Confessions of a Coffeeholic

An exhausting  journey ….. a rude taxi driver …. a Foreign land … a client meeting postponed .. all contribute to my Irritable state of mind . I subconsciously seek  for the “magic bean ” whIch I know will bring me tranquility and calm the raging sea of emotions in my mind . The magic bean  being – the humble ‘ coffee bean” .

I am quite choosy about coffee …. a perfect cup of coffee can turn your  worst days Into better days and vice versa . And I was looking forward to this day transforming experience . I seek out the famous green and white wIth a crowned mermaid In the middle Insignia of ” Starbucks ” coffee shop.  ( Cafe Coffee Day – CCD would be back home in India ) Yesssss! I am a coffeeholic !

As I walk Into the cafe – the familiar aroma of freshly ground roasted Costa Rican coffee beans storm my senses  and I move quickly towards the counter in anticipatIon of the ”  Coffee Experience ” !  . Here I encounter a familiar face – beaming back at me wIth ” I remember you” expression … saying sweetly – ” sawasdee ka .. Mr. NIEL “ (That’s “Namaste”  back home ) . I look down on her chest for the name tag(before you thInk of anything else )  – and It reads – ” Ramee “ She continues to ask – the ” usual .. Mr Niel ” ? StIll struggling to come to terms wIth how come she knows my name …. I retort back with – ” What would  be my usual ?…. Ramee”  …. she fIres back In enthusIasm …. ” Caffe Latte – Grande … extra strong , extra shot of espresso , extra hot and topped wIth cinnamon powder “ .. rIght ?? I am at a loss of words with Ramee’s perfect recital of my version of a perfect coffee – the way I like it !  I sImply manage to utter -” YES . Ramee.. That’s It ! ”  She warmly smiles and Indicates me to have a seat and my order wIll be served to me ! I was WOW ! Now that’s called personalised service !

As I weave my way to my favourite spot in the all too familiar cafe .. I perch myself .. on a corner leather sofa next  to  the glass pane – overlooking the  river . As I await for my order to be served… I look around the familiar decor and surroundings of the cafe .. smilingly thinking .. my home away from home !  That day, the cafe was unusually less crowded .. but then this can change in a few minutes to a bustling cafe brimming wIth people . My thoughts swing back to Ramee .. who is now busy wIth flurry of activities , processing already placed orders with efficiency and ease of a seasoned professional  ! I couldnt but help noticing .. that she makes eye contact with every customer ..and greets them equally with a warm contagious smile. I wonder , does she remember the ” usual ” of all these customers ? I am shaken out of the trance … wIth Ramee waving two fingers at me – her face still beaming … Indicating I will get my order in 2 min ! I once again , just could manage a nod of approval and a faint smile .

2 min 40 secs later ….my chain of thoughts  is broken by a sweet familiar voice ..” excuse me .. Mr Niel ” …I look up Into a beaming face of RAMEE .. wIth my order . She places the tray on the table… and waits for me to check on the accuracy of the order. Instinctively .. my hand reaches out to check the temperature of the cup . I pull back Instantly – It was EXTRA HOT for sure ! Next I bend over the cup , take in the aroma and stir a little – very light foam , and good helping of cinnamon powder. I looked up to Ramee and saId – ” perfect “. HearIng the satisfied comment – she promptly leaves and back to her duties. The smile does not leave her face .

The scintillating Aroma emanating from the coffee cup raids my sense of smell and I can almost taste the coffee wIthout even drinking It. The smell so sublime .. ensuring the taste wIll be truly satisfying . The first sip and i am immediately transported to the coffee plantatIons of LatIn America  – as the full-bodied coffee.. plays lively on my tongue. A satisfying taste indeed.

As I am shamelessly indulging in MY Coffee…a old frIend ( who I had lost contact with over the years )walks up to me – and announces -” Nielllllllllllllllll .. Dennis .. the menace ???” I immedIately recognised the booming vice of Harpeet “the turbinator ” singh  from my school days !!! I could manage to mouth only ” OH…..MY…… GODDDD ” and we do a bear hug !! The next few min we played ” catch up ” . Since he was with his office colleagues and rather in a hurry, we quickly exchange numbers and I am already Invited to his home for drinks and dinner ! After short good byes and extracting my  promise to honour the Invitation .. he quickly exits .

