Karma is not a Bitch, You are!

"Action and Reaction are opposite in direction and equal in magnitude"

"As you sow, so shall you reap"

"What goes around, comes around"

"Life is like a boomerang; what you throw, returns to you"

The concept of Karma works parallel to this thoughts. Karma is not a magic or physical thing, it is something spiritual. Karma is not about vengeance, punishment or retribution, it is simply about reaping what you sow. 

The concept of Karma is misinterpreted, misunderstood and misused often by us. Karma is not a linear approach for retribution, it is multidimensional. Human actions are at the base of concept of Karma and the intention with which those actions are carried out. Sometimes it is also possible that the accrued Karma is carried on to next incarnation. The Buddhist concept of Karma focuses on volition and thus, it is our responsibility to be fully aware and conscious of the intentions behind our action. Your Karma, good and bad, is accrued over the lifetime and it returns to you somewhere, sometime. 
Karma is not solely about action but about the intention behind the action. A doctor who performs surgery cuts the body as an act of healing while a stabbing with a knife is an act of anger. Both actions are same but intentions are opposite and so is Karma.Karma is a threshold that guides our action. 

Karma is a guide to wholesome and harmonious living. It is similar to an ecological way of life. The rubbish or pollutants we throw out into our precious planet do not actually disappear but come back to haunt us and give us diseases. On the other hand, if we care for and purify our environment we live a more pure and healthy life.
Source: Tovana.org

Our actions and thoughts not only affect us but also others around us and that sends Karma into an endless loop. Your one harmful action can bring greater harm to people around you and the same will get back to you because, in the concept of Karma, nothing is ever lost, everything comes back to you. 

Karma is about action and reaction but it always provides us a window for change and improvement. Actions can be rectified and Karma can be changed. Karma wants us to be conscious and take responsibility for our action otherwise it will keep coming back to you until you become wise.

About karma:

1. The ability to distinguish right from wrong. When we practice devotional service, the Lord as the Supersoul in our heart grants us the knowledge to make the right choices. All of us can, at some time or other, hear the voice of conscience (vivek buddhi). When we start doing something wrong, the voice from inside warns, "Don't do this." When we want to do something right, the voice says, "Yes, do this now." When we practice devotional service and chant the holy name of Krishna, this inner voice becomes stronger, guiding us to make the right choices in life. Thus devotional service can grant us the knowledge to gradually become disentangled from all karma.

2. The determination to do right and avoid wrong. Devotional service saves us from (a) doing further bad karma and (b) the craving to do bad karma. It gives us the inner satisfaction that enables us to say no to all the sinful pleasure of this world. Thus, we not only know the right choices, but we also get the willpower to make those choices.

3. The lessening of sinful reactions. Certain reactions are destined to come to us from the past. But devotional service reduces those reactions. Instead of the complete reaction, the Lord gives devotees a token reaction so that they don't forget the miserable nature of this world.

4. The inner strength to face suffering. Whatever residual karma comes upon us, devotional service grants us the strength to tolerate the suffering. The more spiritually advanced, the more the devotee experiences the reality of this protection from Krishna. So externally, pure devotees may seem to be in pain, but internally, because of their remembrance of the holy name, they don't feel the suffering.

Source: Krishna.com

Master Po

Most of the people might just ignore an animated movie thinking that they are made for the kids but those sane enough to watch this movie have an opportunity to take away more than just entertainment.

To me, animated movies make more sense than any other movie. Don't look at these movies as just movies for kids, change your perspective and you stand to gain a lot.

Recently, I watched Kung-fu Panda 3 and what the Kung-fu Panda series teaches us is more profound than we can think:

#Never Give up on your dreams: If Po had given up on his dreams, he would have never become the dragon warrior



#There are no accidents: You don't become great by accident. It's your hard-work, dedication, and belief that will sail you through.



#Don't let others tell you what you can or cannot be: Had Po taken the criticism of the Furious 5 seriously, he would have never made the journey to greatness.



#There is no secret ingredient: There is nothing magical in this world that makes you special, you become special only by believing in yourself.



#Turn your weakness into your strength: We all know how Po learnt his Kung-fu!! 



#There is just news, good or bad is our thinking/Perspective



#Inner peace: Once you make peace with your past, there is nothing that can stop you from gaining inner peace.



#Team Work: Sometimes, you cannot take down the villain alone, you need a team.

