MY GOALS BEFORE 2013!!!

After having entered this amazing world of blogs where one comes across such wonderful thoughts, ideas and expressions of art and humanity now and then, I have started to realize how much I feel relaxed and rejuvenated every time I read such nice and inspiring posts by so many talented and striving people around the world.
While going through a sweet post on Cathy Trails, I came across 4 simple goals before 2013, something that almost immediately excited me up and made me make this post and share it with you all.
Now let's admit it, we all have our fair share of weaknesses and there's always something about us that bugs us continuously, something that we wish to change for our own betterment but are either too lazy and unorganized or are just tied up by our habits which we feel incapable to break away from.
I, for example, have quite a list of things that I would love to do, that I know will nurture my life with the much needed creativity, life and personality but simply out of sheer laziness, I convince myself to postpone these on and on.
Reading 4 simple goals before 2013, I have simply found a way through which I can incorporate those little good habits and achieve the better life that the achievement of these little goals will bring about.
The rules as advised by the blogger of the post are simple:

Firstly the goals have to be simple.

Secondly they have to be activity oriented and not result oriented which normally our tendency remains while setting up goals. You see, incorporating healthy habits and activities sub consciously brings about better results while simultaneously making those activities a natural part of our daily life.

Thirdly post about your goals on your blog and also make a post when you successfully achieve each one of them.

Last but my favourite, reward yourself nicely when you achieve each one of them and the best part is you get to choose the rewards!!! I will definitely be treating myself to a new pair of stilletos and a lovely ice cream cake once I achieve mine ;)

Okay so here are my goals!!!

A little about my goals.
Write everyday: I am a writer at heart. I love expressing my thoughts and opinions through my words. I have recently started writing professionally and have been receiving good reviews as well. But sadly my problem is time management which am extremely inefficient at. However I recently read About Managing Time and found it pretty handy. So am going to use the amazing time management skills suggested by the blogger and hopefully I'll keep up with my good writing job!!!(I am planning on writing a journal but that certainly won't happen until I rightly achieve this little goal)
Read atleast one good article or a few pages of a good novel: Reading has been my dearest hobby right from my birth. Reading magazines, newspapers, novels, online portals, blog posts and stuff really relaxes and rejuvenates me in the most amazing manner but sadly everyday drama makes me succumb to crying and complaining rather than resorting to reading which is my ultimate antidote. So this one is definitely up my list!!!
Practice Android application development: I've been a computer science student for almost two and a half years now and the only thing that has truly excited me up is application development. But then again like everything else, it requires some hard work, devotion and practice.
Work out for atleast half an hour every day: Okay so every time I see my flab, I almost go into depression. If I do not start exercising regularly asap, nothing can save me.

So well these are my goals.
Go ahead guys. Make your own list and work on it. Trust me you'll enter 2013 as a better brighter yourself if you achieve just 4 simple goals!!!

P.S.: Remember

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE AND IT'S NEVER TOO HOPELESS

A few years back, I was lucky enough to come in close acquaintance with a highly dynamic teacher who used to teach me and many others the techniques of fundamental and analytic mathematics. He was a man who perennially displayed energy, vigour and optimism. His aura embraced all of us effortlessly like sunlight washing over nature at the break of dawn. He said to me something that I still hold on to close to my mind and heart and whenever am in the worst of moods and nothing seems right I remember his golden words. He said, "IT'S NEVER TOO LATE AND IT'S NEVER TOO HOPELESS''.
So when everything seems to be running out of my hands and making a fresh beginning comes across as a totally absurd thought, I think about what he said to me. Somehow it immediately peps me up and I feel infused with hope full of faith. 
It's a Sunday today, a day to relax and  rejuvenate oneself but I wonder does someone really need a whole day to rejuvenate or just a moment of true reflection? The concept of relativity of time is indeed very intriguing for it can make years pass away in a flash of a second and sometimes just a single second stretches to infinity. 
Being a human being comes with its fair share of highs and lows. We can't expect from ourselves to be reflections of pure perfection because that would be too unrealistic even for our imagination. And moreover perfection is highly relative, depends upon perceptions. What might be perfect to me, might not be to you. In any case chasing perfection with persistence, sincerity and excitement can bring us pretty close to our interpretation of perfection. 
These are the few quotes that might be a just few words long but carry infinite depth in terms of meaning and yet can be accepted and applied rather simply by our souls.

