Love is a verb...

Dear friends & well wishers,

I liked this title, its not originally mine but its beautiful and true. 

I came across a very beautiful short video that made me to rethink about how true and honest actions speak volumes.

I belong to an era when family members & friends seldom used to say 'I love you' to each other but nobody felt the need exactly. It was too obvious in the actions: Husband and wife used to live for each other and family; Parents used sacrifice their sleep and privacy for the sake of their children; Siblings used to sacrifice their favourites for each other; Friends used to get scolded for their friend's sake. These are some of very simple examples I could think of right now. I won't say that there was a rosy picture all around but somewhere 'LOVE' was more in actions than in words.

I appreciate that one should express his/her feelings but I also feel that actions however big or small make greater and long lasting impact on our heart.

I don't remember how many times my loving mother said those magical words but her countless efforts to make my sister's & my life happy are beyond description. She never expects anything from us neither in present nor in future. She just wants us to be happy wherever we will be. 

My simple father never said those words but he has never left any stone unturned to make any of our wishes true. It is so selfless and inspiring that I cannot even imagine how will I be able to do anything for him of that level. 

My sweet little sister has stood by my side through thick and thin of  life. She has always prayed and tried her best so that I always get the best in this world. She is the one whom I can trust my life.

My dear friends have always listened to my thoughts and feelings, no matter how stupid they sounded but they never made me to feel awkward. They always supported  and encouraged me. 

I am really thankful to God that He has bestowed me the best of relations in this world and He has proved it again by blessing me with new relations full of affection, care & honesty.

May God Bless Everyone!!!

Please take out 2 minutes and 22 seconds and watch this touching video. This video is about the relationship between a husband and his wife. I watched it multiple times and always found my eyes a bit moist by the end.

http://play.simpletruths.com/movie/lifes-moments

With a grateful heart,

Pragati Soni

My blog: http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/philosophy/love-is-an-action-a-verb

That makes me complete...

Dear friends & well wishers,

Many things kept me busy in the past few months. I was going through a special phase in my personal & regular phase in my professional life. 

My life was going good. But since a few days I was feeling a bit incomplete as if something or things are missing from inside me. As if I have not done something crucial for my existence. This feeling of being incomplete was making me anxious.

It took me a few good moments to find out that what makes a person complete??? Is it money? But people can be contended with a decent amount of money also. Is it luxury? But luxury is also relative. Is it relationships? May be a bit. Is it all the senses and  body? Of course... But there must be something else, something more, something more than normal. 

Finally, I found it. A person is complete with his/her passion. Yes, without passion we are just mechanical people. Just taking breath and doing the normal mundane cores of our day today life. A passion is something that keeps us going even in the hardest phase of life when there is no hope left and inspire us to do the impossible.

A passion can be as simple as listening to music or to go on long wild expeditions; to help people by going extra mile or to sit in a room alone and reading a book; to run a movement to save trees or land or to try years to invent a medicine.

When I was kid, I used to wonder how can a person go to far away places, miles away from his families, exploring unknown oceans just to discover a new land or sea route; how can a person spend entire life in a laboratory to invent a new element or the structure of DNA or something just to receive a Nobel price at the twilight of his life; how can a person renounce the worldly pleasures to help out poor or deprived...Now, I have the answer...its the passion that keeps him/her moving despite discomfort, people's mockery or dejection and even danger.

Really, it is nothing but the passion of our freedom fighters that they fought for freedom despite of mortal dangers, it is the passion of many scientists that we have the cure of many deadly diseases; it is the passion of many geologists that we have the knowledge how our ancestors used to live; it is the passion of many astronomers that we could see what is outside our earth; it is the passion of many artists that we have beautiful architectures, paintings, sculptures and much more. 

A passion can be self-centric or affecting the mass of people but is definitely something thatdrives us and makes us feel complete.

I know what makes me feel complete and hope we all know that.

Warm regards,

Pragati Soni

Living a passionate life...

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/philosophy/that-makes-me-complete?track=cntshem

Ikebana...

Have you heard about the word, “Ikebana”?  You might or might not have heard of this Japanese word. Actually, it is a Japanese art of flower arrangement.  Few days back, I came across an article on ikebana in a news paper. What actually gripped my attention was that it is not only an arrangement of flowers but also that of the leaves, stems and almost every other part of a plant that can be used to give that arrangement a meaning (Though blooms, stems & leaves are predominant).   They all combine to build a multi-coloured & beautiful creation that symbolizes harmony.

