Cosmopolitan Girl

PEPSI

2020-05-07T01:51:00.000-07:00

She was the last of the lot to survive. She was the resilient spirit and held a special place in the corner of my heart. A puppy with such drive to survive through all the odds when all her siblings one by one were consumed by death but she kept hanging on. And i was so proud of her always.

May started, and suddenly something started feeling not very okay with Pepsi..i cud see swelling near her eyes and around mouth..i was concerned but she had her meals with same excitement so i felt convinced that she is fine though not her daily self. Only yesterday i realised the severity of her condition when she denied to touch her food. I knew dogs do that only when not well. Whenever the meal was served she would eat like a robot and empty her dish within seconds and would rush to her mother's bowl to share hers. I loved her energy..She was an active puppy and few months old. During evening walks she would tuck on my salwars or shoes and display fondness for me..m sure she loved me as much as i loved her.

Guard at the security gate mentioned that she didnt finish her dinner yesterday and now the morning meal was left untouched too..

We got in touch with the vet and fixed an earliest appointment as i was feeling something was very wrong with her..she was going unconscious with every passing hour. Doctor was not sure of what has happened to her as he said we are never sure what may go wrong with stray dogs.

Tough he started immediate medication but did mention its 50-50 chance. For me it was quite a hopeful sentence.

Got her home as we were supposed to take her again in the evening to review . She was on IVF and was given two injections to fight any kind of infection if that may be the case and a shot of painkiller as she was moaning with pain due to some discomfort. We left the vet to come back in evening with her.

Getting her home, making her comfortable i was becoming hopeful. I knew Pepsi wud survive all odds as she is a fighter from day one. I kept checking on her and found her relaxed, peaceful and stable breathe. With each passing hour my confidence in her survival was building up.

I was waiting for evening with hope and so went again to check her condition.

My heart skipped many beats when i didnt find her breathe. She wasnt breathing anymore. Few drops of blood ,stiff body, no breath, no movement...Pepsi left ....

Her resilient spirit left the world with so much love stored in my heart...tears in my eyes..m sure she is with God when m writing this piece to release my pain..

Dear God,pls keep her soul safe ....

Love you Pepsi...will miss u ❤️

today is 6th may ...and though i dont have u in my arms ,,u will from now on stay in my heart..!

You are..

2016-12-30T07:18:00.001-08:00

..the silence of my heart,

the music of my soul.

.. tears in my eyes,

the magic in my smile.

..the pain in my poetry,

the joy of my singing.

...the breathe in my breathing,

the search of my seeking.

..the color in my sunset,

the hope of my sunrise.

..the darkness in my nights,

the glow of my dreams.

..the light of my days,

the love that I crave.

..the trouble that I take,

for the promise that u make.

.. the vulnerability in my love,

the sensibilities of my emotions .

..the answer to my prayer,

the fruit of my waiting.

..sweet taste in my mouth,

for craving of this life.

..the sound of my laughter,

the chill in my spine.

..the love once I lost,
and wisdom that I found.

..the trust of my lifetimes,

the reason that m here ..

U r everything in my being for u reside unseen within...

Happy birthday ❣️

The Beetroot Soup

2016-12-04T19:13:00.001-08:00

Standing by the counter I was looking fr a moment when she wud get free and take my order. I felt his presence with the opening of door and there he stood behind my back. Was glad, as I was finding very hard to order without him around and he smoothly took over from there, like it was the most natural thing to do.

She was free now with her attention on us and upon asking for few items on menu she helped us to complete the order. Amongst other things, he ordered beetroot soup as it was "Soup of the day" on today's specials without leaving any choice, it being the only soup available that day.

Beetroot..trust me it was not at all sounding good to me. I further probed her fr the other ingredients and was baffled when I was informed it had pumpkin too. I knew it wasn't a great start for our lunch. I let him order as I trust him with every thing he orders though I was already having feeling of repulsion.

After 20 min we were served the dreading soup of the day. I knew I was supposed to start as he always asks me too while he waits..these little gestures makes my heart swell. As he got busy with a call on his phone, I got time and looked at him, with heart in my eyes it took all my effort to put the spoon in my mouth.

How is it possible to like something so gross..made up of beetroot and pumpkin all mashed up together. I like to experience new cuisines but ingredients and the combination stands important to me and It's definitely not, that I don't like these vegetables and to my surprise i totally loved it!

I was taken back with the well balanced sweet and earthy taste it had or was it the succulent tantalizing taste of his mouth that i still felt. Was the soup really good or his presence by my side had made everything heavenly..I don't know if the soup was done with expertise of a pro or my man was the reason...

With every spoon i knew that it was love for him that i feel so deeply is the reason that i enjoy my food so much. My eating meals with him enhances the taste of dishes.

It's actually love that enhances everything from sharing meal to anything.. One feels more alive, present in the moment with deep sense of awareness..my every cell was capable of it's own magic moment.

I thank , Beetroot soup on menu that reminded me of my blessings of having someone to live and share so much love that I carry in my heart. And don't forget that love brings love..so b loving. It's also a test to see if one is capable of loving someone beyond oneself.

With this share i jst wanted to remind u all, for what a beautiful feeling it is to b in love ..it's our life source. If u r to enhance ur living or beautify mundane tasks to wonderful experience..be in love..and never stop believing in the magic of love...cheers!!

LEH

2015-07-16T08:57:00.001-07:00

On the last day of my seven day lone vacation in Leh I went shopping to the local market as I wanted to buy few things from there. This was the only time when my shopping was not about branded clothes, and artefact . I was so much moved by the feel of Leh , it's people , who are so simple and hard working and smiling almost every time u make an eye contact with them . I did spent lot of time talking with them and am glad that I did that. It was one of the roughest and toughest vacation, yet very healing and I am so proud that I made it. This post is just about one of the seven days I was there..

