What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?

This question has been haunting me since a long time. After spending months at home, being forced to confront my own thoughts has led me to a few realizations. The multiple covid lockdowns made me realize how everything around us is temporary. It got me thinking that with the maximum amount of time that I do get around this beautiful planet, what it is that I want to leave behind, what do I want the world to remember me by? Which also makes me realize that for me to leave something behind, I need to take actions to actually create a legacy.

India recently lost one of its iconic singers, KK. All of us 90s kids have expressed love, been heart-broken, celebrated friendships through his songs. He had a poetic death where he passed away after performing for a concert, he literally died doing what he loved. I’ve always felt that there’s a missing piece in my life even if everything seems to be going great. It is this missing part of the puzzle that sends me searching out for something more. I once saw a movie where the actor is asked – “You are doing this job to live the life you are living now, but what do you do for yourself?” To which the actor replies, “I write.” There are things you do in life which fulfil a practical purpose but we also tend to seek things that fulfil our souls.

Legacy can be anything, for some it is the wealth they earn, for some it’s their kids, for some it’s their work. I feel legacy is all about what YOU want to be remembered by and then working towards that purpose. For some it may take a shorter time, for some it might be a longer wait. However, it is all worth it to see the day you feel the contentment in your heart, knowing that this is the missing piece of my life I’ve searched for all along!

I believe that legacy also lies in how you are remembered by as a person. I still love how my loving Grandma is remembered by everyone in her town as one of the kindest souls they had come across. She also planted a few mango trees during her time and now we are able to relish their fruits even today. This inspires me to take actions today that I know would benefit not only my time on this planet, but would benefit generations to come. I still haven’t figured out HOW I plan to do it. But that’s what life is for, to search for things that brighten up your soul and keep working on them till you can!

PS: Thanks for reading through this post. It has been a long time since I wrote. But I know I’ll always make a comeback. What legacy do you envision to leave behind? Would absolutely love to read your thoughts on it!

Light or dark, the choice is yours!

One of my favorite quotes from the Harry Potter movies is when Sirius says to Harry, “We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.” Nobody is born a good or a bad person. Even a good person possesses qualities that could easily turn them into a Disney villain. However, it is the product of all the choices we make that defines us.

Let’s get honest, life gets difficult for a lot of people. You go through heart-breaking pain that you wouldn’t ever have imagined. Some people also have unresolved trauma that drastically changed their lives. However, it’s how you choose to react to situations that matters, what you choose for your present and future self and not just be an outcome of what life inflicted upon you in the past.

These choices aren’t always life altering ones. They can be as small and simple as how you treat people, be it treating everyone with respect versus demeaning or insulting someone, seeking revenge or letting go, being grateful for people who want to help you versus pushing them away. I recently saw Turning Red, the new Pixar movie where one of the character says – “We never lose our demons. We learn to live above them.” You don’t necessarily have to ignore your weaknesses or your imperfections, rather acknowledge them and learn to live above them.

I think one of the most important choices we make is being kind. Being kind to others as well as to yourself. When life gets tough, it’s very easy to succumb to the dark side, blame it on the circumstances, to give up on good because things aren’t working well for ya. But let me tell you my friend, life has been unfair to a whole lot of us.

I’ve known people who have been through hell and yet they are the kindest souls I’ve ever met in my life. I consider myself really lucky to have met such people. They have unknowingly been my mentors and are people I have the utmost respect for because they have taught me that you really can be happy even if life gives you every other reason to give up. It’s these brave souls I look upto and think of when going through difficult times. It is always up to us to practice and live the life we really want, despite all setbacks. So even through the coldest of storms, if you manage to keep your heart warm, you are already winning at life!

While it is a nice thing to be kind to others, but it is also important to be kind to yourself first. Don’t let this cruel and harsh world get to you. We often say that we can find light at the end of the tunnel. But what if you carry it within you. Be the light that shines through all the darkness that ever falls upon you and enlighten the paths of those who walk with you.

Choose love. Choose light.

Take time to heal what’s broken

I absolutely love the outdoors and even a small walk outside makes me escape the monotony of life, allowing me to get lost in the beauty of the outside world. Sometimes, the outside noise you hear when walking through the streets of a busy city seems to quieten the train of thoughts that flood your mind. When you are a person who just can’t sit idle for a long time in the confines of your home, life sure does seem difficult when you are stuck at home for a long period. Hence, being able to step out of my apartment after almost a month due to a leg injury surely felt like a huge deal!

However, it has led me to tell myself that it’s okay to let life change gears and set it on “cruise control” mode for a while. Generally, when a driver feels exhausted, they can set the car on cruise mode which controls the speed of the car and maintains a constant speed. Whatever you want to do in this life and whatever you are currently doing, gets affected if you don’t focus on your health first. Being sick takes a toll on you physically and mentally. January being the start of a new year, just like the majority of people out there, I was pumped up to begin this year with a bang. Life seemed to have other plans for me. However, I took this time to focus on healing my injured leg so that it heals faster and catching up on some tv shows I had been meaning to watch.

