Who are you taking to bed tonight ?

 

It’s always an individual choice to select a partner or partners to sleep with, to choose the same or have variety in the bedroom.

There is a list of reasons to select a partner; attraction, fun, connection, kink, comfort, convenience or more but it also has to do with how we feel and what this partner contributes to the moment, mood and life.

In Mumbai we sleep with strays barking and wake with crows cawing, there is tremendous pressure from the beginning of the day till the end and round and round we go. We look for entertainment, distraction, peace, fun, a few light moments or some connection to get us through each day.

The concept of satisfaction once existed, there was the wonderful days of Doordarshan ( Chitrahaar, Spiderman and Malgudi Days was fun to look forward to). There was the good old days when letters were written and a calls from a loved one was worth the wait in hours, days and weeks. Where the postman was the most important man of the week, when that much awaited telegram was expected. Days when the feeling of protection in homes and society could be felt and gestures of love came with effort, sometimes sadly even at a cost. There was meaning in actions and words were not mere words. Small things brought joy and getting away meant switching the world off in a true sense, not placing the phone on silent or vibrate mode or a status just claiming so.

The availability of excess seems to have stolen the joy of simple things, after all how much can one stuff themselves; technology, data, experiences, gyaan, options, opportunities and exposure (the quality of which seems debatable). Since it's free it looses its value, quite like an opulent spread at a buffet table, makes the appetite disappear.  All this excessiveness either leads to addiction, frustration, renunciation or repulsion. 

Even miracles are available online and God himself seems to have become a marketable commodity, patented to different institutions.

Excess creates competition and comparison leading to wanting more and want is responsible for pungent feelings which when not met leads to all forms of outbursts. Thus leading to fatigue, mental saturation and an overall feeling of negativity.

Since these are challenging times, it's imperative to protect oneself from the onslaught of negativity, cynicism, pessimism and other adverse reactions excessiveness brings.

One needs to be careful before treading for one might cease to realize how deep they can fall down the rabbit's hole.

It's important to hold onto things that are close to heart irrelevant of being termed as naive, emotional, unexposed or conservative for it is these thoughts, philosophies, experiences, memories that we take to bed each night, that we wake up in the morning with enthusiasm and hope to take on the world.

If one sows mango seeds one can't expect apples, therefore if we bed negativity, excessiveness, lawlessness, pessimism and waywardness to that alone will we wake up and that is what we will take to the people we meet, the places we work and the relationships we have.

It is our choice what thoughts we want to surround ourselves with and those thoughts will shape the life we have. 

Hence we can't expect satisfaction if we are filled with greed for more and choose to live a life of a glutton with each decision we make.

The world is full of words, surrounded by gyaan (free advise) everywhere; online, offline and also recycled. So we have to be careful what we allow ourselves to entertain, impress us or direct our thoughts towards.

Be careful whom you take to bed tonight, for in the morning that's the first thought that you will wake up with.

Your thoughts everyday shape your life.

Since the present is continuous, choose to partner the right thoughts to bring value to your life not take it from you.

Your thoughts are your most intimate partner who is with you all the time. Consider that before you give any thought space in your mind today.

Good to you, Good with you but Not Good for you

Life is full of opportunities with each person we meet, socially or professionally; it's an ocean of possibilities of what each new person can bring into our lives.

When we allow ourselves to welcome opportunity, we permit chance to take our lives to the next level. People bring their auras with them, the entrance of a new person brings something the universe thinks we need: a lesson to be learnt, course correction, development, exit from shells, joy, experiencing grief, relearning affection, generation of comfort, humility, break away from monotony, dislocation of a thinking pattern, passion to begin again, stirring of the mind or simply a spiritual, mental or physical surrender.

What we do with this new guest determines whether we go through the experience the universe is sending us or do we reject it. 

There is a purpose for all things since there are no coincidences; all things are for a reason.

There are people who are good to you, their aura, chemistry, thoughts, words and deeds are all in harmony giving an overall sense of well being and joy, such people end up as friends, extended family, family, mentor or guru. They nurture everything and encourage our spirit. Their presence is comforting.

Then there are people who are good with you, they are our partners in the journey towards our destination, their presence makes us feel good, do good and give good. We build things with these people; stories, songs, boudoir journals, enterprise, invention, creation, families and all things that will continue to be cherished even after our time has passed.

Lastly, there are people who are not good for you, these are our spiritual contributors and they are the best of the lot. They hold the mirror for us, whip us, criticize us, challenge, shatter perception, break rules and walk on the edge. They are often cased as mean, not our grain, self centered, cold, indifferent, sorted, ruthless and so on. But these geniuses push us so deep inwards that like jack in the box we hit out harder, redefining limits and the concept of limitation. Each of us need people like this to rock our boat, so that our fighter attitude can kick into drive. Some of these people are not even aware of the contribution they make to invention, creation and overall success of those who take them seriously. We need such people to grow and blossom beyond parameters laid down by other people's successes or by roadblocks created by others failure. 

Every new person entering our lives can be either of these three or a combination of them but we will never know this till we give it a shot. If nothing else works, a warm smile is what we can share before parting ways with a new person and if things go great we just might gain a friend or something more.

