SimplyJITH

Love...

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:38:00 +0000

fáilte grá!

They say love is an ugly business - one is never happy, yet one never gets tired of it. It has come to be a routine exercise for everyone of us following the “living in the moment” method. This speaks of a trait, to be fully present and aware of oneself and one’s needs / desires and be selfish about it – definition of present day love. It speaks of a state which seeks no observation beyond necessary, unwarranted appreciation, patience, quiet, ability to turn off the clock and put away the calendar and never expect anything in return for any love showered.

While most of us might be of the view, that we do not live in such times – and that we truly love people in our lives. In theory, being in a relation involves learning how to pay attention, and the process of getting there is far easier than one might think. There are a few simple things one needs to do right to stay in the present and pay attention to your partner, and be of the opinion that you are in love and really care for him/her.

If you wish to see if what you perceive as love is love indeed – there is a simple method. Close your eyes and let the sounds around you filter through you and notice the underlying noises that you may have been tuning out. Next, open your eyes and notice the colors and sights around you in this same subtle, attentive way. You may be surprised at how much you actually notice about your internal and external presence. If you try this, you will probably find that “paying attention” will take on a whole new meaning, and it will be a very nice one at that. If being in a relation puts you through a similar experience – emotionally or physically, then it is not love but just an emotional arrangement you are clinging onto.

I hope that you can take some time this week to understand love – and not exist in relation thinking it is love. I feel sure that it will change your experience in “now” time and that's not a bad goal for starters.

Enjoy!

- - Abhijith Jayanthi

Dublin, 2007

My Principles...

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:42:00 +0000

Many people go through life disappointed and dejected because they have lost faith in their principles – construing that all around them are happy by not following any such principles. This is a particular social psychological scenario (which is on the rise) that refers to the way in which people perceive, comprehend, and interpret the world around them – affecting their ability to realize their dreams. They find suitable and convenient excuses for falsification of such a hypothesis. Often excuses include such as due to a lack of money, fear of ridicule or failure, lack of familial support and feelings of being tied to the present situation with no way out. I imagine that all of us have experienced these feelings at one time or another. While for some of us, this negative feeling is only temporary, for others, it may be hard to accept that our dreams are actually within our reach, and possible without letting go our principles.

I think we all have the ability to achieve our dreams, but we may just need to adjust how we look at them. In other words, we may need to look at them from a different perspective. It is important that we understand that every one of us is unique and, thus exist different yardsticks to judge any moral/ethical position one takes. It is important to realize to judge ourselves and others through a structured approach at understanding which yardstick suits each of us best.

This will give you a chance to find out if it is really what you want. Serendipity happens, and it happens more often when we are actively engaged in achieving something important to us. I encourage you to let go of old excuses and start thinking about the necessity to understand the variance of judgment criteria – ways to realize what you desire without letting go your principles will follow. Think about steps that could help you get there, and take those steps. And then just imagine how wonderful you will feel once you begin your journey! Soar high!

Happy 2012!

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 07:38:00 +0000

We dreamt....

lived many such moments.

With our heart and soul

we found creative wings to see them take flight

We learn...

new methods everyday – tangible inspirations.

With our determination

we fuel our creative spirit, experiment and grow

We will soar...

towards the sky of our bliss-filled inspiration.

With zeal and pride

let us be ourselves and live every dream.

for...there is no charm otherwise...

This New Year...let every dream of yours take flight...

- Abhijith Jayanthi

As we enter 2012, I wanted to share an interesting story – a story shared by a friend of mine. Long ago, there lived a learned elderly man amongst the Cherokee Tribe (for the uninitiated, Cherokee is an Indo – American Tribe). One day, he was sharing an interesting lesson with young kids of the tribe.

He said, “All through our lives, we have a fight going on – inside us. It’s a terrible fight between two wolves – one stood as a representation for emotions such as fear, anger, envy, inferiority and false pride. Another stood for joy, peace, truth, love and compassion. It is this fight that defines each of us – how we mould our lives. This fight is going on inside you and inside every other person too…”

He was interrupted by an enthusiastic kid, “Which wolf will win at the end?”

“The one you will feed…” he replied.

Let us win over our negative emotions, grow and go from strength to strength this year!

Wish you a happy and prosperous 2012!

- Abhijith Jayanthi

Lesson : Rising Sun

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 06:58:00 +0000

This morning I was up just before dawn began to slip its soft orange glow over the eastern horizon. And even though the weather has grown colder and the days a bit cloudier, I still enjoy being up early and sitting with my first cup of coffee, watching the world around me come to life. There's just something solid as well as invigorating in being up early when the day actually begins.

I see those moments watching the sun come up a great start to my day, and it's a ritual I rarely depart from. Today, there is a lesson that I learnt – Your willingness to give up a bit of shut-eye for the personal satisfaction of doing something you truly enjoy can pay off in better physical and emotional health. If you're a night owl – there are reasons for making the switch.

Nature prescribes change – to grow from within. People often change for two reasons. It can be either that you have learned enough that you want to change or you have been hurt enough that you see the need to. I hope you'll take a few minutes to value yourself and follow the prescription – to be a better you!

