“Life Fascinates Me To Learn Something New Each Day”- Mrs Kameswari Suryanarayna

To My Source Of Inspiration,

This post is my tribute to the multi-talented person, the powerhouse of enthusiasm and positivity Mrs Kameswari Suryanarayna!!

An 85YO, talented painter, a passionate baker, a photography enthusiast, and a part-time drummer!!! Her age-defying passion for life reflects in her choice of career as a Karnatic Music Guru!!

Born and brought up in a humble south-Indian family, Mrs Kameswari is one of her six siblings. A keen observer, a fast learner and a natural talent in music, she picked up the nuances of Karnatic music at a very early age.

She did her first live orchestra performance when she was 17years old. Though her formal music training started somewhere in her mid-thirties when she was already a mother of two school-going kids.

She continued to pursue her passion for music, which became her career eventually. Some of her early recordings are still played on Doordarshan & AIR even to date.

Today, in her mid-eighties, she maintains an active and healthy lifestyle, has a very disciplined approach towards life, food and thoughts and continues to train her pupils through her online classes.

Quoting her “I take utmost care of what goes inside me, both mind and body!”

This was an eye-opener for me and also became my Mantra to good physical and mental health as a Life Coach.

We all need a role model, a hero in our life who acts like a reference point, who inspires us during the times when we feel low.  And I feel extremely privileged to have found one in  Mrs Kameswari Suryanarayna!!

Here is what she has to say,

“Though I started reviving my classical music rather late I learnt a lot with studying the theory portion of it. Our classical music is bound by rules. And with a change of one Swara the whole mood of the raga changes. It needs a bit of training to understand and enjoy our music either by singing or enjoy singing by others. This I realised when I started to learn the theory portion. I very much wanted to share the elevation of my spirit while hearing the experts.

All of us can’t sing. But some people are blessed with this art that can make others happy while satisfying themselves with their singing. I utilised my teaching experience to prepare the audience for these gifted singers. I feel that this is my little bit of contribution to the music world.

For school-going children, I teach good foundational music. For the middle age group, I explain the nuances and greatness of our music appreciate while teaching them to sing according to their standard. Likewise, I am conducting Thyagaraja Aradhanas for the last nearly 30 years. 

While in the beginning most of the people didn’t know what was Aradhana and who was Thyagaraja now they look forward to my Aradhana function.

If you have most of the things with the grace of God we feel that something is missing. I felt that when once my responsibilities were over and I have enough to look after myself unless you do your bit to share your knowledge or wealth with deserving people you won’t be happy.

This made me do my social work at my village by organizing eye camps, encouraging deserving students in the schools with cash prizes for best students in academics, arts and sports and financial assistance for deserving students. This gives me the utmost satisfaction and happiness.”

Click on the link and watch her in a candid conversation:

https://youtu.be/JCNZzsZHcAo

Writer’s Plea:

The thought behind this initiative is to bring forth the role models from around us. Each of the beautiful people featured on this platform has been a hero and a source of inspiration for us. We hope that this initiative inspires many more to live life to its fullest. Please join us in celebrating this beautiful life- Mrs Kameswari Suryanarayana !!!

Give Life Another Chance! Choose Happy!!

Life Is Thy Game Played With The Roll Of A Dice,
Foreplay Of Opportunities, Transpiring Into Fire And Ice!

They Say “The Sole Purpose Of Your Existence
Is To Live And Die In The Service Of  Man-Kind.
The Only Reason For Your Life, Is To Sacrifice”
To All Such Voice, Turn An Eye, Which Is Blind.

Now, Don’t Get Me Wrong.
I Am All In, To Support Each Other.
That’s What Makes Us A Community!!
But I Am Not Game To Deprive Someone Of Living Their Life In The Name Of Charity.

Each Life Has A Motive, A Purpose, Some Goals.
Let’s Go On This Excursion Called Life
And Let’s Explore It As The Dice Rolls.

Make Yourself, Your Top Priority, And Chill!
If You Don’t Love Your Self, Who Will?

Self-Care Is Self-Love At It’s Best
And If You Are Wondering How?
Let Me Put Your Mind To Rest.
Self-Love Ain’t About Becoming Selfish.
Rather It’s About Accepting Yourself, As-Is.

