When I was a little girl I often have witnessed my dear father see and give great value and acknowledge every little good that is or happens, however small they may seem to others . It could be a with a gentle word , a kind word of appreciation or a little compliment.
He taught me one of most important lesson for a lifetime ….to notice, respect and reflect on the good in and around us … and to live positively and think of life always as Plus++++es.
Life is a beautiful gift as it is and it is in us to see it so.”
For Gifts are best appreciated in deep gratitude.
Bidding adieu to 2018
In Gratitude for the year that was
And in Hope for the year 2019
And many more that will be…
Let the light of joy in our hearts carry us through
Towards Happier Healthier and Healing times
For the world in and around us !
Your abilities have a way of appearing In bringing forth your inner purpose. Even if you haven’t utilized them yet, They will be visible to others at some point or the other.
If you ever feel you don’t have it in you, For whatever reason, to pursue your gifts and talents, Keep the faith and use your abilities To bring out the best in others. Reach out to help others trust themselves.
Give hope wherever you can. Immerse yourself in spreading goodwill. You will find yourself on the path that’s meant for you.
Your unique set of talents are gifts you own. If you feel you do not know the way To use them for yourself Use them to help others in need And in that you will find your way!
My recent poem ‘The Middle Path of Peace‘ evoked many responses. The following verses are my musings to a comment … Especially the one by a reader on the necessity of war.
I propose here a moment in peace
Through the following verses…
Hate is never meaningful, love is
War is never meaningful, peace is.
To confuse war to be the answer for peace
Is the greatest fallacy of mankind
For the war never truly ends once begun
It sprouts the seeds of hate before it is over.
Yes, wars are fought
When equality and freedom are forfeited
As a privilege of a few,
When oppression and chaos reign,
When pushed beyond resilience,
When backing down is not an option,
For it is, then, a matter of self-preservation and survival.
And dwell into the philosophical angle of his photos which is his area of deep interest as well.
Hence the apt title.
My choice for Day 1 of the Lyrical Challenge is byLeonard Cohen’s
Dance Me To The End Of Love”
As you click on his name above, you will see the link to my earlier dedication to this wonderful artist.
Have posted one of my favourite video of this song here . Do watch!
Here are the lyrics…
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic ’til I’m gathered safely in
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Oh let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone
Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon
Show me slowly what I only know the limits of
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of loveDance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on
Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
We’re both of us beneath our love, we’re both of us above
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of loveDance me to the children who are asking to be born
Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn
Raise a tent of shelter now, though every thread is torn
Dance me to the end of loveDance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I’m gathered safely in
Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Rules:
1.Thank the person who nominated you.
2.Share one of your favorite song/lyrics one at a time for three days.
3.Nominate three other bloggers each day.
Creativity is propelled
In every appreciation of what is…
For creativity feeds on creative thoughts.
Every life is creative in its own way.
Unique is the human mind
It takes strength of the interconnects
And creates expression of its own being.
To acknowledge and appreciate another
Is to open the channels of creativity
In accommodation as much acceptance
Of the infinite potential of possibilities
That arises in the moment.
It gives wings to create & explore more
It widens the gamut of ones horizon
But most of all it creates a balance
Between action and inaction
Between creation to pause in gratitude.
To honour the beauty that abounds
Lifting off clouds of self absorbtion.
To witness in wonder of sheer awe
And joys of nature and nurture.
A much needed act so share
That nourishes creative instincts
To create some more.
Savvy
Writing is an art. Steering and shaping thoughts to create and inspire is an exploratory journey. In learning to write, and widening the scope of creativity, the experience of reading others work, and sharing reflections of and with others is a expansive phenomena for any writer to improve their work.
Appreciation is an evolved response that is a double ended tool to instill & invoke creative flow in the self and others.
Savvy
Every artistic endeavour flourishes in exploration and discovery of the creative abundance. In understanding the nuances of the interconnects that manifest, greater perspective is revealed.
Every artist inspired or is propelled to create by many facets of artistic energies and it’s interplay.
What is truly wonderful is in the depth of creativity lies utter humility in the realms of the learnings yet unravelled.
“May the warm winds of heaven blow softly upon your house.
May the Great Spirit bless all who enter there.
May your mocassins make happy tracks in many snows,
And may the rainbow always touch your shoulder.”
A beautiful American Indian Cherokee Blessing that someone sent across to me. Thank you my friend wherever you are … 😊 This I share with all my friends here today.
Presentation is about a sense of aesthetics that makes the difference between a job done and job well done.
Often the drive to succeed in an increasingly complex world leaves little time for the aesthetic endeavour, as it is often about rushing through to deliver than about commitment, care and connection to the work we do beyond the delivery.
Creativityis enhanced with a passion for artistry in any field of work.
In life, there are many ways to live…
To live fully and deeply, a richer life that is inspiring and empowering to follow.
Or to live drifting along to whatever comes your way.
To each their own!
But if one wishes to leave a footprint, make a mark that is felt, then the idea is to be present to every moment that presents itself.
Value life and consider living every moment artfully.
That will change our present and future to degrees we may not even have imagined.
