Send me a little note,
A little note of love.
A little word of prayer,
A wish that would last!
A note of love can make
Everything looks and feels like a piece of cake;
Send me a note that states,
How dear I am to you, mate!
Let me be your fiction,
Or your daily dose of caffeine!
Let me be the muffin,
On a cold Sunday morning!
Write me a note that reads -
"You are what any friend needs"...
One line of gratitude, appreciation, glee,
One line on our mischievous deeds!
I am each one you left behind
Running ahead in the rat race…
We are all guilty chasing life
Leaving memories behind, letting them fade!
I know we don't talk often,
Does that mean anything at all?
Remember me in between clock hours,
Let time and pace heal what's between us!
Send me a little note,
A little letter of love…
A fraction of a second, you allot
Could make me smile a lot!
I'll send you a little note
"I love you," I'd quote…
Red flags. Is it common in a relationship? It seems so. Not just in any romantic affinities. One can see it in any relationship – between colleagues, friends, sisters, brothers, or family members. So what is a red flag? A forewarning indication that reveals harmful and unhealthy or manipulative conduct.
A committed relationship between partners needs work and effort. Period. The point to cite here is ‘commitment from both ends.’ Applies to any relationship. First, what should one be aware of?
Stay put and believe in yourself over anyone else. Do not hold another accountable for what your thoughts are. Likewise, do not allow anyone to hold you responsible for something you haven’t done. There should be mutual respect for what two people believe and do.
Anger is a gigantic red flag. Someone who does not know how to control anger is a person who needs help. On the other hand, you must not lose your cool and end up being a toxic person, either. Anger management takes time, and anyone willing to work on it will eventually bear fruit.
Jealousy, over-possessiveness, lack of trust, and lack of emotional maturity are other red flag in any relationship. One must allow another to grow, develop and explore at their own pace. It would help if you were not forced or forced to see beyond what you see. Over-dependency of any sort is a killer – may it be an emotional, intellectual, financial, or social dependency. Allow yourself space and time to figure out your life. Likewise, allow your partner or friend to do so too. Autonomy is good for overall well-being. A lack of space in a relationship will ruin any connection in the long run.
Abuse of any sort is a red flag that must not be left unnoticed. Abuse is not always physical and does not always involve violent acts. Unfortunately, some abusers know very well how to play the cards. Emotional, financial, psychological, and social abuse is all widespread but often unrecognized. Never allow anyone to take the best of you, and do not let yourself down for anyone.
You are feeling guilty and playing the victim. Some people live in self-pity, and it is often too confusing to understand who the victim in such situations is. As human beings with emotions and mood swings, we are all quite toxic in our ways – the best of us know how to handle things better and live accordingly. Therefore, it is essential to recognise where you need help and be vocal about the whole thing. You must not feel guilty for doing something you always wanted – you must not let anyone else feel so.
Red flags can be anything that destroys the foundation of a good relationship that stands strong with love, trust, kindness, honesty, loyalty, and humane. Be the person who sets your boundaries first and helps others to set theirs and respect others when they say no.
We are all caught up in the whirlwind of adulthood, responsibilities, commitments, and priorities. Too often, we forget who we indeed are from within… Time flies, and we age: unaware of how we spent the years that went past us so quickly!
Like we have all been told, time holds for none, and we ought to take full credit for how useful or not we have utilized time for ourselves! In a blink, we turn into our thirties from our twenties and fifties from our forties, and little do we know what we eventually missed out on!
It is as important to love, accept, understand and be there for ourselves as it is to contribute to the community. It is also necessary to live life, so we value who we are as individuals. It is not about aging, how much money we make, or how many countries we’ve traveled to. It is about what we’ve become from the inside – have we become more sensitive, caring, loving, nurturing, and kind, or have we just given in to the mundane nuances of life being devoid of emotional stability and the innocent intellect we once had?
The key is the focus on staying the kids we always were. From within, the childlike blamelessness and the spirit of curiousness mold us to be sincere in our lives. It is more about staying kids rather than living a fabulously luxurious boring life! The more we are in touch with nature and our inner selves, the more successful we are in maintaining mental health and bringing a precise balance between living life and just surviving.
As important as it is to be sincere and hardworking as an adult and take care of ourselves and our family, it is also necessary to love ourselves, pamper ourselves, be friendly and respectful to ourselves and keep the spirit of excellence burning within us. This will help us age gracefully and not become old mentally and emotionally. Keep the light burning – keep the doors open, keep nature close and vibes clear.
Give a chance to second thoughts and clear your head once in a while, like you would clear out an old cupboard. Stay ahead; live, and let live – perhaps like children, play (live) and have fun!
Happiness is Being Who YOU are. Every day is a new day and an opportunity to be the best version of yourself! I understand what Wilde meant what he said years ago, ‘be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.’
