Life is about being a Phoenix

Faith - a simple five letter word. But hard for the mind to grasp. For the mind believes in what it can see, experience, explain. And all the rest for it is non-existent or untrue.
It is easy to say one has Faith when all is visible to the eyes. But in reality, Faith only means something when one feels that they have been cast into a forest where no light can penetrate. One doesn't know where one is going - for one cannot see a path.
These are the times that the faint glimmer called Faith is the only guide - that there is an issue - that after the night ends, the day will be bright and everlasting.

Until a certain point in life we accept the notion that we are the way we are - our limitations are what we were born with and they cannot be surpassed - maybe they can be improved to a small extent - but that's about it.

But sometimes, by some special experiences, in moments of crisis, something in us chooses - and it decides - to become what we have always wanted to be. And with the decision there comes a power - and the knowledge - that all our limitations are makings of OUR mind. We have the power to CHANGE and BECOME the person we have always wanted to be.

And that's when the new is embraced and the old is forgotten - and a new Phoenix is born!

Life is beautiful.

But sometimes we tend to forget that. We get so involved in amassing wealth, earning success - or what people normally call success - that we forget to take the time out to smell the roses. Not only that, we even forget what roses are. Life then becomes dry and barren - and it is at those moments - by a special grace - a fresh breath of air - a monsoon shower comes and invades your life, your heart and challenges your whole way of living. It topples your whole value system upside-down and makes you question what you thought to be sure facts.

And then sometimes, if you are lucky, something touches you, and changes you and shows you that indeed "Life is Beautiful"!

These are lines from a song that we used to sing in High School (CSI). They recently came back to me and these days they motivate me immensely. The song itself was written by Salil Chowdhry in the mid 20th century. I think it was for the Indian Struggle for Freedom:

"Tu zindaa hai toh zindagi ki jeet mein yakin kar,
Agar kahin hai swarg to utaar laa zameen par,
Yeh gum ke aur chaar din, sitam ke aur chaar din,
Yeh din bhee beet jaayenge, guzar gaye hazaar din,
Kabhi to hogee is chaman mein bahaar ki nazar,
Agar kahin hai swarg toh utaar laa zameen par"

The literal translation is:

"
You are alive so believe in the victory of life,
If there's a heaven, bring it down to the earth,
These few days of sorrow, these few days of torture,
These few days will pass too, after all thousands of such days have passed,
There will be someday a ray of light in the sky,
If there is a heaven someplace, bring it down to the earth"
"

Although it may seem straight-forward to some, following is my interpretation of it:

I think these words are extremely beautiful and present a powerful concept, especially because of the second line. "If there's a heaven someplace, bring it down to the earth". The idea is to bring down heaven to the earth, contrary to many songs that talk about escaping from earth to the heaven. To me, this is a very high, refined and positive concept!
Let us all hum these words and look work to bring down this heaven to the earth!

p.s.: If someone knows the full lyrics to this song, I will appreciate if you post it as a comment. I googl-ed for them without much luck. Thx!

This is the mentality of some of us. When something good happens and things are going our way for some time, we start getting this feeling of fear. This is too good to last! Things will change soon! Somethng bad will happen now! Life can't be all good!
I reflected deep on it and realized, this is the silliest thought one could have. It is very ordinary mentality that should not be supported for very long. Once identified it must be removed from our system, since it is a sickness.
The Supreme Being doesn't have a sick human mentality that looks upon His creations and says, "Oh, this one has had a lot of good, lets give him some bad now".
So leave these shackles and chains that hold you back, behind, and advance forward with confidence and faith. There is no reason to be afraid of well being. When you're doing things right and making the right decisions (from the sincere and idealistic standpoint), don't let negative thoughts like such hold you back.
That is positivity!

I have a special relationship with Niagara Falls. The effect the falls have on me is of a rejuvenator that takes in my negative energies, my shackles and chains and dissolves them into its mightily falling and flowing water, and refills me with new energy and a joy of life. A positive force full of optimism. Its as if these falls know me and call me everytime they sense a need of refreshment in me.
Whatever be on your mind, once you reach the center of the falls, where the water is falling from 3 sides and the mists flying higher than the clouds, you can't but adore and be fascinated by the breathtaking showers!

There comes a point when you see your body (or some part of you) in frustration or suffering, but your real self knows better, it knows that this is just silliness that your vital body is suffering for something useless. At these realization you start laughing at the part of you that is undergoing pain.
It's a good feeling since it tells you that come what may, that real part of you will still 'enjoy' it!

This line, since it has come to me, intrigues me. A Phoenix burns and turns to ashes and then rises from the ashes, new, young and renewed. We come across points in our lives, where everything seems lost and no meaning is seen. All previous convictions seem to be vain and no horizon is in sight. But when we go through these flames, endure them, after rising we are fresh, renewed with better, higher convictions and an invaluable addition of experiences to our soul.
This process happens many a time in life, each time bringing out a higher part of our self and raising our consciousness.
We emerge renewed like a Phoenix out of the ashes!
Life is about being a Phoenix.