Motivation

What keeps you motivated? What keeps you going each day? What makes you want to keep pushing your limits even in the times you want to give up?

Is it the reward that you'll get on reaching the finish line? Or is it the satisfaction of finishing first? Is the hope of the light at the end of a really long and dark tunnel? Or is it just your basic survival instinct-- the one that tells you NEVER BACK DOWN?

What keeps you going when going gets tough?

Life is a funny thing. It gives us happiness when we least expect it. It throws us under a truck to teach us lessons we aren't ready to learn at the time. And it gives us a puzzle to solve when we are swamped with other riddles. To say that 'life works in mysterious ways' won't be entirely wrong. Sometimes we understand the grand plan that life has laid out for us. But other times we are totally clueless. The magnanimity of its design, of its plan, of how it connects two mutually exclusive events cannot be fathomed by us. Even so, one question that pops up in my mind is-- why do we face certain circumstances?

Most of us at some point in time have asked ourselves or God an innocent-- 'why me?'. While it is perfectly normal to ask such a question, especially after a period of endless struggles, how many of us have actually bothered to look for an answer? How many of us have actually tried to understand the reason?

Well, let me answer the question for you-- it is because you are ready for the next level. You are ready to unlock the wisdom that will follow your test. You are ready for the next chapter of your life.

Life is a hard taskmaster and it pushes you towards the deeper end of the swimming pool so that you can learn to swim. So that you next time you find yourself in a similar situation, you don't drown. It upgrades your tests when it believes that you are worthy of the reward-- the lesson, the teaching, the knowledge that awaits you at the end of your quiz.

But you must remember one thing-- every test is unique and only you have the potential to answer it because it is your quiz. And unless you get it right, unless you crack the code, unless you learn your lesson, the situation will keep on repeating itself.

It's true that things get messy at times but don't let it stop you. Don't let a heartbreak or misconduct stop you. Treat people better than they treated you, not because they deserve better but because you're a better person who understands and accepts imperfections.

Be a better version of yourself each day and don't let the fear of falling or the fear of failing stop you from being anything less than you are. Keep trying and never give up. Inspire yourself. You never know how many others you might be helping in the process!

How dating apps made sex easy to get but love hard to find

"Once upon a time in a far away kingdom lived a beautiful princess. One day when she was out on a stroll in the woods, she met a handsome prince. The prince fell in love with the princess and they lived happily ever after." While this picture perfect story might be limited to the fairy tales, but not so long ago things in real life used to be as simple (if not more).

People used to meet at weddings and parties, chat a little to get to know each other over coffee meetings and date each other to ultimately walk down the aisle. Life was simple before technology stepped up its ante and ruined everything by its ease of availability.

Yes, we have the world full of options available today. Yes, we don't need a pundit or a talking parrot to tell us when will we meet our soulmate. Yes, life has become a wonderful adventure thanks to the plethora of information available on the Internet.

But in the matters of heart what's really important-- options or the choice?

Call me old school, call me a buzzkill, but I still believe that when it comes to love and romance, old school is the best way to go. Stealing smiles in the hallways of your college (or your workplace), sharing a meal, late night conversations about dreams and aspirations, random 'I love You' messages, all of these might sound a bit too cheesy to some, but isn't that what we all are looking for? Someone to love? Someone to share our lives with?

Dating apps like Tinder, Happn, and Frivil have given us the luxury and liberty to meet people based on our likes and dislikes. While this might be comforting at a level, there is a downside to it as well.

People have stopped investing their time and energies in their relationships because they know that their next relation is just a click away.

They change relationships like they change clothes. There's always a thought, that if their present relationship doesn't work out, there's always a next. As a result, people have stopped sharing their life moments with their friends and partners, people have stopped opening up to others, people have stopped being themselves and loneliness has crept it.

These dating apps, on one hand, have empowered us, but on the other hand, they have created the world full of fake smiles, un-send text messages, and insecurities, leaving behind a sea of sadness that no one knows how to deal with.

We all wear masks that protect us from the pain inflicted by the ones we love. But dating apps today have turned this temporary state into a state of permanent hibernation, wherein it takes a tsunami of emotionally charged events to jolt us out of our limbo. It's true that as humans it's our natural response to run away from any event that might hurt us both physically and emotionally.

