That feeling so innocent like a smile of an infant. A smile so pure like this moonlight. A Love so refreshing like the smell of first rain…so calm like these nights. Have you felt that innocent smile on your face while thinking about him? That madness to have your love by your side? Have you ever walked with your love holding hands together on an unknown path?

Love could be defined in tens of languages… by hundreds of writers in thousands of poems…but its feeling is same…its magic is same. Those twinkle in your eyes…that glow on your face…that satisfaction of your heart after listening his/her voice. You may argue about the other side but you can’t deny its magic.. you can’t get yourself away from its tranquil feeling.

Love can never be planned…its just a matter of click..it just happen..without your consent. That moment is magical…and you don’t even know you are falling in this ocean. It surprise you with its madness…it amazes you with its force. For a few it’s just a word…and for others it’s Life. Some define it with words and some just by a smile.

We seek love in different things… Ever seen a baby smiling? That’s love! Ever felt rain with closed eyes? That’s Love! Ever laughed with tears? That’s Love! Ever felt happy with no certain reason? That’s Love! Some feel it in flowing rivers…some in still mountains. Some find it inside them…some say it’s all around. Few moments of love makes you smile…while few makes you cry…but the feeling is always beautiful….it is Magical!

Don’t forget to tell your special someone what they mean to you.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all the readers of Flavours of life!

Who dictates these standards of perfection to us? I’d like to blame the media.

How many men and women beat themselves up for not having the ‘perfect’ body like the person shown on telly? Apparently for women, size zero is perfect. After all, why would the media attack any model or actress who seemed to be less than perfect? And in countries like India, where perfect looks is equal to fair skin. What does that do to the masses that are dark-skinned?

Perfect relationships. Hollywood, Bollywood and every other media loves to show us how perfect relationships ‘should’ be. And you grow up with expectations as ridiculous as ‘there is only one soulmate in the world’ or ‘my partner should say he loves me every few hours’ or ‘my boyfriend should surprise me with breakfast in bed on the weekend’ and ways of how someone should propose to you.

There are hardly any fights in a relationship at the movies. Real life though, is different. I think the classic mistake about perfection in relationships is how movies depict that the guy or girl just knows what the other partner wants. If you think about it realistically, how many guys actually know a girl would be happy if they cleaned up after themselves??? Some guys need telling. As do some girls. But Hollywood and Bollywood would like us to believe that relationships work on ESP.

There is so much pressure on Parents to be the ‘perfect’ parent and raise well-behaved kids and yet struggle with work and the house.

Now you know why so many people suffer from mental health problems at least once in their lives.

I wish as a society we would realise that perfection is a myth. No one on this planet is perfect. Not a single person. And trust me, if anyone says they are, they are lying and showing false colors. Everyone thinks every one else is perfect. I’m not so perfect after all and I do have issues too!

Striving for that elusive perfection only makes us miserable. It doesn’t mean we don’t do our best. We just have different expectations. We can always strive to do the best we can. But it doesn’t have to be the same ‘best’ or the ‘perfect’ that is bombarded by the media.

If only more people realised that, we would all be more relaxed and the world would probably be a happier place.

Being perfect in every way is nothing but a fake appearance.

What are your views? Are you one of those individuals who is depressed or anxious in some way for not attaining perfection in any particular area in your life? Do share…

Love or Lust – Love!

Food or Makeup – Food! Oh, I am feeling hungry again!

Jeans or Skirt – Jeans! But I love skirts too!

Pizza or Pasta – Pizza, anytime!

Black or White – Black!

Gucci or Dior – Dior!

Husband or Boyfriend – Live in!

Roses or orchids –  Roses – sigh.. red and pink!

Beauty or Brains – Brains!

Beach or Hills – Beach! I’ve had enough of Hills for now…!

Cats or Dogs – Cats

Tea or coffee – Coffee!

Books or i-Pod – i-Pod

Flats or stilettos – I luv my Flats! And I love my stilettos! In that order! Or is it the other way round?

Jalebi or Rasgulla – Roshogolla! yummy types!

Oh, that was a really quick one! Pick it up! And if you do, drop a link in the comment section – will hop over for a read.

..And yet, so empty.

People all around me..

..And yet, I feel lonely.

I am confident..

..And yet, I crumble.

I want to speak out..

..And yet, words stumble.

I have so much..

