STOP! Live in the moment....

I've been away for a while....

 Life has a way of overtaking you at times... and then it stops and looks back, benevolently, almost like it's allowing you to catch up, to catch your breath...before it starts its relentless journey again, a journey no one can truly control!

 While I was gone, a lot happened in my otherwise stormy life .....some horrible stuf, some not so bad ....but what it reiterated for me was that this Life comes with no guarantee, absolutely none!

 Because you have good health today and you work hard to keep it that way, doesn't mean you will live for long.
Because you often neglect your health and indulge, doesn't mean your end will not be peaceful. 
Because you have  many friends today, doesn't mean you will not be lonely, ever.
Because you have strong relationships today, doesn't mean they will last forever.
Because you have a roof over your head and food for your mouth, doesn't mean you cannot be shelterless or starving tomorrow.
Because your life seems sad and broken today, doesn't mean its not going to get fixed tomorrow so that you may shine again.

 I have realized that the Master has His own plans.... that Life has its own rhythm. 
And we mortals have not much within our control.

 What we really have is NOW. 
And we must learn to live in the moment....

 We must inhale deeply as we wake up to a new day, feel the air fill up our lungs, sense the flow of energy into our bloodstreams and close our eyes in thankful prayer for all that we have, all that we are blessed with. 

 We must burn the candles, escape from routine simply to walk on the grass or play truant, follow our hearts, hug tightly those that matter to us and count our blessings...everyday. For we know not, when we will lose them all.

 Yes, we must also plan and dream... for a better tomorrow.....but neither should steal our today from us.... because that tomorrow is really not guaranteed!

 So, stop, my friend, just for a while..... do take stock..... 
Are you doing enough to appreciate what you have or are you running after what you aspire to have? 
Are you hoping to one day, get it all right, then sit back and smell the roses?  
"You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.” 

Please learn to find your happiness and peace in the now.... and it's always there to be discovered, even if in small doses. 
And when you do, soak it all in, like a dry sponge. 
That may be all you will ever get. 


You should not rest in peace only when you stop breathing....

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Those lazy, hazy days of summer

Image
Today marks the end of my summer of 2024. Not because it's any special day in the calendar but simply because I have marked it so. ( These days, I mostly do as I please! )  Today I do nothing but simply look back.... I am not a fan of summers normally - especially given that I have been based in a sandpit for the last 20 odd years. Like most of us expats who live here in the Middle East, I have always found summers a good time to escape - either travel  back to India or to visit other countries that have, or used to have, cooler temperatures.  This year, I stayed put, mostly :) And it was different.  Yes, it was very hot and one had to stay indoors almost all the time but there was a sense of quiet and peace in and around Dubai that I quite enjoyed. Over the last 2 months, almost every expat had left the country, there were less cars, less traffic, less noise, empty malls and restaurants and generally a sense of slowing down every where. Even less socializing! So one...
Read more

About drawing lines

Image
As the years pass by, I realize, more and more, the importance of drawing lines. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The world is divisive enough on its own - some may say do we really need more boundaries between us?  The answer to this question could be debated. Yet, I have always been a fan of personal spaces - a concept alien to most Asians, definitely Indians! For me, it's linked to giving another human being the respect he/she deserves and ensuring that I have the same - the space to breathe free, to think without any pressures, to decide on my own. I tend to feel claustrophobic and uncomfortable, otherwise.  However, growing up - especially in my twenties and thirties, I did prioritize on "belonging" - to many groups and communities, for both personal and professional reasons. My circles grew so large that by the time I was in my mid forties, I again felt the need to set some controls once again - ...
Read more

I hope you are doing fine, Ma!

Image
Ma, It's been a while since I have heard from you .... You have gone too far, I guess. Life has taken over, generally, pulling me along with its usual ups and downs. Truth be said, I am not really sad - you lived a full life and I have let go... But I still think of you a lot, almost every day. I think of you and your opinions on all that is going on in my life - and I know a lot of those opinions may have even been disapproving....yet, I miss them - sorely. I wonder how you are doing....  How is this place you have gone too?  Is it as peaceful as they say it should be.... have you found "eternal peace'? Have you met those who had left before you? Has there been some kind of a happy reunion of sorts up there? Knowing you, are you settling scores? Are you ruffling feathers there as you often did here? Do you miss me? Do you miss my daughter? Can you see us? Do you sometimes feel like coming back just to say one more thing, hug us one more time? Or even repr...
Read more