From Darkness to Light -- Learnings from Nature

I attended an organic farming workshop conducted by the earthoholics. While in the workshop I could not help but draw parallels of my life and process of growing plants from germination , to growth , to harvest and completion.This whole exercise of growing plants has taught me a few wonderful lessons. I have come to realise how insensitive I have been to the complete process of growing plants and trees.I learnt that the process of germination starts with providing darkness , warmth and moisture for the seeds to germinate. In life I fear darkness but this very darkness is the genesis of a new life !!Warmth for me represents the heat generated due to the friction , the inner struggle and conflict I go through when I experience the dark and the challenges that life throws at me. Moisture is the clearing , the tears , the emotions that flow and the germination process starts.So now I know that I do not have to fear the dark , the inner conflict and my emotions as all these are necessary for life to grow through me.Once the germination has happened and I start seeing the shoots of new ideas , new possibilities it's important for these ideas to see the light of the day in order to flourish.I learnt that my ideas to flourish and bear fruits, I need to show them to the world through projects , experimentation , mentors and bring them out in the open. That's when my ideas will take root and start growing on their own. My job now is provide the right amount of fertilizers , water and environment.Once my ideas bear fruits , I have a choice to enjoy the fruits myself and also share them with others and have fun. The plants reap and harvest yields. It's a trial and error process. It's a process of hope and play.And when the capacity of the plant to bear fruits is completed it leaves the seeds behind for new life , new possibilities to emerge. And the process of life continues.That's how nature is giving and nurturing in all it's humility.And the process of life continues . From darkness to light to darkness again and light !!And my biggest learning has been that that's the process of life I need to trust. Trust the divine grace operating as life cycles through me.

Freedom !!

Rules and more rules just confine

what if i just stroll

Stroll to enjoy life ,

in this enjoyment what if i create

Creation which leads somewhere or no where

What if all trust in me for this creation to wander

what if all or none ramble to create a rare

What if there are no rules and all rules set me free

experience freedom and let creation create itself  !!

Trust in the flow of life

What is that I have to unlearn, in order to learn to trust ?
This mistry mazed path , carved with wonderful turns, tell me how do I put ny foot forward ?

The river flowing wild and deep , show me to ride with glory and ease

The whirlpools of gusty winds , give me your strenght to stand and be still

Why do i create this dichotomy all the time ?
Can i not just be and flow with life ?
Does it really matter where the winds takes ?
Does it really matter where the river breaks ?

Al I ask dear wind , water and land
Carry me with care into the unknown sands
As there is nothing to fear but my own mind
As there is nothing to trust ,but just be the wind , water and land.

Reliance on Intelligence beyond my Intelligence as a Leadership Skill

For many years I have lived a life of subtle arrogance. I used to believe that praying and asking for guidance from Intelligence higher than me was an act of weakness!!. That’s how arrogant I was until life put me through the lessons I needed to learn and see the magnificence of Intelligence much, much greater than I can possibly perceive. Over few years now I have come to wonder and ponder and see probably for the first time the intricate details and perfection in which a baby is born, the precision perfect way in which human body functions and heals ,the orderliness in which a plant grows and bears fruits, the impeccable trajectory of the planets and stars. Now waking up to the magnificence of this intelligence which ever surrounds us (only if we choose to see) I am compelled to ask the question what does it take for me tap into this Intelligence? Why is that we human beings rely only on our own limited Intelligence and choose not to include the guidance which we receive from this higher Intelligence into healing physical illnesses. Why is it that the skills to tap into this Intelligence are considered as ‘soft skills’ , hog wash , miracles , magic ? Why can’t we collectively align to this higher intelligence perpetually and make it a way of life? How can businesses tap into this potential and create better worlds and economies? How can mothers tap into this Intelligence to be a guiding force for the next generation? As I read and ponder to quench my thirst of these questions, I stumbled upon an area of new leadership skills. ‘Source’, the path to inner leadership is a book written by Joseph Jowarski which talks exactly how tapping into this universal Intelligence’ will be a skill needed by the next gen Leadership. He talks about how Shell uses this skill to predict the emerging futures of tomorrow. For me personally, I never looked at my journey into personal mastery as a leadership skill until now. My only driving force was to be a better human being. As I read and internalize the likes of Joseph Jowarski , Peter senge’s work I realise ‘Tapping into the higher Intelligence’ is no more a ‘soft skill’ but a very matured high end skill needed for stewarding humanity to its next level of evolution and potential. To create leaders which tap into the human potential to create the emerging futures of tomorrow. Am I inspired or what ? !!

