Ten things I want to say to 10 different people right now – DAY 10 OF HALF MARATHON

This prompt was a tough one to write. I really had no idea what can i possibly write on it. Should i be mentioning about ten important people what i feel for them ? Or should i be just randomly writing ten things i expected from people i am close to? Not happy about it..hmm so i refer google to come up with few ideas as am watching #masterchefaustralia (there is something so therapeutic about cookery shows even though you don’t understand half of the things 😛 do u also feel so?? ) and this is what i come up with –

#1 HAPPINESS 
To all those people who run behind happiness and yet never find it, stop and have a look at life and think of all the things you are blessed with and need to feel happy about it. I do agree a fat paycheck, a perfect family, all the other luxurious things in life bring happiness but if you are not happy from within all these don’t matter at all. Stop searching happiness, try to make someone else happy and you’ll realize what you had been searching for all this while.

#2 MONEY
Money buys happiness i do agree to this to some extent but don’t let the chase for money make you lose your family and friends. Don’t go do things which aren’t ethical just to earn extra dollars in your bank account. Don’t let yourself down or cheat yourself to make money and yet go to bed everyday fearing when you would get caught for the same or even if not, don’t have that guilty feeling as you live each day.

#3 FREEDOM
You own your life – take charge of it and feel liberated. We are in a century where everything is possible and we have the right opportunity to all possibilities only if we chose to do so. Give yourself the freedom to experiment with life by taking risks, by living it and not merely surviving each day. Appreciate freedom of opinion and choices in other. Freedom is more of the mind than the actions. Do not misuse the freedom you have in life be it in family, at work, or in a society you are living it. Use freedom as your strength not as your weapon

#4 PEACE
None of the hard work you have put in life or things you have achieved would be of any worth if it doesn’t give you peace at the end of day. If you just earn enough for your family and yourself, if you earn so much that the next two generations need not even work, if you live in a 2 bedroom apartment or a bungalow of your own, if you are riding a two-wheeler or a Mercedes Benz, if you are a single person or if you have a loving family, if you are the greedy kind from the Christmas carol or the one who rejoices with a group of friends lifelong it all comes down to one important question – do you find peace within yourself?

#5 JOY
Find moments of joy in small little things that you do and you’ll realize how easy it is to be happy. Talk to that random passenger who is sharing a cab with you ask him how his day was and you would know how easy it was to bring a smile on someone’s face. Ask your maid how she and her family is doing, or give her some of your old clothes(which can be worn) and you would know how much of a difference you have made in her life. Buy that pen which a kid at the traffic signal is selling you don’t really have to use it but you buying that one pen or sticker from her could have given her that extra amount she needed to buy a book for herself or even a meal of one time. Find joy in visiting orphanages and the elderly. Bring a smile in their lives and joy in yours.

#6 BALANCE
Only if you know your priorities in life you would be able to bring the right balance in it too. Understand what are the possible aspects of life for which you could negotiate and for which you are not ready to. Bring balance in life and work, bring balance in family and friends. Don’t let one phase of life take over the remaining.Compromise on things that you think you can and are justified to you, stand by your policies and principles if they demand not to be compromised.Balance between your needs and desires, balance between you for yourself and you for others.

#7 FULFILLMENT
Are your expectations in life met? Are you doing the right job that you wanted to or like most of us end up in different professions in reality does it really fulfill your aspirations? Does being friends with someone fulfill your life in terms of becoming a better person or individual?Are you living up to your potential that you are at least aware of? If not think about why your worth as an individual is not being fulfilled. Is it because you are too comfortable in your skin and do not wish change in life, or is it because your are not ready to put up a fight against what is wrong or what is deserving for you.

#8 CONFIDENCE
Even if you don’t have one or you are not confident about yourself still go ahead with a confident face and attitude and you’ll feel how much of a difference it could make in your life both personal and professional. Be confident about your choices and do not doubt yourself. Remember the answer to any question is no if you do not ask it. Be confident in putting your opinions across people when needed. Be confident to stand up for what you feel is right.Believe in yourself and hold on to your moral values.

