Tag Archive For "Life Lessons"
Innocence Denied: The Heartbreaking Tale of Hiza’s Trial
A Courtroom Trial 9-year-old Hiza vs. the State Hiza and her mother waiting for the trial to start. In a solemn courtroom, a young girl named Hiza, only nine years old, stood there with wide innocent eyes. She wore a cream-colored skirt and clutched a white-pink Barbie doll in her small hand. Little did she know that …
In-flight Comedy Club: A Stand-up Routine at Seat 29B
Mile-High Mishaps: When your life is stuck between ass cheeks 😃 How a jammed toilet turbulence united three travelers Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash Mile-High Mishaps: When your life is stuck between ass cheeks 😃 Life has a way of throwing us into unexpected situations, some of which can be likened to being stuck between, well, ass …
The Cunning Fox’s Legacy: Lessons from the Jungle for the Mankind
In the heart of a lush and vibrant jungle, where animals of all shapes and sizes lived in harmony, there was a deep sense of unity and peace. The jungle thrived under the laws of cooperation and mutual respect, and life was good for all its inhabitants. This joyful coexistence continued for ages, bringing prosperity …
Behind Closed Doors: The Ugly Reality of Inheritance Disputes
Based on a true incident (unfortunately)! “The biggest lie that we are taught is that we die only once.” Photo by Melinda Gimpel on Unsplash Table of Content ∘ The beginning of the end ∘ How the court room drama unfolds? ∘ The unfortunate incident ∘ The spooky incident that made me question everything! The beginning of the end What was once …
Stepping into luxury with a Torn Shoe: My Adventure in a Business Class Flight
“Sparkling Water with Lemon and Ice please!” Photo by Regis-Hari Bouchard on Unsplash — Original image cropped by the author Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong to Beijing, March 2017 In March 2017, I found myself on a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong to Beijing, a journey that would offer me a glimpse into a world I had …
Devil’s Failproof Plan to Destroy Humanity😧 — It’s No Clickbait But is Literally Happening Around…
Make sure you read what the youngest imp has to say! There is some harsh uncomfortable reality in his words! Photo by Dylan Hunter on Unsplash Somewhere between Hell and Earth, all the devils and imps have gathered. There is a congregation going on to discuss a matter of the gravest concern. Based upon the data compiled …
A Tale of Two Office Emails — and an Important Life Lesson!
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash To be honest, I did not have a great personal relationship with him, and he was just my senior colleague in office. He was 50, and I was 30 — safe to say there was nothing common between us. He was a native of South Asian community, and had been working in …
Who Should Get the Coveted Office Promotion? You Get To Decide This😃!
A tale of (almost) every workplace — whether the Sheep gets the promotion or the Fox 😃! Photo by Amy Hirschi on Unsplash There is a Sheep in my office — every office has at least one! He is one of the most sincere employees in the office. I have not seen anyone putting in more hours at the office than him. …
The “Shit” Story — To Make You Smile and Deliver an Important Life Lesson 😃!
A tale of two ‘shit’ stories — one by the farmer and the other by The Silent Monk 😃. I wonder how these two are linked! Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash Story #1 Once upon a time there was a dairy farmer with hundreds of cattle, and all the cattle would generate loads and loads of shit daily. …
Why I Love ‘My Least Read Medium Article’— and Why do We all Love the Things That We Love?
Hint: It is not because of the beauty or money or value they add to our lives! The reason we love what we love is entirely different. Photo by Mayur Gala on Unsplash I was scrolling through my Medium articles and deliberating which one of them is my favorite! Is it the one with maximum views, …
“Unfortunately, Love Comes With an End Date!”
The unfortunate fate of Love is that it has to end! Which of the two ways it ends — the good way or the bad way, it is for us to decide. Photo by Beatriz Pérez Moya on Unsplash When life is all sunshine and rainbows, we often forget that it will eventually rain someday. And when it rains, …
How Man has Learnt to Cheat even God Himself!
Photo by Ashley Jurius on Unsplash The poor farmer had just two things — one a very small piece of land on which he would grow crops, and second a cow which would provide just enough milk for the family. Both of these were just enough for the livelihood of the farmer and his family. The farmer was …
“Was She Silently Getting Raped?”
She was not a prostitute but then why was she being treated like one? And more importantly, why was she ok with it? Photo by Trevor Buntin on Unsplash — Original Image cropped by the author The curtains had been drawn. The light was dim, and behind closed doors a man and a woman were engaging in the act …
A 15 Year Old Advice From my Mother That Still Holds True!
