Sorrow and Joy of Life

Life, to most of us, is a succession of sorrows.

Almost all religions have a similar prescription. The Christian tells us not to think much of our material possessions, for even if we lose the kingdom of the earth, we will gain the kingdom of Heaven. Islam tells of the gates of Paradise, with all the joys, which we were denied on earth, will open wide to welcome us to eternal happiness.

The Hindus want us to perform our duties without attachment and without any expectation, and one day we will be released from the bondage of worldly life. The Buddhist points to the Eightfold Path that will help us attain Nirvana, which means extinction of all births, rebirth, and desires.

Really few want to escape the sorrows of life by getting rid of what we believe to be the very sources of joy. But I would say rather that the remedy has proved impracticable, since inspite of preaching it for thousand of years, it has not brought man any nearer to the final conquest of sorrows.

The philosopher may deny life but poet Tagore is there to sing of the beauty and blessedness of life. His message comes to us refreshingly, — "Salvation through renunciation, — no, that is not for me." Life is very sweet, brother; who would wish to die? As a matter of fact, if life had not its plentiful store of joys, man would have given up the effort to live as a hopeless business. Our joys, indeed, more than outweigh the sorrows that the pessimists exaggerate. We prefer to be with the poets rather than with the pessimists and weeping philosophers. Every moment of our existence has something to bring us, some prospect of joy, some chance of happiness, some fulfillment of our hopes. Why should we speak of sorrows more than of joys?There is a saying that "Happiness is an occasional episode (in life) in an otherwise drama of pain." Above all, we must go all out, with courage and faith, to meet challenge of circumstances — "to have faith in God, keeping our powder dry." Let us learn the great lesson — "joy cannot come unless it be earned." Sorrow, therefore, is the price that we have to pay in order to earn happiness. 

Of course, in the last analysis, most of our sufferings are due to the social conditions in which we live, where the interests of the majority are sacrificed for the few. Had there been equitable distribution of national wealth, three-fourths of the ills of life, poverty and want, non-education and unemployment, starvation and disease would have been eliminated. Hence, the crying need of the society is the social justice

True Friendship

      TRUE FRIENDSHIP 

Our friends mean so much to us. When we are with our friends we have a good time. When we want to share a joke it is our friends whom we choose. When we want to enjoy a holiday we do it best with our friends. When we want to unwind after a hard day’s work it is with our friends.

It is a true friend who can turn a grey day into a bright and beautiful one. A real friend is like spring time. Just as spring can bring blooming flowers, singing birds and dancing butterflies, our friends can make us have broad smiles, cheerful hearts and chirpy tunes to hum.

It is love that friends share generously. And that is what enables them to also share their miseries, troubles and pains as also joys, pleasures and successes. Your true friend wants to see you happy just as you always wish your friend to be joyful. And just as you become miserable if failure or sorrow come your friend’s way, your friend is left feeling terrible should trouble or misery come your way.

Friendship is a bond between two hearts. Hence it stays intact; rather, it grows from strength to strength. This is what gives true friends the capacity to stay together through thick and thin with affection and with joy.

Friends treasure and cherish their relationship. For the sake of your true friend you would be willing to go not just the extra mile, but much more. True friendship is a very powerful bond. Even if frictions happen to come between you and your friend they are meaningless and have no weight, and are as transient as a whiff of air. It is the power of love that makes for a true friendship. The bond of true friendship is unbreakable. No tempest is too much for true friends.

Between two friends there is nothing to hide. True friends can be absolutely frank with each other, ready to pour their heart out to the other. In a friendship between two close and dear friends, the love for each other is limitless and undying. And so one could share a relationship of true friendship with one’s parent or sibling or then one’s spouse. In fact God is often one’s real friend. True friendship stands the test of time. When all else will desert, a true friend will still be around.

Miss you Friends and that Golden days & time that we spend together.{#anupam,#tanu,#shreya,#saurav,#all old friends.......}

 SIMPLE LIVING HIGH THINKING.. 

This proverb advises human beings to limit their wants and desires as there is no end to them. If we run in pursuit of every desire of ours we shall never be satisfied as these keep growing on and on.

We all agree that most of the things we want are not really for ourselves. We want them to impress our neighbours, friends and relatives. This kind of life can never be fulfilling or pleasurable. This is because we are not born to please or impress others and we can never even do so. Whatever we do people only look for opportunities to find flaws in us and this leaves us all the more dissatisfied. We try to earn more and more, reach at a high position in the company, increase our social circle and shop for expensive clothes and household items – what for? All this is done to establish a good social standing.

Now, this is not to say that there is something wrong with being ambitious and making a good living. All this might as well bring us satisfaction at some level but it also takes away a lot from us. However, in the quest of making it big professionally and earning more and more to quench the undying desires people spend a lot of time at work and neglect their parents, spouse and kids. This distances them from the family and disturbs their personal relationships and all this only leads to stress.

