Once upon a time, we wrote to emote and today we emote to write. The cute smiley faces allow us to bring in some humor and character to the simplicity of the words. They even allow us to be a little rude without sounding rude, so it is no surprise that Emoticons and Emojis are the way we communicate today.
Communication like everything else in the 21st century has evolved and we are all gracefully embracing it. I have too and yet I struggle with the ? I get when I ask my children how they are or I ask my husband how’s his day going? I understand they are busy and I also know this is the norm, so I don’t need to be bothered by this, but maybe because I love words, this trend of using ? to show happiness, or ? ? to express silliness or ? to express love for the work or my post bothers me.
To understand this, I asked my girl gang – “lets talk with words on WA and not emoji’s or GIF’s.”Guess what happened .. yup, all in good humor the group had all the possible GIF’s and emoji’s popping up.
Here’s what I learnt, With every passing day, we are forgetting how to express ourselves in writing. Emoticons make it easier for us to acknowledge a comment, a message and celebrations without having to think about what to write. I decided to not use Emoticons for a day at least, and I found myself struggling too. That is when I understood the power of the tiny yellow face.
I get it that time is of essence and Emoticons save time. I also understand that sometimes words are hard to find and Emoticons make it easy, but here’s the thing, Emoticons are confusing, they are not precise and most importantly they create a distraction from the essence of the message.
Lets take the world we live in today… A post on BLM and how the community is creating a movement can get a ?, maybe this hints that people are bringing out the good in each other and moving forward, it can get a ? to show the sadness for the lives lost, it can also get a simple ? which today is the most generic way of saying, “I don’t know what to say, so I gave it a thumbs up.” Instead if folks took a few seconds to write; angels in action, sad this still happens, or Kudos to all; the words bring out the smiles to the readers and makes the message clear and shows that their work is actually creating an awareness because people are pausing to write.
When we write, we have to actually think, and that is why it’s so hard. Emoticons the work is already done, we just mindlessly pick one and click. It’s no secret that when we write our brain registers better, the neural connections activate more, so why are we moving backwards to the era of communicating with images. Man worked hard to put words to their thoughts and in the name of technology we are just taking it away.
Words are powerful and I love words. I am not a wordsmith, sometimes I too struggle in what to say and how to say it, but for the most part, I find them. Words – they have empowered us, from the freedom fighters to the love couplets of Shakespeare. Words have given us the strength to fight for the world that is just and fair, words have given women the right to vote and work, words have taught us to love another irrespective of their color and most importantly words give us the courage to be who we want to be.
Words allow us to be fearless. Emoticons allow us to be silly.
So today, I ask you to do an experiment with yourself, Write to Emote. Find that adjective to express your emotion, find that verb to show you are having a rough day and yet moving along, find that moment to pause and express yourself. Be original, don’t copy, don’t click.
Write to Emote!
Author: Shilpa Verma
“Virtually”the Best Class. Congratulations High School Graduate 2020!
The class of 2020, you were born into a world where the skies were grey with the fear of hatred. The world had witnessed the twin towers fall and the Earth was shaken. Today, you are graduating amidst a global pandemic. You are seeing the era of Dr. MLK come alive and everything that seemed history is a reality. The adage history repeats itself came true. Your life has been bookended by national tragedies of modern history.
You are no stranger to adversity and this is you biggest strength.
You are missing the expected, but you are gaining the resilience – Celebrate your strength. No textbook can teach you how to live life, only Life can teach you that. 2020 is and will continue to be your learning moment. Embrace it and get the most out of it. Hold Life’s hand and let it walk you through this year. Life never was and never will be easy. This is one of the many life exams you will face and by navigating through it successfully, you are telling the world that you can handle this adult life.
The tenacity and resilience of your resolve comes through when I see you Zoom through high school unlike any other class I know. Through the myriad of changes, you opened new doors and charted new paths. We as parents watch you navigate this new world of online learning and social distancing and adapt to the new normal.
Class of 2020, maybe you already know this, but the generations before you made a zillion mistakes and those mistakes culminated to the forced pause in our lives today. We grown ups expect 15,16,17 year olds to solve global problems that were essentially created by us. You are 18, there’s not much you could have done to create the chaos we have today and yet you get blamed for the generation without emotions. It’s not true.