                                              

So why not dream a new dream, make a new beginning, chase our goals like never before and let the magic unfurl!!!!
PS:- I am highly inspired by a fellow blogger Ms. Cathy of Cathy Trails and her posts are full of life in all honesty and innocence. Do check it out. It will surely make you feel much better than you hopefully already do.

ANGELS AND DEMONS: THE REVIEW

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Angels And Demons is a thriller to the core with its author Dan Brown having provided with a mystery which causes an exciting adrenaline rush making it next to impossible to put the book down. With a deathly yet interestingly mesmerizing encounter between science and religion, which are believed to be opposite poles of a magnet, in a dreadful fashion, the reader can only wonder what shall be the fate of the world which is nothing but a helpless witness to another war.
But what shall the war between science and religion yield? A deepened faith in a higher power or an absolute and resonant victory of scientific potency? The answer to this question is answered rather surprisingly through the character of a scientist named Leonardo Vetra working at the biggest research facility in the world, CERN.
One deadly murder that stirs unrest not only among the modern scientific community but also instigates a series of assassinations around the city of God itself, the Vatican, is what makes up the plot of this highly exciting book that adroitly intertwines historical facts and legends with modern day interpretations of God, faith and science.
Caught up amid this chaos is the protagonist 'Robert Langdon', a Harvard symbologist, who intrigues the readers with his ordinary self being bestowed upon by more than fair share of good luck. Mr. Langdon not only displays his impeccable and impressing knowledge of ancient history and symbols but also presents some extraordinary heroic stunts with his love interest Vittoria, a genius scientist and a sultry Italian beauty. Together these two set out to save the lives at stake.
The characters have been intelligently woven by Mr. Dan Brown who makes sure his characters surprise the readers with their secrets and knowledge shrouded by their ordinary exteriors.
One of the many surprises is how the overly evil and brutal antagonist proves to be nothing more than a cleverly thought of tool in a more deadlier plan carried out by an entirely unexpected personality for a villain.
Mr. Dan Brown has surely succeeded in producing a bestseller thriller that is plentiful with twists and turns and is sure to provide its readers with the desired thrill and satisfaction.
The book has been adapted by a movie of the same title starring none other than Tom Hanks!!! Watch the trailer and catch up with the movie as soon as you're done reading the book :)




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Paths Of Glory: The Review

Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A book adeptly written in a gripping flow, Jeffrey Archer's 'Paths Of Glory' might not be a true mirror of historic reality but it does manage to arouse a reader's curiosity about its subject which is 'George Mallory', a legendary mountaineer who is considered by many as the first ascendant of Mt. Everest.
The book follows the life of its character very closely right from his childhood, schooling, his college adventures to his adult maneuvers. An adventurous mountaineering drama, the book gives a good glimpse into early British life, conventions and the gradual emergence of mountaineering as a sport that lured many high-spirited enthusiasts giving way to the RGS(Royal Geographical Society) taking the initiative and launching world's first attempt at conquering the world's highest peak of Mt. Everest whom the protagonist calls his love.
The book's tagline 'He loved two women and one of them killed him' rightly describes George who loved both his wife and Everest unconditionally. Author portrays Mallory as a connoisseur of mountaineering whose art and talent were evident to his peers throughout his life and who have no doubt that Mallory conquered the summit before plunging into the darkness and coldness of death.
The book also softly describes the social side of Mallory who is not only a faithful and compassionate friend but also a passionate lover and husband and a loving dutiful father. He writes letters to his wife every day during his terms as a soldier in the World War and his voyages to conquer Everest. The letters pour out Mallory's infinite love for his wife with whom he wished to spend every moment of the rest of his life.
However destiny plays a gamble and the daring mountaineer has to do away with his life during his final conquest. What is left behind is his legacy as a disciplined and devoted mountaineer who became an inspiration for the future generations.
The book projects Mr. George Mallory in a highly inspiring light and pays tribute to his life which might have been short but definitely left a huge impact on this world. But will his name ever be included in the list of heroes? That still remains a question.



