Lost Opportunities

I was rummaging through the desk trying to find the nail clippers, but to no avail. I had chipped a finger nail and wanted to cut it off properly. I had spent past 15 minutes trying to find it, and finally decided to give up and yelled for my sister to come and find it for me. ‘It must be in the bathroom, where it usually is’, she said impatiently. But I had already gone through all the stuff there a few minutes ago, more than once.  So I yelled for her again and heard her complaining. She finally got up, came to the bathroom, opened the drawer and pointed it to me. It was right there in front of me all the time and I didn’t see it. “See I told you its right there. You should go and have your eyes checked”. 

That’s when it hit me. You know, there’s a lot of things that you want out of life. And life offers you immense opportunities to that extend but more often than not, we are just so busy with our other endeavors that we fail to take advantage of the opportunities presented to us. Later when we look back and look at all the lost opportunities, we try our best to get a hold on them, but to no avail. It usually is always too late by the time we realize what we have missed, and what might never be ours to take because we missed it, or rather ignored it, when it was presented to us.

Often times it so happens that, those opportunities that we ignored show up again. But there's always a catch. You either don’t need it or its not yours to take anymore. You had your chance and you lost it. That is the reason why I say that ‘People come into your life for a reason, and its very important that you figure out why, before its too late’. Never take anything for granted, look at everything as if you will never see it again. If you like something, hold onto it and never let go. Who knows, what path life will take you on and if you will ever have a second chance of experiencing the same things again.

Crossroad

Finally the crossroad that he had been waiting for came into sight, or at least he thought so. He just hoped that it wasn't another mirage like before. He couldn't control his anxiety and decided to quicken his pace. The straps of his heavy bag were already biting into his shoulder, but he continued, lest he miss it again. There was still that feeling on the back of his mind that kept stomping on his optimism, telling him that this was just another mirage and he should not get his hopes high. But nevertheless, hope was the only thing that had kept him sane and alive for so long and persuaded his optimism to rise every time it fell.
And then he saw it, there it was. Was that smoke what he saw. He couldn't believe his eyes. He had seen a lot of mirages but never smoke in them before. This was it. This was the real deal. He bagan to jog and the run. Yes there it was, the bus that would take him to the paradise city. He had finally arrived at the first crossroad in time for the bus to Paradise city.
There was a big puff of smoke, and then a bigger one followed. He bag to sprint. No. Not now. Not now when he was so close. The bus began to move, and he tried to pick up his pace. He gave everything he had to catch it. He ran and he ran. Sweat pouring down like rain. He was literally drenched. He could feel his feet cramping up but he didn't give in yet. It was just an arms reach away. He could catch it. He would still be able to get on board, and then he fell. His legs cramped and he got a stitch in his stomach. He tried to get up but fell down again, and again, and again. And then he saw the smoke disappearing in the distance.
He just lay there. He could see the moon behind the clouds in the east and the sun in the west. And he just lay there. He was falling down, down into a dark abyss. There seemed to be no end to it. He had a funny feeling in his stomach. The feeling that you get when the elevator of a skyscraper first starts its journey down. The feeling of weightlessness. He was falling down and now he was afraid. he opened his eyes and saw the stars again. He sat up, had a small meal, some water and the began walking towards the next crossroad. There was still hope left in him. The hope that he would be able to fulfill his dream some day. Yesterday, he wasn't even sure if it was possible. Today he almost missed it, no no, he almost caught it, almost fulfilled his dream. So that was some definite progress. He still had hope.
Minutes became hours, hours became days and days turned to weeks when finally the next crossroad came into his sight. The bus was waiting. The anxiety in him began to ebb again and he could feel the adrenaline rush. He took a few quick steps and began to jog. Should he run faster, will the bus wait for him long enough, should he sprint? He suddenly stopped and stood still looking at the bus, with all the questions still buzzing in his mind. And finally he decided. If it was meant for him to get on it, maybe it didn't matter if he ran or not. He would be able to get on it regardless. And; he just walked.

Of Love

I wrote this quiet a while back, but never really got around to posting it. I was going through my drafts and couldn't remember any more, what it was that kept me from posting it. So here it is.

I had an interesting conversation with one of my friends today.

Him : About how far should one go in the name of love.
Me : I'd say its a personal choice ... but why do you ask ...

