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 ?
While the artists feels contentment
For the viewer, it is a beginning
Of endless possibilities
For each thinking is unique
Juxtaposed between the artist and the admirer
Is the art which is created
Out of a thought and intention
In colours and hues
In texture and design
Unparalleled in its very uniqueness
Awaiting another interpretation
Another contemplation
Sharing inspiration for more creativity
Sharing perspectives in the envisioning
Art knows better,
To simply be as it evokes emotions
In its journey to fulfill itself
And that is how it completes itself.
Life is about to bloom for you
Youth is on your side today
If your goal is to make a difference
Know your road is a long one.
Just a word of caution in care
With thoughts from down the road
Every moment has potential
With possibilities unlimited.
Life is both beautiful and uncertain
It can summon the very best in you
It can challenge your deepest reserve
To stay on course, needs your sensibility.
Be brave for the strongest can tremble
Be stable for the steadiest can tumble
Be humble for pride never wins
Be mindful of the now and tread with care.
Many a person will sing your praises
There will many paths open to explore
There will be many discoveries awaiting
Succumb not to temptation of aiming small.
Choose to think expansive and yet focus
Every thing is on a fine thread of balance.
As you make your choices
You shift and alter your paths ahead.
Sharing a beautiful song by Cliff Richard The Young Ones
So many…
Mountains to climb and achieve
Oceans to cross and discover
Pathways to create your imprints
All this and so much more….
Intentions to manifest and more
Journey to make and understand
Life is just starting for you
Miles to go before you Settle!
Life is what you make of it
Success is in how you see it
Love is how you feel within
Laugh a lot! Live Life Lovingly!
Yes dreams do come alive
Stars will twinkle & sparkle on
Trust your path is in the making
All it needs is you!
Today’s post is a compilation in collaboration, My reader and good friend for many years now Ashok Subbarao and I share our views in a collaborative way. He suggested if we could do a post together. And sent me his article. And I added my contemplations. So his prose and my poetry interweave in these words ahead.
Living on the Edge
Are we the cause of all the suffering We are not only the cause We are the reason For the ‘State of Earth’ today.
We have breached all laws of nature We have plundered and massacred Not only our own But innocent voiceless sentient beings.
Our crimes are heinous Our ways unethical Morality or humanity It is completely missing.
The Plundering Humans
The continuous growth of consumerism and the insatiable hunger for more and more utilities and luxuries to fulfill the simple necessities of life have made countries plunder nature’s precious resources. So much so that humans have grown so selfish to uproot green cover of forests and waste life-giving water that nature started showing signs of decay in the form of various natural calamities. This was not an act of revenge but as an intrinsic part, nature to balance and sustain itself.
Yes, life can be lived with simple food, basic needs, and uncluttered living as the rest was provided by nature itself and that too, totally free.
However, man’s greed knows no bounds. With focussed developments in the era of industrialization and in the present age, the technological advancements to boot, man’s demands kept increasing, and these
are what a human being thinks are his basic needs.
Across the world today. Our acts are turning violent Our actions correlate To the price, we all must pay!
We speak without kindness We act without empathy We are ruthless and hopeless. Without integrity and trust.
Tilting natures precious balance By our callous and self-serving ways. Our earth has taken a toll Bearing patiently in witness mode.
The rising temperatures across the world is a result of felling forests for newer colonies, roads, factories, offices, multiplex and what have you; thereby increasing the need for air conditioners which provide relief inside a house, but the amount of energy and power that is sucked out and throwing of heat in the atmosphere is creating more heat.
I would not be surprised when the day is not far when there would be so much heat that the AC compressors too would burst. What will we do then? But humans are so naive and adamant without care.
Man has broken every law of nature Now nature needs to self-repair Humankind must change their ways Seek ways to maintain and sustain the earth.
Centuries of abuse and neglect Nature has no time to be silent It’s truly now or never. Nature must begin to equalize.
Just being human is not enough We must practice our humanity Else the wrath of nature Can no longer be contained
Our ways had got out of hand Life was getting unbearable And so beyond control And way beyond hope.
