Inspiring Beauty

Old aunts kept the definition of beautiful for me - in fact for quite many of us - as 'fair skin' until our own definition was developed. As I grew old I couldn't really accept only 'a fair skin' as beautiful. It became more intricate for me to call somebody beautiful - beauty that was defined by both the soul and the outside appearance.

So today from a piece of conversation on 'beautiful' I ponder to unveil two females that I really call beautiful and who inspire me to work on what defines beauty to me. I haven't let these two women know all this time that how they have inspired me to look beautiful  - one posting her gorgeous pictures on social media and the other during our gossips narrating her daily deeds which anyone of us would believe to be social work.


These inspirations are neither a past Miss Universe nor Mother Teressa. But one tells me that LIFE IS CARING ABOUT ONESELF and the other tells me LIFE IS CARING ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND US. And that sums up life...right - caring about oneself but on no-cost ignoring to care about life around us.

So Neha, my Miss Universe, is a wheatish complexion and who has had real complex about it. But whether in the house or when she steps out, she is one confident beautiful lady who not only men but women would also turn to look at again.

"So what?" - you could say so many women look beautiful. But as I remember her from hostel days she never missed taking care of her skin - be it chilling winter or a gloomy hot day. She could skip a meal but not the face mask to keep her skin glowing. Her apparels were simple but she cared as to what looked good on her and carried those dresses gracefully. Then a time came when after her two kids she was 95 kg. She did not fail to realize it and left no stone unturned to return back to 62 kg. Being highly qualified, she gave up her career for her family. And then when she started working again, she had to start at a very low pay giving her sleepless nights. Yet she never gave up, neither on career nor her beauty. What I really admire is with all the hustle and bustle of life that a lady lives in, Neha did too but never missed to take care of her as well along with the rest. Simultaneously taking care of both she is now at a managerial level and never missing a chance to flaunt her beauty before the camera.



Roopali, for me clone to Mother Teressa, is my elder sister.

One fine day, walking on the street, she finds a wounded puppy lying and she takes it to the veterinary hospital. Late night returning from work, she finds a child trying to board the bus she had just got down from and the driver not allowing the child to board as he was alone. She follows the child as he seemed a young 5-6 year old child and realizes he is lost, looking for his parents. She calls the police takes him to the nearest police station to report and wait there until midnight to ensure that the child is in safe hands. During her initial career days, she was in the Pharma industry. For some work, she went to a hospital one day and found that a man was lying near a hospital in his feces with mites and fleas over his body. Due to the foul smell and risk of spread of the bacteria, the hospital administration wasn't ready to admit him. Roopali took up charge and by all hook and crook got him admitted. She paid him a visit every day until he was well enough to speak and got in touch with his relatives. These are few incidences that made an imprint on my mind. Such small acts of kindness from her could fill page after page more than her age. But that's where her beauty lies - the beauty of the soul about caring. Going out of the way to get things right for the world around her, is her beauty.

Small story cut short, these women have inspired me to look beautiful the way they are. Deeds and caring it is all about and I try to include the two ways in my life to look beautiful. But who inspires you to look beautiful?

Umbrellas, Jackets and Shorts

A ritual was performed every year around mid-March and then sometime in November. The clothes from the boxes were shuffled with those in closets. It didn’t make sense to Pakhi why would they be moved in boxes at all when they could be worn other times as well. So this time when Ma started the same ritual in November, Pakhi asked her why didn’t they keep all the clothes in the closet; why was this task performed at a specific time of the year.

Ma took a deep breath. It was a long story to narrate to Pakhi. She went into her own times when November bought a new excitement to wear sweaters, Jackets and savor the warmth of blankets and quilts. When bonfire would bring the society people at one place to chat munching a handful of groundnuts. Now how could she unfold this to Pakhi that she and people of her time had enjoyed four kinds of weather in a year? It was nothing like the present times when one day felt like spring, the second like chilling winter, the third like a hot summer day and a few days later a day that felt like an autumn leaf fall. It was difficult to explain to Pakhi that how it all went in their times when granny packed up all winter clothes in boxes after putting them in sunshine for sometime in the month of March and put all the summer clothes in Ma’s and her siblings' closets. How their summers went splashing in the water and enjoying ice creams. Then came June and it would start pouring, sometimes heavily. It was time for umbrellas, raincoats, and swings too. And by September as the rains subsided, it brought autumn shedding away the leaves and reminding them to prepare for winters.

