Re Kabira - सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः (Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah)

2023 was like a sine-wave, full of ups and downs. A lot happened throughout 2023, not sure whether it was a good year or a not-so-good year. But definitely a difficult one on both professional and personal front, with a lot to take on, look back and learn.

At the very start of the year, lost my childhood friend to a sudden and unexpected heart attack. It took a toll on me. We spent a lot of time together since we were 4 years old. But we stopped talking to each other for a silly reason. Got back in contact again in 2022 and planned to celebrate our 20th Wedding Anniversaries' together, as it fell a few days apart. I was gutted. 

As I promised myself to focus on health, I was doing well in controlling diabetes, exercising well, and following a good routine, and then out of nowhere ruptured my Achilles. Followed by a painful couple of months in bed, then started a long recovery process and still recovering. Not able to carry out activities or exercise to the level before accident and that is required.

Then lost my college junior to cancer, he was a good friend and we were in constant touch. He was a true fighter but couldn't win the battle. And then lost my uncle to a long illness.

Still trying to get back on track on the career front, it took a while to get rid of the setback and overcome the feeling of being cheated. The resolve is stronger and the focus is even better.

2024 will be the year to take care of myself, try to get back to the state where I was before rupturing my Achilles to start with, and then build on.

कैसे रंग भरोगे?

कैसे रस घोलोगे?

कैसे ग़म बाँटोगे?

कैसे खुशियाँ फैलाओगे ?

यदि ध्यान न रखोगे अपना !

You have to take care of yourself!

2023 although had a lot of jolting moments, it produced a lot of good memories as well:

1. Aditi turned teenager

2. Celebrated our 20th Wedding Anniversary

3. A close friend's daughter recovered from a major illness after braving multiple surgeries.

4. Aadit and Aditi performed together on stage at a major event.

5. Had a lovely summer holiday with friends and family

6. Met sister-in-law and family after 6 years

7. Walked a lot before May 2023; averaging 4 miles a day

8. Read only a few books (far below planned) but read my favorite book 3 times !!!

9. Learned a few more compositions on tabla and practiced regularly

10. I had a good time with Mum and Dad after a long time

11. Made new friends, collected a few stamps, and recorded a few birds not seen before

12. Pencilled a few poems

13. Met old friends, and reconnected with family members, and relatives after a long time

14. Ended the year on a high note with my brother's family; met them after almost 7 years

2023 was a year of ups and downs but I was focused, 2024 will continue to be another year of focus.

ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः, सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।

सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु, मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ।

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

May All become Happy, May All be Free from Illness.

May All See what is Auspicious, May no one Suffer.

Let there be Peace, Peace, Peace.

Wishing all of you a very Happy New Year 2024

Let it go !!!

आशुतोष झुड़ेले

Ashutosh Jhureley

@OReKabira

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2022 was supposed to be the year to restore and rebuild but things didn't go as I thought should have been. Another tough year, most difficult on all fronts - personal, professional, health & financial. 

The year 2022 took a toll on both my mind and well-being. There were some "leave me alone" moments, trust me those were not good at all.  A lot of time I was left alone on my own, and those were even worse. People think that being alone or leaving someone alone helps, it's a misconception - there is a difference between positive-time alone and negative-time alone. 

Cancer took a dear friend and batchmate away, and I was gutted as couldn't meet him. He wanted to be left alone and I could only plan to meet him. A couple of close ones have been diagnosed and are battling the evil disease. They won't be left alone.

लड़ाई अपनी अपनी होती है, खुद को ही लड़ना होती है 

उम्मीद की कोई और लड़ेगा, फ़िज़ूल खर्च लड़ाई होती है 

Everyone has to fight their own battles !!!

It was a roll-coaster ride from highs to lows, fast and furious but a lot of learnings and takeaways. My top 3:

3 - you are not alone, everyone is fighting a battle of their own, each and every one

2 - some questions don’t have answers only have lessons to be learned

1 - don’t be scared to press reboot, reset or restart

2023 is going to be an amazing year, and my word for the year is going to be “focus”. Focus on health, family, career, finances and well-being. 2022 was tough but created a lot of good memories as well:

01 - celebrated my 45th and papa's 75th birthday together

02 - had a few reunions, reconnected & met a lot of friends, some after almost 20 years 

03 - read a lot of books 28 (excluding 20+ audibles); the last one I read became my favorite

04 - went for a long-due pilgrimage, a couple of trips to India

05 - wrote a few poems and a lot of notes for self

06 - went out a lot, walked 2K+ miles, averaged 11K steps per day in 2022

07 - had a few amazing bird-watching trips, one turned out to dream-like

08 - spent a lot of time with kids & family, not enough though

09 - learned a few more compositions on tabla

10 - finally got a mini-library of my own and filled it with my favorite books

11 - accepted challenge for self to reverse diabetes before turning 50

2022 was the year to fight, 2023 is going to be the year to focus !!!

ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः, सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।

सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु, मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ।

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

May All become Happy, May All be Free from Illness.

May All See what is Auspicious, May no one Suffer.

Let there be Peace, Peace, Peace.

Wishing all of you a very Happy New Year 2023

You are not alone !!!

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2021 started with a lot of hope and positivity but soon turned into a year of fear and anger. 
I was angry because of the mayhem that 2nd wave of COVID caused. Every day, one or another person that I knew was impacted directly. Lost so many souls that touched my life in one way or another. 
I was angry when my uncle (6 years older than me), died of suicide. I was very angry and sad. It was a selfish act. He taught me to ride, play cricket and hockey, how to fly kites, and was a good friend. I was infuriated and really angry that I didn't speak with him for a very long time.
I was angry to have made similar mistakes as I did a decade back. If you make a mistake once, you can forgive yourself, but if you repeat the mistake twice and thrice, you should be angry at yourself. 
I was very angry that I didn't go out much for walking, cycling or birding. I didn't spend the time that I should have spent with the family. Didn't read and write as much as I could have. I didn't take care of my health, as I should have.
The last quarter of 2021 was spent recouping and rebuilding the plan forward. 2022 will be the year of new beginnings. The Mantra for 2022: Try not to worry too much.
 
चिता चिंता द्वयोमन्ध्ये चिन्त चैव गरीयसी | 
चिता दहति निर्जीवं चिंता दहति सजीवकम्  || 
cita chinta dvayomamdhye cinta caiva gariyasi.
cita dahati nirjivam cinta dahati sajivakam.
Worry is more powerful and more dreadful than the funeral pyre; because the pyre is to burn the dead but worry burns the living.
2021 had a lot of positives as well...
01 - Aadit turned teenager
02 - wrote a few poems, articles, and notes
03 - Aditi started the same secondary school as Aadit 
04 - Aadit completed 3 yrs diploma in Tabla and I've completed 5 yrs post-diploma
05 - connected with a lot of high achievers; gained a lot of insights and wisdom
06 - learned a lot on both the professional & personal front, became a bit wiser
07 - Aadit (tabla) & Aditi (kathak) performed together for the first time
08 - Aadit & Aditi completed their first book, to be published in 2022
09 - did a lot of presentations, webinars, debates, and discussions
10 - moved back to our home from the temporary address
11 - read 14 books; 2 books became my all-time favorites

2021 was the year to understand the priorities, 
and 
2022 is going to be the year to rebuild and restore

ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः, सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु, मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
May All become Happy, May All be Free from Illness.
May All See what is Auspicious, May no one Suffer.
Let there be Peace, Peace, Peace.

Wishing all of you a very Happy New Year 2022
Invite Happiness !!!

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2020 was the year of resilience & patience, retrospection & introspection, caring & sharing, love & respect. It was the year that tested all of us on all fronts, we will remember 2020 all our lives like no other year. Be it the global health pandemic, climate crisis, politics, or racial injustice, 2020 also changed the way we used to see things, the way we used to take others for granted, and the way we got our priorities wrong. 2020 was a trigger to a lot of initiatives, and 2021 will substantiate these.

कहाँ चल दिये अभी तो बहुत सारी बातें बाँकी है 
यहाँ कुछ यादें है अभी तो सपने बुनना बाँकी है

01 - got back in touch with a lot of extended family & friends
02 - raised £1200 for ERDS Foundation to support their effort to save Great Indian Bustard
03 - walked almost 550 miles and cycled 1200 miles during lock-down
04 - completed 70 miles of cycling challenge
05 - wrote more than a dozen poems
06 - read a lot of poetry, especially of Ramdhari Singh Dinkar
07 - Aditi cleared her 11+ plus exam
08 - a lot of birding walks and bird-watching
09 - did a bit of gardening and cooking
10 - spent a lot of time at home with kids 
11 - extend knowledge of tea, experienced & explored 48 different teas
2020 will be the year that we will never forget, 
and 
2021 is the year of hope & positivity
ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः, सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु, मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
May All become Happy, May All be Free from Illness.
May All See what is Auspicious, May no one Suffer.
Let there be Peace, Peace, Peace.

