Beautiful Day!!!

Today is one of the most memorable days in my life. I got a surprise party from some of my friends in Yash and a heart touching souvenir as well.

When I have seen this calendar, I was thrilled and moved beyond words. It touched me in a way that left me speechless....Thanks a lot friends for making this day special in my life :-)

Before I Die....

Today I read a book “Before I die” by Jenny Downham. This book inspired me to write down the tasks that I would like to do if tomorrow is going to be my last day on this planet "EARTH" :-) :-) :-)

• I would like to spend my last day in my hometown-“Lucknow” with my family.

• Ask my mother to prepare some of my favorite dishes like idli-samber, Gajar ka halwa, rajma, kadi-chawal.

• Go out with my friends for shopping.

• Go to “Sai Baba” temple in Indira Nagar and sit there for some time.

• Eat “pani-puri” and “chaat” in Bhootnath market and “kulfi” in Aminabad.

• Go to orphanage home in Hazratganj and distribute chocolates, fruits and other things to them.

• Ensure that all my savings/insurance go to my parents.

• Buy most expensive gifts for all my family members and friends.

• I will call all my friends to tell them that they are important for me and I will not leave them in the heaven/hell. I will haunt them in their dreams :-) :-) :-)

• In the evening, I will go out to see the sunset. I love to see sunrise/sunset; it inspires me a lot.

• In the night, I would like to have a candle light dinner with my family and after non-stop chatting and fun, I will sleep without any tension as I have already lived my day as per my wish….

New Experiment!!!

Pencil sketch of Lord Ganesha that I have completed last night …..

Christmas 2011

Christmas tree!!

Jingle bells :) :)

Joy of giving!!!

GOONJ - A voice, an effort...

Joy of Giving!!!

Yesterday we went to one of the NGOs in Hyderabad to give clothes and other things, which we have collected in a contribution campaign in our office. I realized that there are nothing more “amazing” and more “rejuvenating” than the “JOY OF GIVING”. The precious smile on the face of someone when you have done something helpful or made a positive contribution in some way to their life is the most satisfying moment in life.

Offering a helping hand to someone who is in desperate need, giving things which we don’t use much like toys, clothes etc. to those who can never afford to buy them, sending gifts to near and dear ones and listening to someone’s woes are a few simple gestures that show we care. After all, everyone wants to feel loved, cared and valued in life.

By helping others we indirectly help ourselves. When we help others we experience a meaningful happiness that is hard to explain. I am going to fill happiness in the lives of some orphaned children this Christmas. What are your plans??? Find out some opportunities where you can help others. You will certainly feel contended. Try it once!!!

It’s only words….

"It’s only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away”

                             - (Lines taken  from Boyzone song)

It is rightly said by someone that “words have the power to heal or to hurt”.  Words can make or mar any relationship. Emotional damage caused by words takes much longer time to heal compared to physical violence and has a deeper impact as well. I believe that words represent the character of the person.

Ironically in our busy lives, we take our words for granted and we don’t often think about the effects of our words onto another person.

Words can console us when we are feeling sad, motivate us to perform well, notify us,  humiliate us........

Words are very powerful therefore we should think thoroughly before sharing them. Our words can leave someone feeling empowered, or paralyzed.

Each and every one of us has a power within us. The power to comfort others through our words. Let us use it wisely in enriching the lives of others….

My Stress buster....

My Little Champ...

Street food!!!

I am a big foodie. I love street food especially aloo tikki, panipuri and mirchi bajji (all spicy!!!). Yesterday we had explored one food stall in Secunderabad. The food there was too good. I ate vada pao and dabeli. Both were delicious!!!

Dabeli is a Gujarati dish and is made up of potatoes and some special mixtures between the pav. The vibrant atmosphere there reminds me of the NFC market in New Delhi which was my one of the favorite hang out spots during my college days....

Top Five things that I love to do.....

• Reading: For me reading is a highly enjoyable task. I am an avid reader. It is rightly said by someone that, “a good book can be hugely satisfying, can teach you about things beyond your daily horizons, and can create characters so vivid you feel as if you really know them”.

• Traveling: I love to explore new places. Although I hardly get time to do so because in an IT company taking leaves for traveling is equivalent to killing someone :-) :-) I love the adventure of traveling-to discover something new, diverse and untried.

• Interior decoration: I love to decorate and arrange things in a systematic and stylish manner. At the time of my sister’s engagement, I was given the responsibility to decorate our home, which I enjoyed a lot.

