Shhhhh.......... It's a Secret ;-) (wink)

Good Morning to myself and all who read this post, its a beautiful day today, started with a prayer and a smile. A prayer because my son's 12th Board exams start today finally, as one of his friends quoted yesterday it is " The beginning of the end" . Well yes the School life ends with this and I wish him and all his dear friends All the Very Best for future career and Life too.

Good Luck to my daughter as well, her exams are also going on and more than that I am waiting for it to get over because she is going to join me and her bro here after the exams, waiting for you sweety pie :-) and missing you lots :'(

Now the Secret,,,,, well its one of the experiences of my college days and as people who know me know that I was too naughty then, I had been to Bombay to my cousins place and by chance happened to see a photograph of a good looking guy at her place. I asked her who this guy was and it was pleasant to know that he was someone who stayed in my home town then Madras. I took his phone no. and name and told my cousin, lets have some fun but she warned me that mind you, don't do anything too mischievous, he is a relative. I said okay no worries.

After returning I called this guy, with a fake name and identity and we spoke very often, those days there were no mobile phones or caller ids, I was safe or he was ( could be either way ;-)).
So it used to be fun talking to him, because he was a very friendly person and also as cool as me to share thoughts and adventures.

One fine day we decided to meet and we were supposed to meet at Landmark a greeting cards gallery. I took a college friend along with me, and at the given time, I saw this guy with 2 rough and tough men along with him, though surprised but I was not scared. He offered me to join him to a near by cakes and bakes shop which was pretty popular then for hang outs. My friend pulled me behind and said Are you crazy you are going alone with these 3 guys whom you do not know, well I said don't worry I know one of them and he's nice.

After finishing this so called date, I returned home and called him obviously to ask why he brought 2 body guards along with him, was he so scared ????

And this was a LOL..... moment because he told me that ever since he was talking to me he felt that I was some kind of bait laid for him by his x-y-z girl friends brother who was behind his life after he knew about their relationship, though then it was all over between him and the pretty girl then, and trust me I burst out laughing, I still laugh whenever I recollect that episode.

Anyway after this I unfolded my true identity and also the fun factor for which I was talking to him and my cousin, me and him shared a hearty laughter. We spoke and met very rarely after that, none of us intended to take this ahead seriously so it was a simple friendship, but the best part is we kept getting updates about each other and once in a while came across each other on common weddings and also when my cousin visited Chennai.

This year I met him and his wife after many years and needless to say it was a pleasure to meet all of them, no names mentioned because no offence meant to anyone, it was just one of the fun episodes of my college life wanted to share it because yesterday was a sweet moment,when I spoke to his son who is a year older than mine for the second time, for career guidance as to what good options available after 12th for my son. Hey, it was great to talk to you sunny, and this wish is for you. God bless all my friends and their family members.

Signing out with a note that Life can be simple, Friendships can be simple yet just like the attached picture of mine edited by my creative son Srijan with the lovely caption on it says, "Simple is Beautiful".

Live life with fun but keep it simple, because its always fun to look back at it and brings a smile to my face and I am sure you are smiling too. Keep smiling, its God's greatest gift to mankind.

thatsbandana@gmail.com

On the streets of Ahmedabad

Hey guys wanna share something interesting which happened today while I was going towards the temple with my son on his Activa, smiling to ourselves sharing simple talks.
My son noticed a lady riding her bike in front of us and another man side by side trying to overtake her, the fun was that I was telling my son, actually this lady is looking good from behind and he said and that Uncle is trying to overtake her to see her face, and at the same time he overtook her and turned his face to see her,and we both laughed together.
I told my son lets overtake both of them and see the lady's face and the man reaction and she was kind of okay to look at but the man smiling away as if he had some fun by doing that, I just passed a smile to him turning back and his smile broadened.

It was a simple episode but the fact is the little thing which guys do when young or teenagers they are scared to the same after a certain age, but if u take out time for some little mischief in any age its fun, and that smile keeps you glowing.

I told my son I am sure today after that Uncle reaches home and if his wife or kid is as usual in a not so interesting mode then also he will smile and keep the evening light. I do not know how many of you agree, but this happens, because little mischief in our routine life outside the routine faces helps you stay in a light mood and a smile looks great on anyone's face irrespective of whether you are handsome or not so handsome, whether you are beautiful or not so beautiful, because a smile costs nothing yet it is so invaluable.

I love to spread smiles and so I love to write and I am sure you love to read as well.
Signing out for the day, keep smiling, good night and try this next time you are on a bike, just share a look with a wink or a smile to an unknown person, I do it often and specially with kids because children smiling are the most refreshing faces to look at :-)
I have attached a smiling face of my darling grandson Aayu, isn't it special to see that laughter on his face, specially when he was in my arms. I Love you sooooooooo much Aayu.

