A secret sealed in the heart!!

 

Thank you, dear Universe,

For the sudden, heartfelt laughter that broke the air today.

It is a feeling I would seize and flaunt,

A bright flag hoisted high against the gray.

​And yet—

​I will keep this open secret deep within my heart,

A polished stone of joy, hidden and whole.

I do not wish for any gaze or whisper

To alter the pure chemistry of my soul.

The day expanded, vivid and complete,

A chain of moments, wholly realized.

It shattered the long, metallic silence,

My soul felt anchored, sufficient, and deeply prized.

​For everything given, for every peace regained,

My deepest gratitude is sealed and signed.

I carry this treasure of lightness forward,

Leaving the heavy shadows behind.

The anti-laziness principal:Margasira gurubar as prosperity guide!!

 Manabasa Gurubar (Margasira Masa Gurubar) is not just a day for prayer; it's a powerful Odia tradition that views effort and diligence as essential prerequisites for receiving Goddess Lakshmi's blessings. Here's what this unique festival teaches us about banishing laziness and actively inviting prosperity:

​1. The Strict Mandate of Purity (Anti-Procrastination)

​The core belief is: Goddess Lakshmi visits only clean houses.

• ​The Unique Aspect: The preparation for Manabasa is exhaustive. Women rise before dawn to perform a meticulous cleaning (Shuddhi) that goes far beyond a daily sweep. They plaster the entrances, clean the Manas (paddy pots), and bathe everything in sanctity.
• ​The Prosperity Lesson: This intensive ritual demands immediate, non-negotiable action. It teaches that prosperity does not enter a neglected space. You cannot be lazy and expect wealth. It instills the habit of tackling essential, large tasks immediately, translating to better organization and efficiency in all areas of life (financial, professional, personal).

​2. The Art of the Jhoti Chita (Focus and Detail)

​The traditional rice-paste floor art is a high-effort commitment.

• ​The Unique Aspect: The Jhoti Chita is a sophisticated art form made from wet rice paste (pithau). It requires concentration, a steady hand, and attention to intricate detail—often depicting Lakshmi's footprints and auspicious symbols.
• ​The Prosperity Lesson: The ritual emphasizes that excellence requires focus and attention to detail. Laziness leads to rushed, sloppy work. The Jhoti ritual trains the mind to value precision, reminding us that success and long-term financial stability come from focusing on the finer details of our work and investments.

​3. The Symbolism of the 'Mana' (Valuing What You Have)

​The central icon is the Mana (traditional measuring pot) filled with freshly harvested paddy.

• ​The Unique Aspect: The festival is tied directly to the harvest and abundance. Worshipping the Mana is an act of acknowledging the fruits of labor. It’s a thanksgiving for what has been earned through hard work.
• ​The Prosperity Lesson: It reframes the concept of "wealth." True prosperity is not just wishing for more, but actively valuing and managing the resources you already possess. By revering the Mana (a symbol of full granaries), the tradition motivates us to maintain our gains, budget wisely, and ensure our 'Mana' is never allowed to be empty through idleness.

​4. The Moral of the Laxmi Purana (The Curse of Pride and Inaction)

​The sacred text recited during the festival drives home a social message.

• ​The Unique Aspect: The story shows how even the Gods (Lord Jagannath and Balabhadra) suffer when they disrespect Lakshmi and her principles. They are cursed with poverty until they learn humility and respect the dignity of all devotees.
• ​The Prosperity Lesson: The message is clear: Laziness and arrogance lead to downfall. The Purana teaches us to be constantly mindful of our behavior, respect those who work hard, and understand that sustained prosperity requires continuous, ethical action and humility, not resting on past laurels or titles.

​In summary: Margasira Gurubar is a cultural accelerator for diligence. It declares that Lakshmi follows effort, not wishes. By transforming your home and mind through active dedication, you open the door for genuine, sustained prosperity

Below are few of my jhoti chita this year. And a few I forgot to capture. 

Knowledge is Not the Goal; Imparting It Is!!

 

This week, my usual routine of digital scrolling and deep thinking collided in a profoundly enlightening way. A short reel, a conversation with a friend, and a powerful web series all pointed me toward a single, vital question: What is the true purpose of life?

​Here’s the collection of wisdom that is reshaping how I view my own journey.

