The Love Life and Love Delhi Campaign

Someone wise has once said - 'You get what you give!' This thought has always provoked a lot in me - I do not know how much I truly resonate with it, but off lately have developed this habit of trying to be like what I expect, out of others around me.

And everyone in the world likes to happy, likes to be loved, likes to be cared for and receive compassion and warmth from people around. And I am a little 'negative' in all these 'positive' and 'happy' thoughts, honestly. Not that I do not like all these emotions, but because I have liked to be in a stressful state (almost in everything that I have done so far). I remember someone telling me once - ' Zyada khush raho toh nazar lag jaati hain' and I guess that is where it all began... 😛

Being stressed at times has honestly helped me in a lot of ways. To quote some evidences - the stress helped me during my semester exams in College - I never failed any exam :P (although this is not considered very normal for Engineering college students - if you know what I mean ;)! Then the stress has helped me work relentlessly being the Principal - generally it has helped me so far in my professional life! 

But being stressed has had a lot of disadvantages too. To quote some evidences here - you aren't the 'cool' one in your 'gang' of friends and then you are not the most 'sought after' one. And all this seemed pretty reasonable compromises for me to make. 

Being stressed has definitely made me pay some cost, too - like 'seriousness' is all I look for in anything.

I think I now want to experience emotions like compassion, warmth, real happiness, etc and the best way to do that, I feel, is to be compassionate on my own. I will not quote evidences as to some things that I did to be able to get these feelings in me or get them back, but will quote things that I want to do now to feel more complete and happy inside. 

Travelling is something that I have always enjoyed. I have traveled a lot for work and have been to many destinations within the country. Last 5 years, I actually lived out of Delhi (which is my hometown) and then when I came back here, I honestly could not relate to the city rush and the pollution and so much more...

But I believe that living in the moment is really important. And being little satisfied (and yet not be just a little satisfied) with what you have is also important. So, I have decided to start a 'Love Life and Love Delhi' campaign. As part of this, I plan to visit one place (could be a historical monument, a museum, etc) in Delhi every week for fun, leisure and, so I develop some liking for Delhi :)

And I think this is important in many ways - one, I get to do what I like - travelling and then I get to do something that I have never done since my childhood - EXPLORE DELHI - even when I was born here! 

I decided to roam around last Sunday, but honestly because of the work and the 'stress', I could not really go anywhere. But yesterday, finally, I got the chance to randomly drop by JNU - with my colleagues and know more about it (this wasn't the main purpose though - JNU was our meeting place - we were supposed to discuss WORK 😜). Being in Delhi, I never had visited it, even though I used to hear and read so much about it in the news! 

So, here is me lost somewhere in JNU - 

The time spent there was awesome - 'Forest University' is how I would like to describe it! The aura was just so fresh, so rejuvenating, just so so so.......<don't have words to express this 😛>. 

We also went to the 'dhaba canteens' and the three of us ate a few things for just 80 bucks 😮. And ofcourse - not to forget the interesting conversations we had! 

The day was just great! The cherry on the cake being this - 

(Something that will be treasured for a long time 😊)

#Love Life

#Love Delhi

The days gone by!

The days gone by! 

The past week has been one of a kind. I have mixed emotions. I feel blessed for having been in a place I have never been before - a different world - a world where I witnessed some real compassionate and happy people, a world where the acceptance by 'some' (not ALL) seemed really unconditional, a world where smiles are exchanged without any hassles, a world where you can just BE! 

Yes, here I was! My birthday was spent here - doing very different things. The biggest birthday present was talking to people who I never would have met otherwise - too much to write in this regard. Thanks to A, for first letting me be here, then bringing the local 'Honey and Coconut Cake' and then asking me to stand right outside the mess with a friend and telling me to offer the cake to all, as they were coming out of the mess post the dinner. For the first time ever, I was receiving blessings from people I had never met before, but still they were excited to share the day with me and relish the little piece of cake. Truly moved by the emotions. 

The same day I did something I have been meaning to do ever since last April (when I had visited a children monks monastery in Palampur) - YES - teaching monks. I did a 75 minute English lesson with one great group - was a great learning experience!! 

Next was feeling connected with someone here, who took me back to my days in Gujarat - when I used to live on campus. His mention about his 24 x 7 work, then being on his toes so we all feel sorted for our stay and then sharing a few challenges with me - which were completely relatable, just took me back and blew me away. Just this small realization that someone else also could go through the same path, could choose to do something so similar (and with a family), inspired me a lot! 

Then spending my mornings MEDITATING - and then being lost in the nature - for this is something that I never get to do in Delhi. 

Then listening to individuals, almost 60 of them from different parts of the country and from outside, on topics like - 

1. Role of a Teacher

2. Imparting social-emotional skills in children

3. Different aspects of social-emotional training

4. Life

and a lot more...

Then being caught up in the emotion of detachment and the fact that I had to come back to the rush again. And then realizing the same things I have been thinking since the last week of December now - the fact that very few people can reciprocate the same kinda feeling - the feeling that you give them. Very few or no one can match your expectations, and no one can truly understand who you truly are! 

As these emotions were still sinking in, I found myself in yet another favorite place of mine. I risked exiting the airport in the layover (YESSS!). Went to meet some good people I know, and surprised them! :) Would have been complete, if I would have met 'the' one,  but that did not happen! Still - this, gave me happiness! 

And then savoring the 'adventure' sandwich and the bhel at a roadside restaurant, dreading whether we will reach the airport back on time! :) 

Then coming back home for this - 

 And a lot more...

Touchwood! 

2019 begins!

The last year brought in so much - so much so that a blog post cannot even do justice to what I experienced. Probably, I would need a mountain peak/sea beach, a peg or two of whiskey, and someone who I feel comfortable sharing with. And then I am sure the emotions, the experiences, and everything and anything will come out. Haha! 

The year started off with something really unusual. I came back home really late, last night. And then left home really early to go for work. YES! Believe or not - but I was officially working today - on 1st January, 2019. I definitely randomly have worked from home in the years gone on the first day of the year, but never have been to an official training workshop and today I was in one. And whhaatt a dayy it has been!! 

For the first time ever, I danced on a Haryanvi song - 'yaar tera Chetak chala re, tennu chaska Red Farari da' ! I never would have dared to dance or even listen to this song, had it not been in this training today! Had an amazing feeling when teachers especially invited me to dance with them! :)

Last 2 weeks of 2018 have been satisfactory in many ways. I finally was able to finish a chunk of my work - things which were pending since a really long time. Then on 29th - literally being up for the entire night, just so I could enjoy the 30th and 31st. Then the first time snow experience, and so much more - the conversations with a few people, the 'closure' with some, the call of someone who reminded me of early 2018, and then the feeling that no one in this world (except your family) can ever match your expectations, and that all you need to do is to find peace and happiness within yourself. 

And just when I wanted even more satisfaction, I am writing today just so I feel complete, within from all aspects. I need to find happiness within me, coz I know it is there, somewhere. 

I can feel good by doing so much more than what I have been doing so far. I can feel good by living a life in the present - also even thinking about the future a little. I can feel good by just letting things be the way they are. I can feel good by just being 'myself'. And that is what I am going to 'try' doing this year. 'Try' - because I do not know how will this look like! But all I know at this point of time is that it is going to be worth it! 

Bring it on 2019! :) 

And just before I close, here is a quick memory of today -