The answer is in the air

Everyday something special does happen in my life. Only some days I identify, recognize, or acknowledge it as such.

Last week my colleague from Bombay Ms. Neha, asked me about a book – a recent one about cancer by an Indian author. I too have read about it but couldn’t remember the name of the book or the author.

Monday morning when I had 5 minutes to spare before I had to leave for work, I decided to read the ‘Health’ supplement from ‘The Week’. I casually flipped from the back and started reading the first article that looked interesting. Within a few minutes I came across the information – The Pulitzer Prize winning book – Emperor of Maladies by Dr. Siddarta Mukherjee.

As it wasn’t any critical, vital information my colleague needed very urgently, I wasn’t really searching for the answer in my mind or anywhere outside. Yet I was so happy to have found it. No, I didn’t find it. The answer revealed itself. With great excitement, not at all proportionate to the event, I made a note of the information in my ‘to-do- list’ for the day. The first thing I did when I went to work is to mail the details to Neha. Pat came her reply – ‘Thanks Mam. You are great!’ That made my day.

This is obviously an answer to a question posed to me a few days ago. May be there are other answers revealed to me everyday, for questions I am yet to verbalize. To get the full benefit of it, I need to pay more attention to the happenings in my day-to-day life. My advise to myself - Make time just to sit and think.

Thought for the day

Thought for the day
Yesterday was Narasimha Jayanthi. In the evening I went to the Sholingar temple. The deity in this temple is Yoga Narasimhar.

Sholingar is about 25 kms from Ranipet. I have been living in Ranipet for the past 15 years. Yet, this is the first time I have visited this temple. Though I have been wanting to, the temple being on top a hill at an altitude of 750 feet and having to climb over 1,300 steep steps to reach the temple has been a deterrent.

Last month when I was in Madras, I rang up my friend Srivatsan (my sister-in-law Geetha’s brother) to wish him on his upcoming 60th birthday. He answered from Sholingar. I know Srivatsan (with his brother Narasimhan) makes a pilgrimage to Sholingar temple every month. On an impulse I told him to let me know when he makes his next trip so that I could join him.
And the night before last I saw a ‘missed call’ from Srivatsan in my Mobil. Being late I did not return the call. But I knew what it was about as Geetha has already told me early that week that Srivatsan is planning to go to Sholingar on the 16th evening, being Narasimha Jayanthi. Even though I have expressed my wish to go with Srivatsan, I had my own fears and doubt about my capability to climb that many steps on a hot summer evening. I could not make up my mind to go or not to go.

In the morning I had to call back Srivatsan. I was undecided even then.

I have been reading a motivational book ‘The greatness guide’ by Robin Sharma. It is a remarkable compilation of various tips, guidelines and practical lessons on becoming world-class in your personal and professional life. While reading such books, even though I could relate with what the author says and will find each lesson so inspiring, after finishing the book, if somebody were to ask me what I have learnt from the book, I can’t remember even a single lesson. It is true of the ‘Thoughts for the day’ I receive from our HRD or from the Daily Guru to which I have subscribed. I have often felt that each day I have to remember the thought, relate it with the happenings of the day and implement it wherever relevant. I am yet to make that into a practice.

Yesterday in the morning before calling Srivatsan, I opened the book where I had the book mark in ‘The Greatness guide’ that I have been re-reading. And on that page it boldly said –

“Each day life would send you little windows of opportunity. Your destiny will ultimately be defined by how you respond to these windows of opportunity. Shrink from them your life will be small. Feel the fear and run to them anyway and your life will be big.”

I called Srivatsan, expressed my fears and doubts but agreed to go with him in the evening.
We left at 5.00 pm. We were at Sholingar by 5.30. We stared on the path right away. It was not too hot under the shade of the over-head cover of steps and a cool wind was blowing too. Initially I did not find it very hard climbing up, but I was feeling breathless after about 700 steps and had to stop frequently to slow down my pounding heart. It took us about an hour to reach the top. Reaching the top was like a great adventurous journey.

The temple is so remarkable. Inside, it felt like a cave temple. I haven’t seen anything like this. We sat down for a while until the ceremonial proceedings started. Being with Srivatsan, a regular patron of the temple, I didn’t have to worry about the crowd. We were treated special.

I feel so lucky, that I could go to the temple on Narasimha Jayanthi, sit so close to the sanctum sanctorum and watch the thirumanjanam of the deity. We left at 9 o’clock on our return journey. We missed the prasadam, as we were told it would take another half an hour for prasadam distribution. I was home by 10.30 pm.

To prevent leg ache, I rubbed eucalyptus oil on both the legs, swallowed couple of crocins for good measure, had some fruits and milk for dinner and went to bed without a care in the world.
Thinking back I realize that climbing up the hill, while in the temple and on the return journey, I was fully engrossed in the ‘here and now’. I do not remember dwelling on any thought of the past or the future. I did not pray or wish for anything in God’s presence.

The value of my joy

The value of my joy

The value of the piece of item I restored could only be under Rs. 50, but the joy it gave me is immeasurable by any parameter. Here is the sequence of events -

After a week-long trip to Mumbai, I returned to Ranipet on Monday (2^nd May) after an overnight stay in Chennai. As I didn’t have time to charge my Mobil at home I brought my charger along with me to the office.

As I plugged in the charger I felt something is not right and noticed that one of the pins is missing. My first thought was that my charger has become dysfunctional. But it was a relief when I realized that it is not the charger but the ‘multi-plug adaptor’ that is missing a pin.

My sister Kala gave me the Mobil that she was using in Singapore. Being made for use in Singapore, the charger has three sturdy flat pins. I have to use an adaptor to plug it in in India. The ‘international multi pin’ sells at an exorbitant price in Europe and US. But in Mumbai I can get one for between Rs. 50 and 70. As I have a few other electrical goods from US and Australia that needs the adaptor - and I being paranoid about what if one gets damaged – I always keep couple of spare ones.

But recently while delivering a gift to my brother for his birthday, an electrical back massager from Singapore, I had given a multi-pin adaptor along with it. I wasn’t sure whether I still had a spare one. I had to wait till I went home to check it out. I felt a bit lost during the day until I went home and found another plug along with my sewing machine.

But that is not the end of the story.

For a day I even hesitated to throw away the dysfunctional plug, before I decided it is not worth trying to get it fixed.

After a two-day trip to Coimbatore I came to the office on Saturday (7^th May) to check out my mails. After being at it for couple of hours, I ‘shut down’ my computer and as I was about to leave, I noticed something shiny on the floor. I picked it up and instantly recognized it as the metal cap of the pin from my adaptor. I put it safely in a pouch in my handbag.

But I wasn’t sure whether the bin in which I collect my non-biodegradable waste is not emptied out during the week. When I came home I saw Saroja, the lady who does housework for me, working in the garden. When I asked her if she had emptied out the bin, she said ‘No’. I came home, rummaged through the bin and retrieved the plug. Holding the screw with the tip of my nail file I screwed the metal piece on to it. It was so simple. Lo and behold, it is all back in one piece and fully functional. The entire sequence of events is unbelievable and unfathomable to say the least.

Even I cannot describe in simple terms the joy it gave me in finding the piece and being able to put it together.