The alternatives

The modern era is that of flux and incessant change , even if it tends to be intermittent at times .  Technology multiplied the pace of "development " and changed the way humans looked at the world . In these times , rapid change is  the single factor that distinguishes the modern times from past centuries as the "comfort " factor no longer exists for the majority . Even if you are ahead of the game , you still can't afford to rest if you want to  cash in on your potential .
The alternatives provided by the technology has opened up new challenges and new opportunities for people . The youth no longer needs to follow the beaten path . It is true that there have always been people across the ages and in different eras who do not conform and fight for their life to chart their own path . But the tools that we have at our disposal are more than ever anyone had in past . So does this mean that it is a ticket to prosperity and end to most of the human problems ? It depends on a lot of factors .
If one digs through the history , one would find that there are plenty of examples where people flourished and lived reasonably content lives if  not comfortable lives . The writer does not claim to be a psychologist but it wouldn't need a Jung or a Lacan to deduce from observation and close study of human behaviour that, paradoxically ,when one is left with only one choice or handful of choices , the chances of success are higher . The less the better . If there's only one , probably the best . Why is it so ? Because when a man knows that he has only one aim to follow he focuses all his energies to attain that one ideal . On the other hand the modern condition is one that is yet ot be fully diagnosed . How could it be that in this age of "prosperity " and availability of so many choices the youth is in turmoil and the people in late 20s and 30s are facing existential as well as practical dilemmas not faced by people 2 decades older than them . It is because in an ever changing world the whole dynamics undergo such such a rapid change that if one does not guard their outlook and adapts to the change , one is making himself / herself vulnerable to outside influence . And once doubts creep in , you're done .
First determine what you want ! When identification  is done after due consideration , choose an aim. Make it a target . Make a plan . Go after it and do not listen to anyone no matter what . The part of making choices   is done for some by life on auto pilot , the others , the "priviliged "ones have to do it themselves . Hence the crisis as not everyone is well equipped to deal with these dilemmas . But life is simple if you think about it and never forget , "Hell is other people ".
So what do you want ? Do you want to change the world . Have a big impact and influence ? Spread peace or mayhem ? Create something ? Follow the crowd or focus on your life ?  There is no black and white path  but there's something as being determined /focused or just being a drifter . Choose your poison . In any case , journey is what matters , if that's comforting .

Arbie Boi

Recalling one of the best days of my life

9 September,2013 , having returned to Goa a day before I was battling the Monday blues or should I say expecting the Monday blues to welcome me in the office. Little did I know what awaited me today, the day of Ganesh Chaturthi . It was an official holiday. All shops were closed, the office was locked, save for a couple of doorkeepers who informed me ,while laughing as they observed how I was all dressed up to attend the office, that it was an off on the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi, a festival that is celebrated with much enthusiasm in this part of the country. I have lost count of the times I have travelled back and forth from Goa to Delhi and back to Goa and I must say that the travelling is becoming painful now because of horrible railways service. I do not even want to think of travelling in trains now, the very thought depresses me, that is how bad it is. But this is not the place to talk about that issue. In the context of this scenario, imagine how a person would feel, even after spending 15 days of Holiday at home, about joining the office and that dreaded 9-5 schedule. 

Luckily I happened to have a card in my shirt’s pocket which was given to me by a person on another journey. He is the son of the soil in this part of the world. I called and was invited to join him in the celebrations. This phone call started the adventure for the day. The place is almost 100 km far from the main city here. This state is already known for its flora and fauna but most of the people and tourists as well as tourism is focused on beaches and oceans. Very few people realize that Goa has much more to offer, if only one is willing to explore. I took my bike and ventured towards my destination and to my amazement most of the road trip was a thrilling experience. The roads were surrounded by rivers, lush green landscape which eventually gave way to a forest. I was truly away from ‘civilization and concrete jungles’ and welcomed by Mother Nature. When I reached the particular village that I was supposed to find, the phone stopped working. I tried again and again but it didn’t. I was, almost, about to turn back and return as the phone’s battery was about to die and there was no way I could have found that ‘Ram’, the person who had invited me. But I was feeling too blessed to give up that easily, already smitten by the natural beauty that I had witnessed so far I just didn’t feel like turning back and just then across the road I saw a little kid of about 9-10 years old. I just asked him about Ram’s address without hoping to have any positive answer. But I guess it was my lucky day, he knew it and once he realized I had a bike, he volunteered to show me his house on the condition that I drop him back to the shop .Little did he know it was his lucky day too. When we reached Ram was not home and there was a lock and two ferocious dogs in the garden. Just when I thought it was the best we could do and was about to turn my bike and return, I got a call from Ram who asked me to come a little further to a certain place and this is where we actually entered a real forest. Technically those are villages adjacent to a forest but it hardly makes a difference for a visitor as the experience is similar. The more we drove, the further we encountered almost magical sites of river surrounded by thousands of trees and hills with lush green cover. It was like a place taken out of a fairy land I used to imagine as I read Jataka tales in childhood. Maybe those fairy tales were not myths; maybe those stories were based on true events, who knows?

