How To Climb Mountains...

Metaphoric, yet so true. Something that gives you the confidence to keep moving on, especially at times when you think you're fed-up and done with things! Presenting to you... 'How To Climb Mountains'- one of my favorite extracts from Paulo Coelho’s book: “Like the Flowing River – Thoughts and Reflections”.

Choose the mountain you want to climb:

Don’t be influenced by what other people say: ‘that one’s prettier’ or ‘that one looks easier’. You are going to put a lot of energy and enthusiasm into achieving your objective, and you are the only person responsible for your choice, so be quite sure about what you are doing.

Find out how to reach the mountain:

Often you can see the mountain in the distance – beautiful, interesting and full of challenges. However, when you try to reach it, what happens? It’s surrounded by roads; forests lie between you and your objective; and what seems clear on the map is far more complicated in reality. So you must try all the paths and tracks until, one day, you find yourself before the peak you intend to climb.

Learn from someone who has been there before:

However unique you may think you are, there is always someone who has had the same dream before, and who will have left signs behind that will make the climb less arduous: the best place to attach a rope, trodden paths, branches broken off to make it easier to pass. It is your climb and it is your responsibility too, but never forget that other people’s experiences are always helpful.

Dangers, seen from close to, are controllable:

When you start to climb the mountain of your dreams, pay attention to what is around you. There are, of course, precipices. There are almost imperceptible cracks. There are stones polished so smooth by rain and wind that they have become as slippery as ice. But if you know where you are putting your foot, you will see any traps and be able to avoid them.

The landscape changes, so make the most of it:

You must, naturally, always keep in mind your objective – reaching the top. However, as you climb, the view changes, and there is nothing wrong with stopping now and then to enjoy the vista. With each metre you climb, you can see a little further, so take time to discover things you have never noticed before.

Respect your body:

You will only manage to climb a mountain if you give your body the care it deserves. You have all the time that life gives you, so do not demand too much from your body. If you walk too quickly, you will grow tired and give up halfway. If you walk too slowly, night might fall and you will get lost. Enjoy the landscape, drink the cool spring water, and eat the fruit that Nature so generously offers you, but keep walking.

Respect your soul:

Don’t keep repeating, ‘I’m going to do it.’ Your soul knows this already. What it needs to do is to use this long walk in order to grow, to reach out as far as the horizon, to touch the sky. Obsession will not help you in the search for your goal, and will end up spoiling the pleasure of the climb. On the other hand, don’t keep repeating ‘It’s harder than I thought,’ because that will sap your inner strength.

Be prepared to go the extra mile:

The distance to the top of the mountain is always greater than you think. There is bound to come a moment when what seemed close is still very far away. But since you are prepared to go still further, this should not be a problem.

Be joyful when you reach the top:

Cry, clap your hands, shout out loud that you made it; let the wind (because it is always windy up there) purify your mind, cool your hot, weary feet, open your eyes, blow the dust out of your heart. What was once only a dream, a distant vision, is now part of your life. You made it, and that is good.

Make a promise:

Now that you have discovered a strength you did not even know you had, tell yourself that you will use it for the rest of your days; promise yourself, too, to discover another mountain and set off on a new adventure.

Tell your story:

Yes, tell your story. Be an example to others. Tell everyone that it’s possible, and then others will find the courage to climb their own mountains.

Hope this inspires you (more than you already are) to climb all the mountains in your life...

Aimless

It's one of those days... the not so nice ones. When you feel like leaving everything back, and running. To where, even I don't know. But there are times when you feel like you're done. Done with the whole lot- your dreams, your ambition, your big plans in life and the like... there's so much to add to the list that it's futile to continue. And then you feel like you're left with a void, like your soul is missing. Maybe it's a phase, maybe it's not. All I know is that I'm lost- completely aimless.

'Someone new' :)

Don’t you think that sometimes life becomes so routine and mundane with the same things and same people day in and day out? The afore mentioned are vital to my existance, but it’s like we get accustomed to a particular pattern of living. In all of this, we often forget the joy of meeting new people.

Take yesterday for instance. A bunch of friends and I were all watching the World Cup final match at a friend’s place (India won... Yay!) when another friend’s friend came visiting. A little confusing I know, but I would ask you to focus on the friend’s friend = Mr. K... So, my friend is busy with her round of introductions, telling Mr. K about us and trying to make him remember who’s who. The poor man tries his best to recollect, only to confirm the same an hour later. As the evening progressed, we got talking. We spoke about some interesting stuff, sharing information about ourselves, general insights and the like. And that’s when it struck me how a simple conversation with a stranger could actually feel like a breath of fresh air!

India went on to create history as they won the cup that counts. In the meanwhile in my head, I was still analyzing meeting Mr. K. I attempted to brush aside the fact that all my friends in the room were aiming to play cupid and hook us up.  I found the entire situation rather amusing, if I may add. They were on a mission.

Eventually, all of us landed up on the streets of Mumbai, where everyone was celebrating the most awaited victory. The taxi driver was also high on the festivities, as he charged us a bomb for a measly ride. Our dear Hyderabad-bred Mr. K almost got a cultural shock to see so many people out on the roads (boys and GIRLS, mind you) at that unearthly hour. We let him ponder over the surroundings as we continued to rejoice with the nation. All I said to him was, “Welcome to Bombay!” grinning wide from ear to ear.

After gallivanting on the streets, posing for the shutterbugs, blasting the cab speakers to the loudest possible, sitting on each others laps to fit in 6 people in one taxi and getting caught by the cops... we found our end destination in Taj Lands End, Bandra. To our utmost surprise or should I say shock, we were promptly stopped at the gate by the security guards who refused to let us go into their 24x7 coffee shop. After a lot of arguing, validating and reasoning we were allowed to go in. (I still don’t understand why they were not permitting people to enter in the first place!) This was followed by a thorough thrashing of the ‘Manager’ as we expressed our disgust at the way we were just treated and not to forget, conveniently took the opportunity to boast about the powers of the profession we are in.

When we were finally led into the coffee shop, they took hours to serve us. So Mr. K and myself set up a little bet for ourselves. He had to approach this unknown foreigner who had just come into the place and get me the Indian flag he had with him. And if he succeeded I had to drink a few drops of their fountain water at the lobby (it doesn’t sound even a fraction of how bad it actually was). Needless to say, we both triumphed at our respective tasks and as an afterthought, laughed over it all as well.

Our ‘fun outing’ came to an end at 6 in the morning... As I said my polite, "It was nice meeting you, stay in touch,"... He responded, "I'd love to stay in touch, but I'd need your phone number for that!" (smartypants) So after doing the needful, Mr. K headed to the airport to catch a flight to Bangalore and I took a cab back home. As my head hit the pillow all set to slip into a deep slumber, I couldn’t help but grin... beam at the sweet fortune of my transitory rendezvous with Mr. K... Momentary though it may have been, I found myself smiling at the thought of meeting ‘someone new’.

The one-liner mood

So let the randomness unfold...

• Once more a person around me misinterprets the profession of Public Relations... I will personally take classes for them on the subject.

• The season of crushes is here to stay... *Sigh*

• Kellogg’s Chocos now with Wholegrain. It’s been on my mind all day. Maybe I should actually start eating wholegrain food and think about being healthy. These signs from God, I tell you!

• Pursuing something I know is probably futile and may backfire. Am I fighting a lost battle?

• To have people talk well about you to others long after you’ve moved on is more precious than any award, degree or certificate. Thank you Xavier Institute of Communications, for all the respect :)

• I wanted to be just like the character Linda from Captain Planet in my childhood. I wonder what happened to that ambition.

• I’m actually giving career advice to budding PR professionals... Wow! (I feel old)

• Out of the 7 deadly sins of wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony: I am.... Hmmm interesting!

• Slowly, but surely I’m beginning to do things I never thought I would. May the process of self-exploration continue... I’m lovin’ it!

• To be or not to be is the question... Will I ever learn how to not cross the line?

I need you to keep me going

Hello there... It’s been a while since I’ve penned my thoughts down. Work has kept me pretty tied-up. Plus I didn’t really have a significant story to tell. Not that I have one now. Though there have been some things on my mind lately... and like always, I find solace in my writing.

I often wonder where my dreams will take me. I have just begun the journey, and yet it feels like I’m already leaving so many things behind- home, hobbies, holidays, health, and more importantly- family. There are times that I want to put it all aside and crawl back into my cocoon. It’s far from compromise, for I am doing what I’ve always wanted to. I am aware of my goals and I work very hard towards achieving them. By the grace of God, most of them come close to being fulfilled. Reason to be happy, I know.

However, in the entire colourful landscape, there seems like a small void is creeping in. The past few years of proving myself and being on top of things has probably made me neglect other aspects of life. It’s not a case of being stuck in the rut for sure; I do find different ways of doing the same things. So I trick boredom into staying miles away from me. I also find ways to motivate myself professionally and grow, wherein I’m sure I’ll do alright. Work is priority right now... and I wouldn’t want to have it any other way.

Though, there probably is a lack of someone special- a companion, a confidante, a commitment. Someone to call every night, someone to be worried about and take care of, someone who would keep me at the centre of their attention, someone to build memories with, someone to love back.  Don’t ask me where these thoughts come from, for even I don’t quite know.

Ironic are the ways of life. It’s like a conflict with myself. Where one part of me says I’m right on track- going solo and living it up, whereas the other makes me feel like time is slipping away and so are my chances of finidng a soul mate I can spend my life with. I’m not quite sure of what’s tugging at my heart strings and who I’m looking for. Maybe he’s to make an entry soon, maybe he’s right here around me at present, and maybe he’s always been one of my closest friends.

Whoever you are- I need you to keep me going.