Tag: life

  • My Daily Joys ₊˚⛅.ೃ࿔*:🌻・

    Daily writing prompt
    What are 5 everyday things that bring you happiness?

    I try to find joy in the little things. My inclination toward positive psychology encourages me to notice and nurture happiness in everyday moments. In this field, happiness is often seen as having two essential components: feeling good, and engaging in meaningful activities that foster personal growth and fulfilment.

    One of my simplest pleasures is watching the sunrise in silence. I love observing the morning sky as it shifts from crimson to red, then saffron to orange. Waking up to a sky already bright yellow makes me feel as though I’ve missed an important event. I admit, it leaves me a little grumpy. When I do catch the sunrise, I take a pause, thinking of nothing in particular, absorbing the beauty. It fills me with a sense of renewal, like the day holds fresh promise.

    Another small joy is scrolling through my phone—especially when it feels earned. After finishing a task, I allow myself a short break, telling myself I’ll relax for fifteen minutes. Of course, those fifteen minutes often stretch into thirty. Still, that time feels like a gentle reward: a mix of catching up, browsing, and unwinding.

    I also cherish the moments when I lie in bed with a book in hand. Sometimes I read, sometimes I drift off within minutes—there’s no guarantee. But the comfort of that quiet pause is enough.

    And whenever I can manage, which is not very often, I like to practice Yog Nidra. It’s so rejuvenating!

    Music is another constant companion. Every day, there’s usually one song playing on a loop in my mind, and I find myself humming it throughout the day. That, for me, is a sign of happiness. In fact, if I’m not humming while going about my mundane life, my family starts to wonder if something is wrong! ◡̈

    Yet, of all these small joys, nothing brings me greater fulfilment than writing. I am no great writer, yet the act of writing gives me immense satisfaction. And again! Enhancing life satisfaction is a fundamental focus of positive psychology (oh, can’t keep it out of my thoughts). Even composing a simple email can feel meaningful. When I haven’t written for a few days, I notice the absence—I feel restless, a little joyless, and somewhat unanchored.

    These everyday moments may seem ordinary, but together, they create a life that feels rich, mindful, and quietly joyful.

  • The Learning Mindset: Finding Wisdom Everywhere

    ꜛ The above quote resonates deeply with me. It suggests a powerful yet simple idea: we can learn something from everyone we meet. The only requirement is where we choose to place our focus. If we train ourselves to notice strengths, qualities, and positives in others, every interaction becomes an opportunity for growth, IF, if we “have a heart that watches and receives” (expression borrowed from the great english poet William Wordsworth)

    ›This way of thinking closely aligns with the essence of positive psychology—a strength-focused approach. What we focus on grows. If we train our eyes to see gems, the world begins to feel richer, wiser, and more generous.

    › At the same time, learning is not just about others—it is about our willingness to be taught. If you are truly willing to learn, every experience and interaction—whether positive or negative—holds a lesson. But for that, one must be teachable. When we cultivate that openness, the entire universe becomes our teacher.

    ›In his poem ‘The Tables Turned’ William Wordsworth captured this beautifully when he wrote, “Let nature be your teacher.” He believed that:

    One impulse from a vernal wood
    May teach you more of man,
    Of moral evil and of good,
    Than all the sages can.

    ∗(From: The Tables Turned) These lines remind us that wisdom is woven into the world around us.

    ››As I write, I’m reminded of a poem I encountered in school, probably in the fifth grade. At that age, perhaps we are too young to fully grasp its depth, yet the message quietly stays with us. Meaning unfolds, as we grow. The image below is found on the internet.

    ››I sum up the main idea that the poem conveys. It draws lessons from nature in the most beautiful way. The mountain, standing tall and firm, teaches us to hold our heads high—to be grounded, resilient, and unwavering in our values. The ocean, vast and deep, reminds us that our thoughts, too, should have depth, encouraging us to think critically rather than remain superficial.

    ›The earth, patient and enduring, teaches us to carry our responsibilities without complaint. And the sky, limitless and expansive, inspires us to grow beyond boundaries—to embrace a perspective wide enough to include the whole world.

    🎯The poem is really about developing essential life skills.🪴 It speaks of courage—the courage to stand for what is right. It nurtures assertiveness, resilience, and the ability to think deeply. It encourages problem-solving and thoughtful decision-making. And above all, it fosters empathy—the kind that allows us to consider every soul on this planet.

    ›Perhaps the lesson is simple yet profound: if we are willing to learn, teachers are everywhere. In people. In experiences. In nature. In life itself. 🌿⚘.⋆🍃༄

    ✍️ Over to you: What’s your take? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 💬

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  • Destiny, Fate, Kismet 🔮

    Daily writing prompt
    Do you believe in fate/destiny?

    Oh yes, I believe in destiny. 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄 ᯓ★

    ☣There are things that we do; there are things that happen to us because of the things we do. That is Karma, the result of our actions.

    Then there are things that happen to us but have no bearing on our actions. This I call destiny. 🎲

    ᝰ.ᐟ When the unknown overcomes us, it is destiny. ༘⋆ When events we cannot command decide the course of our life, it is destiny.༘⋆

    ☣ It could be a natural calamity, actions of others, an act of God, a chance happening or national, social, global, current or historical events like wars, epidemics, financial crash or blooming economy. Wars and epidemics have altered many lives in unimaginable ways while we neither have any control over, nor have caused these.  

    Let’s consider a few examples that come to my mind as I write –

    ⚛ Someone was studying in Ukraine before the war broke out. They leave studies for safety and don’t know what to do next or are forced to take a second course. I call it fate. Afterall what role did the student have in messing up things.

    ⚛ Another example. I arrive in a new city to attend an event/ interview or for some treatment, and realize there’s a bus, auto, taxi driver’s strike. They are protesting local government. I miss or am too late for the event. I have no role but suffered, nonetheless. I call it fate.  

    ⚛ Here are some insights from those great minds I look up to-

    ➝ What Cassius has to tell Brutus (Julius Caesar, Shakespeare) about destiny:

    ‘❛ The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars/But in ourselves, that we are underlings’❜ ✮⋆˙✶⋆.˚

     ⚛ And Carl G Jung, the great psychoanalyst defines fate in his own profound way –

    The psychological rule says that when an inner situation is not made conscious, it happens outside, as fate❜. ⋆˙⟡

  • My Ideal Day

    Daily writing prompt
    Describe your most ideal day from beginning to end.

    🌄 I wake up in time to catch the glimpse of the rising sun. I like to behold the ruddy sky in the east. Then i sit or lie down calmly thinking my thoughts. When I’m done I’ll stretch and sit for my Pranayam.🪷 I lie down some more listening to my favourite songs by Pt Jasraj, Kumar Gandharv, Begum Akhtar or whichever song has me under its spell at that moment. I play that again and again. ♫

    No chores please! And no plans either!

    📚I then pick some books and my kindle too. Those are at the hand so I lift them without having to get up. Surrounded by the books thus, now I pick my phone check mails, messages, feed, some shopping site while books wait for me. One fine moment I’d shove it away, pick a book and immerse myself. Once in a while I pause and wonder at the beauty of thoughts and words. I doze off, read again, listen to the music and keep alternating between these.

    🍂Come evening and I need to go for a long walk with a friend, we talk, exchange ideas, sit on the bench or the grass, feel the breeze, gaze up, chill some more…some writing before retiring. 😴

    Oh, I didn’t say a word about meals. I don’t want to give much thought to it. Fruits, juices, soups, coffee would be fine on an ideal day. 🍍🍎🍓🍇☕⛾☕︎