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FUN, FOOD, FASHION AND MORE

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Life is short. With only a countable number of years in hand, I really got to thinking what can be so worthy of my life? What should I do that should finally make sense to me when I reach my deathbed? The answers that came to my mind were initially only absurd for let's admit it, we are not conditioned to think that deeply and even if we do after much aversion, we are supposed to quickly replace such thoughts by less complicated stuff.
But trust me, if you once spend time thinking and acting upon these questions, nothing ever seems complicated again. Life starts presenting itself in the most light-hearted and simplified manner which you can nothing but enjoy and cherish.
The answers that I got from myself in the end are no insightful philosophies either, they are rather beautiful and easy.
If I spend my life doing something that I do not just loathe and detest but also constantly whine about then what's the sense of chasing after it with false hopes and lost sense of self-respect!!! Self-respect is like one's attire, the more you pay attention to it and are comfortable in it, the more confident you appear to others. So not only does it mean that I have to stop those activities that diminish my self-respect but it also means that I have to do those things that boast and nourish it.
Also there's no denial that money is an undeniable fuel to live in this capitalist world. But does money necessarily have to come from a job you can never enjoy even minutely? Hard work and dedication are necessary for any profession but how can you work hard for something you fail to believe in!!! Simply put, monetize what you like, what you are adept at and what you can make efforts for. Constant persistence and sincere amount of discipline and devotion shall only yield you the best results :)
Last but not the least, never forget the importance of love in your life. We are human beings after all. Love is as important, if not more, as oxygen to us. No point dragging a life if you can't give, receive and appreciate love. In fact if you got love, half of the battle is won.
My latest set of realizations is going to make a huge difference to the way I shall conduct my life, my blog and my profession here on. I shall be what I am!!!
I love food, fashion, decor, books, movies, love, moral virtues, eloquence, anthropology and spirituality and this is exactly what my blog shall be about from now on. All these, after all, are nothing but the different colors of life that make up the life palettes :)

IN THE WALK OF LIFE

Life they say is no fairy tale but i tend to disagree for just like the setup and situational traversal of life which goes through its fair share of highs and lows, there is no fairy tale which doesn't put the prince or the princess through hell of a time before presenting them with the perfect "Happily Ever After" ending. So cursing life and accusing it of injustice, bias and deception might not make a very justified picture itself after all. In that case what does it really take to find one's own happy ending, or more importantly, does the walk on so called thorns ever lead to a garden of roses? These are the questions that can have both one answer as well as many. The choice lies entirely with us on what to believe and rejoice.
While destination is what may be primarily bugging our minds, for once let's grace the walk itself with some of our attention. For many the walk is a painful experience being borne either for the sake of a supposedly beautiful bright and happy destination or merely for sustenance. While the former still makes a good enough reason, the latter is a picture of meaninglessness which is far worse than any pain. But if destination fails to generate any interest, what could possibly make the walk worth it??? Well the answer, if you believe me, is the "WALK" itself. Relishing it, devouring it's various flavors as if trying a new dish, humoring it's overrated drama, experiencing the various people it introduces us to, welcoming the failures with bravery, celebrating the victories like never before and striving for the wants of heart till the very last; all this and much more is what we might miss if we continue to walk with our heads down, refusing to face the life which shall reveal its colors only when we look it in its eyes. 
And so while the destination is important and shall always be, let's be receptive to the walk as well!!!