• Writing: For me writing is a stress buster. I love to express my feelings in words.

• Last but not the least; I love to spend quality time with those people who are close to my heart.

Top five things that irritate me....

Acceptance is not love. You love a person because he or she has lovable traits, but you accept everybody just because they're alive and human.                                                                                                    -By "Albert Ellis"

• Jealousy and Possessiveness: I think these two human traits are interrelated. I hate when people do not give space in a relationship and try to control or dominate another person

• Breaking a promise: This is something I will never do. I do believe in keeping up my words. I hate when someone makes promises and then step back.

• Lack of personal grooming: I saw many people who do not bother about what they are wearing. For looking smart; it is not always necessary to be dressed in branded clothes and expensive accessories. One can look decent by wearing a clean outfit and a smile on a face.

• Disorganized surroundings: I love to arrange all my stuff in a systematic way. I hate messy rooms or almirahs. I always say “NO” to clutter and try to be surrounded with clean environment at all times.

• Mood fluctuations: It is very difficult to deal with a person whose mood tends to change very suddenly. I know it is very difficult to stay happy all the time but showing mood swings without any particular reason is intolerable.

Every cloud has a silver lining….

After completing my class 12^th, I dropped one year and worked very hard for the various medical entrance examinations. But, in spite of all my efforts I failed to get admission in any of the government medical colleges. I felt hopeless and it was my one of the most difficult time I have ever faced in my life.

There is a saying that “every cloud has a silver lining”, which means difficult times always lead to better days and you can derive some benefit from every bad thing that happens to you. I strongly believe in this phrase as I practically experienced it.

From that incidence/struggle in life, I learned that no matter how good or bad the situation, it will change and we should remain same in all circumstances. Today I am happy with my job and I have no regrets regarding my career choice. That failure/tough time helped me in humanizing qualities in me. Today I know the importance of having patience, faith and simplicity in life.

Sometimes no matter what you do, things go wrong. In such cases we just have to change our outlook towards failure. There is no situation in this world that is totally hopeless.

We all have our clouds but never forget that the "sunshine" is there right behind it.....

My Mother's Garden......

Where is the Bird???

View of plants from our Corridor

Beauty of Croton Plant

Don't know the name of the plant...

It is Fern. I planted it when I was in graduation :)

Money plant

My mother uses its flower for Pooja

 Dahlia.

Rose

Don’t do anything....

“If you like it, let it be, and if you don't please do the same.”

                                                                                             - Ani Difranco

Yesterday at the professional front, I learned a very important lesson that never reacts on the situation that is  beyond your control. The best mantra to deal such unwanted condition is just ignore it. There is no need to think or act on it…

Whenever your mood is off because of such uncontrollable situations then;

• Breathe deeply
• Relax.....
• Drink lots of water
• Call a friend
• Leave the matter as such…..Don’t do anything :) :) :)

My mantras for living a life…

“Life is too short to start your day with broken pieces of yesterday; it will definitely destroy your wonderful today and ruin your great tomorrow”

“Life is too short to be anything but happy. Love deeply, forgives quickly, take chances, give everything with no regrets and forget the past with exception of what you have learned and remembered everything happens for a reason”

                                            
                                                                         (Author of both the quotes - Unknown)

My formula for living a life is very simple. I believe that life is too short so we should not waste it by doing irrelevant things.  I always try to follow these principles so that I can enjoy it fully:

• Work hard (SMART too!!!) 
• Follow your dreams
• Keep in touch with your friends/near and dear ones
• Smile a lot
• Eat a good diet (I am not a diet conscious but at times I adopt various detoxification methods to stay healthy)
• Exercise (I am not a fitness freak; brisk walk is the only exercise that I follow religiously :) :)
• Believe in God
• Spend some time alone
• Think positive
• Give importance to relations/people in life over materialistic things

And the most important thing never blames “circumstances for your current situation”. You are responsible for your own actions. I met so many people who blame external conditions for their failures. I believe that if you are not happy with a particular situation then change it. What is holding you back? But never complain...

                                                                     

EXPRESS YOURSELF (PART II)...

After reading my blog post “Express yourself”. One of my blog readers wrote me; is it really important to express your feelings to your near and dear ones? According to her some feelings can be expressed through your actions then what is the need of drafting it in words???

My perception is slightly different in this regard. I believe that every person wants to feel special, loved and cared. When you say “I love you” to your parents, they feel important and assured. When you say “I love you to” your friends they feel valued.

