Don't drench your dreams in the pour of your sorrows.

                         After dinner, as usual I sat with my friends for a normal chat. I could feel an uneasy pain at the back of my head radiating to the front of my face. I knew what was coming forth - a migraine attack, one of the very few things that drained me. I went back on time for 24 hrs and thought as what might be the reason for this pain. I could think of only one sin - getting drenched in the rain by mistake. Unfortunately, am poor at meteorological stuff and I was only steps away from my place when it started pouring. In a haste to reach my place, I got drenched. The result - migraine, an unbearable pain. My parents didn't spare a single neurologist in the process of getting me cured. Nothing worked out. My sober life has curbed down my headaches but couldn't get them off my head forever. I couldn't sleep the whole night and began to wonder a show silly things can spoil the joy and happiness of our short lived life. Until few hours back I was a picture perfect - an energetic gal and a small step resulted in me lying on my bed sick.

                      That's  how life is. At times we falter to differentiate between our dreams - a dream that can breathe in a new lease of life in us and a dream that can drain us. It would be fantastic if we could swap our sorrows woth other's joys. But fairy tales are far from reality. We are responsible for our mistakes and ought to either correct them or carry the baggage for the rest of our l ives. A silly mistake can lead us through unexpected troubles. It's very important to identify which dream gives you the moments that take your breath away.

Rainbow of Promise!

                                     It’s been a long time that I attended my mother church. I've decided that the Christmas season is the best time to attend the mass and experience happiness within me. While through the mass, the Father was delivering his message. He was talking about “Noah’s ark”. As a child, I thought that Noah built the ark the same way I used to make paper boats. What always fascinated me about Noah’s story was the dove which came back with an olive branch. It was an indication that the earth is dry and fertile enough for human living and cultivation. In fact, this dove was like a weather reporter for Noah and his people in the ark. The dove has remained my favorite bird since then. But today, am listening to something new. A weather forecaster—a rainbow. After the flood subsides and Noah leads the way to earth for a new beginning, Lord God repents for what he has done to the man kind and as a covenant between Him and the people, He creates a rainbow as a sign that never would there be any massive human disaster on the Earth. The rainbow is a sign of promise that God has given to the human kind. The rainbow has been placed between the clouds so that God can remember His covenant with His people.

                                     Life is exactly like a rainbow. We experience sorrows and pain and this is quite   enough to   devastate our confidence. At times, it seems that the pain is never ending. You feel the pinch every second and that limits peace in life. You feel that amid of a busy crowd, you are the only one who are at a stand point. Everyone seem to be running after their dreams while you are lost and drowned in our misery. The time you invested, the memories attached to it, the pain you took every moment to take a step towards what you loved might be futile and that is like a stab on already wounded heart. And when its time for you to take a next step towards another journey, you are all hurt, down and low on confidence. You might tend to lose even your self-esteem. You are skeptical about every decision you take and every inch you move. You look at every direction for a possible guidance and you tend to be more confused. But remember – “Too many cooks spoil the broth”.

                                    Never forget the fact that every cloud has a silver lining and I call it a rainbow. A rainbow of promise that if you can clear the moist off your eyes, all you will see is the a bright rainbow. A rainbow of Promise- promise of good things, hope and joy. I accept the fact that when you are upset and sulking in your own cave, you might not be able to just walk up to the window and open the door for the sunlight at night. You need to wait for the dawn. The dawn to break the darkness and fill your room with the sunlight. Sometimes, the wait might seem too longer. However, there is a season for every activity under the heaven. Lord led the Israelites through the red sea, deep forests for years. But when He gave them, He gave them Manna and a land of milk and honey.  All you need is a stable heart and confident mind that only you know what is best for you. Trust your instincts and take the step forward. Never let the pain in your mind blind the view of hope and your dreams….

Breathe in Perfection!!

                 “If you don’t mind me asking, may I know how long have you been in this business?’ ”22 years” he answered without even looking at the direction from which the question has come. No wonder. It was showing up in his work. I met this man half an hour back when I walked into his courier service office. I bought a star and wind chimes for Christmas and wanted to send them home to surprise my sister. It took me less than 10 mins to choose them but it felt that I was in this office forever to send them home. I was watching them struggle to pack my items. I sighed and relaxed in the chair as I knew that I will have to skip my lunch.This man was working on his computer while the other staff was busy trying to pack my items. He saw them for a brief moment. He walked slowly to the desk and gave a long glance at what they were doing. I was growing impatient. The man asked one of the office boys to get a cardboard. While I was still wondering as what he would do with a cardboard, the office boy came back with a thick cardboard. I was curious now. The man carefully cut the cardboard in the shape of a folded star and taped the cardboard at the edges. He covered the bells of the wind chimes with a paper and put the wind chimes in the “star shaped cardboard pack”. This was interesting. He was so involved in what he was doing and I could see the passion with which he was packing the items. When he replied 22 years, I looked around in the room I was sitting. There were many trophies which he won over the years. “I shall try my best and lets hope that the courier is delivered undamaged.”I looked at him and there lay on the table before me a neatly packed cover which had my items in it. I thanked him profusely and all he said was “Welcome my dear”.I was happy that would be delivered safe as they were taken care of “safe hands”. Though my sister called me later to tell me that two of the bells were broken, I didn't feel bad as I knew that this guy was absolutely amazing in what he did. Had it been someone else, my items would have been delivered in a bad shape.