A COMMONER, A HERO

As soon as my vacations started, I got a bus pass made for the CTU (CHANDIGARH TRANSPORT UNDERTAKING) buses, knowing that i would have to commute to my training class everyday and with the petrol prices skyrocketing at the speed of light, it is almost unthinkable for me to use my scooter for the purpose. Skeptical though i was since these buses are crowded with people of all sorts and with the summer season at its peak, one can smell of nothing but sweat. But with no other option in mind, i decided to give it a go. After all it was just a matter of 6 weeks, i thought. During the first few days i acted completely indifferent, lost in my own small and big thoughts, least concerned about the people around in the bus, a complete snob. Even if i did look at anybody around, a disgusted look was all i gave; i feel funny now that i think of that time in my mind.
A few days passed and that disgusted look got replaced by curiosity, intrigue and wonder. I felt amazed at the diversity i witnessed during every trip through the bus. I had never imagined that so many types of faces, emotions, personalities, languages and professions existed. I observed mothers holding on tight to their children, young men with their eyes fixed on their ambitions, oldies sitting with the calm of their experience, little kiddos enjoying the ride, eve-teasers making their silly schemes, young women aimed at making a mark in their lives and so much more. With each observation, my wonder increased. I realize now that there will always be a lot that i wont know and there will always be a lot that i can observe, explore, research about  and know. This world is too big and this life is too short. And no matter how much we would like to take pride in the comforts of our homes, offices and cars, a little trip out of our so called comfort zones would not only give us the much needed reality check but will also add more life to our lives.
Coming back to these buses, a conductor and a driver is what each bus is operated by. They are very interesting (and sometimes funny)  i must say. On my various trips i have met quite a decent number of both of them and am always entertained by the way they interact and coordinate with the travelers and with each other. And today i came across the conductor who besides having inspired this blog post, has also made it to  my list of heroes!!!

I have never met a person so energetic, helpful, truly devoted to his duty and immensely inspirational. During those 15 minutes of the journey, he taught me a lifelong worth of a lesson and etched a special place in my memory and that too without any direct interaction. At every stop he would shout out the destination to the people standing at the stop and would also go a step further by telling them about the destination of the bus that would come next to that stop. Moreover he maintained a light atmosphere inside the bus by cracking out jokes loudly so that everybody could embrace humor and grace themselves with some laughter and smiles. He would enquire from every traveler about his/her final destination and would suggest the sequence in which he/she should take the buses through the various stops and every now and then he would also help out the oldies and the women by finding them seats. He would make the most of every moment and would go out of his way to ensure that all the travelers were comfortable and doubt free. No wonder there was a smile on every face. He had rightfully earned each and every one of it. 
When one of the regular travelers approached him to buy the ticket, he asked him if he would come tomorrow as well. The traveler replied that nobody is sure of tomorrow. At that our heroic conductor proclaimed confidently that not only was he sure of tomorrow but he was also hopeful that he would have a long life full of happiness. That statement didn't reflect over confidence rather a foresight full of wisdom. It is this hope and wisdom that has made him live each moment to its fullest and do his duty with enviable yet heart warming conviction. He is a hero to me and to all others who have ever been in his aura of liveliness. 

UNKEMPT GOODNESS

        Its sugar sweet, all accepting, soul dwelling, heart pleasing and enviably kind yet now they say, "It's good to be bad". Gone are the days when people were more than willing to wear their goody-goody selves on their sleeves, when the kind, helpful, simple and the idealistic ones were idolized as role models by many. Now there's a slight change in this trend. Somehow the 'bitches' and the 'bastards' seem to have taken over the throne long occupied by the 'angels'. The good ones sadly are no more in vogue.

        What caused this drift is hard to say for human preferences change pattern like a traveler, unsure of his destination. But then again just like that traveler, the preferences too shall explore every arena before finally settling in a zone that provides the mind with the desired peace and comfort. It's a journey of discoveries and revelations. The good and the bad, in their own little many ways, attempt to show a person, his/her self, more closely than before. This might make the difference between them seem of little importance but it's too early to make the final call. The judgement day still stands far enough.

