Erudite Roulette: Doorway to Heaven - TM Srihari, Mysore Toastmasters

"Doorway To Heaven"

There's a story I wrote all that mattered was told

And I was building a doorway to heaven.

When i got there I knew, if the stores are all closed

With all empty thoughts i came for.

There was a sign on the wall but i wanted to be sure

'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.

In a tree by the stall, there was a hobo who sang,

Sometimes all of our money was meaningless.

There was something I felt when i looked to the west,

And my spirit cried for delaying.

In my thoughts I had seen rings of smoke through the doors,

And the voices of those who stood looking.

my head hummed and it wouldn't go, in case you didn't know,

The bikers called me to join them,

Dear lord, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know

my doorway lies on the whispering wind?

And as i wound on down the road

Our shadows taller than our soul.

There walked a legend we all know

Who shines white light and wants to show

How everything still turned to gold.

And when i listened very hard

The tune came to me at last.

When all are one and one is all

To be a rock and not to roll.

And i built a doorway to heaven!

             How did I wind up like this? Why wasn’t I able to see the signs that I missed and tried turning tables? I wish I could unclench my fists, and unpack the backpacks. Lately there's been too much of this but don't think it's too late. Nothing was wrong; just as long as I knew that someday I would somehow gonna make it all right but not right now. Now the story's played out like this. Just like a paperback novel Let's rewrite an ending that fits Instead of a Hollywood horror. (You're the only one who knows that)
                        I know you're wondering where I am going with this. But the doorway just kept opening in my face. Loss of words that would describe all this but I was capable in bringing back home the glorious road trip stories. An Enfield ride to the far out southwest with the monsoon thunders. Geared up and a flag of faith for the charm of the ride. The doorway to heaven was at the feet of my bike. All I had to do was sit on it. The journey seemed so endless but still the journey for the right sight was an intimate adventure to my soul. The booming thumps with the sound of traffic were an epic combo. Making way like a king on his chariot I drove off into the hearty depths of the forest covered harsh Western Ghats. Savage roads and the cold-blooded weather was a challenge to the brave heart. The ride started with the sun at my back and the moon in my sight, practically left the city during the twilight hour. The ecstatic feel of the light hiding the moon from our sights was a mystery to solve. Later the sun engulfed skies darkening by the minute giving a strong monsoon chill. At the height of a cloud I flew on my bike for few miles. Eating clouds like cotton candies the mist was sober. Rain poured like an endless applause when the nature glowed green. I had to stop for the moment but like the wind the day also moved on. At the heights of Mother Earth's tall shoulders laid a sight no man could describe. Maybe that was the sight of heaven I could relate to the nearest. But I can’t relate it to the only place where I found maybe just a shadow of it. That Royal Enfield of mine is truly the doorway to heaven.

Topic given by: TM Rohit

Erudite Roulette: I don't know what to tell - TM Darshini, Impact Club Toastmasters

May 19^th, 2016: it was a beautiful Sunday. I hoped to relax all day at home after a tiring work week. But, like always, things hardly goes according to my plan. The day had an interesting beginning. However, I knew it would have a very interesting ending in any case.

Being at the age of 25 and staying with parents in India is no joke. Like it happens for most other girls in our country, my parents were on my head. They always made a point on my marriage, much to my irritation at every moment. Weekends were no more fun, and I did not know what to tell, for all their so-called logical reasons for me to believe that I was at the right age for this lifelong commitment. On this day, they were expecting a prospective groom to visit my home. My parents wished he could become the siron-in-law, as they thought he lacked nothing and he would be the right guy to take care of me. This did not worry me much - because they had the same opinion on the previous guys. I had very few hopes, as I acknowledge my eccentric personality, however, I was looking forward to meeting one more person on this earth whom I have never come across.

It was evening, they did come on time to my surprise. I had to serve coffee, which was most difficult. With all difficulties I made a successful attempt. Yes, I did. There he was sitting firmly with an affirmative look and full of energy. We introduced ourselves (well, I forgot his name right at the moment and did not bother to ask him again). Talk continued for next 20 min. it was mostly on general affairs. I tried to cover my poor general knowledge by using Toastmasters’ skill by making the same point in 10 different way and it worked. I did not know Toastmasters would come in handy at that moment :P The talks ended and he bid his adieu.

