Armour In Life?

--A dance act--

This is how I, little Kia danced in front of her grandmother when she whispered "Do you know, I know all the dance forms in the world" and that is when grandma giggled and asked her to show some of her moves.

Kia was quite particular about studies and would hardly skip a class in school. One day she disappeared from the class..only to find that her father was no more!

The people who celebrated the presence of her father and her family flown away over the night. She remembered how her mother cried silently under the pillow when people said she must go back from where she came from as they felt that she wouldn't be able to face the big blows in the city.

She felt as if she was a stranger in an otherwise known place. Right after this Kia lost her pet dog who was her best friend. She cried helplessly wishing her best friend who was lying in her arms to wake up, wag his tail and bark. At that very moment, the world became grimmer for her.

After the series of such events, there was this complete silence at her home. She was haunted by her thoughts of losing loved ones, turned obese, became asthmatic and eventually started having knee pain. The fear inside totally crippled her at the age of 25, which suggested that she should not be so stressed at such age. Unfortunately, she couldn't explain her deepest fears and insecurities to her doctor and joined yoga classes based on a doctor's prescription.

With all the pain and grief in her body and heart, she was still struggling in her yoga classes. After watching her struggle her yoga instructor asked her to write down a few good things that have happened in a day to a diary.

She was blank! Completely blank!..she couldn't even write a single word. Days...After days her diary remained blank.

One day her instructor asked what did you write? She said nothing. Her instructor took her to a flower pot and asked what do you see? She responded politely "A dead flower". He pulled out the petals of the flower and buried them in the soil and he asked again "what do you see now"? On hearing the same answer again he placed the flower pot tithe entry gates so that she can see whenever she entered her yoga school. A few days later she saw a bud coming out of that same spot. She was overwhelmed with joy and with tears in her eyes she realized that yesterday's dead flower had a purpose to give life to some more flowers, and that is how Kia wrote her first miracle in her diary that day.

Today...Kia is standing in front of all of you!!

My yoga teacher asked me to serve those people who are less privileged than me and said whenever you think your problems are way too severe, just go and look into their lives. A few days later, I started volunteering in a school for the blind. I was shaky, nervous and didn't know how to communicate. But, when I saw their confidence and courage. All of a sudden the world was more promising and welcoming for me.

Michelle Obama once said "you should never view your challenges as a disadvantage. Instead, it is very important for you to understand that your experience facing and overcoming adversities is actually one of your biggest advantages".

Our mind is the greatest armor that we have, provided we train our minds to see good in everything. In the 1st instance when I couldn't interpret the flower, I was focussing more towards my flower. What you feed your mind is what you see. Luckily, when my teacher asked me to maintain a gratitude diary that is when I saw the miracles that were occurring in my life every day. Try to maintain one such diary where you just write what all good things that have happened, things that you are grateful for. It really helps to channelize your thoughts. The second important lesson that I have learned from my teacher is to serve people esp. Those who are less privileged than me. You understand that everyone is fighting their own battle and gave me a real insight into my issues. I am not the only one and am not alone.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have found my armor in life, how about you?