Be Present!

I woke up and read Ankur's post first thing in the morning, so am not feeling grateful for anything right now :( Such things just shake up your faith in the world, don't they? Aren't the cyclones and earthquakes enough? What is it that drives them? A promise of heaven after life? Give me a break! Why not spend your energies and creativities in making heaven right here on earth instead of dreaming of something that might not even exist?

Am not feeling grateful, but I'll still take a shot at it.

My mantra for today, which I had thought of before I went to bed last night is:

Be Present!

This is straight from Oprah...
Staying present keeps us in the moment which is where life is. Life does not exist in future predictions or past grievances; all we have for sure is right here and right now. Every moment teaches us something, and if we are busily trying to change or control something we miss the grace intended for us.

I read it on her website a long time back, and it really struck a chord. I have a tendency to dwell either in the past (negative things! That didn't work out, this person hurt me, etc!) or worrying about the future (I have to do all this work, and I don't think I will be able to finish it, and if I don't then blah, blah, blah!). I was totally miserable when I went down these trips. This article on Oprah made me realize that I am not living well! By dwelling in the past, I am only creating more bad memories to think of in the future. What a vicious cycle!

This song says exactly the same...

आने वाला पल जाने वाला है
हो सके तो इसमें ज़िंदगी बिता लो
कल जो यह जाने वाला है!

I particularly like this stanza...

एक बार वक्त से लम्हा गिरा कहीं
वहाँ दास्ताँ मिली लम्हा कहीं नहीं
थोड़ा सा हँसाके, थोड़ा सा रुलाके
पल ये भी जानेवाला है

(Keshi, am gonna ask Veena or Ankur to translate this properly for you, and will update it later, ok?)

How I wish this is not what I decided upon for today. Its a sad present today :(

Now for the blessings section, that I really feel like skipping today.

Today, I am grateful

• That it was 7 bombs, not 100 :( (this does not make any sense to me either!)
• That the 8th one was diffused
  
• That, selfish as it may sound, my family and friends are still safe, for how long, I don't know. But they are safe right now.
• For the relief workers that are trying to help in whatever way they can

I think I am done, a shorter list than I wanted, but that's it, can't do no more :(

Yesterday's peals of laughter were contributed by:

• Abhishek's comments to my baby steps post. Hilarious!
  
• Me myself, going nuts with the camera!
  
• Hubby dear, just being himself.
  
• Me, the hubby and the "clean the vacuum cleaner project!"

Lets all pray and wish for peace! Very, very sincerely! Please!