- Abhijith Jayanthi

Date: 14 February 2010

Place : Boston

Relationships: Victims of Trust Deficit

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:22:00 +0000

It is important to understand how present day relationships enjoy greater degree of trust deficit – result being they are often short lived filled with selfish needs. A wise man once said, "First we try, and then we trust....” which aptly sums up the present day reality of relationships. Today, relations are initiated through a series of lies – which frame the foundation and that shall never last long.

Why did a relation not last beyond a certain point – what went wrong? Fights are common in any relation, but if both are honest with one another in a relation, they will live through it and see the brighter side. It is important that we seek true reflections of our intentions in our actions. If almost everything in one’s quaint little town of relations beguiles, from its architecture to its art to its warmth – relations do not last, and in the longer run one will lose respect for self. Relations are about trust, not about deceit or secrecy – intentions to be sincere in a relation matters the most.

Relations are meant to strengthen us emotionally and help us grow as a person – and not puncture our hopes and turn us into weak beings that simply exist. One should improve oneself to contribute and be true to every relation he is engaged with.

- - Abhijith

Nov 11, 2011 – KL

Life – A lonely Walk

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 11:23:00 +0000

Well, we human beings tend to notice the differences much easily than the similarities. Probably this is one of the reason why most of us are reluctant to see changes. Before I proceed further, I wish to state why I intend to call life a lonely walk, perhaps its even more interesting to notice the fact that I wish to address it as “A” rather than “The” .What most of us don’t notice or are blissfully ignorant is the thin line of difference between understanding what domains are to be treated as a group activity and what domains are to be treated as one’s own efforts. The existence of society, community is valid to the extent that we tend to be one among others who has got similar thought process and motivation which I wish to address by calling it “A” lonely walk rather than “The” lonely walk. It would be appreciable if one understands that the definition of society or community ceases to exist beyond that point wherein every individual tends to create an impression about himself and his actions alone would be responsible for the image that he portrays which is the reason why I wish to call it a lonely walk.

This piece of writing was pursued during the time when I was fortunate enough to attend a talk by Steve Jobs - his life presents itself as an apt example for others to learn from. What I wish to talk about is not about the cultural, social or political differences that exist for as a matter of fact they exist and are clear enough to be noticed. What I wish to point out is the fact that how loneliness helps you at times in understanding what you truly are as a person and what you truly need out of life in terms of the emotional support that you need, the freedom that you wish to enjoy and the extent of commitment that you can promise on personal and professional front.

I salute Steve Jobs for his relentless efforts to innovate and make our lives simple and better! May his soul rest in peace! (Added Oct 8 2011)

Date: July 23rd 2006

Posted: Simply Me!

Location: LA - CA

Diabolic Act: Mephistophelian Glint in Her Eyes

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 17:04:00 +0000

Every relation goes through a phase when one is suppose to rediscover the reason for being in a relation...or if one cannot do so, may be move on. Not everyone is well equipped or receive formal training to handle relationships. Relationship is not something which one can restrict using a time domain. It is important to realize that the equation changes but relationship continues to exist, although with different set of rules defining the dynamic.

We all have our own ways of mourning. For Albert, it is to literally do what his heart desires at that moment – being alone and shutting himself off from the rest of the world. Today being no different: Albert was lying on the sitting room sofa – with his legs on the window sill, his dark brown eyes staring straight up at the roof. Occasionally, he makes sounds that make no sense to the untrained ear and screams in a deafening, high-pitched tone when he cannot get to control his emotions. Every so often, he flaps his hands uncontrollably in the air. Sometimes, his body starts to violently jerk – been his daily routine since past few weeks.

Around evening – after 7 hours of staring into thin air…he rolls up his sleeves, gets up and walks towards his desk. Settling down to write his diary, he is lost in thought. It was a long entry—almost two thousand words—for his day, too, had been eventful recollecting moments of the past.

Entry in Albert’s Diary – March 11^th

I have stayed up late too many nights pondering this question. I think back of my relation. I never really understood if any bit of her emotion was true. Does that mean I’m just that naive or did I just pick the wrong woman? Almost everyone I know has been cheated on; I couldn’t be the lucky ONE that has never been through such an experience, could I? After all, most of the present day women are unfortunate reflections of destiny – a bad joke by nature which went horribly wrong.

The reason this question has been consuming my thoughts for the past six weeks is because I think we had a warm relationship – worthy enough for a decent and respectful exit. All the signs were there. She was distant and angry with me for no reason. She denied any wrong doing but her behavior - more so, her reasons, were still suspicious.

One day – truth was out. It made me feel sick to my stomach. She lived a life of thousand lies….

