Relax...

The mantra for today...

Relax!

Isn't it sad that we need to remind ourselves to relax? To stay calm? To reassure ourselves that things will be okay? Or to make ourselves see that things are, in fact, great! I guess thats the price we pay for growing up. We understand more, we have more responsibilities, and more stress. And people like me are one step further! If there is nothing to worry about, instead of enjoying the peace, I will worry about why there is nothing to worry about! There must be something that I am missing, that I have overlooked and will come to bite me later. Or I will be stressing out about how things didn't work out the way I had thought they would. Just feel down and low about the way the day went. Which is exactly how I am feeling right now. Tired, disappointed and frustrated. But I am going to follow my mantra, and am going to go home, take a nice hot bath, take a book and read it till I feel better! I am not going to think about anything else until I feel peaceful again.

Blessings...

Today I am grateful

• For the fact that nothing exactly went wrong today. Things got delayed, but nothing's quite broken
• For the fact that I am just tired, and not sick. A little bit of rest will fix this one!
• For the first lily that bloomed in my yard today :)
• For the chocolate cake we shared today at my manager's baby shower :)
  
• For all the help I am getting for fixing some issue at work
• For my very normal life
• For my family! I have recently heard so many stories of strange things going on, that I am appreciating my simple folks even more!
  

Respect time!

The mantra for today is:

Respect time...yours as well as others'

I waste SO much time doing "nothing". Sure I am not literally doing nothing. I surf the internet idly (when there really isn't anything there that I find interesting), I sleep even when I am not tired, I read books that are boring me to tears, I spend time making excuses for not doing things (its too boring, why can't YOU do it, I don't have time, you do it better than me, I am more tired than you are, I don't like it, I simply don't feel like it, blah blah blah and blah!) And when I have really done nothing worthwhile, the whole day, I spend the evening feeling bad about it! That I wasted the whole day, did nothing, I am no good, blah, blah and some more blah! I used to crib and gossip a lot too. Hubby got me out of that habit! God bless his dear heart for saving me from that!!!

I had my review meeting last week, and got great feedback from my manager. I came back feeling really good about the appreciation I was getting. And then I started thinking, I am hardly putting all my effort into my work (yeah, the blogs are a BIG distraction!), imagine what I can achieve if I got truly serious. I have wasted so much time! Then instead of feeling bad about the lost time as I usually tend to do when realization dawns upon me, I decided to "review" my day, and see how I can make the most of my time. No, not quitting blogging. I like doing it, I like writing stuff down, it serves as a good outlet for all my thoughts and feelings. Just want to get more organized about my day!

And now about respecting other people's time. Can't stress this enough as well! Everyone has their own work to do, if they are taking time to help you with something, respect that! Do your research thoroughly before you ask someone else to help. And when you do ask them to help, listen to what they are saying! You owe them your undivided attention! I phase out so many times when phone calls get too long and confusing. Its hard, but we do need to respect the thought and energy the other person is putting in! And never forget to thank them! Sincerely!

Last week a colleague had setup a "class" to get the entire team up to speed with some tools we need to use. He had prepared slides, and was helping everyone individually configure it as well. It was a complex system, and was taking time. At one point, I started thinking, gosh, when is this going to end, why is he taking so long...and I stopped the thought halfway. HE is helping ME. He is being charitable with his time, I should be grateful, instead of feeling like my time is being wasted!

To summarize, time is a very precious and limited commodity. We don't have forever to do what we want, to make our mark in the world. So make the most of every minute!

And now for the blessings...

Today I am grateful

• For the chance to meet so many of my cousins and uncles and aunts, and other extended family.
• For the opportunity to introduce my husband to everyone. I really feel good about it, that he has met everyone, and got along well with them
  
• For the love and good will that I felt from my family when I met them. Everyone (ok, most of them were if not everyone ;) was SO genuinely happy to see me!
  
• For the California weather! I know, I know, I keep saying this again and again, but Texas was hot and humid! Glad to be back home.
  
