A little bit better...:-)))

A little bit better...

Few days back I called up my mother. I was not in my high spirits. When she picked up the phone & greeted me, I listened to the same sweet voice which gives me warmth & comfort during every season of life. She was her usual self; cheerful and positive. I shared about my life and the day in particular. She just said,” Don't worry; tomorrow will be a little bit better”. That day those few words infused a new energy in me :-) and I also became my usual self; calm & thoughtful.

'A little bit better or a little better', we do say or hear these words often. Very simple words! However, sometimes, I find these simple words quite magical.

Ok, just think this way, these words can not only help in keeping somebody’s hope high amid unfavourable circumstances but can also keep the person’s feet on ground at the height of success (The successful person has to try to do 'a little bit better' what he did last time). And there is much more to explore...

We all feel that living life amidst all the pleasant and unpleasant circumstances is an exciting challenge in itself. We all go through success as well failures, smiles as well as tears and many highs and lows in life. Life never stops due to these and it goes on.

Is it that hard to live happily and with hope? May be I don’t know the answer to this but I know one thing, my family always says that one cannot change the bygones but can always try to live the very next moment ‘a little bit better’. This is a progressive way to live life and in this way we can improve both, our present as well as future. It is indeed a very good seed of thought.

‘A little bit better’, means I can add a little bit more happiness & smile today. It means I have to put ‘a little bit’ more efforts to achieve my endeavours. It means I just have to be ‘a little bit’ more patient with the people around me. It means I have to be ‘a little bit’ more forgiving. Somewhere this viewpoint adds ‘a little bit‘ more hope to face life every day. Really, this thought makes me to feel ‘a little bit better’.

This philosophy can also be applied to the lives of the people we touch. We only have to make sure if we enter into somebody’s life, we have to try to make it a little bit better and never worse. We can increase the person’s self-esteem, confidence or faith in goodness & beauty of life to some extent. This becomes more important if we leave somebody's life.

It is also appropriate to the people we meet every day. The person can be as special as our family or friend or even a watchman, a maid, our colleague or any stranger we encounter. If nothing more, we can just leave a genuine smile. Believe me it will make that person’s day ‘a little bit better’.

This idea is also relevant to our surroundings or non living things like a news paper (in common area), a park, a bus or railway station, a room or even a washroom. If not better than we can at least try not to leave these in worse condition.

Back to our seed of thought. Living a life with 'a little bit better' attitude gives us golden opportunity to live a stress free and relaxed but responsible life.

So with a thought to think & write ‘a little bit better’ next time and a wish that you will feel ‘a little bit better’ after reading this I am signing off.

With ‘a little bit better’ regards & wishes,
Pragati Soni

Rain drops in my palms - An art & wisdom to live in different seasons

Today it rained beautifully...the amazing sound of the falling rain drops & sweet smell of soil always makes me feel alive!!! I love to extend my arms and feel the rain drops in my palms...I feel as if I touch the nectar of life.

So finally it is the time, to pack up all the cotton wears & very bright coloured clothes and to get the colours in harmony with nature. Now we can stop bringing cold drinks & other cold stuff and start preparing hot flavoured tea to savour. Here comes the time we can transform the decor of our home, pack up carpets, change curtains and most importantly plant new saplings. It is also time to take extra precaution when it comes to hygiene of our surroundings & ourselves as we are more prone to infections and diseases.

When I was imagining all this, a thought flashed into my mind; every season has its own charm and we can definitely enjoy it. However, it is an art to live in different seasons and a little wisdom to learn & practice it.  

What is good and recommended in one season may or may not be good in other. For instance, we don't prefer cool fruit juices in winters or hot soups in summers. It is not recommended to eat leafy vegetables in rainy season or cold yogurt in winters. We love to open doors & windows in summers, watching rains through our open balcony or window and feel the warmth of our home in winters by closing the doors & windows (sometimes). Even the choice of music differs in every season. We enjoy hot showers in winters but cold showers in summers. I know it seems funny but this is how to we relish every season, right?

 

Nature and life have many semblances and like nature, life also throws different seasons in our lifetime. Sometimes it is happiness all around, sometimes problems pour from every direction and sometimes it is nothing exciting (Believe me even problems are exciting sometimes but only if they are not the one facing by our loved ones.) Sometimes we are surrounded by the warmth of our near and dear ones and sometimes we are alone (even in the crowd) or get cold responses from the people whom we count upon. Sometimes we get anticipated success, sometimes unexpected success, sometimes much awaited success but sometimes we don't get it no matter how much efforts we put for how long.

  

What matters is how we live in the different seasons of life. We cannot have the same life style in very season, we need to be flexible and adapt to every season of life (Please note that one should not be flexible with his integrity & principles, these cannot/shouldn't be compromised.). Similarly, we need the wisdom to master the art of dealing with different facets of life . 

