The Pedestrian Crossing- Finale

 

The Finale

“I am waiting for the day my father returns back from pilgrimage. He will get me lots of gifts, my favorite Barbie Doll and new clothes. I am studying hard these days because he wants me to become a doctor. I want to fulfill all his dreams and see him smiling…”

 

After saying this, Zohra had tears in her eyes. She believes that her father has gone for Haj. In reality, her father is no more. He was killed by a group of militants. Her family made her believe that he was sleeping while he was about to be cremated. They told her that this is how one goes for a pilgrimage. She waits everyday for her father to return. But why did her family do this to her? Zohra’s mother says that they didn’t want their daughter to indulge in sorrow. A sorrow forever! A grief of losing her father!

On an everyday basis we come across such situations that make us re-think our entire existence. It makes us re-think how blessed we are. Like Zohra, can you think of losing your beloved one and then waiting for them, throughout your life? Can you sit on the doorstep everyday and wait for that loved one to return who has gone forever? But my question to you is, why do you feel that you are blessed only during such situations? Why do you go to the Almighty’s abode only in the moments of crisis?

You might be an atheist. You might not consider Him to exist. But don’t you too feel blessed when everything comes back to normalcy! You say that science rules the world. But doesn’t a voice of gratitude rise inside you? Aren’t you grateful when you get the job you desired? Aren’t you grateful for the moments of happiness? You are! I know. You are thankful to the circumstances if you are an atheist. You are thankful to Him if you are not an atheist.

I want to point out something. You self realized, loved yourself, discovered yourself and developed a beautiful perspective. You are thankful but only for the BIG things in your life. Doesn’t it seem to fail? Everything fails. Are you thankful for that red light across the street that signals you to cross the road? *part 1 reference* Are you thankful for that marking on the pedestrian crossing? Are you thankful for the good construction of roads while crossing the road? Are you thankful towards the BMW’s *part 1 reference* that make your crossing the street adventurous?

No. Most of us are not. But some of us have a gift.

Sabar and Shukraana.

( Patience and Gratitude)

It’s easy to say thank you for the big things. But what about small things? What about your hands, your eyes, your ears? What about the food you get to eat? What about the house you live in, which might be old but protects you from the wrath of the season? What about the maid who does all your chores and bears your tantrums? What about your friend who just texts you to ask if you are doing well? I might quote a thousand of questions. I can go and pray in times of adversity but what about the times full of prosperity. Are you not thankful for all the good that He has done for you? The worst part is that we start losing hopes and control when it takes too long. We tend to abuse all the creations of Almighty. We tend to end it up. We soak ourselves in the depths of negativity and failures. We become our own demons. Is it all worth it?

We mostly value something or someone after we lose it or that person. Loss brings out the value. Loss brings out the gratitude. Why can’t happy times bring gratitude? Look at your children who have grown up to be such beautiful humans. What about them? Aren’t you thankful for them? Look at your parents who care for you ,earn for you and love you beyond all measures. Did you go to them and said thank you today?

We are grateful for the things that happened because we wanted them. We are not grateful for the things that happened for our benefit. The essence of life lives in the institution of thanking even the minutest happening that makes our living easy. Do you say thank you to the waiter at the restaurant, you go daily to? Now you might just quote that it is his duty, afterall. Dear friend, what if, your single thank you could make his entire day?

If you are grateful for the adversities and have patience that better things will happen, you will make it up to your life. Just believe that whatever is happening is happening for your benefit and progress. Thank Him for all that He has done for you. Say that you Love Him and believe whatever He does for you. Thank Him every day. Trust me, your life will become the best version of itself.

 

This road that we are destined to cross, will see us go through a hell lot of downs. Times will not be good. But the truth is that courage will take you across the street. Courage is not climbing world’s highest mountain peak. Courage is not made up of war and bloodshed. Courage is not made up of combat. Courage is a quiet war that you fight daily. Courage is a dim softness that flickers even on your darkest days and reminds you that you are progressing. The Pedestrian Crossing will have all its sharp turns. But remember, that cross the pedestrian crossing  so well that it is worth watching for Him above! If you think that you are going through the worst time of your life, I just want you to remember, it is not. You are doing a mind-blowing job. I am proud of you!

I hope we meet while we cross the street together. Till then,

Mil jaaye to shukar kar,

Na mile to sabar kar.

(If you get it, be grateful for it,

If you don’t get it, just be patient, it’ll come to you.)

-G.

 

If you liked the series, comment below and let me know. If you want me to write something like this, in future too you could comment or contact me.

The Pedestrian Crossing- Part 4

Part 4

“Have you ever thought what if all of us actually belong to some other planet in reality? What if, all this is a mere test that we are supposed to pass? What if, there is someone out there marking us on every sin we do? What if, we are students in disguise, students on assignment? What if, we are actually travelers? We have created our own demons and our own institutions of belief. But what if, all this is just an assignment to complete?”

The little kid replied to the teacher. The teacher had asked her what she thought of human beings. The teacher was in a state of utter shock. At the same time she was amazed. She was astounded at such thinking at such a young age.