There is no harm in expressing your “TRUE” feelings to your loved ones. Life is very short and unpredictable too. At times you want to convey your feelings but you cannot because that person is no longer there. It is one of the saddest feelings I experienced after my father’s death two years ago.

I never miss any chance to tell my mother/sis/special people in my life that I love them and they are important for me. So what are you waiting for???

Express your feeling to your loved ones. There are many options available now days. Mail/Mobile/SMS and so on…CHOICE is yours!!! JUST SAY IT :) :) :)

EXPRESS YOURSELF!!!!

Today one of my friends called me to share one good news that finally he got engaged with a girl whom he like for the past three years. It was a pleasant surprise for me as my friend is very shy and he never dares to tell that girl about his true feelings towards her. But finally he listened to his heart and proposed her and they are getting married next year. Wow what a love story!!! I never fall in love with anyone but I can imagine his happiness.

I think for a successful relationship; it can be with your spouse, friend, sister, brother, parents and so on. It is very important to express your love towards them. If you love someone, then express it. There are only a few people in your life who will stay with you and will not walk away in case of "troubles" and "hardships". Recognize those special people and hold on to them by "EXPRESSING" your true feelings towards them.

Have you recognized those special people in your life? Then, what are you waiting for?  Send them some love today!!! :):):)

• Do something important for them which can make their day brighter.
• Call them and tell them that you love them
• Hug them
• Let them know that they are important for you.
• Send them a gift.

Trip to Umamaheshwaram and Mallela Theertham

As expected, this weekend was a memorable weekend for me. I went to Umamaheshwaram temple and Mallela Theertham with the entire Yash EHS team. I enjoyed a lot during the whole trip. On the way to Umamaheshwaram we played different games and in spite of “Dheeraj “opps sorry “Doku’s” continuous effort, I lost all the games. We reached the Umamaheshwaram temple around 2 pm. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and located in the vast range of scenic mountains. Before entering into the main temple, one has to wash his feet’s and drink water from papanashanam. The priest has conducted a small pooja for our entire team. When I saw the Shiva jyotirlinga for the first time, I was enthralled by some strange feeling. I cannot describe it in words. The mantra said by the priest reminds me of my home. I born and brought in a traditional family and because of that I do believe in every Indian ritual. In my home, morning starts with the Gayatri mantra/ Mahamrityunjaya Mantra.

After pooja, we went to Mallela Theertham. It is a waterfall located in the Nallamala Forest. The scenic beauty there reminds me of Pahalgam (Kashmir). The sight and sound of the water falling on the stones was fascinating. We spent almost 2 hours there and did lot of masti.

While returning, I was totally lost in my own thoughts. I recalled my initial days in Hyderabad. I made so many good friends over here. All these things are making my farewell very difficult from here. I never forgot the way I played different pranks with Dheeraj/Navin/Riya. We three joined Yash at the same time so shared a good bond with each other.

On Sunday, I spent my entire time with my flat mates. We went out for a movie and dinner at Greens which is one of my favorite restaurants. I like the quality of the food served over there. I couldn’t understand the concept of the movie “desi boyz” may be because I compared it with “Rockstar” which is an awesome movie but I enjoyed the company of my friends.

Only one month is left in my exit from this city. But, I don’t want to think about all these things as it will make the entire process again complex and confusing…..

INVICTUS

OUT of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.

- BY WILLIAM ERNEST HENSLEY.

The Quarter-Life Crisis...

Today one of my friends forwarded me this article. I don’t know the “author” of this article. But I think it is applicable to every individual who is falling under the age group of 25-30 years. So, I couldn’t resist myself to post it in my blog!!!

It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are a lot of things about yourself that you didn't know and may or may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you do not realize is that they are realizing that too and are not really cold or catty or mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.

You look at your job. It is not even close to what you thought you would be doing or maybe you are looking for one and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and are scared.

You miss the comforts of college, of groups, of socializing with the same people on a constant basis. But then you realize that maybe they weren't so great after all.

You are beginning to understand yourself and what you want and do not want. Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging a bit more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and add things to your list of what is acceptable and what is not. You are insecure and then secure. You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough to get to know better. You love someone but maybe love someone else too and cannot figure out why you are doing this because you are not a bad person.

One night stands and random hook ups start to look cheap and getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision.

You worry about loans and money and the future and making a life for yourself and while wining the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender!

What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out. 

