~ Reflections ~

Everyone is talking about Covid, the economic impact (both shot term and long term) and the life changing impact it seems to have on all of us.  Sitting safely in our homes, most of us are as far from reality as one can think. Very few have been able to articulate the situation being faced by individuals who are locked-out (not locked down) by their own states because they were working elsewhere.  Arundhati Roy, in her article in Financial Times , appropriately said,  The Covid crisis is still to come. Or not. We don’t know. If and when it does, we can be sure it will be dealt with, with all the prevailing prejudices of religion, caste and class completely in place.  And that sums up the impact of what this has done to the society at large. While most of us (read netizens) are happily talking about rejuvenation of body, mind and the soul, what we don't understand or appreciate is that we are lucky enough to be able to do so. We are the privileged ones, not havin

Cool breeze... Calming silence... Background chorus of chirping birds.... Myriad thoughts... Wandering birds... spotted for the first time... Random thoughts... Circling the mind... I know this silence must end... But I think it is not just nature which needed this reset...

Life seems to have come to a standstill.. or is it the reverse ? An external virus has now ensured that we all stay indoors, and spend more time doing things which we haven't done in the past few decades. While the initial day or two took some adjustment (!?!) to be able to spend more time with our families, ourselves, most of us have now come around the corner have started establishing a schedule around it. To think it took a virus to halt the circus, and ease out the pace... make people do things they haven't dreamt of in the past.. come to terms and appreciate what others have been doing for them, day-in day-out.... hmmm.... While I know the economy is going to suffer and there are lots of issues being faced by different parts of the society, I wonder if this standstill was required, just for us to understand what we are doing with are lives and to introspect if it is all worthwhile !!! PS:  A big salute and standing ovation to all the doctors, pol

Change is a funny thing.. We realize that life cannot be static - that change is inevitable. Yet, when change actually hits you, you are often caught flummoxed. So how does one react when there is more than one change hitting you... as if suddenly, your mind is the only stationary thing, and all else seems to be in motion. The adjustment of the mind is probably the toughest... adjustment not to The change, but the idea that it is all changing, and will probably change into something totally new !

Every person has a purpose of life. Some recognize the purpose and try to make the most of the opportunity life has presented them with, while some simply fulfill the purpose during the course of their life, without the complete realization of having done it. But every person in our life also has a purpose and meaning, just the way we have a purpose in someone else's life... Often, we don't dwell into the reasons, but more often than not, each person ends up teaching us something about ourselves or the world or life, or maybe they are there just to give us company when we are low....  The intent is not to say that we should rubbish the people in our life, whom we deem have no purpose for us. But that, without realizing, each person has their own purpose... Not just in their own lives, but in our life too... Long story short, every person has their own journeys to chart, but they all have a role in your tiny journey too !

There is nothing as poetic and romantic as unfulfilled unrequited love... Or maybe the idea that someone is still trying to pursue someone, despite knowing that it is probably unattainable... Or is it just the chase.. I guess anything that has been attained looses its charm... Or maybe we work really hard when something is out of reach,  and eventually take it for granted when we have it...

We often say and believe, that we do things that appeal us (read our senses), and more often than not, our eyes. While I was already in disagreement with this philosophy of pleasing the eyes, being choosing partners basis appearance or judging your colleagues basis the way they dress, the latest trend is even more distasteful. Thanks to the advent of smartphones, I find that everything in life seems to revolve around how it can be captured 'beautifully' on the camera.  Don't get me wrong, I am all for photography and capture some priceless moments. But this urge of everyone to capture everything since they now have easy access to a camera on their phone has started to tick me off. This urge to click seems to be irrespective of whether it is a party or a pious moment, or just an emotional ordeal ! And due to this urge, things and moments are arranged to make them look 'more appealing' in a photograph.. without realizing that they are losing the spontane

What would you do when you randomly decide to bunk office... not because of an urge to rest or complete some pending work... but simply to do what YOU feel like... In our races against time, to complete the chores at hand, be it home or office, we often sideline these random wishes... after all they seem to random and trivial to pay heed to... And even if we do succumb, we end up feeling guilty to have 'wasted' those precious hours on some of our whims instead completing the work at hand. But once in a while, it is important to let go off this obsession about 'constructive' utilization of time, and not measure everything under the parameter of productivity of work. We need to understand that such breaks of routine are required to keep the mind working and happy. So the next time you have an urge to watch a movie alone, or taste something haven't tasted in ages right in the middle of the day, don't try to push the urge in the background and succumb to

Choosing a life partner is one of the toughest decision one faces. I am not undermining the other decisions one makes which have life changing impact.. but this is the one single decision which often stays with us (for better and for worse) for life. The essential difference is that, unlike in the case of parents, who choose you (and a mostly one way decision), the choice of a partner is an individual decision for which one has complete ownership...  So it is not surprising that a lot of us who linger on with the decision... wavering between indecision towards decision, till you finally call it ! What is the single most important criteria for this decision ? While the cliched answer might be compatibility, this might not be true, atleast in an Indian context, where most marriages are a conclusion of meeting and talking and not much beyond. Compatibility is probably what evolves over time, based on understanding and interpretation. So what exactly is it... After

Most of us are born hoarders.  We like to accumulate things, memories and thoughts.. more things, memories and more thoughts... Sometimes for that odd day where we might be left in the lurch.. sometimes for the bright day when we wish to celebrate..... or sometimes, just to relive what we've felt earlier... Whatever the excuse we might choose, the bottomline remains unchanged. So when I read this Article titles The Things One Leaves Behind by Sandip Roy , I was reminded once again how important it is to de-clutter, not just our cupboards and shelves but also our minds and bodies. We often harp so much on externalities that we miss what we actually Want and Need. So open your cupboards and minds (which are just like cupboards) , and spend sometime to get rid of what is truly unused or not needed, give it to someone who will find more utility...  Apply the same theory with the body and mind, and attempt to de-clutter, and get rid of unnecessary thoughts and f