Coming back to Blogging...

It has been a long time since I blogged. I used to blog regularly and I loved it. I would often write personal stories and the lessons I learnt from them. Other times, I would write motivational posts, which, now that I look back, might show a false bravado: After all, who was I, a fifteen year old kid who hadn’t accomplished much in life, to write these words of motivation which are usually associated with the greats like Steve Jobs, or Michael Jordan. (I have, in fact often quoted these two icons in my blogs. ) Sometimes, I ended up writing posts that were very intense, other times posts that were very personal. And, at times, they sparked judgments of all kinds from people I knew, including my friends and relatives. I became self-conscious. I started to get bothered. I started to censor everything I was going to write. Gradually, all the candidness, the honesty and the originality had gone from my writing and there was nothing left which I could say without worrying about what kinds of possible judgments it might evoke. So I stopped, and restricted myself to the occasional outpours of emotion in my diary. 

But now I realize that giving voice to your thoughts is no crime. It is a beautiful thing. There is no right or wrong in that. So I’m not going to worry about people’s judgments any more. I will write, and I will post: about my life, of the little I know about the world, of the things life teaches me. Often, I will also write to inspire both myself and you, my readers. It might sometimes be personal, sometimes intense, sometimes stupid, occasionally funny…but I will try my best to honest, nonetheless. 

A message to anyone who ever reads my blog:

There is no particular reason as such you should pick reading this blog over watching Netflix. I am only a college student. I haven’t cured cancer. I am not a national level sportsperson. I am not the next Mark Zuckerberg and I  now have the humility to know that (Yes, I used to think I was..). Just another college student who has travelled ten thousand miles from his home country and wants to make it ‘big’ in life. (Whatever ‘big’ means to you..I’m still discovering what it means to me..And I believe this process of discovering will continue throughout life)….

And now, to sum up, (in ‘The Social Network’ style): ‘Let the hacking blogging begin.’

'This world was not built on random bricks of chance. A blind God is not the destiny's architect. There is a meaning in each curve and line. ' 

Chuck the Politics, Be the Change

I was returning home from school by bus when my eyes caught the news line that was being run on the BEST TV: "gang-rape victim dies in Singapore”. . .
I felt a lump in my throat. My body felt a little tight. I was angry and shocked. I was so full of rage as I read the news item that I even began to plan methods of torture for those men who raped the girl. But then I wondered if it would really help. The crime has been done. The girl has died. And girls will continue to suffer if things continue to be the way they are. 

Today when the gang rape victim died, it wasn't just she who died. A part of India's humanity died. A part of all women of the country who constantly live in fear of suffering the same fate, died. A part of Indiadied. And it is not about the death of one gang rape victim. It's much bigger than that. It's always been bigger than that. It's about those thousands of Indian women who have suffered sexual assault. It's about all those girls who have been killed before they even came into this world. It's about all those girls who have been prevented from going to school by their parents, who have suffered discrimination in society and in the workplace. It's about the harsh reality of the loss of values and the rise of sexism in Indian society. It is indeed shocking that such things are happening in the land of saints like caber and Nanak, in a place where we worship goddesses like saraswati Durga and Kali. 

Reading what various politicians said on the news line, my rage only augmented. All they have done is offer condolences and assurances. It does not help anyone. The crime has already been committed and such crimes will continue unless they bring about change. However, offering false assurances seems to be  the only thing these politicians can do. We have been seeing this for so many years. And we must learn now.

So the question arises, what is the solution? Stop blaming the politicians. They will keep giving condolences and assurances but will never act. It is up to you and me now to take action. Unlike most developed countries in the world, Indiadoes not even have rape crisis groups. It is up to us to create them. It is up to the citizens of the country to bring about change: Change, not by rising up against the government or the politicians. Change by participating in peaceful demonstrations such as the one happening in Delhiright now, by doing our bit to teach others to respect women, by trying our best to stop gender discrimination around us, by telling our little sisters to be courageous.

Chuck the Politics, Be the Change.  

THOUGHTS ON THE NEW YEAR

 2011 just passed. 2012 just arrived. So much has changed in the past year in our lives. So much new change is going to happen. some of us have come away from our friends in the past year, only to find new ones. so much happened. so many memories. so many thoughts about the future. ...

 this is my new year gift to you- some inspirational thoughts on change.

Every New Year’s day is a very special occasion – a time to reflect on where we are, how has been our journey so far, where are we headed, where we will be in another 1 year, another 5 years, another 10 years. A time to take stock, a time to renew our existing commitments and make new ones.  A time to reflect on some of the most fundamental questions of life which get lost in the daily humdrum of life.  An opportunity to change our life or at least take steps towards it. 

It is not only about changing our lives. But also, about changing ourselves. Life changes us in more ways than we can imagine. Each day is a new test, a new challenge.

"Challenges are what make life interesting. Overcoming them is what makes life beautiful."

Every new day is another chance to change your life. Change is the only constant in life. the key is to develop the ability to ride the change rather than get overridden by it.

When you feel that you have reached the end and that you cannot go one step further, when life seems to be drained of all purpose; what a wonderful opportunity to start all over again, to turn over a new page. Each new day is a blank page in the diary of your life. The secret of success is in turning that diary into the best story you possibly can.” I wish you Happy New Year and diary full of best stories ever written in your life.

p.s.- HAPPY NEW YEAR AND KEEP READING :)