GURU PURNIMA.. the best day in the year!!

Everyone who knows me knows that the 25th of July is a very important date on my calendar.. actually.. birthdays are special for everyone..

Celebrating the anniversary of your date of birth is when you feel like king or queen for a day.. everyone pampers you and makes you feel special and important.. and it is truly a wonderful feeling!

I like to believe that we who are exceedingly fortunate and blessed get to celebrate another birthday in life that is even more important and special.. the day we meet the person who is meant to become our guru..

That is the day of the most beautiful beginning.. the tiniest opening of the tightest bud of our soul which is meant to awaken and bloom as we embark upon our spiritual journey.. 

A guru is someone who comes into our lives when we are ready to be "awakened" and brought onto the path of spirituality to learn soul lessons.. to face our true selves.. to work on building our inner strength.. 

It is someone who explains to us the significance of kindness and compassion.. and how to integrate them into our daily lives.. our guide on how to live the highest quality spiritual life while vibrating at the highest frequency..

A true guru doesn't force us to change.. but they embody the qualities that we should aspire to achieve.. unshakeable faith.. internal purity.. unconditional acceptance of circumstances and selfless love to the Almighty God and Great Master..

Our lives are never the same after we find a true guru.. we are empowered to let go of fear and worry.. and encouraged to build strength and resilience.. We know that we are in divine protection and no matter whatever challenges come our way.. we will always be safe! 

Meeting my guru has been unquestionably the greatest blessing of my life and although a day late.. I would like to say a heartfelt thank you and say how very grateful I am for your presence in my life GKG..

Thank you for helping and guiding me.. inspiring me to think and introspect.. to learn and grow.. and for all the gifts of trust kindness protection and love.. I am truly blessed!

Happy Guru Purnima also to P2 and to all those who lead by example.. teach me.. share your knowledge.. and shine your light to illuminate my world with your light and wisdom!

Wishing you all the joy of finding a true guru as you navigate through life with all it's highs & lows!

Heartfelt gratitude as always and thank you so much for reading!

WHY DO WE COMPLICATE THINGS.. and overreact?!

Most of the time.. I consider myself to be a fairly practical and calm person.. There are however.. times and occasions that are the exception to the rule.. and one of them occured just a couple of days ago..

I had had a pretty much non-stop day.. the kind my closest friends often teasingly refer to as a "Pallu day" and one that didn't allow me to get my little "horizontal" time and by 10:30 pm I was totally exhausted! 

It was an extremely wet and humid evening so I put the airconditioner on 22° and medium  speed.. my head on the pillow.. and in less than two shakes of a puppy dog's tail I was fast asleep! About four hours later.. I woke up because I was FREEZING.. picked up the remote to raise the temperature and the whole screen was filled with funny symbols numbers and whatnot! 

The bloody remote wouldn't let me raise the temperature.. lower the temperature.. adjust the flaps or the direction of airflow.. and it wouldn't even let me switch the airconditioner OFF! There in my (no longer) sleep befuddled state was me.. desperately pressing every button on the remote to get absolutely NO response to anything.. AND my bedroom was still freezing cold and it was driving me crazy!

Finally after a number of abortive attempts I succumbed and switched off the main switch.. and managed to fall back asleep under the steady and comfortable whirring of the ceiling fan! 

First thing in the morning I called the service company people and launched into a litany of the woes of my night and they promised to send a technician to check.. I even went to the extent of asking if the remote was a genuine one or fake.. imagine my face when they later confirmed that it was indeed fake! 

The guys came in the afternoon and checked the remote only to find that ALL four of my airconditioner remotes had batteries that were on the brink of dying and in a matter of literally a minute each in their hands.. worked perfectly normally! 

These are the times when you feel dumb and sheepish and I was not an exception! I apologized and remunerated them for their efforts generously and was in return given a piece of advice.. ac remote batteries MUST be changed every 3 months or else the battery liquid leaks out.. as it had done in my case!

It set me thinking and made me wonder why we (assuming I'm not the only one) rarely think of the simplest solution to a problem! There was a perfectly ready and comfortable bedroom I could have gone to sleep in (with a properly functioning ac remote) but I didn't take that option.. Probably because my Gujarati baniya genes wouldn't allow me to run two airconditioners all night for just one person!