             That’s how life and dreams are! Life throws many surprises. It’s upto us how to realise our dreams with perfection. We need to ensure that our dreams have a safe landing- from our minds to reality. Passion and dedication is what you need to have to dream and breathe in perfection!

The Other Side of Life..........

                            This week, for a change there is neither a topic nor a person to talk about. I have been blank for a while and haven't really thought about what I should be writing this time. My journey on the tough road must have temporarily blocked my thought process. This reminds me the concept of " Pain gate theory". Pain, interestingly, isn't the activated result of any cells but is a modulated perception between the nerve cells. The neural gate present in the spinal cord opens and closes, thereby modulating the perception of pain. In a way, the neurons enact as  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Sounds strange but a mere nerve cell holds the key of our emotions. In the race of life, we seldom forget how we let small factors take control of our lives. Even while I write this, am still spell bound by the factor that a neuron decides when to let me cry or laugh.

                            Coming back to our Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (read good and bad days of life), you must have been through a rough phase where everything seemed to be opposing your happiness It must have been challenging and dull, giving no room for fairness, but trying to drag you down and attempting you to erase your dreams. Every experience you come across here is a data that you need to make choices from that take you down different paths, at times throwing you to the brighter side of life. All those experiences are hidden somewhere deep down in your heart and you can never erase those memories. They are like Mr. Hyde peeping every now then and then trying to take you down the memory lane. Even while we take pride in the fact that we dealt with the situation, we fight back tears thinking of the pain we went through all the while.

                            It is at this juncture that you either chose to be Dr. Jekyll and move in the direction of breathing your dreams or let Mr. Hyde take over the reins and ruin them. While you are fighting Mr. Hyde to realize your dreams, you cant help but watch people walking ahead of you and realize their dreams. Its important to maintain your cool as that's how life is : Stops for none. In the race of life, do not worry of people moving ahead of you. Take your own time. Don't be in a haste to match the pace of life. But once you are ready to run, just make sure that you are the best of all. 

                            While you are down, your guide and mentor ought to be only your instincts. People teach you, preach and even scare you. But the basic truth remains the same - No one can predict the future. No one can guide you better than your instincts. Sometime back, I received this message - If an egg is broken bu an external force, a life ends. If the same egg is broken by an inside force, a life begins. Great things always begin from inside. Trust yourself. Rain or shine, Storm and sharks, believe in yourself and keep going!
                           
                         
                            

Give life a chance.

                         The first time I broke up, it felt like the world had come to a still point. I was too shocked to cry. My family stood by me. I was too innocent to realize that the Earth had place for wrong people. I tried facing the reality and moved on. In the process of moving on and to be careful in the future, I imposed some rules on myself and since then, have been following them to the core. I might have missed a right relation but am sure that I saved myself from few wrong relations. Years later, I have gathered enough guts and I am much stronger. The scars aren't visible anymore. Today, when I come across a guy, I let my mind rule over my heart. I owe this confidence to the Creator above and my "singleton" status.

                        However, not many are lucky enough. We are natives of a country where in emotional hangovers are a part and parcel of our tradition. No offense. If you are someone who is going through a rough relation and people are adding on to the pain, I have just two words for you - "Chuck them"!. Life doesn't end with a wrong relation. Instead, the end of a bad relation lays foundation for a new journey filled with hopes and aspirations now that you know whom you want in your life and what you want from them. The sooner you dump the garbage of memories and pick up the luggage of your dreams, the better for you. Show the world what a tough nut you are to crack. Never hang up your boots. The moment you give up, remember that there are " no mass- gathering- but - rolling- stones" running after you. Never let life decide what to give you. You ought to be the master of your life and not the other way round. Have a relationship with yourself. Believe in yourself and never make the mistake of rejecting yourself just because someone else has. 

                     Once in life do fall in love. Not necessarily with a person but with a dream. A dream breathes hope in you and energizes you - A dream that brings a smile on your face and is the very reason to wake you every morning with a confidence and faith in yourself. Don't wait for time to heal your wounds and change things for a better future.Someone aptly said that  "Time only changes the "expiry dates" for the opportunities that you have missed" . How true? I can sum up it in only one sentence - "Give life a chance". 

Page turn over....

