Quit, should I?

When life gets tough, it is easy to consider quitting. And there are so many motivators to push me ahead. I’ve also written few posts on those.

One such motivator was part of my curriculum in school. Which stayed longer than most other lessons.

It was about Jesse Owens. And his greatest Olympic prize. He won four gold medals in that Olympics and set an amazing record, when none expected him to succeed in anything at all. Even if he is the most eligible candidate to winall those laurels. Though he overcame many hurdles to participate in finals, the most difficult hurdle was when he was almost not making through the trials.

That’s when Luz Long, his fellow competitor offers him an advice, which costs him his own victory in Olympics.

When Owens was trying to give his best, even at trials, and was instead making a foul, he was consulted to not give his best, but just get through the trials. So he might get into the finals and show his worth, where it matters the most. Thus, he sets back a little to achieve even more in the finals and go on to win the coveted gold medal in Olympics.

The lesson, that stayed with me is not just about losing a little to gain more. But to earn a friend, who would push me ahead, even when it might cost them their victory. Who would stand by me at all times, who knows what I’m capable of better than me, who knows when I’m stuck in an imaginary pit and who knows how to redeem me from myself, so that I would achieve what I’m capable of..

That might seem like an unachievable dream. But the lucky me found not just one but more than one such dear true friend! Yes, they still exist and they still stay along as my friend in my happiness and sadness, and all ups and downs.

And whenever I’m on the verge of quitting, one of them comes around to push me ahead. And thus I keep on going forward as well as achieving more and more.

For those who wonder, whether I return the favour, I do so, as said, by my friends.. 🙂

What did you sow?

I was wondering how to console myself for not being able to post everyday in the past two months. And was feeling not so high and a memory of a past post flashed inspiring me with this idea.

When the hope is in the verge of demise, my posts come to my aid to cheer me up and help me cheer up and move ahead with a renewed vigour. So I do reap the benefits of some scattered seeds of the past. It feels good to know that what I sow was a good seed and the benefits are indeed heartening..

So what are you sowing today?
A happy thought?
A piece of your mind?
Or are you dumping the waste into every corner of life and letting the look back become a peep into litter box?

Beware of what you sow, for that’s what you’re going to reap!

P.S. This is the post I was looking at and feeling better. Feel free to dish out your ideas on both posts.

Me, the Panda!

I am a big fat Panda
with a fat butt,
flappy hands and
a huge tummy!

Raised to be the Noodle-maker,
Despite dreams of Dragon Warrior!

I am shun down by the masters,
Experts and everyone else,
as the Dragon Warrior..

Yet the belief is the only thing
that let the wheels to be in motion
and never to stop..

The dream hasn’t faded,
Just clouded
and buried inside
multiple mundane chores
and clutters of disbelief..

The clutter and cloud
keeps burying and
needs constant reminder
to clear up and stand back..

When the need comes,
the courage to raise up to the enemy
And the belief in self..
Let that thought not be elusive
in the moments of despair,
in the moments of agony and
in the moments of self-doubt..

When the belief is as strong as
relentless perseverance,
there is nothing to hold me back
and stand between me and my destiny!

For I am not a big fat panda,
but I am the big fat panda!

The metamorphosis!

எத்தனை மரங்கள் வளர்ந்ததும்அது காடு?
எத்தனை தூரம் வீழ்ந்ததும் அது நீர்வீழ்ச்சி?
எத்தனை மணற்துகள் சேர்ந்ததும் அது பாலை?
எத்தனை பாறைகள் உயர்ந்ததும் அது குன்று?

எத்தனை பிதற்றலுக்கு பின் மறைந்தது மழலை?
எத்தனை தோல்விகளுக்கு பின் முதிர்ந்தது இளமை?
எத்தனை முத்தங்களுக்கு பின் கடந்தது காமம்?
எத்தனை நிராகரிப்புக்கு பின் பிறந்தது கருணை?

எத்தனை சண்டைகளுக்கு பின் தொலைந்தது பாசம்?
எத்தனை கால பிரிவுக்கு பின் மாய்ந்தது நட்பு?
எத்தனை தளர்தலுக்கு பின் தொடங்கியது முதுமை?
எத்தனை கண்ணீர் துளிகளுக்கு பின் தீரும் துயரம்?

எத்தனை பிழைகளை பொறுத்திடும் தாய்மை?
எத்தனை பொறாமைகளை கடந்திடும் காதல்?
எத்தனை தோல்விகளை துரத்திடின் விடாமுயற்சி?
எத்தனை புகழ்ச்சியில் விளைந்திடும் பிரபலம்?

After how many trees does it become a forest?
After how much height does it become a waterfall?
After how many sand grains does it become a desert?
After how many boulders does it become a hill?

After how many prattle does the infancy fade?
After how many failures does an youngster becomes adult?
After how many kisses does the lust get over?
After how many rejections does the kindness bloom?

After how many fights, did the affection fade?
After how long a gap, does the friendship die?
After how many faltering, does the old-age creep in?
After how many tear drops, does the sorrow stop?

