I’m often called strong. Perhaps I am. But I’d like to believe that I am more self sufficient. The independence and freedom that it brings that you are not dependent on external factors is very liberating. More importantly it does not allow fear to thrive, as the sense of loss is minimal. That irreverence comes across as strength I guess.

The beautiful part of being self sufficient is that, then you can truly love abundantly. No, not loving oneself. I don’t think such a thing exists. Love to me always has to be in relationship to an external factor. It is the irrational quotient of life that expands the possibility of living. Of thriving. It helps nourish your individual resource pool making you more self reliant and resilient than before.

Take a fort for example. All forts are strong. But the kingdoms that have overcome a siege are the ones not living within the impregnable forts, but the ones that were well stocked up with adequate resources and draining away the camped out army. That adequacy however comes from a time when the fort gates were open and they allowed trade to flourish and enrich it within. Hence during the siege, while the strong and high walls kept the armies at bay, their riches kept them sustained.

We are not much different from the forts when you think about it. What kind of a fort we build and who we let in and to whom we shut out makes all the difference in being strong and self sufficient.
~
Thoughts on turning 39 ft. Kangra Fort.

Visited this magnificent beauty around my birthday, which is a small detour from Dharamshala. The legend has it that this was built soon after the Mahabharata war and is mentioned in the travelogues of all great dynasties many of whom, who conceded defeat.

It was a great earthquake in 1905 that left it ruined while devastating the whole city.