Take out time to be happy, its not so difficult

Before I do anything new I always chant the name of Lord Ganesha, right from childhood we have been taught that Ganesha is the God who removes obstacles from your path.

Today, apart from the lords name I want to thank all the people who have appreciated me so far for my writing through phone calls, comments or msgs, cannot name each one of them but it feels good when you do something and your loved ones appreciate.

Appreciation is something which makes any person happy, and when I say take out time to be happy, then I also mean take out time to make people happy as well, because when you make a person smile it reflects upon you, happens with me always, may be that is the reason I manage to smile most of the times. And I know I look beautiful when I smile and so do YOU. I do not do anything extraordinary at home or at work, but the simple things I do normally people tend to forget them.

What am I talking about, let me come to the point, right from beginning the day, feel from inside that I am gonna have a beautiful day today, you automatically feel good,but at the same time think that I am going to make the day beautiful for everyone around me too.

Start appreciating, your spouse for having allowed you to sleep a few minutes more than usual, your child for doing his or her work himself someday when you are tired, your family members for the little things they take care of whenever you need their help, your friend for calling you when you feel lonely and need a hearty laugh, your parents to stand by you whenever you feel you might not have done your homework properly and got hit, your neighbor for a compliment he or she gave for your looks, your teacher or your boss for something she taught you and it helped you reach your goal, lots and lots of little things which people around us do for us, which we think its their duty or what the big deal if they did it, why should I thank them, I also do so much.

You know why, because when you do some little or big thing for anyone, you love to be praised and when your deed is appreciated you feel good, trust me, if you also make others feel good the same way, it will return more often to you, not always but for sure you and the people around you would be smiling for that one word of praise they received or they gave it back to you in return.

When people say they love me or I am good at something, its not because I am too good, more often it would be in return to the many no. of times I would have appreciated or loved the little things they do for me.

We all need each other, I may be self sufficient but I also need love from people, I may be very good at planning and doing my work but without my team it would not be possible. I may be very intelligent but still there is a lot I do not know and I need to learn, so at every aspect of life we depend on each other and we forget to appreciate the support we receive, say Thanks, say Sorry, say you are looking great, say without you it would not be possible, say I need you, say You are the best,,,,,,,,,,,most of all as often as you can, to all your dear ones say I love you and I always will.

Ending the note with a quote " Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has many not on your past misfortunes which all men have some"

Love you all, my world is beautiful because I have all you beautiful people in it.

thatsbandana@gmail.com

Smile and the World Smiles back

Weekend morning, usually I sleep till late, today just woke up remembering a few lovely weekends and holidays spent and I thought let me share it with my friends.

Usually what we all do on a holiday, cozy moments at home, may go on a long drive, dine outside with family, a picnic with friends, going to the beach and feeling the fun of playing with the sand and the waves together, watch a movie, lots n lots of things we all do and the day just passes off, yes it is fun and also refreshing.

I remember a few spent differently too, like on holi last to last year, after playing with colours we are usually tired and sleep, but for a change we all sat together after lunch and my son played d nagada, and we all started talking about our favorite songs and each of us singing our favorite ones turn by turn and it was so much fun and also talking about the story behind that song being the favorite, on that day we also clicked snaps and one of them I am attaching with this post, edited by my son and lines written by me.

One may say this can be possible when your kids grow up, well yes for sure, but some more things we can do and some I have done too, like for a change stay at home cook together, Once Adesh made a simple snack for fun and it turned out to be our best dish for a holiday, like boiled potatoes mashed and mixed with bhel and masala and filled them on long finger chips and we all loved to eat it, the idea just came by discussing what to make together instead of one brain taxing itself as to what should be made and doing it all alone. The fun of just being together and joining hands to make the day and the dish special is more special than an ordinary weekend.

And one more thing when ur kids are too small, wear the same coloured clothes, I usually did it when my kids were small, same colour clothes, a nice hair style for d kids, click photographs together, play an akkad bakkad bambe bol, make funny faces, say stories, share jokes, play carrom together, watch a cartoon movie..............and the list goes on. Here I would like to add guys watch the recently released 3D animated movie Tangled with your kids or together, its childish but the movie is BEAUTIFUL. A must watch movie.

Hey hubby, I am missing those smiling together days, they are lost temporarily,please please come and join us to bring back that magic back in our lives, I am missing us together. Do you remember what we gifted once on your birthday a small peice of work embroidered on a cloth, made by Srijan(my son)

"You are the SUN around which We all revolve"

The smiles are missing, but to all who read this, if you have lived such moments, good and keep it up, and if never tried such simple things which make life beautiful then live them now. The magic is within us and not the places we visit. If its WE, we can be happy always.

