Random Thoughts

Life is a great teacher. One moment it makes you smile and the other, it brings tears. But, whether it is smiles or tears, there is always a lesson for us. Wise are those who learn from these and emerge stronger from each experience. Yet, sometimes you pause or look back at the life and find yourself asking - why did it happen to me? The answer is perhaps you needed that learning. I have come to believe that behind each experience in life, there is a learning. Thankfully, you don't have to go through all the experiences in life to learn a new lesson.  The beauty of it is - you can learn from others too. However, if you don't learn from others' experience, you may have to learn it all the hard way. So, as I look back at my life, I do regret some of my decisions and marvel at how stupid I was to make them. But, at the same time, the experiences those decisions gave me are priceless. Yes, you gain some wisdom as you grow old. And yet, the greatest wisdom is not t...

While growing up, I had often felt that the elders around me didn't believe in complimenting the youngsters much. Their policy was just to acknowledge the achievements and keep the kids grounded to reality. I think that they believed too much appreciation and compliments could go into one's head and could spoil the child altogether. This policy was religiously followed in the case of one's own child. But in the case of other children, the rule was a bit lenient as they were  showered with some kind of praise and compliment. Mostly, the praises were reserved for others and not one's own people. I don't remember my sisters being showered with accolades when they brought home numerous prizes and certificates of merit. I need not tell you that the few certificates I got were also welcomed with the same lukewarm appreciation. Only later could I read the pride and joy of our achievements from their faces. I could see their eyes brightening up when we did something worthw...