"कोशिश करने वालों की कभी हार नही होती"

An amazingly inspirational poem by Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan

लहरों से डरकर नौका पार नही होती ।
कोशिश करने वालों की कभी हार नही होती ।

नन्ही चींटी जब दाना लेकर चलती है ।
चढ़ती दीवारों पर सौ बार फिसलती है ।
मन का विश्वास रगों में साहस भरता है ।
चढ़कर गिरना गिरकर चढ़ना न अखरता है ।
मेहनत उसकी बेकार हर बार नही होती ।
कोशिश करनेवालों की कभी हार नही होती ।

डूबकियां सिन्धु में गोताखार लगता है ।
जा जा कर खली हाथ लौटकर आता है ।
मिलते न सहेज ही मोटी गहरे पानी में ।
बढ़ता दूना विश्वास इसी हैरानी में ।
मुट्ठी उसकी खाली हर बार नही होती ।
कोशिश करने वालों की कभी हार नही होती ।

असफलता एक चुनौती है स्वीकार करो ।
क्या कमी रह गई देखो और सुधार करो ।
जब तक न सफल हो नींद चैन को त्यागो तुम ।
संघर्षो का मैदान छोड़ मत भागो तुम ।
कुछ किया बिना ही जय जयकार नही होती ।
कोशिश करने वालों की कभी हार नही होती ।

--- डॉ हरिवंशराइ बच्चन

How about a Reality Check??

Few days back, the tagline of an article in the newspaper supplement caught my eye. It went like this - "If your family doesn't deserve your best behaviour, who does?"
This caption managed to perfectly capture the vague thoughts running in my mind off late.

The Article went on to say - "A big stress factor in today's families is that while we take pains to excel at people management at our workplaces , we forget all those rules and niceties when it comes to our homes. I've seen many friends and colleagues who put a lot of effort in self-grooming, both in terms of outward appearance and behaviour, to be the best at their work...but the moment they reach back home in the evening, turn into totally different people. Mostly under a lame excuse that 'At least I can be my true self in front of my own family and in my personal space'. Well, noone's asking you to be fake, my friend, but tell me, dont' your loved ones deserve to see a side of you that you've carefully developed to leave a good impression on others."

Isn't this so very true & well applicable to each one of us??? How wonderfully we take care to create a remarkably perfect person in front of people who don't really matter to us... and just how conveniently we manage to ocassionally/frequently hurt, abuse & harass those who are an inseparable and indispensable part of our lives.
We mostly extend the 'I can be myself at home' argument to ourselves , especially after an unwarranted & unreasonable bout of misbehaviour, simply to save us all the guilt. But instead, aren't we guilty of having emotionally wounded our loved ones???
We often hide the latter variant of guilt under the guise of another line of thought - that my family does (and they most certainly should) understand any kind of inappropriate behaviour on my part, almost as an unspoken obligation. Could we be any more wrong???? It might be their responsibility to support us , to embrace our sorrows, to comfort our pain, to listen to the constant woes, or to deal with the childish tantrums but it definitely isn't their duty to again & again bear any kind of impolite trash. Our bottled up frustrations & pent up anger need not always poison its way into the utmost precious relationships.
Its imperative that we sit down and introspect and make a promise to be the bestest person to all those who love us coz 'if they don't deserve my best behavior, who does'.... Let us transform the anger into love... replace frowns with beautiful smiles... reform the perpetual nagging into gratitude...and turn the curses into kisses... :)

Reverting to Old Hobbies & Habits (An Attempt)

After many a unfinished unopened texts, I have finally managed to pick up a book - a fat I must add!!! To add to that, I even ended up reading a few pages in the comforts of a warm blanket & cozy pillows (just the way I love to read). It felt soooooooo nice!! Why you may ask? What's so remarkable about reading a book huh? Nothing really for you or for anyone else. But it certainly is extraordinary for me!!

I have always loved to read (wouldn't particularly label myself as a voracious reader but yes I'm extremely fond of reading) and have always taken out time to do so..

I dont know the hows & whys of it but somewhere I'd lost the will to read. :( The only thing I somehow managed in the last few years was glancing through the newspaper. I did make several book purchases and made ocassional visits to the bookstores all this while but ended up reading nothing (the only exception being a book gifted by a special someone). I missed my habit of reading up late into the night till it put me to sleep.. I truly missed the constant urges to chuck all work at hand and to simply settle for the current read... I missed it all!! More so, it made me feel that something somewhere is really wrong with me (though ther's plenty more to this feeling and I am definitely going to write about it soon)

Anyhow, the bottomline is that I am currently reading a book and happily doing so. Going merely by the count of pages, I've managed to complete one-sixth of it (Duhh!! I'm making it sound like a school work now) and I intend to ring the victory bells soon. :)

(P.S. - I'm also attempting to get back to writing a little each day, however nonsensical it may be, I know it'd matter a lot to me)

Its a cold and bright sunny afternoon. I find myself sitting in front of the desktop with a hot cuppa tea, sneezing and coughing at irregular intervals and at the same time silently chanting prayers - so that a goal is accomplished..a desire stands fulfilled. It might appear childish to some but I do believe in the power of Prayer.

As I sit here alone, in my quiet cozy home - there's plenty happening in the lives of the ones I love. I hope & wish for only good things to happen in the coming future for all of us...

Persistence pays off..

