tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85587256851840231092024-03-05T08:50:41.904-08:00Enchanting lifePriyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8558725685184023109.post-63269257432093799892017-08-19T21:33:00.000-07:002017-08-22T23:00:39.368-07:00Women Writer’s Fest by She the People Team<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5mFb3W4j4iydDKpJ_y-cpKOpUzlGRcluA0vERFeZ6mGOC-0qhb6FNjKUZ1Wf6yrP4mz40OxEMARlAwFmzu-lvBkcStxnZQW_rAnf61_DzM5ZS48zoVrbn3AZKMhThADwAwOKSUrBXduL/s1600/WWF_LOGO_1_CTC-01-1-1200x1200-1-1200x800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5mFb3W4j4iydDKpJ_y-cpKOpUzlGRcluA0vERFeZ6mGOC-0qhb6FNjKUZ1Wf6yrP4mz40OxEMARlAwFmzu-lvBkcStxnZQW_rAnf61_DzM5ZS48zoVrbn3AZKMhThADwAwOKSUrBXduL/s320/WWF_LOGO_1_CTC-01-1-1200x1200-1-1200x800.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
It was a beautiful sunny day. I was kicked about attending the Women Writer’s Fest organized by <a href="http://www.shethepeople.tv/">She the people</a> team. With a spring in our steps, My colleague <a href="https://twitter.com/nuttynupur" target="_blank">Nupur</a> and I reached the venue. The first session of the day was about to start. The hall was tastefully decorated with artifacts and knick knacks. Looked like a perfect venue for an insightful event like this one. The audience appeared to be an eclectic mix of women, both young and old, excited to hear the panel discussions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Panel 1 How to blog to the right audience</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panelists - <a href="http://dumbbellsanddrama.com/about-dd">Protima Tiwari</a>, <a href="http://www.thebetterindia.com/72510/happy-roots-reema-sathe-baliraja-farmers-impact/">Reema Sathe</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aashna_bhagwani/">Aashna Bhagwani</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Moderator - <a href="http://www.storified.me/richa-blogger-outreach-platform/">Richa Singh</a><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFyYOUVXEXJaW5FV5Xan6yeVJZ6cn_A4Fl2m3rxP3SPUeY3qvoVIdQ7K6yk4qzjVmCgdKcvIQFGmEzsJhxMX7AhvsOhtXuMOwPXOWWsqLHrHT2_0TCX7gc9QozOECsqC5pwaurD9vG76Z6/s1600/event3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFyYOUVXEXJaW5FV5Xan6yeVJZ6cn_A4Fl2m3rxP3SPUeY3qvoVIdQ7K6yk4qzjVmCgdKcvIQFGmEzsJhxMX7AhvsOhtXuMOwPXOWWsqLHrHT2_0TCX7gc9QozOECsqC5pwaurD9vG76Z6/s400/event3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Richa started the discussion by introducing herself. She has been a blogger for close to a decade and is an entrepreneur for two years. (She has built a bloggers community by the name <a href="https://www.theblogchatter.com/">blogchatter</a>)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Richa started the discussion by asking the panelists about useful tips for budding bloggers. One by one, the lovely ladies shared the unique and personal choices that they had made in their blogging/ Instagramming journey.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aashna shared how it is important for her to stick to one theme, have short-term (read weekly) and long term goals. Reema Sathe shared how she likes to connect with people and how inspired she feels by connecting with startup founders on LinkedIn and meeting them personally. The fitness blogger Protima shared how she relies on her storytelling abilities and personal fitness journey. Most of her blog topics are from FAQs. She also stressed on the need to stick to one’s niche. Richa added that one should consume a lot of content in the genre/ niche that one is trying to create. Richa’s tip was like a cherry on top of all the other suggestions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Different topics like Content Marketing, Analytics, Keywords, Hashtags, etc. came up. Based on their experience, they all shared useful insights. One common fact that they all stressed was that blogging is a lot of hard work and no one gets overnight success. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aashna summed it aptly “<i><b>It is very beautiful when career and passion come together</b></i>.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More tips followed when Aashna shared that she has noticed that her posts get maximum traction at around noon, so she schedules her efforts accordingly. When the session was open for Q and A, a few people were concerned about plagiarism and how their content is being copy pasted by others. To which Richa assertively replied that 'Name Shame' is one route that you should not shy away from. Tag such people on social media platforms and force them to give you due credit for your work. Point taken Lady!