                      Victor took a word from me that I would be at my best and clear this interview. We quit the company we were working and are in search of a job that would help us dust off the "Call Center" league. For all the support he has rendered, I decided that I could do this much. While I was still lost in my own thoughts, The HR called out on our names and informed us that we would be talking to his "Trainer”. Victor and I decided that we would stick on to our "magic number". Victor was called in and I was waiting for him to come and give me the good news that the so called "Trainer" had agreed upon the magic number. We were told that today we had to just negotiate on our salary and we would be receiving our offer letters. I was so excited for the fact that our families were just a call away to listen to our good news. It was 15 mins that Victor has been to meet the "Trainer". While I was still wondering what was taking Victor so long in the room, I saw him coming with a neutral expression. Before even I could ask him what happened, I was called in. I went inside and took a chair, only to listen to some mumbling. Even before I could strain my ears to hear what that was, the man in the room spoke, "Do not mind. Am talking to myself". Strange! So this must be the "Trainer". I waited for him to finish his mumbling and after few moments, he turned his face towards me and said, "So, you must be Priyaanka! Can you brief me about your profile". I have been through this many times and I went with the flow. His next question took me off guard for a moment. "Please talk about something that interests you". I now realized why Victor had that face. We were imagining about our magic numbers and here I am trying to talk about something that interests me.

                     I reminded myself of the promise I made to Victor and decided to talk about my blog as it was the only thing that was keeping me occupied in my unemployed days. I told him about how my journey began, how I dreamt of becoming Monica Seles when I was a kid and where I am today. He waited for me patiently to complete and asked me what my dream is now. I told him that I am in the process of differentiating between my fantasies and my dreams. I was still wondering where this conversation was heading towards, he began in a slow and relaxed voice – “I was the shortest guy in the whole school.  In spite of my mum being a teacher in the same school, I was bullied by the strongest kids. I always was worried if I ever would get married being so short. I wanted to become stronger, and be confident so that the bullying would end. I finished my schooling with all these thoughts.  I started working out and as my muscles started bulging, the confidence in me started building up. After I finished my graduation, I came across the same guy who bullied me to my nerve ends while in the school. The guy apparently couldn’t recognize me but was in awe of me when he realized that it was me. I am now happily married to a beautiful woman and am a proud father of two kids.  When I look back now, it’s just like a page turned over for me and the pages continue”.

                       The last sentence caught me off my guard. What did he mean by a page turned over? Didn’t he come a long way to realize his dream? Isn’t he supposed to enjoy the hangover? Then I memorized the latter part of his sentence – “pages continue”. I have seen people being over whelmed with happiness on being successful. I am here, talking to a person who came a long way and still talks as if it was nothing but a page turned over. In a way, he was teaching me something new – a dream is like a page. Once you make it to come true, turn it over so that you might have a new page to read – a new dream to realize and breathe in.  What he spoke next lifted my spirits. No, it wasn’t about the “magical number”. In his own words, “I have achieved my dreams and am quite satisfied with the way things turned out for me. I do not know what your dream is but am glad that I have met you – “someone who did not just stop after reaching her dream but continues to motivate people to breathe their dreams”. I thanked him for that and told him that it was amazing conversations like this that inspire me to write something. I told him that if he ever reads my blog, he shouldn’t be surprised to see our conversation in my blog. He told me that he would go through my blog. This was unexpected and then it struck me that “When the student is ready, the “Trainer” appears.

                      I was done with the conversational interview and I came out to meet an anxious Victor who told me that it’s been half an hour that I was called in for the interview. I told him that I would tell him in detail as what happened in the interview. Hence, this piece of writing.

                     Trainer, if you are reading this, apologizes for the fact that I couldn’t take your name that day.

A father's dream for her daughter! Too good:)

                        As usual, I sat with my father for an usual conversation. Since the time I started this blog I have been nagging him about many topics so that I can gain a bit of knowledge from him. Everyday we talk about something new - sports, an invention, politics, the weather, books what not? He has been a sort of an encyclopedia for me since my childhood. He drew virtual images of "The Garden of Eden" for me and helped me polish my geographical knowledge. I learnt how to be down to earth in the process of trying to imitate him as a kid. I later on grew to live in that phase with perfection. All the appreciations that I received in the science fairs have been the example of his intellect. I learnt to live life the simplest way from him and he made me understand the difference between luxuries and necessities though he always made sure that I had the best luxuries a my disposal. Coming from a "hand - to- mouth" family, he went on to climb the ladder of success with great efforts and every step had its own story and a memoir. Every time I sat with him, I get the chance to listen to a success story.

                      During one such conversations, I asked my dad what he expected from me as his firstborn. I was all ears to what he had to say. He summed it up in one beautiful sentence - "Make your own world".

                      Later, I sat to myself and thought about what just happened. Trying to be a fit in this world is what I have been trying to do since the day I have been in the cradle and it would continue until I am placed in a grave. He must have noticed that recognized the fact that I have been in a haste to compete with the rest of the world and I was losing my own existence. I am a Medical graduate but never took up that profession. I went on to choose a different field to earn my bread and he never stopped me from that. I was away from home for months together and he didn't raise his voice. He allowed me to take every step at my own will. He never once questioned me. He never tried to clip my wings when I wanted to fly. I was busy trying to make a mark in my career that I chose and he waited to hear from me with patience. I wondered what might have made him advise me this after letting me be on my own all these years.

