TEA Anyone?

I am a tea addict.  A genuine, authentic and un - biased (May be NOT) Tea Lover.  Come day, come night, come rain, come sunshine, you offer me Tea and I will NEVER say NO!

Like most tea addicts, I feel the need to communicate with like-minded enthusiasts and to exchange tips, photos, reviews, and enthusiasms whenever possible. Anything to do with Camellia sinensis is fair game, frankly.

Today I intend to share my Love of the World of TEA! I consider sharing of my love for CHAI is just as integral to the tea experience as drinking the delectable green nectar itself. After all what good is something if we don't share? Right?

Do you have a favorite tea? For me, it's a very difficult question. But, when I think about the tea I care for most, I usually pick the plain and simple Black tea. Pure simple unadulterated and the most natural form.  No milk and no sugar. Just water at 100^OC and the loose dried tea leaves. Aahh the aroma that it gives out, the energy that it eludes. Simply breathtaking.

I for one have always been a tea drinker, for as long as I can remember it has been tea, tea and nothing but tea. Of course occasionally I have swayed towards coffee, but just as it absolutely impossible to have two lovers at one point, (Well I assume IT IS! Since I have no prior expertise in this field, I am willing to leave this Open ended! :P ) similarly I have always very faithfully come back to my true love - TEA!

Recently a dear friend of mine, Sohail, gifted me a giant box of Alokozay tea! I was initially very skeptical, because other than an occasional Twinning's indulgence, I have almost always been a LIPTON person. Once I opened the Box, I was shocked out of my wits, as that was the first time I actually saw such a wide range of different flavored tea! You name it and you have got that flavor. Green, chamomile, jasmine, strawberry, raspberry, lemon, orange,  earl grey, Moroccan, herbal, black current, and so many more, I can even remember the rest of them! As I mentioned earlier I am one of members of the Old school thought process of picking One and sticking to It, But nonetheless I bravely faced my fears and made myself and my Appa a cup of Hot Moroccan Tea and... I was thrilled, and thought 'Wow, this is amazing! Tea can taste like this??'. Thank you, Sohail for widening my horizons and Yes I promise to be in Touch! :D :D It opened up a new world for me. But Hey, just because a tea is your favorite, it doesn't mean it has to be the highest quality. It's just what YOU like best!

Tea is widely regarded as one of the healthiest beverages one can drink, and rightly so! And more importantly anyone can make Tea! In fact, just yesterday my 13 year old adorable little brother made his first cup of TEA! Green tea at that!!! And since then he has taken it upon himself to be the official Tea Maker of the house! :D

In general, tea is one of the healthiest beverages in the world. Most tea is strictly derived from the Camellia sinensis plant with only a few different flavorings added to give it a unique twist. Camellia sinensis is an incredibly healthy plant that has been linked to health benefits like reduced cholesterol levels and weight loss. YES Weight loss. But I am not a believer of this theory! With the amount of tea that I drink, and if at all there was any connection between tea drinking and weight loss, I would definitely have been Size zero by now!

Any black, white, green, or oolong tea is derived from the camellia sinensis plant, which means that it is generally quite healthy. Tea is also healthiest when used in a ‘loose’ blend, as more surface area is exposed to the surrounding water, increasing the nutrients and antioxidants that are released.

The  famous Vietnamese Buddhist monk, THICH NHAT HANH says, "When you sit in a café or at home, with a lot of music in the background and a lot of things in your head, you're not really drinking your tea. You're drinking your projects, you're drinking your worries. You are not real, and the coffee is not real either. Your coffee can only reveal itself to you as a reality when you go back to yourself and produce your true presence, freeing yourself from the past, the future, and from your worries. When you are real, the tea also becomes real and the encounter between you and the tea is real. This is genuine tea drinking."

