Sleepy head

#S

The emotion currently associated with me with S as the starting letter is sleep. I am sleepy. I am struggling with this disorder for a long time now. Sleep merely indicates boredom or the lack of excitement in life. Of late my husband and I are suffering from this problem in the morning. We wake up with a grumpiness, reluctant to get out of bed. I, in particular ruin my morning by waking late and a feeling of gloom envelopes with a boring start.

The same happens every time I feel bored and each time I

fall asleep. How can we eradicate boredom and thus avoid sleepiness?

The first aid to sleep is sprinkling water on the eyes and taking a walk down the corridor. Next, you need to replace sleep with excitement. What are the methods to trigger excitement? Here are 10 ways.

1. When at home, jump and dance in the morning. May be tap to the numbers of your favourite songs, it does a world of good.

2.Smile wide and break into laughter.

3. Skim through the newspaper. It not only makes you knowledgeable but also gives you a distraction from your empiness.

4.Plan your agenda for the day. This helps in filling the possible empty spaces where you might fall bored (asleep) and make you think and do what excites you.

5.Some ideas for exciting gap fillers:
 *Draw with an image in mind. Take along colours and color it too.
 *Get out of the couch and travel more. If your job involves sitting in one place for long hours, take a stroll around once in a while and take time to feel nature and things around you.
*Listen to songs and memorise the lyrics.
*Attempt a different way to your usual work. For instance if you've been using MS Excel for calculations, try to search for a new software or any other way to do your work more efficiently. Keep bringing innovation in your job every day.

6. Go home, relax and do your favourite exercise.

7.Repeat step 5 or create a new hobby like learning something new.

8. Write down the negativities of the day and make ways to eliminate it the next day.

9. Put all your worries aside and breathe deep. Smile, and say to yourself that tomorrow is going to be wonderful and you will be instrumental in making it happen.

10. Have a good night's sleep

Rose and Rain

#R

I couldn't segregate the two topics based on which I love or rather loved lesser. I loved them equally. Rain and rose. They are two exquisite and priceless things on earth.

Rose, is the queen of flowers. So elegant and cute, I used to keep buying it and give it to my female friends to express love. Then, the colors took meaning. White for peace, yellow for friendship and red for love. Who wouldn't love to have it after all? The soft petals, attractive color and fragrant smell would grab one’s heart even at the sight of it. But there was something more to it than what met the eye. It kindle my aesthetic sense. It gave an air of joy and beauty. It had the power to elate me. No other flower made such a strong connection with my heart and writing is best done when in a strong emotion.

Rain was bliss. Breaking through the fiery of heat, the first raindrop grants truce to the war between the sun and people. It evokes the smell of earth. It gives life and value to mud. The most subtle thing in nature takes dimension when it rains. And, like a peacock dancing, I used to feel out of the world at the sight of it.

Everything once went in for a toss in the rat race to study. I had to control my imagination and focus on the immediate priority. I couldn't but I strived. In that process, I curbed my creative thinking. I cut it short and hid it from light. The result was that, it didn't grow but stems every time there is light of encouragement and creative people around. I should confess that the rose and rain don't excite me anymore as it did in the beginning. Maybe I seek more light and life :)

Personality

Some tips for a good personality

*Connect the expression of your eyes with your smile. Your eyes should smile when the lips does. It expresses confidence.

*Listen and observe before your open up. When in a new place and you are dying to make friends, do the formal greetings but wait before you take up responsibilities or express your opinion. Observe what each person expresses, even the unsaid words.

*Make your handshake firm, it matters what your bodily contact expresses.

*When you speak, keep your voice audible and yet not to loud or low so that you come across as elegant and courteous.

* Read the newspaper and learn new words everyday. It not only makes you knowledgeable but gives you fodder for conversation.

