Arabian nights

Our Arabian nights finally culminated for the time being! Not that Saudi Arabia is uninhabitable. Yet a person is definitely conditioned and aligned with the comfort zone defined by his upbringing and by the culture where he ultimately belongs.

Isn’t it an interesting fact worth acknowledging that the human beings are often surprised by merely knowing about one another that is so distinct?; and this distinction is chartered by the geographical distances, the governing environmental conditions, the culture & traditions preserved and cherished since ages and the history that they have been through till date!

The psychology, in terms of the anticipation of rights, expectation on the different freedoms, perception of what is good or bad, what are the necessary and sufficient degrees of theism, concept of security, relative view on hospitality and hostility, the type of governance and the generic notion of good living, is all drastically different for the very same human beings of a single global village. The exploration of such an amount of variety in a single category of life form is certainly a fascinating and a breath-taking experience. More interesting is the fact that we ourselves cultivated the variety and as a result, the volume of things now worth exploring is enormous.

Yet all said and one, coming back where one belongs is a wonderful feeling- beyond the capacity of my under-developed writing prowess! Exploring and acknowledging diversity is the essence of self-discovery as well. Moreover, when this journey becomes interesting, then the food, climate and change of comfort zone, self-defined stringency of specific requirements becomes marginally important. Unknown lands with unaccustomed living conditions offer a perfect platter not only to discover the place, but also to gaze deeper within ourselves. It helps to know what we head towards and how do we rather how should we perceive our reactions of the past and better view for the future. Discovering new horizons and coming home at the end of the day is a fascinating pattern of personal enrichment. Birds live life the similar way! After all, belonging somewhere is the essence of individuality and survival.

The mind would yet again become inquisitive next time when the plane glides with a wind shattering speed on some unknown distant runway!

A white interpretation of a black swan…

Palpable things always score well when it comes to the “human comprehension” yard stick. Due to the esoteric aspects involved, the abstract themes are often not regarded worthy of a discussion. Yet, certainly- not being materialistic, not completely engaged in & not appreciating the worldly affair is distinct from revering and comprehending the invisible yet dominant aspects of our living. The subject might appeal only a meager audience. Where conveying is a challenge and definitions could be fluid, relative and judgmental- not themselves abiding by the word “definition”- the writer’s creation and the writer himself happens to be at the stake of varied judgments. Despite being a stakeholder, the writer is driven by the subject that is potent enough- definitely worthy of a small space may be!

Charlie Chaplin once said, “I love walking in the rain so that no one can identify me crying.” His father deserted him before his age could comprehend; his mother lost her income there after and later the very psychological calm pre-requisite for a meaning survival. His childhood was characterized with authoritarian boarding schools and continual quest for earning the supper. The environment around then painted a mural of “pain” for him; yet years later he epitomes smiles, laughter and lighter moments in the lives of millions across the world. That was his reaction to counter pain. It was some sort of an impeccable life story that was carved personifying a virtue contrary to what he personally went through!

Certainly it takes eligibility to talk of this towering persona and hence I opt to talk about “pain” and not Chaplin! Thought he should be quoted in here because this man looked pain in the eye and probably no-one knows better what it is!

“PAIN” could be an abbreviation of “Personalized Act of Inducing Notional discomfort”. We can term it “notional” since most of the elements involved are created in the psychological panorama; all in the mind though not always unreal. Here we specifically address the mental pain- one more abstruse than the physical one. The complex human mind is compatible with and habitual to nurturing expectation and association. Anticipated or unanticipated bereavement is something beyond easy human acceptance. The incredible virtue of the human behavior is- despite knowing that the varied entities around including himself have an ephemeral nature, he (the human) lives as if the current variants were eternal.

Pain might have erudite interpretations and ways to explore in the scholarly works. Yet the lay interpretation might be sufficient if we look at it as an effect of two major causes- bereavement and expectation. Bereavement in terms of abrupt ebb of long cherished inter-human associations- accidental else intentional & continual and persistent surge of expectations inline with the personalized set-points carve the way for pain. Looked that way- human mind is a control system governed by the cumulative effect of the set-points, feedbacks, controlled and uncontrolled disturbances around- with “pain” being an undesired outcome.

