'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. '
Choices
Life is queer at times. Sometimes, even though you know your goals, you end up making the wrong choices. And it may take a long time for you to realize that. For a long time, you might be disillusioned into thinking that your choice is leading you to your goal. But then, after a long time in the darkness, it suddenly hits you. That you've been lost all along. That you had made the wrong choice. Then suddenly everything seems dark. You wish you could alter that choice you made. You wish you could go back in time and make your decision all over again. But life isn't like that.
So what do you do then? initially, you feel lost for a while. But then what? Are you going to fill your days with regret, sorrow, and self pity ? Or will you try to change things? But how, you may ask. What if its not possible. What about all those external expectations from friends family and society? Will you see this as life hitting a brick at you or will you see this epiphany as an opportunity to make amends? You'll probably hear from a lot of people, "it'll all work out okay in the end. Just work hard" or if you're like me, you might cuddle into your bed, get your iPod out and get goosebumps hearing Steve jobs tell you to do what you love and discard everything else. Well, you may feel inspired for a while. But then what? You still won't know what to do? It's not that easy to suddenly change to doing things just the way you want. It just doesn't happen that easily and practice. You need direction. You need planning. Often times, because of the irreversibility of the choice you made, you may have to compromise on something. You may have to sacrifice certain things that are important to you, but less important than your real goal. I'm not going to tell you that follow your heart and everything is going to be okay. I'm no one to say that. I don't know for sure if it will be okay. I just hope that it might be. Because that's all I have. And you need something to hold on to, something that leads you, that drives, that shows you direction. Something that enables you to feel alive for another day, that helps you go through another day. It's just this vague hope that guides you through the dark caves, the hope that soon, you will emerge out of the darkness and find light, find direction, a road-map that you had been missing all along that will lead you to your goals.
So what do you do then? initially, you feel lost for a while. But then what? Are you going to fill your days with regret, sorrow, and self pity ? Or will you try to change things? But how, you may ask. What if its not possible. What about all those external expectations from friends family and society? Will you see this as life hitting a brick at you or will you see this epiphany as an opportunity to make amends? You'll probably hear from a lot of people, "it'll all work out okay in the end. Just work hard" or if you're like me, you might cuddle into your bed, get your iPod out and get goosebumps hearing Steve jobs tell you to do what you love and discard everything else. Well, you may feel inspired for a while. But then what? You still won't know what to do? It's not that easy to suddenly change to doing things just the way you want. It just doesn't happen that easily and practice. You need direction. You need planning. Often times, because of the irreversibility of the choice you made, you may have to compromise on something. You may have to sacrifice certain things that are important to you, but less important than your real goal. I'm not going to tell you that follow your heart and everything is going to be okay. I'm no one to say that. I don't know for sure if it will be okay. I just hope that it might be. Because that's all I have. And you need something to hold on to, something that leads you, that drives, that shows you direction. Something that enables you to feel alive for another day, that helps you go through another day. It's just this vague hope that guides you through the dark caves, the hope that soon, you will emerge out of the darkness and find light, find direction, a road-map that you had been missing all along that will lead you to your goals.
Destiny, and a Seventeen Year Old's Encounter with Failure
My dad often tells me, "Work hard. But in the end whatever has to happen will happen, you cannot control your destiny". I find this rather uninspiring. I always reply that if my fate is predefined that why should I work hard at all. Let this great 'destiny' determine everything, I'll just sit back and relax.
I have nourished my dream for a long time now. I have worked very hard for it, taking each and every step I needed to, in order to get closer to it. Often times, there have been setbacks, obstacles. I have often fallen down. I have been told a zillion times that I should quit, that I won't be able to make it. That it is very difficult.
Lotof people have given me examples of others who tried and failed. But I have, always discarded all that.And today, when I find myself so close to achieving my dreams, I feel a little lost. I worked so hard for something which I thought was going to be a major step towards the fulfillment of my dreams. I was so sure of making it. Nothing could possibly have gone wrong, after working so hard. But something did. I don't know what, but it did. That's when I remembered my dads words.
I wonder, is there something as destiny? Is everything predetermined?
Was I destined to lose? Is this life's hint that I should be focusing on something else?
After three years of working really hard for one thing, when life hits you in the head with a brick, you're left wondering if you had been lost all along.
To be honest I don't know. ..It's hard to think of abandoning my dream when I have nurtured it and worked hard for it so long. It's hard to even accept the possibility that I might have been deluded all this while.
Today, when my mind is haunted by the fear of failure, I seek control. And I am being forced to realize that my life, is not entirely in my control, that success may not always be proportional to efforts, that there is this thing called fate. I detest the idea that my life has to be controlled by some great force other than those within me. Does it have to be this way? And why so?....
As I seek these answers, I am reminded of the words of Ella Wheeler Wilcox, from her poem, “Will”- "There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can circumvent or hinder or control The firm resolve of a determined soul. "
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.
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.