The Journey Matters

Write Tribe Festival of Words #4 - Inspiration and Creativity

My theme for this festival is "Inspiration in three words"

Day 7 - June 08 2015 = The Journey Matters

The journey is what brings us happiness not the destination ~ Dan Millman

Most times we are simply focussed on the goal or destination. But the journey is equally important.
What's interesting is that once we reach that goal or destination, we promptly find another destination or goal to move to.

That's because the journey to each destination or goal provides us excitement and adventure. The experiences we encounter along the way make us the people we are and the sum total of all these experiences is what we call life.

The destination is important but the journey is equally so.

Note to self: The journey matters. Enjoy and savour each moment of it.


Previous posts
Day 1 - Follow Your Bliss
Day 2 - Sieze The Day
Day 3 - Keep Moving Forward
Day 4 - Let Life Flow
Day 5 - Let It Be
Day 6 - Believe You Can

Warm Regards


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UBC Jul 15 - Life Is Not A Race

Ultimate Blogging Challenge  and  NaBloPoMo - Day 15


Life is not a race, slow down

image from my facebook page Suzy's Ilation

About three weeks ago I started a Daily Thoughts series on my facebook page and this was the first one I posted.

While walking to work from the railway station that day I was hurrying along keeping pace with the crowd. There were big tall men, young girls, and I struggled uphill at their pace. Suddenly this thought came into my head "you don't need to keep up with the rest, life is not a race, slow down".

Then with a strange detachment I watched them all hurrying along. I felt they all seemed to want to be ahead of the rest and each one was striving to out do the other.

I slowed down to a comfortable pace which wasn't too far behind them, and then funnily enough, I caught up with most of them outside the lifts.

Eventually we all reach the place we are meant to be. We reach it in our own way and at our own pace. We don't need to rush around and try to keep pace with the others.

Life is not a race. There are no winners or losers, only travellers.  Slow down and enjoy the journey because when we slow down we have the ability to stop and smell many roses and savour all the moments of our life. After all, isn't that what life is all about?

Check out Vidya Sury's post Do The Slow Dance on the same topic.

Have a super day.

Warm Regards


Check out all my daily thoughts on Pinterest

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UBC Jul 6 - Winners Losers Travellers

Ultimate Blogging Challenge  and  NaBloPoMo - Day 6 and my 500th post!

In life there are no winners or losers, only travellers

image from my facebook page Suzy's Ilation

Yesterday I came across a very interesting post from Jayanta on popular stories with a twist in particular The Hare and the Tortoise. And after reading his post I posted a comment that became the Daily thought of this post.

When I was young, I wanted to race through life, I couldn't wait to get everywhere, confident that no matter what I did, I couldn't lose. When you are young you have this limitless energy, a zest for achieving, the outer things become important. Happiness, excitement and energy come from that competitive streak. I was probably like the hare, confident, ambitious and competitive. To win was exhilarating. Life always had to accelerate from 0 to 200 in a fraction of a second.

But now I want to be like the tortoise, slowly meandering through life and savouring each moment. My happiness and excitement comes from the little things - like the Camellias that bloom in Winter in my garden, the birds that come to feed on leftover bread, the beautiful trees that line my street, the hills that look so serene and peaceful, the clouds in the sky that make new shapes each moment. My joy comes from within in connecting with and surrendering to my Divine Lord. I have a zest for living not achieving, my energy comes from quiet meditation, devotional music and Nature.

I didn't win the race when I was young nor did I lose.
I'm not winning any race now, nor am I losing.

Each of us travel the journey of life at our own pace, in our own way and hopefully in joy.

In life there are no winners or losers, only travellers.

Travel well in your own way and enjoy your journey.


Warm Regards


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Going places - Write Tribe Festival Wrap Up

The Write Tribe Festival of Words has concluded. The theme for this festival was 7 and I chose to write about:

 7 dream journeys that I would like to take

I believe that if we dream long and hard enough, then dreams do come true. And "consecrating" my dreams to "paper" has hopefully sent a message to the Universe that these are dreams I truly long for.

