KINTSUGI/ KINTSUKUROI

Kintsugi or Kintsukuroi is a Japanese art of mending broken things with gold.
A break, a failure, a mistake is something to remember, something of value which shouldn’t be hidden or disguised but highlighted because they contribute to your story, they don’t ruin you. We are stronger in the places that we have been broken.
Each of us should try to look at traumatic events in a positive way, learn from negative experiences, take the best from them and convince ourselves that exactly these experiences make each person unique, precious.
The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.
All beautiful things carry distinctions of imperfection. Your wounds and imperfections are your beauty. Like the broken pottery mended with gold, we are all Kintsugi. It’s philosophy and art, state that, breakage and mending are honest parts of a past which should not be hidden. Your wounds and healing are a part of your history; a part of who you are.

Every beautiful thing is damaged. You are that beauty; we all are !!

‘The wound is the place where light enters’–Rumi

Thanks for stopping by

asmi_bharati 🌸

Needle in a Haystack

Looking for a Needle in a haystack..is like looking for..
Peace in times of conflict.. Happiness in times of sorrow
Health in times of pandemic..
Money in times of recession..
Job in times of unemployment..
Love in times of lust and deceit..
True friends in times of insecurity..

Instead of finding the needle.. aren’t we making the haystack bigger ??
Hope is like a needle in a haystack..
No matter how small, and even if you can’t find it, it’s there..
The haystack is a challenge..
Start working towards reducing the haystack by having faith in your capabilites..
YOU WILL FIND THE NEEDLE !!

Thanks for stopping by

asmi_bharati 🌸

Do visit my fb page

https://www.facebook.com/bharati.banters/

VACCINATION BLUES!

VACCINE..VACCINE..VACCINE

Well, this inconspicuous, obscure, inglorious injection, hated by all for it’s prick, is suddenly grabbing the limelight! It’s become the ‘show stopper’ of the year. The vaccine is literally getting ‘the red carpet’ treatment, isn’t it ? The humble syringe and needle has become the most sought after weapon against the virus for a ‘shot in the arm’. ‘Nukes’…for the virus..?? Oh,its just a pile of scrap !

And the number of vaccines we must have taken in our lifetime !! We begin as infants with the BCG which follows an unending string of vaccines, the most common amongst them the anti- tetanus!

I guess the most hated visit for us all, is to the doctor’s whereas a dentist appointment ??..a terror…agree??

I am a scaredy cat when it comes to injection and blood tests. I even avoid looking when the doc prepares the injection. Are you too scared of the jab ? Relax. You aren’t alone in this zone. Scores of people shudder at the mere thought of it. It’s a phobia.
‘TRYPANOPHOBIA’.. some Linguiphile was kind enough to coin a term for this phobia.

I remember when I was a child, my dad used to bribe me with a Cadbury to prepare me mentally for a jab. Shivering to the core I used to enter the clinic holding on to my Cadbury, the reward for my bravery. The sounds and smells of the injection, the doc preparing for it, the feel of the cold swab of spirit on the bum was enough for me turn into a Soprano and the instant tightening of the muscles. It would take two nurses to hold me down, the howling and crying would scare the hell out of patients in the waiting room, looking questioningly at each other wondering whether someone was being murdered inside, the kids with them competing with me for the ‘Soprano of the year’ award.

Well, like it or not, we are in for a JAB very soon. This time though, it’s not the ‘Trypanophobia’ but ‘Xenophobia’ (fear of the unknown). There’s a hesitancy to take the vaccine coz we don’t know whether we are better off with it or without it ! Prevention is better than cure or is it better to be safe than sorry ?? Are we going to be war heroes or martyrs ? Oh..so much for a vaccine !

Let’s laugh away our blues with this nursery rhyme..

Vaccine is coming, vaccine is coming
Hospitals build your nests
Weave together nurses and doctors
Doing each your best.

Vaccine is coming, vaccine is coming
Hesitancy is coming too
Avidity, apprehension, despondency
Now are coming through.

Vaccine is coming, vaccine is coming
All around is fear
Shiver and quiver on the vaccinee
Anticipation is everywhere.

Wish you SAFE VACCINATION!

Thanks for visiting my blog.
asmi_bharati 🌸

GET… SET… GO 2021

Hey, it’s already Jan 5 and nothing has changed ! The same me, same circumstances, same problems.. then what happened on 31 Dec 😦 Are we on the same page about this ?

