Gratitudine per tutto quello che abbiamo

As we near the end of 2021, I’m overwhelmed by a feeling of deep and humble gratitude.  

The past two years have not been easy for many of us, and I deeply appreciate all I have and I’m incredibly grateful for it. Thankful for my family and friends, for the new ideas that were brought to life. 
It’s wonderful and inspirational being together with you as a part of my extended family.
I’m also grateful for the many challenges we had to overcome to arrive at where we are today in our respective lives. 
With challenges never ceasing, I’m grateful for the things I don’t have which helps me to enjoy even more so the people and things that fortunately are in my life now.

It helps to focus on what we have, and not on what we miss, to move ourselves more into a grateful frame of mind, perceiving difficult situations as a chance to grow and evolve.

Gratitude is contagious and spreading it will make it even more impactful. Let’s pass it on to others to have it snowballing through as many people’s lives as possible, for them who are in need of some sunshine in their lives right now.

I wish you, your families, and all around you a enjoyable and peaceful Christmas holidays and a Happy New Year-2022

The Journey to the Top

He had completed his education and as a Freshly minted Engineer, had great expectations for himself.
Being on the top of the Tile, he was shortlisted by most organizations at the campus interview.
A few days into the job and he knew, this was not what he had in mind. If he had to impact his surroundings, he had to do something different, not the mundane.

Four MNC’s and 6 months later, he got his parents worried. Had every reason in the book, why he kept quitting jobs. They advised him as best as they could.
The next job came calling. A British MNC. He accepted the offer, primarily as the workplace was a few kms away as the crow flies.
Six months later, he was shortlisted to their modern plant, a good 30 kms away.
Three Trains and 2 Buses to get there, got him frustrated. But,
his choices of quitting were now remote, having consumed all options earlier.
His role at the new workplace was even more frustrating. He had to herd a group of unwilling, unskilled, uneducated men and deliver the daily expected output. This resulted in a daily dose of invectives from him to the work force and from his Chinese superior to him.
He knew he had to redefine himself if he wished to continue, and so he did what he was good at. Redesigned a tool to increase productivity.
This done all were in praise, and his Manager asked him how he would like to be compensated.   

He wanted to exit the daily chore of herding the flock, and instead be reappointed as a Technical Support, a profile that would necessitate him solving issues as they arose. This position was held by a 55 year old Engineer, who could not be sidelined.   

His Manager asked him his age and when told '24', the Manager said he should plan his career in a way that he Peaks at 55, as after this there is No further growth. If he gets there at 24, it will lead to frustration to see all grow however small at every appraisal, while he stays constant.
This remark set him thinking of the need to identify the steps to be both Successful and Happy   

Ask and you shall receive

He must have been around 14 years of age, and on the second visit to his hometown. The following morning at dawn, he saw a huge gathering marching down from the Market place to the Town Hall. 

All were disciplined soldiers holding their red flags as they marched in front of the property where he stood skimming the street.
He asked his cousin what it was all about, who just brushed him off, saying that this was a daily routine, by the Commies on a new demand. He was not clear what the demand was.
They all seemed to say, what they ask for in front, we at the rear also need.
There were No Microphones or Loud Speakers those days. The year was 1967, and this was the chorus until the procession ended.

Sometimes in life we too follow others, not knowing what we really need. 

Cloud Nine

It all began when they played the traditional Game of Numbers.
A game played as kids, but he had changed it in unknown ways and this got her all excited. Playing the Game with the rest, at times she brought in her family too...
she was on a Cloud

Soon they got chatting, finding common interests. It was her quick wit coupled with her old world charm, that redefined 'The Law of Attraction'. As a wordsmith, he knew his way with words. But there was a wild side of him, the magical and sensual side, and this helped nurture the relationship further which helped her rise, for
she was on Cloud 9

His family was Roman Catholic and so was hers, where Sacrifice, Servitude and Tradition were the hallmarks. However, it was impossible to believe a person can exist on these qualities alone, when their wild nature is stifled down. He never let his be floored, and neither did she. Sparks lit their space and now
both were on Cloud 9

As humans we all are multi dimensional, and we need to explore all these dimensions too. Surely there is a place for Tradition and Sacrifice, and another for the New Love of your Life. When we carve a path that allows us to express ourselves without shame or fear of judgement, is where we find Peace & Joy. Getting in touch with that side was a beautiful and a painless discovery which both continued to nurture and
both loved to continue to be on Cloud 9 

Debt even in Death

Met a long lost friend a week earlier.
As we got talking of the Pandemic, the topic veered to Death. He turned around and said,
"Even in Death we are in Debt." 

I wondered how, if we have cleared all our Financial obligations.

He asked, "Have we Thanked the Four who helped carry our coffin to the Grave and lower it into the pit."

In essence we owe them a 'Thank You' Note for services rendered. 

