Hustle or settle?

Happy hustling! Happy holi! 🎉 🎨

The burning question - hustle or settle!

In the humdrum of routine life,

We choose a path -

The path -

Which is -

Either easy - 

or weary -

And that determines our lives...

Often people settle with mediocre jobs and - as a consequence - mediocre lives -

Because, they are reassuring and -

Less threatening and -

Easier and - 

Less painful

Than -

Treading a complicated path -

Taking a tough bend -

Which takes a blend of -

Courage, resilience, sheer

Determination and -

The refusal to give up!

We want to hustle

But,

We choose settling instead -

Or find a balance somewhere in between both

And -

Console ourselves -

Rather than -

Confronting ourselves -

Confronting our dreams -

What makes us tick -

What fuels our fire -

What makes us different from the other billion!

'Maybe in some other life', we reason and console ourselves instead.

It takes guts, nerves, unabashed audacity

To risk it all, to hustle non-stop -

Come what may, night and day!

So instead we soothe our nerves, suit ourselves, let our fire die by not paying any heed to what our calling is.

But, sooner or later, there comes a time when we have to decide -

Risk it all or - none at all

And the choice between hustling or settling -

Must be taken -

Which decides the course of the rest of our lives.

And mind you - it's never an easy choice - 

Hard choices always make an easy life - just as - 

Easy choices, hard life!

So, toil on!

Never settle, when you can hustle!

घर

जिस घर में हम रहते हैं -

वह घर हममें बसता है।

ईंट, पत्थर, बालू से रचा घर -

खून, पसीने, प्यार की बुनियाद से पनपता है।

घर एक स्थान से बढ़कर,

एक भावना है -

एक खुशहाल, सुरक्षित भावना।

घर में रहकर भी लोग घर ढूंढते हुए उम्र गुज़ार देते हैं

या घर से दूर रहकर भी घर सा सुकून महसूस कर पाते हैं।

घर बनाने में उम्र लग जाती है और मिटाने में कुछ क्षण।

कुछ लोग घर में रहकर भी घर जैसे नहीं लगते,

तो कुछ कहीं भी रहकर भी घर से लगते हैं।

कई बार घर बनाने के लिए घर छोड़ना बहुत ज़रूरी होता है,

और घर की अहमियत समझने के लिए भी।

कभी पूरा धरातल ही हमारा घर लगता है,

तो कभी घर होना भी एक सपना सा लगता है।

हर घर अपनी कहानी संजोता है,

घर वो सुकून है जो हम सबसे, हम सबमें बसता है।

The complete half

It's not easy being a woman

Hell, not even being a man

But, having first-hand experience of the former

Would shed some light on that -

We are always sexualized - be it in the media or in our day-to-day lives.

Eyes ogle us everywhere, while walking down the streets or in the 'comforts' of our own home - when an outsider pays a 'friendly' visit.

People would brush into you purposely nevermind the sorry at the end which sorts everything -

See, they want a feel of you - nevermind, at the cost of you.

It's not easy being a woman in a largely patriarchal society

Where a certain age decides whether you are worthy of getting married

And your consent is least prioritised.

Family comes first - no arguments with that!

But the expectation that there's nothing wrong with a woman sacrificing her dreams to prioritise her family might be.

Ideally, the dilemma every woman faces at some point in her life - you first or family first - isn't fair and shouldn't even be a choice.

It's not easy living as second rate citizens in a world which overhypes the importance of being first in everything.

We are half the world and yet - the objectified half, the battered half, the tortured half, the bossy half, the slutty half, the half which needs a better half to be complete!

We are - half-full, half-pretty, half-sincere, half-creators, half-creative, half of the world which is full by itself!

And more than anyone else, it's high time women realize that half is complete! Half is enough! They are enough!

For the society lays down rules which can be mended by the half comprising the society!

So men and women must reunite and must take a stand for their respective halves!

Dear Someone

Dear Someone,

I don't know who you are or even, if you are.

