Category: Random Thoughts

Posted in Life, Quotes, Random Thoughts, Stories Around the World

Move or Sink

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

One of the benchmarks of stepping into the “plus eighteen age” is the onslaught of decisions that have to be made. While some are quite straightforward and simple, others involve plenty of harrowing thoughts of “what-ifs”, attempts to envision the future probabilities and possibilities. Finally the choice is made and we move ahead. What happens if one just stays standstill, especially when caught in the quicksand ? Before one could completely comprehend and work out the situation, one may just sink.

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.” Theodore Roosevelt

Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments

One undergoes numerous points wherein decisions have to be made, whether they be big or small. While the small ones won’t take any time, the big ones are usually put off till an appropriate time. Though “the appropriate time” may be too late in certain scenarios. Decisions made at the right time or moment will only cause the right change or required effect. When one gets being too early or real late then the scales of balance may tip. At times the decisions made may be for worse than better, realized usually in hindsight; but other times it may be the reverse. The point is to make a decision, as and when required. Sitting on own hands doesn’t achieve any purpose, except for lost options.

“It’s better to be boldly decisive and risk being wrong than to agonise at length and be right too late.” Marilyn Moats Kennedy

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Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments

If those decisive changes may turn for the wrong side, face the problem head on and try to correct it. Unless one springs into action, nothing changes. Whether there be be plenty of words or thoughts, without the appropriate actions or behaviour; everything becomes null or void. Being caught in the situation and stubborn about making a move to get out, will result in irreversible damage as time runs real short. Knowing the art to adjust, adapt and improvise a lost situation with quick insight and decisiveness makes the murky situations of life, just a passing phase. As life teaches, getting caught in those tough moments requires one to spring in action, make the decisions and face the situation head on; for then the outcome will be a learning curve and tomorrow will exist.

Once the frog fell in a vessel of the hot water. The water was still on a gas stove. The frog still did not try to jump out of the vessel, instead just stayed in it. As the temperature of the water started to rise, the frog managed to adjust its body temperature accordingly. As the water started to reach the boiling point, the frog was no longer able to keep up and manage its body temperature according to the water temperature. The frog tried to jump out of the vessel but with water temperature reaching its boiling point, the frog was not able to bear it and couldn’t make it. What was the reason that a frog couldn’t make it? Will you blame the hot water for it? (Source: The Internet)

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Posted in Family and Society, Photography Art, Random Thoughts, Stories Around the World

Set by Own Standards

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Restoring old family furniture involves plenty of planning. Depending on the requirement, design and the budget; the type of wood is selected and work starts at full swing. While some may be a “do-it-yourself” project, others require help from the experts. Which is why two weeks later, we had stopped by the local furniture centre to pick up our refurbished pieces. Imagine to our surprise when not only was the underlying rotting wood removed and replaced keeping the design and base structure intact, the upholstery was redone and the polish shining to reflect. While we didn’t expect such a beautiful restoration. The work they had done spoke volumes about their work ethics and principles. Regardless of the expense or the pay received, the work done went beyond it.

“What you do is what matters, not what you think or say or plan.” Jason Fried

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Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments

To do any task entrusted to one, requires one to be willing to work and see it through. Yet along the way, there may be unexpected glitches which may take one by complete surprise or they may be as or beyond the anticipated. The battle then ranges between completion of target deadlines to doing the project in the complete manner in the time available. Doing the job may be as per the required but the choice of going that extra mile depends on oneself alone.

“Persistence. Perfection. Patience. Power. Prioritize your passion. It keeps you sane.” Criss Jami

Not just as work projects alone; but whatever one does, one should learn to enjoy those little motions. Be it in making that single cup of morning coffee, washing the car, mowing the elderly neighbour’s lawn or giving a hand at the local fundraising garage sale, do it because one wants to help and do their best when in action. For while words and thoughts may fade away with time, the emotions left behind and the actions effected by them stay embedded for the years ahead. The care we have for another is shown not through words or deeds, but heartfelt actions or work that brings a smile on the faces around us.