Well, did you think some magic wand will transform you to another world and space, where ‘All is well’ ?
So then, what’s all the brouhaha, ruckus, hubbub, uproar, tumult about the New Year Eve ?

People celebrate (?), dance, make merry, wish each other Happy New Year and sleep, exhausted from this event which is socially promoted, endorsed and followed by herd mentality. But the very next day, you wake up to the same old humdrum, dreary, monotonous, banal, prosaic, quotidian, ho-hum life !

Well, much ado about nothing !

And then there are the new year resolutions !! Another must-do ! Have you made yours ? You have? Oh, don’t you know, this year the mantra is ‘No resolution is the new resolution’ ?

You know what, resolutions made are broken within a month. So this year let’s do something different. Let’s make some commitments. Yes. What’s the difference?
Well, a resolution is a determination, firmness of purpose for ‘behavior modification or elimination of bad habits’. But there is no accountability hence easily broken.
Commitment is ‘being dedicated to an activity or cause with intention and focus’. 
We have endured a lot with patience the past year. Let’s do a SWOT analysis. Let’s work on our strengths and opportunities. Let’s not stress over our weakness and threats. This year let’s commit ourselves to work on the good, our QUOTIENT (presence of a characteristic in someone)

1. Intelligence quotient.. let’s commit to read more, listen, fill ourselves with knowledge so that we are enlightened and nobody fools us with trash.
2. Emotional quotient.. let’s commit to be self aware and aware of the emotions of others, empathize, understand, respond rather than react rationally to people and situations.
3. Creativity quotient.. let’s commit to develop and master some art, hobbies that bring cheer and relief to a stressful mind.
4. People quotient.. let’s commit to work on strengthening relationships, widen our web of contacts by being there for friends in need.
5. Body quotient.. let’s commit to work on our health with proper diet, exercise and adequate rest and build immunity.
6. Adversity quotient.. let’s commit to gear up our skills to tackle difficult situations, misfortunes in life.. acknowledge, take ownership, plan and execute.. physical, mental, social, financial adversities.
7. Social quotient.. let’s commit to be socially responsible towards our family, society, country, understand our societal rules and roles towards varied cultures, countries and respect religious sentiments.
8. Adaptability quotient.. let’s commit to learn to adapt to the new than holding on to the old ways of living, be flexible and go with the flow.
9. Moral quotient.. let’s commit to not just preach but practice, moral values and ethics, integrity, a sense of responsibility, forgiveness and compassion, in life.
10. Spiritual quotient.. let’s commit to practice yoga, meditation, be fully engaged in becoming the BEST YOU, find our higher purpose, live with responsibility, humility and happiness to live up to our potential for better and more satisfying life, gain a sense of a reason for our human existence and help heal the world.

Commitment is an act.. not a word !!   

So what are you waiting for ?

Here’s a fool proof plan for a better, different you.

GET.. SET.. GO.. LET’S TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH IN 2021 !    
ONE YEAR = 365 OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE..AND FINISH STRONG !!

Thanks for visiting my blog
asmi_bharati 🌸

CTRL+ALT+DEL FILE 2020

2020.. what a phenomenal year!!

Just a few days left and we are desperately waiting for it to go and ardently waiting for the new year.
‘An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in.
A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.’

So what are you, an optimist or a pessimist ?? Whoever you are, are you the same person who wished ‘Happy New Year 2020’ to all and sundry ?? Weren’t you glad 2019 is done with and happy to welcome 2020 ? No one had the slightest inkling of what we were welcoming ! So does it make you apprehensive in welcoming the new year ? I bet it does !
Are we going from bad to better.. or from bad to worse ??

The pandemic acted as a catalyst..agree ?? It made our lives stop in the tracks and made us take stock of our lives. It changed the history and timeline of mankind.
Life will never be the same again. It will now be measured as life pre-corona and life post- corona !

Gone are those days of throwing caution to the wind and mindless indulgence, wastage and unhealthy lifestyle.
This microscopic virus has taught us the macroscopic virtues of mindfulness that is through your intention, attention and attitude.

