Lesson One from the Universe

August 20, 2015 Shikha

Day before yesterday, I spent ten minutes quickly counting the number of subscribers, and found myself gasping as the numbers kept increasing to finally surpass five hundred.

~Five Hundred.

With full humility and utmost gratitude, I feel so humbled by your support, and I thank you for being part of my journey.

In celebration, I will be sharing five lessons (including my personal stories) from the Universe/Higher Spirit that I received in the span of five blog posts. Hopefully, this will shed some light on how you could apply it to your life as well.

Lesson One:

The challenges that arise in your life are there to help you grow into a better individual. They only come into your path when you are ready for them. This is also a sign that you are getting closer to where you would like to be.

Everything is Written

August 6, 2015 Shikha

The wheel of life is continuously spinning. It spins swiftly, bringing abrupt changes into our lives. Sometimes, change is hindered when life becomes stagnant; thus, time becomes worthless. This only occurs when we become lost and frustrated by our circumstances. We hope that an outside force can rescue us from our situations; but so often, we forget that the most powerful force lies asleep within us.

I remember when I woke up from the living dead. I watched the sunrise as my room was being filled with light. It was a scene that I hadn't seen in a very long time, and I knew that this marked the awakening of my consciousness.

The wheel began to spin and chant:

Nothing is ittefaq ("co-incidence" in Urdu). Everything is kismat ("destiny" in Hindi"). Everything is written. Everything is written. Everything is written. We will spin to lead you to your purpose. We must spin. The chariot will come to help you move forward. Do not control the chariot or else it will crash.

Why can I not control the chariot? I wondered.

The chariot comes at the right time, and we cannot control timing. We can only work with the present Now. When the chariot diligently takes you where you need to be, the Now will change. Everything may look like ittefaq, but everything is kismat. Shikha, do not control the chariot for timing will backfire. You have tried in the past, and everything fell apart. But, the tower must burn to the ground in order for you to see clearly again. Each cycle must go through death for strength to be reborn. Trust me, it is time to spin.

What about freewill? I asked.

Freewill is good for our daily situations. It is very important to listen to the Self that is where the truth lies. If you pay attention to your inner voice, then you will be led to situations that may seem like ittefaq. However, it's just you creating your kismat.

I am so confused.

I will repeat this again. Nothing is ittefaq. Everything is kismat. Everything is written. Everything is written. Everything is written. We will spin to lead you to your purpose. We must spin. There is nothing to fear.

The Day Melancholia Left

June 3, 2015 Shikha

The first time I met her, I was at the tender age of eight, unaware of the importance of this meeting. I looked up from my book, and saw a dark shadow watching me with her deep brown, beady eyes. Her long black hair, pale skin and ghost-like figure could have sent any child gasping out of this room. But, I sat still as I watched her approach me. She was the child of Saturn and I was just another human on Earth. Together, we would sit in the company of Boredom, Dissatisfaction, and sometimes, Irritation would come to play with us. But, no one wanted to play with Irritation; he never cooperated . We created such an unhappy, pathetic union that other humans could not understand why we were the way we were.

One day, I asked Melancholia what she wanted to be when she grows up.

She said, "I want to be just like Happy, but that is impossible."

"Nothing is impossible," I responded.

"Oh, I like that you try to be positive, but let me tell you that it is impossible. I can't even imagine being like Happy."

Playing with Melancholia was a nightmare. She turned into a puddle of water when things didn't go her way, and always exerted a sense of sadness when it came to our play's plot. If I tried to change our play's ending into a happy one, then she would wail, "That's impossible!" Boredom would stop playing half-way, Dissatisfaction would shake her head in disapproval, and Irritation wasn't allowed to play with us. So, Irritation felt irritated that he wasn't invited to play with us.

With time, I learned to tolerate Melancholia and her view on life. I even embraced certain traits of hers, and her presence was always so comfortable. She insisted to follow me everywhere I went, and accompanied me to college as well.

During a rainy summer day, a few months after turning twenty-one, Melancholia snapped, "I am leaving!"

"Wait, what?"

"Yes, you heard me. I am leaving you, because you don't listen to me anymore. No one listens to me ever. No one cares about me. I am so alone. I will always be alone. This is horrible. I knew this would happen. How can I stay here? I am so sad! And you are so ------ normal."

"Normal?"

"Yes, NORMAL. I am always sad. I always turn into a puddle of water, and you have to mop parts of me. "

"You are exaggerating......"

"No, I am not. You don't need me anymore. You don't even notice me anymore. You are changing, and I cannot change with you. I am this horrible emotion forever. Why am I this emotion? Why am I not another emotion? Why can't I be a good emotion? Why can't I..."

