For one to be Happy, All one may need is just Happiness (खुश रहने के लिए बस ख़ुशी चाहिए) . Happiness is only a state of mind. I think this is the most basic principle, but mostly ignored because it seems overly simplistic. The poem below lists few similar thoughts, read and share if you think they are too simplistic or if these may work. I am going to use some of these ideas for myself going forward. Hope you enjoy and find value too in these words!
Nuances of Being
Defining Being
While I was thinking of giving a name to my Blog; this came to me; "Nuances of Being"
Being "Me" is the best that I am at and hope that will show in the posts below
And Thanks for reading
~Nikhil
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
हॅसने की वजह ?
Sunday, March 17, 2024
कागज़ (Paper)
NOTE: IF you don't read Hindi, then please scroll down to English translation of this note
पानी की कुछ बूंदों से गीला हो जाता है थोड़ी सी हवा चली तो उड़ जाता है एक छोटी सी चिंगारी उसे भस्म कर देती है, कागज़ की कोई हैसियत नहीं कि वह किसी का भी सामना कर सके. कागज़ शायद दुनिया की सबसे कमज़ोर चीज़ो में शुमार हो सके. कागज़ की कोई हस्ती नहीँ.
जन्म से पहले हस्पताल में किसी कागज़ पे इक तारीख़ लिखी जाती है. फिर जब बच्चे का जन्म होता है, उसके होने का प्रमाण उसकी माँ या पिता की ख़ुशी नहीँ, उसकी चलती साँसे भी नहीँ बल्कि इक कागज़, जिसे जन्म प्रमाण पत्र या अंग्रेजी में बर्थ सर्टिफिकेट ( Birth Certificate) कहते है. अब बच्चे को पढ़ना है तो पाठशाला में यह प्रमाण पत्र चाहिए, जीता जागता, बात करता बच्चा नहीँ तो कैसे प्रमाणित करे कि वो है. साथ में लगता है टीकाकरण का प्रमाण कि आपका बच्चा तंदुरुस्त है.
इसी तरह दसवीं, बारहवीं कक्षा का परिणाम, कुछ कागज़ और. फिर और भी ज़रूरी राशन कार्ड, पासपोर्ट, आधार या ऐसा ही कुछ, कागज़ो का ढेर बटोरने में दिनों, महीनो सालों लग जाते हैं. फिर आप नौकरी करें या व्यापार, उन्हें करने के लिए कितने ही कागज़ लगते है, और उन से होने वाली कमाई के नोट भी कागज़ हैँ. यह रंग बिरंगे कागज़ हाथ में आये तो लगता है बाकी कागज़ों ने अपना काम ठीक से कर दिया.
PAPERS
It gets wet by a few drops of water, it flies away when a
little wind blows, a small spark burns it to ashes, paper has no capacity to
withstand anything. Paper may perhaps be counted among the weakest things in
the world. Paper in physical sense is almost powerless.
Our whole life is based on the foundation of that ‘physically
powerless’ paper. Our life revolves around making papers, earning papers,
spending papers, collecting papers, hiding papers, showing papers and then we
remain just as a name in some papers.
Before birth, a date is written on a paper in the hospital. Then when a child is born, the proof of her/his existence is not the happiness of the mother or father, not even child’s own breath or beating heart, but a paper, which is called the Birth Certificate.
Now, if a child wants to study then this certificate is
required in the school. A living breathing, talking and playing child is not
proof enough that he exists, but the paper called Birth Certificate is. Along
with this, vaccination information seems to be the proof that your child is
healthy, yet more papers.
Every year that child brings home a paper called Report
Card, only then one is sure that he has learned something, report card is the only
proof of learning. When your child plays or sings, participates in essay
competitions or any other competition, more papers are found which you save,
"these will be useful eventually," you tell yourself. And perhaps they
do come in handy one day.
Similarly, results of class 10th, 12th, some more papers. Then it takes days, months even years to collect the other important documents like voter card, passport, social security card or anything like that. Whether you do a job or a business, so many papers are required to do them, and then the currency notes of what you have earned doing that work are also paper. When these green colored papers come into hand, it seems that the rest of the papers have done their job properly.
While collecting papers, if health gets affected, papers of
doctor's prescription, papers as reports of tests done, papers in form of
request for leave from office, this race of papers keeps going on.
You get married in front of the entire family with a priest
as witness, but to prove it, the marriage certificate will be required, yet another
paper.
After collecting all the papers, earning, spending,
maintaining them, one day when one runs out of breath, your family needs to prove
to the world that you have left the mortal world, but for that, a death
certificate will be required, one more paper. In reality, if anything matters
from before birth till past death, it is just a paper.
Paper that gets wet by a few drops of water, it flies away
when a little wind blows, a small spark burns it to ashes, paper has no
capacity to withstand anything. Paper may perhaps be counted among the weakest
things in the world. Paper in physical sense is almost powerless.
Our whole life is based on the foundation of that ‘physically
powerless’ paper. Our life revolves around making papers, earning papers,
spending papers, collecting papers, hiding papers, showing papers and then we
remain just as a name in some papers.
Friday, March 8, 2024
आज घर से निकला तो
I was 17 when I left my parent's home for college. And have lived in various places since then, visiting parent's home in vacations. When you do some thing frequently a few rituals are formed. When you are not able to follow those rituals, it feels awkward. This Wednesday when I started my journey back from India, the missed rituals brought back that awkward feeling of loss.
