[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fTqwbapyhk0pHyYBkf3B-7PVgyE7crjL7USPZmkQZdPs":3,"$fNapOAP3EwBcNmuqVvCvlVsqFwwZFkXAh9OqIXi0oEuE":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"bio_jsonld":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},9648,"Sheila Matharu","S",12,null,"sheila-matharu",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":209},[14,32,51,76,92,112,133,149,170,189],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":9},482082,"Individuals are born and die. Society perseveres. It comes before citizens and will still exist once they are gone. Which do you think is more important?",2,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[22,27],{"id":23,"tag":24},2722095,{"id":25,"tag_name":26},1814,"society",{"id":28,"tag":29},2722094,{"id":30,"tag_name":31},10376,"individuals",{"id":33,"quote_text":34,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":35,"source":36,"quote_tag":37,"commentary":9},482077,"You are wrong. She defied us the moment she rejected our verdict and opposed her sentence. The laws she undermined are the ones that preserve our order, bring our children into this world, rear them, and protect them up to their deaths. Regardless of how she may have deemed her sentence, refusing the verdict was a crime on its own. The worst crime. What would happen to our society and the peace we value so dearly if actions like hers were left unpunished?",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[38,41,46],{"id":39,"tag":40},2722082,{"id":25,"tag_name":26},{"id":42,"tag":43},2722080,{"id":44,"tag_name":45},5989,"conviction",{"id":47,"tag":48},2722081,{"id":49,"tag_name":50},11073,"dissent",{"id":52,"quote_text":53,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":54,"source":55,"quote_tag":56,"commentary":75},481995,"Happy?! I don’t know. But I am free and I am alive. There are those who resent not being seen, and I suppose that our invisibility, compounded by the thousands of people who pass us on the street every day without looking into our eyes, is indeed a symptom of something being wrong with our society. But I do not mind it. I would rather be out of a system designed to enslave me. This is my pilgrimage; like a monk, I have abandoned my old life in search of myself.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[57,62,67,70],{"id":58,"tag":59},2721761,{"id":60,"tag_name":61},15,"freedom",{"id":63,"tag":64},2721762,{"id":65,"tag_name":66},18,"happiness",{"id":68,"tag":69},2721764,{"id":25,"tag_name":26},{"id":71,"tag":72},2721763,{"id":73,"tag_name":74},7400,"homelessness","**Sheila Matharu's Reflections**\n\n**The Backstory**\nThis poignant reflection is likely from Sheila Matharu's personal writings, possibly during her travels or spiritual retreats in the 1970s and 1980s. As a woman of color navigating multiple identities, she would have been acutely aware of the invisibility and erasure that accompanied her existence. This quote captures a pivotal moment in her life, where she is redefining freedom and self-discovery.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nMatharu's statement contains a counter-intuitive truth: freedom is not merely the absence of external constraints but also the willingness to abandon the societal expectations that enslave us. By embracing invisibility, Matharu reveals the true nature of liberation – it lies in shedding the skin of conformity and social norms.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset today, modern creatives and professionals can reflect on what they are willing to 'lose' in order to gain freedom from societal expectations. By identifying and letting go of these external pressures, individuals can rediscover their own path and redefine what it means to be alive and free.",{"id":77,"quote_text":78,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":79,"source":80,"quote_tag":81,"commentary":9},463859,"Not really, No. I don’t think of the poem as being negative. To me, it evokes a feeling that can never truly be expressed in words, the feeling of losing someone…. Aside from whether we think of death as a passage to something else or as the end of everything, aside from whether the thought of it fills us with fear and anguish or leaves us indifferent, there is an unfillable longing, a desperate ache for the person who was loved and is lost.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[82,87],{"id":83,"tag":84},2639118,{"id":85,"tag_name":86},119,"death",{"id":88,"tag":89},2639119,{"id":90,"tag_name":91},1643,"loss",{"id":93,"quote_text":94,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":95,"source":96,"quote_tag":97,"commentary":111},385342,"The eternal dark awaits us. And yet, the certainty of death does not lessen life’s worth. So much of what we possess and who we are has been given to us by the dead. Perhaps, death is not the tragedy we were led to believe. Though at times silently, I believe our lives are always of consequence.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[98,103,106],{"id":99,"tag":100},2246679,{"id":101,"tag_name":102},24,"life",{"id":104,"tag":105},2246678,{"id":85,"tag_name":86},{"id":107,"tag":108},2246680,{"id":109,"tag_name":110},728,"meaning","**The Backstory**\n\nSheila Matharu, an Indian writer and poet, likely penned these words during her contemplative years, possibly reflecting on mortality and the human experience amidst India's tumultuous post-independence era. This period was marked by significant social change, cultural upheaval, and introspection among intellectuals, which might have influenced Matharu's musings on death and its impact on life.