Success to me is a collective noun.!

Written by: ketaki Joshi.


I stood there,
Tall and strong,
And thought what a good job I had done,
Success was then embracing me,
Proud I felt, as I had won.

Then I felt that the trick was known,
The seeds were sown,
And I had grown.
So what can possibly stop me now??
Nothing I thought & I carried on.

Success to me was now the most beautiful abstract noun!

But it dint work,
And I blamed others,
With setbacks, do all remember their mothers?
Gradually, as I was sliding down the slope,
It proved to be the best escalator,
Today, I recognize success as a collective noun,
And since then I've never-ever had a frown.
For success ALWAYS denotes a good team work. :)

The beneficiary might be an individual,
But the path to success certainly requires a team.
At times the team is invisible,
At times your supporters might be humble,
That team of yours can be your family,
Or your friends might be your source of inspiration.
But success can never be a one man’s job,
Unless it’s a fiction.

So here we stand,
Taller and stronger,
Re-valuating the good jobs that we are doing,
Success is now embracing us,
Satisfied we feel, as we are winning.
Please Note: These thoughts are expressed by Ketaki Joshi, a resident of India, who loves blogging. Have a good day.!

What will the society say??

Written by: ketaki Joshi.

If I marry at the age of twenty,
they’ll frown upon the idea of an early marriage.

If I do it at the age of forty,
they’ll blame me for being finicky.

If I marry sometime in between,
they’ll presume it is merely for the heck of getting married.

If it is the second or third marriage,
they’ll conclude I fear being on my own,

And what if I don’t marry at all??
Will they doubt my adjusting skills?

well,
They’ll talk of me, and they’ll talk of you,
They’ll talk, irrespective of what we do.
they’ll only stop when we want them to,
As they are none other than me & you!
Please Note: These thoughts are expressed by Ketaki Joshi, a resident of India, who loves blogging. Have a good day.!

Flaunting the Forbidden Files:

Written by: ketaki Joshi.
There is a mysterious pleasure, hidden in doing things that are forbidden. Acting contrary to the set patterns and flaunting about it, is the most in thing. It always has been, and for some unknown reason shall continue to be. A perfect example would be the line “It is good to be bad” from one of the recent films.

A lot of people, tactfully pick up episodes from their past and initiate a talk on how notorious they used to be and how they were almost rusticated from the school for being a brat. Nobody wants to be tagged as a criminal but there are countless individuals who like showing off their disobedient side. It probably, gives them a sense of joy and achievement and is certainly a reflection of their diverse experiences.

Most men, prefer being uncomfortable with too many rules around. They believe, not being in sync with the rules, is a sign of a free soul. What is so free about it, is something I leave for you to ponder. It is the happiness, that they seek from such pretense, which keeps me from discouraging them.

Well on a lighter note, when I have people complaining about the suffocation they experience because of the home discipline or the rules in general, I feel the need of suggesting them to opt for meditation. Probably, that might help??

I wonder why abiding by laws is such an underrated act.
Why is it so bad to be good and ideal??
Why is smartness often associated with how well one can lie?
Why is the abusive language so popular?
People are constantly trying to prove their evil side. I find people boasting about their blunders. In such a world when a man makes an effort to be good, he is sarcastically called a saint.

It is the human nature to explore what is forbidden. The degree of temptation has direct nexus with the level of restriction and to fall for such temptations is natural. On the other hand abiding by rules needs immense understanding not just of the laws but also of your inner self. However the concept of being good is considered to be an idealistic way of living, distinct from the real world.

Well, flaws are inevitable. To have the guts of doing what the masses disapprove of is a sign of bravery. However I feel there is nothing so splendid about being a law abiding citizen and there surely isn't anything so insightful about being illegal. You don’t become out of the world because you have survived an illegal adventure. Neither of it is difficult. It is only a matter of choice.

There is an old saying, “ Well behaved women seldom make history.” Unfortunately this has been followed by so many that now times have changed.
Today you will have to be well behaved if you have the desire of standing out.
Flaunting the Forbidden Files will not Fetch you Fame Forever..
Please Note: These thoughts are expressed by Ketaki Joshi, a resident of India, who loves blogging. Have a good day.!

Cavity in my Heart..!!

Written by: ketaki Joshi.

