Open letter- 4 (Sky)

Dear Sky,

  It is impossible to miss you. Whenever and wherever we feel like waving at you, all we have to do is either look upwards or walk few steps to the window to do the same. So though I could have said all of this from my window, it is not the same like writing long letters, hence I chose to do the latter.

  I am tempted to compare you to a watchman. A watchman of the universe, observing every single thing on the earth, how does it feel to look at all of us from above? Is it boring to look at the same old landscape downstairs or is it fun to keep a tab on all our activities? It must be interesting to observe how the mountains behave, how the rainfall interacts, how the oceans flow and how the trees play on land. I am sure even our actions and adventures must be entertaining you. Looking at our crowded highways, and tall skyscrapers must be eventful because we keep adding them practically, every now and then.

   I adore your bright blue color. You seem to have filed a patent for this color because we cannot talk about it without mentioning your name. We associate you with the sky-blue color even though you change your shades all through the day and during different seasons.

    You play an extremely important role in our existence on this planet. After all, you connect us with the space above that can only be imagined through books (and through one man’s courageous efforts to actually take us there!). You form a link between the sun and earth which is the real basis of our life down here. How do you manage to handle such a large empire? Spread all around the globe over every country, you have so much of data about each one of us! You are nature’s big data server with information about everything and everyone. I apologize for this data lingo, but thanks to the new age concept of artificial intelligence and big-data, I just got carried away.

  On a series note, you have no limits (in a good way!) We admire your vast area and limitless extension that force us to say ‘Sky is the limit’. It comes handy when we begin to doubt our abilities and potential. When one failed attempt drives us to disappointment, we are inspired by your limitless extend. We treat you as a benchmark and border, encouraging ourselves to keep going. Nothing can stop us from making attempts when we believe everything is possible, but only if we stay determined from within.

  I know you do not say any of this, but we are wired to use nature as an example. Your hidden messages and meanings bring out the best in us, as nature has so much power to influence. Touching the sky is a secret desire of every human being because it stands for the ultimate victory and freedom. While it does not mean literally poking your stomach, it stands for being free and courageous to achieve everything that is desired. And yes, touching the window of an airplane does count because that is the closet we can get to you!

   I am always tempted to ask this “Were you scared when we started flying around in big machines in your territory?” You were used to birds doing the same thing but was it weird to see our big aero planes wandering in your neighborhood? I don’t know about you but we were extremely excited to be able to fly in the sky. And unknowingly, this luxury of touching the sky soon turned into a normal mode to go from point A to B because that is how far we reside today around the globe. It is fun to see the way you look at us from above when everything looks so mini and tiny. It gives me the feeling of being a giant though it lasts for a little while! After all, they don’t say ‘On top of the world’ for nothing.

  Your role is tough and demanding. How does it feel to accommodate that hot and powerful sun in your area? He looks scary, hot, angry and bossy though we look at him from miles below. He is an integral part of the entire universe and you hold him for us. Apart from all your usual responsibilities and tasks, I admire the fact that you are so beautiful and inspirational. One look at your limitless stretch drives us to some dreamland that looks much more peaceful than the chaotic earth around. I adore your diverse patterns with clouds. How do your manage to arrange them differently each time is beyond my understanding, but they form amazing wallpapers on our screen. Your calm looks and stable existence inspire us towards stability too. At times (or most of the times), it is necessary to just think calmly without any extreme feelings to look at life in a clearer way.

  That does not mean you are always silent and quiet. There is some drama from your end too. Why do you scare us with thunder storms and lightening attacks? And what is with that gloomy look when you invite thick clouds and cover our sun? For a sun-loving person like me, overcast sky is boring but that is fine for a few days. After all, you need to change you looks too! 

  Talking about looks, your black outfit with sparkling stars is truly amazing. Though it is just an evening outfit for you, we have to make special arrangements to watch it through the act of ‘star-glazing’ from someplace far and remote. Thanks to our love and need for artificial lights, excessive light pollution does not allow us to appreciate your natural lights naturally. But, no amount of light pollution can take us away from the bright light of moon. These stars and moon are part of our childhood stories, holding lot of excitement and affection since then. When I look at my little nephew calling out to your moon as his own uncle, it proves there is life in each one of you too!  

   You protect us like an elder- watching our acts and taking care of our life from up above. It must be so taxing to take charge of the entire universe, yet appear bright and calm every single day.

  Until I touch you again during my next flight - stay happy, bright, clear, smiling and loving. Do wave at me from above, it feels good.

Yours lovingly,

A tiny-mini admirer

 

Open letter - 3 (Ocean family)

Dear Ocean family,

  I don’t know how should I put it but I am jealous of you and amazed by you at the same time. While as residents, we struggle to buy a house on per square feet basis, you possess unlimited space without any boundaries. And while we are forced to be contented within our tiny houses, you are so lucky to have no such restrictions. So huge is your area that it is impossible to understand where you start and where you end? Standing at a shore, it is beyond our limited mental faculty to even imagine your horizon. Doesn’t it confuse you too? Isn’t it a major task to manage your large house that just stretches and stretches all around the globe?

  Now that I have conveyed my major doubt, I feel much better. Ever since I thought I will write these open letters, I was sure to ask you this question. 

  Your mighty influence and powerful waves always pull me into a sea of thoughts, making me surprised and happy all at once. I address this letter to your entire family because there are so many members in your clan. And since you are the head of the family with powerful hold all around the earth, your name deserves to be at the top. 

  I love and admire every component of your family. From a youthful beach who loves to party to a motherly sea offering means of transportation and home to marine animals, from a huge ocean who rules the water kingdom of this planet to little children of streams and waterfalls, you have so many elements in your troop. Not to forget your sweet long lost cousins- rivers and lakes.

  You represent the most important and essential component of nature. As water source that assists in maintaining the balance on earth, your role is truly magnificent. I admire your ability to create such a powerful aura around you that it scares even the strongest players of nature. You are friends with those who respect the cycle of nature and stern with those who don’t. I must admit listening to tales of people who drown within your pull scares me to a great extent. You don’t like anyone challenging your power and that is inspirational in a bitter way.

