Shades of Being Alive

Its been about 9 months since we embarked on a journey to re-dream a function at Youth Alliance that we called Leadership Development Programs. The vision as it got named 8 months ago was - “To cultivate a multi-sectoral sense-making and influencing living network of young org leaders.” As I reflect back, the journey has been an adventure of mainly cultivating a team to nourish this intention, hold complex questions and experiment our way towards collective transformation. The central question we have been holding in my view is - 'How does collective transformation happen?' In this piece, I intend to intertwine my own reflections and the vision of this work as it is becoming visible to me. To begin with, let me start with the context of the group mind and how I see it affects the deeply personal and expansively systemic behaviours. 1. Group Mind I have come to understand that each individual is not a mere individual - having thoughts of her/his own, making her/his decision and...

One of the things I love and also miss is getting oiled up by my mother.  As an infant oiling up is considered very important to develop strength in the body - for me my Dadi took that job (I think).  As a child, oiling up is considered important to moisturise the body to have a more resilient skin, to let toxins go away.  As a teenage, oiling up is considered important to develop shiny features :p and become attractive. My mother didn't leave an oil unturned. Our favorite then was 'Hair & Care'. :)  As a young adult, oiling up is considered important to continue to nourish sweat pores as an outlet to toxins, energy and become more physically agile. At this time for me, those fancy moisturisers and deo's came into my life and reduced my sweat pore capacity and skin agility. As an adult, oiling up is considered important these days to not lose hair on the head. I miss my mum, and her oiling up and therefore hair density on my head is reducing....

Dearest Family Member, I hope this email finds you in joy and love.  On this Saturday morning, I have a question for you - Where have you experienced / seen these elements?  Clock   |   Bell    |    Time-table    |      Compartments    |      Uniform      |       Input >> Process >> Output Guessed? Yes, school. Anywhere else? Yes, Factory, Prison, Railway Stations, Shopping Malls and sometimes even in Homes. And if you inquire deeply you would find one or the other combination of these design elements in all modern social constructs we are part of. What have these design done - they have created a story of the world - story of separation, of competition, of rush, of standardisation, of self-limiting survival and of self-interest. What does this mean? Why on a Saturday morning? To that, please allow me to take you away from y...

Dearest Family Member,  I hope January is bringing newer and healthier energy in you to pursue what your heart calls for.  While we were in Kutch, I met an elderly Dadi, she called herself 101 years old but never counted her age :) I asked her if she was scared of death and she said  'सब कुछ राम का है, जब चाहे ले लें '  (everything belongs to God and he can take it whenever he wants). Witnessing her, I felt she treaded lightly while being true to the role that she was given in her life. I have been thinking for myself, while I try to live my purpose a 100% -  what does it take to tread lightly? To not be a weight on the planet - physically, emotionally, spiritually . :) In our country and the world, there's remarkable polarisation, ego and fear and to us the most important way to engage with it - is to live our lives with very different anchors - of trust, acceptance and fearlessness.  What we also need is to cultivate a community that supp...

Past decade or so I have travelled away from my family interms of thought, ideas, beliefs and way of living. Or that's what I thought.  My father to my mind did a similar journey. Only now I realise my journey is an extension of our family, an unfolding from the family seeds. Last 5 years i have visited Bhurarani which was a village near Rudrapur less than 5 times. And now it occurs to me that I treaded away only to discover a deeper yearning for what my family has lived for.  I need another few pictures to tell that as i see it right now. Humble material life, simplicity, farmer approach to life, non-interferring being - are some things I notice with wonder these days. Those are my grandparents.  Lalaji (grandfather, left) was a kadak man but i remember his gentility and silences.  I remember Dadi would let me dip rusk in her chai every evening when my mother would scold me away for spoiling her chai. I love the smile on Babaji's (grandfather's ...