Just when I thought I had seen everything there was to be seen in Goa (I will write about some other magnificent places too, which I should have done long time ago, but elsewhere), I was in for a little reality check. We finally met Ram waiting for us in his car, I dropped y bike there as we were practically entering a jungle now without proper roads. He took us on an upward path, on the hill, and after entering the forest path for about 3 -4 miles, a cottage house appeared inside the forest which was one of their abodes. I was dumbstruck and happy to see that such places exist where people have made homes literally inside a forest. As we entered the house, we were greeted by his family and his grandparents. The pooja was about to start and everyone after freshening up started the worship of lord Ganesha. After the Pooja we were given some prashad and treated with a mouth watering lunch which consisted of many dishes which I was having for the first time ever. There were sweets of different kinds, 3- 4 vegetables, rice and sour dishes and dessert. All of this was offered on fresh and big banana leaves. We were seated on the ground with very comfortable seats arranged for us there. After completing the lunch we ventured into the wild. Just in a matter of minutes I saw one of the most beautiful sites one can hope to see. A little outlet of water coming down from the hills which merges in river . We were literally witnessing the trail engulfed with untouched and unspoiled rocks shimmering in the sunlight as water made its way downstream. I didn’t expect to go past this stream and the tree plantation in their garden attached to the forest. But Ram led the way and we went deeper into the forest , trekking on the hill which was a little steep and tiring . We went past the official forest boundary which was demarcated in the wild. Just as we entered this sanctuary we came across a couple of snakes, scaring us to no end and the sight was so funny as the couple of kids who were accompanying us were not unnerved at all and were instead laughing at us ‘grown ups’ who were scared at every hint of movement in the grass or on trees. We encountered a colourful spider which was so beautiful that it was hard to believe that such a creature can be so colourful that it could rival a butterfly in looks. Then we came across few crabs, the biggest one being again colorful. As we went on and on we grew a little tired and even Ram had kind of lost his way. He was aiming to find the way to the river hidden inside the forest but the forest was getting darker as it was growing dense with each moving step. We decided to turn back and call it a day . After returning we relaxed a bit watched television for few minutes and then travelled out of the forest. Ram showed us another beautiful river just outside the forest and the bridges were unspoiled making it look even more beautiful. Finally he showed us his second home, which we initially were supposed to find , out in the village . The house was unlike the ugly excuses for buildings that are built these days. It was indigenous . Surrounded by the garden populated with various kinds of trees and plants. He showed us a few plants whose leaves smelled like herbs and gave me a couple of big oranges, as big as a little watermelon. We cherished each and every moment surrounded by Eden-like beauty of nature ; hills and rivers. I bid farewell to see him some other time and dropped the little kid at his shop who showed his gratitude by thanking me and to my surprise telling me that this was the first time he had such a good meal and was dumbstruck to see the beauty that surrounded him but was never able to see as the forest if so big, it is virtually out of bounds on foot ( we had travelled a lot of distance on the bike inside).

I put on my earplugs, switched on the iPod and drove the bike , once again treated by natural beauty and listening to amazing music i.e. tracks like Freescha’s Smurf’s shoes, Revis- everything after. When I stopped to withdraw some money, from an ATM ,on my way back I was suggested by a passer-by, on asking about the route back to city, to go up on the hill and take a ferry on the river instead . The suggestion was a good one, instead of travelling for 50 miles on road ,why not just board a ferry and go across the river . The ferry’s are big enough to carry cars and bikes across the river. So once again the path to the river was a good excuse to explore the beautiful landscape littered with little gems of homes here and there along the way and a few lakes and rivers .When I finally boarded the ferry the view was mesmerizing in a different way, here I was with strangers right in the middle of the river under the open evening sky with orange sunset light, few stars and moon, just like the one which is drawn in children’s books. After reaching home I went to the beach nearby and it was dark now. The sky was dark and cool breeze greeted me under the wide open sky. There was either Venus or Mercury , whichever planet it is, visible along with the moon. I just had an ice tea besides the ocean and returned t my room , only to watch The motorcycle diaries . Can a day be better than this one

In the Right Place at the Right Time

Have you ever wondered why you are here on this earth? What is your purpose, or is there any purpose at all? Even if you haven’t, I’m sure after completing graduation everyone faces this question. The question of looking for work to earn a livelihood and it is here that a person can find himself/herself at crossroads. The mixed feelings of nostalgia over what was and the anxiety of what will be can overwhelm anyone. 