                      I then realized that he had a dream for me. A beautiful dream in which he wants me not to compromise on my values and principles while trying to match my pace in the life's journey. Winning might be the goal but compromising on the morals can never be the best strategy. I made a oath to myself the last might that, Come what may, I would still continue to stick on to my morals and the principles he taught me. My success might come a second late however, I would be still a winner. Rather, a survivor.



                       

Understand your dreams.

           To start realizing your dreams, you need to understand your dreams and it is a journey worth taking. You are unique and only you can realize and understand what keeps you healthy or makes you sick in this journey. Understanding your dreams will help you in make better choices while pursuing your dreams.  I came across a book in which an author gives her thoughts about understanding our dreams. According to her, in understanding our dreams, we can learn about our deep secrets and hidden ambitions. No one is a better expert at understand our dreams.

          Oprah Winfrey says-" It's now time to feel what you have been resisting perhaps for most of your life. This takes real courage but remember, the only alternative is an unfulfilled dream. Whenever you lose your focus, patiently bring it back. Let your awareness remain soft and steady, without attempting to do anything. And that means it can no longer deter your dream. You'll be able to stop procrastinating, work longer and harder, uplifted by an exhilarating flow."

           When your dreams are clear you can create goals that are aligned with your dreams and begin to create the life you choose to live. Dreams are valuable, and the first step is getting clear on your dreams. Think about what you will do, be, and have when your life is ideal. Life can allow you to accomplish a dream every once in a while, but consistent achievement happens only if you love what you are doing.We all have dreams and wishes.  Unless we do something about them, that is exactly what they remain.  It is action that brings our dreams and wishes to life.  We can do this by setting goals and taking it step by step until our goals are realized. If you have ever felt such tremendous enthusiasm and desire for something that you would gladly spend all your waking hours working on it, that you would happily do without pay, then you have found your passion.

Overcome your nemesis!

             Who we are makes a difference. Utilizing this unique difference, we either can choose to define success or failures or let them define us. Take your life in your own hands and do you realize what happens? You have overcome your nemesis. Today, I want you to read about a young lady who overcame her nemesis with her strong will. She is miles away from the geographical location from the place I am located right now but yes, always just a step front to guide.


             I met her few years back when I had the pleasure of sharing the same accommodation with her. She came in with a traveler's bag and without even a formal introduction, she answered my surprise glances. "It's my dream to go abroad", she started. Got an admission in the college for my Masters and I bought this bag to pack my luggage. Things didn't go the way they planned and my Visa was rejected. I use this bag now so that it is not stuck somewhere in my store room". Behind that formal and jovial expressions, I felt that was sad about it. Of course, she was! But she was beyond that frame of her mind where she would be upset about her dreams being stuck. After becoming friends with her, I realized that instead of hanging the bag in the store room, she dumped her restlessness and disappointment in the dark room and here she is - on  new journey only to see her dreams come true. We went on to become good friends and as the days flew, I realized that she carried this traveler's bag to the accommodation to remind herself of the journey she missed.  We joined the same firm and I came to know more about her.

            In her own words -" I come from a modest background and I lost my father when I was yet to enter my teens. My mother until then who was a home maker, had to turn overnight into a bread maker. She struggled to make our ends meet and let alone afford us corporate education. But she never backed up. Fortunate enough, my sister and I were athletes and we secured good seats. We joined Professional course and we realized that my mother has been working relentlessly for years now. I then took up private jobs and became successful. My mother recognizing the talent in me, wanted to send me abroad for better opportunities. She counted all her savings on me and was ready to see me take the flight. But fat had something else in store. Trust me Priyaanka, am not upset with what has happened because I know that one day, am just going to be there and it's just a matter of time".

            My career flew us a little distance apart and we lost contact. Thanks to the social networking site, early this year, I had the chance of talking to her. I was glad beyond words to know that she is where she wanted to be! We started talking like good old times and asked her how this all has happened. She just had one sentence to speak - "I overcame my nemesis". Today, she is a licensed therapist abroad and happily enjoying the aroma of her success. She guides young aspirants who want to go abroad and realize their dreams.

           Failures are common in our lives. But the way we bounce back to overcome defines us. We have to learn the facts of our lives on our own and there are plenty to learn. Our attempts to succeed and the failures we face on the way only can help us to overcome our nemesis.

Does your dream have gravity?

                      "After dinner, the weather being warm, we went into the garden and drank tea, under the shade of some apple trees...he told me, he was just in the same situation, as when formerly, the notion of gravitation came into his mind. It was occasion'd by the fall of an apple, as he sat in contemplative mood. Why should that apple always descend perpendicularly to the ground, thought he to himself..." It is the manuscript for what would become a biography of Newton entitled Memoirs of Sir Isaac Newton's Life written by William Stukeley. The apple may not have hit Newton in the head, but let's still picture it that way. The fallen apple let him come up with the "Law of Gravity".

