Happiness Matters

Once I came across an interview with SRK where he said, "Do not feel guilty about making money as long as you are making it with your own hard work and not robbing people. Don't be apologetic about buying expensive things or owning things with your own hard-earned money. It is very important to fulfill all worldly desires, to possess things that can be bought with money—that's what you are working day in and day out for!" Well, I agree with him. Especially coming from a middle-class background where we were told to study hard to live a better life in the future—as one of the kids of the '90s who have sacrificed TV programs, family get-togethers, or going out with friends to a movie—we all did only one thing in our childhood days: we studied. That was the only thing we knew to free ourselves from boring, simple lives. We all wanted to go out, watch movies, drink cold drinks, eat chips, have ice cream whenever and wherever we wanted to. We all aspired to be like the...

Dear Readers, It's been a while since I wrote a blog! Thank you for pinging me and actually reminding me to write again.  So many things are going on currently in my life - one of which is that I am penning down my next book! Yes!! I have finally started writing another book!!!  Generally, I shut myself down from everything else to write. Book writing is a journey in itself; it teaches me, helps me evolve, and it definitely brings emotional changes!  During this journey of personal evolution, I realized something. Often, we hear about or see people around us, or we ourselves often feel the need to be loved, to be noticed, to be valued, or to be an important part of someone else's life. What if we stop feeling that and instead feel we are enough for ourselves?  Was the theory too difficult to grasp?!  Let me simplify with my personal experience.  I used to wonder from my childhood days why I wasn't a boy, and then my parents might not have opted for a second...

Gold prices have witnessed all-time highs and FD rates are at an all-time low - where to invest now for sure-shot high returns? Here are a few places where you can safely keep your money: 1. PPF - Public Provident Fund : This is a tax-free investment, and you may invest up to ₹1.5 lakh per year. However, this is a long-term investment with a lock-in period of 15 years. 2. VPF - Voluntary Provident Fund : You may avail of this fund from your company by requesting the HR to share the VPF form with you. Again, this is a long-term investment, and the money goes into your PF account. (Have you read your salary slip? Then you would know what your current PF contribution is!) By availing VPF, you will be increasing your PF contribution. You may invest up to 10% of your basic salary in VPF. 3. KVP - Kisan Vikas Patra : This is a sure-shot formula to double your money in 9 years and 7 months, as this Indian Post Office savings scheme compounds your wealth. In the world of SIPs and shares, 9 yea...

Love is in holding hands, looking into eyes, Love is in smiling at each other, through the eyes, Love is in the last bench of school, while sharing tiffin full, Love is in cafes while bunking classes, Or is in library amidst books and thinking about full moon, Love is while walking beside the lake with a bunch of roses in red, Love is being together while talking unlimited! Love is not what you get, in 10 mins delivery for a sake, Love is not cakes, flowers, chocolates or teddy, Love is not in spending money, without spending time, Love is good to see in hit movies or in romantic novels, Love is not in Valentine day Advertisements, Love is all about showing you care and not telling you do!!!

 Dear Readers, Have you ever felt insecure at any point of time? You must be laughing at my question thinking isn't feeling insecure the most common thing! Well it is. As a child my biggest insecurity was my gender. I always wanted to be a boy, I despised the fact that God has made me a girl. My thoughts started from the day when my father bought a bicycle for my younger brother - the cycle which I wanted to ride! When I asked my parents why I was never given a cycle, their reply was you are a girl, you are delicate, what if while cycling you fall and get bruises or if major injury happens! From that day I started noticing this issue - the issue of being a "girl". Several times I had heard my relatives telling my parents - "Thank God you have been blessed with a son, else who would have looked after you in your old age or who would have carried forward your family!"  As a child I kept on exploring this zone and asked myself several times what is the thing which ...

Dear Readers, It's been quite sometime that I have not been able to blog. There were too many things going on - workfront, my Mom's health not keeping well etc. Now that all these are sorted, thought of resuming my blogging again. Just few days ago, when my maid asked me for a glass of water, I was looking for the designated glass which I usually give her and others who help us in our daily household work. Just then I realised something - I am unknowingly following the same norm which I have seen in my childhood days at home. I have seen my Mom, my Grandmom using separate dishes and glasses for the maids. For the guests of the house, seperate kind of crockery set was used but the difference between the dishes for maid and for the guests was the quality of the plates. The guests were given higher quality material plates, the family would use the basic material plates (steel at that time) and the maids would get aluminium or old steel plates. I immediately stopped searching for m...