If it was a question of just earning money, life would have been so much easier. But there is no doubt that just earning money is not everyone's ambition. No doubt, money is important but finding a work or doing something that is fulfilling is of much more value than just accumulating cash.

There is no dearth of self - help books and websites these days which provide more information than one can digest. But in the end it is a person's judgement and personal experiences that can help him/her the most. The post university transition is not easy for most of the students. University can be one of the best experiences of a young person’s life, wherein you study a beloved subject for three or four years and treasure the time spent with friends. It is natural to have anxious thoughts about what life has in store outside the university walls. Lucky are those few who choose academics as a career, for they are unlikely to face such shocks that other peers of theirs do.

In the job market the most common fears that freshers experience is the fear of being undervalued or under employed as the outer world hardly cares about your college days accomplishments. It is a cut throat world where almost everything is measured in terms of profit and loss and thus candidates are weighed in terms of monetary value they add to an organisation. Another fear is that of landing in wrong job and being stuck in a place where one doesn't belong. It is in the light of such things that the question of one's calling in life becomes all the more important.

If one is certain about what he/she wants to do then he/she can just stick to one path and keep moving in one direction until one reaches there. But for those who do not know clearly what they should do or have such talents which cannot be fit into existing job market profiles, there is no other way but to narrow down the options based on their interests and skills. However, I have found that no matter how much you research about job profiles, without actually working in one it is unlikely that you will have a true idea or picture of what a certain job entails. The research can still help by steering you away from unwanted options but the trickiest situation arises when the choices are similar in appearance but different on ground level. For example; an English literature graduate or a mass communication graduate who doesn't opt for academic career might be inclined to join the following profiles: Copywriter, Editor, Copy Editor, Journalist, PR, Corporate Communication etc. These profiles seem similar to a person who has not encountered the real work conditions but are very different from each other. Just like 'media' is an umbrella term which encompasses a lot of job profiles requiring different set of skills. It is easy to misjudge and end up in a wrong one. Further, the realisation also takes time, depending on various factors.

The best way is to just go with the flow and not be too hard on oneself. You are more likely to find right things to do in a happy state of mind. And even if you don't find your calling, keep looking with patience and peaceful curiosity. Don't miss out on life; it is made of more than just one aspect. Take it easy.

Dev Arbikshe

A thought

To conquer worry, fear and anxiety is an arduous task but not an impossible one. The clutches of these three demons is very strong but if one resolves to get out of them, those clutches would appear to be a mere illusion as most of the worries and fears are baseless.

Illusion; that is what today’s society revolves around. Capitalism and materialism have made it hard to distinguish between needs and wants. The newspapers, news channels and news portals are full of superfluous information that we would be better off without. The reason I mentioned capitalism and materialism in the same line is because the former promotes the latter. Greed has blinded the whole world. We prioritize things which should not even figure on our priority list. When there is so much trash that is being served and forced in our minds, how would we make sane decisions ? The cluttered mind is like a foggy telescope. The telescope has the potential to help you see the stars but the fog obliterates the view.

If properly analysed, we would find that most of our worries are baseless. This fact itself can help us dispel the darkness as simple steps in form of clear decisions would only make us move forward with assurance. And these clear decisions can be made only if greed is detached from need i.e. when we clearly know what is essential and what mere greed is. It is amusing to note that while on one hand the human race is ‘’ evolving and progressing’’, on the other hand it is also creating more problems for itself. If one cannot have peace of mind and a good quality of life, what good is such progress then ? There is nothing wrong in planning good things for your life, saving for future etc. but if that is done at the cost of sacrificing the present peace of mind then it’s pointless.

My travel tales

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''Civilized''

The word ‘civilization’ stands for the process by which a society or place reaches this stage. Alternatively it may mean; the most advanced stage of human social development and organization. The first definition seems more accurate than the latter one. Each country has a specific history and landscape which determined their present state. But if human race was just a product of their environment and the things that happened to them, it wouldn’t be any better than animals. There is something as important as a nation’s history and environment which is known as ‘the human will’. A country’s fate is as much determined by the state of its citizens, their character and their will power, as it is by a number of other factors. This is what differentiates one country’s progress from another’s.

I often wonder the significance of the word ‘civilisation’ in relation to our country. There is no dearth of people boasting the’ greatness’ of Indian civilisation and its heritage. The things people do in name of culture and honour would send shivers down any mortal’s spine. The way people treat their fellow citizens would leave you wondering if you are living among group of refugees forcibly made to live together in a country where being rude, uncivil, uncouth, arrogant and condescending towards other people seems for most people to lay their claim on the country. Perhaps in their minds it’s their moral duty to harass other people just to ensure themselves of their legitimate citizenship status. And such collective behaviour leads to a certain attribution of meaning to the term ‘Indian’.