New entrants help us understand why change is essential. It’s no fun having one view for all of one’s life or making a path choice that must be walked on forever or living life believing one knows all there is to know and everything is sadly a part of some insane pattern.

Change is essential and is proved meticulously by nature, who despite being in existence since existence, yet every winter she sheds her leaves when nature knows she will have new leaves once spring comes again, yet she surrenders to each cycle. Each spring the leaves do come but they are never the same,  neither like the ones gone by nor like the ones that will come next season. Each leaf is unique and each one nature welcomes with fresh enthusiasm.

So the next time you meet a new person welcome this new guest, it's so exciting to see what may fold.

This new guest’s visit could be as limited as the passing breeze; refreshingly cool or moistly warm, stopping by only to caress for a brief moment. Irrelevant of the duration the breeze is always a source of joy. 

Or this person could redefine something in your life or maybe you will return the favor and forge some new chapter.

One would never know till one says yes to life and lets it happen.

Don’t let good to you, good with you or not good for you stop you from the remarkable life waiting to happen to you today.

Painting Curtsey: 

Ms.Manya Sharma - http://gliteringpink.blogspot.in

 

Pink Shoes & Blue Ties

Pink Shoes and Blue Ties is a name close to my heart because I believe in every boy/man, there is a little pink and in every girl/woman,there is a bit of blue.

Pink Shoes: The day men can walk out and embrace their soft shades of pink; the emotions they work so hard to suppress, tears they often hide or shed only when alone and the limitless love they hold in their hearts but seldom allow others to see and rarely distribute, that day men will find no need to understand women only enjoy, accept and cherish them. Then women will stop saying "Only gay men understand women". 

Pink shoes is for all the wonderful men to bridge the distance between trying to understand women to celebrating life with them, as fathers, brothers, friends, lovers, husbands and sons. Wear the shoes, pause, look a bit deeper, think a bit differently and walk the talk.

Blue Ties: On the other hand the day women swim freely in the blue they will accept without prejudice that a large part of us is emotional than logical so why then are we still explaining, validating or justifying ourselves. We need to embrace freedom without fearing it or criticizing it. Then we will be able to appreciate why men don't need a single day to celebrate manhood, simply because they have chosen to be free everyday; not to please anyone and nor do they seek permission for it. 

Women will then understand that in freedom many things seem clearer; choices, preferences, voice, strength and power. We will stop calling each other soul sisters when we don't think for a moment before tearing at each others throats to keep a man or fight for his attention. Why the cat fights for a man? 

The presence of freedom is the absence of fear, that day we will stop wanting to please men, seek their approval or work on constantly looking better for them. That day we will stop making everything about men and start making things about ourselves.

Our choices will come from a place of confidence not  "Am I good enough for him?" and we will move to a place of love and respect for self and others. That day we will understand blue (men) and why they do the things they do. Then men will have no reason to either lie or feel rejected for their honesty nor will they need to uphold an image of perfection or say things to please us but they can say things as they are, without being scared of offending us.

Women will seize to be the hunted since we will understand the tricks of the hunter, as well as his reasons to hunt. 

Blue ties is for all the gals, don't be ashamed of your emotions but please note that men have emotions too and being a man is not an easy job either. Men are the ones we turn to for many things; physically, emotionally and socially. Men fuel our dreams and fantasies and lets not forget that the fairy tales have not made it easy for them either. 

Sometimes the knot of the tie gets pulled real tight, especially when the pressure button is switched on. So ladies please wear blue ties and enter a man's world, take a walk around everything is not as simple as we think, when we think men.

The battle of the sexes disappears the day we put ourselves in the others shoes then we appreciate, understand and have new heights of rewarding experiences both with our own gender as well as the better halves.

Pink and Blue,

there's a lot more to explore about me and you. 

Pink and Blue,

we are in this together me and you.

Until then it continues to be a raging war between pink and blue and the feminist and male chauvinists continue to fuel fires and fan flames. 

No longer a Caterpillar

I am a butterfly, risen from the ground to the strength of flight. No longer a victim of gravity am I, for the skies embrace me now.

 

No longer do I crawl and live in the sand, today the breeze kisses me and the sun warms my wings encouraging me onwards.

No longer do I have feet, since I have a pair of wings.

No longer is my skin shades of brown for now I am a brilliant shade of blue.

Destiny planned this life cycle for me, life is bursting to happen and the sky is waiting to be taken on.

Why then does the world expect me to be a caterpillar again, to crawl everyday when I can fly, to be a victim of gravity, when I am free ready to take on the skies.

Why should I allow caterpillars to define my journey and why expect them to understand my metamorphosis, for they never will till they themselves are transformed. Then they will know, for then they too will see what I see, the day they become like me.

A butterfly I am, this is who I am, to soar in the sky, flow with the breeze, drink the dew from flowers and spread joy wherever I go.

I choose not to return to what I have left behind, for here and now, is who I am.

The life of a butterfly is far better than that of a caterpillar, since a butterfly is a result of change and a  caterpillar is a life in transit filled with pause and plea, waiting for the miracle of change to happen; metamorphosis.

