Live your life while making a living

Happy New Year fellas! As I’m so excited and hopeful about the new year I’m also very grateful about the last year. Finally, some things started falling into places and it really gave me more positivity.

One of the highlights of the last year was my trip to the United states of America.

It was such a sudden plan. However, I was very determined that no matter what I’m now going on this trip. It all started in July when I was just randomly checking air fares for random destinations and realized that the tickets aren’t as expensive as I used to think. I immediately contacted my friend in US who always asked me to pay him a visit. Everything worked out and I applied for the leaves and Visa of course.

It was undoubtedly my biggest vacation till date and I was very aware that I’ll have to spend some good amount because I also wanted to visit my childhood dream destination, Disneyland and Universal studios.

Honestly speaking, I was already not in very good financial state. Though my stay and food were sorted for most of the days of my stay as I was supposed to stay at my friend’s place still Visa expenses, flight tickets (International and internal) and park tickets were alone going up to 1 Lac Rs.

As random as the though was, I was very much determined. I had read this quote online “travel when you are young and able” and it stuck with me. Yes, money is important, and one needs to manage his/her finances. But it shouldn’t be a hindrance from living ones’ life. I made blunders in past and I was already on recovery phase so now it was time to live life, spend money wisely and on things which will genuinely bring happiness to me, travel is one of them.

Now biggest challenge was to get the Visa. I had heard getting US visa is difficult, they reject your application and you don’t even know the reason. Daily so many people apply for the visa. My friend even had told me story of her two friends whose tourist visa was rejected. But I was so much filled with positivity that I only focused on things which are in my favor. For questionnaire I watched couple of videos and prepared myself. On the day of the interview I took all the documents one could possibly ask for. And it’s still hard to believe, the interviewer asked me 99.99% questions which I had though would be asked. He didn’t even check one single document except my passport and my visa application was approved. I knew the real power of being positive that day. I followed the rules of secret, I had booked flight tickets (Rs. 65,000) which were non-refundable but not single time I thought what if I don’t get visa.

I brought this trip in my life with all the power of positivity. When I see my pictures I still sometimes can’t believe that I have been to this country. Not on company’s expenses but on my own. So in the end I’ll suggest you all, “Travel while you are young and able”. You might have money when you grow old, but you might not be in condition to walk all day in theme parks, to climb a mountain or to sit on a roller coaster.

Live your life while making a living.

Yoga – My life savior

I always had been physically active person. Since childhood I was into sports and dance. Dance had been very integral part of my life which I continued even when I graduated and stepped into corporate life. But there came a time when I had to discontinue my dance classes due to work pressure and deadlines. That is when this sedentary lifestyle took a toll on my health. It is the time when I developed acidity. This was the time when I lost my father which had major impact on my mental health as well. I was depressed and I wasn’t able to let the pain out. After few months I started suffering from severe backache. Initially I ignored it as it was just a backache which I hoped to go away but it continued and it got worse. So much that every night I used to get up at around 3-4 AM as I couldn’t sleep with back paining to extreme. I used to try to sleep in sitting position. Lack of sleep worsen my health. And to top it the stress and depression was acting as catalyst. My face also started having reaction which later when consulted to doctor I learned that it was an eczema. This skin condition is caused majorly due to stress and tension and the back pain did not let me sleep which led to even more stressed days and nights.

I consulted couple of physiotherapist for my back issue but none gave me relief. Finally my friend recommended one physiotherapist (which was apparently was his friend). She examined me. She made me do Bhujangasana for couple of times in her clinic itself and surprisingly I felt little relief right after that. She explained me why it happened. Due to the lifestyle I have, I spend majority of my time sitting in front of computer. The other exercises that I used to do involved forward bending. All this caused my spine to get stiff and there was not enough flexibility. Now I knew I needed to bend myself both ways.

I started searching for other asanas which would help bring more flexibility to my back and spine. I started practicing these asanas. I also took this opportunity to achieve my long standing goal of reducing belly fat now that I had to exercise daily for having good night sleep. Within few months my back pain was gone and buried away. And I also managed to reduce my belly fat. The results were so motivating that I wanted to try more and more asanas. I wanted to increase flexibility of my entire body.

In this journey, yoga not only helped me cure my back pain and reduce belly fat but also helped me become more calm, mentally stable and happier person. Every time I try new asana it gives me a sense of achievement and it keep me going. A part of my heart is taken away with my dad which can never be recovered but now I can live with it in stronger way. My mental and physical health I owe it all to Yoga. It is truly a life savior for me.

Stay fit, stay happy.