All of it was ‘old-times’ now and Pakhi just saw the ritual happening of shuffling clothes. It remained a practice for Ma. As for Pakhi, her closet did not see one season at a time; but a mix of summer, winter and rain clothes pulling out an outfit depending what the morning brought for her.

Ma never thought half of her past life what scientists and geologists had been warning of as ‘climatic changes’ and 'global warming'. But she felt guilty today as she told Pakhi, how things had changed and how her individual contribution small but meaningful could have not made the weather cycle extinct. AND how this ritual (that Pakhi sees as) would have made sense to her

Celebrating Patriotism

It's more than a week past the Independence day and to most of us patriotism is a 'non-trending' affair now. I say it because we tend to be patriotic just twice a year - on Republic Day and Independence Day. And most of it is limited to painting various parts of our body, buying a flag, posting a few patriotic messages and that's it.

One such color came to my view this independence day and triggered me to write.

I happened to be in a mall on 15th when I saw huge crowd near the entry. I figured it out to be part of increased security measures on day like this. But soon I realized it wasn't crowd for security check; it was a stall that kept the surrounding busy and crowded. People were getting the tri-color painted. And in the crowd was a couple that had just got their cheeks painted and were clicking selfies with ice cream in hand. While I walked out as my son wanted to ride a toy car, I saw the couple following out of the mall as well. And then they threw the ice cream cups on the street celebrating the independence of their hands from trash. Wow! The essence of patriotism was fulfilled with tri-color painted and the rest seemed beyond them.

Alas! Most of us sail in the same boat and reason it out - 'Everyone else does it! Why should I take up the responsibility solely.'

'Why should I take up the responsibility to drive in lanes and follow traffic rules when every other person is NOT. We can fashion to be patriotic just by wearing tri-color on the independence day.'
'Why should I take the responsibility to take a carry bag with me to the market when the street seller is offering me a polythene bag. We can just contribute by posting a picture on social media when the street drainage system gets blocked in rainy season.'
'Why should we bother to take responsibility to get in the queue and wait for our turn when everybody else is paying under the table to get their work accomplished. Well we could infact be on the receiving end to take the ransom. Patriotism can be displayed on national days by standing up for national anthem.'
'Why should we bother to take a role in a national disaster when everyone else is ranting about how government is failing to do anything and the victims are suffering. We can join them in the rant and that will do for our part of contribution.'

There are a few who do care, who own their responsibility, do a little bit as and when they can but they are still a very few on the count. What we fail to understand that one single step each by the millions - millions that make up this country - can contribute large. We fail to understand our day to day responsibility that sings the chorus of patriotism. We fail to understand that it should be part of our day to day life as taking shower is, as eating food is.

I cannot end this write-up with a punch line and tell what we ought to do because each one of us has to decide individually on our part of contribution, do that and make it a daily ritual. The responsibility of patriotism will be fulfilled then. The celebration of twice a year will be a daily celebration then.

Ensnaring Beauty

Living the peace in the snowpack and glaciers,

Soothing my eyes in a river flowing down the mountain,

Grasping the quietness in the tip toes of tigers,

Swimming my body in the swirls of fishes,

Enticing everything beautiful to the round secret world,

I rejoiced in every bit of this green and blue.

Now this aesthetic seems a past gone by.

A dream it seems, nidificated only in the creation.

As I see again, it is all devastation-

There in the pastures I lay naked,

And there in the forests I hear no roars,

There the rivers look so sad and quite,

And have searched everywhere for the golden toad.

There the glaciers look pale and fragile,

There in the backwaters I feel a galore of dirt…

For a second I wonder ‘Am I me!’

The world I gave unto you

Lays in suffocation and ready to die.

I yearned to ever live in this magical beauty.

But you never heard me cry my fears.

You ignored me in the pains I bore.

A shallow world in me is all you caused.

I asked you to stop but you never paused.

Now hear me ring the alarms for you,

Bear the anguish you volcanized in me.

The landslides, the hurricanes, the calamities, the diseases

The heat and fury is all I can give you.