                       Lazing under an apple tree, the scientist was hit by an apple on his head, which got him thinking as to why the fruit had come down instead of going up? There had to be some kind of a force pulling the apple downwards. The scientist called this force gravity. Being a psychological student, I was wondering what could be running in young Newton's mind at the time while he was sitting under the tree. Being hit by an apple on the head would have been painful. I somehow have this gut feeling that the young scientist's mind was completely absorbed with thoughts about the apple always descending perpendicularly to the ground. There are books which state that Newton watched the apple tree not just while sitting under the tree but also while working in his mother's garden. Probably, the apple tree in the garden was fixed in his mind. I wouldn't be surprised if Newton dreamt of the apple tree and it's fruit falling down and not in any other direction. Bingo! Newton found direction for his dream. The passion to find a satisfying answer to his curios observation gave him the result. The result being - "The Law of Gravity didn't go either side wards or in any other direction but just landed in his thoughts".

                    It's the same with everyone. We have our own gravitational forces which we tend to ignore. These are the ones that help us realize our dreams. They always land themselves right in our hearts and not side ways or upside. It is up to us as how we feel them. Gravity of our dreams shows us the signs of possibility. A possibility to achieve our dreams. A possibility of looking at a chance and take it. Many times in life we give up and accept failure just because we don't realize how close we were to being successful when we give up. We choose to ignore the gravity of our dreams or rather we tend to forget how powerful our dreams are. But the fact is that no dream is small. A dream has the power to move the minds of men. A dream can never work against you. The gravity of your dreams would not let anything against you. There can be just one owner of a dream and the one who believes that his dream has the gravity is its master and would eventually see his dreams coming true.


                 This question is for you. Does your dream have gravity? Gravity to succeed?

Narrow your frames!

                      A human eye can watch up to 300 frames per second. Not quite surprising. The surprising fact is that of all the 300, its just one frame that captures our concentration.  Breathing your dreams cannot be put in a much simple way. While it takes someone with such a concentration to attain new levels of experience, it needs courage to see his dreams.A courage to narrow the rest of the frames for a better vision of that "particular dream" which can take our breath away the moment we realize that we have achieved it. Remember that life is not the amount of breaths you take, but it's the moments that take your breath away.

                      We all have many dreams. But the basic reason behind all these dream remains the same - to make it big. Just like the human eye, we too see many dreams.Just like the eye adapts itself very quick to an image, we need to be quick in adapting to our dreams as well.  But the ultimate success remains in narrowing our frames and concentrating on one dream and realizing it. Dreams are the most powerful weapons which can either make or break a person. If you can advance confidently in the pursuit of your dreams, you will enjoy unexpected success While we all have dreams, not everyone of us must be really living our dreams. Life might give us its own reasons for not letting us get past the dreaming stage and somewhere down the lane, we might be stuck. There is a lot of difference between dreaming and living your dreams. Making a dream come true is a joy that might not be expressed.in words.

                    Like narrowing of frames is a blind rule for the eyes for a clear vision, narrowing down our frames is important as well. You need to realize where you are stuck and get out of it. A midst travelling the rugged road, never forget to dream or go for your dreams. Most of the times, we are stuck in the stony path and forget about our dreams. We end up getting something which we never wanted to or something which was never our cup of tea there by leading to dissatisfaction over life.If your heart is in your dream, no request is extreme. You are all you can be. Go and be it!

                 
                     

Be like the dreamers of the day!

             I woke up to the sounds of joy and cheers in my house. Being a nocturnal human, am used to missing the early sun shines and birds humming. I was told that my brother has cleared his C.A Final exams. For a moment, I went back to the past. We were two sisters and a brother born in a hyper educated family (I coined the name after I lost the track of degrees my mum earned). My sister and I went on to complete our Medicine in Physiotherapy and my brother started his C.A. My parents were sure of where they wanted to see us and I guess we never disappointed them in that matter. But my brother's struggle should be mentioned here.
                 

            After High School, my mum told him that it was her dream to see him as a Chartered Accountant. He was all game for it. I wonder back then whether he even knew the responsibilities of a Chartered Accountant. I come from a small town where the world wakes up at 6and sleeps at 9pm. Little exposure to corporate world. He joined a college not far from our place. He started chalking out his own plans to realize my mum's dreams. If my mum dreamt on his behalf, my brother enacted her dream with ease. The first challenge came in the form of age inadequacy. Unlike local private schools, this is a national forum and his application for the exam returned unapproved as he was short of the required age. He had to wait patiently for his turn and meanwhile went on to complete other courses which might help him in the near future. When it was his turn, he scored a national rank and that was his first success but definitely not the last. He simultaneously went on to complete his Masters in Commerce and by the time he completed his C.A, he has a Maters degree in Commerce where he was a regular student an a E MBA degree which he pursued through distant education.  To a reader, all this seems quite normal. But for a 20 plus something guy who has little exposure to the big world, this is an achievement.


           As a matter of fact, it wasn't his dream. During a confession chat with my brother, I asked him what was his dream..He told me that he always dreamt of making my mother's dream come true. He never had any back up plans as he was pretty confident that he was going to make it come true. He went on to follow his dreams. In an era where we shout at the top f our voices about our right to dream, this guy is an inspiration for many more there. A guy who generously allowed his parents to dream for him and went on to achieve them with confidence, curiosity, courage and constancy.