With one of my goals for this year being getting healthier, I haven’t been able to exercise right from the second day of this year. Life has been slower. But the only option for me was to rest and let my leg heal, so that I would be up and running soon. Jumping into the 2nd month of this year (not literally :P), all I can say is, if any of you are having a rough start like me, we still have the rest of the year to hustle. Whatever you’re going through, it’s okay to take some time off to heal from it. I am not just talking physical injuries, but mental trauma too. Our mind and body need time to process the curveballs life throws at us. Get some rest, relax for a while, get back on your feet and chase your goals with all you’ve got.

The journey of becoming a writer

Exactly a year ago, I started writing and updating my blog regularly on WordPress and Instagram (I created ‘The Shooting Star Blog’ in 2015 as a hobby). Being stuck at home due to covid-related lockdowns, I had finally found the time and determination needed to write consistently. And here I am, a year later, holding a book that has one of my pieces in PRINT!!

From writing poems on the back side of my question papers in school to finding one of my poems being printed in a physical book (e-book as well!), it’s been quite an amazing journey. Also, my favorite part of it all is that one of my poems I had written celebrating Women’s Day is being published.

This also reinstates my faith in the Universe and makes me believe that if you pour your heart into something you really care about and put in your honest efforts, things do tend to work out. Generally, for the best.💫

P.S: It’s available for purchase using the following link:
https://www.amazon.in/dp/9391228410/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_api_glc_fabc_JSZ4505HQ5HEXATWPST1

Life change ahead

Here I am, already crunching my knuckles, ready to step back into the world of blogging! Have been meaning to do so since a month, but procrastination got the better of me. After a 4-month break, I feel ready to get back to writing and this post is more of a life update for all of my amazing readers.

Moving across continents is a major life change. Especially when you’re moving from your home-away-from-home (New York, USA) to your real home (Mumbai, India). At the start, I was really annoyed about not being able to write due to this big change. But the whole process of moving has been overwhelming and I decided it was a good thing to take a break before starting anything since I was finally back home for good. I realized how important it is to acknowledge and dedicate time for things that you hadn’t originally set in your schedule. This whole move was one such priority.

I must admit, nothing beats the joy of being home and seeing your family after a long gap (due to covid-related travel restrictions). And trust me, sometimes it’s really worth taking a break to adjust to your new life and just enjoy where you are. Do everything that you feel is necessary for a smooth process. Even if it means putting things on hold for a while. Speaking of which, now that I am all settled in, cannot wait to jump back on this writing journey!

Hope you all are doing great! I really missed this space!

Life of a dreamer

A friend of mine sent me a slam book entry I had written in her book which read, “Life goal: To become a computer engineer”. I had written down this goal probably when I was in the 5th grade. Back then, computers were the new thing and I was fascinated by them. The only related job I knew back then was becoming a computer engineer. My friend also pointed out, how that dream of mine eventually did come true!

Pondering over it made me realize I did manage to achieve my dream without even acknowledging it. I have been a huge nerd my whole life. Though there was a moment in my life, where I stopped running behind grades (the nerd in me still exists!). Today, it reminds me about the amount of efforts I used to put in, the sleepless nights, the influx on information, the drive to study as much as I can to get my degree. I slogged really hard and seeing your hard work being reflected on report cards gave me a great feeling back then.

It also made me realize that with the same attitude, if I really put in all my honest work into achieving my other dreams, I can achieve them as well. Because I am that hard working kid. I had the headstrong determination and drive to become a computer engineer. Now, that same kid has different goals, but the sheer thrill of going after my goals still excites me. Life doesn’t need to be limited by a single dream. This was a beautiful reminder that when you start manifesting your dreams and do all the groundwork, even though it may take some time or even longer, but one day, you will get there. Keep going!

Choose yourself. Over and over.

We often talk about how we love a fictional character from a movie or a show. Have you ever wondered how easy it is to love every other thing in this world and yet, so difficult to love ourselves. We try to find meaning in the outside world, to search the light that will guide our way and give us a reason to live, something that will make us happy and feel good about ourselves. But, how often do we sit with ourselves and try to make sense of what we are.

You try to find the “good” side of all characters in movies, friendships and even relationships. And yet, you’re so cruel to yourself. To think that you’re unworthy of any good thing in this world. That you will never be as cool as the other person is. And yes, you can try to be that person, but you can’t escape who you are and what lies within you.

It takes a lot of strength to face your own demons – your insecurities, your weaknesses, your pain, your failures. And trust me, it takes an insane amount of courage to acknowledge all these things that make you vulnerable. If you can be kind to strangers and even stray animals, why not show some kindness to yourself? The first step to self love starts with accepting yourself. The good, the bad, all of it. These are the things that make you, YOU.

Accepting yourself empowers you to grow past your weaknesses. You need to tell yourself insane amount of times that “I am not just a product of my insecurities. Rather, these are just things that make me human”. What really matters is how you choose to get past it and focus on things that do bring the best out of you.