My learning from this episode has been to stay calm and try to find the simplest solution to the problem and call in the professionals if and when all simple options fail.. I started looking at the worst case scenario thinking maybe the ac was dying and needed to be replaced etc..etc.. 

Am I usually a "drama queen"? Not really but this just reinforced that I NEED my little siesta or "horizontal time" to be able to function at optimum and take these little niggles of life "in my stride"!

So now the mantra is.. calm down.. take a few deep breaths.. think of a solution.. and most of all.. don't take it personally and remember there is almost always a simple solution.. if we just stop to think of it and look for it! 

Just a fun little sharing before the weekend starts.. so thank you as always for reading!

Do please remember to add your name at the beginning or end of the comment (if you should choose to write one)!

THE IRONIES OF LIFE.. can be so tragic..

 THE IRONIES OF LIFE.. can be so tragic..

A lot of sad and bad things have been happening in the world lately and it really makes me wonder.. WHY do these things happen?

How does a happy picnic spot become a graveyard all of a sudden? Why does a wife on her honeymoon give a contract for husband to be killed? How does a Dreamliner crash and erupt into a ball of fire almost immediately after takeoff with everyone (except one person) dying?

What makes that same Dreamliner collapse on top of a medical college mess where young "soon to be doctors" were enjoying a short break from their arduous duties to have lunch? Why were those who are actually "life savers" killed? Are there any answers? Not really..

BOEING as a company will be taken to task.. inquiries will be made.. AIR INDIA will come under the scanner for questionable security measures (or rather.. the lack of them).. Ministers will mouth platitudes and give lengthy speeches.. families will be compensated with money.. and it will become an old story soon..

I just want to share my feelings about this horrific episode.. because I believe that in everything that happens.. there is a lesson and a takeaway..

Through my life of almost 62 years I have lost no less than SEVEN family members to air disasters.. having said that, I never think of that while boarding a flight! 

As I sit to think of those that have perished.. I wonder what their last thoughts were before the crash.. unrealized dreams.. goals that would never be achieved.. people they would never meet again.. promotions earned but never to be received.. vacation plans that would never see the light of day.. proposals that wont be made.. the baby that won't complete the family.. it was just too late..

And when I sit to pray for the families and friends of those who have been lost.. so many possible scenarious run riot in my head.. Are they regretting something nasty they may have said.. Did they fight about something trivial? Were they rude or unkind in their words or actions? Was there a secret they wanted to share? An apology that should have been made in person? Is there a planned celebration that won't take place? A family holiday that will remain as a dream.. It is just too late now..

We really need to count our blessings and be grateful that it's not TOO LATE YET.. to say thank you.. to tell the people we love that we love them (in so many words).. to send those flowers.. to make that call.. to write that email.. to say that prayer.. 

What an incredible lesson there is to be learned from this tragedy.. watch your thoughts.. choose your words carefully and no matter what happens.. be kind.. At the end of the day.. no one should ever live with regrets for what they "could have and should have done".. for others as well as for themselves..

The difference between life and death is one breath.. just ONE breath.. If you have been at all affected by the crash of AI 171.. please stop taking your life and the people you love for granted! 

Make time for people.. meet them.. TALK to them.. about your hopes and dreams.. whims  fancies and desires.. Celebrate your birthday with your friends and family.. it is a blessing to be surrounded by love!! Realize and give thanks for waking up every morning and simply being alive.. for it is a privilege denied to so many! LIVE every day of your life the fullest happiest and most beautiful way you can.. 

Do it simply because.. in the truly immportal words of the brilliant poet Javed Akhtar..

Har ghadi badal rahi hai roop zindagi

Chaanv hai kabhi, kabhi

hai dhoop zindagi

Har pal yahan

Jee bhar jiyo jo hai samaa

Kal ho naa ho

Har pal yahan

Jee bhar jiyo jo hai samaa

Kal ho naa ho

Thank you as always for reading and do remember to please add tour name at the end of your comment (should you choose to write one)!

CREATE THIS DOCUMENT TODAY.. it’s really important!!