The only solution is for countries worldwide to totally ban the destruction of forests in the name of development, introduce more public transport so that people stop buying more and more cars which emit gases in the air and encourage people to plant more trees and reverse materialism. This could be a small beginning in restoring balance, for nature will remedy itself.
Today the earth is revolting in its own sweet way and proving to humankind that if they do not amend their ways to sustain, the planet will render us humans as not just powerless, and perhaps the entire existence of humans can be erased. Nature along with is splendor accompanied by other sentient beings will reclaim their space. It is a simple way of nature saying “Hello Mankind I am alive too!.”
In the madness of being modern The malady of our times Values and ethics were trashed Respect and regard were binned.
Stress and tension Anxiety and panicking Sleeplessness and fatigue Plaguing the world over.
Materialism and indulgence Hitting an all-time high In greed apathy and indifference. We took our world for granted.
And vis-à-vis the present pandemic called Covid-19, I cannot but remember the three monkeys as depicted in the picture. See No Evil, Hear No Evil and Speak No Evil a message given by Mahatma Gandhi the apostle of peace.
And it is so ironic that today, we have to cover all the three with a mask. Can we shed the artificial mask that we have been wearing for so long and promise mother earth to behave more sensibly and wisely? Probably we might be pardoned and some semblance of sanity may return to our lives.
Now nature has put humans in cages Animals and birds roam free Roads are empty, rivers are cleaner Pollution has given way to purer air.
While mankind is locked down Nature is restoring to sustain herself Truth is its the only way left to survive! There is perhaps no other way!
The way you treat yourself in life
The way you treat another being
The way you interact
The words you speak
The deeds you do
The actions you take
All co-relate to the giant plan of
creation.
From the smile you share
To the kindness you show
From the tone of your voice
To the sounds of your steps.
All is circulating energy of pulsating vibrations.
Everything is connected to everything else.
Watch yourself, for you matter
Watch out for others they matter.
Value the life in the living.
Mirroring itself in the dimensions
Of life and living
Every move matters
For life reflects and resonates in the being.
We all know there are many lessons in nature and if we begin to seek we can find an inspiration and insight as well as solutions to everything in nature.
However, we are part of nature and nature is in each of us…so much wisdom is waiting to be tapped from people we know!
On Learnings
There are many people that you can learn so much from around you.
All it takes is acknowledging.
To use discernment as to what you can learn
And having space in your self to imbibe the good.
There is an uncle of mine,who has immense thirst for knowledge his memory and retention and not to mention the witty comebacks are worthy of appreciation.
In fact there isn’t a topic in the world which he doesn’t have something brilliant to say … I respect this ability and skill in him.
His memory may be innate or nurtured but his ability to converse on the subject of your choice and through his take on the subject, humorous or serious is truly commendable.
And what’s interesting is this ability hasn’t diminished over the years only got stronger! God bless him!
There is another relative who has mastered the ability to speak.. Although she may never believe it,her ability to critically examine and analyze is highly honed, and she can tipple the conversation in her favor easily amongst her relatives in no time. She will give fantastic examples that one just cannot beg to differ. Her opinions and reasoning can employ every human emotion that can be brought in. What’s beautiful is she may herself never know her talents but unknowingly she has been perfecting it from she where she was. Suffice to say she has lived in the company of brilliant orators as her relatives, who may have helped her imbibe it, without their own knowledge. God bless her!
Sometimes knowledge is best learned in time gradually improvising. Interesting to hear her converse and truly valuable learnings from her.
Another aunt is the doer. Always ready to rise to the occasion & go out her way to help. She is an innovative creator. She, too, is a great orator but sadly hasn’t been appreciated enough for all that she does.There is so much she has done for so many people at times, to the point of being personally overwhelmed. But that’s just who she is.
May God give her strength and bless her.
One more aunt who is full of life, enthusiasm and cheer. When she is around in the room there is no dull moment!She draws people in with her kind words of appreciation. She is well known for her amicable disposition and good nature. She is also a great conversationalist. Her strength is her charm, curiousity and willingness to learn and understand anything. She too is blessed with great memory. What’s beautiful is her ability to have fun.
