Happy New Year - 2015

A new dawn

A new day

A brand new year

Renewed hopes

Same me

Same old thoughts

Same actions

Same old habits

New results?

New successes?

Would it be possible?

To change my results

Need to change my thoughts

Change my actions

and change my habits

2015 is the year that I do it.

Just do it.

Showers of Blessings: 2014 Gratitude Series - #4

Yesterday 17th December 2014, I celebrated my 52nd birthday. Normally I never keep track of the years and my age. But today I'm a little nostalgic.
I remember the birthdays of my childhood. While in school, most of my birthdays will be during the 2nd term exams. Most years I wouldn't even remember it's my birthday because I'll be busy swotting for my exams and its only when my siblings or family members wish that I would know hey its my birthday. There were no mobile phones with reminders. Even a landline was a luxury then and not many people had one those days. No internet or facebook to send up reminders.
Life was slow paced, peaceful, happy, no sense of keeping up with the joneses, et al. It was ok if someone wished or someone didn't. It was no big deal.
I remember the first birthday that I felt emotional about, was the first one away from home. I was 21 and in Bangalore and was staying away from my family soon after college. And those days we used to receive a card by post (hand delivered by the mail man). I received a birthday card from my family in Chennai where all my sisters and brothers (3 sisters, 2 brothers) and parents had scribbled messages in one card. My sisters had scribbled some senti stuff about how they missed me and I knew then that I missed them and missed having them with me that day.
We've come a long way since then. I've had some wild birthday parties. Some very quiet and introspective ones and have been wished from 10,000 miles away by friends who remembered to call through scratchy telephone lines.
But yesterday was such a blessing where I remembered how far we have come. Over the years, I've made so many friends and connections through so many different circles that we operate in. School friends, College friends, Trekking friends, Zumba friends, Dancing friends, Work friends, Neighbour friends, Family friends, Social work friends, Vendor friends, Client friends, BNI friends, Round table friends, travel friends and even friends' friends,
So many people have touched my life and vice-versa and today we are able to stay connected in this wired and wireless world.  We get reminders of our friends' birthdays so we don't forget to send them a greeting and I hear that some  people even automate their birthday greetings so they never miss out on wishing their friends / contacts.
What ever the gadgets that reminds or automates, when I received so many greetings yesterday, I felt like I was receiving showers of blessings... The phone pings continuously, between work and travel I'm constantly reminded that it is my special day and so many people contributed yesterday to make me feel special, wanted and blessed.

My birthday started a few days before the day with email coming from an old friend from the US and a first facebook greeting from Mr Kumaravel. And then on the B-day Saravanan reminded my running group that it was my birthday and I was wished by all my running partners and in the process even a group of neighbours returning from a badminton game. So even before the day started I was already drenched in a shower of blessings and good wishes.
Then when I logged into FB I discovered that another friend and neighbour has put up a post in my residential community page and wished me and another neighbour friend Dhanya for our brithdays. We both share the same day. That started another avalanche of greetings from neighbours who knew us as well as those who didn't.
The day was exceptionally busy at work since I had a photo shoot in a client's company and I had to drive 2 hrs from my place to theirs. The phone kept pinging and blinking continuously and I was hard pressed to try and reply at every signal. It was a loosing battle and I decided that I will do it later in the day. As the day progressed the shoot took an hour longer than I expected and I ran late for my next meeting... So the unattended messages and calls just piled up and I just decided to take it as it comes rather than stress myself trying to respond immediately and individually.
The dilemma was, do I crib about it or rejoice in it and enjoy the attention? I managed to choose the latter 99.99% of the time :)
By the end of the day, after the work, after returning home and taking my wife out for the customary outing and visits, I took stock of the fact that over the years, I've managed to collect this motley group of people who are spread all around the globe and we connect a few times a year, over each others birthdays, and new year at least if not more times. We're so far apart and yet so connected.
So many people have influenced me, helped me, encouraged me, been helped and encouraged by me and we've shared so much.
One of the best gifts I got was from CB a friend of mine in Bangalore who shared one little characteristic of mine that means so much to him. It just drenched me with a shower of love and appreciation that I felt blessed to have such a good friend.
A little word, a positive thought, a kind gesture is all it takes to make someone's day.
Let's spread this little gestures of love and kindness to each other. Someone might just need it today to lift them from whatever little hole they are in.
Love you all for all your love and kindness. If I've not replied or responded individually to any one amongst you, please forgive me and I take this opportunity to thank you for having me in your thoughts and prayers.
Love you so much
Iggy
ps: the picture above was created by my BNI friend SPS Murrali who is now a good friend even outside BNI :)