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After this interesting session, <a href="https://twitter.com/imperfectmaa">Radhika</a> came up on stage for a quick round of quiz. She was full of energy and ensured that the audience was engaged while the organizers got the stage ready for the next discussion. I also noted that Radhika had her 6-month-old baby who had accompanied mommy to work. He behaved zen-like, quite unlikely for his age. And the mom was cool as a cucumber, doing her job as a professional and tending to the baby when required. She played both roles effortlessly. That's what they call - An empowered woman!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Panel 2 Legacy for our daughters</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panelists - <a href="http://www.forbesindia.com/article/recliner/anu-aga-a-lifes-shaped-by-tragedy-and-the-courage-to-face-it/44109/1">Anu Aga</a>, <a href="http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/my-work-would-speak-for-me-says-punes-second-woman-police-commissioner/">Rashmi Shukla</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Moderator - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SudhaMenonAuthor/">Sudha Menon</a><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM2UJGxpSlaRN_jSXi-8ePxtunl_vZR6_Pfhdl7ZlWCP8AAD6lip1i0IoMx3DTFvXwmk0xDYAjRYbJup6vk7Hyr4Sp5L7NdvzqyK7CSleVgKo-6nYNuXmZr3mtVqYO3D7ZHpTg3nYzNSMT/s1600/Anu-Aga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM2UJGxpSlaRN_jSXi-8ePxtunl_vZR6_Pfhdl7ZlWCP8AAD6lip1i0IoMx3DTFvXwmk0xDYAjRYbJup6vk7Hyr4Sp5L7NdvzqyK7CSleVgKo-6nYNuXmZr3mtVqYO3D7ZHpTg3nYzNSMT/s400/Anu-Aga.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have read a lot about Anu and immensely admire her, so I was looking forward to attending her session. She was wearing a light green colored saree and looked stunning in it. Simply stating, she is grace personified. I was pleasantly surprised to hear her strong opinions on most matters. On being asked about what legacy she passed on her to her daughter, she said that she never passed on different messages to her son and daughter. On being probed about the legacy that her mother had passed onto her, she revealed that she was told that her purpose in life was to marry and produce. It was only because of her husband who nurtured her and encouraged her to use her potential.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On questions of gender biases, she said you are a human being first, and the only difference she thinks between men and women is in the plumbing. She stated that we should not restrict ourselves because of cultural biases. On work-life balance, she said we are fortunate that in India we have so much help in the form of joint family, domestic servants, etc. She said cheekily “<i><b>Make shameless use of all the help</b></i>!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She also said that virginity is the stupidest thing in this world. <b>She wondered aloud about how men could get on with promiscuity and women can’t.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She spoke about how women needlessly put it on themselves to be perfectionists. She urged everyone to live with their imperfections. Her session was interspersed with quotable quotes like</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“<b><i>I am not perfect. I know I am a lot of shit, but my shit doesn’t smell as bad as it used to</i></b>.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She said women should learn to be kind and loving to themselves. She shared that her daughter knows only 4-5 dishes, which also she messes up many times. But that is alright. How I wish my mom could say that proudly on a public platform!!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Simply loved her for her positivity, humility, and opinions!