आंसुओ से आँखों को भिगोया ही नहीँ
खायल रखना, जल्दी आना, भी कहा ही नहीँ
हाथ में बादाम किशमिश की डिबिया दी ही नहीँ
रस्ते में काम आएगा, यह भी बोला ही नहीँ
पहुँच कर फ़ोन कर देना यह समझाया भी नहीँ
गीली आँखों को पोछते हाथ नहीँ थे
आसुओं से सीले हाथों का आशीष नहीँ था
भीगी हुई कुछ दर्द भरी मुस्कान नहीं थी
आज दरवाज़े के उस ओर माँ नहीँ थी
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
माँ
Parents teach a lot of things throughout one's life. A few things they may fail to teach, but parents are always so precious.
Below is a note to my mother, the sweetest, cutest and warmest lady I've known ( and taken for granted) till yesterday.
आह भी भरूं तो दामन में समेट लेती थी
अब बिलख रहा हूँ तब भी बोलती नहीँ
पता नहीँ क्यों ऐसे रूठ गयी है मेरी माँ
जिसके पैर में स्वर्ग बसता था मेरा
खुद बादलों के पार चली गयी है मेरी माँ
जिसके हाथ पकड़ चलना सीखा था
हाथ छुड़ा के अकेला कर गयी है मेरी माँ
जाने से पहले हाथ मेरे सर पे सहला कर
बेहद प्यार मुझ पे लुटा कर गयी है मेरी माँ
पर वो नहीँ है तो सब गलत लगता है
बस इस गलत को सही कैसे करूँगा
यह सीखा कर नहीँ गयी मेरी माँ
Monday, January 15, 2024
आस का गीत
There is so much happening in the world, some fill hope and some feel hopeless. In recent months I learnt about some old friends losing their jobs to cost cutting and some feeling too depressed. Also a few others who are battling with some ailment. Thinking about them I wrote the lines below and want to share as a verse of hope (आस का गीत in Hindi) , the theme is "however dark the nights a new Dawn always follow." Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Monday, January 1, 2024
Welcome 2024
A ritualistic recap of the year that just ended while welcoming the one that is starting. This is what I started doing a few years ago and would continue. Some days I go back to some past year starts and revisit those notes, refreshing the memories.
Today the calendar turned the page and
here I am with another goodbye note, this time to 2023 which just ended.
First of all an observation, someone has pressed the fast forward button on my calendar and the years are turning faster than they should. 2023 went past at super high speed too.
Multiple wars and conflicts, some continuing from the prior year and some starting new, a more divided humanity, natural disasters, Warmest year on record for some parts of the world and similar heartbreaks kept the year somewhat wounded. However sporting events like Asian games and cricket worldcup, stories of courage and care amongst war and conflict, super hit movies with diverse themes and a recovery of the stock market, all those kept on providing the much needed balm effect to the year. So overall however hopeless things may appear from one vantage point, 2023 showed that hope lives strong and humanity stays at the helm to steer this in the right direction.
On a personal side, a short vacation in summer to Mexico and another short break to the Bahamas around Christmas helped with the needed course correction to the ship of life.
Will not add a lot in today's welcome
to 2024, just a small wish list
Humanity - Want to give everyone a slogan, we are "One Species One Race" (OSOR) and remove all conflicts by relating to the message of being One RACE. Be the ONE RACE each day of 2024
Family - Health is too precious to be ignored, someone always is waiting for you at home, STAY HEALTHY (for that someone)each day of 2024.
Kids - You are more important than most and you are the future. SHINE BRIGHT (and lead the way) each day of 2024.
Friends - Thank God you are there, from serious support to most stupid joke, you make it worthwhile, BE THERE (I promise to BE THERE for you) each day of 2024
Self- Everything is too worthy to give
up so HOLD ON (no matter what the challenge, the stakes or the
state of mind) each day of 2024
God - GUIDE AND HEAL ALL (you know what we need as Human race, as Family, as Kids , as Friends and as individuals, hear our prayers or don't but give what is best for all)each day of 2024
While I convey my gratitude for the year that just ended and the new year that is starting, I want to remind everyone, 2024 is a leap year, a full 24 extra hours to feel blessed, to spread joy, to celebrate and to be worthy. Don't miss to use that gift as it is rare and won't be granted again for 1460 days.
Saturday, December 23, 2023
Persistent Yet Reluctant Spot
Technically, if you look at the globe
and assume North America is the face then this spot is somewhere in the Nordic
region. Extending bit southeast from there are the coordinates of a reluctant
bald spot. A spot, that is unsure of its need, reluctant to grow and too proud
to vanish. It is well hidden (at least from direct view). The sparse vegetation
and weathered land of a cold desert can represent this spot well on how it
looks. Though well hidden from the front, however very often it shows its stubborn
existence in the pictures.
Congratulations, if you think this mention is not serious or may find this narrative funny. It only means that you don’t have one such spot. Or like someone, you are oblivious of such spot's existence. Well, another stage can be denial, where you have something similar, and you know that you have it but you don’t want to accept. I think, Denial can be more painful than accepting and embracing it.
Most pictures candidly taken during parties, dinners or events capture its reluctant yet persistent presence.
A paradox, an enigma in its own.
Without planning I always end up in
group pictures where someone is clicking from the spot side profile. In team
meetings on camera, I usually end up on chairs where the lens of camera
directly focuses on the spot.
Couple days ago, in a daylong meeting where I had to present. I got one such chair and could see 'the spot' for multiple hours in all its glory and that prompted me to write this piece.
Having introduced to all, I am officially embracing its presence. I feel it is bit shy, so don't come looking for it, when next time you see me. It will be rude and hurtful for the spot, who knows, such spots can be infectious too. Enough said as the post was just to introduce my personal Nordic region in all its glory.
Hope the introduction is Spot On!!