..And yet, I’m unsatisfied.

I long for a change..

..And yet, I’m terrified.

– I cannot find a job because job market is bad. ( ==> I will not find a job)

– I am not getting promotion at work because my manager doesn’t like me. (==>I will not get a promotion)

–  I am unhappy in my life because my girl friend dumped me and I lost my job.(==> I will stay unhappy)

– I cannot top this year because everybody in my batch is more intelligent than I am. (==> I will not get top position)

– If you can’t think of any reason and you will simply think that your luck is bad. (==> I will wait for my luck to get better)

When you blame things on others , it makes you feel like a victim. You feel weak and powerless. You feel like a victim to your destiny and life. It’s fine to think of reasons but  if you take the responsibility of everything that happens to you instead of blaming things on other people and circumstances you will feel immense power which will turn you from a victim to a winner. There is a lot of difference between taking the blame on you and taking the responsibility. You never have to blame yourself for what is happening to you.

You don’t have the control on what happens with you but what distinguish a winner from a loser is how you react to what happens with you. You have the complete control on how you react to things. You know its you who has to do something about it instead of waiting for situation or your luck to change. You will see your mind working toward the solution, towards making you a winner.

Let’s see when you take the responsibility ,how your winner mind will  think in the above situations-

– Job market is bad and I have to work harder to get  a job.

– My manager doesn’t like me much , I have to put extra efforts to get appreciated by him and others.

–  Now that my girl friend is not with me and I have lost my job, I have to find another girl friend and a job.

– There is very tough competition in the class, I have to work really hard to be on the top position.

–Tough times don’t last but tough people do.

Next time when you see yourself thinking or talking about  your victim story, end it right away. Irrespective of what situation you are in, take the responsibility of your life, take the charge of your life and be a winner !!

EVERY action, good or bad, evil or kind has a consequence.

For instance, if you bring misery upon someone, it will come back to you MULTIPLIED, in this lifetime or in successive births, come, it will. What goes around definitely comes around – it is my driving belief.

You cannot get away with your wrong deeds, you just cannot escape the shackles of Karma. You can deceive the world; however, you cannot deceive your conscience and you certainly cannot escape Karma. The law of Karma spares none!

I am convinced that I have done good deeds in my past life because I’m born to beautiful parents in this life. I couldn’t have asked God for better parents; I belong to a wonderful family and I attribute it to Karma! I am sure I have been a good person in my past life that I am reaping the benefits in this life.

Yes, bad things happen to good people and the only logical explanation for it is Karma! And this is my personal belief. Contrary to popular perception, Karma is not about punishment and reward; simply, it is about the consequences of your actions.

I believe in the law of cause and effect – As you sow, so shall you reap! 

Ego driven people continually live in the past and always plan for the future. They never live in the moment. They are always thinking of the next great phase of their life, even when this one is perfect. 

In India, Ego can be termed as a big social problem. Most of the people are highly egoistic and did not want to compromise on it. Especially people, who rise to higher ranks or get high positions in society or become rich starts classifying themselves as different class of people than the rest of people. There are many examples where people use their power to exploit other because only they want to satisfy their own ego. Ego clash can be seen among people of same class. People are usually hurrying to criticize others, only because these people have hurt their ego.

In office rivalries are mostly result of hatreds grown due to ego clashes. Many bosses in Indian offices are more concerned with their own ego satisfaction rather than the benefits of company or government.

Ego problems are not restrained only up to office or societies but they are very well present inside Indian homes. Ego problems can be seen between all the relations of Father-son, husband-wife, brother-brother or brother-sister, no relations are left alone by the ego problem.In countries like America, the couples do household works together, but it is not the case in India. Here, women have to do the household works alone while the husbands sit in front of the TV or read the newspaper slouching in a couch. There are , of course, husbands who help wives, but majority of husbands fall into the other category. 

With the advent of new technologies and advancement in higher education, these problems are becoming even worse. Now days, a small school going boy or girl also have big ego to satisfy.  It looks that people have forgotten the art of forgiving and respect for others. We are only and only concerned with our and only our ego.

The most important step towards self-transformation is to shed one’s ego. When you can learn to let go of the ego, the level of success and fulfillment you will achieve will be dramatic.

“I am unique, I am worth it and I deserve much more”.

The way forward to our own true life, is from the inside. Get to know and love yourself.