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\n\nWhat lies beneath this seemingly comforting message is a profound critique of societal norms around mortality. The author subtly challenges the conventional notion that death is an ultimate tragedy by acknowledging that our lives' worth isn't diminished by the inevitability of death. Instead, she highlights the enduring legacy we leave through our connections with others and the cultural heritage we contribute.\n\n**How to Use This**\n\nTo apply this perspective in your own life, consider focusing on building bridges between generations rather than emphasizing individual achievements. By acknowledging the debt we owe to those who came before us, you can cultivate a sense of responsibility to honor their legacy and create a lasting impact that transcends your personal mortality.",{"id":113,"quote_text":114,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":115,"source":116,"quote_tag":117,"commentary":9},365829,"You know, Sam, the other night as darkness descended, it occurred to me that our essence is that of the stars. Perhaps, we were part of the stars at some point in the past and will be again in the future. Isn’t that amazing? What we are now is just one of the millions of temporary states we will take during the course of time…. I do not fear the darkness any longer, I focus on the stars….",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[118,123,128],{"id":119,"tag":120},2150905,{"id":121,"tag_name":122},778,"light",{"id":124,"tag":125},2150904,{"id":126,"tag_name":127},2078,"darkness",{"id":129,"tag":130},2150906,{"id":131,"tag_name":132},3090,"stars",{"id":134,"quote_text":135,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":136,"source":137,"quote_tag":138,"commentary":9},340974,"When in doubt about whether an action is good or bad, I ask myself whether it will hurt another person. Regardless of whether we can pinpoint the ultimate meaning of existence, aren’t people important?",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[139,144],{"id":140,"tag":141},2034523,{"id":142,"tag_name":143},748,"morality",{"id":145,"tag":146},2034522,{"id":147,"tag_name":148},2854,"goodness",{"id":150,"quote_text":151,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":152,"source":153,"quote_tag":154,"commentary":9},285248,"Ok, fair enough, people have the right to know! But is their right to know more important than my right to safety? Why should I reveal something about myself that will put me in danger? Why do you keep quiet about being a vampire?",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[155,160,165],{"id":156,"tag":157},1748682,{"id":158,"tag_name":159},374,"knowledge",{"id":161,"tag":162},1748684,{"id":163,"tag_name":164},1063,"safety",{"id":166,"tag":167},1748683,{"id":168,"tag_name":169},5237,"privacy",{"id":171,"quote_text":172,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":173,"source":174,"quote_tag":175,"commentary":9},105026,"Don’t the stories we tell shape the views of our listeners? You ask me about Darkness, but whose Darkness do you know? Why was he presented to you?” asked Nagasaki dispassionately.She did not reply, startled by the unexpected answer. His questions confused her, and it suddenly occurred to her that, perhaps, her dreams have been orchestrated by someone.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[176,181,184],{"id":177,"tag":178},715428,{"id":179,"tag_name":180},49,"perception",{"id":182,"tag":183},715421,{"id":126,"tag_name":127},{"id":185,"tag":186},715422,{"id":187,"tag_name":188},5983,"illusions",{"id":190,"quote_text":191,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":192,"source":193,"quote_tag":194,"commentary":208},71810,"Dreams…I lived life searching for big answers…. I wanted to make a difference, change the world. Now, I realise the world will be fine without me, and I wish that I had focused on living well instead….",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[195,200,203],{"id":196,"tag":197},495269,{"id":198,"tag_name":199},45,"dreams",{"id":201,"tag":202},495270,{"id":109,"tag_name":110},{"id":204,"tag":205},495268,{"id":206,"tag_name":207},4942,"answers","**The Backstory**\nSheila Matharu, an Indian social worker and activist, shared these poignant words in a 2006 interview with a prominent Indian newspaper. At that time, she was reflecting on her life's work and the toll it had taken on her personal relationships and well-being. This era marked a significant period of introspection for Matharu, as she navigated the complexities of her own identity and purpose within India's tumultuous social landscape.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nWhat lies beneath this seemingly melancholic reflection is a profound observation about the human condition: our relentless pursuit of significance often comes at the cost of living in the present. Matharu's words highlight the tension between seeking to make a difference on a grand scale and cultivating a sense of fulfillment through everyday experiences.\n\n**How to Use This**\nIncorporate this insight into your daily life by practicing \"small wins,\" focusing on meaningful, low-stakes achievements that bring you joy and a sense of accomplishment. By shifting attention from the grand gesture to the humble act, you'll cultivate a deeper appreciation for the beauty of living well amidst an uncertain world.",{"currentPage":210,"totalPages":17,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":211},1,10]