#9 STABILITY
Being stable doesn’t mean to be in your comfort zone all the time. Remember change is the only thing constant in life and change is inevitable. Try and embrace change yet hold onto your ground and be stable in life. Do not let the unknown affect you and bring you down both emotionally and physically. Nothing in this world is Stable or Secure except YOU. Your moral values, your spirit, your knowledge, your capabilities are the only stable attributes in your life. Do not react to the situation, respond to the situation. In times of difficulty try to separate the pain from the suffering. Just as the roots do not get affected no matter what the situation is above the ground, be stable in your principles and you’ll overcome all the unstability around you.

#10 PASSION
I have spoken about passion the most during the half marathon challenge and i feel it’s the one which keeps your spirits ignited. Being passionate is not just about being crazy about doing something in life, be passionate in your relationship both with family and friends. Be passionate in your work even though its something you are not happy doing, you’ll eventually see the benefits. Find purpose in life and it’ll give you meaning.Believe in yourself and you ll know how being passionate isn’t really hard. Keep the fire in you alive.

~~ Don’t measure your life in the moments you have lived, but in those moments that took your breathe away and those moments which brought happiness through you in others ~~

With this post i complete the 10 day writing challenge which was inspired by Shane’s blog and am happy as one more writing challenge is completed. Though am still few more days for the #halfmarathon and that would be something that i really need to think now 🙂 Do let me know what could i write for 11,12,13 and 14 if at all you have noticed the way i am doing the half marathon challenge. 😀 Help meeee plzzzzzzzz

This post is written for the Half Marathon Blogging Challenge at Blog Chatter and also the reference for the first ten days has been taken from 10 Day Writing Challenge that I saw on Shane’s blog which was inspired by dakilanggerlpren 

Promises on the 29th birthday

I officially welcome you all to my favourite month of the year – JULY ❤ It has to be because it is my birthday month, it was on this day that I was born to my lovely parents 28 years back and the journey so far has been beautiful and an amazing roller coaster ride for me. So Happy birthday to the 29-year-old me !!! 😀 Woohooo 

I know many people who find it kiddish when i show the excitement for my birthday but i personally feel you need to celebrate it no matter how  simple or extravagant the celebration is after all it is this day your existence as a human being came into picture.

Nothing can screw my mind or happiness this day I have been sick before on my birthdays yet i celebrated it. I have been alone on my birthday and still i have cut a cake all by myself. So am pretty strong-headed when it comes down to my birthday I am gonna be child like beaming with energy and happiness. Probably this is the only day i wait for so badly. 😀

People make bucket lists (i have a long one to myself let’s have that for some other day), to do lists and many such things. But me being me I kind of prepare lists for my birthday or more like the promises I would make to myself as the candle on the cake is blown – it’s like a new set of revised and updated Resolutions of the year (logically too July is the half of the year and for people to give their procrastinated new year resolutions a check ). This 29th birthday of mine, i make some important and long-term promises to myself cause I have decided no more new lists but one for life long. 

~~ PROMISES TO THE 29 YEAR OLD ME ~~

ME: Oh my god! Enough of everyone else it’s gonna be about me henceforth. As long as I am happy people around me are, as long as am fun and humourous so would the ones who care for me be the same I am going to be more happy as a person, more confident and strong in my opinions towards the way i look at life . 

People and Relationship: People come and people go and then there are few who chose to stay in your life forever no matter what. My family and my friends are the ones who made me ME! I promise to take them along in my life’s journey no matter what good or bad happens between them and me.I chose to nourish my relationship with them and make the bond stronger as each day passes by.  I would stop giving discounts to people who are not worthy of me.

Health: Something that I keep neglecting and then regret later. High time i get that lazy ass of the bed and work out! I wana be that old granny who can still lift her grandchildren and play with them even though she is 80.

