Moving on...

AMRITBIR KAUR
abcpoet@gmail.com

If moving on in life means that we have detached ourselves completely from our past, then why do we have dreams related to it? If we can forgive and forget so easily, then why is it that we can still feel the pricks off and on? Why is it that we have memories attached when we claim to have detached completely?

DETACHMENT
The tree standing tall
near the river bed,
but never ever got a drop
the yellow never turned red.
The wait was eternal
longer than life itself;
there came thousand springs
but soul couldn’t reveal the self.
The leaves were buried
the twigs swept away:
grayed leaves dying underneath
and the river slid silently away.
©Amritbir Kaur

Silently time moves on and we pretend to move on with the moving time. We pretend to be normal but what we don't want to confess even to ourselves that a part of has stayed behind clinging to the past that we never wanted to pass. It's not that there something bad about it. It is pretty normal to travel back to the past off and on. After all, we all leave footprints behind, it might be in the form of the associations we formed with places, time or situations.

There are things lying dormant in our subconscious, but the things are not the dead ones. They tend to crop up to the surface when provided with a suitable trigger. Occasionally it does no damage but when we are so dependant on the moorings of the past, it is then that we are unable to keep up with the time that is passing by. It is then that we lose count of our own self and we being lost in a reclusive world of our own are unable to keep track of the things happening to us in the present time. And then again our future is affected by it. So we might end up being caught in a vicious circle of delving only into the past, while letting the present go by.
Hence, don't feel guilty if you have spells of visiting your past, but then don't do it at the cost of your present. It is the present that will give you memories to cherish in future and you will be able to sort of compensate for the bitter memories of the past. Let  present be your saviour so that you can rescue your future!

Things to Remember

LESSONS FROM LIFE

Things to always remember

YOUR presence is a present to the world.

You are unique and one of a kind.

Your life can be what you want it to be.

Take the days just one at a time.

Count your blessings, not your troubles.

You will make it through whatever comes along.

Within you are so many answers.

Understand, have courage, be strong.

Do not put limits on yourself.

So many dreams are waiting to be realised.

Decisions are too important to leave to chance.

Reach for your peak, your goal and your prize.

Nothing wastes more energy than worrying.

The longer one carries a problem the heavier it gets.

Do not take things too seriously.

Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.

Remember that a little love goes a long way.

Remember that a lot goes forever.

Remember that friendship is a wise investment.

Life’s treasure are people together.

Realise that it is never too late.

Do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.

Have health and hope and happiness.

Take the time to wish upon a start.

And do not ever forget.

For even a day

How very special you are!

(Author unknown, source unknown)

Celebrating Raksha Bandhan in India

Pic src: Raksha Bandhan

India celebrates Raksha Bandhan today, that is, 13 August. The festival of Raksha Bandhan has been celebrated since times immemorial. But things have undergone a sea change. Raksha Bandhan is a festival that celebrates the sacred bond of brother and sister. It is a symbol of love, affection and bond of togetherness of brother and sister. ‘Rakhi’ is a thread that a sister ties to the wrist of her brother. Now we no longer have just the simple, good-old rakhi, they are much more fancy ones that attract the buyer’s attention. Zardosi Rakhi, Pearl Rakhis, Diamond Rakhi, Rakhi in gold and silver; not only this we also have Rakhi with chocolates, rakhi with dry fruits etc.

Now my question is: Are we giving more weightage to the sanctity of this affectionate relationship by increasing the monetary value of the Rakhis. Shouldn’t we be giving more value to the affectionate feelings, love and togetherness?

Festivals are, after all, to celebrate togetherness…think about it…

Daily Inventory

This is what the word 'inventory' entails according to the Oxford Dictionary:

Pronunciation: /ɪnv(ə)nt(ə)ri/

noun (plural inventories)

• a complete list of items such as property, goods in stock, or the contents of a building.

• chiefly North American a quantity of merchandise or goods held in stock.

• (in accounting) the entire stock of a business, including materials, components, work in progress, and finished product.

You must be wondering why all this has been put here. Now coming to the point as we have the daily inventory in terms of property, merchandise or in accounting, similarly we need to have a daily inventory system in our life too. A day is gone and we are so tired towards the fag end of the day that we don’t give a second thought to what happened during that day.

We can reflect upon our actions, behaviour and what all we have achieved (in accordance with the goals that we had set for ourselves for the day). Actually a few might be having the opinion that we do our best and then leave the rest. This is because many of believe in the policy of ‘forgive and forget’. But my dear, let me suggest that this approach of analyzing at the end of the day is not at all opposed to the philosophy of forgive and forget. Those who want to forget the past and live in present only also can do this exercise without violating the principles that govern their philosophy of life.

In the evening just ask yourself the following questions:

Have you been able to do justice to the tasks that were allotted to you?

Have you accomplished the targets that you had set for yourself for the day?

Have you been in a pleasant mood and not angry at the slightest pretext?

Have you been thoughtful and acted with precaution today?

Have you been a source of inspiration for others or have you put them off with your melancholic approach?

Have you been impartial and just in your approach in judging others?

Have you added something to the existing with your creativity or have you been killing time indulging in petty and unimportant tasks?

Have you added a smile to the lips of the one having tears hanging in his eyes?

Have you improved yourself in the pursuit of being the best edition of yourself?

(P.S. Are you still reading the questions? You better get going so that you can answer them in a much better way by the time it’s evening!!!)

Rose or Thorns



Today, while watching the legendary classic Bollywood movie ‘Mughal-e-Azam’, one of the dialogues in the movie put forth a choice between thorns and a rose. A unique benefit enjoyed by the thorns is that they don’t have the fear of fading away. They are evergreen and stay the same forever. What a unique thought for staying positive forever! Next time when you have to struggle while your counterparts might be enjoying the fruits of success, don’t get disheartened by those obstacles. Remember it is the only the construction of wonders that takes more time than ordinary buildings.

So if you have thorns on your path, keep in mind that God wants to test your courage, the courage to move forward, the courage to achieve their goals at any cost. It is only great men, who have to face tough trials before they get a taste of success. Ordinary men have it without having put in much effort.

The success achieved by the harder way is much longer lasting and permanent, while the easy success is short-lived and even might be just an eye-wash that might go away soon.

The Real Life

pic src: http://commania.ning.com/

Life need not be taken too seriously in the sense that we should enjoy the moments of joy, happiness, as and when they knock our door. We should not wait for some really big things to happen. Death is a reality and life is not because it is not static, it is always in a state of flux. We can lend a touch of reality to our lives by making all those small joys of life a cause of celebration of life itself. There is no treasure greater than this. Remember the first cloth draped around a new born does not have a pocket, neither does the funeral shroud possess one. "Life is but an empty dream..." as Shakespeare has said. Alexander the Great at the time of his death wanted to show to the world that he was going empty-handed.

Anger and Love

While Dad was polishing his brand new car, his 4-year old son picked up a stone and scratched some lines on the side of the car. In his anger, Dad took the child’s hand and hit it many times, not realizing that he was using his wrench. At the hospital the child asked, “Dad when will my fingers grow back?”

Dad got hurt and went back to his car and kicked it a lot of times. Sitting back he looked at the scratches, his child had written ‘I LOVE YOU DAD’.

ANGER AND LOVE HAVE NO LIMITS!

(Source: Anonymous)