#You are what you choose to be: “Your story may not have such a happy beginning. But that doesn’t make you who you are. It is the rest of the story, who you CHOOSE to be” -Soothsayer

#"If you only do what you can do, you will never be more than you are now": Keep pushing yourself, keep exploring your abilities and form new limits. You are more than you think.

#Family will always be there:#Family will always be there: When Kai attacks the village, the whole Panda family comes together to beat him and ultimately masters chi. Others might leave you but family will always be by your side.

#Never let the child in you die: It makes facing difficulties easier.

#Give or Take: To receive, always give.

#Don't hold your emotions back: Let it flow...

When life makes you fat, train yourself to be like Po!!

What are your learnings?

The right time is called "Right Now"!

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.

 The second best time is now. 

-Chinese Proverb

We waste too much time waiting and thinking about the "right time" to start something new, to deviate from the usual, but unfortunately that "right time" either never arrives or arrives too late.

"I am waiting for the right time to start my business."
"I will quit/change my job when the time is right."
"I will confess my feelings at the right time."
"It is not the right time to take the next step."

The time is never going to be right, you have to make it right by taking a step forward. You cannot gauge standards, criteria or condition before taking the next step, it is never going to be perfect. Often what holds us back is the idea of ideal situation, the fear of failure, ambiguity over options and sometimes complete blankness over "What next!?" Most of the times, we become obstacles for ourselves and lay blame over situations and other external factors.

The most irritating part is we don't know where to begin, but unless you step onto the ground, how would you know from where to begin?

Quoting Ranbir from Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani:

"Kahin pahunchne ke liye kahin se nikalna bahut zaruri hai."

We are Jugaadu public. So when it comes down to our throat, we will find a way. After all, necessity is the mother of invention. But if you keep waiting for the right time, you will keep waiting forever and all you will have in the end is regret. There is always a risk involved with making some decisions and that's what holds us back, but without risk, there can be no return.

“Life me sabse bada risk hota hai..koi risk na lena.”– Barfi

When you don't take a step forward, you are not growing. You will end up being stuck in the same place, with same complaints, waiting for the rigt time. So, if you want to quit your job, do it now. If you want to travel, do it now. Surprise yourself. 

Just say,"I quit" and walk out like a boss. You have more freedom than you think. You can do more than what you think you can.

It is better to try and fail than to regret it for rest of the life.

Second chance?

“The first time people show you who they are, believe them.”

People change, but only their priorities, they cannot change who they are. A scorpion cannot resist from biting. So when a person show their true color to you, you have to understand the capabilities of the person and the darkness in their characters.

The journey from adolescence to adulthood has been one hell of a ride. I have lost many friends who i thought were forever. But life so far, has taught me second chances are costly.

The person who has betrayed you once, will not refrain from doing it again. It's in their character. Most of the people out there have their own agendas, own priorities and own motives. It's like tying an anchor to your feet and expecting others to sink. If you keep mean people in your life knowingly, they will be instrumental in your destruction. Blind trust can be fatal so trust but verify. Gone are the days of  innocence and friendships without motives. It's a rare occurrence.

I neither believe in forgive and forget nor in second chances. I am very naive and trusting and i welcome you with open arms and i will put my heart before you. 

But if you mess with me or show insincerity towards me, then we are simply done. I am a peaceful person and hate limelight, so there will be no drama, no action, just an end.

I can handle petty things but if you decide to cheat me, backstab me or take me for granted then I will walk out straightaway.

Some losses are heavy but no loss is irreparable or irreplaceable. Sometimes when i meet or come across the people i have lost, there is strange pinch in the heart but it's just for a while. The flashback always ruins the present.

But still there are no second chances with me and it is for my own good. I cannot blame anyone else if let such people stay in my life and ruin it. It's easy to move on. Empty spaces can be filled but bruised heart cannot be healed. 

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. 

I still sometimes think about giving them a second chance, but then there is another thought "Are they really worth it?" People are selfish, people seek convenience and people have priorities and i am fine with it, but i am not a toy to play with or to entertain you. Whatever regrets i had about losing people evaporated quickly when I realized how important i am for myself and how damaging they were for me. 

If you don't love and respect yourself, who will?

Though there will be some people whom you cannot resist to give chances again and again no matter how damaging they are. I regret those decisions. But for everyone else there are no second chances because i put myself above everything else.

Quarter life crisis?