To be continued…

P.S.: This blog post presents a first view/glimpse of the chapter titled 'Diabolic Act: Mephistophelian Glint in Her Eyes' of my book (not yet published) titled Precocious Truth: Unrequited Love. You may read the prologue for the same here

India: A Glimpse

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 05:26:00 +0000

Ladies and Gentlemen! Namaste to all of you from India! Today, as we are sharing the perceptions here at the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Summer School, and as I am asked to give a glimpse of my country, I apologize in advance because for a civilization with a history that, according to some sources, dates back to 6500 BC, which currently has more than 150 languages, each spoken by atleast 10,000 people and 22 official languages, a civilization that has 28 states, all of them having their own different culture, festivals, dance forms, language, art, belief system, sports, film industry, political parties, and food delicacies, a civilization that saw so many people from all over the world invade it and leave their own footprints behind with many more languages, arts and culture, it's practically impossible to give even a glimpse about a country in such a short period of time.

So, I would not like to speak about any of the above mentioned topics, nor would I like to speak about the things that are already being spoken about India - about it's booming economy, it's expertise in Science & Technology, it's recently launched world's cheapest spacecraft to moon, the Yoga, Spirituality, 1.2 billion population that's increasing every second, Ayurveda, Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan or Amitabh Bacchan. What I would like to speak about is much more wider, and fits the context of this conference. It is something that is never spoken about specifically, but holds significance in every Indians life. It is something that influences the whole Indian mentality right from the Childhood. And it is not something that is taught formally in schools, but it is something that comes from within the Indian culture, that gets imparted from generation to generation through multiple means like Grandma's stories or spiritual gurus or children's books and comics. No one knows where this comes from exactly, but as we grow, no matter what education system Britishers would have thrust upon Indians, these teachings have been embedded so deep inside the Indian DNA that even Alexander the Great agreed he couldn't remove from the Indian gene. And this is, in my opinion, answer to one of the biggest questions that not only the whole world, but India too has for itself - that inspite of so much diversity, so many languages, so many religions with many of them having their own set of extremist thinkers and actors, sometimes exploding the bombs, sometimes killing others in the riots, inspite of all this, how does India actually work?

I would like to go back to childhood days and talk about some things that come to my mind have had an influence in my life, and I believe they have had similar influence in all the other Indians' minds as well.

1. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – which means that the whole world is one single family, I was taught. The concept, written in Hitopadesha - a collection of sanskrit prose and verse written in 12 C.E. - meaning ‘This is my own relative and that is a stranger’ – is the calculation of the narrow-minded. For the magnanimous-hearts, however, the entire earth is but one family'. It is also seen to be similar to the ancient African concepts like Ubuntu. This concept always comes in the path of our hatred or a feeling of difference towards any other human being.

This gigantic idea (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam) is an exclusively Indian contribution to world peace. This ancient nation evolved a world-view based on the motto "Loka samasta sukhina bhavantu" (Let the entire world be happy) thousands of years before any League of Nations or United Nations was thought of to avoid global strife. The Indian nation evolved this grand vision not by marching its armies and conquering the rest and offering peace; but by the inner-directed pursuit of universal values by the saints living in the forests and mountains of India.

2. Jiyo aur Jeene Do - which means Live and Let Live - the concept followed and propagated by Lord Mahavir. The concept says that one should let others live their lives as they see fit. The concept Live and let live was also used as a system of conflict avoidance used in trench warfare in World War I. And this concept is embedded so deeply in the hearts of the Indians that it's no surprise that many ancient Indian belief systems find it odd to kill even a mosquito biting them, forget about initiating an attack on another country.

3. Atithi Devo Bhavah - It's a part of the verse from the Upanishads written thoudands of years ago. The verse reads as - "Matri devo bhavaḥ, Pitri devo bhavaḥ, Acharya devo bhavaḥ, Athiti devo bhavah" which means The Mother is God, the Father is God, the Teacher is God, [and] the guest is God." No wonder that still many families in India have joint families with Grandparents, Parents, Uncles and siblings staying together in one house. And no wonder that India was attacked by so many "guests" in the recent past. I still remember the story that I was told in the childhood about a pigeon couple that jumps into the fire when they see that the hunter has not been able to catch anything for the whole day and is hungry sitting in the cold forest. This concept "Guest is God" is one of the greatest contributions to the Indian thinking and it's tolerance to infinite diversity that we come across in our daily lives.

In 3000 years of our history people from all over the world have come and invaded us, captured our lands, conquered our minds. From Alexander onwards. The Greeks, the Turks, the Moguls, the Portuguese, the British, the French, the Dutch, all of them came and looted us, took over what was ours. Yet we have not done this to any other nation. We have not conquered anyone. We have not grabbed their land, their culture, their history and tried to enforce our way of life on them. Why? Because we respect the freedom of others.

In the end, I would like to read another verse that we're taught right from childhood. It is: "Sarve bhavantu sukhinah, Sarve santu niramayah.. sarve bhadraani pashyantu, ma kaschit dukhbhaak bhavet" which means "may every one be happy, may every one be free from all diseases, may every one see goodness and auspiciousness in every thing, may no one be unhappy or distressed"

And this is the India that I come from!

Vande Mataram!