Keep smiling, as I said Smile and the world smiles back and when we all smile together Oh!!!! Undoubtedly The world looks more beautiful, and this moment I can see you smiling, just keep that on always. God bless all of us.

The length of a mini skirt

Good Morning
I told my morning group of friends to start thier day with a positive feeling and give their best shot. So I thought let me also do that.

Well why I wrote the length of a mini skirt is because once I got a msg from a friend saying " A good lecture should be like the length of a mini skirt, short enough to create interest and long enough to cover the subject "

Yesterday while writing my blog I made it long and later I was thinking its getting kinda little out of the subject, the jist was in the last 2 or 3 paragraphs.

Today I am sharing one example of doing interesting things once in while, may be once in 6 months or less or more, but Do it.

Have you ever kept awake all night with a friend, a cousin, room mate, brother and sister, with your spouse, with your children, chatting all night, eating, sharing funny episodes or the adventures experienced,if not on week days but try it on a weekend when you dont have to bother about how tired you will be.
I have done it a couple of times and trust me its so much fun and after keeping awake all night, early morning go to the terrace and see the sun rise and experience this beautiful feeling of enjoying nature's beauty, the voice of chirping birds, the dew on leaves of trees around, the colour of the sky, the smell of the morning fresh air.
I know all that can be seen without keeping awake all night but the fun and the happiness, the excitement of having spent time with someone you love a lot, all night and watching the sunrise with that person, hand in hand or in a group,trust me, you will remember it all your life and so will your children or friends or loved one, whoever has shared it with you.

This weekend try doing this and I am sure you will come and say Thanks to me. For those who have already done it, I know that you would love to do it again.

Live life with fun and Enjoy every moment God has given you, its only you who can add beauty to your life, Dont stop living before you Die. Life is only once and experience those Once in a lifetime moments.

With this note I am signing out for the day, see you tomorrow, have a fantastic day ahead. Keep smiling :)

The importance of an hour for myself

How many times in life we all, whether when we were children or teenagers or grown up Men and women, we sit and think according to our individual responsibilities the list of work already done and the list yet to be completed and the pressure of the list for which we are not finding time and it goes on and on.

In today's competetive world every human being is under pressure, when its children who are in the primary School they have this pressure of waking up early in the morning and then getting ready for School, if homework done then fine, if not the pressure of the scoldings one is going to get at School, then at School again the competition with fellow students not only to get good grades but even to understand what is being taught and at times fear of getting up to ask any doubts that people may laugh at you...... its an unending list, then back home again pressure if parents are in a good mood then fine but if they are stressed up then hell at home too.

The teenagers have their own problems apart from studies, career and aim which they kind of decide but aren't very sure and the preachings and pressure from every individual around as to what to do and what not to, apart from that friends. There is this time when one shapes up his individual self too coming out of the comfortable zone of parents and family, some are shy, some are talkative, some expressive and some very quiet. So again the pressure of just one little thing that no one understands me, it is the time when such thoughts spring up on your mind, and as per people's reactions those thoughts either reach a saturation point and one revolts or they completely subside and an individual gets the label of what he or she looks like to the outside world.

The college days are kind of the best days of life because then one knows what he is doing and he has decided where he is going and he also has the freedom to make friends as per his choice and its the time when one dreams as to what he is going to have or become in personal and professional life. In this time there is one and only pressure of being or not being in love, if you are in love, its beautiful till it does not end and once it ends again pressure, and if your not then pressure as to why I am not finding the person, or why I am unable to express, or why is the other person not saying yes...... still its more of fun time and people enjoy the college days mostly.

After College again pressure if you get the right job, the right partner for life as per your dreams and ambitions then fine but if no then endless stress, one starts feeling like a failure and forgets what one has achieved till that time in life and also that this is not the end, there is lot more to come good and bad.

Marriage again is the beginning of another school, an entirely new world which you step in whether its a girl or a boy they have to bring changes in thier routine life, one has to mould onesself as per the family and spouses requirements. Motherhood is a very beautiful but very hard venture Woman are blessed with. So again starts a pre primary stage till your just 2 people, then primary, high school and higher secondary as your children grow you feel the same or even more pressure which you might have felt in your School days.
For men it is the time to prove thier caliber by earning and managing a family though nowadays women are also sharing the responsibility of running the family but that also is not an easy task to understand the schedules of each other and adjust accordingly.

