The Ant and the Butterfly

So on the way to college something strange happened. I was on the road riding mybike when suddenly a butterfly got in my way. I tried veering away, but it just got sucked into the vortex and twak. no sign of it anywhere. After that there was the dee p sense of guilt. damn, maybe I should've veered more or slowed down. There was so much remorse, poor butterfly did not harm anyone, just got in the way, and now it was no more' and more stuff like that. The I got to wondering... There were numerous times when I would twak mosquitos, charge at flies.. u know but that was be'cos if I didn't get them, they would. so it was more of a survival thing.. But then there have been some times, when I've twaked ants by the hordes, and there has been no remorse.. In practice it is the same as the butterfly, it has evolved from similar lineage.. Yet there is strangely a different way in which we perceive an ant and the way we would perceive a butterfly.. If an ant is killed it isn't given much thought but it if there is a dead butterfly there is a hue and cry... COld it be that we are biased by the way the 2 look... could it be that our actions are determined by their appearnce... are we then hippocrites...

Conversely if we extrapolate this to our everyday life... unconsciously we do pay more attention to a person who looks better than a person who doesn't...

This post is dedicated to the movie 'Fearless' which came on tv a few days back.. The movie starts of with a plane crash... half the plane is destroyed... the survivors are rushed to a hospital, where they recover from the trauma... but while the physical injuries heal, the scars of the mental trauma persist... like a woman who loses her baby in the crash.. or a guy who loses his ability to trust... but in their midst is a guy... our hero... who appears happy, untouched, who seems to have gained a new joy for life, who in a sense has become 'Fearless'.... he goes out on this quest to help the others get their lives moving again... he helps the lady... by showing her that saving her baby was near impossible in the velocity and sheer impact of the crash, by crashing his own car into a wall!...

So at this time ppl are in awe of the extent of his change... but then we are shown this flash-back going to just before the crash... the hero is seen sitting in the back half of the plane, when he sees this little boy sitting nervously in the front half of the plane... so to calm this kid, he goes and sits next to him... at this point the plane loses altitude n plummets.... the back half explodes mid-air and only the front half crashes into the ground...if he had been sitting in his own seat, he wouldn't have survived!... this turns out to be the reason why he is now 'Fearless'...

In our own lives, there come times which could destroy us, times which could've changed our lives... but something goes our way, somehow something goes right,  one second may have saved us, one which we all attribute to fate or luck or co-incidence...it has definitely happened to all of us... its just that some of us may not have realized it ... how exactly then, have we made use of this second chance?.... this second life?....  we should be living our lives to the fullest... enjoying every moment that we get... living without inhibiton or regret... thus becoming in essense 'Fearless'... 

One of the most inspiring movies you can ever get to see... Don't miss it:)...

Never be happy...

This realization took some time to get here...
Never be happy in whatever you do... once you are happy, you stop learning, you begin to stagnate... if ppl tell you you're doin a great job, tell them thanks, but no thanks, you aren't really helpin me rite now... you see never compromise in ur goal... if you settle for less than what you set out for, you will have even less than what you settled for... never accept incompetence.. habits are formed by deeds... no point in thinking it unless you are following it... if you start with one, soon it will become ur character... if ppl around u are incompetent screw them... never look at it halfway and tell yes thats a fine piece of work.. it looks very nice... sorry, but the truth is it looks lik shit... and only when you realize that, you can push yourself to where you really need to be...

Draft Messages

You know how people say, if there is a lot on your mind, you should write down your thoughts… and this will help clear your head, allowing your thoughts to flow smoothly… well, I tried for a bit and found it did work… except I didn’t always have a pen and paper, so I typed it on my phone and stored it in the drafts folder… after a while I also started storing stuff, random stuff which I thought should not be lost (stuff I read, stuff I heard which I wanted to remember)… Here are these messages….

P.S : the statements within[] are stuff I‘ve added so that the drafts make sense…

