Bored? Read on...

Greetings friends. It's still snowing. So tired of this 'S" word. Where is the sun? God must have really heard my prayers when I was a kid, wishing to "see" snow. I grew up in the scorching heat of South India where there was no season called winter. But I can't complain now, since I am living the American dream, that most people want to but can't. Sigh! Poor Sanju Baba, back in jail. Must have finished shooting all his pending projects. RIP Nanda, although I did not watch any of her movies. Also, a moment of silence for all those innocent people who lost their lives on that Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. Hope the relatives find strength to deal with this trauma. Song of the day from the movie Rafoo Chakkar. Wahi hota hai jo manzoore khuda hota hai. So apt for what's happening in my life right now.

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If you are reading this, there is a chance that you are bored and browsing the internet for something interesting to do. And kudos to you, you are taking the right step, in the right direction to beat monotony! Is it true that only boring people get bored? The feeling of boredom is truly personal. I think engaging the mind is THE BEST way to beat boredom. Some examples of keeping the mind busy is to play games like chess, Suduku, board games etc. We can also meditate. I like to doodle. Since I can remember, the back of my notebooks were covered with my art work. I have some fascination for faces, flowers and connecting the dots. I draw random dots and then connect them. I have come up with so many new designs so far. Some day I will make a post of just my doodles. Maybe someone might think of it as a masterpiece and offer to publish them. Am I day dreaming? Well, that's another way of killing boredom. Many fantastic ideas have given birth as a result of day dreaming. One thing that most people tend to do when they are bored is eat. While this may offer instant satisfaction, it might have some bad, long term effects. Therefore it is not recommended. Pinpoint what bores you and see if you learn something new about yourself. While you do that, I will go to bed as it's quiet late here. Shub ratri folks!

 

The idea that changed my life

Namaskar dosts! It was not that I was lazy or busy, I had a specific thought, going on in my mind, for the last 2 months, which needed a closure. And finally, late last evening, I got my answer. And that moment, when I got my answer, I felt liberated. It was not the happiest solution, but nevertheless, it was an answer that helped me stop thinking "what if"? So, I decided to come back to my favorite space, which I had been neglecting. Here in Virginia, we are lucky, we get to experience seasons change DAILY! The weekend was enjoyable. On Friday, I went out with friends for a ladies night out, followed by a movie - "Queen". It was a light hearted movie. Kangana's character was simple and relatable. On Saturday evening after a whole day of lazing around, our family decided to go for an evening out. We watched the movie Non Stop. Thanks to the movie, now flying on an airplane will never be the same for me. A good movie though. At some points had to sit at the edge of the seat. We then enjoyed a really good meal at the Indian restaurant called "Haveli". Met two interesting people who waited our table. Both were so cheerful. They both asked the same questions. Kind of had the same personality. One was an Indian man and the other a white lady. Turns out they are husband and wife. Imagine that! Song of the day, for that cheerful couple, is from the movie Chitchor:

Is Ko Sanjog Kahen Yaa Qismat Kaa Lekhaa
Hum Jo Achaanak Mile Hain
Man Chaahe Saathi Paakar Ham Sab Ke Chehare
Dekho To Kaise Khile Hain

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 I have been watching too many interviews on YouTube. The one common question, celebrities get asked is "An idea that changed your life?". I have heard some really good answers like, the idea to start making movies, the idea to leave my city and come to Mumbai, the idea not to listen to my parents to go for further studies etc. etc. After thinking about what is that one idea that changed MY life, I came up with "the idea to express myself the way I really am". Growing up, I have listened to my parents and did exactly what they wanted me to do, After marriage, till recently, I listened to my husband to some extent. When the kids arrived, it was mostly about them. For the past say 3 years I have started thinking for myself. I began, saying exactly what I felt. While it has been a very satisfactory experience, it has also landed me in trouble. I have lost good friends, I have been given the silent treatment and gotten hurt very badly. I have been emotionally scarred to the extent that I have shed tears for days together. It is a lot to analyze and process. The positive to this is, I am living life on my terms. No one is telling me to do what I am doing. No one is stopping me from doing what I really want to do. I have made a few good choices. The rest, that were bad choices, I do not regret them at all, as I have grown from those experiences. My box of experiences, is getting fuller. Oh, what a nice feeling! Someone once told me, a life lived without taking risks, is a life not lived at all. Now, I understand this completely and agree with that genius who thought of this first. I still can't say that I have become a stronger person, but the goal is to get there. The best outcome so far is that, I am spending a lot more time with my family. In the end, they are the ones who matter the MOST. The second best thing, is my decision to blog. I can always come here and pen down my thoughts for the day, and keep a live diary! The fun part is, I sometimes get an email or two from strangers who read my blog. Love you all! Keep reading! Shub Ratri!