Observation

#O

What do you find when you look beside? The perspective to the answer to this, depends on the person's observation capacity. The concept of looking into the nuances, is what Sherlock Holmes first taught me. But I was way to young or rather unrefined to practise it in life. Helen Keller taught me that blindness can make one realise the beauty of every single thing that you see and that I had to register in my mind almost anything that I saw. But it all went into one ear and came out through the other and I didnt feel for long, the necessity to observe

Ten years ago, I did not even remember the route to and fro home and school. Everyday my father used to take me in his two-wheeler but I was so ignorant that I didn't care to notice much. Only when I had to be on my own, I took the bus and learnt the names of few places. Necessity is the mother of innovation. The same necessity taught me how to observe and made me a wise person.

It was when I took journalism as my career that I learnt how to look beyond a normal eye. I had to come up with story ideas everyday that anything and everything could be made into a story, if only I had eyes for news. I learnt to observe. Observation made me clever and stronger. I could feel how I transformed, at once I started observing. I felt more intelligent and the satisfaction of writing it into a meaningful news was overwhelming. Today, observation has become my duty but its more than just that, it has made a difference to my personality too.

Can you say how many switches are there in your switch board or how many stairs are there in your house or even the number of bangles that the women in your family wear? Start observing today, and you will be amazed by the kind of positive difference it makes to you.

Luck

#L

Luck is like lift, hard work is like stairs. Lift might fail but steps will definitely get you to where you are going.

How lucky are you?
It depends on how much you have received without giving anything at all. However, it is short lived. The following are likely to occur on its own accord:

What is it called when your crush has a crush on you?
 Imagination!

What is it when a PR likes you?
Opportunist

What is it called when your boss likes you?
More work on the way

What is it called when you buy friendhship?
Ephemeral bliss

How hard working are you?
It depends on how much you can endure to attain something and the benefits are long lived. The following are likely to occur when you earn it:

What is it called when someone you love, loves you back?
Affection

What is it called when you become friends with someone you didnt attempt to become friends with?
A lasting relationship

What is it called when you score 100% in exam?
Focus

However, the combination of luck and hard work can give you the perfect results. One is incomplete without another. Are you lucky enough to work hard? Or do you work hard to get lucky? 

Interest

#I

 Interest is a key factor in driving you to do anything in life. But when something is not interesting, how can one react to it? I used to hate studying all through my life ever since school. I learnt 101 ways how not to do it and here I present some methods to make studying interesting.

*Keep a pouch full of colorful pens. Write and see what you have learnt. The attractive colors will woo you to write more and hence keep you engrossed.

*If you are a team worker, do group study. Even better, restrict your group to just you and one or two more friends who are focussed. Take one part of the syllabus each, learn it and teach each other. Listening to something helps you grasp it easier than reading.

* Relate the concepts to real life situations. Ex; Newton's law - Every action has equal and opposite reaction can be connected with something funny like a person who slaps gets slapped back immediately.

*Reward yourself duly after completing each portion. For instance, if you set your goal to one chapter in an hour, prize yourself with an ice cream when you achieve it. The ice cream will be a motivation for you to do it. In case you dont complete on time, never mind, give some grace time and try to finish it within that. If that too fails, go to the next chapter and keep this for the last. This way, you will keep moving unstoppable.

*Use a short chair that helps you rest your legs perfectly on the floor and keeps your back erect. The sitting posture is more important while studying because it determines how soon you get tired.

*Don't forget to revise at the end of your session. Just attach keywords to all the points and test your memory.

 *Have a good night's sleep of minimum 6 hours. 

*No matter how much you have prepared, stay confident of finishing your lessons and giving your best for the examination. Confidence levels work wonders than you think. Keep your head cool and perform.

Earn

#E

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of earn is actor Rajinikanth's punch dialogue that goes like this. 'Anything that you acquire without much effort will not last and something that you work hard for and get will never leave you.' Between the rhyme and time of this line is embedded a deep meaning.

How many times have you dreamed about something and desperate to get it? But how many times have you put in your 100% to get that you wanted? I have. There is a thin line of difference between desperately trying for something and doing something the right way. While in the former, you may fail, in the latter you 'earn' your reward.

In my post graduation there was a tussle between me and a classmate which blew up to the entire class turning against me. I was desperate to making friends. I tried all means. I helped some people, I tried giving them money, gifts, working for them, but nothing worked. At one point I even tried to woo a girl to become friends by hitting on a deal. I showed her my personal diary that I had been maintaining for more than a decade now. She read it, used my gifts even if unwillingly(although she didn't ask for them) and then, she would do it all secretly without my social inclusion with her. I was not in her clique. That hit me under my belt. I learnt that friendship cannot be bought but earned.