Let’s recap Lessons 2020 !
A…. Adjust, adopt, adapt, arm yourself with as many skills as possible, you never know which skill will come to your rescue in difficult times
B…. Breathe ! Breathe right! It’s the energy of life
C…. Compromise during adversities for survival
D…. Death is not a hidden enemy, it walks with us
E…. Exercise is mandatory if you want to live long and strong
F…. Family is not just a unit of individuals living together but it’s the backbone of our life and fulfills all our needs as mentioned by Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of needs’ i.e. physical, psychological and self fulfillment.
G…. Growth is not always physical and professional. We all have grown in this pandemic internally more responsible and patient.
H…. Home cooked food is always good for health than the junk we were stuffing ourselves with.
I…. Immunity is the shield which keeps all viruses at bay.
J…. Jack of all trades. We all became Jack and tried our hands at everything for survival.
K…. Keep calm. You can’t control the virus, time, people and circumstances.
L…. Less is more. We learnt to survive on bare minimum.
M…. Mask is a barrier between you and the virus. Mask your face but not your feelings, emotions.
N…. Nothing is permanent, neither good times nor bad times
O…. One wrong thought, one wrong action, one virus can change our lives forever
P…. Perseverance is the key to success. Hold on. Don’t give up.
Q…. Quarantine your mind from negativity. Social distancing from negativity. Positive vibes only.
R…. Respect nature. It is way too stronger than we can imagine
S…. Stop taking things for granted. Everything in life comes with a price tag
T…. Today, this moment is the only truth. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery.
U…. Unwind yourself, discover yourself, find your purpose in life, you have only one chance
V…. Volunteer to work for self and others. Every occupation has dignity. Be Aatmanirbhar
W…. Waste not, want not
X…. Expect the unexpected
Y…. Yoga is a way of life now which leads to physical, mental, spiritual health and self realization.
Z…. Zoom is a new way of life now from personal to professional life.

Survival of the fittest is no more just a proverb, it’s a reality.

The achievements of 2020 are nill in terms of growth.
Nothing came out of nothing.

So what now..??
Reset habits, reboot thoughts, rewind the past, restrengthen relationships, relinquish bad habits, reexamine actions, reconfigure life and reprogram self.
We have truly botched up the File 2020 beyond editing.
Folks it’s time to close the file and
CTRL+ ALT + DEL FILE 2020
And move on to a new page 1 JAN of FILE 2021!

Let’s say ADIOS 2020 !!

But let us not be harsh and curse 2020..

Let’s be thankful to it for the lessons..

For we never know what’s in store for us in 2021 !!

———————————————

Thanks for reading my post.

asmi_bharati 🌸

Running is meditation #wwwp5k

    I am very athletic by nature. I love sports. I had participated in all track and field events in school and college. It was possible since I was in a student stage. However, after I finished my education I had to give up my sports activities. This is the story of every girl I guess.

    Boys, men tend to spend a lot of time in playing outdoor games even after completing education but girls, women give up on sports and playing outdoors once they finish education. I feel really sad about this. Women too should have the freedom to play outdoor games, participate in sports.

   Why is there a restriction? Is it the various household responsibilities, the belief that it is not right to allow women to play outdoors for fear of safety, is it societal norms, is it the lack of playgrounds for women since most of the playgrounds are occupied by men ??

   I don’t think women take this decision of not involving in outdoor games voluntarily. It’s the patriarchal set up of our society and the mind sets of men that women are supposed to do household chores and look after family. Nobody has made laws against women involving in outdoor games but there is an unwritten, unspoken, unbroken rule that women after a particular age can’t step out and play games. What will people say ? That’s the fear instilled in a women and hence even if she wants she doesn’t. And that does affect her physical and mental health. Only a few privileged women go ahead and become champions in sports.

   I have always wanted to run. I used to keep talking of my desire. I don’t know what was stopping me. I was 40. Is it possible now, will it be OK, what will my neighbors say ?? But my desire was so strong that one morning I just got up and stepped out and started running. No. No one was gaping at me. No one was surprised to see me in track pants and tee. So was I prejudiced, was it my own unnecessary fears that were stopping me ??

   I feel so free to run. It’s a sort of meditation, it’s addictive. You are your own judge, you become more centered, focused and mindfull, you discover your strengths and weakness. It fills you with so much self confidence, improves your physical and mental health. Prepares you to face life challenges. I have been participating in runathon, 5 and 10 kms, since 6 years. This wordpress marathon is my 20th.

   So Amigas.. just let yourself free.. and run. You don’t need a playground, you don’t need any permission, you aren’t shirking your responsibilities.. you just need a road to run, you are utilizing your ME TIME.

Thanks WordPress for this initiative of 5k runathon !

#wwwp5k

Oh Atlas, hold on!

Oh! look at Atlas the Titan, who was punished by Greek God Zeus, to hold the globe on his shoulders for eternity, look his legs are shaking, his hands are shivering, his face is contracted with pain.. do you know why.. because the earth’s weight is beyond his capacity now. And when, why, how did this happen ??