She is someone who is not only appreciative but also extremely thankful.
So much gratitude for the learnings from them !
May God bless them all and keep them safe and healthy.🙏🏼
Although I have started writing this post with few people from my family I know I can go on to write about many around me because I have learned so much from them by them being who they are.
Here it is not the education profession capabilities, degrees or achievements that I am speaking of, but it is just my reflections on the energy and emotions that they can stir in every interaction with them .
In everyone’s life there are people from the family who teach you many things. They influence your life inextricably even though they may not be physically present together over the years.
Be grateful to every person for they are full of some unique potential that you can learn from. Most important is the ability to continue the practice of seeing the good in people. Trust me there is always much to discover.
We are all blessed with countless living human books around us. They are a treasure house of their life experiences and have a uniqueness all their own.
Let’s cultivate ways to imbibe the learnings in gratitude!
Sharing a thought provoking read I came across today.
*Die empty*
The most beautiful book to read is “Die Empty” by Todd Henry.
The author was inspired and got this idea of writing this book while attending a business meeting.
When the director asked the audience: “Where is the richest land in the world?”
One of the audience answered: “Oil-rich Gulf states.”
Another added: “Diamond mines in Africa.”
Then the director said: “No it is the cemetery. Yes, it is the richest land in the world, because millions of people have departed/died and they carried many valuable ideas that did not come to light nor benefit others. It is all in the cemetery where they are buried.”
Inspired by this answer, Todd Henry wrote his book, “Die empty” where he did his best to motivate people to pour out their ideas and potential energies in their communities and turn them into something useful before it is too late.
The most beautiful of what he said in his book is: “Do not go to your grave and carry inside you the best that you have.
*Always choose to die empty.*
The TRUE meaning of this expression, is to die empty of all the goodness that is within you. Deliver it to the world, before you leave.
If you have an idea perform it.
If you have knowledge give it out.
If you have a goal achieve it.
Love, share and distribute, do not keep it inside.
Let’s begin to give. Remove and spread every atom of goodness inside us.
Start the race.
*Die Empty*😊💐
I choose to share this because who knows how it may touch another’s life.
There is much wisdom in choosing to give out as we live life .
There is an expansion
In heart fields
There is energy
Of love & goodwill
Radiating across the world
As we speak
There is a newfound camaraderie
Bonds of friendship & connection
Beyond the walls of isolation
Beyond the fear there is hope.
There is a realization
Of indifference and oversight
And awareness
Of the repercussions.
Soon the world will heal
And recover itself
Such is the law of nature
But hoping for the world
To continue this journey
Of new awakenings
And persevere to preserve
These understandings in the uncertainty
The pristineness of the serenity.
The wisdom from the challenges
Hope it continues to transform
Our world for the better.
Whether at work or in family or socially we all may have encountered people who are extremely difficult in behavior to the point of putting people down, having arguments and fights in every interaction.
Often in the first meeting with another, within seconds our brain is gathering information creating its impressions on them and we seem to be convinced somehow on many things about the person. Our intuitive instincts comes to play .That is where our system involuntarily associates pieces of information and puts it all together. We may be right or wrong but that’s another story.
But the truth is we know how we feel about the person. Most importantly.
when we are put in a situation, we simply know, we cannot see eye to eye with the person at all and feel we just cannot handle them.
Our body often gets into a flight or fight mode . Our stress hormones increase and our nervous system is on an overdrive. This can be often a cause for major health issues in the long run.
Clearly we feel we are not equipped to handle such a person’s energy and we may come away angry or depressed in every meeting with such people.
It is time then to read more into the equation.In such moments of frustration one thing is very clear no matter what we say or do we cannot change the other person.
They could exhibit any of this range of behavior from being non cooperative, uninterested, dominating & aggressive dismissive, prejudiced, overpowering, controlling, overwhelming, angry , and even too powerful.
There is one thing however that is still within our abilities. If we cant change them then take a look at how we can change the way we perceive them as a threat to us. And why would we want to do that?
Well we owe it to ourselves. It is our body and it is the one that is getting affected in every such situation.