​I came across a truly insightful perspective from an elderly person reflecting on the decades of life. The honesty was jarring, yet undeniable:

• ​In your 40s: You realize the neighborhood chaiwala (tea vendor) might be earning more than you—a reminder that value isn't always defined by conventional career paths.
• ​In your 50s: You realize that physical beauty is fleeting. It underscores that true self-worth must be rooted in something deeper than appearance.
• ​In your 60s: You realize a bigger house means bigger pain. A smaller, easier-to-maintain space offers more freedom and less stress.
• ​In your 70s: You realize your meticulously built bank balance is not for you; it's a legacy for the next generation.
• ​In your 80s: You realize you can afford every delicacy, yet your diet is limited to a few things, mostly medicines.

​The stark takeaway? We are constantly losing time. This isn't a call for panic, but a fierce reminder to value the present moment and the experiences it holds.

​This concept of "lost time" resonated deeply with a recurring conversation between my friend and me. We often wistfully look back at our final year of college and wish we had:

​"Actually bunked classes and enjoyed more. We should have sought help to complete the final year project and spent that precious time going around, soaking up the last moments before 'real life' began."

​It's the regret of choosing compliance over experience, but here is the essential clarification: While that wistfulness exists, I do not regret the effort.

​I still believe that the hard work I put into that final year project made me profoundly more confident. I don't want to encourage anyone to pursue bunking classes at the expense of skill-building. You might regret missing out on fun, yes, but I have never regretted making something on my own.

​The lesson isn't to slack off, but to find a better balance between focused effort and well-deserved enjoyment, because that kind of self-reliance and creation builds unparalleled confidence.

​For years, when I ask myself, "What is my purpose?" my parents have given me a very practical answer: "To solve your own problems." While true, a recent web series offered a more expansive, beautiful perspective:

​The real purpose of life is to seek knowledge, and then to impart it.

​This shifts the focus from purely internal struggles to a cycle of learning and contribution. Seeking knowledge (or wisdom) becomes the great personal endeavor, and imparting it to the next generation becomes our moto. If we do this well, perhaps they won't have to spend as much time grappling with this same question.

​The final piece of wisdom from the series was perhaps the most liberating: Embracing uncertainty is the only way to go forward.

​I’m a planner. Yet, I sometimes feel like nothing goes according to my script. The elderly person's wisdom suggests that meticulous planning might be a form of seeking control over the uncontrollable.

​Instead, the path forward is simple, yet challenging:

1. ​Keep Seeking: Never stop learning.
2. ​Keep Utilizing: Apply the knowledge you gain as best you can.
3. ​Keep Imparting: Share the learnings and the lessons—especially the hard-won ones.

​My plans may fail, but my purpose remains: to learn, to live, and to pass on the light.

​What about you? What is the one piece of wisdom you've learned lately that has fundamentally shifted your perspective?

The lazy human: why we invented AI!!

 We stand at a critical juncture in human history, facing a new invention that promises to redefine effort itself: Artificial Intelligence. But to truly understand AI's massive impact, we must first look at the driving force behind all human innovation.

I recently read a fascinating theory: at our core, humans are fundamentally lazy. We don't innovate purely to be more productive; we innovate to reduce effort and find the path of least resistance. Why write a long letter when we can send a text? Why manually process data when we can automate the task? We automate to be lazy, to free up our mental energy for... what, exactly?

This powerful, deep-seated urge to reduce effort is what ultimately demanded the creation of AI.

Now, our lazy inventors have given us the tool to speed up everything that requires effort: drafting office minutes, scheduling complex tasks, and even writing entire books. Our collective imagination, coupled with the desire for maximum automation, has brought AI into the mainstream. Wow, the ultimate demand of our laziness has been met.

But as with every powerful invention, there are repercussions. My own experience taught me this lesson years ago.

In 2010, while going through a tough personal phase, I received an anonymous, cruel email full of painful accusations.that still rings in my ear. In the same year a different unknown sender used digital tools to gently edit my profile picture, adding a rose and wishing me well. Even though I don't know who did it, I kept that picture and used the same as my profile picture a year later. 

Today, the stakes are exponentially higher. AI can be—and is being—used to harm others by creating hyper-realistic fake videos and convincing deep-fake images. The digital malice I faced years ago is now turbo-charged by accessible technology.

This leads to the most urgent question of our time: How do we teach the next generation to use these powerful, effortless technologies not to harm, but to help?

We've taught people not to use fire to burn down a forest. We must now teach them not to use AI to burn down a reputation. Can this intelligent tool—born from our collective laziness—somehow be leveraged to teach us the ethics and effort required to protect each other?

December's Whisper!!

 

​I woke to a cold December morning,

and knew a signal would soon pierce the quiet—

a message from a corner of my past.

​It felt like a reminder that still,

a small, hidden space exists for me.

Why today? Why so early? Yet, I felt it.

​And my phone flashed—a perfect echo.