All I know is, I need you to listen to me,

to hear what I have to say -

even if - I can't think of anything worthwhile to say...

Because I am bored and lonely and too full of myself.

I want to drown my thoughts,

pour words in your ears -

even if - they don't mean anything.

Sometimes having someone by your side is the only therapy you need.

But someone, I don't just mean to banter,

I want to listen too...

And I promise it won't just be a one-way conversation

I want to hear you out too, know you, your dreams, your goals, your fears, your sorrows, what keeps you going, but, most importantly what brings a smile on your face!

Because anything that makes you smile reciprocates and magnifies the smile on my face and so many other faces...

I know you are not here but somehow it doesn't feel like it.

I'll tell you what it feels like though...

It feels like the sky & sunshine, rain & rainbows, a gentle breeze & sand dunes, roses & lotuses...

Yes talking to you is just like that, magical in each and every way.

And that is why even if you aren't here, I can still feel your presence -

just like my shadow, never leaving my side.

And after we're done talking -

that is - in reality - me throwing my thoughts into this void, which, ironically encompasses the whole universe...

I know someone, we'll be miraculously healed!

Flight of a bird

I spotted this little bird,

Singing her merry song for me,

Painted in myriad colours and pitches 

Her whimsical tune of reality.

It hopped on from tree to tree -

Twittering, chirping playfully,

Then caught its flight back again

To the horizon of eternity.

Still squatted on my reclining chair, I -

reminisced about the pretty bird which left me

in reality, but, never in spirit,

while the sunrays played peek-a-boo with me -

alight on my soul mystically.

And then the bird took flight again,

Only this time in my mind's garden - to ascertain -

life's merry song perching in my soul -

the bird flew never to leave me alone...

Silence

Shhh 🤫...

'You say so much, when you say nothing at all.'

Silence is mistaken for a dearth of words,

- a dearth of ideas,

- a dearth of imagination.

Often silence speaks the loudest.

We turn silent not when we have nothing to say rather -

when we prefer to leave it unsaid -

in, the hope that we will be heard, 

or - rather not, 

but always - understood.

No one can question the beauty of the words said,

but still greater is that of those left unsaid -

open to interpretation -

of the brightest minds -

of the most diversified kind.

Silence is the greatest weapon to silence those who won't be silenced. 

Or, give a chance to speak to those who won't,

or the mind to imagine which shuts down.

Because what can be more beautiful than -

a fresh dawn,

the snow falling,

the smiles of random strangers,

the eyes of those in prayer,

the soul of mankind

or 

the heart of God thyself...

On being and keeping ill

Illness is a very personal battle one has to fight for her/himself

And while others - loved ones, caretakers, medical professionnels might somewhat support you;

The real demon one has to conquer is (for / by) her/himself

It is never a battle played once and ended in a single go -

Rather a journey one ensues to fight

And it will never leave you the same, mind you -

Just like any other battle on battlefield - it will break you, bend you and strengthen you

But trust me, at the end all will be worthwhile.

For how can you grow, if you are not challenged, 

How can you learn to fly, if you aren't ready to take the next step,

How can you be in the pinks of your health, if you've never known illness

But although being ill is mostly out of our control,

Not keeping the illness will always be your choice!

And, my friend, when you have deciphered that, it will take you out of the illness and pave your way to wealthy health and happiness...

Maybe try and fail, but never fail to try!

Everyone applauds our successes 

But no-one teaches us to appreciate failures.

That is some learning, I guess, we have to do ourselves.

No matter how many times we fall, we have to keep trying!

For there will be a time we'll fly!

Just like the caterpillar turns into a butterfly - we have to shed our cocoon to flutter by!

In the end, 

it's not the failures,

Not even the successes that will count!

What really will seal the deal is that you were at the sails,

you laboured,

you tried,

you didn't give up -

Even if - every cell in your body was telling you otherwise;

you simply kept on going;

That is, the real success!

And i believe that - as humans - that is our superpower!