I’ve never said it before but please read this blog very carefully and do the needful at the earliest (if what is written resonates with you)..

There are days when I stare into space.. reflect on the day week and month that’s gone by and occasional flashes of insight (am not being conceited enough to call it brilliance) come to me.. This happened to me one evening last week and it seemed important enough to warrant a blog and so here I am wanting to share it!

A dear friend had come over for dinner and he happened to mention that he was travelling to Goa tomorrow.. Amit is one of my “bubble friends” – my name for friendships where we only know each other but no one else in each other’s lives..

These are precious friendships but not always the most practical kind.. whether it’s the fact that Operation Sindoor happened.. whether war broke out or not.. it suddenly hit me that God forbid.. if there was to be a crisis situation, neither one of us had any means of getting an update about each other! Life is unpredictable (to say the least) and we discussed and decided that we should do something about it for sure and at the soonest!

For starters.. we are both single (and happy) but we agreed that whenever either one of us is travelling.. tickets and itineraries have to be shared! Upon safe arrival at destination, a WhatsApp message must be sent as well so that other is at peace.. especially considering the frequency of flight delays and cancellations nowadays..

Once we agreed on this, another thought followed in quick succession.. and it was like this.. Oftentimes even for people who live with complete families.. nobody really knows ALL your details.. What if you need to be rushed to hospital or you are stranded (horrors!!) without wi-fi.. someone needs to know important information about you so that they can help you out! Right? You bet!

Am sure everyone has that one person (bestie.. family.. really close friend or an ICE (in case of emergency) who you trust completely.. if you do, you need to create a document with all the most important information about you and share it with them! Am going to try and make this easier for you by sharing the details I think should be shared..

·       Passport copy

·       Medical insurance policy copy, insurance agent name and contact number

·       Car/s insurance copies

·       Bank account number, name and branch

·       Bank locker number

·       Credit card/s details with pin/s

·       Email ID/s with password/s

·       List of medications taken with a brief medical history

·       Family doctor & specialist names with mobile numbers

·       Staff names and mobile numbers

·       Close friends and family names & numbers to be contacted (in case of an emergency)

 

Do feel free to add whatever you’d like to this list and please do it at the earliest.. am sure it will come in very helpful and handy some day!

As always, thank you so much for reading and do please add your name at the beginning or end of your comment (should you choose to write one)..

WE ALL NEED TO DO THIS.. go that extra mile!!

Last Sunday I went (with a couple of friends) to Matunga for a nice South Indian Breakfast/brunch.. We were chatting and laughing in the car and moving smoothly until we reached the Matunga market which was crowded as usual and to be expected on a Sunday..

As we got to the corner where we had to turn left for Arya Bhavan (my all-time favourite South Indian restaurant) we stopped.. just stopped.. because there wasn’t an empty square inch of road to drive on!

Everywhere we looked.. we saw visually impaired people tapping their white sticks and trying to negotiate their way.. and I’m talking about over a hundred people! We were obviously crawling through the narrow lane taking extreme care not to even lightly brush against a single person.

As we were sitting in the car, a young girl tapped on my window and when I lowered the glass, she told me “Please be very careful and drive slowly.. there’s very little space to move and these blind people can’t see you”! She was probably still in her teens and I promised to do as she requested and we moved ahead..

Further ahead we saw a banner that announced that it was “Andha Ann Din” which meant some kindhearted soul/s were donating foodstuff and grains to these people.. so finally we understood the reason for the hordes of people. Somehow that gesture of the young girl really touched me.. she didn’t HAVE to tap on my window with her words of caution.. but.. she genuinely cared about the people and went out of her way and “walked the extra mile” to do so!

It was brave on her part as well because there was always the possibility that I could have been a different kind of person who snapped and said something like “I am not blind and can see.. You don’t need to tell me what to do.. Just mind your business.. Are you trying to be Mother Teresa?” The sad truth is that we Mumbaikars pride ourselves on being “so busy” and think that is a licence to be rude and snappy!

I like to believe that there are times when we want to “walk the extra mile” for others but are a little worried that it may backfire.. or the other person might think we are weird or crazy.. or mistake our intentions as power play or whatever.. but it is SO important to perform small acts of random kindness that are unexpected..