Thanks to the Car Park attendant - 2014 Gratitude Series #3

Today I visited Nilgiris Adyar to pick up some stuff and there was no parking in the regular spots. The attendant outside the store, found me a place to park my car and I was able to go into the store to do my shopping.
Well there was nothing remarkable here about it for me to write about it is there? But wait. After my shopping, when I came out to get my car, there were several vehicles that were moving in and out that it made it difficult for me to take my car out.
This one chap was patiently assisting each vehicle to be taken out safely or to move in safely.
My turn came to move out and he cheerfully ran behind my vehicle to ensure that I moved out safely. Smile on his face. Full of energy, here was a chap who took his job seriously.
And he was not even getting paid by the people who he was assisting.
He stopped the oncoming traffic on the main road, ensured that I reversed my car safely and then took off to help the next person who needed his help.
Yes, he's getting a salary from the store owner.
But how many people we meet daily who are paid a salary but does their job in a surly or disinterested manner? We curse those who give us shoddy service. But don't stop to give a thought to these chaps who did their job cheerfully and enthusiastically.
We just mechanically accept their service and move on.
I stopped myself today to give him thanks. And mentally blessed him for helping me so cheerfully and for keeping everyone in a good mood by his energetic and positive manners.
Thank you nameless one... And God bless you!
I thank all those people out there who have helped me today, knowingly or unknowingly and wish that their life is blessed abundantly.

2014 Gratitude Series #2

Today I would like to thank Death.
Yes, death!


I lost someone dear a few days back and I realised yet again that life is short, uncertain and fleeting. What we have is the now. If we postpone something we want to do, we may not get a chance to do that something ever. I postponed meeting that lady, and when I wanted to do so, she was gone. Forever. Yes, I'll meet her in spirit. Yes, she's still around. But this life, as we know it, is a physical existence and the exact same sensations will not come again.

I'm grateful to Death for the following reasons:

1. Death reminds me that life is short and I must do the things I want to do immediately, rather than fill it with unimportant/inconsequential stuff. So it brings life itself into focus.
2. Death reminds me that I only have the now and I better choose well...
3. Death reminds me that I was born to die. And the interval is what I have and I must use it well
4. Death is a reminder that whoever we are, we all must die. He's the great leveller. We are all equal and one need not bow their head down to another since we are all mortal
5. Death reminds me that change is inevitable and welcome. What we know today will be gone tomorrow. And a new dawn will be born to die again. 
6. Death is the shadow that rides on my shoulder to give me the impetus to get up in the morning and live today fully - squeeze out every drop of the day because tomorrow, today will be dead.

Death is my friend and I'm grateful for his presence. He cleans up the world and gives us a new slate everyday to write out our destiny.

Go live today so you can die proudly when the time comes knowing fully well that you squeezed out every drop of every day to the fullest and never regretted any moment of your life. 

 Live well my eternal friend.

Hither and thither: 2014 Gratitude Series #1

Hither and thither: 2014 Gratitude Series #1: I'm starting my gratitude series for this year from today, my usual end of the year series. So here goes #1 Yesterday morning w...

