Aman Sahva

Guest Post by Megna Rajagopal

How many students or working professionals take time off for themselves? I’ve heard people proudly tell me that they work from 8 AM and reach home back only at 9 PM. Is productivity working for these set amount of hours? And why is working for so long glorified?

Well, productivity is not the set amount of hours we stay in the office or university, it is the
ability to make the most use of your workday. It requires us to be deliberate about how we
manage our time. Well, in the 21st century, thanks to Covid-19, we discovered new modes of
work that could be far better than traditional ones. I prefer working from home, what do you think?

I have seen many online posts telling me to sign up for online courses, learn a new skill and
use my extra time productively. While this is certainly helpful, being productive can be extremely stressful. I’m sure people who already go through stress and anxiety might find it hard to be productive even during their free time. The glorification of being busy does not make this any easier.

I think that trying to do everything at once and taking up too many tasks will have a negative impact, as opposed to taking things slowly. As much as productivity is important, taking it slow and giving importance to rest and our mental health are equally important. Taking too much on our plate, more than we can handle will eventually, lead to burnout. On average, people who say that they have significant work-based stress problems sleep thirty minutes less per night compared to those who have less or no work-based stress.

What about procrastination? We all do that, don’t we? Statistics say that 95% of the population procrastinates from time to time.

Did you know that it can make you more productive? It helps you to set goals, prioritize them, save time, and work more efficiently and creatively. It’s always good to know how to procrastinate productively!

Now, how to maximize our strengths? Make a list of what you know you are good at. Think about
your hidden talents. Examine how to use your strengths more, and try to teach others. I know it’s simple to say, but it might take time and effort to accomplish it, but in the end, it’s worth it!

On the way to an eternal existence or a meekly lived extinction? A question that I always use to self interrogate at the end of the day, where I analyze the choices that I have chosen and the decisions I have taken. Well, if you wish to be remarkable irrespective of your age, live remarkable this very moment. And if your choices have turned out to be the wrong one, never regret it, it’s another traveled milestone where we are ought to learn from and bring a change the next time. BEST OF LUCK WITH THE DIVERSE EVOLUTION WITHIN YOURSELF!

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More than five dozen countries call for safety of people wishing to leave Afghanistan. Let’s pray for the goodness, prosperity, health and safety for our brothers and sisters struggling to fight their vulnerability and helplessness.

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It is a poem, I specially dedicate to my friend Anam Turab Amjad Hassan. When new people come into your life, it might bring new hopes too.

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( A short piece of writing+ A reminder to stop corruption)

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The world we try create in the present may seem beautiful right now. But the gorgeous one is the world outside.

The corners narrow.

The focus is only on the desired ones.

The imperfect. The mess. The freak too lived and remarked the past.

The truth is bitter and shakes the world we want.

Showers will never wash away the sins. The grease of fall from grace will stain your humanity. ‘ The Perfect Person’ you try to become is just a shield for the better now but the stain of sins will never leave your collars. It remain on your shoulders forever unless you realize and evolve. The sweet little smile will cover up the rotten teeth, but your words will bring out the sting.

The world you try to create is Mortal

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My friend:

Dearest and beloved…

“It is the greatest gift of God, to have an inspiring and wanderlust friend like you. I seriously, didn’t consider you as a friend, but a place much higher than that, that which can never be explained in words! After driving the journey of our friendship. I have really felt a change within me and I was waiting to meet someone like you, my dear! WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER EACH OTHER.” ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Listen, no.NOPE, I never meant that… I didn’t…. please.. actually…

I sat bolted up on bed. OMG…the clock says “2:30 AM”. Throat is dry and craves for some drizzles and from outside, covered with sweat dew.NOT AGAIN, I told my self and then the muted cries began to shed…’I am not bad…please understand!’ like a mantra my mind repeated the recent and quite often nightmare.

It’s Tuesday, tomorrow I have my English finals, What a bad start! But mind is holding me back! Back to the DREAM.

Mind: listen,I weigh too much because of this.. let me just open up myself at least to you, heart and body…

Recently I cheated my self and mom was badly hurt because it was a matter of trust. Behind that another hit from my friend… reason was the letters WE exchanged…Sorry… I gave her…. It became a worst matter…As the letters contain “I Love You”. Listen, you saw right, how worst was the nightmare… those words of my friend still haunts me… But you Heart, you won’t open up. And you, Body…Why can’t you open your mouth. You know perfectly that you haven’t meant anything wrong. Then…

Heart: I will drop myself right now, Mind, can’t you understand that this isn’t a perfect a time to discuss this matter, I know we surely have to work together and wipe this dirt.

Body: Just shut up! I have already wet the pillow a lot and both of you kindly remember, I am not in a good mood and I am equally tired. I NEED TO SLEEP!

The clock says, “5:00 AM”. Pillows are still wet and eyes still craves for more sleep but no, I have my finals tomorrow. Brush is in my mouth, eyes are dripping the salty drizzles, eyes are fixed on my reflection but Mind is somewhere in the dark, Heart is helpless… Consciousness kicked me back into the reality…ENGLISH FINALS….

Mom left for job, my mouth is shut since all these began, so no talks and laughter…

Now the clock says “12:00 PM”.