Old age is the most tough stage of life becasue by then you are left with a lot of memories good and bad as per your actions and reactions of people. By then it may be a collection of mistakes or a collection of beautiful moments lived, and when you have less work and a weak body you start looking back upon life, which you lived the way you wanted to, even if it was not your way, it is you who decided to live it other peoples way so then many of us start regretting many things done and many feel proud to look back and see how they succeeded in life and what they acheived but even to them old age is difficult becasue after all the success, now sitting idle or listening to people younger to you gets painful.

Basically Life is not easy for any person at any stage, to look at from outside I may feel your life is good and you may feel mine is good becasue we all spend our life looking at other people and comparing our lives and ourselves.

Now here comes the importance of an hour for myself, I want all of you who read this to start it today and within a month you will be a much more happier person than you now are.

Please dont think I am preaching, becasue preachers just preach, they dont practise what they say, and this is not religion, this is not knowledge, this is not meditation or anything which one suggests when you are in stress.

This is the most simple and beautiful way of living life with a smile. Spend one hour everyday in doing what you like. Now you have to decide what you love to do, it could be any of the following
Sing Songs
Dance
Make a painting
Read a book
Hear music
Watch your favorite program on TV
Exercise, Swimming, Aerobics, health programs
Take a walk
Sit at a garden bench and watch children playing
Talk to a friend
Play games indoor or outdoor
Pray, Read or discuss Religion
Write and share your feelings
Browse any networking site and connect with friends

The options can be infinite, but whatever you choose to do should be something you dont do normally and something which you always loved to do, or dreamt of doing. Spend that one hour in doing what you like with complete passion and let that be your time, where you are just YOU.

Trust my words you will notice a change in your whole world, becasue life does not change, it is a mixture of gains and pains, wins and losses, happiness and sorrows, it cannot be perfect, it has to be balanced, but YOU will change and they say if you want to change the world CHANGE YOURSELF.

Do take my words seriously becasue I am serious very rarely in life :-)
I practise what I say, I have always tried and mostly succedded in living life with a smile, though I dont say I never complain or cry, well we are all human and simple people so we can be natural just the way we are.

My post is getting longer today, but when i start something I need to finish it the right way. So friends and readers, try what I said and then let me know what changes you saw in yourself.

Rest in next, please give me your feedback and suggestions for all of us will learn more from each other.

My first post

It looks like this is the beginning of a journey which I am gonna travel, with an unknown destination but I know for sure that it is going to be memorable and will take me closer to God. In his name I begin writing today and hoping to improve myself with every passing day.
I invite people to walk along with me one and all who know me and also who do not but, those who believe that Life is only once and there's no time to regret or repent on anything of the past but continuously learn and improve ourselves and keep moving on with a positive mindset that whatever happens, happens for the good.

My mother who is our first teacher in life always says whenever I am happy or troubled in our language that keep chanting Gods name and all will be well. She gave me the inner strength which comes by taking time to pray and spend time in solitude with God. I cant be as dedicated as she is undoubtedly my biggest source of strength.
My father taught me how to live life with fun, enjoy every moment, every festival, love the family heartily, watch movies, sing songs, go on long drives, get wet in rain, play with the waves on sea shores, do all what you can and what you love to do.
My mother in law taught me how to manage a home perfectly, all the house hold jobs and responsibilities which I never used to listen when my maa told me to coz i was having fun then ;-)
My husband I can only tell it in one line, he is my better half, If I am good it is him, If I am bad it is me,hahaha.
My children are the most beautiful part of my life becasue they showed me how beautiful life is despite all the other things, the smiles on thier faces brighten my beautiful world.

Well please do not think that it is all about myself but why I shared these few things first is becasue I believe that What we are is a blend of the beautiful people in our life family and friends. They make our world which we call My world.

And please note No body is perfect and so the people who expect perfection at every place, then this blog is not the right place for you, becasue I am the most imperfect person and yet living a perfect life.

I have a dream and my blog is my first step towards my dream and I know it will come true someday, becasue if you think you can, and you work for your dream, you will definetely reach where you want to be.
My first sharing which we all need to read and try to remember day to day, everyday are a few points which my first best friend in life Prema Aunty taught me, they are a part of the

Principles of Reiki

1. Just for today, I will give thanks for my many blessings and live the attitude of gratitude.
2. Just for today, I will not worry.
3. Just for today, I will not get angry.
4. Just for today, I will do my work honestly.
5. Just for today, I will show love and respect for every living being.

I end my hour today with a simple note that I know that it is difficult to follow the above everytime but it is not difficult to remind ourselves whenever we forget these points by just reading them as many times as it takes to register on our minds.

My readers please share whatever you feel or know on every word I have written because we all learn from each other and as I said before I am here to share more and learn more and the best part is we all would gain by sharing and expressing our thoughts.

Please, please do write whatever comes to your mind whenever you go through every post I share.

Thank you
thatsbandana@gmail.com