If life & nature are similar, then it is also for sure that seasons in life will always change but to bring the change we need to put efforts. It seldomely rains in desert. To bring in the rains we need to plant trees, right? Karmas can never be neglected.    

  

There is one more important thing, we may have our favourite season but no season ever lasts. So we need to learn to live in different seasons; to handle different situations in life. We must have observed that if somebody doesn't know how to handle success he/she will never be able to handle the failures. A person can be judged by both how he/she treats his friends as well as how he/she treats his foes. A person is not only how behaves when he/she is happy but also how he/she reacts when sad or disappointed. Different phases in life are inevitable.

So let us welcome all the phases of life and be prepared to live them gracefully. Just like we welcome the rains with hot & flavoured tea and summers with cool juices, just like we welcome winters with warm woollens and summers with light cotton fabrics,  just like we enjoy cool 'rasgullas' in summers, hot jalebis during rainy season and soft' gulab jamuns' in winters (Actually, I am a big foodie and have probably the 'sweetest' tooth :-)) LOL :-))

  

I am perfectly aware how the season of difficult times are and many a times we lose courage to live in the scorching summers if they are prolonged but I do hope that we will last more than these tough times and rains will finally come. Fall is always followed by spring. Yes, we need to put efforts and keep the faith. While doing so it is also vital that we live the present time with happiness and smile. After all, life doesn't rewind. Time once lost is lost for ever.

We need to keep balance in happy times & faith in difficult times; we should not take failures to heart and success to head and most significantly should keep doing good karmas and be happy in all the times. We need to learn this art & wisdom and keep refreshing it. Different seasons require different ways to live.

I am still learning the art and wisdom to live in different seasons. As if now I am happy to catch and feel the rain drops in my palms.

 

With a smile for every season & good reason,

Pragati Soni :-)

Special moments to pause & ponder...

Dear friends & well-wishers,

Off lately, I had been brooding over why few days are celebrated every year? I mean year after year...every year. Ok! Let me put it this way...why birthdays, various anniversaries & days are important? Why do we celebrate these year after year?

I have heard that everyone, everything and every event has got a purpose on this earth. And so I thought that these occasions must have got some purpose...right? But what is that?

I find people saying that birthdays come every year, there is nothing special about them. Couples loose charm of celebrating wedding anniversaries. People don't feel enthusiasm in celebrating festivals; leave the days like mother's or father's day.

However, I think a bit different. In fact, I have the feeling that not only birthdays and anniversaries but even mother's day, father's day, children's day, teacher's day, friendship day and even valentine's day all are good to rejoice at. There is nothing wrong with that. I agree that few days are encouraged by business because of the monetary value but we need to look beyond it.

Ok just think...Most of them are the celebration of relationships; the heart of our happy lives...right?

Like a birthday is a day when we show our near ones that we value their presence in our lives and they are special to us. We may take a break to thank God for all the people he has bestowed in our life, we may thank God for providing all the occasions to do something good either for us or someone else, we may thank God for giving us wisdom to choose what is better for our near & dear ones...Yes, there are so many things to be grateful about.

Wedding anniversary is the day to celebrate the day when two soul mates started their journey to make life more fulfilling. It is the day to thank God & elders for their blessings. It is the day to affirm the life partner's presence.

We do respect our parents every day but Mother's & Father's day add special days in a year. Just think practically, everyday there are so many things we are busy with that we don't get time to feel the graceful presence of our parents. We take everything for granted. These days can make us to think specially about them. What is wrong with that? This can range from giving gifts they would love to have or even their medical check up and most importantly our time.

Same goes with other days...like teacher's day, children's day, and friendship day or even Valentine’s Day. There is nothing wrong in affirming the presence of people who have made our life more meaningful & easy & wonderful.

In Indian culture, we already value relationships and that is why we already have the days like 'Rakshabandhan', ‘Gurupurnima’ among many festivals. We also have kshamavani (Jain religion) a day of forgiving and seeking forgiveness.

One important thing, these days don't stop us in expressing our feelings on other days. We can always do that. But sometimes we move so fast that we miss all these basic things and don't feel the need to showwhat we feel. And believe me, it is very important. Afterall, we all have feelings. So if we have a dedicated day to express our gratitude, love or care that is good only...

Life is one of the most wonderful & unpredictable journeys and these special days & moments give us opportunity to value life& people around us. To think where we are? How far have we come? Are we really treading the right path? Who are our companions? Who are our true friends & well wishers? Are we really or whatever we have started really serving the purpose? Are we happy? Can we do something more or different to make life on this earth more beautiful? How can we make our life and the life around us full of love? There are lot many thoughts...