  Everything from your waves to water, color to fragrance and looks to functions amaze me as I admire you from the shore. Your rising and falling waves are the greatest proof of the fact ‘Ups and downs are part of life.’ You don’t give up on falling, while just wait to rise back at the next opportunity. I also enjoy your play with other components of nature. 

  Your coordinated play with moon amazes me. How he manages to create high and low tides all the way from millions of miles above you is beyond my understanding. Whenever I stand at the shore and make an attempt to understand your limits, power or appearance, I simply fall flat on my face. It is impossible to measure any of these factors, hence I avoid thinking a lot, while enjoying your presence as much as I can.

   Your house is so cool and refreshing. Standing on the shore for a short while is so energizing. I often find myself smiling and admiring your sight, while just staring at your looks for minutes on end. And I am sure many of my friends do the same. I am not an enthusiastic swimmer kind of person, but when I look at others swimming in your waves and enjoying your water, it is so exciting.

 You surely know how to entertain little kids and adults alike because even the slightest thought of visiting you drives an unexplainable form of energy into their system. After all, you are a king among tourist spots around the globe. One beach is all you need to turn a city/town or country into a famous tourist destination, pulling people from far and wide and hence the money that follows.

  You have created many diverse fan clubs- some of them love to bathe in your waves and enjoy all forms of water sports, few others only look at you from a safe distance and talk to you in some unknown language (a proud member of this club, right here!), while a tiny group is scared of your power and choose to stay away. Whatever group one belongs to, it is impossible to ignore you, while appreciating, acknowledging and celebrating your presence.

     Watching the sun set against your backdrop is such a pretty sight. Some things are beyond description and this experience definitely ranks first among them. You have an ability to gel with other elements of nature and create a picturesque scenery around. I must admit you respect time very well. If we visit you at any time of the day, you manage to treat us with different looks and appearances. From crisp mornings when you appear energetic to calm afternoons with a relaxed look, from power packed evenings when you roar occasionally to mysterious nights when you disappear into your own world, you surely know how to enjoy every moment round the clock.

  You are incredibly photogenic. Check photo albums of our grandparents, browse through the digital albums of our parents or look into our smart phones today, I am sure you will find so many pictures ‘of you’ and ‘with you’. After all, posing against your backdrop adds extra beauty points to our looks too! What is the connection between your ambiance and philosophy? So many people turn philosophers in your presence, showering words with deep meaning and intense outlook. You also provide artistic inspiration to writers, painters, artists, poets, dancers, singers, actors and performers.

  You are home to many marine creatures. It must be fun playing with fishes, dolphins, whales, sharks, sea weeds, crabs, lobsters, and so many others. Because when we sit in fancy boats to spot these animals, it is nothing less than pure magic. Thank you for allowing us a closer and personal look through boats, sails, ships and cruises. It is fun to be surrounded by water all around, while capturing mandatory Titanic poses! Though our touristy visits are just for recreation, these marine routes are major links for transportation of goods and materials too.

    Few minutes with you and the mind is recharged once again. You never fail to surprise, love, inspire and energize us. With changing looks at different intervals, you manage an excellent performance. From waves to calm waters, you have it all. And hats off to your fashion sense. What is with your diverse shades? Sea green, aqua blue, turquoise, deep blue, gray, silver, sky blue, white, light blue, deep green – you have much more shades than a make-up kit! But, it is your color and typical sea fragrance that attracts visitors like hovering bees.

  Till I meet you again to stare at your waters and admire your waves- have fun, keep smiling, laughing and loving. Stay as cheerful and mesmerizing as you are because only few things can succeed in pulling us away from the usual boredom of life.

Yours lovingly,

Long distance water lover and wave watcher  

Open letter - 2 (Mountains)

Dear Mountains,

  My initial plan was to hand-deliver this letter to you, but you have raised the bar so high (literally), it was impossible for me to climb your highest peak. And though I do practice hiking over trails (read: walking slowly for not more than half a mile!), my kinder garden level of education on mountaineering will never match the doctorate scale requirement of ascending your peaks, so what better way than to use my blog to talk to you?

   I am almost sure that you keep following me everywhere, how else can you explain the omnipresent presence of your beautiful sight just few minutes from my home - be it my childhood den or the one I reside in now? Watching you from a distance, while admiring your mighty strength is just too amazing to write it down into words. I love the way you spread over a wide range, while claiming your territory both horizontally and vertically. You are one proud piece of nature who depicts the power that lies within.

  I don’t know why but you remind me of a stern, yet friendly principal of school. You appear kind, polite and nice, but still it is impossible to shake hands with you or be your friend. The fun lies in admiring you from a distance, as the sight painted by your existence is totally beautiful in every way. I believe each one of us follow the same path of friendship with you. It starts in kinder garden classes where we draw two inverted V alphabets with a rising sun at the center, followed by a nice house in front (I hope that it does turn true someday). Till then, this proud accomplishment by our little hands is all we know about you. Slowly, as you enter our lives through Geography lessons, we realize you are not just all beauty, but a lot of substance too. There is loads of complicated sciences in your formation, function, types and existence in the natural cycle of environment.

   All of this is then transformed into absolute love as you spread the magic everywhere. The best part of your presence is you are everywhere around the globe. You help eliminate any feelings of homesickness because you are just the same, like back home! I agree your look is different in different regions as you prefer to dress in local attires specific to the place, yet your aura and feel is the same.

  When I look at your strong power in long ranges and high peaks, I think about the power that is within each one of us. You inspire me to believe in myself. All we need and wish to achieve in life does not depend on external factors. It is all within our core, mind and internal system that needs to be attended to.

