A road journey Ala Life

Just watched the movie " Highway " today and got fascinated to write an analogy on the journey of life....ala " journey on road " 

When there is a huge gap between what we imagine our lives to be and how the reality of our lives actually plays out we feel like we are not living our true lives. This gap is usually self created...

It is self created because in order for anything to manifest in our daily reality it must have a source. The source is often internal. Our beliefs, attitudes, habits and decisions we make all help contribute to this reality we experience. If our daily reality is not in sync with who we are; pain, suffering and feelings of depression can exist. People can get stuck in this phase for a long time; feeling unmotivated and afraid to take charge of their lives...

 Afraid because if one actually starts to take control and lead their lives into a direction that is more in sync with their inherent personality and attitude and ultimately joy; the person is always confronted with the realization that they alone will face the consequences of the decisions they make... 

The life that is created will be starkly different from the lives of the majority and this can create feelings of loneliness and misunderstanding. It is the realization that it is a lone journey; that we are born alone and we die alone. Why not make the best of the situation...

There can be a lot of tugging and pulling from people who think they know better and want to tell you how to live your life. But this is always a misconception because people are naturally threatened by people who choose to follow their own path to fulfillment and happiness. Threatened because you are taking your chances at your life and pushing forward to see what else is there for you. While the majority sit together and bond over the excuses and why they couldn't go out and find their own fulfillment; you are too busy creating your own life....

If all things are internally derived; than the purpose to follow our individual path must come from the belief that you are meant to follow your own path. As long as you hold the belief that you are like everyone else and that you are not unique or special; you will never truly discover your own path. It makes no sense that two people will lead a same life path. The same way no two people share the same DNA; our life paths are very personal to the individual...

Lot of courage and self belief will be needed if a person decides that they will no longer live according to others rules and ideas and start creating from the individual and personal perspective. This also means that you have to get comfortable ruffling people's feathers because the way you live your life will always show to the majority what is possible if a person decides to bet on themselves. This also means that the life you created for yourself will be a direct challenge to those who live a predetermined life that does not cater to the person's individual needs or desires...

A person's willpower and perseverence will be tested; but the rewards of following our individual path gives us a sense of authenticity and we can look ourselves in the mirror and say to ourselves: "I am doing the best I can with what I was given". It's harder to face ourselves when we know the life we lead is not of our own but a creation of external circumstances , all for the purpose of pleasing something outside of ourselves... 

This charade cannot last long; hence everyone is always given a choice at every waking moment to make a change or shift the perspective if we so desire. It is really up to us to make the hero's journey into fulfillment and happiness. Not everyone can appreciate this choice but those who do usually end up more fulfilled and happier....

Lead a Hero's life...

Sd/-
Roohul Haq

Meaning of Self worth and Self confidence

Self confidence is reliant heavily on external accomplishments, level of skills and expertise a person possess, level of success or lack of, in the outside world in relation to the person's ability. This explains why a person cannot ever be fully confident all around in every area of life.

 Always intrigued by the two words , hence some musings on these profound words...

Most often a person will feel confident in one area they are good at and completely not confident in areas they have not mastered. Self confidence ties strongly to self esteem because our ability to make things happen in the world and be a success can increase or lower our level of self esteem. 

Self confidence works as a measuring tool; letting us know where we can improve upon and where we make things happen without so much effort. if a person wishes to raise their self esteem; then embraking on a journey to increase self confidence by mastering a skill level or creating things in the physical world will help.

Self worth is a complete internal acknowledgement of who you are and is always enough a recognition that you are an extension of the cosmos and spirit. Self worth is simple celebration of your eternal soul incarnated. Self worth is an internal acceptance of your own spirit with all it's manifestations; with the good and bad. Self worth and self acceptance can go hand in hand.

 Self worth operates more on the soul level while self confidence operates on the rational act of doing and creating and accomplishing. We get the most sense of accomplishment and joy from our activities when we engage our self worth to our accomplishment. We also feel great joy when others can acknowledge our self worth without focusing on our accomplishments. 
A person feels inauthentic when they are praised for their accomplishment instead of who they really are.

This also explains why a person can achieve a level of success and still feel empty or unworthy of the success. This is a byproduct of not accepting our self worth and only identifying with accomplishments. Having a healthy dose of self worth is the antidote to the external pressure to always perform and accomplish. Humans love being admired for our accomplishments but we are always more fulfilled and feel accepted when we are simply acknowledged for our spirit and who we are.

I love imagining a world where all people know and understood what they are...how powerful, infinite, creative, beautiful, Loving, Whole, they actually are........absolutely perfect...worthy and deserving of only happiness, peace, and joy purely by virtue of being. A perfect state of eternal Grace. A world completely free from fear, guilt, and hurt..from the tyranny of the ego's past. ELE! 


