Love your life: Its precious

"Hey! Im getting married in 3 months..and you have GOT TO be there!" Said my friend TJ, one of the most eligible bachelors I knew. He was the first friend I made when I joined The Workstation, a computer institute in Bombay. Everyone in our group eventually ended up getting married and our friend hung on because he felt he just wanted to enjoy life and not get hitched early. A couple of years later his excuse was "I havent found the right girl yet"! And then finally he found the 'girl of his dreams' And he couldnt wait to settle down with her. But wham! his life was taken away in one careless driving incident. And just like that,  he was gone. 

This tragedy hit all of us, his closest buddies so bad. I didnt know how or why was life so cruel. Sometimes I wonder, was that even fair?? How come some people get to live a full life and some don't?

Which brings me to this question ..Many questions actually...
1. Do we value our life enough to live it well?
2. Are we happy?
3. We all focus on the 'We' but shouldnt we be a wee bit selfish enough to focus on the 'Me' as well?
4. In today's day and time are we compromising? and if so..is it worth it?

When I was younger, I had plenty of opportunities before me. What route did I take? Was it right? Everytime we have a situation, we are faced with choices and options to solve it.... Question is, what choice did I take? The lazyman's way out is blaming 'Fate' and 'destiny' saying that it was meant to be. Well I disagree!...I believe that destiny is what we make of it. In life, we are faced with choices and whatever road we take, life takes that path...so our actions lead us to our destiny.

Another friend who was leading a very monotonous life decided to get up and do something about it. She took short courses and converted her passion for music into a full-fledged career. She became a DJ. Something not too common amongst Indian women. What the hell? Past the darting glances of other bored housewives and avoiding local gossip she dared to do something completely out of the ordinary. I mean how many women will have the guts to totally transform their wardrobe, change their appearance and step into the social limelight and get a job that involves u to stay outdoors most of the night? Besides making a fat packet of pocket money. Of course, she earned her share of 'Frienvy', but no.. she didnt care. She juggled home and her nights out at some of the top Bangalore clubs efficiently.  Music is what drove her. It made her happy. And she lived it. 

How many of you can say that you are enjoying your life. Do you wake up in the morning and feel charged about the day or do you dread the thought of going to work? Do you go through the day wondering when is it going to end. Then obviously,  you are doing something wrong. 

Life as we know it, is too short. We never know when it can be taken away from us. We will never know if good health will stay by our side forever. But what we can do, is work on making each day the brightest ever. Work on being happy always. Nobody said it would be easy. But reach for it. 

Be nice to the people who love you, and the ones you love. You never know when they will be gone. 
Value relationships. 
Spend quality time with your kids, for when they grow up, they may not need you as much. 
Enjoy those holidays that you so deserve.
Time does not wait for anybody. So if an exciting opportunity comes to you, don't hesitate. Grab it with all your might. For it might not come again.
Take up new challenges that excite you. 

Someone I know actually took up the challenge of climbing up Kilimanjaro. All because somebody said he could not do it. 

Know that if you want..... You can. 

Making the right choices in life

 A friend's article on 'Choices' motivated me to write this....

I wont say that choosing 'helps' us create our lives....I'd say it actually CREATES our life! Its not a mere assisting tool….its what decides our fate!

How many times have we heard people say…"Ohhh this is fate/my kismet!...this was meant to happen!” . That’s just a way of throwing the blame on someone/something else and not accepting responsibility for your actions.

Philosophically speaking, in life, I have always believed that in ANY situation, we are faced with 2 choices. Life over and over again brings you to a fork where you must go either this way or that. Whatever path u choose, your life flows in that direction with respective consequences. If it’s good, we applaud ourselves…and if it turns out for the worse, then we blame fate! Everything in our life, be it our choice of career, life-partner & marriage, relationships, friends, even enemies! Our appearance, hobbies ….actually ANYTHING….well almost anything! (How many times have we heard we can choose anything except the family we are born into) is the outcome of our choices. They say that even diseases are mere manifestations of our thoughts and subconscious which culminate from bad choices that we have made in life.

About making the right choice, is however our choice. Do you want to decide with your head or your heart? What is good and what is bad, is however left to our discretion. So what we decide in a given situation is what leads to the action that takes place as a result of that choice.

In hindsight, I have to admit, I have made many good and bad choices in life…. Be it the choice of career, friends (how many of us can say we have been let down by someone we trusted so much in life?) and so many other things in my day-to-day life. Who is responsible for what I am today? 