    I admire your strength to stand tall and stern. After all, it is impossible to shake you or move you even by a bit. It instills the significance of a firm stand. Often, my fellow friends and I surrender ourselves to inner doubts, worries, tensions and fear, making us unstable quite easily. We fail to stand strong over our beliefs and inner faith. It takes several self-help books and philosophical lectures to learn what you seem to be knowing right from your birth- ‘Stay strong and true to your strength. Believe in yourself and nothing else matters’.

   I love your participation in shows directed by Mother Nature. You play the part of a handsome hero quite amazingly, as you succeed in capturing our attention quite often. And your interaction with other participants turns it into a wonderful performance, stressing over the importance of coordination and cooperation. Whether it is your close relationship with trees and plants or seasonal interaction with rains, whether it is your motherly love for grazing animals or bypassing lanes for waterfalls, you play it so well.

  Another praiseworthy factor is your committed relationship with our beloved sun. How do you hide it away every evening to bring him back in the morning? The sight of rising sun from behind your strong body and setting back again in the evening is so well coordinated. It teaches us a lot about commitment and punctuality. Follow same routine day in and day out, yet do it so beautifully!

   But, don’t you get bored of standing at one place? I cannot imagine someone can enjoy their fixed spot for years after years, yet stand smiling at the end of it all. I know there is so much that you do every day like talking to birds, playing with plants, teasing the passing winds and covering the bold shining sun, yet it takes a lot more to stay committed and stable. No wonder, every time my mind wanders away into some alien planet that I seem to know nothing about, I pull it back and bring it in front of you. I force my mind to look at your calm, steady, strong looks and learn a thing or two. Everything will happen at its own pace, hence all I am supposed to do is trust the process.

   We have made several changes of cutting through you to create major roadways. Though it aches our heart while troubling you, there seems to be no good solution to this long running battle of development versus nature. And because it is impossible to scale every possible mountain or access the ones far, wide and remote, we cannot trouble you more than just a little poke to your stomach.  

  I feel I should be honest with you. During vacations, I always preferred beaches and oceans over you, hence if the choice was between a hill station and a beach town, I seemed to pick the latter. But, you always proved me wrong because if the choice was not in my hands, the experience of visiting beautiful valleys and long mountain ranges would prove to be absolutely breathtaking. I love your hide and seek game with clouds. The sight of passing clouds producing mist and fog is so out of the world. Since I love you as well as the oceans, wouldn’t it wonderful to be at a destination that has it both? They say Hawaii has the best combination of both waves and mountains, maybe it’s time to head there! (read: one among the many attempts to convince dearest ‘husband’ for this destination)

  You are the ideal symbol of the fact ‘Strong can be beautiful too’. Your strong ranges and high peaks dismiss any popular belief that strength has no connection with beauty. I have never seen any other stronger and picturesque element of nature that combines these two into one.

  Also, thank you for holding strong winds and storms for us. I have heard you withstand a lot to protect us from the punishments of uncertain weather. We promise to contribute more from our end for a greener environment. I like it when you are green and happy, hence please do not wear the boring brown outfit that the sun dries and tries on you. It does not suit you at all.

  Till we meet again through our regular long distance sights, take care of yourself and all your friends up and below

 Yours lovingly,

A star-struck fan and long distance admirer

Open letter - 1 (Plants)

Dear Plants,

  Ever since you have decided to spread your cheer in our household, I was tempted to write something to you. While I was never famous as a gardener or plant care-taker in my house since childhood, I am surprised by your desire to grow in our green space now and that too under my charge. And as you have helped me earn the title of ‘positive person’ (well, in the eyes of my husband), I thought it was time to thank you through a short little letter. But on an extremely serious note, I don’t think I can thank you enough for all the wonders you do for us. This letter will be like a drop in the ocean, since no amount of gratitude or appreciation can match your big deeds.

  My first ever understanding about you dates back to our primary school classes on environmental science. While seated in a bench trying hard to learn and understand, I remember how my teacher explained about the presence of three living forms on earth. We humans and animals made the two obvious members in the list, but I was completely surprised to know that you are living too! Till then all I knew about you was due to stories, poems and nursery rhymes where you spread some laughter through your green leaves. I always saw you around in my neighborhood, but I did not know you were living just like me. Your cool shade, big green leaves, colorful flowers, tasty fruits and compulsory vegetables in tiffin gave me some idea, but only when I realized you are also a living being, I looked at you with a much different view.

   Slowly and steadily, you made a space in my heart and my science books. Thanks to you I was forced to learn about the phenomenal process of photosynthesis (but let me save such complaints for later, this letter is for appreciation alone). As a sound educated adult, I can explain that scientific procedure to any kid or student today, but I am still amazed by how do you actually do it? How can you prepare food for all of us? How can you sacrifice your existence for our benefit? What drives you to just give and give? And how can your mission involve spreading warmth, calmness, happiness and natural beauty around? Well, it is impossible to get answers to any of these questions, yet I will never stop pondering.

  You are an integral part of nature. It is impossible to imagine a barren world without your smiles, amazing looks and humble presence. We have grown up listening to several stories that explain your significance in our lives. In fact, we were always taught about values such as selflessness, hard work, perseverance and dedication with you as the central hero. I am sure you must be smiling with pride in your heart every time someone said “Stand strong as a tree and keep giving like him”. But, that is so relevant and true in today’s world. 

   I cannot claim to understand every bit of your philosophy, but one thing is sure you are a true giver. As you sway in the wind and play with other elements of nature, I enjoy that calm expression on your face. How do you manage to stay so? How can you bear with all the uncertainties surrounding you, yet stand strong as always? And if you are a tiny shrub, how can you withstand strong forces against you, yet smile at the next blow of wind?

   There is something soothing about your appearance. Whenever I admire the beauty of your parent nature, I am amazed by your cool looks. Whether you spread a green carpet over mountains or lay still on a lawn, whether you align the roads with a thick canopy or simply decorate our neighborhoods, whether you sit in our balcony and windows in neat little pots or create monopoly in thick forests, you are simply amazing at everything. Through this letter, I just want to thank you for all the love, affection, kindness and happiness that you give to my mind. Though whatever we do for you will never match the greatness of your deeds, I can only express few words to show my love.

