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Me, I, I am Exploring within: Handling the Guilt

  Friends in my previous article I mentioned about taking responsibility. We started learning to take responsibility of certain simple consequences in our life. And in the process of doing so we can feel the lightness we experience. We slowly develop " It's my life, the ball is in my court " attitude. We are not at the mercy of someone or something. Slowly we get control of our life.   By now you would have observed that, before we took responsibility of our life situations, we were in constant WAIT. Waiting for people to change. Waiting for the situations to change. Waiting for the right moment. Waiting for the right opportunity. And just waiting and doing nothing. Now there is more action and happening in life as we learn to take responsibility. For all those who could relate and feel the lightness it's fine. But if there are any traces of heaviness I warn you. Please stop! There could be many reasons and meanings for the heaviness. It's important for us to understand more about what the heaviness is before we move ahead. Chances of getting into Guilt trip are more in the process of taking responsibility of the situations. One reason for heaviness could be this GUILT CONSCIOUSNESS, some where deep inside. Please note, the situation in which it's difficult to take responsibility has nothing to do with this guilt. The situation has only  triggered the guilt. So it's very important for us to resolve the root cause for the guilt. It is always a good idea to take help from your near and dear. Choose a person who listens to you. Any advice from the listener will drive you into more and more guilt. So be careful choosing the person you wish to talk to!!!! And some times professional help can easily untie the knot and we will be able to move forward. You can locate a counsellor or a psychologist, a regression therapist or a rebirther who can give you some run down exercises and guide you to resolve the deep-rooted cause for the guilt. In my personal journey I identified my guilt consciousness develop at a very early age. It was deep rooted. To protect my self from these negative feelings I used to put up bold front all the time. And display ' I am never wrong' attitude. I distanced my self from who ever tried to prove me wrong. I could untie my guilt consciousness in one of my past life regression sessions with Dr. Newton. My mother and maternal uncle suffered severe health condition after my birth. This was attributed to the birth-star I was born into. Unknowingly I cursed and blamed my self and took responsibility for their health condition. Here, you should note I took responsibility for their health condition. Chances of developing guilt could be taking responsibility for someone else's life situations not yours. It's very important to understand "my thing" and "others' thing". And then act. Like in the examples we quoted in the previous article. In spite of giving your best checking the kids dairy, spending enough time and guiding the child appropriately if the child still fails to respond as intended there is more to it than "taking responsibility"   .......Nagavalli Cherukuri Rebirther

I AM MALALA

Feeling lazy to get up early in the morning and leave for school and college? Cursing the guy who started the concept of schools and exams? Well!! That’s the difference between us and Malala Yousafzai!! She was shot in the head by the Taliban because she just wanted to go to school like the rest of us. She won the nobel peace prize because that attack never stopped her after that. Malala Yousafzai, most of us must have heard about her. She was attacked because she raised her voice to fight for her own rights. The Taliban shot her to silence her and her fight. Instead they silenced the fear inside her. Forever. Even after being shot, being in coma for about a week, learning to walk and talk all over again, moving away from their favorite place, their home, when asked what she would do if she ever met the guy who shot her she replied, “ I won’t do anything to him. I am not even angry at him. If I also attack him then what is the difference between him and me. Instead I’ll tell him the importance of education and ask him to stop misusing the name of religion” To speak with such maturity is highly commendable. A mere 18 year old to have so much courage to come before the world and talk to people right in their face and tell about her story and not worry about her own life is amazing. Did you know, she met the American president, and told him directly that he should not be sending drones like he is? That takes guts !  Just wonder how many death threats she might be getting from the Taliban each day. What is even more fascinating is even after doing so much, visiting places, she never stopped going to school. She was in school when the news about her winning the Nobel peace prize reached her. Although she was given the permission to leave, she said she wanted to stay and complete her school day before she can go for any press interviews that followed. Now that is determination. What we can learn from her is the very courage and determination she is showing. We can learn that things should not be taken for granted. There are kids out there without chairs and desks in school, without teachers and some with no schools at all. We are fortunate enough to be able to witness and experience schooling which helps us to find our true self. All we can do is support her by getting education and helping others get it. There is a Malala Yousafzai in all of us. Awaken it!! I AM MALALA!! ARE YOU?   -- Kunde Sanjana

