My Home...

My Home

Just a thought of these two words or just a mere utterance, brings such a wonderful feeling in one’s heart. A feeling of ownership, feel of being connected to something which is so safe, so sweet & so much a part of our own physical existence.

Every corner of my home has a story.

It’s alive !!

It’s beyond & above the mere forging of Cement & the bricks.

In such a place when one is surrounded by happy, smiling faces of the people, the family; it pours life into every small space between these walls.

The first light of the day is experienced from on the bed, in “the Bed-room”, which is tranquil, cozy and have everything which gives the body and the mind much needed rest for the night. The soft morning light through the window curtains along with early chirping of the birds from over the branches of the tree just touching window, gives me enough energy and positivity to step out of the bed.

And the life starts.

Stepping into the living room and the sight of neatly folded, still untouched and unread newspaper with its usual misty feel and the sweet fragrance is enough to pull me towards it. This space of the home wakes me up for the real world about to begin. The soft, slow morning breeze swaying the leaves of the plant pots on my window, and the early morning playing of old Hindi melodies on my favourite radio channel is enough to add much needed flavour to my reading and enliven “My Living room”.

A little while later, the noise of the steel vessels from the kitchen, transferring of some freshly cooked delicacies on the dining table, calls me to get up and settle on my space for the first meal of the day, my breakfast, on “The Dining Table”. And gradually all d other members of the family, after getting through with their morning chores, settles down on their regular places. Me, my wife, my parents, my daughter & my son, getting into a little chit-chat over the breakfast, quickly going through each other’s plans & priorities for the day, exchanging pleasantries, some smiles, some grins and thus bringing this 8x8 space into life for few minutes. So this space is very special to me.

The best time of the day for me is the time of the early evening. I prefer to be back home at around twilight, getting into “The Kids Room”, and occupy the space on the swing with a cup of hot steaming tea, overlooking the scene outside my window. These 30 minutes or so, sums up my entire day, my thoughts and paves way to enhanced positive outlook on everything which I am doing and I must do. This time and space is “my time’, generally not interfered with any other intrusion. I have my most interesting thoughts being generated on this swing. Most of my plans are framed, flowcharted and being put into virtual action here in this room, in this space, “On the Swing in my Kids room”.

The last meal of the day, sees us all back on “The Dining Table”, meeting each other again after a gap of 10 to 11 hours. This space, which no doubt, in recent highly demanding and technically highly absorbing world, is the only common physical binding space, which keeps us all tied up firmly with each other and with the roots. This relieves the stress and physical & mental exhaustion of the day, if any. In the current times, dining together, I feel is one of the best and the healthiest act or an option which shall carry an Indian legacy, culture and tradition of living together for the times to come. The only place where the family members of 3 or 4 generations could exchange, share, listen and understand what’s really is very precious. So this space has immense importance for me as a person, as a family member.

An hour or so with the kids, post dinner, in their room has become a usual regular phenomena. This is especially as me and my wife are not pro-TV types and in fact love to spend time chatting or going for a drive in the late evenings. This space of my home, the Kid’s room, is where the innocence of my family breathes. The future of my family is getting prepared here in this space. An hour or so with them, almost every alternate day, results in sharing of their personal matters, queries and confusions which are discussed and solution is arrived at. In this space the aspirations and ambitions are at its peak. The emotions are extremes. I love this space and time for myself, as I come face to face with many surprises, creative discussions and debating, shouts, cries and hearty laughs, and these all is necessary and a must pass through, as it belongs to the them whose generation is going to steer and rule the world soon.

The night time bed calls me at its time and reading is more of a must-to-do routine, a habit for at least 30 minutes before I call it a day myself.

Again the cool breeze of the silence outside, an instrumental playing on my DVD player in the back ground, and a few very inspiring & eye opener articles in my read, allows me to be finally home, at complete rest; before it wakes me up with the smile next morning.

By - Sanjay Jogani; 

2^nd October’2016

                                                                                                                                                               

Trust

Trust

The word of just 5 letters, but having immense potential to im-mobilize the entire human activities.

Don’t we keep using this word frequently in our day to day lives?

Without actually realizing the exact importance of this term, in depth, and in all honesty of execution, we keep referring & re-iterating it again and again.

During our entire life-term, every breathing time-space moment, we depend purely on this inevitable support system created by us from this word “Trust”.

This word possesses an unseen energy. Every time the word “Trust” is used & uttered, the potential latent energy converts itself into dynamic energy which can be seen in the resulting outcome of the action it was intended for.

Every living being has a common-ness, a common root. The original texture from where it is connected to its origin is exactly the same. Eternally pure, original and complete.

Through the passage and transition through different forms of lives, every living being by their thoughts and actions, kept on accumulating and creating different layers on their this original self and thus kept on moving away from each other in terms of resultant differentiation of proportion of such accumulation by each of them.
But somehow, somewhere all still carry the same original root, where if returned, or in other words, where if reached, shall again re-identify all as one, eternally pure and original.

I felt, this mention and understanding of this original self, was very important to be considered to begin with, as the very essence of the subject (TRUST) is critically and explicitly connected to this basic understanding.

Because of this common thread, we always, many a times, feel an instant bond.

A connection.

And this may can be under various expressions and forms of likes, dislikes, love, hate etc. controlled and executed at different densities and intensities.

Why is this instant connection?

We may well can say, that it’s nothing but the common link of “one-ness”, which we just talked about.

Since ages beyond the traceable times, the nature has maintained it’s integral deliverance in such a pronounced unalterable consistent manner that we, the human beings, take vows on it’s timely presence & execution.
It is “The Trust” we put on something, which is neither created by nor can be controlled by us. But even then, WE TRUST. That’s what we have ever since seen, learnt and experienced.

To focus strongly on human behaviours only, on the matters of trust, is my main objective and purpose for this sharing.

It’s us, as humans, have diluted the very essence of this attribute by using it mostly to serve our selfish interests and motives.
In the process we forget and never realize that “Trust” is the basic element which is woven within the fabric.
It’s already there.
It’s already present.
Neither there should be an effort to earn it nor to be asked for and thrust upon to enhance responsibility.