           All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by the night in the dusky recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are the dangerous men for they act with open eyes to make it possible.


           

Are your dreams in place?

           Life guarantees something every moment- "change". Our hopes and aspirations change along with the world's ever changing reality. All through this while, its common and fair for our dreams to change too. However, you can still weave your dreams according to the changed circumstances. Stick on to the basics of your dream and weave with knowledge and confidence. When you have the freedom to dream, why do you have to settle for anything less? When I am talking about dreams, am talking about "highly desirable goals in the near future which we wholeheartedly intend to reach. 

       Go for the biggest thing you have ever wanted. Understand and analyse the opportunities that you have to realize this dream. All through this while, believe that you can achieve this dream. The way you encourage yourself  matters as the way others see you and your dreams is completely different from the way you see yourself and your dreams. Aim for the highest. Don't shy away from anything. We always begin from where we are and where we want to be. That seems to be a far distance. Our responsibility is to narrow that distance with confidence and moving in the right direction.To do that, we need to draw our goals and dreams closer to us, while simultaneously moving towards them.

       While am writing this blog, am trying to fight with all my might to achieve my long time dream. I have been only dreaming about this one since the time I started going to college. I know that this needs a lot of convincing and let the other part of the world see my dreams through my perspective. Well, its not easy and am prepared for it. Every morning when I wake up, I wake up with hope to find someway to at least go a step nearer. Every night, I tuck myself into the bed with clumsy thoughts and ideas with disappointment that today has been just an other day which wasn't mine. But that doesn't either stop me from waking up the next day or stop dreaming of my goals. For me, dreaming is like a warrior getting ready for a battle. He goes to the battle every time only to win. When he loses the battle, he doesn't sit there and try to transform his loss at he field to a victory. He waits for his wounds to heal and begins everything new with the same passion and concentration. A true warrior knows that a war has many battles to be fought and he just lost one of them. But he has got lot more to win and the passion continues. 

        Before somebody else gets what you wanted and again you are sick of it, believe in whatever you do and live to see it through. Don't ever be afraid to live the dream you want. Excuses will kill your dream. Until you have your dreams in place, it's not really a dream- it's just another fantasy full of excuses.Follow your passion, focus on your dreams and never quit!

Put your jacket on!

                Today, I was watching the film, "The Karate Kid".A kid who comes to China along with his mother is beaten up by the local kids ans in order to save himself from being bullied, starts learning "Kung Fu" from Jackie Chan. For the first few days, the kid is taught to put on his jacket, take it off, drop it on to the ground, pick it up and hang it on. The regime remains the same to the kid's surprise. Bored of doing the same thing time and again, the kid confronts his master telling him that with this he cant beat his opponents. The Mater's reply in his own words -"Kung Fu lives in everything we do, Xiao Dre! It lives in how we put on the jacket, how we take off the jacket. It lives in how we treat people! Everything... is Kung Fu". To the kid's surprise, he realizes that he has built his muscles just by picking up his jacket and he has learnt the basics of "Kung Fu".



              Many times in our life, we are tired of  putting on our dreams. Probably,  too tired to put them on after dropping them on to the ground. Is it that because we are going through rough times, we no more want to wear our jackets ever again? When we are going through rough roads, at times, it feels best to wait and let the time pass on while we are doing nothing. But being still and doing nothing are two different things. When we try to look at our image in a  pool of plain water, we see a clear image But when we try to see the same image through rippled water, we see a blurry image. Its good that we wait until the ripples calm down so that we can see the clearer image. But growing impatient and not even trying to wait for the water to plain down is like doing nothing and unforgivable. We need to realize the fact that our dreams are the essence of our lives. They move inside of us and flow through our bodies to give us power from within. Why do you have to try so hard to fit in when you born to stand out?

           
              Paul Coelho wrote " It's the possibility of having a dream that makes life interesting". Life doesn't give its reasons as why it wants us to drop our dreams and hang them on. But the truth is that we hang on our jacket only to put it on again. Love your dreams and you are half way through your victory. When we hope to fly, we ought to be ready to fall down for the first time. Falling down doesn't mean that we drop our dreams of flying. Every morning you wake up, you have to make some decisions. These decisions might want you to put on your jacket or hang it on.  Life will knock us down, but we can choose whether or not to stand back up. And History share its pages only with those who stand up to their dreams.



             

           

           

Get out of your own way!

Ever felt directionless in life? Thought that dreams are just dreams and not taking you anywhere? Ever felt that you are at a stand point whereas the whole worls is moving at a fast pace? Lot of questions but not a single answer? Wondering the very meaning of your existence on this planet Earth? Worried that criticisms have been piling up inspite of all the hardwork that you put up? Trying hard to motivate yourself? If you have answered positive to any one of these questions, pat your back and just say that its quite normal.