As per a report published on 10 Dec 2020, the weight of man made things has now exceeded all forms of life on earth. Human made materials reached 1.1 trillion tons exceeding the mass of all living things on the planet, which includes people, bacteria, flora and fauna. Can you believe that ?

The earth, born out of the big bang in the universe, was conducive for life. Human species for its comfort discovered and invented materials and machines. Necessity is the mother of invention. The fig leaves used by Adam and Eve to cover their dignity is the very first example of this. That was their need not greed ! Greed leads to hoarding ! Is there any logic for a person owning 4 cars, 10 watches, 15 pairs of shoes, 3 wardrobes full of clothes? Wastage of food is in tons. E-waste on the earth is estimated to be 50 million tons. Wow, That seems a lot of weight !

Bruce Lipton in his ground breaking book ‘The Biology of Belief’ on Epigenetics says that there is a link between mind and matter. Mind governs the 50 trillion cells in our body which has a profound effect on our behavior in personal life and the collective life of our species. Rene Descartes stated ‘Cogito, ergo sum, I think, therefore I am.’ A thought is a choice. Thoughts become things. Man’s pursuit for power and possessions lead to comparison and competition which lead to negative emotions like jealousy, hostility, ego, hatred which ultimately leads to violence and war.

So what is this weight that is burdening Atlas ? It’s man made matter like vehicles, buildings, roads, bridges, etc. and man made mind generated thoughts, emotions, feelings, actions, behavior. Negative thoughts create bad energy. Positive thoughts create good energy. Today we find, bad energy is burdening the earth.

Do thoughts and emotions have weight, do they affect the global magnetic-field ? Yes, they do ! For almost thirty years, a small group of scientists at the HeartMath Institute in Northern California have been investigating the effects of positive and negative thoughts on the magnetic field of the heart, its relationship to the magnetic fields of the Earth—and how that connection might improve the world by radiating good energy out into it. The idea of a global magnetic-field environment is not new. It is believed that the Earth’s magnetic field connects all living systems, so trees, animals, plants, etc. are all within that field.

Living in harmony and compassion is the need of the hour. Live and let live ! Reduce Reuse Recycle ! Reduce the burden and recyle your thoughts. Technology isn’t going to shift the problems we have in society and the planet—it’s going to take a shift of consciousness for that to happen. Research suggests that this all starts at the individual level, and that we all need to take responsibility for our own thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Karma and The Law of Attraction says that we receive what we give to the universe. The 21st century is witnessing the globe approaching an apocalyptic phase which is ridden by dis-ease; there is sickness, there is unrest over power and possessions.

The desire for superiority by human species over the globe .. where a microscopic virus is proving to be superior to the human species.. is a travesty the world is facing today !

Only our conscious actions and thoughts can lessen the burden on Atlas !

The Road Less Traveled..

Life takes us ahead

Memories take us back

Some laughter, some tears

… experiences create a mosaic

People met and lost in the crowds

Places visited now just a memory

Promises given promises broken

… kaleidoscope of every story

Holding the hand of destiny

Taking a leap of faith in love

Our choices and our mistakes

… mock us on our journey

And then I hear my soul speak

Life isn’t only about winners my dear

Life is also about those losers

Who walk despite a fall without fear

….on the road less traveled !

(Lockdown introspection)

Thanks for visiting my blog

Bharati 🌸

The Fall Season…

The Fall Season..

A cup of hot steaming coffee and me, in my cozy corner in the balcony.. just perfect for a winter evening There’s a nip in the air, soft wind caressing the trees and psithurism (Greek word for whispering), whispering sweet nothings, the rustling of leaves on the boughs, birds cooing and calling out to their mates, soothing serene atmosphere.. it’s the romantic Autumn calling..

The earth below the trees is covered with a blanket of yellow, red, brown leaves creating a beautiful mosaic.

The fall is seasonal yet perpetual..

I hear some voices and look around. There’s no one here accept me. Then who ? I look out of the window and am startled to see two leaves speaking to each other.

Leaf Yellow : Oh Mother Branch, please don’t let go off me, hold on to me pl. I don’t want to fall. I want to keep being with you, feel the cool breeze, the warm sunlight, the drizzle of the rain, hear the sweet birdsong, be a part of the nature and swing in glory. Pl don’t let go off me.