If you are a parent who is reading this, please read till the end! If you are not a parent, you can stop the moment you lose interest 😃. Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash — Original image cropped by the author Have you ever come across a moment that has shades of both happiness and sadness? It was 2007, …
The easiest way to find fault in others 😃
Two stories centuries apart — one in 13th century and the other in 2023 — but with the same moral. I guess, the world is not progressing the way we think it to be! Photo by Artur Voznenko on Unsplash And the rant was on! Sometimes I wonder if managers often have this superpower to just shout at someone and then don’t …
The Child in You Never Grows Up! Here’s the proof!
A tale of two heartbreaks — one from a 6 year old child and the other from an early 20s adult . Both have one thing in common! Photo by Elisabeth Arnold on Unsplash — Original photo cropped by the author Someone once asked me, “What is the one thing that you regret most losing in your life?”.I thought for some time …
A Naked Prostitute, a Silent Monk and an Almighty God — and a conversation of love, hope and pain!
God Himself came to my dream and I asked him this stupid question! (#3 of 10) Photo by Kristopher Roller on Unsplash She was standing there naked with innumerable heinous marks throughout her body — and every single of the body mark screaming a torture that she did not want to remember. It appeared that her body had already …
“Monk! Those who don’t get married, lose out on this!”
Photo by Євгенія Височина on Unsplash There is a very sweet lady in my office — half American half Chinese, close to 55 years of age, happily married, has a son and daughter — both grown up, staying far from home, and building their respective lives. She works as an administrative support staff and sits just next to me. Lets …
What Makes You Believe That Age Is the Only Parameter That Indicates You Are Growing Up?
Sharing with you 6 moments that indicate you are growing up 😃 Photo by Rod Long on Unsplash 👉 I. The moment when you begin to own your mistakes and have learned to say sorry for them. 👉II. The moment when you decided to stay silent in the moment of anger. We have learned that a moment …
My brief conversation with “Grief” — and it offered me so much in return
Photo by Külli Kittus on Unsplash A serene beach, a beautiful sunset and a silent monk — these three are meeting pretty often these days. It was one of those tough moments and I was harboring a lot of pain within myself. All the pain that was itching to come out but to no effect. My mind was …
3 types of love seekers—Which one are you?
Aren’t we always seeking something? Photo by Oziel Gómez on Unsplash We are constantly in a search — be it the search for love, the search for money, the search of spiritual enlightenment, or the search for solution to a problem we are facing. Everyone is seeking something, but what they seek varies from one human being to …
O dear ladies! How do you even think of body waxing 😧?
My excruciating “hell” like personal experience of body waxing Photo by James Lee on Unsplash Do you know that the devil himself appears before all the men when they go for body waxing? I have always been intrigued by the idea of body waxing, and wondered how a perfectly smooth hair-free skin would feel like. Yet, there were …
The Monk goes to a beer party 😃 and …
Based upon a real incident with good old Silent Monk analogies!!! Photo by Jade Masri on Unsplash All that I have ever seen in life — I had seen in that beer party itself! I could not help but wonder “If life itself is a big beer party” or “a beer party a miniature version of life itself”. …
The biggest problem of our life is ….
Photo by Paola Chaaya on Unsplash It was a horrible day at office — one of those days when accusations and finger pointing was in session. I had an immensely draining conversation with my senior colleague, and apparently everything seemed to be my fault. Whatever you say is held against you. You try to reason but just end …
My conversation with “Time” — and 4 “critical” life lessons I learnt from him
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash There I was happily traversing the path of life — celebrating the ups and somehow negotiating the downs. Life has been kind, but tiring! I never knew that, at times, living a life itself is so much work. Suddenly, I realized someone has been walking alongside me — since the very first day, and …
All the Good Men! Why don’t you comment on my articles 😲!
Am I a Women’s only writer? Photo by Matheus Ferrero on Unsplash I had a very strange observation, which quite surprised me, but eventually made me laugh a lot! And it all started when my dear friend Denis Gorbunov left a response on my article. Denis wondered if I was a lady 😃!! Refer below snapshot from …
The fox & the grapes — and the New Year Resolutioners
Retelling of the famous Aesop’s fable Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash The fox wanted the grapes. He tried for it but could not reach there. Eventually, he said, “The grapes are sour. I never wanted them anyway!” A fox came across the profile of Veronica Llorca-Smith 💎and was immediately super impressed by her persona. For those …
2 simple ways to navigate the high tides and low tides of life
Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash I was sitting on the beach — watching the waves rush to the surface and eventually sail back. It was the low tide period and the waves were quiet. They would silently come to the shore, not going too far, retrace — only to strike back again. It had been hours and the waves …
How I am imbibing gratitude in my life — with one very simple act!