These special days give us valuable moments to pause & ponder about life. Celebrating them once in a year is fair enough.

Whether it is birthday or any other day, it is important, if not because of anything else then at least because these moments gives us a chance to touch lives.

With lots of special smiles,

Pragati Soni

'I've learnt that even when I havepains, I don't have to be one.’

'I've learnt that even when I havepains, I don't have to be one.’

Great & touching thought…Not mine but a thought in which I believe in. I have come across these words while reading a presentation about – May Angelou (A multitalented lady whose work & life are inspirational).

Life is not always fair. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how hard we have tried to achieve our dreams, how sincerely we have given in a friendship or how honestly we have devoted ourselves in a relationship but at the end we end up losing. The truth is that everybody on this earth nurture some or the other pain somewhere.

The point is how we deal with pain. Some people fill their lives with sadness and some become insensitive towards such beautiful emotions like friendship & love. But life is meaningless without friendship, love, trust and above all ‘HOPE’ which gives reason to live.

So doesn’t matter if we could not have achieved our dreams till date, no matter if our friends have left us in middle of crises or our relations could not thrive despite all the efforts...we need to keep on trying atleast to keep the faith alive. If we have endured the pain then atleast we should try not to become the cause of pain instead we should seek ways to add beauty to anyone or anything we come across.

I have always believed that we can leave either of the two things in the universe ‘TEARS’ or SMILE’. It is our choice how we wish to live after we leave…as tears in somebody’s eyes or smile on somebody’s lips.

Although I aim for the later but I really don’t know how much successful I am. However, somewhere I feel 'I've learnt that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.’
 

Smell the roses... :-)))

So here is time again to smell the roses… :-)

Have you taken out some moments recently to think about life…to feel the air around you…to see the smile on somebody’s face…to count the countless stars in the night…to welcome golden sunlight in the morning?

Sometimes I feel that life is too short to do all that we want or to be more specific to do what we should do. Anyways...no issues, whatever time is there we have to live…and to live with a smile on our face and content in our heart…because ‘Life is beautiful’ and if not we need to make it.
I have selected few gems worth your precious time from my treasure of life touching experiences. These gems are nothing but ‘Love’, ‘Gratitude’, ‘Optimism’, Patience’, ‘Perseverance’, ‘Sacrifice’, ‘Strength’ and ‘Trust’. Just in case you take out some time to smell the roses, I can assure, you will definitely cherish them.

Love
"What are those for?" she asked smiling at the bouquet of flowers. Such an unnecessary question from the woman who has carried me through the trials of life. This is the mother that worked all day and dealt with kids at night while I worked my way through graduate school. This is the wife that sat by my side and fought back her tears as I endured an agonizing year of chemotherapy. This is the woman that carefully budgeted our income to allow us to afford our new home. Today the sun shines, but clouds may come again. I don't know what the future will bring, but I do know that my love for her has grown and I never have to question her love for me.

And she wonders what the flowers are for.


Gratitude
"Thanks for stopping by," he said with a big, gap-toothed smile. I smiled back and continued on my way. How could that old flower-cart owner be so cheerful? All I ever did was stop and look at his flowers during my rush to work. I had been passing his cart for over a year now and still hadn't bought a single flower. Yet, every day I got that same cheerful smile and simple thank you.

The next day I decided I'd finally buy a bunch of carnations for my desk and see how the man treated me after a purchase. "Thanks for stopping by," was his sole response, along with that big gap-toothed smile. I couldn't resist any longer and asked him, "Why do you thank me for stopping every day when I never make a purchase?" He looked at me for a moment and said, “Everybody that stops and admires my flowers makes me glad of what I do. I try to bring some cheer into this busy world and when someone stops to look, I feel I've done a good job."

"Thanks for being here," was my smiling response as I hurried on to work.


Optimism
"C'mon, man. There's nothing up here but sky!"

I remember that long ago day on the trampoline. My brother always had such a great outlook on life. Nothing seemed to get him down. He rarely complained and everyone seemed to be his friend. As we grew older, he went on to start his own company. Even when facing serious setbacks, he always found a bright side to hold on to. Eventually his work paid off and his company was a success.

He has always been my hero. Following his enthusiasm for life, I have also worked my way in the business world. And whenever I feel down and discouraged, I look up and remember his voice gleefully shouting that summer day, "There's nothing up here but sky."


Patience
My fondest memory of my Dad occurred one summer day out in the middle of a mountain lake. "Don't jerk it. Just reel it in real slow," my father whispered. But it was so difficult. I hated to wait for anything. I usually took forever to decide what I really wanted, but once I decided, I wanted it right now. And right now I wanted to catch a fish.

My father seemed to sense my impatience. "The big ones didn't get that way by snapping the first thing to hit the water," he said quietly. "You'll soon find that anything big and worthwhile usually takes a lot of time."

