Category Archives: Dehradun- Views from the valley

Dehradun : Lessons from The Valley of Good Vibrations

“Mountaintops inspire you but you are matured only in the valley.”

Everyone raised in a valley grows up  looking at the larger than life mountains.  Through  which trickle  down many streams and a lot of  warmth and security, which transcends into confidence.  Along with this the  omnipresent view of the mountains  instills you with humility. because of their sheer size.

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We are naturally gifted with natures gifts

Humbled and confident there is a spark which separates every valley dweller.  When you reply with “Dehradun” to an  informal inquiry regarding your hometown, you see the subtle expansion in the iris of the inquirer, maybe from magical experiences of the past.

Living in abundance is second nature to valley dwellers, the  natural diversity  at their disposal makes them wealthy beyond all riches. Most times this feeling is subconscious, they might consciously feel like beggars but deep inside they know more about the little things that matter.

The activated sense of perception  is not  an acquired  talent but  learnt from growing up in these blissful surroundings.

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The Trek to Mussoorie

As a child Mussoorie, the queen of the hills on the lower Himalayas, which enclose my hometown of Dehradun,  always appeared to be a distant goal, a

The mountain top served as a long term goal to  be accomplished.  (Accomplishing this the first few times  through automobiles was a hard task because of mountain sickness).Later it became more achievable when I entered the bunking age (tried it just once, was diligent  at school that way).

But what I realized when I made my first trek to Mussoorrie was how the feeling of reaching the top inspired me to keep going on even when there was no gas left in my pulmonary tank.

The path went through an amazing micro valley, full of amazing views of the city, fresh water streams, waterfalls, flaura and fauna which included laughing hyenas echoing across the valley.  But all of this was not noticed the first time. As most of it was  about surviving the trek and achieving the goal of reaching the top.

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The first trek was calf numbing and needed a day to recover from ,with reaching the top being the only takeaway.

The next time the  distance was still the same, but I noticed more things along the journey. I was aware of the birds chirping this time, the laughing hyenas made me realize that I was supposed to be scared along with tired through the first trek, and rather than only looking up I was looking around.

As these treks continued, I started exploring more along the journey, to the extent of taking a dip in the icy stream on a cold December Morning.  We reached the top each time but with every journey our minds matured.

The degree of exhaustion was inversely proportion to the number of treks but the enjoyment multiplied manifolds with each trip.

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Life Lessons from a Trek up a Mountain around Dehradun

With every climb, the top of the mountain was the inner aim but each new journey was more fulfilling than the previous.

Everything about the journey was the same, but what changed was my perspective. As it matured,  I became more aware of the little things which were ignored the previous time.  The time in the valley taught me to notice more when I make the climbs to the top.

On our journey through life we have to climb many mountains, we have to achieve many goals. The first few times we try to do anything, we are so consumed at completing the task at hand that we overlook the experiential value which the task contains.

In our obsession with completing the task we overlook the micro aspects that  lead to the ultimate goal. But as we mature through life, especially through our valleys, not Dehradun, but the times when we feel down and introspect, we tend to get better at enjoying the ride rather than completing it.

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In your quest for glory or accomplishing any small part of your story, take sometime to enjoy the experience , the art will only get better as you get humbled by time. But through the valleys in your life you will learn lessons which will make you more mindful every time you start a new climb, which can be starting a new relationship or business or a new job or any other endeavor you want to be a part of.

The view from the top of the mountain will be much better when you have enjoyed the journey to it.  But first you will need to develop humble confidence through self awareness and then take out time to climb some mountains.

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The circle of smiles

Newtons third law is in sync with the first and only law of KARMA, every vibe, motive and action has an equal and opposite reflection. What you give is what you get back. This principle governs our cosmos and is applicable to all of its constituents. The vibe we emit comes back to us directly or indirectly, sooner rather than later. So its better to give out good vibes to ensure that you are always in a circle of positivism.

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Its better to give hope, joy and smiles to all around you and celebrate life rather than anything else, cause eventually these things will come back to you.

Those who offer selfless love and joy are blessed with a distinct divinity in their demeanor and a holiness in their countenance. They lived fulfilled lives and are much more satisfied than others who are busy chasing material junk.

When you ultimately pass away you wont be remembered by the money in your bank account you will be remembered by the hearts you touched, the souls you caressed, the days you made and the lives you changed.

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When you do good to one person, you initiate a chain reaction of goodness, this goodness is passed on till it finally comes back to you. So endeavor to initiate as many such circles as you can, so that your life is never devoid of smiles, joy, hope and celebration.

Music solidifies the circle of smiles, music makes you come alive

Participating in a common pursuits strengthens this circle of smiles. Music is one such ideal pursuit which connects and spreads joy at the same time. The thought elevating qualities of music have been mentioned in my previous article, Music- Vibes from the Valley.  Music is the glue that binds and strengthens this circle of smiles.

