Destiny - Uncoded

Life is what but an illusion
It was always, it will always
It's mysteries are never revealed fully, it is still very mysterious
It was always, it will always

Life showed me so many colors
Sometimes happy, sometimes sad
I am what but a tiny beast, in this monstrous world
I am what but a little petal, in this wonderful world

All this while, I was running, I was chasing
That what my mind told me was my destiny
Little did I know that its a bubbled dream
More I came close, more it flew away
I was sad, I was angry
Not because i didn't have the hunger
Not because i didn't have the fire
Because I wanted it the way i wanted it
Its a lost battle indeed

I wish I knew earlier - destiny is not that destination
It is not that end that I have falsely assumed
It is but this going that is real
It is but this moment that is real - not what I have left behind
My destiny is my choice, my decision in this very moment
So simple, so real
It was always, it will always


Love,
Jini

The Invincible

These eyes know no fear

You are untouchable, You are invincible

Brightness of your eyes equates that of thousand suns

These hands cannot be tied, they clink to the tune of freedom

These legs cannot be shaken; they only know to follow its destiny

Because you are the next sunrise, you are hope, you are courage

These battles between mind and heart will be fought and won, keep going, keep going

You shall not give up, your duty is to walk and walk and walk

Do not misunderstand your victory with your final destiny, it’s an illusion

Your victory is your path that you chose

Let walking on that path be your purpose, to brighten the path, to seed hope

Because there will be another rally tomorrow, another generation will pass

Tales of your journey will inspire them, will fulfil them, and will direct them

You did your bit; You do your bit,

You are untouchable, you are invincible

Love,

Jini

PS: These lines were inspired from the characters of Shivgami and Devasena from the movie Bahubali 2

Left my heart there!

I am not sure why it took me about four months to pen down my experience in Paris. This is the moment I have waited for years. Visiting Paris was  a long standing dream, which got fulfilled last year. One of the best moments of my life, I can easily say.

I traveled from England to France via underwater ferry and then about 5.5 hours drive to Paris. Moment I entered the city, I felt different. It was a chilly evening, quite and peaceful. I was as excited as a young girl unboxing her new Barbie doll. Most of the  city walls in its outskirts had graffiti. Some were works of art while others were notorious act of rebel. But what i liked about all of it is the spirit of expression, which was unanimous to all. That is France for you. Opinionated and proud of its rich culture. Oh BTW, France is absolutely opposite of England in LITERALLY everything.  They dont like to speak English, their government policies are anti-English. They believe in their own roots and have preserved their history, language, fashion and food like no other country. May be that is why Paris accounts for the highest number of tourists every years.

Before I went to Paris, I always got mixed reviews from my circle of friends. Many said that it is the most beautiful city in the world, while others said that it is no longer that beautiful. Let me tell you something - it is by far the best and the most beautiful city in the world that I have lived in.

Put a quick glance on any corner of the city and you will see a most picturesque view, worth clicking a shot. Every building or monument is unique and different. The air is so pink and romantic - and the concept of french windows goes oh-so-perfectly well with the vibe. It is like a cherry on the icing. 

Parisians like to eat in outdoors. There are plenty of bistros, restaurants, specialty cafes etc that you can try. Just hop into one, order an amazing local food and you will see that your creative juices will flow. I can bet that!!! Even if you do not have any artistic flair, being in Paris makes you feel like one. Either you start writing, or painting or clicking pics but you are not the same person any more. 

Few years back  I wrote a short story for PRADA and it was based on Paris. Honestly, when i wrote it, I had not visited Paris. It was purely my imagination (in case you have missed reading it, I have posted it on my blog. Do read it at your leisure and share your feedback). Specially the part where the girl visits the Eiffel tower. I was actually surprised to know that there were (in real) water fountains near Eiffel tower. 

My visit to the Eiffle tower was the most amazing part of the trip. The tower is beautiful. If you look at it, it is actually a very engineering marvel than a romantic icon. But when you climb up the tower, you see the whole city and that view is mesmerizing. Infact I wanted to see the glittering lights in the nights and my guide told me that not always do they have those glittering white lights that we see in the movies. But i was lucky - I actually got to see those dreamy white glitters in the night. It was AMAZING.

I actually felt that the city was talking to me. It simply complimented and synergized with my soul. The drive on the Champs-Elysees made me feel like a supermodel.

Whatever I wanted, I got more than my expectation from the city. You just cant not fall in love with Paris or in Paris. It is amazing.

People have said that when you travel, you leave some part of yourself in that city. I actually get it now. There is some part of me in Paris and I have a part of Paris in me.

Hopefully I will visit soon!

Jini

Small Wins

There is so much written about pursuing excellence, achieving something legendary, doing extraordinary things. Many at times I have heard people talk about how they achieved something really great, which they felt unattainable when they first started out in their journey. I am always curious to know their method, their process, their way of doing it and then relate that to my inhibitions, my personality and my character.

One of the things that came out loud in my observation of accomplished around me is that they gave lot of importance to small wins. The process of one thing right at a time. The persistence and energy to focus on the current and have a larger vision for future. Somewhere I am able to relate it for myself. I am a huge fan of working on small wins and then after some time, sum it up to see its larger impact. It can be a powerful winning strategy in any area of your life. Whether it is building great personal relationships or achieving higher goals in your professional life or life in general.

I am actually a living example of this theory. It is atleast a truth of my life. Whenever I have tried to change something overnight or picked a piece more that I could swallow - it has always backfired. I might have created a temporary dent, but on long term, it always exhausted me.

One of the greatest gifts of nature to me is my ability to observe and learn. And that's profound for me. At times i feel sorry for those who undervalue the power of small wins, specially at work place. At times i hear people say, its a small thing - who cares - it is so small that it is not my priority. They at times lack vision and are ignorant. Remember when you start, its always little progress. But eventually, the persistence, the repetition, the improvement of it makes it bigger than what you would have possibly imagined. It builds your character. 

Every big win is a collection of small wins in continuous tense!

Big love,

Jini

The Storyteller

I love to hear stories and tell stories. There is something about spreading the wings of your imagination and then submersing into the fantasy world. Technically speaking it is a form of meditation but with thoughts. Your mind, body and soul is emerged to know about the story, to know the end, to know what happens after the end. It is all very pleasureful. 

Its strange but when I watch a movie or read a novel, after I have finished reading it, my mind starts thinking what happens after the end. If they lived happily after, how did they live, what did they do and so many question arises. May be it is just the ameture writer in me or may be I am too imaginative. 

Another thing that I also like to do is hear people who have great experiences and have loads of adventurous ones. I am always keen to hear their story - what did they think when they were little, how did they find their purpose in life, what made them do what they did, how did they realize their true calling. These questions are pretty interesting for me. May be because I am still searching my true calling and I want to know the process that these folks took to realize it. So w hen my time comes, I will know exactly what my true calling is. 

In my free time, I generally search for great videos of accomplished people and simply hear them. It is such a stress buster for me. Funny as it sounds but it is like a chain - almost always in one video, I will get a lead for some other video. Like today, I was watching Robin Sharma's master class and he referred to watch another video of Ted Turner. Ahh...

and the journey goes on!

Love,

Jini