Inspirational Quotes

These are some of the quotes I wanted to share this Monday. Call them inspirational, call them worth a thought.... they bring out a motivated you in yourself to start off the week with a different color. Read on!




“A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery.” - James Joyce


"You will not find a soulmate in the quiet of your room. You must go to a noisy place and look in the quiet corners."  - Robert Brault


“Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.” – Henry David Thoreau


"Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it" - John Maxwell


"Sometimes you just have to take the leap, and build your wings on the way down" - Kobi Yamada


“Character is like a tree and reputation is like a shadow. The shadow is what we keep thinking of; but the tree is the real thing.” - Abraham Lincoln


“The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. The second-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the minority. The first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking.” - A.A. Milne


“It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.” - E.E. Cummings


“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.” - Jane Howard


“You don’t try to build a wall, you don’t set out to build a wall, you don’t say I’m going to build the biggest wall. You don’t start there…You say I’m going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid and you do that every single day and soon you will have a wall.” - Will Smith



You can add your favorites out here. Happy thinking and a happy week!

Whispers Of A Caged Girl

Trapped in circles,
My life crawls.
I wait for shower,
Nothing falls.

I look down from the window,
That creaks and whines,
Copying my sour spirit
That no human divines.

I'm a scapegoat;
I'm a pariah;
I'll be used
Till I'm set afire.

The snakes in this evil room
Bite me each night.
I suffer in the dark,
I weep in the light.

There is a riot in my mind;
I'm torn within.
Is there someone somewhere,
Who desires me, not my skin?

Is there no place out there
That I can call mine?
A place with hope and faith,
Love and sunshine?

A place sans these wicked eyes
And prying hands,
That blighted many an evening
On the screaming stands.

I swallow my pride,
And crumple on the floor,
I let the tears fall
On the verse that runs, trite and sore.

My world has no cupid,
My world has no prince;
It’s laced with lust
And beasts with vexing grins.

How do I cheat my destiny?
How do I play smart?
My soul seems lost.
Can I make a new start?

They rumble like maniacs,
Downstairs, by the door.
An arrow of horror,
Pierces deep within my core.

Their laughter fused with desire,
Haunts me like a passion.
I can so easily die, yet I’ll live,
For the hope of redemption.

I know there is a life for me
That will have love and honor.
A paradise where the cupid will play
And I’ll tinkle with laughter.

Where I will smile with the sun
And sing to the moonbeams,
Where I'll be a li’l girl once more
And live my dreams.

Copyright © 2012 Vaishali Jain

This post is part of the contest Ten words to a Story(or Poem).. on WriteUpCafe.com

This poem has been awarded the 1st Runner Up prize at WriteUpCafe. :D

Toodles, Procrastination!

Ah! Those two words nudge me in the ribs and tease me. I glare at them. I know I would never be able to overcome procrastination, unless… oh well, unless I play smart.

Have you ever heard of last minute people? The ones who plan to be the first to submit but end up with last minute article submissions? The ones who plan to pack their bags and reach the station at least half an hour before the train arrives, but end up catching the train at the last minute? The ones who plan to complete the goal before the set deadline, but end up completing the work BECAUSE there was a final deadline? Yeah, I am one of them!

Are you of the same gang? Do you love the word ‘later’ as much as you hate it later? Do you have at least one work at the moment poking its pin in your head, demanding your attention and you are purposefully stalling it, saying the obvious word ‘later’? Oh then, you can thank me for the ten effective ways I am going to share with you to say goodbye to procrastination.

Busy yourself:  Sounds horrible, does it? Try it! Let’s say, you have to submit your work tomorrow at 4:00 PM; chances are that you’ll complete the work at 3:45 and submit five minutes later with a pride in your eyes that only an achiever can have. Now, I’m sure, that was not your actual plan; you had planned to complete it by today and stand before your boss, like a boss. Nothing wrong with that; just that it won’t happen! Reason - Either you are already too busy or you are the lucky member of The Procrastinators’ Club. If it’s the former, my sympathies! If it’s the latter, then the next para is for you! 