P.S: This is the text format of the speech delivered by my friend Saurabh Jain at UNAoC Summer School - Portugal on 29th August 2011

Dialogue in the Dark

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 17:23:00 +0000

"I am in pain, leave me alone", Albert said it tonelessly, almost hopelessly, no anger, not even an eye-lid moved, and then he got up to move away.

Her hand waved in a feeble gesture, her bony face and cheeks contorted with shame, and then with an almost a deathly expression she blurted.

"I am still yours. Nothing has changed. I am sorry I did not mean to cheat on you. Rachel will get naked Albert, she is yours. Have me! "

Her body continued to shudder. And then all at once she was seized by despair. She clenched her teeth so as to not scream...and leaned against the wall. And then tears rolled down her pale face.

Taking a momentary pause in his stride Albert said, “True indeed. You are already naked. There is no reason for you to strip your clothing. I love you Rachel, it was never your impulsive liking for physical pleasure that attracted me. There is more to a relation, which goes beyond what usually attracts your eye. There is no reason for me to believe that you will understand my soul crushing pain. You broke my trust again…your promise never to lie”

Rachel had been patient and stoic throughout. She continued to stare at the floor beneath her in shame. She knew it was the third time she did not keep her promise with Albert.

To be continued…

P.S.: This blog post presents a first view/glimpse of the chapter titled 'Dialogue in the Dark' of my book (not yet published) titled Precocious Truth: Unrequited Love. You may read the prologue for the same here

Beggars' Philanthropy

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 03:15:00 +0000

If you think you will be reading about few unfortunate people whom we find in our public life, then please be advised that it is not so. This post is about everyone of us, it is about our attitude towards being organized – a common crisis and thereafter.

Many of us have a complaint about feeling powerless to events influencing our life in these turbulent times we are living. Certainly there are many factors beyond our control that can affect us, such as the economy, our jobs, value of our savings or retirement plans, our mortgages, and even the weather. Rarely, we have a plan or answer to such events. Yet, we consider ill – organized planning, a result of such events.

The first thing you need to do is to work on a vision of how you want your life to be, as well as a clear plan on how to get there. It is surprising to discover that most of us are simply wandering along just letting life happen to us, all the while wishing that our dreams would come true. Why should we sit back, waiting for life to happen as it will, when we have the power to set our own goals and the energy and desire to make our dreams a reality? Setting goals puts you squarely in charge of your own life, and that is a very desirable situation.

Think about it!

Dignity of Doubt

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 03:39:00 +0000

People love surrounding themselves with all kinds of gossips and rumors – enhancing curiosity quotient about them. Looking for a possible explanation for such a trend, I asked people around me, and those whom I have met during my travel to different places around the world – if keeping oneself as a well guarded bubble of false claims helps and what is the expectation behind it?

Few of them laughed, saying that this imagery had become the "control room" of their lives. That answer told me everything I needed to know about the probable cause of their irregular contentment patterns. A lot of people don't realize it, but all of our intellectual appliances come with a prescribed method of use. There is a limit beyond which it will have a negative impact. Playing on a subtle yet crucial factor of trust you enjoy with others will invariably raise doubts about your dignity quotient – nevertheless it adds value to their argument. Such a trend needs a new way to understand oneself – Dignity of Doubt.

I believe nature has answers to all our questions; all we need to do is connect the dots. To explain my position, let me draw an analogy from nature. The Earth, Sun, and atmospheric phenomenon, such as thunderstorms and the northern lights, all have their own course of action and we are made sensitive to these natural energy forces, if we continue to ignore and respect them for long – not otherwise. There is never an attempt by nature to ‘up the curiosity quotient’, yet we understand her might and the aftermath loss of her fury.

There are certain things, which require a mention in our daily lives, for anything else we rarely need a platform to announce – there is a grand plan which we need to adhere to. Give it a thought, ask yourself – if what you wish to showcase about yourself to others is true and most importantly is it necessary? There is dignity in such a doubt – and it goes a long way.

I was convinced that this simple method – dignity of doubt had made a big difference in my life.

You might want to evaluate what you are and if this makes a positive difference for you.

- Abhijith

What is Appropriate?

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 07:26:00 +0000

Who defines what is appropriate? In the present day world, the rich array of attributes portrayed by an individual, as it is the case with everyone, come with the backdrop of a certain temperament bias. We call this bias our psychological "type". The world of human relationships carries a different value proposition to each of us, and the feelings of others may or may not be on the scale of our priorities. Yet all of us are often caught in a conflict between our need for warmth and closeness with others, and our need for privacy, individual space and the freedom to pursue our own interests - which unfortunately often involve abstract concepts quite divorced from human reality.

The interplay between the conscious and unconscious sides of our personality is a constantly shifting dance, changing at different stages of our life and altering according to the pressures and challenges which one encounters. The tension between the primary characters in our inner drama is the source of energy which provides our life with movement, purpose, conflict and growth.

It is important to learn, nothing that occurs within a relationship is chance. Our “type” describes what one is like inside, and therefore what kind of patterns, needs and compulsions one is likely to bring into his/her relationships with others. When we try to project the primitive side of our nature onto the other person in any relation - which means that we unconsciously push him/her into acting out on the aggression and provocativeness, the relationship suffers a strain. There is a necessity to understand what is appropriate? But the larger question is who defines what is appropriate?