Without being an able and rightful owner or possessor the required ingredient within our own self, we keep putting on & asking for trust from each and every person we come across in our lives so that he/she behaves and acts in the manner we like. The way we want.
And thus, any displacement in our thus created beliefs and expectation system, is taken as “betrayal”.

• Before a life takes birth, we put trust on the doctor and his ability to bring the new born safe and healthy in this world.
• In the next following years we put trust again in doctors and his expertise to keep providing healthy solution for our children.
• Then comes the teachers who would provide much needed nourishment in the form of education, gets our trust.
• We put trust on the group of friends eventually our child gathers during the passage of his passing through these years.
• We, by default, come across so many strangers in people and various such never before known agencies that our trust keeps getting spread on every possible decision of ours, eventually hoping to get our work done, successfully, the way we would want.

We keep getting into different kind of relationships may it be personal, social, commercial or spiritual. Our constant need to feed and satisfy ourselves with material accomplishments allows us to exercise putting of trust so simply, conveniently and easily, on everything. On everybody.

Did we ever realize how & why this practice of putting on trust on anything and everything comes so easily, simply and conveniently to us?

The problem doesn’t arise by putting in trust on something or someone. But it raises it’s head when something doesn’t work out or there is a deviation contrary to your acceptance, because of the same.

We know “Childhood” as the nearest to the purest form of human existence. During this phase, putting in trust and believing in everything comes so naturally to the child. This is because it’s woven within his own self. But the eventual growing up and tendencies of executing “trust” on every drop of word, may eventually lead to the experiences of disappointments within him. We have learnt the same by our peers and we make our children learn the same in return.

So it’s us who keep proving ourselves wrong by moving away from the very authentic existence of our pure original self which has “trust” as strong root for the existence of all living beings.

We are made to learn about this and eventually we kept on using it to serve our own self interests. This not only did give rise to disappointments but also gave birth to many other evils within one’s own self such as anger, jealousy, doubt, revenge etc. And ultimately paved way for creation of so many other wrong belief systems within the systems, only to lose our original identity, as being one.

So by putting in trust to gain material benefits and serve similar purposes in the world we reside in, we are just trying to make it convenient and justify the outcomes at every levels. Because, mostly it’s dependent on the third party, it ultimately creates chaos in the world system we exist.

I believe and understand “trust” as something which is carried, by default, within our original existence. It’s a strong root, and a very important platform, which gets matured & intensified as “faith” in the path to our final destination, the only destination, wherein we do not need to gather or in other words are not asked to, supposed to or required to gather more birth experiences.

Under such extremely pure belief conditions and by experiencing a strong transition from “trust” to “faith” we try to re-gain our original identity.
And as because this time it’s only us, our own original selves to be excelled upon and improved upon, there is no sense of disappointments and betrayal. On the contrary, there is improved efforts every time, on every fall, to attain our final goal.

By - Sanjay Jogani
Mumbai. India.
sanjay-jogani.blogspot.com

Disclaimer
Mention about any person, place, event, picture, image or logo; is just for reference purpose to enhance the essence of writing for better presentation. It's not intended to trespass the rights of the original owners.

Europe Diary

Europe Diary

I had learned as a manner of law statement that “you attract, what you strongly desire for”.

Travel to the countries of Europe was always a childhood dream I carried.

Nowadays, to travel to any parts of the world is not something which is a big task or very difficult or not possible. Every now and then, people do take such international holiday breaks and the frequency of such vacationing has increased in last a few years.

When you move away from your country & step into some place, on some soil, which has a complete different history, a different story to tell; which is entirely different from what we have always known about of it, heard & perceived about it, then we somehow feel the different kind of connection. Although it may be your first time to travel through these places, but there is an instant chemistry which weave us into the history of their times.

I always wanted to roam around & visit Europe, not as a tourist, but as an intrinsic part as their own natural habitat. Having heard & read so many things about this continent over the last couple of decades that the urge in me to travel through the heart of these countries was immense.

And as mentioned above, the strong urge in me could attract the time, grab the moment, which placed this opportunity in front of me.
And finally a trip of 18 days was planned, along with all my cousins, making it a group of 21, to begin the journey, which today remains and have been permanently stored as one of the most exciting experiences amongst my various travels so far.

The idea to take this vacation was born somewhere around December last (2015), over a coffee with all the cousins. And it being Rishil’s (my son's) 10^th boards final year, planning of an overseas vacation was always the agenda on my mind.
Getting all on board was never going to be easy and honestly we didn’t even seriously considered that the plan with all on board will materialize. After a couple of such meetings in February’2016, it was decided to at least book flight tickets so that it forges the initiation of idea into first level execution.

Tickets were bought. To start with just 12 of us. Mumbai-Paris-Rome-Mumbai.

WOW! The first hard copy of my dream was in my hands.

After the tickets were issued, at least it was clear that plan is on. And the next 90 days were going to be all possible sort of planning, which included deciding on various destinations to be covered, accommodation, food, type of clothing to suit weather at different destinations, mode of internal travel, different activities, etc.

Parag, my cousin, was not available for this trip. And so we were waiting for other cousins, Utkarsh’s and Priyesh’s family to join the bandwagon as they continued to be in dilemma whether to join or not and eventually to everybody’s excitement they became the part of the trip soon.
12 became 20 now.
Zeenal, my daughter, was supposed to have her B.A. 2nd year exams and also was going through few job interviews which took a bit long time for her to decide and join us on board. So, now it was 21. :-)

So it was time now to locate an experienced travel coordinator who would guide us about how we should be optimally utilizing our time & money, so that we could cover what necessarily needs to be covered to result into an ever lasting impact of wonderful experiences to our hearts content.

Came across as suggestion from Amit, Mr Samir Savani of “Savani Travel Hub” at VileParle (E).

Meeting with him was almost an instant click as he seemed totally different compare to that of standard experiences what every other reputed tour and travel operator offers.
A different approach to holidaying which takes into account every minute aspect of our individual interest considering various age categories in our group and also value for money approach on every aspect of the trip planning.

And after at least 5 to 6 meetings with Samir, we zeroed in on the destinations as Paris (France), Black Forest (Germany), and Barcelona (Spain) to Venice, Florence, Tuscany, Vatican & Rome in Italy.

Impressive!
Looked so good on paper. Sounded so sweet in the ears. Happy times ahead.

