The Window of focus

Recently, I got this wooden frame from one of my colleague's sweet box that he brought from Dubai. The nicely finished softwood frame was an enclosure for the compartment that held high quality dates with nuts studded to them. The sweet was nice, but the wooden frame was better to catch my eye. I still don’t understand what pushed me to grab it from the trashes and keep it as souvenir.

I grabbed it, without understanding what I would do with it. My initial thoughts were that its geometrically good looking shape may serve as a good frame for my important notes on the desk board. Then I tried to assume it as a photo frame to highlight a photo, but that meant a photo to be placed on my desk, which was for sure a 'no'. And then, with total indecisiveness on its fate, I placed it over the corner of my cubicle, right at my eye level.

The frame has become an eye-catcher since then and I have become a target to whole set of jokes, questions and satires. Some call it a window to hear, some call it window to watch on-goers etc. , but what all of them see in common, is a window. And so do l, consequently, the way I placed it and with my intention to attach something meaningful to it, I have started calling it as my 'window of Focus '.

As simple it may sound, the Idea of having a window of focus has started appealing to me. The 12X15 cms. of the viewing area makes the rest of the view separated from it. I Look at it and only find what's limited within its boundaries. It restricts my options. It helps me see the details of a region, which I would otherwise ignore. It makes me appreciate the compactness of various components that make up that view. And as it stands tall and upright before my eyes, I see things from an angle that is purely mine.

This ordinary thing, as a concept, has proven more metaphoric than any other in recent times to me, in terms of its applicability. We are modern day jugglers, we juggle with many clubs, namely personal life, professional life, E-Life (Social Networking) and creative life (Creative Things that we really want to do.). We all feel this pain of missing out on an important thing while pursuing a rather common one. We all look for a view that would give us what we need to look for to achieve the best.  A need to appreciate the components that make our lives is felt at every stage we hit. But the time we are left with to achieve it, challenges us all.

So a window, four wooden walls of parameters that can separate our worldly activities from the ones that are needed the most, can make this work .So, Let me help you out with creating one such window.


To start with, Making a choice on the parameters (Walls) is most time staking but indeed is one time job. If done nicely can create a frame that would always give the best view possible and help us act on the right areas. To suggest, these walls can be Time, Money, Health and Emotions. Now the activities to focus may be judged on these areas through a series of questions like:

·         What are the activities That need immediate attention?--Time

·         What are the activities that if not done, would put me in financial loss?--Money

·         What needs to be done to keep me in good health?--Health

·         What needs to be done to keep me emotionally upright?--Emotions.

An objective listing of the answers to above, can give a good score to prioritize the activities to be done. And so..You get your focus..

Now as easy it may sound, the window made up of the above walls can be very big and may keep you bewildered for  a considerable amount of time, for the simple reason being, the generality of these parameters (walls). These parameters are more or less a part of most of the things we take up, while the value of each differs in everything we do. Clearly, we got an area of focus, but then it’s still bit big. So to restrict our view further, we create another window within this window.  This time with more specific walls.To suggest here, these can be Work, Family, Self and Society. And we perform the same steps again, this time on the areas derived from the previous window, here the questions would be:

·         What are the activities important for my family.--Family

·         What needs to be done to deliver satisfactory results at work.--Work

·         What are the activities that make me feel better as human being.--Self

·         What are the activities that make me a better social being.--Society

The window within window gives a better focus now. This can be further developed telescopically, till the  point focus is achieved. The beauty of 'windows of focus' is that the two windows may be built with parameters totally independent of each other but would still give a sensible view. 

The focused views thus prepared, can not only provide you the areas of focus, but also the areas of challenges and hence can help you gather the right ammunition to overcome those. By gathering the right focus, the challenges can be tacked in time, well before they become problems.  So create your own window of focus and appreciate the wooden frame.

Dear Fear

Its not me who needs to do this,
Its not the pleasure, its not the bliss,
Its not my strength, i may not survive,
Its me too scared, its me still alive.

Few moments ago I knew how to swim,
So dared myself to climb further up the brim,
Wanted to feel the adventure, live unknown risk,
But the zeal dripped, and daring flipped, so brisk.

So what's pulling me out, when i know i have control,
The water is deep, but shallow I have always patrolled.
Drown, i cannot, for I have company for anything odd,
What's proving mightier, over facts giving away the nod

Its coming from inside, something holding in the heart
And when I enquire,  it has my voice, its my part,
So, what should i throw at it, for I know its corrupt,
Just want to go ahead, don't want it to interrupt.

