What's Success?

A close friend recently asked me about my answer when people would ask what's my goal in life? Really! This got me thinking. Would my goal be to land a particular job, a specific amount I dream to earn, a fancy car, home, holiday -------? If this be the case, the goal is always variable. Then is it time & space specific?
Second question Sanjay asked was "when do you know you have success?". Obviously when I would meet my  goal/s. But then, I think, this also means success is variable too. Meaning, I am successful this period of time because I do have a job and everything I needed at this point of time. But  then now I have another set of goals/desires and till such time I complete/achieve those, I am unsuccessful!?
The discussion continued over cups of 'filter coffee'. We had an agreement finally - a goal or measure of success is only ONE! Being HAPPY! And then you are happy or you are not. You are successful or you are not. The yardstick is determined by ourselves, for ourselves. And the happiness is from my within. Full of joy, pure and divine. This may have nothing to do with the occupation, job, house, a car or anything that is external.

Your thoughts?

I am not Invited yet!

I am going crazy. The event occurred on Jun 28 and the celebrations continue (they better). I can understand not being the first to be invited to join. But it is close to five days of ongoing celebrations and I am still waiting. It hurts! Oh, and I am waiting for Google+ invite. Over the last five or so days, I played with my luck being very good with anything Google. But hey I am entitled to one. Am I not? With that thought I worked a strategy. I requested an invite from each of my Google addresses. Then I asked a good friend of mine on Buzz (whom I have not met in person yet) to share an invite if she gets it before me. I suggested to my daughter, who is visiting India, to request one from her address - and I also told her that they will 'release' more invitations likely to IP addresses from different countries (my daughter goes 'dad tell me something new. I have already requested, like on 29th and you are telling me this 2 days later!). Also a good friend put it on her status on Facebook (OOPS) saying she received the invite and I hurried to be the first one to comment "Congratulation". My ulterior motive, however, was that since I was the first to comment and that too within seconds of her "status update" that she will spare an invitation!  Hello, I am still waiting. Then, I also thought, these invitations come late at night - so these nights I am checking often on my Android phone for a notification of new email. But no.Not the one I am waiting for. I will wait. And I know, I am not the only one. Yet, it is not comforting. Let the celebrations continue, for ever!

Past, Present and the Future: 2

We are now outdoing each other, adding more and more 'friends' to our social networks. But really, how many of these friend are we really related with? When I say 'related with', I mean as to really connected - you know the feeling. There are few relation each one has - you cannot leave without. These are the relationships which just grow, these are the ones which are ' selfless' - which let us go but still always are binding. ----If you are wondering, where I am going. In to the Past. Brian Weiss's case study states that a number of relationships in our current lives do draw on our relationships from our past lives. No wonder, some of the relationships feel so intimate and then there are some strangers with whom we connect instantly. 'It feels like we have known is other for long-----'. Sounds familiar? And there are few 'connections' whom we hate - for no apparent reasons! 'I just can't stand that person' - isn't this familiar too? Why? I am convinced, the Past flows in to the Present. And hence I want to treat each relationship with love and compassion. Thank God and touch wood, I do not hate any one!
If anyone cares to read this, please share your thoughts.
As to the number of 'friends' on social network, our daughter has 1355 friends. Couple of years ago, when we went to bring her back from an exclusive summer camp, I was speaking to a parent about these numbers and she said ' oh, if she has those many, guess how powerful her 'LinkedIn' network be!

The Past

In recent months, I am actively looking in my past! Who am I? Where from did I come? And also why did I come? These questions have made me restless.

Who Am I?

For a number of years now, I have been wanting to work on our family tree. Obviously, have not been to. Reason: my findings do not move beyond my great great grand parents. On both the sides. Unlike in the West, there are no birth, death and marriage records to be found in India. I tried my best. British, during their dominion, did record these events, but seeming only for the baptized. From my dad's side, my uncle and grandfather and great all worked in Tehasildar's office. I went on line to see if I could find some records there. Government of India has a online portal, that has begun recording these details, but these are fairly current. Someone told me that there could be some records in Kashi. Every family in the past, and many continue now, made one pilgrimage to Kashi. And in the temple there is a priest from each community. And there is a linage of priests who have been recording all the people visiting and their vital data - birth date, place, Gotra etc. And this seems to be the fact. But now my next stop in this search is going to be our attic in the ancestral home. For now, my family tree is only 3 generations strong!

Where from did I come?

The itch finally made me send my cheek swab to National Geographic Genographic Project. My markers tell me I belong to haplogroup R1a1, M17. But then stops 10000-15000 years ago! OMG. Now what do I do? I went to ancestry.com. But I believe, none of my brethren from India or of Indian origin has dared to step in. 

Why did I come.

Destiny. And I do believe in rebirth. I have faith in the scriptures of Sanatan Dharma (Hindu) and recently I have been even studying these in a group study setting under a learned and knowledgeable teacher. So far so good. I came because, I had unfinished business. Period!? A recent reading of "Many Lives, Many Masters" by Brian Weiss has increased my disquiet. His book states more than has been obvious as to us of Eastern beliefs. This book and another by the same author says that now I can find out about my past lives under regression! I am marching towards that.

Hopefully, I will soon have all three answers.