“Even though your time on the job is temporary, if you do a good enough job, your work there will last forever.” Idowu Koyenikan

Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
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One day a man was asked to paint a boat by an owner of boat. He brought with him paint and brushes and began to paint the boat a bright red, as the owner asked him. While painting, he realized there was a hole in the hull and decided to repair it. When he finished painting, he received his money and left. The next day, the owner of the boat came to the painter and presented him with a nice check, much higher than the payment for painting. The painter was surprised.”You’ve already paid me for painting the boat!”, he said.
– But this is not for the paint job. It’s for having repaired the hole in the boat.
– Ah! But it was such a small service, certainly it’s not worth paying me such a high amount for something so insignificant!

“My dear friend, you do not understand. Let me tell you what happened. When I asked you to paint the boat, I forgot to mention about the hole. When the boat dried, my kids took the boat and went on a fishing trip. They did not know that there was a hole. I was not at home at that time. When I returned and noticed they had taken the boat, I was desperate because I remembered that the boat had a hole. Imagine my relief and joy when I saw them returning from fishing. Then, I examined the boat and found that you had repaired the hole! You see, now, what you did? You saved the life of my children! I do not have enough money to pay your “small” good deed.”
Source: Social Media (The Internet)

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Posted in Family and Society, Life, Photography Art, poetry, Random Thoughts

To Live By

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

During my childhood years, we had an assortment of pets. From the farm dog Racer, our first adopted furry stray cat Straw, Goldetta’s ducklings whom we all had named and trailed around them to the couple of horses and cows who had stayed on. As the years went by, some of them we lost back to nature, few we had sold off and few new ones had become a part of our new family. Each of them gave us precious memories to laugh and smile about. Being sorely homesick in first year of college; I had gotten my first goldfish Angel. While she had lasted through couple of months beyond two years, her presence had lit up the unsettling days. She was someone who was there giving her colour to the dull days and swimming her lively greeting in circles while she was around.

As we enter the real-life working world, one realizes that school and college were just camping grounds. Entering into the arena of office politics, work ribbing and general chaos; one discovers that unless one holds true to own self, one could themselves dissolve into complete chaos.

“You gotta find your best self and when you do, you gotta hold on to it for dear life.” Cheryl Strayed

Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments

Regardless of circumstances, life teaches us to live through the situation, adapting with fine changes and make the best of our days. While one may never reach the heights or society defined pinnacle of success, staying happy is what matters. Holding onto the inner faith, honour and principle is what makes the best guilt-free and priceless memories. Instead of holding each day by the list of to-do’s or the projects to achieve alone; each day should be embraced with the promise to just enjoy the hours.

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Theodore Roosevelt

Each of us have our own colour to add to the canvas. While for sometimes they may be dull, other days those are the very colours that may brighten up the days for those around us. When all the colours come together and the canvas unrolled, that painting leaves a mark in each of the lives that surround us.

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My Creed
by Edgar A. Guest

To live as gently as I can;
To be, no matter where, a man;
To take what comes of good or ill
And cling to faith and honor still;

To do my best, and let that stand
The record of my brain and hand;
And then, should failure come to me,
Still work and hope for victory.

To have no secret place wherein
I stoop unseen to shame or sin;
To be the same when I’m alone
As when my every deed is known;

To live undaunted, unafraid
Of any step that I have made;
To be without pretense or sham
Exactly what men think I am.

To leave some simple mark behind
To keep my having lived in mind;
If enmity to aught I show,
To be an honest, generous foe,

To play my little part, nor whine
That greater honors are not mine.
This, I believe, is all I need
For my philosophy and creed.

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Posted in Family and Society, Life, Personal Musings, Photography Art, Random Thoughts, Stories Around the World

Correct the Curve

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

With the option of working from home for a couple of days a week going into effect this month, somehow we had ended up being in-charge for my niece and nephews along with our own. The reason being that the social isolation, especially from parks and grounds, would be best observed here with us. Thus with their school break starting here, home now equates to managing a playground while working in shifts. So when cries of “he took my car” versus “the girls broke into our tree-house” , it’s like holding the court at home.

Along the way, while trying to be fair, one realizes that one doesn’t need to take sides to meet out their version of justice. For while they may be in the wrong, it mayn’t be a truly wrong thing at work. For it’s all about relative thoughts.

