Happy New Year 2016!

What is the difference between introspection and retrospection really?    Introspection is the act of looking within oneself and Retrospection is the process of looking back at our past actions. On the New Year Eve, we use both of these avenues to validate how we fared in the year to end. For some, it has been the year of   confusion; for some it was the year of   resistance; for some it was the year of   acceptance; for some it was the year of   sowing  ; for some it was the year of   harvesting   and for some it was the year of ultimate...  experiencing true love   . Confusion or resistance, acceptance, sowing, harvesting or experiencing true love, cannot co-exist regrettably. They are all part of a process…a cycle. They emerge sequentially, simply to unveil the secrets of the universe…to present us with goodies…using which we live life without much of resistance. How is it possible to resist, without being confused at the first place? How it is possible to accept, when we have not been resisting at the first place?

​   True love se, ek kahani yaad aya, kaho tow sunaye?    A saint who was visiting river Ganges to take bath, found a group of family members on the banks, shouting in anger at each other. He turned to his disciples, smiled asked “Why do people shout in anger & shout at each other?”. Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, “Because we lose our calm, we shout.”!  Saint asked    “But, why should you shout when the other person is just next to you? You can as well tell him what you have to say in a soft manner!!!”.     Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the saint.

Finally the saint explained:    “When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other to cover that great distance.   What happens when two people fall in love?   They don't shout at each other but talk softly, because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is either nonexistent or very small...”…  The saint continued   , “When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, they only whisper and they get even closer to each other in their love.   Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other’s eye, that's all...thats enough for them to understand each other.   That is how close two people are, when they love each other”. Samjhe?…kuch issh tarah…

We need to acknowledge & accept everything that comes on our way. Our experience of something, without the experience of its opposite is incomplete. Until we accept it, that thing remains uncertain in our mind. Uncertainty has a close relationship with frustration. Both have a bizarre way of fuelling each other. And when these two get together, they delight in making life feel more complex. Seeking clarity is important therefore. People want us to speak our minds and be honest with them. When we do so, they sometimes feel affronted. They want us to be truthful but not so truthful. They’d prefer that we left certain bit out, where truthfulness is concerned. Never mind...we have only one option. We must do, what we need to do. Others will appreciate, later perhaps, when they finally realize. 

Tow chale shambha? Shamba asked; where? I replied into 2016, where else?   Everyone is running into 2016, we must also rush. There are no options to choose from, hence there is no confusion, so there will not be any frustration. Now you know why everyone is happy on the New Year ’s Eve?   Silly Sambha asked again,   WHY everyone is happy on new year’s eve? I said; because they have only one option for them i.e. to drop everything, make merry and move into 2016 at the end of this evening.   Options bring uncertainty and uncertainties bring frustration. Knowledge brings confidence and confidence reduces options and brings contentment.   Sambha smiled. Perhaps, we have an agreement here. Thank God!!!

Celebrating Christmas without listening to a Christmas songs is incomplete. Similarly bringing down the New Year, without listening to this perticular song is incomplete. Chalo phir. Naya Saal Ho, Aap Sabko Mubarak.    A Very Eventful and Memorable New Year, I wish for all of us.   We shall connect again next year….until then…. DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO MAN!