In life, we desire for many things but we either take the wrong approach or wish for the wrong people/things. The truth is simple. If something is not natural, do not try to artificially acquire it. Wait for the right time or person and don't be disappointed with the current state.  Desperation only leads to dismay while dedication makes you prepared and earn your success. The best example for desperation is beggars while for dedication is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. From a sweeper, he did his education in political science, prepared himself for the position and earned his power.

Have you earned anything so dedicated?

Dare

#D

The future belongs to those who dare to dream. But what does it take to dare do something? Sheer courage. Most of the times, our fears are greater than the real problems itself. When I was a kid, I was lonely and did not have many friends. But when I wanted to make friends, I was scared. I was scared if my classmates would accept me or even include me in their circle. I was afraid of big groups because I assumed successful kids were those who studied well. Little did I know that just daring to dream would get me connected with everyone even if I faked the relationship.

I devised a method. I skipped my classmates and made friends with my seniors. This, gave me a sense of social acceptance. Subsequently, my classmates learnt that I have already been acknowledged as a successful kid in popularity circle and accepted me heartily.

But until then I was on the apprehension confinement and dared not take the first step towards climbing my success ladder. I had low self esteem because I imagined that only studiousness was the way to making friends. But I detested studying already and thought I was incapable of anything, destined to be a loser. This is a small example to what daring can help you do.

There is nothing in life that cannot be acquired when you dare to do whatever it takes. Many at times hurdles come in the form of family, friends and financial crunch. But there is more than one way to a skin cat. Find an alternative to the means that you take to get what you want. The key to this is staying positive and never giving up on yourself. If you want to handle something in a particular way, envisage the reactions to your action. Plan how you can do it better. This way, daring will never sound as terrorised as the word is meant to sound.

When you dare to do the right things that you want in simple things, you will eventually learn to dare to do bigger things in life. Are you daring?

Fire of Truth

She sat in the Starbucks cafe, sipping her coffee and staring out of the window. The blood stained knife lay next to her handbag, covered with her blue silk scarf. The weather outside too was dismal. The dark clouds seemed to conspire the region as Erica's mind was filled with anguish and guilt.

Erica felt the queen in Starbucks logo smile at her insidiously. Was this all happening inside her head or was it a direful day that she was undergoing, she wondered. Her legs were quivering and her hands longed to rest but she dissembled calm and paid the counter.

Anjan would be waiting for Erica at the marriage hall as her bridegroom and their family were anticipating her any moment now. Even the police men might get a week off but not Erica, who was an ardent journalist. She was more committed to work than Anjan and today she was faced with a question of whom she wanted to marry, Anjan or her job.

Dressed in silk dhoti chanting prayers in front of sacred fire, Anjan's heart thumped faster. He did not know where Erica was. He had assured his parents about her punctuality for the marriage and they were forced to trust him. Their relationship had not been a bed of roses. After five long years Anjan had convinced his parents to get married with the love of his life, a Christian girl. Rosy aunty had succumbed to her daughter's wish after her wild behaviour when she was refused marriage with Anjan, a brahmin boy. If things went awry today, they would forever lose their parents' trust.

'Would I alternatively get married with a random girl from the marriage hall if Erica doesnt arrive like in most movies how the bride gets married to a random guy if the groom fails to marry for some reason?' pondered Anjan. His mind paced rapidly and went into a blur just as the smoke from the fire blurred his vision. Tears were flowing from his eyes, he did not know if it was due to fear or physical irritation that it was all happening.

Erica knew what integrity was but her blood stained scarf narrated a different story and she was mired in a moral crisis between her profession and marriage. Her long eyelashes hid the pain her pupil said, if only anyone strained enough to look deep into her eyes. Anjan would read it if at all there was time, enough time for them to unite before they tied the knot.

Erica was a crime reporter but now, she might have been mistaken for a criminal by the police. They would have framed her as the accussed as the news would have already been making its rounds.