Author-"Anonymous" 

Today I have completed another book “Revolution 2020” by Chetan Bhagat. It was my 10^th book, which I read in 2011 means approximately 1 book/month. Not bad!!! Apart from traveling and writing; reading is also one of my hobbies. Although I hardly get time to do so….

This weekend was good for me. Mostly I spent time in getting together with my friends. Next weekend, I have to go for team outing with my colleagues. It would be my last team outing in Hyderabad. So I am pretty excited about it. After that I need to plan my weekends as I have to complete many pending tasks, plan out to get together with friends within a limited time frame. Time is running it seems. But I want to make all these days unforgettable in my life. So it’s time to take a small break from work (that I have already taken  JJJ ) and enjoy life…..

I am confused again regarding my choices as I am feeling odd one out. Today one of my friends admires the design of one diamond jewelry that was published in the newspaper advertisement. I saw that but it didn’t leave any impact in my mind. I always try to appreciate the regular girl’s talk which basically revolves around movie actors, jewelery, cosmetics, and latest fashion trends; but always fails. I don’t like any specific movie actor. I cannot feel anything for a man I really don’t know. My heart never beat faster whenever I saw Hindi movie heroes nor do I have any specific preferences. Jewelry, accessories never attract me. Sometimes I feel strange about me. Today’s discussion regarding current trends in jewelry forced me to think about my choices in life. I think simplicity is the most important thing that attracts me. I love to interact with those people who have certain dreams and certain viewpoints in life….

I want to live a simple life where I can give all happiness of this world to my family. I want to follow my dreams and explore new avenues in life. After all I won’t get life a second time....

I think my confusion is vanished now…..

Don’t Judge People by their looks.....

Today in the evening while returning from office to home, I went to the departmental store to buy some monthly groceries. As the queue was very long at the billing counter; so for doing time pass, I started looking at the things which were there in the trolley of one lady who was standing just beside me. That lady was going to buy most of the cosmetics items that claim to make the skin fair in a few weeks. I was a little bit shocked to see her cosmetic choice.

In India, most of the people prefer fair skin tone over dark complexion. This choice obviously forces some dark complexion girls to buy such fake products because no cream in this world can change your skin color since it ultimately depends on the melanin secretion in the body. Such fairness claiming creams is based on the mechanism of inhibition of melanin synthesis enzymes in the body and has a long term side effect as well.

I sometimes feel pity for those people who give importance to the looks rather than the character of the person because they don’t know that in search of looks they sometimes fails to spot a good natured person in the life…..

Keep Smiling!!!

“Keep Smiling” is one of my favorite mantras that I religiously follow in my life. Despite of all the confusion, indecisiveness, and troubles in life I believe that one should always smile as it is free of cost and gives you as well as your near and dear one’s strength to fight with all the problems in life.

Smiling helps you to stay positive. You cannot think anything negative when you are smiling because it releases some good hormones in our body which makes us to “feel good”. Smiling is a natural drug/pain killer. At times when I feel a bit low or whenever I have to hide my bad temper/irritation in front of others, I always try to smile.

I also believe that there is no point in showing your annoyance to others. I saw many people who because of frustration start shouting at others. Although I never comprehend how one can shout on another person as it needs a lot of courage. By doing this you make the atmosphere around you tense. I know it is very difficult to stay happy all the time but at least by smiling in hardship we can give positive vibes to our body which helps us in coming out from the tough times.

“LIFE IS GOOD”. So dear friends live away from any stress, depression and worry by SMILING!!!!

Confusion!!!!

Sometimes it is very difficult to take any decision. I cannot say that I am an indecisive girl but whenever I have to take some important decisions in life I act as a confused girl....One thing I learned from some past experiences that the more you want to escape from any situation, the more you will trapped into it.

I think that the best way to overcome indecisiveness is that we should try to listen to our heart and soul because in the hustle-bustle of life we often forget to pay attention to the inner voice of our soul/heart which is always correct and help us in taking any conclusion. In the battle between mind and heart, we feel safer to follow our mind because the decisions taken by mind based on some logic while heart follows the inner feeling/intuition.

We may feel confused sometimes but by following our heart we can erase that confusion and can enjoy the life which is of course precious and beautiful too... I don’t believe in rebirth so we should try enjoying it fullest by taking some risks in life. After all we can learn from our mistakes. I am going to follow my heart from now onwards so that I can conquer my indecisiveness in one important decision in life… Are you too????

My First Certificate of Appreciation from SAP Labs!!!