Him : Just want to know if someone in this world has any definite answer to this
Me : Maybe just keep going on ... till you are sane
Him : Hahaha then your love would go far away from you
Me : If it still goes far away .. then maybe it was never really worth it

Later I wondered if one really had a choice in how far one wanted to go or can go. You see, love is not a bed of roses as it appears to a lot of us. The rose is just a camouflage to what actually lies under. When in love, one just keeps going on. The intent is to only keep going on till one is sane, but when in love, one never knows when that boundary of insanity is crossed. One never knows when to stop, or even if he knows, he can't. Even if he wants to he can't. Its a kind of a quagmire, from which, maybe, only time can rescue you.
I wonder why birds choose to stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on earth. And then I ask myself the same question. I wonder what it is that has the power or will to pull one out of that quagmire. What it is that can make birds to never stop at the same place twice.

Life is a journey

Life is a journey, not a Destination,

Happiness lies along the way, not at the end of it,
For then, the journey is over & tis too late,
The time for happiness is Today, not Tomorrow.

Life is a Parody ...

We all like to think that we have some control over the events in our lives, and a lot of the time we can fool ourselves into thinking that we really are in charge. But then something happens to remind us that the world runs by its own rules and not ours, that we're just along for the ride.

The Best Years of my Life

My good friend and CEO came by my cube last Friday to wish me in advance and ask me how I felt, now that I was about to cross the quarter century milestone. I looked and him and smiled. My whole life so far zipped past me.

I felt like I was leaving behind the best years of my life. A part life which I had never taken so seriously, but still remains the best remembered in my life of all the other parts. I wish I could relive some of them again someday. I have changed a lot some would say, but friends really close to me tell I haven't changed a bit. I have picked up many good habits, and maybe a few bad ones too along the way. I have had many happy moments which would always remain imprinted in my mind forever. First time I was recognized in front of everyone at school, first time I lived on my own away from my parents, my first crush, first time I was on a stage, my first.. no OUR first hugely successful science project, first time I stayed in a hostel, my first infatuation, my last days at school, the going away parties, first time slogging for over 14 hours a day, first time I felt free after junior college, my days in undergrad, the practicals and the viva's, days spent at the canteen or at movie theaters away from classes, the day I got my student visa, the day I landed here in US, when I got my first part time job, the day I got my first paycheck, the summer holidays, the projects and the impossible people we had to deal with at school, my first football game, the day I got a job offer, the day I left school, my graduation, my first big paycheck, the day I bought my car, the weekends and the parties, the long drives and the adventures. Yes I will remember them all.


The journey has been long and sometimes tiring, although I have enjoyed most of it, just as I enjoy my long drives. I did pick up a lot of friends on the way, some of who will remain with me forever, while others might not. Some of them rode on along with me for a while which seemed but like the blink of an eye. I wish some of them to have stayed longer, but their destination had come and they had to go.
Well anyways, I told my CEO that I felt like I was getting old, and he started laughing. He said I have a long life ahead. Heck he's close to 50 and still thinks that he has a long way to go. He said it doesn't matter how old you are, what matters is the quality of life you have lived, with happiness and joy, without regrets, remembering the good old times and always looking forward. I do have some regrets, but otherwise I have lived a happy life so far. Life is long, and it just keeps going on and on. Although I feel like I am leaving behind the best years of my life, the truth is, to quote one of my friends "It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives".

-- Life is a journey, not a destination, happiness lies along the way, and not at the end of the road, for then, the journey is over and 'tis too late.