No one regards pain with a positive connotation. Yet there is a fairer face to this black swan. Imagine a survival without pain. Had pain not made its presence amply evident, not having pain would not be evident either! Thus is the “pain” which signifies its contrary state of mind. Life follows the growth- growth in terms of physical, psychological and materialistic. Pain too endorses growth. Pain with its presence canalizes the mind to think, makes the mind acknowledge a situation out of the comfort zone. Out of this zone, the reaction and the overall perspective undergo a restructuring. Periodic re-evaluation or introspection is imperative for the mental growth which is undoubtedly nurtured by the presence of pain. Revisiting the perception and perspective is the essence of a human survival; had they been pre-defined and stagnant, life would have been a monotonous affair. Pain facilitates an environment, conducive for broadening this landscape.

Thus going beyond the typical thought matrix that categorizes a state of mind as positive or negative, it is important to gauge what that shade of human mind truly governs and where it offers a vista for growth oriented opportunities in disguise!

Against the Gods

A piece of novel art- duplication of which is beyond the capacity of even the original creator is known as a masterpiece. Of all that was created by god, human spirit was such an unparalleled virtue. The indefatigable and the charismatic attribute of this handiwork has been so impeccable that the mesmerized gods keep on re-validating the design for centuries that passed and the ones to come!

“Contingency” always strikes the unprepared- that is how the word was coined to mean. Yet the Japanese episodes are characterized beyond the routine connotation of interpretations. The view of vehicles being tossed around, infrastructure being submerged and destroyed, and human / non-human existence undergoing an uncontrolled massacre in a matter of moments- represented the shear physical inability of a life to surmount nature or super natural demolishers! If the mere “view” sent shivers down the spine- the surviving witnesses should certainly have accounts that cannot be captured in words and in the realms of imagination.

Japan witnessed similar catastrophes in the past. Such an upheaval is always followed by bereaved surviving millions, crumbled infrastructure, shattered hopes, helpless remains of the shivering existence and renewed fear of an uncertain future. Yet every time it is struck with disaster, the resilient human spirit gathers itself to re-build hope and positivism. The tenacity for a quality survival and an unflinching belief in human capacities would certainly leave the splashing waves mystified on whether they hit the same shores- when they come knocking the next time.

The survivors, saviors and the reformers already into action are all aware of the possible dreadful re-occurrence anytime in the future. Yet this does not confine the effort to revamp the past and the present state of shamble. Leaving the comfort zone for capturing higher podiums is always exacting; however starting afresh in this quest, after uncontrolled and compelled time frames is itself a podium delivering doctrines of unique human spirits.

I wonder if we really need a mystical bird “phoenix” when the attributes of our own people depict exemplary virtues of optimism and revere for dignified existence!

Living personified!

Tangible and intangible variants of a meaningful survival are best appealed when addressed metaphorically. Passion is such a sublime and a predominant attribute venerated distinctly amongst all facets of positive life connotations.

Thought and the associated action are the fundamental aspects that distinguish human survival from that of the others. Thought is a stray framework of a non-empty mind and a good thought is certainly a monopoly of none. Yet it takes passion to live the thought, to protect it dearly from the impediments or from the mind bogglers that may come in between and to carry it all the way to a meaningful implementation.

Passion is a genre of living. It has a distinct aroma of accomplishment, energy and is characterized by an indomitable urge to create something that lives beyond a human life. It makes one feel that a continual quest towards making a difference is the vital ingredient of living.

A keen observation reveals that flowing water is always pure while the stagnant one settles the sediments within. Life can be contemplated from this water analogy. It is intrinsically not pure and has many imperfect sediments that bother us consistently either in conscious or in our subconscious state of mind. Yet it is important to move on and wash away the imperfections of the past. A potent force similar to a forceful stream is vital for this psychological cleansing and this is the precise virtue we currently address.

