two people in a social, family, or work environment. Think of your personal space as the air between your body and an invisible shield, or bubble, you have formed around yourself for any relationship.

Respect for personal space is an important life skill .
Although there are different norms in different cultures across the world . Any invasion of personal space is considered a threat to the freedom of the individual all over the world.

Dancing and Personal Space.

Speaking of partner dancing… in certain dances there are rules for a professional distance to be maintained between dancers so that they wont get in each others way, which technically makes perfect sense.

But rules are often broken and unfortunately that is also the reason where you feel uncomfortable dancing with some people over others.
The best connection amongst dancers are in those that respect the partnership and maintain the personal space in between as it helps them manuvere moves with ease.
Yet in life we often see people blatantly trampling on each others personal spaces.
Not only is it too close for comfort it is also an invasion of privacy and threatening in nature.

A few tips on respecting personal spaces.

Every person has different standards of physical and social contact . Some people run the risk of offending others as they have a pesky habit of touching or tapping people as they converse … it truly can be very irritating and in many cultures around the world it is considered rude and ill mannered. It is wise to avoid touching anyone you don’t know.

Always enter a room or office by knocking first. Respect anothers privacy as much as you would like another to respect your own.

Acknowledge others personal space on the road or in public spaces.While travelling make sure to keep your edges with you. Avoid flaying and flinging arms too much as you walk for it can get in anothers way.

It is rude to fling your arm around someone’s shoulder or slap anyone on the back unless you know the person very well. Overt display of affection can be irritating as not everyone is comfortable with the physical touch.

It is good to understand every parent looks at parenting differently. Some think their infants can contract germs if touched by strangers. So avoid cuddling or fondling others children.

It is also important to speak to and show children how to protect their boundaries and respect the personal space of others.

Be close enough to hear and speak without whispering or shouting.While standing stay at least 4 feet away from a person unless you know him or her well. Avoiding treading on someone’s pathway.

At times invariably people get too close for comfort . Take note of cues.When someone leans away from you, you are probably in that person’s space that makes him or her uncomfortable. Take a step back.

If you walk into a cinema or theater that isn’t crowded, leave an extra seat between you and the next person. However, it is alright to sit next to someone if the room is crowded.

Often in situations of extreme eagerness to communicate with another boundaries are crossed. Avoid leaning over someone else’s shoulder to read something unless invited. It is probably done in a harmless way Yet it almost amounts to taking another for granted.

It is truly bad manners to go through anyone else’s personal belongings. Never do so! And never encourage such kind of behaviour in children or adults.
Many years ago I remember an incident where one of our family friend’s young daughter had picked up a habit of checking out handbags of their guests in front of them even as they were all together sitting, engaged in a conversation. Often it is necesssary for parents to stop their children right then and there instead of encouraging it by saying my child is simply curious and loves to play with new bags . It was a difficult situation to handle as no one would like it if someone went through their handbags even if it was a child.

Check if you can take your pets along while visiting friends houses. While you may see no reason to… it is prudent to do so as…your pets are pets only for you! It is necessary to remember not everyone is a pet owner and all do not feel likewise or can tolerate every thinģ in the name of pets.
Your pet and its care is truly your own buisness.

It is wrong to cut in front of people in line.Patience is a great virtue. Respect queues. Respect system. Respect space.

Savvy


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Reach out…

Stretch your self…

to reach out…

a little more everyday 🙂

Some day you will be thankful

How far you have reached!

Every moment is an opportunity

To reach out and grow

Evolve for the better

Be open to the unfolding life

Strech yourself a little more every day…

To accommodate

To acknowledge

To accept

You will find your strength

In flexibility

In adaptability

In your vulnerability

You will find new frontiers

That you paved along the way.

Trust yourself a little more

There is so much out there

If you are willing to see and learn

Reach out & truly care to share

The simple joys of being alive.

Savvy


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Life and Living

Life is in the living.

Sharing a beautiful message from this incident.

Nearby, a building construction work was going on.

Lots of poor labourers were working there and their small children used to hold on to one another’s shirt and play “train-train”.

Someone would become the engine and others would become bogies.

Every day, these children used to take turns becoming the engine and bogies.

But, there was one small boy wearing only a half pant who used to hold one small green *cloth* in his hand and become the guard daily.

So, once I went to him and asked him ..”son, don’t u also wish to become an engine or a bogie some time?”

He softly replied, “Sir , I don’t have a shirt to wear so how will the other children catch me to make the train?

I could see the slight wetness in his eyes.

But, it gave me a lesson…. he could have cried and sat at home and abused his parents for not affording to buy him a shirt.

But instead, he chose another way to play and enjoy himself..

In life, we don’t get all things we desire and we keep complaining ..

I dont have a bike, I don’t have car , I don’t have this or that etc…

Life is like that ….we need to make it beautiful and be grateful for what we have ..🙏🏼

*HAVE AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE*

Life is in the way we see it!

Savvy


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Project 101

Today marks a personal milestone in blogging as I publish my 101st post. I have completed my continuous 100 days of writing on WordPress.

On a lark after a challenge to post a few of my favourite songs for three consecutive days came my way from a fellow blogger and friend Dr Sridhar. I decided to take it up and posted my favourite songs for three days. Then I started thinking if I could manage to post for a week and continued to write . The seven days went smooth and easy and then I upped my goal a little further to see if I could write a post everyday for a month.

