Hope is a magical thing

2020 – the year of extraordinary challenges, and unexpected chaos. 

The year of unprecedented crisis and unimaginable loss.

The year that made the whole world standstill.

The year that made us reflect, reset, and refill. 

This year has been exceptionally tough for many in ways more than we can ever imagine. The general mood across the globe has been gloomy and stressful. 

Read More

Hello January

Hello January and hello 2019! I know, I am late and it’s already more than one week into January but then it isn’t still that late to wish you all a very happy new year. Hope your first week of 2019 was full of energy and zeal.

Speaking of zeal, I often wonder what is so special about January that makes everyone plan new things this month? Isn’t it just another change of date? Another flip (or swipe, in case of digital) in the calendar? But the more I think about it and the more I observe everyone around me, I love the magic that January brings along with it.

The magic of new hope and new beginnings

The magic of starting over again

The magic of new dreams and new desires

The magic of thinking afresh again

The magic of positivity and passion

The magic of believing again.

Indeed January is magical, for it brings an amazing amount of enthusiasm and fervor around us. I love how everyone gets busy making new plans, setting up new goals and deciding new milestones in their personal and professional lives. Even though half of those goals won’t be met, but I still love the fact that we at least try for newer things again.

As Meister Eckhart says,

“And suddenly you just know it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”

So, what are the new things you’re planning to do in 2019? Ok, may not be new and I agree, it needn’t be new but how about thinking on – how would you like this year to be for you?

Do think about it and list down a few points for yourself this January. It will help you reflect on the year went by when you will sit and think about 2019 on 31st December 2019. 

Chronicling helps, trust me on that :-). 

On that note, wish you all a very happy January. May the magic of January continue throughout the year and may your new beginnings be beautiful and bright. Have a happy twenty nineteen! 

2017 – the year that once again reminded me…

None of these are new, we all know but somewhere these get buried down in our daily humdrum of life. 2017 was a year that once again reminded me…

  • To LIVE, before the moment is gone. Life changes in a blink, LIVE today as we may not get that chance tomorrow.
  • To be able to breathe, stand on your own feet and eat without any support system are all that we need to be alive. Rest whatever we have is luxury.
  • That time is indeed the best healer. When the going is tough and you can’t figure out any solution, it’s best to leave everything on time. Even the roughest patches of life lead to some direction with time.
  • To prioritize what matters the most. When you’re near death, you actually get flashbacks and wish you had done “this” or “that” more. These “this” or “that” are only & only about relationships and nothing else. From – ‘wish I could see my child once again’ to ‘wish I had spent some more happier times with my partner’, in that trance state of mind, you think of only people and relationships. 
  • That, things could be worse any time, any day! Be thankful for whatever you have, there is always someone who is fighting a battle tougher than yours. Every time I remember the night when the person next to my bed in ICU died despite lesser injuries whereas I survived, I just say thank you – to God, to my fate and to the prayers and blessings of all the well-wishers in my life.
  • To smile! When you’re happy, smile but even when you’re sad, try to smile. Smiling through tough times gives you strength and courage of a different kind. Hey wait, smile in life has a technical requirement too – when I had maxillofacial fractures and lost all my front teeth in this accident, I had to go for many teeth reconstruction and dental implant surgeries. My dental surgeon was trying hard to understand how my teeth looked pre-accident. We scouted through many old photos and her feedback to me was – “Kanupriya, in none of your photos you’re smiling openly or laughing out loud. You should smile more.” Oh yeah, as if I knew one fine day I will have to refer to my old pics to see how my teeth used to look when I smiled!!

But technically my doctor was correct – one should smile more often and smile while you still have your teeth intact 🙂

On that note, wish you a 2018 full of love, laughter, and fun! Cheers to new beginnings and new dreams. Have a fabulous year ahead!

A quick take on 2010 & wish you a happy new year!

Well, a lot has happened in 2010 for Indian Marketing and Media industry. While I will come back with detailed posts on some of the brand case studies which created impact this year, but as of now here goes a quick take on my “likes” & “dislikes” for marketing incidents that occurred in 2010

  1. A rebranding which I liked : Indian Rupee Symbol
  2. A rebranding which I disliked: Airtel
  3. A marketing trend which I liked: Social Media becoming mainstream, few predicted this but not many were sure or convinced about it till last year.
  4. A brand which completely wowed me: Flipkart
  5. A brand which always delivered what it committed to me: Indigo
  6. A new product /service which I started using in 2010: Online luxury shopping portals and totally addicted to FashionAndYou.com
  7. A old category coming out with newer marketing techniques: Books, wow what innovative marketing stories in Indian Literature Industry.
  8. An ad which really created a buzz: Volkswagen Vento talking newspaper ads
  9. An ad which I hated : IBIBO, JK Cement Swimming Pool ad
  10. Ad which I liked for its social messaging: ”’Tata Tea Choti & Badi Patti’ and ‘Tum Chalo Toh Hindustand Chale by TOI

I may update this list later if some more related points come to my mind, till then do drop in comments about the stories which you liked or brands which you hated in 2010.

With this last post for 2010, here’s wishing all my readers a very happy and prosperous new year! May you have a rocking & great 2011!