Managing pain

It hurts but I can handle this

Nooooooo

I am going to be here for a while. Happy face. Happy face.

Surrender.

Accept what doesn't change. 

Witness the pain. Ignore the needle. Embrace freedom! 

That's more like it. Not easy but beating pain one smile at a time.

I am in control. Let's finish this and move on. 

There is freedom at the end of pain. Stay. Conquer!

And, Selfie with bestie

Thanks, Pradeep Jr, Astron tattoos.

I enjoyed watching the design come alive after I gave him a couple of reference pics but spoke more about the emotions and philosophies I wanted it to represent. This might very well be my only tattoo. He manifested it. Mighty impressed!

Jessa Crispin and click bait statements

Nah. Jessa Crispin, the author of 'why I am not a  feminist' uses click bait statements and of course I expect Guardian to publish this. There is no sound reason to call out Sheryl Sandberg for trying to limit regulations because as per her she was protected by feminists (what logic is that). Sheryl could have been over protective as her job requires it and if Mark Zuckerberg attends the hearings, 'that's because he is the CEO and he is accountable. Sheryl doesn't deserve this vitriol. She has done more for women in opening up a dialogue, starting with not changing her name or identity after her marriage, dealing with her husband's death with grace, and even using it to help others. Jessa sounds too bitter.

Jessa, since you have made it abundantly clear that you are not a feminist, please play on your own lane. We have enough issues to address and dealing with you highjacking the narrative is a distraction. The best part of being an adult is there is nothing we 'have to' or 'must' do and certainty not the ones prescribed by someone with an agenda and an axe to grind.

Cyclone Gaja

Cyclone Gaja has uprooted lives. 33 are already dead and 80,000 have been evacuated. The farmers are facing the brunt of it. I hope that the Government deals with this horrible situation with grace. There i enough media attention when the flood hits prominent places. Let's not forget that natural disasters do not distinguish.

Help out. People in Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Dindigul and Trichy need us. I still couldn't find donation links. I will update when I do.

May God have mercy on us.

Running...

Cool visuals!

Feeling alive!

It's beautiful how our thoughts are validated with synchronicities if we pay attention. I was thinking about the trade-off between feeling alive vs living life sedated only the previous day. I even sent that message to a friend. The next day, I was surprised to see this update on Jesse Elder's page.

What does feeling alive mean to you?
To me, it's about living our purpose.
What's essential to living our purpose is seeking the answers to the following questions:-
Am I feeding off the Universe? Am I allowing it to use my energy to support its expansion?
Am I happy? Do I understand that our joy has over-arching benefits?

There are far more comfortable ways to live life.  It's easier to live with a distracted mindset. We can be melancholic and then go through the motions of what's expected of us. We can detach, ignore short term memories, and be in a constant state of bliss. We can also let the bias of the world guide our decisions and thoughts. Be a slave to the constraints of the world. Then, run amok between the past and the future with no regard for what's happening 'Now'. All of this severely hampers our potential to tap into our creative energies and the greatness of the Universe.

It's possible to appreciate joy while being grounded. Being grounded is not always comfortable because that necessitates enjoying the human experience with all its different shades. It requires making peace with the past because as long as there are concealed wounds, we cannot truly change. And, change we must to embrace our full power. Being grounded brings in the balance after forcing us to make peace with our past. It makes us centered. If we want to be useful, being centered is crucial. And, being useful is joyful! The kind of joy that resonates with the greatness of the Universe.

When I hide...

Sometimes, I run away
Away from the madness
Away from the chaos
If I am lucky, I miss my shadows
If it's a normal day, I disappear into my light
I weave a cocoon of misted sunlight
There, I grow my wings
I splash on my colours
I grow
I glow

Sometimes, I hit the darkness
Stumble on a cocoon that I didn’t weave
A swathe twisted with rays of the dark night
I am chewed in

I am swallowed

I don’t know the way back
I don’t know if I would be back

When I hide
Even in my bright days
I loved being found

By the Divine source of life

Like a Sunflower thirsting for the light

In my dark nights
I can’t call out
All I need, all I hope for, all I care about is to be found