An honest and realistic understanding of our fundamental strengths can help us in answering this question. With little effort in this direction, we can nurture, cherish our relationships and spread joy and happiness in all spheres of human interchange.

Final Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 12:46:00 +0000

Dear Rachel,

I had a dream…a dream about myself few years from now. It was about me writing a letter and delivering it at your grave…

Rachel,

Little, may be insignificant something originated from the brief intersection of our lives some time ago. I remember the day when we met after a long time. You asked me if I was honest in what I said. I answered affirmatively, and you revealed yourself as the same, in a soft voice barely audible over the noise in the surrounding. I remarked on the karmic connection of our present premises…being connected after a long time. You returned with, "Yes, and despite the technology too."

On the other hand, your affirmation was evidently not genuine, which I could gather little later. I was honest to counsel you from my amateur's seat of clarity. I asked if you truly are where your heart is, because that is where you must be, and stop living on others’ emotions. With your canny demeanor, you replied that you were true about your emotions. My respect for honesty did not seem to impress you with a prospect for your immediate success. Discoveries about your relentless efforts to deceive everyone in your life surprised me. My inevitable decision...my choice to let go followed.

You were like a river singing the same song with the gushing waters, no matter who stops by to enjoy your melody. Alas, you could not realize that a song of love is worthy enough to be true and a continuous one. My thoughts and feelings were never understood, for we had no language in common.

Now that you are no more, and that I write to you after a long time, I feel awkward, for writing to a person like you, who not only suffered while being alive, but also not regretful enough that you bless your soul to suffer more, for sinful deeds of your existence.

May your soul rest in peace, or in pieces?

With dignity,

Albert

To be continued…

P.S.: This blog post presents a first view/glimpse of the chapter titled ‘Final Dream’ of my book (not yet published) titled Precocious Truth: Unrequited Love. You may read the prologue for the same here.

Paradox : Present Day Reality

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 17:20:00 +0000

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait.

We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just let go...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. An embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

- George Carlin

P.S: This blog post is not a work of mine. I hope this post will be an inspiration.

A Leap of Faith

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 04:50:00 +0000

"See what you can do when you put your mind to it and take a leap of faith..."



Few
lines capture our attention...and this little note from a friend of mine did
just that. I was asked to treat it as a personal reminder that I have the
ability to realize my dreams as long as I am willing to take a leap of faith
and to work hard. All too often we dream big, but think small, and this action
can stifle our progress of putting our plans into action.

   

When
you think about it, it's pretty easy to dream and to follow our flights of
imagination. We can easily allow our thoughts and imagination to fill in the
gaps that follow sentences like, "What if . . .?" Such questions can
lead us to write down ideas, make plans, draw maps and diagrams and visualize
how things could be when we follow our dreams. In some ways, this thinking or
imagining phase is the easy part. The more difficult step is actually trying to
make things happen.

    

This
active step is more difficult because we may fear failure or fear that others
will find us foolish or crazy. Such negative thoughts can bring our dreams to a
complete halt. It's sad to think that our own fears can actually keep us from
realizing our dreams, especially when those fears are unfounded. I just want to
clarify here that I'm not talking about that proceeding forward blindly or
foolishly when pursuing our dreams. Putting dreams into action often requires
determination, strategy, planning, and hard work.

    

If
you have a dream you want to follow up on, do some thought work before you
begin making it happen. Make a list of the pros and cons of going forward with
your dream. If solid and clear negatives outweigh the positives, you may not be
ready to forge ahead. But if the cons are more connected to fears, then it may
be time to take a deep breath and plunge in.

    

The
most important thing is to weigh the possibilities and decide your next step.
How often have you had a dream you were hesitant about pursuing? Maybe it's
time to make it happen. Listen to your imagination, take a leap of faith, and
bring your dreams to life. And if a dream seems too far-fetched, put it aside
for the time being and move on to the next one.



All
the best! Take the leap!

BBR : Bitch(es) Beyond Repair

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:19:00 +0000

I've had this post sitting as a draft - work in progress for over a year now. Often when an important media outlet publishes something about being an 'independent woman'...I read it, find it either boring or angering, feel unsatisfied, left out, talked down to, or all of the above. If the story spoke about a particularly narrow minded approach of looking at independent women (by narrow minded, I refer to outlook towards present day realities), I consciously choose not to think on it, and I put it aside and move on.

These stories felt unrealistic and awful, in many ways they kept my anguish alive, although I couldn't have known at that time the extent to which they were very particular stories told from a particular perspective, presented as a truth long untold. On the contrary, I consider concepts such as feminism and being an 'independent woman' enjoy obnoxious comfort zone in our present day social life. Most of the stories speak of a dubious trend - a collectively guarded bubble of hope...feminism.