1. Mistakes happen for a reason… they tell you what you’ve done wrong so that u won’t repeat them… Today I made a mistake n learnt something… Never miss an opportunity to do something new… but live your life to win…
2. I’m glad I went to the fest… all this while I had this memory n only now my i have seen as to what my can be like, what my life will be like… thing is the past is the past and I cannot change it… but it will guide my future… Never miss an opportunity to do something new… and use the knowledge you’ve learnt to the fullest…
3. Peace of mind conserves valuable energy
4. People see great things in you… prove them right
5. Never let your guard down
6. Enjoy the peace and quiet… enjoy your youth… another one year and you won’t have them…
7. If you’re going to do something small or big, do it with all your resolve
8. [From a Chinese movie I saw on TV]…- this guy had to win a girl over… whatever he tried, he wasted no time thinking… once he knew what he had to do, he did it … he did not waste any time…even when he had to steal 30 shops, he did it in a single night… he didn’t wait…
9. Never lose faith in yourself or your decisions.
10. [Heard this in the OC]… follow what feels right… that should be reason enough
11. You don’t get the lines on your face by standing around doing nothing
12. [This I read in sacred space TOI ] … Do you know who the most important person in the world is… It is not some actress or cricketer… It is you… Your first duty is not to the world, it is to yourself… be fair to yourself
13. Only when the fire inside burns to destroy, all things will come to you…
14. Never hurry… Even when your jumping headfirst… even when its an emergency, use your head to think and then work towards it with conviction
15. Assess the situation… every situation…
16. Tread the path you are supposed to take … not the path someone else is taking… If you follow your path, you will be rewarded…
17. Everyone has problems more than what it seems… don’t ever judge that all’s well based on the exterior be’cos you can never know the real hardships they are going through, even though on the surface it doesn’t appear so…
18. “ What you choose not to do makes you who you are as much as what you choose to do” – The Twilight Players
19. We have given our today so that you may have a tomorrow – found inscribed at the Kumaon Memorial… a memorial dedicated to the soldiers who lost their lives defending the Indian border in the war against China
20. The most important lessons are the ones that are learnt through pain…
21. I have someone in my life I care about a lot… My lady… the chic who talks with wit… the girl I’m crazy about.... she’s one of the few people with substance and life…
22. You cannot change the past; you can only do justice by controlling the present…
23. Roar like the lion, never back away..
24. This I read in the newspaper... he who controls others is powerful but he who has mastered himself is mightier still…
25. You gain courage, strength, experience every time you stare fear in its face… always do what you think you cannot do…
26. 9 days without food or water, he still had the strength to walk… Stopping meant freezing to death… this was from a show ‘I can’t believe I’m alive’ on discovery where a guy walked for 9 days in freezing weather to get help for his wife and their baby…
27. (a) My best days are not behind me,. My best days are in front of me (b) Let things go (c) Unless those who are worthy step up, those unworthy will seize control…. my new year resolutions…
28. Do not hesitate… Never hesitate… Be decisive
29. Treat those who r good with goodness, n also those who r not good with goodness. Thus goodness is attained. Be honest 2 those who r honest, n also be honest to those who r not honest. Thus honesty is attained… Lao Tzu
30. When times get tough, you cannot back down, you cannot get discouraged.. Ur problems r like the Chihuahua…
31. Enough… Till now I’ve been a big fish in a small bowl or a small fish in a big bowl… Now its time to be the big fish in the ocean- for this I need to be in the ocean as much as possible… Be like the whale from now on, wit determination, magnanimity, courage n confidence, only then can I become the master of the ocean…
32. Today, I forgot my wallet.. But thinking about it, any day I could have forgotten my wallet… So also any day could also have been my last… I need to live wit that mentality. No day is trivial to throw it away.
33. From Michael Phelps’ book… ‘give it all you’ve got and remember good guys finish second’ …
34. You cannot speak defeat and expect to have victory… Do not be afraid to declare your victory… Hold fast… Do not defeat yourself…
35. Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death…
36. Killer Instinct… Finish the job…
37. Only when we overcome difficulty, not when we take the easy way, do we develop character. Discipline is in biting our tongue. Look at difficulty as a way to develop character.
38. [Exams were going on] Time is fleeting… Your effort will be long-lasting… Everyone is working, I too should be working, however hard it may be…
39. The Tibetans believe an enemy is the greatest teacher, he teaches you patience, tolerance… their pictures show 3 animals which represent 3 vices which are intertwined… the cock – greed, the snake – anger n the pig – ignorance..
40. Read one day on orkut: Today’s fortune – Many of the great achievements of the world were achieved by tired and discouraged men who kept on working…
41. Read another day on orkut: Today’s fortune – If you want to know the path you’re about to follow, ask someone who’s coming back.
42. I must challenge myself with deeds of strength… I must do what is impossible… Only when I will have courage, strength, wisdom… I must never back away from a fight….
43. First sort out d things not important in life, n then you will be able to succeed in d things which r important in life…
44. Zen: Let the unconscious focus on a problem by shifting ur focus elsewhere… It will find the answer…
45. Expect big things… don’t let ur mind talk u out of it… don’t go around wit thoughts of mediocrity. Have faith. U r the most blessed.
46. Saw a gigantic Eagle this morning sitting on the neighbors terrace… Be like the eagle… Don’t fight with the crows… Simply rise above them…
47. A happy heart does good like medicine... Every time you laugh, you get healthier, stronger...
48. From the movie ‘the big blue’... a deep sea diver describes the ocean bed…” When I reach the bottom, the water isn’t blue anymore and the sky is a memory, it isn’t hard to stay there; the hard part is finding a good enough reason to get back on top.
49. Whatever I may do, whatever it may be won’t take even an inkling of the bravery that they show everyday…they show true courage…
50. Remember why you’re in the journey… Don’t be focused on the means such that you forget what the entire struggle is for in the first place…

Man, how did this list get so big.... didn't realize there were so many messages in there :) ...

