Welcome To Wherever You Are

Ever felt like giving up and moving on? Ever felt heartbroken after a fight with someone you love. Ever wondered why it feels so hard to breathe while you feel like your world is crashing down on you? I'm willing to bet that each and every one of us have felt this way some time or the other.

I wish I could say that its easy to overcome. It is all in the mind. Trust me on this. Its just a matter of time before you figure it out for yourself. We're all the same. We differ only in the extent to which we inflict ourselves with the heartache. At those times of distress, we don't realize that we're special in our own way. We are perfect and can't be any other way. It boils down to that eternal conflict within ourselves where we are caught between who we want to be and who we really are.

It takes a certain amount of introspection to realize that sadness is very temporary. Nothing and no one is worth that kind of unhappiness. Its time to accept that and move on cause right here, and right now, you're exactly where you're supposed to be. You are a flower waiting to bloom, a miracle happening right now, and the next big thing yet to happen. Close your eyes and visualize every aspect of your life - your family, your friends, your job.. everything. Try to evaluate your problems and check for yourself which problems are actually yours and not yours by association.

We control our lives. No one else does. Nothing anyone else says can make a difference. At the end of it all, its your life. If you look back on your life, I hope that you don't only see the people who made all the decisions for you. If you don't like something, don't do it. Do what you like and do it with all your heart. Be who you want to be, be who you really are, you are the real deal, the superstar!

When you want to give up and are ready to fall apart, remember that you're perfect and god makes no mistakes!

- Jon Bon Jovi.

Rain It Pours

Rain it pours, and its dancing in my soul now;
Rain it pours, and it drowns away my thoughts;
Rain it pours, and everything goes silent;
Rain it pours, and its dancing in my soul.

Ganesh Chaturthi (in my world)

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi everyone! The Ganesh puja in Hyderabad has always been special for me. Thats the one festival everyone makes sure to be home for. This year was no different. It was filled with fun with the family, great food, and of course, the festivities. What made it all the more special were the small things that happened in between all of this.

We convinced everyone that this year we would go eco-friendly. We bought a Ganesha made of clay. That was special. We bought a Ganesha that would not pollute the lake. We even managed to convince the other families to do the same. Its bad enough that the big muthis are destroying the lakes; we're doing the ecosystem a favor by cleaning it up one idol at a time. Scary thought but if the water of our lake ever dried up, we'd see a graveyard of idols! I'm willing to bet anything that if Ganesha could speak up, he would not be too happy with what we do to his idols each year. Save the city people.. save tank bund, lest it become 'tank bandh.'

I went shopping with my grandmother. She has shopping all figured out. Its fun to watch someone who knows where to shop and how much to bargain for. Its a talent. So, while we shopped, this lady came up with her baby and started to beg for money. The kid was old enough to be left alone while she works but she chose to beg instead. As expected, she got a lecture from my grandmother. No one gets away from those. After sending that woman away, she made me buy two bananas for them and made me peel them before giving it to them. That was to ensure that the woman fed the child. Small thing I know but I think my grandmom is awesome in ways like that.



Amidst all the pandals, the band-baaja, and the festivities, these small things stood out to make the whole festival so memorable. These make the festival worth celebrating!

Outplaying the Genie!

This is always something we used to wonder... why make just three wishes and why not ask for another three wishes as the last wish.. well, theres always a way out! :)

Soul Curry At The KFC!

Was out with Raj to watch the Prince of Persia movie at Cinemax in Hyderabad. After having a good time at the movie, we walked in to the KFC in the same building. I placed the order and waited for my food. When the food came, I asked the guy behind the counter for an extra plate. He just stared back. I looked at him for a few seconds before trying it again, this time showing him what I wanted by gesturing. To my surprise, the supervisor then tapped his shoulder and use the hand signals to convey my request. The guy behind the counter was mute. I had not expected to see someone who was deaf-mute working in one of the busiest KFCs in town. I was amazed.

My amazement grew when I noticed that there were a few more employees at the same outlet who could not speak or hear. The supervisor took pride in telling me about how he managed a very efficient crew that had overcome their challenges to become a star crew. Well, I don't know about the calories and the cholesterol in those KFC delicacies, but I can tell you one thing... this one was pretty good for the heart! :)

The Purpose Of My Life!

Do we all come in to this world with a purpose? If so, why do some of us feel so lost all the time. We go about spending our days like little specks of intense emotion without a boundary and without reason. It took me sometime to find my purpose in life. It was there in front of me all along and some people did point it out too. I was just too occupied by what I thought life was all about to notice. Here's a small story I read in a 'Chicken Soup' book that pretty much sums me up.


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"Dr. Papaderos, what is the meaning of life?"

The usual laughter followed, and people stirred to go. Papaderos held up his hand and stilled the room and looked at me for a long time, asking with his eyes if I was serious and seeing from my eyes that I was.

"I will answer your question."

Taking his wallet out of his hip pocket, he fished in to a leather billfold and brought out a very small round mirror, about the size of a quarter.

And what he said went like this:

"When I was a small child, during the war, we were very poor and we lived in a remote village. One day, on the road, I found the broken pieces of a mirror. A German motorcycle had been wrecked in that place.

"I tried to find all the pieces and put them together, but it was not possible, so I kept only the largest piece. This one, and, by scratching it on a stone, I made it round. I began to play with it as a toy and became fascinated by the fact that I could reflect light into dark places where the sun would never shine - in deep holes and crevices and dark closets. It became a game for me to get light into the most inaccessible places I could find.

"I kept the little mirror, and, as I went about my growing up, I would take it out in idle moments and continue the challenge of the game. As I became a man, I grew to understand this was not just a child's name but a metaphor for what I might do with my life. I came to understand that I am not the light or the source of the light. But light - truth, understanding, knowledge - is there, and it will shine in many dark places only if I reflect it.

"I am a fragment of a mirror whose whole design and shape I do not know. Nevertheless, with what I have, I can reflect light into the dark places of this world. - into the blackest places in the hearts of men - and change some things in some people. Perhaps others may see and do likewise. This is what I am about. This is the meaning of my life. "

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Being happy is so easy. It just boils down to whether we can open up our hearts and experience the joy the world has to offer. Its very easy to dwell in the dark corners of our psyche and languish there waiting for the eventuality. At a small level, my happiness brings a smile to others around me. My purpose in life is not to be a great discoverer or to be a great adventurer or a great teacher. My purpose in life is simple: To rediscover happiness and help others re-discover them. Its time for a positive change. After all, the world could always use a little more light.

Somethings Never Mix!

Sasi at his hilarious best!!! :D