It clicked to me that there is definitely some logic why nature has created not only flowers but also leaves, stems, roots, etc. I mean nature could have created only flowers hanging from sky. But if it has created other parts of the plant or tree, there should be a reason.

The nature has also gifted us with blue sky, green fields, multi-colour flowers, sweet & sour fruits, different species of flora & fauna and much more. And the point to be noted is that nature treats every creation with equality. It doesn’t differentiate.

By doing all this, the nature somewhere inspires us to appreciate and love the diversity of life around us; respect the different kinds of people, admire various human qualities and characteristics & utilize the specific virtues to make a harmonised environment. But somewhere we have lost the track...

Let us take a very practical case. We have people with different virtues, skills and profession. But don’t we even differentiate people based on the skill they possess, the profession they choose or the art they master.

Here the point is not only differentiation but also looking down upon someone based on any factor.

We need all kinds of skilled people on this earth. What I mean to say is that every work or art has got its significance. We need everyone. How & why? Just delve more into it (Though not much deeper)...

We need doctors to cure diseases but what about engineers? If we don’t have skilled engineers will the doctors have all the mediums (machines) to cure? In these times a doctor needs advance techniques so we need technicians also not only for medical but many purposes.

Nothing stops here, we need all kinds of comforts and that starts from home. So we need architects, masons and other worker to dig, to drill, the list is long. We need electricity so electricians are required. We need furniture so the carpenters are the necessity.

We need a comfortable life. Now who sells the comforts? The businessmen, right. How do we know about it? The advertisers, fine.

But the comforts are originated from an invention. So we need inventors and that could be scientists and artists.

We need teachers to impart knowledge, bankers to handle financial system, soldiers to protect our country, farmers to grow grains, fruits & vegetables.

Be it a bank or any industry, we have to manage huge amount of data to serve business & people. We need information technology and here comes the need of software engineers to create data, to maintain database and much more.

Progressing in future is imperative but we should know our ancestors, their achievements and here the historians and the archaeologists come into picture.

We cannot be confined to our world only and we need astronomers and astronauts to explore the world outside our earth.

Life would be so much mechanical if we would be just busy with all materialistic or external things. So art & fun should be an integral part of life. Art can be music, painting, acting or even writing. We need people for everything. So every artist, be a singer, a musician, an actor or an author is also important. Like an art, sports also teach life skills so sportsmen also play a vital role.

My point is not to list down every skill or profession but bring to notice that nothing is better or supreme. Everybody has got one art or skill in which he or she is exemplary. We just need to explore and value it.

We need to broaden our outlook and develop a vision to give respect to each skill and art. Few people may be good at doing calculation, few may be good at sports, few may be good at singing, few may be good at fighting wars, few may be good at cooking, few may be good at teaching, etc.

The social norm or stereotypes that make us to feel superior because of one profession or art is a narrow outlook and a deterrent to live in harmony with each other.

Like ‘Ikebana’, we need harmony of all human beings in terms of healthy and open outlook.

 

 Lots of smiles with harmony,

Pragati


http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/philosophy/ikebana-215142

                                                                                                              

Without knowing the climax...

Without knowing the climax…

It just happened…I didn’t intend to do it. I was stunned when I found it and left without any words. Have you ever felt or came across such feeling?

Ok, let me first tell you what exactly happened? I had been watching the US TV series ‘Prison Break’ since past few days (Please notice ‘few’). It is so interesting & engaging that I completed 3 seasons (57 episodes of 40-45 min each) in less than 21 days. When my sister gave me the 4^th season, I simply could not resist to start watching it. I was so excited that I put the entire folder in the video player and just started playing it. The episode started which I watched with full excitement and then it ended and I found out that the season also ended. I watched the last episode which was first in the folder due to its nomenclature (All the time I was thinking that the story will start in flashback).

At that time, I still had 22 more episodes to watch but somehow I was not as excited as I was before. Then, I thought what is changed now? I mean I liked the concept, the intelligence, the thrill & the cast and everything was still there then why I was not that much eager? Obviously, I had the answer; it was because I knew the climax. Sounds simple but it has got some meaning. Actually, at that time, I realized that God has really blessed us with the thrill of living every breath by not telling us the climax of our life.

