Rainbow

 A nice rainbow witnessed on 25th August, 2023 on my way back home from office. Nature never ceases to surprise us. Beautiful surprises like this are always welcome 🌈

Proud to be an Indian

India or Bharat has been a land of sages

Known for its knowledge and culture since ages

We speak different languages and follow different religion

Yet we all live here in unison

Long before the world was debating about the earth being round or flat

We knew exactly where the different stars and planets sat

Located in between the Himalayas and the Indian Ocean

Finding us was Christopher Columbus’ failed mission

Ignorance makes the world think that we are an easy prey in a battle,

Knowledge makes them realize, we are made up of different mettle.

Do not ever think, we need to bow down and hide

When as an Indian, we should beam with pride.

A monsoon trip worth remembering

Today morning around 8 am my wife and her cousins picked me up from my home in Panoor for a trip that we planned. Though it was a planned trip, this was one trip that didn't go exactly as planned. Yet, it turned out to be one of the most memorable and fulfilling trips embarked upon. 

Whenever I would talk about my place in Kerala with my friends and colleagues in Mumbai, I would state that I come from northern Kerala and not from southern Kerala where all the tourist spots are. However, today's trip was a real eye opener for me. There are so many unexplored places close to my home, which can be explored in under 2 hours drive. I hardly ever heard any of my relatives talk about these places. I wonder why these places are still not top tourist destinations. 

The selfish me thinks that it was good that these places are not on the tourist map as it meant that there is no crowding at these places and we could enjoy peacefully and cover long distances in less time. The first place we visited was Edayar.  This place is close to Kuthuparamba and about 30 minutes drive from my home. Then from there we took the Nedumpoil Manathavady road. All along the road there were beautiful places. On this route we got to see a nice water fall. 

Below are few other pics on this route.

We had lunch at Kutiyadi and were actually thinking of going back home and skipping Vazhamala. We were initially thinking of targeting it for some other day. However, after some quick discussion we decided to visit Vazhamala today itself. A wise decision in the end as this place turned out to be the icing on the cake.

Vazhamala which is just 40 minutes drive from my home in Panoor was the biggest surprise for me. An awesome place, so close to my home and still never heard of by me until a day back. We actually took the wrong road on way to Vazhamala but then this place in the photo below is where we reached despite being on the wrong path. A testimony to the fact that at times, it is good that things do not go as planned. 

Check out the below video of Vazhamala which we reached after doing course correction. The views from this place are mind blowing. We actually missed out exploring a point at Vazhamala but it could be covered only by walking and it would have taken 30 minutes one way. So, we chose to come back again for it.

A beautiful flower I clicked today morning

Today morning, I was lucky enough to witness this rain kissed flower at my home in Kerala. It was such a beautiful sight. Watching such beautiful sights in nature only reinforces my faith in a Supreme Intelligence that is the creative force behind everything. I do understand that there can be differences in how such a force is perceived in different cultures and religions of this world. However, to deny existence of a Supreme Intelligence seems to me as being ignorant of your own existence.

Your destiny is in your hands (handwriting)

I will consider year 2021 as a year of transformation for me. I learnt a new skill in the form of Handwriting analysis. The statement "Your destiny is in your hands" is true. Maybe, a bit generic. A much more specific statement will be "Your destiny is in your handwriting". While learning graphology, I realized how our handwriting is a mirror of our personality. There are so many traits that can be identified using the handwriting of a person. Just like fingerprint, each handwriting is unique. A handwriting can tell so many things about a person's state of mind and overall personality. Even health issues can be identified through a person's handwriting. I am glad that I choose to dive deep into handwriting analysis.

As part of the certification, I analyzed handwriting samples of friends, family members and even complete strangers about whom I knew little. On an average the accuracy of my analysis was above 95%. The reactions I got from people when I unraveled their personality traits were unbelievable. I had approached learning this skill with skepticism. I thought it would be more of a hit and a miss. However, I was surprised to find out how accurately a person's personality traits can be identified using handwriting analysis.

I have decided to dive deep and keep polishing my handwriting analysis skill. The satisfaction of helping people know themselves better and help them take wise decisions in their life is unparalleled. I hope that I am able to enhance my skills to such a level that I am able to guide people to take informed decisions about their own life. 

Shameful act on Republic day

Today what happened in Delhi would have upset any Indian who loves his country. In the name of protest so called farmers chose to disrespect our national monuments and national flag. The day dedicated for our nation and constitution was chosen to demean both. Whether the protest against farm laws is genuine or not is secondary. Primary thing is that a nation because of which our individual identity exists was attacked in the name of farmers protest. It is utter shameful of the so called farmers to have done such atrocious things on a Republic day.

I choose to condemn the act of the pseudo farmers on Republic day. I know our honorable Prime Minister will not succumb to the pressure that they are trying to put on the government to repeal the farm laws. 

Country first and everything else is secondary. We are because 🇮🇳 is.