A Glimpse of my shopping :

I picked up a semi precious neck piece made by a local Leh women during long ,cold winters . Made mainly of turquoise and embellished with other materials such as coral, silver, lapis, pearl, and amber are worn all over Ladakh, after lot of insistence on the fact that I will look gorgeous once I place it on my neck, I ended up obliging her with my generosity :-) Its the traditional wear of the place and I am wearing it to my workplace on few occasions . And yes , she was right ,' I do look gorgeous and I thank her for making me buy :))

After I had a quick bite at German Bakery , I went ahead to shop that deals in selling of hand made Meditation Bowl ( they also had machine made but I found the sound too harsh) I picked one for myself with a deeper vibration ( that I craved for, for almost a decade) . I have read a lot about this technique of meditation in various Zen books. I am trying it on daily basis though not perfected but quite close to what I learnt from the old lady who gave me a short demo of how to use the bowl for meditation.

Later, Tasting street food at few stalls I zeroed on my last buy and picked up an art piece which has Buddist chant OM MANI PADME HUM hand written by Monks living in different monasteries . I plan to get it framed and put it on the wall of my living room. I was informed that the recitation of ancient sacred Buddhist texts are chanted every day by the monks living in various monasteries , following different sects of Buddhism .

Besides, It is done for spiritual and moral well being of the people, by appeasing the wrath of the evil spirits and invoking the blessing . Chanting is done either sitting indoors or dancing in the monastic courtyards or in private houses . The chanting helps in the meditation process, in attaining enlightenment and getting liberation from the sufferings of the world. I was introduced to this chant through a video on YouTube while searching for meditation vibrations through chants and music.

नमस्ते

Thoughts

2015-07-11T22:29:00.001-07:00

Believe in Self, the world will be at your feet – Swami Vivekananda

“When you go through a hard period and When everything seems to oppose you,
When you feel you cant bear even one minute , Do Fight the urge to give up
Have faith in self and keep forging, As You are about to turn the corner,
Your course is about to change the plane, Now a New summit is within your reach….

...keep going!”

Karmanye-vadhikaraste Maa phaleshu kadachana – Bhagavadgita

This world is not for cowards. So do not try to fly, rather face things and bang on! There's nothing called as good deeds or bad deeds,there are only deeds. On the contrary, Even good deeds can find a man in great bondage. Therefore be not bound by good deeds or by desire for name and fame. Live simply with awareness and have purity of love in your thoughts and in action. Those who know this secret pass beyond this round of birth and death and become immortal.

Do not think about the results, just give your best!

नमस्ते

ALWAYS

2015-07-07T18:05:00.001-07:00

Something that I read on Pinterest...

Simple and easy..

felt like sharing...so here it is..

You were you,

And I was I;

We were two

Before our time.

I was yours

Before I knew,

And you have always

been mine too..

The Paradox Of Our Age.

2015-07-04T22:14:00.001-07:00

"We have bigger houses

But smaller families;

More convenience, but less time.

We have more degrees, but less sense;

More knowledge, but less judgement;

More experts, but more problems;

More medicines, but less healthiness.

We have been all the way to Moon and back,

But have trouble crossing the street to meet the One.

We build more computers to hold more information,

To produce more copies than ever,

But have less communication.

We have become long on quantity,

But short on quality.

These are the times of fast food, but slow digestion.

Tall man , but short character.

Steep profits, but shallow relationships.

And It's time when there is much in Window,

But nothing in Room...

By his holiness: the XIVth Dalai Lama.

Frozen Heart

2015-06-22T05:29:00.001-07:00

The warmth of your gaze, echoed a moment that was lost in time ,

And it kindled the fire in my frozen heart that I carried within.

An eternity passed before you walked again ,

On the barren soil of my soul.

With the flickering flame of dreams ,

Some young buds of hope filled my senses.

Far away dreams, took shape ,

Your presence, a promise of togetherness ,

Filled my empty universe.

Your steady smile, your hold on my hand ,

Awakened the love of lifetimes.

Such Infinite our love is, in infinity it dwells ,

And now a deep silence prevails that is louder than ever...

For that loving omnipresence in my life...

With heartfelt love,

..by anupama

At least 100 times

2015-06-15T04:28:00.001-07:00

I Recently read The Pilgrimage, Paulo Coelho's first major novel. M sure He needs no introduction since He is the inspiration behind the beautiful lives of readers like me. I started reading him during the year 2006 with The Alchemist, his book on how to find your heart's desire. M blessed to have that kind of time and mind set to read such, life changing books..or manuals :-)

It took four months to complete The Pilgrimage...that's the longest time I have ever invested in a book. But the book is such that it did need that much of time , and I patiently read each page ,and tried to perform the exercises and felt something transforming within...Book has most incredible moments that will make u more aware of things we fail to acknowledge. It has made me bit more watchful, and open to the silent messages that universe wants us to know and change us accordingly. I hope m not sounding weird but at the same time even if I do, I really don't care .

All must read this book but for the few who think won't b able to go through the whole Book,m sharing really nice paragraphs from the chapter Personal Vices, as for self help. Hoping to share the bit I read with the world I think needs help just like me..read carefully..

"We are going to say a prayer concerning the only thing that can defeat you as a pilgrim after u find ur sword( result of ur quest) : ur personal vices. No matter how much u learn from ur master about how to handle the sword, one of ur hands will always b ur potential enemy. Let us pray that if u are successful in finding ur sword, you will always wield it with hand that does not bring scandal down upon u".

🙏 Pity us O Lord fr we r the pilgrims on the road, and our being here may b a vice. In ur infinite pity, help us never to turn our knowledge against ourselves. Have Pity ,Lord,on We who seek out and dare to take up the sword(result of our quest) that u hv promised, and who r a saintly and sinful lot scattered throughout the world. Because we don't recognise even ourselves,and often think that we are dressed, but we r nude; we believe that we have committed a crime, when in reality we have saved someone's life. And don't forget that whatever we do with the hand of an Angel and the hand of a Devil, are both the same hand. We will always be in need of thy Law that says,' When I sent u without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, you lacked nothing."

Thy Law That Says🙏

"But the very hairs of your head are numbered .

Be Ye therefore as wise as a serpent and as harmless as the doves.

He who heeds my words I will liken to a wise man who built his house on rock.

For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.

If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

Except that one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.

Whoever drinks the water that I shall give him will never thirst.

Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.