It Is About Plugging Those Gaps
And Healing That Unattended Wound.
It Is About Comforting Your Broken Soul
And Wrapping One’s Self In A Soft Cocoon.

I Bet You Still Remember The Safety Caution
In The State Transport Bus.
‘Yatri Apne Saamaan Ki Khud Hi Hafazat Karen’ So Why This Fuss??

All Airlines Have This On Their Safety Instructions And Manuals, Lengthy
Put Your Oxygen Mark First, Before You Attend To Others And Than Pose For A Group-Fie!!

If A-Friend-In-Need-Is-A-Friend-Indeed
Pray, You Become Your Best Buddy.
On This Journey, I Wish You Luck And Godspeed.

And If You Agree With The Stuff Mentioned Above
Then There Is No Way Why You Won’t Join My Self-Care Campaign, My Drive For Self-Love!!

Let’s Give Our Lives Another Chance.
And When You Fall In Love This Time
How About You Choosing Yourself For This Bromance?

PS: Show Some & Love Towards Your Self! Be Your Own Valentine, This Year!!!

SelfCare #SelfLove #ChooseHappy #ChooseLife

PC: Unsplash

Is Your Glass Half Empty or Half Full?

What you sow, is what you reap!!


Couldn’t have found a better phrase that describes what we feed our mind, reflects in our thoughts, conversations and behaviour.

Read some beautiful posts penned on this prompt, my take here is about our PERSPECTIVE, towards life, our careers, our jobs, our kids but most importantly about our relationship with our SELF.



While addressing a group of enthusiastic parents in a workshop, the image of a glass filled with water triggered innumerable thoughts about how each one of us has a uniquely different perspective towards the same object/ experience/event.


The glass, the content and the emptiness of the container and the image took me on an inward trip.

How much can I hold, decides my capacity, my capability!!

What content I have within deciphers the depth of my personality, my attributes and my traits!!

The emptiness of my container would determine how much I am willing to accept myself as an individual, how much I am ready to accept the people in my ecosystem, and my ability to respond to any change in the environment and within myself. And that provides me with a way to creatively explore myself!!

This was an incredibly empowering thought.

Sometimes, it is convenient for us to find faults with others, blame the circumstances for not being cordial, or not favourable for us. And at times, we go on to criticize ourselves for not being able to address circumstances adequately or begin to doubt our capabilities. It is in those situations that the power of positive self-talk can be best used to introduce that shift in our thought process.

And when that happens it won’t bother us whether our glass is half-empty or half-filled, we would be completely assured that it has the Right Content in it.

Trust you me that makes the difference!!!

So before we go on a guilt trip or choose to find faults with others, let’s revisit the content in our glasses, as they say

What you sow, is what you reap!!

Have a wonderful ever after!!!

PC: The Independent

My Mother & Her Cotton Saree!!

A page from her diary...

They called her a saint, but for me, she was my mother. The only mother that I ever had. Not just to myself alone, but to thousands and thousands of people like me who had struggled to survive all their lives, had lived a life unloved, unattended, uncared for!!

Left behind a life full of comfort, she travelled across the seas to live amongst us, in the slums of Calcutta. She showed the world the power of love, kindness and taught us a lesson that changed each life she touched with her compassion.

And all her life  she wore was that simple cotton saree with a blue stripe and an equally humble smile which brought the light of hope and reinforced faith in humanity for many broken souls.

Today, when I drape that saree around my body, somewhere deep within I realise that like any other little girl, I am trying to imitate ‘my mother’!!

While I know that I may not even be close to that grace of her’s, I would be extremely fortunate being the N’th times copied version of her.

Ever wondered what made that ‘call, that had her calling’ to happen? Not sure, but when I read…

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

or

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”

I realise that it definitely has my calling!!!

From a resident of Astha, The Old Age Home!!

PC: Pinterest

Don’t Give Up On Life, Not Yet!!!

Suicide: Decoded

The news of ‘a 25YO man succumbing to life-stressors and committing suicide’ featured on the front page of the national daily gazette that day. It shook me to the core and left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

The article was extremely vocal about the suicidal trends. There was a decided rise in the suicide rates in the country. How the male population was superseding their female counterparts, the most vulnerable age starts from 15 and ranges up to 55!!