I get it now. I am myself now- no masks and filters(Of course, I am not talking about my make-up). I know my worth. What I am and what I feel is unique. I accept myself for who I am. It is what makes me unique. It does not matter what others think of me. It does not even count what others’ opinion is about me. I know who I am.
If we look at it one day at a time, what you can do to be happy is quite simple. Waking up in the morning every day is a blessing in itself. You can and must be pleased about it. It is a fact. Accepting each day as it is, is a gift you can give yourself. Allowing yourself to breathe and bask in the glory of everything that’s going on in your life is a vital triumph factor.
Offering someone help is a fabulous way of showing gratitude. You become a part of someone else’s life or day, which can positively impact how you feel. That can enhance happiness and instigate a sense of confidence and contentment.
Happiness, therefore, is a part of YOU. Honestly, you do not need any external force to make you happy. Simple, everyday things can make you happy – and that happiness is immeasurable.
Do not look for happiness elsewhere; it is right where you are, within you – you need to open your eyes and heart and believe it. Just remember, BE YOU.
This write-up is enlightened by Brianna Wiest’s book, The Mountain is You. It is a fact, we usually overlook when it comes to achieving our dreams and goals.
We sure are quick to wish, dream, desire, and want. However, not all of us get down and take the rough road to achieve the desired destination. Honestly, I have been guilty of it too. For so long. I have always wished for a certain lifestyle and attributes that could keep me happier, but I realised that I have never really taken any major steps in getting there!
That’s when I realised that getting out of our comfort zone and doing what it takes requires self-confidence, self-awareness, determination, discipline, and willingness from within. I have experienced what these things can do in life. Being an oversized girl from childhood, I have never been able to lose much weight. However, when the Pandemic hit and we were stuck within four walls, something inside instigated me to be disciplined and determined to lose weight. I focused on my desire to shed a few pounds and made sure I worked towards it. It took some time, but it did show results.
We have all been guilty of procrastinating, being lazy, giving excuses, and not being as mindful as we are supposed to be. It’s only human. However, isn’t it time to take a moment and start right away to build that dream you’ve been dreaming?
Look deeper to realise that we are the mountain. And we alone can move ourselves to reach our destiny! Move the mountain of insecurities, fears, experiences, scars, imperfections, and personal hardships. Set them aside to see what is on the other side. It will be worth the effort and time.
Food is survival. Over the years, as we have evolved, so have our eating patterns. We all have our own choice of food we love. Some of us like our morning cup of coffee or some tea. Some of us love a bowl of ramen (noodles) or some warm khichadi. Many of us love a freshly prepared Dosai served with hot sambar, chutney, and crispy vada and or a full hot English breakfast served with freshly squeezed juice.
Last time, when you were down or when you got excited, what was it that you craved? Was it ‘Fried Chicken or Fried Rice? Was it Manchurian, Chowmein, Chilli chicken or was it Manchow soup? It could have been Pizza or Pasta. Let me guess, Chicken Tandoori and Paneer Butter Masala. Right! Karimeen Polichathu or Fish Moiley, a hot plate of ChickenBiryani or Parotta and Beef…..Whatever our choice is, comfort food does influence our emotions. Oh! The guilt of calories consumed is not a topic we will discuss right now.
Food is comfort. Period. Many find solace in food. Don’t we all indulge ourselves at times with food? A breakup or a promotion, we just find relief when we have the food of our liking. Comfort foods unleash the hormone that aids in stress relief and feelings of contentment and delight.
Consuming healthy food and maintaining balance in what we eat in a day do a lot of good to our overall well-being. Eating fruits and vegetables and including healthy intervals between meals also do positive things to our body and mind. Home-cooked meals are always better than meals prepared in restaurants or large quantities. Packaged foods that contain preservatives must be avoided and fresh poultry, meat, fish, and greens must be included in our daily food intake. Health is wealth. Only if we have good health are we mentally sane and physically strong. This, as a result, helps aid in focusing, concentrating, and building a successful lifestyle.
Everything starts within… Being positive, feeling good, experiencing good health, being physically active, and loving ourselves; everything starts from within. It is each one of our responsibility to take care of our health and body. Loving ourselves includes maintaining good eating habits and being considerate about what is good for us.
Comfort food is magic. Comforting ourselves with food is alright as long as we follow healthy habits regularly. We can and must at times give in to sweet cravings and junk foods. However, there must be a check on how often we indulge in food that can in the long run prove not so good for our systems.
Choose healthy comfort food. If possible. Choose healthily, eat healthily, and stay healthy! Having said that, the power of comfort food is different. And it is okay to fall of the wagon every now and then. We are human after all. The point is, make sure not to get addicted to the convenience of comfort food.