While We Watch

  Screens have become a part of our life. Screen of a computer, of a TV and even of a mobile is continuously held before our eyes. They have become our external eyes to look at the world. But in the excitement of looking at those screens, we often ignore the fact that they might damage our natural eyes. Here are some of the ways how that happens, and a few precautions that might be taken…   Brightness:     We often forget to make adjustments to the brightness and contrast of our screens. After a while our eyes get accustomed to the factory set values of brightness. It’s often shocking that some of the screens are set at 90-100% of brightness. Many people don’t even bother to adjust the brightness of their mobiles. So… spend some time to know the values at which the brightness and contrast were set in your monitors, mobiles and TV screens. You will feel surprised, that things appear much better and cool when you bring down the values to a comfortable position.   Distance:     We have heard a lot of things about maintaining distance while watching a TV. But things have changed a lot; screens have gone through a bit of revolution. Maintaining a distance of 6 feet before a TV doesn’t seem valid for an 80 inch screen! So it’s better to decide the distance based on the size of your monitor. It would be interesting to find that there is a distance prescribed even for watching the screen of a smart phone. Experts say that at least a distance of 14-16 inches should be maintained to watch a smart phone.  If you can’t watch the text at that distance, it’s better to increase the font size rather than bringing the screen closer to your eyes. But a study reveals that people were handling their mobiles with just a distance of 7 inches… that’s right in front of your eyes!   Blink:   Most of the people living around the screens complain about the dryness in their eyes.  This happens because, we often forget to blink while we are immersed in the monitor, particularly when we are watching a movie or playing an exciting game. Blinking is an essential routine for an eye. It would moisture the eyes and prevents their dryness. Experts have found out a way for the eyes to be relieved from the stress of concentrating on the monitor. They are suggesting a method called 20/20/20 which means- looking at a distance of 20 feet away from the screen for a period of 20 second for every 20 minutes.   Time:   As our lives have grown mechanical, we have become addicted to our gadgets. People are normally seen drowned into their mobile screens. A recent study has shown that people in the countries of UK, US, Canada, Australia and Germany were spending more than 6 hours a day for watching the screens. And that’s just an average! We often take up the mobile into our hands or switch on the computer for some specific task, but ends up in browsing some worthless stuff.  After a bit of recollection, if we feel that we are wasting much time… it’s better to keep our browsing time under control. Apart from the above precautions, a few more remedies like- having healthy food that improves our vision; wearing glasses that are anti radiant; switching to anti glare monitors; sleeping for enough time… would also let our eyes to be in a healthy state.   --Nirjara

While We Mail

As the dependence on written letters has diminished and as the graph of the e-mail usage was heading straight towards the skies, people still seem to be ignoring some basic rules that might make their mail much perfect and formal as a written one. Some factors that might portray our mail in an effective manner are as follows… Never forget the subject: People often write a huge emotional mail, but forget to mention the subject for it. Even though our mail services warn us of adding a subject before sending the mail, we hurry to click the ‘send’ button ignoring the caution. People in high profiles often get numerous mails in their inbox; they might not have enough time and patience to go through each and every mail. A blank left in the space of subject might be left unattended.  A subject is important not just for the receiver but also for the sender. It would be confusing to look at a page of sent mails without any subject written over them. They would serve as the key words for the mail sent by us.  A subject in fact is the face of our mail, so never miss it!   The Language: A mail can be electronic, but still can be polite while we are formal and poetic while being informal. Drafting a mail is in fact nothing less than an art. Even a legal notice can be written in the most polite manner.  And don’t forget to spell check your mail by the end. Silly mistakes like ‘soul’ instead of ‘sole’ might prove disastrous. Technicalities: Be aware of the technical words and the menu options associated with the mail. For example the ‘CC’ in the mail means just a carbon copy and ‘BCC’ would mean a blind carbon copy. If you wish to send a mail to multiple addresses without letting them know that it’s a bulk message… you should use the BCC method for sending the mail.  Be accustomed about the utilities like font change, adding signature etc. The spam: People often ignore the spam mail. It might not be harmful to overlook the spam, but often some mails which are genuine might stuck up in it. So if you are a regular user, it’s better to open the spam folder once in a while and verify the contents. But never click a link or download a file in the spam mail, when you are not sure. As a record: A mail is not just a medium to send and receive letters. It is in fact a form of record for your communication. You may not have a computer or an external hard disk, but can certainly store huge data in your mail. The Gmail for instance provides 15 GB of data to be stored in formats such as mails and attachments. So never delete a record unless you are sure of its futility. And you can save data such as photos and e-books as mere drafts. In such a way you can access your data anyway and anytime. But be assured of having  a backup of the data in your mail, so that you may not face an adverse situation if something goes wrong with your mail account.   --Nirjara

yes, he loves me

Couple of days back, I happened to meet my childhood friend, Soniya's husband on some official work of mine which is related to his domain. Our meeting took place in his office where I have realized that the capacity he is working with that prestigious organization is much more higher than  what we all assumed. However, he was very delighted to see us and warm in receiving us  and extended his support to the concerns we had. On my way back, I called up Soniya to say thanks for helping me out in getting her husband's time at work place. She was equally happy and said it will be pleasure for both of them to help friends and above all, the very joyful thing she shared with me is her hubby not only loves her a lot but respects her and her people too. Isn't this a wonderful feeling? And trust me, she also will never lease any opportunity to recognize her husband's efforts put in to see her happy.     When Soniya shared this with me, I could recollect those days when She was newly married and moved to a new place along with husband. There she got an opportunity to meet new people, experience new life style.. More so than anything else, she always used to write to me that she found a friend for life time and he is none other than her life partner. If a relationship brings you a friendship for life time, confidence and comfort throughout then life seems beautiful. If you also feel such moments in life acknowledge them. If you too embrace such moments show your gratitude to the universe.     When we appreciate simple joys and happiness they become big one day. Indeed life is a collection of small pleasures which lead to immense satisfaction. So catch that moment and grow that feeling with your positive emotions and appreciation. Life is all about celebration.. Go for it!   --Bhavana