Cuz I found you

I was young and single and was enjoying every bit of it. Be it partying, shopping, dancing, boozing, seeing new places or achieving my career goals. And then I found you and I realized that my life is too good but it can be better with you.

I faced many challenges in my life with lot of courage, overcame many of my fears but one thing that freaked me out was an idea of carrying a baby inside me for 9 moths and going through unbearable pain to bring it into this world. But then you held my hand, looked into my eyes with so much conviction and promised that we are together in this and it gave me courage to face the biggest fear of my life. I could do it only because you were always by my side.

I was afraid of getting old, having wrinkled skin, grey hair and a weak body but you never failed to tell me how I’m still beautiful and how lucky you are to have me in your life.

I truly found myself because I found You!

Share The Load

Recently I happened to watch a video which is part of Ariel’s share the load campaign. It showed a working woman doing multitasking after coming home from hectic day while her husband is enjoying some match on TV and sipping on hot cup of coffee made by her. That left her father who had come to visit her thinking and feeling sorry that he did not teach his daughter that household work is not only “her” responsibility it’s equally her husband’s responsibility too. And before leaving he also assured that now on he will help her mother in household stuffs and set an example for others. He felt sorry on behalf of all the “Dads”.

Many of us might have witnessed such scenarios, sometimes we take our moms, sisters and wives so for granted that we don’t realize how much they are doing. And it’s not only applicable to working women but those who are full time home-makers too. We have been brought up in such environment where we tag few things as his responsibility and few things as hers.

When a man and a woman get married they are supposed to compliment each other and not take each other for granted.

While watching the video I remembered one incident of my childhood. I visited my bua’s place (paternal aunt) on the occasion of bhai-duj with my dad. It was a lunch time. My cousin brother took a broom and started cleaning the area before serving lunch. I immediately went ahead, took the broom from his hand and started cleaning. And I heard someone saying “what a good girl!” That time I felt nice. I felt as if I successfully passed in a test of being a good well-mannered girl. But now when I think over it I realized how easily we discriminate in our family itself. I wonder if it would have been my cousin sister doing that and had I taken the broom from her would it be the same? My brother was way older than me, still cleaning on his behalf made me a good girl, Why?

I have seen my dad helping my mom in household work even though my mom was full time house-maker. I have seen him doing so all my life, cleaning house, washing cloths, cooking when my mom isn’t well, going to market, teaching us and what not. Still it was so spontaneous for me to go ahead and take that broom from my brother. It’s not just how we are raised by our parents but it’s the whole society and it’s beliefs. It’s so natural for us girls. May be it’s in our genes. It’s in everybody’s genes. Though the society is changing now and I can see many guys helping their partners still it’s not welcomed to do so when you have guests or his parents at home. It is mandate for a girl to know cooking and is expected to prepare special delicacies for her in-laws but for him it’s not needed. And there are countless such expectations.

It is a big change, a change in attitude and mindset of individual and society. Let’s be a part of it and truly be companion to our partners. Do “Share the load”.

Breaking the Taboo

While we complain about society creating taboo about periods(MC) how many of us girls really go out of our way, step out of our comfort zones and do what we do otherwise on normal days?

Like many other Indian middle class girls, I too belong to a society and a family where we are not allowed to visit temples during that time of the month, not only that, some of us are treated like untouchables as if it is a disease which will spread over.

The only bold step I hear someone taking is visiting temples or attending poojas during their periods. My question to these girls is, what did you really achieve? If you are anyway not frequent to temples then what difference did it make?

While I do not say what they were right or wrong but I feel there’s lot more that we girls ourselves need to do to break this taboo.

Remember all these sanitary napkin ads which claim o give you an ultimate freedom to go out and live your life as you would on normal days? For me breaking taboo would be doing something like that.

While I totally understand being a girl who bleeds 5 days a month every month every year the discomfort and pain we do experience during that time, I also know that many of us only say no to a road trip or a night out or even a party just because we are on our periods.

How many times have we tried to break our own walls and experience the life than feeling miserable sitting at home? How many of us traveled to even nearby place rather than PMSing? How many of us talk about our periods in front of our male friends/colleagues? How many of us do not hesitate to use washroom outside or at friend’a place?

Yes, there are problems when it comes to traveling for long hours specially in India as we do not have clean public toilets, sometimes the toilets don’t even exist. This becomes really challenging but at the same time those who go trekking, do not get these facilities always, even when you might be in USA.

