Passion…unbridled

“It is a privilege to be busy”- I read somewhere

This reframing was so powerful that it had to be shared

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Although about busy days I tend to lament

I have the privilege of a vocation where working hard is the intent

I am busy with household chores because the privilege I possess

Of having a home and family, in that I am blessed

To have a busy social calendar is a privilege, a sign

That meaningful connections with people I can find

I am privileged to have enough resources to be

Busy in pursuit of passions that ignite me

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I am incredibly privileged to be busy indeed

I am privileged each day to earn the rest my body needs

You offer help with the purest intentions at heart

You assume their burden, their distress is tearing you apart

You solve their problems on your own

You’ve made things right, but you have not shown

Them the path towards solving problems that are theirs

You’ve actually not helped them, though deeply you care..

Next time they are in a similar bind

Ill-equipped to handle the issue themselves they would find

You might end up bailing them out again

Perpetually inadequate at solving their problems they might remain

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To those dear to you, when an offer of help you extend

Do not solve their problems for them, because in the end

You want to empower them to deal with issues on their own

You do not want to carry them, but you want to make it known

That you are by their side, guiding them on the path to success

You help them more by giving a little less…

Women who can call the shots I’ve always admired

To be that kind of woman is my hidden desire

To stand firm and unwavering when I know I am right

To feel and exude confidence, to not dim my light..

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Sometimes it appears to be a goal that I can attain

At other times, I fear I would always remain

Confined to my shell, wrapped as I have been

In my insecurities, unheard and unseen..

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To take command of a situation, I need

To keep my emotions at bay, I must heed

The warning signs that creep up in my field of vision

My strategy should on the spot undergo revision

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Sometimes, in certain situations, out of the blue

I find myself in charge, without consciously making an effort to

I am focused on problem-solving, with no time to spare

To listen to my inner critic, in that moment I am aware

That I have to take command, that there is no choice

Sotto voce, I hear an encouraging voice

Telling me to just do it, so I go ahead confidently

Such moments are rare, but I cherish them indefinitely

At first I was too skinny, I tried to gain weight

Then I swung on the other side in a cruel twist of fate

I shed some pounds, in order to attain

The ideal weight, but it was difficult to maintain

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At first I was too talkative, I tried to talk less

But then I became too shy to express

My opinions, unfortunately to my detriment

I could not get it right despite my best intent

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At first I was too conservative in the manner I dressed

That I needed to expand my sartorial choices was upon me impressed

Now I appear too flamboyant, I am advised to toke it down a notch

Therefore the sartorial styles of successful people I carefully watch

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At first I was being me, but with the crowd I did not fit in

So I altered my behavior, in order to score a win

But I seemed to overshoot the middle mark somehow

In constantly altering what I did, I was unable to allow

Myself to be who I wanted to be, after years I finally realized

That trying to fit in was futile, I was surprised

To find that I could actually be comfortable in my own skin

I did not have to conform to pressures to fit in

Protein is having a moment right now

You are told more protein in your diet you should allow

Protein shakes have been popular, but these days

Protein is being incorporated into desserts in creative ways

Touted as guilt-free desserts because you can eat

A supersized protein-rich dessert instead of a modest sized treat

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There are definitely times in life when more protein you need

Protein is good for growing children and post-surgical patients indeed

But the obsession with protein continues to grow

After all, fitness influencers with ripped bodies tell you so..

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Low fat, low carb, keto, high protein

These diets make us think that wrong our traditional diets have been

Pushing us towards food ultra-processed

Which is ultra-inflammatory in excess

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Healthy food has become harder to define

Every year a new diet is designed

To help people stay healthy and lose weight

There are many stakeholders deciding what goes on our plates

I am working after hours, trying to be efficient and fast

But the modicum of efficiency does not last

Tomorrow I have a housewarming party to attend

Respecting etiquette I do fully intend

To buy a gift but time is in short supply

To find something acceptable online I must try

So I take a few minutes to order a gift with a guarantee

Of a twenty-four hour delivery

Needless to say I have lost time that could have been spent

On work, but it is reassuring to a certain extent

That one of the many opportunities for a faux pas has been averted

It was a good thing that my attention was diverted..

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A while later I get a reminder that my child has to perform at an event

His outfit is in the laundry, this reminder is a Godsend

As soon as I get home a priority laundry shall be

When it actually gets done is something I still have to see

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My stomach grumbles, I am reminded that dinner has not been prepared

Now I am scratching my head to come up with easy-to-cook fare

There is stuff in my refrigerator and pantry

And I am trying to take a mental inventory

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As I take a break from my desk, I glance at my tired face

I remember that I have to be in more than one place

Where I need to dress the part, some time I need to spend

To spruce myself up, to my vanity tend

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On a Friday evening in the office I am staying late

To complete pending tasks at work, but everything else on my plate

Distracts me to remind me once more

That household responsibilities are always knocking at the door

I finally cross every t and dot every i and prepare to leave

At least now I can focus on my home, a sigh of relief I heave

I am in the middle of something

When I hear a message ping

On my phone, my ubiquitous accessory

I ignore it, it is probably not necessary

For me to interrupt my thought process

For a message, no one should need constant access

To me, and if it is urgent I should be called

Into the habit of repeatedly checking my phone I don’t want to fall

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But my attention has already been diverted

My chain of thoughts has been interrupted

I give in to the temptation of checking the message I’ve received

An AI bot has sent the message, I believe

I should have ignored it, I know

But I an on call as a doctor, it cannot be so

That I disregard a secure message on patient care indefinitely

That is why my phone is not on silent mode, you see..