Career: I have officially completed six years in the IT industry. I now want to focus more on my career and move up the ladder in my professional journey of life. I want to be that super boss who everyone loves and hates at the same time. Who doesn’t like Power ???? 😉

Finance: Bigger the job ,bigger the salary, bigger the salary , more the expenses. But no boy , I am gonna make more the expense yet MORE THE SAVINGS. 😛 I really need to save my taxes 😛 SAVINGS is the KEY to HAPPINESS. Money does buy happiness you see, you need to have money to buy some happiness at times (world tour ..aah!! sounds fun na)

Time Management: Considering the fact that i wana be more career oriented, i really need to buckle up and strategize how I would manage my time in doing things i love along with working hard. I still wana blog as regularly as possible, i want to continue learning something new each year, i do want to become better in my zentangles and doodles.

Kalinaw over Happiness: The last two years have taught me Happiness is more important than peace of mind has been totally misunderstood. Infact it should be the other way round. The peace of mind you feel when you lie down in bed and close your eyes after a long day is a million times more comforting than the happiness you have at the end of day. From now on my focus is in achieving peace of mind more than happiness (which is never permanent). 

So cheers to a new birthday and to a long term list of promises to myself! It’s my day and am gonna cherish it like all my other birthdays. Thanking everyone who has touched my life in some way or another and made me the person that I am today.  To all those people who took time to wish me in whatever means possible. For some yummy cakes to lovely bouquets this birthday was truly amazing!!! ❤

Thanks a ton to the word press community for bringing some amazing people in my life who inspire and love me each day, it’s so overwhelming!!!! And thank you to myself for always being there for me. Happy birthday to me !!!! ❤ ❤

Also today’s Filipino word prompt is “Kalinaw“ which means  “serenity, tranquility“. Find the prompt words HERE! Don’t forget to ping back & use the tag WordHighJuly. Cheers!!!

 

#AtoZChallenge DAY08: H for HAPPINESS

Day: #08 || Alphabet : H || Theme: Emotions || Word: Happiness

Today as part of the #AtoZChallenge  the emotion I have picked up is the most important and vital emotion we try to feel every single day. In fact for which we work hard, love people and do everything possible to reach that state of mind where we can say HAPPINESS!!!  I personally believe happiness is a state of mind 🙂 🙂 🙂 and happiness to different people mean different things. 

Since am travelling, I’d like to post this video which would sum up what I want to talk about Happiness. Hope you guys like it ❤ ❤

Also leaving a song on happiness nope not Happiness by Pharrell Williams (almost all of us must have heard about it) but this one is from Donovan. One of my best friends fav. 

The Happiness Smiley

Draw your future

Most of us have heard about the book Secret which talks about how by applying laws of attraction we can attract all that we want in life and help in manifesting our dreams and aspirations. A secret to lead a happy and successful life.

And this is something which we have been doing since our childhood just that we never knew the theory behind it until few years ago when Rhonda Bryne opened up this whole new world of possibilities for human being just by visualizing and thinking positive about everything that we have dreamed for.

Personally sometimes when i look back i guess few of the incidents in my life that had happened were in someway related to this theory. Few good ones and few bad ones. Bad ones cause yeah just like how one can attract positive vibes one can even attract negativity too. I didn’t know back then about this and some serious negative thinking that i did unknowingly came out true. (People like me learn from mistakes 🙂 😛 )

Well well well, this post is not about Secret but about one of my fav personalities Patti Dobrowolski. She is an international keynote speaker, comic performer and also the founder of Up Your Creative Genius, a consulting firm that uses visuals and creative processes to help companies and individuals around the world accelerate growth and change. Known for her high energy, quick wit and commitment to helping people and businesses achieve their goals, she lives in the rain forest of Seattle, Washington with her partner Julie, 3 dogs and 3 chickens.