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When you radiate positivism you not only add joy to the world but also assist others in finding the good in them. Love and hope go a long way in helping people break their shackles of fear and shame.

This was evident at the Dehradun Drum Circle,  where scared little kids dropped their insecurities and joined in the circle of fun. The circle, created by happy hearts and catalyzed by the rhythmic bliss of percussion instruments, had such vibes that even the most fearful of souls couldn’t control their urge to participate, to celebrate and to be happy.

The  Dehradun Drum Circle might only be only two events old, but it has shown promise in its nascent form. This  celebration of life has provided the ideal setting for people from different walks of life to revitalize, reload and refresh their minds with goodness of an audible kind.

Dehradun has always been well known for its serene and beautiful ambiance, one which percolates into the mindset of the people residing here. Events like these help in bringing people from the city together and create an explosion of awesomeness for the world to witness.  I hope I  carry my dancing shoes to he next event, cause for the last two I have just been dancing in my mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hesitations of a Radioactive soul

You weren’t created to be ordinary, you were born to sparkle, you were born to shine with an awe inspiring brilliance, a luminescence so captivating that the world would get engulfed in your mesmerism. Yet you choose to lose to the fearful majority, who like sheep roam around in clusters, clusters full of mediocrity, clusters full of insecurity, clusters full of doubts, clusters filling others with doubts.

The ones scoping to shine are outnumbered by the ones enveloped by mediocrity. The sheer number of these average fools make an outcast out of anyone trying to achieve greatness. The darkness which stems from the insecurity of this majority crowd, fades the illuminance of a Radioactive soul.

Road blocks to greatness

At most times the emanating souls cant breach the reluctance that comes from social pressures, even if they do their passion burns out against the relentlessly adamant mediocre segment. The foolish are so confident of their mediocrity that they instigate doubt into the smart ones.

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The fact that some people have given up on their dreams doesn’t give them the right to force this upon others. But the chicken headed society is so blinded by the idea of stability that they never give dreamers a chance. Dreaming is made into a taboo, the ones thinking beyond the obvious are labelled fools until they withstand this pressure to prove everyone wrong.

The path to greatness is not an easy one on its own, it has added road blocks. Radioactive souls, who think well for everyone, have to go through the same daily struggles as everyone else, add to this the burdens of going against major sections of the society. In short if you think out of the ordinary you will not only have to push yourself a little beyond perceived limits but also counter enumerable the ordinary mindsets.

Believe to Receive 

The ones living by someone else’s recitation will end up as nothing more than cheap imitations,

Forever confined to social limitations, they will never let their souls shine cause of acquired hesitation.

The ones living under order and by social ethos, will never let their true spirit flow,

Cause only the ones who allow their soul to glow, make themselves immortal, across eternity their name echoes.

 

Your souls are meant to emit an energy which astounds and amazes but you are forced to think small and miss out on higher truths. Your reluctance is induced by other reluctant people. It is contagious, It leaves you with no options but to safeguard the real treasures of your identity, You barter the radioactive soul for a stable existence, you barter the ability to inspire and tantalize for an average frustrated life full of complains.

The world will instill hesitation into your very soul and never let you come out of it. Your radioactivity will be repressed into non existence. You will be perpetually reluctant if you let the world mold you. What do you have to do then in order to combat this social suppression? How can you evade the wrath of insecure stability blinded personalities all around you?

The answer lies within, you are born an individual with free will, you should allow yourself to be inspired by everyone but lend a deaf ear to anyone trying to dishearten you. Live in a way where you are immune to critics but alive to motivators. Be a source of inspiration, let your soul shine to illuminate the lives of others. You are a natural source of love and happiness, you are born to convey it to everyone to meet, you are reluctant to do so because you think too much.

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Don’t let anyone including yourself limit you, believe to receive.

Have a good day.

 

 

 

Quarter of an exile

Lord Rama is remembered for the 14 year he spent in the forests. Most of his exile is depicted as a struggle. As per hearsay he seemed to have renounced the glitz and glamour of pre-vedic city life, for the trials and tribulations of the jungle. But few point out the wisdom and skills he learned during his exile, which turned him from a promising prince to a deserving king.

Though lord Rama was gifted since birth but his talents needed to be honed and channelized. Seclusion from everyday life made him look inside and that’s where he found peace. The 14 years of exile elevated him from being capable to being deserving.

A Sucker for Connections

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Although the 3 and a half years at my hometown is as distant from Lord Rama’s 14 year exile into the forest but I am a sucker for connections. This compels me to look more at the similarities and not the anomalies.

