We Work.. Why ??

My friend asked me, ” How was your first day at office after a year of wfh and lwp? ” and I blurted out, ” I feel resurrected !”

That entire day from home to work and back was filled with ‘deja vu’ sort of moments for me. The metro train and the stations on the way were like long lost friends. People wearing colorful masks were actually displaying patience, tolerance, glancing furtively yet going about their day. I met the office lift man, house keeping staff, colleagues with a lump in my throat. Nothing had changed yet.. so much had changed !

Life before the pandemic lockdown and after.. two different phases of life! In the past one year I had sort of degenerated, lost touch with my productivity, my purpose, my sense of fulfillment that comes from sincere back-breaking hard work. Online ‘virtual’ classes was a different world altogether. I felt so alive, resurrected, standing before a ‘real’ class at last. Feel the vibes, the classroom ambience with ‘breathing humans’.. and that adrenaline rush! What was mundane and monotonous seemed like magical and motivating.
So what was the driving force behind this ‘serendipity’ ? Will it sustain or vanish with time ? Have I found ‘something’ that I wasn’t even aware of?

Does work have so much significance in our lives? Why does going out there doing your stuff, facing challenges with the brickbats or accolades mean so much to us? Why do we hit the snooze alarm yet then drag ourselves out of the cozy bed and take the pains of going to work?

If you were given a salary for doing nothing.. would you be happy? Maybe you would initially have a gala time but eventually you would feel useless and lethargic, wasted and rusted, with nothing to look forward to.

So..Why do we work ? Is it money?? Would Mother Teresa have said so ? Go ask the doctors, philanthropists, industrialists, scientists who work tirelessly .. what would they say?

An introspection :
1) We are social beings
We are ‘people persons’. We thrive on mutual dependence. Frued said ‘Love and work are the cornerstones of our humanness’. We get a sense of joy and fulfillment from social engagement, connection and interaction.
2) We need to have a purpose
We need to have a deeper meaning to life, something to look forward to everyday apart from just getting through the day, and work often fulfills it. A purpose helps you to live a conscious life. The ability to pursue life purpose, fills one up with energy and passion to create a meaningful life.
3) We get a sense of self satisfaction by being productive
I bet you feel great at the end of the day when you accomplish all or atleast 6-7 things from your to-dos for the day. It fills your soul cup with a sense of achievement. By being productive at work when you achieve targets or meet deadlines you get appreciation, recognition, identity which satisfies your ego and self esteem. You know you make a difference to the world and make others life better.
4) We can maintain a standard of living
Yes money is the primary reason but it’s one of the many reasons. We need to work to make money to pay our bills and buy groceries. We measure success in life through lifestyle changes, from good to better to best.
5) We are creative beings
Everything that you are surrounded with right now and things that make your life comfortable, is ‘someone’s thought or an idea’ shaped into reality. You need to keep experimenting. Things and ideas become obsolete as time passes. Necessity is the mother of invention.

Well, then, here I am.. rearing to go. Even if I had the choice to sit back comfortably at home, I would still and always opt to go back to the grind.. do you still want to know why..???

“My father used to have an expression. He’d say, ‘Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about your dignity. It’s about your respect. It’s about your place in your community. ‘
Joe Biden

So why do YOU work ??

THE HOMELESS HOUSES..

As I was strolling on my terrace I stood watching a nearby building being demolished for redevelopment.

Sadly, all the windows were ‘paneless’, entrances ‘doorless’, walls ‘colorless ‘, rooms ‘humanless’.. and houses were ‘homeless’ !!

Is it difficult to build a house or to demolish a house ??
Technically, both are difficult as well as different ! How ??

When a house is being built, it is yet to write a story, yet to become a home, it’s vacuum, it’s space is just like a new book yet to be filled with stories of occasions of joy and sorrow, fear and excitement, feelings and emotions of failures and achievements.