Bitch(es) Beyond Repair

The primary point that I wish to discuss in this post: Is the phrase 'independent woman' passé? Unfortunately, unlike many others who wish to follow the acceptable trend to guard the bubble, I want to discuss about being an 'independent woman'. The picture she (an independent woman) paints of contemporary sexuality and contemporary life feels like the opposite of an acceptable social revelation. Certainly for those of us, who fit neatly into a gender debate, will argue otherwise.

During my last visit to United States, I remember hearing one woman say,

"...sorry for hurting you and to break your heart, truly this is not me...it is how people made me to be...I seek growth, and to be truthful will mean a compromise..."

An interesting phrase in that conversation,

...to be truthful will mean a compromise...gave me reasons enough to think about the possibility of an emerging trend...independent women, babelicious are a passé...

Ladies and Gentlemen...allow me to present to you...Bitch(es) Beyond Repair...the emerging social trend...when a woman turns into a heavily resource consuming commodity with little or no ethical judgment, immaturity beyond comprehension, attitude beyond control and uses her sexuality, rather than intellect as the tool for career / worldly progression...we have a bitch beyond repair (BBR).

Being Me: Myself

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 02:49:00 +0000

Everyone of us, go through various emotions every day, and have different experiences that we learn from. Sometimes, nothing seems to happen, no matter how hard we try – be it our career plans or personal relationships. And if it continues to be so for a long time, we get frustrated with life and believe that we are unlucky. Unfortunately, during such times we allow several unfortunate events in our life to affect our feelings about ourselves and to dictate our future. Because we believe that we are unlucky and that bad things happen to us on a regular basis, we attract the very things we wanted to avoid.

It is important to realize that each of us have the power to be successful at anything we put our mind to. The Laws of Attraction, will explain how what one focuses on is what one attracts. In actuality, we are very powerful at manifesting things and our "bad luck" is proof of that. The problem is that we keep focusing our energy in the wrong direction.

For those amongst us, who are going through a trend explained above, I wish to propose a little exercise. Allow yourself some time; sit quietly for a moment and look into your heart to find the thing you most desired to do with your life right now. You will have to think about things that might help speed up your path of being what you wish to be. Come up with a list of daily activities to move towards your goal. And finally it is important to realize that gratitude has the power to attract abundance into one's life. It is important that you frame your daily routine as follows:

1. Spend several minutes every morning before getting out of bed imagining your life as someone you wish to be.

2. Then be thankful to the universe that you were good and well-paid at what you want to be, even though it hadn't happened yet.

3. And at some time each day, try to do at least one activity that will move you towards your goal.

It is a six weeks experiment, which you will have to follow and you will come to see how you can make your own magic happen, if you just continue to focus your energy in the right direction. Anyone who chooses to follow the three steps outlined above can create their own magic. So the next time you experience a burning desire in your heart, I suggest you give it a try and watch the magic happen

- Abhijith Jayanthi, 25 May 2011

Formulae : To Unlearn

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 19:19:00 +0000

Rachel,

Friendships and emotional connections have an influential role over our health. In fact, our relationships are apparently even more important to our psychological well-being than our careers. Such relationships for the elderly who remain emotionally active boost their cognitive functions and help them to stay healthier and live longer.

However, we all can enjoy the benefits, but we have to invest time and energy into developing and maintaining them. I know that sometimes this is easier said than done, but it is well worth the effort.

I am going through a transitional thing now. After you called, I decided to get on the plane and get here and get you back. I hate to fly often, but I told myself that there is no way that everything we built will come crashing down just because of someone, who wants to steal my woman. I bought the ticket, got on the plane and somehow made it across the big blue ocean.

Then the most extraordinary thing happened…everything went wrong...I was on the street feeling cold, without a hope in the world and let me tell you, you can do a lot of soul searching in a time like that. I realized I spent most of my adult life trying to protect myself from exactly this situation and you can’t do it.

There is no home safe enough, no country nice enough, there is no relationship secure enough, you are setting yourself up for a even bigger fall and having an incredibly boring time in the process...

Continued....

P.S.: This blog post presents a first view/glimpse of the chapter titled 'Formulae: To Unlearn' of my book (not yet published) titled Precocious Truth: Unrequited Love. You may read the prologue for the same here.

Life : Social Butterfly

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:47:00 +0000

Disclaimer: If you are here expecting to read about an inspiration - As butterflies flutter, so does the freedom to see our dreams take flight, this post will be of little or no use.

About couple of years ago, I was 22 years old and had many ambitions. I was standing in the bathroom looking at the mirror on the blank white wall, with multitude of thoughts in my mind; I was confused and did not have a sense of direction. Then I thought, “Well, what do you expect? You are just 22 and you still have to learn a lot, before you can declare that you have arrived! It is supposed to be challenging path ahead.”