Now my parents were more excited to know my response. It was then, something in me did say "Yes" when they asked if I liked him. I am still not sure why I did so. I did not know his name, I did not know where he was working, I did not know how much he earned, and I have never cared about looks. The intelligent part of my body, my brain started shooting questions and I still did not have an answer for its logical questions. Was it my heart that ruled over my brain? I don’t know, it’s just I somewhere felt he would take care of me well.

I got officially engaged to this guy just a week later still without knowing where he worked. I still don’t know what to tell if you ask me why I did so. The thoughts running in mind can be explained, but that’s not the case here. I don’t call it love but I may name it as intuition. Being in this relationship for two months now, I don’t say we are a perfect match for each other but all I can say is my intuitions weren’t wrong!

 Writing this, I still feel unsure of the reasons behind and all I can say is “I don’t know what to tell” and I will just be like water.  

Topic given by: TM Swathi

Erudite Roulette: If I give it all away, I'll be free - TM Bhumika, Impact Club Toastmasters

This morning I woke as usual around 8.00o’clock…..As a habit, I turned the table calendar and a day awaited with a quote from Buddha “Happiness does not rely on what you have or what you are, but on what you think”

While brushing my teeth, I got a pet phrase of the day… “If I give it all away, I will be free” ….Got a thought! If I give away habit of late rising, I will be free…

I rushed to the kitchen and realized that I am not prepared to cook anything… Got a thought! if I prepare dough last night and keep it in the fridge, plan a menu, I will be free….

In the shower, I realised my shampoo bottle is empty and poured water into it… Got a thought! If I give away the habit of not getting groceries in time, I will be free…

In front of my mirror dressing up, I looked at my belly fat…. Got a thought! if I give away this belly fat, I will be free…

Looking for matching earring, ID card, matching sandals, hurrying to the office, reaching the office late by 10 minutes…. Got a thought! If I give away these last minute hurries, I will be free….

In a meeting being least prepared, Got a thought! If I give away my habit of preparing for a meeting on the spot, I will be free…

Stuck in the middle of some code… I needed help, but my ego stopped me… Got a thought! If I give away my ego, I will be free…

Spending a cozy time gossiping nonsense with colleagues, Got a thought! If I give away rambling, I will be free...

Evening while waiting for a bus, Got a thought… If I give away fear and learn to ride a bike, I will be free...

Back in front of my home, looking through my bag for the key, Got a thought! If I give away being forgetful, I will be free.

Alone at home, Got a thought! If I give away melancholy, I will be free…

When my husband did not turn up till 9 and I was fuming with anger, Got a thought… if I give up getting angry, I will be free….

Around 11.30PM back to bed, I realised that sleeping at 11.30PM, I can never rise up early. Ohhh!!! Thoughts struck... I forgot to plan a menu for tomorrow, “should I make upma??” No rava at home…ohhhh! Belly fat, I missed gym….last minute hurries, ohhh!!! I didn’t iron my clothes again….Tomorrow meeting with client, No preparations (again)…. Pending delivery, How to ask my junior to resolve…..Why is my husband still on the computer, oops! I am so dependent….Why am I thinking all this instead of sleeping…. I shall give away overthinking,

I looked at my table calendar reading the same quote

I got a thought. “There is no path to be free, but being free is the path”

If I give it all away, I can be free, but that is so not me!

I floated into my dream world.

Topic given by: TM Darshini

Erudite Roulette: Breaking News - TM Shriya, Mysore Toastmasters

BREAKING NEWS….BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!

Is what flashed on the screen in bold along with a violent background. Violent enough to come out of the screen and punch the viewer.