Photo by Jackson David on Unsplash It was a small road without any zebra crossing or traffic lights. The big and small cars were rushing by, and it had been almost a minute since I was trying to cross the road. Suddenly, a car came and stopped right before me — the driver hinted at me to cross …
Newton’s three laws of life
An analogy between Newton’s three laws of motion and life 😃 Photo by Andrew George on Unsplash I was refreshing my memory with Newton’s three laws of motion, but suddenly my mind began to wander. It started to ponder upon whether I was reading the three laws of motion or the three laws of life. I. Newton’s …
The amazing power of foolish thinking 😃
Photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash I paint three scenarios for you, and am sure that at least one will strike a cord with you. Scenario I “You have been writing on Medium and you eventually cross a million followers! You are absolutely elated about it. Tony Stubblebine personally calls you and congratulates you on the …
F.R.I.E.N.D.S — 6 life lessons from our 6 favorite characters
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108778/mediaviewer/rm3080745728/ Most sitcoms end with our dinner table conversations while others end with our breakfast the next day. But a very few become integral to our life long conversations, and these are the ones that have actually touched our hearts. It is not because of the laughter or the drama or the plot, but because …
I asked 30 people “How are you?” everyday for 6 months—and this is what I learnt about life!
Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash Every single day, before starting a conversation, I would ask the other person “How are you?”, and I did this repeatedly for 6 months with a group of more than 30 people!!! Trust me, it has been a fun exercise!!! I did this very mundane tweak in my day-to-day conversation …
6 types of smiles — 5 to follow one to avoid😇
Photo by Larm Rmah on Unsplash Someone once told me that a smiling face is a beautiful face. Now when I think about it, I could not agree more. Whatever you might be wearing, if you have a smile on your face, it is beautiful. Still don’t agree, go in front of a mirror and smile — you …
‘996’ and ‘Karoshi’: If you don’t know these two words—you are living a better life
Photo by Luis Villasmil on Unsplash A devil and an imp are in a discussion. They are pondering about all the good things God has created, and how they can make life difficult for mankind on Earth. After much deliberation, the devil said, “Overburden them with work such that they fail to appreciate the beauty of …
My 3 superpowers that actually annoy my office colleagues 😲
Photo by Ian Stauffer on Unsplash Lately in office, we have been working on an impossible project with an even impossible deadline — such are corporates at times. There are close to 300 professionals working on this project, and everyone is showing signs of burnout and anxiety. People are failing to meet deadlines, and finger pointing is a …
This happens when birds fly away from their parents nest
Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash It was the most beautiful aisle set up amidst the most beautiful skies. And why should it not be this way — the most beautiful daughter of a beautiful family was getting married that day. As Destiny had planned, the princess had found a perfect match, and things could not be better. …
Why you should design your own prayers? 5 simple ways to do this!
Photo by Carlos Magno on Unsplash My mother starts her day with a prayer, ends it with a prayer, prays for endless hours in between — and keeps enforcing her prayers on all the members of the family. I guess most mothers are like this. On the other hand, I occasionally see my father in prayer. I guess …
These ants know what we human beings do not — 4 life lessons from ants to humans
Photo by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash Just yesterday, I saw a very long trail of ants —one behind the other, marching like a well trained army, transporting small pieces of grains to their anthill. Hundreds and hundreds of them, yet there was a rhythm in their approach and a discipline to their activity. I could not …
What a dying lover wished on her death bed — the cutest little love story
“Sooner or later, I shall depart, and I shall do that with a smile. But before that, I have a last desire. I want to taste the Golden Cheese.” Photo by Everton Vila on Unsplash Mixie, the little doe (female mouse) was on her death bed with her husband Maxie by her side. Both had spent …
Would you marry for a pail of water? Maybe once, and twice, and then again for a third time!