          Tom Cochrane sings-
                   Well, life's like a road that you travel on
                   There's one day here and the next day gone
                   Sometimes you bend, sometimes you stand
                   Sometimes you turn your back to the wind


           Not every day can be bright. You might wake up in the morning to watch the sun shining bright and another day you might wake up to see the same sun hiding behind the clouds. Rain or shine, you are the master of your life and no one can question it. Many things happen just in a blink of an eye and not all the happenings bring a smile on your face. For a moment you enjoy them and the next moment you wonder whether it was a dream. The only thing that stays with you and says " until-death- does-apart" is the passion for your dreams. If you have a dream, you have to protect it. Things might not be working the way you wanted them to be. It is common because you that gives you a chance to think different. If your "old school thoughts" aren't allowing you to think different, then it's time you get out of your own way. Sometimes, your biggest obstacle can be "you". You need to step back and think as how you want to be perceived- " A man who believed in his dreams and lived to see them come true" or " Once upon a time, there lived a man who dreamt of making it big".
                 
           Its just one life. And one single shot -either to make it or break it. It is that "one step" that can either throne you or dethrone you.

           Remember what Will Smith said in the film "Hitch"- "Life is not the amount of breaths you take, it's the moments that take your breath away".

Dream for satisfaction..Success follows

           Many a time we aren't sure of what we want in our lives. At times we have this strong urge to be successful because success makes us rich. As kids, we all might have dreamt of becoming a pilot, a doctor, a teacher or a model. As we grew up, we realized that they were our fantasies and we either decided to follow one of them seriosuly to make a career or chose a different one all together. The basic reason still being the same: to be successful. The idea of success holds different meanings for different people. Being rich has become the synonym for the word success in the recent times. But changed time has brought a change in the way people perceive success. People have realized that money can never guarantee happiness, health and success.

          Its always good to dream of making it big because dreams do come true. But one should have a clear idea of wat success means to them. During one of my conversations with one of my friends, he told me this "Learning some thin out of the box is more satisfying. Being good and learning some thing unusual which no one would have even thought of is more satisfying". Simple thought but sounded satisfying. Passion towards our dreams and optimism are required to give a practical shape to our dreams. According to Azriel Hirish Friedman, "Our lives are cluttered with dreams that have died, left abandoned as life swept us on. All our dreams -- even the silly ones -- contain a point of our deepest yearning to unabashedly invest our heart and soul into life".

         Dreaming to make it big is like a farmer digging for a pool of water. In India, where the traditional occupation is farming, every farmer's dream remains the same - a green field. A farmer doesnt find the water spring the moment he starts digging. He breaks through hard ground, moves away all the rocks and after hours  (sometimes days) of struggle, the thirsty ground becomes damp. Dig deeper and you uncover a beautiful underground stream that washes away everything in its path.The earth and rocks are the obstacles -- pessimism, unrealistic planning, incorrect beliefs, negative character traits -- that keep us from feeling truly alive.The farmer's idea of digging deeper into the ground might sound tiring but at the end of the day, he is the owner of the green spread in fromt of us.All our dreams -- even the silly ones -- contain a point of our deepest yearning to unabashedly invest our heart and soul into life. Use your unique set of talents to refine your endless opportunities and believe in your ability to actualize your deepest dreams of what life could be.

Life is a continual story of dreams.

                During one of my visits to my home town, I met one of my very close childhood friends. I have known her to be an optimistic sport who was passionate about making it big one day. It was long time that I haven't met her and wanted to see how she was doing. While I was waiting for her, I went back to our good old times when we used to sit on the terrace and chalk out our future. My friend came and after our hugs and "missed you's", I asked her how she was doing and how far her dreams have come true. For a moment, I wondered whether I put a wrong question because I could see tears rolling down her cheeks.After a bit of cajoling, she started her experience. Soon after finishing high school, we took different paths. I went ahead to complete my graduation in Physiotherapy. She completed her graduation and tried pursuing her parents to send her abroad for Masters. She always believed that she was meant for the bigger cut. Her parents were adamant that she get married. My friend hails from an orthodox family and all her cries were left unheard. Her parents started searching for matches and years down the lane, she is yet to get married. I asked her as why she didn't get herself employed all these years. Her response startled me. Her mother wanted her to stay     at home and learn the household chores as she was hopeful that her daughter would get married in the coming months. Years passed on and my friend stayed at home. All her peers went abroad and she was here, hoping for a miracle to happen in her life. I suggested her that probably she could get married to an NRI so that she can realize her dreams once she goes abroad with him. She liked this idea and told me that she never thought about this and would talk to her parents about this. Few days later, I get a message from her stating that she spoke to her parents about it and it worked! Few months later, I received a call from her inciting me to her marriage. She was excited as the guy works abroad and has approved her plans to pursue her Masters and boost her career. I felt very happy for her.

