Thursday, March 19, 2015

Together we can and we will

We may be separated by distance but will never be apart from each other ever


“WE two boys together clinging,
One the other never leaving,
Up and down the roads going, North and South excursions making,
Power enjoying, elbows stretching, fingers clutching,
Arm'd and fearless, eating, drinking, sleeping, loving.
No law less than ourselves owning, sailing, soldiering, thieving,
threatening,
Misers, menials, priests alarming, air breathing, water drinking, on
the turf or the sea-beach dancing,
Cities wrenching, ease scorning, statutes mocking, feebleness
chasing,
Fulfilling our foray.” 
― Walt Whitman

No quote evokes a stronger sense of strength in me than what Walt Whitman has said here.

For me and my best friend share more than a sense of camaraderie but a deep bond.

That of knowing what the other wants, needs irrespective of whether we are voicing it or not.

We may be far away from each other today, but every single time that we meet, talk or communicate, its not the words that we say or the gestures but the connection we share that assures us that all is going to be well in this world.

Soul mates is not a hypothetical phrase but a strong reality in our case.
If every day is a new journey in life and we embark on this journey many times together, but also often in separate ways, we know as surely as the sun must set that we will meet again at the end of that journey.
And that will give us strength to be able to carry on a journey by ourselves the next day.

We have seen many difficulties in life. Not about the difficulties one faces in life but that of being away from each other.
For we have been separated for years due to study and travel and marriage and kids and work and jobs and all that can come in between us.
At times ego, other priorities, other friends, deadlines, different interests etc

But every time we meet, its beyond magic. A sense of calmness overcomes us. It reduces a storm in our minds into nothing but a gentle cool breeze blowing across the fields.

I don't know if there is a karmic connection but there certainly is a feeling of gratitude towards God for giving us the best gift life could give us.

For this connection is not about friendship but of elevation, about transcending over worldly worries into an emotion that knows knows calmness, peace of mind and a feeling - that we will experience bliss, satisfaction and joy by being together.

Much the same as what one experiences with http://housing.com/ a sense of companionship, a feeling that your in safe hands and that any decision that you need to make in terms of where to live or how to find a house is best made with them.








Monday, March 16, 2015

Being Together

The Social connector - how socializing is the key to survival


Today while I was driving to work - I heard on the Radio that Feeling alone / being lonely was becoming a serious medical concern and that it was as dangerous as Obesity.

Increasingly people were being alienated and hence a feeling of disconnect was setting in.

This is also possibly 1 of the causes of depression that is increasingly being seen amongst people.

While people are increasingly connected in the digital world, perhaps not enough time and effort is going into keeping the human touch.

While social media is a great tool to connect with people, especially for the ones who want to stay protected, those who are shy or vary of human contact for fear of being hurt, upset etc., it is not a good sign to completely alienate one self.

What we all need is that 1 groups of friends, who you can count on to always be there for you.

It does need to be a large group, even 2 to 3 friends will do, but what they help is to keep the human touch and connect going.

You may argue, saying who does not have friends these days but the point is 1 should not confuse friends with work mates, associates, roommates, acquaintances etc.

In that sense I am glad to have various groups of friends, who I can call upon in need and who call upon me in their moments of need.

These groups have my childhood friends and we have stood by each other through out what life has thrown at us, couple groups who have a common interest and we bond over that commonality (if you can't figure that out, message me and I shall explain), sports friends (this one is easy to figure out), ex work / education buddies from different companies / colleges, random other friends.
And finally my twitter friends group. Yes I have a group of people who I have met via twitter and we share great camaraderie, stay connected and meet from time to time too.

Not to forget the various family / cousins and relatives groups we all hold dear as I do have loving family members.

The beauty is that at any time any of us can connect with each other which always leaves us with uplifted spirits and provides a new hope that tomorrow will be brighter and better.

No matter where the trouble in life, whether it's at home, work or with some of my friends, being a united group helps us tide over those issues and come out feeling stronger and more confident of ourselves.

It's not about any 1 instance, but each and every moment spent with these various sets of friends, helps you realize that there is so much more to life than worry and concern and that with support and being #together we can conquer any challenge that life can throw at us.