A very special thanks to Corinne who blogs at Everyday Gyaan and who masterminded this festival that I think was a huge success. Her enthusiasm and hard work made this possible.

I enjoyed this festival a lot and I had a great time writing about my 7 journeys. I'm also very thankful to all those who dropped by and took the journey with me. You brought my journeys to life with your wonderful comments. Thank you.

And it was great fun to read so many amazing posts - new words, new places, wisdom, getting to know someone, colours, trivia, stories etc.

The camaraderie was lovely and each blogger gave the other support and encouragement. I think this festival was the best one I have participated in to date.

I tried to feature some posts each day and I was surprised that while I enjoyed the writing and reading, featuring posts gave me the greatest joy of all. I do wish I had featured some more posts using the 7 theme, but as always hindsight is a wonderful thing.  I will endeavour to feature posts regularly on all my future posts as this truly brought me great joy.

So here are some more posts I enjoyed across the 7 days

  Shellymona's  Soaring Over Cloud 7 - Dreamers are believers

  Cat's 7 Childhood things - Took me down a delightful memory lane

  Kathy's 7 Lessons - A great list that had me nodding and agreeing with all of them

  Talya's 7 shades of Yoga - A very enjoyable yoga class

  Penny's 7 ways to Nourish the soul - And it truly nourished and gladdened mine

  Aditi's Power of 7  - A heart-warming post on a random act of kindness

  Anu's 7 Childhood crushes  - A fun post


And some great words of wisdom about blogging from

  Corrine's 7 Reasons why you should stop blogging

  Vidya's 7 Deadly sins of blogging


But the post that I thought was simply brilliant was

  Ruchira's 7 Crisis Strategies  - Taking a soul view (great wisdom in this post too)


And finally here are the places I went to and journeys I took virtually

  Journey 1 = Krishna Yatra

  Journey 2 = Ram Yatra

  Journey 3 = Shiva Yatra

  Journey 4 = Himalayan Adventure

  Journey 5 = Kaziranga

  Journey 6 = Royal Rajasthan
  Journey 7 = Ajanta Ellora

Have a day of dreams come true.  I look forward to the next festival

Warm Regards


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Going Places - Ajanta Ellora

I am taking part in the Write Tribe Festival of Words from September 1 - 7. The theme for this festival is "7" and mine is:

Going Places -  7 journeys I would like to take.

Today is the last day of the festival so this is the 7th and last of the journeys in this series.

My journey 7 is to see the beautiful Ajanta and Ellora caves near Aurangabad in the state of Maharashtra.

Ever since I was a child I have been fascinated by the Ajanta Ellora caves. And this was purely because my brother and friends went on a school camp and just raved about it. But I was never allowed to go. Then the internet came along and I would often look them up and read up on them and each time they seemed to draw me in.

The Ajanta Caves are about 300 Buddhist cave monuments that include paintings and sulptures. The caves are a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Ellora caves houses the Kailash Temple in one of its 34 monasteries and temples. It is designed to emulate Mount Kailash the abode of Lord Shiva.

So here is a glimpse of the Ajanta and Ellora caves - best described in pictures.

google maps

Ajanta

image source wikipedia

image source wikipedia

image source wikipedia

Ellora 

Kailash Temple

image source wikipedia

Kailash Pillar

image source wikipedia

image source wikipedia

My journeys so far:

Journey 1 = Krishna Yatra

Journey 2 = Ram Yatra

Journey 3 = Shiva Yatra

Journey 4 = Himalayan Adventure

Journey 5 = Kaziranga

Journey 6 = Royal Rajasthan

(my 7 journeys series can be viewed here )

Day 6 posts that I enjoyed
Vidya's Guru Devo Bhava - a lovely tribute to her teachers particularly her mom
Jyothi's 7 Steps to Hell - her very insightful view on friendships
Bhagyashree's Missing 7 - a real life story of ... the missing 7
Privy's I Promise - Promises she made to herself


Have an adventurous day and check out the day 7 posts

Warm Regards

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Going Places - Royal Rajasthan

I am taking part in the Write Tribe Festival of Words from September 1 - 7. The theme for this festival is "7" and mine is:

Going Places -  7 journeys I would like to take.