The brief meeting of a long-lost old frIend  rekindled fond memories … I return back to my coffee  indulgence and settle  in the comfortable sofa. Out of habit , I start checkIng my blackberry for emails and yahoo messenger . Suddenly , a soft voIce from behind me , asks.. ” May I ask what part of India are you from ?” The sudden Intrusion causes a delay in responding . Immediately realising  , this stranger is apologetic . I Inform her that I was from Mumbai and politely return to my BB. The stranger comments – ” Lively city – just like your coffee.” . The linkage of cIty and coffee… caught my attention and aroused my interest. I turn towards her and then for the next 45 min .. we were in constant chit chat ..laughing ( she had an Innocent smIle ) away . I learnt her name was Karen and she was a visual merchandiser .   We end up exchanging contact details wIth a promIse to keep In touch . Both our blackberry beeped the familiar sound of being added on the messenger list !

90 mInutes had passed and my thoughts return to RAMEE . I check out the counter but she was not there ! Somehow I felt disappointed. I scan the cafe for her .. and see her moving purposely In my direction . WIth her beaming face and open smile , she approaches me and asks me – ” Did you like your coffee ? ” . To this I replied – It was ” wonderful ” ! She beamed and said she looked forward to see me again . I smile back .. and assure her that I will be returning soon !

I say my good byes and upon exiting , I ponder over the ” coffee experience ” I just had ,  where an old school friend was found and new friends were made .

I look back at the cafe , smile & remind myself – I have a promise to keep ! 🙂

Hope you liked the ” lighter ” side of me in the article … your comments & feedback are always welcome.

Emotional Generosity – an introspection

Yesterday , after a bitter argument with my bhabhi ( sis in law ) , I went for an aimless walk as per my habit , to work off the  nervous energy trapped in me .  And I somehow end up at a park , which i never knew existed. And  let me tell you this is a pretty good-sized park  en route to my daily jogging route !

I  find myself a quiet corner bench as I preferred not to be disturbed.  I return back to the roller coaster ride of my  emotions processing them in my mind .   As I was scanning the scene in front of me , i notice this elderly couple with their grandchild,  carrying a tub of popcorn over to the nearby bench . In a few min , a street kid doing his rounds of collection , reaches this trio. I couldn’t help but notice the face of this elderly gentle man looking  at this street kid as if he were his own.  The empathy and compassion was overflowing on his face.  He smiles at the kid and puts his hand in pocket and pulls out a Rs 10 /- note but he does not give it . For a second my mind thought , now THATS  being  overly generous !   But that  thought was truncated prematurely , as this elderly gentleman   invites the street kid to sit amongst them and offers him the tub of popcorn.  For obvious reasons , his grandchild was not too happy to share his Popcorn with an unkempt , strange , street kid.  Kids are Possessive about popcorn ! it’s a KID thing !   He looks complainingly towards his grandfather , who simply smiles back and without a word ..  puts the Tub between both the kids .  The street kid  elated with the sudden surprise which rarely fills his reality, begins to gobble away  the popcorn should this moment be short-lived .  Looking at the reluctance to share the  popcorn , the grandfather , pulls out a fist full of popcorn and looks greedily at the fist and looking back at his grandchild – WINKS .  There was instantaneous explosion  of smile on the childs face and he enthusiastically  enters the unannounced race with this new friend – for who gets more popcorn.  I couldn’t help noticing  both kids exchanging  glances with each other . There was a sense of acceptance amongst the two complete strangers by one-act of emotional generosity by the grandfather.

In this brief , rapid moment of observation,I was propelled  out of my own dilemma  as a sense of happiness washed over me  and before I knew it , I was smiling.  And I couldn’t  help but realising , how much happiness  the act of “ giving”  or “ sharing” can give us . The  event  sparked a thought process  in me  and I asked myself –  how generous are we with our emotions ?  Do we freely  express our emotions ?  when did we last exchange emotions – even a smile –  with a complete stranger ?

