DISCOVERING ME

“With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance all things are attainable”

-       Thomas Foxwell Buxton

Once I heard someone saying, “I wish life was easy”. I simply walked away. Someone who expects life to come easy doesn’t want any challenges or adventures. Life is not about reaching at a destination, rather the walk towards the destination matters.

Every one of us makes mistakes, some we regret later, some adds experience, and some just provokes us to repeat them again.

At the beginning, we all start off from the same point, naïve, without experience, anxious and seeking moments where we can show our bravado.

Sooner or later, there comes a moment where we feel we had enough and probably we should quit, and then something happens that gives us the courage necessary to go on, hence begins the journey of discovering oneself truly.

Every human being goes through dark times and those are the best moments to know about the extreme of one’s capabilities.

In moments of absolute fear, when we feel no one can help us and we are about to be doomed, we discover courage. A man, who doesn’t know swimming when thrown into water, will work his hands and legs and there is maximum chance that he will learn how to swim. Some people may require the presence of sharks in water to gain the necessary courage, still they do find it. And then again courage doesn’t always roar, sometimes it’s a silent voice at the end of the day saying “I will try again”

In moments of weakness, we discover the strength among ourselves. Most of us must know about the canyoneer Aron Ralston, who was trapped by a boulder in an isolated slot canyon at Blue John Canyon in April 2003 and eventually amputated his own right arm in order to free himself.  Can you imagine that amount of strength???

In the times of heartbreak, we discover will power. Will power is something that doesn’t come to surface until it is tampered with. Rejection is followed by heartbreak. When we give our efforts into making something and it is instantly turned down, it renders us faithless. Some give up and some rise to give it another try. Somewhere I read, “God doesn’t want you to win, he just wants that you try”.

Sometimes we are faced with humiliation. People laughing at our hard work, calling us a good for nothing and many more names. Those who laugh do not know the pain someone has undergone to make things and present them. It’s easy to laugh. In such moments of insult, we discover determination, determination to do things better than we did last time and come out with something perfect. Winning doesn’t always mean coming first; it means that you have done better than you did last time.

Moments of betrayal teach us about trust. When we discover why we were betrayed in the first place and try to mend it, the chances of being fooled again decreases. Sometime we think that the only person we can trust is ourself, but some other faces do come to mind. It might amaze us to know that someone we thought would stab us at our back actually stands with us in our difficult times. Those moments of realization gives us hope that something good can and will happen, and the hatred in our heart turns into love.

The most important lesson that we should learn is that we should have the strength to forgive ourself. It’s ok to make mistakes, its ok to trust the wrong people, its ok to be weak, it’s ok to screw things up and it’s ok to fall down. What is important is to accept the fault and let go. Move ahead and make life better. Past is gone, there is no point in thinking about it and spoiling the present and future.

Mistakes are not stop signs, take them as guidelines. And mistakes hurt when they happen, but after years, when you look back, they are not mistakes anymore, they are just experiences.

The joy when you sit and analyze what you have become thanks to all those mistakes and people is overwhelming. The moment when you realize that you are strong and determined, you get to know that you are beautiful and capable of making miracles.

The journey of discovering oneself goes on till the last breath and the joys of discovering something new is profound.

As said by Robert Frost, in “the road not taken”

 “I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference”

PERCEPTION

“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the ways we perceive the world and all use this understanding as a guide to communication with others”

Manisha returned from college, went to her room and closed her door. When she didn’t come out for lunch, saying that she was not feeling well, her grandmother went to her room.

Manisha was lying on the bed, pretending to be asleep. But nothing escapes a mother’s eye. She went to her bed and said, “I know you are not sleeping, so quit acting. What’s wrong?”

At first Manisha thought she would lie but she did want to talk to someone, and talking to her grandmother would be like talking to herself only. She trusted her granny and had told her about every problem she faced. She was an expert at finding solutions. She must have a solution to this.

Manisha lifted her head and said, “How did you know I wasn’t sleeping?”

Granny smiled and said, “Experience sweetheart. I have seen this many times. Now tell me what happened”

“You know my classmate Rupa?” Manisha said.

Granny nodded and she continued, “I think she is the reason that I didn’t get a chance to participate in the national essay competition going on in our college.”

“And why do you think that to be true?” granny asked.

“Because I saw her talking to the teacher who is managing the events and she was pointing in my direction. Another thing is that, I think she is getting back at me for defeating her at the competition held earlier t college”

“Hmm… so that’s it?”

“Grandma! Its not small thing!”

“But dear, you are only making assumption. It might turn out false”

“I don’t think so… besides I heard preeti also saying the same thing”

“Now, first I think you should eat the lunch I brought you. And while you eat, I will tell you a story”

“Please… neither I want lunch nor story… I want to stay alone”

“I wont listen anything… eat your lunch… or else I will call your mother and tell her that you haven’t had lunch”

“Your ultimate weapon!!! No doubt my mother is your daughter… she also threatens saying that she will tell papa”

While she was having food, she said, “Now tell me the story”

“But you said you didn’t want to hear it”

“Please! Don makes me beg now”

“Ok… here it goes. Once there were four people traveling towards a city. They were not traveling together, but met each other up on the way.”

“One of them was a priest, another owned a cafeteria at his town, another man owned a cloth store and the last man was a butcher. Now among these the butcher was an atheist”

“After traveling a while, they decided to have lunch and then sat under a tree. While they were eating, a parrot came and sat on a branch just above them and started speaking something.”

“On hearing it, the cafeteria owner said, ‘see, the parrot is saying it wants some water’

The priest said,’ no, it’s saying save me Jesus”

On hearing this, the atheist said, “You all can’t hear, its saying, there is no Jesus”

The man who owned the cloth store said, “No… it said silk is precious”

Then they all started quarreling, and the parrot flew away… story over” granny said.

“What kind of story was that? “ Manisha asked.

“It was a good story… tell me what you want to know about it?”

“You didn’t tell me what the parrot was actually saying”

“Only the parrot knows what it was saying”

“What!!! So why were all those people saying they heard?”

“That is what you should understand… we see things as we want to see them. The people actually heard what they wanted to hear, the poor bird wasn’t saying anything to them. It was saying and singing in its own language. The only difference is in our perception”

“Just because you think your classmate is the reason you didn’t get selected doesn’t mean its true… you think it is true because you want to see it that way. Did you ask your teacher as why he didn’t select you? Granny asked

“No” Manisha replied.

“Then I suggest you talk to him and stop moping around”