A group is made of individuals and even the largest country in the world ,in terms of population, is a collective presence of a certain number of ‘individuals’ on a certain land mass ,which is more than the number of people of other land masses . Indian society is collectivistic and promotes interdependence. The traditional Indian joint family, which followed the principles of collectivism, is rapidly being replaced by the nuclear family system. Individualism, on the other hand, promotes the habit of being independent and self reliant. Individuals advocate that interests of the individual should be given precedence over the state or a social group, while opposing external interference upon one's own interests by society or institutions such as the government. Indian society is at crossroads and unless the people collectively decide to dictate their collective fate, it will remain in the same condition for a very long time. As the society is passing through a transition period, perhaps of the kind never witnessed before, it is natural that there will be chaos, conflict, tumult and what not. In such a time the old structures are being uprooted and the new ones have not completely been formed or replaced the old ones yet. In such a flux, it is nearly impossible for a person to relate to his/her surroundings, as the world he/she knows keeps changing every year. This results in a very confused sense of self and could be a reason why people treat other people with contempt.

The proponents of collectivist school of thought blame the rise of individualistic approach for this phenomenon. It is often said that people today are so driven towards their personal goals that civic sense as an ethic has become a low priority, almost a nuisance. And this attitude is prevalent across all sections of society. Separatism, vandalism, intolerance, racism, road rage etc. are all examples of lack of civic sense. People are becoming less and less tolerant of each other, of other's cultures, backgrounds, and other similar traits. But to blame individualism is going a bit too far.Individualism holds that a civilized society, or any form of association, cooperation or peaceful coexistence among men, can be achieved only on the basis of the recognition of individual rights—and that a group, as such, has no rights other than the individual rights of its members. An individualist recognizes the inalienable individual rights of man—his own and those of others opposed to what collectivists think it means. Anyone who claims to believe in doing anything at others expense and claims himself to be an individualist perhaps doesn’t understand what the term stands for. An individualist doesn’t want to be a master nor a slave. So, to blame individualism for the inconsiderate behaviour of people towards others is not acceptable. The proponents of collectivist school of thought must be told that it is known as crude selfishness not individualism.

The current state of roads, public transport, cleanliness and public infrastructure is disheartening. It is easy to blame government, but people must first question themselves and their own civic sense. Why don’t people question their own behaviour? While driving they turn into savages with no regard for pedestrians or other fellow motorists. In public transport pushing and shoving is a given. This callous attitude is behind a lot of problems that afflict the country. Looking down upon your own country is perhaps a reflection of hatred for your own self and kith and kin. Do not be mistaken and think that you’re above others. What goes around comes around.
So the next time one boasts the greatness of our civilization, it wouldn't be inappropriate to ponder the validity of such a claim in the present context i.e. where does the greatness lie ? In the ancient books or in emulating those values ?

The story of a boy

Dear World,

There was a boy who lived his life joyfully until the day his innocence was robbed. He went too far and made his life a living hell. On the verge of death , an angel saved him. He found a new ray of hope , found love and redemption . But after a decade, the ghosts of past came to haunt him. A witch cursed him with black magic . Somehow, he was still alive but his spirit had died . Now , the boy still lives wondering how to end it all but god is watching over him . There must be a purpose , a higher and noble cause that he is meant to fulfil. What could it be ? Any guesses ?

Thank you .

Children of nowhere land

Whenever I find it hard to understand my surroundings, my country, the people and everything worth giving a thought I go back to an excerpt written by a person of whom I know nothing. The reason I read his essay is because I can understand everything that he writes so acutely that it feels like I have written those lines. I do not know the name of the writer but know this much that his ancestors were from Colombia . In fact his father moved to U.S. in search of a better life and future for his son. With the help of his insightful views and my own observations as well as the conflict that I’ve gone through and still go through at times , I would like to throw light on a subject which is often ignored ; the rootlessness in one’s own country and culture .

How often I have come across such piece of writings , interviews and documentaries where the people who are brought up in a country different from their place of birth  lament that they yearn for that rootedness which comes with living in one’s own country , among ” our own people” . But it is understandable that even though their ancestors or even their parents or grandparents might have been from that country, the very fact that they are brought up in a different culture with different education and surroundings makes it less than  possible for them to return to their ”own country” . But what I intend to shout out is that has anyone ever thought that  ‘the idea and reality of rootlessness’ isn’t a prisoner of boundaries. I have been brought up in the capital city of this country i.e. Delhi and have not yet stepped out of national borders and still I am very much like those NR I’s who yearn for their roots. But the kind of conflict that folks like me face is far more complicated than those who return from overseas.

