You are special !

Hello folks! All this while I was bit occupied with professional commitments and the festive season caught me between family, friends and celebrations. I know you guys had a wonderful Diwali too. I personally enjoy festive season because they come with the much required break. It feels great catching up with loved ones by giving break to the otherwise hectic life. Simple things like sitting together and talking endlessly over coffee, watching classic movies, a quiet and peaceful dinner is such bliss. I was at one such gathering having fun time where some random observation gave rise to chain of thoughts in my head and I ended up writing this piece.

Friends, can you notice when someone you know looks lost even if they are with a huge group? Or for that matter when a closed one is behaving differently? Or reacting strangely in a distracted manner? These are the signs that we should look out for because they spell ‘D-E-P-R-E-S-S-I-O-N’.
Just have a look at the clues below.

I'm fine - I'm not fine please help me

I'm just tired - I can't take this anymore

I already ate - I starve myself

Go away - Show ne you care enough to stay

I'm just cold - I don't want t see my scars

I'm better, I promise - I've never been this bad

I'm okay - I just want to die


One such recent happening, passing of Robin Williams was a complete shock for the entire world. Even the Jiah Khan suicide that happened a year ago was so uncalled for.  I began to realize that there are people who cross our path seemingly fine but in reality are living in a dark area. They are walking down a long grey corridor never knowing when the light will go on. Many of us will find it difficult to understand what could possibly go wrong with them that they are driven to take their own life.

Friends, people who commit suicide don’t want to end their lives; they want to end their pain. And we will never be able to relate to it because something which is bothering them in a huge way might be nothing in our eyes. I wonder what affected Robin Williams to such an extent that he decided to take such an extreme step? I am sure a million others feel the same way. There can never be another Jumanji, Patch Adams, Goodwill Hunting, August Rush and none of these movies would have been what it is without him. In his case, Robin will forever be remembered for his work and we will share our love for him for years to come. What about others? Those who are known by few, the ones who have loved, raised a family, and had fallen through the cracks… who will immortalize them? Who will strive to bring back these lost souls and give them the right direction so that they realize that a little darkness is required for stars to shine?

Look out for these tiny hearts and if you notice that something is off in their life persuade them to get the help they need. Let them know they are worth it, and are not alone.

This Diwali lets strive to be an encourager and spread good vibes. Let’s love each other like crazy and make the most of this amazing gift called ‘life’.

Peace. Faith. Happiness.
BSR

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

try try till you SUCCEED

Some people believe – to live is to suffer. The true fact is that life is full of obstructions, barriers, hindrances or in other words ‘OBSTACLES’. But if you find a path with no obstacle, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere. We fail to realize that most of our obstacles would melt away if instead of worrying about them we make-up our mind to walk boldly through them.

Let me give you a small example of a butterfly. One day a man found a cocoon and he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through it. In his innocence the man took a pair of scissors and snipped remaining bit of the cocoon. And you know what happened after that, the butterfly had to spend the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and deformed wings and it was never able to fly. The man did not realize that the restricting cocoon and struggled required for the butterfly to get through the small opening of the cocoon were nature’s ways of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it is ready for flight. From above example, it is very evident that sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If nature allows us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us and we would not be as strong as we could have been.

Did you know that Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam as a boy wanted to fly right from the age of 6? Dr. Kalam applied for the Indian Air Force but got rejected in the last stage of medical examination. But that rejection did not demoralize Dr. Kalam and he moved on with his passion for flying machines, designed several rockets and after so many years the boy who wanted to fly, did fly in a SUKHOI-30 MKI in an official capacity and as the president of India.

All great men of world struggled hard, really hard and overcame all obstacles in fulfillment of their mission. God has made human beings in such a way to conquer environment, solve problems and achieve goals and we find no real happiness in life without obstacles to conquer and goals to achieve.

Remember…………..

Don’t be a coward, fearful and weak,

Be the last one to quit and first one to speak,

Don’t hide your face from light of the day,

Be courageous in life and stay that way,

Be wise and courageous, bold and brave;

And life will be worth living,

From your birth till your grave.