Saathiya

Change is positive.

Change is progress.I believe in this.That is why ,I have changed & am a better person than I was.Unless,I change my attitude,I am lame to expect the world to change to suit me.

I have tried to become a calmer person & have succeeded to certain extent.There is, still a lot to achieve, on that front.I pray & try to meditate to overcome my urges to breathe fire every now & then on the smallest instance.I feel that I am slowly & surely inching towards that goal. Initially ,I would pray & complain that the Almighty was being partial towards the world & not me.Now,I know better- my prayers have made me stronger.I am able to face difficult situations unlike before.

I have become health conscious.I use less oil,salt ,refined foods,etc.I have tried to make my kid eat healthy by making her develop taste for lobhia,rajma in addition to chhole which she loves .I also include greens in parathas so that my kid can also eat green leafy veggies. I have developed a liking for baking in microwave .I keep trying new cake recipes from the net.This baking task has boosted my confidence so much that now,I have a cookery blog wherein I share my cooking experiments.

I regularly walk .I walk to the grocery store & for buying vegetables & fruits.I use public transport whenever feasible.

I left my job to take care of my kid.As I was getting bored,I took to penning down my thoughts & soon had my blog.I share my rangoli patterns on my blog as well.My Deepavali rangolis shared on face book were appreciated by many.

Now ,that I have changed myself,I can change others.I have joined PETA online & share vegan dishes with others so that the world becomes more caring towards other living beings.I do my bit for the environment by switching off lights when not needed.I switch off lights & fans in homes where I am visiting, if I feel ,they are not needed.I Take cold water baths in summers to save electricity.I try to carry  shopping bags when I am out shopping to prevent plastic pollution.

I try to use up fruits & vegetables.I have made it a point to buy less rather than buy more & waste.If I feel ,I have brought more than what I can consume ,I share with my maids & neighbours.In these days of high inflation ,it pays to avoid wastage .

I have taken up some NGO work to do my bit towards the society of which I am a part.Since I am blessed to be healthy & contented,I feel it is my sacred  duty to help others.If I want to change the world ,then I must change myself - meaning I must progress towards being a better person than before.After all ,change is the only constant, in this Jeevan Yatra !

Image courtesy Stayfree India (Albums ) on facebook.

Rangoli

Jeevan Yatra.

Life is an incredible journey.We all go through it . The moment ,we are born ,our journey has already begun.Some may, even say, that it begins when a life is conceived in the womb.So ,we all go on this yatra from birth till our demise.

Our school,the games we play , marriage or bachelorhood,job ,business,work, leisure all play a part in this journey.In other words ,the journey is itself fantastic, with so many views & milestones en route.We may not always agree, as we seem to give more importance to the job,promotion,educational achievements et al rather than our jeevan yatra.We all experience failures, disappointments,successes,elation,etc.All these experiences teach us, though, we may not be, always willing, to learn & absorb it.

Sometimes we travel for meeting others,for family functions,for school reunions,for an emergency ,for fun ,for exploring etc.Some trips are planned, while others just happen.Some trips are with family ,some with friends & some are trips, on which, we travel alone.

Our life trip begins with our birth.Next, is our schooling, followed by college,a job maybe ,marraige,then our generation next-their hopes,aspiration which includes educating them & their marriage.By this time ,we are tired & want to retire.In all these years of our journey ,we lose many loved ones whose trips have ended.We  are full of hope, for the newborns, whose journey has just begun.

We learn a lot by our journeys.We learn, that we must love, not hate.Hatred has no limits & it causes pain.Love is limitless & brings us closer to the Almighty.Hence,even if ,one is an atheist & loves all ,then he is a devotee after all.

I have also had my share of joys & sorrows.I still whine over my sorrows forgetting too often the many joys I have been blessed with.Sometimes,I feel ,I am in a hurry, to complete this journey of life.Thankfully ,God has other plans.

I have a good family life.I am healthy .I have taken up new tasks like writing ,baking ,etc.I am an avid reader.I have developed a sense of humour & try to be cheerful.I have many negative traits as well namely that , I am a pessimist.I am impatient.I scream & talk loudly as if the world is deaf.I listen to the radio  loudly so that all my neighbours are forced to hear it.I keep thinking about the  future, instead of living in the present.I have to overcome these traits to become better.

For this,I have to learn to accept, that I am human & can fail many times & in many ways in varying fields.Failure just means that I can try & do better next time.As one of my friend says, that all experiences -teach us .All are for learning.

I must be mentally as also physically fit to learn as I continue this jeevan yatra.I must eat healthy & stop worrying.I must just do, what is to be done, in the best way,that  I can & watch the miracles unfold !I must learn something new, each day, to stimulate myself  to enlighten myself.Life's journey would then  become wonderfully incredible !