But if we take a deeper look at it, isn't this emotional hibernation doing more damage than good?

Everyone has a different mechanism to deal with the pain and it's ok to shut down at times. But it's not ok to give up and it's definitely not ok to live alone.

Take a risk and keep trying. Tinder or no, it's your life and you have to make it Happn!

The Race of Life

Today I watched the rail tracks race and it felt oddly relaxing. Like I was in a race where no one was telling me to compete in, where I didn't have to catch up with everyone, where I wasn't scared to lose. I was on a journey I never wanted to end. Green hills with a couple of hatched-roof houses and a small village temple-- it seemed surreal and yet strangely familiar, like a village from the Malgudi Days.

The wind was gushing right through me and it felt that it didn't know who I was like I wasn't important and for once that felt so nice and light. It felt not to be the one in charge, not to be a part of the charade, not to be a part of a life that is running at lightening speed, such that you have no time even for yourself. It felt nice not to be a part of anything and just be...

For once being nothing and no one felt peaceful and serene...

We all are running a rat race, trying to be someone, trying to make a life for ourselves, trying to be successful, working hard to have a decent bank balance, a house, a car, a reputation in the society. But do we ever try not to be a part of this charade and just try to focus on being in a state of peace, in the state of Buddha? Even if we have all of these things, we want more and we work harder and longer to get that 'more'. While that feels the right thing to do after all Darwin's theory comes into play, but the question is where/when does this cycle end? When do we decide that we have enough and that it's time to enjoy the things that we have gathered?

More importantly, does it ever end?

The scenery is green outside and it's getting cloudy like it's about to rain. But is it just the sky or are our hearts too cloudy, like we are waiting for the dry spell to end but we are too scared to let it rain???

To the guy who can't understand the girl who refuses to be happy

Everyone wants to be happy and shine with a bright smile. But sometimes it so happens that you just cannot. It's not that you don't want to be happy or you don't want to fight for it, it's just that you are so tired and worn down by the storms that you have endured for so long, that you just don't have any strength left to fight. But it doesn't mean that you don't want to be happy.

Life can be harsh at times. And for those who refuse to give in, those who refuse to give up on people and those who continue to give without any expectations, things can be a little draining at times.

No one wants to give up. But when living becomes more difficult than dying, when memories start inflicting physical pain, when situations refuse to change, when you lose all hope, when you have no strength to fight back, what do you do? You give up.

They say that sharing your problems can help in easing up the pain and perhaps in some cases help in solving the problem. But does it always help?

Not every situation or problem can be treated in the same way. Like a lock, every problem has a specific solution and can be unlocked by a specific key. But what if you lose the key or better yet, what if the maker of the lock forgot to make a key and you get locked in a closed room with no windows to let in a single ray of hope? Is there a way out? May be. Can you stay optimistic for ever? No.

If you are dealing with a girl (or a guy) who seems to have given up on happiness without any reason, your frustation is understandable. But it's not fair to simply designate the person as 'arrogant' or 'stubborn' as you do not know the underlying stories. You don't know every single incident that was so powerful that she gave up on life, that broke her to the level when she couldn't stand up and face herself in the mirror. You don't know the countless scars that years of fighting have left on her soul. You don't know the endless tears that she has shed. You don't know the emptiness that is eating her alive like a blackhole. 

Unless you know her story, you cannot understand her. Unless you don't understand her, you can't judge her.

If you really want to help her, make her feel that she can trust you. Prove that you aren't like every other person who has walked into her life without any intention of staying. Prove that you take pride in her scars. Prove yourself to be worthy of her trust. When you prove that she can trust you, she'll open up to you and share her story, every single word of it. And trust me she's worth it, because a person who has been hurt over a million times and yet has the strength to love, knows how to love selflessly and completely. And that person can never hurt another soul, ever.

Why do we need fairytales?

Its a strange thing, how all we wish for is a 'happily ever after', a 'perfect life', and how little are we willing to fight for it. What's equally strange is how easily we kneel before the negativity and the sad and sorrowful events that unfold in our lives and in our surroundings. It's true that every thing has an impact and our wishful thinking is not enough to save us from it, but the question is can we dodge the damage?

