What is the biggest challenge you will face in the next six months?
I will be resuming work after maternity leave within the next six months.
The biggest challenge I envision will be to raise 2 children, manage work which is highly intense, manage home, manage my relationship and manage personal time & care.
Though one part of me says that I’ll be fine, I fear that I might lose myself more and days/weeks/ months will just keep slipping by.
Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you.
I moved to the UK in August 2015. Landed myself in a job in December 2015, with a joining in Jan 2016. I had a couple of weeks to prepare and move to another city about 200 miles away.
In those 2 weeks, I shopped for work. Dresses, shoes, etc. I bought myself a pair of block heels, black in colour with a belt that went around the ankle. I loved those shoes, although they weren’t my regular work shoes. I preserved them.
We lived in a rented house for about 8-9 months. Post that, we moved to another rental house. In the midst of all these moves, I had kept some extra luggage at a friend’s house. In this second rental house, I never saw that pair of shoes. I thought perhaps I packed them with the extra luggage stored at my friend’s.
We lived about a year in this second rental house before buying our own home. I finally got all the luggage at one place. I was eager to find my shoes back. And I didn’t.
I unpacked everything. I checked stuff in the garage and extra storage cupboards for about a year after moving into my home. But in vain.
Painfully, I accepted that I lost those shoes.
6 years passed.
Last week, my mum was sorting out some of my old stuff because I am in India and she wants me to clear unwanted things.
I am at my in-laws’ currently so she sent me a picture of these shoes to ask if I still needed them!!!
I can’t wait to go back to my mum’s next week and try them on after all these years!!?!!
Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?
I was at my in-laws’ with my younger daughter and my husband had stayed the night at his sister’s with my older daughter.
The next evening we were reuniting. As I drove into the parking space outside the house, we saw my husband at the gate with an eye on the road. We assumed that he must be waiting for our younger daughter. He went straight to her door to get her out of the car who was sitting next to my mother in law. My mother in law commented on how eagerly he was waiting for the daughter.
He replied to her which I didn’t hear as I had gotten out of the car. He said, he was actually waiting for me with a cup of my favourite coffee that he had half drunk.
What is your mission?
My mission is to Live. Just live. Live every moment. With myself, my family, my children, my love, my friends. Just live.
To live, I may do things. I will need to work to earn, I will need a career for my ambitions, I will dream to give my children the best possible opportunity. I will do chores to run my household. I’ll give myself and my family some comforts. I’ll do things to survive but I won’t define that as living.
Above all, and beneath all, my mission is to Live. Live without regrets, live without hatred, live without jealousy. Live in full spirits. Live passionately. Live like a flowing river.
Just live!
I was in the toilet with my daughter at the airport after we landed in India. She needed a wee and suddenly she realised she needed a potty too. Our family was waiting outside to receive us. I told my daughter that it’s ok, you can finish your potty and then we will go.
What she said next made my day and taught me a very good lesson.
She said, "Yeah, we can be slow. We don't have to be quick, we can choose to be slow"
It hit me hard. We constantly complain that time flies. But time is in our control. We can choose how fast or slow we want it to pass.
In the world of competition and race, it is so important to learn and teach our children to savour every moment, be conscious and aware in each moment, and really lead life slowly.
There is a lot of noise everywhere about inspiring people to never quit. “Successful people don’t quit” “Winners never quit, quitters never win”
Social media is always flooded with these motivational quotes. But how does it impact us? Have we given a thought about how we interpret it or how we must interpret it?
I believe such messages, when taken literally, can cause a lot of peer pressure, sometimes resulting in depression and self doubt.
Wisely quitting a path in time is a quality that is much less appreciated.
Timely exit from a relationship can save a lot of trauma and can save someone from ruining their life.
Sometimes if a path isn’t working, one must change it. The true interpretation lies in the fact that, never give up on your dreams or goals rather than on the path; you are allowed to change your path if your instincts say so.
Art is in finding a balance and using wisdom to quit. Wise quitting must be seen as a quality and must be appreciated.
Here’s to Wise Quitting👍
What topics do you like to discuss?
I like engaging conversations about life, space, universe, karma, philosophy, dreams, aspirations….
Basically, any topic that will be soul enriching!
What is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite?
When asked if I am a sea person or a mountain person, I answer based on what I am feeling at the moment. Because I am both. Some days the sea calls me and on others, mountains.
Tenerife offers both. Cherry on top is the sky gazing activity offered in Tenerife.
We spent a week in Tenerife with an itinerary that was a perfect mix of chilling, beach, hiking, exploring, star gazing and enjoying local wines.
It has indeed been a perfect holiday for me!
Describe a risk you took that you do not regret.
I met my husband through matrimony. We chatted for couple of months, met, got engaged next day and got married a week later. 8 years after, still happily married.
Have you ever been camping?
In 2013-14, I went on week-long treks to the mighty, majesty Himalayas. Where we camped and trekked every day, beyond the civilization height. Survived without electricity, shower and most importantly phones!