You are our hope. You are my hope.
Don’t follow the dreams of those who came before you. Live your own dream. It doesn’t matter how big or small your dream is, if it makes you happy, then it is big enough. It is true, some of you will go on to make life changing inventions, some will change policies, some might invent a new medicine, some will save lives, and some of you might just decide to reinvent the ice-cream truck; no matter how silly or how important your vision is, please hold on to it. Use your college education to bring that vision come alive and live your dream. The one thing you need to do for yourself is to Live your OWN dream.
Grades matter but what matters most is who you are and how you treat other people. Your success in the grown up world is going to be defined by by what the world thinks of you. So as you move forward, work your hardest with honesty and humility. The distractions will always be there, stay away from the negative, learn to zone out the noise. The next few years should be about building yourself and your dream. You have the golden opportunity to do this without the interference of your parents 🙂 make the best of it. BUILD YOURSELF!
Find that village, the village that accepts you for who you are. The village that is willing to give as much as you are and the village that brings out the best in you.
Dear Class of 2020, this year may look like the year of losses, but it is also the year of changes. It is the year when life mandates mindful living and not just a mind full. I am not trying to be the saint here, and I know that there are many who are suffering. I understand that some of us have had it harder than others and I am beyond grateful for the narrow misses I have had, but I also know that the only way to move forward is by holding on to the one tiny blessing (there always is a blessing) and gathering strength from it for the next step.
Don’t despair the moments you have missed, instead marvel at your tenacity, your resilience, your adaptability and your grace. 2020 is not the year to be missed or ignored. You don’t judge a book by it’s cover, so don’t judge the year 2020 by its face. This is the year when we boldly accepted our failures and came together in harmony so we could all breathe.
Your graduation is not in an ill-fated year, but rather you graduate in the most important year of this era. 2020 is the year of new perspectives. The world paused so we could have the blessing of your being home with us and spend those extra hours doing nothing with you. The World Paused, so we could celebrate your graduation slowly and breathe in every moment.
BE PROUD, you graduate in this iconic year of change. The history books will pen you down as a generation of determination, resilience and change makers.
Now Go in the Direction of Your Dreams and Live that Dream!
To the Elementary Graduates of 2020!
Wow! Look at you, from the ginger bread houses, you are now moving on to middle school. You may not realize this, but the truth is, your elementary school is the only school where you have spent the longest time. Every other school after this will be shorter 🙂 So graduating from elementary school is just as much a big deal as graduating from high school. This is where you learnt to how read, write, jumprope, run the mile, do pushups, play an instrument, make friends, say sorry and even tie a shoelace, so CELEBRATE YOURSELF TODAY!
I know amidst the pandemic and the era of Dr. MLK coming alive, we have written off the year 2020 as the year of negatives and it is hard to see the brilliance of yourself in these times, but at this moment, I want you to pause and think. Think of all the amazing experiences you have had. You Zoomed by, unlike any other class. There were no warnings, and through your sheer tenacity and resilience you navigated the world of online learning, completed every assignment, project without the “normal” and structure of your classroom. You grew up!
Growing up is a process and we slowly learn to grow up.
2020 is and will continue to be your learning moment. You never judge the book by its cover, so don’t judge this year by its face. It is true 2020 brought forward our worst fears. It literally slapped us in our faces, screamed at us and forced all the grown ups to acknowledge their failure. And we grown ups don’t like that. But You, the class of 2020, showed us the true meaning of “adapting to a situation.”
The class of 2020, You are Inspiring.
There will always be the question, “Am I doing enough?” The answer is YES. The middle school pathways are not going to define your success. You will. Here’s a little secret for you, we grown ups expect tweens and teens to write apps, build devices and find solutions to global problems, when the truth is we ourselves are mostly stumped. And because we are stumped, we are so afraid, we do what we know best – ask you to study harder. So my dear elementary graduate, don’t ask the question “Am I doing enough?” but rather tell the world, you are doing enough because you are being mindful and putting your heart into it. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong in learning to code, and write apps, and if that’s what speaks to you, by all means go for it. But if baking makes you happy, be proud and please do that. If experimenting with acrylic colors makes you happy, please do that. Every artist is a scientist first, the experimentation of different materials, the choice of colors, shapes and textures to convey a unique perspective, no textbook can teach you that. So dear elementary graduate, don’t be bogged down by the noise of math pathways and college admissions. It’s just noise. learn to zone it out and do your thing.
