Never take your Health for granted

Once someone asked me what is the thing that irritates you the most. I said, I love doing things for people, but when they take my effort for granted, is when I get the most irritated. How beautiful isn’t it? I think any number of us feel that. However, do we realise there are so many things that we ourselves take for granted?

My BIL’s father always used to bless us “Be Healthy! Health is Wealth”. We have always heard this, we know this. But have we realized this???? How will we, until we go through the phase of un-health? No one can realize the importance of anything until they lose it. Especially something that has been a part of us from birth.

When my dad used to go through physio sessions for his leg is when I first had a glimpse of how something as inherent as taking 1 leg in front of the other to walk, is such an easy thing. But ask the same to a person who has to re-learn the art of walking…..He will tell you what a luxury we have that we are able to take one foot in front of the other, without even thinking about it!!

I always knew that Health is the best thing we have, but last week made me realise how much I have taken every single part of my cell for granted. Today in the phase of improvement, I come to realise sitting under a fan without suffocation is such a luxury & I thank GOD for making me understand this!

We all are so great at working long hours. During this lock-down times, how many of us sacrificed sleep to accommodate 1 extra movie in the night? Its all so enjoyable isn’t it? But when we feel sleepy & your health doesn’t permit you to sleep, is when we realise the importance of sleep.

Actually the most interesting thing is, our body doesn’t need as much attention as our EGO does. When someone takes me for granted, I (my EGO) get so angry & I either shout and make the other person feel bad, or insult the person, or avoid the person. This might sometime break a relationship as well. But our body doesn’t have such an EGO, Thank God! It just needs a little care. And it doesn’t even tell you that we should all follow a set principle. It would get so happy & do 10 folds more as soon as it realizes you are giving it importance. It is that easy.

A little exercise in the form of a walk or Yoga everyday, whatever you are comfortable with. Or some additional physical work to get your body toned may be all it requires. For some, it would just be to listen to what the body says. Stop when it says to Stop. Sometimes a mere Thank you to each & every organ of the body is all that is needed.

My grandma always said “you can only paint if there is a wall” We can only do all the things we want to do until we have this body. Give it importance, it will take you everywhere you want to go!

COVID CONFESSIONS

AAhh….this is yet another write-up on CoVID!! I know many people are writing their experiences on Co-Vid. However, this is special! You know why??? ‘cause this is about me. This is definitely is special to me!

I always thought I was an optimistic person, with a view that I can face everything life throws my way, with a smile saying “Bring it On!!!!”

I welcomed COVID lock-downs the same way!!! It was dream come true! I always wanted a job that will enable me to take care of my House & get myself financially independent at the same time! So, this was a dream situation when I will be home at all times! Cook my fav food, clean the house to my satisfaction & yet, work! & this husband of mine, was at home at all times!!!! No going out with friends, no going out to play some game or the other, he is just going to be with me!! This has never happened in our 15 yrs of married life, even during the holidays. So, isn’t it great!!!!

This was my mind-frame at the beginning of COVID, somewhere in the mid of March. But, coming to July, this lock-down has made me think really hard. Re-analyze myself. Somewhere down the years, I have changed. Or there were a few things in my life, that I have not at all paid attention to. I was very surprised to find these out. So, listing out a few.

I am a social animal too!!!!!!!!

This realization was the most great realization of mine. I always thought myself to be a home-bird, happy to be with minimal friend, relative list & never bothering to call them. Only to wish them for their birthdays. But very happy when I didn’t do the 30 mins a day call. But I realized now that I am such a social animal! Whether I call people are not, I need to see atleast see 10 different faces each day. That is my Vitamin D!  AND LO Behold!!!!! I call people these days!!!! Talk to many people! My average call duration pre-lockdown was 2 mins. Now it is 35 mins – whatta leap!!!!!!

     I am not so much of home-bird!!!

I used to crave for a complete day at home! Raja & I used to fill each of our weekends with some ride/drive or the other & it was very hard to have a proper weekend completely at home. A full day to laze around was very scarce. Now that I have it, ok minus housework, minus meetings & work, minus the feeling “No time to laze”, I don’t want to be at home!!!! I don’t like to cook pre-morning, morning, afternoon & night! I don’t like to clean every minute. I don’t like to remain at home at all times!!!!! Phewwwww

     I prefer being Independent!!