What do you think about human beings? Homo sapiens who have ruined their own tribe by hating each other! The people who are ready to kill each other in the name of peace! The people who have divided each other on the basis of religion, colour, caste, creed, gender and sexuality. The people who thought that they will rule over technology but are being actually ruled by it.

This, what you read above is an opinion by most of us. And unfortunately, it is not just an opinion, we believe in it too! We believe that our tribe, our clan is merciless. But what if, there is something more to it.

What if, I say that human beings are just like a building under construction? You really read that right! A building under construction needs a strong foundation, a strong structure and many ingredients to come up as a marvel. Don’t we human beings need any such thing? We need several ingredients to make a beautiful person both inside out. We need self-realization, self-love and need to discover our own self. But is that enough?

Just above, you read three different versions of thought on human beings. Different versions lead to different thought processes. However, if you have self realized that you need to love yourself to discover yourself; you’ll march in an entirely different direction.

People call it stupidity and nonsense at times. I prefer to call it-

Perspective.

There is nothing wrong in having a certain kind of perspective and being vocal about it. If you feel anything, speak it up. You would not like to linger upon the things that you didn’t say, later in your life. 7.6 billion People mean 7.6 billion different perspectives, 7.6 billion different ideologies and 7.6 billion different belief systems. At the end of the day, in this odyssey, you’ll realize that your perspective will make all the difference. You could be afraid of the approaching BMW’s aka circumstances* part 1 reference*. You could be anxious of what will happen if the BMW’s hit you hard, right in face. But there is an entirely different dimension to this scenario. You could be brave enough to welcome the BMW’s, sit in them and enjoy the ride. What we human beings mostly do, given to our amazing nature is- finding faults. Supposedly, a negative situation comes over. Way too negative to counter attack! Most of us tend to grow negative and feel low; feel as if it’s the end of the world for us. You’d even forget that you love yourself and you have already discovered yourself. Trust me, if you don’t have a startling perspective, you’ll forget about- self-realization, self-love and self-discovery. But if you are a person of a strong perspective, you’ll definitely understand the need of the hour. Your perspective will tell you to look at the brighter side. I know there will be things that will seem to crush you. In this very moment, you might not be at the happiest place in your life. But darling, it’s okay to be like this. It’s okay to have bad days. It’s okay to cry. It’s okay if the person, who hurt you, goes away. It’s okay if times are not in your favor. It’s okay if you missed out on the last slice of pizza while chilling with your sibling. You can’t be sad and give up on everything in this world. If you give up, the universe will give up on you.

If the sun does not set daily, we won’t see the astounding magnificence of the sunrise. The sun *HAS* to set so that it can rise in its grandeur.

If you have strong perspective you’ll deal even the harshest situations with your love. After you have discovered your capabilities *part 3 reference*, it’s pivotal to develop a sense of perspective and understanding to all the happenings in your life. If you don’t possess a perspective, it’ll dampen all the qualities that are alive inside you. It’s important to hold onto positive approach and perspective in life. All of this happening in this moment is temporary. It won’t last forever. The people who come in your life won’t stay with you forever. The BMW’s aka circumstances that cross you by won’t stay forever. Change is the only constant, my friend. Your perspective will take you past all these tides. Your positive approach towards every circumstance will set you free. You won’t be afraid of the BMW’s anymore. You’ll be free like a bird, free to fly and live your way. Just try to find a ray of hope in the gloomiest situations. You’ll make it up where you want to be!

Till then, you could fight with your sibling over the last pizza slice that he didn’t give you.

-G.

To be continued.

Image Source- Google Images

The Pedestrian Crossing- Part 3

Part 3

“We did create a monster out of an innocent child.”

I say this to one of my friends who has an amazing story line. She used to cry and crib on the minutest things. People used to come and slam her down on her face. She did not utter a word. She did not say anything even if they did the most wrong things in the world. One day, she cried miserably. We had a conversation and I calmed her down. A lot of conversations brought her to a realization that she had been doing it all wrong. She had been afraid of the circumstances that were already under her control. She self-realized and started loving herself. I am sometimes shocked today the way she deals with ruthlessness. She has already become a pro at it. What did it lead her to? It led her to something which is very important for every pedestrian to cross the Street.

Self- Discovery.

She discovered a whole new self. She discovered that she had potential like no one. She realized that her abilities could do wonders. But, why is self- realization important for you and me?

It may happen that you are a 30+ adult who sits on his desk every day at the job and is not contended. Situations and people forced you to do the job you never wanted to. You always cribbed and complained about the circumstances at your job. It did not give you happiness. It didn’t give you satisfaction. It just gave you the income to run your family. That’s your opinion. My opinion says that there is no one as strong as you. If you are 30 something, and you have been doing this job you might have just discovered so much about yourself! And you have been oblivious of it till now. You have developed resilience. You have worked against the circumstances. You have lived through all of it. You have dealt with BMW’s aka circumstances (Part 1 reference) just like Hulk fights in the Marvel movies. Didn’t you?