Honestly, the world is always going to have something to say about you – sometimes good, sometimes bad. Don’t let them define you or just blindly adhere to the world’s perception of you. You have the choice to live a life built on your own beliefs and choices. Just work on yourself. Believe in yourself. Choose yourself. Over and over. ✨

Internal and external freedom

Few years ago, I saw the Broadway show, Aladdin, in New York City. It really is one of my favorite Broadway shows and it does leave you spellbound. There was a scene in this show, where Aladdin asks the Genie that what would he want if the Genie was granted a wish. To which, the Genie replies, “I want freedom”. “Not the riches of a palace or exotic food, just my freedom.” He could’ve asked for any lavish thing in the world or any crazy imaginable thing for that matter. But, all he wanted was his freedom! Freedom from being enclosed in a metal lamp and being answerable to no one.

This tells us how freedom varies from person to person. For some, it’s being able to live lavishly and not having to worry about spending a single penny, whereas for some, it’s about not depending on material things for their happiness. For some, these palace walls are everything that they could dream of, the riches of this world at your feet, not ever having to worry about what to eat and where to get the money for buying food and yet, for some, these same walls are merely pillars which they want to climb out of. Because being able to afford such luxuries also means guarding yourself from the evil world.

When they’re looking out of this window, maybe someone wishes to live in a place like this, amidst these high walls. And there are some, who peek through the window and adore the view, awestruck at how beautiful the city looks, wanting to explore its small lanes and tiny shops. And yet, these same high walls which guard them from intruders could also feel like a cage sometimes.

We all here, seek freedom from a place and some seek freedom from their thoughts. Our mind has this amazing capability to store even the minutest of details. Once we start overthinking, it boggles our minds and causes so much chaos that it feels like it is going to explode. We search and search, for an escape, running through the long passages of memories we shared and passing through the garden of secrets. Sometimes, all you have to do is climb out of that window and take a walk, let peace find you in the most unexpected places. Let the beauty of this world and its people make you find the magic you’re looking for.

Most importantly, believe in the magic that resides within you. Be your own Genie and fulfill your wish. ✨

Love in the time of Corona

We are close to completing a year since the COVID-19 pandemic started. How it has affected all our lives is yet to be fully measured. But I can’t seem to ignore the simple things that we usually forget to be grateful for. Most importantly, it helped us to recognize the value of love that already exists amongst us. Looking back, I couldn’t help but think about the people who reached out to me throughout the crazy phase and helped me stay sane.

There was a time when you couldn’t hug a friend but the 6 feet distance didn’t matter anyway. To see long forgotten acquaintances reach out to you to ensure you’re safe and healthy. The people who constantly checked up not only on your physical health but mental health as well. The long video calls that called for a happy hour or birthday celebrations and let’s not forget the Zoom weddings! For those staying away from family and friends, living a solitary life, how the anxious phone calls strangely seemed to calm down your nerves, being thankful to hear the voice of your loved ones. You didn’t feel the need to teleport through the laptop screen because the love that already exists was enough to endure through it all. It took us a pandemic to realize that the ones that care do find a way to show their love despite perilous circumstances.

Love could never be a weakness when all it has done is given us strength. To endure, through it all, together. These strange times reinstate that there exists a love that transcends space and time. There’s you and there are your people. The ones who cared and the ones who dared to love in the time of Corona. ❣️

P.S: I’m never gonna forget about the time when I was too scared to eat a slice of pizza!

New Year, Upgraded Me.

The start of a new year acts as a cue to hit the reset button in our lives. We see this as an opportunity to reassess our lives and find things we would want to get done in the upcoming year. However, rather than the cliched “New Year, New Me”, I’m more of a “New Year, Upgraded Me” kind of a person. I feel that you don’t need to uproot your whole life right away in the name of change. But what we can do, is choose to focus on things we’ve been wanting to achieve since so long and tackle it one day at a time.

Also, I believe it’s important for these “resolutions” we set to be realistic as well. I remember when I used to try to quantify these resolutions just to feel like I’m achieving something. And a week later into the new year, I used to forget about them because they felt far-fetched. However, I feel it’s more helpful if you choose a niche you really wanna improve at and give it your honest try. Change takes time. For example, instead of directly trying to cut out sugar from your diet, why not focus on being healthy first? Find a diet plan that’s going to help you stay fit and gradually decrease your sugar consumption .

This blog, too, was a part of my last year’s goals. And well, here I am! Finally after years of convincing myself that I need to start writing again rather than just talking about it, I finally did find the strength to do it. During previous years, I had set a goal of writing one blog post a day and I failed in doing so. So instead, now I chose to focus on getting into the habit of writing first. I can now choose the frequency of my posts because I can anticipate the amount of time and efforts it takes to finish up everything.

So, whatever you are working on or want to, keep going. You don’t have to take the giant leap of faith every time. Sometimes, even one baby step towards your goal is all you need to get going. It’s only the first month of this year. So, even if everything is not going according to your plans, you still have the rest of the year ahead of you. Don’t give up now thinking it’s already the end of January, rather, focus on utilizing the remainder of your time. Trust me, it’s never too late to start something. Just go for it!