I always think of Rajasthan as the place of kings. So in my mind Rajasthan needs to be roamed royally like in a Palace on Wheels. The perfect tour - Jaipur - Ranthambore - Chittorgarh - Udaipur - Jaisalmer - Jodhpur - Bharatpur - Agra.

The Palace on Wheels starts and finishes in New Delhi so I guess that would be part of the tour too. Of course I have been to New Delhi and Agra several times but the last visit there was about 35 years ago!

But back to the Palace on Wheels which is a train journey doubling up as a mobile hotel fitted to look like a Maharaja's state carriage. The itinerary is a bit rushed but the charm of this holiday is the ability to live like royalty for a few days.

Jaipur is the largest city in and capital of Rajasthan and is known as the pink city. Last year my school classmates had a reunion in Jaipur which unfortunately I couldn't attend but they had the most amazing time there. On another leisurely visit, I would visit my classmate who now lives there. Jaipur has some interesting architecture.

Ranthambore is one of the largest national parks in northern India and is one of the Project Tiger reserves.

Chittorgarh was built in approx 7AD and first invaded by Allaudin Khilji. Won't bore you with historical details, but as I read up on its history, Allaudin Khilji took me zooming back to my school days. I can't remember the facts behind events but it's quite amazing how one remembers names!

Udaipur is known as the city of lakes and palaces. Someday I hope I will have the chance to stay at the Lake Palace in Udaipur - ultimate in luxury and unfortunately very pricey of course but an experience of a lifetime.

Jaisalmer is called the golden city as it stands on a ridge of yellow sandstone

Jodhpur is the second largest city in Rajasthan and is known as the Sun City as it enjoys sunny weather all year round. It is also called the Blue City because of the vivid blue painted houses.

Bharatpur home of the Keoladeo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the duck hunting reserve of the Maharajas. The name Keoladeo is derived from an ancient Shiva temple situated in the sanctuary.

Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. No more words needed here.

I've also always wanted to visit the Dilwara temples at Mt Abu. So my royal Rajasthan roaming would either end or start with the beautiful Jain temples. Incidentally Mt Abu is the only hill station in Rajasthan.

map taken from the palace on wheels website

Hawa Mahal, Jaipur

image source wikipedia

Ranthambore National Park

image source wikipedia

Chittorgarh Fort

image source wikipedia

Lake Palace, Udaipur

image source google images

Jaisalmer

image source google images

Jodhpur

image source wikipedia

Dilwara Temple, Mt Abu

image source wikipedia

Mt Abu

image source wikipedia

Join me tomorrow on my 7th and final journey

My journeys so far:

Journey 1 = Krishna Yatra

Journey 2 = Ram Yatra

Journey 3 = Shiva Yatra

Journey 4 = Himalayan Adventure

Journey 5 = Kaziranga

(my 7 journeys series can be viewed here )

Day 5 posts that I enjoyed
Usha Menon's 7 Thought Provoking Gems - and gems they truly are.
Snuffles Jay's Significance of 7 in Hinduism - very interesting and enlightening.
Neha's 55 word mini stories - aspects of love beautifully depicted


Have a luxurious day and check out some day 6 posts.

Warm Regards


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Going Places - Kaziranga

I am taking part in the Write Tribe Festival of Words from September 1 - 7. The theme for this festival is "7" and mine is:

Going Places -  7 journeys I would like to take.

My 5th journey is a little different. Leaving behind the yatras and the mountains, this is a journey into the wild, into nature. This is Kaziranga!