What we consume has a lot to do with how our wellness goes. What we feed ourselves talks magnitudes about how we treat our bodies. Correspondingly, what we feed our brain is as crucial if not more! As a famous quote by Eckhart Tolle goes, ‘all problems are illusions of the mind.’
From listening to the right things to seeing what is good for our mind, from what our deepest thoughts are to what our actions show, from what we read, watch and share: everything has a direct impact on our physical as well as mental and psychological well-being. Downright direct consequence.
In a time where we can easily get swayed by the air of fast-paced technology and evolving social lives, it is so essential to take in what is good for ourselves and let go of what is not necessary – like hatred, frustration, anxiety, fear, negative literature, unhealthy thoughts, and lifestyle… This allows us to stay sane and content in life, ushering in happiness, positivity, and good health.
To begin with, as simple as I can put it across, we may start reading books and texts that unburden us and impart learning and understanding to us. Maybe we should watch films that add value and give us a zest to live. We could listen to wise folks express their life’s amazing lessons and experiences. Maybe breakdown on how we can preserve our future by instilling goodness, sharing ideas, and fresh thoughts, helping one another, smiling, and being grateful for the smallest of things… this way we can construct a difference in our life as well as others around us.
Be a reflection – show the world that good people exist. The world and this generation need healing.
Life is a mystery;
See through the glass -
Yellow so bright, brown so not,
Moulded into fine art that speak
Volumes of human legacy…
Good, bad, ugly;
Godmen of diminishing values -
Rituals that are sworn by cultures
So vast and surreal:
Too deep rooted and strong;
As true as the stars they seem.
Blurred are visions of success,
Fine values, morals, etiquette,
Basic courtesy, leave alone
Love, compassion and true passion.
It is as though no one cares anymore
Of what truly matters.
All is a sham, all is a scam -
Life has become more of
Fake laughs, pouts, emotions,
Reels, scripts and lessons…
More power to those who
Break these slowly emerging
Shackles of destructive future
And bring forth light of faith,
Joy, trust, belief and love.
These souls heal this world
And sow seeds of goodness
That reep wellness and
Peace and everything nice…
They are real heroes
Perhaps not seen on screens!
Life, like everything else
Is an amalgam of both
Fair and not, good and bad.
Eyes that see and hearts that feel
Shall witness the essence of
The purpose and time…
I am not guilty of leaving my baby every day and going to work. I mean, I do miss him like crazy. When I am away all I think is, what he’s doing, what he ate, whether he took his timely nap, if he was behaving well and what not. Although, I feel it is paramount and central for me to keep myself occupied differently than just being my boy’s mom!
I have always been a girl who made her own money and paid her bills. It is not only crucial for my financial independence but also my sanity and self-confidence! My job is as critical to me as my time with my son while he grows up. Keeping my mind and body busy outside of what happens in the house gives me a sense of clarity and existence.
I am very sure that I want my boy to watch his mom go out there and make things work, makes things happen for the best. It gives me a sense of confidence and uplifts me to do better for myself so that I can provide the best for my little man.
It is so important to instill the thought of both parents sharing equal responsibilities in the child’s mind and life. He must watch his dad and mom taking care of him and sharing responsibilities in the house equally. This will ensure he sees balance in everything around him. This also develops a sense of gender unbiased thoughts and emotions within him.
I am not guilty of being occupied and taking care of myself on a daily basis. Only if I am physically and mentally myself can I be physically and mentally there for my son. To teach him and to inculcate respect and gratitude for women in his life, he must witness what women give up and go through to survive in this absolute gender-biased society.
It was not easy but not as difficult as it may seem to be for many. We do need a strong will and an understanding partner who can help us make our own decisions. As long as my brain is productive, there’s monetary independence, work-life balance, love, and respect for one another, life is beautiful.
It’s a way of life and I am sure this will not only make me stronger as a woman and a mother but make my son a more responsible gentleman who understands women and their breed.
Open your eyes and embrace
The sweet scent of an early morning.
Start your day with a vision so strong,
A passion that keeps you running.
Empower your spirits,
Stand strong, arms wide open;
Showcase your prowess, be vocal:
Make your move, take your step,
Keep your pace, you're still in the race…
It's you vs you: Your
Mission to take them by storm!
The world is a small place;
Your name engraved on each cloud
In the sands of time it's written:
Make your dream a vision for others;
The dream which to achieve, you were born.
The world is a kaleidoscope
With dreams and visions so scattered.
Pick up small pieces and solve the maze,
Reach your goal, because that's what matters!
Hold your horses, face the storm:
Call them by name, stay strong;
You're about to witness great
Power, great perseverance, a great You,
Coz' the world indeed is Yours!
The world is yours, engrave your name
In the air that generations after you shall breathe.
Stay awake, welcome the heat;
Sweat a little and feel the beat -
Nothing shall deter your success or speed
Mysteries and miracles are all you need…
Art of How To 