Category: Life and Its Teaching

“People with no ambition never get out of the hole.”

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Isn’t it says, change is good? Yes, it is and I am experiencing it too.
These days my commute to work is so less that I reach home in 20 minutes and first day I didn’t know what to do after coming home so early. Yes, it happens when you are used to be stuck in traffic for around 6 years.
This was a change for me and believe me the way I am managing my time is by cooking Maharashtrian food and if not then by reading. Because of my commute I hesitate to read anything because if I take a book to read it will never finish because the continuity is lost but now that’s not the case.

“Time is the school in which we learn, time is the fire in which we burn” ~ Delmore Schwartz

Recently, I have been reading a lot about women from history around the world and it’s a powerful one because it is inspiring. I always wondered in olden times there were more tough challenges for women and still some were tough cookies who did stand up for themselves and for others.

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela recently expired after illness and I read this in the news. I always felt she was a strong woman and did lot more than what Nelson Mandela did moreover I have heard many adored her and still many abhorred her and hence this curiosity to know what is unknown made me to dig internet and read about her. A life is that book which gives a story about her personal and public life. How she survived her husband’s imprisonment, harassment from the police and the apartheid government, betrayal from friends, solitary confinement and so much more. I strongly feel she was a strong selfless woman who was defiant, charismatic and enigmatic woman and she never got the recognition that she should have got. In this even I feel Nelson Mandela side-tracked her which I find it more painful because while he was in jail Winnie Madikizela kept the struggle flame alight which was not easy for a woman specially with two small kids.
I feel after a certain point even men become selfish when it comes to name and fame and being competitive with their own family member is something I felt hurt for Winnie.

“I am the product of the masses of my country and the product of my enemy” ~ Winnie Madikizela Mandela

As I was in these thoughts, I did read about Nelson Mandela as well because he was married three times and each wife says about him is that he was no saint! That also tells a lot about him as a person and I don’t think I have much admiration for him. I have more respect and admiration for Barack Obama instead.

But guess what, today is Maria Felix’s death anniversary, another strong woman from history and a much powerful one too. I think women should learn from Maria Felix’s life. She loved herself and lived life and that is her message for other women around the world.

“I have got just one message for the women of my country and of the world: I wish they loved themselves like I loved myself” ~ Maria Felix 

A very brilliant, sober, proud, beautiful and talented woman – an actress and a singer that was Maria Felix. If you get to read about her please do so, I had to get things translated in English as there’s tons of material on her in Spanish even poetries have been written on her that’s how beautiful she was. Her talent and beauty were never as outstanding as her strength, poise and approach to life. I think that’s what caught me and got me interested in reading about her. Internet is good source to get more information on her life, poetry and films which got thankfully translated in English.

She became a Mexican film icon throughout the ’50s and won three Ariel Best Actress Awards during her career.

I also saw her video when she was around 80s of her age and all I was thinking about her as a young woman – courageous! Few Mexicans have been outstanding and she definitely is one of them.

“I am a woman with a heart of a man” ~ Maria Felix

It feels great to read about strong women from history because it guides you and helps you to lead your way. I read some of her quotes and I really felt she is one of the stronger and rebellious one.
I loved reading her quotes and here I am sharing a couple…

“Diva is something invented, but I was not fabricated, life made me and made me very well.” ~ Maria Felix

“The best way to love someone is to accept them how they are, that is what I do with Antoine, it’s not easy, but to only love idiots is easy.” ~ Maria Felix 

“Since the beginning of time, men have taken the best part of the cake.” ~ Maria Felizx 

“Don’t give me advice, I can make my own mistakes” ~ Maria Felix

~ Dawn

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The time travels it’s own ways and so do we!