Just think about it.. there are so many opportunities through the day when you can do this.. hold a door open for someone who’s laden with parcels.. try and help sort out a traffic snarl.. offer to share your umbrella with someone who needs it.. carry your neighbour’s courier parcel up and drop it to their door.. send flowers to your bestie “just because”.. hand tetrapacks of “lassi” and “chaash” to traffic policemen doing duty in the sweltering afternoon sun or even order a special meal for your staff the day they’re really tired..

As we go through life.. let’s try and resolve to do something small and thoughtful for another person whenever we can.. going the extra mile isn’t troublesome or difficult.. It just needs a kind and thoughtful heart and a willingness to bring a smile to another person’s face! Kindness costs nothing and what a wonderful habit to pass on to our children and everyone around us.. It will bring you a glow of warmth in the heart and a smile that stretches from ear to ear! With all the exercise gymming yoga Pilates and swimming we do.. let’s make “walking the extra mile” a regular part of our lives too!

As always, thank you for reading and please write your name at the beginning or end of your comment (should you choose to write one)!

SOME MIRACLES ARE JUST GOOD PEOPLE.. with kind hearts!!

As a little girl growing up Daddy always tried to teach me about “the value of money”.. and this was done in various creative ways! Tidiness and neatness were rewarded with pocket money.. I was encouraged to go “door to door” (only in the building) to collect donations for the NAB Lions Home for the Blind (a form was given from school) and when I professed a desire for a pair of “Roman lace up sandals” the money was collected by doing (once again) door to door market research for some washing powder! Persevering in spite of a number or slammed doors and rude people, it was a real thrill to collect the princely sum of Rs.70 to buy my first  very OWN pair of sandals with my very OWN MONEY!!

I was pampered in terms of permissions and friends and going out but kept on a very tight budget.. and remember my mother’s words so clearly “When you start earning your own money.. you can spend it however you like but until then.. you will have t do as we say and decide”.. and that made me want to really hurry up and start earning my own money!

Daddy used to travel abroad a great deal on work.. and by the time I was in senior school I wanted “branded” jeans.. and the only “brands” back then were Wranglers and Levis! He went to Hong Kong and brought me 10 pairs of jeans.. ONE pair of genuine “branded” Wranglers and the rest “wannabe” pairs from Stanley Market which was an absolute haven for “branded” copies back then! I was happy and he was even happier because the he bought the other 9 pairs for a song!

Daddy always liked being the “cool Dad” and managed to find reasonable and acceptable ways of indulging me without saying too many “Nos” and without spoiling me outrageously at the same time! He was earning a comfortable salary and we lived well but he always discouraged me from buying “branded” clothes saying I didn’t NEED them.. However he always insisted on buying good quality footwear because that was a health concern! Totally reasonable and acceptable by any and all standards? Absolutely!

As I was growing up, he told me one day that when my personal wealth reached a certain figure (which he never disclosed to me!) he would allow me to fly “Business Class” and the day THAT happened it was really exciting! That was also the first trip when he gave me a more generous allowance of spending money and said I could buy myself a “branded” watch.. explaining to me that since I was going to London I should claim the VAT Tax-free refund.. and also that since I wore a watch everyday it was an “investment”!

Time went by and I started becoming a discerning shopper and decided to invest in only top branded bags and watches because they would last and were genuinely “value for money”.. In keeping with my new beliefs I bought myself a Cartier Tank watch on my 60^th birthday and was very pleased with myself! I wore it every single day and really loved the watch! And then.. for no particular reason.. one fine day.. it just stopped working!

I took it back to the company I had bought it from.. they checked it and said the battery had failed and would need to be replaced.. The battery had to come from France so I waited patiently for 3 weeks! All was well for another six months or so when it unaccountable stopped again! This time they told me the watch had gotten “demagnetized” so another 3 weeks to fix it! A couple of months went by and two tiny pins fell out of the strap and the watch was perching precariously on my wrist.. Thanks to the house renovation.. shifting and my own carelessness (it must be admitted) the spare links were not to be found so yet another 3 weeks at the workshop!