Lovers vs. Haters

Hello friends! Yes, the fireplace in on 24x7 at our house these days. So tired of "trying" to stay warm. The "S" word again! This time the weather man is predicting an accumulation of 10" to 12" on the ground. Schools closed again. Children losing focus. Sigh! I watched too many award shows over the weekend. Watching Oscars at present. Amazed at the creative writing skills. Every year these shows offer something different. I am really hesitant to start watching these shows as I think that they are too long. But the content is so good that somehow the time flies and I realize that I have just sat on the couch for 3hours straight. If not for the weather, it was a nice weekend. Attended an international night on Friday night. Witnessed dances from at least 25 different countries, including the dragon dance of China, Lion dance of Korea, Bhangra of India, Salsa dance of Latin America and so on. Finally got to "experience" the movie Goliyon Ki Ras Leela Ram-Leela. An epic movie it was! SLB got it right this time. Right from the story, to casting, to music to the colors in the movie. Since love stories is the genre of movies that I enjoy the most, this movie was a complete entertainer for me. The dances were so good. Both RS and DP have done a fantabulous job. For me, Ranvir is the next SRK.  His energy is contagious. Definitely spreads enthusiasm. So, the song of the day is from this movie. My favorite number. "Lahu Munh Lag gay".

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By now, most of you know, that my favorite pass time is to watch YouTube videos. This morning, I was watching Koffee with Karan episode with Abhishek Bachchan and Farah Khan. One sentence from that episode that was said by AB Jr. caught my attention. He said he is a "lover" not a "hater". This made me think. Whole day, I was thinking about it. There is so much to learn from this statement. A lot can be achieved by spreading love. My younger son, always wins our heart at home with his love. My husband sometimes can be really very strict with the kids Every time, after a serious argument, Rohit makes it a point to say "I love you". My heart just melts when I hear that. How can you not love the child that much more? There is nothing like the vibration of love. It makes us feel good and it makes others feel good. Couple it with the frequency of gratitude and you have a winning formula for life! Our days are happier when we give people a bit of our heart rather than a piece of our mind ! Some of the different ways of spreading love can be:

1. Be kind - Do random acts of genuine kindness. You can smile more when you walk down the street, open doors for strangers (even women can open doors for men — ladies can be gentlemen too!), give a genuine compliment.
2. Treat all equal -Try to notice yourself in others and aim to perceive that we are all a part of God.  Send love to everyone, especially those who irritate, provoke or scare you.  Feed people with fear and they will become fearsome, feed them with love and they will become loving.
3. Express love -Express acts of love and kindness to animals, plants and insects too, we are their guardians.  All life has the signature of our creator embedded in their fabric
4. Give - Practice giving without the need for receiving. this one I need a lot of practice. I do expect.
5. Be thankful - Give thanks for all the things that are going right in your life.  We so often harp on the things that are going wrong for us
6. Hug:  Hugging was never encouraged at my house when I was growing up. This is something I have learnt recently. Hugs have such healing powers. Give away free hugs whenever you see the opportunity.  Humans are tactile beings (well, at least some of us anyway) and the value of appropriate physical contact can be just what someone may need from you.

I am sure if we put these things to practice we will experience love in return.

If anything, the movie Ram-Leela has taught me to always gracefully emerge from the flames with your head held high and a fire of passion in your heart. My new favorite star, Ranvir Singh is a perfect example of this. I have always seen him spreading love, whether it is with his co-star, his boys who work with him on the sets, his directors, his fans etc., and that is why I feel he was a perfect fit for the role of Ram in the movie. Keep it up Ranvir, you are an inspiration to most of us.