SoulMom

G: GANDHI

J: Jonathan Livingston Seagull

I: I Believe in Angels

K: Kahlil Gibran

K –Kahlil Gibran #AtoZChallenge

April 13, 2017 SoulMom Comments 4 comments

“Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving.” ~Kahlil Gibran

Kahlil Gibran was a Lebanese-American poet, artist and philosopher. His renowned classic ‘The Prophet’ is one of the masterpieces of our times. It has been translated in more than a hundred languages.

Through this post, I only want to highlight some of his quotes as they speak of his profound views on everything life. These are my selected ones, just a drop from his ocean of greatness:

On Love

“If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. If they don’t, they never were.”

On Suffering

“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.”

“Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain.”

On Friendship

“Let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.”

On Marriage

“You were born together and together you shall be forever more…But let there be spaces in your togetherness, and let the winds of the heavens dance between you.”

On Women

“Men who do not forgive women their little faults will never enjoy their great virtues.”

On Children:

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.’

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;

For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.’

This post is part of the #AtoZChallenge 2017 Blogging from A to Z: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

I write about my spiritual and personal growth influences from A to Z.

My previous posts in chronology:
A: A New Earth

G: GANDHI

J: Jonathan Livingston Seagull

I: I Believe in Angels

Images Courtesy: http://thebea.st/1M49Cm7; http://4umi.com/gibran/prophet/

J – Jonathan Livingston Seagull #AtoZChallenge

April 12, 2017 SoulMom Comments 8 comments

“We can lift ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence and intelligence and skill. We can be free. We can learn to fly!” – Richard Bach

Stories of rising above the ordinary have always impressed me. Getting out of our comfort zones to push our limits can be such an exhilarating feeling. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach is one such book, which inspires to look beyond the limits of our mind.

The gull sees farthest who flies highest

This is a story of an extraordinary seagull that finds it hard to be a part of the complacent flock. For most gulls, it is not the flying that matters as they learn to fly only to get food. But Jonathan loves to fly. He constantly looks to scale new heights with a strong desire to soar high. Defying those who criticise him, he hopes for his flock to discover what he has learnt too. He shares his joys with others. He is thrilled to find a new meaning to life, his higher purpose.

What this fable had taught me when I was a teenager:

The higher we set our goals, the higher we grow
Our dreams are ours to dream and not to please others
Believe in yourself and your abilities
Aim for excellence and perfection in all you do
Follow your heart’s deepest desires
The joy of freedom is unparalleled

Don’t believe what your eyes tell you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding, Find out what you already know and you’ll see the way to fly.

To buy this inspiring book, click here: http://amzn.to/2pq1KUr

Image Courtesy: http://bit.ly/2omFzPF

This post is part of the #AtoZChallenge 2017 Blogging from A to Z: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

I write about my spiritual and personal growth influences from A to Z.

My previous posts in chronology:

G: GANDHI

I: I Believe in Angels

I – I believe in Angels #AtoZChallenge

April 11, 2017 SoulMom Comments 0 Comment

“When you feel lost, pause and look closely around you. Somewhere, somehow, an angel will be waiting to guide you home.” ~Author unknown

Angels are real. They surround us. We can call upon them when we need them.

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have believed any of the above. But when I was truly seeking a Guardian Angel in my life, to hold me in my moments of despair and show me the way forward, I had found one. The connection was real and it remains. Had it not been for certain ethereal experiences I have had, I would have continued to think that angels existed only in stories.

The word ‘Angel’ is derived from the ancient Greek word ‘Angelos’ meaning ‘messenger’. Truly, Angels are regarded as ‘Messengers of God.’ They are pure beings of divinity who want to help us in all areas of our lives. It is possible to sense their presence around us, and in some cases even see and hear them.
Dr. Sneh Desai is an expert motivational speaker, inspirational coach and leader. After his Mind Power workshop had made an impression, I had bought his book ‘I believe in Angels, do you?’ in curiosity of the connection with my own angel. In this book, he goes into the details of types and names of different angels, sensing their presence, ways of connecting with them and asking for help in various areas.