Several lights flashed as Mastaan Kasab lay on the floor in blood shed with his curly unkempt hair appearing like bees swarming his face and  blood splattered neck. The press photographers were already there and the reporters would not miss out a feather from the place. But did they know what had happened? Erica's mobile was switched off and she could neither reach out for help nor be communicated for clarification. She had not informed anybody about her sting operation. Would Anjan rescue her like the filmy heroes? She yearned to be in his arms but there was no time for pampering and she had to act, real quick!

'Come on Erica, pick my call, we are losing our game with the world that said we cant get married,' said Anjan to himself as the computerised voice informed him that Erica's phone was switched off and that she could not be reached. 'One last attempt and if it fails, I would face the music,' thought Anjan as he desperately dialled Erica for the nth time.

His heart leapt as there was a ring! The cell phone line connected and he was shouting like crazy in the middle of the loud wedding drums that were percussioned as a part of a marriage with no bride. He was literally facing the music and could not hear anything from his end. He didnt know if she picked the call to reassure her presence or let him down. He perspired even more as he imagined the large garland on him like a snake strangling him to death. He didnt know if he was anxious or embarrassed to face the situation but he had to go by the flow.

'Anjan was not just another man. He was a fighter, he would not let his girl go in deep waters,' prayed Erica. Going back to the marriage might get her arrested if she showed up. As Erica walked on the pavement in front of the cafe, the wind carassed her wavy hair and tried to teach her some tranquility even under the dark clouds of Chennai.

Caffeine had already given her some energy to revive the tediousness of the morning and awakened the nervous system of her brain. Kasab and she were not enemies in personal life. He worked as a shopkeeper in a meat stall at Kodambakkam. Inside his shop were meat of many kinds that people have never known he had. They were human meat.He was a child trafficker who used young girls for flesh trade and later killed them for pleasure.

Working for Freedom Today, the most popular neighbourhood newspaper, she had a nose for news especially in her area and she sniffed filth inside Kasab's stall. Posing to be a pimp, she visited his stall as his customer a couple of times and pretended to be interested in pedophile activities. Kasab promised her five teenage girls for a day for a sum of fifty thousand rupees at 8 am on Friday.

At first, Erica wanted to procrastinate the plan because it was her wedding day. But on a second thought, she felt that she could not risk the lives of innocent children for her wedding plans and she agreed to it. She had not taken the assistance of police because she knew that there were police officials too involved in this trade. She had to provide a trenchant evidence catching Kasab red handed and bust him with an exclusive child racketing story.

On Friday,it was a humid morning with the sun's fiery emitting early. Dressed in sexy blue shorts that revealed her finely chiselled thighs and frilly white sleevless shirt, well tucked in and extra tightened with a brown leather belt, she set out confidently with her stockings on. She had the cash ready. She had saved it for the past one month, foregoing a costly reception saree. She had everything that she needed in her handbag. In case, she was caught by any officials, she had her press card for identity.She stuffed the cash well inside the bag and put her pen, notepad and id card hurriedly into it as she left for the shop.

She didnt want to give out Kasab to anyone until she got to know all the people who were behind this plot.She checked the watch when she reached. It was 7.55 am and Kasab was eagerly awaiting Erica. In her usual pretentious husky voice for him, she enquired him about the girls. He seemed more than pleased to usher her inside a room. As Erica moved in to receive the girls, she was faced with a locked door. For a moment, she thought that something went wrong. She looked back at Kasab to learn that he demanded the cash first before she could see the children.

'Ah Kasu, dont you trust me?' she sweetly asked but Kasab did not budge. Tensed inside, Erica had to conceal it on her face. She swiftly opened the bag and swayed her hands into it in search of the cash. Hastily, she pulled out a stash and showed him for assurance. She did not realise the things that fell out of her bag during the act as she was keen about the cash. Her ID card slipped out and fell on Kasab's toe. Before Erica could notice it, it was too late and Kasab was already alarmed.

