Category: Choice (Page 3 of 4)

The wisdom of a Tree

May 15, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

I was riding my bicycle merrily in a lush park in Bangkok. In an upbeat mood, I started to hum my favourite songs while breezing through a tunnel of trees.
I looked around at the trees and wondered,
‘ I wish the trees could also move,
I wish they could sing and dance when happy !’

I stopped under a mighty Peepal Tree and rested myself against its bark.

‘Why do you seem so low all of a sudden my friend?’ asked the tree, swaying to the wind.

‘Oh Mr. Tree, I wish you could also sing and dance. Travel freely and enjoy looking at the world beyond your vistas.
While I am grateful I can sing, and dance and travel around, I feel bad that you cannot.’

‘My friend, Thanks for your concern.
You are right. I cannot sing, or dance or travel freely around the world.
But I choose to not feel sad about it.
Instead, I grow with complete devotion and faith in my ability, in the universe.
You know what happens when you do that?’

‘What?’ I inquired.

‘ By growing with all my creative energy, a voiceless tree like me becomes an arena from where the birds choose to sing with all their heart every morning.
Yes, I do not have a song to sing,
But I foster so many mellifluous singers in my canopy!

I cannot travel. But when a traveller spots me from afar, he is brim with hope. He gets shade and shelter in my shadow.
Yes, I cannot travel,
But I foster faith in travellers to keep travelling, assuring that trees will provide a resting space once they’re tired.

I do no let my limitations bog me down.
I stay true to my own nature, grow with all my heart, and I foster people to do things that I myself am not able to.’

With the blowing wind, the birds sang, assenting to the wisdom the tree shared.
Resting in the tree’s cool shade,
I made a little choice in my heart,

To choose to sing when I can.
And if I cannot,
I should become the arena that fosters singing.
The stage that enables others to thrive.

Swaying gently,
The tree flirts with the wind.

No wonder, Buddha got enlightenment while meditating under a Peepal tree !

When you feel you are not good enough…

May 14, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

‘Am I good enough?’
‘You know,
Maybe I’m not good enough.’
‘Maybe I should not pursue this at all. There are people out there who are way better than I am.’

Sounds familiar?

In life, we often find our self in situations when we question our ability. It happens way more to people who consider themself an artist.

While it is easy to bow out and not pursue something that you’re involved in, it is seldom the best choice one can make.

Before making a decision to quit anything that you’re currently pursuing ask yourself,
What kept me involved with this activity/art for such a long time?
Does my growth in this field matter to me?

If you hear a voice staying ,
Yes! My growth in this field matters to me,
Ask yourself,

How is the decision to quit going to take me any closer to the growth that matters to me so much?

As humans, we are prone to make irrational and impulsive decisions.
But when you question your own ability at an art form, and you are close to quitting, thinking there are people way better than you out there and you must not continue,
Think about,

What led you so far into it?
Does your growth matter to you?
Does quitting make you any better?

Once you can answer these questions with conviction, making a decision becomes much easier.

Most likely you will continue with the art form and work hard at it.

You are not the only one who loses faith in himself from time to time. Even the best of us fall for this trap.

The ones who march on despite this, are the ones who get better.

Don’t quit yet.

Comparison never fosters art.

I’m reminded of a story about a father and son looking at two mango saplings in their garden.
The son asks,
‘Which one of the two will bear more fruit Daddy?’
The father smiles and answers,
‘It is too early to tell son,
Let me just say,
they’re both growing !’

We’re all growing, at our own pace. And we shall all bear fruit in our own reality , in our own capacity.

No tree ever curtails its own creative expression. Why should you?

March on.
For your life is,
a masterpiece in progress…

The two paths

May 9, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

Change is the most constant thing in the world. It applies to all things around us, and of course, within us.
With every experience, every interaction, we are changing.
Regardless of whether we are aware of it or not, the evolution is underway.

We all desire for positive personal changes. But working towards them consciously isn’t what we are best at.
We often take ‘the path of least resistance’ in doing something.