After how many faults, the motherhood wanes?
After how much jealousy, does the love withstand?
After how many comebacks of failures, is that perseverance?
After how much praise, does one become famous?

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This poem is inspired from Kabilan Vairamuthu’s poetry given below. I’m still in wonder at the simple beauty of his lines. Hope you enjoy them too..

எத்தனை துளிகளைக் கடக்கும்போது தூறல் என்பது மழை?
எத்தனை பற்கள் முளைத்து வந்ததும் சத்தம் என்பது மொழி?
எத்தனை இதழ்கள் திறந்துகொண்டதும் மொட்டு என்பது மலர்?
எத்தனை உடல்கள் மண்ணில் சரிந்ததும் வன்முறை என்பது போர்?

எத்தனை துளிகளைக் கடக்கும்போது தூறல் என்பது மழை?
எத்தனை பற்கள் முளைத்து வந்ததும் சத்தம் என்பது மொழி?
எத்தனை இதழ்கள் திறந்துகொண்டதும் மொட்டு என்பது மலர்?
எத்தனை உடல்கள் மண்ணில் சரிந்ததும் வன்முறை என்பது போர்?

எத்தனை கீற்றுகள் பரவி நிறைந்ததும் பின்னிரவென்பது காலை?
எத்தனை அணுவில் நாணம் வந்ததும் நட்பு என்பது காதல்?
எத்தனை நரம்புகள் வீறுகொண்டதும் காரியம் என்பது இலட்சியம்?
எத்தனை இதயங்கள் நிமிர்ந்து நின்றதும் புலம்பல் என்பது புரட்சி?

After how many drops we encounter, drizzle is rain?
After how many teeth sprouts, sound is language?
After how many petals germinate, floret is flower?
After how many bodies fall on ground, violence is war?

After how many drops we encounter, drizzle is rain?
After how many teeth sprouts, sound is language?
After how many petals germinate, floret is flower?
After how many bodies fall on ground, violence is war?

After how many beams spread the sky, time past midnight is morning?
After how many atoms of timidity, friendship is love?
After how many nerves get valorous, action is mission?
After how many hearts rise and stand up, lamentation is revolution?

The song, translation and a video is available at Doopaadoo

What sails my boat!

I was fiddling with this post, when I realized I was just babbling and scribbling. So went over to reader and was picking posts for reading randomly.. And that’s when I landed up on the so logical justification for following pessimism as one’s way of defense by a little doll with glasses.

The example stated for explaining made me nostalgic and reminded me of my way of thinking in the past and now.

Once, not too long ago, I too was so certain of failing in my head, even when I’ve been putting up some top class efforts, with pretty decent and at times good results. This has helped me from any possible heart breaks. But now I’ve crossed a bit from that place, and when I look back, the perspective differs widely.

I feel that I’ve been restricting my talents and my possibilities with all the what-if and what-would-be happening just in my mind. I’ve never stepped out of my comfort zone, for I was busy saving my ship from wrecking in the storm, by not sailing in the high seas at all.

Now, I wish to think, I’m wiser with the thought, it is better to sail and sink, rather than, stay and stink.

I was slowly getting used to this idea, and I read the book “Journey is my Path” during such transition. And there is a chapter around the end of the book, which just assured me, I’m traveling in the right path to overcome my fears. Fears- yes, not just pessimistic attitude, because that is just one of the many colourful names and excuses, I have been saying out. When you cut through all that crap, what lies in the core is just the fear, in its primal form. (So that’s one of the reason, that made me love this book so much 😉 And it’s a pity I could not choose just few lines to quote, as the whole chapter is very dear to me.. 😉 )

So where I stand, right now, could be summed up as, I still think of all the what-if and what-would-be only to make sure that, they aren’t surprise attacks and to get prepared for all those scenarios. And thus the life has become more cheerful and there’s a contentment at heart. Because, I know I’ve prepared for all possible outcomes and have done everything that is to be done by me.

And I have realised that, fretting over the outcome is just a rocking chair, which keeps me in motion without moving me forward. So I chose to just give out what I can in the present and neither get struck in the past or lose myself in silly imaginations. This seems to workout so well for me, as I have more smiles on my face and have a boost to my courage to face the consequences of my acts..

Choosing what suits is the best solution for smiling and spreading the smiles.. 🙂

A Blessing in Disguise!?!

I’ve always been a fan of butterfly for so many reasons..
An incident happened to increase my fascination of them..

I went to a temple, few days back, and was coming around the shrine..
I came across a butterfly in that path on the floor..
I adored the beauty at a distance and moved on..

I came back in the same path after few minutes and was surprised to see that beauty was still on the floor..
I realised it was not flying at all and presumed it was not alive..

Still, it was so cute and I didn’t want it to be trampled by unnoticing passer-by people..
When I lifted it, it showed few weak movements, so I left it in a corner for it to recover itself and fly off, for lack of a better idea at that time..

After few more minutes of wandering, came across the butterfly again in the spot I left..
Now I was getting interested in it and let it sit on a leaf and carried around, with me while seeing to some chores..
It walked a bit and was totally feeble to fly..