   It is impossible to part ways from you. I know our greed for construction with focus over accommodation of rising population is pushing us towards extreme measures, but our environmental conscious minds is guiding us towards good things too. While I agree cutting you at one spot and planting you somewhere else is like building charitable societies to compensate for some ill acts (resemblance to any living person is purely coincidental); I can only hope we quit such measures as soon as possible. And thanks to the growing threat of global warming, we are on the track to save the planet back again. Unknowingly, we assumed that Mother Nature favors us humans as her favorite children, but that is so wrong at all levels. As our dear siblings, we must love you plants and animals the way we love our own family members.

   Though I am penning this letter myself, I am sure many of my people will also feel the same for you. If there is one living thing on this planet who can be a strong advocate of the thought ‘Change is the only constant’, it has to be you and you alone. How do you change colors with every passing season? How do you shred all your leaves in autumn, only to hibernate away in winter and return back once again in spring is truly a secret beyond my understanding? I must say you are quite fashion-conscious. Your dresses from refreshing orange to bright reds, cool greens to energetic yellows are interesting for our eyesight.

  You teach me the power of silence and actions. You remind me that let actions speak for themselves. It is impossible to keep defending, talking, arguing, fighting and wining others with words. If we engage in doing any of this, where is the time and energy for doing productive tasks that matter? It reminds me about the need to stay calm and dedicated in my work.

  If there is someone who can teach us the value of team work, it has to be you again. Every part of your system handles their designated tasks with such sincerity, it can never get better than this. With firm roots who absorb nutrients to stems that carry it around, from pretty leaves who prepare food to colorful flowers that interact with others for further proliferation, from juicy fruits that aid in reproduction to strong branches in case of trees, everything is so well coordinated.

  Well, it is impossible to end this letter. There is so much to say but I must stop somewhere. I must let you get back to your routine of spreading happiness, fresh air and smiles like you always do.

 I am not sure if I have said it enough, but thank you once again. Thank you for making us feel alive, Thank you for decorating this planet with your humble freshness. Thank you for reminding us to stay humble and human, and thank you for the beautiful sight you create for us. Though I have learnt so much from you, if I have to name just one thing, it has to be ‘Stay happy, stay in the now, stay strong and be there for others’.

 Till, we meet again like we always do!

Yours lovingly,

A human admirer of your super green powers

Dear something, someone – an open letter series

    Gone are the days of writing long beautiful letters. As the only means of communication, letters were all about honest words, originating straight from the heart. Long time ago, when phone calls and instant messengers were as impractical as starting life on a new planet, letters served as the bridge between people. 

   From formal letters for professional purposes to informal letters to dear ones, from romantic letters to that special someone to letters of warnings and arguments; they were the only option to say whatever and whenever things were supposed to be said. While the sight of pigeons carrying letters was just an image straight out of movies or television programs, the underlying concept that letters carried messages far and wide was still true. With dedicated postman and efficient (or not so) postal services, letters were the sole way to even say a simple "Hello" to someone far around the globe.

  For some of you such memories may be crystal clear, if you used these same letters to talk to your folks as a usual and regular task. For few others like me, the memories of writing letters may be restricted to sessions of English class in school, followed by a compulsory task in examinations. And for some of you, all this may sound indecipherable as Greek, Latin, alpha, beta if you are a new age kid, born with smartphones in hand! Whether you are a close friend of this letter or a stranger to its existence, whether you love them as your long lost buddies or simply interacted with them for the purpose of gaining marks, these do mean something for each one of us.

 This invisible bond with letters (though thanks to marks and examinations) has occupied a special place in my heart. While I may have been forced to form an association with it purely to sail through my English papers, I did find some love and affection hidden somewhere. 

And as this concept of writing letters is slowly disappearing with every passing day, I am tempted to pay my honors in whatever way I can.

 Talk about perfect timing, after the completion of a long A-Z series, I figured why not dedicate the next series to these forgotten heroes? Though the practice of expressing emotions and feelings through long letters has been lost in thin air, why not bring them into picture once again? This is why I decided to experiment with a new series of open letters.

   I use the word experiment because blogging is about creativity and creativity is experimental to a certain extent. Hence, while starting this new series of open letters, I will be attempting some novel ideas along the way.

  So, why do I call it ‘open letter’ series? As I shall write this letter to a new recipient every week, I want to share my thoughts with you all. While I communicate to the particular recipient one letter at a time, I want you to be a part of the conversation too. I hope to get your participation and engage your enthusiastic eyes, while I express my thoughts to the thing/individual in question. Hence, the letters will be addressed to a common recipient every week. 

   If I write personal letters to my folks, it won’t interest you at all. Why will you enjoy the act of reading my thoughts addressed to any particular individual or relationship? That is the reason, these letters will be addressed to things or concepts or elements that matter to each one of us. I will make an attempt to talk to common aspects that relate to all of us, with an aim to express our ideas, plans, misunderstandings or preconceived notions. My words may make an impact, either forcing us to think about solutions or appreciating ourselves for the good we are doing.

  Though I will address to the recipient, I want you all to be in this journey. Stay with me as I communicate. You may disagree with some ideas, while nod your heads on some aspects. Either ways, do share your feedback to learn and grow together.

  But, the question remains. What are these common things or concepts or recipients? Whom am I writing to, while sharing my thoughts on an open platform?  Though I will prefer to keep it as a surprise by bringing a new recipient every post, the underlying thought is to write to elements such as plants, flowers, clouds, ocean, sky, climate and everything that impacts our life. I will like to write to fellow living things such as fishes, birds, wild animals and pets with whom we share this planet. I hope to express my gratitude to the planet earth for holding us in its embrace, and I will enjoy writing to elements such as fire, water, air etc. After gratitude towards natural things, I will also like to write to some of the materialistic necessities such as house, car, phones, laptops and few others. 

