Category Archives: Wellness

Chasing dreams

In your quest for immortality

I live my life to be immortal, not that I want to live forever in this physical form, but as part of someone else’s thought.

You aren’t immortalized by the money that we leave behind in our accounts, neither by the fancy cars and houses we make for ourselves. These evanesce just like everything tangible. You aren’t etched into the stone of eternity by living a settled stable life, anyone willing to lower his demands is capable of doing that. 

Everyone who has ever been of any consequence has had one unique ability. They have had the same body, brain and 24 hours in the day, but this one quality has made them stand out from the rest. This attribute has made their stories immortal and their names legendary. Everyone can, but only few understand what this hallmark for greatness is.

 

The relentlessness behind the rewards

Usually people only celebrate consequences of the lives that legends lived, they are mostly remembered for the inventions they made, the battles they won, the mountains they climbed, the books they wrote and the hearts they touched.

But all these consequences are a result of how relentlessly they pursued their dreams throughout their lives, the abundance of fortitude they displayed while chasing their aspirations. The strength of purpose in their dreams gave them the energy to keep trying repetitively, till they start taking failure nonchalantly. They weren’t afraid of failing hence they eventually succeeded.

They dint have a magical genetic function, no one does. They faced the same daily struggles that any ordinary person does. But they were set apart from the crowd in two ways. Firstly they dared to dream, yes most of us are too good at building castles in the air. Secondly and more importantly, they were so captivated by their own dreams that they pursued them with an obstinate mindset. Their mesmeric devotion towards fulfilling these dreams auto- aligned the universe in their favor.

Chase your dreams

Dare to dream, its the most obvious thing to do, dedicate yourself wholly to its fulfillment and providence will move. Your resolve is stronger than what you think of it to be.

The world is too preoccupied in transferring today’s joy to tomorrow in their struggle for stability. They are unaware of what independent dreaming is, as they are busy fulfilling the dreams of others. As explored in Are you in shape or just stable? people don’t want to be in shape as they chase this elusive stability like a zombie.

Social conundrums defeat us when we try to dream, resistance prevents us from persisting after the first failure and your closest associates demoralize because they themselves have no clue. It seems like the universe conspires against letting you chase your dreams, well it only gives you what you actually want. Its up to you to listen to the resistance inside you and the critics outside. Remember that you give them the voice that they have.

First they will try to stop you, then laugh at you, then be jealous, then applaud you and finally follow you.

Don’t transfer today’s joy to tomorrow

Foregoing the joys of today to safeguard the future you don’t control

Radamel was a farmer in southern France. He lived on a small farm with his Family, for whom he seldom found time. He was possessed by the idea of having a secure future. As a result he restricted himself from all sorts of domestic and other indulgences and spent hours at his Farm. (we had no machines at that time). He was so consumed by the idea of a stable future that he exiled himself from his family, limited himself from making friends, dint cater to his own health and live in utter destitution so as to invest in the growth of his farm.

Half a decade went by, the farm expanded, but in his mind Radamel wasn’t stable yet. He wore the same clothes and expected his family to partake in his self inflicted poverty so that their future would be stable. His wife, whose countenance once inspired envy from every women in the neighborhood, looked a decade older in half the time just like her husband. Their two young were living on dads false promises since 5 years. Radamel’s incessant struggle for stability resulted in enumerable false promises. A few to his family, and many to himself.

With neither money or time being spent, the entire family were living in the anticipation of the day they would suddenly be stable. They were putting off things expecting a stabler future ignoring invaluable moments, days, months, weeks and years. One day when the farm was big enough and the father finally decided to cash in, he got news that the Rhone river adjoining his farm flooded. All of his property was destroyed. All that remained was a Stable with a Horse called Sort(French for Fate).

Of course the impending anti climax resulted in Radamel passing away, he had developed high blood pressure which lead to a stroke at the news of his loss,

But lets keep this tale positive. Radamel didn’t die, he was crestfallen at his loss. In his dream one night he had a conversation with God, he asked him why he wasn’t he rewarded for his hard work?