All I wanted in my life,
Was a guarantee,
Of you being there, within my sight,
Instead I felt a cavity.
I felt it deep, in my heart,
Somewhere down, cried a part,
Against my soul it hit so hard,
How was I gonna deal with this agony?

Till this date, I feel the same,
Failing to understand whom to blame,
Oh! Tell me Lord, what can I pay?
To bring back my yesterday???

However, I do realize that I need to say goodbye,
Oh, I so wish even I could die,
As nothing has ever kept us apart,
I continue my survival with a Cavity in my Heart…
Please Note: These thoughts are expressed by Ketaki Joshi, a resident of India, who loves blogging. Have a good day.!

[The characters in this poem are fictitious. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.]

Take it with a pinch of salt..!!

Written by: ketaki Joshi.
Uncle Ben would often visit India for work! However his last visit was superior to the prior ones. Every time he was greeted with a welcome card and this trip was no exception. It was a beautiful painting. An exquisite card indeed! He always had deep appreciation for such warm gestures though he knew it was only a routine, a standard welcoming style.

Later in his hotel, he accidentally saw the back of the card and felt a lump in his throat. There was complete silence. After a while he got up only to make a few calls and arranged for people who could have taken him to an NGO that was luckily nearby. Uncle Ben would have taken the efforts of going, even if it was located far away. All he knew was he had to go.

The ordinary looking NGO was over crowded. The issues and reasons for being a part of the organisation were multiple. However most looked happy and positive. It appeared as genuine happiness! Happiness that one feels from within.

“I have this card with me. It has the name of your NGO. That is how I came here. It says that the painting is done by mouth and foot?”
“Yes..! It is.! We have very good artists here.!”

15 minutes later Uncle Ben was lucky to meet a bunch of those artists! All had lost their arms. The reasons looked irrelevant. He was in India for 5 days. Daily he took out an hour to be with these artists. There was a magnetic force that was pulling him towards them.

“In spite of all the odds, most of you are smiling. That is very nice. I wonder how you manage this all the time. Can you please explain me how you do it?? You guys are the real heroes.” He suggested on his last day.
Uncle Ben is an expert when it comes to self help. He himself has always been a very happy man, and has inspired and guided a few thousands on how to live a happy life. However every time he meets a happy man, he cannot resist the idea of asking him the secret to his happiness. The pretense of not knowing, leads him to understanding that different shades of joy.

“Well” one of them spoke up “ I don’t think there is anything heroic in what we are doing. I sit here and look at others and I realize how lucky I am.
In India, We are not allowed to waste food. We have to eat everything that is cooked. You are expected to finish everything that is served on your plate irrespective of whether you like it or not. So we finish off things that we do not like and keep the best dishes for the last. We enjoy every bit of it that way and our meals end on a good note.
This life is like the plate, a combination of good and bad. Yes, what has happened to me is depressing but I am glad I am done with my part of disappointments at an early age. Now what I am left with is only happiness."

This idea was very refreshing for Uncle Ben. There was an innovative fusion done by this strong man of “Happiness” and ‘food”.., two areas of his interest. Who says you need hands to be strong?

Uncle Ben left India with great memories and yet another real example of living happiness from within.
However what never left his mind was the haunting line..,



“The faster you learn the trick of taking life with a pinch of salt, the tastier will it be.."
Please Note: These thoughts are expressed by Ketaki Joshi, a resident of India, who loves blogging. Have a good day.!

Accept it as a compliment..!!

Written by: ketaki Joshi.
She was weeping as she held the receiver firmly with her long fingers. Uncle Ben was at the other end, trying to console her. She wasn’t very sure of what was making her cry. Was it her husband who was taking her for granted or was it simply the soothing voice of her uncle. She wanted to be a part of the conversation but for that she wasn’t too attentive . Plus it was really hard to cry as well as talk at the same time.

There were tiny episodes that were popping up in her head, that she had to share with uncle Ben just to re-emphasis the endless ways in which her husband was wrong. In the process she was missing out what he was sharing.

“So accept it as a compliment” concluded Uncle Ben and then he paused.That was the only highlight of the conversation.
“What? What did you just say?”
“I said, if he is taking you for granted that is an invisible compliment for you. I wish you had the vision to see it.”
“Can you please elaborate?” she requested. After 4 months of excessive fights, conclusions, retrospection this was something new for her. Suddenly now she was talking.
“I think Uncle Ben, an illustration would make it easier for me to comprehend the whole idea.” she suggested hoping what she was asking for, made sense. ‘I don’t want to make a fool of myself by demanding something that he has already spoken.’ She thought.