Passion runs in the veins as the driver to face life head-on and in first place it inculcates a strong reason to be. It plays a crucial role in embellishing a life; pretty similar to adding fragrance to the flower without which it wouldn’t have had much of a justified existence. And most importantly beyond an individual circle, passion radiates passion.

The areas requiring a passionate and staggering amount of involvement are fortunately else unfortunately unbound. This necessitates staunch game changers creating a worth around. The idea is not to live forever, but to create something that will.

Revision β

“Today is the first day of my remaining life”- quotes American beauty, a popular Hollywood film; certainly a short yet a riveting line of thought. The mental conditioning is a predominant and a perpetual aspect governing the reactions of a person and the panorama he or she nurtures and keeps re-designing while looking ahead.

In the course of time, the thinking pattern undergoes a sea of change depending on the environment, exposure, experiences and the ephemeral trait of most instances around. If something is permanent it is change- this being a long time advocated paradox. Imagining each human being in a perennial tour to derive more meaning to the way he or she lives, thinks; and this being sensed by millions around without a slightest sense of fatigue throughout the lengthy human life span- is incredible and simply a divine creation of nature. I am thoroughly awe-struck at times by this everlasting epidemic designing the intent of core human existence!

The persistent quest for attaining distinct thinking platforms might be obscure at times yet it is very much the inherent part of our lives. Even without embracing esoteric philosophies and dwelling into abstract topics of discussion; it is possible and worth experiencing to look at the multiple dimensions people derive to look at life. Aspirations, goals, definitions, gauging paradigms, positive and negative connotations- every thing is the conditioned and customized by-product creation substantiating the measurement of the not-so measurable entities.

Re-defining the way of work, the goals, the perceptions and the overall perspective on a recurrent front probably enables this journey to be rewarding. Relentless receptiveness to these revisions is perhaps the measure of sane survival. 

Assimilating 2010

Days and nights flip around and since times memorial,the calender turn-around has been popularly perceived as a benchmarking time frame to re-visit the past introspective arenas. People across the world have different notions and relative shades of perceptions associated with the realms of comfort, happiness, achievement, satisfaction, public display, genuineness, career, love, desire, need, want, commitment, deception and money to list a few. Everyone is knowingly else unknowingly in the continual quest of seeking a better vantage on these abstract zones.


Last year has been a roller coaster ride with a superfluity of opportunities to explore places, people and self. It is a normal human tendency to be judgmental which at times creates hindrances in developing a panorama to perceive the things appropriately and to reason out why they exist as they do. Our judgment- of people and things abstract along with the associated expectations, is fundamental in sowing seeds of hope, aspiration and anticipation on one hand while of utter dismay, shock and pain on the other. Judgment governs our reaction, while the judgment is thoroughly governed by our perception. Perception is in turn shaped by our bandwidth of self-exploration on a psychological front. 


Introspection should be an indispensable aspect of living. It embellishes the thought process while it acts as a tracker streamlining the turbulent times. While there could be plethora of ways to go around this personal thought process, I am thoroughly convinced that deep-diving unfamiliar places is certainly a potent way in this quest.  It aids in broadening our perspective, challenging our fundamental premises that hold true as foundation of our beliefs and notions of pain, endurance, contentment and fulfillment. It is an opportunity to witness and experience ocean of perceptions, faiths and convictions people have. It is an opportunity to re-evaluate our comfort zones and re-visit our hardened beliefs. A calm peace of mind would reveal a theory of introspection yet we could have myriad ways for different people to find out what thought process works out best for them.

2010 witnessed exploring abundance! I witnessed myself on a distinct thought podium on the personal, professional and social fronts- helping me to decipher different people extensively and refining my notions on manifold aspects as well.  The most impressive phenomena in my opinion has been the fact that even after ornamenting our perspective with our current convictions of broadest corridors, we always tend to find a better vantage point to look at things afresh; That is the beauty of self-exploration, psychology and the perpetual novelty life can offer if permitted. 

The new year has already rolled in to offer new vigor and fresh outlook to decode different realms of experiencing completeness, happiness and accomplishment. Having already entered into 2011, I wish all close friends happy, thoughtful and interesting times ahead!