Change is beautiful when embraced it sets you free and makes you more beautiful than you can ever imagine yourself to be.

A butterfly I would rather be, than a caterpillar dreaming of a butterfly's life, which sadly a caterpillar will never be able to see.

No words can describe liberation from gravity or shedding old skin for new wings or replacing crawling with flight. Only experience of the journey can replace words, which is so spectacular that there is no need for words anymore.

Change is lovely and as I fly in the sky I enjoy my freedom, this life is opportunity given to me.

I am a butterfly and gladly a caterpillar no more. 

The two best words ever: Thank you

Wonderful two words for all the people visiting our lives and people moving on from there onwards.

Thank you for coming in my life and adding to it. The duration of stay is irrelevant since the contribution made, outweighs time.

Thank you is two words of joy, when we think of all the people who filled our cup; brought a smile on our face, taught us some lesson, held onto our hand a few seconds longer, gave us a hug of comfort, taught us to cry again, dreams which were a bit dusty and rusty became clear, gave flight to us when we were paused and made a simple kiss more effective than any anti aging cream, since it was filled with love.

People have given us so much in simple and quiet ways everyday but only a few get documented. Gestures of care and affection go unnoticed, unacknowledged in the fast pace of the world we live in.

For all those words, moments and experiences these two words summarize it best, yet leave us room to swim in those moments whenever we want, whenever we feel and whenever we think of all those wonderful people (Relationships with tags and especially those nameless ones that don’t warrant any tag) entwined their aura with ours.

Thank is a word of gratitude, appreciation and filled with soul. The word You, is celebration of the people, their presence or absence in our lives and the magic they created, which we cherish and carry with us each day. They touched and filled us with their small bits.

A small moment may last longer than years and years can be summarized in a moment, that's why Thank You is a fit for both and does justice to both.

This is the most beautiful gift to be given to people presently in our lives, for we never know which moment will be our last so why lose out on giving our loved ones this gift today and everyday, truly the best vitamin recommended for all ages.

Thank you is also the best parting gift for those passengers on a train called life, since each one of us has to exit at our respective station, why leave without giving this beautiful gift (relationships in motion and transit) to remember us, for joy no matter how small or big has added something to our lives.

Their presence did brighten the day, despite the lights going off at some point. No matter how long or dark the tunnel, we did start in light and will be back in it once the tunnel is over.

So why hold on to pain, longing, need and disappointment when things end, those are reactions of the mind, ego and self image not the warmth of the heart, where memories are forever moist and young.

The end is only a new beginning so why not say thank you with a big smile, you never know we might meet them again when all roads meet at some place.

Life is brilliant for each goodbye there is a new hello but both entry and exit is more brilliant when we say thank you.

There is so much to be grateful for each day if we were to ever count we would run out of paper and the only two words would be thank you.

Lets not waste another moment without this joy and above all without giving it (saying it) to all those who have touched our lives.

To you all and my all: Thank You.

Types

Human beings are not a type, there is nothing called a type.

We are a sum total of the choices we make each day, that make us who we are. When we bond with like-minded who have the same opinions or experiences as us then it gets termed as a type. Hence, the birth of classifications; clans, associations, groups, sects, fraternities, denominations, etc.

The power to overthrow clanism rests in us, when we set ourselves free from the prison of our own minds and look deeper in self awareness which is the first step towards self empowerment. We can be different from who we were, depending on what we choose here and now.


Choice and Change are two sisters like Cause and Effect. No choice is without an effect and all choices bring a course correction either to a new high, low or worse being a build up till the outburst.

Change is difficult but not impossible. To swim, one has to get wet so why not welcome change and allow it to rain over us. Firstly, change alone is constant and secondly one can either go with the flow or be broken by it.

Choose not to let patterns or types define self. Every choice one makes can liberate them from generalization to broadcast a freshness of Self.

The day we choose not to be residents of a mould, we will become empowered not to place others it nor be held prisoner by it.

Choose not to be a type, permit the mind a chance to be free; in freedom great things happen.

My shoes tell many stories...

My shoes tell many stories about me, my moods,adulation, embarrassment, moments of doubt, the small prayer before the beginning of the day or a night that refuses to end, the silly crush on people and things as well as other hidden moments (the odd things a girl would like to cover up here and there, before others can see) also my preferences and the catty moments, which every girl would know best.

There is an evening for a stiletto when we want to stand tall, comfort in pumps for shopping, support from platforms to get the height but not the backache and designs to match one of the many varieties that womanhood represents.

Then there is always a Cinderella slipper waiting to happen to every woman, perfect in design, fit, color and style, the one love that each woman dreams of having, at least fairytales come true when its about shoes.

The way we stand in our shoes also tells about the moods we are in, when blushing or shy it’s cross legged, one foot behind the other (in retrospect: perfect for the magical first kiss also), when confident and ambitious the ballerina feet (together always), when tired and clumsy the open toe stand (fingers crossed nobody noticed).

My shoes feel me, hold me, carry me through the day and the unexpected surprises life throws at me. My shoes know me and like me, all woman have a deep relationship with their shoes...

For times when we were too busy to say, here it comes, "I love my Shoes; today and everyday"