Let he who has no sword sell his garment and buy one"

👉I have read many a times Bhagavad Gita..(The Bhagavad Gita, referred to as simply the Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture in Sanskrit that is part of the Hindu epic Mahabharata) and I find lot of similarities in Thy laws says, as it's exactly what Krishna's ( The great exponent ,Krishna is one of the most powerful incarnations of the Godhead of the Hindu Trinity of deities)

preachings are about.

I have made a small effort to use this post as a handy manual as to continuously remind us about the Supreme Presence who governs all our actions.

Krishna says in Gita:

"I am the conscience in the heart of all creatures

I am their beginning, their being, their end
I am the mind of the senses,
I am the radiant sun among lights
I am the song in sacred lore,
I am the king of deities
I am the priest of great seers…"

नमस्ते

Never say No

2015-06-04T19:37:00.001-07:00

There are basically two types of people , says Paramhansa Yogananda-those who r governed by the ' never say die ' spirit, full of confidence, ready to face all sorts of challenges in life; and those who see the gloomy side of things ,are given to worrying, and lack the confidence to fight adversity.

Indeed, the habit of negative thinking could shatter your confidence and impair your judgement. Negative thoughts like" I won't be able to to climb that steep hill" or " I am not hopeful of making the grade " constantly occupy the mind of a person with a pessimist approach to life. To such a person, success proves illusive .

The National Science Foundation estimated that on an average , people have 70000 to 80000 thoughts per day, with 80% of those being negative and 95% being repetitive.

This implies that we are not really thinking, our mind is being governed by the memory of earlier thoughts. Negative thoughts , over a period of time, becomes so deeply entrenched in the mind that a specific groove is created on the brain that makes you behave in a certain way, often against your wish. Special effort is required to eradicate negative thoughts and to create brain pattern of positive thinking.

One way of doing this is that we strictly avoid categorising thoughts as good or bad. Understand that these thoughts come and go voluntarily from the collective consciousness and do not really own them. You might not have control over what enters ur brain , but u definitely have power to remain indifferent to these and watch them like witness.

Secondly, try to keep ur mind constantly occupied in sum constructive activity.

Thirdly, through deep meditation, make efforts to get connected with the positive energy,the cosmic current that constantly flows within u. Do introspection on a regular basis and invoking the power of ur will. Constantly assert in meditation:" By the power of Devine will, all my negative tendencies will soon b destroyed " .

It is correctly said that "an idle mind is the devils workshop" don't pay attention to temporary emotions created with negative thoughts. Don't take actions based on temporary emotions as they will soon b gone. Let ur actions b based on ur permanent prevailing feelings.

Article courtesy: Anup Taneja from speaking tree.

Luxottica

2014-12-14T06:09:00.001-08:00

Today I am completely thrilled, as m going to write abt my favourite accessory..a must have that completes our look...sunglasses. If you are wearing a nice pair of shades, u probably are wearing theirs..

Few days back while watching a programme on Tv , I came across this interesting piece of information abt an Italian company that has acquired 80% of worlds eyewear brands..and though we are aware of all the big brands we are so unaware of the worlds largest eyewear manufacturing company for most famous wannabe glasses....Luxottica..yeah that's the name..ever heard before..!!

A name that revolutionised how we see sunglasses. When glasses were not so cool it made them a fashion statement. They made glasses a face jewellery.

Most famous amongst all are Ray ban, Persol and Oakley.

It also makes glasses for Chanel and Parada. Other names are, Giorgio Armani, Burbury, Stella Mc Cartney, Versace, Vouge, Donna Karan and many others. It makes for retail as well as wholesale. It's headquarters located at Milan and Italy.

Luxottica is a luxury brand and controls a big chunk of the business. Half a billion people wear glasses by Luxottica. Last year they made 65 million pair of sunglasses.

Ray ban is their top selling product . They bought it from an American company Bausch &Lomb and made it a 200 $ product from a 29 $ product. Luxottica has excessive dominance and is a price maker.

I thank Luxottica for making people look fashionable from geeks...though this transformation doesn't comes cheap...

Books

2014-05-18T06:07:00.001-07:00

The best companion

Honestly speaking...i have always loved reading magazines and novels more than my course books...i love the smell of newly printed glossy magazines or the very old novels from my fathers rack..i myself own a decent collection of all kinds of books....my taste in them kept changing...i grew up reading all kind of stuff..now that m located in Delhi my thirst with reading is in full swing..u go to Nayi sarak and spend all day shuffling through one shop to another full of books...ohh i love doing that ..and m surprised by the knowledge of those helping boys in the shop...u dont have to go through the preface they have it all for u..at times i take their help and suggestion to pick a book for my self...its a hub for all kind of books..from subject to languages..fiction to mystery..controversial books to spiritual gurus..fashion to politics...u name it they have it..my favourite topics being romance, mystery, fiction, i have also loved reading biographies of Gandhi, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Hitler, Amitabh Bacchan, Sunil Dutt...books from writers like Khuswant Singh, Shobba dey(didnt like her view point) and the list goes on....magazines like Femina, Cosmopolitan..i find them very informative and trendy....while growing up i started with mills and boons...lolz..wow..those near perfect heroes who lived and died in my imagination..and my mother'' needlessly scolding me for not taking my studies as seriously as i should have....''

..some of the books that i have picked have never been read..as they were the result of my impulsive purchase..never purchase a book at someones suggestion,,unless u r sure of his reading abilities lolz..only get a book u like reading..book u can associate urself to..reading is a passion to me so it really pinches if a book goes unread...''

i think our taste in reading shows part of our personality or the kind of book we r reading at the moment gives a clue about the phase we r going through in life...and when i say this not too many people may agree ...but its true as we only read mills and boon ..famous five ..goosebumps till a certain age.. books r also read to gain knowledge...to kill time...or may be fr the heck of reading...but still i think its more to do with our phase of life...so the choice of reading changes..we look in books fr the things that r going through our minds at that particular time...'or while looking for some answers we opt reading..but that is in case of going through the shelf full of spiritual books..even an amazing book may seem dull and boring if we are unable to relate..but nothing of the sort applies to magazines....they lift ur mood..with their luring pictures..tantalising articles...lolz...

let it be a book, novel, magazine..its the result of months of hardwork..''

organising..co-ordinating..all the right ingredients in right proportions makes a book ..ready to b read by u...applause..feedback ..(good or bad)..is what writer looks for...''