"Teenage Tantrums"

This week is different. I will be writing about a complaint that almost all the teenagers have!! “My parents can never understand me! They do not know anything about me!!” Yes, most of us feel the same. Truly, our parents can never understand us and our world. Because we live in a complete dream land. That can sometimes be good as well as bad. We act like we have lived our life so much, that we are always right and are in a  position to take the right decisions. Sometimes we really do. As we are today’s generation, we understand today’s world better than our parents. Honestly ,it’s a little frustrating when your parents give you some age old advice that will clearly not work-out in today’s scenario. We all go like, “Oh my God!! Please. I know what I am doing!! So please stay out of this!”       Does it sound rude to you when you are reading this? Yes it is. That’s how you sound while telling your mom or dad the very same dialogue. I agree that they might not have a perfect idea of the world that you are living in right now, but clearly you do not have a right to yell back at them in any way you want to. Yes, I do know that I am sounding like a big old grand-mother right now. But that’s the truth. They freakin’ brought you into this world. Give them some priority. Have you ever shared anything personal with them?   We never ever talk to our parents about stuff like relationship advice, fights with our best friend or as a matter of fact about our studies too. (They get to know about this somehow. Well that’s a different matter!! ;-) ) As they have already gone through this phase of life, they might come up with a solution for the problem It might not sound ideal. But, hey!! No harm in trying right. Atleast we can try and hear them out.     “My life, My Rules”.  Pretty fancy of us to say out lines like this. But, most of us are not even clear what our life is and what is its purpose and we do not have the faintest idea of what we want to do in our lives that can make us a stable individual. It’s a fast world out there. You have to be faster to survive in it. Do you know how you can make yourself faster? Your parents are putting restrictions on you, to make you stronger. To prepare you for the worse.    Ok , let me put it this way!! By being harsh and stubborn, they want to show you and prepare you for how the world is going to treat you once you get out into it. It’s for your best. But yes, Sometimes, it can really get onto our nerves.    So, on behalf of all the teenagers out there, all I can say to the parents is that, we know you care about us a lot. We also know that you will do good for us all the time. But we sometimes tend to disobey you, because we want to try and go about ourselves and see what’s right and what’s wrong!! We do not want to be spoon fed. We want to explore. And we are doing all this only because, we have the confidence that even if we fall, you are there to help us get up, brush off the dust and get us ready for the next jump. So it is ok to let some decisions be taken all by ourselves instead of constantly nagging about it when we go wrong. Let us taste failure. Only then maybe we’ll realize the importance of some valuable advice coming from you. And when you do that, you won’t believe, how happy we feel and how we go about telling people that we have the most coolest and the awesomest parents on earth!!! That being said, I also want to add. Please stop all the emotional black-mailing you do. Please!! It does get us into such a mess and we literally feel helpless. ;-)   Sincerely, SANJANA KUNDE.

" సర్దుకు పోవటమా? " నో వే..!!