Now just think, what if we would have told what would happen at the end of our life? If we already know whether we will achieve whatever we desire or strive for, would we be putting that much effort? What if we know who all will come in our lives, who will stay and who will leave? Or which places will we visit? Finally, what will happen if we know well in advance when & how will we meet our end?

I mean, life may be same but will we be that much enthusiastic to live our life? Will we explore the unknown people or places with that much keenness? Probably not!!! Somewhere we will miss to enjoy the journey to reach our destination. We will miss the happiness as well as excitement to live.

Really, ignorance is bliss in this case. We try; we experiment; we explore; we learn and we keep moving. We are given the opportunity to start each day with new possibility.

I know that it is easier said than done!!! I also assert that sometimes life becomes an unending trial. It becomes very difficult to move ahead with hope if we don’t see light at the end of the tunnel but despite this we need to keep moving. Uncertainty about the future makes it hard to move ahead but no matter what is the situation it is always better than to stand still. It is the force to keep us alive in the present moment. It keeps us on our toes.

I agree that the ending can be good or bad, I have to be practical but then too I feel that not knowing the ending is always better.

The purpose of life is to live every single breath; to see every flower around; to smell every fragrance; to listen every soothing voice; to touch every heart and eventually to keep moving.

And yes, not knowing the climax really helps :-)

 

With best wishes,

Pragati Soni

 

It‘s the same moon...!!!

I usually watch moon at night, yes, that beautiful white object on the black sky with twinkling stars all around :-). I know you must also be doing it some or the other time; admiring the light & feeling the cool warmth of the moon. Since ages, the moon has been an epitome of beauty and divinity. Poets compare the beauty of their beloved with its beauty; mothers use it as a simile for their child and so on. I have been thinking since a few days, is the moon really that much beautiful? So much beautiful that it gives complex to other earthly beauties? Or is it only the perception? After all, the moon is not as white or spotless as it was used to be shown in black & white or Eastman colour movies or usually drawn in paintings. However, it is still beautiful with all its imperfection. The beauty lies in our eyes and our perception. What we identify in the animate or inanimate objects makes us feel good or bad.

Lets dive further into it. Like the moon, we all also have our own imperfections; intellectual as well as physical. Intellectually, we may be good at something like literature but bad or average at something like mathematics. Few people are good leaders, few are good followers; few are good at creativity, few are good at macro management; few are good at dealing with people, few are good at working individually; few people are good strategists, few people are courageous...Whatever may be the case but the people are definitely good at something and that goodness should not be overshadowed by some limitation.

 

All the above is related to intellectual or emotional qualities but what disturbs me most is something bigger and that is...physical inadequacy.

Since childhood I wonder at one thing. Most of the times, people are called or referred by their prominent physical limitations. For instance, if they are fat, they are called as fatty; if they are very thin, they are called wafers; if they wear spectacles; they are called ‘chashmish’ (Hindi); if they are dark, they are referred as the one who is dark; if they are very short or tall they are called that way. How can anyone make the imperfection as anybody’s identity?

 

The most ironical thing I find is that if anybody is handicapped then that is the first thing people mention about that person. Isn’t it sad...? Can’t we see beyond the physical limitations or imperfections? Believe me, identifying someone by his/her weakness can never lead us to feel good.

My point is that why to make anybody’s weakness his/her identity? The identity should always be such that it creates a positive image in our mind, emanates positive vibes and generates a healthy atmosphere.
 

A moon’s identity is not the spots but the light it spreads & the cool warmth we receive during night. It always brings smile to our face and that is mostly because how we see it & how we perceive it. If we can ignore the spots in moon and appreciate its beauty can’t we do it with the people around us with whom we interact in our day to day lives? Like the moon, people will also be same but focus on something good in them will always bring smile and peace.

 

We just have to recall or remember, whether it is full or half or even quarter, whether it is white, half white or even cream, whether it spotless or not it is still the same moon. However, our focus on its goodness always makes the night full of light & warmth  :-)

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/philosophy/its-the-same-moon#

 

With lots of smiles,

Pragati Soni

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