Wow everyone, thank you for your letters! It was so touching to receive so many 'cheer up' letters from people. Sincerely, thank you. It means a lot that you all
reached out with various bits of advice or your own experiences. I'm still going through a tough time, but I'm feeling much better than last week, slowly coming to grips and throwing myself back into life. I have to watch myself, because I'm the sort of person that always wants to present an 'OK' face to the world.
I always want to be on top of everything and be handling whatever comes my way. Sadly though, I've realised that sometimes I get so used to putting that face on, I do it to myself as well. Sometimes I stuff the things that aren't ok so far down that even I forget they're there. So this time, while I'm dealing with work and life and trying not to wallow, I'm also going to try not to bounce back sooner than is appropriate, and take the time to deal with what's been wrong. Someone told me to look at oneself like one's house - we clean house every now and then, clear out clutter and tidy up and throw out old things, and it should be the same with ourselves! Throw out old baggage, deal with cluttered up issues and make room for growth and change. I love the concept.
{{/usCountry}}I always want to be on top of everything and be handling whatever comes my way. Sadly though, I've realised that sometimes I get so used to putting that face on, I do it to myself as well. Sometimes I stuff the things that aren't ok so far down that even I forget they're there. So this time, while I'm dealing with work and life and trying not to wallow, I'm also going to try not to bounce back sooner than is appropriate, and take the time to deal with what's been wrong. Someone told me to look at oneself like one's house - we clean house every now and then, clear out clutter and tidy up and throw out old things, and it should be the same with ourselves! Throw out old baggage, deal with cluttered up issues and make room for growth and change. I love the concept.
{{/usCountry}}I'm copying a passage, below, from one of the letters I got this week, because it's a wise thought everyone can benefit from being reminded about (at least, it helped me). Thanks Kapil, for this message: "All of us are running these days, driven by unseen forces, and whole world seems as if it's in a state of flux. Through all this 'run and rush,' we tend to forget the basic fact that there is something in us apart from 'flesh and bones,' with which we have lost contact. So some days, life compels us to take a pause so that we can regroup our being around this inner self. I don't have anything to advise you but just try. Just try to be an impartial referee to all this as if watching it a game from the outside as a witness...Close your eyes, breathe deep and smile!"
Tonight, I'll be playing a concert in New York City with my father. We're playing at Carnegie Hall, which is considered by many people to be the most prestigious concert hal in the world. I've performed there nearly fifteen times since I was a teenager, and this will be my second appearance there this year. I'm excited about it, and a little nervous as well, so the advice about breathing deep is definitely taken to heart! Have a great weekend guys.
Write to me at anoushka.shankar@hindustantimes.com