Great Expectations

The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time. Abraham Lincoln

Expectations. Well a very abstract term in scope; very convergent in ambition. We all have lot of expectations from future, from our families, from our career, from our friends and from everything that is associated with us. Our life revolve around lot of expectations as well. Hence it is a web of cross linked beliefs and faiths. It's very common for expectations to be broken, so it is for expectations to be fulfilled.

I knew someone. Well he had this knack of expecting, a lot in-fact from life, people around him, his loved ones, from his career and his abilities that most of the time, he used to make sure that his expectations are met. Ambitious in his nature, zoomed past his contemporaries never for a moment realizing that in the process he was missing out a lot in life. Expecting too much from life and love, he got bored with them both and eventually let go of both at a stage in his life. Losing life was bearable, but the pain of losing love hit him hard. Disillusioned, he stopped expecting from anything in life. Just moved apart and watched life craft its amazing tale around him. As he watched, he saw life in a new light, places he never felt he could be, doing this he never expected he could ever do and in the process becoming a better person. When he was all settled, he started to expect love in a new way, in a way he never thought he could. But love never came back, but life still ushered him happiness after happiness. He became disillusioned, ignoring the happiness, instead running behind love all the time. Still it ignored him. Frustrated, tired, he just gave up disillusioned. For a moment someone offered him the hope of a drink. Looking up to that someone with gratitude, he asked for a name. Life came the reply. Surprised, he asked again, but the man just disappeared. After an introspection he realized that all these times, his life was his true love, his expectations from his life his true companion.

This story might sound utter gibberish and trash. But the question I wanted to pose to many people is, do you love your life ? Are you selfish about your life ? I am. I always feel we needs to be selfish about our life, the way it is. I know that its always harsh to believe the fact that love, faith and God should come first in our life and etc. I agree with them and I don't want to corroborate that very fact. These days people love to associate anything and everything around them to destiny. Isn't that the very reason that we worry in life ? I have always felt people spend hours and hours in meaningless worries about life that the very time for constructive activities get diminished. The moment a man is comfortable in a comfort zone he becomes the master of the situation that he ignores his potential and just slogs on. They don't dream or think higher. Countless people that I know just vanished into obscurity because of this very fact.

Let me tell you a very funny incident. I have been using a Macbook for the past two years. All these times, the Mac was just used for general purposes only. Over time, it slowed with time and it ended up being a tool for browsing the Internet only. Couple of days back, yours truly was seriously thinking of buying a new Mac when the thought hit on why not I format the whole thing? After formatting, the Mac started to work just like a beauty till about today when again by mistake, yours truly spilled water all over accidentally and the Mac won't work. I am keeping my fingers crossed. On my way to university today, my Eritrean colleague and myself were discussing the very issue when he mentioned that's how life is. When we live life with zero expectations we get the best in life: be it in career, relationships anything. The moment the mind starts to weave its control or seek ownership, the sweet turns bitter, the success to failure, the love to hate etc.  The same was the issue with Mac as well.

The question remains: Why ? Why does this happen ? Why does a person who studies till Ph.D burning oil, struggle for months to get a job, insulted on various factors from his religion to his degree on this very issue, turning his job hunting into a nightmare. Disillusioned, the moment he stops expecting , life just gives him many jobs. Why does a person who when he wants to go for further studies doesn't get into a single university, but when he least wants it universities come calling ? Why does it all happen ? No one knows. No one will know. Expectations are supposed to be our best companion, but they invariably get broken, the moment we aspire for them to be a reality.

One of the thought provoking books that I read this year was Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day by Joel Osteen. This book had a profound impact on me this year as it really shook me and crafted me into a sculpture of a true personality from the debris of the severe identity crisis I had earlier this year. It speaks about the same thing: Expect, Dream and Belief. Joel also mentions how important it is for us to prepare for whatever we believe in and letting it go once we are 100% prepared. Now any average reader might ask, what the hell is that ? But that's the invariable truth. The anecdote of a tale he mentions is about a family he knew. They were living in a rented apartment. The husband always used to tell his wife that we are going to move into a new house and hence used to buy expensive items to fill the new house. The wife though a bit perplexed about the man and his intentions, supported her husband fully. One day unfortunately, the man was laid off. Then neighbors jeered at the family for their folly as they used to spend their money on this freaky expectations by the man. The wife supported her husband fully in this ordeal which lasted months. The man never lost hope. Later he found a new job which paid less than the former one and he continued to prepare well. This time the wife would have none of this crap. She rebelled vehemently, to which the man said "I will stop when I am 100% prepared". As months passed, the man was promoted quickly and before anyone knew it, he reached a post where he could easily buy a house and the rest fitted in like a glove. That's the power of preparing.

Concluding, expectations about life makes a man. Its all about expecting, preparing yourself and letting it go. One day somehow the butterfly comes to the very net prepared for it soon after the hunter leaves the chasing game tired and discouraged. That's life. How expectations are met nevertheless how much battles were lost in the due time, the war will be always won.