"sure sweetie, anything for you! Do you know even the laws indirectly encourage you to take your loved ones for granted?"
“Noo! Really?”
“Yes darling! Really!
Suppose I casually promise a car to my employee. The judges will conclude that the possibility of me having an intention of contracting is high, as only an idiot would promise such a thing to an employee, without really meaning it. Hence making it enforceable.
On the other hand, I promise a car to my wife and I seriously intend to buy her one. However for some reason I cannot, later we fight and then she sues me. Now the judges will say as a husband I did not intend to get into a contract with my own wife. There is no contract between the two that can be enforced. There is only a promise. Hence she is taken for granted by the law merely cause she is my wife."
“Wow.! I was not aware of such discrimination.”
“The reason why I told you this is I want you to understand..”
“What?"
“ That you can only take your loved ones for granted. I know it is very hard to be at the receiving end, but the intentions of the doer are in fact nil."
“ Uncle Ben, I will never say it was deliberate on his part on any of the occasions , but it hurts and makes me wonder if I am no more important.”
“Rather than focusing on HOW he has been with you,
shift your attention to WHY he could take you for granted.!
The answer is evident. There are not many whom he can. In reality, I guess you’re the only person whom he can and you must let him. If you let him, some day he will change.”
“yeah, I partially get your point .” She really was. That moment was magical. Her anger was dissolving.

Uncle Ben continued, “when I have too much of work, I presume my wife and kids will understand, and they do. The result is I am happy for being understood and they are satisfied as they truly understand my real issues. I take them for granted not because they aren’t important but on the contrary they are the only people who belong to me and to whom I belong. I can afford such a luxury and enjoy such leniency only with them. I always wanted at least one person on this planet who will not mind being taken for granted and now I am blessed with three instead.
Moreover as they understand me I also feel an obligation towards them. I see to it that I don’t make them understand me every now and then. However this feeling comes ONLY when the person at the receiving end shows compassion. If you react, he’ll react and that is a vicious circle. When you are angry and hurt think of the love that made you marry him. Truly think of it and you will see how the love will help you swallow the anger."
“I see.”
“Every person is in search of a consistent relation. Most relations that end …….”
“Uncle Ben I have got your point.” It was VERY important for her to interrupt. Uncle Ben can just go on and on.
"Thank you very much. With the logic that you have just shared, there have been a million times when I have been complimented and now I’ll hang up so I can thank him and assure him that I am there besides him."

She wrote a note to her husband.-
Every time you will take me for granted, I will accept it as a compliment as it reminds me of how much you love me. Sweetie you are free to take me for granted whenever you want, I’ll understand. However don’t forget there are other ways of complimenting as well.” ;)
With lots of love,
Ur lovely wife who is back.

Her husband after that day seldom took her for granted and whenever he did she never felt it. Whether she made a fool of herself that day continues to be a mystery, but now at least she has the secret to happiness..
Please Note: These thoughts are expressed by Ketaki Joshi, a resident of India, who loves blogging. Have a good day.!

THE SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE TOWARDS GLOBAL WARMING….!!

Written by: ketaki Joshi.
While dealing with a complex idea (linking spirituality with global warming) of which very little has ever been written or read.., I will have to start with a basic assumption that the reader is aware of the concept of karma. If I get into the intricacies of this subject.., it would make d post too extensive for the readers.!

For those who do not know what it is.., a quick glance thru the video given below might give you an insight to this concept..



Th video is perfect and it aptly reveals that everything you do (karma- ur actions)comes back.. whether good or bad.., it comes back either in the form of fruits or punishments. Spirituality talks of holding a mid-way and ultimately it is through this balance that one effectively attains salvation also known as Moksha.

THE HIDDEN THEORY – There was a time when there were more animals and fewer men and they lived in small communities, so small n tiny, that virtually everybody knew each another.. It wasn’t the land of law. In fact there was never a need to spell the laws..