  If I continue at this rate, I will end up writing this series for years and years on end. But, don’t worry, I will not drag this to extreme limits. As long as I can put some words in the universe and address each of these significant partners in our journey, the purpose will be solved. Thus, this something or someone will be universally related to each one of us, making it a connectable idea for all.

  Join me on this unique adventure that will represent my one-way exchange of thoughts to the world around. Starting with an open letter to our green buddies called plants, I will be back next week to pen down letter number 1. Till then, keep reading, smiling, loving and enjoying the surprise called life.

P.S: Given a chance, whom would you write these open letters to? Do share your idea of recipients (I will gladly copy some of them from your list!)

Z: Zoom in, zoom out – adjusting real life to picture perfect

  

 

    You cannot blame me for involving photographic terms into my otherwise general blog article. Thanks to the growing influence of camera phones, selfies, filters, editing tools and instant clicks – anytime, anywhere, this kind of blending was bound to happen. With an interesting feature of zooming in and zooming out, the act of clicking pictures has simply evolved since days from the past.  

  While back then, taking photographs meant utilizing the roll carefully and waiting impatiently for the final product, it’s so different today. Click as many pictures as you want, zoom them to capture that perfect bird or mountain far away, enhance your photographs with ‘n’ variety of filters and flaunt them all over the internet- the world is your oasis. But, don’t worry, this is not a training session on photography (though I wish I could master the act of perfect click in one shot!), neither is this some reflective essay to contemplate about its changing journey from films to filters.   

  When the influence of photography is so prevalent and dominant around us, I thought why not cash in the opportunity to frame the last post of my A-Z series? (Saving the farewell tears for later, though). This thought gave rise to the zoom in, zoom out concept. The idea is to extrapolate zooming in and zooming out into our usual life and see if it can teach us something significant as we move along.

   I am absolutely sure there is no need to define these two terms. If you have held a camera phone in hand (which I am 100% sure you have), it is just one of the adjustments for a desirable picture. Zoom in makes the image bigger and larger, while zoom out makes it smaller and farther, allowing you to take the object as planned. So while zoom in is to enlarge and focus on the object from far, zoom out is just the reverse. Zoom in is used quite often to target things far away and get a clearer view, on the other hand, zoom out is primarily required to get the lens back to original.

But, what is its relevance into our usual real life?

Can we use these concepts in reality to make our lives a little better?

Is it possible and essential to zoom in some important factors, while zooming out the unnecessary ones?

If we can zoom in and zoom out to make our pictures perfect, what would those factors be?

And finally, is it feasible to adjust the lens of our lives to enjoy the final output as desired?

 While you think about the answers to these questions, let me add my two cents into the matter.

  Yes, it is absolutely possible to zoom in into things that matter to you, while driving the useless or harmful things farther away. And yes, it is feasible to adjust our lens because at the end the camera is in our hands. We are the ones holding the camera to capture the best version of life for ourselves, why not use these tools to make it more wonderful?

  Zooming into ambitions, goals, desires and internal happiness can make us happy from within, while zooming out ill thoughts of self-doubt, jealousy, criticism, anger and fear can eradicate sorrow. With these simple yet effective tools, we are always one step away from what we want. The only problem is harboring confidence and recognizing these things well within time. Once the process of identification is done to our satisfaction, all we need is to implement it into our lives. But, if I just continue blabbering without giving out practical ideas, it will not make any sense. Unless I list down my ideas of zooming in and zooming out and share those with you to initiate a thought- process, my post will not be counted as beneficial in any way.

  Read along as I share my plan of zooming in on some things, while zooming out some others in an attempt to be picture perfect. None of these are fool-proof ideas based on real research, hence try them at your own risk. And if you have some better alternatives, suggestions, or critical remarks to turn them down, do share it by all means (something about together we grow, alone we fall!

Zoom in:

1.       Catch that goal- We all work for a goal. What is the point of just living day by day, if we do not have any target in mind? Goals or ambitions are our ideas of success, happiness, pleasure and purpose. It cannot be created by someone else on our behalf. Zooming in on our goal implies focusing all our energy into making that purpose larger than anything else. If we drive all our energy, confidence, determination and hard work for that one goal, it will be within our range sooner or later.

2.       Thoughts that count- Our mind has the weird ability of wandering around without any productive gain in return. It can think anything from our past bitter experiences to unnecessary worries of the future which do not even exist. Rather than focusing on the object in hand, it is more excited about ‘what ifs?’ and ‘buts’. This makes it essential to zoom into thoughts that count and matter. Take a closer, larger and clearer look into immediate plans, ideas and thoughts that will lead to something productive. Do not wander into an unknown territory that does not need your attention at all.

3.       Happiness, happiness and more happiness – Zoom into your happiness. This thought needs no explanation. If you are happy, you will be able to radiate it around. Working towards your happiness is not selfish, in fact it is the selfless action of giving joy because it spreads in a contagious way. Be happy from within. Zoom your lens to capture a clear look of joy and feel the difference. No one can or will be able to take that picture for you. Set the point of focus over your internal happiness to experience life as close as it is meant to be.

Zoom out:

1.    What people think about you- It is impossible to please every single person around you. Rather it is totally unnecessary to do so. Zoom out the desire to gain validation from your loved ones. They will love you more if you chase your dreams and goals, instead of pleasing their desires at every step. Ignore the destructive noise of people who are more interested in pulling you down. Adjust your lens to make their presence smaller and farther.

2.       Weeds in your mind- Weeds grow in your mind when you fail to stop negative thoughts at the right time. Jealously, self-doubt, anxiety, fear all grow at a tiny spot before spreading all over your mind. You need trust, love and affection to move in your journey. Zoom out the desire to entertain disturbance. It will go away if you learn to ignore. Divert your focus to productive things.

