Don’t disturb – It’s my time – Ooops!!!! ME TIME.

Hey don’t disturb –It’s my time, sorry did I say My Time, Actually I meant ME TIME.  I love that time.

Remember when we were young we had something called as a hobby and it was anything from painting to colouring, listening to music, going to the garden with friends.  So why is that when we grow up, we are not able to do things -simple things that give us moments of joy and happiness.

Even listening to radio like Vividh bharati was so good.  I remember very well how we used to look forward to Chitrahaar and Chaayageet and of course Chitramala which pictured some wonderful songs even from Tamil and Malayalam.  But just when we thought that the channel showed my favorite Tamil song, it comes up with an Oriya song (no offence to any language – just that I could not understand anything what they sang).

Thanks to Radio Mirchi and 93.5, life is still quite interesting, especially when you have to travel 1800 seconds in a Mumbai local.  Listening to Radio mirchi on my travel to office is something that I look forward to, but this is minus the tons of advertisements.  But it’s fine with me, the reason being, many of the advertisements are centred around social awakening and Jeeturaj (for those who do not know is the radio jockey) does it with style and truly with a lot of conviction.  So I love the radio.  The media has truly become more like a Universe of information and data.

Hey but I should tell you something about ME time,  even sitting in your favorite spot sipping your favorite coffee or masala chai is your ME time.  Ensure no one takes it away from you.  It truly can be quite like fresh air entering your homes.  Actually, let’s start with this simple practice of doing what you love beginning today.  We all know that this is the JOYOF GIVING WEEK.  Many a times, we tend to forget what we truly want.  So let’s become joyful by gifting us our own ME time.  Doesn’t it sound wonderful?  It truly is.   But let’s also give away to people who are not as fortunate as we are.  A simple thing like treating a street kid with a Dairy Milk can truly bring the biggest and most beautiful smile you would have ever seen in your life.  Trust me, simply do it !!!!

I have identified my ME time and it is writing what I feel, reading all those wonderful books that I wanted to.  Of course, now that my daughter is grown up and I have some time on my hands, I am getting to do all this.  Another thing that I have started relating to is that one does not have to feel guilty enjoying that special time. You have the right to do what you wish to and do things that give you joy.

Another list on my itinerary is to watch all of my favorite movies like Silsila, Rafoo Chakkar, Sangam and many many movies with Ravi and bringing back all the wonderful moments once again.  Pamper yourself once in a while – it’s truly a feel good factor and it doesn’t cost much.  So get ready to chill out – at times, we forget to feel happy as we are too busy in our work life and family life. But we can always take a U turn and go through the journey once again – the journey we call LIFE.

Signing off for now

Luv

Rekha

Add a dash of love and smiles :) :D to your cooking – It’s truly sublime and special

It has been said that cooking is divine and the feeling is truly very special. This is more so if you love your cooking and want to give your family the best.  I do not know about others, but the days when we are not so in a good mood or are feeling low, the food does not turn out to be how it actually needs to be. What could be the reason for this? I tried figuring it out, and the reason for the same and there it was! I had forgotten to add the most significant and priceless ingredient and that was my love and positive feelings into it.

Cooking is truly like meditation and when you cook with your heart and picturise your loved ones having it, it feels absolutely wonderful and blissful.   Rather than considering it as a normal routine activity, like many women, my feminine traits feels it most wonderful to cook as I feel absolutely at peace.  Just like cooking, the manner in which the food is served to our family and friends also is a beautiful activity.  The more I think of it, the feeling is sublime.

The entire process involved in cooking is meditative, rhythmic and of course divine.  Many of us would be able to relate to this completely.  Be it a homemaker or a working lady, cooking your family’s favorite dishes and seeing them eat in peace and joyfully is truly a joy in itself. Though compliments are always welcome and my family is lavish in giving away compliments, I still wait to see the change in the expressions when my hubby and daughter eat their meal.  Many a times, it would feel like a kid standing in front of a teacher waiting for the marksheet. 

