Its a trendy young girl  or an old woman with face etched with lines  - seeing the picture - my mind keeps changing opinions .Optical illusions are pieces of art that have never seized to amaze me. 

Contrary to the popular saying that ‘seeing in believing” they make us realize how looks can be deceiving. Stimulated by visual stimuli, our brain is a creative artist that has the propensity to develop a picture that is influenced by our experiences or pre conceived notions.

Optical illusions teach us to look beyond what is perceived by our eye and develop a deeper insight. To be able to see more than one perspective encourages a positive and optimistic approach to problem solving and critical thinking in every day life experiences whether they are at home, work place or environment. Very often our vision is obscured by our expectations and interests and we tend to observe people through the spectacles of our fixed ideas. If our outlook is positive we will see the glass half full instead of being half empty.  
 I whole heartedly believe in this quote of Winston Churchill.
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity ; an opportunist see the opportunity in every difficulty.”

Some questions cannot be answered but .....

Inspired by the following quote by famous poet, Jane Hirshfield:

“Some questions cannot be answered. They become familiar weights in the hand. Round stones pulled from the pocket, unyielding and cool.”

Not a single day goes by in our lives, when watching TV, reading newspapers or observations in our environment do not question our minds and souls with the word – why?

Watching innocent children dying because of poverty or disease, we inquire why is there unequal distribution of money and resources? Is an effluent nation justified in enjoying lavish food, superb quality of life and spending on luxuries while one sixth of the world’s population lives below poverty line and struggles for survival within a meager daily income of a dollar? We sympathize with the poor but looking at the other side of the picture makes us realize that we cannot ignore the many years of education and hard work of a man who is working tirelessly to enjoy a better life. If poor nations are continuously provided aid does it extinguish the spark of ambition and encourage parasitic behavior? Is the prevalent inequality due to unequal labor or unequal opportunities?

               

We start to oscillate between our opinions, like a pendulum. We try to find answers but our questions become round stones pulled from the pocket - unyielding and cool. We get confused but stones keep emerging – we keep moving from one question to another – why does one smoke when one knows it’s injurious to health? In a war of nations does killing and devastation serve anyone’s interest? What changes a human being into a cold-blooded murderer? Who is responsible for a crime – a criminal’s personal interests, his upbringing or injustices of the society? If Nobel Prize winners are the role models – why do we place them on pedestals beyond humanity to be praised but not pursued? If we claim to detest prejudice, are we tolerant enough to judge the other person beyond his appearances or actions?

The answer to these questions will always remain divisive if instead of answering these questions ourselves we keep on expecting the answers from others. Our self deception, hypocrisy and personal interests will continue to form the mist that blocks our vision.

Therefore, to find the answers to these questions I promise to be honest with myself. Instead of waiting for someone else to make my beloved home planet a better place to live I shall undertake the responsibility to do everything in my capacity to contribute positively to my world. As I strive in pursuit of my dreams I pledge that I will always try to combat my human errs of selfishness, discrimination and injustice. Believing in myself, I look forward to light my lamp in the darkness

My Circle of Life

TO ALL MY LOVED ONES ......

Years in and years out some things never change in life –

Feelings that go unscathed despite the rubbing of sands of time

Vivid memories of moments that never lose their charm

Relationships  ------

Where I don’t need to justify why and what I did

 Where I would ask for a dua or hold a hand and believe all will go well

Where I would always be the little girl that could giggle till tears roll down my cheeks

Where I could cry my heart out on a trivial issue and never be self conscious

 Where I would look into those eyes and my heart would never seize to skip a beat

Where I would always be the most beautiful woman in the world no matter how many lines years have etched on my face

Where pride would always swell my heart as I watch my little ones grow into their independence

Where I would always be the source of strength no matter how tall my children grow

Where I would always be the one expected to take sides but never can

They are the comfort zone where time stops, where I can rest a while to absorb the changes I go through running past my days and nights

Where I can always be me and yet observe myself distantly and calmly as the sand in the hourglass rushes through the narrow hole

These are the treasures that keep me young at heart and keep me going in my highs and lows-

This is MY circle of life –

Where each person has a special place

Where each moment is alive in its own

However,

How much I cherish each moment I would not give up one for another

What is gone was part of me but no more

For I would not  grow to be ME until my past gave way to my present

I may lose my vigour but not my zeal

I am grateful to God - the most benevolent , most merciful

As these timeless moments lit my path to future

And I look forward to my tomorrows with new hopes, aspirations and beliefs

For deep down in my heart I do and should always trust Him to bring the best to me.