We all share a common thing which is quarter life crisis and that's why I feel, we will connect better.

Quarter life crisis is a phase where you find everything useless and every action futile. You indulge in self doubt and you endure a great deal of uncertainty about your future. You doubt your actions, choices and decisions. 

The career choice you have made suddenly has a question mark because you feel your efforts aren't taking you anywhere. You start to think (rather doubt) about your career and it's prospects. The life shaping decisions you have made pertaining to people, friends, job etc. won't let you settle down. 

We think we are working hard, we are struggling to cope up with the circumstances of our life, but it's not the case. We are going through a process and for a fruitful future, we need to trust the process. We are yet to face the struggles of real life and we are yet to work hard. We have to decide what we want to become, a doormat or a matador. Evolution, change and growth are all a lengthy process and after the process is over, the real challenge starts. This is a testing and cleansing phase where you are tried and tested. 

So calm down. There is nothing wrong with you, your career, your life and your decisions. It's just a sandstorm that's making your vision blurry, give it time to settle down and you will have edens before you. If you want to see how your life shapes up, go with the process and don't quit.

Anything and everything that can go wrong, will go wrong and let it be that way. For anything to rise, it has to fall first, for anything to be right, it has to be wrong first. So again, trust the process.

Everything will fall in place when the time is right.

"Don't you worry child, see heavens got a plan for you.."

Why to have a Bucket list?

Daily life is stressful and monotonous but to keep going we need something motivating, something inspiring, something exciting, something that drives you not to give up.

Most of the times we don't know why we are doing what we are doing and that is why we need a goal to bring clarity in life.

Also, many a times while we are working towards our goal, we compromise on our dreams. A bucket list is a perfect way to remind you of it.

You should exactly know what you're working for in life.

A bucket list is a simple to-do list with extraordinary wishes, desires and dreams. As good it is to have a bucket list, it is also important to see not to let it get on your nerves and depress you.

All said and done, why you should have a bucket list?

Remember your goals/dreams:

Sometimes we get so overworked in life that we lose track of our dreams, goals and aspirations. A bucket list will constantly keep on reminding you what you want to do in your life.

Management and efficiency:

Once you know what you're working for in life, you bring discipline in your life naturally. You work efficiently and try to manage your finances, time in the best possible way.

Excitement in life: 

When you cross a thing on your bucket list it's a wonderful feeling. The sense of accomplishment and achievement sends a chill down the spine and it's a must have experience.

Overcoming shortfalls:

When you are not able to cross a thing on your list, you introspect and try to find a solution to the problem. 

Happiness, memories, and purpose:

It's not always necessary to have big things on your list, sometimes little things bring more happiness.

Things like writing a poem once, buying an old radio, gifting something to parents etc. these things may sound small, but the happiness achieved in immeasurable. Though you might not achieve everything on the list, but you will live a memorable life with whatever you have achieved.

TIP: Don't let the pressure of bucket list get on your nerves. It is meant to drive you towards your goals and dreams and keep up the excitement, not to drive you towards depression.

Excerpts from my bucket list:

• Learn photography
• Write something- DONE
• At least 2 trips a year- In Progress
• No job, only business- DONE
• Buy something for everyone from first income: DONE
• Make a business plan: DONE
• Help somebody: DONE
• Try something new every year: Recurring
• Learn a musical instrument
• Expand car collection to 35
• Collect 50 books
• Stay away from FB: DONE 
• Own a Mercedes
• Travel lavishly
• Have bodyguards

So have you made your bucket list yet?

Criticism Vs. Sarcasm Vs. Satire

According to Merriam-webster dictionary:

Criticism is the act of expressing disapproval and of noting the problems or faults of a person or thing
&
Sarcasm is the use of words that mean the opposite of what you really want to say especially in order to insult someone, to show irritation, or to be funny
&
Satire is a way of using humor to show that someone or something is foolish, weak, bad etc.

Criticism, like cynicism, is also an outlook. Criticism is to find something wrong, some fault with people or things. It cannot be said to be completely negative because sometimes it may also help in improving things.

Sarcasm meanwhile is a hurting dialogue disguised as harmless humor. It is generally meant to insult or disparage someone using irony and humor as means.

Satire can be called a combination of criticism and sarcasm. It uses humor to point out the bad things or faults in someone or something.