• For all the tools out there that will help me organize my day

Special for today:
I finally remembered to carry my own bag when I went shopping today. Felt great to say, "I don't need that bag today, I would like to use my own". About 4-5 less plastic bags in the landfill. Yayy! One grocery store even gave me "bag-credit". I was super-thrilled when the guy at the checkout counter told me I'll be getting a credit. I was itching to see how much. Was totally shocked to see....3 cents!!! Then I laughed at myself...3 cents > 0 cents ;p

And my husband also laughed. Why you ask...I like to always be stylish, so I carried my nice pink Victoria's Secret tote bag to buy groceries ;p

And now I find this whole thing totally hilarious :) ROFL :)

Forgive!

The mantra for today is

Forgive!

Forgive others who hurt you, forgive yourself for mistakes that might have cost you a little too much. There will not be one single person on earth who can claim that he has never been wronged, he has no grudges against anyone. If they can, then they have probably slept through their life ;)

Resentment, grudge is a negative sentiment that is most harmful to the one bearing it. Its like the "dementors" from Harry Potter, they suck away all happiness and fill you with dark, unhappy thoughts. The person you hate probably does not even know about your feelings, and is completely, blissfully ignorant about it! So who loses here? YOU do. You lose your peace of mind, your happiness, and the precious time you spend in thinking about it. And if they do know about it, and if you care about this person, wouldn't it be nicer for both of you if you forgive them? Sincerely forgive?

So folks, let bygones be bygones, get rid of the baggage, and enjoy your precious life!


Blessings...

Today I am grateful...

• That my work is being appreciated so much. That my ideas are highly regarded, and I am considered as a very important asset to my team! (Yeah, just had that review meeting!)
• That I will be seeing my family tomorrow. I am going to a wedding :)
• That my husband greets me with a huge, happy smile when he wakes up in the morning! Its my sunshine!
• That my friend tried to cheer me up with a funny story. I was not able to explain what was bugging me, and why I was so sad. She didn't try to dig in more, just did what she could to cheer me up. And her effort itself helped :)
• That I can go home early today. I am tired :(
• That I am finally able to forgive a very important person in my life. I feel free and very peaceful

Have a great weekend everyone!

About Commitment and Effort

Today's mantra is:

Think carefully before you commit, and if you commit, give it your best!

There's two messages rolled into one here.

Think carefully before committing...

Often times we find ourselves "stuck" doing things we would rather not do. There are things that need to be done, and are very boring. The mantra does not apply to such things :) You gotta do what you gotta do. Where the mantra does apply is when you really do have a choice whether you want to do something or not. Someone asks you for a favor, wants you to do something for them, or help them with something. This is something you are not very comfortable doing, but this is a very good friend of yours asking you. Will you agree to help? Most of you will say yes. This is where you need to apply the mantra. Be honest with yourself, and with your friend. Be frank and tell them you don't feel you are the right person for the job, and will not be able to do full justice to it. It is very important to set the boundaries where you want them to be. Otherwise you will find yourself getting deeper and deeper into this mess of "obligations you'd rather not have".
Easier said than done, right? So, lets say you agreed, you were not able to refuse. Now what?

Now comes the second part.

Give it your best shot.

If you do it, do it well. Do it so that you would be proud of the end result. But you're thinking, if I do it well, that person will come back and ask for more (which is exactly why you should refuse in the first place!) And what I am thinking, if you do a shoddy job, it speaks badly about YOU! That you are a shoddy person, that YOU are not reliable, that YOU don't know your job! Anyone who looks at the work you have done will only look at the work, not why it was done the way it was done. Apart from what others will perceive, you yourself will feel a sense of satisfaction about a job well done. Makes sense?

So, to summarize, pick you tasks carefully, and pour your heart and soul into it! Have fun with everything you do!

And here's the list of blessings for today...

Today I am grateful...

• For places like the goodwill store...I can get rid of my junk easily, and someone else can benefit from it.
• That I get to drive on well maintained roads, not ones filled with potholes! (This one is courtesy of Vrij..)
  
• For my husband (haven't mentioned him lately, have I? :) He makes me feel good.
  
• For the good sense that I have finally developed of not getting involved in other peoples' mess unless asked to! (Well, I did, but he was glad I did, so that one instance does not count ;)
• For the joy I get out of cooking a good meal. I used to hate it. But have started applying today's mantra to it lately, and well, I like it more than I used to!
• For being able to get up early! I actually am up by 7:30 and do stuff! I exercise, I water the plants, I do this and that, I actually get a lot done before the hubby wakes up! And I love watching the critters in my yard in the morning!