Dawn2 Comments
Many have traveled across this path,
Many will travel this same path,
There are some paths you cross,
And wish I could cross again,
And again, to rejoice and cherish,
To not lose touch with those times,
And yet, some paths you crossed
Wish you never had, but yet you did,
Each path showed life and its consequences,
Each walk gave its pain and pleasures,
Each pain taught you lessons,
And pleasures that you see still around,
Sometimes you felt you never crossed paths with,
Yet you accept reality that it had to happen,
And had to cross it this way to repent,
Many will travel and many will cherish,
The time travels it’s own ways and so do we!
~Dawn
#happypoetrymonth

Be happy and live happy…!

DawnLeave a comment
nutrition

A poetry for the Nutrition month of the year for Hyde Park Poetry @ Thursday poets rally.

Life can be dramatic,
Weather can be tragic,
News can traumatize,
What can you do at times?
People can be mean,
A character or disdain,
Its in everyone’s gene,
What can you do?
The world may torn apart,
Your ways can go apart,
Think one thing in life,
Nature also rejuvenates,
After every stormy night,
Eat healthy, sleep well,
Nourish your soul,
Nourish your body,
Regain your strength,
Empower your life,
Add one ingredient,
Need good nutrition,
To lead your life,
The healthy you are,
Most wealthy you are,
To face this world,
Gain your inner strength,
Feed your life,
Be happy and live happy,
Until you die 😉
~ Dawn

Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that…!!!

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Today I marched in support of the student’s movement ‘Our lives matter’, ‘March for Our Lives’, protest against guns and gun violence.It’s funny that when I was growing up, I never had to get into any such activity. What I love about my childhood is that there might be great matters that adults involved in bringing their voice together but as a child in school I never had to protest or do a march against anything and I take that as a blessing for my life in those days.
Imagine today’s kids are not only stressed about getting good grades or understand a particular problem or concept for exam but also worry about their existence … being alive.

It’s a shame on us!!! We enjoyed our childhood and didn’t make sure that it continues the same or better for our next and many future generations to enjoy that childhood in peace. I have marched for many such protests in this country and each time it was for an equality cause. Sometimes it was due to the inequality, for LGBTQA, for Women and now for Children – it breaks my heart. I was marching along and on and off my eyes fill with tears because whenever I think or see a child I go back to my days and its such a pleasure to be there that I have often said to myself – “wish I could go back and pause that moment”.

“Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only be achieved by understanding.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr. 

It’s sad when I see kids marching for their lives.
Many motivational speeches were made by students, teachers, and representatives and then someone gave a speech calling out the President of America as the “orange guy”. It put me off there and then itself.
What are we talking about? Peace? Equality? When are we going to learn to respect one another? When? You talk about change and equality and peace but at the same time you put a racist remark and there goes your equality, change and peace.

“An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind”

People take anger and courage as one, people were marching against gun laws and the anger is towards the current administration but I don’t think one can solve anything with anger.
It was amazing how the crowd out there was all about peace and for the children when two students came to me and said can we ask a question and I said sure!

“Do you think there should be cops in schools for protection”?, my answer straight came from my heart as ‘No’!
Because school should not need protection. Schools need more facility and support for education. You need more teachers, students, principal and books. There is no need of guns, a protection as long as teachers are doing their job of teaching and protecting the kids. I went to a school in India and my school don’t have a cop, military or even a gun. The students completely agreed with my opinion as they also felt there is no need of another armed personnel in the school.
I strongly believe, to bring real peace we need to love our enemies. It is tough but we have to be realistic and think about it before its too late. Love your enemy because hatred is only going to bring hatred, anger and revenge then. Let’s not call anyone names, lets be human and ask for peace! March only for PEACE!

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

~ Dawn

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone…!

Dawn3 Comments

It’s amazing to do reflection and I used to do this as a kid sitting on my study table. The table was a huge one and those days it was made of teak wood the expensive one. In front of the table was a window and I always used to get carried away by nature, sometimes clouds, sun rays, birds chirping or even the cat who is looking for its prey.

“We don’t learn by doing, we learn by reflecting on what we have done.”