       For now let's just say that constant and abiding is what we are not. Anything stable for too long fails to keep our attentions intact. The same old disciplined daily routine at home and workplace is what gave birth to carefree and adventurous vacations. The slowly floating carts is what led to the making of speedy cars. It's quite interesting how everything paves the way for it's own opposite. Quite naturally then, this is how the good invented the bad. Somewhere the selflessness and the soft tone of goodness got so overwhelmingly carried on for too long that the selfish bad had to come out and show itself more explicitly and the ones most impressionable were quick enough to welcome it right away.

       This new entry on the block got well promoted for it's ambassadors left no stone unturned in projecting rashness as a spontaneous expression of real emotions, self-centered attitude as a quick ladder to unmatched heights of success and blabbermouth-ing as an honest display of strongly felt for opinions. The sweet got too sweet to devour and the spice added itself in a fashion that got both glares and followers. The goodness was good enough to agree to take the back seat. Maybe somewhere down, it wanted to witness it's counterpart inverse from a distance and introspect.

       While the bad is reaching out and charming so many, the self is feeling confused. Adopting the new hasn't completely done away with the old. The kind and the gentle old goodness still ceases to lose it's hold. It, mistakenly or maybe even intently, springs out now and then. It's very much there, right at the core, silently waiting for some new trend to break out which won't be entirely good or bad, rather, a more justified hybrid. Till then, secretly or however, be good to yourself.

JUST A THOUGHT

 

Like a calm old man is the night sky with its brilliant many stars, all gleaming, silently sharing the wisdom of the time they’ve looked upon. They’ve been watching this world for ages, intently through the nights and under the wrap of light through the days. They’ve seen battles fought and lives lost all for the name of power, love, justice, money, hunger or equality. They’ve heard the roar of laughter and the cry of pain through the years as humanity slowly went on ignoring its purpose of love and entered the realm of destruction and heartlessness.              
 Its sad how we spend our precious few years fighting against the world and ourselves, trying to make others work on our commands when we ourselves fail to listen to our own heart which keeps yearning for love and acceptance till the very end.

MAKE IT DIFFERENT EVERY TIME

We have always had a tendency to measure our lives in terms of success and happiness or failure and sadness. For us, our lives will always be in one of these domains, the latter one being the negative scale of our measure. This has somewhere made us stereotype everything in our life from our emotions, our reactions, the way we think and our behavior to even ourselves.  Its like following a user’s manual of some electronic device, if in this situation press this, if in that situation press that, if you have a break up cry for 10 days and distance yourself from everyone, if you just got promoted feel happy and celebrate and if you just got fired feel sad and lock yourself up in your room. We follow this manual with all our heart and sincerity, never even once letting it down, finding ourselves stuck in a cycle of the same order of thoughts, actions, reactions and results. But am sure from our school times, we’ve all seen the coolest of the people being those who break the rules and breaking this one particular rule is definitely going to be a big boost to your cool quotient.

                Now am obviously not telling you to start laughing the moment your girlfriend breaks up with you because that won't make you look cool, only dumb. But what am suggesting here is that be surprising, surprise yourself with a different reaction to a situation for it’s not always good to fulfil others’ expectations or even your own. Instead of starting to beg to her to come back to you with your eyes displaying shock and desperation, you could just give a gentle nod letting your shock not show itself right away and walk out on her with dignity. Leave a trail of mystery behind you. Don’t let others or even yourself predict you. Being innovative with your thoughts, reactions and actions will not only yield new and different results but will also free you from this predicament of a cycle and will lead you on to a path which shall surprise you every now and then.

                    In the beginning it might seem a difficult exercise for even our reactions have become our habits and it’s always hard to break away from them but with time and practice, it’ll become natural and you’ll unconsciously start surprising yourself and others. Its beauty will start radiating through your being and your innovative self will find new and promising dimensions. So be a little quirky and make it different every time.