If we have not done it, we are in debt....
Truly Thought Provoking

The Overripe Banana

He must have been all of Ten. A responsible child to his parents, a good student to his Teachers and loved by the entire neighbourhood. His parents were proud of him, and so was his Grandmother. She would take every effort to ensure he grew up as a good young man. 
The neighbourhood had many houses of prayer. Be it the Church, the Dargah, the Agiary, or the Temple. His father had ensured all religions were respected, but his Grandmother would have none of it. This is where the conflict first began. Later they found fault in each other's advice to Raj, yes that was his name.
One day as she returned from the marketplace, with a bunch of bananas. As Raj went to pluck a good fresh banana, she chided him for not choosing the one over ripe, which if not eaten that day would have to be discarded to the bin.

The following day, when Raj was to pluck another fresh banana, she reminded him of yesterday's advice. The banana which was fresh yesterday was over ripe today. Listening to her, he plucked and ate the over ripe. This continued for all 12 days. Eating not a single fresh, but over ripe ones daily.

His father watching the entire proceedings, called him aside and said, "Son your education has No meaning, if you cannot make the right choice. Had you discarded one banana the first day, you would have been eating a fresh one daily. Instead you chose to eat a overripe one daily, for fear of discarding one."

Life sometimes does place us in similar situations.
Are we ready to discard.

The Marketplace

 
The Holy Gospel according to St John 2:13-25

The Passover of the Jews was near.
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the Temple premises them who sold oxen, sheep and doves as well as the money changers seated there.  

He made a whip of chords and drove them all out and turned their tables, as he said,
"You have made my Father's House a Market Place."
Not much has changed since then.

The trade still continues, only now it's in his name.

 

The Exam of Life

“I’m so busy” — three little words we say all the time as a way to decline invitations or additional work. It makes sense, though: Time is the most precious commodity because unlike money, we can’t make more of it. 

It is just a matter of prioritizing our day of 24 hours. With a 7 hour set aside for sleep-rest, the other 17 hours can be set based on the tasks that need to be attended to / accomplished based on our life goals.
(Read the below text in italics very slowly absorbing every word)  

You are at an Exam. A 100 mark Paper being attempted. 100 Questions posed and 100 minutes allotted to complete the Exam. Ideally you would allot 1 minute per question, so that you are able to attempt all questions in the allotted time. By spending 3 minutes elaborating an answer, would not fetch you 3 marks, as the question was valued at 1 mark only. But in the process you have lost time to attempt 2 questions. So your attempt is only for 98 marks not 100. What if you repeat this error, your total attempt value only reduces, and gets you closer to  the threshold to pass.
Let us understand the purpose of our visit on Planet Earth. List our must do daily activities. This will help us not spend more time at any one single activity, at the cost of another. After all we need to pass this Exam of Life too.

The Art of Learning....

Ralph was playing in the fields, while his nephew Joe was busy with his books.
Joe continued reading aloud and earned the praise of Ralph's mother for being meticulous in his studies, while Ralph was busy flying kites and running helter skelter. 
Ralph's mother observed that Ralph sat for very short spells and studied subjects she knew so little of as he rarely read his lessons aloud.     

Joe on the contrary read loud enough for all to repeat the exact words after a few attempts.
Came results, and to everyone's astonishment Ralph was promoted to the higher division, while Joe was asked to repeat the class.
It was then that Joe's father called both Ralph and Joe, to understand why Joe could not be promoted, despite being studious.
In course of conversing , he unveiled the reasons of failure. 
While Ralph read subjects he knew little of and tried to memorize the matter in silence, Joe would read aloud the same text day-in day-out. The other subjects were all on the back burner. 
Joe's father reprimanded Joe, telling him to study what he does not know, rather than impress the family by reading aloud what he knows.

 

The Twelfth Commandment

as a child little Suleiman (Solomon) grew up confused...
his mother always screamed at him,  telling him what he should not be doing.
Don't  feed the Camels, Don't Climb the Trees, Don't dirty your clothes.. Don't do this, or don't do that. He was never told what he could do or should do. As an adult he kept wandering all his life in this confused state of mind.

The Wise One had descended the Mountain. Seeing the debauchery of his fellow country men, he decided the time had come to discipline them. He turned around and walked his way up the mount. There he found a small cave and knew he could work uninterrupted in silence. 
40 days later he descended once again, and as he got to the plain, assembled his men, and spoke of his being inspired to set up the framework of Laws. This is what all would follow and he called them the Commandments.  

They were all a set of Don'ts... 'Thou Shalt Not' it said.....
What they should not be doing.

One Thousand Six Hundred years later a Teacher was born unto them. 
They gathered around him three decades later and listened to what he taught.
He had a single point mission of leading his flock, and taught them just one commandment,

"Love One another, As I have Loved you"

This was the Twelfth Commandment.
Confusion resolved.