So what do we do when we have to deal with such difficult people?And what can we do to reset our system.
The truth is that it is not easy facing and encountering such an environment on a regular basis. Every thing said or done seems to backfire and there is unreasonable behavior and even simple communication seems to get difficult by the day.
An immediate countermeasure is that we start with taking deep breaths.
This shifts the bodily reactions and resets it from fear to relaxation. It actually works on calming our frayed nerves and easing the body inside out by reducing the state of panic and pressure on the body to react in such circumstances. Simply put, it distracts the mind and body to channelling the rhythm and flow of energy.
Secondly we take a moment to pause and rethink how we are addressing situations ourselves.
At times we are not very inclusive.
And perhaps may have unknowingly hurt someone by our own assumptions and actions.
We need to start with using, more of ‘us’ and less of’ you ‘ when we speak.
That way we show we are in it together.
Thirdly we need to disengage and keep healthy distance if possible with people that are negative and volatile. They are simply not worth the effort or time.
Choose to see if the situation is even worth engaging and indulging in.
Counting slowly to ten still works when situations are reactive, as it would give you time off to respond mindfully and space to assess the circumstances.
And lastly ensure we give the benefit of doubt and try seeing things from their perspective and check if perhaps we could be more reasonable.
Our abilities to observe us as part of process, will help in minimizing any misinterpretation on our part. That way we become more proactive than being negative about communicating with the person.
However,there are extreme scenarios at times, when we are faced with bullies who actually are very insecure within and may also perhaps have been victims at one point of time. We then need to adopt measures that ensure personal safety and that there are witnesses before interacting with them.
So let us always remember… we are the ones who need to take the necessary steps to change for ourselves because we are the ones who are getting affected.
For ultimately we owe it to ourselves and our health is most important to us.
There are many types of feedbacks given and solicited in a typical corporate environment.
In the art of management the topic of critical appraisals and sharing feedbacks is a nerve wracking process on both sides. For the truth is feedbacks at work take not only a whole lot of in- depth analysis, but it takes courage and common sense deliver. And often they can be the toughest of conversations to have.
Are you feeling uncertain about how to confront a feedback session.At work there will be time where you might have faced a feedback session .
If you have been the one who is giving feedback to your team or a member of your team here are six tips that can help you master the art of giving feedbacks.
Prepare
Keep the perspectives clear of what was expected and agreed upon earlier and the issues that is evident. Give a clear picture of what has been observed to the receiver. Remember you are addressing the work issues, dont get personal.
Proper time and place
Ensure you are slotting a feedback time that is mutually least distracting.
This will ensure there is the required focus and necessary attention to the discussion at hand.
Ask and listen well
Contrary to what is understood about feedbacks time the reviewer needs to hear more and speak less often to deliver objective feedbacks to resolve issues.
Avoid letting your own ego from taking too much space. Instead Inquire more into why certain things are not going well. Speak less ask more open ended questions and let them speak and ask for feedbacks and own up to their mistakes. That way you will not be crushing egos but resolving issues you are facing as a team .Avoid bombarding. Be empathetic but assertive.
Sandwich
Choose your words and sentences well.Feedbacks and critical analysis involves being mindful of the words you choose and conveying the criticism in a well meaning way so that you are not directly attacking the receiver. This will ensure they are able to digest and understand what is going wrong and not stagnate by becoming defensive.
Remember it is not a war of egos and ensure you avoid making it one .
Be clear & concise
Vagueness is not going to resolve anything. Be objective in your feedback . If someone is a perpetual latecomer then mention specifically how many times they are late in the last month .
This will make them more accountable and lead to ownership and better productivity at work.
See the Bigger Picture
When you giving feedback address the issue and do not attack the person’s character. Try your best to see things in the larger frame . Avoid being petty and leave your own ego aside before you begin.Remind yourself always to envision the bigger picture. And remember that it is not personal.
Feedbacks in general can be a very valuable tool for companies.and there are many types of feedbacks.
Have you given or received feedbacks recently.
What are your expectations and experiences on feedbacks?
