INNOCENCE IS PRECIOUS AND PRICELESS

Amidst the adulterated minds,
I found her,
Unperturbed and innocent.

While others were busy,
Bringing even their friends down,
She was there to lend a helping hand to a stranger.

A moment was all it took!
She became a friend,
The 'kind', people long for, all their lives.

It was discernible,
As to how long you've known somebody,
Does not matter.

Once in a blue moon,
God puts a gift in your basket.
TREASURE THAT GIFT!

"IGNITED MINDS", THAT'S WHAT HE WISHED FOR US TO BE!

Only some have the ability to touch hearts of people, they never even met. A bundle of beautiful ideologies and principles, the values he imparted to young Indians will always be cherished. He left behind the direction he wanted to give and his words, to guide us through. Looking at 'Ignited Minds', an inspiring book I read when I was in middle school, makes my heart sink today. What he gave to India can never be forgotten. Some people stay alive in our minds and in our hearts. The beauty of a beautiful heart surpasses everything. Indeed, he had both beauties of heart and brain. He said that the day he leaves us he'd want us to work and not declare as a holiday. People who genuinely admire him and respect him should work on Mission 2020. He was a gem, one of a kind. He is a man, of an altogether different class of people, who are what's called as 'Khuddar' in Urdu, when it comes to expecting for themselves and selfless when it comes to providing for others. Speechless I was when I heard the news and I wanted to express my sorrow but had no words to express what I was feeling. Unbelievable it was for me to accept that the one person who inspired me so much in my childhood was gone. However, it brings me closer to his teachings and values that he gave us Indians to absorb and be better beings because that's all we have now. I wish he could come back. Now that he can't we can still keep him alive as our inspiration for years to come. He went while doing the thing he loved to do i.e. talking to the youth of this nation. I hope, one day, we as young Indians will be able to make him proud of all of us. He gave us the 'Wings of Fire' and its time we fly so high that we could meet him somewhere near the sky.  

THE WOMAN IN EVERY WOMAN

She carries herself calm and composed,
A rosy hue in every move,
A little shy with conscience pure,
But challenge her and she will get in the groove.

Gracious, graceful and sophisticated,
She understands the value of simplicity.
Talent flows in her nerves,
She is an epitome of creativity.

She walks, tall and poised,
Powerful yet humble and kind,
Works passionately towards her dreams,
She believes being beautiful is a state of mind.

She is self-sufficient,
Works with everyone hand in hand,
Appreciates herself for what she is,
Not afraid to take a stand.

The love and acceptance that she gets,
Is what she wears as her wings,
And in no time you can see her fly,
And listen to what her heart sings.

PARADIGM SHIFT

He travelled the world,

Visited unconventional places,

On his bike he rode,

To explore undiscovered spaces.

On his last holiday,

He climbed a mountain peak,

He reached the top though the weather was harsh,

Thanks to his lucky streak.

The view amazed him,
And he sat right there,
With the cold winds,
Blowing through his hair.

He took many photographs,
And observed all day long,
But still he felt something missing,
And wished the trip to be prolonged.

He stopped to have tea,
And it started to rain.
The fragrance of wet mud,
Impulsed him to climb again.

He was making up his mind,

When an old lady came by,

She quoted he hadn't seen the best yet,

Hadn't noticed something about the blue sky.

"What tears do to humans" she said,

"Is what rain does to nature,
It's like trying a new pair of glasses,
Which make everything clearer."

"There comes a time in everyone's life,
When everything seems to crumble,
Those times bring clarity,
And make us more mature and humble."

He climbed again and looked at the sky in wonder,

And knew what he had missed,

Of all the things he had experienced that day,
Words of that old lady caused a major paradigm shift.

THE LIMELIGHT

Always quiet they used to be,

Dreaming of being on cloud nine.

Yet they used to hide under covers,

While other people chose to shine.

Always worked hard toward their goal,

Had the talent it took to rise.