Always having lived with a patti, amma, appa & anna, being just Raja & me for 15+ yrs, I used to feel how nice to have a house full of relatives, like my MIL, FIL, SILs, BIL, niece, nephew & ofcourse my bro. all my dreams were full of that! With the coming of my MIL & FIL staying with us, I started realizing, its ok to have them when you are not in a lock-down….during lock-down its always special to be independent. I feel as if I am in the BIGG BOSS house. There are no cameras, but I understand why those ppl react in such stupid way. Because, I do the same. No offence meant to those 2 lovely souls, but being independent all these years, its very difficult to adjust especially during the lock-down. My dream still remains intact, no change in that, Thank God!!! - however I would prefer that without a lock-down!

     My house is not SO BIG!!!

I always thought the house we are living now is very big. I wanted to move to a small studio. But not anymore. I wish there was atleast 1 extra bedroom. I feel any house would start feeling cramped up when you are breathing through it every other minute.

5   I CAN’T take up anything!!!!

This is the most important confession. I always thought I had a very strong mind & an optimistic attitude. I still think that. That is not the point. I also thought that I will never breakdown. How wrong I was! I did go into a small depression. BUT….i am coming out of it & I will become strong again. My learning from this is not to take my strength for granted & it’s the path of life that has shaped me. This hurdle is another stepping stone for a more stronger self!!

The last confession is for more for others who are going through a similar phase. Please understand that you are not alone! This is just a way of making yourself more stronger. Just bear a lil longer, the tunnels’ end is always nearer than we think!!!

This phase has brought me to start writing again. I hope I get to start all my passions once again. I will come back soon with much more wit soon!!! Until then….

To BE Or Not to BE

"To be or Not to Be"- this was not one of my favorites from Shakespere. But the title is the story of my life...Why everyone's life. I recently met with this confusion in some school children, deciding their future. Don't we all go through this?

But these confusions are O.K, compared to what we have been going through these days. There are quiet a few videos, which states that "doing this will improve your life" & after a while the video contradicts what was told earlier. Oats was considered good for your health & a good breakfast food. But now, the same is not so good. 

Coconut was first an awesome food. Then scorned upon, now, again it is gold. Similarly, with the eggs. I can go on enlisting – not only the food products, but also the cleaning materials.

Seriously, are these people so out of their mind?? They keep finding something against what we do, in the name of research. Or is it that we keep trying to change our lives, looking at the Westerners? Is it that we keep forgetting our habits, the habits that our grandparents & great grandparents followed,  just in the name of “I don’t want to be them”? I never found the now so popular diseases like the Diabetes, HBP, Cancer etc., so popular, in our grandparents’days. Did we?

Whatever, the people born after the 70’s have seen too many changes, for good & for bad. To decide which way to follow is such a big stress point.

I too have this confusion of whether to follow the right way, as the researches mention & keep changing, or to do the Not so god way of ignoring them. But then, now a days, I have taken up a unique way, that is to throw the researchers in the Bin, & to listen & respect my Body. That gives a clear indication of what is good for it & what is Not. I eat what I want to, as long as my body is ready to accept it. It is ready to digest it.

All said & done, life is short. Why not live it the way your heart desires, by giving the respect your body deserves? After all, that is what is carrying us through this life. Following the way the body & soul desires, with regular exercises, should be the best way to lead a lovely life!!

Attitude

Attitude-------I keep hearing this word more & more frequently used these days. Really, when I was young (not that I'm too old now), this word was never heard. Especially, I have not heard people say "you have an attitude". The first time someone remarked this to me, I looked up the dictionary to see if am following it right. I am not so bad in understanding English, but certain phrases really makes you THINK.

Ofcourse, I have an attitude. So does a chair. The attitude defines the character of a person or a thing. I recently saw a video where Rahul Dravid mentions, it is because of Virat's aggressive attitude he is a great player. And the same aggression would not be a good attitude if followed by Rahul, as it is not "his" attitude.

How very clearly pointed out by the Wall! I might be a snooty person, I may be short tempered, I may be an Irritating person. (Doesn't mean that I am all this....just to show as an example ;) ). But that defines me & as a whole, all these individual attitudes, makes the real great person that I am. (Yes, I am really great ;) ).

I still can't understand why people say "You have an attitude". What do they actually mean by that? Do they mean that "I don't like you?" Or "I am scared of you" or "we will not gel well" or "You are really awesome"???

I have to quote this. My mom-in-law, who is not so good in english, once quoted to me "enakku andha manushan oda attitude pidikala maa". Meaning she didn't like so & so's attitude. Very clear usage of the word, with a very distinct message.

So, when people, well educated in English medium says "you have an attitude", what are they actually trying to prove???? I really wish I get a satisfactory reply on this, & an end to my serious understanding problem.