Middle school is when you build yourself one day at time. You will learn to manage your time so you are always ahead of it and not running behind it, you will explore new horizons and expand your interests and perceptions, you will learn to appreciate different perspective and accept without judgement, you will fail (yes it happens) and rise stronger and more confident, and most importantly you will learn to study. If you can do all of this, you will rock life and high school will then be a piece of cake, the grades will come and the much coveted college application will take care of itself 🙂
Dear Elementary Graduate – 2020 is not the year of negatives, but rather it is the year which forced us to pause, think and it is THE YEAR that will BRING CHANGE and YOU are the CHANGE MAKERS
CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2020!
2020, Let us retire the phrase “Working Mom” because Words Matter.
Words have meanings, and how we use them decides our thought, our bias and our purpose. Words are powerful and they have the magic to persuade us to try and think differently. I’ll give you an example, There are two teenagers, you ask the same question “Do you drive?” Teenager 1 says “No.” Teenager 2 says “not yet.” They are both conveying the same meaning, but Teenager 2 conveys “hope” to be driving soon. Big difference.
Academics train us to use our words carefully and yet it fails miserably. The world teaches us to hear words and yet never teaches us how to “listen” to them.
To listen to a word, we need to pause. It is 2020, there is no time for pause.
2020, is the era of The Woman. Is it? It is 2020 and here we are, still using the phrase “Working Mom.” When I was working and when I wasn’t and now when I am working again, the phrase continues to bother me to the core. What does a “Working Mom” mean anyways? Just because a woman has a kid, doesn’t mean she becomes someone else. It simply means that she is a woman who has a kid and a job, they are two separate entities, so why is it better or harder?
Many teenagers have a job at 13, do we start calling them Working Teens? When men become dads, do we call them Working Dads? If we have gay friends, do we introduce them as such? Then why do we need to define women? The sad part of this story is most women don’t find anything wrong with the phrase, and maybe it is so because it creates an identify for them. An identity that is superior to the SAHM.
The media created the phrase “Mommy Wars,” setting up the working moms against the SAHM and thus building the negative connotations. The working mom highlighted how hard it is and so did the SAHM. The working mom emphasized on how she never has time for herself and so did the SAHM. The SAHM said “she wonders if she made the right decision” and the working mom said the same. Both feel judged, both are overwhelmed, both feel they are taken for granted and they both love their kids more than anything in the world. See what’s happening here… Both women are saying the same thing but using different words and while they are hearing each other, neither is listening.
Ladies, we need to stop identifying ourselves as “working mothers” and the struggles we face. YES, its hard and yes it’s a mad rush to pick up from day care but it is also true, that the SAHM is working equally hard. Sure, she doesn’t have to make a presentation to the company board but that’s a choice she made, so let’s stop penalizing her for those choices and bring back the respect by letting a woman be herself.
Let us STOP calling ourselves Working Moms. We are simply moms who chose to get a job. That’s all.
To the SAHM – if anyone asks you “Do you work?” Please stand tall and tell them, YES, you have X startup(s) and X being the number of kids. They may still judge you, but you have conveyed the message and cleared your path. This is a tried and tested formula 🙂 Words matter, use them to your advantage.
Every woman values respect and while we are in control of our identities, it is also true that our identity is influenced by how the world sees us. Words matter. Let us use them to realign ourselves to think of every woman as just that, a woman.
I guarantee you the day we can end this divide is the day the glass ceiling will come crashing down. The day we bring back the respect to the SAHM is the day when WE all will rise.
… Another year over, and another has begun.
.….So this is November, what have you done? Another year over, and another has begun. A John Lennon classic adapted to myself keeps humming in my mind. It’s a sweet, gentle and yet such a powerful song reminding us of the minutes that just slipped by and here we are, right where we started.
