Twenty Ten

Those 12 months, of the year 2010, have been special and unforgettable for zillions of reasons; primarily because I was into situations that I always wanted to handle earlier in life such as dreading dilemmas, difficult decisions, weird choices etc. I learnt that the scores of books which I read since childhood weren’t just ink spilled pieces of paper, they had deeper meaning.

Image from aisleone.net

In 2010, I also:

• Met stupendous people with infectious thoughts.
• Learnt that we control our lives through our actions or their absence.
• Realized that the most important lessons I learnt in college were “how to make friends” and “how to survive cultural shock.”

Less philosophical events such as keeping the new year resolution and getting a bike was no less joyous either! It wasn’t all romantic though; I made mistakes (there is a long list which can’t be put here), learnt things the tougher way, and procrastinated something important.

As we let go 2010 to enter into a new decade, all the digits of which is my date of birth (1.1.11),  new hopes emerge signifying a lot to be done on our part. For this new year I would still like to make mistakes (new ones though, repeating the old ones doesn’t sound wise) and try to have more control over procrastination.

Hoping to continue the good deeds and chuck not so good ones, let’s welcome the year 2011!!

Conversation With God

Me: How do you want your devotees to come here, walking 9 kms with 3350 stairs or getting a vehicle to make life easier?

God: Coming here is like studying for exams, one can choose to read the book or just the notes. It’s a personal choice and one can’t be classified as better than the other. The teacher wants all his students to do well no matter where do they study from.

Similarly all my devotees are equal for me and the way to come here depends on their ability, convenience, belief and other constraints; rather coming here is not even a pre-requisite. I am omnipresent, I reside in all the objects of the world. You can call me from anywhere!

Me: Does everyone’s prayers get answered?

God: Yes. Those who don’t get what they asked, the answer was NO. it’s a combination of many things; depends on their belief, long-term effects and how it helps the world to become a better place.

What does this number indicate?!

Sometimes they behave like the child who cries for the ice-cream unaware of the fact that it would have adverse effect on the cold he already has. They tend to have a myopic view of life and ignore the bigger picture. What they deserve is more important than what they want and there is a possibility that not getting what they wanted proves out to be better in long-term when life unfolds its  magic.

Me: Thanks for everything I’ve got so far and I hope life has planned successful days for me ahead.

God: What success are you talking about here? Are you one of those who support the notion of success being synonymous with money! Success is when you control the life, not the other way round. It helps get out of the comfort zone and allows to think about concerns of others, teaches to take risks and makes one enjoy what he does.

Money has different take altogether, it should be the bi-product not the central aim. It’s like learning driving first before getting a driving license; getting a license tests how well you know how to drive and whether you are fit to drive without harming others. Having said this, I don’t mean money is not important (it certainly is) but doing what you are good at matters more and money follows those who know what they are up to. You can’t afford to waste your life playing cricket when you are good at soccer. This is not just ignoring your skill but also depriving the world of a good soccer player! Success is all about making the best of your abilities.

Amen.

[background: Last weekend I visited Tirupati Temple, the journey consisted of walking 9 kms with 3350 stairs covered in 4.5 hrs. It was an awesome experience and above conversation was one of the key takeaways!]