He slapped her arm and ran for his knife. Erica had no place to exit. She was trapped. In the wink of her eye, she was at knife point, imminent to get killed.She struggled to keep him from stabbing. Suddenly she remembered the nail cutter knife in her pocket and tried to reach it with one hand still fighting to keep away Kasab's knife. Writhing out of control she fell on the ground as she managed to pull out the nail cutter.

As Kasab aimed for her neck in more fury, she dug a scar into his bare foot expecting him to fall down. Contrarily, he stood firm but his aim slipped into a mark in Erica's hand and the knife fell accidentally. Picking upon the chance, Erica caught it before him and threatened to slash him with it. As an experienced butcher, Kasab could see from her face that she had no idea as how to even poke someone with a knife. He gutsily proceeded forward to grab it. Pchak! A streak of blood splashed on Erica's face as she slit Kasab's neck. Panick stricken, she was transfixed for a moment. Her senses reminded her that she was now a murderer and she had to escape. Hurriedly wiping her face with her scarf she wrapped the knife into it and got out.

The road was busy and an auto man was fishing for people to take a ride. She blankly got inside it and was shivering in fear. 'Where should we go ma'am?' asked the auto man. The immediate place Erica could think of was Nungambakkam. 'Starbucks, Nungambakkam,' she said with no idea what she was doing.

It was 11.45 am and Erica was lost in her thoughts, still standing on the pavement. She felt the police handcuffing her from the back, she let out a shrill but it was a woman in rags who looked like a beggar. Absent mindedly, she reached for her bag but the woman stopped her. She could see the police car rushing inside and froze. She was now cornered and had the only option to surrender. Erica gave up all hopes and stood still as the inspector got out of the car and approached her. 'I know.. But this is all.. all.. a misunderstood folly. I.. I..,' she gasped for words trying to explain in vain. 'Shall we go to our in law's house?' the inspector demanded. Erica could understand the metaphor for jail and broke down.

She was taken into the car to the nearest place. She bowed down in guilt and didnt want to face the police station. To her shock, her parents were standing! She almost fainted. When she opened her eyes, she was lying on the bed room, clad in a saree with jewels. 'Call out the bride,' ordered an elderly voice and Erica was ushered inside a hall packed with her relatives. Anjan was sitting in the middle looking tired before fire. But a strange kind of happiness was dancing in his eyes.Erica was ushered beside him and he lifted up the nuptial rope and gently tied it around her neck. 'This is definitely a dream and I have to know whats happening,' said Erica to herself but people would not let her go and she had to stay put until other rituals went on. After hours of chanting and other formalities, Erica and Anjan were finally declared married and let go inside a decorated room for their first night.

Erica could not contain herself. Her head was paining troublesomely and she threw herself on the bed looking confused at Anjan.

'When you tried calling me, I sent my brother-in-law Arun athimber to Kodambakkam, where you usually get stories from. Athimber called back to say that there was a murder and called for his friend George, the city commissioner. George rushed to the spot and investigated the people. There were cries from the meat shop and the police found children inside. They gave the details of their parents and informed that they heard voices from their room about a lady fighting with Kasab,' offered Anjan.

Before Erica could open her mouth to shoot her endless questions, Anjan interrupted again. 'Arun athimber is a secret CID agent. His office is also at Kodambakkam and he used to nudge me about your weird dressing and visiting of meat shop for the past few days. He had followed you till yesterday and I insisted him to stay with me today. But once I sent him for you, he cracked the case with his credentials and safely brought you back for marriage.The lady that the inspector brought along was the mother of a rescued child and she wanted to see her saviour right away. We might need to visit the station for their investigation and give out a testimony.'

Everything was in place now and Erica did not know how long she slept before she awoke for the sensational story she wrote for Freedom Today from the first person point of view. It was her biggest break and her colleagues were in awe about her guts.'How did you have the courage to do such a thing all alone?' her Editor asked. 'When you do a good thing for a benefit greater than for yourself, success is assured,' she replied as her face glowed confidently in the fire of truth.

Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm is the baking powder of life. With it you rise, without it, you are flat. What does it take to be enthusiastic? Interest. What does it take to draw interest? Enthusiasm. This is an interdependent phenomenon. However, here are few tips to stay enthusiastic in life:

1. Make it a point to do or learn at least one thing new each day.

2. Meet different people or at least make a call to them or at most, drop them a text message that they passed by your mind.