So here i am sharing this video of hers from one of my fav Ted Talks. Vision boards, making to do lists, drawing my future has somehow affected me positively in the last one year 😀 So go ahead and watch the video and am sure by the time you finish it you would be excited to pick up a pen and a paper and DRAW YOUR FUTURE

P.S: People who love Writing Challenges check out the A to Z Challenge 2016. This would be my first time and really excited about it even more cause I am also a part of John Holton’s Team. Check out their site and fb page for further details.

Facebook Page : AtoZ Challenge

Website: AtoZ Challenge 2016

 

Long weekend & Long List of Awards

For those who are not from an IT background, a long weekend (Friday-Saturday-Sunday) means either to head out for a small vacation or get all your pending items in the things to do note list a tick. Its that time when you want to finish off all that you had been procrastinating (this word itself could be a topic of a separate blog post) for a good long time be it as simple as getting that wardrobe organised,that book you have been wanting to read for long, giving your vehicle a wash or even catching up with a friend after a long time.(Gosh i had almost all of that in my to do list 😛 )

What i did on this long weekend finally was – Complete the book “To Kill a Mocking Bird“, organize my wardrobe, clean the aquarium and get another set of gold fish, meet not one but three friends, 🙂  pick my cousin sister from the airport and be a good host to her and yeah a long awaited flea market i would be attending tomorrow….now that’s some achievement with one more day still to go for the long weekend to get over with!!!! Looks like one of my new year resolution to stop procrastinating things is speeding up. yippeee!!!!

So my to do list apart from all the above, had one more major important thing to do, being the blogger i am, i had this list of award nominations that i had been waiting to respond from quiet sometime. Well one more reason for postponing it was, i had to search for nominees to pass on the awards and anybody i wanted to was already nominated more than once or had made their blog award free…so you see i always find a reason for postponing thing 😛 😛 😛 😉

Hence the disclaimer – this is gonna be one long post justifying the subject Long weekend &  Long list of awards 🙂 I guess once in a while a lengthy post can be accepted. 😀 😀 Makes sense right, you write 7 random facts about you multiple times would make the list long, unless i am short of so many facts about myself 😛 😛 😛

The Versatile Blogger Award

Thank you Christina from Stealing Quiet Time In Noisy Disorder for the nomination, excuse the delay but you now know the reasons!! 🙂 This is one blog you wanna check out people, her love story is the kinds you read in books ❤ and you instantly feel “awwww-ed”. 

 

The Dragon’s Loyalty Award 

Shilpa, from iamabloggertoo for the love of God’s own country fellowship we Malayalis are all over the world physical and digital gal!! Thanks a ton for that award, appreciations boost up so much of your confidence 🙂 People now you need to head straight to her blog and read the Story section, specially the suspense ones are gripping and keeps you glued till the end. 

The Word Magician Award

Sam, from The Starlit Octave Band  Thanks a ton for that award, happy new year!!! 🙂 You know what I still remember my fav line from your facts and its written in my diary of fav qoutes

“I would say I’m very much “me” type
The one that is rare
For I love to stay original
Rather than fake my life”

Isn’t it a beauty friends??? I love this line of his and i wish we all inculcated this in our lives and am sure the feeling of insecurity would never knock your door. So go check those magical words Sam spins and leaves you coming back for more and more.

A bunch of Awards from the lovely NJ;)

Yeah, NJ from Ametalk has her own style just like how she showered me with a whole bunch of awards – Versatile Blogger, One Lovely Blog, Seal of Approval Blogger Recognition and Dragon’s Loyalty Awards!!! And i am pretty much sure most of my blog subscribers have NJ’s blog on their subscriber list as well. I really like her writings, she speaks about so many varied topics and the kind of warmth she has for her fellow bloggers is really overwhelming. If all that doesn’t make you go check out her site then what??? !!!!

