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  • Second Chance

    We often associate kindness as a good deed for others. Being kind is a founding principle taught by most religions. Afterall kindness is basic to humanity and its existence.

    Often kindness can manifest as caring for others, sometimes even at the cost of putting one’s own needs first. But what good would come from all the selflessness if one ain’t being kind to oneself in the first place. Afterall only a full cup can fill others. So why have shame in putting boundaries and claiming me time for the only body, mind and soul who is your lifelong companion – thyself!

    Sipping as the world goes by

    Reclaim your moments, guard them selfishly and indulge in something just for yourself. It won’t make you less of a spouse, partner, parent, child, sibling or whatever roles keep you tied to the routine. Make room for yourself and stay consistent at it. Therefore just like charity, ladies & gentlemen, kindness should also begin at home.

  • At a place that never is!

    Food is for survival.

    Food is a love language.

    And food is sometimes a memory.

    Think of how you recall the food prepared by your grandmother, or your mother’s beloved recipe or the way you associate certain dish to special occasions. Occasions that were marked important in your mind; making memories that you now cherish for life.

    The sight, smell, taste – that ones does not forget. It remains etched in your subconscious. Every mention, every recall, even citing of the same takes you down the memory lanes. The time, the place, the people and the era when you last savored it. The love of the one who prepared the meal, the warmth of their love and the genuineness of the gesture – just exemplifies how belonging is fostered with food served with kindness.

    Roasted cumin buttermilk, daal-baati-churma (an Indian preparation of pulses curry and baked dough balls) and home made coffee with froth on the top (much before Covid led Dalgona coffee made it all famous again) – all evoke the same historic journey for me. Those decades when a younger me painted the future vividly and dreamt with a heart full of pure love. When everyone around me was kind with pure intentions in their hearts. Blissfully unaware of the big bad world, soaking in the warmth and kindness, reciprocating the care and spreading unadulterated joy all along – I shall continue to cherish the memories the food evokes, lighting up my face with a smile every single time.

  • The first dance

    The music was loud. The atmosphere electrifying. Afterall, college fests are meant to be a break from books, assignments and lectures.

    Every floor had huge banners, outlining the activity being hosted. There was a milieu of young adults on each floor. The seniors swinging with confidence from one activity to another. While the juniors tried to settle on which way their gang of friends wanted to go. And then there were the freshers. Bright eyed, straight out of school, unsure of themselves yet trying to find a footing.

    That’s exactly how they both looked. Unsure, eager, ready to try something new. ‘Groove to the salsa’ read this banner in the basement. Fate took them both there. And then they chose to sign up for the one hour class to learn a new dance form, just for fun.

    Little did he know that the hands he would hold for the next 60 minutes would be the ones he would like to hold on the journey of life. She swayed while he had two left feet. The song rung a bell too, swanky with fast beats and lyrics which meant to have everything in life in light vein.

    Yet between the laughs, the mis-steps, eyes locked with each other, she fell for him. Swinging with the rhythm, he in a chequered shirt and she in a striped dress, they danced their way into each other’s hearts.

  • Memories

    Love them or loathe them,

    Seems you can not forget them.

    I wish to hold on, cherish & celebrate,

    Not to look down, label or berate.

    Good, bad, ugly, they are what they are,

    Can’t fathom all of them from where I am, near yet so far.

    Holding onto each piece dearly as I can,

    Fearing, some day I may loose them all.

    Since I can’t turn back time or travel into the future,

    I desire all of it to immortalize, be alive, be nurtured.

    You say let’s not rock the boat,

    I say but let’s also not build a moat.

    Wish one day we can meet in the middle,

    Until then, let’s not try to solve this beautiful riddle.

  • Slaying on ur own terms

    Conventional definitions of success? Orthodox measures of a good life? Relearn. Reset. Rewire.

    Not everything we have learnt is relevant in this ever changing world. As institutions evolve and idealogies advance; people rise up the societal pyramid, discovering newer definitions of making a living. Embrace change or perish holds true so those who adapt truly find bliss and peace – beyond conventional happiness.

    Be the lead. Not the best friend. Make no room for self pity. Make way for thinking out of the box, being unbound by conventional wisdom and abide by your own standards of freedom.

  • Filling your own cup first

    It’s never too much when you prioritize yourself and your hobbies before others.

    Ask yourself what roles you play and surely you’ll name everything but not thyself. We are tuned to seeing life from a Point of View of others and not oneself. While in reality the locus lies within. Hence I comes before anyone else, before any other relations.

    A well oiled and cared for machine serves better and lasts longer than one which has been tirelessly put to use but unserviced. Thus when we care for things, they care for us. The same holds for our body, mind and soul. We can be a better functioning human when our we fill our cups first and foremost.

  • Class apart

    Empathy is as rare as common sense. If only every class could empathize with the other and be willing to put themselves in the others shoes, the world could be a more harmonious place to live. More homogenous, blurring the boundaries between the haves and have-nots. Making inter-class interactions more wholesome than a facade. Giving a chance to young couples who want families to mingle and offsprings to flourish via best of both worlds.

    But then these are idealistic thoughts, a utopia which exists only in tales. Balancing empathy with self respect is a fine task and not many are adept in it. So sadly the next generations mostly learn to sneer upon a lower class or drool upon a higher one. Either ways they shall find their footing on their own.

  • Time : Reality or Myth

    Time though a well established fourth dimension, is perceived differently by everyone. It seems to pass slowly when facing hardships and flies fast when in celebratory mode.

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    What if we were told that time never existed? Actually it has no tangible existence until defined by milestones. Time is just our mind’s way of recording memories, events and happenings of life. It’s a medium to record, annotate and even rank our life as it happens.

  • Aging Alone

    Ever wondered who would you want to grow old with? Your friends, your siblings, your offsprings, your spouse?

    There is no dearth of options. As economies start aging, formalized old age resorts would be a viable option for those who can afford. Ofcourse state-run welfare programs rarely target this age group, except for retirement pension schemes which already weigh down the government’s balance sheet. But besides the maths and economics of it all, the social and psychological tangent is also an aspect to ponder. Would you be open to embracing new faces in your silver years?

    Or is it enough to have just I, me, myself for vibing and slaying these post-retirement years? So that you can spend time the way you want, structure your life around your own priorities and live unhinged. With great freedom may come greater loneliness, so be prepared to welcome the silence and the solitude as a blissful change in your life!

  • Science of Gratitude

    Making it more than a good vibe or nicety. It’s can become an intentional act that reshapes how one experiences life. If one can focus on what’s already here and not on what’s missing – one can grow the capacity for joy.

    Neuroscience studies show gratitude activates parts of brain responsible for regulating emotions and improving decision making. Growing the brain’s neural pathways stronger. It’s like strength training for the brain – the more you do it, the easier it gets.

    Don’t mistake gratitude for an act of denial. It’s more like an act of defiance – a self-refusal to be consumed by negativity. A hack to thrive even when life itself isn’t perfect!