To be capable of action

To be able to do -

at least something -

Success is a byproduct

as is failure -

We never choose them

We can't choose failure -

We can't choose success -

But,

we can choose to try.

And, that is something

that will define you at the end!

And you have to make yourself immune to failures,

hell, even empowered by them!

Because it is then, you really are, comfortable accepting the outcome -  

whatever it may be!

It is then that you have mastered the art of living!

🙏

Heartfelt gratitude and a little write-up coming your way...

If only, emotions had a language;

- an overdrive of happy hormones -

- almost like a catharsis -

is, what I experienced yesterday.

Once again, written words come to my rescue where, almost everything else - fails.

And while life is never easy -

the journey we embark upon, with our loved ones, makes every single moment alive - worthy.

And in moments like these you realise the significance of life (albeit despite all the hurdles) -

Simply living, just as is

- come what may,

- night and day,

- moment after moment,

- consistently; and - 

before you even realize -

you mould a life which has been —

lived.

समता

मन मेरा फिर घबराया -

अश्रुधारा बन बरस आया,

मन को मैने लाख समझाया 

पर हठीला मन कहाँ समझ पाया?

' जीवन ज़िंदादिली का नाम है

जीवन से ज़िंदादिली - ज़िंदादिली से जीवन।'

कुछ क्षण समझा,

फिर बरस पड़ा!

मैने फिर उसे समझाया 

इस बार वह समझ गया।

कुछ क्षण सही - समता को पा गया -

वही समता जो योग है -

जीवन का उद्देश्य है;

उतार चढ़ाव के मनोवेग में -

कभी उदासी कभी उल्लास में

जो तुम कुछ ठहरना सीख गए,

हर हाल में बहना सीख गए -

कि कल जैसा भी था,

कि कल जैसा भी हो!

इस क्षण में बसा है रहस्य -

क्षण भर जी लो मनुष्य!

क्षण ही जीवन का परमाणु,

क्षण दर क्षण जो जी गए,

जीवन को भरपूर पी गए;

बाधाओं के जंजाल में -

उलझ कर फिर सुलझ गए,

और खुशियों के मायाजाल में -

कुछ डूबे फिर उभर गए;

तो जी गए तुम!

क्या बंधन - क्या मोक्ष —

इस भूमंडल में ही परमधाम पा गए तुम!

तो, मन तो घबराएगा -

कुछ विचलित कर जाएगा,

हर हाल को स्वीकारना

जो व्याकुलता को स्वीकारा 

वहीं उसका संहार, और धैर्य का सृजन होगा -

इसी समता को अभ्यास से,

ध्यान से, योग से -

जो विकसित करोगे

तो जीवन का रहस्य - स्वयं 'जीवन' खोज लोगे।

समझ

🤔

"अच्छा! अब समझी!"

यह कहकर मैंने ख़ुद को समझा दिया -

कि मैंने उसकी बात को समझ लिया -

क्या वाकई?

हो भी सकता है और नहीं भी

हर इंसान अपनी समझ के अनुसार ही दूसरे को समझ पाता है -

या अपनी नासमझी से नहीं या कुछ और समझ जाता है!

अब सवाल ज़हन में आया कि क्या हम ख़ुद को समझ पाते हैं?

तो इसका जवाब भी सिक्के के दो पहलू की तरह ही -

कुछ हद तक हाँ है,

और कुछ हद तक नहीं।

कुछ सही ग़लत नहीं होता -

सब अपनी समझ के अनुसार सही या ग़लत होते हैं।

तो जब धीरे - धीरे हमारी समझ का दायरा बढ़ता है,

तो हमारी सहनशीलता भी बढ़ती है -

और हम सबको - 

जो जैसा है, वैसे ही स्वीकार लेते हैं।

बस समझ - समझ की बात है

जो समझ गए, तो समझदार -

और जो ना समझे - वो भी कुछ तो समझे ही।

बस इतनी सी बात है!