If we allow our value to be determined by others, by how useful we are to them, we may find our self constantly running around taking care of them, trying to prove our worth. Our energy will be spent proving our worthiness to others.

We have the power completely within us to decide how to see and treat our self. If we first decide and appreciate our talent, capabilities and intelligence, it will be easier for others to see these parts of us. It means knowing our good points and also knowing our points needing improvement. It means knowing how to take a compliment and accept a thank you. It means having pride in our accomplishments but without arrogance. Arrogance is the polar opposite of humility; it is thinking we are better than we really are.

One of the most common things people tend to base their concept of self worth on, is the job they do. OK fine, but what happens if one cannot do the job anymore? 
What happens when one retires? 
What happens if one becomes or was born, disabled, and all the “jobs” are no longer possible? 
Now, does this mean that one no longer has any self worth? 
Well, in the eyes of some people,…. But, important fact here, in your own eyes, has anything changed. 

So what’s my point? One’s self worth does not, or should not, depend on anything or anyone, outside of one self.

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “ No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.“

The reality is, our self-worth is in our own eyes, who and what one really is. Not what we can do for others, or what place we hold on the social scale, it’s not our job, or our status, it’s you …. you as a person, what you are inside that matters. 

Job titles or status, are wrong. None of that has anything to do with who and what we are. So whatever your pathway is, it’s for you and you alone to decide that. Once you have decided it, and accept the reality behind it, then you have a clear inner mirror, your self-worth is rock solid, as it’s based on your own personal thoughts.

The more we feel good, the more we love our self and the more we love yourself the more positive things will come our way, since we will be receptive to them.When we start looking within and celebrating the Truth of who we truly are, then we can celebrate our unique differences instead of judging them out of fear.

~ Prepare for the morning the night before.

~ Don’t rely on your memory… write things down.

~ Make Duplicate keys.

~ Say “No” more often.

~ Set priorities in your life.

~ Avoid negative people.

~ Always make copies of important papers.

~ Look at problems as challenges.

~ Believe in yourself.

~ Develop a sense of humor.

~ Have goals for yourself.

~ Say Hello to a stranger.

~ Strive for excellence, not perfection.

~ Maintain your weight.

~ Always have a Plan B.

~ Learn to meet your own needs.

~ Become a better Listener.

~ Know your limitations and let others know them too.

~ Remember you always have options.

~ Get enough sleep.

~ Quit trying to fix other people.

~ Smile more.

~ Be prepared for the rain.

~ Relax, Take each day at a time… You  have the Best of your Life to live.

I remember writing a blog post about my pet peeves about people. That felt nice – ranting about the irritating traits I see around me

Today, I want to acknowledge the positive traits of countless people around me – friends, relatives, strangers…… who have touched me with some sterling part of themselves.

This is my list-
1. Intelligence : Cannot help but notice and admire an intelligent person. Intelligence to me is not only knowledge but the ability to assimilate and understand facts and maybe use them in some form. What is even more appealing is humility in a knowledgeable person. Definitely a proudy showoff is very putting off.

2. Sense of humor: Those who can laugh and make others laugh are truly such wonderful company. Everyone likes to be surrounded with happiness. Witty humor is so good. Sometimes even empty humor with old friends is so much fun. Empty as in just talking stuff without much meaning but a lot of fun.

3. Sensitivity: I am sucker for genuine emotions. Sensitivity leads to understanding and empathy. Those who can relate to others’ pain, are sensitive to children, the unprivileged, animals and in general sensitive in the way they treat people around them are truly sensitive people. It does not take much to lose one’s temper or control. It takes a lot for someone to do the right thing and to stand up for the right thing.

4. Simplicity:  I saw a lot of showoffs, really artificial people. The quality which really strikes me is honest, down-to-earth simplicity. People who are loud in their dressing, their talk, are greedy are instant put-offs. I like normal people with simple wishes in life with grounded roots.

5. Trustworthiness: Those who know what to share and what not to. Among women mostly, it is my experience that any thing shared is thought to be meant for public consumption. Most women do not hesitate revealing someone else’s secrets publicly. Those who are able to exercise their discretion and are trustworthy enough not to reveal things easily are really hard to find these days.

6. Honesty: People in power who are not corrupt and even simple practices of taking only what is yours is such a sterling quality in these times of selfishness.