Interestingly, the song fits into my life perfectly this year. 2019, It was just a normal year, and then in the blink of an eye, it reminded me of how fickle our lives are. Our ambitions, our dreams, our aspirations are all but a part of this magnum opus orchestrated by the Universe. We are nothing but a character in the masterpiece play of life.
This year has also been a test to my will power, resolve, strength and faith. In its own awkward way, it has shown me that the woman in the mirror can cry, but every morning she wakes up with nerves of steel and smiles through her day, trying her best to make a tiny positive difference in the world around her.
2019, you reminded me of the movie “The Ghost of Christmas Past” you took me through all the what if’s forced me to second guess yourself. In these moments of second guessing and seeing the ghosts of past, there were a few angels who held my hand and walked with me to show the bright future. These angels will always have my trust and friendship.
2019, you also reminded me of an old forgotten blogpost A friend; someone I can be silent with. I have been blessed with an amazing bouquet of friends that I cherish and yet 2019 was a poignant reminder of who I can call at mid-nite and who I cannot 🙂 When friends of decades closed their doors and friends of days opened them wide, I realized; friends sometimes, come in for a season only.
Friendships don’t end to those who we meet, they extend to our families too. We need to be true to them. Partnerships evolve and mature to go beyond the need of love to a need of companionship and acceptance. The entity needs love, respect, space to grow and most importantly it needs sacrifice. Sacrifice of self goals to fuel and nurture the other members in the family.
2019, you gave me a brutal reminder of what success means to me. I have always trusted my inner instincts. I live in a predominantly Indian community and there is no doubt that I am the black sheep in the Indian community here. I am the mom who says no homework is good, I am the mom who tells her son, if you have to cuss, please be on the field with your friends and no where near the classrooms or families. I am the mom who tells her daughter that her to be an artist is an excellent dream.
Defining success in our own terms allows us to see the impact at the individual level. We must be willing to see the differences we have made in our community, our careers, our workplace and acknowledge them. We as humans look for these big sweeping rewards for our efforts and thus making every effort worthy only if rewarded. This expectation of being rewarded creates a sense of unworthiness sometimes and is wrong at every level. We are being unfair to ourselves. Success is in our smiles, in our positive attitude, in our whistling, in our faith and in our belief of Pronoia.
2019, most importantly, you showed me I need to be creative. The act of creating kept me alive. The candles brought life back. The candles are not a business to me, they keep my soul alive. I also realized, the little changes we make, have this ripple effect that make a huge difference. The tiny act of changing the seasonal decor in my home, brought smiles one evening, reminding me who I am.
I was the little girl in the mirror, who always saw the world with a looking glass. Today, I am the woman in the mirror who knows there is no looking glass and yet to keep the magic and her smile she continues to believe she will find one.
The Alchemist found it, and so will I. Happy Birthday to Me!
The Pursuit of Perfection
I crave intellection
I reject objection
I demand correction
I resist reflection
I am Perfection.
Perfection, you are not the friend I met. You taught me to excel, you taught me to achieve but you always wanted more. Perfection, you make no mistakes and demand flawlessness. I try and try very hard, yet there is always something that could be better and no amount of effort is good enough. I Â despair and start doubting myself.The game continues and I start failing. I am angry, tired and alone.
The Perfectionist, we all know one. The one who is always critiquing others, the one who is always complaining and the one who seems happy but is rather caught in the cycle of perfectionism. The dictionary calls Perfectionism to be a state of flawlessness. Psychology calls it a recipe for disaster.
To be perfect is the quality that helps us set goals, achieve our objectives and in the process make us successful. When this need for perfection crosses the line from tasks to life, the problems start. Finishing a school project to get the perfect grade is very different from living a perfect life. Â
Humans are a complex matrix of delicately balanced imperfections to create the perfect and unique YOU and that’s how our life is, full of imperfections. So when we try to make it perfect we add this unknown stress on ourselves that it eventually leads to unhappiness.