Tadka_01 - Vodafone Idea Merger

 

Mission BBM Accomplished

In August, 2016 I decided to pursue the Bachelor's of Business Management Course from University of Mysore. My previous qualification was a Diploma in Production Engineering that was completed in the year 2001. I chose not to pursue a degree in engineering then. However, the lack of a formal degree was a short coming as few good career opportunities failed to materialize. I had made two previous attempts. One through IGNOU and another through Anamalai University. I did not attempt even a single exam. The enthusiasm and motivation at the time of enrollment fizzled out. I just could not get myself to focus on studying and gave up. 

The Bachelor's of Business Management course from University of Mysore was my third attempt at completing my graduation. I enrolled in the year 2016 and there was a good chance of history repeating itself. I did not get started immediately after enrollment. The best part of University of Mysore was that there was a follow-up done wherein a representative would contact over email and/or phone to check on the progress. In the initial days, it helped me to overcome the inertia and the work place related challenges that prevented me from focusing on studies. I attempted few exams and again there was a break for few months. Then I set a target for myself to complete my exam by August-2019. Due to work load in office I missed this target. It was demotivating and I felt bad that I was not able to focus and get the course completed. 

In December, 2019, I decided that come what may, I will complete the course by May, 2020. I took it as a mission to be accomplished. I figured out how many subjects were remaining to be attempted and created a tracker in Google drive for the remaining subjects. I attempted my last exam in June, 2020. The results got declared in July and I managed to clear all the remaining subjects. The whole experience taught me an important life lesson. Clearly defining a goal, putting specific timelines for the milestones in between and trust in the divine is how goals are accomplished. I believed that things not in my control will be taken care of by Him. I truly feel that Lord Shiva's blessings played an important role in having a strong faith that this time I will complete my graduation.

I am sure that successful completion of my graduation would serve as a catalyst in achieving few other goals I have set for myself. Ultimately, the process remains the same no matter what the goals are.

Swami Vivekananda - An Eternal Soul

Today is the death anniversary of a great soul named Swami Vivekananda. He left for heavenly abode on July 4, 1902. However, he is one of those rare personalities whose thoughts and words still continue to inspire and he remains amidst us as a guiding force. He was a perfect blend of scientific temper and spirituality. From being someone who did not believe in God, he transformed into a person who through self-realization became a strong advocate of existence of a divine force. He was against superstition and also believed that a divine force exists in every living being. How can racism or discrimination exist in the mind of someone who believes that God resides in every living being?


Whenever one feels low, reading few of Swami Vivekananda's quotes should be enough to fill you up with energy. He had said, "Thoughts live; they travel far". It is definitely true and his quotes are a testimony of this fact. They continue to inspire millions even today. Check out any of his pictures and there is something distinctive about his eyes. They still seem to communicate and his body language was that of a super confident person. He believed that all religions in this world are just different ways to reach the same God. Can anyone forget his speech at the World's Parliament of Religions, Chicago on 11th September, 1893?

Simple one liners of his are enough to inspire people to overcome inertia and start taking action towards their life goals. He believed that all knowledge is within us. He left this world at an early age of 39 but in that short span of life, he was able to motivate and inspire people from all walks of life not just in India but abroad as well.

He wanted every one to believe in oneself. A strong belief in self is the first step in the realization of God. Without having faith in self, faith is God is not possible. Isn't this true of any task you undertake in life and not just seeking the divine? Without self belief, nothing can be achieved in life.


I wish I could have met this great soul in person.




Image Courtesy: https://www.india.com/

Welcome 2020!

Today is the first day of 2020. Wish every one a prosperous and Happy New Year. Many say that it is just a change of date and nothing really changes. Yes, that is true. New Year resolutions will be made to be forgotten. Some goals will be decided to be pursued. As days pass they may get abandoned. I still feel that a New Year should be looked forward to. At some point of time you need to make a start. If a change in date helps then why not see it positively.

I always look forward to this change in date as an opportunity to reflect on the year that passed and mentally prepare for the year ahead by identifying some goals. Few of them are realized, some of them are abandoned. It doesn't really matter. The act of reflection does help in figuring out what went wrong and how you can take some corrective action in the coming days to do course correction.

I am glad that I was able to stick to the Daily Doodle challenge for 31 days without fail from 1st December, 2019 to 31st December, 2019. It was a nice experience wherein I could realize that it is not that difficult a thing to be able to draw. There are some tricks and techniques you can use to improve your skills and use your creativity. Effective today I will not be coming up with Doodles on a daily basis anymore. My focus now will be on Mission BBM - May2020. This does not mean that I will be stopping it totally. I will still randomly come up with Doodles and may use it as image for my blog articles. I will also be using my Doodles to help with my learning efforts. As you know a picture is worth a thousand words. 

I am looking forward to positive changes this year both on personal and professional front. I have already identified goals for this year and will work towards fulfilling them. I did reflect today on the things that I did not do right and have identified the steps to be taken to do course correction. 2020, will be a year of implementing the changes and moving ahead.

Once again, wishing you all a very Happy New Year!

Image by Samad Khakpour from Pixabay