ఈ ప్రపంచం లో నాకు నచ్చని ఒకే ఒక్క మాట ." సర్దుకు పోవటం."     ఈ రోజుల్లో ఎవరిని కదిపినా మనకు వినిపించే మాట ఇది. ఈ స్టేట్మెంట్ తో పాటు కొన్ని అనుబంద ప్రశ్నలు కూడా వేస్తారు..".అసలు ఎందుకు సర్దుకుపోవాలి ? ", నేనే ఎందుకు సర్దుకు పోవాలి ?", అంటూ ఒక పది ప్రశ్నలు అయినా మనమీదకి దూసుకు వస్తాయి..పొరపాటున " సర్దుకోవచ్చు" కదా ! అని మనం సలహా చెప్పగానే . అదేదో వాళ్ళ ఆస్తి రాసి ఇమ్మన్నట్టు , చేయకూడని పని చేయమన్నట్టు చూస్తారు మన వైపు.     ఎక్కడా , ఎవరి మధ్యా ఈ సర్దుకు పోవటం అన్న ప్రశ్నే లేదు...అది ఏ సంబంధం అయినా కానీయండి., ఇదంతా సరే ..ఈ మద్య అబ్బాయిలు, అమ్మాయిలు పెళ్లి చేసుకోవటానికి తెగ ఆలోచిస్తున్నది ...ఎందుకు అంటే ..ఇందుకే..అదేనండి ..ఎక్కడ సర్దుకు పోవాల్సి వస్తుందో అని. ఇద్దరూ సర్దుకుపోవటానికి సిద్దం గా లేరు కాబట్టి , గొడవలు ఎలాగు తప్పవు. ఆ గోలంతా ఎందుకు అసలు పెళ్ళే మానస్తే పోలే ? అన్న అభిప్రాయానికి వచ్చేస్తున్నారు..దాంతో పాటు  పెళ్లి చేసుకోవటానికి కొన్ని లక్షలు ఖర్చు , ఆ పైన వద్దు అనుకుంటే విడి పోవటానికి మరికొన్ని లక్షలు ఖర్చు, కొన్ని రోజుల ముచ్చటగా మిగిలే దానికోసం ఇంత డబ్బులు వేస్ట్ ఎందుకు? హాయిగా లివింగ్ రిలేషన్ అయతే ..రూపాయి ఖర్చు ఉండదు. నచ్చితే కలసి వుంటాం, లేదంటే బై చెప్పి బయటకి వచ్చేస్తాం. సో సింపుల్ , .అనేస్తున్నారు.   బామ్మలు, అమ్మమ్మలు,తాతమ్మలు ముక్కున వేలేసుకున్నా., ఇది మన పద్దతి కాదని మొత్తుకున్నా."సారీ ..ఈ ప్రపంచం లో నాకు నచ్చని ఒకే ఒక్కమాట సర్దుకు పోవటం...అలా పోవాలి అంటే ఏది వదులు కోవటానికి అయినా నేను రెడీ. "అని ఖచ్చితం గా సెల్ పగలు కొట్టి మరి చెబుతున్నారు (కుండ ఔట్ డేటెడ్ అయ్పోయింది కదా ).       అమ్మానాన్నతో సర్దుకు పోలేరు ....ఇల్లు వదిలి వెళ్ళిపోతారు ,   అన్నదమ్ములతో సర్దుకు పోలేరు....మాటలు మానేస్తారు.   అత్తగారితో సర్దుకు పోలేరు ....వేరు కాపురం పెడతారు.   స్నేహితులతో సర్దుకు పోలేరు....టాటా ..బై బై చెప్పేస్తారు.     భార్యా భర్తలు సర్దుకుపోలేరు...విడాకులు తీసుకుంటారు.   ప్రపంచంతో సర్దుకుపోలేరు....ఆత్మహత్య చేసుకుంటారు ..   సో సింపుల్...ఏది వదులు కోవటానికి అయినా రెడీ...కాని సర్దుకు పొమ్మని మాత్రం అడక్కండి...   ...........రమ

Purchasing Online

Online purchase is no more a techie’s term. It has crossed all the barriers and reached every household in India. Companies like Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal… have now become the generic names for the online shopping. With the luxury to shop by clicking a mouse and the choice to avail best bargains… online purchases seem good at the first look. But a few things to be taken care of before filling your cart.   Be sure of your requirement: We often start with casually browsing the site and end up purchasing things that we don’t need. Online markets have thousands of products to display at reasonable prices. Products that tempt us and prices that prompt us might be a source of repentance in future. So let’s answer ourselves- Why should we purchase the product? Will that be a burden on our budget or the space we live in? Does it satisfy our long term requirements? Before choosing the product: Read the product details carefully. Conclude whether it would meet your requirement or not. For example: A graphic designer might need a laptop with latest processor (for rendering output). A Medical transcriptionist on the other hand might require a laptop with latest ram (for internet browsing). Always get acknowledged about the technical details of the product you wish to purchase. Words like `RPM (revolutions per minute) ` are indeed of great importance while determining the worth of a product. Then compare the prices of different brands with same features.     Be sure of the details: Let’s be sure of the minute details before adding the product to the cart. The details that were left unattended might prove disastrous. For instance: If you are tempted to purchase a reference book. Be sure of the facts like - number of pages, year of edition, size of the book, paperback or hardbound etc. Many book lovers often ignore the technical words like `abridged` which would disappoint them after the arrival of the package.   Don’t go by the name: Computers follow keywords while searching the data. Humans follow the same procedure while selecting a product.  The ads we see, the words we hear might influence us for a purchase. A product that might have changed the course of history may now be obsolete.  A product might boast of a latest addition to its gadget that is useless. It’s not just the trend or the brand value that should affect your decision. Your own assessment of the product should be finale.   Before closing the deal:   A few more precautions might make a purchase to be perfect. - It’s better to read the comments of the customers (particularly those of a single star) to be aware of the loopholes in the product. - Whether the product comes with Installation and Demo services! - Observe the warranty or the guarantees offered and the parts on which they are offered. - Facility to return the product should be noted. - Delivery charges, VAT or any hidden charges should be observed.   HAPPY SHOPPING   -nirjara

Stupid me!

