A Reason To Pray

Hello people.  It is always an amazing feeling when I get time to pen down few thoughts that cross my mind. Yes I know 2013 was all about self development but yeah sticking resolution would make us all winners easily isn’t it? :) ..

This time I am back due a tweet which asked us to share the reason for why we pray and I really wanted to share my thoughts

Let me begin by saying why do we all pray? Interesting question but I think I have a reason and am sure most of you can relate to what am going to say or perhaps agree as well. I think we all pray because we were taught to do so since the time we as kids became conscious of the senses. Well not a good reason then let me elaborate a bit.  I am sure people who are born in late 80's or even for that matter late 70's and early 80's can relate to what am saying..  Let’s go back to kindergarten eh? Remember how your grandparents gave you their blessings; you visited your family temple I mean the deity whom you worship? - Remember how they first made you worship Goddess Sarswasti - before sending you to school? Now why am saying all this- just trying to make a point about the concept of  praying being ingrained into us since we are kids..
Now am just talking about one culture- every culture pretty much has these practices? - Now you would ask me well this is not unknown we know all of this- but the point which am trying to draw your attention to  is- why our body, soul and mind is so much tuned to the fact  that we pray? The reason is we know there is something either within us or in this nature that listens to us? Now that is the supreme power and people call it varied forms of God... This tempts me to write a few lines about faith before I get on to what I actually wanted to share....

My grandma once told me this-- when I asked her, “Ajji now really does God exist?” She said ok- listen to this now. "Lord Vinshu, one day smiles and looked at , Goddess Lakshmi, who was anxious for no reason, He smiled and said "Beloved Goddess, why do you look perplexed? She smiled and said-  My Lord, everyone looks upon you as  the supreme father, Lord Vishnu laughs and acknowledges - so can you assure me that every life existing today is not  hungry? He said yes.  Surprised by the answer -She reaches her hair, opens her braid and from the hair braid she removes one small tiny box, where she had hidden an ant- and when she opens the box, she is wonder stuck- that ant was chewing a morsel of some grain"" 

Well by telling me this story my grandma only instilled faith in me. We all pray and that is because we believe. It is all in the mind. People argue about science, logic and the progress made by man in terms of scientific developments in every stream, hey all this was also possible because they believed it could be done.

I pray so that I get the confidence to achieve things which seem impossible, I pray to get energy to focus on developing myself. I pray for the very fact that am alive and it is the biggest miracle.. if you really look at how life is created and existing...   Coming from orthodox Brahmin family, since childhood I have seen many religious ceremonies, Saints coming home preaching of “The Gita”, Upanishads etc.. festivals celebrated in authentic ways but these are just rituals or methods to attain spiritualism... my reason to pray is simple, I believe there is an inner voice in me which basically reminds me about my existence, reminds me about what is right and what is wrong, reminds me about how beautiful life is and reminds me about my goals and how God has created me to be different and unique. I pray to remind myself that to be born as a human being is a blessing and doing what is right to be precise “being human” is the first step towards realizing the very reason of prayer!!

We all have experiences and I had mine too-just can't list them all but would like to end by saying there should be no reason for praying... One must pray to realize self. And I pray that we all get our share of prayers answered to be better human beings.

Until next time.. Cheers!
Priyanka Rao

It is Twitter time!!

Hello you people, it is that time again where I am forcing my lazy self to complete a to do which is there in my  task list from few weeks- oh you  guessed it right- sharing my thoughts in my own little crazy but factual way :-) Ok now, this one is going to be very short he he :-) and I want to make it very interactive, how? I would want each one of us reading this update to ask and talk to self- even if one of you  would do that- It would serve the purpose - now that includes me :)

Let me start by talking a bit about the title of this update,  it is Twitterrrrrrrrrrrr time! it so happened that on a Saturday evening I was lazing on a sofa and mom asked my dad- why don’t he and I go for an evening walk- and his reply stumped me though I laughed my heart out initially but there the actual retrospection began " He said she is tweeting, and does not have time for a walk " ! Now I was surprised, as my dad is kind of aware of social networking sites but am sure never realized he is aware of twitter! - now coming back to my retrospection - the most important part I realized which  for sure you  all will relate to in some form or other- is that of habitual certainty-  logging on to twitter had become nothing but a necessity, now hang on- is this something bad? Is that not fun? Is that not keeping me well informed? No that was not what made me ponder? The fact was what was it getting me? What was there in it for me?

Tough part of thought process? Working from home made me so very immobile, and so much so I have been spending time online - now again this is not bad, but there are other so call side affects: p. I began to analyze- , I like it, this is phenomenal- today I can talk to anybody, connect, follow share my thoughts and if I try harder can get lot of attention in the right spirit- wonders of technology isn’t it? But still -something was pricking inside me - the balancing act was missing- working from home reduced lot of physical activity, increased lot of work- - what am I trying to say here? People we all know the wonders of technology and so much so social networking no questions about it- hang on but are we doing the balancing act?