And this Genuine Tea drinking also has other advantages:

1. Tea can make people in high spirits, enhance thinking and memory!
2. Tea  can reduce fatigue, promote metabolism, and maintain the heart, blood vessels, gastrointestinal and other normal functions of the role!
3. Tea  of ​​great benefit for the prevention of dental cavities!
4. Tea  contains many trace elements beneficial to humans! But Of Course! :P
5. The role of  Tea  inhibit cancer, drinking tea can significantly inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
6. Tea  can inhibit cellular aging, people live longer. Anti-aging effect of tea is 18 times more vitamin E. (Seeee I told ya!)
7. Tea  with delay and prevent the formation of initial plaque, prevent arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure and cerebral thrombosis!Tea can be excited to central nervous system, and enhance athletic ability!
8. Having  Tea  can aid in losing weight and beauty effect, this effect is especially seen in Oolong tea drinkers. 
9. Tea  seem to prevent age-related cataracts. (Cannot be verified though...)
10. Tea  contains tannic acid can kill many bacteria, it can prevent stomatitis, pharyngitis, and prone to summer enteritis, dysentery and so on.
11. Tea  can protect human hematopoietic function. Tea contains radiation materials, watching TV while drinking tea can reduce the TV radiation hazards, and to protect their eyesight. (Who would think!)
12. Sunstroke. Drink hot tea after 9 minutes, the skin temperature drops 1-2 degrees Celsius, makes people feel cool, and drink cold skin temperature decreased more significantly after.
13. Revitalize tired, achy or puffy eyes. Soak two tea bags in warm water and place them over your closed eyes for 20 minutes. The tannins in the tea act to reduce puffiness and soothe tired eyes. 

I always look forward to chatting happily about anything and everything related to  Tea or otherwise with anyone who will tilt an ear my way. But then that's just ME!

If you guys still don't believe me and my TEA fancy, hear it from Hugh Jackman!!!  He seems to be able to do it all: Play the super hero, dance, sing and melt your heart – all at the same time. And he’s also dancing his way in our hearts with the Lipton Iced Tea commercials. I haven’t had the Lipton tea in a glass bottle ever, so I can’t really comment on hoe it tastes and if it's actually brewed. But who am I to argue with Hugh?

So come let's have some TEA!

Neighborly LOVE

My Mum and my Brother are VACATIONING!

Yes, they have left me, my sister and my Appa here in this scorching heat to fend for ourselves and gone off to India to have FUN, enjoy the Monsoon rains, lounge the whole day, listen to my maternal Granny ranting all day and put up with my maternal Grandpa's attention seeking tactics and bear the brunt of his 'Oh so famous' Silent treatment. ( Who says growing Vacationing is easy??)

To say I miss them is putting it very very mildly. There is a deep and unfathomable void since the day they left, and it has been 1,382,400 seconds since... Yes I can be eccentric at times.

Since the day they have left, we have another entity that has risen above its prior irrelevant status and jumped up a few notches to become our comrade and partner in crime in battling our loneliness and missing phase! It is none other than the TV!

While combating the above mentioned aloneness and finding something to do this Weekend, myself and my Appa stumbled upon the delightful and rib tickling comedy PADOSAN. I can't remember the number of times I have seen this movie or how I adore and relieve this movie's scenes over and over again just by listening to its fantastic songs. It's a must watch for all ages and is most certainly a collector's item because of the amazing crew this film has to boast of!! 

                                               

I, for one, am not very fond of neighbors! For me there are voluntary spies! Then of course we do have the "Love thy neighbor" concept...Of course I don't have any qualms doing so if he happens to be tall, debonair and devastating good looking... Then it will be that much easier. :P 

These type of neighbors are always welcome...  And they were welcomed in our Hindi film industry as early as 1968. This Padosan (Neighbor) is indeed someone who all would envy and will equally envy the village boy who finally brings about her love!!

The premise of the film is very simple. An uneducated, simpleton from village comes to town to his aunt's house and finds himself next door to a beautiful lady who looks like the moon and has complexion as clear as the blue sky and eyes where you can drown yourself!! Bhola, Sunil Dutt lands himself next door to Bindu, Saira Banu and promptly falls in love with her!! She is a high society girl who gives Bhola the first glimpse of her beauty wrapped in a towel no less, singing the ever green song, "Bhai battur bhai battur...".  The facial expressions of Bhola with his heart going all wonky is so palpable!! Imagine those expressions with a choti flying all over the place... hilarious!! 