Then, with a smile that I will never forget, he added, "After all, I've already spent twelve years on you."


Perseverance
One inch at a time. That is how I climb and that is how I live. Sure, the summit is my goal, but without each carefully calculated move, I could never make it to the top. Each small step and each giant reach presents a unique challenge. As I move up the cliff, I recognize characteristics of the rock and then adapt learned techniques to advance further toward the goal.

My father taught me perseverance by his example. I remember him going back to college when I was a little boy. He worked all day, attended classes in the evening and then came home to study. I don't know how he did it, but somehow the yard work got done and he kept the car maintained. I never have asked him how he managed, but he did. When I was just ten years old, my father received his degree. It took him many years, but he reached his goal and then moved on to other challenges.

As I reach the summit, I look back down and enjoy the moment. Then I gather my gear and start planning my next climb. One inch at a time.


Sacrifice
As I walked up the sidewalk toward the university, I noticed a lone bike rider struggling up the steep grade. Suddenly, the chain slipped and the rider lost momentum and began to roll backwards. She caught herself in time to avoid a spill and I watched her climb off and slump down next to the bike. As I got closer, I could tell that she was crying. "Tough break," I thought as I glanced at my watch and noticed that I only had five minutes until my first class. I quickly picked up my pace and started up that same hill.

As I walked, I remembered the time as a kid when I was trying to fix my first flat tire on my bike. Even though he was in a suit and leaving for work, my neighbor saw me and came over to help me fix the tire.

After a few more steps, I turned and walked back toward the woman who was now struggling to wipe away her tears. "Can I help?" I asked as I approached. "Know anything about stupid bikes?" she replied. I looked the situation over and was quickly able to return the chain to its proper position. "Looks like this was tangled in the sprocket," I said holding up the greasy remains of a weed. A slight smile cracked through her tear-streaked face. "Thanks for helping me," she said as her smile began to grow. "No problem," I replied as I turned and started back up the hill.

Even with grease on my hands, the uphill walk seemed easier with the joy of actually helping to make someone's day a little brighter. It was worth being a few minutes late.
Strength
Growing up is tough. Sometimes all that's needed is someone to lean on. For many years, it was mom.

My mother had her own problems, but when I needed her, she was always there. Her strength came from somewhere very deep. I knew she wouldn't break, even when I unloaded all my little-boy problems.

Her strength made me stronger and gave me courage to try things others thought were impossible.

A helping hand is always strong enough to lift both of yours.


Trust
"It's just over this ridge," she said as I held back a smile. For almost an hour she had been greeting me this way whenever I finally caught up with her. Somehow she always convinced me to go on one of these hikes with her every year. Let's just say I don't exactly have a natural talent for this sort of thing. "Almost here," she said as she held out her hand and gently pulled me to the ledge beside her. It had been like this all of our lives. She loved pushing herself and pulling others out of difficult situations. I always tried to be right there whenever she needed someone, but more often than not it was the other way around.

She was one of those people that was easy to predict because every single decision she made seemed to make perfect sense. I have always been able to ask her for advice and I never hesitate to use it. "We're always there for each other, and that's what makes us friends," she says. All that I have to do in return is pretend to enjoy myself once a year whenever we go hiking.

"Is it really over this ridge?" I ask as she races to the top. "Trust me ," she yells as I start to smile again.
Life is a journey with endless chances to become more than what we are and gain more than we currently have. We have to make the choice to believe in ourselves and take hold of our dreams.

With lots of happiness & smile,
Pragati Soni :-)

Love - A different perspective to deal with life

Foreword:

I still remember, whenever I used to drop anything at home by mistake, my mother, on hearing the sound, used to ask "Beta, kahin lagi to nahin?"(Dear, I hope you are not hurt?). She never asked what I had dropped? or if anything is broken? This really has a very big impression on my mind, even today my parents do the same thing. This always shows their love and care and instilled a sense of security in us(My sister & I). We never ever lived under any fear in our hearts, we knew and still know that we have great family and the parents who have much more concern for our well-being than any mistakes we can ever commit.

Yes, this is one of the many facets of 'LOVE'. Love gives us a different perspective to view and to deal with the events. It helps in developing a mind full of creativity, security & fearlessness and a heart full of support, trust & understanding.

Today, I came across a small story(I have read this story some time back too and perhaps you have also read this) and I just felt like sharing.

Look at life with love, it gives a new perspective...
A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and the boy was the apple of their eyes. When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open. He was late for work so he asked the wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. The mother, preoccupied in the kitchen, totally forgot the matter.

The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle and, fascinated with its colour, drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages. When the child collapsed, the mother hurried him to the hospital, where he died. The mother was stunned. She was terrified how to face her husband.

