Author Spotlight - Balroop Singh!

Hello, beautiful readers! Today, I'd like to share you with a wonderful poet, Balroop Singh. She is a member of the Rave Reviews Book Club (#RRBC). Here is more about her from her author bio:

Balroop Singh is a former teacher and an educationalist and has always had a passion for writing.  She is a poet, a creative non-fiction writer, a relaxed blogger and a doting grandma. She writes about people, emotions and relationships. Her poetry highlights the fact that happiness is not a destination but a chasm to bury agony, anguish, grief, distress and move on! No sea of solitude is so deep that it can drown us. Sometimes aspirations are trampled upon, the boulders of exploitation and discrimination may block your path but those who tread on undeterred are always successful.

When turbulences hit, when shadows of life darken, when they come like unseen robbers, with muffled exterior, when they threaten to shatter your dreams, it is better to break free rather than get sucked by the vortex of emotions. She has always found poetry a more suitable genre of expression as it flows spontaneously and smoothly. Just a metaphor can evoke emotions that can’t be described in a thousand words. Poetry touches our deepest cords; develops perceptions and liberates us from the mundane. Due to its ambiguous nature, it can be interpreted in more than one way, depending on how the reader discerns the thoughts.

 A self-published author, she is the poet of Sublime Shadows of Life,  Emerging From Shadows and Timeless Echoes – her widely acclaimed poetry books. She has also written When Success Eludes, Emotional Truths Of Relationships, Allow Yourself to be a Better Person, her latest poetry book Moments We Love has just been released.

 

Balroop Singh has always lived through her heart. She is a great nature lover; she loves to watch birds flying home. The sunsets allure her with their varied hues that they lend to the sky. She can spend endless hours listening to the rustling leaves and the sound of waterfalls. The moonlight streaming through her garden, the flowers, the meadows, the butterflies cast a spell on her. She lives in San Ramon, California.

Her bio makes me want to visit her and spend time with her amid her surroundings. So, let's read some of her beautiful poetry. 

Excerpt from Emerging From Shadows

OASIS OF PEACE

Blooming blossoms, whispering wind

Carried me far into the haven of peace

Solitude softly spoke in serene tone,

We welcome weary travelers alone

Divesting dirty robes of dissent

We revel in the glorious sun

You too can embrace this light

Just follow it with smiling delight

The light that enlightens the mind

The light that permeates all around

Adds new dimension to thoughts

Guides us out of those knobby knots

Illumines those innate virtues

When we try to shake them off

In annoyance, in rage, in resentment

Leisurely hours are wistfully spent

Rejoicing in the new found glee

We sat and shared upon His knee

Palpable peace pervaded all around

Into which all dismay drowned.

© Balroop Singh

Excerpt from Timeless Echoes

       Revelation  

The ink dried on the pages

You left at my desk

Words glare at me

And echo your thoughts…

All that you didn’t say!

Did you say you love me?

How could my arms oppress you?

Was your soft tone a show off?

The sea of your eyes

A delusion?

The ghosts of your journal

Follow me unawares

The embers of your love

Still smolder within me

Smothering my breath out

I carry dead demons of your memory

Looking for a place to bury them.

© Balroop Singh

Excerpt from Moments We Love:

When Love Whispers

We walked those woods

A thousand times

The silence; the symphonies

The shadows; the light

Lingering in the aura of love

Velvety sky watches

Stars shine brighter

With our whispers

Our love deeper than woods

Paces through night

Swaying with the breeze

Stilling my heart, singing lullabies.

© Balroop Singh

Balroop doesn't only write poetry. She also writes non-fiction. Here is an excerpt from Allow Yourself to be a Better Person.

RESPECT YOURSELF

   Self-esteem is not given; it is earned; it is cultivated and it is snatched when others try to smash it. I have faced the worst of criticism and ridicule for being too thin and tall, for failing in Math, for writing beautifully and neatly but incapable of completing a given test within the specified time, for keeping aloof and being arrogant. The list is very lengthy but the reality is that my self-esteem could never get shattered with the insensitivity around me because I knew those were hollow observations of jealous people. I knew I am enough!

   People around me could never hurt my self-esteem, not because I was never in such a situation but because I never let them! Even as a child when I was asked to apologize for no fault of mine, to please somebody’s ego, I refused. I knew I would be punished but I didn’t care!

   My mirror has never told me that I am not the best or I can’t excel. I always knew I am much better than many. Criticism of others affects me in a positive manner. I try to introspect and dismiss the judgment of others as their opinion. I try to work on my imperfections in such a manner that enhances my self-esteem.

What lowers self-esteem?

·         Negative home environment

·         Broken families

·         Bullying

·         Insensitive friends

·         Shaming by a parent or a teacher

·         Self-blaming

·         Intimidating or controlling partner

·         Demanding boss

·         Dwelling on your weaknesses

What can help?

   Positivity: Read positive quotes, think positive thoughts, spend more time in the company of positive-minded people. Walk away from those who don’t respect your opinion. Try to understand that there is no age for personality enhancement and your growth and development is an ongoing process. Have faith in yourself and your capabilities. Don’t compare yourself to your friends or colleagues. Stop blaming yourself just because others try to shift their responsibility.

   Face your fears: If you let your fears hibernate, if you don’t discuss them even with yourself, they could shrink your heart, wound your spirit and keep consuming the remnants of your mettle to fight them. Let those alligators out of your mind. Discuss them with a confidant or a therapist. Learn to accept the fear of failure because only when we fail do we rise with renewed zeal and energy.

   Forgive yourself: Forgiveness is that virtue, which sets us free and acquaints us with the finest emotions. It unshackles the chains of guilt that we weave around us. It soothes our mind. We can emerge out of those dark corridors of fears and insecurities that people around us pushed into. We can see ourselves in a new light. Self-forgiveness, even if we may be guilty of hurting others, is of utmost importance to build our self-esteem.

   Quit self-criticism: Self-judgment is more detrimental than the nasty remarks of others. It makes us doubt our own intentions, it ruins our confidence, it pulls us back into the dumps of depression and lowers our self-esteem. Self-reflection is good as far as it encourages us to work on our weaknesses. It is better to train your mind to think positive, to remember that those who attack our self-esteem are actually dealing with their own insecurities.

   Take pride in pursuing activities you love: Invest in yourself. Search within. Spend time with yourself and indulge in those activities that you enjoy. Stop pleasing people around you. Be proud of yourself and your little accomplishments. Self-love is not being selfish, it is being kind to yourself. Don’t allow anybody to disrespect what you like to do. Count your strengths and your blessings. Be yourself. The best freedom is being you.

© Balroop Singh

As you can see, Balroop Singh writes beautifully and has so much to share with everyone. If any of this has peaked your interest in her works, you can connect with her here:

Twitter

Facebook

Pinterest

Amazon

Goodreads

Thanks for joining me today for this author spotlight! Feel free to share your comments below. I'm sure Balroop would love to hear from you. :-)