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I try to deliver compassionate care

To my patients who are obviously unaware

Of the nature of all the messages I receive

As rude and distracted I probably am perceived

This is the constant struggle that I face

Trying to keep my attention in the right place

As I try to give patients attention undivided

I have to live with interruptions, I’ve decided

In times of distress when I am losing hope

I find myself browsing online for my horoscope

I consider myself a scientifically oriented, rational person

Sometimes I just want reassurance, a prediction

That everything in life shall fall into place

Once planets align themselves in the right phase

If the prediction happens to be unfavorable

I am more careful, reading something negative enables

Me to be extra cautious throughout the day

So that misfortune does not come my way

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Most of the time horoscopic predictions

Have a positive spin given to every situation

That is exactly why I look up to my horoscope

To provide my dismal present future hope

My horoscope seriously I rarely take

Decisions based on predictions I do not make

But reading my horoscope is a pastime harmless

It usually puts me in a better mood, I confess

To spice things up on a boring weekend morning I take

A selfie of myself drinking coffee, portraying enthusiasm fake

#self-care #weekendvibes #authenticlife#slowdays

Hashtags let me describe my mood in creative ways

I have been feeling unmotivated but the likes that I see

In response to my post lift my spirits temporarily

In a boring day some excitement I have generated

Out of nothing, something of interest I have created

My morning cup of coffee is strategically placed

To showcase my rather luxurious living space

In my selfie I look blissful and content

No trace of my dissatisfied life is evident

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Someone somewhere is looking at my post

And assuming that I must be luckier than most

To luxuriously drink coffee inside my beautiful dwelling

They don’t know the lie I am telling..

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On social media it is easy to be deceptive

A glamorous lifestyle you do not need to live

When a strategically snapped photograph can suffice

To tell the story that you want to tell, at the price

Of truth and authenticity- I know I myself can deceive

Therefore posts that look too good to be true I do not believe

For my problems I do not have a solution

So my brain and heart work in collusion

To come up with means of distraction

And I deflect my sorrow into a questionable action

I started shopping for things I do not need online

I try to lose myself in the aesthetics of fashion and design

Before long, I have stress-shopped more than I did intend

To soothe my emotions that are too fragile to mend

I take solace in knowing that at least I’ve not broken the bank

For that, I have my conditioning around money to thank..

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Buying something new gives me temporary relief

But this strategy does not align with my cherished belief

Of decreasing conspicuous consumption, so I feel a twinge of guilt

Towards solving my problems with shopping, resistance I must build

Besides, shopping is for bullet holes a bandaid

I actually need to work on my emotions frayed

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Let me try to treat myself the right way

Take a walk, read or daydream away

I do not need to be on a warpath to proclaim

That women are equal to or better than men, or even the same

A feminist I’m not going to try to be

I do not want to be bitter or angry..

But if a man disrespects a woman just because

He assumes he is superior, that would be cause

For me to speak up against such behavior, for sure

Also, disrespect of a man by a woman I would not endure

Because respect as a human is a fundamental right

For that, one should not have to fight

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I am not a feminist but I come across as one

When I raise my voice against discrimination

Because women more than men happen to be

Targeted by discrimination unfortunately

In a patriarchal order, women sometimes need more resources to enable

Them to have a seat at the male-dominated table

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My gender has never limited me in any way

But I am fortunate in that, I must say

To many woman around the world this privilege has been denied

When they make an effort to break barriers, I am on their side

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I support women, but I do not

Necessarily support them against all men, the thought

Of fighting men just to prove equality

Is a short sighted one personally..

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At the end, I want the world to move towards being more equitable

Where everyone, regardless of gender, race, nationality etc. has a seat at the table

I think what I need is hidden somewhere

In a corner of my home, but I cannot spare

Enough time to try to find it, it is possible indeed

That I actually do not have at home what I need

So I just order the required stuff online

It takes one click, the app is designed

To make online ordering completely painless

It saves me precious time, I confess

Usually I have my merchandise

At my doorstep sooner than I realize

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The stuff I’ve ordered gets used a few times and is banished subsequently

To a cavernous corner of my home, and I do not see

That object for several months and even years

Into the cache of forgotten stuff it disappears

This cycle continues, and eventually I acquire

Several copies of the stuff that I require

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One rare day, to declutter I decide

As I empty from closets things hidden inside

I find duplicates of stuff ordered over the years

My consumerism is wasteful, it is clear

I keep buying more instead of looking after my possessions

I seem to have less time and more disposable income, in true confession

I am partly responsible for the landfills filling up fast

With non-biodegradable stuff that for centuries will last

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I must learn to keep my stuff organized

I must take care of my possessions prized

Let this be my cue to declutter today

Let me trim the excess away