"To me, you were a good emotion. If I had not been in your company, then I would not have learned as much as I did. So, it's ok to be who you are. You are special to me. You need to exist for humans to know how beautiful this life can be as it is filled with important emotions like you."

"Oh, that's so nice! But, I am terribly sad. Oh, I am always so terribly sad..."

"Yes, you can say that again....."

"Ok, dear Shikha, I cannot stop crying. I am leaving you now. I do not think we will cross paths again, but I will miss you a lot."

Melancholia mourned my loss as she gathered all of her remaining strength to depart from me, her childhood friend. Just like that, she disappeared into her shadow, and who knows where she went. I am sure she found someone who would gladly mop her obnoxious puddle of water, and hear her depressing outlook on everything. As for me, I felt like a burden was lifted off my chest, and I wished she had left my life a long time ago.

Group chat: Mind, Heart, and Shikha

April 28, 2015 Shikha

(10:11 PM) Mind has entered the chatroom.

(10:13 PM) Heart has entered the chatroom.

(10:15 PM) Mind: Why are we having a group chat? This is a waste of time

(10:15 PM) Heart: Shikha needs us…. She feels sad.. About something… Not sure what so I called a group chat

(10:16 PM) Mind: You’re annoying, I hope that you know that

(10:17 PM) Heart: I’m not in the mood to argue with you and hear your nonsense

(10:17 PM) Heart: Where is she?

(10:18 PM) Mind: Like I said, this is a waste of time, life and energy.

(10:18 PM) Heart: I think you should shut up

(10:18 PM) Mind: You shut up your guidance is always useless

(10:19 PM) Heart: You’re a selfish piece of crap

(10:20 PM) Mind: Ha you’re dumb and your ideas are stupid

(10:20 PM) Shikha has entered the chatroom

(10:21 PM) Shikha: Sorry I’m late

(10:21 PM) Mind: you’re always late, late to everything

(10:21 PM) Heart: Hello my love! I missed you so much. You are so wonderful I love you my dear

(10:22 PM): Mind: Heart, stop being a people pleaser.. nobody cares

(10:22 PM) Heart: I wasn’t talking to you, so shut up kthanks

(10:23 PM) Shikha: Why are we having a group chat?

(10:23 PM) Heart: Because you seem low and I wanted to check up on you. I miss you!

(10:23 PM) Shikha: aww that’s so sweet..thanks… I’m OK

(10:24 PM) Mind: YES SHE IS OK. SHE IS NOT SAD HEART. Did you read that? Why do you always worry and care so much? SHE IS OK. Once again, this group chat is stupid and useless

(10:24 PM) Heart: Mind, you don’t know her like I know her. Shikha, are you sure my love? I sensed sadness earlier.. I mean…why would you be blasting a song by Daughter? I can hear it too.. And it’s sad… I’m so sorry that you are upset.

(10:25 PM) Shikha: I am fine don’t worry

(10:25 PM) Mind: She is always blasting that miserable music by Daughter. I don’t know why a singer would choose to sing about returning to her mother’s womb and never coming out of her mother ever again. That’s a recipe for major depression

(10:26 PM) Shikha: I was playing Youth not Smother…….

(10:26 PM) Heart: Omg you were listening to Youth that’s my favorite song ever

(10:27 PM) Mind: omgawddd heart is such a fan girl wooooooo wooooooo

(10:27 PM) Heart: shut up you’re a piece of crap

(10:28 PM) Mind: It’s a depressing song about smoking and losing people

(10:28 PM) Heart: It’s magical and profound

(10:28 PM) Mind: It’s freaking emo just like you

(10:29 PM) Shikha: ……….......................

(10:29 PM) Shikha: I just played it once and you guys think I’m having an emotional breakdown. That’s weird. You two need to stop assuming things

(10:30 PM) Mind: See, heart I told you, you never listen. It’s her fault, not mine. She’s reckless and annoying. Look at the crap I have to put up with everyday

(10:31 PM) Heart: If it wasn’t for me, then Shikha wouldn’t be able to be creative or make art so thank you very much.

(10:31 PM) Mind: I am clapping very slowly for you….. I am the mastermind behind her success not you

(10:31 PM) Heart: I am the reason for her kindness and genuineness

(10:31 PM) Mind: I am the genius that helps her put words down

(10:31 PM) Mind: You’re the idiot that makes her sensitive

(10:31 PM) Mind: Who is greater? Me obviously

(10:31 PM) Shikha: You guys are ridiculous

(10:31 PM) Shikha: I need to go work on something

(10:31 PM) Mind: You can multitask.. I taught you that!

(10:31 PM) Heart: I am Shikha’s Spirit

(10:32 PM) Mind: LOL please. You can’t make sense out of anything without my help

(10:32 PM) Mind: I WIN. Like always. BOW DOWN TO ME.