I have always believed that
biggest of joys lie in smallest of things and thus for me things like an
unexpected email or a call from a cousin/friend, the chirping of birds are all
worth looking forward to. What is life sans happiness? Life then becomes a long
day, scorching and dull. Small joys are like patches of cool shade. Happiness
to me means a state where you feel light as a cloud and completely at home with
your body and soul, where no rush or nervousness gets hold of you and you stay
in a blissful state of mind. Even if only for some time, this state is a must
for a healthy life.
I am an animal lover to the core! I adore cute beings like kittens, puppies, birds, squirrels, cows esp calves and
derive immense joy by cuddling and stroking them. Even by just watching their
antics from a distance is enough for me to spend the whole day in a light mood.
Every morning before breakfast, I keep some peanuts and rice in the veranda for birds and squirrels along with some water and when they come jumping there with
alert eyes, I feel so happy! Taking long walks in noiseless and natural areas
too gives me much happiness. Walking has always been cathartic for me and if
accompanied by a friend or a nice acquaintance, it becomes doubly enjoyable.
Slow and steady walking gives one much time to muse upon things that are often
ignored in the hustle-bustle of the routine life.
I believe happiness cannot reach
your soul till it is shared. The best way to cure one’s own wound is to stitch others’.
Expensive things have limited happiness quotient but all the things that are
vague like smiles, sharing, spending time together, cracking jokes, walks and
careless banter seem far more precious and memorable in the long run. Small
acts of charity, if done regularly, can make you a far more positive person and
it is a tried and proven fact. Relieving someone of mental or physical trauma
is the real meaning of happiness and we do not need a formal set up or a structure
for that. I try to keep helping as much I comfortably can and happiness fills
my heart to the brim when I see something positive coming out of these little mundane
efforts.
Another simple thing that makes
me happy is feasting on‘gol-gappas’! I can have them all the time, all
day. I have tried all the permutations and combination of this snack and can
call myself a ‘gol-gappa’ aficionado! A simple plate of this awesome
snack seems far tastier than some high sounding cheesy pizza. I have a thing
for Indian snack for they are are so damn effective in letting go
of all the stress!
Happiness is not a destination;
it is the very journey one needs to enjoy. Finding joy in simple things like a
child’s clever answer, an old person’s blessings or a joke shared with pals is
what brings real sunshine and color into our lives.
Check out how Coca-Cola can make
you smile and add a cheer to your life-cokeurl.com/96jnc.
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Writing for this
contest made me recollect the fragmented memories of many long lost friends. In
the course of life, we meet different people, each one unique in his/her own
way. They not only enrich our lives but give us sweet memories too. Honestly, I
never had a steady best friend till college. I will start chronologically.
When I was very young,
I used to live at my ancestral house with my mother, as my father was posted to
North-East India. In a big combined family with grandparents, aunts and uncles,
life was as interesting and colorful as it could be! I was admitted in the same
school where my young and attractive aunt had just started her career as a
teacher. A same-age cousin was my best friend then and we were too young to
indulge in adventures, but I remember we used to laugh and run the whole day! After
that, my father was transferred to another city.
In my growing up years,
I have met various people from varied backgrounds and cultures. My school
friends were like siblings to me and I was really close to a few of them. I can
recollect some other memories too- Shaheen was my best friend then. We loved to
talk, read ‘Tin-Tin’ and ‘Chacha Choudhary’ comics, and create origami paper
art she was very good in. I distinctly remember a funny incident when we tried
to create our own language! We used symbols for words and developed a funny
manuscript. The entire thing was fun but our ‘valuable’ manuscripts were
discovered by a teacher who wondered what we girls were upto! We also made a
group ‘SPAN’ where ‘S’ and ‘A’ stood for our initials and ‘P’ and ‘N’ of two
other friends. We also got a ‘logo’ by our art teacher who lovingly designed for
us! I still remember those sweet incidents! What a lovely time it was!
I also remember a good
friend named Srinivasan, who was a maths genius. Sadly, he left the school
after his father’s demise. School time was also quite loaded with homework. Like
my friends, I too was left with little time for extra things.
Their snow-white blossoms on my head,
With brightest sunshine round me spread
Of Spring's unclouded weather,
In this sequester'd nook how sweet
To sit upon my orchard-seat!
And flowers and birds once more to greet,
My last year's friends together.
- William Wordsworth, ‘The Green Linnet’
After a few years, a
studious girl called Ananya became my best friend. We used to exchange books
and magazines, and enjoyed common games like teacher-teacher and ‘stapoo’
(a game played with seven stones). Our disgust with the common girlish game ‘ghar-ghar’
makes me laugh even now! We were best buddies for some years but a rift emerged
after her foul mouthed elder sister spoke to me rudely on a few occasions. We
reconciled later but her sister again, did the same but this time, was given a
befitting reply by my mother who clearly told her to mind her tongue. Though
she came to our house and apologized, I was too put off to continue our
friendship and hence, that lovely chapter with Ananya ended.
