Tag: discouragement

Hi All,

Here’s your weekly dose of “5-Bullet Tuesday”, list of things I’m enjoying or pondering. 

 One Box Any House With Children Must Have—

A “What Should I Do?” Box.

We keep chits inside this box with an idea on each chit.

Kids often get bored and come back with the perennial “What Should I Do?” question. A question which no parent has ever been able to answer to their kid’s satisfaction!

That’s when this mystery box comes to our rescue.

The rule is that every time anyone asks that question, they have to draw a random chit out of the “What Should I Do?” box, and then follow whatever is written on it. It could be, “Read The Wimpy Kid”, “Draw Your Favourite Person’s Sketch”, or “Write on.. If I were a stray animal”.  

Anything creative basically.

During other times, kids are welcome to add new chits with novel ideas. Try to minimize chits like “Play on the phone” or “Watch TV” otherwise it defeats the purpose.

And to be honest, why just children, even I sometimes get a chit out and that gives my confused soul some creative direction.

 

Story I loved hearing –

Devil puts all his weapons for sale. It is a spectacular display on glass cases on a table:

• A gleaming dagger, labelled JEALOUSY.
• A sledgehammer, with its label ANGER
• Bows labelled GREED and WANT
• Arrows tipped in poison labelled LUST and ENVY

At a little distance is another of the tools from the Devil’s armoury. However, it is not as impressive as the rest of the weapons. It was a wedge of wood.

A visitor was checking out all these tools on display. He noticed that the price of this rather ordinary looking piece of wood was more than the combined price of all the other tools the Devil had!

He got very curious and asked the Devil why was that the case?

The Devil replied, “This one is my favourite. I can always rely on it and it works when all other weapons fail. Above all, unlike others, it doesn’t even look like a weapon, so my victims easily succumb to it.”

The visitor looked closely at this tool once again; it had a label under it, that read: DISCOURAGEMENT.

 

A poem I wrote –

If you’re still not convinced about the “What Should I Do?” box, let me tell you that this poem, one of my creative geniuses (well, well, well!), evolved from a little chit from the same box!

Title of the poem: What If I Die Undone?

I spent a lot of time wondering what my real purpose of existence was. Then, a little incident changed my perspective – I accepted myself and my life the way it was.. and found happiness in it!

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 What If I Die Undone?

I believe we’re here for a reason,

but I’m scared each day of every season,

for clock is ticking fast, the baby we held is now our teenage son! 

what if I can’t find it (the reason)

and die undone?

 

I am a writer, no a manager, crap… a painter, husband, papa and son,

all combined into one

but from all of the above, the sole reason for my existence can be none!

what if I can’t find it (the reason)

and die undone?

 

I seek God for an answer

… isn’t seeking God itself the reason?

I meditate: read Gita, Quran, Guru Granth and Bible

I was so close to the answer

but didn’t realize when it took me away from my dear ones

 

I was, after all, praying and reading from winter to fall

paying little attention to anything else

until my little two year old doll 

was hurt on her face.. so badly, hit with a ball

that’s when I realized

 

I needed to come back to life, …my life.

and play the roles, all of them, even if I master none!

I am a writer, a manager, a painter, husband, papa and son

and if I do justice to each of these one

There is no way I will die undone

 

I still believe we’re here for a reason,

and I’m living each day of every season,

playing all my roles well and having fun!

Alas! I found it,

I will not die undone!

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What book I’ve been reading this year–

If there is one book I’d like to recommend which can go for the entire year round for you, it will have to be “The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and Art of Living” by Ryan Holiday.  

It has a page for every calendar day which gradually increases your stoical quotient.

In case you don’t know, a stoic, by definition, is a person who can endure pain or hardship without complaining. Marcus Aurelius and Seneca for example.

 

Quote I’m pondering —

The great German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said this.

Amor – Love; Fati – Fate

Amor Fati is a mindset shift where you not on accept your reality but embrace it. Treating each and every moment – no matter how challenging – as something to be loved, not avoided.

I read this quote in The Daily Stoic itself. It suggested that our obstacles, adversities and fears will become the very fuel for our growth if we imbibe the mindset of Amor Fati.             

 

 

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