The mind has no limitation and so does the heart, I always felt we are only guiding this body in one or the other way as if this mind and heart as a huge responsibility to carry them to their destination.
In this world if I relate then I feel we take them until they leave this body here and move to next journey after catching the flight called death ;).

Life should have changes, should have ripple effects or else it’s boring. That’s how I have felt. If there is nothing new then its not fun and probably that’s the reason when everything was good in India with my job, I felt that I need to take that one way ticket to an unknown destination. Today I feel good about that decision because that one step helped me to take many more such steps in life to keep going.

“Life is about trusting your feelings, taking chances, finding happiness, learning from the past, and realizing everything changes.”

We are responsible for our actions and I do believe if your heart agrees with your decision then its matter of mind to make sure things work as per the heart. I guess that’s what is my guiding principle. When heart is not happy then what the hell mind is going to do? The monotonous routine and I get bored with that.

“Change is the only constant in life ” ~ Heraclitus

Today as I am coming back after a farewell meet, I asked myself – do you feel that you took a quick decision to leave? do you think you had a smooth job and a continuation and you just dropped it? My heart without taking any time to think spontaneously said, I am happy that I have something new to look forward to. I did my best what I can give and if I don’t have anything more to give then it’s better to move on to somewhere else.

I need change and only I can bring that to myself hence a very timely decision I feel. No matter how old one gets its the craving for learning is what keeps you young and heck yeah I want to learn more and be young too :). As I said, mind and heart are the ones who don’t age. It’s the body that these heart and mind are carrying.

Time for a new journey with new sightseeing and adding new stories to life. I welcome this change in my life and embrace it with love.

“Making a big life change is pretty scary. But, know what’s even scarier? Regret.”

As I embark on my new journey, I am taking lot of lessons learned from my previous journey and going to miss the people to whom I touched and who have touched me as well.
This journey has taught me about so many things, about people, their emotions, their reactions, sometimes how people mix profession and personal life, and sometimes you just learn how things work and how things doesn’t work because we don’t think from heart.

I talk to my heart at times
It’s good to be happy and nice
But then there’s a place and time
When it hits the peak of love
You know it’s time to say goodbye
You good until you’re welcomed
Or else you get kicked sometimes

I think change is good, it brings happiness, new beginnings and hence it keeps it exciting.

Should all acquaintance be forgotten and never brought to mind?

“You can’t truly understand something until it happens to you. The meaning of life is discovered in the experience.”

~ Dawn

Even I can fly..!

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20110911_df1_20110723_1021_018-022 mistle thrush taking off from wire along bridleway to north 1-5 of 5 (montage @7fps)(r+mb id@1024)

Before budding,

and during flowering,

Many transitions,

phases and emotions

processing through.

After flowering,

while withering,

petals falling with,

 fear of heights,

many emotions,

wrapped in mind,

gulping humiliation,

mental torture,

fear of ambiguity,

the discomfort coats

of life.

The time came,

from kneeling I stood up

threw away the coat,

of fear and discomfort,

didn’t let worry to reside in,

yet the freedom is far away,

but the very thought of it,

brings the sight of joy,

and feel the pain of kayak,

yet at the end of it,

Even I can fly,

Spreading my wings high.

~ Dawn

Life shouldn’t be like this for achievers!

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Used to listen to stories
Some were of a dreamer
Some were of an aspirer
Ups and downs of river
Struggled paths of learner
Injustice and due failure
Life used to be like that of a dreamer!
Started being part of stories
Passionate like a dreamer
Risk handling like a believer
Drew on the canvas bigger
Gave life to that picture
Overall became the driver
Life is this, I felt like a dreamer!
Happiness in small success
Learnings from the failure
New beginnings and challenges
Like a new day everyday
I felt exciting and passionate
Finding a solution was amazing
Life should be like this for a dreamer!
How does leaders support?
Why sudden bias he becomes?
Why the distrust and selfishness?
When will there be fairness?
Is there someone who watches?
How do you correct, corrections?
Life shouldn’t be like this for achievers!
~ Dawn