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Getting there!?!

February 17, 2011 Featured, Philosophy


A revolution, when ignited, is the most potent weapon to transform the society.

I Cannot see it now…but I know it’s somewhere behind!!

Nonetheless, even when there is no evident upheaval in the name of a movement, I sense there is a revolution – a dormant one.

What Egypt just witnessed is remarkable and historic. A people’s movement! No specific leader involved! The intensely burning hearts of the people who for years have sustained suppression of sorts, when got access to a social platform through networking sites figured the scale of the dormant revolution. The precursor of a huge wave… and BOOM… out wentMubarak!! Sure it was more painful and more dramatic and more drastic, involving more detailing than I am drawing out, but in culmination- it’s a fabulous example of people’s victory!!


Now, the bunch of questions that have been troubling me are – Do we really need to be pushed to the corner to wage a battle?? Are we taking our democratic freedom for an easy ride?? Does it really help to keep blaming the corrupt politicians?? Is lighting candles and shouting anti-govt. slogans really working?? Or maybe this is the beginning of a dormant revolution that might take a concrete shape once we get more aware of how much our hard earned money is stocked outside the country by the biggies.


I am not able to reach anywhere with these thoughts. How about you, my readers, pour in your thoughts on this. Lets make the next blog – your blog!! Please write in to contactmanavgohil@gmail.com and leave your write up so that I could select a couple of them and put it up on my blog.


Now, till I hear from you… take care and lots of love!!


Manav


Dreams Rekindled!

July 9, 2010 Life, Philosophy

As life meanders through the beautiful streets of achievements at times and at times through the rough patches on the highway… I ask myself…
Do I still have it in me? The fighter, the dreamer. Or has the little success made me complacent?

How desperately I wanted to win once!! Just ten years back when I was new to Mumbai… with all the directionless passion and the reality fraught with uncertainties, I still had an assurance of achieving my dreams.

As I was in the process of pondering through these thoughts, a dear friend shared this with me. It urged me to rekindle the fire, only this time with more equilibrium.

“Our Deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our Light, not out Darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you NOT to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Nelson Mandela, Inaugural Speech,South Africa,1994.

I want to dream… and dream big!! My dreams, my aspirations cannot belong to me alone. My undefeated presence & my success have a lofty purpose. It transcends the realm of ‘I ME MYSELF’. I owe it to the mystic power that once assured me of my dreams, ten years back.

Thought will share it with you.

Love,
Manav

The heart is a poem, the mind..a prose!!

February 27, 2010 Philosophy

The heart is a poem, the mind..a prose!!

‘Global Civilization: A Buddhist – Islamic Dialogue’, a book – an interaction between Dr. Daisaku Ikeda and Majid Tehranian, that I have been reading lately has inspired me to draw the analogy that I have taken the help of to bring home the point.

The difference between poetry and prose is predominantly that of a heart and a mind. They are both vehicles of expression, but a little different in their effect.

In any given language, these two literary forms use words to express. While the words weaved in poetry soar far beyond their intrinsic meaning, the ones used in prose often become deadlocked as mere text. They both exude a meaningful thought, but the poem has the capacity that can set the heart on a free flight.

A dream sprouting from the heart might sometimes take longer to scale, but the one spurring from the mind could often end up in a hollow, capitalistic chase and could become lesser meaningful.

Thus, In our youth, when adrenaline is still pumping, when inner fires are still raging, it becomes imperative that we have a heart that dares to dream, and the mind that has the vigor to chase that dream through tenacious efforts. 

If we were to not conduct our struggles correctly today, we are sure 
to end up with (perhaps) full pockets but empty hearts in years to 
come. On the other hand, if we can nurture a heart of dreams (honest to our lives) and the 
patience to persevere in our efforts, we would never have a regret!!

Even the winner in the ‘Rat Race’ ends up being a Rat. Whereas, if we were to run the race based on humanitarianism- money would flow consequentially, and we – still end up being Humans!!


Having sounded preachy, I still feel the pedigree of youth today have much more potential. Just when one feels that the adversities & challenges the human race is facing are getting overpoweringly steep, I feel thorough delight as I
 observe that the youth today is more responsible and aware; be it
 towards their fundamental rights as citizens, or towards saving trees, 
tigers, water or the planet itself.

Youth… Jai ho!!

Lots of Love & Best Wishes,

Manav

www.manavgohil.com

BTW : Wish you a (waterfree) Happy & Safe Holi!!

Enjoy the journey … called life!

August 5, 2009 Life, Philosophy, Travel
Enjoy the journey … called life!
My recent Europe trip has been one of the most memorable ones; with its share of illuminations, adventure and exhilaration in equal parts. I have already shared with you the inspiring times I got to spend with Clasien, the lady who is fighting cancer and yet taking in more from the world than most of us.

This one’s about a guy Shweta and I met on our train journey from Venice to Rome. He belongs to a country that the world knows as – ‘The heaven on earth’. It is beautiful, clinically hygienic, picturesque, high on natural resources & per capita incomes … you name it and the country is replete with it.

One thing led to another and we obviously ended up talking about his beautiful country. He very
modestly accepted the remarks and compliments on the country’s’ behalf. But what he said next was something that got me thinking for almost the rest of the night!

With all the money, beauty & a dream lifestyle on their side, he confessed, they are still not the happiest of people. On the contrary, there are more than a normal number of cases of depression out there. He felt, after having traveled the world, that the majority of the people of his country live an isolated life. They have everything a man would want to live a fulfilling life, but are unable to enjoy it.

“Perhaps they can not come to appreciate their lives the way people from outside the window do“, he said. The rate of suicide is on the ascent … and still, the country is on the top in the wish list of any traveler.

He was a wise man. He acknowledged all this and attributed it the lack of struggles. He believes that their lives are far too perfect to be able to enjoy it on a regular basis. No challenges make it a
bland affair. Such irony!

Our daily challenges are actually the propellers of our growth and developments. The process of negotiating with them itself adds the ‘spark’ to our mundane lives. Life otherwise would be not worth the while.

We chase the final victory in things … but lets not forget to enjoy the journey itself. Because that’s what actually makes the destination beautiful – how we have conducted ourselves through the (often difficult) journey.

So the question is – do we escape these problems of our daily life? Or do we embrace them? And make them the catalyst for our sustained growth; to make life worth living with its fair shares of victories and defeats.

Let’s take a moment to stop where we are, look around our lives, and appreciate every single situation, person, and problem that we come across. Because had it not been for the presence of these challenges, we would not be able to live to the fullest, this endless journey called LIFE!

Signing off,
Manav



Recent Comments

  • manisha: hey Manav......really liked ur pics ...:).bt 1 thing u wrote which m unable to digest......in the beginning of ur article u mentioned urself...
  • manisha: no articles for the last 2 months,so bzy.......no problem ......anyways being bzy in work is a sign of progress....
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