I had a few ground rules established in my head . First that this was no competition to complete in pressure but simply an effort to see if I would find an inspiration to write on anything that caught my fancy each day . Second would I have the perseverance to continue and be able to dedicate time towards the effort .
Thirdly I wanted to see if I could keep my readers and audiences interested if I happen to post everyday.
And most of all I wanted to test whether my creative instincts are effected in anyway by habit…
A months regular posting on WordPress got me supercharged to aspire some more. Wp would egg me on with reminders of completing a 30th day streak of posting on WordPress.
It was no surprise that once I reached 30 I wanted to try and reach the 50th day.
Seemed then that I could do it if I was smart enough to manage my writing time around the early hours of the day. And that’s what I did.
No one in my family or friends knew much about this plan, but I was pretty clear how to go about it by then and dedicated a bit of time to writing every morning no matter what.

A few learnings.

Have a goal that seems workable, it is easier to focus.

Persevere… and believe you can work towards it.

Push your goal a step ahead as you reach a level.

Manage your time better, to make it happen

Value your goal and be dedicated.

Your creative sense will begin to work for you all the more…

Believe in your self and be passionate

Trust that you will find the way!

And most of all enjoy the journey as much as the destination.😊

Although I have written on WordPress for a few years now and I would have written and posted perhaps continously as well earlier without my own realisation. This was a task that had a goal and hence it is different to me.

The last few months have been personally challenging in terms of health where I was even admitted to the hospital and I am continuing to battle a condition that might require surgery soon. So basically being unwell literally I use the relatively painfree bits of time in the day, I have in my hands for creative enrichment …be it writing or painting and more.

Blogging through I reached my 50th day of posting. And I knew I couldn’t stop it in my heart . The magic figure of 100 floated in my mind and I was sold to the idea of making it happen.

Today it is the 101st day streak of publishing a post everyday and I truly wonder how I managed it all along with my present condition.

My biggest take back has been the loving support and generous comments from my readers which kept me going .
But other than that was a learning and affirmation that if we really make up our mind , we can beat the odds and find a way to acheive our goal .

Besides that I realised how my reading others blogs and writing every day would bring up some topic to contemplate creatively for the next day. The best part was I never had to try too hard … every post I wrote and shared I enjoyed with all my heart.

Writing gives me a sense of completion.
A feeling of contentment of a job well done. And if its well received it truly makes my day… and my fellow writers this I am pretty sure you would agree as well.

Thank you my dear readers and friends for staying with me right through. It has been an absolute pleasure to share and learn along the way… on what I can gratefully now call Project 101.
Wishing an awesome year 2019 for us all !
God bless all!
Savvy


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Lessons from a Mirror

In continuation of my reflections on the Mirror, I came across this relevant piece on lessons from a mirror…

3 lessons mirror teach us.

1. It reflects things as it is , whatever stain or dirt in our face , it never adds or reduce it.

We should learn to show (whether it is our spouse, children, relatives or friends,)others merits or faults just as they are. Never exaggerate or hide just because of our prejudices. Never make mountain out of a molehill or viseversa.

2. The mirror reflects only when we are in front of it. Once we move away it becomes silent.

Learn to praise or complaint to the person directly when they are face to face . Never backbite. Appreciate them personally or talk about their defects that bother you in person, Never to a third person when they are not there.

3 The third lesson is we never get angry with the mirror because it is showing the stains or defects in our face.

Similarly when someone points out our defects we should learn to thank them instead of getting angry or hurt and try to correct our faults.

Next time whenever you stand in front of a mirror, remember these lessons.


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Being You

Our purpose creates us

We are born into it

It matters not how small or big

We are meant to fulfill it.

There is much good that we do without knowing…

And unknowingly lighten the load off another

A simple smile that sends a spark of hope

A warm embrace that spirits up hearts

A share of kindness that passes ones way.

Every little bit helps make a difference to this world.

Lets care to keep being all that we are.

And do the best we can.

Because we truly can!

Savvy


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Something Beyond

An interesting article for those who believe that all we see is all that exists.

It stimulates our lateral thinking :
To something that is beyond!!

This lovely parable is from “Your Sacred Self” by Dr. Wayne Dyer.

In a mother’s womb were two babies. One asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?”The other replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.”

“Nonsense” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?”

The second said, “I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now.”

The first replied, “That is absurd. Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded.”

The second insisted, “Well I think there is something and maybe it’s different than it is here. Maybe we won’t need this physical cord anymore.”

The first replied, “Nonsense. And moreover if there is life, then why has no one ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery there is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes us nowhere.”

“Well, I don’t know,” said the second, “but certainly we will meet Mother and she will take care of us.”

The first replied “Mother? You actually believe in Mother? That’s laughable. If Mother exists then where is She now?”

The second said, “She is all around us. We are surrounded by her. We are of Her. It is in Her that we live. Without Her this world would not and could not exist.”

Said the first: “Well I don’t see Her, so it is only logical that She doesn’t exist.”

To which the second replied, “Sometimes, when you’re in silence and you focus and listen, you can perceive Her presence, and you can hear Her loving voice, calling down from above.”

*May be this is one of the best explanations to the concept of ‘GOD/Source’!*


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On Happiness

Came across this awesome video yesterday. Well I also learnt about it being the International day of Happiness.

The video says it all!

And here are three evergreen hits that makes the heart smile as soon as you play it.

Dont Worry Be Happy

Happy

Better when I am dancing .

Happiness can seem elusive and yet even a little is sometimes enough to go on living with hope .

But the question is are we ready to be happy as we are ?

True happiness is within us for to find at all times We simply need to learn to sense it whenever we wish to.

Let every one who reads this be happy and spread a little more joy!😀

Savvy