I paused for just a breath,

and chose to meet the silence with an answer.

​Right or wrong, the judgment falls away.

There is only this mutual, happy recognition, I guess,

to know that someone, somewhere,

still holds a quiet, consistent care.

​I wanted to tell you, so long ago,

Please, finally quit smoking.

But I muted my voice, imposing the answer:

If I no longer matter, why would you do that for me?

​I still need a courage forged of steel to ask that question now,

because I cannot bear to hear that final, resonant "NO" once more.

The power of collective imagination!!

Today was a truly wonderful Friday. While the details of this joy remain personal for now, I want to extend my deep gratitude to everyone and everything that contributed to this feeling. An unusual desire—one I've long held—is on the brink of fulfillment, and I sincerely hope it proves to be for the best. This personal achievement, if realized, will provide the very validation and sense of purpose my inner self craves.

Imagination is a fierce force. It fuels hope, instills discipline, and fosters courage, leading us toward growth. Yet, the same power can become a curse: it can make us rebellious, leading us to break down the very values and good things we hold dear. It creates an internal conflict between what is and what could be.

But what happens when we move beyond this internal wrestling match?

When we pool our imaginations, the abstract becomes tangible. Look at any city—from the initial blueprints for bridges and roads to the final soaring buildings. That entire process is the successful manifestation of a collective imagination. It proves that a shared vision, backed by synchronized effort, has the power to reshape the physical world.

If we can collectively imagine and execute the construction of a city, what prevents us from harnessing that same power to solve our most critical global challenges?

We have achieved massive collective goals before—eradicating smallpox and making significant progress against poverty and polio. Why can't we apply this unified, imaginative force to solving problems like:

Climate Change and Global Warming?

The Brain Drain crisis?

A Cancer-Free World?

This morning, I received fantastic news about a promising new treatment option for colon cancer. This kind of scientific breakthrough is fueled by decades of sustained imagination. Imagine if we could accelerate that process through focused, global intent.

From Marketing to Manifestation

The poor air quality index (AQI) in Delhi, for instance, requires a massive, collective imaginative effort to fix it. Is this not a form of mass manifestation—a shared dream held by millions, rather than just a few isolated individuals?

Think about how marketing works: it makes huge numbers of people collectively imagine a better life—a healthier body, a more radiant glow, a higher standard of living—to sell a product. If selling a widget relies on this mass imaginative conviction, can we leverage that same mechanism to sell the solution to global problems until that solution becomes the undisputed reality?

My imagination is telling me these monumental real-life problems can be solved.

Will you join me in this collective imagination?

If the world we inhabit today is the result of what someone else once collectively imagined, then what truly separates the real from the imagined? Perhaps the only difference is the number of people who agree to believe in it.

Let's pray together 🙏 

Sarve bhavantu sukhinah

Sarve santu niramayaah

Sarve bhadrani pashyantu

Mā kashchit duhkha bhāg bhavet!!

You Say Resilience, I Call Survival!!.

 I walked in this darkness a long time ago,

It seemed lovely then, with flowers and shine;

Dressed up to trick me, a beautiful lie,

I thought it was good, this fate that was mine.

It showed its dark side, the fear and the dirt,

But still I said nothing, blinded by trust;

I kept moving forward, through water and grime,

The path felt so filthy, covered in rust.

Then I saw a small light, and hope filled my heart,

I looked past the muck and moved toward that gleam;

I held onto that promise, ignoring the pain,

Thinking this light would end the bad dream.

But when I reached it, the light was a joke,

Just a small crack in the roof, a difficult view;

Too narrow to crawl through, too strong to break open,

I moved on, still hoping the whole trip was nearly through.

I kept going and going, lost in the deep,

Until the harsh truth started sinking in slow:

I might never find the right way to escape,

I might never leave this maze down below.

I thought of my life, trying hard to find out:

What was my biggest, most foolish mistake?

Was it being loyal? Or trusting too much?

No, those were not the reasons for pain's heavy stake.

Why wasn't I strong? Why couldn't I tear

This tunnel apart and run to be free?

Was the fault with me, or the people who built it,

And sold all their lies so sweetly to me?

They praise one word now: the power of Resilience;

As if I had any other choice to pick.

Was there a better path than this decorated hurt?

I felt sick and alone, and the pain felt too thick.

If I ever get out, too weak to cheer loud,

How can I say this journey was good?

How can I cherish it? Tell me one way

To make this dark trip understood?

You call it Resilience? That beautiful word?

If that helps you, then speak it, I guess.

But for me, it is just simple Survival today,

Nothing brave in this lonely distress.