Believe in yourself

The mantra for today is

Believe in yourself! Trust yourself!

Even if no one else does! Because if you don't then who else will, and why would they???

Most of us are trained to live by the rules made by others, by the standards made by others, within boundaries set by others. We lose faith in ourselves, feel low and sad, if someone else does not approve of what we do, or if we do not meet someone else's expectations. That is one of the biggest difference between successful and unsuccessful people. Successful people don't always listen to the nay-sayers, they do not let the pessimists in their lives hold them back. They do what they think is right for them, and move ahead whether they have any support or not. They don't let overly critical people govern their lives. This does not mean you should be fool hardy and stubborn. You should think through what you want to do, try to weigh all the pros and cons, and if it makes sense to you, then go ahead with the plan, even if there is opposition.

So, folks, look to yourself for validation first! Your own approval should matter the most!

The blessings list goes thus...

Today I am grateful...

• That I survived today's layoffs in my office. A lot of folks didn't :(
• To my husband who taught me to be patient, and meticulous with what I do, especially my cooking. I cooked a three course dinner for 7 people all by myself, and was a great success. Thanks, sweetie!
• For all my blogger friends who have been missing me these last couple days that I was gone AWOL :) I missed ya too!
• For the lovely California weather
• For caring and understanding parents
• For the magic of life! I found a nest in my front yard today, with 5 tiny blue eggs. It was simply amazing

Enjoy the chaos!

Today's mantra...

Enjoy the chaos! Take it easy!

This mantra just shoved its way into my day! Nothing went as planned from the minute I woke up.
I couldn't wake up at the time I wanted to, I couldn't find the clothes I had planned on wearing, I had meetings from 10:00am to 3:00pm, and ALL of those scheduled ones got canceled, and new ones came out. A friend asked me to go to lunch, and I said, can't, as we had a team lunch today. The minute I emailed her back, I got another one that we couldn't do the team lunch today! So on and so forth. I walked around for half the day with this completely confused look, I just didn't know what to do next! All my carefully laid out plans were gone up in the air...poof! Finally, halfway into the day, I decided to just let it be, sit back and watch what unfolds. Typically, I start panicking when the first thing goes wrong. I think I have to give credit to my colleagues for me still being able to breathe easy! They were like, whats eating you? Made fun of that big question mark on my face, and it easily got replaced by a smile :)

Bottomline is, take it easy. Sometimes we just cannot control what happens around us. The more you try to make things go your way, the deeper you go into the mess! All you can really do then is enjoy the unpredictability of it all. Imagine the day's events as little gift wrapped boxes, full of surprises!

That said, I am a bit nervous now. My mid-year review meeting that was going to happen tomorrow, got pre-poned to an hour from now. Yikes! Lets hope its another nice little gift wrapped box, and not a nasty jolt!

And today's blessings...

Today I am grateful...

• For life! Chaotic as it was, I thoroughly enjoyed what life brought be today!
• For my colleagues, they are such funny people
• For all the laughter around me
• For the appreciation being showered on me
• For all the goodwill around me

I feel truly blessed due to all my near and dear ones! Which includes all of you!

Laughter dose of today...

• My colleagues. Haven't spoken to/met anyone else today, so the list is limited to this.

Be Present!

I woke up and read Ankur's post first thing in the morning, so am not feeling grateful for anything right now :( Such things just shake up your faith in the world, don't they? Aren't the cyclones and earthquakes enough? What is it that drives them? A promise of heaven after life? Give me a break! Why not spend your energies and creativities in making heaven right here on earth instead of dreaming of something that might not even exist?

Am not feeling grateful, but I'll still take a shot at it.

My mantra for today, which I had thought of before I went to bed last night is:

Be Present!

This is straight from Oprah...
Staying present keeps us in the moment which is where life is. Life does not exist in future predictions or past grievances; all we have for sure is right here and right now. Every moment teaches us something, and if we are busily trying to change or control something we miss the grace intended for us.

I read it on her website a long time back, and it really struck a chord. I have a tendency to dwell either in the past (negative things! That didn't work out, this person hurt me, etc!) or worrying about the future (I have to do all this work, and I don't think I will be able to finish it, and if I don't then blah, blah, blah!). I was totally miserable when I went down these trips. This article on Oprah made me realize that I am not living well! By dwelling in the past, I am only creating more bad memories to think of in the future. What a vicious cycle!

