Calm and Chaos: Navigating through Chaos

 

Chaos and Calm: Finding calm in chaos

 

Calm and chaos are two dissimilar states that coexist in our lives. The disorder of chaos can create beauty and purpose. Navigation through the chaos and finding your calm is what life is about. 

 

The predictability and order of calm:

A tranquil lake, a gentle breeze, or a gurgling brook embodies the state of calm, evoking peace and mindfulness. When you are calm, your thoughts are clear, your mind is at rest, and you are fully present in the moment. A calm state of mind allows you to navigate life’s challenges gracefully and rationally.

 

The disorder that is chaos:

A cluttered desk, traffic jams, a struggle to meet deadlines, an erratic morning routine, fractured relationships, heated arguments, violent storms, volcanic activity, and wildfires would well define chaos. They bring a sense of disorder and a loss of control. Prolonged exposure to chaos will cause emotions to run high, indecision, anxiety, and burnout.

 

Finding the calm in chaos:

While chaos is often viewed as a negative state, some level of chaos is required for growth and adaptation. The key is to  balance the two states, ensuring that chaos does not overwhelm you but allows for creativity and resilience. Amid chaos, the mind is pushed to think out of the box, to problem solve, and may discover unexpected solutions. Scientific breakthroughs are often born of accidents and failed experiments. In everyday life, you get creative when plans go awry. You can’t change the chaos, but you can learn to thrive within it.

Thriving in chaos and seeking calm.

People react differently to chaos and calm. Some thrive in chaos while others seek the stability and peace of calm.

 

People are attracted to chaos because

·       They get bored and restless in structured environments.

·       They are driven by uncertainty and excitement.

 

People seek calm because

·       They fear the unknown

·       They find comfort in familiarity and routine.

 

If chaos is your thing:

·       Include some structure to avoid a crash.

·       Determine when to slow down and reflect.

 

If calm is what you prefer:

·       Step out of your comfort zone occasionally.

·       Accept that the disorder of chaos can foster creativity and growth. 

 

Some Techniques to Find Calm:

 

·       Breath work

Deep and slow breathing helps your nervous system relax.

 

·       Mindfulness and meditation

Simply focusing on your breath and being present in the moment aids your thought process.

 

·       Exercise and movement

Movement is medicine. Any kind of physical activity, be it a walk, yoga, or stretches, calms the mind.

 

·       Journaling

Writing down your thoughts helps you process your emotions and make sense of chaos.

 

·       The nature connection

Spending time outdoors, connecting with nature, is sure to soothe your chaotic mind.

 

·       Decluttering

Decluttering and organizing your space helps you think clearly and function well.

 

Sharing your woes

Talking to a friend or a confidante can help you navigate the chaos.

Have you found creativity in a chaotic moment? 

#I'm participating in BlogchatterA2Z

Imagecredit :  Stock photo

 

Beyond the Mirror : Redefining beauty

 

“You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful. (Amy Bloom, author.)

“What you do, the way you think, makes you beautiful.”(Scott Westerfeld, author.)

“Sometimes people are beautiful, not in looks, not in the way they say. Just in what they are. “(Markus Zusak)

 

The adage, ”Beauty is but skin deep,” is as true as true can be. There are parameters by which we measure beauty, but beauty goes beyond the parameters, which include the colour of your skin, a flawless complexion, a figure to die for, straight teeth, or glossy hair.

Physical beauty is fleeting and skin deep. Here today, gone tomorrow. We would like to be beautiful or handsome, but beauty and handsomeness don’t last. It’s okay to want to be good-looking and take the necessary steps, but the feeling and steps must not become an obsession. 

The definition of beauty that we are constantly presented with holds little worth or value. The cosmetic industry promises miracles, and we fall for it. Crooked teeth don’t matter if your smile lights up a room or brings joy to another. Your awkward gait or pleasantly plump persona does not put you at a disadvantage. 

True beauty lies in the helping hand you lend and the thoughtfulness and kindness you show to others. Your beauty shines through the scars you bear and the lessons you learn when life knocks you down. The hardships you endure and the strength and resilience that help you keep going are what make you a truly beautiful person. All the Botox in the world cannot create the beauty that radiates from a thoughtful gesture or a compassionate heart.

In conclusion, it is your quirks, your story, your imperfections, and your uniqueness that make you beautiful. Don’t deny them, but embrace them.

I share with you a poem that I penned a few years ago

Dear Mirror,

 Dear Mirror,

I think you don’t quite see it all.

Silvered and salted hair I’d fain conceal,

But my tender heart, By deeds I shall reveal.

 

Zeroing in on that extra inch or curve

On the surface, can’t you discern that steely nerve?