Today, we live in a perfect world that is covered with a myriad of filters. These filters omit the blemishes and show us the flawless self which is liked and applauded. A 2017 study published in the American Psychology Association Perfectionism is Increasing Over Time claims two factors leading to high level of stress in the young adults of today. First the self imposed need for perfection and second a high level of self criticism. The perceived idea that my social standard is based on how perfect I am. This maladaptive perfectionism is a by product of social media. More likes translates to greater self worth and the reverse translates to low self esteem amongst the teens.  The study continues to highlight how we as parents send mixed signals to our kids. We may say “I just want you to be happy and do your best” however our joyful exclaims when another student shows elite success translates to “I just want you to be happy and let’s keep those grades high so you too can go to the elite college.” This indirect parent push to “expose” their child to all opportunities, and then in turn measure their self worth by the success of their child puts undue pressure on the kids resulting in unprecedented high levels of anxiety, depression and eating disorders to name a few.
In today’s world we are constantly looking for goals and results. In this process we are losing our sense of wonder and enjoyment. In this race, yes we do achieve but we forget to enjoy. We forget that humans are a part of nature and nature has many imperfections. No two apple trees grow the same and yet in an orchard they are so perfect.
Imperfections are a necessity. These imperfections remind us we are human. Nobody is perfect may sound cliche’ but it is true. Imperfections are different and they stand out. They make a painting unique, they are unexpected and keep the surprise and awe alive in the world. Imperfections allow us to try again. The mistakes make experiments possible.
If we did achieve Perfection, where would we go from there?
Imperfection, you are intelligent too, have stories to tell and mysteries to solve and yet you gave me opportunities and taught me to try again. You told me that Perfection will always chase me, and it is upto me to run in the race or sit it out. You taught me to sit it out. Imperfection, you allowed me to breathe again, live again.
I crave intellection
I accept objection
I demand reflection
I resist correction
I am Imperfection
Embrace me
Celebrate me
Together we will be Imperfectly Perfect!
The Japanese art of Kintsukuroi, recreation of a broken piece of pottery with gold to actually highlight the scars to show that the imperfections make the pottery more beautiful that it was originally  is a beautiful reminder of how you can take your imperfections, own them to make a perfectly unique YOU.
Life I believe is full of Imperfections.  It is these little daily imperfections that culminate at the end of a day to make a perfectly beautiful life. That’s how my world is. It’s filled with shades of bright vibrant reds to melancholy yet calming blues.
Let us Kintsukuroi our world. Take the imperfections and make your world Imperfectly Perfect.
Valentine Day gets a Makeover!
It’s a day of love, it’s a day of passion and it’s a day for celebrating all we love, but many don’t know it was historically the day that celebrated the burial of St. Valentine and the Christian Martyr’s. Not exactly a very red rose romantic setting, so why and how did it move from Martyr’s to cupids with arrows, roses, and today in 2019, it is about celebrating self, and I love that.
This valentine day celebrate and I don’t mean going out for fancy dinners or partying and gulping down shots, instead try the reading, traveling, painting, movie going, hiking, and feeding your soul kind of celebration. Pause for a moment and dig deep down to find the tiny pilot light flickering inside you, fuel that and let it burn.
Flare up the passion you had as a child, let your dreams dazzle your days and let your smile glow over your face.
This Valentines day, promise yourself to let go of the negativity and if you can’t let to, promise yourself to ignore. The naysayers and the copy cats will always be there, do not despair. They copy, because they dream to be you. Their lives on Facebook look picture perfect but remove the filters and the brightness goes away. Â Ignore them, forgive them and pray they find their peace.
In 2013, I said Love is a choice, and I still believe that. We definitely choose who to love. This Valentines day choose to love every part of yourself. The beautiful stretch marks that remind you of your gorgeous kids, the dark circles show you cared to stay awake, the grey hair is proof you care more for the world around you. Love these imperfections because they make the perfect YOU.
Do what you love. It’s hard to ignore the nays and the no’s but we all have to start some day, so start today. For many months, I did not write as the negativity was taking control, my mind told me to write, but the heart could not. Today, I am letting go of the negativity and choosing to write again. This Valentines Day, I am choosing to do what I love.