This song says exactly the same...

आने वाला पल जाने वाला है
हो सके तो इसमें ज़िंदगी बिता लो
कल जो यह जाने वाला है!

I particularly like this stanza...

एक बार वक्त से लम्हा गिरा कहीं
वहाँ दास्ताँ मिली लम्हा कहीं नहीं
थोड़ा सा हँसाके, थोड़ा सा रुलाके
पल ये भी जानेवाला है

(Keshi, am gonna ask Veena or Ankur to translate this properly for you, and will update it later, ok?)

How I wish this is not what I decided upon for today. Its a sad present today :(

Now for the blessings section, that I really feel like skipping today.

Today, I am grateful

• That it was 7 bombs, not 100 :( (this does not make any sense to me either!)
• That the 8th one was diffused
  
• That, selfish as it may sound, my family and friends are still safe, for how long, I don't know. But they are safe right now.
• For the relief workers that are trying to help in whatever way they can

I think I am done, a shorter list than I wanted, but that's it, can't do no more :(

Yesterday's peals of laughter were contributed by:

• Abhishek's comments to my baby steps post. Hilarious!
  
• Me myself, going nuts with the camera!
  
• Hubby dear, just being himself.
  
• Me, the hubby and the "clean the vacuum cleaner project!"

Lets all pray and wish for peace! Very, very sincerely! Please!

Take those baby steps!

The mantra for today is:

Take Those Baby Steps...

I thought of this one when I was exercising today. I use this DVD called "Slim in 6" by Debbie Siebers. She claims that if you follow the DVD for 6 weeks everyday, you will be really toned and strong. I bought it a few months before my wedding, when I was sitting in front of the TV, with a tub of ice cream, fretting about my increasing weight. And there comes this ad of hers. I bought it.

And boy, is it tough! The first day I tried it, I almost died. I just could not keep up with her. Arm somewhere, leg somewhere, and then she says, with a sweet smile, "follow my breathing". You kidding me! Follow your arms, your ankles, your knees, your butt, and now your breathing too! All that with my stomach pulled in? I literally screamed at her, "Abey chup kar!" (Be quiet!)
I was ready to quit in the first 15 minutes itself. Debbie said, you'll be better tomorrow. So I tried again the next day and the next. Debbie was right. It did get better with practice, and after 6 weeks with her, I was good enough to give a VS model a run for her money!

Today, I was so fluent with the routine, that I didn't even need to listen to Debbie. That's when I remembered my outburst the first day, and how the little baby steps I took that day had become long, confident strides!


Now for this weekend's blessings:

I am grateful

• For the opportunity to meet my college friends after 12 long years! It was a blast!
• For the internet. It was my eldest sister's 23rd (!!!!!) wedding anniversary and we were all able to reminisce about the day through our yahoo group! Sis had a truly unbelievable story to tell about it. I was really young, so all I remembered was the food and clothes and the people.
• For all my blogger friends!
• For the return of Pri!
• For my husband's love and patience

Weekend special: Mini-reunion with my college friends!

Have a great week ahead, and please feel free to share your blessings with me!

Spread the good cheer!

Today's mantra is:

Spread the good cheer!

Think about this. You are feeling really down, helpless, and what not. Someone passes by, and gives you a very nice, bright smile. Didn't that make you feel better? Even a little bit? Come on, admit it, it did!

I had read this a long time ago somewhere:
If you see someone without a smile, give him one of yours

I say,
If you see someone without a smile, give him one of yours, and then 4 more to 4 others! Let it multiply 5 fold!

A smile from me :)


This picture reminds me of a story from way back when my niece Aneri was really little, maybe 2 years old. She lived in Oregon at the time. She woke up in the morning, walked out to the living room, looked out the window and said, "Good morning, sunshine!". Its Oregon, there's no sunshine! But she said it with so much cheer and happiness, that it stuck with me! Its such a nice way to start the day!

Ok, now the blessings list!