Bhola runs to his Guru , the guru who he believes is the ultimate where women are concerned and ultimate in providing solutions for love!! Kishoreda in a snow white kurta and red paan dribble at the corner of his mouth creates ripples of laughter at his appearance itself!! I am in splits every time I see this actually rolling in laughter at the lyrics, the tune and the histrionics of Kishoreda with his cronies!! As if these were not sufficient, Guru advises Bhola, "Meri pyaaari Bindu, meri bholi Bindu, meri matheri Bindu, meri sindoori bindu.... meri prem ki naiyya beech bhanwar mein gud gud gote khaye, jahtpat paar laga de..... " ... Where have you heard such meaningfully, comic lyrics that have made you laugh and cry at the same time?? The song is supposedly penned by none other than Mehmood himself in about 20 mins. Timeless beauties I tell you!!  I have been singing this songs for as long as I can remember, thanks to my Appa singing this one for my Ma... Oh didnt i mention, my Ma's name is BINDU as well! :D

Moving further, this gang of boys decide on Bhola’s insistence that this padosan is not so easy to woo... So they gather at Bhola’s residence and look through the window which sets us viewers up for a delightfully naughty and hummable , "Mere saamne wali khidki mein, ek chaand sa tukda rehta hain,...". The monkeying of Bhola around his window deliberately chiding Bindu is so rib tickling.

Enter Masterji, Mehmood!!

This is the masterji who is teaching the lovely Bindu how to dance!! And then ensues a series of jealous bouts and then a challenge!! Thrown by Bhola to Masterji... the outcome is the song of the century, "Ek chatur naar...", Lyrics simply awesome!!  When this jugalbandi, musical duet between the two maestros Kishoreda and Manna Dey saab is a work that is cherished as you hear the two go at each other, all classical, all funny and they just spin a web of hypnotic melody that takes you to a crescendo and Mehmood going all haywire, in his antics and energy, on the window.... over the window and upside down with a hand trying to give some semblance to the lungi,  that is seemingly coming apart!! Its unforgettable and so in your face that you have no option but to clutch your sides in sheer laughter!!

The beauty of the film lies in its simple story and the characters who just revolve around the script that there is no need for the director to innovate and do any other magic except watch his actors move expertly around the story and fit like a hand in glove!! The songs are of great value to the script because they are very situation based and the selection of Kishoreda and Manna Dey saab is so justified that you cannot imagine anybody else doing the jugalbandi at all... They are necessary to convey the emotions felt and they do it with aplomb!! 

Kudos to the star cast of Sunil Dutt, Saira Banu, Kishoreda, Om Prakash, Mehmood, Mukhri etc... I have no words to describe their class in acting!

Nostalgia at its best!! From the beginning to the end , it was a laugh riot, a film for me, which can be seen and enjoyed infinitely. This film HAS to be seen and enjoyed.

Sighh... Coming back... I have to wait 1,382,400 seconds more to be able to hug my adorable baby brother and talk endlessly to my Mum about the various events, incidents and stories that have transpired in her absence. Until then it's the house chores and MOVIES to my Rescue!

Comedy QUEEN!

Being able to finish things sooner than they are DUE, has both its perks and its disadvantages! Perks, you have more FREE time, and disadvantages being having BORE time! And in order to constructively use this Bore time fruitfully, I have devised various schemes, 1) have productive conversations with colleagues from Different departments (Read Gossip.. who says MEN don’t Gossip??) 2) Call Mama, 3) Write a BLOG and 4) Attack the INTERNET! Browse through different blogs, gather information, learn, create databases AND “Download Music”!! I have over 250 Movie’s Songs and over 3000 other songs. (I know it’s know much, but mind you I am getting there!). By Movie Songs I mean, All the Songs of the Movies, each and every single one, downloaded, labeled and put into a specific folder which is Further labeled and Numbered and segregated as per Language, all done very very religiously! And No I am not Selfish I share as well... NOT the whole collection but part to people who I like, love and also WORK for. (My boss is a regular visitor to my Music Library!) And I take immense pride in being the Office’s Official DJ!

Today is the use the Downloaded Items DAY! I have been listening to tracks from the 1980’s and CHAALBAZZ sprung up on me all of a sudden!  Listening to all those songs and going down memory lane reminded me of how much I love SRIDEVI!