When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just four words.

What do you think were the four words?

....

The husband just said "I Love You Darling"

The husband's totally unexpected reaction is pro-active behaviour. The child is dead. He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he have taken time to keep the bottle away, this will not have happened. No point in attaching blame. The mother had also lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave her.

Sometimes we spend time asking who is responsible or who to blame in a relationship. We miss out something very important aspect that is warmth in human relationship in giving each other support & care. After all, shouldn't forgiving someone we love be the easiest thing in the world to do?

Treasure what you have. Don't multiply pain, anguish and suffering. Hold on to forgiveness and ultimately to love.

It is just a perspective. You can either cherish it or leave it.


Keep smiling always:-)
Pragati Soni

The Magic of Ordinary Days!!!

Few weeks back, I appeared for a certification. During its preparation, I realized something, in fact, I once again realized the magic & beauty of ordinary days.

I had prepared a long list of to do during my preparation time…from talking to my near & dear ones…to have sound sleep; from buying an external hard disk…to go for eye checkup; from trying some new dish…to write this and much more(quite excited with that list :-)).

We tend to live our everyday life in so mundane manner that we don’t do the things which can actually make those ordinary days…extraordinary. Most of the times we just procrastinate as if one day God will all of a sudden bestow us an extra day to finish all we ever planned to do.

We usually realize the importance of ordinary days when we face the adversities in our personal life like loss of health or a relationship or calamities like war or natural disaster. But do we really need that? Do we really need to see war to realize the serenity of peace? Do we really need to undergo the wrath of nature to realize the power of nature? Do we really need to lose health to better take care of us? Do we really need to put on that extra weight to go to gym? Do we really need to go away from our near & dear ones to understand the depth of our relationship?

We can actually live our life with zeal, energy and a smile on our face everyday. I understand, life has its own plans and surprises but may be that is what makes it special and provides another reason to live it fully every day to make is special & extra ordinary at least fulfilled. Because somewhere, every ordinary day has its own charm, beauty & magical powers, we just need to realize it.

Lots of smiles & happiness,
Pragati :-)

Real Meaning of Peace...

Foreword:

There are so many emotions on this earth. Some things which cannot be defined in one word or sentence but can be only felt or experienced. Different people have different notions of friendship, love, care, devotion, sincerity, etc. Here is a simple but true meaning of peace..one of the most sought after emotion in this world.

This short parable shows no matter whatever the circumstances but we can be always be with peace.

Lots of smiles,
Pragati

Real Meaning of Peace
There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peacefully towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on the nest - in perfect peace.
Which picture do you think won the prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why?
"Because," explained the king, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."

Best wishes,
Pragati Soni

What is more difficult...living for somebody, something or some belief or dying?

Hello Everybody,


Have you ever thought about..What is more difficult...living for somebody, something or some belief or dying for the same?


I have always believed that whether it is life or death..it should be for a purpose. A reason should always be there strong enough to instill passion in every breath we take, in every move we make, in every act we do.


But this question intrigues me often..whether passion to live for something holds more importance or the passion to die for something?


This started with brooding over our freedom struggle where we had people like Bhagat Singh and also like Mahatma Gandhi. The former one young & full of energy always ready to fight and to lay the life. The later one full of peaceful ways.


Which one is an easier task, to be always on toes to walk into the danger and die or to walk 100s of miles to break the law?


In today's scenario also, we have our soldiers guarding our border 24*7, ready to take or lay down lives on one hand and many activities like Medha Patkar who has spent her entire life for one cause on the other.


We all live, we think we live for our family and we can die for it. May be true! But here comes a beautiful thought...can we really die for somebody, something or some belief if we have never lived for it?


Dying for somebody needs courage of one moment..really one big moment. That one moment is very important. But that courage can be mustered only if have the courage to live for that somebody every moment. Only then it can serve a purpose.


We actually cannot die for our country or family or friends if we don't have courage to live for them.


We have actually not lived for a great cause if one day we cannot muster courage to die for it.


Life and death are two sides of the same coin, they are as opposites as head and tail but part of the same entity. Both have equal importance and need the same passion & courage.


Thoughts are easier to put into words but honestly saying I also don't know if I have ever lived for somebody, something or some belief or can really die for the same but I truly wish to have the courage & passion for it & if possible for a good cause.


Have a great & wonderful life!


Pragati Soni

It's a wonderful life!!!

Foreword....


Today I got an opportunity to watch an old hollywood movie.."It's a wonderful life"...!!! Really wonderful...


You know what, many a times it happens or may happen when the life becomes difficult for us or if we are not able to live the life of our dreams, or something terrible happens .... we simply want to escape; escape to such an extent that we wish that it would had been great if we would not had taken birth. We forget that knowingly or unknowing we have made a great deal of difference in the lives of the people around us and vice a versa. We all have a purpose, a purpose so strong that it defies the boundary of life & death, it defies the boundary of relationships, it defies the boundary of time.