A green and blue earth is ready for revolution,

To open your eyes may be…

But surely to let you know -

I am no bird; and no net ensnares me

This poem is a write-up for a cue from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre - 'I am no bird; and no net ensnares me'. My effort is to characterize the Earth's wrath for our negligence and misuse of its prized beauty.

What Inspires Me

A recent series of articles by different people on LinkedIn put me to think about what inspires me.

Well when thinking of things that inspire me there is a long list that comes to my mind. A deeper thought brings in a conclusion that every bit of my surrounding is an inspiration; it is just the state of mind, at the time, conjuring whether to absorb the inspiration in that space or not.

To share an example, this is the most unsuitable time for me to write (as I ever think) when the house chores are whirring for my attention, when the sun is at its peak for anyone to beat the heat, when my son is all awake, up on his mischiefs to distract me and when what not…yet I am here writing intoxicated with inspiration spilling in the space. Each day when I sat at this time nothing came as an inspiration and there were countless reasons for me not to be inspired to write but today seemed a magical day. And the reason is a fresh state of mind.

Like I said there is limitless availability of inspiration around me, one of them is the silence of the night. In my teenage years it was this silence which filled me with inspiration and a paper and a pencil accompanied best to unfold that inspiration into creativity. To this day that silence brings in inspiration.

Another thing that inspires me is a good read. And in today’s Wi-Fi generation there are numerous sources for a good read. They culminate in me inspiring ideas for creativity.

A beautiful weather outside the window inspires me and fills energy within.

An artistic piece pours in thoughts of creativity and inspires me.

A walk or a drive is often a source of inspiration. Infact sometimes a conversation strikes inspiration for me. It fills me with ideas and a bucket full of creativity.

Do you think I need to add more to the list that inspire me? Just this small list can lighten the expanse of the floor of inspiration. It is just a state of mind which is ready to go around and pick these tits and bits of inspiration and put them into creative piece of art, thought or whatever. So think about and let me know does it work the same way for you. And are you also surrounded by tits and bits of inspirational sources.

And to conclude I would only say next time you are working on something but the energy is low…you are not getting the result, take a break. Pick one from the list of things that inspires you and give that source of inspiration five minutes of your time. Then get back to that work, you will find yourself with the energy to finish the task…you will be all inspired.

LOOKING FOR A GOOD BOSS?

Most of the times, we find our friends and colleagues unhappy as employees in a company, over a period of time. Have you ever wondered what change in working environment contributed to this changeover from a happy employee to an unhappy one? Is it the boss that has made the place unsatisfactory for you?

Often the bosses play an important role in our satisfaction level in a company. If they have the convincing power, understand when to stand by their team members, the scenario changes to quite an extent. Great bosses are remarkable and with their leadership abilities they make the organisation a remarkable place to work for.

So what are the qualities that we are looking for in the ‘remarkable boss’?

1. Decision Making – One of my friends is full of praises when she speaks about her boss because he is a good decision maker. In calls where there have been unending discussions and arguments, his interruptions and decisions have been remarkable and applauded by everyone. And when you work with such decision makers, you tend to be satisfied with work as you know your time will not be wasted in unresolved scenarios.

2. Taking the initiative and leading – This quality quite overlaps with the one of making decision. A manager with the ability to take decision can step forth and take initiatives. A very good example of an initiative taker can be displayed in this video where the coach risked his reputation and came forward to help the singer. The situation is - young Natalie Gilbert stumbles over Star-Spangled Banner (national anthem of United States of America) before the start of professional basket ball game. The coach of one of the teams Maurice “Mo” Cheeks comes forth to help. He takes the initiative setting an example of what leadership demands. It makes it so very clear, where there are leaders like Maurice, people are happy to follow.

3. Development and Mentoring at a practical pace - When I resigned from my company, my replacement had a team of 10 to mentor. In our knowledge transition process I had a hard time convincing him that the pace of mentoring the team needs to be slower than what he was planning for. He wanted to load his decades of experience and knowledge on fresh starters. After I left the company I received e-mails from almost all my team members and each of them reflected the unhappy state.

4.  Solutions and Fixing things – When we look at our managers we are expecting them to find solutions for our problems and get things fixed. A remarkable manager has the capacity to provide solution when a team member approaches. When the problems are not addressed then the dissatisfaction grows. I am lucky to have worked with such a manager who always had a way out of the problems I approached him with. He always provided alternatives as well. An employee is happy working if he knows there will be a very small period of ambiguity before his manager provides him a solution or alternative for a problem that is in his manager’s or senior authorities control.