And so....the fight.............continues.........

Oh Wow...its been ages since I last put in a post (I mean the gap before my "Thathasthu" post). I remember pretty well that my last post was about new year resolutions & 1 of my resolutions was to write blogs more frequently......So as all resolutions goes....this too was binned on the 2nd Jan 2014 :d. I never give up on traditions.

Surprisingly, there is 1 little tradition of mine that has been reduced. The one that is called "TEMPER". I am proud of it. At the same time. I feel a little bored. Oh whatever said & done, Temper tantrums do add a certain spice to life.  So the masala of "temper" being reduced both in my official & personal life, I started looking for a similar masala else where & what do I get?????? the masala of "Fight within"!!!

As Kamal Hassan says in his movie "kadavul paadhi mirugam paadhi" (half God & Half Animal), I discovered my 2 sides. 1. The Angel 2. The Devil. I know, I can hear you ask.....You an Angel?????? True, but when you see the Devil in me.....you'll definitely agree I put on the Angel face now & then.

Quiet naturally, being the person I actually am, there are lot of interesting debates, arguments, fights, wars that go on between this Angel & this Devil within me. The Angel in me always wants me to be a GOOD GIRL. Surprisingly, even I would like that. But like a good mother, I should not be partial right? I should give the Devil a chance, isn't it? If, even I don't pander to my Devil's wishes, then who will??? So, now, you get to read a little about my 2 darlings....the devil & the angel & their tantrums.

As I said above, the Angel in me always wants to be a Good Girl. The first thing she wants me to do is wake up early. She sets up the alarm & Suprise....I do wake up right on time, even before the alarm goes.....then the devil wakes up...She says....Come on!! there are still lot more to dream about! Its still cosy..Let me snooze for a while......and then........its pretty late. Round I to Devil :D

My Angel is very clear in her schedules. She puts up wonderful time tables. With diet charts, exercise regimes, clear timings for writing blogs, Oh yeah.....to do every day shopping which I really hate. And to tell you the truth, Angel also wins many times, but yeah the devil wins many as well :(

Leading the Angel's life is the best way, the most healthiest way, the righteous way. But the devil adds spice to the life. A good balance of these 2 is always the best. And to get this balance, is always a fight between the Angel & the Devil. This is one thing that I follow most religiously......As long as the fight is on....the life is on!!!!!

Thathastu....So be it!!!!!

These days, I keep thinking how all our dreams do come true. For lately, my great dream of being an housewife has definitely come true, after so many years. Such a happy feeling. This brings to my mind about the this tagline my mom used to give me whenever I used to curse in my anger. I was a very troublesome child, with a very short fuse. Anything to spite me & my sparks would fly. I would say things like "wait....I will run away & never be your child again" & she would patiently listen & say, "Mind what you wish for! there are these sapta rishis doing their rounds often enough. And they keep granting all our wishes. Every now & then they say "Thathatsu"and bang your wish will become true". As a child that used to scare me & later on, in my middle age, I wouldn't say I forgot about it, but I actually ignored them.

But coming back to the present, I do agree that this Thathastu technique, does work. May be not just the way it was mentioned by my mom, but, as my good family friend used to say, the cosmic powers always work to get your wishes come true. See, I have become an house wife. Seriously, I can't quite express how this so joyful a position for me. Many say..."Housewife????"....I used to envy all the stay at home mom's for the past 10+ years. 

Having said that, being an housewife, has its share of woes as well. After leading a life of being extremely occupied for 16 hrs a day, being just active for a few hours has its drawbacks. Especially after a couple of weeks with a house full of people & then suddenly with just me...My god! I called up everyone in my phone book that day & self invited myself to many people's house. As someone said, when you ask for a gift, it would come with all its wrappings, covers & the likes. What we ask for may just be a book, but it would come with some other compliments, which may or may not be to our liking. 

When we are a child, we always look up to our parents & crave for a dream job. When we achieve  this dream job, there are always the office politics, the dracula bosses, gossiping co-workers, always making us wonder "Why the hell did I ask for this?" Isn't it?

So, do we stop dreaming?????? Never.....

So, do we stop realising our dreams??????? Not at all.....

Whether we get our dreams realised, or not, we will always have nic pics, in whatever field we choose to be. you may be a watchman, a maid, a clerk, a manager, self employed, or jobless. Whatever you do, you have certain responsibilities, based on your capability, which is to be completed, in the given surrounding. No job comes without problems, for if it is, then it would be the most boring job in the world. These nics, these small negativities, challenges us to convert them into positivities. 