Sridevi is one of my FAVORITE Female Actor!

And CHAAL BAAZ is One of my FAVORITE *Time pass* MOVIES. It is certainly Flawed but simply fabulous Movie!

The Storyline is ZIMPLE - Identical twins separated in babyhood when a sly, conniving servant steals one kid away from their wealthy family's luxurious mansion.  One grows up in the slums, feisty and self-reliant, with dreams of being a dancing star and the other grows up under the care of her uncle and his companion, who are unspeakably cruel and sociopathic - the only thing that stops them from murdering her outright is that she is their ticket to the family wealth! But OF course!! Enter a handsome young heir (In this Case, I would like to say, NOT as charming and handsome as I would have liked) with a wild streak, meets the slum girl and the two are instantly smitten!! In the meantime Mansion one meets a rugged slum boy and sparks fly there as well. Needless to say, wacky attics ensue.

 Jaani Yeh Chakku Hai and the Makeup Scene.

  

Sridevi is the MAIN  reason I love this movie, her cuteness, her dancing, her gorgeous BIG eyes and her talent for physical comedy and her BEAUTY! Her gifts are evident here, being the highlight of a satisfyingly entertaining masala film!!! Of course there is a pile of unapologetic crap one has to dig through to find her and those moments, but they are definitely worth it.

                                                     Na Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai

Whatever moments of quality Chaalbaaz has are mostly thanks to Sridevi's skill. The best of these are the “Jaani yeh Chaaku hai” Scene, “Na Jaane Kahan Se” the wacky crazy rain dance and song routine, the direct quotation from Waheeda Rehman's snake dance in Guide - in the irresistible, almost trance-like passion of dance, in which Sridevi SHINES! Another one particular scene that is close to my heart is, "Tere bimar mera dil," an entertaining fantasy sequence between Sridevi and Sunny Deol. The Number of times I have tried doing what she is doing with the glass in innumerable and hilarious!!! I would like to think I have almost perfected the routine. Almost!

 Tera Beemar Mera Dil

It's been more than a decade since she was seen on screen as the unchallenged diva of Hindi films. Times have changed and Hindi films have evolved - for better and for worse! New faces, better make-up and less melodrama, less clothes, less morals or should I say changed morals… is the Identity of new-age Bollywood.

But for me it’s the beautiful Chandni of Yash Chopra's superhit, the magnificent Umrao Jaan and the gorgeous Nandini (Aishwarya Rai) from Hum Dil de Chuke Sanam, the quintessential Indian Beauties that are still Perfect, PICTURE PERFECT: Flawless features, an hourglass figure, a smile just as brilliant as it was back then, and all of it dressed in impeccable manners. SRIDEVI is exactly this and more. A decade may have separated her and showbiz but she is still very much the STAR! Be it Esha Deol Wedding (By the way, CONGRATULATIONS Esha, you were absolutely beautiful and looked every bit the glowing Indian Bride! And you have done yourself good getting married, that too to your childhood sweetheart and the both of you look PERFECT together! God Bless!) or the SIMMA awards. She was and is, quite simply the perfect Indian beauty with large, expressive eyes, sharp features and an appealing child-like expression!

Well into her 40s now, and yet she can give any starlet a run of her money. A flawless complexion, a fantastic body and looks to kill for! Sigh! Throughout the 1980s Sridevi starred in a galaxy of blockbusters, including Tohfa, Nagina, Mr India, Chandni AND Chaalbaaz, the last which won her a Filmfare Award for her delightfully crazy capers.

I wish her all the best for her upcoming comic caper, English Vinglish and Thank you Sridevi, for being my role model in dance, and being my friend growing up, and helping me effectively fill my FREE/BORE time today as well as taking me back to all my precious and fond memories!

Thank you Oh! Original Diva of Bollywood!

The ONLY One...

I knew... I did...