When it stopped working again a couple of weeks ago I took it to the workshop and gave the team a piece of my mind.. told them I had been given the equivalent of a “lemon” and that it was shameful that a Cartier had to be fixed FOUR times within just two years of purchase.. and if the brand had ANY integrity and concern for their reputation they should give me a replacement!

And THIS is where the miracle called Mr. Karan Vaidya came into my life.. he heard my litany woes and rants patiently.. agreed with me.. took up this matter with the brand.. fought for me.. negotiated for me.. and this evening.. happily handed over to me a spanking brand new Cartier Tank watch.. exactly identical to the one I had bought in 2023!

It is always refreshing and reassuring to meet people who do what they do with passion and integrity and I have been truly blessed to meet this extremely charming personable and thoroughly professional young man! I hope to be able to share this blog with him via email.. and thank him once again for being such a rockstar and amazingly helpful person! Don’t think I will ever be able to wear my watch without thinking of him and blessing him! He has truly been my miracle of a good person with a kind heart! God bless you Karan!

Thank you as always for reading and please write your name at the end of the comment (should you choose to write one).

 

ARE WE TRULY GRATEFUL ENOUGH.. and for the right things? Ask yourself..

As we go through life and navigate from one age and one stage to another.. there are certain “buzz words” and “key phrases” that rule.. When we were very young it was “children are meant to be seen and not heard” and then it changed to “Do as I say don’t do as I do” and so on.. and we as obedient children listened and adhered..

Time went by.. we grew up.. developed our own identities and personalities and the phrases changed to “it’s all about loving your parents” and “nothing is impossible.. the word itself says I M possible”.. and thinking we were invincible.. we were convinced about these truths too..

When we started working we were told things like “TEAM” stands for “together everyone achieves more” and “We’re number 2.. we try harder” and we pushed ourselves to outperform each other and ourselves.. and thought that would result in accolades and awards.. and it did.. BUT..

After giving (almost) our hearts and souls to other people.. friends.. family.. the boss and the office.. we had a “Eureka moment” and realized that something was wrong.. The salary cheque was substantial.. there was recognition and fame.. but there was still something “missing”.. and for the life of us.. we couldn’t put our finger on it!

It was around then that all of a sudden.. buzz words and phrases.. life coaches.. spirituality and “personal growth” became the rage and we got advice and life lessons that went something like this.. “Think positive.. good energy matters.. be thankful.. practice gratitude actively”.. and so.. in our own muddled and confused way.. we tried.. said multiple “thank yous” to God or the universe every time something good happened to us! This was a good thing.. but the question is.. was it good enough?

The answer is very simple.. NO.. no it’s not good enough.. because we need to first identify and acknowledge our blessings before we can be grateful for them! And most of us believe that the time to be grateful is when plans work and good things happen to us and the people we love.. Right? This is actually wrong.. or at best.. just partly right!

My dear friend Navaz sent me a video where it shows a simple down to earth person says gratitude shouldn’t be only for the good things that we receive but.. and get this loud and clear.. it should ALSO be for all the bad things that we don’t want and don’t receive! Let me explain this a little more.. Essentially.. we need to “flip the script” meaning..

Let’s assume that I don’t want a life-threatening illness.. and I don’t have one.. something to be grateful for.. Let’s say I don’t want to be financially or emotionally dependent on anyone.. and I am not.. that’s another thing to be grateful for! We need to understand and accept that not getting what you don’t want is a huge blessing in itself and we should be grateful for it!

Make a list of all the things that you don’t EVER want.. credit card fraud.. broken relationships.. losses in business.. infidelity in marriage.. and THEN sit down and realize how many of them you don’t have.. Understand how blessed you are and how much you really have to be grateful for.. and then thank God.. the universe and whoever else you need to!

Make your own personal list of “buzz words and catch phrases” and make sure to include “peace of mind.. joy in the heart.. solitude.. reflection.. compassion.. soul growth.. kindness and good energy” in it.. and don’t forget to be grateful for NOT getting the things you don’t want!

As always.. thank you for your patience and for reading.. and do add your name at the beginning or end of your comment (should you choose to write one)..

Remain blessed and wishing you a wonderful weekend!!