But isn’t that the prime of our lives??

The article ended on a note imploring what could be the reasons that the suicide rate in men was twice as much as compared to women, globally? (in some countries it’s even higher).

It left me thinking for several hours, did my daily chores while still mulling over it for days. Did some research, tried to put two and two together, not to make it a five but to reach a logical conclusion and also to find a way to address it.

While women go through an ordeal of domestic violence, rape, abusive relationships and inappropriate treatment which may end up in an act of committing suicide, men have stressors which become unbearable for them. The most common is the monetary or financial crisis and job-related pressure stands next.

In the series of Rape, Abuse and Molestation, I have tried to decode the behaviour that triggers the heinous act. With this post, I’m making an attempt to understand the biggest crime, SUICIDE,  irrespective of the gender, the age, the socio-economic strata and even the ethnicity.

Giving up on life happens, when quitting appears as an easier solution rather than facing stressful situations in life, which can be presented in form of a complicated relationship, financial crisis, job-related pressures, a life-threatening or altering event.

This happens to all of us at some point in our lifetime. A large set of people who pull through this use ways that they find appropriate irrespective if it is healthy or not. In some cases, it is by finding solace in isolation resulting in depression and others it is via substance abuse, drugs, alcohol and similar pacifiers.

As a community, we need to develop a habit of extending support as much as we need to start seeing help from others when we face such a situation. Be it our family, friends, relatives just about anyone with whom we are comfortable opening our bottled up feelings.

Here is one more thing that can be done and that is when life-stressors are taking a toll on you, ask yourself the following questions:

Self-Concept: 
What are your strengths?
What is the purpose of your life?

Role-Models:
Who would you like to be?
What kind of a person you would like to be known as?

Stress-Busters:
What would make you laugh like a kid, again?
Who is your go-to person?

Priority-Setting:
What are the most crucial things for you?
(any 3 or 5)
At which position have you kept yourself in this priority list?

Value-System:
What values are important to you?
What values do you deviate from?

The responses will reflect upon your choices, your opinion about yourself and how much you value your life.

You may like to persuade your significant others to answer these questions. Use this exercise to answer these questions for each other and do a quick-check “How Much Do I Know You?” and rekindle the flame of love, all over again!!!

☠☠☠ Alert: According to the WHO, one person succumbs to these life-threatening stressors every 40 seconds!! Watch out!!!

Writer’s Plea:

For A Healthy Grind, We Use  A Dental Care,
For A Healthy Mind, Do Some Mental Care!!!

Please seek professional help, whenever needed.
Warm hugs

The Crème of Broccoli Mushroom & Magic of Elvis Presley!

I have already confessed long ago that my relationship with food, is a bit complicated😉.

Those high-calorie & high-carb bites that I love, have an extremely eccentric way to love me back…they conspire with gravity and make me grow horizontally!!!

I have a very strong belief that I am enchanted by some sort of a spell. The days that I choose to go on a no-carb-diet, I end up consuming all sort of junk, perpetually!!! And I end up feeling cheated, on a non-cheat day😅😅


So I decided to strengthen my resolve and banked heavily on the offerings that Mother Nature has and thus, began my hunt!!!

‘My Experiment with….(not truth but)
Food & My Mood’

Winters are at its peak. And so is the offering from Mother Nature, its platter of these wide ranges of colourful, seasonal veggies. The vibrant colours of orange and strawberries, the green peas and red apples and a huge variety of green leafy veggies that make cooking (picking the greens ) a one of a kind experience!!

Each day…4 times a day😅😅 I’m definitely under some spell, else who in their right mind would love picking leafy greens!!! But the sight of those sauteed veggies garnished with lettuce, theme, spinach, mint, coriander leaves is drool-worthy!!!


What I’m going to share in this post, is the recipe that is a chartbuster for me. Not only due to its smooth texture, or because it makes me drool but also because it has a great nutritional value. The conventional recipe of any crème soup is usually loaded with salted butter and cream but not this. It has been customized on calories with no compromise on taste!!



