[100 days of gratitude] Day8: A Fresh Start

Submitted PP, and walked into the bead store nearby. Purchased quite some, and returned back to office. Had lunch at L14, played Uno with lunchmates. After a long while, focussed on a single topic for 4hrs at stretch. Focusing single pointedly is a challenge these days- am breaking the challenge through conscious decisions 

Grateful for the quiet Purchasing times at JP outlets

Grateful for the quiet times with son making the crystal-bead neckpiece.

For the longest time, I have been placing a full stop to relationships, when there is a brewing controversy- at least a semicolon- creating friction. Learning the art of replacing them with commas. Feels good.

[100 days of gratitude] Day 7: Power of a believing act

Grateful for the early morning time alone making the military vehicles in Lego together.

Grateful for the breakfast that was eaten fast.

Grateful for the irritation-less dosa that I made.

Grateful for calls from parents - from both. It's a previlege.

Grateful for the quiet times enabling practise of the reading test - 124 passages.

Grateful for the quiet time cooking, trying a new dish that tasted great.

Grateful for the craft times when we made the paper fish.

Grateful for the mindfulness session (A full 20min) that helped me not react to some unpleasant words.

Grateful for the movie watched alone (Sudani from Nigeria), and the beauty.

When the pizza order was mistaken (a twice-a-year opportunity), I was offended. Called up the delivery guy who washed off his hands. Made a call to Grab delivery, and they kindly offered help ($11 on Grabcredits). While I was satisfied with this offer, we then walked over to the PizzaHut - where we were surprisingly served free dinner :). There is human goodness in the corporate, urban jungle. Just that we need to believe and act according to the belief.

[100 days of gratitude] Day 6: Forging superficial relations

Had visitors for lunch, spent about 8 hours. Today taught me the importance of forming superficial relations. Unlike my earlier notion of 'treating everybody equally', I realize that relationships need to be graded - not every relation is meant to be in close quarters, except for a couple or a few.

Its ok to let go, its ok to hold at arm's length, its ok to hold close and let go, its ok to hold close and then hold at arms length. My relationship issues largely stem from my notion of holding every single acquaintance at close quarters. There is an immense need to grade and personalize.

Let the wisdom prevail, let peace encompass.

I am enough

I forgive myself and everybody

I love myself - I am full of love and zest for life.

I am worthy of success.

I am always at peace.

[100 days of gratitude] Day 5: it's within me!

Grateful for the realization that the distance between my thoughts and my actions define my happiness. It all starts with my willingness and a change in thought.

Received processing clearance email today.

 Encouraging Applied Soft Computing minor review

[100 days of gratitude] Day 4: once in a lifetime

Grateful for the mindfulness session

Grateful for being able to appear for the interview in time

Grateful for being able to initiate conversation with a stranger, starting with a smile

Grateful for being able to watch the solar eclipse, and taking a pic through mobile

Grateful for the neighbour at JW lakeside garden who explained how he took the pic

Grateful for the testimonies with Cher and the fellowship.

Grateful for the phone calls and camaraderie.

Today was pleasant-could have been more pleasant. I miss people that I considered my family, and that I assumed I belonged to. True that nobody's lives are entangled.  Rightly pointed by a mentor-friend: Loneliness is a lack of self-love. 

[100 days of gratitude] Day 3: Seek and ye shall find

Grateful for the cooking experience, esp., when the little one said, 'the chicken potato us the best'. Overall, cooking after a long time felt good that I ate a lot

Had to take photocopies and pp size photos for a meeting. The usual outlet was closing down by 7pm when I went. Felt bad. However, there was one just opposite who got my pp photo in around 10min. 

Listened to my school day songs after school days- all things bright and beautiful etc.

Seek and ye shall find. Thank God for the little mercies.

The universe is awesome!

[100 days of gratitude] Day 2: Ask and it shall be given; Love triumphs

Grateful for the persistent calls and messages and a love that doesn't give up.

Grateful for the meals and the meal time fun at the food court, after lunch.

Grateful for the surprise that was announced via voice message

Grateful for my forgiving heart that I have recently acquired, that helped to diffuse the otherwise tension.