“BREAKING NEWS”-Is news which is currently happening, and revealed at that very moment. But, these days, don’t you think the word “breaking news” has lost its significance? There is exhaustive use of the word “breaking” in today’s media. On an average the phrase “breaking!!!” is used over 4000 times across a variety of media platforms in a span of 24 hours. This over-usage of the word leads me to wonder if this word will ever be taken seriously! If this continues, very soon we will see a future where:

An individual eats food - “Breaking News!”
Or
An Individual has received so many likes” - “Breaking News!”

These days, the media uses the phrase “Breaking News” to just sell their content and make money. Selling news has become a new money making business. Even if the news is valuable, meaningful or not, the media has to merely sell its story to make money. And this is done by just attaching the tag of “Breaking News!” to every story.

Well, this is one side of the media. The other side is where in you can find a handful of genuine news disbursed by certain media. This is done by those who are interested in making the current news available to common people. Such news should be called “Good News” as they provide the current affairs and which are genuinely true.

There should be some criteria to consider news “Breaking news” which should be strictly followed and abided by. If the media doesn’t do so, very soon no one would be interested in checking what’s the breaking news.

Unlike in earlier times, wherein "breaking news" was considered something as very significant, the phrase has lost its significance over time and in the near future it will never be taken seriously.

So let’s use this phrase wisely and not deprive it from it’s meaning.

Topic given by: TM Kavitha

Erudite Roulette: Without a Reason - TM Anish - Infosys Toastmasters (Chennai)

He was not a typical 19 year old. At his age, he had the utmost love for collecting perfumes, sitting down for coffee to discuss business ideas and had the latest updates in the technology world at the tip of his tongue, while his peers were busy with football, barbeque and one night stands. But a new hobby that he ventured into, eventually changed his life. Here’s his story…

Without a reason, he persuaded a couple of teetotaler friends in accompanying him to a bar and taking the ambience of coffee table discussions to the next level. His deep knowledge and research into alcoholic beverages made him no stranger with the menu except the taste. “I’ll have a dry martini, please”, were the words first uttered. One drink, one hour of chatting and one round of pool later, this circle of friends felt they have FINALLY GROWN UP!

Two years later, a typical day in his life looked like this – The evening began with a large bottle of scotch, no tab was kept on time, junk food was his only source of nutrition and sleep his only best friend – for everyone who enjoyed his presence have moved away from the liquid courage that he became dependent on. Without a reason, time demolished his judgment, intellect and replaced it with dependency.

Three years, thirty planned detox sessions and three hundred hours of listening to speeches at Toastmasters, he finally understood that it’s okay to let go. And better, it’s okay to space out the drinks and accommodate every other priority in life because “The next drink will always come” and it’s pointless to go cold turkey or seek counseling without a reason.

At 23, he’s out of the dependence and looks back not to regret for those few years but thankful that he has faced the extremes only to write this article to share his story. It’s easy to begin any hobby, habit, heartfelt conversation with an open mind (without a reason) and it’s easier to move out of it without a reason. The phase that we go through in the middle, is just an experience worth narrating some other day.

What will your next leap of faith look like, without a reason?

Topic given by: TM Avinash

Erudite Roulette: Discovering Silence - TM Tanuja, Leader's Garden Toastmasters

Why can’t you shut up and sit back for a moment? Why it always have to be about you? Why the heck you don’t let me breathe for a moment? These are the questions I always asked her.
She made my life miserable. I always had to listen to her. No matter if she is right or not, I had to do what she wanted me to do. I always wanted her to be silent; I always wanted her to be quiet. But, wait….Does being silent and being quiet have same meaning? I read it in a novel by a very famous writer, “Quiet is peace. Tranquility. Quiet is turning down the volume knob on life. Silence is pushing the off button. Shutting it down. All of it.”
Yes, that is it; I wanted her to be quiet, to take a pause, to turn down the volume, to slow down her pace. I needed a comma, not a full stop. But, what did I get? Who is responsible for this? Why is she not talking to me anymore? I need her, I need her suggestions, and I need her interferences in every decision of my life.
Why is this silence killing me? Silence is most powerful, because we never expect silence, we expect words, actions, reactions; we have learnt, “Each and every action has equal and opposite reaction” but no one ever taught us, that silence as reaction to an action can be toxic, toxic to such an extent that it can kill your enemies and at times it can kill you and right now it’s killing me.
I wanted my inner self to be quiet, because I thought I can do better without her, I needed a break because I felt it’s her who is taking control over my life but I was wrong, she was there to help me, to give me options in life. It was her who made my subjective life objective, I always had options like in a multiple choice question, but she never decided what is right and what is wrong for me, she always left it to me, to decide.
I realized this when it went silence, I realized silence is powerful, more powerful than any other weapon. It is important to know oneself, it is important to attain peace, but yet it is so hard learning to live in silence.
So, let your inner self wander, let it travel the world, let it be herself, talk to her, listen to her, only then you can attain tranquility, only then you can connect to your outer hemisphere, only then you can bring out your intellect and relate the same to the world because your soul is the fastest medium of connection to your surroundings.
Discover the silence inside you and never let it turn off the intellect inside, go crazy with your inner self and no silence of outer world can ever make you feel solitary.