If we lower our materialistic wants and stick to our needs, we shall be able to create a balance between our personal and professional life. This way we shall be able to spend more time with our family where the true joy lies. We shall also have enough time for ourselves, to look within and find out our true purpose of life.

    Young Love? Fake Love.

You know, I really hate it when people say that teenagers can’t fall in love. 

It’s absolutely ridiculous for a (questionably) able-minded adult to feel at teenage love. I mean, really? Is there some point in life when suddenly you forget what it once was to be young? “*POOF*, you’re an adult! Congratulations, you miraculously have a newer, more mature and all-knowing view on life! Now go and tell all those little youngsters what life is REALLY about, and how they have no idea what’s going on!”

Uhm, no. For some strange reason, I don’t think that’s what happens.

See, I think it happens like this: as teenagers – and yes, I include myself in this group whole-heartedly – we believe that we know everything. Once we’ve experienced something once, suddenly we know anything and everything that could possibly relate to this subject, and anything that could remotely relate to those subjects. We think we know things that we’ve seen in movies, read in books, heard about on Facebook. Yes, we are a very curious – and yes, we do deserved to be smacked upside the head every once and a while. We ARE young; we are going to make mistakes. (Doesn’t everyone?) But just because we don’t know absolutely everything about people and how things work doesn’t mean we can’t learn. It doesn’t mean we can’t understand. It doesn’t mean we can’t have true, real knowledge, experience, and emotions about things. 

This is where I think most adults get lost. “What? Teenagers knowing what they are talking about? There isn’t a certain age that you reach that suddenly allows you to truly feel and experience and understand. There isn’t a magic word. There isn’t some secret ritual. Call me crazy, but last time I checked it’s called GROWING UP. We are in the stage where we aren’t kids anymore, but we aren’t adults. We’re too young to understand, but not to old to do so. Too dumb to learn, too wild to attempt to teach. It’s ridiculous the restraints put on us as teenagers; do you adults remember your “rebellious” stage when you were young? When everything your parents said was bull, and everyone was out to get you because you were so uncomfortable in your own skin? That’s where we are now. That’s where you all are making it so much more difficult for us to live, where we are stunted in our growth because faith in us is a rare gift to find.

Anyway – focus, back to my original point. Love. This goes right along with the rest of what I’ve said exactly – there is no age where falling in love is appropriate, or right, or even sane. Falling in love isn’t a rational thing; when it’s real, it’s completely psychotic. (Did you know in the first stages of love – that stage when you can’t stop thinking about them, the honeymoon stage – that a scan of your brain would look eerily similar to that of a clinically insane person? Food for thought.) When you truly love a person, it changes you forever. For good or bad, that’s really up to you – but they’ll change you, alright. No stopping that, no matter how old you are. And yet – though the effects of love are the same, no matter your age – older people seem to think that teenagers can’t fall in love. Period. “You’re too young! You have no idea what love is!” 

So…when exactly are we supposed to figure it out? Is there a magic birthday that we hit that suddenly gives us insight to what love is? 

I don’t THINK so. (Guess I can’t be positive on that one, can I?)

The way I see it, love isn’t something that can be taught. You can explain and describe to your heart’s content; you’re not going to be able to explain it any better than I could. Until you’ve experienced it yourself, there is no damn way you’re going to be able to understand. It’s like trying to explain to a blind person what the color green is – it’s not possible. It’s just not. And yet, despite this conundrum, I’m sure there are plenty of teenagers who could better describe what love truly is than adults. 

Now, a lot of people - *adults, excuse me – will think this whole spiel was a waste of time. It didn’t change your outlook, didn’t affect you at all – I’m just another love struck teenager. (For your information, I am currently not love struck as I am writing this. Not even heart broken. Though I have been in both places, one a fair time longer than the other. Can you guess which? I’ll give you a hint: it starts with a “I’m” and ends with a “still scared to commit to a guy in case he tramples all over me like the last one”.) And I’ll admit, there are flaws to my argument; teenagers are more prone to faking love than adults. (However, faking love does happen quite a bit in the adult race as well. Quite a bit more than most would like to admit.) But, flawed or not, I unreservedly believe in love at any age – and I think you would do well to do the same. 

But then again, I’m just a teenager. What do I know, right?

Love-The General Agenda

Love makes us happy forever provided it should not be practiced with selfish motive.

Love is a noble feeling which cannot be expressed in simple words such as- parent’s divine love towards their children, teacher’s love for their students etc.The power of love can create miracles. Love can create unity among nations and its citizens. Love is the most beautiful feeling in the world. Love has given different meaning by different people depending upon how they have experienced this wonderful feeling.

Love is unconditional and selfless. Love knows no boundaries. Love may happen among sisters, brothers, friends, siblings, parents, neighbors, pet, relatives, partners etc. You are always available for the person whom you love.