Before I dwell further into this subject, I would like to first explain what that essay is all about. The essay or the story is about a white-collar child of a blue- collar parent who works in a   big corporate company in U.S. By the virtue of his education and efforts he managed to attain a privileged position in the company. But is life so simplistic to be understood in terms of money you earn or the positions you attain? It is not and that is the point both of us are trying to make. To begin with, a child who is born in a working-class family has to be prepared for the battles and wars that await him/her in life. The problem is, by the time he understands that fact, he already has overcome thousands of those battles i.e. by the time he/she figures out the weapons that they should have in the armoury to be well equipped for the war ,they realize that the war has been going on for ages.

The person describes himself as a ‘Straddler’, torn between two worlds. He is at home in neither world. The surroundings in which he lives by birth is filled with anti-intellectual people. It is not easy for him to completely fit in the royalty of corporate world culture either. When you are among the first generation from your families to attend college or complete higher education, the same education can alienate you from the very people who brought you in this world and because of whom you are what you are, where you are. The ideas and the values that are inculcated in a person’s mind in the universities challenge everything that is taught before entering “the palaces of wisdom”. The things that people blindly follow and accept as notions not to be questioned like religion, stereotypes etc. appear to be tools to control the masses to the ‘enlightened mind’. The educated straddlers are not interested in jobs. They want to build careers and thus take the task of accomplishing this goal as a necessity. They have to be ready to ignore corporate ‘B.S.’, be ready to face all kinds of challenges that are involved in building a career. The anti- intellectual crowd cannot understand the concept of career. They are content in doing their jobs and a white – collar job to them means just a higher salary package which always  eludes them but they think it is pretty simple to get, even though with their mindset they would probably never enter those domains . Social class matters when it comes to building a career. The ways of diplomacy and nuance are unknown to the blue-collar folks because they are used to following a set of rules which earns their livelihood.

To sum up the author’s point of view without going into too much detail, it would be apt to say that his effort has been to show the helplessness of child who is a product of two worlds. He possesses the ‘ ill – gotten Culture’ through books unlike the upper class children who have early access and direct exposure to culture in an organic environment of home and theirs is a more ‘ legitimate’ means of appropriating cultural capital if we listen to  French sociologist Bourdieu.

In my country the situation is even more complicated because you do not need to be a foreigner to be at unease here. At ever independence day and republic day we are bombarded with the slogans like; ‘ unity in diversity’ , ‘ mera bharat mahan’ etc. while the truth is that this is not a country in the sense you would expect a country to be. I see this country both as a miracle and a compromise. But let not the fact be forgotten that even after so many mind -boggling differences in class, culture, religion, regions etc. this country survives although it’s debatable if it can be truly classified as a ‘nation’. This is the very country where innumerable atrocities have been caused in the name of religion, region, caste, politics and gender. What is most shocking is that the injustice is perpetrated by the very system that is the cause of the survival of this nation. But this is not the place to discuss these things. I mentioned this briefly just to show a glimpse of truth which is often deliberately ignored.

In a country where you have people following different faiths, with different cultures and from different economic and social backgrounds conflict is obvious. The capital city is a mini prototype of the whole nation; perhaps that is the reason why it is so hard to understand this place. The city and country divide can create as much problems. But majority of the people in this country do not have the intellectual depth or sincerity to understand these complexities so when they find themselves in a place where they are amidst the conflict which arises because of the things mentioned above they are unable to comprehend let alone deal with the situation which results in a response which is nothing less than a retaliation of sorts.

The author in his essay bemoans that he is in a state of limbo in such a world. The feeling of ‘belonging’ eludes him as he finds himself a misfit in these various worlds. When a child is taught certain things through the lens of a certain simplistic and rigid view of the world and he finds the reality to be entirely different, he finds it hard to trust anything easily thereafter. Here if we stick to only the white- collar and blue-collar ways of the world , it would only explain one complex situation of ‘straddlers’ who are a product of  these worlds .But think for a moment a child in this country who lives in hypocrite society with so many different people of so many different religions. regions. castes, classes etc. On top of that the education that he receives is of an alien culture. He learns the histories of the people who, though become a part of his self because of years of education and brainwashing in institutions which promise a better career and a better life, are still aliens i.e. people who ruled this country for centuries and left it when their interests were no longer served by continuing their rule here.

This predicament is not simple. So the solution can’t be simple either. I live in a country that boasts of tolerance but in reality cannot stand the idea of non-conformity and disobedience. Tolerance is limited only till their self- interests are served. And the question of ‘identity’ and self still remains .

