food for thought

Lessons in Opposites

Posted on by niyatiapril

We weigh our options in pros and cons

We wonder whether they are right or wrong

We all experience ups and downs

Our faces filled with smiles and frowns

But what if I were to tell you life isn’t black or white

That it is okay to love and lose

You cannot always determine what’s left or right

Sometimes you will be stuck between the dark and light

Whether you are a man or woman

We all have a beginning and end

So just trust yourself within and without

Embrace the slience and the noise

-Niyati Parab

Blue Expanse

Posted on by niyatiapril

As I walked home from an afternoon class, dripping in buckets of sweats, I merely glanced up for a second and I was struck by the beauty of nature; clear blue skies stretching as far as the eye could see.
One reason I love the skies is that they are the same for everyone; the rich and the poor and nobody can own them. When I look at them my worries and stresses are momentarily forgotten and my mind becomes fresher and clearer.
Recently I downloaded a meditation app, where they gave the example of the mind as the sky and the clouds as the thoughts. Hence, only by our positive thoughts can we steer away from the negative ones and pave the way for clear blue skies.

-Niyati Parab

Laurels of the past

Posted on by niyatiapril

Laurels of glory

knew not their folly

of raising a man

who with the passage of time becomes vainer

A cry for help from a grieving soul

when they were bestowed he was but a young foal

with ego his poor soul had become as black as coal

he thought he could own everyone

the ones who could defy him? hah! to him there were none

he was his parents pride and joy

since he was a wee boy

but all their love couldn’t have told

that this boy’s tale was one of woe

because he was unaware of this world

that would leave him aghast

for little did this boy know

that one cannot rest on the laurels of the past.

-Niyati Parab

One cannot rest on the laurels of the past

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Distractions

Posted on by niyatiapril

Sometimes I wonder what my purpose is

I wonder indeed

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is it to find myself or help people in need

but before I wonder and ponder deep

a notification takes away my attention

and I look at my phone to see what it has to say

and my musings are left for another day

-Niyati Parab

Forgiveness

Posted on by niyatiapril

They say “have strength, carry on, move on from the past”.

The real question is, do we ever really move on? We don’t, all we do is mask our sufferings of the past with the joy the present brings. For is it really that easy to forget things which have affected one greatly, it takes ages to heal from those wounds and even when they are healing we have triggers, we want to be good, we want to heal, and we want to do good, but many who have strayed from the righteous path hinder our progress, they cannot see us become a better human while they live in misery, and why does this happen? This happens simply because they don’t have it in them to forgive, they cannot forgive others who have wronged them hence they cannot find peace in their heart and they carry on doing their responsibilities while carrying a turbulent storm in their hearts, and at some point, when they see somebody who shines they will ask themselves, what is it that this person has that I cannot? Why must he smile while I control my emotions so I don’t look weak, why is he strong? why is he confident? why can’t everyone else see the sufferings that I go through, why can’t I be happy? Thus, when they ask these questions their thoughts take a malicious turn, and they start asking why should he be happy? nobody deserves happiness while others are suffering, I am going through pain and yet God makes others live a better life, Why?! Thus, slowly and subconsciously they start subjecting these thoughts on others and start doing things that unknowingly to them ruins a person’s day, the victim cannot fathom it, he wonders why is this happening to him? I am a good person so why am I in the snake pit, and slowly that good person starts guarding himself and his sunshine is clouded by stormy clouds and a turbulent storm is in the making within his heart and thus this starts a chain reaction.

And this chain reaction will always continue, till one stops it, till one simply refuses to change themselves and give in to the malicious nature of those surrounding him, one needs to be able to forgive from within their hearts, to find true peace with others and themselves, I believe that’s the only way one will be able to live a better life and others around them will be able to do so too, even though it seems difficult and sometimes the rage feels uncontrollable, we must always be true to our ourselves.

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-Niyati Parab

Daily Ruminations

Posted on by niyatiapril

While I walking to my class, observing the daily chaos, I noticed a bird at the bottom of a fence. The fence surrounded a playground and was covered with a green mesh windscreen. The bird hopped a little above the fence but still couldn’t fly over the fence and because of the green windscreen mesh it couldn’t even see what was ahead of it, it hopped yet again a little higher but still couldn’t fly over, then finally the bird flew all the way to the top of the fence and lo and behold, it finally flew over the fence.

We humans also face such similar situations in our life, we take flight to reach our goals but many times we are met with severe weather conditions where we lose our way and lose sight of our goals, in such times we must persevere, we must not lose hope however bleak the circumstances, we must keep flying and navigating with all our will till we reach our goals.

We must find a way to overcome the green windscreen in front of us and fly beyond the fence, all one has to do is believe in themselves.

 

-Niyati Parab

 

Melancholic Musing

Posted on by niyatiapril

Why do people hurt those closest to them?

They want to earn respect and be famous around strangers,

but often in that process become strangers to their own family.

they are at their best behaviour around strangers,

but showcase their worst to their near ones.

Why are we instead of gaining love of one’s own family,  out to get the love of people who at the end of the day have their own family and won’t care as much for you? and yet it is your family which will be worried if you’re cold or hungry. 

And all you do is drive them away with constant bombarding, only to long for them in the winter of your life.

It is indeed a sorrowful world we live in.
-Niyati Parab

Questions I ask myself

Posted on by niyatiapril

One day, a man found himself thinking, 

“What is my purpose in life?” 

“Was I just created to exist and live by the rules forced upon me? ” or

“Am I to be manipulated into thinking that money is everything in life and without it I cannot achieve my dreams.”

And “can I even dare to dream in a world overrun by rapacity and hate?”

“What can I?, a tiny speck in billions do to make the world a better place?”

The answers that came to him were surprisingly simple,

They were,

His purpose is to coexist peacefully among his fellow human beings and not to belittle the unfortunate and neither should he praise the wicked. 

Yes, money does help one achieve their dreams but it not everything. As long as one can find peace and happiness in little things they do, they can live a content and a fulfilling life.

Rapacity and hate will exist in the world but change starts with one man, one has to believe in the good of humanity and one should not give in to the vices that often threaten to consume us.

I can change the world by first changing myself, I can start influencing other people’s lives for the better by being a positive example in society, by performing kind deeds, by not indulging in execrable thoughts about a fellow human being, by accepting every individual for who they are, by not judging people because they are different, by measuring my words before I speak and I will patiently wait for the day when the world shall become a kinder, nicer, radiant and a sublime place to live.

-Niyati Parab