3.       The wrongs and the bygones- None of us are perfect. We will make mistakes and errors at every step. We can learn from them and avoid a repeat telecast in future. But if we hold onto the wrong doings of people just to remind everyone of the ill past, we are not making an effort to move ahead. There is lot of hatred that arises when we refuse to forgive, forget and walk away. Turn the wrongdoings out from focus and avoid revisiting the past. It will clear the memory to make space for happy memories of tomorrow (this statement will connect with everyone, we all have dealt with limited storage space in our phones and memory cards!)

  Just chalking these thoughts will not mean anything if we do not follow them. As I have framed these, I will strive to adopt it as much as possible. Feel free to check with me and evaluate my progress. After all your watching eyes will guide my wandering sight!

 

     P.S: Now time for the farewell tears of this A-Z series. With this, as I come to the end of an exciting experience, I hope you had fun reading as much as I did writing. Till I am back with something new next time- keep smiling, keep reading and keep appreciating (yes, I clearly meant - appreciate me, of course!)  

Y: Yours- the word says it all

  

    It is a well-known fact that words have power. After all, we have grown up reading and understanding proverbs such as ‘The pen is mightier than sword’. Though words are significant in their own way, few of these literary factors have immense power to change the overall effect of the situation. As I move towards the second last letter in my A-Z series, this thought grew stronger and stronger, making me realize that every letter is so impactful. And while pondering over the letter ‘Y’, I thought to myself, which word serves the purpose of expressing immense emotions? If there is one word that can exhibit feeling of warmth, friendship, assurance and support, what would it be? And if a word could change the way we look at any kind of situation, is it possible to narrow down on a single one?

  The hunt for one powerful word took me back to my English classes in school and to a particular task of letter writing. Though the habit of letter writing is more of a historical action than a relevant activity in modern times today, it still formed a significant part back then. More than body of the letter, the focus was directed towards correct greetings and salutations. This stress captured my attention to the two important words at the end. When the letter was signed off with either yours truly, yours sincerely or yours lovingly, the impact created by ‘yours’ was significant. Hence, I chose to include it in my series. 

   A word like ‘yours’ has lot of strength to its credit. As we offer our sincerity, dedication, trust and cooperation to the recipient, it stands for the feeling of belonging and commitment.

 Though the word is imposed into our vocabulary as an essential part of letter writing and though we hardly use it today, I am amazed by the strength hidden within. More than just a sign-off note, yours represents the willingness to commit to our words. It makes us more human, receptive, adaptive and social to say the least. Interpreting hidden meanings of words may seem to be a task of literary personals alone, but this word in title stands for much more than that. It represents a commitment towards the other individual or group.

  It is what makes us a part of the society. When we express sincerity or truthfulness towards the opposite person, it shows our preparation to be one with others. I look at yours as a clear reminder of the fact that we cannot exist alone. We all need to be part of this responsibility called mankind which makes sense only if we are willing to live in harmony. Yours is the opposite of ours. It adds stress over the need to include others much before we think of ourselves. Second person point of view forces us to weigh their interests above ours. Of course, this does not mean we should ignore our own happiness for others, it simply refrains from adopting a selfish approach. The attitude to commit depicts our readiness to be with them. Yours is when you weigh others over ‘mine’ and ‘ours’.

  After this serious and philosophical first half of the post, time to move to a lighter second half. 

  Before you accuse me of forcing you to think a lot, let me put you into an exciting action mode. The second part of my post is more of a fun exercise that you can participate in too.

•  I will write a couple of scenarios with the word ‘yours’ as the recipient. 

• Read the situations and place a recipient who seems best for each of them.

•  It is a personal subjective exercise which allows you to choose anyone from your parent to neighbor to friend or spouse. 

• Kindly take it with a pinch of salt as the situations may turn to be funny, offensive or attempting to poke fun. The output of this exercise is fun coupled with realization. Though the underlying theme is enjoyment, it may force us to contemplate and reflect over the power of ‘yours’. What is the feeling that makes us one with others? What drives us to say “I am all yours” or “yours truly”?

 Who is the recipient of ‘all yours’ when?

1.       It is 7am on a Monday morning, you are rushing around to deal with Monday blues, yet someone needs your patience to push them into their daily routine.

2.       You are in the middle of an important assignment, yet someone needs assurance that you have not forgotten them and will stay in constant touch (thanks to instant messaging)

3.       You are miles away from home in a different time-zone, yet you must sound chirpy to celebrate a significant something with someone.

4.       It is late at night with your eyes dozing off, yet someone needs to talk to you about their life crisis on everything from “there are no comments on my posts”  to “my hair is turning grey” to “I must save money”

5.       You have pile of pending work yet someone needs your help to figure out how to use their new phones or how to operate all the jazzy social media platforms.

6.       It is late evening with no energy in your system, yet someone needs to fulfil an adventure that can range from going for a walk to licking some ice-cream.

7.       It is early morning on a weekend yet someone needs to watch the matinee show of their favorite superhero movie.

8.       You are stuck with no Wi-Fi, limited data service, and a dying phone battery, yet someone should know how their new clothes look straight from the trial room photo-shoot.

9.       You are extremely hungry, attacking your food with every remaining ounce of energy, yet someone wants to know how the food is, is the preparation good, any changes or improvements and suggestions to make it better.

10.   You are excited for your outdoor trip that involves hiking to far-away places and being lost in the raw beauty of nature, yet someone needs you to pose for photographs or worst click theirs again and again, until you reach a satisfactory and acceptable click.

11.   You are nowhere close to the end of your work assignment in the middle of the year, while someone is excited for the most awaited trip months and months from now.

12.   You are struggling to make sense with your own journey, yet someone needs assurance that everything will be good

13.   You are tired yet someone needs your smiles, laughter, energy, participation and interest to get going

14.   You are lost in the maze of life, yet you need to guide someone on their route to the final destination

15.   You faced a long day with last moment twists, disappointments, failures and blunders, yet someone chooses to pick every word and misinterpret your talks for something you never meant, creating loads of misunderstanding and arguments.