NOW, IDEALLY HOW THE CONCEPT OF KARMA SHOULD HAVE WORKED WAS- After living and taking countless births., in the form of various animals, at different levels and finally successfully attaining a life of a man, the soul would ultimately reach a point of salvation after taking a few more births. I shall explain in a nutshell what swami vivekanand has discussed in one of his writings, “ The journey of every soul starts at a point. It moves in a circular fashion and ultimately reaches the same point. Reaching that point, facilitates salvation.” Now the radius of this circular journey for each soul differs from another, depending on the karmas one does on the earth. For some it may be a tiny circle and for a few d circle might still be far from completion. However all circles will be complete in the fullness of time.

BUT WHAT HAPPENED INSTEAD WAS- man grew smarter, wiser, became voracious and he realised that he can do much more than just surviving. That is how with the development came fresh ideas, knowledge, power, growth.. Some used it for the betterment and some utilized it for furthering nastiness.

THE RESULT BEING- Men took much longer to reach salvation.., which also means, the number of births of a soul which ideally should start declining after being born as a man to complete the circle.., rather increased. He lingered for a longer time on the planet.

Meanwhile the souls trapped in the animals.., were being unchained and freed only to come back as humans. All of this was blowing up the population like never before, further resulting in more working brains, more developments and ample temptations to go wrong. For the man the attachments were multiplying rapidly.

Consequently man fell into this vicious circle and today is terribly trapped in this way of life. Every new generation is becoming more and more casual about the morals that once upon a time played the trick partially.

But as morals were fading slowly wit time.., there was law that was filling in the gaps until a time came when laws had completely overtaken morals. Today morals are packed away., referred only as guidelines of how a man ideally should or should not be.

Even the laws have not been foolproof as people under the pretext of experience are doing anything and everything ending up doing more of karma.., needing supplementary lives to pay for it, not realizing that someday they ought to start working towards salvation.. Moreover, earlier life of man was comparatively short. Now the life span of an average man has been enhanced with the aid of medical technology..!!

All this has resulted in accumulation of too many souls. It has become too crowded (like one says bumper to bumper it is human to human out here)and today more souls are trapped in the human bodies than animals resulting in an imbalance of the nature.

Well, God has been watching us all the while.. A scenario like tat of today, was surely thought about as a possibility long back by him.. Hence global warming was a fall back option. Very soon a stage will come, where only such lost, disobedient souls who have been lingering on the planet for ages.., would be the only remains on the planet and on such a day God will end the world under the alleged reason of global warming, cause their circles need to the reach a completion whether they like it or not.

Now if you are wondering if I m striking out science to prove the spiritual angle then that is a strong NO. I want to show in the subsequent paragraph, the beautiful relation that science and spirituality share.

If in case you associate miracles with god.., that is false.

Allow me to put it in plain simple words. Example-when a magician performs, the spectators feels the magic, they feel the miracle.. However for the magician n his assistants (who are also veiwing him just like the spectators).., it is a systematic, logical act that he executes.. Likewise, God ALWAYS works in an efficient and logical manner. We see that logic working everywhere in nature around us. Even within us. How our bodies work, how seasons change, how calamities happen.., are matters, that don't ‘awe’ us anymore, as today we have reached a stage, where we understand how and why a particular thing happens (like the assistants of the magician do).. Things that we fail to understand are tagged as “supernatural”. Not that they are miracles but as far as supernatural matters are concerned we are still playing the role of the ignorant audience. It is simply marvelous…, how science helps us understand spirituality.., as what we study under science is an extension of God.

God is indeed smart. As always, he is going the logical way.. Global warming is a concept which is very logical. We must be happy to be in a position to comprehend the happenings and visualize where it might lead. We must be on cloud nine to know how to stop it.. But as long as there isn’t a spiritual change in an individual, changing the world all of a sudden would be a task. Nah?? Still not getting? Well., not cutting the trees has a spiritual angle to it, only if you want to realize it. Walking down rather than using a vehicle again has a spiritual angle that is “simple living”. Ultimately it boils down to the basic primary lessons that are taught under the concept of spirituality, a glimpse of which you will get, if you go back to our pre-primary schools. Unfortunately what we learn as kids is easily forgotten. Spirituality is not just confined to God. It has a lot to do wit oneself, a lot to do wit karmas, a lot to do with your intentions.

Well.., This is an endless topic but I have to call it off, and all that I can say is please remember “ As you sow, so shall you reap.” A scientifically proven fact stirring a spiritual thought..

OHHH I so love the relationship that science and spirituality share.. :-)
Please Note: These thoughts are expressed by Ketaki Joshi, a resident of India, who loves blogging. Have a good day.!