Trust & Assurance

How many of you had a restless day after watching the episode on Child Molestation in the programme Satyameva Jayathe? Was it the thought of how animalistic humans can become or an earlier encounter with such psychos that bothered you? Well for me, it was the mental trauma of kids when facing the fact that their parents did not believe them.

There have been times when I too complained about misbehavior or eve teasing that disturbed me but I was asked to ignore them. Later I have got into lots of trouble but I found my own solutions in which some of the issues were messed up even more with my immature handling.  I always was of the impression that I had to deal with my life’s problems alone. But there were also instances where I did feel that approaching my parents would have relieved my mental burden. Maybe it was the lack of confidence that I won’t be trusted always stopped me from sharing the problem.

Whatever happens, trust your child’s words. It is not always fear and flight. Try the option of facing the fear too. You are not protecting your child by asking them to overlook such encounters. Sometimes it can save lots of lives and may not be just your kid’s future involved. When you give the slightest hint that you don’t believe in your kids, they start fighting their own battle or the worst to keep quiet and keep suffering. If my parents don’t believe me, then who will?  It’s like struggling in a quicksand where you get sucked in more and more with no route to escape. Believe me; you definitely don’t want your kids trapped there.

-Chalked by Rashmi

The Facebook Phase!!!

Just the other day I caught myself red handed .... thinking in terms of facebook status messages!

Although it was funny at start, later I was wondering what's wrong with me. Am I obsessed with the social networking funda ...or is it just a minor symptom to ring the bell and stop me from getting there.?!

Whatever it is, I'm sure that lately my fb addiction has increased a tiny winy bit....and now i recognize ...its changing the way i think !!!

So what's it that has made face book so famous and what's that one string its originators struck right in the entire human population's minds.

** This social sharing concept has affected us so much these days that the first thought on every photo we click, is whether it'll look good on  face book and how many of our social circles would like/comment on it. Every dress, styles, jobs, and even the Person is evaluated based on the number of likes\comments we receive for it!

** The don't tell mama trick no longer works...cos most probably, even before you reach home from the so called study tour,  your mom would have noticed her kid tagged in one of the cool party pics, by one of the buddies!

So that's how our life has become.. an open book. As long as you don't indulge too much in the privacy settings of your account, you and your life is accessible to anyone anywhere anytime!!!

** On one hand this may prove good, the feeling that anything and everything we do is gonna be out there for everyone to see, makes us more cautious and responsible about ourselves!

** Often there are problems we are involved in, for which we struggle to find solutions! Sometimes we turn the world upside down in search of a solution when it would be actually hiding behind our door!!!

Its a very common scenario and it happens mostly because we are in too much of a hurry or anxiety to stop and think about the actual issue. Calming down and thinking about the problem would give us a better perspective and new ways of solving ti effectively.....Summarizing the moment in few words, could actually be a help in this regard! :)

so there does seem to be an upside to face booking too rite? .... but then there is a downside too .....

** It's true that  "sharing it with someone makes the moment all the more special". But then there is a bold dark line between the shareable and unshareable things of life too! Remember ... no matter what happens with your life, whether good or ugly...  there are always people out there who could make a joke out of it... may not always prove to be a good picture for you and your folks!..so beware and think before you post!

Take care..... 

- Chalked by Megha Kuruvilla

The Desire to Inspire ….

I've been sitting at my computer trying to scribble something on the notepad open on my desk for a long time.

There is a requirement to be fulfilled and delivered by end of day and i am still stuck at the first step. Somehow my brain seems to have ceased functioning! at this very point when the need is high I’m out of ideas!!!!

Many times in life we are in similar situations when we desire to perform, but we are in lack of inspiration! Inspiration is required not only for a work of art, but in all walks of life, whether it be to do chores at home, or to bear with the heavy traffic to get to office everyday. Without inspiration life doesn't move on!

As a mother, father, brother, friend, or whatever roles u play in your lives.. how do U add inspiration to your loved one’s life?

Inspiration is sometimes such a heavy word that we tend to look too far for it, when in reality we could have found it not further than our door steps! 