I also remember a light-eyed
boy (of my age) who had a longish name but was fondly called Naasir or
something like that. He used to play with me and my best friend sometimes. With
his gift of the gab, he always made us roll on the floor with laughter! Although
he was never that close to me, I remember him because his family looked as if
straight out of an Afghan city. His father, a burly and sturdy Pathan, looked
fierce. His mother resembled the late actress Madhubala! Ya seriously! The
entire family was extremely good looking! Although his father looked rugged, he
was a sweet natured man with a soft heart and an ever smiling face! Looks can
be very deceptive sometimes!
Life! we've been long together
Through pleasant and through cloudy weather;
'Tis hard to part when friends are dear--
Perhaps 'twill cost a sigh, a tear;
--Then steal away, give little warning,
Choose thine own time;
Say not Good Night,--but in some brighter clime
Bid me Good Morning.
-Anna. L. Barbauld, ‘Life’
When I entered my
teenage, a girl called ‘Disha’ became my best friend. Even though we were
together only for two years, we struck a deep bond and became very close! I can
easily recall adventures with her. Once, during the Diwali time, we went to a
nearby fair and ate so many ‘gol-gappas’* that we could hardly walk and
this made us laugh like lunatics! We sat on a bench and laughed and laughed! One
day, we decided to do something exciting! We ordered a lot of grocery from a
local store over the telephone and sent it to her friend’s house! One day, we came
for a stroll and did not realize that it was 11:00 pm till our parents came
searching for us! The teary farewell and our last hug are still fresh in my
mind when I had to leave that city as my father got transferred again. We did
stay in touch for sometime but then got busy with the rising pressures of
academics.
“What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.”
-Aristotle
In high school,
‘Roshini’ became my best friend. We used to give each other our autographs and
talk a lot about many things; rather any topic under the sun was enough to
spark a non-stop chatter! I remember an incident then- There was this nice and
sweet half-Indian-half-Chinese girl in my class. One day, out of sheer
curiosity, we innocently asked her if they really cook lizards and roaches for
supper. After that, she never spoke to us again! That incident always made us
laugh! I learned many things from her. She always smiled and had a very
positive personality, and hence she was mostly out of the trouble! After
school, we joined different colleges and as usual, after sometime, lost touch.
In college, Megha
became my best friend. She is still my best buddy and my soul-sister. We have
gone out innumerable times and shared the deepest secrets of our hearts! From
mimicking our professors to playing practical jokes on friends, we have done it
all! It is not just about adventures, we have learnt a lot too.
“I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in
the light.”
- Helen Keller
When I went through a
very rough patch in 2008, she cared more than my own relatives. So, when you
are with your best friend, every minute seems like a fun filled adventure. I
still have no idea about her income or official status because all this does
not matter in true friendship.
To me, fair friend, you never can be old,
For as you were when first your eye I ey'd,
Such seems your beauty still. Three winters cold,
Have from the forests shook three summers' pride
-
Shakespeare, ‘Sonnets’ (104)
Friends never grow old
and ugly. They enrich and nurture our lives with love and care. Apart from the
fun filled precious memories, the most important gift of true advice is what
best friends can give each other. I made many friends, some close, some not, two
left me for their heavenly abode while some simply faded away. I may not be in
touch with them now but their bitter-sweet memories will always make me smile! Ditching a friend is
the worst sin we can commit. Good and truly well-wishing buddies are rare
that’s why the ancient Hindu text ‘Chanakya Neeti’ says
दुर्ल्लभंप्रकृतंवाक्यंदुर्ल्लभःक्षेमकृत्सुतः।
दुर्ल्लभासदृशीभार्यादुर्ल्लभःस्वजनप्रियः II
(Truth
presented in nice words, a noble son, a pious wife and a well wishing friend,
are rare in this world)
Another thing I wish to
add is that I am an animal lover to the core and for years, my pet dog was my
best buddy. I can still remember his softness and wide eyes filled with true
love. May his loving soul, rest in eternal peace. Animals become true friends
and unlike humans, never ditch us for petty worldly pleasures. Love an animal
and you will know what real love is! Author, A.A. Milne beautifully explains
friendship in his book ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’
“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from
behind.”Pooh?" he whispered.
"Yes, Piglet?"
"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's
hand. "I just wanted to be sure of you.”
Love
for Dove and The Face Test
“But he who dares not grasp the thorn
should never crave the rose.”