Courtesy

Get busy and you get a reason to do your work sooner. 

Let’s count what all you could shun: social networking sites, endless chats on your phone, day-dreams, TV shows, excuses(lol), and if you’re lucky, you could also get rid of some boring works like… umm, housework?

                                           

Reward yourself: Not for every mundane work, of course; but you could definitely announce some treat for yourself for actually completing the important work before the deadline set by you. Incentives, they call it! Who doesn’t like them? I do! You do! We all do! Cupcakes, coffee, a chat with someone special, a book, your TV program, some good music, or whatever you include in your list of treats.  

Challenge someone: Announce your target to someone. Not to a good friend; one easily escapes close ones with an excuse or a two. You have to challenge your competitor, or someone who would harp on the fact, with wee bit of sarcasm and leg-pulling, that you couldn’t do it. Would you like to handle that? I guess, not! So, maybe you would crease your head and pucker your lips at the endless work in front of you, but you’d still finish it in time, just to emerge as the winner you think you are. See if you don’t!

Alarms: No matter how high the volume is, I never budge from procrastinating. Remember the just-five-more-minutes you plead in the morning with your puppy-dog face? Yeah, so you begin your day with procrastination. Could it be better?

Okay, you could tell a friend to remind you to do the work. Choose the friend wisely. You know what I mean, don’t you? Choose either the one who cares about you enough to remind you or the you-gave-me-the-responsibility-so-I-will-do-it-no-matter-what kinda guy. Let’s just assume that you have some self esteem and you’d never want to say “Dang! I couldn’t do it.”

Divine impossibilities: The what-ifs! Someone warned me the other day, “What if you get ill on the last day you have left everything for?” Sheesh! That never happened with me, and I deem it right to thank God for keeping me immune from the last-day fever. Still, why take chances? Make a list of your what-ifs. What if your best friend calls you, all teary-eyed, with the news of her break-up? You wouldn’t want to shoo her, I’m sure. What if tomorrow the internet connection shakes because there is a storm lurking? What if your laptop crashes? What if you meet with a minor accident? What if there is an unexpected guest at your door tomorrow? What if! What if! What if!

                                          

Courtesy

Challenge yourself: I always did that; it never worked. Until, I went to the extremes. For instance, I would plug the charger from my laptop out when I was ready to start the work; laptop without a charger would approximately work for 2-3 hours. Well, in no case would you start facebooking when you know it’s either fun or the deadline to meet. You have to be determined to complete the work within the 100% charging and 10%remanining.  As simple as that!

Meditate: Meditation does work in making you focus on the task at hand. You don’t need to go to the Himalayas or bask in the sun at a beach; you just have to meditate. Close your eyes. Breathe in, breathe out….in, out. You’ll find yourself in some scenery. Concentrate. Revel in the silence. Revel in nature. It’s beautiful. 

Just an FYI: This is from the experience of some sane minds; I’m not a part of that group, sadly.

Set a time table: We all have been hearing that since we were kids, and honestly, there hasn’t been even one Medal of Honor I can place on myself for following my set time tables. All I can say is that I have wasted hell lot of paper. Mother Earth, forgive me!

I planned and planned, never executed. But, you’ll have to believe me when I say that it does help. When you secretly look at your golden time-table from the corner of your eyes, you know it inside, how much you should’ve completed by now and how much you are at. I’m talking in terms of numbers. Mine mostly stands at a 90:5 ratio. 

See? I’m not even encouraging you to execute your plans; you just have to measure in terms of how much you have just D.E.L.A.Y.E.D! You’ll eventually cover up(on time), I’m sure! Your conscience will make you.

Courtesy

                                         

Motivational videos: Ahhh! That one! There are plenty of good ones on the internet. Google is the word! They show how awesome those people in the videos are because they have a determination unmatched. They silently challenge you; and you become charged by what you see. 