I am standing near my wardrobe, wondering what to wear, usually I never take much time to decide, but now it is taking forever to decide, “oh my god! what happened to me?”, then my cheeks turned pink and a smile on my face, I just can’t stop thinking about him, I laughed at my obsession, I picked the prettiest dress of all and put it on me.   Here I am at the entrance, so nervous that I can’t even smile properly, then I closed my eyes tried to blow out my nervousness, it worked upto some extent, there are many people inside, but my eyes searched for him, “hey vidya” he called from behind, my heart skipped a beat, I can’t stop blushing, “hello” I said turning back.His looks made my jaw drop, “vidya stop drooling over him” I said to myself my thoughts went like this “Is he noticing, I’m wearing something pretty, I look good today, Do I really look good will he ever have a crush on me like I have on him” this train of thoughts is interrupted by him “who else can interrupt me?” I thought smiling, he is speaking something on which I didn’t concentrate “okay K.G” I said and followed him there he started to write something on the paper with left hand and a metal watch on it, oh my god what a view it is, I dig lefties so much I thought. woke up when my mother called me, it was a fantastic flashback, first crush is something you can never forget, even after 7 years I remember him like I saw him yesterday.How I used to try so much to impress him, how stupid of me, I thought. I didn’t knew that impressing people is not in our hands, they will like you if you have qualities they adore.Not because you’re pretty.People who like you will like you no matter what  :’)   ......Sreevidya

Things Married Men Love About Their Women

Women often have complaints that they never get to receive appreciation from husbands. However we know the fact that men are relatively poor communicators, still every wife does expect little amount of praising from her partner. To our surprise, recent survey says, husbands love so many things in their wives but won't share with them. This could be lack of their communication skills or they don't feel like voicing the emotions. If you are curious to know those traits married men love about their wives, here are  few: Perfect representative: Married men very much know that their women are the face of their family and would love to see her representing in family functions, community events or in friends get-together parties; this is just because they enjoy the sense of belongingness , love and care women possess towards the family. Husbands love to see their women embracing family culture and take forward to next generation. Exemplary Role models: Though husbands wont admit many facts about their partner, but they actually do;  believing that their wives are “Exemplary Role models” to their children is one among them. They always feel happy and proud where mothers take out time to educate kids, help them with studies and other co curricular activities.. Wives can take care of their children with utmost care and pamper them only when needed; but dads are still learning to acquire such balance. Best in financial management: When the whole country' s financials are lead by super women, so as at home in small scale. Most of the women now have a clear plan about their finances and they manage well to hit the goal. The have become self sufficient to address their financial needs along with family requirements and work in this direction. Married men like their wives outlook on financial needs of family and their contribution and appreciate a lot even though it is never said aloud. Wives are smarter than the hubbies: This above statement is admitted by most of men and they feel this deep with in their hearts that wife is always smarter. let it be doing right things on right time or stay calm when situation demands or come forward in crisis management...the list will go long. Certain scenarios,  husbands may look like ignoring the efforts put by the wife but in the bottom of the heart he will appreciate every bit of it and surely be thanking God for giving such a great support. --Bhavana

Amazing things to learn from Lord Ganesha

When Lord Ganesha came in to power on his birthday, we observe that day as Ganesh Chaturthi. From that day, we worship him for next 9 days, as “Nav Raatri”  and make this festival a grand event. He is God of intellect, good luck and prosperity. We also fondly call Lord Ganesha, “Vighnanashaya”, destroyer of obstacles;  we pray him to clear our path and lead us to success. We also believe that he should be worshipped first, before commencing any auspicious occasions. This position he acquired just by processing confidence, commitment and respect he has for parents. His elephant head, his big belly, His mountain like physic etc, could not stop him from becoming  the leader. And a small mouse on which he rides upon is very close associate to him too. Ganesha is epitome of knowledge and wisdom and his life teaches us to balance these both effectively. On this auspicious occasion of Ganesh chaturthi, we have few amazing  lessons to learn from Lord Ganesha to enhance our lives.. Be aware of your strengths: When Ganesha was asked to compete with his sibling Subrahmanya, Ganesha knew that, the given task is very tough one. However, instead of cribbing about that and blaming his parents, he came to know that his parents are his strength and they are the super power and will grant him any kind of success. So he went around them for three times and achieved the task given. Be a good communicator: Best communicator is not who talks good but who listens to the most. Lord Ganesha's big ears will tell us to be a good listener and be patient always. Utilising your skill the right way: An elephant’s trunk helps to carry load, fight when required but Lord Vinayaka's long trunk helps him to pick up food. This tells us to use our powers according to the need. Be kind: Once Ganesha had excess meal and find it difficult to walk; moon looked at him and laughed aloud by which Ganesha got hurt. His mother along with him cursed at moon but later he realised that his anger was causing inconvenience to the humankind so he has forgiven moon. Respect everyone irrespective of their power: If Ganesha wanted, he could have got the best animal to ride him, however he chose to take help of a mouse and was very kind and loving to him. Ganesha treated every animal with equality irrespective of their power and position. This is a sure trait everyone has to learn. Knowledge+ wisdom is prosperity: Mostly Lord Ganesha is accompanied by Goddess Laxmi which means, when knowledge and wisdom become a part of our life, prosperity follows automatically. --Bhavana