And soon we were on with our money invested in booking of the apartments, flight tickets, cars, coaches and various group activities and sightseeing.
We took our own sweet time to decide on what to see and visit at each of the places, which historic places and monuments to cover & what needed to be prebooked to have an advantage for advance group booking.

A couple of lovely concepts which were instilled in our minds by Samir of Savani Travel Hub, that, when you visit any city in Europe, try and roam around as such, that you become a local part of that city for those few days. Which implied, travel with minimum baggage, to have as many possible guided walking tours, to move around in self driven cars, use maps and GPS, to try and use maximum modes of local transport available, either buses or trains or metros. Also to try and hunt for food that suits your requirements.
All this were aimed to allow us to come in constant communication with the local residents eventually helping us to make entire experience full of adventure and excitement.

We of course readily accepted & incorporated the new ideas and concept this holiday was being shaped up with, and tried our best to accommodate our interests in line with it.
But as being Gujarati Jains, we all know and quite well understand that to reduce on the baggage part and carrying requisite raw materials for home cooked food was never going to be compromised with.

And finally we landed up travelling with heavy loads, which covered up for our lost days in the Gym back home. (lolz)

2 families (Utkarsh’s & Priyesh’s) left on 15^th May’2016 to visit Switzerland, later to join us on 19^th at Paris.
We 4 families (Mine, Rina di’s, Amit’s & Nilesh’s) left on 19^th May, early morning, to fly from Mumbai to Paris via Abu Dhabi.

Moving little back to the planning stage, I decided 19^th May to land in Paris, as its being my wife Rupa’s birthday and I wanted it to be something special, a moment to be remembered and cherished for life.
And spending a couple of hours on 19^th midnight, below Eiffel tower on the banks of Seine River, was something which actually happened and now is a sweet memory permanently imprinted in our hearts.

3 nights in Paris was a lovely experience to start the trip.
We covered 2 guided walking tours, Latin tours, Left bank and right bank, Eiffel tower, Seine river cruise, Arc d Triumph, A Garden & the Art Museum.

As it’s said, and now could witness, that every building, every place in Europe is a golden part of strong history and have an immense heritage value.
We passed by the roads, the streets, the shops, the road side food & drink joints, admiringly looking at the people either on their way to work, or just lost deeply into their world of art either through painting or singing or dancing or playing music.

One just can’t  afford to ignore the world at play, all around us.
Away from home country & far from all those day to day stressful living hours, race against time, full of deadlines, targets and commitments, actually helped to activate happy hormones in our minds which made everything around us, to look and feel more beautiful than what it must be in real.

The sheer display of freedom of heart and mind, to do what you really want to do, to showcase what you know as best, was something which surely teaches a lesson or two to anybody.

Can’t stop comparing how’s and why’s of living in our country vis-à-vis what was seen and being experienced here.
A true and harsh reality is that, we are losing our “precious time” in this world with every ticking of the moment. And even though, we blindly keep spending whole of our time, money, energy; in fact an entire lifetime, in the pursuit to keep gathering, keep expanding more of our material reach for better times of tomorrows.
Alas!. These tomorrows are never guaranteed.
The ever healthy state of the body and the mind is not guaranteed.
In the hopes to improve our living of tomorrow, we waste our entire Yesterdays and todays, only to regret later about what rightly needed to be done.
The soul within, is never searched. Never ever an effort is being put to introspect what the child (innocent desire) in us wants or always wanted.

And today, away from home, when I see people in action, full of smiles and showcasing their artistic talents to the mass, may it be for the purpose to earn their living too, touched me deeply.
A sense of guilt, of sheer disappointment & pity, surfaced for my own self, forcing me to introspect, where am I heading toward?
For whom?
To achieve what?

Walking tours, through the heart of the city gave us the chance to get to know so much deeply about everything.
The passion with which the stories were relayed to us, the energy with which we all kept being drawn and stepped up with the guide, the innumerable questions which kept springing in our minds; were replied to and the urge fulfilled in such a straight forward and beautiful manner that it came as a strong realization, that aren't we, since long, missing this energy and urge to be inquisitive, curious, efforts to seek answers, to raise valid questions, so as to satisfy our appetite to know more, which is important and right.
Here nothing seemed silly. You ask anything what comes to your mind, how a child asks his/her first questions and in return you are constantly being satisfied and you land up feeling more learned, more updated, more worthy.

History and architecture always fascinated me.
I can keep looking at any piece of art how much ever mysterious, attractive, clumsy, weird or interesting it may seem to be.
Any such piece of art takes me deep into the mind of its creator.
His times, His circumstances, His thought process.
The problems & resistances faced in his times. The emotions which surfaced with every new idea & on its execution & then the final Eureka moments.
Somehow it always pulled me towards the creation.

So every sight for me came as a blessing. Thanks to the recent high-tech world that allowed me to keep capturing every moment by freezing into mobile camera shutters.
There was nothing which I would have liked to miss capturing, but then how much practical is it to gather all ?
So realiszed, that few things better be forged as a permanent imprint within the heart and the mind rather than making it a part of my phone GB.
And that prompted me to pause, stop and breathe in everything I could put my hands on.

The trip followed with a wonderful stay at Black Forest (Germany) for 6 days, then Barcelona (Spain) for 3 days and final 5 days in Italy covering Venice, Leaning tower of Pisa at Florence, Tuscany, Vatican City and ended up at Rome.

Black Forest stay gave our trip a complete new dimension of exploring Germany.

Somewhere in between Frankfurt and Munich, we stayed in Black Forest at a country side village, Dobel.

What a stay it was, just WOW!

These 6 days were planned to experience different kind of activities such as Zip line, Rope ways, Europa Park, Baden Baden, Mercedes Factory, Mercure mountain top, Mercedes museum, Metzingen, big brand shopping outlets.
And interesting part of these 6 days was, that we travelled in self driven SUVs, covering an average of 200kms a day, an experience which would be the most pleasant part of the trip.

Staying at a country side apartment was a huge plus as we didn’t have to run to catch trains and metros to keep up with the crowd and pace of the city life.
We stayed & enjoyed every hour as we wanted to.
As more of the activities were being planned in these 6 days involving a good amount of travelling, we had decided on, to call for a cook from Belgium, who served us hot Indian food, all the 3 meals for these 6 days.
This turned out to be a very wise decision as after each day's travel one need not had to be worried about hunting for food., especially with small kids by our side. We were welcomed with delicious Indian meals daily, which kept the energy levels high to meet the activities agenda for the next day.

