Quote for the Day!

"Don't be afraid to start small.
We discount small because it doesn't deliver big results instantly.

Starting small allows you to do, allows you to be consistent, builds habit, and

makes progress over time.

And once those foundations are built, THEN big results can happen instantly.

Think of professional athletes.

They start small, hone their skill over years and years of hard work, make it to

the big leagues, and then get paid millions for a 30 second commercial.

An example of big results happening instantly but only when starting small many years ago in the beginning of their journey..."

With this new year, I have made as well as kept my promise (thus far) of doing those tiny bits/actions of the so-very-important aspects of my life... Be it my health, my personal growth, my career or my relationships - yes, I am trying to cover it all at one go. 'Taking it one day at a time' really makes all the difference. Infact, I think this phrase should be changed to 'taking it a moment at a time'. Go all out in this very moment - thinking what you should do & doing exactly what you should do. It all translates into a better, brighter & more beautiful day/week/month/year. :)
It takes some amount of effort to focus on each second of your life... but in the end, it's going to be all worth it!

Welcome 2012!

It's time to step into a brand new year... another opportunity to renew ourselves, transform the self and make way for a better future. No radical promises, no silly resolutions and no extraordinary hopes. Only one plain objective - Stick to the basics! Do everything I possibly can to give myself a better & happier life...

Here's the quote for the day ---

What's within your control?

Identify that and fully execute to the best of your ability.

It's the best thing you can do.

It's the only thing you can do.

And if you concentrate on doing that, chances are pretty good the stuff

out there will come close to the way you want them to, if not better.

A teary-eyed goodbye...

Chitthi na koi sandesh.... Jaane woh kaun sa desh... Jahan tum chale gaye...

I still haven't come to terms with the news that my utmost favorite Jagjit Singh ji is no more... I dont recall any particular time or date, nor a specific song that got me hooked to his ghazals. I feel as if I have been in love with his voice for ever now.
Unlike many others, I would not say that his songs defined any particular phase or moment of my life. To me, his music & his beautiful voice is an inseparable aspect of my life and will always remain so. His music has been my constant companion & certainly the most favorite one as well in my best & worst times. Be it agony or romance, his mellifluous voice lent beautiful expression to all kinds of poetry and gave it a soul of its own. Everytime I heard his music, it moved & touched my soul in ways that I can never put down in words. While I was often moved to tears listening to his ghazals, he also managed to tickle me with his romantic renditions... There was none like him & there will never be another Jagjit Singh. As he undoubtedly is the king of ghazals!
I had long harbored a strong desire to witness his live performance atleast once in my life. About two months back, I booked the tickets for his show on 23rd September in Mumbai. On this very fateful day, he suffered a brain haemmorhage attack. I returned from the show sorely disappointed but with the hope that I would surely book tickets for Jagjit Singh's next performance. Alas! It was never meant to be...

Feeling blue...

The new year hasn't really kicked off with a great start... The first week into the year had me suffering from a bad case of cold & sinusitis. I still haven't fully recovered from it. I get these bad headaches every now & then, alongwith a complete lack of energy. More than the physical aspect, it is the mental stress which makes me feel awfully low.

This year has begun with a whole lot of expectations. It is my chance to revive my (long-ago deceased) career. Despite having done immensely well in school, college & postgraduate studies I have always doubted myself. I dont know the reason but I totally lack in confidence particularly with respect to job & career aspect. Each day I live with the nagging thought of being a complete failure. I really dont know when this phase will end but I sure wish it would happen really soon.

Starting with your own business venture definitely sounds exciting. But I know this path wont be easy at all. It is going to be fraught with several challenges. The foremost requirement is that I must be strong & confident to overcome all obstacles. It means I have to be someone I am not. To be a different person altogether. Is it really possible to drastically transform oneself??? Or am I being unrealistic???

(16/01/2011)

Some more pain & Little hope!

It doesnt get any better.. Does it? I was hoping today would be a perfectly good start to the life ahead.. it would be the first step of fulfilling our dreams of love success and a beautiful life together.