      I must admit framing these scenarios was fun, but answering them can be a challenge. But, while you think about the people who deserve this ‘all yours’ commitment, it makes you realize life is indeed beautiful when shared with others. Find people who deserve your respect, love, affection, time and sometimes your ‘off-beat’ mood. Make ‘yours’ an integral part of your life to celebrate existence as social animals on this very planet we call home.

   At the end, there is no better way to say this like Nelly Furtado did in her famous song titled Powerless, “life is too short to live it just for you!” Hunt ‘yours’ and make a team, be ‘yours’ to someone and feel the difference.

X: X-factor – knowing the unknown

  

  I am sure there is no need to explain about the source of this interesting word. Thanks to the flood of reality shows that dominated our screens somewhere around a decade back, we are used to hearing judges speak out this word left, right, and center.

“That was an excellent performance, and it had perfect amounts of that X-factor"

“Your dance performance was flawless, but it was lacking something, like an X-factor”

 “If you want to win over others, your performance should not be just a well-coordinated and well-rehearsed display, it should possess that special X-factor”

  Such dialogues and several others reflect the significance of this X-factor. When I started pondering about a word for the unique letter X (and I must admit, there was lot to ponder about!), this mysterious word poked me quite often. So when the final decision was to pick either X-ray or X-factor, I was pulled towards the latter. While I did not know much about what it meant, this lack of knowledge rightly paved way for the title- knowing the unknown.

  So, what is this ‘X-factor’? What does it mean to possess or lack that X-factor which can make or break a performance? What is so special about ‘X-factor’ that can add a unique feel to your overall personality?

 Online dictionaries define X-factor as a noteworthy special talent or quality. It stands for a unique skill, variable or feature that adds a significant value to something. But, the real punch lies in the inability to define this unique talent. Though we know that the performance/person/factor possesses something different from others, it is impossible to define it word by word. It is more of a mysterious quality, difficult to explain, yet existing in every bit. You know it does exist or does not, but you cannot explain it clearly in case one wishes to incorporate or imitate. I hope I have confused you enough, because that is what ‘X-factor’ stands for. Something unique and novel which cannot be explained, but seems to have enough power to make or break a thing.

   Before I lose you readers to this indecipherable X-factor, let me put it out in simple words- X-factor is something that enjoys maximum perks of the phrase ‘benefit of doubt’. Put whatever lies beyond your scope of understanding into this magical X-factor and the purpose is solved. But, the primary aim of this blog post is not to use X-factor in a conventional way. Though X-factor is commonly used for aspects such as performances on reality shows or extraordinary quality of superpowers, wouldn’t it be fun to extrapolate its meaning into usual things of our living? If we can define some unique quality of things such as food, nature, and music with the tool of X-factor, wouldn’t it be interesting and exciting?

  This gives birth to the next section of the post where I make an attempt to define X-factors of the above three elements. As you read along my version of X-factors for food, nature and music, do frame yours too. Send your feedback and comments in case they resonate with your views, and also in case they don’t!

1.       Food – It is extremely easy to talk about food. Why we love or hate certain kind of food items can be elaborated with the simplest choice of words. While during childhood, this understanding was limited to the color and look of food, as we grow up we tend to mix it with factors such as nutrition, taste, hygiene, preparation, ingredients and everything that comes to our mind. Suddenly, we become experts of the food domain as we review its taste, appeal, fragrance, color, value, price and feeling of satisfaction. Though it is easy to describe a meal, it is impossible to explain the comfort offered by a home-cooked meal from our mother’s hand. No matter how well you imitate the recipe, it is impossible to cook like your mother or even come anywhere close to it. This comfort, happiness, joy, simplicity of home cooked food resides in the X-factor. It is something obvious, yet totally unique. 

      You know it exists, but you cannot imitate it even if you wish to. On the other hand, think about your favorite dish from a favorite restaurant. Though you may make multiple attempts to re-create it in your own kitchen with same ingredients (and hesitantly, in the same proportions) with the exact recipe start to end, it may never turn out the same.

In such cases, it is best to transfer the credit to an unexplainable X-factor, while you enjoy the ordered dish without any guilt of ‘not making it yourself’! (I should stop sharing my secret ideas, but you can thank me later.)

2.       Nature- I don’t think there is any need to elaborate over this one. Everything we see in the natural environment around is due to an X-factor. Mother Nature seems to possess too many X-factors to put an amazing show on earth. How else can you explain every single aspect of natural beauty? From array of colors in a magical rainbow to mighty strength of huge mountain ranges, from never-ending extent of oceans to changing look of trees in fall and spring, from shower of rains that drench the surface of earth to perfectly shaped snowflakes in winter, nature is blessed with loads of X-factors.

I cannot think of any other existence that can force a human to admire its beauty, while being awe-struck, spellbound and dumbstruck, all at once.

3.       Music- X-factor and soulful music are closely connected. Music that leaves you mesmerized and forces you to enter into a dreamland is the right kind. If you are able to explain every quality of your favorite singer/song/genre or album, there is something wrong with it. The beauty of any inspirational music or song lies in its ability to be totally unique and unexplainable. It is one perfect moment of X-factor that strikes the right chords in your heart. And only after such a moment arrives, the song or music seems so magical in every way. Though you may hunt for more songs of the same genre or other numbers sung by the same singer, it may not replicate that exact kind of effect. All of this unexplainable magic is due to an X-factor, capable of handling the entire show.

   Though I picked these three aspects as regular examples from our daily routine, there are several other X-factors in our journey of life. Be it amazing qualities of your special someone or novel reasons you love your city, an unexplainable attachment to your house or an amazing passion that keeps you happy, alive and kicking, it is impossible to ignore the influence of X-factor.

  It is always fun to know that some form of unique magic colors and decorates our otherwise boring and predictable life.

  Hunt several such X-factors along the way and enjoy their presence to make your story as interesting as that shiny reality show, blaring from your screen! And once you find them, do share it here to give us some ideas too.

