My First Assessment

In front of Hall No. 10.... with Arora and VNS Murthy in hand..... trying to remember the formulae.... clearing friend's doubt's in the last minute...  the boys rushing in to occupy the last rows (u know why :) ).... Confused look on the face on getting the question paper...

All things look very familiar..... 10 years and not much has changed, except that I was a student then and now a teacher. 

I never predict life. But now that I am here, I have a responsibility and i will try to do the best I can.

Dad

There is no kind of affection so purely angelic as of a father to a daughter. In love to our wives there is desire; to our sons, ambition; but to our daughters there is something which there are no words to express.

..... missing u a lot

But,there are always two choices

You can shed tears that he is gone,
or you can smile because he has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that he'll come back,
or you can open your eyes and see all that he has left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see him,
or you can be full of the love you shared and cherish his memories and let it live on.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back.
Or you can do what he'd want, smile, be happy, succeed, and move forward in life.

I am trying hard to follow the latter.

Ref: Poem "She is gone" by DAVID HARKINS

Truth

Speak the truth..... to others but most importantly to yourself.
Fooling others is bad but fooling yourself is suicide.

Past

There are two ways to see the past.
1. To whine and brood over things that happend and immerse yourself in self-pity.
or
2. To take everything (good or bad) as learning experience and move on in life.

I prefer the latter.

Nice Scene

Decisions

"When making a decision of minor importance, I have always found it advantageous to consider all the pros and cons. In vital matters, however, such as the choice of a spouse or a profession, the decision should come from the unconscious, from somewhere within ourselves. In the important decisions of personal life, we should be governed, I think, by the deep inner needs of our nature."

Read this quote somewhere. May be this is the answer to most of the questions people ask me.

Living

Almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
Don't complicate your life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. You have only one life and one chance to do all the things that you want to do.
Kaun jaane... Kal ho na ho.... Just follow your heart today.
Almost everyone dies but only a few really "live".

Ref: Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005

Its my life

To whomsoever it may concern
"I don't like it when you try to take advantage of me, when you disrespect me, when you are unkind to me. I don't need someone to abuse me verbally, emotionally, physically. I don't need to hear you cursing all the time. It's not that I am better than you; it's because
I love beauty. I love to laugh; I love to have fun; I love to love. It's not that I am selfish; I just don't need a big victim near me. It doesn't mean that I don't love you, but I cannot take responsibility for your dream."
With Regards,
ITS ME


Don't be a victim. Don't endure abuse. Its your life.

"You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” - Buddha

Ref: The Mastery of Love: A Practical Guide to the Art of Relationship - Don Miguel Ruiz

Nice Lyrics

I don't know much about the context of the song in the film but the lyrics have always boosted my morale

A Kavithai I like

one of the poems of Bharathi that I like...

நல்லதோர் வீணை செய்து - அதை
நலங்கெடப் புழுதியில் எறிவதுண்டோ ?
சொல்லடி சிவசக்தி - எனைச்
சுடர்மிகும் அறிவுடன் படைத்துவிட்டாய்
வல்லமை தாராயோ - இந்த
மாநிலம் பயனுற வாழ்வதற்கே ?
சொல்லடி சிவசக்தி - நிலச்
சுமையென வாழ்ந்திடப் புரிகுவையோ ?

If you really want something...

Same thing emphasized again and again by various people
"The whole world steps aside for the man who knows where he is going."
"Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen" - Ralph Waldo Emerson
The world has the habit of making room for the man whose actions show that he knows where he is going.” - Napolean Hill
"When you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true." - Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist)
"Follow your passions, believe in karma, and you won't have to chase your dreams, they will come to you." - Randy Pausch
"Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaaho, toh puri kaynat use tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai" - OM SHANTI OM
Feels good everytime I read all this.

But for it to happend, you should really know what you want in life, not what the society wants from you. Listen to your heart and decide.

A kavidhai I like

Don't know why I like it. One of the best poems that sums up everything in life. Just experience everything in life. Don't hesitate to live. It is by Kavignar Kannadasan.

Perspective of life

Read an article on '25 ways to be happy' long time back in Reader's Digest, but never thought that i would experience it. It was mentioned that people who have survived a terminal illness or accident, witnessed a tragedy or lost a loved one, view life from a different perspective. Having experienced it, I see life in a different light. Inspite of all the saddness and mental turmoil, life appears more beautiful. Small, mundane problems just fade out. The cliched expression ' you never know what you have until you loose it' appears very true. Don't take anything for granted. Give importance to the people who truly love you and have concern for you. Never wait to express love, gratitude or apology. Never put off anything for 'later' for there may be no tomorrows. Learn to truly forgive people. Do what your heart and conscience says.
With this perspective, life appears so much more fulfilling and worthwhile. Nothing makes me sad. Life is indeed beautiful, inspite of all the 'so-called problems'.