Criticism and sarcasm both are like spices. They suit when they are used in proper measures and if they are used in excess, they can spoil the taste. Criticism can have a more negative effect on psychology. While sarcasm is like a double-edged sword, it can be funny and  dangerous as well.
On the other hand, satire is a tasty dish prepared by adding both criticism and sarcasm. There are many issues that are so heavy and sensitive that they cannot be made understood by  bombarding sermons and philosophy, at such times satire comes handy. Because what intellectual people can't understand directly, has to be delivered disguised in stupidity.

Criticism can be good or bad, sarcasm can be funny and insulting while satire can be anything and everything. Try not to be so critical that you drive someone into self-doubt, try not to be so sarcastic that you start losing people and use satire wisely to awaken the people from slumber.

Are you cynical or skeptical?

Cynicism is “beliefs that people are generally selfish and dishonest.” A person who has cynical beliefs, or beliefs that people generally do things for selfish reasons, is called a “cynic”.

Skepticism is “an attitude of doubting the truth of something (such as a claim or statement).” Someone with this attitude is called a “skeptic” or is said to be “skeptical.”

How are they different?

Cynicism is an outlook and has nothing to do with evidence and cynics are more interested in rejecting things and opinions while skeptics like to contemplate things based on evidence. They doubt things they haven't experienced but aren't negative about it. 

A Cynic will say,"This option is never going to work. We will fail."

A Skeptic will say, "Let's see if we can come up with more options. Maybe other option will work better."

A cynic will follow his generalized beliefs and would directly take a negative outlook on things he personally disagrees with while a skeptic is a believer of evidence and won't decide anything unless he has contemplated all options.

A cynic says "I am sure this is a bad option"
A skeptic says "I am not sure this is a good option"

This clearly shows that cynicism is a negative and close minded concept and skepticism is a positive  and open-minded concept. Cynicism works on preconceived notions and general beliefs that are cultivated by the person while skepticism works on doubt and evidence.

I can be skeptical about government schemes, but I cannot be cynical about it because I don't have any proof for concluding my opinion. But I can be cynical about political leaders who, I think, do things with ulterior motives.

It's good to be a little bit skeptical about things in life because trust is a funny thing, but being cynical is not at all a good thing. It will make you more negative and make you distant from the right thing/person. Even in corporate life, being cynical won't get you anywhere but being skeptical will bring you near being right, if not right. 

It’s all about choices...

You are doomed to make choices. This is life's greatest paradox.

Wayne Dyer

Life is all about choices, some we are proud of and some haunt you forever, every day begins with a choice, a choice to be a warrior or a captive, a choice to win or to give up, a choice to take it or leave it and your day begins with making choices.

The choices that we make aren't always perfect but it's ok... It's part of the journey.

Hayley Williams

Why is it that we always have to make choices In life? Why can’t we just go on without making choices or by choosing all the options? This is one of the epic shit that burdens you with unwanted burden and regret for rest of your life. Sometimes the choices are easy to make and sometimes you feel it was better if I wasn't born.

When people have too many choices, they make bad choices.

Thom Browne

What is the best solution for it? No one has been able to figure it out, though there are some “scholars” who have a say at this. They believe that when you have to make choice where there is win-win situation, choose with maximum benefits and when its lose-lose choose the one that will cause less damage. Now imagine if you have to choose between a mother and a wife what the fuck are you going to do about it? You will leave home simple. What is more difficult to handle than to make choice is the chaos that arises before making the decision. The chaos hammers you so much and takes you down to the darkest and loneliest ally or even mountain cliffs.

Too often in life, something happens and we blame other people for us not being happy or satisfied or fulfilled. So the point is, we all have choices, and we make the choice to accept people or situations or to not accept situations.

Tom Brady

But it is also a proven fact that you are made out of the choices you make and whenever you make one, make sure you don’t have to regret it later because I personally know how difficult it is to lead a life of regrets and not everyone is lucky to get a second chance. And when you are not sure what to choose, don’t. Just don’t make a choice because you have to, sometimes there is a third option which exists.

In this life, we have to make many choices. Some are very important choices. Some are not. Many of our choices are between good and evil. The choices we make, however, determine to a large extent our happiness or our unhappiness, because we have to live with the consequences of our choices.

James E. Faust

We also get influenced by what people have to say to us or about us and we react impulsively but it’s not needed. They can say whatever they want but you have a choice to react and how to react. Impulsive decisions may make you feel like a brave warrior but when the impulse calms down, you feel all the whole stupid. And those who can influence us control us. Hear what others say, but choose your reaction to it wisely. Your mouth and brain may lead you in trouble but your ears won't.