Inertia

2014-05-18T06:04:00.001-07:00

Most of u must be aware of Newtons first law of motion, about Inertia ie. amount of resistance used to change velocity ..in lay man's language it means , that an object will continue moving at its current velocity (speed) until some force causes its speed or direction to change .. I never had clue when in school , that I will understand Newton's first law of inertia only well enough the minute it would hit me..I am in a state of inertia..hit, shaken, shocked, and in very bad shape of mind, direction less .,but one can't b in this state for long, and so m hopeful :)

Today when I look back i see how endless effort of my physics teacher to dilute newtons law of motion in our system had left him exhausted ... and he invariably failed to wipe our doubts with his knowledge...I wish To meet him and tell him..dear sir, I do understand today what inertia is ,, as life is teaching me well enough and without any doubts..

"lessons that life teaches us , no one can and so we hear all the time ,"life is our best teacher"...and most practical of all, I am really happy , if not about anything then at least about learning law of motion..

( velocity- is the speed of anything in a given direction or rate of change of position.... its speed in a particular direction )

Love: only love

2014-05-12T09:35:00.001-07:00

...What is love..??

Is love destined...does same call of love echoes through many life times...what's its destiny..what is the real knowledge of love..what is the secret of love..!!!

And How do we know that the path we are on is the path of love....when and how much is sufficient for love..

Is seperation,,from lover for the happiness of lover is love...
Or during the absence of lover when u urself feel incomplete is also a sign of love..
May be trying hard for love..sacrificing for love is love..

or the madness..the obsession ...louder heartbeats..heavy breathing...is it some kind of disease or a cure for all our sufferings...
Or if coming back again and again with the only purpose to meets ones soulmate is love..
Or is the very essence of love is love..and y does the search ends the minute we see that someone..who is a total reflection of ourselves..y does only his/her presence and absence matters the most...

To love without being loved..is that too love...or being loved without loving back can also be called love...how much of it is enough...

Here We are talking abt the most confusing emotion...LOVE...that makes you choose the path you Wouldn't have otherwise...the most formidable of all emotions...

Yet....

It's Most beautiful emotion...emotion that takes you to deepest and highest centres of your being..one and only emotion that makes you stop and think about the purpose of your being...emotion that makes you look around in search of an unknown presence ...which after finding will make you complete...when in love with deeper awareness,,it will rip you apart ..open and cut you through centre...to bring out a new you..a person who you never knew actually exists within you....the most beautiful soul..who only believes in giving even after being hurt ,is the real by product of love...

So are you in for the game of love...ready for the lookout of a newer you...a courageous,,truthful..forgiving..loving version of you..r u ready to embrace yourself...for it will take you to places you never knew exists..once there u will never want to return to the place you left to be there...it will drive you insane...take every thing from u..only to b replaced by itself...by bringing you on knees...a total surrender of body and soul will happen...in a prayerful pose..

....u don't have to look for that special one...effortlessly your soul will recognise him/her...the one who will make it all seem worth it in the end....the one who will make you complete ....will love you beyond time...when your light and his light are just the same...it's will b spiritual connection...

To cut you from whole world only to reunite with it with a deeper understanding !

I remember reading a page where Osho beautifully said...

"Without love a man is just a body, an empty temple without the deity .

With love the deity arrives, the temple is no more empty"

A transformation awaiting us all...ready to plunge..let loose...be in love.. :-))

Lotus

2014-05-11T07:59:00.001-07:00

The spiritual connection

The lotus: a beautiful flower with a deeper purpose to it's being..let's learn from lotus ..to be a lotus..

The lotus is often called the Flower of Light in that it is the result of the interaction of the great creative forces of the fire of the sun and the lunar powers of water.

In India the lotus blossom is an important symbol of spirituality. The lotus grows from the mud, yet remains untouched by the water it sits on, clean, fresh, fragrant, and beautiful. This is indicative of the spiritual journey, growing upwards and blooming. It petals curve inwards, looking within itself. "Padma" is the Sanskrit word for lotus, and the goddess Padma is associated with water and fertility. In Hindu mythology, Brahma, the creator of the universe, was born from a lotus blossom growing from the navel of Vishnu, who was sleeping on the water. The lotus flower is also associated with Lakshmi, Vishnu's wife, the goddess of wealth and beauty.

The lotus has great significance in Buddhism as well. Gautama Buddha is described as having lotus eyes, lotus feet, and lotus thighs. The lotus represents both compassion and manifestation.

In China the lotus represents the past, present and future since the same plant bears buds, flowers and seeds all at the same time.

Live before you Die

2013-10-27T17:26:00.001-07:00

Sometimes we get so involved in the nitty-gritty of life that we continue breathing, but forget to live. Hugs are fun to give, show you care and come with its own wrapping. Moreover, a hug is like a boomerang - you get it back right away! Happiness is not something to be postponed for the future; it is something you design for the present. Make each moment a happy one for yourself and others around you. Sometimes you need to be alone to reflect on life. Take time out to take care of yourself. It is important to take analyse your goals and the steps required to achieve them. Remember that those who fails to plan, plans to fail. Unity is strength. When there is teamwork and collaboration, even the most difficult things can be achieved. Satisfaction is not always the fulfillment of what you want; it is the realization of how blessed you are for what you have. Don’t look down on gossip sessions as something vindictive and waste of time. Rather, gossip helps you make friends, discuss problems and explore solutions. The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning. So don't give up and hold on till the tough times are over. The key to successful communication is listening as it helps you understand better. Moreover, people admire those who just nor hear them out but also understand them. Sometimes we cling on to our beliefs, which block our mind and hinder our learning. It’s okay to admit that we don’t know enough and need to learn more. We are often so busy making a list of all the things we need that we forget about all the wonderful things we already have. Take time out and thank god! In a world where you can be anything you want, be yourself. You will never fully believe in yourself if you keep comparing yourself to everyone else. Don't look back at the door that shut behind you and regret. Be confident and walk past the door opening in front of you. You look the best when you wear your smile. There is no beauty like the one that comes from inside you. You don’t need a lot of money to lead a rich life. Good friends and a loving family are much more worthy than worldly treasures. When you try to control everything, you enjoy nothing. Sometimes you just need to relax, breathe, let go and live in the moment. Many of us aren't too keen on the idea of exercise but physical exercise isn't just good for the body...it's good for the brain, too. Life is to short but if lived right, this one time is enough. Count your blessings and celebrate all the big and small occasions that come your way. Life should be more about expressing yourself and not about impressing others. Express yourself in your own particular way and get things off your chest. Worry is a waste of time and energy. It doesn't change anything but steals your joy and affects your positive approach. Hobbies can motivate you, keep you elated, inspire your imagination, help you meet friends and learn valuable skills. They add interest to your life and help you become a better person. For a blissful life, it is important to be simply yourself and stop comparing or competing with others By being self-conscious we miss out on fun moments of life. Looks doesn't matter, attitude does so whenever someone asks you to pose, give a big warm smile. There is no joy in possession without sharing it with others. Curiosity is an important trait of a genius. The more curious we are, the more possibilities we can explore in our lifetime. Do not allow people to bully you. Stand up for your rights and fight for what belongs to you. Sleep plays a significant role in good health and well-being throughout our life. Music is a beautiful art that can calm the agitations of the mind. Hearing a song that you like can change your emotional state instantly. So the next time you feel low, put on your favourite music and let the magic flow.