Today I am grateful for:

• The alarm clock! You should be too! Else I would still be sleeping, and no posts nowhere from me :p
• Friendly strangers! The ones who smile at you for no reason, the ones that hold the door for you, the ones that...you know the ones :)
• People that take time to help! This is specially in reference to a colleague who is SO patient and helps and explains things even if it takes a really long time for the rest of us to understand. He's awesome!
• People who take time to say "Thank you", who show their appreciation in any which way they can!
• For this really bad pasta that I just bought from the cafeteria. Bad as it is, it is better than being hungry!
• To my colleague who offered me her lunch of lemon rice after seeing that I did not like what I was eating!
  

This is what made me laugh today:

• My colleagues joking around
  
• Veens' post about her new "boy friend"
• Watched "Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi" yesterday, that was good. And then "Home Improvements", that was totally hilarious!

Today's special:
Its Friday!!!

When in doubt, assume the best!

The mantra for today is:

When in doubt, assume the best!

In other words, be more trusting, try to not to suspect the other person's motives.
We typically tend to assume the worst when in doubt. More often than not, we end up embarrassed that we let our imagination run so wild! So, lets assume the best!
I know it sounds a little too optimistic, I know, we do need to be cautious, the world is not that simple, etc, etc, but assuming the best may also reduce the misunderstandings that get created with pretty much every breath we take, with every step we walk! Just believe in the goodness, at least of those we know, ok, people?

And now for today's blessings...
Today I am grateful

• For water! Enough said :)
  
• That Veens is BACK, with some GREAT news!
• For all the freaks that I met today, which made me feel less of a freak!
• For the garbage collection service. Seriously, I can't imagine what I would do with all the trash if they didn't come to take it every week. Funny things come to mind when you start thinking, ain't it! (ok, now I am back to feeling like a freak!)
  
• For this particular colleague of mine who thinks its his personal responsibility to make everyone laugh :) And he does such a good job! Thanks dear! You make life happier!
• For that one friend who listened to my looooong rant last night, she just listened, without giving any unwanted advice. Listened until the rant didn't make any sense anymore...which means...the rant died, she helped me get rid of it! Thanks dear! You rock! You always know the right thing to say!
  
• To xh and ceedy, for giving me tips for my pictures. But xh, if you tell me to go take pictures at 2:00am, my husband will say "iska ilaaj karayenge kya"? (Thats what he says to me in response to all my antics)
  
• For all the folks who take time to read my ramblings, if not for them, I would not be writing!
  
• For my dear, dear husband. 'Nuff said about him too!

This made me laugh today (and last night):

• Talking to a friend after a long, long time.
  
• Chatting with veens, she had me in splits!
• Watched "When Harry Met Sally" and "Frasier" yesterday. Just too good!
• My husband and the things he says. Total nuts!
  

Today's special:

• I am wearing a watch my father-in-law gave me
• I am wearing my mother's ear-rings (I just decided to take 'em, and she was quite glad to give 'em)
• I am wearing a necklace a real nice relative of mine gave me
• I am wearing my beeeautiful engagement ring (well, this I do everyday of course), that my husband gave me.

I thought of ALL these loving people while getting ready today, and it made me feel VERY special!

Am missing Pri today, she hasn't visited me yet :( Am surprised how quickly I get attached to people

I feel lucky today

Its one of those days, I am bored, feeling all "empty inside", a little down (dunno why, everything seems pointless today!) Maybe its the clouds, no sunshine today! But I will still try to count my blessings.

Today I am grateful...

• For coffee! Or else I would simply have slept my life away!
• For my job. I get to do what I like, and I like what I do!
  
• For my colleagues! Its like a family, no kidding!
• For my cushy, comfortable life. Nothing seems to be wrong :) (And yet this "empty" feeling...sigh...)
• For oh, I really don't know. Lets see. Ok, well, for, lotion! I hate it when my skin feels dry (who doesn't). I love lotion (especially if its fragrance free!)

I want to say for blogger and all my blogger friends, but no "dum" in today's post. Want to save it when I can really wax eloquent about it!

And this is what made me laugh today:

• Pri and her comments to me! Love your humor, Doc!
• Pri's post about Love...A universal feeling. Mast hai.
• A little devil toy on a car. Yeah, I have taken a pic (but of course!). Will post it on my pic blog if its come out good.
  