The WAKAWAFU Award

There is a theory behind the WAKUWAFU Award and you can read more about it on DrowningWings who had nominated me for this encouraging and motivating award specially even more heartwarming as am a new blogger in this amazing blogging community. Thankuu!!! And for the rest of you who are still reading my longgggggg post the name Drowningwings is cause “you don’t need water to feel like your drowning ,your broken dreams will make you feel so” well thats the theory from the author Mansi who hails from a lovely place called Dehradun, India.

Blogger Interview Tag Award

This was the earliest on the long list of awards that i was supposed to respond to so i would want to end it with this one. I am thankful to 4yearoldadult – yeah you read it right, the 4 year old adult. And he has got an amazing range of topics on which he writes and as he says he is weird they are weird in a good way 😛 The Good-Kinda-Weird.

Random Facts About Me

1. My family includes my dad, elder brother , sister in law and me
2. I love doing everything possible in life, i wana learn everything
3. Baking is something that is on my list to learn this year(or the next one)
4. A handicraft/diy store is something i have been thinking of lately
5. Fame is not something that i crave for but i want to be in that position one day where people look upto me and get inspired.
6. I hate cats (many are gonna hate me for this now) as much as i love dogs.
7. The only thing i am scared in life(apart from losing loved ones) are SPIDERS..ehh!!!
8. I am born and brought up in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India – a must visit place.
9. My choice of movie genre would be- Action-SciFi-Horror-Psychopath-Comedy-Romance.
10. As mentioned in one of my posts, i suffer from Periodic Attraction Syndrome(that’s what i named it 😛 ) You can read about it here – IMPERFECTION IS INDIVIDUALITY
11. I got three tattoos and i plan on getting more …shhh!!! m glad my dad doesn’t read my blogs
12. I love playing board games – business,monopoly,battleship,life,scotland yard,chinese checker,cards,uno you name it and i have played them and i still own all of these back home.
13. My mom used to write a lot of poems in Hindi, and i still have that little diary of hers that i read whenever i feel low.
14. I have completed my diploma in Indian classical dance form – Bharatnatyam and Kathak
15. When i was in my 5th std i was in the Nicobar islands for a vacation where my mom was posted as a school teacher and her house happened to be the first one from the port and the sea was jusy 200mts far from the back door,I was taking a stroll in the beach when i see this baby dolphin wounded on the nose at the shore lying and crying. I just went ahead and hugged it tight and was trying to soothe it and figure out what happened and then with no idea as to what to do i went and called mom and gathered other folks around. Soon there was a large crowd and then the fisheries officials came and did the first aid and took it to the sea and left it. But that first 20 mins that i had with just the dolphin and me is still so fresh in my mind. There is something really magical about these creatures. I want that kind of an encounter again but m sure being lucky with a dolphin a second time in an open sea is only possible in dreams now.

What is your goal of blogging today?

To respond to all those amazing people who have nominated me a range of awards which has been like a shower of love and good words from the blogging world. So yup that is the goal today.

What do you love most about blogging?

I think Blogging is like a blank canvas, you can write, paint whatever you have in your head or whatever is there residing in your heart. You can touch peoples lives through your writing, you can get inspired from others! Its a whole different world, you make this world from scratch the way you want it to, the way you want to live in it.

What is your inspiration for your posts?

Its random, i don’t think that this is the only thing i would be writing. Just like my blog name its a potpourri of different things that i want to talk about. Inspiration could be anything!!!

What do you think about rankings?

Honestly i think it doesn’t matter at all. You should not be focusing on whats your rank to determine how happy you are as a blogger unless you are monetarily thinking about it. I do agree its gives that moment of instant pleasure but let it just keep it that way and not let it affect us.

Do you have a plan for your blog?

Maybe!!! There should be at least some planning like a draft version so that it helps you blog.

What would be your dream campaign?

Hmmm..something like post your pic every Sunday and see how you have grown over a year.

What advice would you give to a blogger just starting out?

Just write what you want to, don’t think about anything else. Just have fun and passion in what you do, that should work the rest of everything else.