I am no king and going back to my hometown is not an exile, but the calmness of a hill town and its sedated lifestyle is a big change from the Usain Boltness of modern day cities. Living in bucolic solitude, with the family, comes as close to an exile as one can in the modern world, because not many do it.

In an age of phenomenally fast processing super brains, flickering attentions spans and 30 seconds to fame, every second is a lifetime in itself, a quarter of the 14 years is a big time period too. So depriving myself from big city lights for 3 and a half years, after spending 5 years in one comes as close to an exile in the modern world, because not as many do it.

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How does it matter?

As the plane descended unfolding the mesmeric hues of the big city lights,

I felt a tingle, reminiscing the big city life,

Flashes of memories with a background of glittery amber lay spread in front of my eyes,

I think to myself, How life would have meandered so differently, if back then I was this wise?

Drenched in emotional bliss, I blow the moon a gentle kiss,

The lunar romanticism is blunted as the air hostess yells “fasten your seat belt pliss”

As mum bursts into ecstatic laughter, I recollect it’s these little things that matter,

Life is not a single dish, it’s an assortment of these trivial things, a perfect platter.

Solitude seems to have made the meaningless relevant,

Things which I was blinded to, now shine out with all their magnificence.  

It’s time to rebake this beautiful urban cake with an enriched neural batter,

Equipped with a serene perception and soundness of thought,  this is going to be a harmonious rural urban clatter.

The calmness of thought is a blessing from the Gods of solitude,

Which will enable me to swallow the worlds hate and convert it into gold, empowered with an alchemist’s fortitude.

Carrying the stillness

Time spent in secluded introspection reveals truth to oneself which running around hides. Mindful meditation has polished my perspective and unfolded significant secrets which I was ignorant to. A sense of excessive gratitude has trickled into my mindset magnifying the value of every person, place or event.

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The stillness and calm from the happy valley will be spread everywhere I set foot. With thiis will be spread the happiness from the hills and joy from the jungle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcoming the Rising Sun

The darkness of the night might grip you in provisional gloom,

It might send cold shivers down your spine, bamboozle and bewilder you,

But if you manage to keep your wits through this inevitable doom,

You will be comforted by a cosmic embrace, as the dazzling Sun will shine through.

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Problems are like passing head aches, you either bare with them and get better or make a big deal out of them and get worse. Every bad day is followed by a better one, but at times you are so caught up with the badness of yesterday that you fail to notice the goodness of today. The problem might die, but you keep them alive because of you panic when you face them, Your fear fuels these problems and makes a wild fire out of a spark. If you learn to accept the zig zag nature of life, and bare with your problems with minimal fuss, you not only hasten the process of finding the solution but also learn how to make the most of them.

Most of you are too scared to get up after that nightmare, so you fail to enjoy the break of dawn. Thereby pushing yourself into further gloom. Only if you knew the significance of welcoming the rising sun, you would notice how easy it is to illuminate your thoughts beyond the temporary troubles.

Don’t run or hide, seeking empathy and spreading grief,

While you lie trembling at the bottom of the dark valley, you will see no relief,

Make yourself wise, start thinking as high as the mountains peak,

That’s where the golden sunlight will first reach.

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Your problems are as a big as you make them. Your response to a situation determines how wild it becomes. If you waste your time complaining and cursing fate because of your lack of luck, you divert your attention from finding solutions and get sucked into the pit of gloom. But if you expand your paradigm and think about solutions rather than exhibiting grief, providence moves to your advantage. The universe becomes your ally and helps you overcome the temporary misfortune.

Its impossible to avoid the night, in-spite of all your swears and groans,

You must bare with the laws of the universe, laws which someone else owns,

You must survive till the sun comes back to enlighten and energize your skin and bones,

Don’t fight impediments, be the stream running through the stones.

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All your complains fall to deaf ears, all they do is demoralize you further, and give the world a chance to remind you of your sorry state. You can’t prevent the randomness of the universe from knocking at your door from time to time. All you can do is survive without breaking spirit. Its impossible to waste time fighting and worrying about all impediments, you are better off finding a way to live with them.

If you bare through the cold you will see your fears melt,

Welcoming the rising sun will surely supplement your spirits and health

Life’s too short to be perpetually spent in stealth,

Your willpower decides if you make it a waterfall of worries or a waterfall of wealth.

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You attract what you pay more attention to. If you focus on the problem, the problem would grow, if you focus on solutions, the probability of finding it improves.

Life will not always dance to your tunes, there will be days when it will pull you down. But its you who decide whether you get comfortable with staying down or take your first chance and bounce back. If you get comfortable staying down, you would feed on a supply of complains and sympathy which would never allow you to see the ray of hope and keep you in the dark forever.  But if you want to move forward you would have to welcome the rising sun, the moment when its time for you to get up again.