Courage

2012-11-08T05:24:00.000-08:00

Courage is not something that only few are born with... we are all born courageous.. but as we grow and gain knowledge we stop being courageous as being innocent, not-knowing... feels stupid.. Haven't we seen, a child is most courageous...takes up any challenge. Because he is still innocent.. knowledge has not corrupted his mind.. so he can be himself .But as he grows he follows the crowd and their ideology, their religion, their conventions, their culture and he becomes fearful...as growing up makes people clever and we now know being fearful is the easiest..

Courage doesn't need exceptional acts to prove itself,,,its just about daring to live life moment to moment, in innocence and in wonder just like a small child...without courage a child cant walk a single step..without feeling the fire on his hand he wud never know the burning sensation ..and for all the experiences he has to be courageous and let it go ...this is the beauty of it..but who wants to b a child anymore..whole world is in hurry to grow up and be a knowledgeable person.

Courage is abt dropping the known and moving into unknown...but how many of us are ready to do this...we are happy and safe with whatever our mind has created...so courage is never of the mind, it is always of the heart. Minds are cowards; hearts are courageous. Mind is nothing but the past and its fixed ideas. Mind doesnt know anything new so it never allows us to plunge into the unknown...it feels safe with the known. Courage is a quality of heart like love...so love thrives on courage and courage is loves richness. Logic is of mind and is very poor and its only for mindful. ..Mind only knows to cling to the reasons and all that u have ever heard, listened and it loves to play on power...it only knows how to take..it cant give away anything..so u can never give anything if u r a mindful person..only heartful person knows the joy of giving..So only lovers know the richness of existence, the poetry, the music, the creativity of life.

Love is the source of all that is good, all that is worthwhile, all that is meaningful, significant. and so its only for courageous..as love demands immence courage ... the quality of a child not of an adult...courage means fearlessness.Courage is risking known for the unknown, familiar for the unfamiliar, comfortable for the uncomfortable, ..dont escape from any situation- if you escape, then something will remain missing in you. The difference between a coward and a courageous person is a coward listens to his fears and follows them, and the courageous puts them aside and goes ahead inspite of all fears..fears are there but if u go on accepting the challenge again and again slowly , slowly those fears disappear. Society will try in every way to force u according to its ideas. Its better to suffer than to compromise, because with compromise ur soul will be lost for ever....and u will loose the purpose of being alive.Courage is the capacity to assert; '' I am myself, and my life is my life, and i am going to live it my way. I am not here to live according to others, I will live according to my light whatsoever the cost ''

LIFE

2012-10-16T00:40:00.000-07:00

Hours were merging in weeks, weeks stretched to months and months were loosing thyself into years, but life sailed at its own pace. Like all of us I too am the spectator of my life, life is passing by as if its all written and i just had to turn each page to let it unfold itself and live truthfully whatever it is written for me. While things happened around me all the time and all I could do was to sit and smile with tears in my eyes as life is not only about happy ,blissful moments, there are sad moments too , pulled in the game of destiny I am playing even though all i want is, is to run away.,

We all have to play ,willingly or unwillingly, to participate is mandatory..thatz one fundamental rule followed when in game of life, things move at their own pace and on destined path.We really cant do much about it..

We all are puppets with a role assingned . Life is very tricky and we tend to forget our spectator ship and get involved, here begins our misery . Becoming the spectator of streaming events of my life is my favourite game now..

Finally ,after some of my initial inhibitions and retaliations , i let loose, because if nothing is in my hands then why not sit and watch and let life happen . There is one good thing in believing that nothing is in our hands as the moment we realise this we become egoless, and surrender, so live it, dance it, sing it. When sad be really sad ! Cry a lot.. let your pain find an outlet through your tears. It's like when hot, perspire. When cold, shiver. So why not when alive, live and when dead, die!

Mother of two ..i am on the crossroads of my life for quite sometime now...but now I am ready to face life , take the jump of that quantum leap, a very spontaneous and courageous one, No more thinking, rather I am very thankful for everything .

...Life's full of lessons...so dont hold yourself back ..be a learner..go on learning...whatever happens , happens for best..live with this in heart..one can never go wrong. Live life with gratitude..
Go on without looking back, else one may b lost forever.

Life is only about moving forward while learning...!!!