I thank all these negativities, all these failures, for from there I have built the courage of being a Phoenix to strike up again & become a better happier person.

Now that I have mentioned that most of our dreams come true, one needs to understand that it is basically ones thought process, that makes it into a dream & make it deep rooted in us to get them realised. Meaning, if we keep thinking bad things, saying "I'm going to fall sick", yes, we will definitely fall sick, if that gets deep rooted in our consciousness. I have a friend who keeps murmuring that  she is so bad in work, that good things never happen to her, people are so bad with her. Oh yeah....it is thathasthu.....as you wish, so you get. More worse your thoughts are, the worse you reap!

So dream on guys!! Have positive wishes all through your lives, & work to bring them to life.

Ensure, all your dreams are good, for, the Sapta rishis would Say Thathasthu......And there it will be granted!!!!

Happy 2014!!!!!!

God knows who created the phrase “Time flies”. They cannot be more apt! We just saw the beginning of 2013 & now we are already in the last week, saying “Good Bye” to it. Most of us would be going through their goods & bads this year & making up resolutions for the next. So does the Companies. Thinking of companies, I wish mine does a good job of “Thinking” about the future & plans for a good Increment ;)

Festivity in each & everyone of us peaks up during this time, doesn’t it? Be it a Hindu, Muslim, Jain, Buddhist or a Christian. Be it the Lunar calendar we follow or the solar. Do you have a different day to celebrate your New year as per your religion? Oh! Even companies have “Year ends” either on 31^st March or some in July! Whatever may it be – every single individual celebrates this day – the first of January, as their day I. This reason in itself is a great one to celebrate this day. A day where each & every soul meets to celebrate!

For me, do you have to ask??? The best time to party! Oh I love it!! The hurry burry of keeping the cake ready. Keeping myself closer to my loved ones. Keeping my phone handy to call my bro, sil & in laws. From 11:30 p.m. of the 31^st evening....my excitements starts peaking so high that if it has to be measured with a thermometer, it would surely burst up! Just writing about it fills my heart with such pleasure.

Every single year I begin with a small prayer & a BIG list of resolutions. In fact, 1 of my last year’s resolutions was never to make another resolution. As always, I have never kept up a single resolution. Which means, the resolution of “never to make a resolution” has also been broken :D

Why should I be different this year! After all, New Year’s day is all about resolutions isn’t it? And.....;) it applies only for that day isn’t it! So I have started working on my resolutions. This year, after being a “Professional” for so many years, I thought I should approach it in a “Professional” way. You know, make a list, write it down. Analyse the pros & cons. Check out its feasibility. Find out what will be the hindrances....all the likes!!!! And by the end of it I actually thought the list would be small!! But my ego or luck whatever you call it, never allowed it to be small! Let me give you a small insight into my so called resolutions for this “New year’s Day!”

1.       Laziness – out of my life : - Frankly speaking, It took me just about 2 days to finish this line!!!!!! My good mind says, when I stop being lazy I can get to do sooooooo many things!!! But my lovely mind says......I am myself only when I am lazy..So why should I stop being so??? So the debate goes on.......

2.    

           Cook everyday!!!!! – Health is my main reason for this thought.....but just the thought of my husband, poor fellow, ending up eating my dishes...bad isn’t it??? ;)

3.      

      Exercise regularly : - Wow!!! Whenever I imagine myself in a body hugging, slim fitting dress....hmmmmmm....Exercise Wins!!! But after 2 days???? Oh!! God!! Let me just give a day’s break...my mind will say & then 1 day moves to another & then.....”Time flies”

So it goes on & on!!!!! But I am not going to tell you more on this....you know why??? Ofcourse, I am lazy to go on writing about it :D (It’s still a week for the Jan 1^st & my resolution starts only then!! Mind it!!) So, what do you think? Will I be keeping up any of my resolutions??? Oh for sure God know’s, which one I will keep & which I won’t. so let’s stop worrying about this & go back to our laziness. What say???

Whatever said & done, I am a very optimistic person. I never give up hope. So I will never quit making up my resolutions & hope against hope that one day in the near or distant future, I will keep up atleast 1 of my resolutions..........................for more than just 1 day :D

With this hope, I wish All of you a very bright & happy 2014. Wish to see you HAPPy, LOVEly, WEALTHy, HEALTHy in 2014!!!! Remember! Aunt HOPE is the best relative one can ever have!! She makes even THOSE days a better one!! Live your life with a smile with Aunt Hope!!Adios Amigo!!