Did some daring Zipline, hiking and trekking through the forest and the hills, and got immersed in scenic natural beauty all around for entire stay here.

Flew to Barcelona from Munich on 28^th Morning, for extremely satisfying next 3 days, which made us all fall in love with the city.
Landing at Barcelona came with a happy news of Rishil securing 91.2% in his boards exams. Congratulations! wishes! celebrations!
This went on for a while and re-infused more positive energy.

Barcelona, also had 2 walking tours which covered beautiful churches, Montjuic fountain and extra ordinary architecture, the Gaudi experience. 
What a city! You see people passionate about everything they do, whether they play or see Football, or they cycle their way through roads, or they do acrobatics on the streets.

We of course lost track of our days and dates, but every day here seemed like a weekend in celebration.

How lovely it would be, if we do not have those "Monday blues" and can celebrate and welcome it in similar fashion as how Fridays and Saturdays bring smiles on our lips &light up our faces.

“Las Ramblas”, a promenade, a street, in Barcelona; to spend hours and hours.
If you like to just sit around there on road side benches and chairs or get up and enter into some big brand shopping or just savour different flavours of ice creams or just stand by and get yourself clicked with live human statues in disguise or just spend few moments with an artist, the painter who is passionately on his job, creating a piece of exclusive art every few minutes.
What you see around is just happy and happier faces, as if telling us that everything here is gonna stay like this forever and ever.
No worries can be seen on any faces, may it about their todays or their tomorrows. Just focussed in their "NOW".
May be what marks them different is their “attitude” towards everything in life.

Visit to the Barcelona Football stadium made me realized how important it’s considered to have an excellence in this sport.
The Players of yesteryears and current times are prayed as Gods.
They bring name, fame and pride to the country on their every outings.
They put in blood and sweat on what they are best at and equally supported by their people and the government to maintain the position at the top.
Every 90 minutes of encounter is a festival and every win is a celebration.

I don’t mean say that we don’t have similar passion about sports in our country.
But what sometimes seem to be missing is the constant evolution of not only the players involved but also an overall strong change of perception about the game, the sport and the spirit. (#ingeneral).

Barcelona followed with entry into Venice.
A land of hundred plus islands. Life within and around water.
Words may fall short to relay my experience of those few hours.
The Venice outing in combination with Murano Glass factory was a wonderful experience.
Again a case of extra ordinary talent at display, of making glass decorative pieces in minutes without the help of any high-tech machines or and scientific measuring instruments.
Pure imagination and extreme artistic talent at work.
Gone are the days where such talents were showcased, were put into limelight and were given their share of awards and appreciation.
The technology has overpowered real natural instincts within each of us.
But we all know, there is nothing more powerful than what can be created and cultivated in the mind, which itself is a source of creation of such high technology world around us.
And if the power of the mind is tapped to its full or optimal potential, the light from it would be extremely strong.

One hour at the glass factory, made me think about what I myself possess as my inherent intrinsic strength which is not being nurtured and nourished in right proportions.
And I decide & promise myself, to start watering the ignored plant, once I am back on my soil.

In the following days we covered Vatican City, Leaning tower of Pisa, and Cinque terra.
Cinque terra, a model town; one of the five such village towns, which is immensely popular for its location, hiking, blue sea on one side and the rocky mountains touching the shore.
A few hours in Cinque terra gave us much needed breather with the scenic beauty all around.
Again a spot where we captured ourselves in multiple frames, not to miss any rising waves and wonderful landscapes.

Coming to Rome, the final destination, just for one day, as the flight to return was from Rome.
I remember we had just 24 hours in Rome, including night stay.
I was so very impressed by this city, that I instantly wanted to extend my stay for a couple of days more here.
The Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, Vatican city..
I could feel that for me these 24 hours are too less to get fully soaked up in its history.
Every piece of history, thousands of years old, was preserved meticulously.
We can see parallel modern town also being created in line and around such preserved monuments and buildings.

Yes, ROME was not build in a day.
And When in ROME, do what ROMANS do.
So true!

One can’t escape the sheer charm of being here.
You can’t remain aloof and can no longer be a separate identity.
One doesn’t have any choice but to get merged in its beautiful way of life.

ROME remains in my list of second visit and of course would love to do justice to Spain as a country touching Barcelona once again, if the destiny permits.

Thus came an end to one of the most wonderful and exciting 18 days of my life.
One such similar trip of great experience was Switzerland in 2009, which had completely changed my perspective about holidaying. And I'm glad that the second such realisation and experience came through these European expedition.

Back to Mumbai on 5^th June’2016; Sunday and today it’s almost closing 30 days and taste still remains.

Thanks to all my cousins for making it a wonderful outing which shall remain a sweet memory for all of us and thanks to Samir and his Team for guiding us towards a complete new experience and constantly keeping in touch, everyday, so that we do not miss out on any thing.

Major takeway from this trip-

Have learnt to accept & celebrate life and it’s every gifted moments, as it comes.

Every moment, is a celebration of life as long as we have family & friends who are with you on your every rise and every fall.

Since having back from the trip, celebrated dad’s surprise birthday bash on 11^th June, coinciding with celebration of Zeenal’s first day at first job of her life (6^th June), and Rishil’s academic achievement of 10^th boards.

Followed it with one more celebration for Rishil securing admission in first merit list in the first college of his choice, HR.

So as many moments we are ready to celebrate, life has a reason to keep offering more.
If you are ready to smile, life will give enough and more and more reasons to smile.

So, Keep smiling and keep spreading happiness! Cheers! Happy Living!

                                                    Sanjay Jogani; 
                                                    3^rd July’2016 
                                                    #Europediary

It's about ME...

It’s about ME

Years are passing by. Years have passed by. And how very clearly, I can recall the finest & the minutest details about myself. In last 4 decades there has been such a deep & strong evolution for me, which astonishes me to a great extent.

I remember myself as a child & and the years of childhood, which never seemed to be loaded with any kind of a systematic plan, in general, without a dream, a vision, an ambition or a passion.