Monsoon chai

2012-08-03T03:44:00.001-07:00

its rainy season in india...though not much rains this year, but northern part cud manage few showers...this time the post is not abt rains..its abt a mouth watering recipe that you may enjoy during one of the thunder and shower evening ...the recipe is going to bring cheer to ur taste buds. its very simple and was shared by my very dear friend sumita...i happen to call her to try sumthing her mom use to cook when we were kids..she was unable to recollect that recipe of her mother but as a compensation of forgetting that amazing recipe she gave me one of her best ,,tried and tasted...quick chicken recipe..it may be taken as an evening snack to go with beer or whatever choice of drink u r thinking of...though m going to share a recipe of cinnamon tea along with it ..as monsoons and tea are synonymous..... and m a tea tottler myself who loves clear and flavoured tea..with some medicinal benefits at the same time ..it cud be a sweetened cup with honey, the full leaves infused tea or it can be chai the indian style.....

chicken kalimirch with kasoori methi

ingredients-
one small chicken (serves 3-4 people)
2 whole red chillies

1tbsp kasoori methi
1 cup milk
ginger -garlic paste
1 finely chopped onion
olive oil or any cooking oil
blk pepper pd to garnish

meathod: take a small cup of milk and bring it to boil in a steamer..now take a small chicken place it in the boiling milk after washing it properly...cook till it is tender...remove from fire and take it out of milk on a plate..now heat a nonstick pan and put some olive oil , add ginger garlic paste,little finely chopped onions saute and add two whole red chillies. little kasoori methi...let it splutter..once done add chicken , salt and toss on high flame..toss and turn for about 5 to 8 min..once done sprinkle black pepper powder on it...relish it with drinks or my recipe of tea... :)

thanx to sumita... :)
cinnamon-cardamom tea

ingredients-
350 ml water
1/2 cm stick cinnamon
1 green cardamom
2 tsp tea leaves
milk and sugar/honey

meathod: add the cardamom to the water and heat. as the water reaches boiling point put in the cinnamon. boil for a minute. remove the cinnamon stick, add the tea leaves and remove from heat. cover to let it infuse . strain and add sugar and milk...
u can also make it without using tea leaves and milk....its my way of having cinnamon tea..and i use honey to sweeten my tea... :)

GO NUDE

2012-07-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

Long back..i exactly don't remember when ..but i think i was in 9th grade or may b younger than that , I saw an add of Lakme on a calendar with beautiful Lisa Ray flaunting her beauty.

And it said..

"God made Woman but makeup made Woman Beautiful"

So taking tips from my fashion sense , here goes my post

'My easy fashionista tips'

I am a fashion freak in my own way.. And dresses up with a principle that everything in moderation works wonderfully. Makeup is an art to hide ur flaws and enhance ur beauty so, never go over board. Here, I just want to share few do's and donts on makeup..my donts will b more than do's as i prefer nude looks..and plus it works well, so here i go with few tips .

To begin with...try to follow minimalism...its a slightly bland look..looks gr8 and saves lots of time as u dont have to pour in all the essentials that u have been collecting since ages..

one must not try too hard to look good . its better to be a natural looking woman..than a make-up monster ;)

Hair do

Next ..never tie ur hair too dramatically unless u r invited to some theme party.. shouting retro look..dont ever try a lady gaga look..its a no no..and a major faux pas..m sure with this weird look u ought to get attention of all the living things on earth but surely not for desired reasons...avoid alien hair styles..try leaving ur hair loose on ur shoulders..it always works..or tie them in a ponytail if going out for fun ..or in some kind of knot if its a formal thing. also pls.. dont follow Maddona blindly..she being my favourite but not necessary i must look like her...never brush ur eyebrows...or so as to say dont try rekha's look either..if u want to look different shave ur eyebrows but don't brush up is all i want to say...rather brush ur hair nicely untill they gain volume.

Hands, Nails

coming to most important part of ur body ..dont get ideas..m talking abt ur hands...for me they r very important as they are mobile advertisement of ur personality...in and out...guys and gals really watch them..and so keeping them hydrated , nourished with a good moisturiser is a gr8 idea,,keep ur nails cleaned, shaped and apply nude shades..when u r not sure of what colour to flaunt..also pls dont match the colour of ur nails with ur clothes..its not in anymore..if applying darker shades keep nails to decent length..dont get them long like a blood thirsty vampire ;) ..nails are very interesting..and avoid crazy nail art...use subtle color for nail art....i personally dont like metallic as it gives a look of tin foil ;)

Cheeks

Using a cheek colour..dont ever over do it...what u see on tv may not b good for u..try to check ur skin tone and go accordingly..use little touch of cheek color and u will look young, fresh , nice and preety...returned from jog look is gr8...be easy with colour on face..dont take amusing everybody in party seriously by coloring ur face like a clown ;

Eyes

...last but not the least...extreme smoky eyes...how to get this look is all over magazines ..and youtube...but pls try to get this in ur head..all thatz in market is not for u...jst dont follow fashion and makeup blindly..flaunt this look if u r a rebel in a way..or a tom boy..as nice and subtle girls dont flaunt it...also wear it only if u want to scare ur guy away..they may not say a word on ur face but mark my word they wud not b very pleased to be seen with a zombie or a raccoon :0

..i know i have been very bitchy throughout...but it will work in ur favour if followed...love u all readers...take it in stride and happy mirror moments.. :)

In the end , I want to quote a beautiful quote : cause if nothing works this for sure will :)

Eleanor Roosevelt said " No matter how plain a woman may be, if truth and honesty are written across her face, she will be beautiful "

Rains

2012-07-15T23:22:00.000-07:00

..Being many months now that i happen to get into writing,,,writing sumthing that wud have pleased me..it seems as if thoughts are all around but unwilling to fall into relevant sentences. Monsoons are back again..BBC says they are delayed ....whatever....delayed or on time..rains have always given me feeling of calmness and its very peacefull to sit by my balcony watching rain ..small droplets of water....for umpteenth hour. .. the moment each drop of water touches the ground ...it feels as though m soaked in ,my soul’s soaked in completely .... or so as to say anything .. everything breathes back into life.. all mundane tasks seems to be more lively .. life in itself starts with more energy.

M back from my gym and now after a small breakfast m back in my balcony to watch the magic that rain creates all around us. .its drizzling non stop...and the noise of it when it touches ground, tress, ,, objects.. tip .. tip .. tip.. wow it brings a smile that i can’t hide...to smile without a reason is a real happiness... m feeling fulfilled,, happy ,, and my presence feels more meaning full...to myself’

I can see many people from my balcony enjoying these first showers of rain.. few small kids with colourful umbrellas running around.. some of them are ready with the paper boats that they want to sail in the water to unknown destinations..and some jst sitting and talking with the sole purpose to get wet... a small puppy looking for shelter to save itself from getting wet. Two sari clad women.. waiting under the bus stop ... few motorists , cyclists, speeding up to reach their destination before the rain soaks them fully... birds mindlessly sitting in line on wires of electric tower...