If you make decisions based upon people's reactions or judgments then you make really boring choices.

Heath Ledger

Sometimes in life you also have to make choices that are going to affect someone else’s life in a way you don’t know, but sometimes choices have to be made. Someone’s life may depend on your choice to donate blood, and whatever you choose will affect the other person directly. Sometimes it easy to choose and sometimes you walk in blind ready to take the fire. You are going to make choices and decisions that sometimes aren't going to always work in your favor and they are going to upset some other people. Some choices we live not only once but a thousand times over, remembering them for the rest of our lives. Many of our choices have led to the predicaments we are presently complaining about, but its all art and part of life.

          Living is part of life, but choosing how is an art of life. Make choices, irrespective of good or bad, because it is only the result that tells us how our choice was. Be fearless; be open because what you choose today will shape your tomorrow.

Regrets you don't want!

 Bronnie Ware at http://inspirationandchai.com/Regrets-of-the-Dying.html.

According to the above mentioned blog the top 5 regrets people make on death bed are :

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I didn't work so hard.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

If we think carefully we all might end up having the same regret on our death bed. We are yet in our quarter life but we can relate to every regret listed above. 

Often we get frustrated of our life being orchestrated by opinions of others, views of others and expectations of others, so why don't we take a stand there for ourselves? Why can't we raise our voice to lead our life as we please? For once we will take up what others want us to, but will we be happy? Regret is an anchor. It never allows you to lead your life smoothly. It will keep you dragging back. Don't let yourself get torn between what it is and what it could have been. It's not pleasant.

As soon as we graduated, we were all worried about money because of sudden urge to be independent financially. We work hard, we work dedicatedly to make our life and the lives of people who depend on us financially but ultimately we end up having "No life". We work like an ass to build bank balance by making a trade off with subtle pleasures if life. We miss being with family, sharing happiness with them, having a hearty laugh etc. We are so much worried about future that we don't have time to reflect on happiness of present.

We all are so much worried about others that we suppress our feelings to maintain the relationship. Sometimes there is nothing left in a relationship, but we don't express it because we don't want to hurt. Sometimes we love someone very much but because of fear of rejection or spoiling friendship, we don't express our feelings. We always underestimate the understanding of the opposite person. Its better to express than to impress. We cannot control reactions of others but it is important to blurt out. Honesty always comes with a price, and here it may make your relationship better or set you free from a bitter one.

Life is a race and if you don't run fast, you will be consumed by the world. We just run blindly behind job, money, marriage, responsibility etc.. that we forget to spare time for ourselves and more importantly our friends. With most of us now already working, we might be experiencing that we don't have time to chat, we haven't caught up with a friend since many days, we feel aloof from friends. This is bound to happen and how you make time or whether you make time is up to you. Life will get busier with time and there is no better stress buster than old friends. Don't let them slip. 

You cannot learn to live, if you don't step out of your comfort zone. Most of the happiness we seek lie outside our comfort zone and its a matter of choice whether we explore them or not. Its just the beginning that seeks courage. Take the first step and everything else will follow on its own. Don't get stuck up in day to day things, allow yourself to be happy. Its your life and your choice, so choose what you want for yourself! Live free. Live happy. Make a choice. Now!

7 tips screw up your life.

If not anything else, we are all an efficient screw driver and so here I present few ways to put your skill to use.

High expectations: If you are living on ground floor, keep your expectations as high as the tallest building in the world. This shall help you ruin the relationship/friendship that matters so much to you. You don't need to be understanding, you just need to be understood. People are born to fulfill our expectations.

Validation: Always worry about what people have to say about you. It is important for you are born to please people and it will help you gain their love and attention, though eventually they are going to leave you for who you have become. Never make peace with who or what you are for self happiness means nothing.

Negativity: Whenever you are going to do something, always believe in yourself, always say you cannot do it. If you won't think so, there are volunteers who have made it their mission to infuse lack of confidence in you,

Leaving pasta for past: Present sucks, future is dark so why not dwell in past? And since we are dwelling in past, why not visit the tragic and unpleasant memories? As it is we are bad at remembering happy memories. Making present better is such a waste of time. Screw happiness, screw oneself. We have past because we should know where to look exactly when we are happy with our lives.