-Anne Brontë
In the 90s when Dove
first arrived in India, none had imagined that this creamy soap with a big
price tag and a memorable tag line ‘Is it love? No it’s Dove!’ would generate
such a massive customer base! However, that time most of the people found it
very expensive and also could not understand its very concept. ‘How could a
soap be made of so much crème?’, ‘it is double in price and yet so small?’
ladies would wonder. Only those who tried it in spite of doubts and high-price got
the ‘rose’ of a creamy soft and supple skin! My mother was one of those early
users and hence my association with Dove is not new. I remember this expensive pearly
white soap with a typically curved shape and a faint but soothing smell. Dove suited
my mother’s skin type and she used it regularly. I prefer Dove soap especially
because it prevents dryness of my skin. It has been a few years since I have
been using Dove shampoo and Conditioner. Another Dove product I am very fond of
is Vita Oil Serum that detangles my hair in a second and helps in styling.
“A
girl should be two things: classy and fabulous”
-Coco Chanel
Flawless skin is the
most important aspect of beauty. It not only makes one look younger but also more
confident about oneself. No makeup can ever work properly or look good on a wrinkled,
dry or patchy skin. Hence, for a fabulous skin, using a brand that is trusted
and suits oneself is the most important thing. Talking of this premium
brand, it is owned by Unilever and has presence in more than 35 countries. It was
one of the earliest brands to use e-mails for marketing their products and provide a forum
to customers for queries on skin care, thus creating a vast and useful consumer
data and informational network.
Dove strives to be
‘An agent of change to educate and inspire
girls on a wider definition of beauty and to make them feel more confident
about themselves’.
According to Unilever, Dove is the largest premium brand in the Company’s
portfolio, and it alone delivers Rs 400 crore in sales! Dove Face test
is also not a novel campaign; it has been there since 1950’s and that shows
that the brand has full confidence on its quality and worth. Check
out this 1950's print adv by Ogilvy & Mather.
This
1957 adv too is just awesome!
Since Megha was out of
the city, I called a neighbor for the face test. It was fun taking the test.
The process of blindfolding, the face test and guessing game and all were real
fun! The results were correct, we both guessed the right cheek. Face test bonded
us more than ever and now, we’re friendlier than before!
Even sunlight seems mere shadow of a once glorious past.
Only the darkness now rules in life’s lonely lane,
With a few dusted memories,
Of joy, of celebration, of bliss, of fame;
I am now a deserted address, no letters for this forgotten name.
My lonesome heart yearns for those friends,
To wipe my tears and hold these shaking hands,
But world bows only to the rising sun;
The fallen stars are dirt for every one.
(This is written for a superstar of Indian Cinema, whose insolence, rudeness and arrogance shocked me. Stars like him, once shining, are now lost in history, for space at the top is narrow and pitch very slippery. Nothing lasts forever, as the saying goes, ‘This too shall pass’. I hope this hero gets this lesson soon)
Since last week, I was thinking over something. Not only thinking but in a way properly pondering over it. I tried validating my newly found theory too and to my surprise, the results were very positive. Actually it was a serendipity, my eureka moment!!
Actually, one fine morning when I was lost in my thoughts when suddenly something struck my mind. There are some people who think before speaking. They weigh every word and each word spoken out carries a meaning. They speak less and that too very carefully. It is often difficult to get information out of them easily. It is very difficult to lure such people into a fluke or take them for a ride. Now, just go a little deeper, analyze them as shoppers and customers. They might see lots of attractive things in the market but will select only a few. It becomes very difficult for sales staff to lure them into a bad deal. Each item they select has a specific use and provides full return on the investment. In a nut shell, such people are careful shoppers.
Now reverse the situation, people who speak without thinking too much are more likely to find themselves cheated. They have loose controls on their purse strings and, on a little persuasion, are highly likely to buy products and services they do not really need. It is also very easy to extract even the most personal information from them.
The reason I think for this is that hand is ultimately a function of mind only. Self controlling power is important, it reflects in everything. If you can control your words well, you can control your wallet very well too. Conversely, those who are generally careless and footloose shoppers are hardly likely to keep a secret to them selves. Some people get what attracts, rather whatever is made out to attract them, even if the merchant is charging many times the actual amount. That’s because it is difficult for them to control their desires; they have to do what they are feeling like at that very moment. They succumb to the impulse of the moment. Such people cannot be trusted with confidential information and secrets. And on the other hand, people who can see through marketing gimmicks and strategies and hold their money tight are less likely to spill your secrets to the world.
I applied this hypothesis to many of my friends and relatives, and to my surprise, the theory came out right almost always. I don’t know if you will accept my theory or not but I have started believing it. Some of you may find this thing nonsensical, but just give a try and please let me have your feedback too!!
Friendships come and Friendships go Like wave upon the sand
Like day and night Like birds in flight Like snowflakes when they land But you and I are something else Our friendship's here to stay Like weeds and rocks and dirty socks It never goes away!
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