It was the 70’s and 80’s of the century gone by. It was a normal upbringing and had a very simplistic childhood. Although being brought up in a city like Calcutta, one of the metropolitan tags on the Indian map, I somehow always found my world too limited, too restricted. Especially the 70’s, were like, few hundred meters around me, which was all. That was my world.

A small rented house, joint family of 10, a couple of neighbors, a nearby school, a small adjacent Shiva temple, a little further Ram temple on the way to the school and a small lane adjacent to our building, for the post school hours to play around. This was all for the first 10 years of my childhood. I was a decent student & always did well to make my parents proud during these years.  I still get ghost images of those days, an absolute carefree times, not even an effort to plan anything even for the next moment. Never knew what the destiny had stored in for me, from here.

The shifting to a newer bigger home, a high posh locality, in the early 80’s seems to me a very significant change which took place in my world. As like with everybody else, moving out and leaving behind the house, the school, the friends, was some task. I believe, it’s always like this. It’s never easy to get yourself detached, from what I always believed was my world for now and forever. It was a reluctant, a little uneasy shift.

But when I saw the new house, I would say, one of the most beautiful house I ever had, attached with a small terrace, in a complete new locality and absolutely peaceful compare to my previous experience of 10 years in a main road facing, 1^st floor house. When I saw the new place for the first time, uneasiness which developed because of the shift started getting dissolved a bit. May be could not express or actually experience and understand the feeling that time. But looking back, can now fully understand what was going on within me. There was an acceptance. There was a liking. There was a feel of getting upgraded. A feel of luxury. An understanding of the growth family business has made which resulted in this shift. Somehow, the inner conflict got diluted a bit and started looking forward to some excitement in store. The school was just the next door, a big park few steps away, fantastic people to stay with as neighbors. No sooner could made friends with many of my age in the same building. I would term this, the 12 years, as one of the most exciting phases of my growing. Somehow, every moment is a memory I still cherish and remains a treasure in the pages of my life. 

The medium of learning changed from Gujrati to English in the new school, though it being basically a school managed by Gujrati Trust, but all the subjects were taught in English, besides the first language, Gujrati. Thankfully, sooner could overcome & manage this change of learning medium and continued to be a decent student with decent results year by year. I can say, that these years, actually formed a foundation for my future. I was always with greatest of the buddies whether in school or at home, with diversified talents, interest, capabilities. Always was with friends & colleagues, who were all, I can say, somewhat serious about studying hard, scoring good, be successful as a student, join family business or find a way to earn through some various other, offered and available opportunities. None, can I remember who was not serious about his life. Of course wouldn’t have noticed such things at the time of passing through those times, but looking back, all of these seems so meaningful, so relative, so much so arranged and is making complete sense now.

But somehow even after the first 10 years at the new place, something was a-miss. I still can’t remember any such incident, a discussion, a pep talk, a serious thought provoking moment, which can point that I did carry some ambition in my life. A dream to fulfill. A vision to achieve. A Goal to strive for. A well-crafted path. Nothing. Absolutely Nothing.

And I do find it utterly surprising. No plans for life, for future till the age of 18 or 20. On the contrary, as we see today, there is a specific, a very clear view and understanding amongst the students of the age 13 & above. By the time they are 13 they are asked to choose their subject streams based on their interest, talent, capacity and future career prospects.

I do feel it quite strange for myself actually for not having enough future foresight to reach to a certain point in life. Yes, I do remember that to go for medicine or Engineering was the most sought after streams in those times. Based on good academic performance in STD X, I was encouraged and literally convinced successfully, by friends & family, to take up Science as my subject stream and eventually move in the direction of becoming an engineer someday. My dad, I remember, always used to tell me that become an engineer or a Doctor. Though never was he keen on our (me & my sisters’) day to day studies and academic progress, but he was always the first to put his hands on our year end results, would count the marks, and would say it’s not enough. Why so less or why the rank is 2^nd & not 1^st? So one thing was certain that he was very clear about what he wanted for & from his children, to perform & achieve.

But there was never ever any pressure to perform, or to prove; at least academically from any of the family members. Ultimately, the experience of keeping up in the Science stream proved to be sort of non-productive 4 years of my life. I kept on pursuing the same, even after when I couldn’t break through engineering entrances and eventually took up B.Sc. for the graduation.

Somehow, I was more inclined towards Management studies, Business administration. But once I decided to get into Science, I could never come out of it to pursue my interest towards the same. It’s not that, I was very keen to take up business studies that time, but few of my academic initiatives do point towards this interest at that time and un-excusably which was never put forward by me by way of strong demand or initiative. So no point in creating an excuse about that now. But one thing is for sure, that the study of Science, did teach me few beautiful aspects. It trained me with few wonderful virtues, which I strongly believe are rightfully justifiable to be attributed to my few years of studying Science. I developed a good habit of having a strong focus, intent listening and getting into the core of any problem. The why’s and how’s, established in me an inquisitiveness to go to the root of the problem, which keeps helping me even today to take me able decisions.

Once I was through the first 2 years of my studying in science, i.e. at the age of 20, somehow I feel the first real questions started breathing in my mind. May be that was the time I started getting a bit more serious about where was I heading in my life. I had no clue whatsoever. My close friends were already either into their family business or jobs. I could feel myself absolutely clueless. I could feel every moment of my life getting wasted. I was restless.  As the college had afternoon hours, I couldn’t think of attending dad’s office too. And honestly for the few days which I attended, I could never generate any interest whatsoever to look forward to repeatedly go to office. I kept of generating many excuses of not attending office.

Somehow, I see those 2 years, as the years, where I must have started thinking SOMETHING. Though with no clear vision of where I needed to head, but surely that was the time I felt the most miserable as regarding what I would like to do in future. With few friends, I tried getting into something different and something other than our regular family business. We tried software marketing, Selling of Computer hardware & accessories, Stock market investments. But, as the destiny holds, nothing actually worked. Though apparently, getting into stocks looked attractive and source of good money, but eventually failed.

And now the time for one more shift. Bigger than the one before. The decision to leave Calcutta & move to Bombay. My family had already invested into a home and an office space in Bombay few years back. Once again, a strong inner resistance. An absolute reluctance in leaving the comfort zone, fantastic friends, a very comfortable & easy life, good academic background which also created an identity for me.