“Nothing in the world is ever completely wrong. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.” Paulo Coelho

Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments

Putting the concept of “righting the wrong“, sometimes focusing only on the person who did it doesn’t serve the purpose. All of us make mistakes. While at times, it may be a willful default that needs a severe addressal; other times it may be just a wrong turn of events or the never ending situation of trying to do good but falling out along the way. For instance, the pair of children who broke the window pane during their ball game, need to know what went wrong. But meeting out harrowing punishment, verbal or emotional doesn’t help to teach them. Instead dealing with the situation without trying to pull down the morale of anyone, but not wearing those blinders help to bring out the right thoughts of behaviour, consequence and actions in those young minds.

“The real difficulty is to overcome how you think about yourself.” Maya Angelou

Being just, is not about me being right and the other being wrong. It involves being able to listen to others’ with respect along with their versions, claims and opinions; keeping the facts in check and seeking for the evidence. To right the wrong, corrective measures doesn’t require one to always highlight the wrong doer; though they should be able to comprehend their mistake. For education with wisdom and insight is meaningless. For society to move ahead, it’s not just literacy, progress and strong work ethics that matter, but also a civic sense and the insight to strength and teach the future in a manner worth emulation and imparting the right morale, ethics as well as the code of social and personal conduct.

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A young man saw his primary school teacher on a wedding. He went to greet him with all the respect and admiration. He said to him: “Do you remember me, Teacher?”
The teacher said: “No, please introduce yourself.”
The student said: “I was your student in the 3rd Grade, I am the one who stole the watch of a child in the classroom. I will remind you but I am sure you remember the story.”

One of the boys in my class had a beautiful watch, so I decided to steal it. He came to you crying that someone had stolen his watch. You asked us to stand so as to search our pockets. I realized that my action would be exposed in front of the Students and Teachers. I will be called a thief, a liar and my character will be shattered forever.
You asked us to stand and face the wall and close our eyes completely. You went searching from pocket to pocket, and when you reached my pocket you pulled the watch out of my pocket, and you continued until you searched the last student. After you finished you asked us to open our eyes and to sit on our chairs. I was afraid you will expose me in front of the students. You showed the watch to the class, and gave it back to the boy, and you never mentioned the name of the one who stole the watch.
You never said a word to me, and you never mentioned the story to anyone. Throughout my school life, none of the teachers nor the students talked about me stealing the watch. I thought to myself you saved my dignity that day.

The teacher said: “I can’t remember who stole the watch that day, because I searched the pockets of all of you while my eyes were also closed.”

Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
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Posted in Life, Personal Musings, Photography Art, poetry, Random Thoughts

Solace of “Doing Nothing”

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

As a part of the management policy, employees are required to take at least twenty percent of their entire leaves (both annual and casual) each year. Which is why, three of my colleagues had to take their leaves, though they weren’t requiring any break from the regular. While one of them had enjoyed a short break with family at a getaway; with school for their kids, two of them were kind of stuck in their towns. Yet after their allotted leaves, on return, there was a positive spark in their eyes. To the often phrased query of “what did you do during your leave”, their response was thought-provoking, especially when the words were “we did nothing”.

Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments

For some of us, the very act of doing nothing, may relate to sheer idleness. And as the famous adage goes, “An idle mind is a devil’s workshop.” Yet the day off, meaning a day of doing nothing, is primarily meant to be away from all the problem solving, completion of tasks or a break from the social life or business of the day. While there is comfort in the daily routine, every now and then each of us need time off, to just “not think”.

“Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.” Maya Angelou

None of us, are indispensable, specially as far as social and career life is considered. Amidst all this chaos, taking a breather is necessary for maintaining he inner balance. Sometimes, one doesn’t need to do or think, but just go with the flow and experience the calming effects of the life around us. The best holidays would be one where one learns to just appreciate the wind dance with the leaves, dance on the water, smell the dew as well as enjoy the breeze in the hammock. These quiet moments of doing nothing, help us face the turbulence that time may take us through later.

Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
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Today I Am Doing Nothing

It’s a plan in itself,
Not an open invitation for suggestions
To go on long walks, or dancing,
Or paint-balling, or take a drive
Down to the beach.

It doesn’t mean I am free
To do one of the hundreds of tasks
You decide are more important,
In an attempt to fill my day
With a different kind of meaning.

Today I am doing nothing,
Because I have become lost,
In a world where doing something, anything
Is so expected of ourselves and each other
That simply doing nothing is viewed
As a waste of time.

We so rarely have opportunity
To have the conversations in our heads
That determine who we really are,
As we watch the moments floating past,
Lying under the stars.

