Each Day Something New!!

25th Jan 2015 - Inspirational Reading - 'Rangpanchami' by Va Pu Kale.

I am totally inspired by this book 'Rang Panchami' and Vapu have always been one of the beloved writers I have read. This book so caught me with its simplicity that as i started reading I couldn't keep it down. This book inspires me to see around with more open eyes and ears. Simple things, people, situations around can have wonderful lessons and great dose of fun. His writing is so simple that make the reading so easy but his story telling is so impactful that every line leaves an impression on you. While reading each page had so many interesting elements, i wished to read to someone.. 'Hey see this so wonderfully written'.. 'Wow! What a thought!'.. 'I should share this story with someone'..

Simplicity is beautiful. It leaves you with a definite smile. I think one should blessed to posses simplicity. In the world of everyday manipulations, simplicity is the light at the end of the tunnel. And that is what I felt reading each sentence in the book. Vapu writes in the introduction that I am no great talented person.. A writer, an orator after writing so many books and stories can say this. It is the simplicity of the man and his heart.

Rangpanchami is an unique style of autobiography where the facts, chronology doesn't matter. The heart is what matters. The writer pours out the heart of the people he met over his journey of life. I felt so much at peace reading the book. I went to bed smiling wide and calm mind. And i woke up happy too.


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Each Day Something New!!

20th Jan 2015 - Writing more than 500 words.

Writing sounds to be interesting. But how much ever it may feel exciting it is a tedious job. It is definitely a job. To be able to sit and dedicate time to write is a part of the job of writing. To be able to find something to write is another stressful job. Something worth the time spent. How and where do you find it?

Ideas do come from everywhere. A story, an incident, a lesson, a moment, a failure, a special acquaintance all make great ideas for writing. Some good lines also drop in by themselves in your unconscious mind, which you realize in a spur of a moment. Capture them before they disappear.

Writing as any habit requires you to do it every day. You have to drag yourself to your desk open up your favorite diary. Oh dear! The pen has gone missing. I can’t write without the chosen pen. Mind can play all types of games you know.  Pick up a laptop and just start typing. But then there are distractions like the green and red error lines. You want to correct them immediately and in that going back and forth you loose the plot. How do I get back what I was thinking? There was something very important happening. The next great line was just there on my fingertips.

Somehow you try to remember and write back. By then the initial procrastination has crept slowly back in. Unconsciously your mind has gone into its arms. And all of a sudden the lazy mind reminds you of some phone call to be made, followed by the day’s deadlines, payments not coming and you also might be feeling hungry. Come on I can’t think straight when I am hungry. So you head to search for some quick bite.

Well, do you think your mind will be satisfied by a quick bite of anything? It wants something delicious to feel satisfied. And then you just don’t find any of the quick bites around interesting to pick. Physically and mentally you are away from that story of yours. But yeah how can you write when you don’t just feel like? Right? So you decide nothing doing tomorrow morning first thing I am going to write. Let me make some pointers tonight before sleeping so they remain fresh in my mind and on the table to help me write in the morning.

Darling there’s no tomorrow. You would be so busy to pass the day that there will be no pointers on the desk tomorrow morning to inspire you to write. If you want to write, write now. I understand writing is an art and it requires inner inspiration. Honestly no one in the world can create that inspiration for you. It is you who have to talk yourself into it. Mind can have its own way every now and then. You need to talk to your mind to take a break and let you do write.

First few lines may be difficult. Just ignore what you are writing. Ignore every red and green line. Ignore the punctuations. What is the editor’s job then? You are supposed to just write. Don’t be stuck at a word that you are just unable to remember. Put a dash in with the meaning of the word you want to convey and move on. You can come back to it later. I guess post 10 lines the words will start flowing. The sentences will start forming. And the story will start happening.

Wish you could do it everyday? Of course you can. Just be at it. The writing won’t make any sense initially. You would never publish these ramblings any where. Believe me, these very unimportant, unworthy ramblings will help you to write.

Let the story happen. If not today this story will never be completed. Write my friend write.

#EachDaySomethingNew

Each Day Something New!!

Day 15 to 19 -  14th to 19th Jan 2015

New things kept happening. Just the laziness to record crept in. It happens. It's human. You cant punish your lovely self. But you can bring back yourself to do it again. And be at it henceforth.

What new happened over these few days?

