The Pursuit of Simplicity.

Quantum physics reveals that everything that is observed is affected by the observer. Every person creates his or her own reality. The perception of reality is unique to everyone's experience. Simplicity is reality. Therefore, simplicity looks and feels different to each person.

For me, simplicity became the ultimate equation when I took the power of how I felt, in my hands. For a very long time, I lived blindfolded to whatever was happening in my life. Mindfulness made me realise that every thought and action has repercussions in this universe; it comes back to us twofold. It like a boomerang that hits right in the face. 

The pursuit of simplicity is the most complex one. It shakes the ground beneath our feet, it forces us to change our patterns of thinking. We have an attitude to want it all now, to want everything. We are impatient beings looking for instant gratification. We hardly delve deeper into something, we just touch the surface and think we have conquered mountains. We deliberately make our lives hectic by constant abstraction instead of subtraction. A simple thinking mind isn't dull slow or stupid. It is responsive instead of reactive. It considers a longer timeline and wider perspective. Simple thinking is focused and nuanced. It is observant.

Simplicity is acting on what you already know. The clear basics of life. There is no need to clutter your mind with unnecessary information about it. Simplify your relationships with a single motto of giving love. Be compassionate, expect least. Know your self-worth; draw healthy boundaries. Know that, focusing on petty things creates a petty relationship; focusing on core things create a solid relationship.

When you want something you have an option to move towards it. Simplicity is the series of intentional decisions that you make to move towards your dreams and goals. Despite fear and uncertainty, take actions every day that pushes you in the direction you want to be. Consistency creates courage, pulls all your ducks in a row while action creates a simple proof that you are willing to move towards your goal.

The pursuit of simplicity is a unique journey for everyone. It is an ever-changing process. Don't fall trap to the comparison of your life to someone else's. A simple life is what we make for ourselves, one step at a time. 

Take a deep breath, remember your ultimate goal and keep moving forward.

Fine art of failing.

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. 

The topmost definition in the dictionary for failure is "lack of success". There's an awful lot of emphasis on success. It has always been the hype. We sing songs and hymns on success and often look down upon or frown thinking about our days of failure. Whether we buy the hype or not, we all want to succeed especially when you consider success as getting what you want, the way you want. So, failure by that definition is that it didn't work out the way you wanted it to.

With a lot of discipline, we often create, evaluate, model, and prepare our journey towards success as to how we intend to achieve it. In this process, we mostly get attached to this blueprint of success. Failure is what we usually don't get a lot of preparation for. Since our birth are taught to avoid failures; we are looked down upon if we fail. We never learned to face it with open arms. Perhaps that's why, when things don't turn out the way we want or when the milestones aren't created according to our timelines, we tend to lose our motivation instead of refocusing our vision. 

Failures are the most underrated and negatively interpreted experience. If there is one thing that prepares you for a successful life, it is failures. Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavour. Why we tend to avoid failure is because it is straight down raw. It is hard hitting because it shakes you and gives you a reality check. What failure most importantly teaches you is how to work with the rawness of things, how to deal with the practicality of things. Failure teaches you to learn to take responsibility for your own actions. 

What failures shouldn't bring in is arrogance and ego, instead, it should be considered a human experience to connect genuinely with people. Failures are crucial to life. Because during our blossoming, it never lets us forget our roots. When we are deeply rooted, we are raw, nothing and no one can ever stagnate us. Failing again opens you up to the rawness, it makes you fail better. Failing better means being able to work with failure instead of having a negative self-talk, escaping it, or blaming it on someone else. 

So fail again. Fail better. Give yourself the space to emerge bolder out of that experience.

A walk down the memory lane.

It was a simple infatuation. Obviously. Hardly do we realize what it is like when we are busy showing off brand new stationery, still crying over broken pencils and fighting for stolen erasers in grade four. The basic arrangement of the students in the class room was roll-call wise. Due to major difference between strength of girls as compared to boys, one girl had to sit between two boys on a bench of three. Often, four on a bench. Above this permutation, how I always wished to sit by 'his' side!

On day one, while other students were trying to interpret the class teacher, impress her, chit chat with friends, give intriguing looks to the new comers, I was already stealing glances at him. My eyes stuck at his face - his cheeks turned cherry red after a two month summer break, my heart unrest at the glitter of his dove eyes and the gossamer of his shiny hair. Although, we knew each other since past five years and had communicated quite often like other kids, this year seemed a lot more different. He caught me staring at him, chose to ignore and got busy listening to his friend, talk; leaving me dumbfounded. Half a minute later, he glances back at me, this time with a faint smile on his face tripping me to his cuteness all over again. I revert back with a broad smile, his smile turns into a grin and that is exactly when I lose my heart to him. He was the first one to make me realize we have butterflies when we see something we like, he was the one I used to daydream about and the one who taught me love is never about good looks, expectations, expression and touch but about emotions, laughter and a lot of stolen glances and smile. Of course, I got my chances to sit beside him. While the whole class was suffering from an obsessive compulsive disorder of sitting at the edges or exactly in the middle trying not to touch even the partner's bag, I was all the more inclined to his side. I have cherished all those chances I ever got to sit beside him and talk my heart out with a sheepishly coy smile especially when it was our turn to sit on the last bench. Oh! It was reiterating and rebounding with a whole lot of energy. Although I never confessed my heartfelt emotions in the approaching four years he had his ways of knowing through varied questions and answers. I always thought he had fallen for that fair beautiful girl in the class who had a bovine personality. We liked each other's company but we had altercations and quarrels double than that yet the charm never faded. Four years of primary, prolonged and discreet crush suppressed as our divisions changed and we chose to tread different paths. Rest years of high school we only shared a formal gesture of hello.

Two years after high school, we connected again. Thanks to social media that lessened the awkwardness. Same level of energy but with varied stories and experiences to share. How years later while reminiscing old times, he confessed that I was the only girl in the classroom he held hands with. There, my heart skipped a beat. It still felt special.

It's funny how we still cherish that time and enjoy talking about it. Out of all the people I met during all these years he still tops the list of my favorites not only as a crush but also as a great friend. Childhood crush has no reason. It is innocent, genuine often disrupted and unsettled but it lingers in memories forever. I know he is reading this and I know he will smile. I am glad our paths crossed back in time!