Now, as I stand in front of the same mirror; mosaic of words, emotions, and feelings fill my mind. But, I am not confused anymore, about what life is about and about me – I. It was no longer just a blank white wall. Now it was a wall holding the mirror reflecting my personality – solutions lie within us. I’ve always believed in emotions. I’ve always believed – and been interested in – the emotions that most people pay no attention to; ordinary emotions – including emotions that frame casual relationships with strangers. We all experience them every day, but give little or no thought to how much power they carry. We can all agree that inspirations happen from everyday experiences and change our lives, but we usually take emotions for granted. There is a necessity and you’re supposed to study your own emotions and when it’s time, it’s time. This is what I believe in. Two years… and I understood, the only lesson to learn is to understand emotions. It’s my religion.

SimplyJITH Partners: Zillion Arts

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 18:15:00 +0000

It gives us great pleasure to announce that SimplyJITH is now partners with Zillion Arts. The partnership will provide subscribers of both SimplyJITH and Zillion Arts with opportunities of creating synergies through the various joint projects that will be rolled out in the near future. Adding to our existing array of programs, this effort of ours will help nurture the creativity of youth, give wings to their imagination and transcend the skies. We invite our subscribers to explore possible opportunities through this partnership.

About SimplyJITH

SimplyJITH is a belief enterprise with emphasis on youth engagement and empowerment. It is a collection of various initiatives and partnerships, including a Blog which remains our flagship project, now enjoying readership in around 158 countries, with over 32,000 subscribers from various countries; SimplyJITH Creations; a Grant – Partnership Project; SimplyJITH Character Institute amongst others.

About Zillion Arts

Zillion Arts is a central hub to all the concept artists. Zillion Arts offers a single stop gallery for beautiful and inspiring works of various artists from all round the world. Zillion Arts also has a collection of insightful interviews to learn from. This is the place where you can learn, discuss and participate in topics related to concept art and nothing else!

Staircase to Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:16:00 +0000

Today, I like to write about my personal thoughts on dignity based approach towards destiny. I have been practicing it for a number of years and have always found it a useful tool for becoming more aware of our environment and for learning how to make it more harmonious.

This approach can be especially helpful for creating balance and harmony in relationships. I have yet to come across someone who hasn't been interested in either having good relationships or attracting the right relationship, and it is nice when I can help them do that, so I wish to write about it.

It is important to realize that when we are to follow dignity based approach, it is important to understand that it should be our only choice. You may probably think, when I say it should be the "only choice", it means one thing to do, then how can "choice" be true? We are talking about the approach, but not the means. To follow a certain approach, you may subscribe to various means, suitability and necessity of each of them are to be evaluated and it is our choice.

I wish to draw your attention to one of the areas, where we can begin and learn the difference. When dealing with a relationship area, it is good to think in twos. If you are to place dignity of being a couple ahead of yourself, you will not have to wait for long to see what effect it might have. Without the clock ticking away in regard to forceful existence, you will begin to cherish the emotion.

While my article may make this approach sound like a quick and easy fix, it is an ancient practice that works in mysterious ways. If you are curious about it, why not take a look at your own relationship corner. Give it a good cleaning out. See if it seems cozy and if it is well represented. All the best!

-abhijith

Date: May 15, 2010

Place: London, UK

Flavors of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 18:19:00 +0000

When we are children, people say to us, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" At that age, we usually have dreams. We know that we want to reach the Moon, or learn to fly the fastest aircraft in the world, or save endangered animal species, or make some brilliant scientific discovery that will transform human lives. We are not yet old enough to worry about job markets and balancing budgets and supporting ourselves and our families. We are true to our intentions and so we find many admirers. We have only our dreams and the secret certainty that we are unique and have a very special thing to do in life. Even if our parents have different dreams for us, we know the difference between their dreams and our own. When we are children, we are still capable of hearing the voice of the soul.

As we grow older, the questions change. People say to us, "You had better start thinking about what you want to do with your life. How will you make a living?" There is no longer time for dreaming; we must now "face reality" and think about how to survive in the big, bad old world. The inner sense of specialness fades before the numbing evidence of high unemployment figures, stiff competition for every job application, and economic swings and downturns which make us feel we are fortunate to get any kind of work at all. And if we find ourselves discontented in that work, or we lose our jobs, we feel demeaned, devalued, and unable to trust our deepest dreams and aspirations, because there might not be any other work. And even if there were, we have probably long since lost that inner connection which could tell us what makes our heart sing and restores the sense of having a very special thing to do in life.

Each of us sees the world differently, and feels strong and competent in some areas and uncertain or ill-equipped in others. No person is perfectly adapted to every sphere of life. Finding the right direction may depend partly on your knowing how you evaluate and adapt to life, and finding an outer situation which matches your fundamental outlook. Of course it is not as simple as just looking for a place where you can exercise what you believe to be your strengths and avoid what you perceive as your weaknesses. Sometimes, working to develop sides of your personality where you feel unsure can generate the greatest feeling of accomplishment. But it does help if your perspective on life is in harmony with what you do, and you can therefore feel confident and able to meet the challenges which your work offers. It can also make a difference if you are able to remain loyal to your values, people in your life and needs, rather than accepting a situation where you believe neither in what you are doing nor in the people you care for.