Nevertheless I would mention that cook with your hearts and even though you may feel down at times, try to erase thoughts or any negativity. At times, you can be selfish and simply think that you are also going to eat the same food that has ingredients like negative emotions, anger, jealousy etc.  Is it worth eating that food and spoiling your health? This is truly food for thought.  So think about it friends.   Cook happily and try smiling when you do so. It might appear very funny in the beginning, but do it tomorrow and if you are not able to smile, THINK OF ME because I have just posted it today. 

P.S:

Tomorrow let’s wear the best of our ORANGE coloured clothes and enjoy the festival in the true sense.  Orange signifies joy, prosperity and success and wish you everyone lots of success and abundance UNLIMITED.

Luv

Rekha

WRITING YOUR HAPPINESS MANTRA ON THE SLATE OF YOUR LIFE

Our life is just like a slate and we have the power to write what we want to read and what others want to read.  So why not write all that is positive and that brings us joy and happiness.

At times, the slate can get very dirty and we become a little lazy and have a laid back attitude.   Still nothing is lost, we can still rewrite what we wish to !! I totally agree with Dr. Wayne Dyer whose works and words speak volumes and being a regular reader, I am so much addicted to what he writes.  Initially, it was a little difficult and to be honest, I truly found it weird to relate to so many things that he said and he wrote.  I thought how is this going to happen?  ? When there is resistance, it is not easy to attract what we think or wish.  In fact, I felt that I should challenge this thought and so I started beginning to do exactly as he preached. 

Everything in life is a process and so I too followed the process.  Believe me, I was taken by surprise.  Like he said, beginning with a small thought makes a difference, it did make a change in my life. I became less arguing and started to see life in a different perspective.  When one is less judgemental, life becomes simpler and easier and it became for me.  Life is truly beautiful as we now do not overreact to situations or circumstances which are actually beyond our control.

We have seen a lot many people in our lives who speak EXTRA. This extra is what makes relationships difficult.  I will surely mention here that I too was party to this “Extra”  But with so many beautiful things and books flowing into my life,  I have subtracted the “extras” from my life and suddenly things are flowing easily, just the way I had written on the slate of my life.

Try it, it is amazing.  It is never too late to begin in life.

Today’s Navatri colour is Grey – Yes, grey is a beautiful colour that we get when we mix white and black on the colour palette. It actually signifies merging of the beautiful nature.  So, anything that is connected to nature is beautiful. So folks try out your greys from your wardrobe. !!!!

Luv

Rekha

Ushering the Goddess in our Homes and our Hearts – Welcome Maa Durga / Shakthi !!!

With Ganesh Chaturthi just ending few days ago, Mumbai is all geared up to welcome Maa Durga, Shakthi as we all know.   She is worshipped with great bhakti not only in India, but also other parts of the world where we have Indians. Call her Durga, Bhadrakali, Bhairavi, Chandika, Lalita, Anapoorna, Mookambika, it is one - She is truly there to hear you out. She is like a kid who likes to be pampered and I pamper her just like my daughter.  You may wish to see her in any form and there she is, smiling back at you and accepting you just the way you are, without any prejudice. 

Navaratri has a different meaning for everyone and everyone worships her these 9 days.  She, the Goddess is sublime and is energy personified and we love to see her in every form these 9 days specially.  In South India, we have a tradition of ushering her inside our homes these 9 days and a traditional Gollu is installed.

For me, she is a like a married daughter who comes to her parents home and stays for 9 days and 9 nights.  Just like a mother /daughter relationship which is so divine, for me she and me are connected and I feel ONE with her. I love to prepare the choicest of dishes for her, adorn her with flowers and bright coloured clothes, not to forget the traditional Chundal and Payasam (kheer) that is prepared.  Every woman who comes to my home during these 9 days is the Goddess herself and I love to welcome one and all. There are a lot of positive vibes during these nine days and I am sure everyone would be able to relate to what I say.