Talking to it again, showing truth to it again,
There's so much at stake, still the best to gain
Hush!! no more need to hear you, dear you,
You are just the negative, so I shall tear you

Looking at the lake again, eyeing all that i'd reap,
The water is blue, maybe cold, and for sure deep,
Dear Fear, this is for you, for you need to shut forever,
With my every good behind me, i take this leap...,

So I took the leap to survive,
its me now fearless, its me so alive...

...Rakesh

द्वंद्व

द्वंद्व

हमारी तुम्हारी इस बात में, कुछ अपनी कही कुछ तुम्हारी सुनी.

बातों के इस ढेर से चुनकर, फिर नयी एक कहानी बुनी,

इस कहानी के पत्रों में लेकिन, स्वयं को अकेला पता हूँ मैं,

क्यों चुप रहकर ही बेहतर, सुन पाता हूँ मैं.

कही जाने कितनी चीज़ें, तुमको बस शोर सुनाई पड़ा.

समझने का जो भी यत्न किया, वो औंधे मुँह आकर गिरा,

आँखें बंद करके भी सदा, क्यों अपने भाव ही गुनगुनता हूँ मैं,

क्यों नींद में रहकर ही, अपने सपने जी पता हूँ मैं.

दिन के उजाले मैं देखना, चाहता हूँ दुनिया के रंग सभी,

रंग चुरा लेता है कोई, रोशनी खो जाती है कभी,

ये इच्छा तुम्हे बताने से पहले, क्यों शब्दों को पलट जाता हूँ मैं,

क्यों पलकों के अंधेरे मैं बैठकर ही, ये रंग देख पाता हूँ मैं.

चाहते हो तुम जिस पथ पर चलना, कठोर लगने लगता है क्यों,

पैरों मैं छाले पड़ने हैं लगते, तुम्हारी और जो बढ़ने लगूँ,

विषम है इस पथ पर चलना, पर साथ तुम्हारा ही चाहता हूँ मैं,

तुम्हारे ध्येय को अपना साधकर ही, क्यों आगा बढ़ पाता हूँ मैं.

शायद जिस से बना हूँ मैं, वो मिट्टी खुद से ही बँधती है,

अपने तंतु से जुड़ती है, चाहे कितना भी छनती है,

जिस आकर मैं खुद को चाहूं, वो आकस्मात भूल जाता हूँ मैं,

क्यों द्वंद्व से बाहर आकर ही, खुद को स्मरण आता हूँ मैं.

-- राकेश



A Society in Dilemma..

Our country is facing the yet another wave of poisonous communal-ism, that time and again visits us as unwanted guests. We have indeed devised an imperfect way of dealing and then living with it. The cost paid is rather high while the solution is very short lived.


The citizen of this vast and vivid nation are always susceptible to anything that is related to religion or community and hence the sources of any news or report relating to religion or community need to be very accurate and carefully displayed. With sentiments so fragile, any wrong or wrongly put news turns out to be fatal to the peace and harmony.

On the other hand, the political stage of our county has never been so trustworthy, we tend to deny and oppose what the govt officially communicates, in light of coveted intentions of politicians and their endeavour to hide their failure.
So here comes the dilemma, we have a rather insensitive media and an unreliable govt, for any news to be brought to people in a least disruptive manner. So we see the source shifting to SMS and Internet, which may be misused by anyone with malign intentions. Our willingness to know and act is so strong that we try to believe what brings us to action (Positive or Negative). And so the acts happen, more unwanted then wanted.

The need of the hour however is at three fronts, firstly getting more credible government for ourselves, elect leaders who are honest to their people. This can only be ensured by good use of our right to vote, we loose right to complain if we don't use our right to vote. Secondly, bringing sense of responsibility to media in publishing sensitive news and reports, which would be done, with us not responding to sensational news, but to sensible news. And third the rumours, we being part of the channel that is used to spread a rumour, can be cautious enough to pass on only credible news.

The Dilemma should go off, its more of a careless mistake then a big problem. And its we who suffer, so its we who should act.​

Rakesh

Prayas Hai..

Limitless...

May be its right, or maybe just the height,
Maybe its the flow, or maybe needs a blow.
Maybe its so deep, that noone is able  to peep,
Maybe its a gorge, or maybe its the leap.

Maybe its a desire, or maybe what you admire
Maybe its a dream, or maybe just catching a gleam,
Maybe its for fun, or maybe it needs to burn,
Maybe its so easy, or maybe its all so crazy

Maybe thats a win, that leads others to grin,
Maybe it has fire, or maybe its not entire,
Maybe its on water or maybe its not on charter
Maybe its too cold, or maybe its not so bold

Maybe you're in doubt, maybe you are so sure,
Maybe you dont have it, maybe you need to explore,
But, if it is what you want, dont let it regress,
Limits cease to exist, by just thinking limitless..      
                                                                                         
Rakesh..