Category: Nature/Environment

The sunset


The sunset has always been a source of joy for me.  Like Keats said, ” A thing of beauty is joy forever”.  Watching a sun set and taking photos has been a source of inspiration for me always.  If you ask me, I do not know why ?.  Scientists tell us that it is safer to watch a setting sun than a rising one because of the infra red and other harmful rays.  I watch the setting sun as it is a source of beauty and happiness for me.

As the sun sets in the horizon, we have the multicolour formation of the clouds.  No artist in the world can paint it.  No designer can visualise it.  It is the creation of nature and the gift of God. What amazes me more is that every day is a new design.  A new formation.  A new spread of colours.  The combination of colours is electrifying.  It soothes your mind and quenches your heart with emotions.

The setting sun signifies many things to me.  It declares the end of the day and the beginning of the night.  It means that life has both days and night.  While it may be easier to work in the day but much more difficult in the night.  The sun set prepares us for the difficulties of the night.  It cautions us to prepare for the more challenging phase of life.

I am lucky to travel to different parts of the world as part of my work.  Although I do not travel very often but every visit to a new place teaches me some thing.  The last time I was in Germany I was talking about sun sets with someone.  They told me how lucky we are that we have the sun for most part of the year in India.  As Indians we consider bright sun light as signifying higher temperatures and coupled with humidity, it definitely makes it a tougher day to bear.  But imagine life without much sun light.  If you live in countries, where the appearance of the sun is rare, you know what I mean.

The sun is not only a source of energy.  It brightens our life.  It balances nature. It helps us maintain our moods.  I recently experienced the absence of the sun for almost a week during the recent monsoon and I realised how much I missed it. I appreciate the reasons for depression and mood swings in the countries, where the appearance of the sun is a luxury.

The sunset may mark the end of the day.  But it also gives us hope that although we may have to spend a cold night but the rising sun the next day will give us hope and warmth back.  We miss something when we do not have enough of it.  In countries where the appearance of the sun is a phenomenon, its highly valued.  But in nations like India, where there is abundance of sunlight, we value it less till the day we miss it.

I am amazed by nature and everything around us. It is a great source of joy and happiness.  The sun, the moon, the earth, the tree, the sea, the mountains and so on.  If we sit back and reflect, we realise that we are privileged to learn so much from all of them.  Each of them is a mystery and a source of inspiration.  If at all we are willing to keep our eyes and ears open all the time, learning can never end.

The sun sets today to rise again tomorrow.  Let us also resolve to bounce back in life if at all we go through a bad patch in life like the sun does every day for us.

S Ramesh Shankar

Trees


Nature has always been a great source of inspiration for me in my life. Every part of nature fascinates me. “Trees” are one of the most fascinating parts of nature. For me, the tree is like our mother in life. It is always willing to give more than it takes from nature always.

Every part of the “Tree” is valuable and gives us important lessons in life. . The roots of the tree ensures that it can weather all the storms of nature. It allows the tree to grow without taking any credit for it. It remains below the ground but the tree will die, if the roots are damaged.

The roots teaches us to be grounded always in life. We have to learn to keep our feet on the ground at all times. We tend to float in the air with a little bit of success in life. If we learn from the roots, we will remain humble and achieve a lot of success in life.

Lets move to the trunk. It is the strongest part of the tree. It ensures that the tree is firmly held on the ground. It ensures that branches grow around it and let the tree blossom as it grows. It ensures the health of the tree and maintains its vitality.

The lesson from the trunk is to keep ourselves healthy at all times. If we maintain good health at all times and keep ourselves fit, it is possible to achieve all that we desire in life. The trunk of the tree could be like our backbone. If the backbone is straight and maintained well, the whole body shapes up well in life as we grow up.

Now, lets move to the branches. They grow from the trunk and branch out in different directions. They grow healthily without hampering each others growth. Similarly in life, we have to learn to grow with our siblings at home and our team members at work without coming in their way for our selfish reasons.

If we move to the leaves, they absorb carbon dioxide from the air and provide the vital ingredients for the growth of the tree from the sunlight and the air. Similarly, we have to use our abilities to learn from everyone around us at home and at work by utilising our full potential.

The flowers are the most beautiful part of the tree. They bloom and spread the fragrance around it. They allow the bees to feed on their nectar and ensures the balance of nature. God has given humans a beautiful smile like the flowers. We need to spread cheer around us using our beautiful smile to make people happy all around us all the time.

The fruits provide fodder to the birds and the animals. They also provide nutrition to human beings without expecting anything in return. We need to share our knowledge and skills with others who need them without expecting anything in return. The tree never asks for anything in return from the animals or humans who consume the fruits from them.

Last but the most important, the trees provide oxygen and ensure a clean environment for us to breathe. We need to learn to keep our environs clean and commit to protect trees at all times. This could be a fitting tribute to a selfless organism, which does so much for us in life.

It also provides shade to anyone below it and ensures other trees grow as the seeds from the fruit is strewn around by animals and birds. We need to pass on our knowledge and skills to our future generations to ensure the sustainability of mankind.

Do you agree with my learnings from the “Tree” ?. If yes, can we all commit to protect the trees and environment around us not only for own survival but as our promise to the generations that follow us.

S Ramesh Shankar

The Moon


The sight of the moon is romantic.  It is radiant and cool.  It is selfless to say the least.  It absorbs light from the sun and reflects it to the earth.  While the sun is bright and warm, the moon is artistic and cool.  Nature has its unique way of balancing itself for our benefit.  While we need the sun in the day to warm us up and provide us with all the vitamin D we require, the moon keeps the darkness away and still allows us to sleep peacefully at night. 

I have always wondered as to why the moon is considered romantic.  One, you can admire it with your naked eyes and enjoy its beauty.  Second it radiates the light from the sun but keeps the environment cool for us.  It allows the stars to sparkle around it unlike the sun, which brightens the sky so much that no other stars are visible during the day.

The sun remains the same to the human eye right through the year and from morning to evening in a day.  On the other hand, the moon transforms from new moon to full moon over a fortnight and expresses itself in various forms each day.  You can admire the moon all night without harming your eyes.  On the other hand, the sun can be admired during sun rise at dawn or sunset at twilight.  If you try to admire the sun during other parts of the day, it may impact your eyes badly.

As the moon rises in the sky, the stars sparkle and the reflection of the moon on the ocean or rivers is worth a million words.  Poets and authors have revelled writing on the moon and its myriad forms.  While the sun sparkles our life with its warmth, the moon cools us with its mysteries.  While the sun encourages us to work hard and toil in the day, the moon teaches us to relax and sleep well at night.

The sun, moon and the stars are nature’s gift to mankind.  Each of them have their own gifts to give us.  The sun is hot, the moon cool and the stars sparkle.  Each of them add colour to our lives.  They play a useful role in our daily life and inspire us to admire and learn from them.

The sun can teach us to be bright and bold.   The moon teaches us to be selfless and cool and the stars advise us to sparkle and enjoy life.  We can learn from all of them and add energy to our lives.  The sun can be a symbol of intensity, the moon can be a symbol of patience and the stars can infuse energy into our lives.  We need to learn from the beauty of all of them.

Lets keep our cool like the Moon.

S Ramesh Shankar