Lessons of Higher Consciousness

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Mon, 30 May 2011 14:16:00 +0000

In this post, I wish to share few lessons of Higher Consciousness. And when I say lessons, these are not observations of myself - a single individual but by a group of individuals, for lessons can only be appreciated by a collective approach to understand them. I invite you to read, participate and comment on them. The process of learning is an eternal one and your comments will definitely help us learn more from our experiences.

Lesson # 1

We are not here on earth to struggle for a satisfying existence, or just exist aimlessly to the whims of our destiny. The Vedic view is that cessation of all misery is the purpose of human birth.This can be achieved only through complete liberation of our consciousness. Good and evil, happiness and misery only exist in the mind of the observer. The conditioning of the mind is dictated by the manner in which we live. No one on earth can live a self-indulgent, indiscipline and want-on life and hope that this lifestyle will not affect his state of mind, for it would impact all his perceptions and circumstances.

Even our subsequent departure from this world would not alleviate our distress, because the cycle of birth and death is endless. Only Self-knowledge can free us from miseries. Self-knowledge can be achieved by living right. According to the Vedas, there are four values that are to be cultivated by any individual for living right.That is, there are four main purposes to human life. They are: Moral perfection, worldly attainment, fulfillment of legitimate desires and liberation. The first three values have meaning only when they are aimed at the fourth one. Only when the major aim is liberation, can an individual remain centered while following the other three tenets, else he may tend to become arrogant, greedy, power-hungry and immoral.

Lesson # 2

We live a life of moral perfection when we live in tune with our real Self, thereby always being in tune with the rhythm of life. We discover how to function in an optimum manner, and have the full support of Providence to evolve because Nature is always inclined towards progression. This is also known as 'the righteous way to live'. Our behavior then becomes constructive, life enhancing and appropriate. When we have a harmonious relationship with the Universe, it provides for all our needs. Whatever is required to make our lives satisfying, unfolds spontaneously. We are always in the flow of harmonious relationships and supportive circumstances. But we should also cultivate the faith that whatever is showing up is for our highest good. Impatience does not have spiritual virtue. With unshakable faith in God, we should be joyous and enthusiastic always.

When our life-enhancing, legitimate desires are fulfilled, life is fulfilling, enjoyable and we can devote ourselves to higher learning and practice. As spiritual beings we have this ability to have our desires fulfilled by gentle intention. We do not have to apply great effort or struggle to have them fulfilled. As our awareness increases we are naturally in a state of fulfillment. We only need to acknowledge our desires and have complete faith that they will be soon fulfilled.

Lesson # 3

As spiritual beings we cannot be satisfied only by living a life of contentment, worldly attainment and having our desires fulfilled. Without spiritual unfolding of our consciousness, we would always remain disgruntled and despite the fulfillment of the first three ideals, we would still be prone to getting waylaid. The first three practices make our lives satisfying so we can devote ourselves to the fourth and most important ideal. All four resolutions are interrelated and work in conjunction. We can demonstrate commitment to spiritual practice by making it the focal point of our lives. All actions and thoughts should be conducted from that platform. As we keep progressing on our path with full dedication, we are forever assured of a graceful life.

More to come...

Dignity March

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Sun, 22 May 2011 21:07:00 +0000

Rachel closed her eyes, and was gasping for breath. The letter she was holding in her hand was the last that Albert wrote to her. She struggled to breathe normally, her pulse rate was high, and she could feel her heartbeat. She thought about how she put Albert repeatedly through emotional pain - with her blatant lies. The painful days after every discovery of her ways of life, were blur to her now. Now, what she has done is beyond repair. Rachel, slowly turned over the envelope, and opened it. She pulled out the letter, and immediately stuff it back. She was fragile, and did not have the guts to read through the letter.

She started breathing heavily, as if she needs to catch up with her pounding heart. Well, the very least she could do to understand the pain she has put Albert through was to read the letter. That is all that she has to go through. She pulled out the letter...

Dear Rachel,

Our relation has been a gripping portrayal of my courageous struggle to deal with a vicious cycle of your conscious prejudice. It is the journey of how my tolerance is sniped at both by your acts of indecency and desire to live an imposturous existence. I approached our relation as a temple of trust, seeking refuge from the falsehood all around me. Ultimately the trust I sought was met with revelations that the differences that blind us both actually span a far smaller divide than we could have ever recognized. Yet, your intention not to reveal widened the gap, which underlines the clichés influencing your sensibility of and respect for my emotions.

Continued...

P.S.: This blog post presents a first view/glimpse of chapter titled 'Dignity March' of my book (not yet published) titled Precocious Truth: Unrequited Love. You may read the prologue for the same here.
Photo Credit: Kelly Kumi

Crucifixion: My Dignity

noreply@blogger.com (Abhijith Jayanthi) — Thu, 19 May 2011 19:25:00 +0000

With my mind full of despair…

And heart full of gloom.

With my fervor melting away…

And apprehensions to bloom.

With my existence sans joy…

And dignity has no room.

With my heart filled with love…

And emptiness to thread my loom.

With my life without you…

And it is an impending doom.

I...Stand.

- Abhijith