It's a paradox. We want to be happy yet we think about all the things that make us sad. We want to live freely yet we let every limiting thought cage us in. We want a love that would last a lifetime but we are scared of it. We want to stay yet we keep on running. We want to be in peace and yet we do all the things that add chaos to our lives. It's true that we cannot escape the madness around us, but the question is do we really need to be a part of it? Do we really need to give up? And more importantly is there anything we can do that would save our souls?

Fear. Fear is a funny word. It makes us do crazy things. Fear of being rejected. Fear of failure. Fear of getting our hearts broken. Fear of our hopes getting shattered. Fear of not being accepted. Fear of the unknown. And in case our lives have been full of melancholy streaks, fear of being happy. Despite wanting to live freely, we spend all our lives living in fear hoping for a miracle to change everything and in some cases for everything to just fade away. But is that a good way of living? Are we being fair to oursevles?

We all deserve better. We all deserve to be respected, to be cared for, to be loved, to be happy. But in the hullabaloo of life, we often lose a track of things, of ourselves, and more importantly of our hopes and dreams. Fairytales are a constant reminder of what we forget. They remind us of hope and of happy endings. They remind us that we must fight for our happiness, for our 'one true love', for our throne. They remind us that if we don't give up, there's nothing that we can't achieve. Sure there are dragons to be slayed and evil witches to be defeated, but if we keep on trying, our 'happily ever after' is just a step away.

So, next time someone gives you some feminist crap about the fairytales, remind them that it's the message that's more important!

Memories

Memories are a weird thing. Sometimes you don't feel a thing and sometimes a sound, a smell, a place or a feeling can trigger a series of memories that you had forgotten or were trying to hide so deep that you wouldn't be able to recall them even if you want to.

Memories are strange. Sometimes an event that brought happiness to your face can make you profoundly sad. The other times, even a silly fight with a loved one can make you ecstatic.

Memories are powerful. They are like a giant wave in the ocean of heart that can wash away anything that stands in its way.

They're both a wound and a healing aid. In testing times, a memory can lift your spirits and motivate you to fight. Ironically, the same memory also has the power to drown you in a sea of desolation.

Memories are not only a reminder of the good times but also of the pathways that led you there.

Memories are both magical and tragic!

Gentle Reminder...

For all those countless hours when you were working hard for your dreams..for all those sleepless nights when you were busy fighting your demons..for all those moments when you told yourself that you weren't good enough and that you wouldn't make it to the end...Here's a gentle reminder...

You're perfect the way you are..you are enough even if people disagree..you're complete even when you think you aren't...

Keep fighting..keep trying..keep chasing your dreams...but also take a break to appreciate your journey, to admire the view, to give yourself a pat on the back for making it through the night and for standing tall even in the moments you thought you wouldn't survive...

Take a step back to appreciate what you have, what you've created, what you've become...Take a moment to celebrate yourself!

FUTURE - What and Why?

Future. Future is unknown.

It holds the keys to what might happen. It holds the key to some of the most startling revelations and to the saddest tragedies that we might ever witness.

It holds the power to surprise and shock us. It holds the answer to the greatest and most inexplicable question of life.

Future. Future is made up of moments, connected intricately in symmetrical patterns, resounding in fineness the secret of all existence.

Future. Future is distant. It is hope that destinies can change. It is the determination that some ‘impossibles’ can be made possible. It is the chapter that has new lessons written all over it.

So what is Future? And more importantly why do we count on it so much? Is it because it brings the uncertainty of change or is it because we have got accustomed to the false hopes and promises we expect it would bring?

Are we the humans, the most evolved species on the planet, so powerless and helpless that we waste our entire present in the possibility of a different tomorrow? And why do we expect that tomorrow is going to be any different if today is the same?

If we don’t make our today count, how will tomorrow be better?

Hope. Hope is like a magic drug that can both cure and cause all diseases. It’s like a paradox that has no perfect answer.

Hope and Future are two components of one of the most powerful equation of time. Unfortunately, the combination is lethal, especially when ‘no action’ is the primary catalyst.

So why is future so alluring when today is what holds its reins?

Future will bring glory only when we value our present. Only then life will be as beautiful as we want it to be.

The key to everything thus lies in ‘action’.

So let’s act today. Shall we?