You dwell upon the line and wrinkle

But don’t you see the merry eyes that twinkle?

 

Never mind that double chin

There’s a gentle woman hidden deep within

My jeans have gone three sizes larger

I don’t think I can stretch them any farther.

 

Mirror, dear mirror

My sagging figure and face

I know too well have sadly fallen from grace

But underneath that drab and flab, you see

Is a beautiful, warm, and spirited me.

 

A daughter, a wife, a sister, or a mother

To my parents, husband, children, or brother

I bring to all I do the feminine touch

If not me, their lives would lose so much.

 

One day at a time is all to which I aspire

In your esteem, may I rise just a little higher?

I'm participating in the #BlogchatterA to Z

Image credit : Pixabay

 

 

A World With No Internet

“Two weeks! Tanya’s mind spun over what she had just heard. Two weeks of no internet and electricity. What is she supposed to do with her life in these two weeks?

(This is an excerpt from an e-book, A World without the Internet by Ivan So.)

 

International Internet Day is celebrated on October 29th. On this day, the world remembers with gratitude this important human invention that has transformed our way of living. It is difficult to envisage an internet-free world. But again, the internet is not the Alpha and Omega of our existence. A break from the invention now and again would do you a world of good. 

A few decades ago, or at least when I was growing up, every schoolchild worth his salt needed to possess an atlas and a dictionary. We cut pictures from magazines and newspapers for school projects, looked up encyclopedias, and stocked up on stationery. Mom and Dad regularly patronized stores for groceries and stuff.

Today, the internet takes care of it all. Could you envisage waking up to a world without the internet? Hardly. From e-commerce portals to social media, we rely on the internet to survive.  

 

How a world without the internet would impact our lives:

 

Communication:

·       Social media would be non-existent. Nobody would check their phones on waking, which, anyway, we are told is a bad habit, but we are a mixture of bad and good habits. We would be living a life without emails, WhatsApp messages, Instagram, and other online platforms. We’d go back to telephones, handwritten letters, telegrams, and face-to-face interactions.

 

· Entertainment:

Theaters and popcorn would make a comeback, as would CDs, DVDs, and record players. We wouldn’t hear or know of streaming platforms or virtual gaming portals.

 

· Finance:

Writing cheques and physical deposit and withdrawal of money is what we would be doing. Online banking would be nonexistent.  Some seniors are more comfortable making cash payments and prefer physical withdrawal or deposit of money.

 

·  Shopping:

Keeping in mind the opening and closing times of brick-and-mortar stores, we would have to get off the couch and head to shops to make our purchases. No Amazon Prime Day or Flipkart Big Billion Day sale here. 

 

· Education:

The internet has helped make learning more accessible. Again, the physical classroom and physical classroom teaching would make a comeback. Libraries would be popular as online learning resources would be absent.

 

· News and Information:

Newspapers, magazines, radio, and television would be our sources of news. There would be no digital information available or no heated virtual discussions.

 

·Travel

Asking for directions and using paper maps would become commonplace again.

 

Benefits of an Internet-Free World:

 The internet has undoubtedly changed our lives for the better in numerous ways, but how would an internet-free world benefit us?

 

· Stronger personal bonding

An internet-free world would bring family and friends closer. Connections and relationships would probably be deepened.

 

· Enhanced privacy and security.

Your personal information would be secure, thereby reducing the risks of cybercrime.

 

·Simple Living

People would have more time to engage in outdoor activities, enjoy lower stress levels, and get closer to nature.

 

Used wisely, the internet is a boon, but as always, too much of anything is not a good thing. Balance is the key. Fun can happen outside the internet, too.

Yes, fun can happen outside the internet, as young Tanya discovers. The 40-page book is available on Kindle.

#I'm participating in the Blogchatter A to Z 

Image credit : Pixabay.

 

 On Birthdays

 

Your birthday is the day you enter planet Earth, which calls for a celebration on that day and every year after until you pass away. Even after that, you may be remembered on your birthday.

As children, most of us love birthdays. Our birthdays are usually marked by new clothes, a slew of greetings, a big fat cake, a party, and many presents. My mom usually baked a big fat birthday cake for me and tailored a new dress. I began my day by visiting church wearing my new dress and then carrying a bag of candy to school to distribute among classmates and teachers. The class joyfully sang the “Happy Birthday” song, and I enjoyed every moment of the celebration. My favourites were cooked lovingly by Mom, or we went out to eat. Over the years, I did have the occasional party, which was always great fun.

With advancing age, quieter celebrations with family and close friends or perhaps a trip may become the norm. Then, there are milestone birthdays that mark significant turning points in your life. Regardless of whether it is a milestone or not, a birthday is always a cause for celebration—quiet or otherwise.