----

 Dev Arbikshe

Arrogance

'How many times have you been mistreated
How many times have you been mislead
They brought this nightmare to light
All we wanted was to be respected
Learned our lessons, and don't you forget
We stand larger than life
What if I lost it'      -           Bloodsimple

How many times do we come across arrogance in daily lives ? I live in northern India . There is an epidemic of arrogance here. I have also lived in western part of the country i.e.  Goa for 16 months and although people aren't overtly arrogant there, they are for sure passive - aggressive. I have often wondered the reasons behind this tendency of people to put doen others at the slightest given opportunity. There are people who are arrogant for no apparent reasons and there are people whose arrogance is 'legitimate' and backed with their ' titles' and money among other things.  A society where masses are desperate to be followers and set up temples for certain leaders hints at something deeply wrong in the country and the culture. A country where hardly anyone misses a chance to insult people and their achievements ( just have a look at how people treat people who have achieved so much in life at their peak and how they're treated afterwards ) while prostrating in front of idols shows that they really hate themselves deeply. A self respecting person would not consider their leaders equivalent to gods while at the same time treat fellow citizens as dirt.
Convicted with no excuse
So just pull the trigger, I got nothin' to lose you know
Disputed, Disputed I will not be locked down
Split lipped with nothin' to lose
You know I never really change my point of view you know
Dispute it, the victim is you...
I will not be locked down
- Bloodsimple

Decisions

Indecision is actually a diversion of attention. We have to make decisions whether we like it or not. The question is whether those decisions are conscious choices or unconscious choices. The reason behind indecision is fear, apprehension and non - acceptance . Whether we make a decision or not , we still have to live our lives, go to school, college or a job. Isn't that action ? Isn't it a choice ? Whether it is or not but we still have to continue living because if we don't than we'll be in an even worse condition. So, if we begin to gather information and become aware of the possible options that we have , the only thing left is to make a choice out of the paths that are in front of us. If things are fine, we have fulfilling relationships, secure economic options I wonder if we would spend much time deliberating on choices but if not than obviously there will be many factors to consider before taking any step. It would also be a matter of priorities and yet no one can control life. Make one choice or the other , you can not control the outcome. The only thing one can do is to consider the ''right'' path and the one that one should take instead of others , whether it seems hard or not.

Sometimes there is a cost involved in making a decision i.e. in order to opt for something you would need to give up something. In this case only thing that is left is to see if the choice that you considering outweighs the cost of leaving something behind in terms of benefits. If it is not possible to ascertain this , then perhaps the choice might be only on the basis of gut feeling or a sheer step to change one's path as one doesn't feel fulfilled on the current path. It is true that the new path might not offer what one is looking for but if we don't try how would we know ?

The joy of doing what one loves is priceless and cannot be counted in terms of money. If there is no option available to earn a living by doing so then the closes thing that we can do is to find an atmosphere or work which is closest possible thing to that sort of work. And if , for instance, you like listening to music and would like to learn to create it then do it ! Don't think about how old you are, or if you will ever get recognition or not or if it would come to anything or not , just do it. If you like to write, then write! If you like to sketch then sketch! Here's the science and reasoning behind this approach. If you love doing what you do you will put your soul to the work and that my friend cannot go wrong. It might take a long time to get somewhere but you will have your identity. Don't tread teh beaten path. If you can't resist it then I pray that you find the strength and clarity to pursue your heart and find a way to live a life where you're earning  a living by doing what makes you express yourself rather than just blindly going after power, status quo or certain titles. Never listen to society, never. Or better still, do what your 'rational mind' tells you to do, get bored to death doing that and then also find time do what engages you and makes you happy and fulfilled and then compare such tasks after some days or weeks. What do you think will take you far ? And if you find your answer than go ahead with the choices of jobs that signal towards that. Don't settle for comfort or security, beware. Don't jump of teh bridge either but just try this approach until the path is clear. The only real crime is to waste time . To do not do anything. That is unacceptable. Everything else is acceptable.

Bitter clarity

It couldn't be clearer than this. Having talked to strangers and self, friends and family, life and god. One thing is clear. You're all alone in this journey. Everyone else is just there on their own. Some will stay with you for short period some will stick for long. Some will be there out of compulsion , some out of necessity but sooner or later it would be clear that no one is responsible for our lives but us. People will say whatever they want to say. You have to know what you want from life. There is no excuse and if you do not know that or do not want to be honest enough then no one is not blame but yourself. Own up to it. Know that the true enemy is fear . And once it has played it's part you'd realise that the true currency in life is time. Yes, time is the most valuable currency. Whatever we do ,we do with it. Listening to one's voice should be simple and straightforward but why does it become tough? Insecurities, fear , guilt and what not. Never stray . Toughest thing to do but worth it. Don't hate anyone, it's futile. Don't waste your time . Really. Everyone is on their journey. You are on yours. There will be people , malevolent forces that you would have to face but you got to be yourself. No explanations to anyone. No judgments. No agendas but one. Create your dream. And then be the crazy punk to achieve it. If not , then so be it. - Dev Arbikshe

A New Perspective ( Wrote it a couple of years ago. )

