Life – Get Your Perspective Right on What’s Left

On Sunday, 26 July, my very good friend called from the U.S. of A. at 9.30 am. It was such a pleasant surprise that it actually set the tone for the day. In fact, he is such a great guy that in one meeting at our home, when he came down to India last year, my wife took to him completely and chat today as though they’ve been friends for years!!

As we got talking, we spoke about our respective lives, friends, work, family and many other issues. Something about work was really bothering me and as a result I was spending less time at home. I was feeling kind of insecure too as something that I desperately wanted was not coming through. I was feeling a little low too and was kinda feeling ‘imperfect’.

My friend patiently heard me out and said, “Ivan, one day, all of us are going to take leave of this life on earth. We commonly refer to it as death. Though I have not met every person who has died, I know one thing for sure - Nobody on their death bed ever said ‘I wish I had spent more time at work’. But I can bet you that a lot of them definitely said ‘I wish I had spent more time with family’. So get your perspective right”.

I agreed…..

He continued, “And as for the sense of imperfection that you are feeling, how can you feel thus if you truly believe that God has created you in his own image? Is God imperfect?”. “No”, I replied. “So trust me you are perfect. It’s just that at most times we tend to create images of ourselves and of situations that may not be perfect or real. You are already approved of and that is why you are here. You are perfect and you are not lacking in anything. If you are lacking in anything it is true of all of us i.e. the ability to dig deep and find the answers that lie within. Again, God made you. God knows that for sure, and you better start accepting that” he concluded.

“Does that make sense”, he asked me. “Of course my friend”, I said with a smile. I followed it up with a sheepish “Thank you”.

I sure needed that to ensure that I got my perspective right on what’s left of my life.

Blessings,

ivan rodrigues

We Will Overcome, One Day At A Time

It's been some time now since I last wrote. Honestly, I was wondering what to write as I don’t believe in just ‘another’ article. When I write, I picture each of you reading each word that’s written. There was so much to write about and there is so much to write about.

I have decided to write today because I believe that most of us, if not all of us, have in some way or the other been affected by the global meltdown. I am affected. Added to this, each of us is dealing with challenges on the personal and family front. Yes….it’s pretty tough out there and I wouldn’t like to pretend otherwise. I know of many people and families who are actually trying to survive and believe you me, I am not trying to be dramatic here.

For those of us who are not yet affected, we have to be so very grateful. Yet, I’m pretty sure there is the ghost of uncertainty that keeps creeping up in our head from time to time.

What can one do at times like these? My humble advice…..

It is said that ‘many hands make light work’. Likewise, I am confident that many positive words, deeds, thoughts and hands that reach out to help our neighbor(s) will help make our strife lighter. Yes, you read that one right, our strife lighter. So reach out and extend your hand to meet your neighbour’s. In fact, actually open your ears, heart and mind to members of your family. It’s important to keep things simple, ‘believe’ and take one day at a time. Hang in there….there is always the morrow. And even if tomorrow is worse off than today, there is the day after. Eventually, each of us will overcome, one day at a time.

For those of you who believe in God, God be with you always. For those of you who don’t, the universe will take care of you.

You are free to email me at ivanrodrigues777@yahoo.com. I can promise you one thing – I may not be able to offer much, but I can definitely offer you my time. And a smile and prayer from the bottom of my heart.

I wish you positive energy coupled with abundance and love.

ivan rodrigues

Life is in the Details - Subscribe Now!!

The above quote rings very true when I reflect on life, especially mine. For me life exists in the details and in every moment; in the little things that are actually the big things, strange as it may sound. Life is about living, it is about the here and now. It is about the waking up each morning and looking at your wife’s face, as sweet as honey, which makes you smile. It is about me wanting to kiss her on the cheek, but refraining from doing so because you are afraid you might wake her up…she really looks beautiful in her sleep!

Life is about watering all my plants in the morning and enjoying the beauty of the poinsettas as also the aroma of a leaf from the tulsi plant. It is about my wife slowly creeping up behind me as I stand near the window and holding me tight around the waist as we silently watch the beauty of the morning sky. It is the opportunity to read the newspaper in the morning as also not shaving because it’s the weekend, giving my skin it’s well-deserved and much needed rest. It is about being driven to work and savouring the taste of apples and papaya which comprise my breakfast. It is about enjoying the positive feedback the people at the office give you on the t-shirt and corduroy combination you’ve worn and then me calling up my wife immediately to tell her this because she was the one who asked me to wear the particular combination in the first place!