Though many of us know what Navaratri is about, I would still love to write as I love to describe her just the way she is. These nine days are divided into three different facets of the divine Goddess.  The 1^st three days she is the form of Durga or Kali and is there to destroy every evil.  She loves to give and so ask for anything and believe that you will receive it.

The next three days is the embodiment of wealth and she is worshipped as Goddess Lakshmi.  The last three days, she is worshipped in the form of Goddess Saraswathi who helps us attain wisdom and knowledge.  In a typical South Indian home, the Saraswathi puja is performed which is also known as the Ayudha puja where we worship every form of tool, machinery and equipment and beautify the Goddess Saraswathi.

So let us celebrate this beautiful festival of divinity and beauty personified with a range of colours.  These colours truly denote something that I will cover in my future posts.

October 5, 2013 – Grey colour

October 6, 2013 – Orange colour

October 7, 2013 -  White colour

October 8, 2013 – Red colour

October 9, 2013 – Blue colour

October 10, 2013- Yellow colour

October 11, 203 – Green colour

October 12, 2013 – Peacock blue/green colour

October 13, 2013 – Purple colour

 So let’s celebrate her arrival with happiness and enjoy the festival in the true sense.

Signing off for now!!

Rekha

Attracting into your life what you desire most – The Brilliance of our MIND

Many a times, we tend to get stuck in a certain relationship and wonder as to why we are in such a situation with a particular person.  The answer is simple and the Law of Attraction clearly explains that we have attracted these situations, circumstances and of course these relationships into our lives, either knowingly or unknowingly.  We have known this to be “destiny” and many of us have actually lived with this thought or feeling.  This thought has not benefited many of us for sure, so let’s try and do something different which is the total opposite.  Let’s try and adopt a different path where we stop accepting things and make slight changes to our life. With this little CHANGE in our lives, we will now be complaining less and living more joyfully.  

Why is it that at certain times, we are comfortable with a certain set of people or with a particular place?   Actually, we are seeing our reflection in them and we tend to attract only those people who are in the same sync with us. 

 Have you observed that some people totally zap us of our energy and they are more like a sponge who totally absorb our energy once they leave the space that we share?  Such people are referred to as energy zappers and we tend to become uneasy or totally feel tired and lethargic after they leave our space.

 You will only attract those circumstances and situations in your life that you visualize and of course what we strongly desire. We need to learn to practice the art of visualizing things what we desire.  Thoughts are like sea waves, we cannot stop them for sure. Even when we learn meditation, our gurus always teach us “Let your thoughts keep coming.  Do not stop them”.  The job of the brain is to think and create new thoughts, this cannot be stopped whatsoever.  However, you have the right to only choose those thoughts that are good for you and if there is a thought that is absolutely in tangent, choose to cut that thought or choose another positive thought over it.  Though, it will take a few initial classes, it is sure to help you.

 I too found it a little difficult and was skeptical about these so called “visualization techniques”.  To begin with, you could just start with a small visualization or the simplest of things, like a call from a dear friend or a relative, whom you wished called or you wanted to speak to that person.  Depending on how strong these feelings are, the subconscious mind would send the right signals and you will attract the right kind of situation in your life.  I know all this may sound a little too bizarre, but there is no harm in trying. You are only going to benefit out of it.  Also, I need to mention here that visualization works only for all the positive things that you want in your life, if you are going to visualize something negative for someone, it is surely not going to work out. So remember, think well and visualize good.  Let’s make the world and the Universe a better place to live not only for us but for our children as well.