A new perspective – 2013

Enter the New Year, 2013, and I have a simply scary dream. In the dream I am at the place where I was born and suddenly there is a huge earthquake which engulfs everything in matter of few seconds; just in the meanwhile I was transported to another place which was symbolic of all the mistakes I made in life. That place too is destroyed by another gigantic earthquake and finally I am on a huge tree gasping for breath, holding onto its branches for life and the next thing I see is that I am sitting in a diner, so unique that it makes me happy whenever I think about it. In the midst of the earthquakes and floods and contemplating about the bizarre turn of the events all the while the third earthquake is taking place, this time I feel safe. That was it, the end of the dream. When I woke up, it was 4 am and everything was so silent .Thinking about what the dream meant as sometimes our sub - conscious mind may help us by giving clues which we miss otherwise, I thought at first that I have had much more elaborate and vivid dreams which could have been much more meaningful if I had tried to decode them and make use of them! But there was something that pointed the folly of this line of thinking “if I had, could have, would have” etc. So this time I didn’t try to magnify or ignore it and could interpret it in only one way ; the dream initially showed two places which had nothing in common as they were symbolic of everything good and evil that happened in my life or what I did, the choices I made and even more importantly the aftermath. First place was the place where I had spent the most amazing time in my life and another one exact opposite in a way. What could the juxtaposition of these two places followed by subsequent earthquakes mean? I could only understand the meaning when I remembered there was a third place in the end: the diner. I was just thinking that I am unravelling the mystery behind it but now I think that I had understood it in the dream itself. It could only mean one thing; good or bad, both must be let go of. The earthquake symbolized the power of now taking over the silly tendency of being stuck in the past. The contemplation in the diner reached to one another conclusion: there is only this moment which is real and being alive in it is necessary to understand the meaning of life or even more important to live life in the right way. The past must not choke the present. And another on going earthquake in the process just illustrated the point much more i.e. stay in the moment.

---- Devender Sehrawat

Danny was a little boy

Danny was a little boy 
He didn't know what to do 
He had a lot of things on his mind 
But about life 
He didn't have a clue

He had a lot of talent 
But how was it going to shine through 
Danny was a little boy 
But he didn't know what to do .

Dev Arbikshe

Copyright: Devender Sehrawat

Note:
1. My Notes are not directed to any person or their life, they are purely fictional and result of my imagination.
2. My note is not inspired by any write up from another person. It is 100% original and non transferrable.

Wrote this last year ...... (The summer of 2014 is close)

The summer of 2014 is close. It's 5 a.m. and this quote updated by a person lot younger than yours truly welcomes the beckoning silence of the morning which doesn't last for long but just enough. The quote is as follows:

"The dream you are living  is your creation. It is your perception of reality that you can change at any time.  You have the power to create heaven and you have the power to create hell. Why not dream a different dream? "

A lifetime has passed by. An individual died and one is waiting to be born. But the question is, should the journey be continued or a new life lived with acceptance for the phoenix to rise from the ashes?  Ah, the sorcery and trickery of words!  Yes, it's true that some of my craziest dreams came true but so did fears. And then, I had enough time to reflect and observe on not just my life but the lives of people who have spent more than half a century on this planet!  
It's time to get real for real. No more deception. No more confusion. No more excuses. Not that I have not been real but if I don't live for my vision than what am I living for? I have lived as I wished to. But it's time to stop and define clearly the values I must live by.  Question everything that I have done. Love is a luxury but if you love life wouldn't it feel obliged to return the favour ?
One estranged friend who saw through the deception is following her journey. A pragmatist who reminds me of a really close friend of yesteryears, who was a pragmatist too. So here is this dreamer writing all of this trying to become saner and wiser?  A dreamer who had been foolish enough to chase the things that higher powers had been saving him from as they knew better. In the process of rescuing this silkworm from drowning in the ocean of life they tried their level best to teach him how to go with the flow, and waited at distance for him to assert his will, eagerly waiting for the butterfly to appear. They never wanted him to change himself, just become a better version of himself. They never wanted him to live someone's idea of life but he should pay heed to the messages. The trust must not be abused.'' What do you want, what do you want?'', they ask . 

Never fear for your life

is what they say 
but be awake, dear, they pray. 
So strange that for  a human
now gods pray. 

Is that why they sent her ? To awake him for the last time?  She doesn't know and wouldn't believe it but she has rekindled love in his heart; the purest kind. Can this flickering and rekindled flame save him? Can he become what he must  ? On different roads they stand, different creatures yet something so common in them. No, she's not an angel but in the pitch darkness even a firefly can show the way.

He has wrestled plenty of inner demons.

He thinks she's the one but if she is, and if he wants her to be happy he must know his place and be grateful for whatever light this firefly shines on the path of life for this silkworm which might enable him to bloom finally and be a butterfly ? These two souls have something in common. Near or far, similar or different journeys, may god bless them and they fulfil their stay on the planet. May they fulfil their purpose and if that purpose is not in  alignment with their higher good then may they have enough good sense to see so.