Some of us those who say yes- are the ones I think are disciplined and are focused - now what is the point?
Point is simple we have made technology our habitual certainty and it is in a way eating up our ability to reach out to nature! Big thing people, this is dangerous, in every aspect. Ask me how?

Let’s begin with spellings- ah how do I spell serene? oh is this the right way? google it? ah simple, math, :-p no questions, answers to any historical facts, google- so I am not exercising my brain-slowly but surely the wiz kids of the next GEN might not really be natural child prodigy but technologically sound and dumb if I may call. I will limit it to this one danger- and am sure there are many adversities- I don’t want to touch on those right now.

Now having this enlightenment- I started looking at my old tweets- and picked up something from Robin Sharma- on how can I make 2013 fabulous - there I had some most important to do's which started with the spelling D - yes discipline myself and bring a balance to everything I do- and I started with a long due doctor's appointment to check my stiff neck- slowly turning into a head forward syndrome..That day at the doctor's I realized how much i have missed on being my excellent self - which was doing that balancing act! Now it is not that easy to get back- so as they say - Health is wealth, true - no not gyan we all know but yet we ignore so here are my two cents lets all ensure we do that balancing act in everything we do!

Lastly- not sure how many of you watch the comedy serial "Tarak Mehata Ka Oolta Chasma" there one of the prominent character "daya behen" says" One must always invest time in the personal bank for their health" Never know what you might get into!!  Loved the way she said in Hindi "Samay ka bank"

So, while I continue to tweet, I would ensure I keep that balance!  Hope my message makes you think and talk on those habitual certainties where you must make an attempt to bring back the balance.

Until next time- stay safe, stay happy and yes keep the balance!!

Cheers!

Miss You! “Uncle SAM”

Well, it has been quite a while since I last visited my blog. Need to do lot of clean ups I must say J

Let us see oops it’s been months- and we have seen several changes – ah ah we witnessed first ever youth protest in our country against social violence, indicating progressive thoughts, oops we have just escaped asteroid.. Oh no what I see Chopper Scam!! Well..Let me come back to what I would like to share with you all today and this was in my mind from almost over 11 months now.

Today I thought would talk about something which everyone of us can relate with and yet when the moment is there we just procrastinate.

Now how many times have not felt oh “I love my Mom and she is an angel” but I ignore giving her little time, I fight with her for petty issues- ah I must tell her how much I love her- or “Rahul is my best friend I have been ignoring him but I must tell him, I am so busy with my work I can’t give him time” ?? Well not just family but there are several instances when we know there are so many people around us who mean a lot to us and it is just by choice or force or a reason we often miss spending time with them or letting them know what they mean to us.. But hang on--- we all know something is inevitable right?? You will never know when you will one day want to tell everything to your dear friend but she is gone…

Uncle Sam- well last summer my uncle passed away and he was the one whom we really  loved talking to you- he was quite, not complicated, humorous – the best part about him was he had an uncanny knack of brining smile on just about anybody’s face… That is a great quality.. Isn’t   it?  The other thing which we relate to him was his fitness. Since the time I started realizing facts of the world I have seen him Slim and  fit – he was just the same till his last breathe- so it was a big shocker for us in the family to see him go away – he had no aliments – one Friday night of March 29, 2012 –I was talking to my friend.. My dad came running gasping for breath – and started dressing up- I asked what happened. He said “Uncle” is not opening his eyes not sure what’s up… L

When we reached we learnt about the loss which is irreparable.. Ok hang on – now this is fact of life so “you would ask me” what is the message? Well the first 13 days after my uncle passed away I realized something- It was the moment of truth- and my key message..  I saw tears in eyes of my Dad- remembering how he got help in college days  from his brother, and that he never expressed it to him about what he meant, My aunt- who was in tears ( uncle’s sister) she was devastated- for not answering his call- as they had some argument and she was upset, ) Many stories came up… and I- always wanted to tell this uncle- he really makes me laugh and forget my issues whenever I meet him in family gathering- but gone--- I could never do it!!

So people, we are busy, everyone is but look around- there would be someone who matters to you most and he or she does not need anything but just your time to say- how much they mean to you or- there might be friends who unconditionally love you, care for you and you ignore them- I am not doing a human emotion gyan session- nor writing just for the sake of it… This is a fact and sooner we realize the better it is… As we all know- it is one life, and nobody knows what is in store- so let us live happy and long and ensure there are no regrets when we look back- in life especially when it comes to human relations!

This is in dedication to my uncle-and why I say “uncle Sam” because he loved West, he had knowledge about America, its history , Hollywood- and l have a feeling he wanted to visit that place too… but could never.. But I am sure where ever he is- he is making some one laugh with his wit and humor!!

Cheers!