Recently visited to India for a week and every time I visit Mumbai I can see the ever increasing number of people living in the city. It’s really amazing to experience the rapid change especially if you are away from the city for long time. I make a conscious effort to visit the city at least once in a year; else I will be gasped seeing the rapid changes in the city.
As my parents were going to come with me to UK, I took them for shopping in local Borivli market. First I entered the Swagat store which is famous for its high quality shoes and it was absolutely packed. I am not exaggerating but you could hardly make any movement, situation similar in Virar fast local train and you dared to board it at Borivli station. In England, I work my arse out in gym to see some sweat dripping from my body or sit in Sauna to experience what I was going through in that store. Within couple of minutes, I could feel sweat dripping from head to toes. Not complaining about the salesman in there but when I asked him to show size 10 in one of the shoe on display, he bluntly said that those are not rainy shoes and left in a hurry. I didn’t know how to react to the situation and could not do more than just laugh at the situation and walk out of the store. Probably, I was asking for wrong shoes in wrong season :)
I stood outside the store and kept watching the people entering the store and showing no sign of frustration and happily buying what they were looking for undeterred by the situation and inconvenience surrounding them. Probably all of them were inside to buy rainy shoes.
I wanted to visit a friend of mine who was just 4kms away from my place. The usual mode of transport for such a short journey is Auto rickshaw but to my horror, I end up spending 30 mins searching for Auto or rather convincing the driver to take me to that place. Finally got one and reached the place in less than 15 mins. An immediate comparison ran through my head; I drive to my sis who is 60 miles away from me and still reach in 45 mins in UK. Agreed that I have my own car here but even without a car, calling a cab and reaching destination is just a call away.
Was travelling from Borivli to Santacruz in an Auto Rickshaw one fine evening and on normal day it will take around 45 mins to reach the place. But with the ever increasing traffic it took almost 1 hour 30 mins to reach the place. Instead of getting bored sitting in the auto, I was chatting with the driver and no surprises here, he was a Bhaiya (no disrespect to UP, Biharis though, we are all used to this term now). I was really amazed by his attitude towards life. He showed absolutely no regrets in life for driving in such a polluted and populated city. He said, you guys studied and got a good position but we have not so we have to work hard to earn money. And he was ready to put that effort and still remain happy in life with whatever he has.
No wonder Mumbai is still running strong with people having never say die attitude. Even I was one of them and I make a conscious effort to keep that spirit alive in me.
Monday 5 July 2010
Thursday 3 June 2010
Enjoy the journey than the destination
People often keep running behind big things in life and in the journey they usually tend to forget or rather ignore small things that give you a sense of happiness and satisfaction. We all aim for high goals in life and why not? But at the same time we should enjoy the journey.
Last weekend was a long one and I had some wonderful moments in those two days. Along with all my friends, we drove to Lake District from Birmingham. Its around 3 hours drive and more than the destination, I would say the journey was memorable; Natural scenic beauty all along the way with wide open fields, high mountains and flawless grass fields. I always thought that Karan Johar makes larger than life movies with the settings almost non-existent. But I was living a dream throughout the journey and he proved me wrong. While our way to Carlisle we must have stopped innumerable times on the side road, just to enjoy the beauty. A lake touching the horizon at one end and embraced by mountains on two sides left a breathtaking view. To add on the special effects, could see few yachts sailing on the calm white water. Not far ahead from there, we came across a waterfall of 20 feet height; Needless to say that we had to take another halt there and admire the God’s creativity.
Our way back was more exciting as we had already planned and well prepared this time. We did a small trek to the waterfalls and then later on had a lovely barbeque on the river side. After reaching home, it made me realise how important the journey was rather than the final destination. We had more fun in small things on our way to destination which made the journey more beautiful and enjoyable. I guess if we apply the same theory to our life, then there won’t be a dull moment at all. Try to find happiness in every small thing you do, it can be anything from making someone happy by doing a favour or watching Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Daredevils.
Always be considerate and happy about little things and achievements in life... they might end up being a lifetime for you!!!!
Last weekend was a long one and I had some wonderful moments in those two days. Along with all my friends, we drove to Lake District from Birmingham. Its around 3 hours drive and more than the destination, I would say the journey was memorable; Natural scenic beauty all along the way with wide open fields, high mountains and flawless grass fields. I always thought that Karan Johar makes larger than life movies with the settings almost non-existent. But I was living a dream throughout the journey and he proved me wrong. While our way to Carlisle we must have stopped innumerable times on the side road, just to enjoy the beauty. A lake touching the horizon at one end and embraced by mountains on two sides left a breathtaking view. To add on the special effects, could see few yachts sailing on the calm white water. Not far ahead from there, we came across a waterfall of 20 feet height; Needless to say that we had to take another halt there and admire the God’s creativity.