Grateful for the choice words that said, 'Let me be. I will come when I feel better'.

Grateful for the surprise thankfulness card from Cher

Grateful for the surprise Badminton player, who offered to give company unasked for.

Grateful for the 30-45min of Badminton game.

Grateful for my favorite lemon rice, curd rice and tomato rice with thogaiyal

Grateful for the gratefulness meditation end of the day.

Let these blessings remain and multiply. Let these blessings remain and multiply. Let my gratefulness grow abundantly.

Thank you, Universe.

As I approached the counter at the Frontier CC, wishing the guy at the counter a Merry Christmas, I enquired about the possibility of the competition being organized by YBIS. He sounded positive, and gave leads. Ask and it shall be given!

[100 days of gratitude] Day 1: Knock and it shall be opened

Crazy mango-ist tries to burrow a hole into the foot-long pot and dig her mango seeds. Surprisingly, they make way through the soil and grow. Into a sapling, with a few leaves.

She wants to protect them, give them a real home that they rightly deserve. She calls up the National Parks and says, "I'd like to donate my mango saplings to the National Parks. Do you encourage such donations". The kind-hearted-receiver/attender-of-the-phone call collects her contact details and writes to her:

Dear Ms. ,

Thank you for the offer to donate your mango sapling plant to the National Parks Board. We will forward your offer to our colleagues and they will get back to you if they are willing to take up the sapling.

Have a great day ahead.

Regards,

Parks & Greenery Contact Centre

Isn't this a beautiful universe? There is enormous room for love and nurturing.

100 Days of Gratitude

The past year has been tumultuous on a few fronts, and satisfying in some. Have attended two training sessions over the past year. There have been a lot of realizations over the past months, thanks to the mindfulness coaching that my good friends subjects me to. One of the many realizations is that I have been in a non-stop complaining mode, and have been purposefully keeping myself unhappy, for no reason.

One component that stood out of the second training was the 100 days of rejection challenge: https://www.ted.com/talks/jia_jiang_what_i_learned_from_100_days_of_rejection?language=en

Inspired by it, I am taking the 100 days of Gratitude challenge. Starting today, I will do a post on a note of gratitude for the next 100 days. Hopefully, this should help me feel in love with the universe, with my fellow people, and myself more.

The first one is already written!

Thankfully,
Signed by me!

Fishtank

Dada, osh anna house ல fish tank இருக்குதாம்.
அவன் ஊருக்கு வந்தப்போ யார்டா fish க்கு food குடுத்தாங்க?
ம், daily ஒவ்வொரு fishஆ turnsஎடுத்து வெளிய வந்து எல்லாருக்கும் food எடுத்துட்டு ப் போகும். அது வெளியவே சாப்ட்டுக்கும்.

Midlife Transition

I think I am going through a midlife transition - a slightest slur could trigger my impulses, and I feel so much remorse. I hate to blame this on age, that is beyond control. Since 2006, I had been less ambitious - but my ambitions were fuelled when I began working after the son's birth. For. His. Sake. For about 3 years, I pulled through very monotonically. Now, it is all muddled up - I don't know which way to move, where to move and how? It is such a painful state. 

At some level, I know letting go of it wasn't bad afterall, but a part of my heart throbs for it. I desperately need a breathing space around here. How, where and when!

sigh!

Support and Strength

Year ends mean a lot - relooking at the past year, journaling the journey, setting priorities and targets for the upcoming year, and so much more. With the closure of each year, I tend to bookmark my journey of life.This year is no exceptional.


Professionally, it is that part of the year for setting goals for the forthcoming year. Last year, I had a young team reporting - that team is freshly appearing for their appraisal this year. In a performance review session with one of my female colleague, I checked for her comments on me. She commented:

"I know it is hard to be women in Technology. I can see how people try to belittle you, don't let what they do to affect you. You have to strike harder, don't slow down. We are all with you."

This is beautiful to me. I mean, how many of us have the privilege of meaningful relationships at workplace, and how many of our team members really care? Isn't this awesome?