How far will you go to fetch water? A tale of two women from across the globe Photo by Gyan Shahane on Unsplash Tale # 1 — Aysha from Ethiopia It is 6 AM in the morning, and the sun is not out yet. But 13 year old Aysha has already woken up. She picks up three jerry cans, ties …
I was walking naked and I want to talk about it!!!
Photo by Velizar Ivanov on Unsplash A few nights ago, I had a very weird dream, in which I found myself in a prison. Surprisingly, I was not a prisoner, but one of the prison wardens. What was more shocking to me that my manager was also the Chief warden there! And, I was more scared …
Why I desperately need to bring colors back in my life and so should you?
Photo by David Pisnoy on Unsplash Do we know that there is a disease called “Achromatopsia” — where people cannot differentiate between colors and see everything just as a shade of black and white? Sometimes we don’t realize how important colors are in our lives and how grateful we should be to be able to see them. Remember …
What a $40-daily wage worker taught a $200,000 salaried corporate employee?
Note for readers — Based upon an actual conversation Photo by Arron Choi on Unsplash My job often requires me to travel, and this gives me an opportunity to interact with people from all walks of life. During one of my assignments, I happened to visit an engineering plant in South East Asia. After my discussion with the …
What if I was born as a Bill Gate’s heir, and not a common man 😑
Photo by Janne Simoes on Unsplash I. Scenario A:A thought often crosses my mind when I read about children of the richest people in the world — the Gates, the Musks, the Bezos, the Adanis and the Ambanis. What if I was a heir to a Billion dollar empire? How different would then life be? How they wake …
3 characteristics of “Hope” to always remain hopeful
I met someone called “Hope”, and life has been beautiful ever since!!! Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash I had a dream where I found myself sitting in the middle of a long tunnel — there was darkness everywhere. I did not know where I was, and which way I had to go — heartbroken, lost and directionless. I did not …
A world where the people of color are the privileged race and the whites are the oppressed ones!!!
Photo by Tasha Jolley on Unsplash The United States of America — the land of the rich, the beautiful and the whites. The first ship of slaves arrived in the United States of America in 1619 and put on auction for slaves 20 healthiest and hard working men of color — the minority population that was considered somewhere between animals and …
My conversations with a stray dog
Photo by Ryan Christodoulou on Unsplash In the evening, when I rush back home from office, I walk past a food court to take-away my dinner. Near the food court, I often see a number of stray dogs hovering around, waiting to pounce upon any food wastage or any leftover food. Often people shoo them away, …
Economics of Happiness
Photo by MI PHAM on Unsplash What if I could tell you that you can go and buy happiness, trade it for any other thing that you desire, or keep it in a fixed deposit in a bank? The economics of happiness is not very well understood. But, how do you quantify something that is as …
A game of life viz-a-viz a game of chess
Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Unsplash “Life is a kind of Chess, in which we have often points to gain, and competitors or adversaries to contend with.” — Benjamin Franklin I just moved my pawn to the next block, and am waiting for my opponent to make a move. My mind is busy anticipating my opponents next move …
Letter to my future 60 year older self
Photo by Mykyta Martynenko on Unsplash Hello Silent Monk, I hope you are doing well, and your mind is at peace. This is yourself, but when you were 30 years old. As you are now embarking on your golden retirement age, I am glad that you are able to find some time for yourself (I hope …
Want a promotion at office?
Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash I have a well to do job, manage a big team, and have a manager over my head. That pretty much sums up most of all in this corporate world. I have always been a very sincere and hard worker in the office, but pretty soon realized that when it comes …
How I am learning to forgive and how it is helping myself?
Photo by Lampos Aritonang on Unsplash Ever felt cheated in love, or by your friend, or by someone at your workplace? We all have been there sometime somewhere, and its ok — just goes on to teach some important lessons about life. But have we been able to forgive all the ones who have ever harmed us in …
What I learned from a cup of tea?
Photo by Rumman Amin on Unsplash My mornings have always been indebted to a good cup of tea. It wakes me up, energizes me, and strengthens me for all the hard battles I am about to embark upon during my day. As I sit down on a quiet Monday morning with a cup in my hand, …
- How I Respectfully Dealt with the Toughest Narcissistic Colleague in Office?
- Can You Write an Article With 0 Views? — I did and it was the Best Lesson in Writing!!!
- When I asked God, “How Can I Carry My Money with me after death😢?”
- My Three Female Managers — and A Shocking Revelation in the Gender Equality Debate
- Silent No More: How an Introvert Engineered the Art of Corporate Small Talk!