Appreciation brings out the sweetest smiles on the face of people who are being appreciated. Loved seeing the smiles. Yes I appreciated a few people around whom i see every now and then but never attempted to say anything. Just asking for a person's name also make the person feel special. It was a good feeling within me to appreciate and see the lovely smiles. 

Then there were a few good food moments. Nutella Banana Sandwich, Hummus open sandwich, Cream of Vegetable soup, Surmai fry and so on. 

Morning walks kept happening where in I pushed myself to add 1 round of jogging each day. So now I am at 16 rounds of walking with 4 rounds of jogging. Though took a break today. 

Note of Love - to Mani in his wallet, some more gratitude notes, a new research on public libraries, and kirana stores in thane, a new style of estimate.. lots of new things happening. And I am enjoying.

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Each Day Something New!!

Day 14 - 14th Jan 2015

Sarson Da Saag Makke Di Roti!! What more can you ask for in a sweet cold season like now. I always heard about it, tasted a few times. But never attempted to make it. Found the bunch of sarson on monday evening. It got me all excited to try. Next google the recipe. And make it. 

Not a bad attempt at all. Infact it was tasty. Proof? See the small inset. Ha ha ha.. I love empty bowls at the end of dinner. It is most satisfying feeling for any cook.

Winter is a foody season for sure. But it takes enough mehnat as well. Mehnat pays off with tasty treat and licking fingers. Loved cooking it. Loved eating it. Yumminessssss!!!!

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Each Day Something New!!

Day 12 - 12th Jan, 2015

Last time I studied something very seriously was 2001. 14 years.. OMG! Yeah. Post that being in JJ then independently working, study did not exist any more. Well there were topics that intrigued me, I read books, researched for some brands and products, attended a few seminars read a few articles almost everyday. But studying on one subject with a 2 volume manual is something new. I am enjoying it.

Why? Because the topic is interesting. How to set up your small business. Well I am running a small business but just from the front. At the back I am unaware of many parts of business. Now that I am getting into products business I wish to transform my self into a businesswoman. Sales projection, Income statements, Cost of Manufacturing, Processes, Sheets, Analysis, market Research all this was a world far far away. Today it is inside me, inside my head every moment. That's why I am enjoying it. Well to be interested in something you have to take the interest first.

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EACH DAY SOMETHING NEW!!

Day 9 - 9th jan 2015

Attended a TIE workshop - Financial Intelligence Part 2. All these years i have been running a business.. sort of. As it was more freelancing work and the business did not develop as a business as yet. I decided to overlook the whole process and redefine the ways of running a business. Profits and cash flow were never in the fore front while taking up and completing projects. But now I want to take things up as a businesswoman. Every dime coming in has to be counted and every second i spent at work haas to be accountable.
The workshop was good, It did open up man new concepts of finance for me. the concepts well are old and time tested but new for me as i have dirtied my hands in finance. It has geared me up to fall in love with all the statement i always dreaded and found completely boring. Now the black & white prints seems more interesting. You have to be interested in a thing if you want it to be interesting.

One more advantage of attending the workshop was meeting entrepreneurs in different fields with immense experience. Sharing and learning is such a great way.

#EachDaySomethingNew!!

Day 10 - 10th Jan 2015

One more doodle flowing out of the mind effortlessly. It wasn't an effort to keep going as well. Just enjoyed the lines thoroughly. and i guess each line felt connected and they also loved to come flowing on the paper. When the first line appeared on the paper, neither my mind nor my pen knew whats going to happen next. I just love what happened here. 

#EachDaySomethingNew!!

Day 11 - 11th jan

Let see some movie is always followed by an intense action or comedy romedy english movie or then some crap new hindi movie. I was in a mood to get a nice sweet treat. So how about the wonderful Shammi Kapoor black & white classic.. DIL DEKE DEKHO. Wow what a piece of musical treat. Every 10 -15 minutes there was a song and each one was a melody in itself. I have always simply loved watching Shammi Kapoor. I felt so sweet and so beautiful that i slept humming the songs and woke up again humming the songs.. arey bhai waa waa waa..

#EachDaySomethingNew!!

EACH DAY SOMETHING NEW!!

Day 8 - 8th Jan 2015

It is easier to let go or give up. It takes a lot of strain on body and mind to keep doing things that are not natural to you. Especially when it comes to doing the right things for your body. Both mind and body need to be together at making a change in life. Adopting a new habit becomes easier when both do it hand in had. A question - What should be following what? Mind should follow the body or the body should follow the mind.