 Luv you all, Remain blessed always

Signing off for now

Luv

Rekha

Mumbai Meri Jaan – Delve into my train travel

As Mumbaikars, there is a lot of train travel to our respective workplaces, that we undertake day in and day out. It was one of those rainy days and it was pouring (it was pouring in the real sense like cats and dogs) and the train seats were literally soaked and completely wet, allowing little space for us to even stand. This is when I happened to see this lady who had managed to sit keeping a small plastic cover ensuring that she is somewhat comfortable. I guessed her age and she must have been around 55 + age. Amidst the entire crowd, we just happened to see each other and she offered her seat and adjusted a little, so I got the 4th seat to sit down. It is truly a luxury getting to sit on the 4th seat, especially during the monsoons, when no one wants the window seat. I sat down besides her and we smiled each other. I greeted her with my usual “Thank you Aunty”. Our place of work was the same. Days passed by and we took the same train and she used to tell her tale of stories that included even her day to day happenings, what she cooked last night and the latest gadget she got home. She beamed with delight when she spoke with me and felt excited when she got her new cell and she told me how she loved Whatsap. She has been working since the age of 17 and the best part was that she served in the same company. She was to retire the next month and she had mixed feelings of retiring from the company, but she also mentioned that she was happy that this was happening. She had mentioned about how her husband retired few years back, and that he would drop her everyday to the station and see her off and also come back at the said time everyday to pick her up. Aunty mentioned that she would miss all those moments, those were her cherished times and both she and her husband looked forward to it. They remind me of those teenagers who wait anxiously to see each other and meet up with each other once they are through with their classes. Somewhere, I felt a little hurt and felt that I would miss her company. It was only a few months since we met, smiled and without even knowing each other’s names, we had become close. At times, it is not our relatives or our close friends whom we miss; it could be as simple as the train vendor who comes selling her usual stuff like trinklets, ear rings, bangles etc. Such is the beauty of human relationships and we too get comfortable travelling in the same train. In Mumbai, we address it as the 0733 slow or the 0741 fast. Every Mumbaikar would be able to relate to me and also all those people who have shifted out of Mumbai. After all it is MUMBAI MERI JAAN. Luv u all beautiful people out there. Watch out for more from my blog! Keep reading – Remain blessed always.

Wearing your most prized possession - Uncover it with a SMILE

What to wear and what not to wear are things that many amongst us, mostly women are confused about.   With a lot of trend setting clothing available nowadays, it is easy for women to choose clothes that suit their body type and personality. But in this fast paced life, many a times, we are so much caught up that we forget to wear the most important accessory and that is our SMILE.

A smile definitely sets things straight – and yes it is true!  Have you ever felt how contagious a smile could be?  Try it out for yourself.  We tend to take so many things in our life including a number of people in our life for granted, knowingly or unknowingly. With a lot of not so many good things happening around us, we have forgotten that there is an inner child within us that has forgotten to smile. So let that child smile and remain happy! It is the best gift you could give yourself and to the world.

A smile can be your most prized possession and no one can take it away from you We worry if we would lose out wealth, home, possessions, our job and so many of our things, but what about the Smile – you are the master of it. As long as you wish, you have it with You.  So next time, you see the watchman who religiously and sincerely greets you with a smile and a good morning, SMILE back at him.  It may in the beginning appear a little strange for some of us(as we may not have done it before),  but it surely makes him feel better and hey! You too feel good and great.

Send blessings to someone in the form of a smile and it will come back to you with a thousand good things. Get a little selfish; smile a little for you know that it is good for you and there is something bigger and better for you as the day goes by.

The best thing what you could do to feel good about yourself, although it may appear very artificial initially,  is look into the mirror and when I say, it means look into your eyes and repeat the words “I love you”  3 times.  It feels absolutely wonderful.  Just try it today.  Many of us would feel it a little embarrassing in the beginning, but believe me, it feels wonderful.  How many of us have looked in the mirror other than just for the routine dressing up and rushing to the work? It takes in all just a few seconds to say these three beautiful words.

Eyes are the true mirrors of our inner self, look into your eyes say out these words and see the sea change.  So keep smiling and loving yourself, it is the best gift that you could give yourself.  Till then remain blessed !  Love u always !!!