Destiny In Deep Waters

 In the dark silence of pre-dawn on a lonely sea shore,

Few brave hearts ran frantically, with nets, a boat and its oar;

Fishermen they were, embarking on their daily work travel,

Battling nature for their living, to risk it all, a marvel;

Netting the seas with their fishing instincts, forever,

Facing danger each day, to eke a living altogether;

As I stand there with these thoughts, waiting for their turn around,

The sun sets, the tides rise and has god pulled the curtains down?

(By : Mazhar Nawaz)

Last year, I was in Bhubaneswar, Early in the morning I was celebrating republic day with my friends in Puri beach. The beautiful beach is famed for its pristine beauty, jolly ambiance & considered as purest beach in India.The beaches here are very long and sandy. One is always invited to be idle on the beach under the smiling sun being busied themselves of doing nothing except sunbathing.

I was capturing some beautiful pictures of mother nature , watching the fishermen & felt how happy & adventures they are & very lucky to see the breath taking beauty of the open ocean under the blue sky, the great excitement of a good catch of fish and about the personal satisfaction of a hard day’s work.

I started discussing the uncertainaties of life with the fishermen, After some very interesting talks, my thoughts towards the fishermen changed & I had more respect for them. Many fishermen did admit that fishing can exact a physical and emotional toll. It is a small price to pay for a way of life keeps them coming back season after season to earn a living from the sea.

In spite of the most dangerous job & other risk related aspects, Not a single fisherman blamed on God or destiny .The best quality I admire in them was not worrying of tomorrow.

There is a great difference between worry and concern. A worried person sees a problem, and a concerned person solves a problem. ( Harold Stephens )

It’s certainly not a life for everyone. Long hours, hard work and bad weather are enough to keep most fishermen on land.On the water, every decision is one of survival. Mistakes can be deadly.

The Fishermen have to know the fish they are after, how best to catch them, how best to bring them in and how to keep them fresh until they deliver to the buyers. They have to know the sea, the way it changes and how these changes affect their boat, their gear and the fish. They have to plan ahead and be prepared for all possible outcomes. Fishermen have to be businessmen, self-reliant, strong and adventurous.

The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work. ( Robert Frost )

Some interesting thoughts were flowing in my mind after discussing with the Fishermen, Every moment of our life, destiny gives us choices to make. We continuously need to strive for the best and give our best. We have to believe that whatever happens to us after, is also for the best. If things do not turn out as per our expectations, then it is because life has to offer some lesson to us, so that we can be prepared for a similar bigger situation in future.

It is but natural, that once we give our best, we also start to expect the best results; and once the result is not as per our expectations, we feel dejected and frustrated in life. Hence we need to have a spectator like attitude for the way things happen in our life. Be stable in both good and bad moments in life.

Accept the way things turn up, and then keep trying to move towards the next higher plain. Let us not complain about what we don’t have in life. There is a beautiful saying which says that ” I complained about the bad shoes that I have, until I saw a man without his legs.

We do not have control over everything in life. But we definitely have control over our mind, body, thoughts, actions and emotions. Let these be entwined with the bigger visions of your life

The grace of God is a wind that is always blowing.You have to unfurl the sails of your boat to catch the wind. If you are not prepared for the wind, you cannot avail it.

If you put one step towards God, God puts a hundred steps towards you. If you do not put that first step, you are where you are.

Let God be the helmsman of your boat. You be the oarsman. Let God decide the direction, you put the oars with all your strength. If you do not work the oars, the boat does not move.

Before we can even attempt to reach our destiny, before we can start walking towards what we most want in our life, we must know exactly what it is we want. Only then can we sail towards it. This is absolutely fundamental.

When the moon has gone

and the sun plays hide and seek

will I see new dawn? ( Haiku By : Dr M Fakhruddin )

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