3. Let your family know how much you love them. Love will always make you happy.

4. Grow pet plants or animals. They not just keep you occupied but involuntarily teach life lessons.

5. Break away from daily routine and sign up for classes to keep you fresh.

After all, you should be able to look forward to each day right before you start. The maximum time you are going to spend with is yourself. So make yourself as interesting as possible. Never mind, if you are not. There is always time to improve yourself. Just make sure that today is better than yesterday and tomorrow will be better than today. Surround yourself with the enthusiastic aura and life will never get boring. Happy day!

Birthday

The word birthday by itself sends through me a shudder of excitement. Birthdays are special because it is an occasion of celebration to be crowned and crown your special ones. But as time passes by the occasion seems to lose momentum about its specialty. Why? Because, celebrations have started to pick pace on selfish motive. Being selfish is not as bad as wanting to harm someone. Often times we sow, to reap the harvest for ourselves. So are birthdays too. We make someone feel special that day, hoping that it would be reciprocated on our day. I’ve always envied the people who celebrate grand birthdays, not by themselves but with surprises from their loved ones. I’ve always longed for at least one such birthday but never had such a time although I used to celebrate many of my friends’ birthdays. Why does this happen? Because:

• People do not think the way you do. Not everyone gives back what they get and vice versa. In fact if you introspect, you would not have on discretion reflected the love of many people.
• You cannot buy friendship, you have to earn it. 

If you genuinely want to care for a person, show it to them from the heart, if they don’t reflect it back, you might also realize that you have to hold it until your worth is recognized. Over time, I have also realized that friendship cannot be planned, and the ones planned will not last. There are even arranged marriages but there is no arranged friendship. Birthdays are not occasions to expect. It is a day to be happy about and personally wish someone from the heart rather than materials. I’ve done crazy things for people on their birthdays.

Even when some refused any such plans, I thrust gifts and love but over time, I learnt to respect people’s preferences and refrained when they said no to gifts and celebrations. Now, I feel content that I would not expect anything from anybody for my next birthday because people who will celebrate you will love you for what you are and not what you give. Being unique, not everyone in life might fulfill your expectations but when someone becomes close to you, give them their space and time. After all, the best gift you could give someone is your time. Happy unbirthday to all of you ;) Celebrate everyday with love!

Charisma

I’ve always admired those people who manage to pull in crowds towards them wherever they go. Have I been jealous of them? May be somewhere, but my admiration and inspiration has always succumbed. Perhaps there were some people who’ve made me wonder how such a person could gain so much importance when their character is not appealing to me. Here are the secrets:

#1 Carry an attitude that protects you. Don’t confuse attitude with arrogance, but do shield yourself with a high self-esteem.

#2 Listen and observe more than speaking. Plan your situations well before dealing a problem. Devise alternatives and use them wisely.

#3 Keep monitoring your progress. Its okay if you don’t have friends, but its not okay if you are complacent. Everyday should make a difference in your life.

#4 Most of the time you are going to spend is with yourself. So make yourself as interesting as possible! Consider your time worthwhile and develop useful hobbies. Not good at anything? That’s even better! Sign up for some music/arts/dance/yoga/writing classes and explore new areas.

#5 Don’t bend too much on anyone. Be a mirror but don’t crash when people throw stones at you. You cannot reach your destination if you keep throwing stones at every dog that barks. Keep calm and laugh at your foes, they are the losers anyway because they carry hatred and burn in it.

#6 Conquer your enemies by making them your friends. No, it doesn’t mean you should back stab them. It means that you have to sow seeds of love to eliminate weeds.

#7 Feeling small? Do something big. Help someone in need and they are going to be your loyalist forever.

#8 Forgive easily but never forget and show vigilance, lessons are meant to help you in future after all and forgiveness helps the giver and receiver to patch up things easily. That way both the sides are benefitted.

There were a lot of lovely people who’ve inspired and transformed my personality and I dedicate this post to my schoolmates Durga, Archana, Dhwani and Shobana who’ve played my first ever role modelsJ