Citing an example of this phenomenon in nature, water always flows from high altitude to low altitude since it needn’t face any resistance in doing so.
In human behavior, the path of least resistance is the one we are on at the moment. We are satisfied with the status quo not wishing to do much about improving a situation since it will be met with resistance.
For instance, choosing a smartphone over a book is an easier way to get a dopamine rush.
So we find the path of least resistance to gratification. But this path doesn’t challenge us. It does not foster our creativity or make us a better version of our self.
It does not help us to grow as a human being.

Yes, we are changing, evolving at every moment, but are we influencing the change by our mindful choices or just letting life happen ?

There’s a better way than ‘the path of least resistance.’
It is called ‘The path of maximum learning.’
We can choose if we want to stream hours and hours of self improvement videos (the path of least resistance) . Or we can actively pursue the smallest self improvement plan we can devise.

When you are confronted with a choice that will inevitably change you,
Ask yourself,
Is my decision, the path of least resistance? Or is it the path of maximum learning?
Start with the smallest everyday choices that you make in life. It could be your diet, your data consumption, your parenting…

A choice made in the favour of maximum learning will make sure you evolve in the direction that serves you and the people around you best.

To your eternal learning spirit.

Art, Man and Motherhood

May 8, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

As a kid, my mind was always full of questions. I clearly remember one question that kept looming in my mind.
As a kid I used to feel,
‘Why can only women become mothers?’
‘Men should also be able to give birth !’

It is funny indeed to think about it now.
But that was the first time I felt unequal to women in some sense.
Over time, I realized how naturally empowered women are !

Recently a friend shared how she is sometimes frustrated when she has to go through the agony of getting periods every month.

I could only share,
‘But you are the source of all creation! You have the ability to support a life inside your body. To me you are the most powerful force in the world that I know.
This recurring inconvenience is nothing as compared to the gift of creation you possess!’

Once I said this, the old question I used to have as a child came back to me.

‘Why can’t men give birth?’

Then I thought,
Maybe a man can’t nourish a child like woman. But he still has the choice to create art.
The two are quite alike!

Whenever we create a piece of art, we feel as if it is a part of us.
It is our baby so to say.
Anyone who has ever created art would relate to it. It could be an old poem you’d written that you still remember, or a song that you’d composed when you’d fallen in love for the first time, that day when you baked your first cake or knit those socks for your newborn niece…
It could scale up to more serious pursuits in art, depending on how much it means to you.

Through art, a man gets access to motherhood.
The more lovingly you create, the more the work of art feels like an extension of yourself.
And just how a well brought up child takes care of his parents when they need him,
The art you create will heal you as you’re at it, and bring you joy, satisfaction and recognition as it ages with you.

A man can be a mother, repeatedly, through his whole life. He has the liberty to be a better mother as he understands and evolves with the process of creation.
Biological motherhood doesn’t offer this latitude!
Women are lucky indeed, for they can create babies and of course, art!

Now, I believe I can give birth.
With my art!

And just how important making babies is for perpetuation of our species,
Just as important is art, in revealing what the universe expresses,
Through the fascinating experience,
Of being human.

To our collective experience of the joy of motherhood.

Make art ! 🙂

On making better decisions

May 5, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

Quite often, we feel overwhelmed by the prospect of making a big decision. One that could steer the course of our life in future. Fearing making the wrong choice, we find ourself not making a decision for as long as possible.
Most likely, the decision pertains to either

A) Starting something new, a fresh avenue in life

B) Quitting something that we were involved in for long in the past.

Considering the gravity of the consequences of making the wrong decision, we often procrastinate for far too long. But the indecision doesn’t serve us.

An easy way around this is to sincerely ask yourself the following two questions.

A) Do I have enough love for what I am getting myself into?

B) Is there a prospect to learn and grow ?

If the decision is about quitting something old, ask yourself,

A) Do I have enough love left for what/ who I’ve been involved with?

B) Does the opportunity to learn and grow still seem promising?