Ask for an angel’s guidance from your heart’s deepest, honest desire..and you may find what you are seeking!

Key Highlights:

“Remove the clutters and stagnant energy in your life to make space for Angels.”

“I accept divine guidance and I am always safe. I trust my higher self.”

“You get gut feelings, tingling sensations or intuitive hunches to feel the presence of an angel.”

This post is part of the #AtoZChallenge 2017 Blogging from A to Z: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/. I write about my spiritual and personal growth influences from A to Z.

Read my previous posts in chronology:

G: GANDHI

H – Healing with the energy of Chakras #AtoZChallenge

April 10, 2017 SoulMom Comments 7 comments

“Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional, and mental states.” ~ Carol Welch

Our physical bodies can be healed with certain unseen life force energies. More – so can our emotional and spiritual energies be purified. This was quite a revelation for me many years ago when I heard about Reiki – a Japanese technique for stress reduction that also promotes healing. Then again some years later in my pursuit of understanding the metaphysical ways of the universe, I was led to the fascinating science of Pranic Healing. It was amazing to learn that these healing modalities can cure people of several diseases without any medicines and in some cases, by even avoiding surgical interventions*.

The more I learnt, the more intrigued I was to understand about these energy centres in our body through which energy flows – known as the ‘Chakras‘ (wheels). There are seven main chakras in our body which align to the spine, starting from the base of the spine going up to the crown of the head. If one had to visualise these, they would look like the whirling vortex-like spinning wheels of energy powerhouse.

Each chakra is associated with certain part of the body and the organs around it. Our state of health and balance is determined by how well the energy flows through these chakras. Since everything is in a state of motion, it is essential that all our chakras are free of blocks and remain open.

There are several theories with different number of chakras, however, the seven main chakras in our body are:

Root Chakra (Muladhara)
Sacral Chakra (Svadisthana)
Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura)
Heart Chakra (Anahat)
Throat Chakra (Vishuddha)
Third Eye Chakra (Ajna)
Crown Chakra (Sahaswara)

Our first three lower chakras starting at the base of the spine are of physical matter associated with our functional needs. The upper three chakras are of spirit corresponding to our higher mental faculties. The fourth chakra of the heart acts as a unifying force like a bridge between the body and the mind.

Optimum level of physical health and spiritual bliss can be achieved when all our chakras are open, well-balanced and in full flow!

This post is part of the #AtoZChallenge 2017 Blogging from A to Z: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/. I write about my spiritual and personal growth influences from A to Z.
Read my previous posts in chronology:

G: GANDHI

*Disclaimer: These are complementing healing techniques and not meant to replace a medical opinion or an ongoing treatment. Kindly consult your physician and do not self-treat.

G – GANDHI: The Life of a Mahatma #ATOZCHALLENGE

April 8, 2017 SoulMom Comments 4 comments

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” ~M.K.Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi – the world knows him as a one-man army that drove the British out of our country. I first learnt about him in our Class 3 History textbooks while studying India’s Independence heroes. Then came his epic movie ‘Gandhi’ that was a must-watch for us school children (we had a special outing for the movie). And a couple of years later, ‘The Story of My Experiments with Truth’ was the first autobiography I ever read. Gandhiji had made a huge impact on my small mind.

Yes, I have admired his power of unflinching conviction. I respect his strong pursuit of truth. And I have been in awe of his morals of simplicity (saadgi), non-violence (ahimsa) and religion (dharma). As a child perhaps these qualities didn’t seem as significant as they do now. Only difference being that I am able to reason the logic and question our conditioning.

An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind

For everything that we had imbibed as ‘sanskaras‘ (values) was suddenly defied during my challenging times. How do we exercise non-violence of speech and thought when we are subject to injustice? How do we not retaliate against people who have wronged us? How can we not hurt them when we have been brutally injured? Forgiving seemed a herculean task then in the moment. Making a choice one way or another was a dilemma of principles.

It took me a long process of inner healing to realise that forgiving is indeed a virtue of the strong. To forgive wholeheartedly is to be more courageous than punishing. Non-violence in face of agony is a weapon of the mighty. With due respect and admiration of his teachings, I had chosen to practice these morals in my difficult moments.