Mind: My friend stopped her tuition, because of me. Mom is disappointed because of me. ALL because of ME.

The clock says: 8:00 PM. I covered all my portions, but still I will give one more go through..

Mind: Tomorrow I will set everything, don’t worry. Be clam. We will clarify all the misunderstandings with her.

Body: I am not well.

Heart: Feeling swollen……….

AUTHOR: “These nightmares and thoughts constantly haunt me and forever it will…because I was sincere and I meant only goodness…because I trusted some cowards….because I became the cause of my mom’s disappointment. And this is an another chapter of my life which will always remain as a lesson. The moral for all the readers: Never be the cause of anybody’s disappointments and never let your sadness affect your present, both physically and mentally. “

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“Rest in Peace” symbolizes the need of peace when we are alive too. Together we truly can bring peace and that is why Mahatma Gandhi was able to bring peace for many nations. But before changing the world we have to bring peace within ourselves.

He once said: Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in Harmony!

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Until few months back, I had a really weird fear of sea and waves. For some reason the fear only got worsened. A person who is not at all scared of anything lost courage in front of the sea and waves. But now I face it. Waves are never going to be permanent they can also bring bliss in the form of sea shells and pearls and when they return they take away even the footprints that you leave. When they come with mild wind collect the love of nature leave all your worries when they return. It is a divine love between you and nature. Feel it. Nature wants to nourish you with love.

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Waterfalls are natural and a fountain can never be as beautiful as a waterfall.. Downfalls in your life makes the substantial success story. Falls are natural and it should occur which will ultimately lead to your rise.

It was mesmerizing

To see

How she handled her flowers

only there were too many

As if that would stop her

Her hands,

Caressing their petals

Her mind,

Overwhelmed by their beauty

It hurt

One day she’d would have to let them go

But she knew

She’d be more happy

For they know

She played a part in their lives

No other could have.

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Listen when others need you to… They have considered you as a good listener. Being able to listen is a blessing. Never ignore those. Remember, one day you will be in need. Never ignore a person in need of your help.

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Cards on top of cards

keenly placed each one.

Dreamt a lot about

a palace to be.

Relatively time

wasn’t a matter.

Each card I placed

had meant only goodness.

Plans I crafted,

trials I attempted,

had meant only goodness.

But, awfully it was blown up.

All that I meant…

All that I dreamt…

All that I wished…

I whined not to others

but to me.

I screamed not aloud

but in silence.

I learned not from my victory

but from my flaws.

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It is an article beautifully crafted by my friend Alpha. Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women

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Once I wished and forever it was.

The hidden sorrow

covered by the praises and florals,

pulled me towards

and so i wished…

And forever it was…

But now I regret.

The shattered boundaries ,

and sacrificed lives…

it’s the downfall of an entire piece.

The void minds and

heartless beings,

would consider it as a ‘play’

but for me it is

THE DOWNFALL OF BROTHERHOOD!

Though i do love it often,

where ‘I’ as a hero

lend my hand for the

young shattered beings.

and that is when my own loved ones suffer…

He is out for the serving the human kind…

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I am odd.

Neither Sun,

nor Moon.

Got scrutinized,

but not cared about.

 

Well, there it goes,

utterly down on to the floor.

Alerts mutedly and,

fell with a heave.

It is out of focus,

and blurred too.

Left unnoticed…

the thread stretches-

from its curling coil.

There it lies,

loosened up.

Well, a time turner

cannot bring back those-

threads back into a ball.

As it isn’t a story.

But LIFE…

Recently my friend Swathi has made a wonderful poster related to this festive season (EID). IT IS NOT ONLY A WISH BUT ALSO A PRAYER FOR ALL THOSE IN NEED…

Spread the joy of festivities with all your friends and don’t forget to remind them to pray for all the poor kids in this world. Never waste food and be grateful for all the blessings which God has showered on you. Always thank God for giving you this beautiful life.

 

 

Winter has passed

and I didn’t note.

Gargantuan thoughts

were clouded over.

With a wash of rain,

spring is welcomed

and snow has leached.

Sun is bright,

Flowers are vivid.

but the mind is still,

with cold emotions.

Soon spring  will pass,

the heat will resume.

The summers I dislike will also pass on

and only the cold emotion stays still…

 

 

I see the leaves

in red than green.

It reminds me of

when they were bright.

Time has passed,

I scarcely noticed.

It is awful to realize, tomorrow

those bright ones will fall off…

But this isn’t the end.

The story then resumes.

It is then a winter

of cold emotions

and then a time of

new bright leaves,

which brings merry!

 

COFFEE TRUNKS WITH ROYAL CANOPY

SNOWY UPS WITH DELICATE SLOPES.

THE SKY IS BLUE AND UNREACHEABLE,

FLYING WHITE DANDELION IN AIR

ANDI FEEL THE PETRICHOR.

AT THE MIDST I ADMIRE

THE FLOW OF WATER

FROM THE TOP.

PASSES EVERY CRUST.

RARE DREAMS…

IS THIS ALL TRUE,

TO YOU RIVER.

HOPE I FIND A SIMILIAR

ONE LIKE YOU , ONE DAY…