I am my Rescue

Lisa Nichols appeared live on the Steve Harvey show and made a very inspiring statement “I Am My Rescue..No One Else is Going to Come Rescue Me”. I was so inspired by Lisa’s story that I decided to write my own interpretation of these words.

When we are stuck in the midst of a difficult situation or a crisis, we always try to find answers from outside of ourselves. If we don't get the help or support that we expect from others, we feel disappointed and start blaming others for our problems. Mostly we blame people who are closest to us. Why are we always trying to find a scapegoat to blame for all the problems that we ever face? Life is not an easy ride, it's a roller coaster! You go up and you are bound to come down. Sometimes the days that we spend down maybe more in number than the days that we spend up. But we should never give up our spirit and we should learn to enjoy the ups and downs of life, just as we enjoy the roller coaster rides.

When I face a challenging situation, I tell myself that “this too shall pass so why worry when I know this situation won't last”. Then I calm down and look for solutions. Often people say that they can't find a way to get out of a tough situation. But I would say to these people that if God had brought you to it, then he will get you out of it. Do not lose faith and hope. If one has faith in his abilities and does not let his hope die, he/she surely will emerge out of any difficulty.

Sometimes the night seems too long,

And you feel alone all along,

But the night is going to turn into day,

And your face will brighten up with the sunray,

So don't give up just yet,

Coz the fight is not over yet,

Don't look for someone to solve your problems or give you a cue,

Coz you have to fight through your lows as you are your own rescue.

No matter where you are in life, make yourself strong enough to save yourself if you fall in a ditch. There is nothing wrong in seeking help when one needs. However, one must never forget that God helps those who help themselves. Teach your kids to be honest, brave people with strong faith because faith in oneself never fails. 

As Lisa Nichols said “Be authentic and transparent about what is not working in your life; identify what you are hiding and protecting and figure out the distance between that and where you want to be.”

Tip tip barsa paani, paani ne aag laga di ⛈☔️

During this monsoon season in Mumbai (India) the rains drove everyone crazy literally, flooding streets and paralyzing road, air and train services. On 29 August 2017, it had been raining since morning yet I thought that the rains might recede, so I stepped out of my house to visit the hair salon at Juhu. During my ride from home to the salon, I noticed some water logging at some areas in the city. Light showers of the rain water were touching me through the open Mumbai Autorickshaws (similar to Tuk Tuk in Thailand). I was enjoying this short ride and pleasant climate which is the opposite of the weather in Oman at this time of the year. I was unaware of how bad the rains could get in the hour and a half that I spent at the parlour. When the hairdresser finished blow drying my hair, I received a call from my brother (Jaydeep Doshi) informing me that the train services had been stopped and that he may spend the night at his office. I went out looking for an auto rickshaw to take me home, but by then it was raining cats and dogs and the roads in Juhu near Amitabh Bachchan's house were completely water-logged. I tried to walk in the rains to find help but could see vehicles drowning in the rains and barely any cabs or auto rickshaws. During such times, the cab service of OLA and UBER were completely unavailable.
I finally managed to reach my cousins friend's Pooja Bhartia home by walking in the knee deep waters. While I sat at Pooja's house sipping chai and munching on a sandwich and homemade bhujia, people on the roads were struggling to reach home. As the rains receded, my cousins Niraj Doshi and Karan Doshi came to pick me and I finally reached home. My little adventure ended on a happy note. My brother Jaydeep had his own little and rather dangerous adventure when he travelled from Thane to Charkop on his friend's Enfield Bullet Motorbike, which is around 18 miles, in these crazy rains, "enjoying the green mountains and the rains" (these are my brother's words). He reached home safely the next day when the trains started.
In these beautiful yet crazy rains, some people were enjoying their chai with bhajias and pakoras, some were looking for transport to get home or a roof to take shelter from the rains. Yet, the city of Mumbai always comes alive during such emergency situations with its amazing spirit of brotherhood.   People were standing in groups near the open manholes to warn the people walking on the roads, human chains were being formed on the roads, hostels and vada pav sellers were offering free food, water and shelter to the distressed people. That is why I love Mumbai and am proud to be a Mumbaikar because no matter how busy and crazy this city drives you, it has a heart ❤️ of its own.