Trees standing tall with pride .. but definitely feeling privileged as the rain washed their dust clad presence and made them looked more greener . the grass looks more lush and the scent of ground fills me within...the scent of earth fills me with a feeling of sheer excitement...

..I very well remember as kid i use to make sure that m fully soaked in rain whenever i cud. i still cant resist the temptation of getting fully soaked in.. I have always looked forward to these god send showers...the best way to enjoy is to stand still .... its an amazing feeling...i know its very kiddish.. but once in a while one sud get out of this all grown up adults and try to live more with innocence..and playfulness...as kids i wanted to grow up fast and b wise like my mom and dad.. now that m all grown up i want to b a child once again.. living both the lives i choose to b a child again... little things that made me happier as a child are still more important and capable of making me happy.. :)

It started raining late yesterday evening...and hasn’t stopped since then, though tvs and radios were only updating with the traffic chaos due to water logging ...its like everyone wants rains but wudnt stop cribbing about the nuisance it causes....i simply love rains without any ifs and buts...m thoroughly enjoying..happy rainy season to u all.

Shiva-Shakti

2012-05-09T03:20:00.001-07:00

Life is a journey of eternal boredom if one lives without romance. romance helps us embrace life. we live in the ocean of life. we are life. but only a man or woman of heart can feel this....lets take a jump and see if we are the one...

A person whoes heart bubbles with trust is capable of romance every moment of his life. he may not offer flowers but his very smile is worth millions of flowers. he may not do charity but his very presence will uplift. he excludes love energy for all..

Our head is mathematical, always calculating the pros and cons of responding to life. we open up a bit-as much our mind allows-and then move back. we miss the vastness of life that is always available to nourish us, support us, give us wings . we miss out on the real romance.
A person who is truely alive is not in romance with one person that he loves but with life as such-with children, with flowers, clouds, rivers, and oceans , with trees and nature. this style of romance means receptivity to all that life offers.

He who has a welcoming heart is in ease with life. he is ease with strangers , for nobody is a staranger on earth, or else everybody-wife, husband, child, siblings-is a stranger.the heart can turn every stranger into a beloved but mind can turn even a kin into a strangers. the heart has the courage to embrace but the mind doubts.only love and romance should be our norms of living.love is very nature of our soul.

Ardhnarishwar....The romance and its oneness..

There are two menifestations of one energy-male and female, yin and yang, krishna and radha, shiva and shakti. existence of love is simply a play of these two energies. shiva and shakti symbolises the blending of feminine and masculine energies within a person, as well as the world's creation. shiva without shakti is just a corpse(shav). shakti without shiva, 'the goodness', becomes destructive.
together they create tantra, the inner science of transformation and eternal ecstasy. that's the deepest union in harmonious way.

''It's not just a sexual union, as most people may think. sex may be the starting point but it is not the end...towards the end its divine energy capable of creation ...its surrender..most beautiful emotion..its romance..''

The Coffee shop

2011-11-02T10:38:00.000-07:00

It was raining heavily, and with every passing moment it was becoming difficult to drive as the heavy rainfall was hindering the visibility . It was just another day of August and I was getting late still everything on the way seemed to stop me. The roads were congested due to unruly traffic, some of the vehicles broke down due to too much of water logging . After a fight with time I reached the parking lot and parked my car, collected the parking ticket, I rushed towards the elevator . Bit of fast frisking and formalities , i was in Metro. Though I got a place to sit but my excitement wudnt let me . Stations passed by and people got down but my destination never seemed to arrive. I was counting on every minute. At last I was there. I got down and walked towards the Coffee shop.

Though the cafeteria was packed with people of all ages and group, I could still not stop myself and took notice of the empty chair and table at the corner , the place belongs to U to an extent that even in ur absence it gives me jitters. I went and sat at my place...my corner . It took few minutes to get back my composure..and while I waited for you I thought to order for some coffee for myself, looked around to see if someone was free to get me my coffee ..to keep me busy unless u arrived..

This is my favourite joint to hang out...it is located in the centre of the one of the smallest yet happening market of Delhi. The market has great many Book shops, Bars and Pubs, famous Restaurants some Top brands in Eyewear and Apparels.. It's hub for Few studios of Top fashion designers .

This coffee shop ..is a double story building, with a clear view of the road surrounded by huge glasses and the interiors are decorated with large oak wood tables and chairs all around. Very well polished in the English style, with jst the little light and beautiful plants placed all over the place. The music is very soothing in the background and as always it played all my fav..numbers..from Enrique to U2. All goes so well with the place, but today something abt the place made it more special than other days and I know that was the very reason of my excitement. The place smelled of almost all the aromas of coffee, not only the heady smell of it made my visits frequent , but it was You..i knew why i associated myself so much to the place...i could feel a distintive kind of peace . The place had a soul of its own and with the promising presence of yours , my world looked beautiful. Seeing people move around laughing and couples cosying up, Oldies eating out every detail from the daily newspaper, Youngsters making notes . The hush- hush of the place with so much going around all the time, full of people who had so much to talk about. it still had a soothing feel to it. There were few shelves full of all kinds of books...books i had gone through for n number of times. The place had gone under some changes in past , but jst the minimalistic and compulsory ones.

While waiting for my order, i thought of times when i came here with you in the past to catch some good time and have warm moments . Why it has to be so different with you. We would endlessly talk about the whole world even if we didnt knew an inch about it. We would discuss clothes, fashion, movies, dates, politics, marriage, divorce..and what not. Your company is all I looked forward to in this mundane world..and it always lights up everything around. I see the waiter rushing towards me with the tray in his hand...i knew my coffee and cookies are there. I am sure they will help me to relax a bit . While I just wanted to have a sip from my coffee with my thoughts of you , I saw you walking across the road ..excitement started to built up once again., I cudnt help myself from smiling as my long wait was going to end in a matter of few moments ..

