21st December - Is it the end ? - If so what would you do ?

The world has only two more days if the Mayan Calender prediction is going to be true. I just had a casual chat with my friends and just out of curiosity I asked them what would they like to do if they are sure that they have only 2 more days. There were a lot of answers ranging from a trip to the USA to an affair with the girl friend..!

Most of them(including me) were determined to do what ever it takes to fulfill their life's last desires if they are sure that the world will end. But, most of their wishes seemed very simple, that they could have fulfilled in their years of life so far, rather than trying to fulfill all their simple wishes in the last 2 days. Everyone of them could have lead years of fulfilled happy life which they want to have for just 2 days now.

I wondered, what made them to try to fulfill desires now?
I wondered, what made them to try to achieve whatever they wanted, in two days without even thinking if it is possible..?
A simple, one word answer to these questions would be 'Time'.

When we realize that time is running out and we don't have much time, we give our everything to accomplish our desires. Otherwise, for most of us, life is a routine process with some occasional surprises. Is that life all about?

I feel life is not just that. We always had time to make friendship. We always had time for a hangout and of-course we always had time to love, to make a girl friend. But why couldn't we make the best of every day even when there's nothing called a doomsday and we have a lot of time(I'm damn sure world is not going to end day after tomorrow). The problem is we think we have a lot of time and  compromise ourselves on many things.

There might not be any truth in the Mayans prediction but I feel, if there's something we wish to do, we should go ahead and do it anyway. Or one day we may regret for missing many things in life.

Life is too short to worry about anything. You had better enjoy it because the next day promises nothing.            -Eric Davis

Even if the world doesn't end, another year from our life has gone. I wish next year doesn't end in the same way as this year with  a list of things that we haven't done. Instead let it be one in which we have given our best to the things that matter, a year where we have tried to be the happiest we can be.

Do not compromise on your happiness. It's your life and it is in your hands to fulfill your wishes and dreams.
Happy living..!

Confront Your Weaknesses

It has been long since I posted in this blog. I would like to come back with a good story..!

Yeah, everyone of us have weaknesses. But how do we face it and how do we overcome it makes the difference. I would like to share one incident which happened in my life some years back.

I was shown a picture of a baby, laughing happily. I was given 5 minutes to prepare a 3 minute speech relevant to that picture. After 5 minutes, I was asked to come on to the stage to deliver a speech in front of nearly 40 strangers.

I stepped on to the stage. An awkward feeling rushed over me and it was a heart thumping moment when everyone was watching me. If you have ever experienced this feeling, then probably I am one among you. Somehow I cooked up a small story for the speech.

Here it goes.
"Good morning everyone. Seeing that picture, some of you may have thought, 'why couldn't I be so happy as that baby? Why life is not happier as it used to be when I was a child?'. For those of you, I'd like to tell a small story.

Three boys, Ram, Shyam and Kumar, were sleeping in a room. Unexpectedly, the power went off. Since power cuts have become a common scenario now, 'unexpectedly' doesn't seem to be correct here. OK, lets leave that and get to the point. As the fans were off, they felt opening the windows could get them some fresh air. But no one wants to get up from their bed to open the windows. Laziness - one of the characteristics of some contemporary boys. Ram asked Shyam to open the windows. Shyam asked Kumar to do the same. Kumar said that he has opened the windows. After that all the three slept well.

Next morning, Ram woke up to find that the windows were never opened. That was when he realized, what he felt made the difference. He felt that the windows were opened and he got some fresh air. That made him to sleep well. Same goes with life. If you feel that 'All is well', everything will be fine. After all, life is to live, to love, to share and not to suffer. Happy living..!"

Does this story has any relevance to the post title - Confront Your Weaknesses. Of course, yes. To confront your weaknesses, believe that you are not weak. If you believe that you are not weak, then you won't have such heart thumping moments or any anxiety in the pit of your stomach when facing people.

"What you habitually think largely determines what you will ultimately become." - Bruce Lee

P.S. I Love You - Cecelia Ahern

P.S.I Love You - I never knew that this is Cecelia Ahern's first novel. But later when I came to know, I felt that this is a wonderful debut from her.

Gerry and Holly are childhood friends. They both share a very deep love - like love birds - one wouldn't live without the other. They marry each other. They couldn't even imagine their life without the other. She could tell what he thinks and he could tell what she thinks.

One day, Gerry dies of brain tumor. Holly couldn't bear the loss of Gerry. Holly is inconsolable. She struggles with what to do in her life without Gerry. She couldn't sleep. She couldn't eat. She doesn't leave the house or talk to friends. Sitting alone in the house, she is thinking of Gerry and the beautiful life they had before he died. Every time she thinks of him, she cries.

The only person in the world who could give her strength, who could move her to a normal life is her husband Gerry. But he is no more. Nobody knows Holly better than Gerry. He knew that Holly would be devastated if he dies. So, he planned to write letters that could guide her and help her to overcome his loss. He wrote a series of letters each signed with "P.S. I Love You" for 10 months.

The man who knows her better than anyone else sets out to guide her into a new life. Holly cheers up every month while opening each letter to see what surprise Gerry has left for her. Every time Holly reads a letter, she feels Gerry is somewhere near her, still looking at her, still embracing her. All the while she realizes that even though he is gone he is still with her in spirit. He guides her into a new life, teaching her how to laugh, how to dress, how to sing and even how to love again, but now without him. He guides her in overcoming her fears and rediscovering herself. He made her believe that his death is not the end, but the beginning of her new life.
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There are so many characters in this book and some characters have a very little contribution. The story moves very slowly in the beginning and at many points there is a sense of repetition. But I should say the characterization of Gerry is beautiful. I couldn't even imagine how he would have felt when he wrote the last letter to Holly, especially the last sentence of the last letter. You will definitely have a lump in your throat when reading it.

P.S. I Love You -  Simple, bitter love story but sweet.