I would be lying if I said I didn't, but it's just that I am only getting used to it or should I say, getting used to it once AGAIN... But it has come as a BIG BANG on my head, just a couple of hours back when know my colleague, a MALE one at that, notices my new Hair Cut!!!! (Believe me when I say this It's not at all drastic, in fact not even a major change from my previous one). I mean it's OK if it were just a "Oh your hair looks good today!"   But what does one do, when the question is thrown at you like this.. "Neelu, who is your Hairdresser? You have been seeing her/him quite often these days haven't you? Your hair looks simply stunning" Well HE didn't stop at that, he went further on to incorporate my BOSS, rather OUR boss into this discussion where in my MANE was the MAIN attraction! Beat it!!!

It was then that I grasped that being the ONLY GIRL, in my department, Design department that is, being the Only Girl in the Section of the Office that I sit in, further still being the Only GIRL in the ENTIRE Office has some major disadvantages! I don't mind being the only one, as long as i don't have to deal with constant attention, that too in this fashion! (while having said that I do have a Receptionist at the far end of the Office, just let's just say she is "In my boss's Wonderful words" OBSOLETE!)

Surviving in an office full of MEN is an ART! An art that I had very tactfully mastered in the first two years of working as a Designer here. In fact while in school, I was among Girls all the time, I mean I studied in an ALL GIRLS school, where we girls studied in morning, the morning shift as it was called and the Boys came in the evening, the evening shift! There was absolutely NO Interaction at all! At least not for ME! Then in College, I was in a class with 35 girls and ZERO boys! LOL Can you imagine the scene!? Our class used to serve as Honey and attract all the bees, read boys, to IT, to say the very least! :P

I was in for a Pleasant SHOCK when I joined work as I had walked into an office full of men. Now, I had been forewarned that I would be the only girl in the office, so I imagined I knew what to expect – or so I thought.

There is less bitching. Men bitching is poorly constructed, they’re not naturally deceitful. Bitching still exists but it is less dedicated, more vocal, quicker to surface and thankfully, quicker to resolve. I have seen soo many people come and go, in fact in the last two years of  my 4 and half year stint at this Design House,  lots of other girls/ women have joined and left as well. In fact last month was the grand finale with Not one but TWO ladies leaving the company for good. Do I miss them?? Of course I do, I miss my dear dear Karthika, my partner in crime, so so much, and I miss my Monama, the 42 year old Hottie who got really close to my heart!  :(


But do I regret my decision to continue working in an office full of men? No, Ma’am!

In fact, the MAD house in which I work now addresses me as “the Queen” – a poke I am more than okay with accepting, and it has also awarded me several professional opportunities I otherwise wouldn't have had.

                                  

I just get a few jolts here and there and I am only getting back on track being OK to putting myself out there from time to time. While working in an office full of men may not be every woman’s ideal, stepping out of the comfort zone to do so can have some definite professional advantages – not to mention, it’s DRAMA free.

Opps or should I say I am the Only DRAMA here! LOL! 

Is this how we PRIORITIZE?

Although one might think I have disappeared yet again from the world of blogging, let me quickly explain that I was merely in Hiding and getting all geared by to face certain personal demons both inside me and OUTSIDE ME! No pun intended! :P

But a certain piece of information that I heard about PUSHED me out of my hiding place and forced me to give my opinion, judgment and a piece of my Mind! I have just come across this news of two Emirati nationals... girls, Hanan Al Rayes and Asma Al Muhairi, who have launched a Twitter "campaign" to URGE expatriates and tourists to "respect" the cultural sensibilities of the United Arab Emirates regarding DRESSING. In fact it seems their campaign pushed the Federal National Council to propose a law regarding dress code. *Smacks the face*

Wait wait... it doesn't end there... "Some Emirati activists want to protect the local culture from being RAVAGED by Western habits in the country's cosmopolitan society. While the Emiratis have preserved their local dress, they want to ensure a minimum level of decency in public places." PLEASE! Where have you, my fellow Emirates been all this while?? Were you all, like me,  in HIDING as well?  Or where you all drugged? Why the sudden interest in DRESS code? There have been many many incidents in the past where we have seen scantily clad GENTS (Ohh yaa... seen many of them mind you, let's not JUST blame the Fairer sex!) and ladies, in and around the hotels, malls, souqs, and even extremely crowded streets in Karama, Satwa and Bur Dubai. Nothing... Absolutely nothing was done then, so why now?

