ChirpyQuill

In October 2023 I had written an article called AAA which was an exploration into well rounded fitness. I termed it, Aesthetically Astute Athleticism. I had felt a need to direct the athletic endeavors that I had seen a lot of us engaging in, towards a more holistic approach. I had felt that looking like a healthy and fit athlete was just as important as being one.  That actually ended up becoming the start of a journey. Since then, we have executed two Boot Camps, engaging a few dozen accomplished runners who doubled down on Strength Training in the winter months. We exchanged experiences, notes, workout videos, dietary ideas, Podcasts and our own reflections. Each one of us involved, went through our own evolution as endurance athletes with an eye towards aesthetics and long term health outcomes. In some way we took the first tentative steps from endurance runners to genuinely fit individuals. Along the way, we learnt a lot as we zeroed in on what ideal fitness was about and the ...

  Everyone has heard of the phrase. It takes a village to raise a kid. However, what does it take for someone to be successful at work?  Long hours at work?  Yes, definitely. Education, Experience, and Expertise in what to do? Yes, for sure. All those are needed to succeed at work. But what about the invisible factors that attribute towards one’s success? What about those unseen never acknowledged people that are the backbone, contributing towards a person‘s success at work?  Recently two famous personalities had become viral when they promoted a 70 and 90 hour a week work culture. While I would reserve my views on that, what about the people who actually want to work to kind of hours? Who takes care of their family while they work those insane hours? Who takes care of stuff at their home? Who takes care of their kids if they do decide to have a family? In most cases, it would perhaps be a housewife or homemaker as I like to call them who takes care of stuff for them...

  You nod, you always says yes You're made to feel guilty if you take some rest  You continue to give, you continue to serve You lift others while you fall All you want is some praise from the ones you love So over the years you give up your dreams You hold your tongue to keep the peace You wear a smile but you're scared of their frown You know there's no one for you when you're feeling down One day you'll realize true love doesn't bind And its not always good to be so kind One day you'll know not every hand deserves your grace And its your OWN dreams that you need to chase                      .........Leena

Trains, Planes, Buses, Car and a Jeep  – Had been wandering through the mountains of Himachal, Uttrakhand and plains of Punjab. Was practically living out of my suitcase with my extemporized travels and then I thought it was time for me to rest my butt, brain and heart for few days somewhere. I was headed for Vipassana meditation course in Jaipur. Though I had to stop the course on the fifth day but what an experience it turned out to be. Day 1. I checked into a peaceful ashram on the outskirts of Jaipur. Surrounded by hillocks, the place was serene with myriad of trees, sounds of birds chirping, peacock calls, friendly Langurs; just what I needed leaving behind my inane life for few days. A gentle cool breeze and warm winter sun made the whole environment very calming. Rules for ten days: Up at 4 AM, light off at 9:30 PM, No screens, no music, no reading material, no looking at other “Sadhaks” , 9 hours of meditation and most importantly no talking… nothing but Quiet… for 10 DAYS...

A friend of mine penned a beautiful obituary for his late mother. He described his deep bond with his "ma," but what has stayed with me since was a heartfelt account of the love story between his late parents. Love Story…just these words invoke great emotion in us all. For me, there was no greater or more impossible love than the one between Catherine and Heathcliff – the protagonists of the novel by Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights -one of the great works of literature.  It also marked how I went through life, imagining what love was like. It seemed like it should be all-consuming, sometimes selfish, felt and given with wild and occasionally erotic abandon, curls flying, eyes flashing in love and anger in equal parts. Love was, in every possible way, this massive mound of explosive dynamite which, once lit, was supposed to consume, obliterate, and elevate or destroy or perhaps both. But what is love  actually supposed to be? Why do we idolize love that comes with unfulfil...

  We see it all the time. It’s all backwards. More often than not, what is evident is the exact opposite of reality. The most violent traditions ever, scream their lungs out about being the vanguards of peace. The biggest empty suit and loudest opining person at a social gathering is the one who makes the least sense. The most vigorously virtue signaling social or political entity, is often the most un-empathetic, self-serving, intolerant of divergent opinions. The most “God fearing” men often cause the harshest violence in their homes, in nature and to other beings. It is hard to miss. Pretty much anything worn on the sleeve including kindness, politeness, empathy, goodness, confidence, intelligence often turns out to be a facade. A well worn cloak to hide the the true identity, which is exact opposite of the pretend one. It is a method to drive an ulterior motive, of the religious, social, political or profiting kind. In case of our understanding of the nature of reality, similar...

A piece of eternity, is eternity still like love is, I suppose can a part of anything, ever be less than the whole is a drop of water not wet or a singular ray, not light is a patch of sky, less than itself can infinity be, little or more? is the piece of Divinity in us not The Divine Mother herself through the entire Existence who projects herself forth? can something that wasn’t ever be? can something that is not be anymore? or, do we drift on a raft on the river of time and what is and isn’t are just our shifting gaze upon the shore maybe everything that ever will be, always was and nothing really  comes or goes maybe our senses play tricks upon us walking us through a maze they themselves put forth can something that wasn’t ever be can something that is  not  exist anymore? can anything quite, ever be less than the whole Atul Singh

These days it seems I have forgotten how to speak in English, which is kind of surprising given that English has always been my forte. I mean, I consider myself so lucky I was born and brought up in a big metro. I had access to the best education and studying in a convent school only gave me an edge over so many others who didn’t have this privilege. Being an only kid and born in a time when there was no internet, the only entertainment I had besides playing out in the evenings was – Reading. I loved reading and was a voracious reader.  I also remember vividly, solving crossword puzzles with my dad. I think all this helped me immensely in my student days. I wonder then why is it that I cannot comprehend what the Gen Z kids say these days. I mean, it almost seems they are speaking in some alien language which only people of their generation understand.   For instance, I have always thought Ohio was the name of a state in the US. But my daughter, giving me the same look I give h...

September 25th 2015:   "Apnee marzee se kahan apne safar ke hum hain,rukh hawaon ka jidhar ka hai udhar ke hum hain.."  I closed the door behind the car and nervously walked into the train station. Had been to the station many a times before but today was different. I fumbled with the blue ticketing machine looking closely at the transit options like they were written in French. Holding my pink ticket to the newark penn station I waited anxiously for the train to come My mind was consumed with a whirlwind of "what ifs," the first being, What if I’m on the wrong platform?But soon the train chugged into the station and that trivial what if was laid to rest. I knew my directions. Get off at Newark Penn Station, cross over to the PATH, take the train to the WTC, and then walk down Water Street to my destination. "Was it really happening?" I thought still in disbelief, while the trees and houses slipped past the frosted glass train windows. It was my first day ...