GANESHA - THE ULTIMATE HERO

  We have heard and read a lot about the symbolism behind GANESHA. But he always seems to have a few more glimpses that need to be noticed and followed. And here are a few of them... Our own laughing Buddha: While the China Bazaars have become a part of Indian market, everyone seems to be aware of `The laughing Buddha` statues. It is said that the big belly of laughing Buddha indicates his joyful mood and contended mind. But we've already has Vinayaka as our omen for abundance. Despite of our differences in caste and creed, everyone amongst the rich and poor are left with the basic need to satisfy their hunger. The belly of Ganesha and his blessing hand (abhaya hasta) assures us of obtaining everything that we need. Why only the Elephant head? We have the Lion, which is the king of the jungle. We have the Eagle, which is the queen of the skies. We have a lot of animals that are powerful and vigilant. Then why was an Elephant chosen to be the head of Vinayaka? Studies have shown that Elephants were highly intelligent. Elephants are social beings like humans and they live in herds. The leader of the herd is very keen about each and every member in her group. Elephants do possess great levels of memory due to which, they could recognise even a piece of cloth after decades. Now it's easy to associate the qualities of Ganesha with an elephant. The Tusk! Ganesha is seen holding a tusk in his hands. He indeed has used that tusk to scribble Mahabharata while Vyasa narrated it. We have a saying that `knowledge is weapon`. Ganesha seems to have proven this by using his weapon for the cause of knowledge. With a tusk on his head and another in his hand, Ganesha has given equal importance to strength as well as knowledge! Confidence: With a mouse as his vehicle and a body that can barely run, Ganesha has never lost the confidence to achieve the task. He always found a way to reach the goal despite his limitations. The famous story of race between Kumara Swamy and Vinayaka proves the point. With the challenge to encircle the world, while Kumara Swamy flew as fast as he can around the world. Ganesha has simply circled his parents, knowing that they are indeed 'his world'. So! Whatever might be our resources, whatever might be the situation and whoever might be our opponent... we always have a chance to reach the goal! The mouse: The vehicle of Ganesha seems to be the most inappropriate of all vehicles in devlok. Ganesha has the head of an elephant and a pot belly that is unbearable for a mouse to carry. Besides he has a snake tucked around his belly, which is a natural enemy of mouse. Now why a Mouse! Mouse is the most common creature before our eyes. It would spoil our paddy fields, it would chew our food... a mouse is said tospoil anything that is destructible! In other words, a mouse is a synonym for the word TROUBLE! So Lord Ganesh does ride on troubles and keep them under his control!  A few scholars feel that riding on mouse indicates the alertness of Ganesha, as a mouse is known to sneak away quickly!   - నిర్జర‌.  

మీ ఇంటికి బొజ్జ గణపయ్యలు

  నిన్నటి వరకు ఆన్ లైన్ షాపింగ్ అంటే ఎలక్ట్రానిక్స్, ఫర్నీచర్, ఇతర హోమ్ నీడ్స్ ఇవే ఉండేవి. ఇప్పుడు వీటి ప్లేస్ లోకి గణనాథుడు కూడా వచ్చేశాడు. ఒక్క క్లిక్ తో బొజ్జగణపయ్య మీ ఇంటికొచ్చేస్తానంటున్నాడు. ఆన్ లైన్ లో మీ ఆర్డర్ల కోసం వెయిట్ చేస్తున్నాడు వినాయకుడు. గణేష్ చతుర్థి దగ్గర పడటంతో సిటీలో విగ్రహాలు అమ్మకాలు జోరందుకున్నాయి. నగరంలో ఎక్కడా చూసిన వినాయక ప్రతిమలు సందడి చేస్తున్నాయి. దీనికి తోడు ఆన్ లైన్ లో విగ్రహాన్ని బుక్ చేసుకునే ఫెసిలిటీస్ అందుబాటులోకి వచ్చేసింది. డిఫరెంట్ సైజులు, వెరైటీ వినాయక విగ్రహాలు ఆన్ లైన్ లో దొరుకుతున్నాయి. వెబ్ సైట్ లో నచ్చిన విగ్రహాలను ఎంచుకొని ఆర్డర్ చేస్తే చాలు 24 గంటల్లో డోర్ డెలివరీ ఇచ్చేస్తున్నారు సేల్స్ పర్సన్స్. వినాయక విగ్రహాలను ఆన్ లైన్ లో సేల్ చేయటం ఇదే ఫస్ట్ టైం.

The Home Decoration Lovers

Keeping things clean and neat is different from keeping the surroundings decorative.....if the mood is good, anyone can decorate a home, but the right kind of decor, creating a stylish statement in home decor among friends and relatives doesnot come to all. These talented lot donot have to be Interior Designers or someone from an Architecture studies background, that desperate interest to decorate a space is in them from birth. As they grow up, even the family notices their special approach to maintaining a home looking good and well decorated all the time. They can turn any boring space into something cool. With the most affordable furniture to everything DIY, they create a Wow Home in minutes. I have personally seen someone who mends a space even when visiting a friend's place that is not so well maintained. She moves the sofa inch by inch just while talking with the friend, inorder to align the sofa and by the time she leaves the place, the living room she spent talking is in a good shape. This habit is so interesting to watch and helpful for those who just can't do it right.....but if overdone, it is so silly and annoying. I have also noticed someone who doesnot like when we dont put the water glass back on the coaster on the beautiful center table she has. And some, clean, clean and continue to clean and move items on the sofa and the tables even when the guests have arrived. They dont care !! Some decorate the home so much that they dont want to relax on the bed, worrying that the bedspread might get wrinkles !  You might have seen someone atleast who has this passion and loves visiting home decor stores to window shop, if not to buy. There are quite many people of this group who can celebrate their birthdays in a hobby store looking for their next DIY Decor items. Home decoration is an art, one that doesnot come to everyone....but it is good as long as one doesnot demand appreciation and praise. Decorate your home to please your own eye, or to give a treat to the guests you invited, but dont expect applause always....as the art doesnot come to all, so does the eye to appreciate this art, it doesnot come to all...!! -Prathyusha Talluri

