Mumbai Meri Jaan

There are coincidences, and they happen to each one of us.
I had just finished watching the movie Mumbai Meri Jaan (Mumbai my love), and after a little while I hear about the seige that took place in Mumbai. It happened during Thanksgiving 2008. What is it that we should be thankful for? Should we be thankful that we weren't in those hotels when the attacks occurred? Yes, we should be. But what about the families of those who lost their loved ones? What about the ones who are severely injured, and fear a long and painful journey to recovery?
What has the world come to? All the people who were killed in the attack, what was worth more than their lives- money, power, or victory? It is said, jaan hai tho jahan hai (you have your life, you have the world). What happens to those who lost their lives- men, women and children, old, young, and the pregnant. I fail to fathom the motive behind such occurences. What has anyone gained out of these? Whoever planned this assault, what has he/ she gained from it? Can anyone make me see the whole point of it?
There is no safe haven anymore, anywhere. Man is his worst enemy, he is setting up a grandiose stage with all splendor, but this stage is going to crumble, very soon. We are not setting a secure future for our next generations, what they have in store is more bloodshed, pollution, uncertainity, and......
Each of us can make a difference, provided each of us believe that we can, and act to pitch in. It's never too late, isn't it? Or, is it?

Anxiety disorder, a state, not a disease

Anxiety is an unpleasant emotional state, the sources of which are less readily identified. It is frequently accompanied by physiological symptoms that may lead to fatigue or even exhaustion. Because fear of recognized threats causes similar unpleasant mental and physical changes, patients sometimes use the terms fear and anxiety interchangeably. Distinguishing among different anxiety disorders is important, since accurate diagnosis is more likely to result in effective treatment and a better prognosis.

Anxiety disorders are often debilitating chronic conditions, which can be present from an early age or begin suddenly after a triggering event. They are prone to flare up at times of high stress.A good assessment is essential for the initial diagnosis of an anxiety disorder, preferably using a standardized interview or questionnaire procedure alongside expert evaluation and the views of the affected person. There should be a medical examination in order to identify possible medical conditions that can cause the symptoms of anxiety. A family history of anxiety disorders is often suggestive of the possibility of an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety can be accompanied by headache, sweating, palpitations, and hypertension.

It is important to note that a patient with an anxiety disorder will often exhibit symptoms of Clinical Depression and vice-versa. Rarely does a patient exhibit symptoms of only one or the other.

There are different kinds of anxiety disorders- generalized, panic, agoraphobia, phobias, social anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, separation anxiety etc.Look up on the internet to see if you think you have one of these.The right treatment may depend very much on the individual's genetics and environmental factors. Therefore it is important to work closely with a psychiatrist, therapist or counselor who is familiar with anxiety disorders and current treatments.

Anxiety disorder is not a disease, it's just a state that sums up from various possible reasons, could be broken families, broken marriages or relationships, sexual abuse, physical abuse etc. Love and support of near and dear ones definitely helps a great deal. Meditation can also help relax your fears. For all those who think you have anxiety disorder, remember- "do not feel guilty", don't care if people do not understand your fears, it's not worth it. Try meditation, take up a hobby, keep yourself occupied. Talk to someone who you think would understand you. If there is no one around, talk to a doctor as to what would be best to subside your fears.

Also, feel free to write to me. Maybe I can help.

Sleep and blankets, blankets and sleep

I wondered that if our body is wrapped up in just clothes while we are awake (except of course when we leave our mother's secure womb, and while we take a shower :)), so why do we feel the need for clothes "and" a blanket while we are in slumber.

The answer... is body temperature... the link between body temperature and our body.

Not everybody realizes that our body temperature works and ticks like an internal clock controlling our sleeping cycles. Body temperature also controls the metabolism, circulation and other involuntary activities our body undertakes. Whenever you put big physical demands on your body your body temperature will rise above the norm. As a response to any intensive physical activity, the body temperature drops for a while as soon as you stop the activity. This is when you feel sleepy, and you feel the need for a blanket since your body temperature is below your regular body temperature during the day.

Though it might not be a neccessity, but most of definitely use a sheet during sleep time. I definitely do :)

Flesh and bones and what?

I would love to know what the world would be like a 100 years from now, 500 years from now, a 1000 years from now. But.. how would I know? I probably will have kids, and then grandkids, and maybe I can ask my grandkids, and then have them ask their grandkids, to send me pictures and videos of what the world is like "then". They will obviously have immensely advanced technology then... Well... whatever the technology is, my grandkids use it, and take snapshots of the future world, and put them in an envelope, or attach them in an email, ready to send them to me.
But... where will I be? What kind of a mailing address can they use? Where can they send it to? And though my email account would be active (no chance huh...), who will actually see those emails. What will happen to this entity called "me"? I know I will be dead, is there something after that?
The farthest I can go, is my grandkids, and then I will be forgotten. Just like that!
Check out the Bodies Museum, will give you an insight into how complex your body is, yet so fragile....