Hold grudges: Hold resentment. Hold anger. Make them pay for what they did to you. Build up the anger within you for it is affecting them. Never let go or wait for right time to strike in cold blood for it's too much time consuming and not at all fun. Why wait to screw ourselves up when we can do it right here, right now?

Runaway: Never say what you feel, never face your problems, never think about yourself. Runaway from everything and be sure everything will follow you to hell. Facing problems bravely and sorting them out is so plain boring and simple. Life is fun when its screwed and complex.

Don't do what you want: Living for oneself and following our heart is a tough thing to do. It has ups and downs but it somewhere makes us happy and keeps us satisfied. But if we are happy and satisfied won't the people have problems? Of course they will! So why not listen to everybody and follow them blindly? Why not shut the doors and windows to our brains and save energy while we have brains of others to run on? 

Downfall

Most of the time when we blame us or others for something that went wrong, we are wrong. Amidst every equation there is an undefined and unsaid element that exists which we fondly know as "Expectation". Expectations are really like weed which slowly engulfs the plant that you have sown and nurtured for so long. We humans are hungry for love, care and attention but we sometimes forget to give space and time to others. We are undoubtedly selfish and that's where we suffer. Our expectations soar too high too soon and when they are not met, we feel saddened and disappointed. Sometimes we realize that we are wrong but we cannot convince ourselves of that and we start to blame others. We are so desperate to be understood that we forget to be understanding. Expectations are two ways and its important to keep it balanced. No two people are same and nor are their expectations. What you have ordered is not what the other person wants to eat. But no matter whatever we say, we do, our heart is always successful in strong arming our mind. It's a tough battle between heart and mind and the worst part is, its a lose-lose situation for us. We all have learned it the hard way that expectations cripple relationships but again and again we cannot stop it from soaring to fill the emptiness in our heart. Nobody is here to live up to your expectations and nor are you here to live up to anybody's expectations. I expect that I will be able to free myself from the harms of expectation, but again I am expecting.

Disconnect to Connect

Give Indians something new and they will use to it to the extent of abuse. Ain't it true? Be it anything we Indians use it like its not going to be there tomorrow. And this is also the case with Social networking platforms. 

We have gotten so much addicted to these social networking platforms that we have lost sense of the real world. This addiction is the root for two major problems: Insensitivity and disconnection

From dining table to movies, friends to family, we are there but we are never present because we are into our phones either updating status or uploading a pic or sending a snap.

Our lives have become so much influenced and dependent on these platforms that it has hampered us psychologically. We seek approvals for others, we feel lonely, we feel inferior, we feel paranoid, we feel constant urge to check our phones and we are never in the real world. We live in parallel worlds: Real world and Virtual world. Everything from relationships to breakups have moved online. We become friends online,we fall in love online, we breakup online.

Gone are the days when families ate together and shared their lives. Gone are the days when friends met to discuss their joys and sorrows. Gone are the days when there were true friends. Gone are the days when we were happy being ourselves. The purpose of these platforms was to bring people closer, expand the horizon of people's world, infuse confidence in people who are introvert and shy but it has done greater harms than goods. It has made people drift apart mentally and made people more prone to dangerous mental hazards. 

People have drifted so much apart that we don't even call now, we whatsapp. We don't meet for coffee and talk, we poke and chat.We don't invite people over calls, we send invites on whatsapp and Facebook. All major events of our lives are now a public event. We don't hear stories of our parents or grandparents because we are busy knowing story of 100 irrelevant people on facebook. We might have 1000 friends on FB but we cry alone. We might have 400 contacts on whatsapp but we are still alone somewhere. 

Its sad that we are missing on important things in our lives because we are busy updating it our a social networking platform. How insensitive we have become? People take selfies with dead bodies, people let a woman fall from train because they are busy shooting the video of her fall, people don't call an ambulance because they have to click the pictures of accident first, people have become so selfish and self-centered that they have become blind to others problems. Social networking platforms have compelled us all to put up a charade and that is giving rise to frustration and depression within us.

If properly use these platforms are boon but if they are abuse they can take you down. When was the last time you had a family dinner without mobile phones? when was the last time you sat with your grandparents and you didn't have phone in your hand? when was the last time you talked to your friend looking into his/her eyes? When was the last time you enjoyed something thoroughly without taking pictures of it? Its high time we open our eyes and come back to real world. If we become any more insensitive than i doubt we can still be called human beings because without feelings, we are no good than robots. I am not saying that stop using these platforms, but use it to an extent that you don't lose your personal life to it. Meet friends personally, talk to them, share food without having phone on your side, pursue your hobby, be crazy without having pictures of it, feel the moments rather than updating about them on your wall, live. 