Capture The Moment

  Krishnashtami!! What a wonderful festival!! It lets us experience God at home. Isn’t it?   Every mom dresses their little boy as little Krishna and their tiny girl as Radha. Kids are treated very special and parents and elders extend a warm affection; this celebration gives elders, immense of happiness. But, after that we will get back to routine and from then, we don't see any angelic, blessed nature of children which they actually possess.   However, kids are the same before and after the festival; the difference is in us and in the way we look at things. All of us would love to experience “wow” moments in life so very often; but, sometimes we ignore when they are so much around us. As time passes, our kids grow up and they leave their impressions in every aspect, just to give us an abundant amount of happiness. But we, overlook those joyful moments and focus somewhere else. When kids fly on their own , we realise that our “happiness” is gone and then feels like life is empty. Just imagine, if this realization would have come before, life would have been much more jubilant.     It is needless to say that, when kids are around, every day looks like festival and every festival has life in it. We celebrate and live those moments to the fullest and charge up, but in a day or two  we put a full stop to this celebration. Instead, if we learn to keep this festivity continued through out life, then life becomes meaningful. when we learn to enjoy life as it comes, it brings us only happiness.   When, little children are at home, we fail to notice the beauty of life. But, when kids become older, we look up to our grandchildren or kids of neighbourhood. However, its difficult to find the adequate love and affection. If you observe deeply, kids are mirror images of life at large. They show you how to live fully. But when we try to control them, we control our joys and happiness. You might be upset with the mischievous behavior of kids, nevertheless, they remain as fond memories for us, just like how we enjoy the “Leelaas of Balakrishna” even now. Having kids nearby is wealth and when we discover this truth, we feel rich and be superabundant. If you can't capture these moments of life, then there is no second chance. Peeping for euphoria and bliss else where later is folly.     To avoid such damages, festivals are brought in to our culture. They come and go, but leave its impressions on life. Festivals like, “ “Janmashtami” come and go, but reminds you that there are divine souls present with you in this journey, just take care, feel and concede. Understand the voice of nature which has given you the opportunity to be surrounded by the angels and divine energies.  Acknowledging and receiving this bliss is absolutely in our hands... Just go for it. -Bhavana

Only Child

  “The only days I feel lonely is not when I’m alone but when I’m in a crowd I don’t want to be with”. Being an only child can sometimes get tough. Generally, when people are happy they don’t remember whether they are rich or poor, male or female and all.   So the problem lies here, you perceive that being an only child depresses a person when you’re not actually happy.   All this single child syndrome, and the stereotypes people think about you doesn’t matter when you’re happy, so don’t care about all those and relax.   And I often used to try to break all the stereo types of the single child, but damn, I should break a lot of them   -spoiled brat -self-centered -doesn’t share my belongings -used to get pampered -likes to have friends who are older than me   *phew*  all these, it can stress me out if I try to break every one of these.And sometimes it gets worse BECAUSE STRESSING OUT TOO MUCH IS ALSO SOMETIMES CONSIDERED AS A SINGLE CHILD TRAIT. And come on it’s not just a single child, but it’s a human trait that we tend not to share our favorite food. ¯_(ツ)_/¯ “So I stop stressing out myself and will live happily ever after  (ツ)”   ......SREE VIDYA

MOMS!!!