In our effort for so-called  “ pursuit of Happiness “ , we continue to create a world where the place of emotions is increasingly being considered TABOO.  Whatever emotions  we do manage to express are tinged with selfish motive of self  gratification .  We  live in a world of materialism , where comfort , convenience , money  etc  are of paramount  importance.  We have voluntarily entered into a rat race to outdo the other in terms of collecting MORE  POSSESSIONS  and  upgrade ourselves to  SOCIAL  STATUS . By the way, this “ status”  is determined by  “ Strangers “ !!!   This materialistic pursuit  has triggered the greed in us as nothing seems to be enough anymore.   In this Moreness , we have  blinded ourselves  to  people around us . Instead of  “ living a life ‘” we are entrenched  in “ making a living “ !  WE  are seeking  “ happiness “ in inanimate objects !  It seems our definition of “ happiness “ has become  clouded.

Some of us are generous , in terms of donation to Temples , churches and other NGO’s  . The very little of this which trickles down to the less privileged few is definitely helpful  .  But I question – does  this singular act of  sharing / donating  make us feel  happy ?  Even if it does , isn’t this a very selfish act  performed for  happiness  of Self ? and why does it have to be anonymous ?  More  importantly  – Is this the happiness we seek ?

I look back at the event I witnessed ,  where TRUE  Generosity  was demonstrated by this grandfather …… to a complete  stranger …. and the feeling of  happiness was so widespread that it made every one who witnessed it  .. a participant .. and made them equal share holder …. in  Being HAPPY .  For  TRUE happiness can only be achieved with “ emotional generosity “  .

And  if ,  just by witnessing , it can compels me to forget my worldly trouble and put a smile on my face and song in my heart … then  should we not be in  “ pursuit of (this ) happiness  “  – which transcends all strata of society and brings all at ONE level  – a FELLOW  HUMAN BEING .

As I move towards the Life of emotional generosity , I leave you with a very apt  quote –

“There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life – happiness, freedom, and peace of mind – are always attained by giving them to someone else.”   – Peyton Conway March

 

Ps : the street kid – refused to accept the Rs 10 from the grandfather !

Hope  you liked this article … feel free to  share your thoughts

Can there be more than one Soul Mate ?

After reading my blog  “From the beginning – there was YOU and I”  a close and dear friend asked me a question -.  ” Can the soul  have more than one mates    ? ”  On seeing a sheepish grin on my face , he realised and quickly rephrased the question and asked  –      “ Can there be  more than one Soul  Mate ?

This question ignited a spark in  me  that could only be doused with a proper explanation. I welcome you to join me as I embark upon the journey to seek a possible answer to the burning question.  

As the irrefutable Natures law of Duality serves as canvas to my thoughts  , I look closer at the words  “ SOUL  MATE “  is a Singular term – meaning ONE . It could very well have been  Soul MateS ( Plural ) . This indicates that soul mate can only be ONE.  Yet , throughout our lives and sometimes many lifetimes  , we continue to  search for that ONE  perfect partner / the Twin aspect of our soul , Our Soul Mate.  Many  of us may not recognise / find this Soul mate for most of us are not YET in the pre-requisite “ state of awareness “   . Until then the soul indicates its desire to the mind for it to make the choice and for the Body to ACT  that choice . When the Body , Mind and Soul Create TOGETHER in harmony and in Unison , GOD is made flesh ! It is THEN that the soul knows itself in its OWN EXPERIENCE.  This divine experience transcends through the physical into the metaphysical and for this to occur the TWO SOULS must MATE .( Duality of Purpose).   Thus the incessant desperate desire to search for the Soul….. Mate !

During our life time , we come across a few people who come very close to what is being interpreted as a soul mate and during that period – we do experience the feeling of elation (LOVE) with this individual as  BF / Husband , GF / Wife , Lover etc . Many a times during these brief / long relationships of the physical realm, our soul realises that the other is not its TWIN Aspect and though the soul does not control the mind or body , it makes itself heard   and the person will subconsciously create circumstances/ events that will lead to the separation of the two – commonly termed ” break up ” / ” Divorce ” . (Divided by force) . Mostly elders / wise men would like to justify this break up as ” it was not meant to be “. How true is this saying – because it  LITERALY was not meant to be . For what IS “Meant to be” is for the soul to experience – the grandest experience of all – the RE-union with the ONE (Source)  which cannot be possible without its Twin aspect  – the “elusive “ SOUL  MATE .
 
