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Musings

Keeping A Gratitude Journal: Tips and Resources

March 7, 2021

While writing my last post, I didn’t realize it will open up such interesting conversation threads with my readers. That post connected with many. Some went down memory lane remembering their own old diary. Whereas, some shared how their outlook towards life has changed ever since they started practicing meditation, gratitude-journaling, or journaling in general. Some asked me thought-provoking questions in different forums where the link was shared. 

Going through those queries, I felt my last post had an incomplete ending. The readers expected more. Some takeaways, or practical insights that they can implement in their lives. Especially the ones, who are new to the world of journaling.

Honestly speaking, it was an impromptu post. Something that I felt like sharing as an aftereffect of revisiting my old journal. And I am glad I did. I wasn’t prepared for such heartwarming direct messages and engaging WhatsApp conversations. I always thought my audience profile is mainly folks from product and marketing backgrounds. As that’s the kind of content I mostly share here. But I was in for a pleasant surprise. Personal stories have a charm of their own. Especially when they connect, entertain, or inspire you to act. 

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Gratitude Is Scientific

January 26, 2021

Earlier this month I got a chance to spend a few days at my childhood home. I visited that place after long and got to spend some time there after many, many years. While browsing through my childhood memorabilia and hostel trunk box, I ended up finding my old diary there. I definitely need to thank my mother for this. She has carefully preserved some precious moments of our childhood despite changing cities and countries multiple times. 

I have spent a considerable amount of my childhood days in hostels. In that era of no internet and no mobile phones, our prime mode of communication with families and friends used to be letters. Handwritten letters :). And the most favorite bedtime activities were reading and writing. Writing in a physical diary :). If you are someone of my age group, I can already see a smile on your face reading these lines. Did it remind you of your diary or letters :)? Aren’t these memories precious? To me, it was like finding a treasure trove. Finding my old self, reuniting with the little dreamy girl that I was.

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Hope is a magical thing

December 30, 2020

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. 

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100th Post on Medium

October 30, 2020

Today I complete my 100th post on Medium! Yay!

This is beyond the 600+ posts that I have on my personal blog since 2003. My first post on Medium was 5 years back in 2015, and that means I have averaged around 1.6 posts per month there.

Is this sufficient to get noticed on Medium considering the volume of content that gets published on Medium now? I know it’s NOT. But it’s still a win for me, my own small personal win. To be able to dedicate some time to write despite all other madness in life.

Writing consistently requires effort, and that too a lot of it. 

To add to that, just writing is not enough these days. A whole lot of work needs to be done for content distribution and reach too. 

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Getting back to writing? These ‘R’s help me always

September 9, 2020

In writing, habit seems to be the much stronger force than either willpower or inspiration. 

– John Steinbeck

Last month I didn’t write anything, not even a single blog post here or on my personal site. Partly because I was very busy on the work front and partly because I slipped off my daily writing routine. I write first thing in the morning before my family wakes up. Of late, lots of late-night work calls and general randomness in life during this whole work-from-home and school-from-home phase have been making it difficult to wake up early. 

But if I look closely, the key reason to not write would be – not sticking to my schedule.

Following a writing-schedule requires self-discipline and that too a lot of it.

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Little things you wish would continue post-COVID too: Lockdown Diaries

June 2, 2020

Last weekend, we went to a public park nearby after lockdown of more than 75 days, and what a refreshing change it was! To see the greenery, to breathe the fresh air, to feel the wind, it was all so beautiful. Perhaps more so, because we were experiencing it after long.

That’s the thing about humans, we hardly appreciate things whose lack we haven’t experienced. With the infrastructure to reach anywhere across the globe anytime, and with the possibility to even travel to space now, none of us would have ever imagined that there will be days in our lives when stepping out of our home would become a luxury, something worth celebrating and cherishing. 

Such is the power of scarcity, we run after abundance but it’s often the scarcity that makes us appreciate.

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Coping up with the new normal

April 30, 2020

Yesterday the internet was flooded with pictures of schools reopening in China.

These photos give me hope, hope for tomorrow, hope for normalcy but these pictures also tell me that the normal tomorrow won’t be the same as the normal earlier. 

There is going to be a clear difference in life for many of us.

The product person in me looks at these cute, beautiful hats and says – ingenious! 

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Working, parenting and everything in between – The Lockdown Diaries

April 17, 2020

That tempting coffee challenge

Those gorgeous dress-up posts

That try a new hobby drive

Those Netflix marathons

That energetic, upbeat feeling

Those read, relax, and rejuvenate slogans

If you’re not able to relate to one or any of these, you’re not alone.

If you’re a parent, working from home, trying to manage your time between work, homeschooling, household chores and keeping your child away from the screen, I hear you. I hear you saying – am I the only one who is not able to be productive?

Am I the only one who is not able to manage it all?

Like you, even I have read those how-to-be-productive-while-wfh posts, registered for multiple webinars and have prepared long to-do lists.

But let me be very honest, I haven’t attended even a single webinar till now, I haven’t counted the pending items on my to-do list but I won’t be surprised if it has reached a count of million, and those productivity tips from hundreds of experts look like written in interstellar language meant for aliens from another planet.

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Change is never easy but possible

February 20, 2020

While sitting by the window on this cold winter morning in a very different part of the world, I can’t help myself but notice the changes that have happened in my life in the last couple of years.

It’s dark outside but about to be bright soon. The surroundings are so new and unknown but the view is oh so breathtakingly gorgeous.

What is it that’s keeping me awake at this hour? Is it Xenophobia? No, but definitely a bit of anxiety.

Anxiety for the unknown, anxiety for the new journey, anxiety for the change.

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