But there is more to it. You need to love yourself, to discover yourself. You might be an 18 something human being figuring out their career. You are not happy with what you are doing. You are confused of everything that’s going on in your life. Aren’t you? But don’t you think it’s important to wander to find ourselves? The true selves, our true potentials are hidden. We have to be the true wanderers to figure it out. This phase of life teaches you almost every day. And by every day I mean, BMW’s crushing you every day. EVERY DAY. You have always lived on your own terms. And trust me, if you are lost now, you’ll find the right direction really soon! After all, not all those you wander are lost.

Self discovery makes you believe in the fact that you can achieve anything in this world. It brings home the fact that we are beyond our own capabilities. It ushers a new ray of hope. Remember your childhood days. Your dad used to hold your cycle from the back so that you did not fall. He used to leave it and then it was YOU who used to ride the cycle. You knew your dad was having your back. But who did the wonders actually? It was you. You believed. You discovered. You won.

The same goes with your life. It’s not always important that things go your way. Life does not give you, what you want. It gives you what is the best for you. You can’t cross the pedestrian crossing without realizing that those BMW’s aka circumstances exist to make your journey a beautiful one.

Till then, relish in what you have. Let go what pulls you back.

-G.

To be continued.

Image source- Google Images

The Pedestrian Crossing- Part 1

 

Part 1

I open my eyes.

To my surprise, I find myself in a street. I stand across the street where people are continuously rushing and crossing each other. There are multiple vehicles crossing each other. I observe a lot of hustle and bustle around me. I am jeopardized of how I reached here. There is a lady who approaches me and says,”Child, you are supposed to cross the street.” I listen to her but somewhere I am afraid what if one of the BMW’s or Ferrari’s or Porsche’s hit me hard! I may have a fatal accident. What if I am not able to make it up to the other side of the street? Maybe the lady fathomed, what I had been thinking about!

“There you have the pedestrian crossing waiting for you, to cross over. You’ll have a number of people with you who’ll be crossing you by your side. They’ll be number of people who will be required to cross this street. You have to cover this distance. All alone!You might cover the distance in quiet sometime but it feels like you just blinked your eyes. Be careful! Good luck!” she said.

Then she left. She left me gazing under my feet the White and Black Pedestrian Lines.

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It might just seem as an everyday routine. Crossing from One Street to the other. Lots of Pedestrians do that every day. But wait! Is there something more to it? What if I say that the way you are living currently is walking through that pedestrian crossing? I mean your birth was the starting point and your death will be where you are supposed to reach. In between, what you call life is basically a pedestrian crossing. you might be looking towards left and right; afraid to take the next step forward! Oh! Yes. In this very moment, you are at a certain point of your life. You might be hopeful or hopeless; happy or sad; optimist or pessimist. But in this very moment, you are crossing as a pedestrian to reach the other side of the Street. And it is a continuous process.

To make it simple, the distance gap between your Birth and Death is “This Pedestrian Crossing”. You would have to cover the gap on your own. Some of us, on this planet feel as if this distance takes too much from us. But it does give a lot! A lot which is the best for us. The circumstances that hit us are the BMW’s or the Porsche’s that we are afraid of.

Here in, I try to figure out the techniques of Art of Crossing the Pedestrian of Life.

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THE HARBINGER OF SUCCESS

You might one day, find yourself, sitting in an arm-chair at the age of 60. Contemplating and re-thinking all the wrong choices you made in life with a cup of hot cappuccino held tight. The Roads you did not take!* Robert Frost just wrote something so relatable.* The job opportunities you kicked on! The words you wished to say but a certain fear held you back.The trips you missed. The time you were not there for your beloved ones. The career choices you made.  You did not look right or left and continuously were hit by circumstances right in your face.

But, hey there! What is the guarantee that you’ll be alive by 60? What is the assurance that you’ll get to re-think then? Is it possible to make so-called plans for the most uncertain future? Will you be in any position then to come back to the exact pedestrian crossing?

But, in this very moment, trust me; the entire universe is waiting for you. The universe is waiting for your command.

Sit, relax and think! Are you in the best mind frame? Did you kick out the job opportunity that was necessary to you?  Are you happy with yourself? Are you doing justice to yourself? Are you following your passion? Are you satisfied? Is this pedestrian crossing taking you towards the correct way?

There can be a multitude of questions that I may raise. But these few questions would give you a blessing in disguise. The blessing in disguise is the harbinger of your success

Self Realization!

I realize that I am not doing what I was supposed to do. I realize that I am not being myself. The day you realize your shortcomings, all by yourself, that is the day, my friend! That is the day; you’ll take Step Number 1 towards your success. It might look weird but those very circumstances you are afraid of will teach you and lead you towards the opposite street. You’ll realize that you are not supposed to dim your light to make someone else comfortable and happy. Along with you, there are people, crossing the same street, through the same pedestrian crossing. Befriend them; you are a social being after all. Don’t make them your shelter. Self realization of the fact that you are currently in a stationary position in your life will guide you. Self realization will make you fearless of all the bad circumstances you are afraid of! You’ll be ready to face them like a boss. And trust me; you’ll discover a whole new person in you. You’ll find all the hidden potentials that even you were unaware of.

That’s the magic of Self realization after all. It liberates you of all your shortcomings and makes you a better version of yourself.

-G.

To be continued.

Image source – Google Images