The city

I have often wondered why people are mean to each other. For years I have seen the savages marauding the city. My country is truly a circus . The notions of respect and civil behaviour are non existent here.  Might is right seems to be the only acceptable world view that is entrenched in the psych of the populace. Crush and rule, conscience is for fools! But this is the story of the entire sub - continent, not just one country. Something to do with the culture or genes?

Draw your pattern

Every time I touch my phone the screen says draw your pattern. These seemingly innocuous words have so much meaning than the obvious . It makes me think If I am actually living life consciously or I'm just going through the motions, evading taking necessary decisions or taking steps that might bring me closer to the life I'd want to live.

Things are not simple. Society, family; acquaintances etc. everyone connives to convince you to live life their way and impose their view, knowingly or unwittingly.  But the question is; are we  honest with ourselves?  Are we voyageurs or just ordinary people seeking security? I just watched a documentary about planets and other things floating in space. The vastness of space made me  realize the  folly of human beings and their misplaced egos. We are just tiny specks in this vast universe which is part of vaster space. There are millions of galaxies and within those galaxies are millions of solar systems . And to think of man as considering himself as the center of universe is a ridiculous notion.Humans have inflated egos who can be obliterated on any given day from the face of solar system any day by a huge meteorite or asteroid. To think of all the wars fought in the name of religion and for greed is mind boggling. Isn't all of the chaos in the world today a result of ignorance ?

Know thy place humans. 

----------Dev Arbikshe 

Life, 'The fault in our stars', a review

I watched a movie today, 'The fault in our stars'. A story of two cancer patients ;one optimist, the other 'human'. But there was one thing common in them, both were fearless.

Augustus cherishes each and every moment despite knowing that his and his girlfriend's time is limited on earth. It made me think whether  we truly appreciate life?  With all the prisons and phobias we trap ourselves in , isn't it an insult to life itself to do anything that in principle goes against its spirit?  
I remember the movie 'The Beach' that I watched years ago and the movie 'Cheats' and a few more such movies which I oddly relate with . Basically these are the movies which reflect the way I see the world, my aspirations and to some degree who I am or would like to  be. Either there is a message that I agree with or it's a reflection of life as I see it.

Augustus and his girlfriend represent two different point of views.  One is bursting with life and wants to leave an impression on this world and the other is just down to earth individual with her own way of seeing meaning in life.  There is no black and white when it comes to characters, they both have positive and defeatist tendencies . The reason why I mentioned those movies above  with this one is because of the common aspiration of getting the best out of life that the characters share in all these stories. 
I have witnessed miracles coming true but I have also recognized the folly of not being grateful for the gifts life gives us.Isn't it better to just live life each day without worrying about what we will achieve and just appreciate the people who have been part of our lives at any point rather than focusing on things that went wrong?

Life is full of pain, heartbreaks, hurdles and what not! People betray, friends become enemies, we forsake ourselves at times and there are occasions when nothing makes sense.  But don't we have a choice, albeit a hard one, to choose to focus on the moments that we could be grateful for rather than things or people that wronged us?

Tyler's philosophy in  'Fight Club' is the antidote  to the poisonous influences in society.  Live life, don't judge it! So don't neglect or ignore the people and things that matter but don't look for validation either.  Society is all about power, greed and money but life is about the difference made in the world, even if in one person's life. -

Dev Arbikshe

Messages through dreams

#Snakes, red snake with black stripes , #ancient  tomb ( like the one Keep of Kalessius trailer video).

#Tiger (calm). #Crocodile (calm). #Dog (barking)

#Waterfall and a dead monkey. White #wolves in ancestral home with red eyes. White clothes , silk, boats in still clear blue water, newborn baby and childhood dream, kid brother.

#Black giant horse. #Voodoo on self. #Rain . #Ancient temple dream.

#Whale. Giants. Flying. Old ancestral house lamps and lights , secret door opens a new forest and an enchanting world with fireflies at doorstep. #Alleyways, elephant birth, child.

#Snow , landscape, 3 bears - brown, black, white. A ship in the sweet water lake passes by . 7 sail boats lit with lights and 5 ships . #Decapitation dream.

#Mad mantis. Suicidal frog. Swimming in pool and then a tunnel transporting to another world. Jeepers creepers tunnel dream. #Blind gain sight dream.

Eating the eyes of a witch. Bus, too much water, subsides, plane, boat dream. Dream of fight with weapons, dagger.

White moving tables on multiple floors of a  building lit with white lights. Change of rooms.

Andaman dream, reconciliation. 4 lions dream. Children hugging.

Sugar cane field and grapes and strawberries dream. Ina distant temple angry goddess screaming.

Goldfish dream.Blue cat attack , lake crystal clear water, blue. Eating raw fish. Running in  the rain.
Castle dream with kids