THE SUCCESS DIFFERENTIATOR
(This article appeared in Hindustan Times 'Shine' Weekly paper)
"Persistence could communicate different meanings to different people, depending upon how it is interpreted, imaged and communicated - but by far it is the most singular differentiator and determinant for success in any endeavour. Just pick up any literature in goals and success - Brian Tracy, Robin Sharma, Tony Robbins or a Brian Mayne - and be sure that this is mentioned. And persistence is not about those huge and impossible tasks that we need to sweat it out to do. It is just having the mental strength and ability to 'persist' in doing that simple task that would lead to some accomplishment, set as a goal in one's life.
To be able to spend 30 minutes a day, consistently, in developing or nurturing a life skill, would lead to an achievement that would still be great and enough to make a life different. This could be hard exercising if one looks at a physical goal, writing 2 pages a day if it is a career and a passion goal or spending 30 minutes uninterrupted with spouse and son/daughter if it is a family goal. While it might appear to be a small thing at the outset, the key challenge here would be consistency - doing it everyday sans a break, and the same time, and most important, with a 'positive mental frame'.
Winning is a habig and outcome of persistence. And believe me, if one wants to win in life and all personal endeavours, being persistent will be the biggest differentiator.
Creating new habits is all about persistence. Just try to commit to a new habit - as trivial as waking up 30 minutes early every day - the mental challenge and the accompanying physical challenge will be immense. YOu will need the power of the mind and a diehard commitment - to ensure that this happens.
The easier side in this is that you need to stretch only for 21 days and then it becomes natural - a habit that stays with you for life - and most importantly facilities accomplishment in any area. I would suggest that everyone wanting to live life, read and commit themselves to The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari, the fable by Robin Sharma.
To make persistence a winning habit, I would urge - please, please strive to stretch your mind that extra bit to do something everyday. That something would be a key life skill or a winning quality in personal or professional life - anything you think is worth doing or trying.
Persist, create a winning habit and succeed. "

Ten ways to a GOOD MORNING!!!!!!

10 WAYS TO A GOOD MORNING

1. TURN ON THE MUSIC
Make your mornings musical.. About a decade ago, Frances Rauscher, a psychologist now and her colleages made waves with the discovery that listening to Mozart improved people's mathematical & spatial reasoning. Some experts think that music boosts brain power simply because it makes listeners feel better, both relaxed and stimulated at the saem time, and that a comparable stimulus might do just as well. Apparentlyl, music helps bring on a more positive state of mind, helping to keep depression and anxiety at bay as well. And morning is a good time to sart positive, before the day can get you down.
2. MEDITATE
It's not just for the spiritually inclined. "Meditating for just a few minutes, especially in the morning, right after you get up, can help clear the mind," says a functional medical practitioner. "It helps in balancing the body channels, replenishes the mind energy and energizes the vital forces of our body, " she claims. Also, "Our minds are in a constant state of thinking, and contrary to what most people think, it is most aggravated when we wake up." If sitting with your eyes closed is not your definition of relaxation, here's a style of meditation no one can complain about. Meditation can also be interpreted as walking, swimming, knitting, painting... basically any activity that helps keep your attention calmly in the present moment.
3. SET THE CLOCK BACK
Just set your alarm clock 15 minutes early. This way, you won't have to jump out of bed and rush through the morning. It also gives you the time to fit in important activities such as planning out the day ahead or making a To-Do list.
4. COLOR YOUR CUPPA GREEN
Green is already very popular because it has one-third the caffeine of regular tea and does not bring on caffeine dependency. But there's another benefit - its calming effect. Several studies have shown that the amino acid L-theanine in green tea improves memory, cognitive functions and learning and counters stress responses, both psychologically and physiologically.
5. NOTE TO SELF : READ
Why not read something positive or uplifting in the morning for a while? Read something inspirational, motivational or spiritual. Those few minutes early in your day, used for feeding your mind with positive thoughts will pay dividends all day long - indeed, all life long. To add a memory boosting bonus for your brain, also eat a braekfast of high-fibre whole grains, low-fat dairy items, whole fruit and lean protein.
6. FIRST, DRINK WATER
The fact is that you've been fasting all night, so you wake up dehydrated. This is why drinking water first thing in the morning is a very good idea. Not only does it cleanse your system, but also improves bowel movements and helps remove toxins from the body. Plus, it keeps you energetic throughout the day.
7. COAX A CUDDLE
Right in the morning, jumpstart the relaxation response of your body by cuddling your pet, giving a huge hug to a family member or snuggling with your spouse. This way you can show tension the door and keep your stress levels low all day. Studies have also shown physical contact may actually help lower blood pressure and decrease your stress hormones.
8. GET EXERCISE
A good reason to work out in the morning is that it gets your metabolism going and jumpstarts your body and mind for the day ahead. There is nothing like getting your heart rate and sweat going for an immediate sense of wellness. When you exercise in the morning, the endorphins produced last all day, adding to your sense of well-being and happiness. This endorphin hit is addictive and you will continue to feel good for 24 hours after that. Plus, when you work out in the morning, you are more likely to adhere to the exercise regimen.
9. ROLL YOUR EYES
Working continuously for umpteen hours, staring like a zombie at the computer screen, trying to finish that presentation before starting on the next... Is this what you foresee in the hours ahead?Then you are probably also dreading t ired, swollen eyes, blurred vision, light sensitivity and headaches later in the day. Eye fatigue is a common problem, so take steps to sort it out right in the morning. It is advisable to try out yoga mudras for the eyes such as the Sambhavi mudra - Look up to try and see your eyebrows, and then down to try and focus on the tip of your nose. Repeat 10 times to the extent comfortable every morning.
10. THINGS TO AVOID
Equally important are things to exclude during the golden hour of your morning - Television news - If at all you must, get it in small dozesSnooze Button - Start waking up when you have decided to. You won't sleep well once the alarm's clanged and clamoured, so you may as well get up and get on with it. Coffee Refills - Give that second cup a miss. Avoid drinking too much caffeine during this time of purposeful planning and preparation.