About the Birthday cake, candles and birthday song

·       The origin of the birthday cake can be linked to the Eygptians. When the Pharaoh was crowned king, the coronation called for a huge celebration because, with coronation, the Pharaoh was given a deity status.

·       The Greeks honoured the moon goddess, Artemis, with round cakes and lit candles. The lit candles represented the glowing moon, and the smoke from the candles was believed to carry the people's prayers and wishes to the gods. It was in the 1600s that cakes became layered, frosted, and decorated.

·       Kinderfeste refers to the 18th-century German tradition of celebrating children’s birthdays with cake and candles. The candles that equaled the child’s age were believed to ward off evil spirits and symbolise the ‘light of life.' An extra candle was lit, which represented the coming year.

·       In 1746, a German named Count Ludwig Von Zinzendorf hosted a lavish birthday party, which included a large cake with candles stuck into it. The number of candles equaled his age. The concept of birthday cakes and candles began to spread from there throughout Germany and then to Europe.

 

·       In the 1850’s the tradition of birthday celebrations crossed the Atlantic and reached the USA. The tradition gradually evolved into what we know today birthday cake, candles, making a wish, and the birthday song.

·       Thanks to the industrial revolution of the 1700s, eggs, flour, butter, and other ingredients were more affordable for the common man, and cakes were now sweeter and fluffier.

 

The Happy Birthday Song

 

The Happy Birthday song as we know it today is based on a melody, “Good Morning to You All,” composed by two sisters, Patty and Mildred Hill, for their kindergarten class.  Robert Coleman updated the lyrics to the present-day song in 1924. The song was copyrighted in 1935, and the copyright was given to the two sisters. The copyright is valid till 2030.

 

Birthday Traditions Around the World

·       IN the UK and Ireland, the birthday boy or girl is taken by the hands and legs and bumped up and down, the bumps equaling the age of the person.

 

·       In Italy, Hungary, Argentina, Spain, and some other countries, tradition dictates that the birthday boy or girl’s earlobes be pulled that many times as their age.  The exact origin and meaning of this custom is not entirely clear; some believe that ears don’t stop growing, and pulling them may symbolize long life.

 

·       In Germany, to say Alles Gut Zum Geburtstag or Happy Birthday or to celebrate your birthday in advance is considered bad luck.

 

·       Fairy bread may replace cake or be served as a dessert in Australia and New Zealand.  Fairy bread is simply buttered white bread topped with colourful sprinkles on.

 

·       In Canada, the birthday person’s nose is greased with butter. The greased nose makes the person too slippery to attract bad luck.

 

·       A Chinese birthday boy or girl will eat long noodles, which symbolize longevity. The noodles must be eaten whole, without breaking or biting them off with chopsticks.

 

·       The Russians prefer writing long and thoughtful birthday messages on birthday cards. Russian children receive gifts like books and pencils on their birthday.

 

·       Mexicans celebrate their birthdays with a piñata, which is a festive object or an animal made of papier maché in bright colours. Guests attending the birthday party are blindfolded and attempt to break the piñata, which is filled with toys and edible treats, with a stick or a bat. The birthday boy or girl is expected to bite the creamy cake without using their hands, while everyone shouts Mordida or bite, after which his or her face is pushed into the cake.

 

·       The Vietnamese believe that everyone ages a year during

the Vietnamese New Year, which falls in January or February. Though this tradition has almost died out, some from the older generations still believe in celebrating their birthdays adhering to the old belief.

 

·       In India, children and adults may wear new clothes and, out of respect and gratitude for giving them life, touch the feet of their elders.

 

·       In South Korea, the birthday boy or girl is served a bowl of seaweed soup. Seaweed soup is rich in iron and iodine and is eaten by mothers before and after giving birth. Eating this soup on one’s birthday symbolizes thankfulness to one’s mother.

 

Birthday celebrations and traditions may vary around the world, but the essence of a birthday is in celebrating the gift and joy of life. Be it extravagant parties or quiet family gatherings, a birthday symbolizes love, connection, and the creation of memories. It is a time to reflect on and give thanks for the year gone while looking forward to the coming year with hope. 

 

What kind of birthday celebrations do you prefer?

This post is in response to the weekly BlogchatterBloghop prompt.

Image credit : Pixabay. 

 

The Autobiography of An Old Fridge

My name is Allwyn Prestcold.I am milky white in colour, and my name is boldly emblazoned across my chest. I was bought by a newlywed couple almost 60 years ago.
A year into their marriage, the couple became the proud parents of a baby girl whom they named Marietta.

