Bringing sunshine where there is little

There are people who just by being who they are infuse in you the zest for life. In their company, everything seems perfect and you regain the smile you had once lost. You begin to see things in perspective and your problems begin to seem trivial. But like all good things, this too comes to an end leaving you to follow their footsteps and be that way for others. Full of life, love and kindness. These people can be found everywhere, even in places and circumstances you least expect them to be in. They could be shopping with you at the local grocery store, they could come in the form of a friendly stranger, they could even be your next door neighbor. They come into your life life a breath of fresh air and leave you with a fragrance you don't want to forget in a hurry.

It doesn't take anything to give people a smile or go an extra mile to help them. There is so much joy in giving. By being there. We can't take away people's troubles but atleast we can lighten the burden. It also takes nothing to give people a piece of your mind. Tell them exactly what you think of them. It's said that harsh words once spoken are like arrows which can never come back. Maybe at times it wasn't even intended to be hurtful, but it is and the listener can tell you how scarred for life he or she is. Frivolous actions, irresponsible and unthoughtful behaviour do just the same. Once people come into our lives many have a tendency to take them for granted as if they are a permanent fixture. Come sun or rain, they will remain there while you attend to what you think is important. Nothing could be further from the truth. One gust of wind and they will be gone forever, never to return.

We have no clue what people are going through in their lives. Not everyone opens up his or her life to everyone and anyone. If we cannot bring them happiness, we've no right whatsoever to even cause them grief. What joy can it bring any human to add to someone's sorrow? Nothing that I can comprehend. But what can bring tremendous joy is ushering sunshine in lives of people where there is little or none. Help them get back on their feet and then continue on your sojourn to places and people worth your time and life.

Experiences and lessons are like souvenirs we pick up from the destinations we visit. Each one over time, contains a story well concealed. A tale worth narrating. We can't stay in every place much as we'd like to but the souvenir is enough to bring back the lost times and promises of an enchanting future that never will be. At times the most cherished memento is relegated to the dusty and forgotten attics of our mind. Stuff we stumble across while springcleaning to make space for the new stuff. Stuff that makes us smile and think hard if the object in hand can be of any use in the future. And then without a second thought, it tumbles from our hand to the bin. Out of sight. Out of mind. That is how much importance to we give to certain events and things. Ten years down the line it will mean nothing. And today we don't mind giving it all our time and energy. Might as well spend time on the worthwhile.

Serenity in the face of the storm

It's said that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. In that period there may be times when you tend to fall back into your old routine, but the need of the hour is a strong will power. As adults we pretty much know what's good for us and what isn't. But it's not often that we show the good sense of doing what's in our best interest. Getting out of the comfort zone takes some practice, but more often than not, it is worth the effort. Staying true to our bad habits is akin to drug/alcohol addiction. You know it will kill you some day, but that's not enough to deter you. It beats me why our senses take a beating.

Letting go of things gives tremendous peace. Letting go of frustrations, anger, despair, hopelessness and their ilk. We begin to think that if we loose control, everything will fall into pieces, but we don't realize that God has his own plans for us too, and though his plans are undecipherable to us and make no sense most of the times, more often than not they turn out to be in our best interests. And according to me it is not defeatist thinking to accept whatever comes our way with a smile. It's not being a doormat, but it's realizing that clinging on to the futile gives no joy. Some good is hidden even in the worst.

It takes effort to stay positive in the face of our daily challenges. But once staying positive becomes a habit, we learn how to sail through the most turbulent times serenely. We always want what we don't have and once we get that we set our sight on something else altogether and with this attitude happiness is always elusive. We are setting ourselves up for a life of misery. A search for a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow that does not exist. We have to make a disciplined effort to stay happy in the here and now rather than the there and then. Squeeze the maximum out of moment, not let time pass us by as we stand mute spectators.

Each of us may not be world renowned but each of us is built unique. We have what no one else has. We can be so much more than what we limit ourselves to be. In the words of Richard Carlson "we tend to postpone our happiness to a future time". He says our in-basket of things to do, stuff to achieve will never get empty. Even as we lie breathing our last, there will still be stuff we wish we had done, things we wish we had said and even after we die, the world will go on like it has forever. If this be the case then why not live the moment. The picture of a river flowing over the rough stones and impediments is symbolic of moving on, staying happy and serene and spreading joy wherever we go.

Rab ne bana di jodi

There are some relations we choose ourselves and there are others, which are chosen by God. This is indeed one story which starts where most stories end. It’s about an ordinary couple stuck in not so ordinary circumstances. It’s a story about Tanni( Anouska Sharma) and Surinder Sahani (aka Suri) ( Shahrukh Khan) who get married to each other by a twist of fate.

Tanni is all set to marry her sweetheart when she hears of his fatal accident. Her father suffers a massive heart attack unable to take the shock of the death of his would be son-in-law and in his final moments asks his favorite student ( Suri ) to marry his daughter.

Grief struck Tanni can’t seem to bring herself to love anyone let alone her husband. Surinder Sahani is this simple, down-to-earth, ever courteous and endearing human being. He works for Punjab Power-lighting up your lives ji ( :-) ) and he does all in his capacity to make life as easy and livable for his wife. He shifts his stuff out of the room to make space for his Tanni Ji so she has an entire room for herself. He makes breakfast for her and leaves a note for her, understanding that she is extremely sad to even get out of bed. When she asks him if she could join a dance class since dancing has been her passion ever since, he says nothing and leaves the class fee on the table. He expects nothing in return. He is completely smitten by his wife. Falls for her hook line and sinker. He transforms himself bit by bit because he has this notion that his previous self reminds his wife of all her sorrows and he wants her happiness back at any cost. And he also wants her to love him. By making her laugh and being there for her always he finds a way to her heart. All that a girl wants is someone who loves her more than even God can. She reaches a crossroad where she wants to be happy with the transformed guy( obviously not recognizing that Raj is her transformed husband and none other) and decides to leave her loveless marriage behind. Admitted that it is extremely filmy to not recognize a guy because he has no moustache but if you just go with the flow and believe the makers for a second, everything makes perfect sense. Suri has been hoping that one day his wife will see how much he loves her. In the guise of Raj he tells her that inspite of knowing that she is married, he loves her because he can see Rab (God) in her. A sign of true love which is oh-so-extinct. :-) Suri looses all hope when he realizes that if his wife can think of running away with someone else, how unhappy she must be with him. He decides to leave her with all his property so she can lead her life happily with whoever she wills. In the meanwhile Tanni realizes that her husband held her hand when she was all alone. Even though he does not talk much and is boring, he is this simple guy who will do anything and everything for her happiness .She decides that she will not leave her husband come what may. Because she can see God in him too and no matter where she goes, God will always be with her. She can desert a person, but she can never desert God. And then they live happily ever after. (I am such a sucker for happy endings :-))

The essence of the story is that, you may transform yourself completely to win someone over, but if that someone cannot love the real you, it’s truly not worth it. There is an extra-ordinary love story in every ordinary story if only we see God’s fingerprints in everything. There are things and people too who can be replaced if we give up our resistance and open our hearts and minds. In the end what matters is a happy ending and who does not want one :-)