Wishing all of you a very Happy New Year 2021

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2019 - what a year it was, a year to learn... it was the toughest year of the decade on all fronts personal & professional, social & financial, health & well-being, family & friends. The first week of March 2019, especially 07/Mar/2019 is the date for me to forget.
A year that will shape at least the next 5 - 10 years. 
जो सुना तूने वो किसी के ख़याल हैं, हक़ीक़त समझने की गलती मत कर लेना
जो दिखा तुम्हे वो तुम्हारा नज़रिया है , सच समझ अपनी सोच मत बदल लेना
01- attended prayers for my grandmother (नानी) to start the year
02 - couldn't convert once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity; failed miserably
03 - soon was on the redundancy list and was made redundant subsequently
04 - had to move to a new house in a mad rush, at a time when everything seemed not working
05 - didn't go out bird watching at all
06 - was taken for granted, was belittled, was betrayed, was judged, was used...
07- was on my own... most of the time
but...
01 - Aadit started secondary school and got into the school he worked towards…
02 - Start work back with friends…
03 - wrote a few poems and read a lot of poetry...
04 - read quite a few books that were on the list for a long time... had one of them for more than 12 years.
05 - completed 3 years tabla diploma, performed a couple of times in group with Aadit
06 - Aditi had her first kathak performance with Shikha and Aadit's first on his own
07 - traveled all over England for the Cricket World Cup, but missed India vs Pakistan...
08 - got an opportunity to meet a lot of cricketers and musicians, especially tabla legend Ustad Zakir Hussain and cricket legend Steve Waugh.
09 - collected a lot of stamps from all around the world
10 - did some wood-crafts...
11- deleted Facebook !!!
12 - Reunited with college friends after 20 years, was a memorable reunion party.
13 - had an honest adviser and mentor around, whenever needed
14 - spent a lot of time celebrating with family & friends...
15 - very hopeful, more determined, much more focused...
2019 will be the year to remember and forget at the same time, and 2020...
ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः, सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु, मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
May All become Happy, May All be Free from Illness.
May All See what is Auspicious, May no one Suffer.
Let there be Peace, Peace, Peace.

Wishing all of you a very Happy & Happening 2020

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2018 was a year to take a lot on...
01- travel, health, funerals & farewells...
02- messed up a couple of good career opportunities...
03- struggled a lot with health and had a tough time on the personal front...
04- lost a friend, a friend parted and another immigrated...
05- finances were the point of focus all the way through...
06- help didn't come... 
but...
01-went to India 4 times..
02-photographed 125+ birds..
03-collected lot stamps of India..
04-learned a few more compositions on tabla..
05-watched historic India Vs England Test Match..
06-met couple of friends after more than 15 years & got back in touch with few..
07-got the opportunity to meet a few great musicians and some who are going to make it big..
08-read 6 good books along with other general read.. 2 gave a new outlook..
09-met a lot of family members after a long time, some only after 2004..
10-kids are growing up fast; Aadit turned 10..
11-celebrated 15 years of lovely marriage..
12-got to know a lot..
13-wrote a few poems..
14- dormant Facebook..
15-spent a lot of time celebrating friendship..
16- hopeful, determined, focused..
2018 was the year for lessons, learning & facing reality, and 2019 is something to look forward to...
ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः, सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु, मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
May All become Happy, May All be Free from Illness.
May All See what is Auspicious, May no one Suffer.
Let there be Peace, Peace, Peace.

Wishing all of you a very Happy & Happening 2019

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what a year 2017 has been..
01-turned 40.. 
02-changed job..
03-went to India 3 times..
04-photographed 95 birds..
05-attended 2 much-awaited weddings..
06-learned a few more compositions on tabla..
07-collected quite a few more stamps of India..
08-watched India Vs Pakistan - not once but twice
09-met a few uni batch mates after a long time.. a couple of them after 15 years..
10-read 7 good books along with other general reads.. 1 changed the perspective..
11-rode with my motorcycle club after a long time & celebrated the 15th Anniversary of the club.. 
12-met lot of family members and quite a few only had heard about them for years..
13-spoke to a few who have dedicated their lives to a good cause ..
14-connected with friends & family beyond social media..
15-met few who are committed to changing the world..
16-got the opportunity to meet a few great musicians..
17-celebrated 14 years of lovely marriage..
18-kids grew too fast in one last year..
19-did a whisky-tasting course..
20-wrote a few poems..
21-No Facebook..
2017 changed a bit of me as a person, and 2018 is going to be even more happening.
ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः, सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु, मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
May All become Happy, May All be Free from Illness.
May All See what is Auspicious, May no one Suffer.
Let there be Peace, Peace, Peace.

Wishing all of you a very Happy & Happening 2018

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