Here is something close to life again...Hope it will have a small impact.....


Impact...


Very few people get the opportunity and privilege to have an impact on the life around themselves. We can all do our job in such a way that at the end of the day we can have the feeling that we have changed something or added something for the better . It doesn't need to be anything huge; sometimes it is just to ask an old couple to help them with their luggage or to ask a anxious shopkeeper to cool down and tell him that we can wait please have some water and then carry on with the business or to stop by the watchman & asking him about the wellbeing of his family. What equated to moments out of a normal day for these people can become something extraordinary to us.


We all try to become what we would like to admire. Someone that we would like to be remembered.


We all have learnt and been learning to deal with situations that are both unexpected and difficult. There have been times when we see something so powerful that the tears begin to fall before the emotion even registers. It's during those times that we fall back on memories. The difficult experiences in our life make every other moment better than it would have been otherwise.


Now few million dollar questions...Why should do we do this? Why should we think to add beauty to this world through our thoughts & actions? Because we need to find the moments that change the places and lives around us, and more importantly the moments that change us. It's our duty as well as right. It's what we can live for apart from our other ambitions. The desire to walk through each day with that ultimate goal in mind is the fire that can burn forever and can lighten up this world.


Thanks for every good you have done because in some or the other way you have done something which I can think about and smile, which boosted my trust in life, friendship & humanity, which empowered me to continue with what I believe in.


We all are very precious on this earth. So "Take Care"...


Have a wonderful life...because.."It's really wonderful".


Lots of smiles and happiness,
Pragati

Giving 100 %

"A boy and a girl were playing together. The boy had a collection of marbles. The girl had some sweets with her. The boy told the girl that he will give her all his marbles in exchange for her sweets. The girl agreed. The boy kept the biggest and the most beautiful marble aside and gave the rest to the girl. The girl gave him all her sweets as she had promised. That night, the girl slept peacefully. But the boy couldn't sleep as he kept wondering if the girl had hidden some sweets from him the way he had hidden his best marble ."

Very true!!! Isn't it?

Moral of the story: If we don't give your hundred percent in a relationship, we'll always keep doubting if the other person has given his/her hundred percent. This is applicable for any relationship like love, friendship, employer-employee relationship etc. Give your hundred percent to everything you do and live,sleep & die peacefully.

If it comes to action...give your 100%. If it comes to efforts...give your 100%. If it comes to relationship whether love or friendship....give your 100%. If it comes to words in a relationship...say only if you mean by them 100%. If you trust somebody...trust 100%. And if you trust, trust till the end; whatever come in between or whatever the result might be? In the end either you will have a very good experience or a very good lesson.

I have come across people saying, we have not got what we have given..sometimes friends left them or got ditched in a relationships or did not get the well deserved appraisal or got duped by a banker(old acquaintance)..I understand that these events are demotivational and shatters our confidence in the power of trust & love...But, have we ever given a thought that sometimes we get very good friends just like that, or true love when we least expect that or a good appraisal when we have just given up all the hopes or a good help by a stranger. The universe is actually great ... it may give us something which we have not given to it but it never misses to give us something which we have given to it.

So just keep doing one thing...give your 100% :-)))..Atleast it will keep the hope alive and give us a moments of peace.

Have a wonderful life!!!

Lots of smiles & happiness,
Pragati Soni

Gulmohar flowers in an old diary...

Dear friends & well wishers,

These days I am just settling for the good, removing all the clutter and re-arranging something...may be life :-).

While doing so, I just got hold of an old diary and when I opened it, I found dry & faded but beautiful orange gulmohar flowers. It was a mixed feeling. I mean, I always believe that life is nothing but memories of past, feelings at present and dreams for future. And the petals of the gulmohar flowers revived something amazing.

I too think that life is about living in present and preparing for future. Also I agree that one should not dwell in past. But paradoxically we cannot just delink ourselves with the life we have lived. The power of past cannot be ignored and somewhere it should not be, because, if not anything, atleast it has given us experience to live present more beautifully & future more effectively.

I really cherish old photographs and have been spending hours in arranging & preserving them since childhood. I keep my diaries where I used to write songs, quotations & even sms and experiences safe. I keep old letters, greeting cards, articles and my dears books with care. I treasure all the gifts gifted by my loved ones especially by my cute little kid sister (I know she is not that little now) and more importantly the memories of all who matters to me.

God has bestowed my life with wonderful memories that empowers me to live every single moment with content & happiness.