Image Courtesy:http://www.flickr.com/photos/beija-flor/2066123813/

The Assiduous Power of Belief

"....Mr Obama I am waiting for 2008. Maybe in this Age of Aquarius you are our man for the job!!" Tenny on March 31, 2007 (Barack Obama and the Law of Infinite Growth and Hope)

Seriously speaking, I don't like self-praise or acclaim when I start this post with a quote of mine. But watching President-elect Barack Obama yesterday on CNN Pipeline, I was more than just flabbergasted. Man! he did pull it off...royally. The first colored president of the United States of America. Years after the civil rights movement spearheaded by Mrs Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, the resonating cries of oppressed slaves from times gone by, the belief of Abraham Lincoln who risked everything to fight slavery, it was a climax of biblical proportions. As the scripture says "...to hold on steadfastly without losing hope" after a prediction made a year and a half before, I just humbled myself in front of this amazing power, which has been bestowed on us: the power of belief.

Next morning, my friends all over the world, left me scraps, offline messages and even calls to congratulate me on a absolutely amazingly true prediction. Couple of them even made me delve into my wallet for their lunch. I was more than happy to accommodate that, for happiness whenever and wherever it happens, has to be shared nevertheless. Here I had to admit without any arrogance that it was a prediction that went absolutely true.

At 24, I feel life has come full circle. I saw God, years back struggling for my life in Central Hospital Abu Dhabi. There he came to me and told me that I will be cured and before leaving, he promised to take care of my life henceforth. There were many incidents in this year that made me actually doubt its veracity. But, again time and time on, I have to admit that whatever I have actually believed in has always come true.

Without wanting this banter to sound like utter narcissism, let me quote some examples. In 2002, I had the opportunity to lead the youth of my native church back in India. It was my first hands on experience in leading the youth of a church which was deeply fragmented. I did face lot of problems from the established lot, from the people in authority of the church and I struggled to leave a legacy which never made me happy. Seven years later as I write this post, I have successfully handed over the reins of the youth group in the church in Edmonton to safer hands after a remarkable year of mind-blowing achievements and a legacy I am always proud of. That is just one of the many examples of the power of belief.

Some of my most loved ones have always told me not be overwhelmed by my achievements. Some people ask me not to be under-whelmed in the same tone. I have always felt that whatever I achieve is not because of any of these or my abilities. Most of the time, my crowning achievements have been whenever I have believed. Life has from time on tried to teach me this very lesson about amazing the power of belief. The power of words. The power of ideas. The power of dreams. They do come true, provided we believe in them, prepare ourselves for them and wait for the results to show. It may not show now, nor tomorrow but at the apt and right time. For its always said "...when the teacher is ready, the student shall come".

What should we believe ? Anything. I remember a chilling incident in 1993. I was in Dubai and glancing through the pages of the school magazine of my cousins. There was an article about World War IV in 2000. The writer had apparently predicted a world war then and it was to be led by one Mr. George Bush Jr. In those times, after the successful Operation Desert Storm conducted by the Americans, Mr. George H.Bush was nothing short of a hero for us and it was simply naive to assume then about a World War in 2000 with his son in realm. Years passed and I was in St.Thomas doing my senior school when there was this election between AlGore and the actual Bush.Jr. Everyone predicted an AlGore victory and to me based on this tale years back, assumed Bush to win. Though the manner in which the victory was achieved is debatable, to me the belief years back from a mere reading of a school magazine struck a chord for its prophetic form.

Many instances in life, from coming to Canada to working in the oil industry in Abu Dhabi have happened due to the power of belief. Though then I have never admitted it, now at this age, I feel more than ever that, yeah, it happened not simply because it happened out of destiny, it happened because once a time I actually believed or thought that it would happen. That I feel friends, is the power of belief. We live in an age where we are opulently blessed in resources both monetary and physical along with the power of knowledge. All over people are worried about tomorrow and what it brings for them and their family, their career and lives. But let me ask a question, instead of worrying in that tomorrow, do you believe in that tomorrow ?

These days, I work part-time collecting data for cancer research at the university. I met up with a colleague who speaks the same language as I do. A middle aged man, unfortunately physically impaired but fortunately blessed with dreams and beliefs; most of which he has accomplished or came true. He was telling me a tale of how he met his wife long time back. Years ago, a chance meeting with a lady, he felt that inner calling in him that she was the one. He went and asked her hand. She refused saying that she was getting engaged soon. This did not dissuade him and he asked her parents. Her father kicked him out due to his financial condition then and apparently his family too dissuaded him as well. Disappointed, yet not losing hope and heart, he moved on in life to better himself in his career. Couple of years later after making some money, on a chance visit to his hometown, he came to know that this woman had been widowed unfortunately. Without hesitation, he went and asked her hand this time around. She had no hesitation to agree and today they are a happy family. That my friends is the power of belief.

I have had a successful run this year in predictions. People ask me how do you do it. I have only one answer, if you believe deep down inside for something to happen, it simply happens. There are no paranormal explanations nor is it voodoo or black magic nor any chants of faith. Just the power of belief. The assiduous power of belief we have deep down inside. The gift we never realize that we had. So the question today for each one of us: are we ready to begin believing ?

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. Anatole France

Image Courtesy: www.cnn.com