Mind can make all the plans but body doesn't want to respond. But do something with the body and mind wakes up, shakes up. Achieving 20 minutes of jogging after an hour of walk was the aim today. Some other day I would have left after the initial 10 minutes as i was gasping for breath. But not today. A small push within.. another one minute.. come one one more round.. keep at it.. i can do it.. one more round.. my body is feeling better.. go on.. one more round.. and so i pushed and pushed my self. any one else if would had pushed i might have pushed him out. But this was me pushing myself. the mind could not stop.

Happy to have pushed myself. Hope to push every day.

#EachDaySomethingNew!!

EACH DAY SOMETHING NEW!!

Day 7 - 7th Jan, 2015

Today was a day of completing work. Happy to have ticked off a few tasks that were ever pending since long long time. So just no time to look up and think on what to do new. But how can i not do something new. Dinner happened with an interesting chat. But just didn't want the chat to get over immediately.

A usual dinner time and post dinner time is some english movie on television. But I have yet to do something new today.

A chat under the bright full moon & twinkling stars would be such a perfect end to a chore-ful day. Hence a small request 'Lets go for a walk' and we were down going round and round our own building. The chat was a summary of something he had been learning over past few days and some thoughts bubbling in my head. A simple sharing can also be so wonderful. It gave me a very calm feeling. I love chats. I love full moon. And I love twinkling stars. I could actually see more stars than usual today. 

Another new thing happened. Well was thinking, Yaar I will write and publish tomorrow.. Ohh no!! If I let myself do that, then I will allow myself more cheats and then many more cheats and one day I won't even remember that I was doing something new every day and writing about it. Life will go on. But the happiness of done something new won't be there. Thats what happens to our resolutions, right? 

I am enjoying this and hope to keep enjoying it. Like the walk under the open sky. Wish to do it more often.

#EachDaySomethingNew!!

EACH DAY SOMETHING NEW!!

Day 6 - 6th Jan, 2015

Building a green & sustainable society has been a thought-provoking topic for me. I have tried to catch up on an article or magazine with the words Green & Sustainable typed in bold faces.

Picked up one such magazine at the American Library today and something caught my attention. Social Weaver Birds and their gigantic smart nests on utility poles. Can you imagine it? And how can I stop at reading the half page article. I needed to Google it.

And so I did. Amazingly interesting. These social weaver birds have been existing & building smart nests in the Kalahari dessert in southern Africa. The nests are so smart that they have separate compartments with appropriate climate control inside to save from the harsh climate of Kalahari. Also the entrances are such that the predators are blocked from entering. How smart!

These nests are found to be the biggest nests built by birds. The nests are so big that almost 400 birds can stay inside. So Huge! They are so huge that the trees on which they are built have high chances of falling to the ground completely. So the smart birds have chosen the manmade utility poles to build their nests on. So more smart!

Always happy to read something new and try to find more interesting resources on Google. Well what do I take from it? These animals do everything surrounded to their survival. That is their motivation. To survive each day. There are no awards for the best created nest or most popular nest builder. They do it just based on survival instinct.

But we humans have so much more to live for. Is it good or is it bad? I have no idea. I take an inspiration though. Even for simple things in life can I do it in a smarter way? Just a thought.

#EachDaySomethingNew!!

EACH DAY SOMETHING NEW!!

Day 5- 5th jan, 2015

He has always inspired me. His words have been encouraging and strengthening. Whenever something bothered me and I looked at him, he had the right phrases ready to stimulate me. His words did have the power that pushed me to take positive action.

Today he needed inspiration. I did write in a few words to him. I wonder did those words inspire him. I guess sometime I will have to ask him the question. Not today.

As I read back my messages, I felt it was a pretty fine job done by me. Hmm.. Not bad. The conversation was a bit longer with more personal stuff. So sharing the whole would I guess bore you out.

Here are a few excerpts from the conversation (you may find it philosophical, but strong philosophy always helps)

‘Whatever happens, you are a good and hardworking person and nothing in the world can stop you from achieving your goals. Might be something good is awaiting.’

‘I guess this is the time to grow as a human being and emerge as a leader. ‘

‘Will you think about everything and try to find all solutions within one day? Or would you want to take on things one by one. I know one negative thought leads to another and then another. It becomes a chain and turns into a never-ending circle of negative thoughts. As each one thing is interdependent. Can you give yourself a day off from the thoughts? This is not gonna lead you anywhere. So just quit thinking now. There is no solution in the circle of negativity that has surrounded you. Just let the day pass. And tomorrow will be a new day. You might find a new way to look at the same things. And then there will be the solution you were looking for.’

