Browsed by
Tag: inspiration

Q – Quotes, my favourite ones #AtoZChallenge

Q – Quotes, my favourite ones #AtoZChallenge

Comments 6 comments

Words have a great impact on our self-esteem. Words can inspire, can encourage us and boost our self-confidence. Words have the ability to make a lasting impact on our thoughts and actions.

Through this post, I would like to share some of my favourite quotes from people who inspire me. Qoutes that are relevant in my life story, the ones that have created a ripple in my inner world. Here they come:

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” ~Lao Tzu

“Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.” ~Maya Angelou

“Our notions about happiness entrap us. We forget that they are just ideas. Our idea of happiness can prevent us from actually being happy. We fail to see the opportunity for joy that is right in front of us when we are caught in a belief that happiness should take a particular form.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

“Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.” ~Rumi

“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.” ~Buddha

“It is not how much we do but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving.” ~Mother Teresa

“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” ~Oprah Winfrey

“Don’t wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul.” ~Osho

 

Images courtesy: http://www.inspirational.quotesms.com/

This post is part of the #AtoZChallenge 2017 Blogging from A to Z: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/.

I write about my spiritual and personal growth influences from A to Z.
My previous posts in chronology:

A New Earth 

Brahma Kumaris

Chicken Soup for the Soul

Dialogue with Death 

Eat Pray Love 

Finding a purpose in life

GANDHI

Healing with Chakras

I Believe in Angels

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Kahlil Gibran 

Lisa Nichols

Meditation

Neale Donald Walsch

Oprah & Deepak Meditations

Power of Positive Thinking

Being the Queen of our hearts!

Being the Queen of our hearts!

Comments 2 comments

“She is the kind of queen that knows her crown isn’t on her head but in her soul.” ~Adrian Michael

Last week, I had been contemplating on a few subjects for my next blogspot (this one). I started working on something but then simply couldn’t take my mind off the recent episode of ‘Koffee with Karan’ on television. Not that I’m a big fan of Karan Johar or his show nor am I crazy about Bollywood. But his last episode featured actor Kangana Ranaut, who made a strong mark with her spunky, fiery attitude. The ‘Queen’ of Bollywood impressed with her no qualms boldness in what she had to say and the forthright manner in which she said it all. Now Kangana may have an unconventional demeanor and is perhaps not everyone’s favourite. But on this show, she was so brutally honest and opinionated, the other guest Saif Ali Khan was literally on the edge of his seat.

I felt there were subtle messages in there (seems like a penchant for me these days) beneath her classy overtones and couldn’t resist writing this post. Here is what got me pondering, with the questions I posed to myself as also to you-

Our drive – Kangana reminds Karan that he had ridiculed her English and her accent on the same show few years ago. But those comments became a drive for her, pushing her ahead.

We can use criticism, mocking and rejection thrown at us as a driving force towards success – to unleash our mettle, though not necessarily to prove a point to others.

Poser: What or who is the driving force in our life?

The value of our values – Kangana refuses to endorse fairness creams. She has never cheated on her partner. She does not do shows simply for the lure of money. Her values bear far more significance than doing something that doesn’t feel right.

We all need to set our moral boundaries at every stage in life. More importantly, stick to them and beat any sort of peer pressure. 

Poser: How much do we value our value system?

Gender equality– When asked which of the Khans would she like to work with, she bluntly replied none. She wouldn’t’ be seen as an equal. This, when most of the Bollywood actresses today would do anything to bag a role opposite any of the Khan trio. Her exuding sophistication outshone even the suave Nawab on the same couch. She rightly pointed out that men think women have low IQ.

Why do we women have to share the limelight with men when we can be the limelight! We don’t need to shortchange ourselves, do we?

Poser: Are we living in someone else’s shadow?

True wealth – When asked whether she would rather be rich without love or poor but in love…she retorted saying her idea of poverty could be very different from his. Rightly said for his movies are always a superlative statement of luxury and brands. She added, artists have always chosen truth, beauty or values over money. If you have true love, you will have a rich life. Wow!

The concept of real wealth differs from people to people. What are we really here to gain? Fame? Success? Billions?

Poser: What are you seeking that would make you truly rich?

Honesty over diplomacy – Kangana admitted being jealous of others’ success. She was honest about not having friends in the industry. Her brazen opinions about Karan came forth uninhibited (‘flag-bearer of nepotism’ and ‘the snooty movie mafia’ being the highlights). She was candid about disliking certain habits of her co-stars and directors.

It is easy to indulge in backstabbing. But it requires conviction to blatantly speak the truth. And it takes courage to be unabashed on a global platform.

Poser: Are we righteous enough to say it like it is on the face?

Being genuine – Kangana said she didn’t want to fit in and tried to be as normal as she could in this superficial industry. And look how she stole the show with her candour, just by being herself.

