My Life, A Cocktail

If only there was a way To capture that embrace To freeze that moment To live again and again. If only there was a way Where I was given a day To break the norm To live undefined relationships. If only there was a way To perceive distance as a silly illusion To touch and feel and converse, whenever, wherever To be together, forever.

People who complain about lack of opportunities are stupid. There is never a dearth of opportunities, as long as you have the will to find them, recognize them and pour your sweat into it. The easiest way to reach your goal is to build building blocks. Break down your goal into small, focused, manageable steps that will get you there. Celebrate every milestone and if you make a mistake, start over with that step. It’s about the journey, after all, ain’t it?

You know how we try to find things that are right in front of our eyes? Like when our sunglasses are perched up on our head and we are looking for it all around the house? Our mind doesn’t see the obvious, not easily enough. And we search the world for answers that are right in front of our eyes. Uncloud your mind. The answers will appear.

We expect our mind to decipher the soul and it’s purpose, a mistake we often make. We ask of our minds, who am I, what am I here for, what is the purpose of this life? We fail to acknowledge that our mind, intellect and our perceptions are purely means to aid us in living this life. These are transient and change over time. We are not the body or the mind, we contain them. How, then, can we expect to explore the depths of our soul through our mind?  It's like making the noisiest kid in the classroom the leader. We let the mind be the master.

Smell is a powerful thing. It can transport you across oceans, across time, decades behind. It was my usual Caltrain morning ride. I picked my single seat on top, set my bags and was just getting my laptop out, when this smell hit me. It was the smell of warm dosais coming from a perspiring lunch box. It took me back to the time when my mom would pack a similar lunch box for me. Warm soggy dosais with sugar to take to school. And the time my mom would pack a MTR Rava Idlis with milagai podi for my bus ride back to Mysore. And the time my mom would pack a whole box of Poruchu Kozhambu saadam to share with my friends at work. Whoever you are, eating those dosais right now, indulge.

As I walked through a little park in San Francisco on my way to work, a thought came floating with the wind. It whispered - your time is limited here… Instantly, my mind was more aware, taking in the surroundings and molding memories that would last. I looked up at the tall trees that swayed with the breeze, the birds that fluttered from one branch to another, the scarlet flowers that drooped with the dew trickling down the tender petals. My feet felt the paved cement trail and I let the mist engulf my face. If only I could live each day this way…

Tell you what, don’t let your life revolve around us, let us revolve around your life… I got this as a response when I asked a question this morning. I immediately appreciated the thought and it’s the kind that stayed with me through the day. Made me reflect on a few different things… It is important to define what comprises your “life”. Family, friends, work or hobbies, no matter what it is, it is important to define and articulate it. There’s this bucket called “life” and then, there is everything else. It is your epicenter. Priorities automatically fall into place. Time management is no longer an ordeal. The illusion of choice is lifted. Distractions are a thing of the past. Eliminate the noise…