Jab We Met

I fiddle with alphabets on the keyboard , my mind searches for words and I feel scattered—this generally happens when it is time to write down a blog.But my own piece of writing soothes me and helps me reflect back.But does this happen with other bloggers too?How do people feel when they write about something?Whats going on in their mind and how do they put their thoughts together in an expression that finally takes the shape of a blog?


To me, this was perhaps the main feature, the crux of the discussion at a get-together organized last week for the bloggers.After a warm introduction, there was some brainstorming. The dim lights, sizzling food, loud foodies and of course our conversation—everything about the place seemed perfect. My realization was that every subject expert had a different opinion about the topic being discussed.With thoughts and blogs being shared , some amazing experiences came from every corner of the table. I could hear everything, enjoy it, add to it and relish it but the most striking feature was the individuality of thought and the resulting expression. This literally forced me to think that if we all sit together to write about something , there would be millions of responses reflecting millions of perceptions.My perception too decides the world around me, something my blogs reflect.

A wonderful experience

Few months ago, a new stock of books arrived in the office library.The bright yellows and greens stacked in the corner shelf drew my attention. In that huge pile, I got stuck at something that fascinated me-child psychology books. Going through the pages of those books allowed me to re-live some good old memories, not only of my school days but of college life as well.The instances mentioned in the books sounded familiar to the childhood experiences as well as the discussions in the college classroom. From dealing with childhood problems to tackling spoiled brats, the books offered a good recap of the child development lectures.

I took some time to read it .The desire to study human psychology was always there but somewhere it got lost as I stepped into an altogether different world.While going through the chapters, I could recall what I had studied about two years back. It helped me brush up the knowledge I had of the subject and gave a new direction to the technicalities of counseling known to me.The interest grew deeper with the encouragement that came at the right time. Yes! it was time to pen down something on adolescent counseling that could prove to be of some help to the masses.

The woes of teenagers is something that keeps parents occupied so thought of scribbling something on it.It was an altogether wonderful experience that helped me share the knowledge with everyone.

http://heraldofindia.com/counsling.php

My testimony

The other day I was reading a book in which the author has beautifully described the most powerful prayer on earth. The title 'the most powerful prayer on earth' itself was so fascinating and irresistible that I immediately picked up the book and started reading it. Though it didn't take me too long to finish reading it, yet the simple and meaningful life experiences shared by the author seemed very encouraging and touching. The book described the most powerful prayer as the one that Jesus said at the time of his crucifixion. Those words "Forgive them God" have been described as the most powerful prayer on earth.

The author talks about forgiveness as the most powerful thing on earth that can completely change the circumstances around us. As believers of Christ, we say in our Lord's prayer "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us". Earlier, these lines to me were simply a part of the prayer taught to us by our parent. The hidden meaning of these lines was revealed to me when I read this book authored by an incharge of a church who himself has been the victim of wrong allegations.He explains that for the forgiveness of our own sins, we first need to forgive those who have sinned against us.

The book illustrates different examples whereby the victims of molestation, allegations and many such incidents have seen circumstances around them changing by simply forgiving those responsible for their condition. I personally tried it. To be honest, it was the toughest thing to do. How could I forgive them?

The book explained simple steps to finally get rid of the burden and feel free and cheerful in the good company of Christ. I tried following them. The decision to forgive was a strong one. I tried it and it worked. Not only did I realise God's promise of giving us peace if we cast all our burdens on him but I also felt a deep sense of freedom from a burden that was difficult to get rid of.

Thank you Lord for yet another miracle!

Gestures-straight from the heart

Few days back, I received a very sweet yet a very simple message from a close friend and cousin. The message was about small gestures that cheer you up.It mentioned very simple things that can bring a smile on your face. It talked about simple things we generally forget after some time such as a hand on your shoulder when you are low, a stranger's smile in a crowd of unknown faces, a call from a childhood friend after ages and many more. I remembered few but found the message very appealing and it went straight to the heart.

It somehow forced me to think about such incidents that I also experienced. I thought it will take me ages to think about that but this week itself had many such to offer that I realise now as I sit to write another blog. There are few wonderful incidents that happened few days back that I would love to share. I don't know how a reader would find it but yes to me it was something very touching and soothing.

• Being fond of making new friends and strengthening the old yet significant ties, I love chatting with people. One day, a close cousin of mine was online. I left a simple message to him saying'Hi'. In return I got something that was sweet and touching. The reply to a simple hi had something to do with a sweet secret that we share. He called me by that name after a long time. I was amazed and touched.I had no clue that I would be hearing that magic word so soon.
• We always have had a pet at home. My expression of affection is just a small pat when I return from work. Otherwise, being scared of dogs, most of the time, I stay away from it. But this week, I enjoyed so much with it in the rain. For a change, it wagged its tail and like never before, we played in the rain. I was enjoying the best collection of songs that I had and the dog without understanding a word tried being a part of the celebration.
• Two days back, I received an invitation to attend a prayer meeting, something I longed for. This meeting was a good feast for the soul. The best part was that we were invited very sweetly by our uncle who said that I specially want people who have experienced miracles. He has prayed for me several times and this invitation made me remember those wonderful prayers he said for us.

These are just a few to mention. Though simple, they are close to heart and made a difference to me. I believe that if we take time out to think about such small incidents, it would leave a smile on our face and make us feel better.Stay blessed:)

Shell in a nutshell

Many times while interacting with friends and listening to each other's sob stories , we all use the word 'shell'. This very word rules such conversations where the rest of the team consoles the depressed one. Those five words -'Come out of your shell' are frequently used by the experienced, yet non-professional counsellors cum friends who try to pacify the disheartened soul. This is strictly not only meant to be used in a situation where teenagers or sometimes adults try to help a friend come out of a broken relationship . The words also signify the motivation provided by the well wishers to a reserved or a shy person with a view to change the individual's mind set of remaining cut off with the rest of the world that seems not so good to him.