Life is about walking out of your cabin and bumping into a lady colleague who recently had a miscarriage….and the two of us sitting and talking. It’s about sharing the “Surrender Prayer” with her and her smile staying with you as she leaves the cabin assuring you that she would start saying this prayer today.

Life is about sharing a few laughs with your colleagues at work as also laughing at the ‘nicknames’ your friends have used to describe you on Facebook. It is about logging on to Facebook in the evening and receiving sea gardens, elvish wisdom, roses, pokes, super pokes, growing plants, glitter, hugs and kisses online! It is about the people in the positivism group who have posted new items for discussion, reading the replies to existing posts and about the four new people who want to be added to your friends list.


Life is about reaching home and being greeted by a warm smile and hug from narrating all that happened during the day including how excited our niece Rhea was when she spoke with my wife over the phone as she is going for her first overnight school picnic in a few days (she is only five!!). It is about being invited by mum and dad to spend the weekend at their place and us finalising the menu over the phone. It is about going for a late evening walk with my wife…..

Life is about making an appointment with yourself and enjoying every moment.

Ask yourself this question - Are you alive because you breathe? Or do you breathe mindful of the beauty of each breath and consequently, the ‘life’ you are blessed with?

Enjoy each moment, each breath, each detail. If you are not doing that yet, ‘Subscribe Now!!’

God bless…. ivan rodrigues

A Happy Mind and Heart Shine Like the SUN.

Most of us have seen the sun. My request to you, post reading this post, or whenever you can make the time, is to watch the sun a little longer, mindful of it’s presence. First, try and watch the sunrise for a few minutes. Then look at it again at noon (but don’t get blinded!). And then again, look at it at sunset.

At each of these times......
What did you see?
And how did you feel?

I’ll tell you what I saw. Before that I must also confess that I had myself never looked at the sun in the manner I am asking you to. So I decided to do so. I woke up to see the sunrise and what I saw were rays of light in a yellowish orange shade peeping through at first and then gradually lighting up the sky and all that existed as far as my eyes could see. Something that was dark and not visible a few minutes back was easily identifiable. Of course, back home in India, it is almost impossible to look at the afternoon sun – it could actually blind you. At sunset, I saw a ball of orange throwing colours with a myriad hues in the sky immediately above itself that I had not seen before.

I’ll tell you how I felt. I felt blessed. I bowed down to the sun. I was grateful to the rising sun for taking away the darkness and helping me to see. I looked at the food on my plate and thanked the sun for having nourished the trees and fields that helped grow the food that has nourished me for decades. I smiled and acknowledged the setting sun for creating magic in the sky that I had not seen before. I felt humbled by the sun and I silently thanked the sun for its presence in my life. I thanked my Lord for the sun. Today, I try to watch the sun as often as I can, which is probably six days a week (Yes, I too love to snooze and laze in bed sometimes….lol).

The sun made me renew my commitment to happiness. And happiness starts with oneself, more importantly, with one’s heart and mind. An unhappy mind and an unforgiving heart are quite often responsible for giving little things very large shadows. It is therefore important to have a happy mind and a happy heart so that it shines, brightens and nourishes both us and those around us, just like the sun. And how does one ‘find’ happiness. A hymn that we used to sing in church comes to mind. One of the verses goes thus....
“Happiness is where you are and what you want to be,
If you look you’re sure to find a rainbow of your dreams,
Tomorrow’s fuller than a thousand yesterdays,
With the vision of a new day in your heart”.

Like the sun, may your mind and heart always shine brightly and happily with the vision of a new day and consequently burn all shadows. This is my wish and prayer for you.

God bless….. ivan rodrigues (ivanrodrigues777@yahoo.com)

Miracles Don't Happen; They Already Exist

Miracles don’t happen, they already exist. Either now, or in the future. I have discussed this with philosophers, scholars, therapists in alternative healing and scientists alike and they hold the same view, albeit put in words that may seem like mumbo jumbo to some and Greek to others. Basically the underlying fact echoed is the same - that miracles don’t ‘happen’, they already ‘exist’.

So why then do so many people believe that this miracle ‘happened’? It’s important therefore to understand what we term as miracles.

Miracles are
a) either manifestations of things we hope will happen (sometimes against hope!) or
b) things we thought would never happen.
When either a) or b) actually happen, we term these occurrences as ‘miracles’.