Hope the day will bring more laughter! To me and to you :)

Mantra for today: (This is a new feature. Starting from today, I will think of a mantra to follow for the day)

I feel lucky today

And well, I did start feeling better once I thought about it. Woke up feeling really down. And remembered I had written this in a comment on Keshi's blog, and decided to will myself to feel good and lucky. Been feeling much better since then! I feel lucky because..well...there is nothing wrong, nothing to feel unlucky about!

Wishing a lot of luck to you as well :)

Something special today: I stitched the pants I am wearing today. I am actually feeling quite proud!

Online bill payment!

I am grateful....

• For online bill payment. One click, and you're done. Think of all the paper that's saved! No paper bills (huge saving!), no envelopes, no checks, no stamps, and all that glue and ink saved as well! Oh, that was just me trying to sound oh-so-environment-conscious. Its actually just because it makes my life so easy and reduces at least some of the clutter that I am drowning under!
  
• For Netflix! Can you believe they have "Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi!". Am eagerly waiting for volume 1.
• For books. They can soothe, they can intrigue, they bring laughter (no tears, I don't read the tragic ones! I read "A Fine Balance" by Rohinton Mistry and it was so disturbing, I decided never again! I will stick to my Stephanie Plum series!), they take you to far of lands, they bring romance and joy. Everything! In the comfort of your own home (or park or train or beach or anywhere at all!)
• For the internet. Today, its because it keeps me connected with my sisters!
• For my perfect health. The doc looked almost astonished that someone can have such perfect blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, WBC, RBC, and a whole host of other things that he checked. I am the perfect specimen :)
• For my perfect eye-sight! I am so glad I don't have to go through the hassle of glasses or contacts, and whatever else that comes with it
  

Blessings for Monday, May 5th, 2008

Today I am grateful....

• For a good night's sleep! I am feeling so HIGH today. All because I am well rested. And continuous, peaceful sleep is something that does not come very easily to me. So it is definitely something to rejoice about!
  
• For the beautiful state of California! I will forever crib about how expensive it is over here, how bad the traffic is, etc (gotta stop, this blog's not about cribbing, right? ;>), but I would not want to live anywhere else! Everything I would ever want is right here...the mountains, the rivers, the beach, the desert, the snow, the flowers, the prosperity (I can see an average of 3 BMWs, 3Mercs, 3 Lexuses at any given time on the road!!!), the technology, the culture, world cuisine, the opportunity to do ANY blessed thing I would want to do! California, I love ya!
• For the internet! And folks who share their recipes! Thanks to all those people out there who are a saving grace for me time and again :) My husband and I are from the opposite ends of the country, and he likes dishes I sometimes have not even heard of, and he is incapable of describing to me! Google, thou art the savior! I have learnt pretty much all my cooking from people on the internet. My favoritest recipes:
• Baigan Bhaaja
• Gobhi Manchurian
• Orange Souffle (Am not able to find the link anymore, I have it printed)
• Walnut-Zucchini bread
• Zucchini Pancakes
• For the magic of photography! I am SO glad I have "discovered" my love for taking pictures. I am "seeing" a lot more things, and the beauty of the world has just increased manifolds! Am not as good as I would like to be yet, but I am thoroughly enjoying it!
• For all the household gadgets I have. Imagine life without a dish-washer, washer-dryer, vacuum-cleaner, microwave (and the thousand other gardening tools my man has acquired, will list those out some other day!). Yeah, yeah, I know, a lot of households in India don't have these, but they have MAIDS! I am glad I am not dependent on a maid though!
• For my garlic peeler! Seriously! It has made my life SO much easier. In goes the garlic, a gentle roll of the peeler, and out comes a very nicely peeled clove! Mine is green. Here's a picture...
  

• For my husband (this bullet will probably be a constant in all my posts here :)

And there will be one more list...of things that made me laugh today:

• A post by dear dear Veensie about her striped pants :) Girl, I think its your post that has made my day so bright and cheerful!
• A picture in the x-ray room of the doctor. It had a little dog, sitting with his back towards the camera, in a gown (you know, the kind the docs make you wear while examining you), and his head turned around, with this "look" on his face. Oh man, it was just SO cute!

Thou shalt count thy blessings!

This blog is a direct result of a post I did on my other blog (the one where I talk, talk and talk your ear off!):

Thou Shalt Not Crib.

Instead, thou shalt count thy blessings!
So here goes, please do join me and tell me about the blessings in your life as well!