I was always filled with goodies and food. The couple took good care of me. My door was never left open for long, and it was never, never banged shut. They treated me with the utmost care and gentleness. I defrosted and cleaned regularly. Marietta was, of course, forbidden from opening me. I lived in Mumbai for about 2 years, and then Marietta's father was transferred to Jamshedpur. They took me along. I, of course, was transported by truck together with their other belongings, but praise the Lord, I arrived in one piece.

I spent 22 unbearably long summers in Jamshedpur, cooling food and drink and preventing it from spoiling. Fridge water and ice were a staple during the summer. Marietta's mother, Marie, was an excellent cook, and her father Albert was a foodie, so Marie cooked plenty. I remember her treating Marietta to plenty of homemade ice cream in the summer. I was also kind of working overtime in the summer.

Then, in 1970, a son whom Albert and Marie named David was born. I continued to work, doing my best. There were times when I felt unwell, and I was immediately referred to a doctor who usually cured my ailment.

After 22 years in Jamshedpur, my owners moved back to Mumbai. Once again, I moved with them and continued to serve the family.
Sadly, about 2 years after the move, Albert passed away. Marie and the children vacated the apartment and moved to Pune. This was my third journey, and I arrived safe and sound in Pune. Again, I rendered good service and was well looked after.
Marie was beginning to age, and it was decided that she move closer to David, who was by now married. Marietta was also married and living back in Mumbai.

So we moved to Kondhwa in Pune, and it was there that I, too, began to show signs of aging. I couldn't serve Marie very well, as I fell sick often. It wasn't fair to her. She needed someone younger, and so one day, with a heavy heart, she traded me in for someone younger and more reliable.
She is no longer on earth, and I'm in some faraway godown waiting to be taken to a recycling facility. 

 

Bapu

 

 

Bapu,

As the Father of the nation

You are worthy of imitation.

 

Born in Porbandar, Gujarat

You won every Indian’s heart.

Peace and tolerance you preferred

Ahimsa was your watchword.

 

Barrister in South Africa

In India, you only used the charka.

Showed us how to spin our Khadi.

How to make our salt at Dandi.

 

Frail you were, and so bold

Bapu, the truth you always told.

It was the motto of your life

Also of Kasturba, your wife.

The British Raj you bravely resisted

That they 'Quit India,' you insisted.

Swaraj was close to your heart.

 Hindu, Muslim bhai-bhai

Our country you worked to unify.

You dared to disobey the British regime

Your courage is held in high esteem.

 

You called Harijans the people of God

They, the scheduled castes over whom we trod.

You gave them dignity

But for your ideals, you died.

 

My “Experiments with Truth," the book you wrote

Your ‘simple living, high thinking,' we note

Great soul, such was your charisma

Now we call you Maha- Atma.

Image credit: Pixabay

---

 [J1]

A Fiery Tale And More

The word fire brings to mind the tragic end of a celebratory function in the quiet town of Jamshedpur in the year 1989.

March 3rd is the birthday of the founder of Jamshedpur, Sir Jamshedji Tata. 1989 was particularly significant because it happened to be the 150^th birthday anniversary of the industrialist. The management of the Tata Iron and Steel Company arranged a grand celebration. Nobody ever imagined that such a tragedy would unfold.

The fire ignited as a small spark on the roof of the gallery of the VIP enclosure, which was noticed only after it had spread to a cloth and bamboo structure. Attendees were instructed not to panic but to remain calm and seated. However, as the cloth and bamboo structure began to burn and collapse, approximately 200 were trapped. A stampede ensued and 50 people lost their lives. The tragedy led to the establishment of a burn care unit at the Tata Main Hospital.

Amid the chaos, there were acts of heroism, tragic deaths, and providential escapes. I was then teaching grade 3 and was devastated by the death of one of my students in the fire. All celebrations were cancelled that year, and the day has gone down as one of the darkest days in the history of the Tata Iron and Steel Company.

 

Some Facts about Fire:

 

Fire burns only on earth.

This is because the other planets don’t have sufficient oxygen to support the burning of a flame.

 

Fire can double every 30-60 seconds.

It takes only ½ minute for a fire to grow.

 

Smoke inhalation can kill before flames

A person can succumb to carbon monoxide poisoning even before being burned.

Fire changes colour according to oxygen levels

A blue flame means plenty of oxygen, while a yellow one means low oxygen supply.

 

Gravity affects fire

Combustion gases rise and as flames move upwards, they take in more oxygen making them stronger.

 

The Olympic flame was ignited using sunlight

Ancient Greeks used concentrated sunlight to start the Olympic flame. 

Image Credit: Pixabay

This post is part of the weekly Blogchatter Bloghop challenge.