Here are some examples:
1) A man of African American origin becoming President of America.
2) A plane landing in water and all passengers and crew on board surviving.

If you had to mention these events a decade ago, almost the entire world would have said it’s impossible. When it happened, many termed it as a miracle. Miracles don’t happen, they are already in existence; millions of ‘miracles’ are happening (exist) right now and millions of ‘miracles’ are waiting to happen (manifest themselves).

Barack Obama’s victory was meant to happen – he slogged his butt off for years in preparation for what came his way. Richly deserved. All the passengers on the plane survived because the pilot was trained to land in water, which he did with perfection and the crew and assistance that was provided to ensure that each passenger survived, executed their roles to perfection.

Since we aren't clairvoyant, we tend to term these events as "miracles". If we were clairvoyant and were able to look into the future, we would have "expected" these events to take place. Because we have not noticed them yet (had similar experiences), or we do not expect them to occur because we lack in hope or because we do not believe that it is possible given the depth of our limited human comprehension, therefore when they do happen, we term these events as ‘miracles’.

In conclusion, please don’t forget to notice the other miracles that exist all around you; the fact that you were saved from drowning recently, the blooming of a flower, the gift of your spouse and children, the recovery from a near-fatal accident, the fact that you are no longer dependent on any substance – alcohol, drugs or cigarettes, the rising of the sun, the sweet caress of the wind against your cheeks, the fact that your pet loves you unconditionally, you meeting your soul mate, that you didn’t go ahead with the urge to commit suicide, the grades that you secured in school, the smile of your baby and more importantly, the fact that you’ve begun to love yourself more.

God Bless…. ivan rodrigues (ivanrodrigues777@yahoo.com)

The Importance of Prayer for YOU

Ask plant lovers - what would happen if they did not water the plants in their garden?

They would surely die. The plants need nurturing and nourishing by exposing them to the right amount of sunlight, by tilling the soil around the plants, by ensuring that the soil we choose is right for the plant and it has the right mix of manure in the required doses. And of course, one needs to water them. If you love plants like I do, you will agree that the death of a plant or a barren garden will leave you pretty sad.

For animal lovers, be it a dog, cat or any other pet, what would happen if we did not bathe, feed, take the pet for a walk, play with the pet or talk to them?

They would feel the neglect. They would start becoming weak for want of nutrition, care and affection. Obviously, they will not be able to give you the unconditional love and energy they are so very capable of giving. They would eventually die. Ask any pet lover, what the death of a pet does to them. You can be pretty distraught not just for days, but sometimes for a lifetime.

What would happen if we didn’t have God in our lives?

In fact, we already do. Rather than bury himself in the ground or sit atop a mountain, God decided to place himself in each of our hearts so that he is very close when we need him most. Recognize this. Nurture you special relationship with good intent, good deeds, and prayer. Prayer is asking God to transform any situation and become the heart of your life. Take time each day to nurture this connection. Pray. Absence of meaningful prayer will definitely cause us misery just like the death of plants or pets. He is the source of abundance; nurture your connection with HIM.

ivan rodrigues (ivanrodrigues777@yahoo.com)

Write your own Bestseller! Make your own Blockbuster!

Each of us are living, breathing humans made of flesh and blood. All of us also have feelings and emotions. In addition, our Maker has blessed us with talents. Some of us are aware of these talents, some of us are made aware of these talents because they have been noticed by others and in quite a few of us these talents are still latent.

Also, the honest truth is that each of us is unique and irreplaceable. You’ve been specially chosen to spend a length of time on this planet, and that’s the plan for you, whether you accept it or not.

Our life is like a novel or script with blank pages. A pen has been given to us by our Maker. It’s a unique pen. In fact, it’s magical and cannot be duplicated. When held in your hand, it writes like nobody else can and in colours that nobody on this planet can replicate. Some of us have started filling these blank pages with this magical pen. Some of us have made a start, but have given up, whatever the reason.

Each of us has to make a choice today. Do we want to recognize the many positives around us, write on these pages and craft out our own, unique bestseller? Or do we want to leave it blank because we are convinced there is nothing to write. The choice is solely ours. The choice to start your bestseller today or the choice to let the book gather dust or confine it to the dust bin.

What happens to the blockbuster then? Well, it will follow or not depending on how well each of us has written our own book and if we’ve been successful in making our life a 'bestseller'. The script for the blockbuster would finally be extracted from your bestseller, right? -:)

All the best!.... ivan rodrigues