How will you celebrate Valentines Day?
See Color, Don’t be Color-blind!
4th July, 1776, the colonies declared independence from the British crown. No longer were the 13 colonies going to be subject to the whims and fancy of the Queen of England, but were their own states; giving birth to The United States of America. Let’s take a step back into history. Who were these brave souls who fought for our independence. Were they born in America?  If they were the ones who fought and brought independence, how could they be born in a free America? They were born in the British colonial era, and chose to voice themselves and  make this land a better place for themselves and the future generations. Isn’t that what we all want to do?Â
Fast forward to 4th July 2018. Where are we today? Â The U.S.A is a symbol of freedom, individualism, and equality. I came to this country two decades ago from India. Â India is a wonderful place but the sheer numbers decreases the value of a person there. We have so many, a few lost, brings tears to the loved ones and the rest of India moves on, accepting it as a part of life. However, in the U.S.A, I saw it differently. I saw a person being valued. Â
Today, I see it differently. Â As a society, we are becoming more immune to news of violence and hatred. We are mute to the multiple young lives lost in the safety of their schools. Life as we knew it two decades ago is ending. We are more aware of the colors and differences than ever before.
The question is, should we see color or is it better to be colorblind? Â I think, yes, it is okay to see color. Seeing color is not the problem, it is the pre-conceived notions about colors that creates the problems. We assume white with supremacy, while black, brown, yellow and the proud rainbow are inferior.Â
It’s all about perspectives. Are black and white colors is a dichotomy question that many have tried to answer and yet there is no consensus. Physics says black is not a color, but white is. The world of Art says, yes they are colors. Who is right?
Scientifically, we all know that the color of our skin was the natural adaptation to climate. The closer one is to equator, the darker the skin color. This was nature’s way to protect us from the harmful UV rays of the sun. Color of our skin is an adaptation to survive. Isn’t it ironical; Mother Nature’s adaptation for survival is man’s excuse to kill
We choose to be colorblind and color mute. We all know that it’s a sensitive topic and its’ better not discussed. On the contrary we should. We may choose to deny but the truth is we all observe color.  Growing up in India, colorism and racism was part of daily life. Heck, we Indians observe color within ourselves; North Indians, South Indians and within them so many other Indians. Seeing color is natural. It is what our eyes do. Our mind makes it racist.  It is the color of our mind that is white, black and everything in between. Race is not a scientific concept, it is social concept.
Seeing color is okay because when we see color we are acknowledging the person in front of us. We are telling them yes I see the dark tones of your skin and it’s beautiful. Â The first step to ending racism is to stop being colorblind and accept that yes we have a problem in America.Â
Why would we not want to see color? If variety is the spice of life, then having an all white world would make it boring. White by the way has different shades too. The founding fathers who fought for independence were white, the queen who ruled them was white too. White was fighting against white because one was tinted while the other was not. Â
Today in America, it is not okay to see color and yet we are seeing and hearing color. Â There is a bias. I have it, you have it. Let us acknowledge the problem and move towards recognizing the different shades. Let us celebrate the shades of life and stop pretending to be color blind. Let it be okay to say; I see your color and it’s gorgeous; because then we are acknowledging the differences and giving each other permission to be who we are. Â
This 4th of July, Â Let us teach our kids, the color of our skins is merely and adaptation to survive and sadly man used this natural adaptation for selfish reasons and created race.
This 4th of July, let us celebrate the different shades of black, brown, yellow, pink, purple and white too. Yes, white is a color and it comes in different hues. Â
This 4th of July, let us remember America was and is an idea. It is an idea where the person is respected for who they are. It is an idea that all life is equal and it is an idea that just being yourself is enough.
This 4th of July, let us make America proud again.Â
Happy 4th of July!Â
Mother’s Day; Celebrating the kids.
I love the fact that we have a day dedicated to celebrating moms, pampering them and treating them like queens. Â It gives us all a reason to slow down and pick up that phone. Then comes Monday and we all fall into the rigor of life and the work ahead.