When an old house is being demolished, the story is already written, every room of the house has memories. The walls have wounds and scars of nails and writings. The living room is witness to the good-bad vibes of parties and family get together on happy or sad occasions. The bedroom has vibrations of sweet love talks and heartbreak tears. The kitchen is blended with the aroma of sumptuous food cooked on various occasions. The corridors bear the resonance of the shrill cries of children spreading cheer and laughter.

The houses can’t complain, can they ? The ruins stand in darkness, desolate, orphaned, witness to numerous memories, now strewn around. They look sadly at each other and bid goodbye to those memories being pierced, pulled, pushed, pounded to rubble, now into oblivion..
…and wait with expectations and apprehension to see a new house budding into a home with new memories and stories.
Every demolition is sacrilegious but a necessary evil to make way for the new !

Thanks for stopping by..

asmi_bharati 🌸

Yeh Mera India..

Are you PROUD to be an Indian ??
OR
Do you LOVE your motherland ??
Being proud of something and loving something are two different things..
You LOVE something that nurtures you and helps you grow, progress..(mom ?)
You are PROUD of something that gives you a feeling of self-respect by which you measure your self-worth or is a reason for pride.. (achievements in sports, studies, work ?)
So are we proud or do we love ?? Confusing, is it ?
We can’t possibly hate something on which we thrive, can we ? That would be selfish and ungrateful.
Also the country doesn’t compel you to be proud of it. But you can be grateful to it, love it, nurture it just as it nurtures you.
‘Perfectionism’ with regards to a country is just a myth ! There’s always going to be something lacking.
For the majority of us the ‘grass is always greener on the other side of Indian borders.’
But the recent pandemic has shown that every country has the same ‘status quo’.
Some things are surely lacking in India yet we are better off than a majority of under developed countries. Even the most powerful nations of the world are vulnerable.
So chill.. we probably may not be proud of our country but we can love our motherland (even an NRI loves India, though his career takes him around the world ) coz it has given us so much. This is the land we are born in, used its resources, become what we are today and aspire to make a living, grow and prosper inspite of the pitfalls and knowing that it’s imperfect, wanting, deficient and make it a better place to live for us and for our next generations.
No nation is perfect, it needs to be made perfect !

Yeh Mera India..
‘I love my India.

I am proud to be an Indian’

What about you..??

Thanks for visiting my blog

asmi_bharati 🌸

THE MASK!

I smiled at her and guess what, she just looked at me and passed by.. she didn’t even give a smile..or did she ??

Experienced this ??
Guess what the culprit is THE MASK !

The advent of WEB 2.0 and WEB 3.0 has already created an environment where individuals are finding comfort in using text msgs and emojis to express themselves. The 21st century modern gen can boast of Artificial Intelligence skills but is sadly lacking in Interpersonal Skills! Now you don’t even need to smile, isn’t it ?

The MASK…has probably done more harm than good (apart from creating a barrier between the virus and us)…our face and expressions too are masked now !!

The MASK is here to stay for sometime now. So folks dont let the mask be a barrier..go ahead and express your emotions, feelings.. smile, laugh, voice your feelings, let people hear your emotions even if they can’t see it.
You, me, we all crave for attention, care, love, respect, acknowledgment..we all want to be heard.. let’s hear others too!
MASK YOUR FACE.. NOT YOUR FEELINGS !!
PS: Anyone for Jim Carrie’s MASK ??👺 (you need to place an order with Loki )

Sky is the Limit !

KAMALA HARRIS
An Asian, a black woman of Indian origin, first ever woman to become the Vice President of the most powerful democracy in the world.. standing besides the White House !!
What a powerful symbol of hope, of all that women can be, do, have in a male dominated society, an inspiration to all the women all over the globe to dream the impossible and achieve it with hard work, sincerity, integrity and perseverance.
Only when the “objectification of women” is stopped, crime against women and gender discrimination will end.
Then the sky is the limit..
Respect ma’am 🙏

Thanks for stopping by

asmi_bharati 🌸

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 🌸

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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 🌸