I believe that the way you interact first time with someone determines your nature/personality. At times when you meet a new person; you may want to interact him again and again because of his good qualities and the reverse of it can also be happened.

Today at the coffee break, one of my project coworkers starts interacting with me and his conversation was so negative towards his work that I started finding out ways to get rid of his discussion. Thanks to my mother! She called me at the right time and I got a chance to come out from the cafeteria.

I hate when someone tries to become oversmart or start back biting about their colleagues/organisations especially in the first meet. Tomorrow I have to go back to Hyderabad and I am very happy because I am missing my friends in Hyderabad. Overall this project was a good experience for me….

Life in Bengaluru.....

Now days I am working at client Location (SAP Labs, Bangalore) for completing the final phase of one project. Here I got an opportunity to work with 20 SAP consultants. They come from different IT companies and are much more experienced than me. Today I have given a detailed presentation on EHSM solutions to them and it was well appreciated by clients as well. It is one of the memorable experiences for me.

I learned a lot from this workshop as from India I am responsible for the SAP EHSM solutions so, most of my time is spent on resolving the issues faced by other consultants while testing the solutions.

The work culture in SAP labs is entirely different from other IT companies. It is more employee-friendly and flexible. These day climate is awesome in Bangalore and I am enjoying a lot.  I could not find much difference between Hyderabad and Bangalore regarding basic infrastructure, but in Bangalore, transport facilities are much better than Hyderabad. I want to explore more about this city but my current work schedule is not allowing me to do so….

Completed Two Years In Hyderabad…

Today I have completed two years in Hyderabad. I can say that it is a good city to live in. I never faced any culture, food, language problem over here. And the most important feature of this city is that it is safe for girls compared to Delhi and Noida where I have spent almost four years. I am going to leave this beautiful city most probably in December. I am a little bit scared about my decision to leave this city. I am just following my mind because my heart is saying different thing. Sometimes I really wondered why mind and heart thinks in different directions? I don’t know whether it is a right decision or not…

I have made so many good friends over here both at professional and personal fronts. All these things are making my exit from this city very difficult. I have learned so many good qualities over here for instance how to adjust to circumstances, different people and the most important thing; this city has changed my perception about “friendship”. Previously I believed that good friends mean school and college friends only because they know you much better than anyone. But here I met so many good people and make new friends with whom I can share my happiness and sorrows….

According one of my friends, “change is inevitable in life” so I have to accept it. I am planning to make all my remaining days in Hyderabad memorable by exploring some new areas especially old Hyderabad and by spending quality time with my friends on weekends.

 From my experience I can say that it is one of the best cities in India…

Diwali 2011....

Diwali in Hyderabad....

Life is very unpredictable. I never thought that someday I will celebrate Diwali festival alone without my family members and friends. This the first time in my life when I am not excited about this beautiful festival of light and joy as I am not going to my home because of some reasons and going to celebrate this festival alone in Hyderabad as all my friends already went to their  hometowns. Feeling a bit low but, I will try to enjoy this occasion because it is going to be my first and last Diwali in Hyderabad. But I don’t want to experience such instance again in Life JJJ

Today I read an article in the TOI about “relationship chameleon”. This term refers to those people who lost their identity for the sake of the person they love.  This article reminds me of one of my friends who was vegetarian before marriage but started eating non-veg for giving the company to her husband. I believe that love is unconditional in nature. If someone loves you then he/she will never try to alter you as per his/her wishes. It doesn’t mean that one should become inflexible in nature because love is a give and take relationship. One should listen and respect the notions of another person as well but never try to change your personality just to please your partner....

 

The power of "FAITH"....

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe" -  By Gail Devers                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                               

The above lines beautifully describe the role of faith in our "personality", "dreams", "thoughts" and "goals".  Faith in our capability helps us in achieving our targets and maintaining our tranquility even in tough situations.

When we are going through the toughest phase in our life where everything seems hopeless, depressive, then this word helps us to see the light even in extreme darkness. My mantra of dealing such situations is very simple; I leave all such things in hands of lord "Ganesha". It is my trust in him. But it doesn’t mean that I stop putting my efforts. In such situations I ensure that I should do something constructive about it.

One should pursue “never to say die attitude in life”. One should "never give up". Faith in your capabilities can hold you tight through hardships and bring back you to your lost destination. So friends!!! What are you looking for??? Start chasing your dreams but don’t forget to keep faith in yourself JJJ