FORCING a Dress code on the expats in UAE NOW, is according to me very unintelligent! Someone told me, "Of course we can do that, why not? If I were to come into your house and start smoking and walking about with dirty slippers, wont you tell me not to do that??" Of course I WOULD! But I would tell you from Day one and not after waiting for years on end, making them feel extremely comfortable in what they were doing and then all of a sudden decide to IMPOSE my "Changed Mind frame" on them! Yes I say changed, because till now No one seems to make such a HUGE hue and cry about it so why NOW?

See I am all for the awareness signs were put in malls to urge shoppers to follow certain dressing guidelines, But with how effective these are... I really don't think these are going to make any difference.

In the past few years when all shopping malls here turned into major destination for shoppers and tourists, the issue of how men and women APPEAR in public began to gain a much greater attention. Mall entrances have come to carry signs and instructions relating NOT only to trash, pets, bicycles and skaters, but *dress codes* as well. The idea of modesty does not have a clear definition; (As goes the idea of ethics... Then again a different ball game altogether, which I shall address later.) I would like to think it just refers to wearing clothes that do not resemble wearing a swimming suit!  But at the same time in bars and night clubs, people can wear whatever they want, and there is no one that polices them there. On beaches, on the other hand, people who wear FULL clothes are not allowed to just sit and watch beach goers, because it is quite OBVIOUS that their goal is to watch rather than swim and this is considered an invasion of people’s privacy!

Why is that *foreigners* in particular should abide by such rules?? It is a question of personal freedom, and everyone should be FREE to do whatever they want in a city that opened its doors to every nationality in the world!!! Which boasts of being a melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities, a global Village if I may.

As I was going through some of the tweets, I realized that it has to some degree become inherently very racist and sexist towards WOMEN and *foreign* women in particular, stressing on the point that “the campaign aims for respecting the culture and dressing decently,”. Using words such as “repulsive” and “uncivilized” brings the question of how women are looked at in this part of the world,  giving the sense that they are judged from the outside!!! How can we Judge someone and use the word "Uncivilized" to describe someone's dressing sense? What is Civilized? Is being civilized covering ourselves completely and not even showing our faces? If being civilized lifting a veil covering our faces so that we can EAT? If we are to go there then there will be a huge uproar , so I rather NOT!  But something that the ladies in question, who have worked on the campaign, need to pay heed to is keep the discussion more open!!

Rather than focusing on how “immodest” women’s clothes appear, it would make more sense to stress on the openness of the Arab-Islamic culture in the UAE, and the tolerant nature of the community here, and how important it is for everyone to understand the values and culture of the other. Instead of using an “offensive” campaign that represents women in “an unpleasant way,” it would be much better to use a discourse that attracts people to the culture rather than creating hatred for it.

But What I feel is that such campaigns should really try NOT to push things too far for visitors, and create an environment that is HOSTILE towards its people, but to have a tolerant atmosphere, in which everyone understands each other’s values and cultures, be it Emiratis, or any other nationality.

I believe pushing for any law that defines "what people should wear in public" is not a going to lead to great results, because at the end of the day, the Emirate does not want to turn in to a strict ruled city, as this would affect its commercial and touristic image worldwide.

More importantly wouldn't it be wiser to focus our joined energies on increasing ROAD SAFETY, Pushing for the cause of using Baby Car SEATS, work on reducing ROAD RAGE?? In 2011 alone 720 people were killed and over 7800 injured in road mishaps!!! Are Clothes and Dressing Sense Really THAT Important that it supersedes HUMAN LIFE??

Frankly I don’t understand why people are offended by seeing someone in clothing they personally would not wear. If we are to go by the Same logic as these women then it should be absolutely okay for a French person to be offended at the sight of a woman in niqab or hijab.

LIVE and let LIVE, people!!!

Things that SHINE!

People will always fling stones in your path!! It depends on you… yes you, as to what you make from it:

A wall of difficulties? Or A bridge to success?

Every road has speed breakers, Do not stop or fret, (Or at least let us try to NOT to stop and NOT to fret)… BUT boldly go over them to reach their destination, Keep going strong and let rejections ONLY motivate you... It's Our Life... Our Journey...