Regret is an anchor you cannot get rid of easily and it will keep pulling you back. Life will pass by you and you would still be updating status or chatting. Don't make your life a public event otherwise people will judge you by your cover (Read status, Dp, posts, pictures, likes and comments) and not by your content (Your true self). People will be gone, while you'll still be busy chatting on your phone. Your best friend will be a stranger, while you' ll still be counting friends on Facebook. You'll have your kids disconnected with you, while you'll be busy updating status about their achievements.

Awake, before its too late. Disconnect to connect. Save your world, save yourself, before you drift beyond help.

Leave your phone and laptops aside for few days and you'll realize that your friends and family are not bad people after all. ;-)

Watch these links and understand yourself better:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ae0tzVo8Fw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsFtVOABREo

Life has only one full stop!

“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.” 

― Robert Frost

Yeah it goes on and that's where the real essence of life lies. So when you go on a journey and if your car gets punctured on the way, what do you do? You remain stranded there or you change the tyre and move on with the journey? Move on, definitely. But now than you will argue what if it gets punctured again? You only have one spare wheel! Yeah but if you wish there are ways and means to continue with the journey like you can take a lift, you can reach a gas station and get your tyre repaired etc. The main point here is the will to go on.

So why do we act like it is the end of the world when we cannot achieve something we dearly want, be it a person or a thing? At an age where you are barely getting on your feet, you cannot expect everything to be disposed off at your feet. But what happens in this phase, what you go through, prepare you for the battle you are going enter soon. This phase will define your attitude towards life. You can either nag or be sad and waste your time like your world has ended or you can accept the fact and move on towards another goal.

I am not saying that you should be insensitive towards life and dreams, but you cannot allow people or things to control your life. It is not the only thing in your life. How can you waste your life being sad over a person you have only known for a couple of years and you cannot be happy for people who have been with you throughout your journey? The best thing about human beings is that we move on. Time heals everything, though sometimes the scars stay, but which warrior doesn't have a scar! 

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”
― Mae West

We all say 'You only live once' but we gotta understand it too. Life is too short to regret or be sad over anything, so yeah be sad for sometime if your feelings get hurt but then get up and get going. Nobody and nothing is worth your life. There's always a plan there for you but if you don't continue with your journey then you cannot see the things that are waiting for you on the way. If something is meant to happen it will. For simplification, know your priorities. Either you can stop living because you didn't get what you wanted or you can rub off the thoughts and move on with life. Sometimes we hype things so much and give them so much unnecessary importance that we start ignoring everything else around us. If you feel attracted to a girl, you will turn blind to your friends. If you want to get something, you will turn blind to every alternative available. Stubbornness and rigidity is good, but after certain level it turns back on you and you are the sufferer. 

“Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn't stop for anybody.” 

― Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

If you just broke up with your girlfriend or boyfriend, you will fill up buckets with your tears, behave crazy, stop eating, ignore your friends and the worst of it, you get inspired from freaking movies and behave accordingly. Bullshit. The sooner you accept the truth, the better it is for you. May be your efforts fell short, may be it was not meant to work out, may be either of you were unsure of your feelings, there can be 100's of reason as to why it didn't work out, but one reason outweighs everything against it that "Its a bump, not a dead end. You have to keep moving." And yeah if you think your love is too deep and passionate, you can retire to himalayas and let your love get freezed.

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” 

― Albert Einstein

Always remember, you won't end your journey with the same set of people with whom you had begun. People will change, people will leave but against it some people will stay the same, new people will enter your life and some people will never leave you. We already are short of time and we cannot spend our precious time on someone or something that isn't or doesn't wanna be a part of our life right? There is always a replacement to fill in the spaces in our life. Those who say it cannot, wait for a decade or so and you will know. 

“You cannot find peace by avoiding life.” 

― Virginia Woolf

So move on, live on because you only live once. 

There are pieces out there to fit the empty places in your puzzled life.

Wrong pieces will leave because they have to, but keep searching for the right ones.

It's your life, make it large.

“The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it's all that matters.” 
― Audrey Hepburn