2014 Gratitude Series #1

I'm starting my gratitude series for this year from today, my usual end of the year series. So here goes #1

Yesterday morning while driving to office, it was raining and the road was wet and slippery. Since it was  before 8 am, traffic was light and I was going at a fair clip.
A mini bus, one of the many transport vehicles on OMR which ferries passengers in this stretch scuttled into my lane. I was in the 1st lane, adjoining the pavement and was going in a relaxed manner and was peeved at this guy cutting in. But since he was going at a good pace and seemed to be accelerating, I didn't slow down and was just going to pick up some more pace so I could follow in his wake.
But suddenly this guy just braked and stopped, just when I was accelerating hoping to keep up with him. In a split second I had to slam my brakes and veer the steering to avoid climbing onto his back side.
It got my heart pumping and adrenalin flowing into my veins and probably shaved a few years off my life too. The acid rose in my threat and my head was flooding with choice epithets to throw his way, but I took a deep breath and stopped myself. Instead of four letter words, I chose to thank him for saving me from disaster and giving me time to avoid him. I thanked God for giving me the time to react well and change speed and direction to avoid the crash. I thanked my car for responding well and avoiding the mishap. And then I thanked the driver, again and again.
The acid taste dissappeared. The pulse came down to normal. My heart stopped pounding and my whole body and mind settled down again to its normal state of peace and calm.
My son who was next to me was immune to all this. He was swotting for his exam, we were on the way to his model exams (12th Std) and his equilibrium was not disturbed because his father had not flown into a rage.
In a few minutes I became normal again and went on my way without this incident marring the rest of my day.
I'm grateful to God for giving me the ability to choose my mood. I thank the driver for showing me that I was still human and was capable of anger inspite of all the inner tinkering that I'm doing and more importantly, thank him for giving me the crucial few split seconds needed to turn the car away from disaster. I'm grateful for my car, the ever reliable Toyota Corolla for backing me up and responding.
Thank you Lord for yesterday and today and all the good things you're bringing me tomorrow.
Feel grateful for every little thing in your life. It could save your life.
Thank you for reading this. Have a lovely day / night :)

Good bye to a dear old friend..... who I never met.

I lost a very very dear friend last night who stays in my Apartment Complex. She suffered a heart attack and was taken away abruptly last night.
She is very active on FB and gives a bright new positive comment to every event. She had a way of looking at things that made you feel good about yourself and the world around. She offered to help in whatever way she could to reduce some of the sufferings that modern day parents inflict on themselves.
Active on FB and off it in community events, I never had the chance to actually meet her. She had asked me to come over through FB once and later repeated it through my wife, and I fully intended to go over and meet her.....
But alas, death snatched her away before I could carry out my intention.
I was devastated when I heard the news this morning since I never really thought there was so little time left for her. I was sure that I will meet her soon and just kept postponing it for the last one month due to all the other commitments, work, family, BNI, social engagements, etc.
We connected so well together at the soul level since many of her posts resonated with my thoughts and I genuinely wanted to meet her.
And now I'm going to see her in a glass coffin, later today, waiting to be cremated tomorrow. 
What can I tell her now? Sorry I took so long......
What excuse can I make up for this cruel oversight?
We think we have all the time in the world.. that we can postpone meeting people we like, love, respect, look upto,....
Is there anyway we can turn the clock now and give ourselves another chance. There's no backspace button in our life where we can erase our mistakes and recreate a different life in the past.
All we have is the present. And all the things that we have been postponing till now.
Tell I love you to those you care and do it today, right now. You don't know what the next hour or the next minute has in store for you.
Wake up. Hug those you love. Call up or visit those you have been postponing to do.
They may not be here tomorrow. And I don't want another person writing a note like this one.
We have just this moment. Hug, kiss tell I love you, I care for you. I respect you.

Rest in peace dearest Raji maami, I'll miss you. GC will miss you.... You are a great soul who had the power to do a lot of good for our community. Your energy will be sorely missed. 
Travel on.... and look after all of us from above... Love you and miss you ...

God bless your family and give them the strength to bear with this loss. If you have affected us so deeply, I'm scared to imagine how devastated they must feel. God bless and protect them.

Ode to a dear old friend Mrs Raji Kichami
https://www.facebook.com/raji.kichami

Happy Deepavali

Deepavali or Diwali means "a row of lights". It falls on the last two days of the dark half of the Hindu month of Kartik (October-November).

