Saturday, July 30, 2011

Lessons to remember....

As life meanders along at its own pace, we learn lessons that transform us. They are lessons that need to be remembered so that we dont make the same mistakes again. But often on, as we are left chasing our life and our dreams, we forget these lessons and waste our time making the same mistakes and creating problems along the way. Problems which need to be solved by us and mistakes which need to be rectified by us again. Sometimes, words of wisdom shine through like the first rays of sun penetrating the seemingly impenetrable darkness of the night. And then as the day progresses, we forget the brilliance of those first rays as we agonize about the sweltering heat.

And so I thought of writing down some of these nuggets of wisdom that I have realized over the years. Some are what I do almost always and I am putting them down here so that I never stop doing them. Some others are things that don't come naturally to me and am jotting them here so that they sink in a little deeper and make their presence felt. Some are things I wish I could do ...

1) Life is long but it becomes longer still when you have nothing to look forward to. Always keep dreaming. Never should there be a day when you are not desirous of something. I know this sounds trite, banal, consumerist and selfish but I think that we live well only when we have something to look forward to, something to learn and something to enjoy.

2) Sit down in silence every now and then. Spend some time with yourself everyday. It opens your mind even when your eyes are closed. Don't run from yourself, your fears, your pain, your joys, your ego, your evil... confront them because there is no escaping oneself.

3) Listen to the wind and the waters. Listen to the waves. Go to the ocean every time you can and spend sometime with waves. They somehow remind you of the transience of your stay and then all problems seem small.

4) Exercise as often as you can. Its how you can listen to your body. Its how you can listen to your heart and its how you can feel your blood coursing through your veins. Find your own passion and keep pushing the limits of your mind and body.

5) Stay healthy. The life of a challenged person is painful... and self inflicted harm is the worst you can do for yourself and your loved ones.

6) Appreciate people and compliment them whenever you can... This is not intended to encourage sycophancy but rather to acknowledge the good when it happens. It is almost always easier to find faults, to dislike people and to move away but try and find something to learn or look up to... It makes life easier and better !

7) Live with no regrets. Every time you make a decision, think of only one question. Will I regret it twenty years from now.

8) Never let your love for people be undermined by your need for them.

9) Always remember "This too shall pass !". You will survive everything that life throws at you if you show some courage and resilience.

10) Eat to live but always take a few moments everyday to appreciate the food.

11) Try and enjoy. Find moments to celebrate and revel in them. Try not to post-pone celebrations and feeling happy for the future. Who knows what it holds.

12) Try and live in the present but don't be blind to the past or oblivious of the future. Its difficult but keep trying.

13) Expectation lurks with hope. While hope helps you to survive and go from one difficult day to another, expectations sneaks in with hope and leaves you distraught more often than not.

14) Pamper yourself even if there is no one to do it for you. Indulge in that occasional cheesecake or mousse and let your mind feel happy without any fear or guilt.

15) Never judge a book by its cover and a person by his appearance. Wait for the final verdict till you speak to them.

16) Be a good friend and human being but never let anyone trample you in the name of friendship.

17) Read... because sometimes escapism is the best medicine... !!

18) Learn to say no. Learn that you can die for the people you love but you cannot live for them.

19) Laugh like there is no one around.

20) sleep like a baby and work like a bull.

21) Listen to everyone, think, ponder and then do what seems right.

22) Listen to your instincts. Sometimes it knows more than what you know.

23) Accept people for what they are and not for what they can be or what you think they should be.

24) Its hard to watch loved ones err in front of you but sometimes you have to just watch. Everyone has their lessons to learn and sometimes the best thing you can do is to be there when they fall.

25) Never stop dreaming... !!

26) Find someone to tell you how much they love you and learn to tell people how much you care !

27) Criticism helps you improve but a little praise is what keeps you going ahead.

28) Our lives are governed by randomness. In a perfect world, there is an equal probability of heads or tails. But, sometimes, the results are biased because of an uneven surface or a bend in the coin or an uneven flip or the wind currents.... sometimes, you may keep losing. But given enough chances and coin flips, you will eventually reach where you want to.

29) Find the child in you and keep him close. As the world unleashes its fury, don't let him run away.

30) Love yourself for what you are and strive to be better....

31) Learn to enjoy solitude. You are your best companion.

32) Try to understand things around you for what they are. Stay curious.

33) Stay away from lies but try not to hurt people with the brutality of the truth.


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