The Glass Should Always be Half Full

Often times in life, when asked if one is optimistic or pessimistic, many people answer the question without knowing how they actually perceive life, pessimistically or optimistically. I'm an optimist and I consider it an integral part of being happy in life and achieving what you want. How can you be sure if you are one or the other? Let me give you a simple example.
A guy wants to learn driving. He has driven motor bikes before but never a car. When the instructor asks him to get inside the car and give him a demo of how good he is without any training, he becomes nervous. Thoughts start racing in his mind. He has never driven a car. He doesn't know how to use the gear shift. How hard should he press the breaks, is it very different than bikes. How hard should he turn the steering wheel. What if he hits something in the first run. What if the instructor gets a bad impression about him the first day itself.
Well, so you get it, right. The first feeling that one gets in such situations, says it all. Let us look at the other type. When asked to show a demo, he feels a sense of euphoria and great excitement. He thinks now is the chance to show the instructor that he's better and different than his other students, as he has experience riding his bike. He know when and how hard to use the breaks and accelerator from his experience. Both are machines and both run on similar mechanisms, so it should be easy and he could learn really fast. He could make a really good impression. Again his feelings say it all about his approach towards life.
This might seem very trivial. So let me give you another example. A girl and a boy have been good friends for some time. The girl is thinking that its time to take their friendship ahead to a new relationship. She thinks, she knows the guy so well, so why not. She knows what he likes and dislikes. She knows his taste in food, she knows his taste in music. She knows he's a book lover just like her, she knows that he respects her, trust her and believes in her. More importantly she knows what kind of a person he is and the way he looks at life, his ambitions, goals, how he treats other people, friends or not etc etc. So why should she not take the relationship forward.
But the guy looks at it completely differently. He knows a lot about her but theres so much more that he doesn't know too. He doesn't know anything about her family, he doesn't know if all these feelings that they have been having are just spur of the moment or something genuine. He doesn't know her way of living, as they have never lived together, they have just been good friends, hanging out a lot more with each other than with somebody else. Can he trust her, does she really believe in him, or were they just empty words that she spoke. Isn't it too early to be thinking about a relationship. Questions like these plaque his mind, and hes confused and not able to take a decision.
To the guy, I would tell him to learn to trust people, and never to think that the glass is half empty. Stop worrying about tomorrow and don't think too much about yesterday. Bask in the warmth of today.
To the girl, I would say its great that she thinks positively about life and a life partner, but she should never let the thought, that the glass is ONLY half full, slip from the back of her mind. I can give you more examples but I guess you get the gist of it.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. -- Mark Twain

Reality Check Again

We all like to think that we have some control over the events in our lives, and a lot of the time we can fool ourselves into thinking that we really are in charge. But then something happens to remind us that the world runs by its own rules and not ours and that we're just along for the ride...

-- Allie Kyes from Taken

The Art of Parting

I finally found the article that I promised you I would find. Yes I'm talking about my tenth class English composition about the art of saying goodbyes. No, I didn't google it :), although that was the first thing I tried and it showed me some really weird results. I know few of you guys and gals, with whom I had the pleasure of sharing my last few memorable days at school, do follow my blog. I hope you will be happy to read this beautiful article, which was one of the few last amazing compositions given to us by Padmaja Ma'm, again. So here it goes,

Everyone wants to make a good first impression. But have you ever thought the importance of the last impression? A well delivered farewell can secure a friendship forever. A well chosen exit line can close a business deal.
In any walk of life, dealing with partings partings positively and optimistically is not just a matter of good form, it is the way to make the last impression as memorable as the first. There's an art to leave taking and it can be learned. Good byes should be imprints of individual personalities. If you are the strong silent type, you don't have to be flowery or sentimental. A firm handshake, a straight look in the eye, or a simple "I'll miss you" is enough. The essential thing is to make the moment an impression of yourself and your feelings.
Goodbyes mark important changes. A goodbye signals a change, and change is rarely easy... Sometimes it breaks our hearts. When we sever ties with people, places and things we love,a thread of our own being is cut.
Goodbyes needn't always be in words. When you are tongue tied, a simple embrace or kiss is more poignant than overripe words. Touch has always been the most magical means for sealing people together. They can be momentous. The most meaningful goodbye gift is imbued with some measure of yourself. They come from the heart.
The final goodbye, of course, is death. Often the one departing has no chance to big farewell (really ...! :).. I very vividly remember saying this in my head during that exam). Few of us can compose a farewell statement eloquently, but then, we don't have to. All we need to do is speak honestly and sincerely from our hearts. That's the real secret of Good Byes.

I don't know if my English teacher has written this on her own or taken it from somewhere else. All credits go to the original creator of this article. Any comments will be most appreciated. Here's a nice song to go with it.

Reality Check ...

When everything in your life is right on track, it's easy to believe that things happen for a reason; it's easy to have faith. But when things start to go wrong then it's very hard to hold on to that faith. It's hard not to wonder whose reasons these things happen for.
-- Allie Kyes from Taken

First Impressions ...