#1. Crème of Broccoli Mushroom (serving size: ideal for 2 love birds )

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon cornflour
• 1″x1″ cube white butter
• 50 ml low-fat cow milk
• 20 grams of finely chopped broccoli & mushrooms, each (approx)
• A bunch of Coriander leaves/ Theme to garnish
• Black Pepper and Pink Rock Salt to taste

Recipe:

1. Carefully place the butter cube in a heated pan, add the cornflour and mix until golden brown.
2. Pour the low-fat cow milk, make it a smooth paste.
3. Stir gently, as Elvis whispers in your ears “Love me tender”
4. In another pot, set the finely chopped broccoli & mushrooms in water until tender.
5. Take those slightly cooked veggies using a strainer and add to the now creamy paste
6. Add water to customize its consistency.
7. Garnish with coriander/theme.
8. Add pepper to taste and enjoy it with a pinch of salt😉

Caution: Keep the gas burner on a low flame all the time but love, always on a highflame 💞

Benefits:

Other than satiating the appetite and enhancing your mood, this recipe has the following benefits

1. Broccoli is am an excellent source of vitamin C & K.
2. It’s a low on calorie and high on fibre and protein vegetable.
3. Mushrooms are rich in antioxidants, soluble dietary fibres and high on copper and potassium.
4. Mushrooms are good for heart health.
5. Usage of Pink rock salt regulates ph  and blood sugar levels.
6. Listening to Elvis Presley while cooking uplifts your mood and enhances the taste of your food.

Source :CD6328081

PS: The more colourful our food, the higher is its nutritional value. Add more veggies and fruits to your diet.

Bon Appétit!!

Jersey Number 10!

At The Tender Age Of 15,
You Made Your Way To The National Team.

The ‘Hands Of God’ And The Feet Of Gold’
You Were The Finest,  I’ve Been Told.
The Spark In You’d Put The Sun To Shame
Such, Was Your Passion, Your Love For The Game.

The Stunning Pace And Incredible Quick Feet
Watching You Play, Was A Visual Treat.
A Ferocious, Uncanny And An Untamed Beast
You Were Every Soccer Lover’s Heartbeat.

Al-Diego-Maradona!!! Jersey Number 10!!
Now In The Heavenly Abode,
I Wonder What’s Your Role?
I Bet, The Gods Would Be Screaming,
It’s A Goal!!

#RestInPeace

Cut, Copy & Paste !! The New Mantra to Mental Well-Being!!

“Don’t you copy me!! Why can’t you think of something on your own? Why must you always do what I do?” Her complaint was genuine but so was the response she got from her younger sibling. “Because you are my hero!! And I want to be like you”, she announced and made an exit, stomping her feet as loud as possible.

As usual, I played the role of a naïve audience, only this once I pretended to be an audience who is watching a Chinese film, which has no subtitles.😂😂

“She is such a copy cat!!”, the elder one looked at me, seeking for some support and then plugged her earphones again to enjoy Christina Perri’s magic with her vocal cords.

While both the parties, as in the two parties in a conflicting situation got busy with their routine, as always they gave me food for thought.

‘Copy for Coping!’ Such an empowering thought, isn’t it?


The counter-question could be that where is the value for a genuine work or a thought? 🤔🤔

True that but wouldn’t you agree to the fact that we don’t have to re-invent the wheel in order to prove your genuineness or genius, we would rather use that amount of energy and effort to bring about the innovative use of that wheel and be benefitted. (All copyright and patent-related matters don’t fall under this category, and should be treated as per the law of the land. 😅😅)

Now, you must be wondering what made me propagate ‘Copying’ as empowering thought! and how in the context of Mental Well-Being?


Allow me to take you on a mental tour for a few minutes…Go back in your earliest memories when you stood in front of the mirror and mimicked your parent. Or Wanted to learn to play the guitar and sing “My heart is beating” like the character in the film, Julie. Or when you answered the question sitting for an interview as who is your role model and why?  Or generally, who would you follow to be as successful as your role model in any field of life, be it at home or in office.

The thumb rule applied here was, if someone could do, anyone can do, isn’t it so?



What was the skill that you were using? Consciously or unconsciously, we were making use of this very effective technique called learning and adapting by copying the displayed desired behaviour, which becomes part of our coping mechanism eventually.



Yes, but how would it work on mental well-being?  the next obvious counter-question.