How could I leave everything which was so good, comfortable & every bit predictable? And of course Bombay was always known to be most dynamic place to work, build a career and at the same time one of the most expensive cities to live and manage lifestyle. And to come out of the simplicity of Calcutta and stepping to match up with the smarter Bombay-ites was always going to be a huge task. So as was obvious, it was a big NO to leave Calcutta, at least for me and my Dad. But eventually the stronger will, insistence & willingness of my grandfather & my mom, won. And we decided to come to Bombay.

During the process of Yes’s and No’s for Bombay, I still remember, that there was that small little phase, where I did realize it was very important for me & it was high time, to leave Calcutta behind. Though it was not an easily acceptable proposition for me & was every bit difficult to come to harmonious terms with my inner and outer conflict. But one thing was for sure, that I did realize it very strongly that it was my time to get detached from this comfort zone. This comfort zone was pulling me into the well of darkness. I could feel myself getting nowhere by staying in Calcutta. I also remember, telling my friends, that “I see dark clouds over us. We are too attached, obsessed & dependent over each other to really break out and achieve something big in our lives. And my going to Bombay would pave way for everybody to grow”. I do remember saying this and hopefully my friends would still remember this and agree.

Coming to Bombay, now it’s been more than 22 years, I can say, that what was missing during my early years in Calcutta was challenges and struggle. None of which I had ever experienced. Not much of expectations around, could never prompt or encourage me to rise to a level higher than what I was standing on. Here, in a completely new atmosphere, limited help from the people around me, limited resources, I had no option but to face the same and prove my worth. Dad was 47 at that time, and for him to leave behind a well-established business and to plunge into the highly competitive business in Bombay was not easy. That was one of the reasons of his NO, as well. All the well-known, successful big people of our industry were in Bombay and to try and create our own space on their occupied land was not going to be easy. The early years in Bombay gave me freedom to think and put in my ideas into action. I was never averted to hard work and these years gave me chance to travel a lot on business to every nook and corner of the country where our business prospects were the best. With God’s grace & some good karmas of the past, Dad’s experience & hard work, ably supported by my uncle at Calcutta office and of course with little initial supportive efforts from my end, resulted in the success of our business in Bombay in few years. And then after, have never looked back.

Its 22 years for us in Bombay, now known as Mumbai. We are still very much a joint family. Business has grown and so do we all have, as responsible human beings. The years have taken away few of our family pillars, but the support, love and care from all within the family & friends, keeps us going.  

There is nothing actually I regret when I look back to the 3 phases (1970-1980; 1980-1992; 1992-today) of my life so far. But given a choice to re-live all these years, I may would like to change few of those times, moments, where I felt little lost. I would have pursued a parallel education in business management, which remained an unfulfilled dream. I would have spent more quality time with the people whom I lost on this journey.

To conclude with, I strongly believe, that it’s important to have an innocent childhood. It’s even more important to allow our children to think and craft their own ways. Let them experience what they would like to pursue. Failures doesn’t matter but the freedom from our side, to let them choose from available options & opportunities, may help them to minimize their regrets later, in their lives. 

THE MINDSET

THE MINDSET

All of a sudden, so many changes are happening at one time.
We have become a frozen witness to the chaotic sequence of events happening & changing, all at one time. And I wonder and feel astonished at the same time, that all that so called accumulated, possessed intellect, the wisdom & the collective experience fail to help in creating sense out of this chaos.

With every passing frame of strange & unpredictable slides of daily living, we see ourselves stepping out of these frames one by one, and find ourselves either moving away or being pushed away and thus getting dis-connected with the real time.
Somehow we seem to be not able to sustain and live in our every changing "New Present".

Questions arise in my mind,

• Did we lose our momentum?
• Do we lack ability to match with the pace of ever changing times?
• Are we not able to adjust, adopt or be comfortable with the new environment?

Doesn't everything seem to be too quick, too sudden, as if being caught off-guard, being caught unaware.?

I believe, the answer lies in understanding & getting into the deeper roots of “THE MINDSET”.

Where most of the common folks are failing and finding themselves being pushed out, is because of the “Mindset” they possess.
Most of the times, it’s easier to adapt to changing situations, changing generations; on physical terms; but quite a task to align with the change in mindset along the line of these changing times.

As a parent, we do always believe that we possess the greatest wisdom and intellect to drive our kids on the path to sure shot success & glory.
And in spite of this belief in ourselves, don’t we often find ourselves at cross-heads with our kids, specially dealing with them in their teens?

It’s not that the children are not matured, or least bothered about the world around them or about their own lives. On the contrary, they are full of aspirations, vision, dreams, fresh thoughts, newer ideas and have novel ways to put their ideas and plans to action.
But, most of the times, none of these manifestations & initiatives from their end, make any sense to us. Isn’t it?
We invariably and quite certainly have our own versions and push-over ideas to counter every words & deeds of theirs.

And here we create conflicts. 

We make matter more complex and complicated between the subjects concerned. And eventually, knowing that the force of current generation is far stronger than that of ours or of our times, we succumb. We retreat. We make an exit.
The only effort which could have created a win-win situation for both the parties, was to put in an effort trying to create an alignment with their flow of energy.

Now, this mindset is not the problem of gap in generations, only.
We face and see this weakness erupting at all levels of our interactions within our society.

Let’s talk about the concept of a normal Indian family. 

We, in India, have always believed in staying together, staying jointly, with all our kith & kins. And that has been going on since years.
Here too, the physical space in the house can be adjusted to, adapted to & compromised with. With mutual love & respect for each other in the home, we somehow manage within these limitations.

But what about the friction which arises due to different opinions, different perceptions, between school of old wisdom and the newly acquired education, due to weakness of external & internal influences, unequal intellect and of course the roots of personal ego which pulls and tightly holds these mis-matched perceptions?
Now these differences give rise to chaos, individual dis-satisfaction and eventually there is a crack in the relationships. And once the things get sour, the damage is ir-repairable.

So did we fail again? 

The only thing again, to have saved this situation to turn hostile could have been the effort to try and align with the mindset of the subjects concerned.
It’s not for only one person to put this effort, but everyone in the family, on an individual basis, could exercise and apply this within their capacities & abilities., and save the situation.