These memories give me strength to live with love & smile. Just a recall on few of many memories like - How our mother used to get up 4:00 am in the morning to prepare 'Khas-khas, badam ka halwa' for us as it is good for health in the early morning? How she used to remain wake up throughout night just to make sure if we need anything during study hours? How our father used to pat on our forehead throughout night whenever we became ill? How our father used to wait for hours outside our coaching classes to pick up us safely? How my sister used to collect hints for weeks to get perfect birthday gift for me?How she always used to & still make sure my security & protection? How I used to wake her by singing songs and that used to irritate her most...LOL? How we used plan and arrange for birthday parties & get-togethers? How we used to select songs for days and get them recorded in a much planned sequence? How we searched for a beautiful slam book in almost all the shops for months? This list is endless and most of the things are still there & will be there.

These memories give me strength to live with trust & smile. Just a few of many memories like - How we used to wait for 00:00 hrs to wish happy birthday (I still remember one night I fell asleep while waiting with my eye lenses on...LOL)? How we used to enjoy picnics in school? How we planned for black day, blue day, pink day and even fluorescent day in our college? How we arranged for a surprise friendship party & especially friendship cake in a train park? How we used to reach each other in case of any need? How hard we tried to talk if we had come to know that any of us is feeling low? How we shared if anyone of us fell in love? How much happy we felt when we came to know about job or completion of education, marriage or child? How unplanned encounters in train, on internet, at exam centres, during paper presentations & even schools, colleges & offices turned into lifelong friendships.

I mean just a flash of these thoughts fill my day with lots of hope, faith and gratefulness to God.

I agree that few experiences are worth forgetting; Few people are not worth remembering. So let us make a choice. Let us free our lives from all the clutter of bad memories. We also might have done few mistakes and had tough lessons. Let us keep the lessons and leave everything else. Let us forget all the bitterness. Let us choose all the goodness & sweetness of life. Let us try to make our lives worth living and worth reading. Because some day every present & future would become past and every moment will become memory.

Let us start a fresh & add fresh gulmohar flowers in our diary, so that some day when we will open, it we will smile with the beauty of nature & life.

With a fresh & beautiful smile ,

Pragati Soni

The one in the mirror!!!

Dear friends & wellwishers,

I would like to share a very small but true story with all of you and it goes like...

Pete Maravich's only chance to go to college was to earn a basketball scholarship. As a teen his dad didn't let him go to bed until he made 100 free throws IN A ROW. At times, he used to miss the last shot on purpose TO KEEP PRACTICING. Pistol Pete (The name he earned) got his scholarship. In college he scored 3,667 POINTS, still a Division I record that stands today... all BEFORE that 3-point shot existed.

Isn't it amazing!!!Awesome!!!Astounding!!!

I wonder what if he had targeted to surpass the existing record of 3. Had he ever reached the record of 3,667 shots? No way...

People often do compare themselves with others. It is a human nature. We compare ourselves with our friends & even foes. Parents compare their children with other children. Sportsmen compare themselves with other sportsmen and it goes on... In doing so unfortunately somewhere we limit our potential . When we keep the target to break anybody’s record or to achieve something more then what others have achieved so far, we undermine what we are really capable of. If keeping role models restricts our potential, it is better not to have anyone. If a bench mark set by others confines what we can actually accomplish it is better not to have any.

We consider others as our competitors or references but forget the most crucial one. Our biggest competitor in the entire universe is the one in the mirror!!! Every time we just have to surpass just that one.

Believe me, we can do miracles in doing so. The ones, who have done it, have achieved something which was considered as impossible or sometimes beyond imagination.

We just have to break our last record each day. We just have to put some effort more than what we had put yesterday. We just to create a new bench mark each day.

Love the one in the mirror & love others but when it comes to challenge, challenge only the one in the mirror.

With a reflecting smile,

Pragati Soni

Gladiator...Courage to face life!!!

Just imagine...We are standing behind the closed gates, hearing chilling voices of heartless fighters, roaring& hungry wild animals and ofcourse sound of deadly weapons. Ok, now comes a valid a question. Why are we standing there? Because dear friends & wellwishers, the doors will open soon and we will be let out to fight...

I know, this may remind you of the scene from the famous Oscar winning movie ‘Gladiator’. However, there is much more to look out for.

When the first scene of the fight of gladiators unfolds, there is a man who is scared till death and another man who wasn’t. Guess, who is the first to be killed when the gates are opened? Obviously, the man who is scared... This scene has really left an impact on me.

Many a times, we stand behind the closed doors really fearing what will happen; what will come out; will we survive? But believe me, it never helps. Fearing or dodging in life never help. I heard somewhere, “Nowhere to run; nowhere to hide, this is the time until we die”. Quite true!!!

It happens everywhere. I mean...

· If we join an office, we may fear of challenging assignments. Sometimes, we fear of losing the job.

