The loss of life of a Nepalese student studying in an Indian University has triggered a lot of discussion around casual discrimination. Labeling a North-East Indian ‘Chinki’, a south Indian ‘Madrasi’ or a Nepalese ‘Kancha’ may sound harmless but can have a deeper intrinsic meaning to outcast someone.
Othering not only leads to bias and discrimination but also doesn’t help society as a whole to unbreak the chain of ancient thinking.
One globe, one citizen
Can we not be kind and look beyond a person’s features and accent? How about labeling people as kind, hardworking, honest and knowledgeable instead?
It’s all about perspective isn’t it? And mine can be different from yours. As long as we each own it!
Our happiness doesn’t depend on what happens but is based on how we interpret what happened. Our interpretation of what happened is filled with assumptions, experiences and conditioning – and all of these are internal to us; far moved from the reality of what happened now. So your reality is not what happened but how you chose to see it.
A sweetmeat from the Himalayas
Start seeing failures as feedback, setbacks as stepping stones and challenges as opportunities. If you see the glass full you would be grateful while if you see it half empty you may always complain. So choose to control your perspective and you shall choose happiness.
Words are like magic. They can mean different things to different people. Silence for some equates to anger, negligence or other such negative emotions.
While another person may view silence as peace, tranquility, solitude and serendipity. After all silence is golden; for reflecting, for inner engineering and for all things inwards as it helps close ourselves to noise and bring oneself closer to clarity.
Conventional wisdom defines meditation as an act of sitting still and focusing on one’s breathing definition. Objective is to stay in the present, focus on a singular aspect and let your mind not wander.
How about bringing the same focus and being in the present while doing dishes? Or laundry? Or while ironing clothes or brushing your teeth? Maybe you could be absolutely still in your mind while painting or knitting or training with your weight? After all we are talking about the stillness of the mind and not the body.
So time to turn our routine tasks into a meditative zone. It can be your calm downtime before the storm of daily life hits you. Or a good break in the midst of the day when feeling overwhelmed with the noise and chaos. After all, all that is needed is that we focus and let the world fade away. I bet each of us has a meditative ritual, known or unknown where we enjoy our solitude while still being driven and focused on the task at hand. If not, I hope you find yours soon 😊
Ever noticed the number of passengers on your flight who are wearing brands from head to toe? As I glanced at one such fellow flyer on a domestic flight, I was wondering if it’s the same person who was checking in ahead of me at the boarding counter? Or the one who was next to me at the security check? Shortly realized it was not a “one but many” situation!
That made me wonder why so many of us prefer to wear loud labels. Is it to stay relevant and in fashion? Does the label help boost our confidence? Or do we attach our self-worth to the brands we own especially the ones on us?
How about spending time building one’s personal brand? Looking inwards, reflecting and nailing down right words for one’s core, image, and personality so as to bring out the uniqueness of you. And then trying to build your own brand; with thoughts, things and experiences which spell YOU.
Yes there is a difference. & It’s not mere word play. Learn to enjoy the company of the most reliant, always available soul i.e. yourself and trust me, you’ll never feel lonely.
Not being selfless doesn’t mean being selfish. There is an in between path too. It is one where everyone is equally important, no more, no less. Where everyone is entitled to exercise their choice, experience their freedom, love their dreams and guard their happiness. After all there is ample space for everyone in this universe, so if u can’t find some room for yourself, nudge and make way buddy. You deserve it, have no doubt.
Lastly, remember when no one’s around and you find yourself at loss of company, be sad not. This is the best time to go fulfill your bucket list. No better company than yourself would ever exist. So go ahead and aim for stars. Even if you miss, you’ll land at least on the moon. And that would be the silver lining of your dark cloud.
I can do it alone. I must and I will. Make it your anthem, go make the most of your time on earth. 💪
Travel to see the world. Travel to explore the earth. Travel to experience the globe. Travel not to tick off a checklist but to engage with the world in a meaningful way. So travel intentionally my friend. Purpose driven is one thing, but being mindful of your surroundings and ‘doing as Romans do’ is what intentional travel entails.
As a traveller, it’s your duty to respect local communities, be aware of their customs and dressing appropriately. It pays to be aware of their cultural courtesy and be responsible in minimising the waste you create. After all sustainability goes a long way to promote mindful travel.
Show some love and support to the economy of the land – shop from the arts & craft, savour the hyperlocal cuisine and indulge in experiences of your travel plans permit.
Don’t forget to be the ambassador of your own country. Kindness, respect and positive actions are a universal language. Carry your patriotism with pride and accuracy, be responsible to put your countrymen in good light.
Lastly, plan, iterate, journal but sail through the setbacks with a smile. As they too contribute to your memories. So make sure to plan with intention but leave room for leisure and embrace spontaneity!
This way you can curate your own unique experience and savour those moments that matter to you the most. ❤️
Emotions, root emovere. A latin word which means movement. So emotions equal movement, what makes you act. Feelings that make you do what you do.
And then there are all the labels we use for emotions – positive, negative, catastrophic, euphoric. Its unfair to label our emotions. They are at most intense, calm, pleasant or unpleasant. It’s what you do basis these emotions which make for a positive or a negative outcome.
But bear in mind that all emotions are welcome, all behaviours aren’t. It’s like looking at a dashboard – where emotions are the insights. They are signals waiting to be interpreted and not problems waiting to be solved.
Feelings come and go like waves in the ocean. They say time and tide wait for none. And emotions, well, they knock on our doors every moment we are alive.
So don’t be ashamed of what you feel. Stay unabashedly true to what you feel. But make sure what you do after reflects your journey as an individual.
Does that title even make sense? It’s like two opposite words put together. We would like to think we humans are rational logical thinking animals; but pause and think, doesn’t everything start with a tiny seed called emotion?
Emotional intelligence is something we all are wired with. Some are highly sensitive to it while others not as much. Thus emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and understand emotions. Firstly your own and then those of others. Using this level of awareness to manage behavior and outcomes makes navigating life easier.
Self awareness ie , motivation, regulation for self. Others Empathy and social skills with others
As a first step it may just help to identify what triggers this emotion in me? Is it an event, a situation or a person? Is there a pattern or common identifier which I can then start pre-empting.
The second essential question to know is what emotions do I feel? Am I able to give it the right title or I tend to label everything as stress.
Nidhis.daily.blog 