Just think about it , 5 days a month, which makes 60 days in a year i.e. 2 complete months in a year we are wasting limiting ourselves. 2 months out of 12, we are not using to the fullest. Then why do we complain about the society? I realized how much I restricted myself when I first traveled from Pune to Gujarat in a train on my 3rd day and it was not as difficult as I thought it would be. And very recently to Hampi on my first day of period, I spent all my those days in Hampi traveling and enjoying the place.

Before we change the society we need to change our mindset. We need to set ourselves free. It’s us who need to break this taboo, right here right now.

 

Beauty and more …

Hi Guys,

I’m so happy to be back and I’m so excited to tell you about my new blog, “Beauty and more”. Do check the below link for my first post on how I managed to get into my old jeans 🙂

https://beautuilicious.wordpress.com/2015/06/29/27-inches/

Take care :*

People behind words and lenses – Tracie

One more name in the list of kind people on WordPress – Tracie. She’s an amazing photographer and very nice person. Though I haven’t yet got a chance to meet her in person but she has given me something very personal. A card all the way from Australia couriered on my address in India. The card sent by Tracie as she promised.

There are few more lucky people who received these cards. These cards are printed with Tracie’s photographs specially for her fellow bloggers on WordPress.

One day I saw her post “Free Give Away“. She was willing to give away these cards to those who will reply ASAP. I was last one in the list…quite lucky. But then she extended this offer to other bloggers who couldn’t make it for it but have been her consistent commentator. That was really kind of her.

This card will always remind me of her kindness. Thanks Tracie for a wonderful gift 🙂 and sorry for the (too) late post

Bruno…do you know?

Bruno, do You know? Well, How will you? You have millions of crazy fans all over the world. Specially the crazy ladies and I’m just one of them. 

I won’t call it as love at first sight, I don’t even believe in it. It was a gradually developed feeling. The first time I saw you I didn’t find anything extraordinary but the more I listened to you and watched you in your music videos; gosh! I fell in love with you. And I didn’t even come to know until I saw you on “The Ellen Show”. I wish I could be that Emily. Damn I was so jealous.

Never had so much faith in love or miracles
Never wanna put my heart on the line

You make me connect with each and every song of yours so much that it feels you are singing it just for me.

When you cry for your love with so much pain you almost kill me, I can feel that agony. My heart cries for you when you say 

    I’ll catch a grenade for ya..
   Throw my hand on a blade for ya..
   I jump in front of train for ya..
   you know i do anything for ya..

 

 

 

When you say “When I was your man” I want to run towards you to wipe your tears.

And With the same conviction you make any girl feel beautiful with “Just the way” she is. I bet no girl can stop blushing when she hears the song. You definitely know how to make girls go mad for you.

When I miss my friends I “count 1, 2 ,3” and it brings smile on my face.

But what I love the most is the way you sing “Locked out of heaven” so passionately. I must have watched the video 100 times and every time I see your sparkling eyes and that cunning smile on your face it makes me fall in love with you all over again. 
You bring me to my knees
you make me testify

Oh! and what can I say about the “Gorilla” within you 😉

You put your heart and soul in your song and touches hearts of millions. I haven’t seen any artist fitting perfectly in every mood the way you do, be it a heartbroken guy, passionate lover or the friend in deed you are everything a girl can ever want. You are surely a Man from MARS 🙂

And now just as everyone knows how crazy I’m for you I wish one day you will also know…Bruno.

P.S. I’m so eagerly waiting for this Mars to land in India. Don’t you wanna have concert here someday?

Stereo Heart <3

Disclaimer: This isn’t a music review but an attempt to express my love for the music and for this particular song

“Stereo Hearts” is a song by American group Gym Class Heroes featuring Adam Levine, lead singer of band Maroon 5. The song was first released on June 14, 2011. as the lead single from the group’s fifth studio album, The Papercut Chronicles II (2011).

This is what you’ll find out on Wikipedia. But for me this song is more than that. Its beats caught my attention when I happen to listen to it for the first time but when I read the lyrics I fell in love with the song.

 

So whenever I feel low or need something to boost my mood I go with its lyrics and play it loud.

It takes me on an imaginary long drive, I keep driving and the song keeps playing in the background. Well even right now I’m listening to it to let my emotions flow.

There isn’t a single day I haven’t listened to this song and whenever I listen to it I forget bout the world around me. My iShuffle becomes boombox and I become the one Adam probably is singing for ;). I’m so crazy about it that I was thinking of getting Stereo Heart tattoo…may be something like this

May be some day someone special will sing it for me as well :*

My heart’s a stereo
It beats for you, so listen close
Hear my thoughts in every no-o-o-te
Make me your radio