Our way back was more exciting as we had already planned and well prepared this time. We did a small trek to the waterfalls and then later on had a lovely barbeque on the river side. After reaching home, it made me realise how important the journey was rather than the final destination. We had more fun in small things on our way to destination which made the journey more beautiful and enjoyable. I guess if we apply the same theory to our life, then there won’t be a dull moment at all. Try to find happiness in every small thing you do, it can be anything from making someone happy by doing a favour or watching Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Daredevils.
Always be considerate and happy about little things and achievements in life... they might end up being a lifetime for you!!!!
Sunday 10 January 2010
What is Happiness?
Life is so unpredictable; at one moment you feel as if you want to live forever and at the other life looks very miserable and intolerable. Is this phenomenon created by God or it’s the wonder of human growth and development?
Life was so simple for our grandparents. If you try to understand their lifestyle, they were so much content in what they had in life. They use to find happiness in small things in every day to day life; never much thought about future and lived in present. Life has changed a lot since then. The moment you are born, the never ending race to secure your future begins. Even before you start your schooling, your parents have already decided what you have to be in life. If its India, then you have only two options; either doctor or engineer. And with the start of IPL, I guess many parents consider Cricket as a career too these days :)
You are always told throughout your childhood that if you don’t get good marks then your future is bleak and you won’t be Happy and will have to do a clerical or labour job all your life. You grow up with the same mindset thinking that if you become a doctor or engineer, you will get a good job and you will be Happy. In this journey, little you give any consideration to the real aspect of what happiness is all about. Now that I have become an engineer and settled in life, I should be happy according to the theorem set by our parents. But is that always the case for many of us?
I guess happiness is beyond being successful in life. Even a highly successful person in this world need not be happy. As rightly said by the great saint Ramdas
“Jagi sarv sukhi asa kon ahe vichare mana tuch shodhun pahe”
(No one in this entire world is completely happy)
When I was in India, all my friends were abroad and for me they all were happy in their life. Now after more than three years in UK, I feel I was happier in India than here. Now this state of mind is called as “Ajun Ajun” (it’s a Marathi word for more. And its my own invented term for state of mind :) ). If you achieve something in life, you start a new search for something better than what you have and keep chasing all your life and forget to enjoy the current state of achievement.
All I want to say is be happy in whatever you have because what you have many people struggle their whole life even to reach close to it. While writing this, all the time just one song was going on in my mind. It’s a Marathi song sung by Prashant Damle in Eka Lagnachi Ghost Natak. “Mala Sanga Sukh Mhanje nakki kai asta”. You would like it.
Life was so simple for our grandparents. If you try to understand their lifestyle, they were so much content in what they had in life. They use to find happiness in small things in every day to day life; never much thought about future and lived in present. Life has changed a lot since then. The moment you are born, the never ending race to secure your future begins. Even before you start your schooling, your parents have already decided what you have to be in life. If its India, then you have only two options; either doctor or engineer. And with the start of IPL, I guess many parents consider Cricket as a career too these days :)
You are always told throughout your childhood that if you don’t get good marks then your future is bleak and you won’t be Happy and will have to do a clerical or labour job all your life. You grow up with the same mindset thinking that if you become a doctor or engineer, you will get a good job and you will be Happy. In this journey, little you give any consideration to the real aspect of what happiness is all about. Now that I have become an engineer and settled in life, I should be happy according to the theorem set by our parents. But is that always the case for many of us?
I guess happiness is beyond being successful in life. Even a highly successful person in this world need not be happy. As rightly said by the great saint Ramdas
“Jagi sarv sukhi asa kon ahe vichare mana tuch shodhun pahe”
(No one in this entire world is completely happy)
When I was in India, all my friends were abroad and for me they all were happy in their life. Now after more than three years in UK, I feel I was happier in India than here. Now this state of mind is called as “Ajun Ajun” (it’s a Marathi word for more. And its my own invented term for state of mind :) ). If you achieve something in life, you start a new search for something better than what you have and keep chasing all your life and forget to enjoy the current state of achievement.
All I want to say is be happy in whatever you have because what you have many people struggle their whole life even to reach close to it. While writing this, all the time just one song was going on in my mind. It’s a Marathi song sung by Prashant Damle in Eka Lagnachi Ghost Natak. “Mala Sanga Sukh Mhanje nakki kai asta”. You would like it.
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