I remember the first Mother’s day, the warm fuzzy feeling and the proud joy of being wished Happy Mother’s day. Fast forward and today I don’t wait to be pampered or treated like a queen. Mother’s day today  was about celebrating my love for them by doing what I do everyday.. taking care of their whims and fancies. No longer is it about the presents or luncheons, it is about ME celebrating my love for my kids.Â
I don’t know when and how this transition came about, but it surprised me today and I have to say, it was a lovely Mother’s Day today. I did what I do best, cooked their favorites and enjoyed seeing the dishes disappear.Â
To become a mom was not an impulsive decision or an Ooops moment, it was a well thought out decision. My older one was the first baby I had ever held in my arms. Yes, I wasn’t exactly the baby smooching kind of adult. It took me good 5 years to decide; I remember the exact moment when my heart told me, I am ready to be a mom. Â Every mother’s day nostalgia takes over and I go down the memory lane of 2002 and 2008.
I love them more every day and yet, every day I wonder if I am doing enough. Â As mother’s we always wonder, don’t we? It’s hardest when I have to say NO to them or when I have to show tough love. They fight, fight more and yet, I have to keep my stance for the tiniest of tantrums knowing very well, that I can do it for them. Such is the love of every mother born and yet to be born. Â We feed them to fill ourselves and we hurt at their pain.
My greatest wish is to see them as kind hearted adults.  I want my kids to remember that if they make a mistake and lie to me about it, I will punish them hard, and if they are honest, I will fight this Universe for them. I want them to remember that I am their biggest critique and most ardent fan. I want them to know that they can walk through life knowing that mom is only a text away 🙂
As my kids get older, I can already see and feel the empty nest coming to life and it’s scary. I know I will have to fill the void and find ways to keep myself busy but until then, every Mother’s day I will continue to celebrate and pamper them for they are the reason why I am wished Happy Mother’s Day.Â
Happy Mother’s Day to all of you!
Let 2018 be your Happy Year.
31st December, 2017 was special; It was the weekend, the month end and they year end. Another year gone, 365 days around the sun and we welcome 2018.
A new year, isn’t it wonderful that every 365 days all of us get a chance to start all over again. We are gifted a year with absolutely no mistakes in it.Â
Today, I am giving up or rather letting go the urge to make resolutions. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for change. Resolutions, the thought of making them is the first step towards that change. The question is why wait till the end of the year? Â So, my first resolution for 2018 is to not make any resolutions and celebrate each day as if that’s the best thing that happened to me. I believe in Pronoia and I want to celebrate that more.
2017 was turbulent to say the least. I chanted Pronoia, Pronoia ample times and yes that got me through. Thus, Pronoia celebration gets amped up in 2018. Keep the faith and the belief.
2016-2017 were two years of deep reflection for me. As I edge towards my half life, I had to ask myself some pointed questions and all were centered around choosing happiness.
How do we choose happiness? Isn’t that what we all want? Money can’t buy it. They say it’s within us, but how do we find it?
Here’s what I did.Â
I decided to remove anyone that brought negativity into my life.Â
I chose to prioritize the people over things in my life.Â
I went through a rather aggressive “de junk” my home and my closets. Less is more, is slowly creeping into my life.Â
I am learning to accept people in all their faults.
I continued to work hard to be unfuckwithable
I asked myself: Where do I see myself post 50? Interestingly, I found myself repeatedly surround by kids. I realized despite the hair pulling moments, I love hanging out with kids more than I like hanging out with adults. So in my search for Career Part 2, instead of drilling myself to look for a job that grinds me, I chose to forego the exciting lucrative corporate careers, and  I started my journey into the world of education. I have to admit being in a school was the right choice because I see kindness and compassion every day. I can’t say that about many other careers.
Ask yourself, Does your job make you happy? When you love your work, then you never have to work in your life.Â
The combination of all of the above  has made me saner, sanity brings calm and calmness brings in the happy.Â
Happiness fact; it comes and goes. Happiness cannot be locked in a box. We will always puruse happiness and maybe that’s how it’s meant to be, for if happiness could be trapped, then sorrow could be traded.Â
Declutter, Believe and Be Unfuckwithable for a Happy You.
In 2018, I wish you happiness.