Love makes you to do the best things for your loved ones to make them feel happy & proud about themselves. When you love someone you accept their weakness too and love them for whatever they are. Love has no specific meaning. Love is the most important aspect of an individual’s life. Love also carries harsh feelings sometimes but still it is considered as one of the best feeling in the world. Lack of love in relationships may result in aggression, quarrels, war, divorce among husband and wife.

Love has multiple meanings. Love can also happen with an object. For instance, many people love their cars, bikes, laptops, I-pods and other valuable objects. Every individual express his/ her love in his/ her own unique way. Some express love through their actions while some show it through actions. Love is treasured forever.

Teenagers can’t stop themselves from falling in love. They can’t stop themselves from thinking about the person to whom they are attracted to. Falling in love is easy because it starts when you are attracted towards someone. But living it up is difficult because love involves commitments and sacrifices too. Love is not limited to just a feeling, but it is a way to treat others with care, respect and affection. Love is followed by tenderness, passion and devotion.

So trust the people who love you. Be happy with them. Give something to them in return. Make them feel happy too. Care for them. Love them back. Protect them if required.

Being Alone

Once again I am lying here on my bed staring aimlessly up at the ceiling. My ears are focused on the fan  hum as they have been so many nights before. The covers are pulled tightly to my throat, cloaking my body as an armor. I wonder to myself why this is all of a sudden my life. Nobody ever told me, or at least I never thought living could be so difficult.

It seems like only yesterday that I was growing up at home, playing, smiling, and basking in the love and adoration of my family and friends. I was always laughing, joking, and enjoying every detail of life. It seems there were no bad days back then.

Sometimes I recall and dwell upon the ignorant happiness that youth dictated.

I wish that I had seized my childhood memories more carefully instead of letting them flow from my mind like a thief in the night. Suddenly, I realize and am awaken to the fact that I am twenty years old, alone and lonely. Sometimes I am overcome and fear the coming of tomorrow. “Is this all there is?” I quietly ask myself.

I ask myself why this lifestyle has befallen me. Am I not a good person? Have I wronged someone? Have I maybe hurt someone and this is my punishment? Never in all my life have I felt like this. The harder I try to answer my questions, the more further away the answer seems to run and hide from me, like children playing catch me if you can, or hide and go seek. This lifestyle is not of my liking or my choosing.

In the not too distant past, my life was that of a perfect picture, a flawless work of art. There was the family, the house, and the entire fulfillment and responsibility of it all. Then like a lightning flash one cold day in December it disappeared, disintegrating before my very eyes. A shattered life now replaces what was once a promising future for all concerned. Sorting out, picking up and piecemealing a new life together best describes my newfound existence. 

Being defeated and broken by this test of life is not an option I consider or give place to. There is a reason we as human beings face different trials in our lives. Quite possibly there is a master plan for all of us. We all face situations, circumstances, and events in our lives that are not to our liking, choosing, or understanding. In my situation, I am not to question why…. I am but to do or die. No, I didn’t coin that phrase. No applause please. I heard that phrase somewhere. It speaks volumes to be such a short order of words.

There are many people I have found from all walks of life that share my circumstances; both men, women, young, and old alike. I do find some peace and comfort in knowing that I am not alone or indifferent in my struggle. Others do share the same burden.

"But You Can Choose Your Friend"

I was reminded of the old saying that "you cannot choose your family but you can choose your friends." What reminded me of the old saying was the fact that we spent few days with old friends. All of us were impressed and pleased by how comfortable and relaxed we felt. There was no need to pretend, compete, or even be careful about our behavior with one another. We discussed personal, family and health problems in addition to reminiscing about "old times." The warmth and closeness we experienced is what one expects to have when family members re-unite. There are people who are fortunate enough to have this type of closeness with family. However, for the rest of us, family experiences are far from pleasant.

Family relationships are often fraught with long and bitter histories made up of resentments, jealousies, rivalries, secretes and unresolved issues, none of which ever is discussed. With this background of experience, many people visit family as part of a sense of obligation rather than pleasure. Whether the length of the visit is a day, week or month, people come away with a renewed sense of anger and resentment.

But, Old Friends?

It should be needless to remind everyone that the same types of dynamics that afflict family members can afflict friendships.

However, friendships that have been for a long time have also weathered the "slings and arrows of misguided fortune." Old friendships are "tried and true" and that is what makes them special. Because friendships are not bound by blood but they last because people choose to maintain those relationships. In other words, there are no obligations between friends of the type and variety that cause relatives to deal with each other whether they want to or not. Therefore, friendship relationships are relaxed, joking, and wonderfully informal rather than being driven by guilt and moral commitment.

Therefore, I want to thank my old friends for spending a week with me at their house while we were vacationing. What a delicious experience; to be on vacation and with old friends at the very same time.