5. Using Correct Words – A fact but hard to accept, managers need to be good with words they use. Whether dealing with clients or team mates there are situations when you need to commend them and there are times when you need to censure. Commending a team member is quiet easy task but reprimanding needs skill. It is a situation where you need to be good with words to show the team member his mistake but still give him a scope to improve - using words that are not disheartening.

6. Rescuer in the hard times - If you know your boss can take a stand for you when time needs, you will be willing to put extra efforts for your part of job to get it accomplished. Each of us have our bad times and a good boss can only be the one to show up for you in those times – whether it is standing by you against the odds or guiding and reassuring you.

All in all, the boss can contribute a lot to your happiness in an organisation because they are the medium of communication to the organisation for you. From my own experience I can say your performance can be directly affected by the kind of boss you have. Do you think so?

A Lobby of Fear

The Nurse opened the door and as the four of us (whose name the nurse had called) entered, we saw a long lane lighted with dim lights. Walking down the lanes, I realized I had never perspired their quietness ever before – quietness that entails a fear ‘What’s wrong with me?’ and a hope ‘Everything’s gonna be alright.’ Though the illness might not be serious but when it comes to walking past the lobbies of medical test centers it always conspires a fear within us.

And as I walked down the lobby, my eyes went searching each room that I passed by, looking at each person around and keeping my ears open for every word that went in the air – all of it to really understand what was in there. I came across an old man asking for water from another nurse because in his words he was ‘scared to death’ with all those tests being performed on him. Then I realized that one of the four of us was an old woman. She slowly walked supporting herself with a stick and holding her man’s hand. Their grip was tight as it would have been all these years of togetherness. We walked a few more steps and then one by one, we were all shown changing rooms to dress into the blue patient gowns. It appeared in the next second I would be laid on a stretcher and taken to OT, a mask on my face as the stretcher would move, a light from the ceiling would go past my eyes almost blinding me, and then several human figures would appear with masks and blue gowns, the only difference between me and them – I lay on the stretcher, they stand next to me with each carrying a pair of scissor and forceps and all other medical instruments. No nothing as such happened, though I’ll take the glory in dramatizing it highly.

After I changed I waited in the dark and grim lobby sitting at the end of it and watching people go and come (I used ‘go and come’ because you felt relaxed when you left these dim, fearful lobbies) and of course wearing the Blue Gown. I watched people come in, each one with fear hidden or uncovered which I saw through Mr. India glasses. As I waited there I tapped through the quietness of these lobbies and they served a prelusion to my fear (and where this title/story came from).

Each face unfurled a different story. And as I said, each face had a fear and a hope. I saw it in the face of the limping woman who found her confidante in the nurse accompanying her and whined about the leg that troubled her all the time. A little later I found it in the man who had entered the lobby with me. Though he carried a smile, yet the eyes could not accompany the smile well to make a perfect ‘nothing to worry’ man in him. And the most obvious story was on the face of the lady who came in with kids. She had her mouth covered with both hands and then she looked at her kids, probably aged 1 and 3, with no one to accompany them while she underwent the tests. She made them sit on the bench in the lobby and spoke to them convincingly probably asking them to wait there. Though she spoke convincingly to those little fellows, she herself did not appear convinced. She seemed so very scared.

I wondered how the employees work there all the time relaxing patients with their pleasant smiles and composed conversation. At all these places even if the doctor wasn’t wordy but just the regular questions came from them in such a comforting voice that all the fear you gathered in the lobby went running back and hide in the lobby corners saying ‘Sorry, I guess I caught the wrong person.’

Also there is one thing that I need to mention essentially. There’s a lady at the reception of one of these centers. When you speak to her you find certain calmness and the fear lying within you escapes as if she had just asked it ‘Please leave right away.’ I wish to strike a conversation with her and hear her talk for eternity. Whenever I have visited the center, I have always felt like telling her about it and add to it that the job suits her so much. Someday I will gather the audacity to say it to her.

Though I am not sure about others but I have come out of the lobby with clear reports that accompanied my persevering hope that everything’s just fine. I wish never to peep into those lobbies again and never to perspire the quietness.