So  – ” Can there be more than one soul mate ? ”   I would say NO .  There can only be ONE .

Point of note : Highly evolved beings have achieved such high  ” state of awareness ” that they become independent of the need of the soul mate.  In this state , the body , mind and soul are in CONSTANT harmony  and continues to experience of BEING the ONE – refered to as” state of  BE-INGness”  Such souls usually do not recyle as it has achieved ” salvation” . Them we refer to as ” MASTERS ” or ” GOD “

 

Hope you enjoyed reading …… your feedback and comments are most welcome.

From the begining – there was YOU and I

Besides being a avid chatter , i also like to read a lot . Recently i came across a image with a tag line – From the begining there was U and I.. hence the tag line. It just stuck in my brain and before i know it , i was compelled to introspect on the DUALITY of nature . The yin / yan , north / south , here / there , polarity – positive / negative. Even at our molecular level there exists this duality – Chromosome X and Y, and the very genetic material of which we are made of – is also in DUAL HELIX .

As the soul enters the physical realm , it splits itself in half – male / female and it experiences this Simultaneously. Now two individuals come into existence . the YOU and I . Now begins the dance of RE-discovering the OTHER HALF .. the opposite sex. It is inherent to these souls to now seek out the energy through the physical realm by searching for what we commonly refer to as SOUL MATE .(The words says it all ) . UnTill the two halfs have united … ONENESS awaits !

As conciousness moves towards reunion , we miss our other half , rendering us with the feeling of bieng InCOMPLETE , abandoned and sometimes depressed. A peice of us is Always missing. During our search for our soul mate ,we come across some people who come close to making us feel whole again . The energies they emit vibrates similar to the frequency of the energies we emit. This energies meet in ways we may not have thought of . These energies unite to form a ” zone ” between you and I . We refer to this zone as our ” comfort zone” . Both you and I are connected to this ” zone ” as we continue to feed it with our energies. And as the intensity increases, you and i both can feel that ” BOND ” between us. The soul recognises this union of energies at a metaphysical level and wants to experience it URGENTLY. It pushes the you and I to expereince it Physically. We recognise this drive as ‘ physical attraction ” . For is that LITERALY . Male and female bodies are designed specifically for this purpose to aid the soul in experiencing the Divine union. As the two physical bodies combine they become ONE – in the flesh . And in the explosion of this oneness – they come to know GOD and GODESS , Alpha and Omega , the yin and the Yan , the ALL and NOTHING.

In this moment of ONENESS -it can be said Essence of LIFE is experienced , for through this process we CREATE life(NEW) and trigger the entry of another soul into the physical realm ( literally) – and duality of YOU and I – is repeated from the Begining !

The Omnipresent TRINITY

While i was writing the earlier blog – 3 logical step to Godliness, I coudnt help but think that God has manifested itself in TRINITY.  Looking  at our own constitution (not the Indian constitution :P)   – its 3 parts – BODY , Mind , Spirit ( soul)

Also can be described alternatively – Physical (Body),  non –physical ( Mind)  ,  Meta –physical ( spirit)

The process of creation – 3 parts – Thoughts (mind) , words (body) , Action (soul)

To elaborate on the above – Our Mind generates Thoughts , Body (mouth ) expresses in form of words , and Action creates a reality which we experience. The soul gains the experience .

The Trinity ( 3 –in –one aspect ) has been described and researched upon by our religion , science , phlilosophers , and poets .

Religion calls it – The Holy Trinity – Bible – Father , Son and the Holy Spirit

Psychiatrist calls it – Conscious , Sub- conscious and super conscious

Science calls it – energy , matter , anti matter

The poet calls it – mind , heart , soul 

Time itself is divided into 3 parts -Past , Present  , Future

Space too is divided in 3 parts – here , there and space in between.

Many authours have described  the above individualy or collectively . 

