7 Art of Living Lessons From Loved Ones Around!

Nope, I am neither a Sri Sri Ravi Shankar devotee, nor a fan of his Sudershan Kriya's. So, the similarity in the headline is a pure coincidence. (Or, maybe I’ve heard about his Art Of Living courses so many times, that I simply went ahead and named my post by that name.) However, it was a conscious decision, considering its aptness for my ramblings. Now, enough of digression and coming straight to the point.

Here I present seven of those chosen people from whom I am ‘Learning the Art of Living’ on a daily basis.

#1. The Art Of Staying Perpetually Sleep Deprived – My hubby specializes in it. Red eyes and drowsy demeanor defines him. His philosophy in life: too much of sleep is bad for health; sleep as much as you want when you are dead and gone. (Hmm…I ‘m trying really hard to walk on his chosen path.) But what should I do when my head reels and faculties fail to function? Oh! No. No. That’s doesn’t mean I’ll give up trying. Practice makes a man perfect.

But, I wonder will I be able to stay sane by being sleep deprived? Won't I be grumpy and growling all through the day. I need my 8 hours.Period.

#2. The Art Of Chillaxing – Aryan’s school van will be honking away in all glory, but Aryan isn’t bothered a pinch. He’s so cool about it and will descend the stairs in all glory. Hmm… a trait taken from his daddy dear. I shout out from the kitchen, "Aryan run"…but Aryan seems unruffled. That said, I like his attitude…commotions don’t confuse him!

I wonder whether I will ever be able to keep a calm composure like him? What if it’s not there in my gene?

#3. The Art Of Tolerance – I enjoyed the high of being a journalist, and thankfully my parents never stopped me from pursuing my passion. However, I learnt later on that my mom never really slept till I returned. Use to lie down on the sofa in the living room and kept praying for my safe return. Even during the 2002 Godhra riots I was very active on the field. However, this time she requested me to give a second thought to my job. Instead of empathizing with her motherly emotions I still continued on my job and made her go through the same nightmare once again.

I wonder, if I my child does the same thing, will I be able to take it? But, who said I need to be as tolerant as my parents?

#4. The Art of Cooking – My MIL is a master chef. Though she is a working woman, she doesn’t mind putting in hours in the kitchen and rustling up delicious dishes for the family. She has got the speed, stamina and more than anything else, the mind and the mood to do so.

I wonder will I ever be able to cook like her. Am I not better off reading than slogging away my spare time in the kitchen?

#5. The Art Of Faith − Both my mother and MIL never miss their daily prayers. A prayer can move mountains they say.

I wonder, will I ever be able to pray like them? No, it’s time-consuming. I keep remembering Mother Mary throughout the day. That’ll suffice.

#6. The Art Of Friendship – Deepa Sonu and I’ve been together since our nursery days. And honestly, it seems she has taken it on herself to keep the flame of friendship burning. I may forget her birthdays and anniversaries, but she remembers mine and always makes it a point to call me up and wish me. Of course, I need to learn a point or two from her on how to keep alive the art of friendship.

However, I wonder, will I ever be able to do that? No, I know it’s just a passing thought; I’ll be back to square one in no time.

#7. The Art Of Sisterhood − My sister is younger to me by a year. But she is different from me in all ways. More mature, more grounded, more caring and so on. Wish to know more about her…you can read it here…

I wonder, will I ever be able to be in her shoes? No, I’ve no answer to this.

There’s so much to learn from people around you. Even good books teach you a lot…not just courses and classes. What say? 

I am taking part in The Write Tribe Festival of Words 1st - 7th September 2013