If you have enough love to get involved with something new and there are avenues to learn and grow,
By all means you should decide to go for it.
And if you find yourself not passionate about what you were involved with and it doesn’t hold the promise of learning and growing, even if it is hard to do so,
Quit it.

Do not fear making the wrong decision. Sometimes choosing to making a decision is in itself, the best decision one could make.
For regardless of whether it is right or wrong, there is a prospect of learning and growing.

Trust your instincts and tread.
Making the decision itself is the way forward.

To more love and learning in your life.
To boundless beautiful possibilities.

Paving the way for youth

May 1, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

Deep inside we all realise we could be in better physical shape. The modern lifestyle is designed in a way that we have to make time for fitness related activities. A few decades ago, the mostly physical nature of work made sure we got sufficient exercise during the course of the day. Fitness was integrated with life.

But times are changing and so is the nature of work. We earn much more than our ancestors per capita, but we are poor when it comes to affording the time to be physically fit.
To make matters worse, we have so many distractions that steer us from activity to passivity that fitness remains a distant dream, even for people in the prime of their youth.

Most people think that once they grow older, assume familial responsibilities, they can let go off the possibility of cultivating vigorous physical health.
As a consequence they grow older much earlier.

But today, as I biked with a 72 year old youth named ‘Phulong’ all day long, I realised something.
The older we get, the more power we have to inspire younger people.
When we see a physically active elder person, we feel motivated to sweat it out too and reach a better physical shape.
A forty year old marathon runner has great power to galvanise people younger than him that haven’t put on sports shoes in a few years. The older one gets, the more power of influence he has.
Phulong bicyled up the highest mountain in Thailand at age 68. He showed the way to the summit to an entire generation!

Ageing is inevitable. But our youth is in our hands.
And with preserving our youth through physical activity, we can create a fitness centric narrative for the younger generation.

The elder you get, the more responsibility you have. Not just of your own health but also of the health of the younger generation.

So remember,
when you choose to go out for a jog at the stroke of dawn,
You are paving the way for the younger community to tread along.

To smiles borne out of sweat.
To a youth that never ages.

The gift of gifting

April 30, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

As a pure stroke of luck, I found myself in the midst of a few hundred Bicyclists today. We were all participating in a bicycle rally, a 25 kilometre ride along the coastline in Trang, South Thailand.
It is funny to confess that I still have no idea what the rally was about !
Everything was written and communicated in Thai and barely anyone spoke English.
I mimed my way into the rally much to the amusement of my fellow Thai cyclist friends.

Towards the end of the race, there was a freebie distribution session for all finishers. We had to choose a ball from an opaque pot containing balls of many colours. The ones who got a red ball went home with a bag, blue balls got key chains, green ones got pens and so on.

It was such fun to observe that everyone there could easily afford all these free things. And no one really felt the need of these extra things in life. Yet, the joy of getting something for free was much apparent on everybody’s faces. It was hilarious to see a 60 year old grandmother jump up and down as she got a free water cooler. I am quite sure it wasn’t the most pressing need of her life.
But oh the joy of getting something for free!
It cuts across all of humanity, location and culture notwithstanding.

Most often, sponsors use this vulnerability of participants by giving away things that can serve as a promotion tool for them. All bags would have their names on them, so would t-shirts and other accessories
A freebie costs the sponsor some money, but it provides an avenue for promotion, with avid participation from all.

No freebie is totally free.
While there is joy in giving, it comes at a cost.

I got thinking about the prospect experiencing the Joy of giving without a monetary cost per se.
And I thought about kids.
Just through their pure being,
Kids give out so much energy filled with joy and laughter at every moment!
In fact the whole community around a little child feels the happiness that it emanates through its existence.
What makes it ever more beautiful is that the child has no idea how profound a difference it makes in the life of everyone around. Just through the pure state of being, it acts as a true harbinger of joy. A true freebie, where everyone wins, and the smiles are much more lasting and meaningful.