Today I am doing nothing,
Please understand that what I desire,
Is silent doorbells, unknocked doors
And that the phone doesn’t ring
As I curl up by the fire.

– Nigel Finn

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Posted in Christian, Life, Random Thoughts

Stuck in the Fit

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“Sometimes it just gets a little too much.” This thought had been going on and on, like a movie reel in my mind whole day long; popping up at the most unexpected moments. While the first was when I was running low on time due to unexpected cranky behaviour of the coffeemaker, the toaster and the list just goes on; the next was when the traffic was being held up real longer than the usual, the third was when I couldn’t find the hard copy of my project proposal soon enough and then on, I just lost the order of that thought.

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Towards the end of the day, as I made my usual trip to the local grocery to stock on the much needed household items; it was a definite crowd, more seen than the regular weekday numbers. That is when I heard the tantrum cries of the three year old, “Ice-cream!! Ice-cream!! I want it now!!” With no distraction working out, his mother found it a little difficult to get him to quieten down. The tantrum frenzy had him in a full storm. Then an elderly lady approached them and patted her hand. “Don’t worry. It’s just a big fit which is having your little kid. He’s so small so he can’t stop it yet. He needs your patience to help him and stay close to him. He’ll get past it if you’re with him.” Standing nearby I couldn’t help but overhear those words.

“He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad because they were quiet, So He guided them to their desired haven.” (Psalm 107:29-30)

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Reflecting on that unbidden thought that often entered my mind today, it felt like I was having one big “adult” fit. For while the trying circumstances of the day were never ending, it wasn’t as bad compared to the chaos of the some of the “worse” days. While things may haven’t clockwork as planned, nothing really went gross bad or horrible. Being human, sometimes things may get a little too tough. Or at times that even temperament can be sorely unbalanced by a single act, word, behaviour or thoughts. In all these moments, call to mind His Peace, His Strength and His Grace to hold us and keep calm.

The fragility of the human mind is echoed throughout the Bible with our Heavenly Father showing us enough and more of His Grace, His Kindness and His Love despite all the havoc, wrong doings and sins man has done. In those moments of “big fits” what we all need is patience, a helping hand and His Grace. And then it won’t be that we have the fits but the fits have us and will be dealt with soon. For by His Love and His Grace, these “fits” too shall pass.

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

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Posted in Christian, Daily, Family and Society, Random Thoughts, Reflections

In Disguise

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Suffering from osteoarthritis, an elderly lady made her way out of the train and found herself in front of a flight of stairs with no directions leading to an elevator in sight. As she got prepared for the tedious journey up the stairs, a station attendant arrived and lend a hand. Imagine her surprise when she reached above and saw a wheelchair waiting for her. As we saw from the platform across, she was assisted till the main station entrance.

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'” (Mathew 25:40)

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While getting stuck in traffic, imagine the fiasco created when a car stalls with a flat tire. While fist-waving with blaring of horns were started by some, two others stepped out of their cars and assisted the driver in changing the flat. Whether it was done to ease their comfort of travel or simply helping a fellow traveller, that extended support of actions gave the day a better feel.

Arriving at the departure gate and waiting at the airport in the check-in luggage queue, when an elderly couple had arrived with their crying grandchild in tow, the support extended by the airport officials as well as fellow passengers in quietly allowing them to move ahead soon, gave an added touch to the meaning of “hospitality, humaneness and kindness”.

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2)

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Whether these helpers were doing their job or lending a helping hand, they were the cloaked angels of many. Being hospitable doesn’t mean simply a warm welcome when there are visitors but by radiating warmth and a welcome feel in our day-to-day activities. It is when one chooses to help those who we don’t know, is when the real feeling of warmth seeps in for all.

Essentially we are on similar lines or pages, though it may be on different curves, tangents or views. Each of us have our own baggage of personal, professional, social, physical, emotional and mental issues. Though the baggage may be light for some, heavy for others; it s always there. Being nice or doing good, doesn’t require all of us to hang on a banner and light up the lights. Rather it involves, simple acts of kindness and hospitality. Angels don’t simply come as radiant or winged beings, but also as weary travellers, hungry or hassled and tired. In those moments, when we become angels for some or be served by angels, we become closer to Christ and experience the true warmth of His Peace, His Love and His Grace.

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