My Daddy - Strongest

Sitting on the hospital bed staring out of the window,
Prior to his heart operation feeling anxious and low,
Is the man I grew up admiring as a hero,
Who now looks so pale and has a dull glow,
He fought hard and emerged victorious from the operation,
The doctor said he is fine now and will be ready in three months for a vacation,
His heartbeat is normal and he is able to take a walk,
He wants to meet people and have a cheerful talk,
While I see him improve with every passing day,
I realize how much he did for our family every single day,
I stop my tears and feel grateful for having a Dad like You,
Who kept us cheerful and happy even on days when he felt blue,
For every little girl her Dad means all,
Thats why when I am in distress it is my Dad who I call,
My Daddy maybe old but he is so brave and bold and doesn't like to rest,
That is why I tell all that no matter what life throws at us, My Daddy is the Strongest

Me And You, Just Us Two!

Life happens in phases. When we are growing up, we go to school, then to college, then we think about the career to opt for and then we get hitched/married. Different people have different priorities and some choose a career, while some choose love. Most people choose both career and love. Once a couple gets hitched, the next phase of their lives is having a baby. Here comes the dilemma. In Indian society, even the most modern families and relatives start enquiring with a married couple about the good news (i.e. whether they are pregnant?) within the first few months of their marriage. These days the new generation of married couples are career-oriented and they also want to enjoy their life by engaging in travelling or other hobbies. Usually, having babies soon after marriage is seldom a priority for thenew-generation couples. That brings me to the question which we rarely ever read about, i.e. whether the couple really wants to have a baby or is it just a choice opted for due to different types of pressures.

In previous generations, the only pressure that a couple used to have for making a choice to have a baby was that of the family. However, these days there are other type of pressures such as pressure to fit in the society, pressure of being judged, pressure of friends, etc. Some parents insist that their sons and daughters should have a baby soon as they are worried that they may not live to see their grandson or granddaughter. This is so unreasonable and unfair to the couple who has to ultimately make the choice.

One of my friends was quite clear that they didn’t want to have any children and after a few months they told me they were having a baby. I was confused and baffled by this news as I didn’t understand how the sudden shift happened in their priorities. I was then told that most of their friends and business associates were having children, so to fit in that society they needed to have a baby. 

Another couple decided to have a baby because they thought that if they didn’t have a baby, they would be looked at as someone with whom “something is wrong” health-wise or financially.

Many people decide to get pregnant simply because all their friends have a baby and the only thing being discussed at the dinner table is pampers or the milestones which the baby achieves when it becomes X months old or the baby clothes, etc.  During such conversations, the childless couple feels left out and thinks that if they too have a baby, they will still have friends.

The above pressures are merely some types of pressures that the childless couple has to deal with while they are deciding what they really want. So many couples who have a young child are always complaining about sleepless nights and how difficult their lives have become due to this new addition to their family. They make pregnancy such a big affair, almost like a disease. If you chose to have a child, didn’t you know the things you would have to undergo as new parents? I believe the only reason for arriving at a decision of when to have a baby is when the wife and the husband actually want the baby. Have a baby because you really want it and not because of the societal or family pressures. Everyone has different challenges to meet in their lives. Don’t try to be like someone else. If you have a medical situation which complicates the process of conception, please don’t look at it as your weakness. The stress that one goes through, while sitting in the long queues outside a gynaecologist’s office is not worth it if you are not happy and if you are choosing to have a baby due to external pressures. Find out what makes you happy first. If you are happy, you will have a happy child. Don’t bring a life on Earth, if that life is only a means to meet some of your materialistic ends or to give you company when you get old. A child is a big responsibility and can add a new beautiful meaning to your life and your identity. Ask yourself whether you are ready to love unconditionally? Are you ready to sacrifice and change your priorities? Are you ready for letting the child go and allow him or her to make his or her own life choices when they grow up?

Having a baby is a wonderful process and when the baby is growing, the parents are learning and growing too. The decision to have a child or not to have a child should be the decision of the parents and not due to the pressures from the family or society. People who don’t have children are as normal as those who have children. It is only a matter of what life you choose for yourself.

Strangers

Sometimes some strangers walk into your lives,

And change the meaning of tears and smiles,

You start discovering something in you,

Which was there before but you simply didn't knew,

The beautiful moments that you shared were so dear,

Coz they are still fresh in your mind although they are not near,

But, just like the weather changes memories fade away,

And what appears like night today may tomorrow seem like a day,

Time moves on and so do we,

What remains behind is just the memory,

In the bitterness and the tears,

There is also sweetness and cheer,

As every dark night is followed by a new day,

And somewhere on the road you trudge there will always be hope's sunray