Our Dreams and our Success...

Make the most out of today, dedicate and ensure you do...  It's YOUR Dream...

Protect IT and Achieve IT!

As you may have already realized this is more to ME than to anyone else. I have been at the receiving end of many bricks and bats, and STONES, not just now but all through my life and very recently while having a chat with a dear friend I have come to realize this is PATTERN. A Recurring Pattern.  I am perpetually thrown with things I find difficult to handle and just when I seem to be getting a hold of the situation, another one springs UP. Just like that! And he, my dear friend, said to me, while I was all dejected and upset… “…So don’t you worry your pretty little mind, people throw rocks at things that shine. And life makes love look hard. The stakes are high, the water’s rough, but at the end, this love is yours.” Yes, I admit he is a bit philosophical and not at all ORIGINAL, but…..

People throw rocks at things that shine.

Honestly, that is one of the PRUDENT and TRUTHFUL sentences I have ever heard! People throw rocks. I see this every day. Now… not literally rocks, but people can be so mean. I don’t really know why, but I do have my theories.

1.       THEY are insecure.

2.      THEY make themselves feel better by putting you down. (leads back to insecurity)

3.      THEY are jealous.

 

I think the problem with many people is that they can’t be themselves. And I’m not saying I’m not involved in this because I definitely must be. People think too much into what other people think about them. No one wants to be WHAT they truly are. Be it AGE, CULTURE, NATIONALITY, RELIGION. Everyone wants to be someone else. In a few examples : A forty five year old woman wants to pass off as a 16 year old, A Christian wants to follow Hindu traditions, a Keralite wants to pass of as a Mumbikaar. (I fail to see the need to do this. Really it is beyond ME!) I fail to understand the desperation in wanting to pass off as someone you quite obviously ARE NOT! Be yourself. Don’t live to impress others. Right??

Be Who You Are! And Say What You Feel, Because Those Who Mind Don't Matter and Those Who Matter Don't Mind - Dr Seuss

 

“Be who you are” is the first part of that quote. And if everyone on our planet took that advice, our world would be so much better! There wouldn’t have so much hatred. I often ask Mr. CLKP, “What is the World coming to?? Really what is it coming to??” He looks at me as though I am completely cuckoo in the head! People shouldn’t judge other people because of their own insecurities. People shouldn’t  put others down just to fit IN. What we need to do is just be who we really are. We really shouldn’t act like we are someone we aren’t just to impress people. Because if they don’t like you for who you are, then they aren’t worth impressing in the first place.

“Say what you feel.” I admit sometimes I am afraid to say what I really feel, not to all only to people, but to only those who matter (which is twisted I know).  And I am guessing so is everyone else.  What if we say something wrong? What if people make fun of us? We need to just stop worrying about it all. (I NEED TO!!) Saying things we don’t really mean, or lying, or acting like we won’t find us real people. Real people like what you say, and want to be around you for it.

“Because those who mind don’t matter.” Don’t get me wrong. If you act like yourself, people will judge. People will hate. You cannot please everyone. If somebody doesn’t like you for you, makes fun of what you say, then they aren’t worth talking to. Don’t over think the people who mind what you say. Don’t change yourself to show off to somebody else. It doesn’t matter what others think.

“Those who matter don’t mind.” It isn’t hard to figure out who your real friends are. It isn’t hard to figure out who should really matter to you. And who really cares about you. People who love you, your real friends, will like what you say and do. They will like you from the beginning. They will laugh with you, cry with you, and stay with you. They won’t care if you’re wrong, not at all. They don’t mind what you say or do, as long as your being you.

Let’s all make a pact to NOT BE afraid to be yourself. Because there isn’t anyone better. Be you and only you. People throw rocks.  There will always be people who are mean. There were always be people who bully. There will always be people who judge. There will always be people who throw rocks. Don’t let those people get to you. The only way to not let the rocks being thrown at you cause you any pain – is to ignore them.

People throw rocks at things that shine. You can’t control what other people do. You just can’t. So if someone ever puts you down, just remember this quote. You shine. People will always make up reasons to put you down. But if they do, just know – you shine. People throw rocks at things that shine…