I generally start with watching one video and end up watching the other 10-12 listed in the chronology. That might be a waste of time, but I like the fact that I straightaway head back to my work and stop piddling.

Look in the mirror and slap yourself: Oh, don’t gawk at me! I have tried slapping myself HARD. Seriously! It does help focus one’s attention…for a few minutes, though. So, let’s keep this at the bottom list. I am a bit confused as to its effects. What if one is a masochist and rather than focusing on his work, he continues torturing himself?  *shudders*

No matter how diligently I follow the above points, I still consider myself a clever procrastinator. I had planned to start Cosmuse by April, but it just had to get started by June and no sooner. Can I blame that on my schedule, please?

If I knew it was my last day...

If I knew it was my last day,

I’d love to laugh and give and pray.

It wouldn’t do to resent or regret,

For dreams unachieved and wishes unmet.

I’ll not just breathe; I’ll feel the air,

I’ll thank God; I’ll sing a prayer,

I’ll don my bright white dress, I’ll look my best.

I’ll call my closest ones and join the fest.

I’ll make a sketch of the birds that fly,

Of the rising sun in the purple sky.

I’ll smile, I’ll dance, I’ll cook heartily,

I’ll sing karaoke, I’ll plant a tree.

For the world I’ll update my last message,

“I lived my time and will soon be in a dry foliage.

Forgive me dearies, for I might have been unkind.

Cherish the memories that I, at last, leave behind.”

And when I lay alone in my fluffy bed,

With Mother’s picture on the spread,

I’ll kiss my pillow and say goodbye,

To watch the rising sun in the purple sky!

Copyright © 2012 Vaishali Jain

Image Courtesy: fanpop.com

About the Title

Many of my friends stated their pleasure at seeing me on blogspot… well, some of them were totally unaware of how it was helpful, but they congratulated me anyway because I sounded happy. How sweet! 

I got a few messages about why in the world I chose Cosmuse as the title. It’s not a name you’d get in a dictionary. The meaning, they ask. I thought why not put it up here in a small post about what this word actually means.

Cosmuse = Cosmos + Muse. 

These two words are really important to my creative self. My source of inspiration is everything that the senses can perceive and the unknown, too.

The word basically tells that this is a blog with random topics. I won’t stick to one stream but would write on anything and everything that’d grab my attention. 

Poetry, articles, book/ movie reviews, current events, short stories, competition updates.… you name it! 

Can you hear my 4 am, squeaky hello? :D

Alrighty, folks! There couldn’t be a better time I would’ve written this. It’s 4 in the morning and no, I haven’t just woken up from my beauty sleep – I’m yet to catch a wink. Indubitably, I am a nighthawk. But that doesn’t matter. What matters, for me, is that I’m finally here, writing my first ever post. Yayyy! 

I’m generally the kind of person who plans a lot and then slaps her head for some moments of respite. My friends call me a masochist to even think of a blog in the middle of such crisis called life. Crazy friends! They try to shake some sense in me but then, “ek baar jo maine commitment kar di, toh fir toh *like a boss* me apne aap ki bhi ni sunti..” Their efforts do make me ponder sometimes why I’m really taking this now when my schedule is packed for seventeen hours already, excluding the 5-6 hours I sleep like a log. But I have my answers.

I am here to reach out to more people and get my thoughts across. My thoughts are highly unpredictable. They might turn into wise words or just plain mumblings.

Also, I want to write more often. As someone told me the other day, “Since you are a writer, babes, you gotta write some more to get better.” Hmm, I wonder if it was me talking with me, but whatever! I’ll try to give turns to my diary and my blog, so that none of them cuss me later on.

It would be interesting to know what my readers think of my posts[I hope, I get a good readership. Lord, you listenin’?] 

Okay, so it’s almost 4:20 now and I still don’t feel like dozing off. Should I call Hypnos, the God of Sleep, to help me? I might as well impress him with a poem. What say?

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