If a human wishes to experience the joy of giving unconditionally, by all means he can. He just has to turn to a kid to learn how.
Expressing an unadulterated state of pure being, sharing one’s creative energy, or just even making people around feel good, is a profoundly meaningful gift to the community.

The best gifts is one which the receiver didn’t realise he needed so badly in life. All of us can use a source of good energy in our lives.

And gifting someone with constant nourishment of good energy also helps one cultivate his best self.
Both the giver and receiver benefit, with no ulterior motive, with no additional cost.
A true win-win situation.

Every human, no matter how poor or rich, is in a position to gift abundantly.
And it is the greatest feeling to spread love like a child, without even realising you are, through the pure state of being.

It is a choice,
That not surprisingly,
Is free for all.

A Lesson on Mindfulness

April 22, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

The roosters announced the arrival of the first rays of sunlight. The sun, still hiding behind the hills waited for the earth to turn, and experience daylight.
Petals dripping in dew greeted onlookers a spirited day ahead.
Bright and early, I got out of the dormitory and savoured the sunrise.
I looked around to find out if my friends had woken up or not.
Some friends were practising Yoga, some sitting by the garden, enjoying the moment in stillness. It seemed like a deeply immersive start to the gift of new day.

As I walked around, I found my friend Alice brushing her hair, transitioning slowly to wakefulness.
I walked on and went to the kitchen to help cook breakfast. Soon, Alice walked down the stone stairway into the open kitchen.
She looked at me briefly and said
‘Good morning!’
I nodded smilingly and continued with my work.
She washed her face under a tap to freshen up.

Soon I heard her voice again from nearby.

‘I don’t think that was the most mindful good morning I could offer Sreenath.
I wish you a very good morning’ she shared as she looked into my eyes with an open heart.

That gesture made me bloom like a flower in springtime.

As she was walking away I called her out,

‘Alice!’
‘It’s wonderful to be mindful of your own un-mindfulness.
And even better so to improve upon your un-mindfulness so quickly.
Thanks for your mindful behavior!’
‘You made my morning !’
I shared lovingly.

She walked off with a smile, and we continued on with our day’s work with the pursuit of being mindful in all our actions.

This interaction made me wonder about how we are used to giving ourself an unending grace period to correct our mistakes. It even needn’t be a mistake, it could just be an action that could be done better, in a more mindful way.

For instance, a person might not have been the kindest to a friend. He keeps thinking that he would acknowledge his mistake and apologize soon but that never happens. And with time it becomes easier to forget, harder to confront.
It doesn’t help the relationship in any way.

It can be something even simpler than this. We have all experienced that interaction where we forget the name of the person we’re talking to but we still navigate our way out of the conversation without simply asking them their name once more. Wouldn’t it be a more meaningful conversation if we accepted our un-mindfulness and asked for their name again?

In all our daily interactions, there is always scope to be more mindful. If we acknowledge this and resolve to better ourselves the moment we find an opportunity, we will definitely create a more loving and mindful energy around us.

On that note,
In sincere hope
I wish you a series of mindfully led moments,
As they culminate into days,
And eventually
Into a mindfully led lifetime.

Choosing to Smile

April 14, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

After a 14 day ride up north from Bangkok, I finally reached Chiang Mai yesterday.
The great thing about travelling on a bicycle is that you get to transition from one place to another. The shift in place is not sudden like a train, bus or an aeroplane journey where you travel from point to point.
And with the slowly changing landscape, food, flora and fauna, I also noticed another discerning change.
This change was about people.

I bicycled mostly through rural Thailand. Even though people did not speak English at all, they offered helped in the best manner possible. They would smile more often. Without any reason I would find myself smiling at them as I passed by their field of view at a leisurely pace. And over the past two weeks, I learnt to smile at strangers.

As I reached Chiang Mai yesterday afternoon, I stopped at a public park to rest.
Being the second biggest city in Thailand, it has a sizable population. Tourists thronged the city to celebrate the Thai new year ‘Songkran’ in huge numbers.
Sinking in the feeling of having safely reached the city, I smiled, just like I did at the village folk in rural Thailand.
I looked into the eyes of people passing by and smiled genuinely, like a child.
I was happy and I wanted to share the energy.
But I was met with reserved smiles, guarded hearts looking at me curiously.
For a moment I wondered,
‘Why aren’t people smiling?’