Now as I write these excerpts, at the back of my mind a thought is bouncing. Seriously, can words inspire? Can words really stir up minds and bodies to take action? And then I am reminded of the old song ‘It’s only words and words are all I have..’ Yeah that’s all I can do. I can only speak a few words, phrase them up with the best positive sense that I can. I cannot get into someone’s body, feel his actual pain and take action for him. He has to do it himself. Words do have magic but it can be completely helpful only if the listener takes up the meaning and puts himself to do the right action.

Now I somehow relate to the thinking that I am reading so many things, but somehow I am not getting the success. Am I just reading? What after reading? Do I put it to actual application? Knowing is there, planning is done. Now is the time do.

And here I am happy to do something new everyday and write about it. I am not sure whether my readers would be inspired. But this act of mine inspires me.

#EachDaySomethingNew!!

Each Day Something New!!

Day 4 - 4th Jan, 2015

Doodling keeps me alive. New Concepts, Old Artworks, Google Searches, Uncertain Briefs, Impossible deadlines, Payment worries, Stupid Admin Work... Tiring Tiring & Tiring. Actually blood sucking. I doodle practically everyday.

What was new? Daily doodling is closed in my sketch diaries. A hand made paper found in some old folders. Wow my black pen and my mind just couldn't resist. And out came the ink flowing freely on the textured light yellow paper. So freely flew my some patterns and designs out of the blocked mind.    The best feeling comes when you are creating something forgetting the sense of time, space  and yourself. That is what made this doodle more rewarding.

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Each Day Something New!!

Day 3 - Jan 03, 2015

Cooking is a work. Hard work. Serious time consuming work. But it becomes fun when the ingredients are fresh, seasonal and the intention to cook is for your love. Winter, the best season for most healthy vegetables, inspires for a warm homely dinner. Pomfret is all time favourite and the tastiest way to eat is fried with semolina covering and lots of garlic marinade. The heaviness of fried fish needed to be balanced. What else than a fresh salad with winter veges. Radish is so wintery. So throw in together some peeled fresh radish, radish greens and radish pods with fresh carrots, white onions, seasoned with salt, pepper, black sesame and none other than olive oil. Crunchy, pungent but full of health. Still needed something wholesome to go with the fried fish and crunchy salad. There was some fresh spinach lying on kitchen counter from the buy that evening. My love, my hubby loves  the soups i make. Soups are the most soul enriching on a breezy winter. So there was it. Spinach and lentils soup. Warm and homely again.

Something new was the whole combo. I have always had combined fried fish with some more fish curry and rice. Theres only fish on a fish day. Fish and veges was interesting!

It was dinner so just captured and did not publish. But couldn't wait to share.

#EachDaySomethingNew!!

 Each Day Something New!!

Jan 1, 2015
My mind went over and over again a thought.. I wish to do something new this year. And I stumbled upon a thought. To do one thing new each day. To be able to do that would be so great. To find a new thing. and actually able to do it.. WOW! I am super excited by the thought. And how do I know i have done it? Nothing better than recording and sharing it. So let me try.

The 1st day of the year was nothing great as always. Slept till late. A lazy lunch. A few words spent in conversation. A lot of incoming message. A few replies. Then in the evening something happened on it own. The sky, the colours and the magical rays inspire me to capture it. and after a long long period i took my camera in hand. I love the rays. Let this inspire me to find more and more.


Jan 2, 2015

My little balcony garden inspires me every now n then to try something new. grow something new. I had seen this video on growing coriander at home. and the thought had stuck in my mind. so made it happen today. Sown some coriander seeds broken into half in a small hanging pot. I hope to get some fresh coriander very soon. Happy growing!!

Gardening is seriously a therapy. It occupies your mind with beautiful thoughts that all negativity just flies away. The body also get a good therapy with some sweat some mud.. nice! It feels so good after having spent some time in the garden. And it feels so rewarding to see life growing in front of you.. each a day a little. Also it is so refreshing to have a cup of warm green tea with a chat in your garden (balcony Garden. And finally it is rewarding to be able to pluck a few leaves n put them to use in your kitchen. Like at present I have a pudina and tulsi plant well grown which allows me to use them frequently. I am so loving it.

 #EachDaySomethingNew!!