Its a slang and a style " c'mon dude , cum out of ur shell' cmon now SMILE"....so i also jus kinda thought of flipping the pages of thesaurus n c what it has to say bout the word.........

I came across the following meanings of the word 'shell'

1. 'A hard outer covering enclosing something'

2. 'Walls of an unfinished or gutted building'

3. 'Hollow metal/ paper case to enclose explosives'

As a reader, I perceived different meanings that I thought of sharing. The interpretation of the meaning of the very word is purely based on my nature, experiences and attitude towards life.Let's take up the first one:

A shell is a hard outer covering enclosing something: We are all surrounded by an outer covering.This is a special covering not visible to the naked eye and is self designed with a view to protect our feelings from the scorching heat(repulsion) of the outside world . We all feel safe, cozy and happy in this shell of our own. The other day while interacting with a friend, my conversation revealed that I was more productive when I am left alone.Here , my being alone signifies my shell- a special private place that I don't share with anyone. Here, I am the one who thinks, I am the one who decides and I am the one who acts. So here all the feelings, emotions are safe and intact. Breaking this shell is not an easy job.

The second meaning-shell is a wall of an unfinished building.....The shell created by us is of course an unfinished building that has the capacity of adding on more stuff to it-if permitted. This includes the bricks of experience that would renovate the shell. It needs repairing and cementing by friendship at times.

The third meaning-metal/paper case to enclose explosives-On this I would say that emotions are no less than explosives. Emotions at times can turn you into an explosive. At times, it is highly recommended not to ignite the human bomb.

So in nutshell, this is how I perceive a 'shell'....perception varies though.

Angels without wings

There is someone in my family who believes in giving children 'Praying angels' as gifts. She is my aunt, a kind and a patient listener who is always there when I need her.Recently she surprised me with yet another special gift. It was a beautiful broach with a praying angel on it. She gave it to me believing that it would give me courage and strength. Now this angel of mine goes with me everywhere - be it my workplace or the doctor's clinic or a get-together with friends. This angel is very dear to me. As believers, we all can sense such wonderful creations helping us out in times of struggle. These creations are God's own people whom he sends to help us when we are in trouble. So this 'angel with wings' was a gift from an 'angel without wings'-my aunt who is always there when I need her.


This guardian angel reminds me of an incident when I was in college . We were a group of 11 students majoring in child development. We had to organize an exciting event for kids as a part of our course. Some serious discussion was going on with the Head of the Department.With a view to make the occasion trendy and colourful, many fascinating ideas were pouring in from every corner of the class.After listening to all the ideas, it was time for the head to announce her final decision. She suggested something that none of us ever thought of. She said "lets invite children from Missionaries of charity".We didn't know how to react.The day the occasion took place, we could see that behind a disciplinarian, there was an angel too.Our head is a very dignified woman in her early fiftees, someone who is mostly seen clad in a classy cotton attire and wearing a very beautiful yet mysterious smile. I never knew that she was a regular visitor to the orphanage and was very popular among all age groups out there. Everybody in the orphanage called her didi or auntie-something we could not even dare to think of in our dreams. This was followed by an eventful lunch with the inmates. She sat with them throughout and ate with them, even helping young children eat. I personally feel that organizing some thing else would not have been that exciting. This woman was no less than an angel to them. These young visitors were full of thanks and gratitude to her.


This incident literally forced me to think that we all spend quality time with friends and family - we eat out , chill and have fun.Weekends is a different story for us as compared to these children.A mere human touch can make a big difference to these children who have no one to call as 'family'. Being an angel without wings to them can give us what we desire for in this fast paced life -a state of utter Bliss!.


I dedicate this article to my blogging guru and colleague who always encourages me to share such wonderful things that I experience in my life....

Life: Choosing the toughest ride first

As I think of my experiences, a strong wave of emotions and feelings overpowers my stock of words and phrases . I feel like a kid again who is incapable of putting his experiences into words. From my vocab stock, I have a special word, my favourite word that surpasses my understanding. The word is 'life'. I believe that this is the only word that has as many meanings as the number of people on this earth.This word has no fixed meaning ...infact, its meaning and perception varies from individual to individual. Hence, the word has millions of definitions—some good and some not so good.

Like any other human being, my perception towards life keeps changing with my experiences. I feel that everyday unfolds a new mystery. In the heat of the moment, we perceive something. This is followed by a wide range of speculations, curiosites that futher keep us engaged in solving them. From this busy psychological and emotional schedule , let's take out some time to just focus on one experience at a time. To be honest, take the toughest one. Despite being surrounded by many things at the same time, try to look at just one experience. Try to focus on its positive aspect. Believe me or not, we would feel that there is a positive aspect in our perception towards other things.

One simple instance that supports this view of mine is my experience with rides in a park. I was with my friends and we decided to go for the rides. These included the scariest ones to the simplest ones. I preferred to go for the not-so scary ones first . But someone from the group insisted " let's try the scariest one first". I was the one who backed but then I felt that I should be going for it. I screamed and howled like hell on the ride. I was literally begging to stop the ride, something that was not possible once the ride started . This trauma lasted for five minutes. But when I got off the ride, I was prepared for any damn ride there. I tried the toughest one first and the other rides appeared nothing but a child's play.

This is how it should be. Believe me if one thinks of the worst experience and can curb the negative thoughts and feelings, half the battle is won! So instead of pushing our experiences under the carpet, we should confidently face them and then see the difference.

I tried, it worked :)