A simple smile, a small word, a gesture of care and concern, would change our worst days to the most beautiful ones. Remember the last time you screwed up your presentation and u were feeling at the edge of the world? On completion when u wanted to hurry and hide, your big boss had congratulated you on your efforts! …. Didn’t that change your worst nightmare to a beautiful dream achieved?

The world we live in is spinning at high speed, we are all in a hurry, to achieve, to compete, to survive.  We say we don’t have time, for fun, for hobbies, for family, for kids, for ourselves….. for all that really matters in life!

We spend our lives, chasing the materialistic world, with the aim of framing a better future for our kids, while our kids grow up without knowing their parents or their love! And later we complain about them not treating their parents right! How contradictory is that!

It’s not always the expensive gifts, which would make someone’s day. Simple gestures of love would do the trick more effectively than anything else!

So the next time you feel good about someone or something… don’t hesitate... go on ..tell them …. be the reason of their smile J ….. It won’t cost you a thing and still will return to you in blessings J … be an inspiration!!! 

- Chalked by Megha Kuruvilla

Slow Down.....

Once i heard the following story ....

A scientist was performing an experiment on the verbal reactions of fleas. He had trained a flea to jump on command. The scientist would command the flea, "Jump flea!" and the flea would jump. Then the scientist would proceed to pull off one of the fleas legs with a pair of tweezers and write a comment in his notebook. The scientist did this many times until the flea had only 1 leg left. The scientist commanded, "Jump flea!" and the flea made its best effort to jump, which the scientist recorded in his notebook.

After he pulled off its last leg, the scientist again commanded the flea to jump, and after repeating the command many times without the flea responding he jotted down in his notebook, "After the flea loses all of its legs it becomes completely deaf."

.......:) ..... thinking about it, how many of us have been like this scientist so many times in our lives?!!!

When faced with challenging situations,how many times have we reacted impulsively, made conclusions without giving it a second thought! ... .how many have we hurt due to this impulsive behaviour. How many times have we got hurt !!!

Many times at a later point it would have all looked pointless. but it would be too late to do anything to reverse the damage caused..... words being sharper than swords...makes it an unforgettable act, which does not deserve forgiveness! How many people have we lost in this way?

So friends.. before its too late... lets slow down a bit ..... before making conclusions... before letting out those words of anger... before making life hell ..

Take Care! ...

-Chalked by Silver Cloud

Being The Real YOU

Who am I? I once raised this question to myself. And then I realized that I was nearly in the verge of losing my identity trying to inculcate the characteristics of others to get the trademark of being popular.

The fact was that I was not able to put up with the enactment for long. Hidden inside me was the real ‘ME’ being
smothered under the peer pressure and my desire to be ‘loved by all’ person. Sometimes I even doubted if I had split personality.

Coming from a small town, I didn’t know the dining etiquette, demeanor and poise. So I always hesitated to go out for lunch with my friends fearing that I might make a fool of myself at the dining table and I always ordered roti items to avoid using the cutlery. One day I reached a point of enough is enough and admitted my shortcomings. There was no giggling or vituperation. Instead, my friends gave me tips on mastering the art of table manners.

It took me 20 long years to come out from the cocoon and spread my wings. To my astonishment, I was acknowledged ubiquitously. I soon realized that I was being heard and seen and that the feeling of ‘odd one out’ was just a delusion. I relied on books on positive living, success and happiness, and etiquette to build
self-confidence. It was a long and audacious journey with the crisscross roads of life mystifying the way to towards the destination.

I read somewhere that no one could hurt you or make you feel inferior unless you permit. So true! The phobia of being lonely is like venom. The effect gradually comes in and finishes you wholly. Before you even know, you would have slaughtered yourself and started a life anew. A life someone else has chosen for you… Or rather say, you have chosen to live for someone else and not for you. To be what you are, around all circumstance, can drain your energy. But it’s worth the effort taken. Life is like being inside a mirror-house where one finds oneself in unusual figures. Sometimes hideous, at times comical or even deformed. And finally there is one mirror in the corner somewhere that reflects the actual YOU.

I went through this chapter in my life and found myself. How about you???

-Chalked by Rashmi