A Traveller's Tale

A TRAVELER’S TALE
The traveler looked to his guide-book. It read “Freuy City- a place little known about, as the residents’ hostility had driven away all the explorers”. “This place is the nearest city to where I am at present, might as well visit this place”, the traveler thought to himself. The city was heavily fortified with two sentries at the gate. The traveler approached them and asked “Please, I wish to stay at this city”. “No sir that is not possible”, the guard replied sternly. Undeterred the traveler continued “The duration of my stay is only three days and I wish to see your city”. The sentry looked to his fellow guard and replied with a strange look in his eyes “Yes sir, this is possible, enjoy your stay. Surprised, the traveler entered to be greeted by a crowd of people all with joy on their faces. “Come this way to my house”, so saying an elder of the city drew him away from the multitude. The traveler was welcomed into the elder’s home by his wife and daughter. The traveler’s room had to the west a view of a colossal mountain bathed by the golden rays of the setting sun.

The next day, the traveler was woken up by a voice “Nika, why don’t you show our visitor the city museum “. “Yeah, mom” replied the elder’s daughter. Nika and the traveler arrived at the museum. The first section dealt with the history of the city. Nika started speaking, clearly this was a topic she knew a lot about “Initially, our people wandered the plains in search of a place of comfort. Every city they went to, the inhabitants were heartless, and offered them no rest. The land they trod on was unfavorable, so they couldn’t settle anywhere. Finally they came here- the earth was green, the waters blue, it was the most beautiful place that they had seen”.

On his final day, the traveler was greeted by the elder who said “Today, there is a wedding in the city, please attend”. Nika and the traveler set out for the wedding. “Aren’t you a bit young to be traveling alone?” she asked. “Why, what do you suppose is right for me at this age of mine?” he questioned. “Oh, I don’t know. The only thing I want to be is this city’s tour-guide” she replied. “They look very happy-the groom and the bride” he spoke. “Yes they do, but this isn’t the right month for marriage here you know” in a quiet voice she replied, “but they really wanted to get married”.


As the time drew near for the traveler to leave, he packed his bags and got to the gates. The entire city was gathered there. Sounds of good-byes filled the air. The elder asked his daughter “Nika, why don’t you travel with him and see the world”. She didn’t reply, but bade farewell to the traveler. The sentry had to shout so that the traveler could hear him over all the mayhem “You should travel east to the next town, but sleep on the other side of the mountains tonight to avoid any landslides”. As the sentry was saying this the elder handed the traveler a letter.

That night, the traveler asleep at the site where the sentry had suggested was awoken by a loud explosion and tremors which shook the earth. He ran until the city came into view. He stood frozen in horror. The mountain to the west had erupted and its lava was covering the city. As he watched, his hand felt the letter given by the elder. It read “Dear traveler, before you had arrived, our scientists found out that the mountain to the west was to erupt in three days time. Till then we had turned away every wanderer due to our anger at all those who had refused us shelter, but we are not the unjust people the world thinks us to be; only our hearts were hardened by all the wrong done to us. We needed to show our way of life and ourselves to someone and that is when you came along -O traveler, thank you for that. You might not understand why we didn’t leave in spite of danger, but this land was kind to us when no one else was, it saved us while we were dying, this land is all we have”. At the bottom he recognized Nika’s scribble “Thank you for your time and thought O traveler, Carry our memory with you… always”. He turned to look at the place where the city had stood, tears in his eyes and a smile on his face.

Think for a change

Einstein once said “The world is a dangerous place not because of those who do evil, but because of those who stand by and do nothing.” … Probably was speaking out of angst… wonder what suffering he had witnessed in his life…. but also sounded a lot like he was speaking about my class… when did these people stop thinking for themselves……. when did people lose all logic and reasoning…… when did people get this dumb….. are my expectations too high when I ask for people to think for a change….. are they always gonna do as they are told….. Wake up people…. use those brains of yours….. think for yourselves…. But maybe I am asking too much…. those who want a better future, in them change is inherent… but the incorrigible, the willfully ignorant, those who thrive in waste…. they will never change…. I took an oath once…. to protect the innocent, to help those who needed it, to uphold the downtrodden…. but there is none to protect in thsis class, I wish there was, but there aren't any … all are guilty…