Innocence.. lost

The other day I was watching Forrest Gump, and I heard this person within me that wanted to come out, live and express freely. Maybe it was my soul.
In this hustle bustle of life, we don't realize when we are drained off the very essence of our being- innocence. A heart break, a humiliation, each passing year, bullies, take our our innocence in one form or the other, and then remains what is called "you" or "me".
Remember when we loved unconditionally, lived freely, laughed vivaciously, cried openly... Where did all that go?
Can we love unconditionally now? Not without the fear of getting hurt, not without expecting...
Can we cry openly now? Not without the thought of being judged, not without the fear of being labelled vulnerable....
What Forrest gave was love, what we give.. what is it?
So, is the world depriving us of innocence, or is it us?
Given a choice, would we want our innocence back in the same life, in the same world?

One of those days....

Yet another day...... where in my brain is bombarding me with questions, and my heart has no answers. I wander aimlessly, in search of the missing pieces of this enigma called life.
What is it that my heart craves for, what is it that my senses long for, what is it that's within me that is yearning to feel complete?
What is it that I want to do- get married? have kids? Or what is it that I am sceptical of doing- getting married? having kids?
It's been a while now, since these questions kept erupting within me, now and then, like dormant volcanoes, seemingly harmless, but who knows what lies beneath.
Now where is it that I can find answers for these- friend, mother, shrink?
Nowhere, except someday it should strike me like a bolt of lightning, maybe that will be my enlightenment.
But... what if it's too late?
The fear of dying with my dreams unrealized, sends shivers down my spine. What if I fail to realize what I want. As the last breath in me waits to get out, deep within, my core would feel incomplete, for a life not lived, for the dreams that remain unfulfilled, for the energy that is wasted, for the time that is lost....

Aum...

Om is not a word but rather an intonation, which, like music, transcends the barriers of age, race, culture and even species. It is made up of three Sanskrit letters, aa, au and ma which, when combined together, make the sound Aum or Om. It is believed to be the basic sound of the world and to contain all other sounds. It is a mantra or prayer in itself. If repeated with the correct intonation, it can resonate throughout the body so that the sound penetrates to the centre of one's being, the atman or soul.
There is harmony, peace and bliss in this simple but deeply philosophical sound. By vibrating the sacred syllable Om, the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the Ultimate Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach the highest state of "stateless" eternity, states the Bhagavad Gita.

Urdu

Urdu... one of the most musical languages that my ears encountered, ever since I started understanding words. To an extent, the beauty of a language is irrespective of us comprehending what's in it. The real beauty though, lies in each word of the language, transcending mere mortal comprehension.
Urdu is such a language, that leaves footprints on my soul, every time it walks into my ears.

Urdu, historically spelled Ordu, is an Indo-Aryan language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. They form a subgroup of the Indo-Iranian languages, which consists of three other language groups: the Iranian, Nuristani, and Dardic. It developed under Persian and to a lesser degree Arabic and Turkic influence on apabhramshas (is a term used by Sanskrit grammarians since Patanjali to refer to dialects of North India that deviate from the norm of Sanskrit grammar) during the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire (1526–1858 AD) in South Asia. Urdu is a standardised register of the standard dialect Khari boli. Khariboli has four varieties, Standard Hindi, Urdu, Dakhini and Rekhta. Each of these is a standard in its own right. Standard Hindi (also High Hindi, Nagari Hindi) is used as the lingua franca of Northern India (the Hindi belt), Urdu is the lingua franca of Pakistan, Dakhini is the historical literary dialect of the Deccan region and Rekhta is a highly Persianized register of Urdu used in poetry.

Urdu is often contrasted with Hindi, another standardised form of Hindustani. The main differences between the two are that Standard Urdu is conventionally written in Nastaliq calligraphy style (one of the main genres of Islamic calligraphy) of the Perso-Arabic script (writing system that is based on Arabic alphabet) and draws vocabulary more heavily from Persian and Arabic than Hindi, while Standard Hindi is conventionally written in Devanāgarī and draws vocabulary from Sanskrit comparatively more heavily. Linguists nonetheless consider Urdu and Hindi to be two standardized forms of the same language.

Urdu has been playing a major role in Bollywood since time immemorial. The latest in the rat race is Jodha Akbar, a page from the book of the life of Mughal Emperor Akbar. The film contains immense dialogs in Urdu. So all Urdu lovers, don't waste another minute :)

Come unto me.....

None of us know whether God exists or not. But belief does. And that's what makes us strong. This song is for all the broken hearts, do not give up, hope is around the corner, keep searching, and you will find a purpose; And for the strong hearts, for hope is always yours. Are you looking for someone to be gentle With your broken heart Your shattered dreams Are you searching for someone who’ll be faithful To you no matter what life brings Well I know the Maker of the storm, the sunrise He is both the Lion and the Lamb He is strong enough to shake all earth and heaven Yet meek enough to take me as I am He says Come unto me all who are weary And I will give you rest Bring what hurts, bring your scars, Bring the load that you carry And I will give you rest Are the clouds above your head oh so heavy Bursting with showers of despair Do you struggle under more than you can carry? Has life given more than you can bear? Would you like to trade your failures in for victories? Like piles of ashes in for piles of gold Can you fall down like a child who is helpless So He can pick you up and make you whole Sung by- Nicole C Mullen Listen to the song- http://youtube.com/watch?v=gVwVXlMEHaI