Treasure Trove Peek

Hi there! So! What's with the treasure trove? It's basically a collection of stories (cuttings of articles from newspapers or magazines or even random pamphlets) that I had been gathering when I was younger, when the not-so-little me(about 5-6 years ago?) was unacquainted with the e-world. In this e-world, collection has become much easier, so much so that it's become quite unnecessary and pointless too, yet I try. At times. Out of habit. In fact there's quite an overload here and it's easy to get overburdened, lost and very anxious. But, I love how some 'random' things come along or you discover something that resonates with your thoughts! Then you know over time-what to pursue and what not to.

Anyway, here, I shall give you a peek at stuff from the trove: Stories that inspired me. Stories that made me think. Stories that gave me courage. Stories that made me believe!

Today, I felt like sharing them with you. It kind of resonates with what I have been thinking of lately, so instead of cluttering the world with more crap from me trying to arrive at the same point, I'd rather just pick it out for you!

This one's written by a certain Dr. Prema Seshadri under the column 'Straight from the Heart' of Y Magazine. Unfortunately, I just clipped the article without any date reference but I guess stories are timeless eh?

Stop Pricking The Enthusiasm Bubble

Enthusiasm - very delicate, very fragile. It's also very insecure. And it's very demanding. I kind of vaguely, sometimes vividly, but always painfully, remember certain instances of my growing-up years. Parties at home were exciting times for me. It meant pretty dresses and dressing up, watching the cooking and eating plenty, and looking up with awe at every confident strutting guest. When you are young and small, everyone seems so big! And then it would happen. When we the brood stood at attention, a la Von Trapp family, waiting to be introduced, I would begin to see the missile headed straight for that enthusiasm balloon; the missiles were varied but always on target. They came like, "as you can see, she is the big eater of the family" and that would make my shoes so tight that it would pinch; and when the guest would ooh and aah and pinch my cheeks and say "how cute", my basic intelligence translated that into "how fat"; and then of course, the dress would pinch! 
One time, we went shopping, mother and daughters. You can imagine the level of enthusiasm, especially when somebody else has to spend money and that too on you! The sibling got the pick of the evening and I must admit anything and everything would look good on her. And then when my turn came, I dithered as always and got extremely nervous. I was never sure. Then I saw that perfect outfit and wanted it. But the decision was made for me - a hideous pair of elephant pants with a funny blouse, which no pachyderm would condescend to wear! The salesman was truly getting paid for doing nothing. The family did all the selling and buying. I hated it even more when I saw the peculiar but very indulgent giggles the family emitted when they saw me in that monstrosity. For a long time after that I hated shopping. 
When in school, anything unconnected with academics is a treat! And school picnics and birthday parties always featured as ultimate wonder. Many a time, I would come back with a party invitation card and would wait with bated breath for the nod to come from home authorities! Eventually I would surrender the breath as I would to their final sentence: "why do you want to go for these parties(or picnics); we will take you out". That bubble burst again and again. Small things, but they impact.

Let's just listen to what we do to others.

As parents,we keep pricking our children's balloons and rationalise it too - "we know but our children don't." Look at what we do to our colleagues and subordinates. They too can be creative. They too have ideas. But somehow we have mastered the art of taking that away from them too. For God's sake, see what we do to our friends; in the name of caring, concern, honesty, principles, what-have-you, we rob them of their very robe of life.

I ask: what gives any of us the right to destroy somebody's enthusiasm? What gives us the right to judge what will work and what will not? What gives us the right to decide what and how we should think? Wittingly or unwittingly, we have broken the spine of many, taken away the spirit that we were born with, destroyed the life that we were meant to have.

Again I ask, is that fair?

Today, not only do I continue to learn the skills to be enthusiastic about anything and everything that I am connected to at a point in time, but I treasure it. And not only do I treasure it, I encourage and respect it in all. We have to realise we are enthusiasm itself; unconditional; unconnected to anybody, anything, or any situation. Enthusiasm is not only a building block of life but is life itself in its entire glory, vigour and hues.

Help it grow.

'Help it grow' or be the 'dart-catcher', catcher of the darts pricking enthusiasm around?
Like The Catcher In The Rye, Yea! Behold the Dart-Catcher!

Here's another one from the Trove: a pamphlet of a seminar that was to be held on 15th March, 2009. I didn't go for the seminar but I saved the pamphlet for the inspiring illustrations it had:

I think we all have a child in us that needs to be nurtured and I truly believe that what applies to a child, applies to the 'grown-ups' too! Each of us is an Individual after all, no matter what the age.