Leaf Red : Oh, Mother Branch, please let go off me. I have served my term. I was once a young tender leaf full of life and vigor, excited to experience life. I have experienced the three seasons, given all that I could to nature and life on earth. Now it’s time for me to make way for another new leaf. I can’t be selfish and hang on forever and not allow other new leaf to experience what I have.

Listen brother Leaf Yellow, everything on this earth whether living or non living, even emotions and feelings too come with an expiry date. But they don’t just vanish completely, only change form. We may cease to be leaves but we will have another shape and form. Nothing lasts forever. Come my dear Leaf Yellow, let’s bid goodbye to this existence and venture into a new adventure.

A whiff of breeze caressed the tree, the two shrivelled leaves rustled for the last time, and slowly glided towards the earth to mingle in the beautiful mosaic to embark on a new journey…

Thanks for visiting my blog

Bharati

To Grey or Not To grey!

50 shades of grey!

To grey or not to grey

To dye the grey or die for grey

Grey’s (hair) anatomy

Whoa..so much for greying!

Hey.. all my greying friends reading this post, do you recall your first reaction when you first spotted that white strand of hair on your black crowning glory ? I bet all hell broke loose ! Didn’t you howl, weep, stress out, surf the net (in my times aunties and grandmas were our google search) for ways to stop the whites overtaking the blacks (no pun intended please). And guess what you spent scores of money, time and energy in holding on to your black hair and warding off the white evil with henna, dye, color, beetroot juice, dark coffee, black tea.. you name it and we did it.

The color and dye company founders were laughing their way to the bank. They got their 1st Ferrari, 2nd Mercedes and 3rd holiday in Switzerland ! All because, like zombies, we were purchasing their products to make our white black and they were jolly well making their black into white(sic)!

Cut to 2020..

The trend was on till recently and then the virus attacked and opened a Pandora’s box of new trends. We got caught up in the so called ‘new normal.’ Less is more, work from home, surviving on a pair of pajamas, one formal for online work, nude makeup, home cooked food only, no saloon or spa. The virus made sure we followed the lockdown to the T. And the color trend turned turtle and guess what suddenly out of the blue, greying is in !

Good Almighty, Jesus, Holy cow ..Hey Bhagwan !

Look around.. dont you see 50 shades of gray ? Oh, come off it, I am alluding to hair.. what did you think ?? Salt and pepper hair, full white hair, half white hair, peeping white hair, streaked white hair, partitions with parallel columns of white hair… Gradually.. grey has become the new normal, the new young !

Grey hair, for generations, has been associated with old age. Nobody wants to grow old but you can’t stop aging, can you? There are those fortunate one’s, who have black hair, even in their sixties, bless their genes. But there are also those ‘Les Miserables’, who get their first white hair while still in school or teenage. Bad hair day.. you bet it exists for all of us.

Hey.. so what is it with grey hair ??

Grey heads carry the tag of being old, frail, senile, uncompromising with the new generation, slow at understanding new technology, outdated, obsolete, grumpy, not physically active (no pun intended). People’s behavior is different towards a grey head. More of respect than friendly.

Grey hair also signifies maturity, experience, wisdom, grace, poise, a person who is sure of self, confident and brave enough to accept age.

I have a strong feeling of being coerced into going grey. There are hundreds of women on social media talking about the pros of grey and cons of coloring and how they take pride in flaunting their greys.

IT’S A CATCH 22 !

TO GREY OR NOT TO GREY !

Alchemist and Humans have been searching for that elixir of youth since ages. Allopathy, Homeopathy, Ayurveda, Yunani, Naturopathy have scores of medicines to keep you looking young and beautiful.

Well… I guess, ultimately, we need to understand that working towards your purpose in life, achieving your personal and professional goals, carving a niche for yourself in this highly competitive world is more imp than following a herd mentality. It takes some effort and you SHOULD take some effort to look presentable, pleasant, poised and graceful.. grey or otherwise we all have a right to look good… to feel good !

Self image, personality development has gained utmost importance now to be self-confident, self-assured, self-contained for self-esteem and self-respect!

Persona, is the right balance of inner personality i.e. your nature, habits, values, upbringing, communication skills, religious beliefs, your outlook towards humanity and world problems

..and your outer personality i.e. your dress sense, hairstyle, accessories, neatness and hygiene, smile, body language, manners and etiquette in society

If colored hair gives you confidence.. go ahead

If grey is your choice.. don’t falter

All said and done.. I am back to square one

To grey or not to grey ??

(Oh Hamlet! Did thou find the answer To Be or Not To Be ? )

Thanks for reading !

Bharati