It feels terrible not getting what you'v worked so hard for and very well knowing that you deserve every bit of it. I dont know what I can do to ease your pain.. I wish there was something I could do. It would'v helped ease the pain & guilt that I am carrying within. I feel really really awful...

I dont want to dwell on these feelings any longer coz I know they dont help. They only make matters worse. But everytime in the past when I'v buried the nonsensical stuff and tried to move ahead it hasn't yielded any results..

Not taking Past as any indicator for the Future...I will move on... I am going to make myself emerge stronger & more determined.. and next time I am sure things will definitely go our way!! Amen!!

(05/01/2010)

It couldn't have been a worse start to the year...
There are certain days that tend to be bad..some really bad...but there are some days that become landmarks in your life, for all the trauma & pain they bring to your life..
Its never easy to handle the bitter truths of your life... and particularly when it is handed over to you by the ones you love and that too in the most hurting manner ever..
I know I've made mistakes and a whole lot of them. I know I've done things I shouldn't have.. I also know that I haven't done things that I really should have. I know every bit of it --- I have regretted it, I have suffered it, I have paid for it & I probably will pay for it the rest of my life.
They may be right in making me realise it, making me suffer all over again through their harsh words. But I really don't have the emotional strength to handle it... Still I have to. I dont have a choice!
But it sure hurts like hell...
Things won't be the same anymore. I know I won't be the same person anymore, for better or for worse. Coz I took it in my stride once but not this time... I am going to embrace your words and let them ring in my ears each day, till the last moment of my life and make sure I do full justice to them.

How to make this year a happier one...

(Article by Jitendra Nagpal)

"To live happy is an inward power of the soul" said Aristotle, the great Greek thinker. We often find it difficult to derive happiness from our everyday life, so full of stress and worries. However, the fact is that happiness lies deep within us, in the very core of our being, not in an external object.

It is, thus, a state of well-being, a balance of physical, psychological, social and spiritual self. A state in which our mind's habitual agitation is calmed.

We tell ourselves ou life will be better when we have a bigger car, when we can take a vacation... The truth is, there is no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, then when? Challenges will always be there. Admit as much and decide to be happy in spite of it all. Here are some simple initiatives you can take.


Focus on personal goals :
Cultivating your spirituality may uncover what is most meaningful in your life. By clarifying what is important to you, you can eliminate stress by focusing less on the unimportant things that can sometimes consume you.
When you feel part of a greater whole, you realise that you are not responsible for everything that happens in life. You can share the burden of tough times as well as the joys of life's blessings with those around you.
Whether you find spirituality in a church, mosque or temple or in your family, or in walks with a friend through nature, this sharing of spiritual expression can help build relationships. Research indicates that people who consider themselves spiritual are often better able to cope with stress and have higher personal goals.

Use Adaptive Thinking :
Realistic thinking involvves reasoning, which helps us adjust to the real world. It also includes the strengths and the weaknesses within one's self and the ability to cope with these.
Our positive th inking can put us on the right path ad change our personality. Thinking, therefore is very important for learning, understanding, shaping external matters or our mind.

Develop Relationships :
Happiness begins with our relationship with ourselves and is nurtured by our ties with others and our sense of purpose in life.The best ways to lutivate happiness are to improve self esteem and to foster closeness with those who are important to us.

Reflect inward :
Create fond memories. Keep a journal to help you express your feelings and record your progress. Seek out a trusted advisor or friend - preferably someone who has had similar life experiencs - who can help you discover what is important to you. Sometimes others have insights that you have not.
Read inspirational stories or essays to help you evaluate different philosophies of life. Talk to people whose happiness you admire. Be open to new experiences. Do something different. If what you are doing is causing you problems, do someething else.
Playing video games getting in the way of relationships? Spending money you do not ear? Identifying a problem is a good first step. Then go and do something else. If you find you cannot do something else, you may be addicted, in which case the something different coud include counselling.
If you cannot specify a problem but still cannot call yourself happy, then use some mental techniques to enjoy life more - develop effectiv elistening and communication skills and stop thinking about things that are bothering you and direct your mind to things you enjoy, and you may find surprise solutions popping up in your head; pray or meditate, whatever makes you feel calmer, stronger; focus on enjoying the present instead of fretting over the future.