Equally perplexing was the way people were reveling in the streets with uninhibited laughter and festivity of Songkran celebration. People were splashing water at pedestrians and passer-by and laughing their hearts out.
But the kind, natural, sincere smile was missing everywhere I saw.

In a few hours, I had to accept the reality of how a city gets used to individuality, at the expense of a collective community.

My smiles became much guarded in a day, just to not make other people uncomfortable.
In my eyes however, there still was unbound happiness and wonder.

As I walked past a big building in the city today, the security guard and I exchanged a glance. And we both smiled at each other in perfect consonance. What a welcome change it was !

Deep down I know, he still has a little part of the village in his heart,
As do I.

While we cannot change a city’s culture,
We can surely influence the culture through our interactions, our immediate surroundings,
In the little world we dwell in.

As I write, I am looking at a flower and wondering,
‘The flower is only looking to transform itself from a bud to a bloom, not worried about where it is in the world.
It only expresses its energy and graces the little world it dwells in.

We as creators of culture are confronted with a choice.
And in the interest of more smiles,
We should always yearn,
To Bloom.

Uphill

April 12, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

After spending a comfortable night at a Buddhist temple-school, I prepared myself to leave early in the morning. My little monk friends were just arriving from their alms gathering run around the village. They all had one thing to share with me from their alms-pot. Someone offered Soy milk, another a pack of noodles, a Thai snack…
I looked at them all and asked,
‘Can we eat together?’
‘Chai Chai'(Yes-Yes) they said and we enjoyed a nice breakfast together.
I told them I am going to Chiang Mai next, 150 kilometers further uphill. Following an incredulous gasp, they all started giggling. They must have thought I am crazy.
As I parted, they all lovingly sent me off.

I reached a town called Lampang in the afternoon. I had two flat tires on the way and I had to fix them on the Asian Super highway under the afternoon sun. I was quite exhausted when I reached a little Mom and Pop store in a quiet corner. I stopped and asked for something vegetarian.
Flustered by the unusual request,
The old store lady brought me a cup of instant noodles.
I sat and ate like I’d not seen food in a few days. She also brought bananas, water and grape juice.
I shared that I am cycling up north to Chiang Mai.
I gestured that my ride since morning has been uphill. She nodded as she turned the table fan towards me.
She exuded such motherly care that I didn’t want to get up and leave the shop.
She refuse to charge me for food. I got away with atleast paying for the instant noodles, ‘Mama’ as they call it in Thailand.

I bicycled on for another couple of hours, all the way, Uphill. It was difficult. At some points I would just laugh out loud wondering how difficult it was !
As the evening set in, I started wondering about finding a shelter. I searched for temples nearby but there were none around the Asian Super highway.
Eventually I stopped at a highway police station to catch a breath.
I sat on a bench and wondered, I am not going to be able to cycle another 30 kms uphill today. I must put an end to cycling for the day.
I looked around to find a highway police man come towards me with his phone.
He used a Thai-English translation app to communicate with me.
His translation read.

‘Do you have a tent me dear friend?’
I nodded animatedly.

‘You can set it up right here and sleep tight for the night.’
I couldn’t believe how eager he was to help.
Later on he came to me and led me to a room with a bed in the police station.
The translation on his phone read,
‘You can sleep on the bed. No need to set up your tent.’
I hadn’t felt so grateful in a long time.
I wrote in his phone,
‘You have a kind soul.’
He smiled like a child.

Right now, I am sitting in the comfortable bed that my Policeman-friend generously offered me.
And I wonder,
‘Why are all these amazing people helping me so much?’
‘Is it because I am on a bicycle?
Or because I am Indian?
Or do I look in need of help?’

Then I realised,
More than anything else,
I am being helped,
for the spirit of choosing to ride,
Up the hill.