Let’s come out of our homes & talk about meeting newer and newer people every time we decide to move further on our mission in life.
We grow with few of our age-mates in school, in our building, in our locality and make a bond to become childhood friends.
We grow and add few more of the people in our wagon, based on our changing demands & priorities.
Don’t we see the friction here too, in our lives? 

The group of people who we have created, got associated with, made friends with, in different walks of life; somehow, someday, at some phase, at some moment does bring about friction and conflicts.
When younger and relatively uninfluenced & innocent, we had a natural way of aligning to different views, different opinions and thus the “unaware application” of alignment with the mindset.
But now when we move-on in life with different priorities and on the path to reach our goals and targets, anyhow-anyways, we lose this natural instinct.
Our Point of views become self-centric.
The see-saw gets tilted more towards how we would see the things, in fact, how we would like to see the things and make the situation turn in our way as how and what we wish.

Here unlike other losses, the damage is bigger.

The people who had emerged in our life, without any particular reason or mission, got closely bonded, and thus set for life-times; when passes through such conflicts; the situation thus emerges, may force us & throw us towards uncertainty in our respective lives of after-years, when the only joy in life would be to have such people around us with whom we can live through our years, happily and at peace.

Here too, applying wisdom, and putting in little efforts to understand different perceptions and view-points, however un-suitable or un-acceptable to us, could result in the alignment of the group mindset and help you to sail through, as a unit.

Talk about marriage & we have respective spouses taking call to live together in love for the entire life, with mutual respect for each other.
Ironically, the maximum cases of emergence of chaos is in this relationship of life. Why?
Did we ever try to actually reach the roots?

Without any doubt, the families and the people connected must have had tried their best to manage such mishaps and save & restore such situations since years.
But it’s still happening. Isn't it ?
In fact such cases of mutual dis-satisfaction & intolerance towards each other have increased exponentially.
Does that implies, whatever the theories and the equations tried, implemented & executed to prevent such an emergence has failed miserably?
Where are we failing in this?
An interesting point to note would be, that especially in these failures, the scope of reconcilement is minimal, in fact, very rare.

I believe, the problem lies elsewhere. 

This is one of the exceptional cases of application of alignment in the mindset.
What happens here is, that the couple is asked to or expected to get committed to each other, before actually they could work to work-out on such an association as a unit.
When a life time commitment is given or where a couple gets bound in such commitment for life, all the remaining aspirations and dreams of one partner, which are yet unfinished, are expected to be “obviously” supported and fulfilled by the other partner, the partner for life.
We all know that expectations lead to miseries. But the “obvious” attached to the expectations is more dangerous.
One tends to ask more and more , expect more and more, may be exceeding the other’s capacity to deliver or understand or manage.
Such an imbalance, at regular intervals, leads to a painful separation, never to be re-joined.

Moreover, as we all know that in this case, when one ties the knots and when the knot is released, both the times, the commitment taken under law (religious & constitutional), is irreversible.
We may can consider that in the earlier years, one of the genders, usually males, used to dominate, control and the better half used to and was supposed to exist under subordination. And so the power centre being one sided, conflicts were avoided or may be never dared to be raised as an issue.
Now when we are in the world and times of gender equality, the power rests in both the hands. And the individual desires and aspirations have ever since rose multi folds because of innumerable opportunities & choices.
And thus, still pulling along on the same line, with the same expected arrangement & expectations & much more, may not hold good for longer period of time.
One of the two would surely succumb to these external & internal pressures and give away.

So, let's contemplate what must be done to improve and avoid recurring of such situations?

Here, when a couple decides to spend their lives together, they need to have enough time and must try to create and adjust and align to each other’s mindset relating to the remaining life, which is to be lived together.
They mutually need to know, understand & be very well aware of the role one needs to enact pertaining to well defined responsibilities vis-a-vis role of the support system which is demanded & expected from the other.
We do understand that when it's the merging of two completely different human beings and as well as the families, few things are to be taken as granted and accepted by default.
But an effort to enhance the clarity is a must.
May be, in this case, if the mindset is set before the actual tie up, then the chances of falling apart of this institution can reduce a bit.

Thus, from the time we are ready to think about & understand the lives around us, we constantly need to work on this alignment of the mindset.
Not only it saves the meaning of people & situation in and around our lives, but helps us to unwind hidden potential within us to achieve higher and higher quality of life.
Once the concept is understood in its real sense, and the same is applied and exercised from time to time, the negativity, limitations and resistance in life is diffused.
And it paves way for a clear picture, a clear path which takes you only one way, and that’s FORWARD.

By - Sanjay Jogani
Mumbai. India.
sanjay-jogani.blogspot.com

Disclaimer
Mention about any person, place, event, picture, image or logo; is just for reference purpose to enhance the essence of writing for better presentation. It's not intended to trespass the rights of the original owners.

THE PURPOSE

The Purpose

There are times in our lives, when few things don't turn up the way we would want them to. Few things are in our control, where as few are destined to happen.

Few events are very sudden, unexpected and not to that of our liking & acceptance.
Few losses r unbearable and never to be compensated with anything else.
These are the shocks we live with. And as long as we are breathing we have to live with it, deal with it.
But then, there is THE SUPREME AUTHORITY above us all.
And HE has sent us with a REALIZATION.

HE says: "I sent you in this world as a completely detached individual with your own exclusive identity. I know what you are capable of. And thus, everyone of you are individually & respectively well-equipped to steer and drive your life."

Thus the realization which we all need to become aware of.
Implies - we have been sent here, in this universe, for a specific purpose.
A very important role to play.
The purpose to make complete & apt use of the life-years assigned to us.
The purpose to keep thinking & doing something, to make this world a better place to live, for the people who will come after us.
The purpose to devote our self to the good of every life which is around us and connected to us.
The purpose to gain & earn absolute knowledge whatever we can, by the way of learning from elders & gurus.
The purpose to move towards completeness.

And thus it's important that we realise sooner the "why" of our life.
Everyone has their own "why", but important is to know and understand this big question of life, as soon as possible.

We have our own separate identity.
We meet beautiful, wonderful people in this journey of life.
On the way, either we leave them or they leave us. But the real purpose of our lives, must never be lost.
We have full right to cry and feel bad, but then there is a time, there is a moment; when we need to recollect ourselves, brush off our tears, look around, get up and get back to the job for which we are here.
We need to find our music back.