Sd/-
Roohul haq

The psychology of Compassion

As much as I am fascinated by other people's psychology I wonder if I am even more thrilled at studying my own psychology.

 I seem to be able to relate to other's psychology only after I understood the ideas and behaviors within myself. It is the process of relating and what the great spiritual gurus call Oneness. It is not enough for me to just have the intellectual knowledge that all things in the universe is related but the experience of human condition can only be known through the experience of your own condition.

 As an INFJ if there is no real connection based on intuitive knowing I lose interest and place it farther away from my experience. 

The goal of understanding your own psychology in relation to others is to develop compassion for the human condition. A beautiful characteristic of compassion is allowing another human being to have their experience without judgement.

 It is the process of allowing and letting things be without feeling the need to control and manipulate. This can also be reversed and practiced on yourself to attain more objective analysis of your own condition.

I have been obsessed about understanding how humans express compassion. Those who are on a spiritual path as well as those who are in the later stages of life seems to experience it more profoundly. 

And I wonder why this is the case. Why are the youth not be able to extend themselves further and experience compassion towards others who have it easier or harder than ourselves?

 And I do not believe it is youth and lacking in life experience. Compassion seems to be treated the same way creativity is snuffed out of the youth at a very young age. Children demonstrate tremendous amount of compassion, tolerance and creativity from birth - but recent study on children's creativity showed that by age 15 the creativity was measured to be about 7% as opposed to 70% that was measured for children at age 3.

 Not only is creativity diminished by that age but all other aspects that contribute to creativity such as curiosity, altruism, eccentric behaviors and out of the box thinking goes out the window as well. IN a nutshell; the inner child gets locked in a box and put away until further use is needed.

 The slow degeneration of the creative spirit becomes the result and that inner childlike spark gets replaced with structured corporate conditioning with so many limits and restrictions.

sd/-

Roohul Haq

Lessons I wished would have learnt 10 years ago

As we progress through the myriads of everyday life, some reflections on the lessons I wished would have learnt 10 years ago

1. Brilliant execution of a simple idea is more valuable and profitable than a complex problem solved with agonizing perfection

2. The human brain can be trained and conditioned and we can release ourselves from the clutches of our past if we want.Difficult though this may be it is not impossible.

3. Bramha creates everything,Vishnu sustains & preserves and Maheshwara is the destroyer of all order so that renewal can take place... Leadership mindset required for each of the above is unique.
Lookout for your strength and never indulge in all the three at the same time.

4. If you are a high achiever in the organization or public life but have ordinary needs ,fears,anxieties and vulnerabilities,you are not alone.If you manage or report to high flyers ,you are certain to encounter this side to them.

5. In today's business world it is not enough to learn from your customer ,supplier and your competitors;sometimes the most impactful knowledge could come from someone who is not in business at all

6. Transparency is the key in any organization.It is important for a leader to regularly publish what is on his mind to entire set of next level employee.

7. As a leader ,we should be a critical questioner and reviewer and also must be the ultimate sense-maker

8. People who do not possess a personal vision or purpose will find it impossible to build an organizational vision

9. The brilliant minds of high achievers sometimes prove to be a liability for them. When they get something wrong, they get it very wrong

10. The US president is one of the most powerful people in the world not because he is the perfect leader,but because he surrounds himself with outstanding  men and women who make up for his shortcomings

Chao
Roohul Haq

Poet's brain demystified

Shall we go and try to purchase a real good brain ? A poet's brain


एक दिन निकले थे बाज़ार में खरीदने शायराना  दीमाक
मुफ्लिसे जा पहुंचे डोक्टर के घुसल्खाना
कहने लगा की मुद्दत से मेरी नज्मे बहुत ख़राब
सोचके बताईये क्या करें जनाब ?

चेक करके मेरी खोपड़ी कहने लगा हुज़ूर
भेजें में घुस गया है कोई आपके फतूर
बोला बदलना होगा यह भेजा हजूर का
बस येही इलाज़ है दीमाकी फतूर का

कहने लगे की दान मांगिये फिर देखिये कमाल
शायराना दीमाक मिलती है सौ गंतादार
पहले तो एक शायर अ अज़म्म से मिला
बर्बादी अ दीमाक का उनसे किया गिला

मैंने कहा की मुझ पर कर्म कीजियेगा जनाब
थोडी सी अपनी खोपड़ी मुझको इंनायत करे शताब
बोले हमारा बैट के भेझा ना खाईये
उठिए यहाँ से और कहीं सीटी बजाईये