Be in the Moment

2011-08-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

Hi readers...,m back after quite a long break...was kind of busy..and with whatever i was occupied

for sure i didn't feel like pouring my thoughts in...now m ready and once again all charged up to delight with a small story...i want to put across something which has been on my mind fr quite sometime nw..''

..very few women have attained to the zen ultimate...Rengetsu is one of those rare women...before starting i would like to tell u what exactly Zen ultimate is...''many r aware of it already but m making it easy to understand fr those who do not have any idea abt it...as i want u to absorb everything in the story without being lost...

the word Zen is from Japanese,,and also Cantonese..its a meditative state..zen emphasizes experiential wisdom in attainment of enlightenment..its Buddhas gift to the world...

Rengestu was on a pilgrimage, and she came to a village at sunset and begged for lodging for the night., but the villagers slammed their doors on her. They must have been traditional Buddhists in the town, and they wouldn't allow this zen women to stay there; they threw her out of the village.

It was a cold night, and old woman with no lodging ...and hungry. she had to make a cherry tree in the fields her shelter...

It was really cold, and she could not sleep well as she had nothing to cover herself on the cold night ... and it was dangerous too- wild animals and all. at midnight she woke--and saw , in the spring night sky, the fully opened cherry blossoms laughing to the misty moon. overcome with the beauty, she got up and made a reverence in the direction of the village and wrote :

''through their kindness in refusing me lodging i found myself beneath
the blossoms on the night of this misty moon..''

with great gratitude she thanks those people who refused her lodging, otherwise she would have been sleeping under an ordinary roof and she would have missed this blessing-these cherry blossoms, and this whispering with the misty moon, and this silence of night, this utter silence of night. she isn't angry, she accepts it-not only accepts it ,,she welcomes it. she is grateful.

...life is immense, and each moment it comes with a thousand and one gifts for you. but you are so engaged, preoccupied, with your desiring mind, you are so full of your thoughts, you refuse all those gifts....god comes; you go on refusing. a man becomes a Buddha the moment he accepts all that life brings with gratitude...''

it is not necessary that one has enough silence to discover oneself....the chattering mind will not shut up..and when by grace of god the chattering mind falls silent , only then we do have a chance of discovering who we are, and then we create a new world for our self....its our proposal to existence...but you must recognise it and make full use of it...whenever in life u feel that god has no doors ,no windows left open for you..its possible that there might be a Storm outside....thank existence for everything you have and something you don't have...

......

LATE NIGHT COLD

2011-07-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

m having dificulty sleeping...got cold ,body ache, nose blocked and above all everyone at home seems to me so safely enjoying the sleep without any flu bothering them' NOT THAT I MIND THEIR SOUND SLEEP'...i tossed and turned almost for about an hour...damm..still no sleep..... though i know first two days are real bad when u get cold..but after that u get better by each day...'m hoping it to be true in my case as well'..see m not even sounding humorous anymore...

but thatz not the real reason m here ..leaving behind the warmth of my bed(no airconditioner)as my mom always said its lack of warmth in our bodies that get us infected by cold...sounds funny but i do see a logic in it..i wonder if there is any real medicine to get over with this irritating thing..."running nose"..its so very difficult to take care of it while pushing keyboard keys..:)
i think i got the flu from DLF promonade mall in vasant kunj...as i was there yesterday whole evening....i was pretty good when i left home but by the time i returned i was bit uneasy..and when i woke up today...i knew i had a bad day ahead of me..!
i couldnt even enjoy unpacking my shopping bags...oh ..the min.i recall all my goodies i grabbed yesterday at discounted prices it does brings a smile on my face..:)
i picked a beautiful top in blue from biba....a dress from w and a long shirt from mango...m so happy as m gonna wear each one of them and go out with my friends for a movie or a lunch when m ok and get rid of this flu..
m going to make a cup of hot herbal tea for myself which i learned from my mother..its a wonderful mixture full of all medicinal properties of herbs we generally happen to have in our kitchen self..when i return with that cup for myself m gonna share that miracle recipe with u all...so hold on till i come back.....

hmm...m back with the cup of my tea....its a simple but very helpfull concoction...m not a allopathy person so i prefer these handy and usefull remedies..and believe in putting that extra effort if it saves me from administering those..bitter pills..
the recipe for tea....take a big cup of water in a pan and put it on gas stove....while the water comes to boil put in basil leaves(tulsi),cinnamom stick(dal chini),1 sp sauf, 2 clove , 2 blackpepper, 2 green cardamom (choti elaychi), single piece black cardamom(badi elaychi)...tea leaves sml spoon..bring it to boil ,add sugar and pour it through the strainer...sip it slowely while its still hot....i bet that u get an intant relief by the time ur cup is not even empty....!
that is what i do evertime i suffer from cold....and ya u may thank me later on for this ;)

theres one more pain taking recipe that i want to share.....as i have all the time in world...(now that m really enjoying sharing and m already feeling better)...
heat a pan on medium flame and put a small sp of black gram powder(besan) ,add little pure ghee(butter) and fry it till it gets the golden brown colour..now add water(one big milk mug) and green cardamom ,grounded almonds, and a pinch of blk pepper powder.. , add sugar according to ur taste..bring it to boil..and pour the liquid in a milk mug( that u used fr adding water)...sip it...u will feel not only better but happy as u now know how to ward off that irritating cold....!

ur sore throat will now b moistened enough to survive the dryness that cold brings along..if u take care of cold in the innitial stage it goes within a weeks time and if u dont it stays for almost more than three weeks in most cases..its very infectious...contageious...wash ur hands often ,instead of cloth napkins use throw away tissues ...as they r soft and non reusable...it hits u when there is low humidity...needs to take that extra step so that u dont go on infecting people around u..if u have difficuly sleeping due to blocked nose raise ur pillows so that ur head is higher than ur lower area...drink lots of liquids...take hot soups..avoid milk tea instead go for green or herbal teas....avoid sleeping in the afternoons or early evenings...i truely hope my inputs will or have already enlightened u....i now need to go and catch on with some sleep...need to get up early morning...it was fun sharing...love u all readers...and happy cold..muahh...