Don’t we all want to lead a life that needs no mask or explanation, a life that resonates with our genuine core? Learning to build our own strong beliefs rather than conforming to those of others? Simply discovering who we are and be our authentic selves? What a sense of accomplishment and fulfilment that would bring!

Poser: Is our outer world in alignment with our inner world?

 

She came, she conquered and she won hearts like a true ‘Queen’!

Poser: Will others be able to say this for us?

Watch this royally candid episode right here:

http://www.hotstar.com/tv/koffee-with-karan/1525/saif-kangana-let-it-all-out/1000167379

Feature image courtesy: Pexels

Kangana Ranaut image courtesy: Star World

To everything new that enriches our lives

To everything new that enriches our lives

Comments 2 comments

sunset-2

“I can hardly wait for tomorrow, it means a new life for me each and every day.” ~Stanley Kunitz

Five years ago in the cold winter of December, I had joined an all women trekking trip (courtesy Women On Clouds – http://www.womenonclouds.com/) in Uttarakhand. A group of complete strangers, we had climbed together the Chandrashila summit at 13000 feet and seen one of the most spectacular sunsets ever (as seen in this image). This trip holds a special place in my heart, as it gifted me one new experience after the other, touching my heart in the most beautiful ways. At the end of that trip, I was a different person! It was then that I had made up my mind to do something new every year – build a life with enriched experiences and bring more meaning to my existence with deeper connections.

In the last few hours that remain of 2016 in my continent, I choose to look back and recall everything new that enhanced my life this year. I summarise:

NEW EXPERIENCES:

  1. Scuba diving –A desire to go scuba diving was long nursed, especially after watching Hrithik Roshan in ‘Zindagi milegi na dobaara’. It was simply fabulous to dive in the deep clear waters of Thailand, giving me a new high after I surfaced above the marine world. What a psychedelic existence there is down under! One beautiful adventure off my bucket list.
  1. My Blog – Maybe sometimes you have to live your story before being able to write your story. I’m glad I began ‘SoulMom’. Writing here is proving to be cathartic for me.
  1. 10 km. marathons – Though I have always been a fitness freak, running is something that never appealed to me. It seemed arduous and looked like an effort. Perhaps why I decided to venture, from a yearning to step out of my comfort zone. Ever since, it has turned out to be such a liberating experience. There I was struggling to run one km. at one go, and here I am having completed three 10k marathons this year. It truly feels like a huge feat – I have come a long way, literally.
  1. Santoor recital by Rahul Sharma – Music lifts our soul, but listening to Rahul Sharma playing the santoor goes a step further for me – my senses resonate to his tunes in some sort of spiritual harmony. Watching him perform live was such an ethereal experience. Another strong wish ticked off this year.
  1. Flying in the Airbus A380 – As kids, it was such a joy sitting in the red double-decker buses in Mumbai, quickly running up to the upper deck and grabbing the first seats in the front. I was curious to know what it feels like to fly in a double-decker airplane. Well, I did happen to fly in an Airbus A380 this year and marvelled at the engineering. But it did not come close to the gratification of the upper deck front seats of the bus.

NEW CONNECTIONS:

This year has been abuzz with Indian companies riding on the start-up wave and creating some of their own. What is even more heartening is to see the number of start-ups that have been founded by women. I happened to attend a few exciting events in 2016 and meet some of the most dynamic women in their workforces. Women who are making a difference in other women’s lives, who are passionate to turn their dreams into realities and who are hurdling umpteen challenges in their way. While I had the pleasure of interacting with several self-driven women who are making a mark in their own unique ways, I would like to make a special mention of a few who left a mark on me. I sincerely admire them for their indomitable spirit as well as humility. I feel quite challenged to describe them in only a few words, so I choose to just mention their names and links here:

Sairee Chahal, Founder-CEO, Sheroes: https://sheroes.in/about/

Aparna Vedapuri Singh, Founder and Editor, Women’s Web: http://www.womensweb.in/about-us/

Shaili Chopra, Founder, SheThePeopleTv: http://shethepeople.tv/shaili-chopra/

I feel lot of gratitude for all the ‘new’ in my life. What an inspiring 2016 it has been in an otherwise insipid year for me. I look forward to converting these inspirations into something more productive for me both professionally as well as personally.

The sun has set on 2016. Ring in the new 2017!

8 simple ways to de-clutter our minds of negative thinking

8 simple ways to de-clutter our minds of negative thinking

Comments 0 Comment

Lantern

“Positive anything is better than negative nothing.” ~Elbert Hubbard

It’s the season of Diwali, a festival celebrated with fervour by Indians all over the world. One of the customs of this festival is the ritual of spring-cleaning wherein a lot of time and effort is dedicated to thorough cleaning of the houses. Every nook and corner of the home is scrubbed hard to shine and look anew. It’s also that time of the year when we remove clutter from home – discarding things we do not need, giving it away to those who do and creating space for the new.