In his reply the voice of the almighty replied. “Your complains are the result of your own inability to understand the purpose of your life. Yet I shall offer you some elaborate clarity.”

“You were so busy running after making a life, that you never lived. If you live your life fearing that things wont go your way one day and you have spend your life planning for that one day, then sooner or later that day will arrive, just like it did with your life.” The voice paused giving Radamel the time to digest what he just heard.

Then it began again, “By not allowing yourself the freedom of experiencing joy on a day to day basis, you not only sabotaged your own life but the life of your family and friends. By delaying all celebrations for the perfect stable time, you gave yourself the excuse of not celebrating at all. Where there is no joy, sooner or later sorrow does creep in.”

“You were not only ungrateful to the enumerable gifts that I have littered in this cosmos for you to admire, but also ignorant to your own present well being, while chasing invisible happiness in the unknown future. But the problem is not only in you my child. The entire world lives in the same bubble. They don’t control the present and wish to be in control of the uncontrollable future.”

“Not even the wealth of the entire world combined can make an individual immune to what fate has in store for them. Yet people indulge in sophisticated slavery to safeguard their futures. Instead of focusing on living a life, where they can make so many things right in the present moment, they live based on what might go wrong in the future. Instead of following their passions or pursuing their dreams they exchange ALL of their invaluable time for money.”

“Your life is the sum total of the uncountable moments you are blessed with. How you pass your seconds determines how satisfied you are at the end of time. Living a life on someone else’s terms disrespects the time you were granted for yourself. Time is the most invaluable commodity the world cant spin without. But people treat their time that they have it in infinite resources , only to be shocked when it is all taken away from them.”

“If you believe that your joys for today can be transferred to a better tomorrow, which you might not be able to see, then you have been existing and not living. And you will continue existing, without experiencing real joy till you die, because the tomorrow with the “accumulated joy” of yester years will never come.”

Live each day to the fullest

Seize the moment try to freeze it and own it, squeeze it and hold it
‘Cause we consider these minutes golden
And maybe they’ll admit it when we’re gone
Just let our spirits live on, through our lyrics that you hear in our songs

Living in the moment has been emphasized all across the music industry, mostly to influence minds and gather profits from the reckless nature of revelers. But in certain cases like the lines by Eminem we see the real value of the little moments. It wont take us much to etch our names in the stone of eternity, only if we can utilize all our little moments fruitfully.

The story was written as it was thought. Spontaneity has the magical power of transferring sub conscious to the conscious. The wonderful osmosis of ideas through the tangible to the intangible.

A tale which would never have been told had I been getting home from work, doing overtime at office or making tea for someone else. But luckily I value my own time and so should all of you. Believe in yourself and you wont have to worry about stability in the future. Live each day to the fullest, transfer joy into someone else’s life rather than trying to transfer it to the future.

Have a Good Day.

 

 

 

Another day in paradise

At times we overlook, at times we over-expect, at times we are so consumed by our conceptions that we don’t think straight, and when we are not too busy wasting our times lamenting, we appreciate.

Seek the best in everyone you meet,the lesson in every mistake you make and you will be in a perpetual subliminal paradise. Make this a habit and see the world manifest into a better form.

Expecting others to change is ordinary and wont get you far. Showing them the way, by first changing yourself is what you’ll do, if you have an ounce full of functional neurons and expect any returns for the energy you expend.

Our paradise should be defined by our perception and not by how the world acts. Though social conundrums are unavoidable but your response, or the lack of it, to them is within your control. Easier said than done but that’s what growing up teaches you.

Mondays seem to suck most from a working individuals energy levels, the initiation of another weeks grind seems to impair perception and renders the paradise lost.

Transfer

Monday blues? its just another way for fools, who use days as an excuse, to live a life out of clue. The very few, who are on passionate pursuits, realize its less about the work you do, and more about enjoying each day and all of its hues.

Alacrity is so scarce in this apathy stricken world, that every earnest attempt at diffusing hope into the hopelessness is questioned and resented. But I hope this electronic diffusion helps people take a break from stress induced mundane dispositions, and be more grateful for the gift of life.

Dont be a prisoner to quotidian struggles, its called life, take a deep breath and Savour another day in paradise.

Reverse evolution- The curse of influences

At the end, we are mere evolutionised apes adorning narcissistic capes as we chase comforting escapes, Clouded in thought, our pretentious mind makes our ballooned egos levitate, if only, we could sit down and meditate.

Ch Darwin-Emile Littré by André Gill
Ch Darwin-Emile Littré by André Gill

Reverse Evolution (cause aping is a habit)

Reverse evolution is when we try to acquire traits not in coherence with what nature wants us to do. When our adaptations are not justified by our struggle for existence but merely a direct result of influence. Reverse evolution is when our adaptations are not based on necessity but a result of compulsion that leads us to empty comforts.

In India we see many a men and women trying to deceive their natural traits, in order to enhance their desirability, attract attention and make more money. Reverse evolution is the trend as we seek to be western in our mannerisms but not in our mentality. As a result the social structure here has shaped into an abominable concoction of the worst of both Indian and Western cultures.

Once upon a time not so long ago, our discipline and social order were consequents of our social norms. People wouldn’t question these as they were based on spirituality. A healthy spirit used to follow all social norms, which subliminally made everyone loving, caring, sharing and progress symbiotically. The wise men of the past had related all necessary norms to religion knowing that people would fear and follow and sustain.

With time, we began to questions everything and as.the world became smaller, we embraced comforting influences and gave up the burden of social norms . We could have been inspired by the multitude of western traits which could have galvanized us for the good, but we chose the ones which comfort us most. Thus our adaptations towards better forms of ourselves was hampered and the influences reversed our evolution.

The uncomfortable social norms mean nothing to us now. These social norms made sense in a more sanctified environment. But now we question and take the comfortable path, and who cares about sustenance. Back in the day our value system was adamantine like wolverines claws. Communal harmony, cultural values and the feelings of oneness of society wasn’t taught but acquired naturally. Honesty, respect, truthfulness, love were part of our innate characters. Now we long for recognition, power and demand respect.

It seems that social norms made more sense when things were not so chaotic. Now in this digital free for all we pick on comforting influences from all over the world. Our mentalities are molded by geographies we are unaware of, backgrounds we don’t even understand. Right from the way we talk and carry ourselves, from how we deal with relationships and the society to what we eat and how we communicate. We are influenced beyond repair. By consuming one too many digital dishes we end up obese with partial knowledge about many cultures and forget our own. To get a better understanding on this just sit down and listen to any random group conversation among the youth of our country or listen to some trending bollywood songs. Most often the obesity of partial knowledge comes out in verbal diarrhea.(Yo yo and doll)

Comfortably Westernized(or are we…)

The whole fabric of the Indian society stands besmirched. We call it progression by following the western way. But we ape only the comfortable parts of the western society. This reverse evolution, and irresponsibility towards influences, has hampered our progress greatly.

Their fun and frolic is easy to be replicated and their focus and discipline, easier to be ignored.  The imported baby dolls won’t last a lifetime. We also can’t bank on the cheap imitations yo-yoing around. These haywired specimens are too unsure of what they represent themselves; it’s tough to expect them to be ideal idols. Still they comfort us with worthless exhibitionism on the pretext of talent. And we, like a zombied mob too fascinated by the comforts of the western world, follow. Follow these demented souls to the nothingness that they lead us to.

What we ignore is what our society was based on. Integrity, discipline, honor, all these words are for the outdated old schooler’s who are unaware to the magnificence of western nuisances. As a result of reverse evolution the modern Indian is individual(alone), flamboyant(showoff), self-reliant(selfish) and happy(depressed).

Embrace who you are and learn for the better

The evil that our society is fighting is not of a corrupt political system but a corrupt state of mind caused by reverse evolution. When we can’t expect ourselves to be wholly, or even majorly Indian how can we select leaders from amongst us. Unlike us, the world knows how to make the most of their own and other cultures. They understand the spiritual empowerment that India offers is unparalleled, hence they make it a point to turn to India for meditation, yoga and soul soothing matters.

Part of progression is what you choose to copy. As Indians we copy comforts and ignore the more important parts of life, while most of the world knows what to copy. There are enumerable things that we can copy from other cultures which would actually benefit us. But what is thrown into our faces , through social media, through movies, through sitcoms, is just a part of the whole. The western society is knitted by a thread of utter discipline, organized systems, astute planning and relentless focus. These often go unnoticed as they are beyond our comfort zones. We end up being partly here, partly there, and fully nowhere.

We must choose one sense of life and follow it thoroughly. Our culture and our legacy will only sustain if we believe in it. That being said you can always add to your culture by picking up positives from others, without damaging the core beliefs of your own cultural system. You can be inspired but in a world where influences are so common it is hard to find a difference.Hence instead of adapting to survive humans are influenced to impress, and that my friend is reverse evolution.

Magical Moments that inspire movement

The curse of comfort zones

Our race is innately insecure. Our lack of surety due to the procrastinational overload, propels us into a state of perfect stagnation. The stagnation which urges us to snooze are alarms in the morning, the stagnation stopping us from going beyond a speed of 6 on the treadmill, the stagnation stopping us from leaving the comfort zones of social media and build real relationships, the stagnation refraining us from going the extra mile in friendship, the stagnation which make us forego the lucrative business offers which we are bound to rue in retrospection, the stagnation hindering us from taking the first step in earnestness to turn or dreams into reality.

A disease that fights back

No one is immune to this stagnation. Even seasoned professionals with well conditioned brains and motivators with decades of experience accept to be victims of this stagnation after years of practice to countering it. Hence there is no guaranteed therapy or magic potion to rid ourselves of this problem completely. It is like a disease which fights back and requires constant combating. It is incurable but with an ounce full of regular effort we can learn to live with it.

Where else to look for the solution than within the problem?

We face enumerable situations in our daily lives wherein we have to make a decision which will alter the rest of the day for us. In normal circumstances we seem to take the most comfortable alternative so as to avoid the consequences, the unknown withholds. Soon this becomes a habit and we start believing that the comfortable choice is the right one.

But just before we take any decision there comes a moment, brief as it maybe when we are weighing up the options. Wake up now or take another 10 minutes, get ready for the gym or check whatsapp with the virtual world, make an oatmeal shake or just grab some bananas are some of the situations that I face. Obviously as my realm of thought is more governed by the gym so my choices are based upon that. But think about your own routine and you shall find a number of situations where you have a choice between whats comfortable and what demands an extra ounce of effort. This period of decision-making is most important to build a habit to counter procrastination. You can let it slide with the routine choice, feel ashamed that you did but slide nonetheless. Or you can make an honest attempt to counter the normal flow and get inspired to pierce the bubble of comfort and push yourself to excellence.

I face the same fight everyday but then all it takes for me to get inspired is a moment. The moment which demands action contrary to comfort. A simple example comes in the form of what you eat. You can choose to eat for the taste buds all your life and complain about the bulge preventing you from seeing your toes or you can eat something less tasteful but more resourceful. It again takes a moment to pop in some french fries or to decide against it.

Juice for thought

Try to hit the gym occasionally. The lessons are more subliminal than visual/muscular. If you manage to sustain yourself for more than a couple of weeks without quitting you will understand the secrets to unshackling yourself from the bondage of comfort zones. Once you learn this art all you have to superimpose it into any sphere of life that you want to. Business, relationships, talent or any ordinary objective you have planned for yourself, all are built on the same fabric. You can either let it slide or chose to get inspired when it matters and have the life that you have envisioned for yourself. Make the ticking clock count.