How did you get into blogging?

I have been wanting to and tried and tested this since my graduation days but finally i took the serious step of not quitting it since August 2015. I decided to do things that i love, like writing.

Huh!!! Now that turned out to be a realllyyyyyy longgggggg posttttttttttt!!! 🙂 And am not sad about it, when you keep things on pending list they eventually become a lot. So yeah the next time i am gonna stop postponing such things and be more responsive!! Thank you all for those amazing awards and appreciation. Have a great year ahead both personally and professionally!!!

Now here i go with my list of Nominees!! Congratulations and have fun while doing this post! 🙂 Please answer the following questions

1. State 7 facts about yourself

2. Answer questions related to blogging

3. One strength and one weakness about you

Hargun Wahi

Vikas Acharya

Mahaa

Jenn

Jean

Priscilla

Soumya

Darshith

Pratyush

Doc2poet

Hasmeet

Gunroswell

Yogesvr

Aniruddh

PS: You are free to accept or reject the award(s). No obligation

Another SISTERHOOD AWARD and the feeling is special every time

Because am HAPPY!!! yeah…. who wouldn’t be when you showered with so much of love from the fellow WordPress Community !! 🙂 Yes its award time again and this is from my very bubbly and happy-go-lucky girl Dauntless Dream  So here goes another roller coaster ride in answering her questions … …

SISTERHOOD OF THE WORLD BLOGGER AWARD

Thank you so much gal for the nomination!!! And yeah always thought of telling in the comments but i keep forgetting and that is this one line on your blog which brings a genuine smile on my face – “We were born to be real, not to be perfect.” Totally love it!! 🙂 ( i don’t know if there is a heart or love symbol in WP..still new here)

Who is a female figure, you look up to? – No matter how old i grow, how experienced i become, how strong or independent i become; this lady no matter she is not with me anymore in life she has left me with a life full of experiences, stories, sayings, thoughts, advice, love, blessings and prayers and that’s none other than my MOTHER. 

A movie that seems like a representation of your life? – Not yet. I mean somehow i find my shades of characters in almost some movie or series but not in complete sense!! My life could be made into a movie for sure;)

Current favorite song? Too many, changes with the mood.

Something you’re bad at and want to get good at? – I can’t whistle and blow a chewing gum 😛 I  have been trying this since i was a kid

Meaning behind your URL?- Hope this answers LIFEASAPOTPOURRI

The meanest thing someone has ever said to you?- I don’t remember them cause i ll keep thinking about it over and over again. Well lets just say my answer to them would be – You can love me , you can deny me but you can never ignore me !! 🙂 😉

The nicest thing someone has ever said to you? – I am blessed to be loaded with nicest things every time. So many again that i keep thinking about all those whenever i feel low and it just helps me rise up.

Your opinion on feminism? – Feminism is like two sides of the coin. People tend to use it according to their convenience which i think is totally wrong. Feminism is to feel equal in the society to the male species and should not be mistaken as a means to prove them wrong or inferior or get things done easily for you the woman community. And feminism is not just restricted to one gender but should be considered equally in the society. It does not mean hate men or hate girls (every  girl has that one girl on their target hit list :P), it simply means equality in total

What quality do you like in a person?- Nobody is perfect so i don’t expect someone to be perfect in all aspects. But i admire people who are honest to people and honest to themselves, who respect the opposite person and treat people around with care and affection despite difference in age, sex, caste, social and financial status, job profile etc., chivalry in men,intelligent people who talk sense , people who do not have intentions or have actions that harm others. And that one quality that can make me go weak in my knees is someone who can make me laugh. 

Favorite accent? –I think as Indians we are accent neutral.  Any other accent sounds different and good to me.

P.S – Not nominating anyone cause most people on my blog have already been nominated more than once. Sorry sisters!! 😦 

To end with  – WE WERE BORN TO BE REAL, NOT TO BE PERFECT