It is my effort to bring to light – the omnipresence of Trinity in ourselves / our  lives . As we are constantly involved in the process of creation , we are replaying the 3 point process ( Trinity ) in every moment . Due to our hectic lifestyles and the constant self creation of illusionary distraction , we sometimes tend to forget to delve deeper in our selves or REALLY  see beyond the obvious . We constantly search for GOD externally  because we have started to believe that GOD is ANOTHER ENTITY , who is constantly monitoring us. But  if we just opened our minds a little more and looked a little deeper in our lives , we WILL realise and experience GOD in our selves (WITHIN ) – for our SOUL  is a miniscule part of the WHOLE we refer to  as GOD.

Hoping you find this view point interesting …

Please feel free to let me know ur thoughts and opinions by posting comments .
 

3 logical steps to Godliness

Before you pass judgement and label me as a SAINT /SADHU….. let me clarify I am NOT .. rather I am a self confessed  devil – personified. But that’s  a different  blog  subject altogether  i  will spare the readers with . Tsk .. ( tom and jerry style ) …

…..will let u experience it instead ! heee haaa haaa – devil  laugh.

Man is a creative being.. constantly involved  in the process of creation . Pondering  on the process –  how does it ALL begin?   It all begins with the THOUGHT – the idea or a concept.   Everything  we see  around  us , the world as we know it , was ONCE … a THOUGHT. To this thought – there is always a SPONSORING THOUGHT . ( a pre – thought as you would describe it ) .   A step backward on this … would reveal  that this is pure energies  coming together as a specific Sponsoring thought. These  energies  are just a small portion of the ALL in ONE source , we refer to this as GOD.

Expression of thought would be next on the process of creation. Thoughts are best expressed in WORDS .  Everything we say is thoughts expressed. It is said – BE CAREFUL what you wish for (SAY) ! .. This is because , words are more dynamic than thought, and can affect  the universe ( the space ) with greater impact. Hence begins the shaping up process of the creation to be .

To give the final shape to the Creative process  requires  appropriate  ACTION   . Action is words moving . Action results in the birth of a REALITY .. which ultimately we term it  ” EXPERIENCE”  as we live through that reality . Most  commonly  we say –        “ what  a Experience ! “ . 

It is believed that the power to CREATE – is a GODLY quality. And Man is EMPOWERED with such a quality.

Through 3 simple steps – TWA (not Trans World Airlines 😛 )  Thought , Words ,  Action – we CREATE our reality. 

So the beginning is GOD ( origin of  thought)  . The end is Creation of Reality through ACTION. And the never ending cycle continues . Through this  use of the Godly power of creating , we experience GOD- liness .

Hoping you enjoyed reading …..Comments  most  welcome .

Balance Partners

In this virtual universe , I am a Chatizen ! a avid chatter as I am online most of the time as my work demands me to be . Slowly over the years , I have developed a friend circle which spans the globe. In fact , one of my GF was from the virtual world and lost her to the realities of the REAL world . The break up came suddenly and with a cruel blow to the heart ! The very foundation of our relationship – TRUST – was demolished. It was a rude shock which stirred up my soul and compelled me to look within as i came to terms . I was in a state of  IMBALANCE  !

I began to think about the roles people play in our lives . Our parents , friends , lovers , wives …. ! what is the purpose of these spirits in our lives ? how does it benefit me or my soul for that matter ? a selfish thought – i agree but isn’t the journey of soul , the journey of self ! Are we  ALONE on the path of discovery and learning ? 

As we chug along on our Journey, we come to meet many people . They enter our lives suddenly and they sometimes get lost along the way.. We seem to attract these “ special beings “ into our lives. We attract them as we vibrate on similar frequencies / synchronicity – meaning that we have a instant connection! – Chemistry! They usually become close friends and remain in our lives for a period of time . During this period , they share information and experiences that enhance our journey and give us the feeling of moving closer to the spiritual mission that seems to embrace your soul and tug at our  consciousness. These special beings are not friends – for friends are people who fit into our lifestyle. These are MORE than friends – a unique being whose sole purpose is to guide us into our journey of awareness. As we connect and communicate, there is a sense of excitement that is UNMATCHED by anyone else around us. This feeling of ecstasy is almost like falling in love, which we do most of the times . But this can end well or destroy the very purpose of the union. I believe these special beings do not enter our lives for romance . So its wise not get caught up – all starry eyed with glee at this connection ! Balance is the name of the game .