The sooner we decide to collect & gather our shattered pieces, better its for our own life and also for people who are looking at us, towards us, with great hopes.

By - Sanjay Jogani
Mumbai.India.
sanjay-jogani.blogspot.com

Disclaimer
Mention about any person, place, event, picture, image or logo; is just for reference purpose to enhance the essence of writing for better presentation. It's not intended to trespass the rights of the original owners.

RAINS - BLESSINGS FROM HEAVENLY ABODE

Rains.....The blessings from Heavenly abode

Rains, Monsoon, showers…..

these words, by themselves generate a big sigh of relief, sudden burst of excitement, enthusiasm from within oneself and the smiles and laughter, irrespective of the biological clock one is tuned to. 

Actually every season, our country is blessed with, all are immense joy to be soaked into.
Every season eventually reaches its zenith, paving way to the next and simultaneously every life on the earth awaits the change with extreme passion, desire and urge.

The cold winter paves way for the flowery spring, the spring for the hot summer, the summer for the wet monsoon, the fall of autumn follows & then again back to the Winter.
The funniest part is, an irony as we say, we experience the peak in each of the season and desperately wait for the next to follow for a relief, and the same goes on for every turn of the change.

Monsoon, is my flavour of the time. 

Of course, besides the most romantic season of the lot, the season is dreaded for it's share of thunder showers with wild breeze, high tides, floods, landslides, tsunamis etc.
But nevertheless, the season, as is, continue to remain the darling of every living being on the earth.
The hot & scorching summer, which precedes the rains, not only boils up the earth, but the fiery fire also raises the temperatures of the lives, above & beneath the mother earth.

The man of today’s, is already a much stressed up commodity with its share of hardships, responsibilities, commitments & expectations.
He somehow tries in vain to keep creating magic by juggling & balancing all his rings to garner what he wants the most, the attention. But eventually, keeps dropping one to save another and lands up crashing.
Over & above, these disappointments, the extremities of heat outside his body fuels up his miseries.
And thus, when he sees passing clouds over his head, he rises in hope.
And as he feels few droplets of water on his body, his fingers stretches to feel the wet skin. And the sweet fragrance of the sand of the first rain radiating from the earth beneath enlivens the cells of his nose, otherwise dead.
He suddenly feels lighten up, as all the baggage of sorrows, miseries, anger; seem to get dissolved under the pouring sky.
He feels ONE with everyone around him. He starts loving every life, which shares the same joy as his, with every drop of rain on them.

He seems to be so relieved and freed to start looking at the sky,
..at the bathed up buildings,
..at the dancing leaves as if competing to take the most share of the blessings from above,
..at the swinging branches & the smiling trees holding them,
..at the children crazily jumping in the puddles,
..at the rhythmic running of the people with the umbrellas,

..at the small palms stretched out from the oversized raincoats of the school returning kids, trying to grab and store rain in their palms and feel it over their faces,
..at the people running out of their houses, on the streets, to be a part of the heavenly sight,
..at few elderly people sitting in their chairs of their balconies, getting smiles back on their faces, as if after years,

..at the honking and screeching sound from the moving cars, with half shut window panes, non-working wiper blades, and drivers struggling to keep their glasses clean.

For few of the travellers, it’s like getting late to reach to their destinations and for the few, the world has suddenly come to a halt;
For few it’s to avoid getting dirty in the muddy puddles and rains, whereas for few, it feels like a medicinal rush, draining out all their diseases and sins;
For few it’s the moment to shed tears of sorrows behind the running waters from above and for few it’s crying in happiness behind the same waters;

Here, I am, from a distant window of my room, getting soaked into all these sights emerging in front of me.
The feeling emerged in me, as if I know all these people. As if I know what they are passing through, what they are going through. I could relate myself fully to their part of joys and unhappiness. Their tears brought tears to my eyes and their smiles made those tears laugh.
And suddenly, It’s like, struck as a lightening thought,
“THIS TOO SHALL PASS”
 This moment of utter exhilaration, the life of these emotions, is here just for a short time. Just for a while.
Then, for what are we here on this earth?
The seasons never miss their virtue of right timing & extreme intensity. They are utmost sincere to fulfil their part of the duties and rightly deliver what they are expected to.
With every passing of the seasons, our hairs are getting greyer, the skin is getting crumpled, the vision is getting blurrier, the hands and legs are getting weaker, the brain cells are getting degenerated.
We can’t be just staring as a mere spectator to these wonderful blessings.
We can’t just stand in utter dumbness & blinded to these giving.
In fact, we need to be an active part of this changing phenomenon.
We need to be the change, ourselves.
We need to help rekindle the lives around us.
Few of the lives around us are living dead. We don’t need to wait for any seasons or occasions to bring them to life.
Let’s gather & store, a part of the attribute of every season, in our hearts and distribute the happiness and smiles to all, in all seasons.
It may can be mere extending one’s hand to reach to the other,
..may be just a matter of sharing a little time together.
..may be just a matter of silent listening for a while.
..may be just a matter of crying together, laughing together, celebrating together.

With a cup of tea in my hand, my eyes staring out of my window & my mind experiencing an absolute silence in the noisy surroundings, I suddenly felt the soft touch on my shoulder. I could feel warm wetness on my shirt, only to turn back and astonished to find my childhood friend, moved away from each other years back, standing there with his arms stretched in a rare combination of smiles and tears in his eyes.
I was overwhelmed, in awe with strange excitement & pounding heart beats. All the emotions experienced in the past few moments came rushing to the fore. With the tears in my eyes, I stretched my arms to hug him tight, so as never to be parted again and just in time, with a loud thunder & thud, heavy rains started pouring again.

And there, both of us rushed back towards my window, stretching our hands out and laughed at each other, as if, this moment of pouring rains, enlivened all the memories of our times together. :-)

By –

Sanjay Jogani

15th-June-2018 (revised & updated)

Mumbai. India.

Email - Sanjay.blogger.1210@gmail.com

Visit - sanjay-jogani.blogspot.com/in

Disclaimer
Mention about any person, place, event, picture, image or logo; is just for reference purpose to enhance the essence of writing for better presentation. It's not intended to trespass the rights of the original owners.