Having an obsession for all things neat and tidy (do not read OCD), this season strongly fuels my need for order. In true festive spirit, I have exhaustively indulged myself in the cleaning and de-cluttering traditions very seriously over the last few days. Organising things in their rightful place and packing off heaps and heaps of useless stuff into bags to give away. While spending all my energy into this tedious process, I’m amused at how things just get accumulated in our homes! And it sets me thinking…just the way a lot of unnecessary stuff gets accumulated in our minds too. Negative thinking for instance…

Negative thinking is alarmingly prevalent all around us, almost like an epidemic of sorts in today’s world. It seems easier to get into a whirlpool of negative thoughts and to remain stuck there. Negative thinking can sap our energies and before we realise, it can harm our bodies, mind and everything around us. In many ways, organising our physical space is making way to imbibe the positive elements into our minds and spirits too. This can then also be the time to de-clutter our minds with all the negativity and unnecessary trash we can do without. After all, there is a choice we can exercise, if we make a conscious effort to be aware.

Here are simple daily practices I have learnt over the years to bring in more positivity into our lives:

1. Positive thoughts – Catch yourself while thinking negatively and replace your negative thought with positive ones instantaneously.

2. Positive people – Surround yourself with people who do not put you down, whom you can learn from and exude a lot of positive energy.

3. Smile – It’s amazing how this one small curve on our face sets so many things straight. Even if you don’t feel like it completely, simply smile and feel the difference.

4. Inspirational reading – Reading books, quotes, articles, etc. that is motivating and encouraging is a helpful way to replace negative thinking.

5. Exercise – When you get moving, your endorphins get going. So quit the couch and do any form of fitness that suits you, daily.

6. Switch Off – Stay away from screen time and all gadgets that bombard you with negative information, thereby sapping your energy.

7. Music –Good music is therapeutic. Listen to the kind of music that you enjoy and see your mood change instantly.

8. Gratitude – Be thankful for everything you already have in life, sincerely from your heart.

It’s that time of the year when we must attempt to do away with darkness and light up – our homes, hearts and minds.

Why the blog name soulmom.in?

Why the blog name soulmom.in?

Comments 0 Comment

SoulMom

What’s in a name? Well, a lot of thoughts goes into arriving at a blog name. These are few of mine:

The ‘soul’ in soulmom.in – the essence of my tryst with spirituality and its constant pursuit. It is a seeking of the higher consciousness through various spiritual channels. Soul is the curiosity to decipher the mysterious ways in which the universe functions. It is a commitment to spiritual growth. Soul is the recognition that each of us is a unique spiritual being and our life’s purpose is to be true to our uniqueness. It is the discovery that ‘soul’ and ‘sole’ go beyond being merely homophones, into being an exclusive entity!

The ‘mom’ in soulmom.in – my experiences of learning and growing in the role of a mother. It is a determination to overcome the various challenges in raising my kids without a spouse. Mom is a resolve to grow from a survival mode to a thriving mode. It is an ongoing relationship with myself as much as with my kids. Mom is the spirit to be self-empowered as it is to empower my kids. It is breaking free from the ‘victimisation’ of being a divorcee to finding my true power.

The ‘.in’ of soulmom.in – the journey inward. Of going into the depth of self-awareness in search of the soul’s highest calling. Of inspirations that has shaped my inner being. Of influences that continue to help me heal. Of building a strong sense of mindfulness in all life situations. Quite importantly, .in is quintessentially belonging to India. The unwavering spirit of the Indian woman.

SoulMom is an effort to reach out to as many souls that can resonate with what I write here.

Then and Now

Then and Now

Comments 0 Comment

ThennNow

It happened to be India’s Independence Day celebrations and the nation was rejoicing the sense of freedom. But ironically that day, someone was feeling trapped in a marriage and wishing for his own independence.

Between then and now, as I reminisce the years gone by, I wonder how I survived it all. Days and nights of agonising pain, as I witnessed my world fall apart. The brutal realisation that most of my dreams will never be realised. The impending status of a divorcee and worse – the scary thought of raising my small children in a broken family.

But survive I did. And ever since, my journey has been one where I am continuously striving to thrive….

Back then, I wanted to create a platform of women in a similar situation that I was in and build a community for sharing and caring. But I was vulnerable and my state of mind was too fragile to take the initiative. I was not willing to open up. Now I am in a relatively stronger space of mind and more determined to reach out. We learn a lot from people who have been there, done that. And when you know you are not alone facing a challenging situation, it is very reassuring. Thus has evolved this deep urge to reach out and connect.

Between then and now, it has been one hell of a roller coaster of emotions…

Hurting & Healing…

Fear & Faith…

Insecurities & Inspirations….

Empathy & Empowerment….

….and the journey continues….

%d bloggers like this: