That’s probably the longest hiatus that I might have taken after starting writing here. Mostly due to medical reasons, I was lacking the frame of mind that I need to be in this garden of thoughts. At the end of the road, there’s a bundle of joy around : ) Enjoying every bit of it, we are grateful to Almighty for helping us discover the purpose of why every little event happens the way it’s happening. We named him by name that means full moon in arabic.
This work of art was inspired during a visit to Netta’s work laboratory in a university in Dubai. Although I worked on it pretty in the instant, I liked the way it turned out. From the colors and shades of the equipment to the stickers around to vibrant tones of chemicals around, it all set that mood to instigate a creative fervor. Notice the DNA shades on my tees as well. Now, this is a frame that was bound to happen right down to its finest details. I’d like to correlate this theme with something else.
Today I was listening to a generic talk and the speaker was gently enunciating that what we physically work on or dream initially forms as an abstract in our mind. Any material object that we procure or any project that we pursue would first form in our minds. So, he was saying that in order to chase dreams, first sculpt them in our minds with a deep passion and to try our best to draw in an action plan to chase it. Very interesting. Our mind is the lab of our dreams If we philosophically postulate an extension for this artwork. God bless.
Like me, you should also be remembering instances and encounters from your life where you were blown away by the quality or passion with which you’d find a person would work regardless of the field they’re into. It can be a CEO, a laundry guy, an engineer, a programmer, a person running a grocery, the person delivers food to you, a farmer, anyone! I’ve read somewhere that monetary income is a deceptive way of seeing a man’s true worth. I’m trying to share some of my short memories from over the years that’s pouring into my mind right now as I think about it. The one thing that I can tell you with certainty, at least on what I have seen is that when a person is truly passionate and enthusiastic about what he does or the service he delivers, he or she wouldn’t be overly money minded. Of course, everybody would require money for their needs. But you get what I mean, it’s that their prime intention is to deliver excellence in what they do or giving the best service and the monetary aspect is secondary. There’s a tremendous difference if the primary intention is monetary benefits as opposed to “being best”, “delivering excellence’ etc.
I very distinctively remember an online cab driver who came to drop me and Netta at the bus station on our journey from Chennai to Pondichery. He was a very old man, and when we spoke to him, we learned that he has retired from his primary work and is working as a cab driver. We fondly remember his politeness and the way he served us during that short ride. When we were about to reach the bus station, for our convenience, we asked him whether he could do a Uturn and drop on the other side of the road. His response with a cheerful grin was ” Of course, This is your car ” That left a smile on my face. See how he made us happy with his service.
The guy from the laundry service that I rely on during our stay in Sharjah is a very smart young man Uttam from Nepal. He is very good at what he does, is very well mannered and leaves us happy.
Similarly, since I’ve been living in the same town in Sharjah for almost a decade now, I have been almost visiting the same salon for many years now. My favorite one among the barbers there is a guy named Sulayman, who absolutely loves what he does. Unlike some other barbers who’re in a hurry with no focus or attention on what they do, Sulayman does it slowly ensuring perfection on the cuts and I always leave the place with a smile.
To the point that I’ve been speaking of, all of us can make our best efforts to do what the best in whatever we engage in. It uplifts us and would fill us with fulfillment. Not everyone in this world is blessed to be in a job that they’re in love with. But even then, with a positive frame of mind, we can align it as an opportunity of learning and excelling in what we do. The quality of what we do, even if we don’t try to show it off or advertise it, would be perceived. The reason I quoted some examples from my life is that I find it almost very universal that it’ll be a pleasure to be around with people ingrained with such a frame of mind. As we might have read, when we try to chase the world, it goes away, and if we despise it, the world would be behind us. From what I’ve read, it would take a lifetime of experiences to convince us of this truth and it’s tough to remember it when we are going through tough times.
As Oprah Winfrey famously said, “Let excellence be your brand… When you are excellent, you become unforgettable. Doing the right thing, even when nobody knows you’re doing the right thing will always bring the right thing to you.”
We are living in a time where all the talk is about happiness. Governments put up initiatives to enhance the happiness of citizens, employers trying to introduce policies to enhance the happiness of its employees. Everyone as a person is also trying to explore avenues and alleys to discover happiness and fulfillment. Netta lately shared with me a wonderful post from the Instagram profile of Freddy Birdy and we read it together lying down on the couch. It was so enchanting and beautifully written so that I decided to have it shared here as I didn’t find it anywhere else online and also serving it my usual art sauce of illustrations crafted by The Border of a Mind Studios. Hope this is worth your time and thanks to the original author for this wonderful piece.
The pursuit of happiness. All our lives we spend wondering WHAT it is that will make us happy. Wondering if we ARE actually happy. Wondering if we WILL ever be happy. Wondering if we will find everything we ever dreamed of. But happiness. We know in our minds what we THINK will make us happy. The perfect job. More money in the bank. The ultimate partner. Children who get straight ‘A’s. A dream home overlooking the city. A beach house parked next to the sea. Love. Platinum credit cards. Always turning left once you enter an aircraft. Never looking at the right-hand side of a menu.
Fame. Followers. Likes. Attention. Success.
A Lamborghini (Countach). Unlimited Exotic travel. Great Metabolism. A fat paycheque. A slimmer you. Space on a magazine cover. Permanent residence in someone’s heart. Something.
We travel to new cities. We attend all the parties. We climb up another rung of the ladder. We do things we KNOW will make us happy.
And we wonder why despite living our dreams, happiness still isn’t our reality. When will we realize that happiness is in the ordinary, the mundane and the lacklustre?
Happiness is how you make somebody FEEL.
It is in ordinary everyday things. not in life goals.
Happiness is the opposite of a plan. Happiness is NOW, this minute, this microsecond.
Happiness is never taking anything or anyone for granted. It is the scent of freshly brewed coffee on the WAY to work.
It is not a new car, a new iPhone, a new watch or a new PERSON.
Happiness is the absence of grief. Happiness is writing a thank you note to a friend. Happiness is listening. It is taking your dog for a walk. And making dinner for your child. And singing in the shower.
Happiness is one more pat of butter sliding down a hot, naked toast. Happiness is a porch light on and waiting. Happiness is the promise of a doorbell.
It is in the secret of eyes meeting for the very first time. It is in fingers touching accidentally in paper popcorn holders at the movies.
Happiness is not in counting currency notes. But your blessings.
Happiness is not what others think of you. Happiness is what YOU think of yourself. Happiness is the smell of a new book. Or the smell your lover’s clothing hanging on a bathroom hook
Happiness is not your child’s report card. Happiness is your child’s happiness.
Happiness is not a 21-course menu degustation. Happiness is a 5 Star bar discovered in a lunch box. And greasy omelette pays with friends at 2 am
Happiness is laughing at the same joke again and again and still again in your head.
Happiness is staring at a familiar WhatsApp message and smiling to yourself.
Happiness is a large plate of Maggi. Served with FOUR forks.
Happiness is your first mango of the season. Or the last installment of a loan.
Happiness is not a ten thousand rupee perfume on a duty-free counter. Happiness is the scent of your lover’s NECK. Or familiar arms holding you close in newer ways.
Happiness is watching a loved one snore softly in deep sleep. Happiness is also forgetting. Forgiving. And letting go.
Happiness is training your mind to unthink Lastly, happiness is not about counting stars, staring together at a new moon, riding unicorns,
chasing rainbows or dancing barefoot in the twilight.