शायराना अदब में जो भी हमारा मुकाम हैं
उस्ताद ये मुह्तेरिम के वो भेझ्हे का काम है
कुछ सरफिरा दीमाक हसींन लड़कियों के थे
बक बक जो कर रहे थे वो सब बीवियों के थे

मैंने कहा ब्रेन कोई आशिकाना दे
जल्दी से इक दीमाक मुझे शायिराना दे
दिखला के इक दीमाक वो कहने लगा जनाब
रग रग में है फंसे हुए अशार बेहिसाब

भेजा महक रहा है ज़माने की धाड़ से
लबरेज़ है दीमाक ग़ज़ल के मुवाड़ से
मैंने कहा ये मखियाँ क्यूँ बिन बिनाई हैं
बोला नयी ग़ज़ल पे नयी धुन बिटआयी है

मैंने कहा की दाम बताये मुझे शताब
बोला दीमाक ठीक है और दाम है खराब
भेझा मेरे दूकान पे सब आणा पाई है
शायर का बस दीमाक के पैसे भी हाई है

मैंने पूछा के खोल दे तू राज़ यह निहां
शायर के क्यूँ दीमाक के पैसे किये बेशुमार
बोला कभी कभार यह बिकता है,क्या करें
सौ फोडिये तो एक निकलता है , क्या करें !!

- रूहुल हक

Chapatti aur Phulka

An interesting analogy of the food we consume and the caste/creed dialogue that reverberate in our nation

When by chance they found a quiet time one day,
The chapatti to the Phulka thus began to say :

if you do not mind ,permit me to describe,
A bitter fact of life that bothers me of late

We belong to the same tribe ,both you and I,
Common is our caste and creed ,common is our fate
Of the same ingredients we are both composed,
The same basic principles governs our life and growth

The same vitamins form our being,and our strength define,
The protein that enrich our grains ,are also similar kind
We serve the same purpose ,the same task address,
Same are the features that you and I possess

When we are no different ,will you then explain,
The riddle that continues to agitate my brain
Why do you hate me ,my very face revile,                
Why in your attitude are you to me hostile ?

Hearing this plaintive lay , the phulka could not but pray,
Please stop this tale of woe ,lest my heart should break
Your complaint is justified in every word and phrase,
But hear me ,my chapatti ,O my darling mate !

I am not at all at fault in the present case,
Do not put blame on me ,suspect not my faith,
It is the politician wise who create this rift,
It is he who incites a worldwide conflict

The havoc that the tyrants on the world unleash,
Cannot be described in human words or speech,
To tell this tale of terror we must first possess,
A heart of stone and a toughened iron breast

These killers are always sowing seeds of spite,
And encourage everywhere deadly fratricide,
It is because of such men that the world is now a battlefield,
Where warring clans are engaged in self destroying deeds

In short ,the band of leaders that hold the world in fee,
Are engaged in doing such astounding deeds
That the human values begin to shiver and creep,
And civilization deep ashamed cannot help but weep

Whenever I see these folks indulge in such pranks,
My lips raise a cry ,expressive of my pangs,
Those who have betwixt us two ,caused the divide,
Those who do not want to see our mutual love thrive.

May the gift of freedom god to them deny,
May they ever restless roam even in the afterlife !
Saying so the "phulka" rose swelling up with pride,
While the chapatti ,sorrow-singed ,shriveled up surprised...

Sd/-
Roohul haq

Uttarakand devastation metaphor

An enigmatic take on the tragedy at Uttarakand

आज इस शहर में हर शख्स डरा हुआ क्यूँ है
चेहरे क्यों उतरे हुए हैं
गली कुचों में किसलिए चलती है
खामोश,चुप और घबराई हवा

परिचित आँखों पे भी
अजनबियत की ये बारीक सी झिल्ली क्यूँ है
शहर सनाते की ज़ंजीरो में
जकड़ा हुआ  मुलजिम सा नज़र आता है

इक्का दुक्का कोई राहगीर गुज़र जाता है
कॉफ़ की गर्द से
क्यूँ दुन्दला है सारा मंज़र
शिदत से बरसते

शाम  की रोटी कमाने केलिए
घर से निकले तो थे कुछ लोग
मगर मुढ के क्यों देखते हैं घर की तरफ
आज बाज़ार में भी जाना पहचाना सा वो शोर नहीं

सब यूँ चलते हैं की जैसे
ये ज़मीन कांच की है
हर नज़र नज़रो से कतराती है
बात खुलकर नहीं हो पाती है

सांस रोके हुए हर चीज़ नज़र आती है
आज ये शहर
इक सहमे हुए बच्चे की तरह
अपनी परछाई से भी डरता है

हे मानुष देखो
मुझे लगता है
कोई कहर बरसा है शायद !