The outcome of that choice – I have emerged mentally stronger than ever before. Righteousness sustains!

Key Highlights:

“Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.”

“The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace.”

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

This post is part of the #AtoZChallenge 2017 Blogging from A to Z: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

Read my previous posts in chronology:

B/w image courtesy: http://www.teachwithmovies.org/guides/gandhi.html

F – ‘Finding a purpose in life’ by R. M. Lala #AtoZChallenge

April 7, 2017 SoulMom Comments 5 comments

“God has a plan and purpose for each one of us. The purpose may not be something grand, though we could well be led to something much bigger than what we may have imagined.” ~R. M. Lala.

We had the privilege of knowing author Mr. R.M.Lala personally as our family friend and philosopher guide. Russiuncle – as my siblings and I fondly called him since we were kids, had a special place in our home and hearts. We admired his tender-heartedness and his benevolent attitude to life. He had a charming presence with an infectious aura of optimism. We loved his sense of humour. Our respect for him grew multifold when he battled cancer in his last days with immense strength and wisdom.

Man always has and continues to strive to know his purpose in life. Why is he here and what place does he hold in this chaotic world? In ‘Finding a purpose in life’, Mr. Lala speaks about 26 people who inspired the world, their thoughts and what led them to pursue deeper meaning in lives. They include Mahatma Gandhi, Jamsetji Tata, Mother Teresa, Dr. Abdul Kalam, Sudha and Narayan Murthy and others who made an impact. By sharing their stories, he stimulates the reader to think of his or her own purpose in life.

Key Highlights:

“We need to examine our lives daily, where we spend our times and our energies.”

Man wants to know a place where he can anchor his spirit, find a direction and pursue a purpose beyond his own advancement. Those who find it have a sparkle in their eyes even at eighty years of age; those who don’t look vacant-eyed even at forty.

“Dreams need not die in the face of unfavourable circumstances. They may only be delayed. There is a right time for everything.”

“As my sufferings mounted, I soon realised that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation –either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force.”

Russiuncle, having left behind a legacy of inspiration, fondly remains in our memories.

To buy this book, click here:

http://amzn.to/2mVj4nr

Other books by Mr. Lala:

This post is part of the #AtoZChallenge 2017 Blogging from A to Z: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

Read my previous posts in chronology:

Image courtesy: http://rmlala09.blogspot.in/

E – ‘Eat Pray Love’ by Elizabeth Gilbert #AtoZChallenge

April 6, 2017 SoulMom Comments 9 comments

“You cannot see your reflection in running water, only in still water.” ~Elizabeth Gilbert

‘Liberating’ – this was one of the most profound emotions felt after I read the novel ‘Eat Pray Love’. The timing of the book coincided with my separation and with the reality of being on my own. Author Elizabeth Gilbert’s own story of self-discovery across three countries, this book was a revelation of sorts for me….

…That of several possibilities a newly divorced single woman can experience in her life:

She steps out of a situation that is toxic and does not serve any purpose

She is okay to not feel guilty while looking for pleasure (read food) in another country

She travels to India (like many foreigners do) in pursuit of devotion, in search of a Guru

If you yearn sincerely enough for a Guru, you will find one. The universe will shift, destiny’s molecules will get themselves organized and your path will soon intersect with the path of the master you need.

She can surrender to her new reality and make peace with it

It is possible for her to forgive her ex-husband and more importantly, forgive herself

She must learn to control her mind when everything else around her seems out of control

She finds herself and then finds love again

The movie based on this book had Julia Roberts playing Elizabeth. She was good as always, but movies hardly ever come close to the magic of reading the books!

Key Highlights:

‘Look for God like a man with his head on fire looks for water.’

‘When the karma of a relationship is done, only love remains. Its safe. Let go.’

‘The hub of calmness- that’s your heart. That’s where God lives within you. So stop looking for answers in the world. Just keep coming back to that centre and you will always find peace.”

This post is part of the #AtoZChallenge 2017 Blogging from AtoZ: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

Have you read the previous ones?