  Mothers are the most special people in our lives. They just love us so much to such an extent that is sometimes funny how they respond. These are the common things everyone’s moms say or do! 1. I don’t have 10 hands.   Actually, we are supposed to be doing a lot of household work and help our mom whenever she needs us. But we being the laziest, never bother to move. Instead we keep asking mom to bring us something in return, like a glass of water or something. That’s when she uses her dialogue. “Cant you do it yourself!! I am working here. I don’t have 10 hands.”   2. How much did Mrs.Sharma’s son get? Although she does not mean to compare and degrade anyone,itsjust  a sense of satisfaction for her to know that her child is better than the neighbours! That’s a reason she keeps asking about other kids’ marks. But if you get less than them, Oh Boy!!! May God be with you!!   3. I don’t know anything! Ask your father!! Whenever we ask her for permission to do something, whatever might be her view on it,whether she is for or against, she will never say yes or no. All she will say is “Go ask your father!!” She never wants to b the “bad parent” who rejects everything the child asks for.. So sweet MOM!! 4. Do whatever you want. Guys, this is a definite NO!!! Do not dare make a move towards whatever it is. You will regret it later. She might not physically do anything. All she will say is “I told you”. Although what she said was “you can do whatever you want”!!! Unpredictable moms!!!! 5. Embarrassing Times. Moms will be ever ready to publicise you as the greatest child ever whenever anyone’s around. Mind you, they can go the other way round too. They can make you look so bad infront of others.( Although it happens rarely.) What I call this is “Parental BiPolar Syndrome” An instant change in attitudes so fast, that you will always fall behind in realizing it!! Whatever they do, either praise you or point you out, They do it to such an extent that you always go like,”Mom,stop it now!!”   And oh I almost forgot!!!! The most common thing of all times. You can NEVER EVER win an argument with your mom!!! You might be right! You might have a valid point. But no!! she will just not quit. Atleast we can learn that from her. How to stay confident and hold on to your side. When she is arguing, you are NOT supposed to answer back.. When you argue back with a good point, she will always defend herself by changing the topic to how your attitude has been changing recently and how you are not showing any respect to elders!!! Putting all this aside, the most beautiful part is, you can never stay angry on her for long!! You can see it for yourself. When you have an argument with your mom, within the next hour,everything will be alright. You don’t even have to say anything. It’s just the aura a mom sets up in the house, that makes us feel so comfortable. Seriously, who doesn’t love their mom? She is the most beautiful person ever.IN And Out!! And the food she prepares is of such high standard!!No one can ever make anything as delicious as hers.Mom can be your best friend when you let her. She might not understand your situation the way you want her to. But she will definitely understand it the right way.  She might embarrass you the most. She might come and hug you and talk too loudly with someone infront your friends. You might find her annoying at times. But it’s your mom after all. That’s why she is so special!! She doesn’t care about anyone or anything when you are around. You are her world.   Just one sentence, “ Did you have dinner mom?” will melt her heart. She will be the most happiest person. All you have to do is respect her and treat her with just as much affection as she does. Go now, and tell her, how much you love her and how much she means to you. Give her a tight hug!! And say        “I LOVE YOU MUMMA!!!”   -Kunde Sanjana

The Beauty-holics

The World has seen so many Beauty Pageants and Beauty Queens...thousands of cosmetic brands and stores springing up by the year ....as the years progress, people who are crazy about Beauty are multiplying too. In every College, every Work group, every family, there is atleast one who is so mad about maintaining the Beauty...following trends, changing makeup, dressing up well. They seem odd if overdone, but life is interesting for someone who wants to stay beautiful, sametime, it is the mortal truth that is hard for these people to swallow... For some who are beauty conscious, aging is so hard to face, but for some it is an ongoing maintenance of beauty, no matter the age. Some become demotivated right when they see a decline of their beauty fame , for some it is even more rewarding when they look younger and are titled 'Santoor Mom' at 50yrs of age too. Life is different for everyone and everyone is different. Staying beautiful and maintaining physical beauty is a good habit yet how we do it is important...believing in Holistic Beauty, without the use of harmful beauty and makeup products is better. These days, the safest of the beauty products come in Lipsticks, Foundation, Mascara too. Holistic doesnot mean Boring, anymore. For some, beauty in old age is a boon, for some it should be a challenge, not to be felt as a curse. Yet, i adore people and elders who dont bother too much about physical beauty as they age and accept old age, happily.   Every youngster should be taught by oarents and Teachers that too much use of Beauty products maynot cause side effects right away but they show up, in the future. They should be taught that Actual Beauty is the Inner beauty, not only the physical beauty. Also, some parents strictly restrict their children from using cosmetics,...when the world follows a norm, your child maynot understand, hence, teaching to limit the use is easier than stopping completely, which might backfire. Make sure your child doesnot become a Beauty-Holic !! -Prathyusha Talluri

The Health-conscious Group!

  We all need to be healthy, we all need to be health-conscious, but there are a few who are too much into this health-conscious stuff. They eat healthy, they walk healthy, they run healthy, they talk healthy and what not !! People around them think they have gone crazy, but the current times demand such a lifestyle too. We are forced to follow the 'Good Health' Manthra round the clock....relax a little and you gain weight and you become lazy to exercise daily and then things follow...thats the reason one who is following this regime every day is afraid of taking it easy even for a day. This category of the most health-conscious people are always gathering information about different healthy foods to consume,  unhealthy and GMO foods to avoid, effective changes to the lifestyle to live better etc....'Ignorance' is no longer Bliss when it comes to Health Awareness.     The easiest health issue these days is Diabetes..it has become common among the Expectant Women too. One has to be on the run to maintian good health, good hygiene, every hour of the day...gone are those days, gone are those generations who consumed Butter, Sweets and White rice without any guilt. Pollution and Genetically Manipulated Food Cultivation has drastically affected the healthy lifestyle of every human being. I wonder if there is still a place in the world untouched by these two culprits. And thats the reason, instead of laughing at someone who leads a healthy and fit lifestyle, giving up the 'Eating Out and Celebrate Rich Food - Be a Couch Potato' Habits, it is better to get inspired by them at the earliest and adopt a healthy lifestyle.   -Prathyusha Talluri