W: ‘We’- the shortest, strongest word in vocabulary

  

   How many times have you heard the phrase ‘United we stand, divided we fall’? I am sure it must have been innumerable times, too difficult to keep a count. Unity, togetherness, community, group are some of the terms that define this feeling of standing strong as a team. What is impossible as a single person struggling to make ends meet is transformed into somewhat possible feat when we all come together? It does not make the task any simpler, but it does strengthen the overall experience with doses of moral support, peace, energy and trust. When ‘I’ is replaced with ‘We’, and ‘you’ is replaced with ‘us’, there is some magic that follows. And though it is just replacement of one pronoun with another, it is still influential at the output stage.

 Though we know about the strength of unity, it is not something we think about daily. In the usual routine of our expected responsibilities, we seldom reflect on what and how things affect us for the better or worse. In that case how did I land up on ‘We’ for the next letter in series? The answer to this lies behind certain lessons of writing. 

  When I started framing articles and posts, I realized the power of tone and point of view. If I replaced the point of view from a second person ‘you’ to first person ‘we’, it changed the overall effect. When we address people with some important aspects using ‘you’ as the central player, it seems more instructional and less of value-added practical inspiration. It is only when we communicate with them as ‘We’, it makes us a part too. Rather than preaching, such an approach makes us a student of the learning process to do good things together.

  'We' is truly the strongest word in our vocabulary because it stands to be together in everything. When we undergo an experience together, we do that as a part and not as a lone participant. Whether we pass or fail influences our decisions, choices and efforts as a team. It empowers us to be more accommodating. Though it is just a short word with two letters, ‘We’ actually separates ‘selfishness’ from ‘selflessness’. It does not mean, we should lose our identity to follow a group blindly. Our eternal happiness, peace and joy stems from our own efforts, but it relates to our existence as individuals in a society. When ‘I’ is lowered and ‘We’ is increased, we come closer to the joy of sharing.

   ‘We’ binds us into a close-knitted clan. There is some essence in knowing that we are together. Think about any significant task in your life. The moment we realize that we share our life with our loved ones around, we are no longer scared. Whether their presence eases our efforts is not known, but it does affect our approach. When we know we are surrounded by support, everything seems easier. At the end, it is still ‘I’ who does the work, but ‘we’ pumps that much-needed support. Standing alone drives us to doubts, worries, fear and tensions. Though it does not make us any weaker in our efforts, it just manages to distract our focus. The thought that ‘I’ am alone makes one weak for no particular reason in sight. Replace this ‘I’ with ‘We’ and everything changes. The word ‘We’ is actually empowering, just by itself.

   We all make mistakes, we all succeed, we fail, we laugh, we complain, we worry, we cry, we feel sad, we are overjoyed, and we feel just the same as the person next to us. As human as we can get, there are same set of worries, priorities, responsibilities and dreams in our hearts. This unity brings us together. The thought that we are in this together drives us to work every single day. Sure, there are competitions and struggles. At some point, we are forced to think about ourselves to convert our dreams into reality. But, all of this can still happen while we walk together towards the goal. There is no need to sacrifice everything and walk in isolation. If you distance away from people, you are only making it difficult for yourself. Each one of us can hold hands and walk together as a team, yet experience a unique sense of satisfaction. Our joy magnifies when ‘We’ share it with those around. And the power of choosing ‘we’ over ‘I’ makes the difference.

 So, when can we say that ‘We’ does turn powerful?

1.       When surrounded by uncertain circumstances – We all struggle with unexpected situations. Though we hope for the best- at some point, we must leave the rest. During such troubled times, when nothing seems to work, there is comfort in the fact that we still have people with us. Outcome and hopes may seem to cease, but the moral support of being surrounded with loved ones still continues.

2.       When we ascend the ladder of life- We all have to go from one stage to the next. As we do so with friends in the same boat, it seems so joyous to think, feel and work alike. Our priorities do differ, but while united by the same kind of fears, worries and hopes, these put us into a single group. Thinking about the future feels overwhelming, but when the same thoughts are mixed with laughter and jokes with friends - it seems scary, yet exciting. Much before we realize, ‘we’ move from school to college, career to passion, marriage to parenthood, and homeowners to retirement. Being together does not lower the pricing of real estate or deliver happy kids in the lap automatically, it simple eases the thoughts with a powerful ‘We are in this together!’

3.       When we know what is good for us, but can’t do it ourselves- We all know the benefits of good diet, exercise, good manners and habits. We know waking on time and going back to bed on time is the solution for numerous troubles. These and many such beneficial factors escape your system if you feel you are doing it ‘alone’. Doubts take the place of advantages, when we favor it over the positive differences. But, only when we push each other as a team, it is easier to reach the target and see it for ourselves. Motivation and inspiration works, when ‘We’ are in sight.

4.       When being alone is just scary and confusing– Imagine you walk into a place where there is no one around. No matter how strong you are or whatever combination of superhuman powers you possess, it will still seem weird, confusing and scary minute after minute. We may not communicate with people, but still the fact that they are around makes the difference. It calms our senses to know we are a team of humans, though we are not working or playing as one. For this thought to make sense, think about the number of times you enter into unknown roads with no cars, people or vehicles around. It does make you question your route, before struggling to find the way out. We all complain of crowd and people, but the truth is we need it at some point or the other.

5.       When it easier to share the blame- Think about your mischievous actions in school. Though we may have done deliberate mistakes and naughty acts just to draw the fun of being kids, wasn’t it easier to act as a team than going solo? The fun of taking the blame as a team puts us at a lower risk. As the consequences are divided among all the members equally, there is more fun in this benefit of doubt.

Such is the power of this strong word ‘We’. No sooner do we arrange ourselves into groups, everything is easy, exciting, joyous and fun-filled. The habit of placing ‘We’ above ‘I’ makes us more accommodating, selfless, caring and affectionate. It transforms us into social beings when we regard everyone as equals.

  Feel the magic of this shortest, strongest word as much as possible because -‘We’ were, are and will be together in this maze called ‘Life’.