I guess you all know the importance of first impressions. One should always make a very good first impressions as it will take him/her a long way. But I have begun to doubt if it can be relied upon. I think (its my opinion, if you don't agree, then I don't care.), that the first impression should not be given so much of an importance. Why, you ask. Because, it is often misleading if not complete. People put on fake impressions just so they are able to achieve whatever it is that they are striving for.
In my opinion, its the last impression that should take the limelight. For example, when you leave a job, its very important that you leave the right way. My manager, Tony (The best and only manager I ever had) keeps telling me this over and over again. Not that he suspects that I may leave, but just so I know. Its very important that you never leave in the middle of a project that you are a part of (If you can help it that is). And even when you leave, its very important that you make sure that the person who's filling in your shoes, finds it really easy to do what ever you used to do. If you do otherwise, then no matter how good you were at work, people are going to bitch about you a lot for making their lives miserable.
Not only a job, but say even when you leave school and say good bye to your friends. You should make sure that you take their contacts and gives yours to them. You talk to them or not later, thats a completely different matter. What matters is that you let them know that you care about them enough to ask for their contact info and give them yours. Why contact info?? Well, thats what came to my mind right off the bat and I mentioned it. It can be anything to let them know that you valued their friendship. A memorable gift or may be a going away treat... yaaay... I am all up for that one....
What I want to emphasize is that, the memories of the last impression, live longer than the first impression. In some cases they are eternal. And the if the last impression that you left was not a good one, then even though the first impression might have been extraordinary, it does not matter any more. The last opinion that they have of you is tarnished and completely different now and it would remain that way till you take the effort to change it.
So my dear friends and readers, no matter which walk or aspect of life it is, always make that extra effort to learn the art of saying good bye the way it should be said and done. That reminds me of a very nice english composition we had when I was in 10'th standard "The art of saying good bye". Don't worry, I'll hunt it down for your benefit :).

CEO Speaks...

I work for a start-up company and so get to speak to my CEO everyday (That's is whenever he's not out on sales calls). We have lunch once in a while in the small kitchen in our office or go out to one of his favourite places somewhere nearby. He speaks a lot, and I don't mean some useless stuff that some people speak but very entertaining and sometimes very deep thoughts. He's a very philosophical man and it shows very clearly when we are sitting in our small kitchen having lunch.
Yesterday he had some very interesting things to share with us. Someone somewhere had conducted a study about what the correct retirement age should be. Can you guess? I'll give you three choices, 50's, 60's or never. Anyways, this is what the study said according to Alex (That's my CEO). If one retires in 50's, he still has the zeal to look for alternative things to do to keep oneself busy, be it a hobby or a way of earning some lively-hood. So the person remains sharp, active and happy and lives a long life. If someone decides never to retire and work as long as possible (can give you some examples in Ratan Tata, Warren buffet, John McCain, JRD Tata etc), then too the brain remains active and sharp till the end. But if one retires during 60's, then the zeal is lost and its difficult to find a hobby you like, or to be creative enough to think of something to to to keep oneself busy. That sure was an interesting study and I never thought so many scenarios could happen. So guys and gals, what do you think, when would you retire?
There are a couple of more things that Alex talked about. Elders usually find very simple answers to very complicated questions. Alex once asked is mom these questions,
How do you know what's the right thing to do?
Her answers were very simple and precise. If you have a choice of doing something, then the hardest among those choice is almost always the right thing to do. I tried to think of some decisions I had taken which would prove her wrong, but 99.99% of times, she was right. What do you think about this guys? Now I guess its easy for me to know what decision to take next time I'm undecided. Thanks Alex, I'll remember this one forever.
How do you know if a person likes you?
And for this question, she said, If you like a person wholeheartedly, then that person sure likes you too, but if you do not like someone, then you can safely assume that you are also not liked by that someone. This sure is a very simple answer to a very very complicated question. I personally am not 100% sure of this, but I'd be delighted if this is the case. let me know your views guys.
This last one, I would keep open ended for you to think about and discuss. How will the world be if one knew the exact date, time and manner of ones death the minute one was born. Would it be better, worse or would there be no change? Am very happy to have met someone like Alex and its wonderful to be working with him. I'll post more such discussion as they happen.