Mythical Origins of Diwali

There are various alleged origins attributed to this festival. Some hold that they celebrate the marriage of Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu. In Bengal the festival is dedicated to the worship of Kali. It also commemorates that blessed day on which the triumphant Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana. On this day also Sri Krishna killed the demon Narakasura. In South India people take an oil bath in the morning and wear new clothes. They partake of sweetmeats. They light fireworks, which are regarded as the effigies of Narakasura who was killed on this day. They greet one another, asking, "Have you had your Ganges bath?" which actually refers to the oil bath that morning as it is regarded as purifying as a bath in the holy Ganga.

Give and Forgive

Everyone forgets and forgives the wrongs done by others. There is an air of freedom, festivity and friendliness everywhere. This festival brings about unity. It instills charity in the hearts of people. Everyone buys new clothes for the family. Employers, too, purchase new clothes for their employees.

Rise and Shine

Waking up during the 'Brahmamuhurta' (at 4a.m.) is a great blessing from the standpoint of health, ethical discipline, efficiency in work and spiritual advancement. It is on Deepavali that everyone wakes up early in the morning. The sages who instituted this custom must have cherished the hope that their descendents would realise its benefits and make it a regular habit in their lives.

Unite and Unify

In a happy mood of great rejoicing village folk move about freely, mixing with one another without any reserve, all enmity being forgotten. People embrace one another with love. Deepavali is a great unifying force. Those with keen inner spiritual ears will clearly hear the voice of the sages, "O Children of God unite, and love all". The vibrations produced by the greetings of love, which fill the atmosphere, are powerful enough to bring about a change of heart in every man and woman in the world. Alas! That heart has considerably hardened, and only a continuous celebration of Deepavali in our homes can rekindle in us the urgent need of turning away from the ruinous path of hatred.

Prosper and Progress

On this day, Hindu merchants in North India open their new account books and pray for success and prosperity during the coming year. The homes are cleaned and decorated by day and illuminated by night with earthen oil-lamps. The best and finest illuminations are to be seen in Bombay and Amritsar. The famous Golden Temple at Amritsar is lit in the evening with thousands of lamps placed all over the steps of the big tank. Vaishnavites celebrate the Govardhan Puja and feed the poor on a large scale.

Illuminate Your Inner Self

The light of lights, the self-luminous inner light of the Self is ever shining steadily in the chamber of your heart. Sit quietly. Close your eyes. Withdraw the senses. Fix the mind on this supreme light and enjoy the real Deepavali, by attaining illumination of the soul. He who Himself sees all but whom no one beholds, who illumines the intellect, the sun, the moon and the stars and the whole universe but whom they cannot illumine, He indeed is Brahman, He is the inner Self. Celebrate the real Deepavali by living in Brahman, and enjoy the eternal bliss of the soul.

The sun does not shine there, nor do the moon and the stars, nor do lightnings shine and much less fire. All the lights of the world cannot be compared even to a ray of the inner light of the Self. Merge yourself in this light of lights and enjoy the supreme Deepavali.

Many Deepavali festivals have come and gone. Yet the hearts of the vast majority are as dark as the night of the new moon. The house is lit with lamps, but the heart is full of the darkness of ignorance.

O man! Wake up from the slumber of ignorance. Realise the constant and eternal light of the Soul, which neither rises nor sets, through meditation and deep enquiry.

May you all attain full inner illumination! May the supreme light of lights enlighten your understanding! May you all attain the inexhaustible spiritual wealth of the Self! May you all prosper gloriously on the material as well as spiritual planes!

With excerpts from the writings of Swami Sivananda

Read the full article at:
http://hinduism.about.com/od/diwalifestivaloflights/a/deepavali.htm

New metal added...... HB

A new metal is added to chemistry:

Name: Husband
Symbol: Hb
Atomic Weight:
-Light when first found...
-tends to get heavier over the years with time.

Physical Properties:
Boils at any time with inlaws.
Can freeze in front of his own family.
Melts if sees other women.
Very Bitter if questioned.

Chemical Properties:
Very Reactive
Highly Unstable
Possess Strong resistance to Gold, Silver, Diamond, Platinum, Credit cards & Cheque books.
Money saving Agent.

Occurrence:
Mostly found in front of the TV.