Seize the day

Yesterday I received some news that kind of paralyzed my mind for few minutes. It spoke about an opportunity. And if I go for it, I’ll have next 2-3 days’ work pending of what goes in my PT classes. I was in dilemma for few minutes but then I made a choice – yes, I’ll go for it, and I’ll give it a try. Someone said it right – “Life is nothing but the sum of choices” and ultimately “you will have to choose one, there’s no escape”.

I read a page daily from the English Translated Shri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS), and till now it has been a great experience. I always wanted to read something spiritual, any holy book. I was lucky to get the English translation of SGGS. After I was over with the thinking process for that choice, I recalled what I read in the morning, few lines from SGGS:

“The Great Giver keeps on giving, while those who receive grow weary of receiving. Throughout the ages, consumers consume. The Commander, by His Command, leads us to walk on the Path. O Nanak, He blossoms forth, Carefree and Untroubled. True is the Master, True is His Name. Speak it with infinite love. People beg and pray, .Give to us, give to us, and the Great Giver gives His Gifts.”

And I find this to be the very case with me. I never expected this opportunity to come out of the blue. Things have been so nice since the first year I entered this college. I’ve been granted every wish that I asked for - the projects, the help from faculties, a decent score in every semester, and selection in some good global IT firm. I also learnt that hard work never goes waste, and the results – though sometimes are late, but are never very late. I remember the day I rushed to pray after I was done with the ‘Control Systems’ paper. It didn’t go well and I thought, “I can’t afford to lose marks on this one”. It worked. But that day I kind of felt, believing in yourself, following your heart is what’s as important as believing in god that your wishes would be granted. It’s so true that the great giver keeps on giving, while those who receive grow weary of receiving.

Since every word written in SGGS is truth to the extreme, I wondered why there still are some people who are in need, the wishes of whom are still to be granted. And then the answer for such a question in the very first page was:

“By His Command, bodies are created; His Command cannot be described. By His Command, souls come into being; by His Command, glory and greatness are obtained. By His Command, some are high and some are low; by His Written Command, pain and pleasure are obtained. Some, by His Command, are blessed and forgiven; others, by His Command, wander aimlessly forever. Everyone is subject to His Command; no one is beyond His Command. O Nanak, one who understands His Command, does not speak in ego.”

And ‘He’ wants us to work for, and help those who are in need. Somehow I got my answer.

Blessings if ignored become a curse - that’s burnt on my mind since the day I read The Alchemist. I won’t let this blessing go. I’m working, brushing up what I’ve learnt in the last 3 years. No matter what the result is I’ll give it a try. If the result turns out to be positive, oh yes! I’d be euphoric! If negative, then it won’t have an impact on what I have in my hands now. I’d still be pleased for I was given a chance.

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Word of the Day:

sotto voce

Pronunciation: (sot'ō vō'chē; It.sôt'tô vô'che

- in a low, soft voice so as not to be overheard.

Usage: in an undertone; "he uttered a curse sotto voce"