Usually, there are MORE THAN ONE of these special beings , as no one person can have all the answers . They can be of any age / sex / location .Every one of these special beings are also on a journey of their own and we encounter them , sometimes the encounter can be as brief just to share some information.  The remote journeys and information shared is one of the most memorable travels of our consciousness.

The purpose of these special beings is to create BALANCE in our lives and enhance our experience of the spiritual journey of the soul and vice versa. We too are special beings for them alternatively. For we cannot be together without each calling forth the other. It  is important to recognise them and make the experience fun and uncomplicated . Otherwise it will end and you will miss whatever opportunity our soul have created.

These special beings who bring about  balance and greater understanding for both of us – I like to refer to them as – BALANCE  PARTNERS.  

Hope you enjoyed reading. .. Coments – most welcome

 

The FACE as an index of character

I am a self confessed coffeeholic !  i can guzzle upto 6 -7 cups a day ! and hence my obvious hang out would be .. THE COFFEE SHOP ! I travel a lot for work reasons. And during my visits to various towns / cities and countries – my favourite pass time and self indulgence would be a coffee shop. 

Over a single Extra Large cup of Cafe Mocha ( extra strong , extra choco powder topping , extra hot ) , i observe the flurry of activities happening around . The very busy behind the counter – service person and their fixed smile and some  animated and some hush hush conversations happening around the near by tables .  I cant help but to observe the faces of all these people and wonder in awe – at the millions of expressions it can project . You don’t  need to hear what the words are , their  face says it all !  I observe rather acutely  than some . You observe a person from a distance for some time and you cannot miss the changing weather ( expressions ) on his / her face. While he is waiting for his order to be served – his expression is of a person lost in his own thots. And when he is interrupted with a smile of a service clerk – thre is a sudden change in his expression and more often than not return the smile . And as quickly, returns to ANOTHER expression. Did the service clerk trigger another thought process ?  resulting in renewed expression. His phone buzzes.  I freeze time in my mind and record the expression BEFORE he accepts the call.. … and then DURING the call…. and then AFTER the call !  All the three expressions are totally different !  Such is the dynamic state of a HUMAN  FACE. 

As circumstances play trigger , the soul announces its opinion through a expression on the FACE ! The two most expressive aspects of the face are THE EYES and THE MOUTH.. One good look in a persons eyes and the little voice in the head has already passed judgement about the kind of person he or she would be. And the way , the mouth contours to deliver the words , also tells a lot about a persons  character . And both these differ with every individual . 

A brief interaction with a stranger , one look at his / her face – a yellow folder is drafted about the person and filed – CATEGORISED ! lol.. How do we decide on who m we like to talk to or whom we don’t ? how often we comment – OH ! look at his FACE ! he is surely NOT to be trusted ! or He is a innocent person / clean heart etc etc … WE base these initial judgements about a persons character just by .. ‘ LOOKING AT HIS FACE ‘ !  

 A man’s FACE , if we can read it right , is indeed an Index of his character !  We can tell what sort of a man he is by the expression of his countenance , as we can tell the species of the shell fish by its shell ! for as shell fish secretes its shell – the SOUL secretes its physical FACE ! It is we ourselves who make our faces and we make them gradually and unconsciously to express our inner character ! Character is simply the sum total of conformed habits ; and as a habit is formed , it slowly its characteristics marks on the face !  ( Now i know why MAKE UP was invented  ! to hide the character – oopps read marks ! 😀 lol )

Certain kinds of faces almost anyone can read . You cannot mistake the red and bloated face of the drunkard , the sour face of the discontented , the pride in the face of the arrogant , the crarfty look in the eyes of the sneak ! But some clever people can make their faces like MASKS to hide their REAL selves. A false hearted man may have an apparently frank and open face ; a cruel man may wear a deceptively kind smile ; a rogue may look very honest at first sight . As Hamlet said ; “ A man may smile and smile , and be a Villain “ . But there is always SOMETHING in the FACE that will betray such people to an acute observer – especially the most expressive parts of the face – the EYES !

It is CERTAIN , that dishonesty, lust , crueltly , honesty , purity and kindness , all leave their indelible marks on the human FACE ! 

Cheers !  Hope u enjoyed reading . Comments – Most welcome.

Hello world!

Am a newbie to the world of Blogging……