It's the same kind of support and togetherness that you can get from https://housing.com/ when you looking a new home. Truly a website with a big difference.
















Thursday, March 12, 2015

Inspiration is all Around is. Thanks to our #EverydayHeroes

For every smile you bring to the world, the world will give you 2 back.


Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.
Dalai Lama

I am a firm believer in this philosophy. It is my quest to spread as much joy and happiness I can in this world. I go out of my way, often at my own peril.

I do give in despite it being against my belief or choice. But this is not for me to gloat over myself.

I most CERTAINLY am NOT the Only One and neither am I doing it more than others for there are people who are far more worthy to getting that title.

One only needs to look around us to experience a sense of gratitude. For there are people all around us who are doing their bit to bring smiles to people lives and to help make this a better place to live in.

#EverydayHeroes I call them. Unsung heroes is what you may be thinking about. Who silently contribute to your joy and you don't even realize it.

For in their actions and deeds they give hope and optimism of a better world that we will live in.

Who are these heroes? Here are a couple to illustrate my point:

Radio Jockeys - no matter what their mood / state of mind - they have to engage with their audience, spread smiles, joy and excitement and keep the audience hooked to their stations.

Twitter RoCur account managers - have you ever spared a thought for them? They typically get 1 week to engage with people they don't know, who are culturally completely diverse, across a vast age group and geography with different interests. All this means that they have very little to connect upon and the worst part is that they don't know what engagements have happened in the past!

Which means that they have to think on their feet, be different, interesting and engage with people they probably won't hear from ever again.

And there are people who volunteer to do this week in and week out.

If this is not inspiring then what is? Do remember that curators may get abused, fought with and insulted for hurting peoples sentiments even though they would have no such intention.

It is a thank less job and one that tells you that you have to be made of stern stuff if you want to be able to excel at it.

In the same vein there are a few companies who want to stand out in the crowd and make a difference. Who want to enrich your life in small ways so that you go to bed feeling happy at what you achieved that day.

One such company is Housing.com, Have a look at a website https://housing.com/lookup that you would never believe is from a company that is helping you choose a home.

It certainly gives you Hope. That there is a human on the other side too.




Starting a new life

I made my choice when it mattered the most!

As individuals we all grow up at some stage.

And by grow up am not referring in terms of age but in terms mentality and attitude.

Parents often have certain aspirations for their children and encourage them to follow their (Read parents) dreams.

After all they want, what is best for their children.

Just like everybody else, I was at a cross roads of life about deciding what career path to choose.

I was / am still good at math and accounts and had a passion for it to the point that I used to teach my friends and classmates math and accounts and help them excel in their exams.

My passion was such that when I was to join a degree college I opted for an evening course so that I could work with a Chartered Accountant in the day and learn all that there was to learn about the profession.

Just for a moment - do remember this was almost 14 years back. Unlike the youth of today where there are options galore and they get to pursue their dreams with greater parental support, I was doing this in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
And we are in a relatively conservative joint family situation.

My parents were thrilled that I was taking such a bold step of wanting to work for a pittance (even by the standards back then) with a Chartered Accountant just to learn the trade.
My career path was set and it was a matter of how well I learn, study and a matter of time before I pass my exams and qualify.

A year later - it all changed.

While I had a great boss who was very helpful, the work got to me. It was not the stress (for I have seen nightmarish stress in my work life many times) but the tediousness of tasks that got to me. It was mundane, boring and left little room for creative thinking and ability to think outside the box.

That was when I decided that I wanted to pursue a more 'Interesting' career in life.

And after committing a whole year, skipping college for another, joining evening classes for 3 I had decided that I want to pursue alternate options.

So I had to #StartANewLife 

Today it is over a decade that I have been in the field of sales and marketing with many a success story to tell and many an achievements to be proud about.

The biggest is that I am happy with what I am doing, Am not in a profession which is uni dimensional but multi-dimensional and have a plethora of exciting opportunities to make a difference in where am working.

My greatest achievement - paying a large percent for my expensive Global MBA out of my own pocket and the best - I bought my own apartment by the age of 32.

I could not buy it from https://housing.com/  but I still am a proud owner of 1 :)

You can always view the #StartANewLife.  with Housing.com's video here.