Topic given by: TM Srihari

Erudite Roulette: Just an Ambivert - TM Manoj Guru, Mysore Toastmasters

Hey You! You are an ambivert man.
When I used to hear the comment above, I started to think about types of personalities, Personalities can be categorized in many ways. Psychological theories say that it can be categorized into three types.  Extrovert, Introvert and Ambivert.
Extroversion tends to be manifested in outgoing, talkative, energetic behavior. Extroversion is the state of primarily obtaining gratification from outside oneself. Extroverts tend to enjoy human interactions and to be enthusiastic, talkative, assertive, and gregarious. They take pleasure in activities that involve large social gatherings, such as parties, community activities, public demonstrations, and business or political groups. They tend to be energized when around other people, and they are more prone to boredom when they are by themselves.
Whereas introversion is manifested in more reserved and solitary behavior. Introverts are typically perceived as more reserved or reflective.
Introverts often take pleasure in solitary activities such as reading, writing, using computers, hiking and fishing. The archetypal artist, writer, sculptor, engineer, composer and inventor are all highly introverted. An introvert is likely to enjoy time spent alone and find less reward in time spent with large groups of people, though they may enjoy interactions with close friends.

The psychological character in between extroversion and introversion is Ambiversion. Although many people view being introverted or extroverted as mutually exclusive, most contemporary trait theories measure levels of extroversion-introversion as part of a single, continuous dimension of personality, with some scores near one end, and others near the half-way mark. An ambivert is moderately comfortable with groups and social interaction, but also relishes time alone, away from a crowd.
Below are some signs to identify oneself as an ambivert.
1. Your friends have a hard time classifying you as an introvert or an extrovert
2. Your energy isn’t drained when you’re alone, nor do you feel exhausted after lots of socialization (or maybe you tend to be drained by both equally)
3. You are usually satisfied with your weekend plans
4. During conversations you know when to keep quiet and when to talk, and you do them both relatively easily
5. You are emotionally stable during a concert, a yoga session and everything in between
6. You don’t relate completely with posts about introverts and extroverts
7. You can’t empathize with people who are not able to sit through loud social gatherings or are uncomfortable with time spent alone
8. You meet more people who are like you
9. You are shy or stable and hence mistaken about your introvert or extravert status.
When I am called as an ambivert, I went through the test with all the above questions. I could see myself in all of the above, except the fourthlh one. So far I have never able to shut my mouth…. LOL
Being an ambivert I have always enjoyed togetherness, fun with people, loved reading into the personalities of people, found it exciting to lead a team, have been comfortable sharing my thoughts and feelings with fellow members. During travel, I have guided and supported teammates.
Nevertheless, I am not taken aback when I don’t see soulmates around me. I even enjoy reading a book alone in a dense forest, going on a trek to the top of a hill alone, playing a video game, thinking deep and being a researcher. During travel alone, I learnt a lot as a wanderer.
So to summarize I could engage my body and mind equally both when I am alone and when I am with company.
Enjoy both being public and being alone.

Thanks to:
Wikipedia, Forbes.com, The psychology-Influence of persuasion by Robert.

Topic by TM Shriya