There are many wildlife parks in India but I've always been fascinated by the Kaziranga National Park in Assam.

I think Kaziranga has it all, including tigers, leopards, elephants, deer, monkeys in particular the Hoolock Gibbon, the only ape found in India. 

But the animal that I really want to see is the Great Indian One-horned Rhino that is found (in India) only at Kaziranga.

And then while I'm there I thought I would throw in a tea estate as well. 

google maps: approximate location

One horned rhino at Kaziranga

image source wikipedia

Elephant journey

image source wikipedia

image source google images

Tea Estate, Assam - looks interesting

image source google images

Join me tomorrow on my 6th journey

My journeys so far:

Journey 1 = Krishna Yatra

Journey 2 = Ram Yatra

Journey 3 = Shiva Yatra

Journey 4 = Himalayan Adventure

(my 7 journeys series can be viewed here )

Day 4 posts that I enjoyed

Kajal's A Regal Affair - You'll have to read her post to find out what that regal affair is

Roshni's Favourite Childhood Movies - And some of them are mine too.

Have a terrific day and check out some day 5 posts.

Warm Regards


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Going Places - Himalayan Adventure

I am taking part in the Write Tribe Festival of Words from September 1 - 7. The theme for this festival is "7" and mine is:

Going Places -  7 journeys I would like to take.

Having completed my Spiritual Yatras, it's time for a different adventure and as I'm also posting for the letter H at ABC Wednesday, Journey no 4 is of course, High in the Himalayas.

I was 11 years old when I first saw the mighty Himalayas and it's a sight I will never forget. These are the most majestic and rugged mountains I have ever seen. Standing on the Himalayas, playing in the snow, stepping onto a glacier is an amazing experience.

And I thought that was enough. Then I took some journeys that made me want more. Flying over the Rocky Mountains, The Alps and the Southern Alps (New Zealand) brought a new dimension to viewing mountains and watching them from high up was quite a different and breathtaking experience.

Ever since then I've had this dream of flying over the Himalayas. Hence my journey "High in the Himalayas".

My journey would begin in Ladakh which I hear is incredibly beautiful and a place worth visiting and end in Darjeeling. Flying over the Himalayas I believe is a sight to behold. In Darjeeling the highlights would be watching the sunrise and sunset over the Kanchenjunga and Mt Everest.

Another journey I would love to take is a helicopter ride over Mt Kailash and Lake Mansarover. It is believed that Lord Shiva resides on Mt Kailash with Goddess Parvati and Lake Mansarover is often visited by them.

If I was younger I might attempt a trek but one must be mindful of one's limitations and a gruelling trek is probably out of question for me. I have yet to find a tour that provides a scenic flight. But perhaps someday this will become a reality.

google maps - all places are approximate

Gompa Phyang, Ladakh

 image source wikipedia

Kanchenjunga from Darjeeling

image source wikipedia

Darjeeling

image source wikipedia

Lake Mansarovar

image source wikipedia

Mt Kailash and Lake Mansarovar

image source:  google images

Join me tomorrow on my fifth journey.

My journeys so far:
Journey 1 = Krishna Yatra
Journey 2 = Ram Yatra
Journey 3 = Shiva Yatra

(my 7 journeys series can be viewed here )

Day 3 posts that I enjoyed
Shilpa's Similarities - very interesting theory on inheriting similar traits
Corinne's Pablo - a very cute post on Pablo the boxer


Have a heavenly day. Check out some day 4 posts and  H posts at ABC Wednesday.

Warm Regards

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Going Places - Shiva Yatra

I am taking part in the Write Tribe Festival of Words from September 1 - 7. The theme for this festival is "7" and mine is:

Going Places -  7 journeys I would like to take.

Having done a Krishna and Ram Yatra, my third journey will of course be a Shiva Yatra (pilgrimage or journey).

Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati 

Lord Shiva is one of the Supreme Gods in the Hindu religion and is considered the God of Destruction. The concept of destruction often makes him a God to fear but he is a very misunderstood God as He is also very benevolent and supposedly easy to please. (What would I know, the Gods never seem to hear me!)

Lord Shiva is also known as Mahadev (Great God) and while he does have many benevolent forms, he also has fearsome forms (known as his Rudra roop).

Lord Shiva supposedly creates the Universe and destroys it both via his cosmic dance the Tandava. The Ananda Tandava creates and the Rudra Tandava destroys.

There are many temples and holy places in India dedicated to Lord Shiva, but my Shiva Yatra would consist of Varanasi (Kashi) - Allahabad - Rishikesh - Hardwar - Trimbakeshwar - Somnath

google maps - all places are approximate

Varanasi (aka Benaras and Kashi) is considered the holiest place in India. It is situated on the banks of the river Ganges in Uttar Pradesh and was supposedly created by Lord Shiva after the death of his first wife Sati.

Varanasi 

image from wikipedia

Allahabad's original name was Prayaga (place of offerings) and is referred to as Triveni Sangam (confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the legendary Saraswati). The Prayag Shrine is considered to be one of the Shakti Peeth's. When Sati died, Shiva was devastated and carried her body as he wandered around. Parts of it fell and these places are known as Shakti Peeths. These Peeths are considered very holy and powerful as they are also the union of Shiv and Shakti (Sati).

Prayag Temple

image source: google images

Hardwar situated on the banks of the river Ganges in Uttarkhand is known as the Gateway to Lord Shiva and is one of the 7 holiest places in India. It is considered to be the hometown of Sati and one of the places where drops of Amrit (elixir of life) accidentally slipped from the pitcher being carried by the Lord Vishnu's celestial bird Garuda. Hardwar is also considered to contain the footsteps of Shiva.

Har ki pauri - Footsteps of Lord Shiva

image from wikipedia

Rishikesh - I include this under the Shiva Yatra as this is so close to Hardwar. Rishikesh is also considered to be one of the holy places in India and is associated more with Lord Ram who was supposed to have meditated here on his life's purpose. Not sure now with the recent floods if this place is safe to visit.

Statue of a meditating Lord Shiva

image source wikipedia

Somnath Temple near Veraval in Gujarat is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva. Jyotirlinga are shrines where it is believed Lord Shiva manifested and revealed himself as a column of light (Jyoti - light) to his devotees. Somnath means "The protector of the Moon God". It is believed that at Somnath Lord Shiva absorbed the curse placed on the Moon God and hence He wears the crescent moon on his head.

Somnath Temple

image source wikipedia

Trimbakeshwar Temple situated in the Nashik district of Maharashtra on the banks of the Godavari river is also one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines. While all other Jyotirlingas have Lord Shiva as it's deity, Trimabeshwar has the faces of the Tridev (3 Gods), Lord Brahma (the creator), Lord Vishnu (the sustainer) and Lord Shiva (the destroyer).

Trimbakeshwar temple

image source: google images

Karpur Gauram Karunavataram |

Sansara Saram Bhujagendra Haram ||

Sada Vasantam Hridayaravinde |

Bhavam Bhavani Sahitam Namami ||

The one who is as pure/white as a camphor
The personification of compassion
Who is the essence of the world
With the serpent king as his garland
Always residing in the lotus of the heart
 Oh Lord and Goddess (Shiva and Sati)

I bow to you both

(translation from wikipedia)

Join me tomorrow on my fourth journey.

My journeys so far:

Journey 1 = Krishna Yatra
Journey 2 = Ram Yatra

(my 7 journeys series can be viewed here )


Day 2 posts that I enjoyed
Mahabore's Surpanakha's lust for Rama  - from the Ramayana - how could I not enjoy this one.
Susan's 7 memories of her dad - a very sweet and touching post, a wonderful tribute to her dad.

Have a wonderful day.

Warm Regards


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