All is in the consistency of presentation
Consider the self for a moment…
Look closely at how we are sitting at this moment.
What is our posture like… can we work on bettering it. And try to be more aligned?
How is the breathing? Rushed? Or have we held our breath in any way …
Breathe in and exhale deeply and lovingly.
Consider the clothes one wears
Our clothes tend to reflect our own state of mind .
Dressing well is a form of good manners.
Tom Ford
Caring to dress neatly and looking and feeling comfortable at all times shows in the way we carry our self.
It is also wise to check our sense of grooming and hygiene. It matters.
After all we are presenting ourself…. every day to the world.
It is would be good to make sure we feel like getting introduced to ourselves,
and be presentable as we would want someone else to be with us.
In paying attention to where we are in this moment to our surroundings and
seeing if we could make any positive difference always matters.
If we can get ourselves to make even tiny changes step by step, we evolve in time.
Every learning is a two-way process. There is the imparter of knowledge, skill & wisdom of truth who could be called a guru, teacher or a facilitator. Then there is the one who receives, assimilates, processes synthesizes & is then convinced about his or her interpretation of assimilation of truth enough to be called the student, shishya or disciple.
Now as learning is a never-ending process of growth and realization all the seekers of knowledge should have the channels of thoughts, words & deeds open for correction, improvement to be able to retain & sustain the available information to the best of their abilities.
The interpretation of knowledge may happen with respect to the personal state of mind and matter of the receiver, no matter whether he is the student or a teacher. Both are only human and are bound to the vagaries of human nature.
Poise & Composure
The sheer physical or mental magnetism a teacher or student exudes or otherwise must not undermine the purpose. So certain restraint in conduct, both in the physical emotional & mental sense must be in place for a mutually symbiotic relationship to take place. It’s very important for this realization to be clear and apparent enough between both of them before they can begin a journey of refinement that knowledge brings forth. In a situation of misplaced judgement, it is important for the other to coach and coax the unwilling and astray mule in the mind of the erring person, back on to the road, whoever they are, student or teacher. As learning is a two-way street. The learning will at times make the student a teacher and the teacher a student in the journey of realization.
Channelling the learning
Many times the temptation of thoughts will bring even the most dedicated of students or teachers to testing the real purpose of their efforts and practice. At this juncture, the control of mind and body actions must be exercised. This, if left unchecked could leave room for unnecessary situations which could harm the beautiful synthesis and symbiotic nature of the student-teacher relationship. The boundaries of mind are easily even more difficult to fathom and clarify.
It is simple and wise to let the mind be grounded, focused and steadfast in its purpose enough to be clear about the distinction and discernment while the learning relationship is taking place. As a single stray thought, or action could cause confusion enough to completely toss the relationship boundaries to levels which may be difficult to tilt back to states of equilibrium that needs to be maintained.
Steering the learning
The teacher must make it clear to himself or herself and to the students that he is there for the purpose of teaching and sharing the knowledge that he has been privy to, probably because of his own levels of ability, understanding, karma, dedication or steadfastness and discipline in acquiring the related skill. This act itself clears the ground for proper acceptance of a teacher’s education.
The thought and senses need to be checked before every movement such that there is respect enough for the student towards the teachers’ knowledge and in doing so the teacher manages to gain the required acceptance from the student and learning resumes.
Respect
But this is only one side of the coin the student too, has certain modes of conduct which needs to be observed and never crossed.
It is very important to understand first of all that neither a teachers time must not be taken for granted nor his teachings. They will be there for you as you need it and thus trust enough to understand that you cannot learn more or less of anything than what is required for you at that time.
Secondly, it is important that both accept and follow the principles of conduct in which learning is taking place which is ideally laid down by the form or subject to ensure that both do not stray beyond the boundaries and go off track.
The purpose of learning is absolutely free flowing & spills over to life and its situations and circumstances so this association of thought must not be confused with favoritism and partiality of any kind between both of them.
In some learning, the personal space both physical and mental greatly narrows down between the teacher and student putting them in a quandary especially if both are seeing a reflection of thoughts and actions in each other. This is definitely a situation to exercise caution enough to circumvent the spillover of knowledge beyond the cup of the mind.
Finally, there is the need to assimilate and interpret an information and only then act upon it, not get taken by impulse so much that you don’t give the other side the benefit of doubt.
The realization that experiences necessary for your learning and growth come to you will be clear but at the same time, you must keep in mind that no student or teacher can exercise and influence you to the degree that you do not want to be.
You learn what you can imbibe.. Not more not less!
Savvy
I wrote this article years ago but I was reminded of it today as in India it is Guru Poornima a day dedicated to the Teacher or Guru in and around us.
It is a day of celebration in respect & reverence for the exchange of knowledge and wisdom.
I addressed here the interplay of that which needs a mutual definition in understanding between both the students and the teacher as learnings begin to happen. It is always a work in progress for I believe learning is never ending and a continuous path of life and living.
Yet it is beautiful to pause & be grateful for the understanding that comes our way. Thus through the trials & tribulations of being a student & a teacher, life abounds in deep gratitude.
Savvy Raj 
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