The other night while going back home on the subway, I came across a woman preaching about God. Of course, this is not something unusual in new york city, but what struck me was the determination with which she was saying the following-

"If there is something or someone you really want in this world, just pray to God with all your faith, and you'll get it!"

Though I normally just ignore such "on the go" and "forced to hear" preachings, for some reason I paused my i-pod that I was listening to and started to listen to what she was saying. All though there was a lot of other stuff she had to say about God, somehow the above line just stood out to me. I repeated that line in my head and thought...."well if only that could be true...life could be so much better." And no obviously, my mind didn't stop there...I was tempted to ask that lady two questions-

1. How much should you want that something/someone?
2. How much faith would it take to get that something/someone?

Well, I did not ask her the above questions....I didn't want to mock her belief...maybe it was this belief that was helping her to make it through whatever it was that she was battling in life. But it sure made me think...what if she never gets what she really wants? What if her faith isn't enough to give her what she wants? Is God going to sidetrack her and fulfill some other person's wish?

Some people would argue that hope is very important, it keeps you going. And faith is what gives you hope. But what if you do not have either one? And even if you have both, is there some way you could measure that faith that would help you to know how long it would take you to finally get that something and someone that you have always wished for? Apparently not...we all choose to close our eyes, cross our fingers, hope and have faith that everything would be just right.

Sometimes however, I think faith and hope can't help you either, that something and someone just seems like a distant reality. Maybe it was the same for this woman, but she still decided to go out and preach what may never come true for her.

Now that takes a lot of faith....doesn't it? Amen.

Books

If I am ever asked to list some of the most precious things in this world to me, books would definitely be somewhere on the top . I have always enjoyed reading, and though what I read now is vastly different from what I read back in school, my love for books has been the same, in fact increased even more. However, it upsets me to see that in today's world books are losing their relevance. I was surprised to hear on news last night about a city in Texas, which is soon going to be without any bookstores! It made me wonder if we were heading to a future where we may not find books anymore? That's scary! I am however, not against new innovations like kindle or nook, but personally I wouldn't buy them because I think holding a book in my hand feels much better than holding a kindle...and I would definitely want to build a small library in my home sometime in the future.
People always like reading books on things that interest them...and no there is nothing wrong in doing that. But I think an even better or challenging thing to do is to read a book on something that you may not pick up at a bookstore as your first choice. Though you may not like it, you will end up learning something new and getting an entirely new perspective. I have done this before, and I have always learnt something new...it definitely opens up your mind about different and new things.
I recently read a book that I have been thinking about...its called ' The God Delusion' by the British biologist Richard Dawkins. The most amazing thing about this book is that even though you may not agree with what he has to say, it sure compels you to think about it. Religion is a very sensitive issue for people and this is what exactly the book questions so openly. It asks poignant and extremely debatable questions about if we really need God to answer how the world began? He makes an argument, and a pretty convincing one at that, on why Science needs to be looked at as a more reliable source to answer the questions on origin of life. He questions the system of organized religion and why it may not be the best inventions that mankind has to offer. To make it clear...he in no way intends to offend anyone for their personal religious views, but merely puts forward a question and tries to answer it with the support of scientific eveidence.
I finished reading this book a while ago and it has made me question a lot of things pertaining to religion and the need for it in my life. Some of the things in the book have deeply influenced me...and I definitely have a lot more to say about it. But that is for my next blog...and until then if you have read this book and have opinions about it, feel free to write them down here. You may also write down your thoughts on religion in general since it's always interesting to know different viewpoints.
And remember...keep reading!

Blog and about

Hello all...
I was unaware of the fact that starting a blog needed much time and effort. From deciding on a name for the blog, to what you plan to write about, to even deciding a background for the blog post, it indeed is an arduous task. I had been planning to start one for sometime now...however I was always met by the question of what to write about? There has been an overload of blogs on everything, from something as serious as world economy to something as insignificant as the neighborhood dog. Blogging has brought out the hidden writer in everyone, though as many would argue, not the best thing to do for some.
So you may wonder what this blog is all about? Well, if you are looking to read about some midnight adventures or wild night outs, you are at the wrong place. I think there are already a lot of people out there blogging about all that stuff, and I won't deny that they dont make for an interesting read, but that's all they do! They are interesting to read but they also cause self pity because often one regrets on not having a happening and glamorous life like that. And I say this from my own experience.
I think a blog can help you with more than that. I have been asked before: "so what are you passionate about?" My answer? Well, on a good day it may be "I dont know" and on a bad day just a blank. Someone once told me that there is a difference in liking something and being passionate about something...so you may like a lot of things in life, but you can only be passionate about a few. This is what I intend to self-learn from my blog...to know what is it I am passionate about. What is it that I wouldn't regret doing for the rest of my life?
And while I am not anywhere close to finding the answers...I am interested in knowing if you have your own anwers to these questions. If you are reading this blog...feel free to comment and pen down your thoughts. But please refrain from being rude and mean...becasue we all are capable of respecting eachother's opinions.