When we face a challenging situation or an event which makes us anxious, gives us frights, turns our minds numb and faces pale that’s the time this formula of ‘Cut-Copy-Paste’ works wonders. All you need to do is to take these three baby steps:

1. Revoke a memory from past when you felt absolutely in-charge of the situation.
2. Add colours to that picture of yours, make it appear real. Live that moment as if it was happening right now for you.
3. Now, copy that state of mind, of being capable of handling a similar situation in past, to the current moment, and paste it here.

Moral of the story: If you have done it in past, you can always repeat that magic, again in future if you truly believe in yourself.

Give it a try and let me know if it works for you.

PS: Never succumb to pressure and give up on life. Pressures are important lessons in life to grow, enjoy the journey while we are still in it.
Warm hugs.

Just Press That ‘Delete’ Button!!

When life revolves around gadgets and technology, unconsciously technical jargons sneak into our day-to-day conversation. And before we realise they become an integral part of how we speculate, decipher and communicate.

And if a late boomer as myself feels like that we can only wonder how the Gen-alpha would make a conversation.

So the other day, sipping my favourite coffee, lazing in the backyard, watching the cats and my girls play, I was appreciating the lovely weather, when the argument began…”How could you not support me?  I am your sister!!”, she argued with her elder sibling.”Of course, I was supporting you by not supporting you. You have to learn to do it on your own, I won’t be around every time to protect you. That’s what Maa says, isn’t that right, Maa?”, the elder one asked for a confirmation for her action and I smiled back at her “absolutely!!””No, but you could have helped me…it made me feel sad and hurt!”, she tried one more time to seek emotional support from her ‘Big-Sister’.”

C’mon now, just press that delete button and move on!”, came the reply and to my surprise, it worked!!!It was sheer enlightenment for me!!!Now, I know what you might be thinking…kids world and their problems aren’t that complicated as the grown-ups. But the fact of the matter is that it is possible to have a switch, a button to control your emotions and it is your WILL-POWER!!

So when you want to erase that haunting past, those bad memories or even those non-productive thoughts, try this ‘delete’ button technique. How does it work?

Take these simple steps:

Visualise that unwanted memory on the screen of your device, like a screenshot.

Add colours & your emotions to it, make it look and feel REAL!!

Experience it one last time and whenever you are ready “Just Press That ‘Delete’ Button!! Bid It A Goodbye!!

PS: Please feel free to share your views, thoughts and opinions. Truly appreciate your time spent reading this post.Have a wonderful, ever

‘One Stitch In Time’ v/s ‘Use & Throw’ Generations

Was listening to a debate on an international channel, about how the last 50 years have been the most destructive years in the history of the evolution of Earth, where 70%of the life (plants, animals and insects) have become extinct. That was shocking!!!

Made me think what have we done to our planet, the only home to life, in the universe? Where did we go wrong in the last 5 decades?

Last 5 decades would mean our parents and us!!
Of course, a lot has changed. From landline to smartphones, from huge chambers of memory storage devices to USB Sticks, from LPG to Air fryer, from being a ‘One Stitch In Time’ to a ‘Use & Throw’ Generation, a lot has changed. And the moment I realised this huge change in our approaches, I could understand where we went wrong.

I belong to a generation of instant noodles and instant gratification. So, for me replacing broken stuff, is a much-preferred response rather than getting it repaired, unlike my parents who always believed in ‘One Stitch In Time Saves Nine’! And that was applied almost everywhere, be it objects, appliances, clothes, shoes or even relationships. They always believed in mending things, making things work, unlike our generation. So instead of getting a routine servicing done round the year, I rather believe in replacing a not so expensive appliance as a matter of convenience.

My counter-argument to this is, “comparative analysis and value add if it makes more sense in getting things replaced, I don’t want to carry on just because I am emotionally attached with my old junk!!” As a result, single-use plastic, obsolete discarded IT Products and devices, clothes have resulted in piles and piles of a garbage dump yards both on land and in our oceans.

Past few months have been instrumental in restoring the glory of Mother Earth, and that gives us another chance, might be the last chance to correct our mistakes and create a sustainable lifestyle which is an all-inclusive one.

Let’s all work together to help the planet thrive again. Let’s leave a home worth living, for our generations to come!!