Sachin Tendulkar - A pointer to the God within !

I have been a cricket fan in the past and honestly these days watch cricket only if it's interesting in the end overs.And even though I do not follow cricket news deligently I am bombarded with Sachin's retirement story all around me.I see people paying tribute to Sachin on the radio , singing hymes in his name. Adversitements caching on the retirement story invoking emotional sentiments. Banner's proclaiming Sachin as 'God of Cricket'. What has caught my attention is this label of 'God of Cricket' being bestowed on Sachin.

When I ponder deeper I realise it's the Godlike qualities which Sachin's character displays is what has excited people all over world. The qualitites of being humble , being a man of integrity , being committed and dedicated to task at hand. And the most important quality of all which makes him Godlike is his ability to consistently display these qualities.And these qualities invoke enthusiasm in his fans to paint themselves from head to toe in Indian tri colour , wear the banner '10' T-shirt. Stand and watch the match so that Sachin does not get out.

The source of the word enthusiam is the Greek enthousiasmos, which ultimately comes from the adjective entheos, "having the god within," formed from en, "in, within," and theos, "god." Observing this hysteria around me and the enthusiasm which Sachin invokes in all of us , I am almost compelled to search and bring out the God within me. If all of us as human beings see this God within ourselves , I am sure we all be Sachin Tendulkars in our mission and purpose in life. Just imagine how beautiful this world will be when of us like Sachin are living our God within !! ... We all have the light within ourselves to shine all the Godlike qualities ; And when we can see and celebrate these qualities in Sachin I am certain we can help them shine within us as well. In order to pay my real tribute to this Little Master blaster , I take on to search and bring out the God within and take our humanity one step closer to God and that's the enthusiam Sachin has invoked in me !!

The Conflict within

                                                                     

The conflict which I call my own

Is it really a conflict, is yet to be known

The conflict I feel within to come from grace in all situations

And the drag I feel to go on an ego trip at every instigation.

The conflict I feel within to believe the outside events as a cause of me

Or the reality is what I first create within?

The conflict I feel to see all of life as miracle

Or to defy each grace as a logical conclusion

The conflict I feel to be fooled by life

Is it really a loss to be fooled or the greatest gift showered to experience life?

The Conflict I feel within to look at each illness as a gift to learn and heal

Or to suppress it with medication which creates an illusionary healthy feel.

The conflict I feel to trust an abundant caring universe

When all of news bombards to believe the exact scary reverse.

The conflict I feel within to reside in non action

When all of life have been taught to plan and make things happen

The conflict I feel to be a victim and blame others

Or to look within as a mirror to love and accept me which otherwise I would never discover.

I know for sure that this conflict is the first step into the unknown

It’s the caterpillar’s struggle into the colorful beautiful world to call its own.

All I wish and pray for me and others,

That we all pay heed to this conflict and really really struggle.

For as we struggle with this conflict within

We will all learn and truly heal.

And as we all heal together, the world would heal

And we will live to share the experiences of our beautiful worlds within.

A gift to myself

Its 4.30 am and an itch to write.

To reflect on life, to feel its essence and what flavours I really like.

Life was beautiful as far as I remember, with childhood birthday celebrations and feelings which made me feel special

Abba always captured my smile in his camera and milestoned my every little progress

My first teeth, my first baby step all stand now as a reminder of how I was loved and cared.

I had gifts like every child has its own, to emote, to dance, to narrate and write.

As days grew by and the norms set in, I forgot how loved I was and how special I felt.

Each day was a competition to get approval, each day became a struggle to beat the rest.

Slowly and steadily I became an expert in this game and started to live a life by what other’s claimed.

This went on for years, where the gifts just beat the dust deep inside of me.

I pulled up a cover and began to shine and polish which was never me.

As one day I realised, I was a fake diamond. A diamond which had forgotten its own beauty and now wanted to shine like other fake diamonds.

That’s the day I realised why life lacked lustre, it was my own light which had gone dim and needed duster.

I made a choice to the get my gifts back, to reflect on life and claim me back.

Like every journey begins with a single step, I have definitely taken the step within.

Since then life has become so spacious, the inner child in me has taken a breather

The gifts are back and I love the new me who now remembers how loved she was and will always will be.

And as I reflect on my life on this special day, would not change a thing which made me love and care.

The greatest joy is when gifts are shared and this expression is my gift to be loved and cared.

If you want to return a gift my dear friends, it’s just a leap away to check within

And when you find your gift ready to shine, I will be ready again to share mine.