· If we appear for an exam, we may fear of difficult questions. And then we fear for the results.

· If we play a game say football, we may fear of ball coming to us.

· If we have a great family & friends, we may fear losing them.

· If we fall into love, we may fear... The fear is endless...

In retrospect, we all find that most of the times the things which we feared the most when happened, we had absolutely no choice but to face them Here the point is that we have always moved on. We all have our share of failures & heartbreaks, but if we are still here, it means something.

If whatever is going to happen will happen, then can we avoid wasting our life in fear? I mean, isn’t we need prepare us to confront the situation with courage and dignity rather than fearing.

I know it is easier to say than do. But it is worth trying...

We cannot expect life to be always fair with us, yes it also true. This is my second observation in the movie. We all have witnessed this at some or the other time in our lives. But it is not about what life does to us; it is about how we do in life.

There is a quite inspiring dialogue about life from the movie, Rocky,“You, me or nobody is going to hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!”

Let the life offer whatever it has and let we face it with strength& courage.

Let us dare to look forward to every challenging situation. It may be a game or an assignment; it may be an adventurous sport or falling in love...

Let us concede that we all are gladiators in our life and we are meant to face, fight and survive. Life much more than fears for the worst. Life is about living. It doesn't matter, what is behind the gates, we need to believe and have absolute faith that we will deal with whatever comes.

Let us wait for the gates to be opened.

With a fearless smile,

Pragati Soni

The magic of giving...It's what you can give that shows your real worth

Sometimes small and simple things actually move us...

Believe me, an event need not be a grand one to inspire us in fact it can be a small incident which gives us hope of kindness and proof of magnanimity.

Few days back, I happened to read a book, 'Soul Curry'. It has got many real life experiences to touch & heal our heart. There is one very simple anecdote in it which made me to think that a person may or may not be beautiful; may or may not be intelligent; may or may not be rich...what we bear in mind is what actually that person has made us to feel which is often associated with what the person has given us, may bea materialistic gift or a non-materialistic memory. Yes, we don't really remember people for their name and face but for what they have given us. "Giving gift" is an age old tradition which much more than just a formality. This anecdote is really a decent picture of a beautiful & giving heart. It goes like...

"I believe everyone in their lifetime comes across a bit of magic that reminds them the importance of the word 'give'. The incident, which reminded me of the well known saying "Its's more blessed to give than to receive", happened a few weeks before my sister's wedding. With a heavy heart, I left the wedding cheer at home for another town to attend some important lectures.

My parents had the room ready and waiting for me and as I entered, I walked into what seemed like a Christmas floral shop. Red poinsettia and other bouquets crowded the window sill, along with a stack of cards that waited to be opened. I felt overwhelmed by the love and attention.

Just then a voice broke into my reverie. "Hey, I'll be sharing the room with you," said the 20-something girl who stepped into the room. She had short, curly grey hair and brown eyes. She stared at the flower like child-like wonder.

She introduced herself as Dollie and we chatted on till it was time for dinner. Not once did she mention her family and did I asked. In her company, life suddenly seemed easier and she also continued to exclaim excitedly at the cards and flowers I continued to receive.

On our last evening together, Dollie decided to visit the market. As I walked through the room alone, I noticed for the first time the stark constrast between our sides of the room. There was Dollie's bed that stood neat and sparse except for a red candelabra with holy sprigs, which she had brought along. Infact, I realized I had never seen her getting any calls either during her stay. In constrast, my bed was filled with gifts and I was flooded with calls from my family and friends.

I decided to give her something of mine as a parting gift. I looked around at the things I had and wondered if I could part with any of it. Of course, I couldn't give mom and dad's Yule log with candles, I thought. What about the new jacket?But, then, my sister badly wanted me to wear it when I reached home. The justifications kept even as I climbed onto my bed, placating my guilt by promising myself to call the nearby gift shop to order some flowers to Dollie the next day.

I awoke the next morning with thoughts of returning home, with some of the guilt resurfacing as I remembered that the gift shop would'nt open for another two days. Moreover, Dollie's train was scheduled before mine.

"I've really enjoyed getting to know you, Dollie," I finally told her. My words were sincere but I felt guilty for not having followed up on intentions.

To my surprise, she picked up her only possesion, the red candled centrepiece, and gently laid it in my hands. "I'll miss you, " she said, giving me a big hug. "Thank you, " is all I could manage to whisper.

As I heard the doors closing behind Dollie, I knew in my heart that she possessed much more than I did. "

Sometimes, people give the only thing they have. Blessed to have such people in our lives.

Giving something is not just a formality, it is giving a part of our being to be with that person. Yes, it is true, "It's what you can give that shows your real worth", it is the worth of our soul and heart which is priceless.

With a giving smile ,

Pragati Soni