FGT

Something that I have been wanting to do since I read 'The Secret'. Its my FGT (Feel Good Tool). Let me try it and then will make a judgement on whether it works.

Thank You Almighty for:

• Giving me the parents I have
• Ensuring their health and happiness
• Being able to afford a good education
• Being able to breathe without a ventiallator
• Being able to hear with both ears, write with both hands, walk on both feet
• Not being asthamatic and not having to worry about dust; and all the diseases that I could have but don't have
• Teaching me how to drive
• My job and the merit it came on, and for making me do well in it
• Having shown me a glimpse of this world
• The friends I have
• Not being fatter than I am
• Giving me time to spend with my parents

Yes, it works!! Cheers to a longer list and love for myself :)

Learning it the Heart way..

• Is there really nothing called selfless love? Do I need to change to being that way too?
• Passion of any kind is not good. Be it relationships, people or things. It leads to attachment and clouds your sense of judgement. Stay away from it.
• Never take life for granted. It has its mysterious ways, which you just cannot anticipate. Heard this somewhere and could not stop smiling - Life is what happens when you are making other plans :-)
• Challenging life will leave you with nothing more than a feeling of helplessness. For your own sake, accept.
• Don't question what you feel or change the way you think for anyone. Please yourself - this is your life.
• You have to care for yourself. You are your favourite person.
• Never believe what people say, see what they do.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

For whatever little good I did to deserve them, I am just so thankful for the friends I have. Love you guys. Thank you for being there for me always.

Inspiration

A Favourite

Zara nazar utha ke dekho
Baithein hain hum yahin
Bekhabar mujhse kyun ho, itne bure bhi hum nahin

Zamane ki baaton mein uljho na
Hai yeh aasan jaanna
Khud se jo agar tum poocho
Hain hum tumhare ki nahin

Teri aankhon ka jadoo poori duniya pe hai
Duniya ki is bheed mein, sabse peeche hum khade

Mehfilein aayi aur gayi
Log aaye aur gaye
tum jo aaj aaye ho
Dil mein ho bas gaye

Muskura ke baat taalo na
Phir milo ge jo kahin
Dekhna yehi kaho ge
Itne bure the hum nahin

Teri aankhon ka jadoo poori duniya pe hai
Duniya ki is bheed mein, sabse peeche hum khade

Sapno ka Rajkumar

Considering my luck in love, a typical arranged marriage I thought would be it for me. Its been a while now that this search for a soul mate has been going on. The experience has been so enriching that I even made a checklist of the qualities I want - Of course, this did not come over night, but with meeting various kinds of people of some time now and identifying what I do not want in my partner for life. Someday, I will look back and laugh at these days - and this is only to facilitate that (Uff, this Corporate world has put me in the habit of giving a background before presenting something!!!!)

• Lets start with the number one (actually number one was when I was 21, and he was some 27, but of course not - at the age of 21!!!!) . Anyway, so he was a Kashmiri guy - went to his house in Bombay to meet up. We went to GAYLORD for lunch and then rhythm house for some music shopping and finally while sipping coffee at Barista, he had to rush to look after his Nani. It was a funny episode is all I can say. Thankfully it fizzled out before either of us could make up our mind.
• Then there was another catty eyed guy. He took me to pizza pizza express - asked my preference on whether I was vegetarian or like meat - and when I told him that I preferred vegetarian, he went ahead and ordered a chicken pizza. And that was tata and bye bye
• Then there was Mr Defence kid. Very cute looking guy - in fact AT and me both freaked out on him when he entered our house. I even made faux pas like landing up to meet him without my wallet - and make him pay for my parking ticket. Somewhere after meeting him, I realised I wanted someone with more substance
• Then came the oldest guy I have met until now. Spent 3 hours with him at a coffee shop (its a separate thing, that the hotel is burnt down now :)).. But its my longest first ever meeting. A lot of gyaan lot of philosophy, but a lot of laughter as well. Am just so glad he realised he is incapable of getting married early enough, so we could both be friends. He is the only friend actually that I made from this process.
• Then there were some more random guys, through friends, through other channels I met - don't even remember how they look.

I was an optimist supporter of the concept of arranged marriage only on the belief that someone somewhere is made for me (Uff, these movies!!!) . But now I am going to give it a break. Done with it for now.

Samatvam

Someone I knew very closely introduced me to the concept. Obviously I took forever to understand it. Don't think I still perfectly do, but it tickled my spiritual sense somewhere, and inspired me to do some reading. Did a lot more reading, but as of now, its the following is what makes some sense to me:

• From anger, complete delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls down again into the material pool.
• A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires — that enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is always still — can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires.
• Everyone is forced to act helplessly according to the qualities he has acquired from the modes of material nature; therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment.
• It is far better to discharge one's prescribed duties, even though faultily, than another's duties perfectly. Destruction in the course of performing one's own duty is better than engaging in another's duties, for to follow another's path is dangerous.
• The intricacies of action are very hard to understand. Therefore one should know properly what action is, what forbidden action is, and what inaction is.
• Only the ignorant speak of devotional service as being different from the analytical study of the material world. Those who are actually learned say that he who applies himself well to one of these paths achieves the results of both.
• One who works in devotion, who is a pure soul, and who controls his mind and senses is dear to everyone, and everyone is dear to him. Though always working, such a man is never entangled.

Smelly Cat

Yes, its a take from feebies's song in Friends - those were the days when I could spend so much time watching Friends. Actually there used to be a time even before that - When Star Plus was launched in India - Neighbours was my serial then..then there was Doogie Howser MD and Wonder Years. For a while it was also Ally Mc Beal, but then the last of the addictions was Friends. Anyway, enough digression, this post was to be about my favourite smells:

• Smell of the gajras sold at India Gate - I think its Chameli. Just reminds me of the bachpan picnics that I went to with Mom, Dad and a bunch of family friends
• The smell of petrol - Absolutely love it
• The smell of wet mud/earth or terracotta, especially in Summers - takes the heat off me.
• The smell of confectionery - being baked in the oven. I remember in Bombay, I used to live in Vile Parle - the place where there was the Parle-G factory, (Wonder what came first Vile Parle or Parle-G Factory) and every time I used to cross this one fly over, the smell would just excite me (Food you see :-) )
• The smell of home food when I return home after a trip abroad
• Fragrant men. Anything non citrus will do.

Its also strange how I associate smells with certain periods of my life. Like Eternity by Calvin Klein always takes me back to Stephens days. I am not THAT spoilt - received it as a gift. Tommy girl reminds me of my second Paris trip. Then I had these really shady perfumes I used to use in NM. Really, what came over me!!!

Now that Ive had my fill of blog writing for the moment, I better get going towards the tonnnnns of work piled up. Getting ready for the Kill !! :-)!!