Yet afraid to face the limelight,

While other people chose to surprise.

Always looking silently,

At the object of desire.

Afraid to get it, to own it,

So they hid away even when they had that fire.

Always underestimating themselves,

Though they had what it took to win,

Making them even more apprehensive,

About achieving goals on a whim.

They knew they needed polishing,

To come out and present themselves,

Things weren't supposed to end that way,

Yet inside them they chose to delve.

Slowly they identified,

And loved themselves for who they were,

Didn't feel above or below any individual,

With themselves comfortable they were.

Moving out of their shell,

Was a difficult goal to achieve,

Without forgetting their roots they progressed,

As there was so much to give and receive.

The battles that alone for years,

Their mind had fought within,

Had been surpassed on a subliminal level,

They believed for the first time, they could win.

But just a little apprehension,

Came along every time,

They tried to break that shell of thought,

Before they dreamt of another mountain to climb.

They followed their dreams,

Unaffected by what people thought,

They worked for themselves,

No excuses they bought.

People made fun,

That's what they always do,

When they think it's the fools who are trying,

To do what they never could.

But these silent dreamers,

Were soon dreaming loud,

Nagging voices could be heard from far away,

For they never followed the crowd.

They created their opportunities,

With their dream right in front of their sight,

They could feel the taste of success from here,

Not afraid to be in the limelight.

METAMORPHOSIS OF PAIN

Pain isn't bad when you know how to use it.  It isn't a weakness when you know how to turn it around. Pain has the potential to make you or break you down. It depends on how you deal with it. It can make you a winner if you find an opportunity in it.

It takes time to learn to convert the negative energy that pain brings with it into a goal, but it is worth it. Because happiness and pain are parts and parcels of life. And to learn to deal with pain makes the pain part less painful and more productive. 

Every sphere of life tests us; our abilities, strengths, weaknesses, personality, and relationships. And while it tests us, we do suffer sometimes and feel pain too. Whether less or more, everyone feels pain, everybody hurts, sometimes.

When you hit the threshold of pain, it must be converted into a goal. The hurt and pain should be put together and transformed into a will to do something so great that the satisfaction of achieving the goal overpowers the pain.

Once someone learns to make pain undergo such metamorphosis, there is no way pain is ever going to hold him/her back. Initially we might need to remind our self that "the last time I felt pain I worked hard on a goal using this energy of pain and what I did surprised me, made me happy, so I'm going to do it again, and beat pain".

In fact, after some time, pain acts like a force that makes you push yourself harder. More tremendous the pain more the efforts. And there is no way anyone can stop you by hurting you. You're always a winner. 

YOUNG AT HEART

Slowly she walks,
Her hair let down,
In the morning sun,
Wearing her old gown.

She walks to the garden,
Barefooted on the grass,
She looks inside the house,
Sunlight invading the glass.

The flowers in the garden,
Remind her of her youth,
She still feels sixteen,
For her how she feels is the truth.

Getting old is a concept,
She never settles for,
Her enthusiasm for life,
Keeps her coming back for more.

She tells her grandchildren,
Stories to inspire,
She tells them to do what they love,
To make them never want to retire.

She has not stopped dreaming,
And with her pair of glasses on,
Still reads to learn and know,
To find what she has a chance upon.

The mornings make her smile,
Make her ponder everyday,
From who she was to who she is,
And bring her closer to life with each passing day.

CATAPULT

She hit the bottom like never before,
Only to come up to the shore.
She lagged behind as much as she could,
Till her conscience didn't allow anymore.

She let others decide for her,
What she wanted to do herself,
With the decisions was her confidence washed away,
She started feeling like an elf.

She knew she could do it,
But there was no one to believe in her,
Everyday was a struggle to find out,
What will make her confidence spur.

She soon realized what she needed to do,
She just needed a push,
With the thrust that she will never go back,
Or hide away in a bush.