                 Having dreams and a vision is great, but what if those dreams don’t match up with present-day reality? Should you just give up on them? Absolutely not! But sometimes pursuing your dreams means stopping to build a bridge to get there. Use the resulting insights to fuel your efforts to overcome your current obstacles and help you keep an eye on your vision. Take stock of your challenges."It may not come today or it may come tomorrow, but it is well that it is within your heart.  It’s well that you are trying."You may not see it. The dream may not be fulfilled, but it’s just good that you have a desire to bring it into reality.

Life is a beautiful dream.

 Few months back when I started taking my salsa classes, I pretty well remember my trainer's very first words. While learning salsa, you need to imagine dancing with a glass of wine on your head. One wrong step and the wine is on the floor. You can neither mend the broken glass nor collect the wine back. Salsa is all about graceful body movements and its the same with your life. Life gives everyone a fair chance. Its we who make or break our dreams. Ashley Smith couldn't have written it more better when he said -"Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams". Sync in with your dreams for a perfect life.

Segismundom, a royal prince who was imprisoned by the King for the fear of an oracle prophesied sings so beautifully about life like this:

I dream that I am here
of these worlds these imprisonments charged,
and I dream that in another state
happier I saw myself.
What is life? A frenzy.
What is life? An illusion,
A shadow, a fiction,
And the greatest profit is small;
For all of life is a dream,
A beautiful dream

Live your life to realize your dreams and fulfill them. Everyone dreams but very few make their dreams come true. Are you one amongst them? Are you the one who can dance with a glass of wine on your head?

Dreams deferred?

An excerpt from Langston Hughes's A Dream Deferred:

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up 

like a raisin in the sun? 

Or fester like a sore-- 

And then run? 

Does it stink like rotten meat? 

Or crust and sugar over-- 

like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags 

like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

Can the answer to this be:

A dream deferred runs like the blood in the veins and supplies strength and courage to an individual thereby helping him realize reach his dream.

Don't let the obstacles of the moment create your future. It's too easy to run into trouble and get so caught up in overcoming it that you give up on the dream in the process. Life doesn't guarantee that every dream would be achieved at the very first go.Life doesn't come with a promise to accentuate success and fame in every path we travel. It's the reason why there have been so many great inventions. Let your dream be the next big thing!!

Dream above the clouds.

Few days back, I got a text message from one of my friends, which goes like-" When it rains, most of the birds head for shelter. The eagle is the only bird that, in order to avoid the rain, starts flying above the cloud."   An eagle learns to fly the hard way. The Mother Eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings. Sometimes when a young eaglet is fearful of taking its first flight away from the nest, its forced out of its nest. The Mother Eagle flies high in the sky and from there, drops the younger one. But before the panicked eaglet reaches the ground, the mother comes and positions itself so that the eaglet lands itself safe on the mother's body.  In our lives as well, when obstacles come our way, for a moment, we tend to forget our dreams and the passion that towards our goals.In the whisk of a second, our dream becomes insignificant as we have an obstacle to face before we reach our destination. Its only human to do that.  The moment we stop looking at the barriers and aim high, we are already a step closer to fulfill that wish which we have been dreaming about for a while. That's what Shakespeare's famous Sonnet 116 speaks of; 


Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark 
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;


Your love for your goals should never find its alteration. It shouldn't be removed nor should it be shaken. 

Your dream, your guide to realize your aspirations.

                                 Life is pretty short and one cant predict one's days on this earth. The excitement switch needs to be always turned on to keep life going on. Never brush off your dream thinking that its just another one.  You never know which road leads you to Rome.It might be the same dream (read wish) that visits you often. Beneath the repeated knocks on your door, there must be an underlying factor - your strong desire to fulfill that wish that has been lying deep down in your heart for sometime now. The first step might sound confusing and might increase your pulse rate. But that's the moment you would cherish for the rest of your life and leave a story to pass it on to the generations. 

The power of a dream.

                          Are dreams really powerful? Can a dream bring out the true potential in an individual? I would say yes. In a lay man's term, a dream is the result of a hidden desire or an unfilled wish which we are very passionate about. The human brain is designed such that it can understand its owner's feelings. Our emotions are constantly noticed and absorbed by the brain and it lets them out in the form of a dream arousing further interest in our unfulfilled wishes. A dream is an unseen guardian that ignites a strong determination thereby helping us fall in love with ourselves.A dream is as powerful as the words " I can". Its a dream that can unveil our hidden strength and grant us the courage and the confidence to reach that goal or aim in life that we have been always passionate about. A dream is a magical wand that transforms you overnight!! No dream is ordinary and no dream can stop you from being what you want to be. Do not ignore a dream for its from your own sub conscious pleading you to pursue your goals. Its never late to realize what you want to be or how high you want to fly. Its a dream that can help you unleash from hidden fears and ignite a flaming desire within you to make your dream come true. A dream is a ray of hope for those who want to know what they want to achieve in their lives. Though every individual is blessed with a poetic heart from within, not every wish can be expressed with a clear understanding. Its a dream that fills the gap. It helps us understand and overcome our short comings. The moment you realize where you want to be in life, half the journey has been successfully done. How to do that is a simple part once you understand your strength.  There is a hidden strength in each one of us and its a dream that helps us bring out our best.