NEW BEGINNINGS

Contained in dreams and thoughts of our own make, trying to decipher the goings and ongoings on the canvas of our minds, a sudden alarm breaks out shaking us gently to wake up. Deluded by the dream world, one of the many homes of our being, we feel confused to the need of leaving our dreams unsorted and  shifting our attention to a new world. Slowly the unconscious worries of the coming day become alive and we wake up. Still immersed in the mysteries of the world we left behind, the world around engages our senses gradually and we start sipping in the sweet sunlight drawing its way through the room’s shades. The sparkle of it clears our minds of the alien thoughts and lets the hope creep in, the hope for a new day, a better time, more love, less pain.

          This might seem surprising yet so familiar for we have been going through this almost every morning as long as we’ve been alive. The beginning of each day demands from us to make this strange transition. It expects us to leave a state as it is and enter a new one with renewed hope and spirit. It wants us to move on from where we are, hoping to meet something better where we’ll be. The new world, in the end, might turn out better or worse for all we care.
           Consider this scenario more carefully and it shows a stark resemblance to a transition we sometimes fear yet some other times anticipate and many a times feel nervous or excited about, more or less. Its a change which drives us to a new something. Its a door opening up to a new path, treading on which is our instinct. Its a NEW BEGINNING.
            New beginnings are never quick and easy to make. They are a stranger with no promise, yet still so attractive in prospect, creating an allure of hope, holding the end for the end. We can embrace them and unveil their power but in return we need to fulfil their one condition, that is, we need to give up what we’re holding on to for only then can we accept and live the new. Its a wonderful change infusing in us new thoughts and aspirations. Only we have to let the previous go and make space for new light to outbreak.

YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS YOU

Entering this world is fascinating, living it is a lesson. The early years seem wondrous with so many different and vivid colours, people, objects, sounds or as a matter of fact, everything around us, captivates our new born vulnerable minds and we feel tempted to touch everything with our senses for the world is as new and irresistible to us as adulthood is to childhood. But little do we realize that our growing acquaintance with our vicinity slowly distances us from ourselves. Not that we never made any efforts to demystify our minds but somehow those were always interrupted by feelings of failure on reaching some seemingly incomprehensible dead ends. Too caught up with the outer world, our search for ourselves could never make it to our priority list and we continue to smile, frown, weep and laugh through our days. The simplicity of these emotions is of course less guilt provoking and nevertheless easier to explain to others than the secretly anticipated search within. But then again for how long can we run from ourselves. Sooner or later we are met by that questioning moment which can no longer be put aside. It refuses to rest and demands an answer far from superficial. Our search away becomes our search towards ourselves.

                 Now lets not be so unreasonably excited, it’s no simple treasure hunt after all. And why not put our carefulness aside too and put on some observing caps. Its our search, our journey and the destination will be ours too. Then why be all melodramatically alert, lets give in to ourselves and trust me the first thing we are automatically going to do, surprisingly without any external instruction, is that we’ll challenge ourselves. Yes we’ll challenge ourselves, that’s not just the first step of the search but also the most rewarding single step for going through a self imposed challenge makes us face ourselves more closely than ever. It makes our soul naked for us to accept, embrace and befriend.  If you’ve already challenged yourself, CONGRATULATIONS!!!, you know yourself a little more already.

                The most unbelievable part of this step is that the challenges that we impose on ourselves are more difficult than what life or other people would make us go through.   We make ourselves go through the toughest because nobody else knows our fears and nobody else wants to know why we fear what we fear. And okay here’s a little secret, i might be breaking some universal law by giving it away but ha! who cares about the universe and its so called laws when we have something more important and complex such as ourselves to deal with. The secret is that our biggest fear is us, we fear ourselves, we fear knowing what we might be capable of, we fear knowing how intelligent we might be considering we’ve been called dumb half our lives or vice versa, we fear knowing what we could’ve done if we would’ve known ourselves a little earlier. Now that you know the secret, stop shying away from yourselves. Come out from your body fit closet and step into the infinite you.

PS: before you ask me what the next step of the search is, try the first. The conclusion of it bestows upon you enough wisdom to know the second and so on ;)