ME! I take sole responsibility for everything I am today. Everytime, I had a choice. Friends in school, peers in college, Commerce or Arts? This car or that? Study here or abroad? Marry this man or someone else? Have a baby now or later? Have a baby at all?? Some choices turned out great….while some were bummers!

Accepting yourself as you are and having the confidence in yourself will give you the ability to make the right choices in life. Make your choice with faith and confidence in yourself, and sit back and enjoy the course it takes!

The journey of life is YOUR choice!

Mind over matter..... Really matters.

Kehte hain ki ...... Agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaaho to puri kayanat usey tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai.

(It is said that when you truly aspire for something so bad, the energies of the universe then, will unite together to bring it to you)

A very popular line from the popular movie Om Shanti Om. Albeit a very filmi dialogue, but so very true. How often have we wanted something so bad that we have actually seen it happen before our very own eyes? Is it just co-incidence? Or is it just pure luck? Is it hard work? Or is it sheer will power that works with our mind and the surrounding energies that suddenly drops that very thing into your lap? How often have we heard of bizarre success stories?

I know of relatives/friends/other people while growing up, they had no goals or specific plans for life. But at some point there was an awakening, they decided to put a finger on what they wanted...some went abroad, studied further, got great jobs....made great lives and achieved what they or their families thought would be absolutely impossible at one point.

Someone I know, loved this girl right through college and didn't have the guts to tell her about it ever, met her again at some point in later life when she was engaged to someone else. But without playing games or hurting anyone, he managed to win her right into his life and they are very happy today.

Another friend nursed this one dream of going to the US and making a life there at any cost. Visas as we know are not easy to come by, nor is living there any easier for people with not super credentials. But against all odds, he went, stuck it out and created a good, sound successful business venture that helped him achieve that one goal he nursed from childhood. There are just too many people I have met in life who know what they want and go after it with passion, the rest is what the universe gives them to satisfy that very same wish.

Health! One of the most powerful words we know today. How many of us buckle under due to crazy lifestyles? Did our previous generations live like we did, did they drink and party hard...or live on take-out food for most of the week? Why is it that our grandparents (god bless them) are still hale and hearty living their disciplined lives while most of our generation is reeling under high BP, stress, insomnia and other serious and not too serious ailments? We have the power to control and discipline our bodies, only, we must want to do it and have faith in our beliefs. Again, how many cancer success stories have we heard? Famous celebrity on our home turf, Lisa ray, successfully battled an extremely rare case of cancer by just believing that she will be just fine. "Its never occurred to me that I won't get better", she blogged. Why is she cancer-free today and living a good healthy life, is because she believed that's how it would be.

Why do dramatic career changes happen to people when they are in 'Saturation-land' at their current job scenario? Has it happened to you?

We all have wants and desires, both material and non-material, but we also have the power to reach out for them. And if it doesn't happen, then I'd say you didn't want it bad enough. Have the sheer grit and determination to chase that dream or vision. Do all that's possible in your might, do not leave any stones unturned, and then, leave the rest to the Universal power. It will give you what's best for you.

This year may have been tough for many. A lot of friends and people I have talked to speak often about how tough it has been for them this year. This year was about BIG CHANGES, both good and bad, for almost everyone I know, including myself.

Have the faith and BELIEVE that the year 2011 will rock for you. Make a list of what you want to happen to you in the next year (seriously!). Sort of like a To-do's list. Jot down the places you would like to visit, that one musical instrument, hobby, or language you want to learn. That one job u really covet. The desire to settle down and start a family (if you aren't already there). And yes, remember to respect your body and ensure it stays healthy.

Simply Believe in yourself, and everything will come to you..... Believe me.

C'est Moi!...An Introduction

Hi,
I am Vaishali Sabherwal. Yet another face in this world of ‘blogdom’! I love voicing opinions on almost everything (that deserves an opinion!), which usually leads me to post my comments on the networks I belong to.

I have had some really motivating and positive replies (to these comments) from various people belonging to the respective networks urging me to write more.

Several times I was asked if I have a blog of my own. I love to write just as much as I love to talk! :-) So I finally decided to take the plunge.

So here goes….I finally decided to put my foot in the door and enter this virtual world of opinions, thoughts, emotions, feelings and what have you!

Cheers and wish me luck! Do stay with me and dont forget to voice YOUR opinions on my posts as well! Please feel free to post your thoughts on mine.

Vaishali