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVdUvpOJ5uLS4B8aILU6Nj2x584kl5zwIu6KEXVsrnM5ewcnwR5LkfAN1PP8dogT16jc1erYEEZhNfweY7rPMsHiNUFkURAAFwhqDpA9wD8zD6f3Bigl4pfU83ZLFlHB_NICEga9iCXW2/s1600/event1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVdUvpOJ5uLS4B8aILU6Nj2x584kl5zwIu6KEXVsrnM5ewcnwR5LkfAN1PP8dogT16jc1erYEEZhNfweY7rPMsHiNUFkURAAFwhqDpA9wD8zD6f3Bigl4pfU83ZLFlHB_NICEga9iCXW2/s400/event1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pune’s top cop Rashmi Shukla joined the discussion. She was late. Understandably so. She is busy in planning the law and order situation in the city during the upcoming Ganpati celebrations. Rashmi came across as an incredibly understanding and approachable officer. She also shared interesting information about her liberal upbringing and later her marriage in a traditional brahmin family. She spoke about how she wears a saree and covers her head when she is in the village with her in-laws. And easily slips into her uniform when she is in the city. She explained that she would like to honor their traditions and since she is there in the village only for a couple of days, it's not that difficult. She asked us to be modern in our thoughts and not only in our attire. Looks like she is doing exactly that!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speaking about her legacy for her daughter she says the moment you are out of the house, you have to fend for yourself. She shared an incident where her daughter was being stalked by a colleague., who would keep asking her to talk to him. As a police officer mum, Rashmi could have pulled some strings, but she wanted her daughter to be self-reliant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>She told her daughter that next time your colleague asks you to talk to you, you turn your chair towards him, look into the eye and raise your voice and ask “Why should I talk to you?</b> Why do you keep telling me to do that?’ The daughter mustered all the courage and did just that. The guy was embarrassed as hell. Other colleagues joined for help. The HR came in. That guy apologized and in a few days quit. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What a beautiful lesson Rashmi taught her daughter and us. Take charge. </b>Be confident.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rashmi urged us to download the<a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/pune-polices-citysafe-app-for-safer-city/articleshow/59272064.cms" target="_blank"> City Safe app</a>, her initiative of making the city safe for each one of us.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
After these sessions, we felt charged and inspired. They say what shapes your personality is the kind of conversations you have and the thoughts you feed your mind. Ahem! We are moving in the right direction!<br />
<br />
If any of you was there at the event and would like to add your experience at the event, please do so by sharing your thoughts in the comment section.</div>
</div>
Priyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8558725685184023109.post-41226744390451083412017-04-26T04:13:00.000-07:002017-05-03T11:23:04.266-07:00My Experience at the Youth Conclave on 'Innovation, Intuition and Entrepreneurship'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
19th April 2017 8 AM<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZTl83PFbQtUPwslo9W_l0xkerRKN7CAvlheTX3Fk0OPhVN6SOmcG9uSWkwPdWX0hTixj8EBBrFmQqKLIakyz4KZahvzue3RmPIHEB4GP2sO4Y8xNAQRUT-9oswDbDwKIAImSeZT_CK6w/s1600/youth.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZTl83PFbQtUPwslo9W_l0xkerRKN7CAvlheTX3Fk0OPhVN6SOmcG9uSWkwPdWX0hTixj8EBBrFmQqKLIakyz4KZahvzue3RmPIHEB4GP2sO4Y8xNAQRUT-9oswDbDwKIAImSeZT_CK6w/s320/youth.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I had the privilege and good fortune of attending the Youth Conclave with Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji in Pune this morning.<br />
<br />
Apart from being in the company of His Holiness Sri Sri, which was the major draw for most of the attendees, it was the impressive line-up of speakers that had brought more than 2500 youth this early to the Ganesh Kala Krida Mandal. About 25,000 people watched this event live via a webcast.<br />
The theme of this Youth conclave was Innovation, Intuition, and Entrepreneurship.<br />
<br />
The first speaker of the day was Mr. Anil Bokil, popularly known as the man behind the revolutionary demonetization move. Mr. Bokil came across a very simple, humble and intelligent human being who had the prosperity of his fellow countrymen behind all his strategies.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoYQE7CM89y4XUF8UYBOMEn0DOJez8gdeGjX_kaiookVkZtbpyajEqwRnZbht4AYcRGM9qnVov7rCcLwRhnrrEvrPH8M57br0rJPXq3xQR5UUGQwg2Q_bSn9zNv1APEpzLnPQnGMHztU3/s1600/anil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoYQE7CM89y4XUF8UYBOMEn0DOJez8gdeGjX_kaiookVkZtbpyajEqwRnZbht4AYcRGM9qnVov7rCcLwRhnrrEvrPH8M57br0rJPXq3xQR5UUGQwg2Q_bSn9zNv1APEpzLnPQnGMHztU3/s320/anil.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
He started his address by talking about the technological wave that is encompassing us today and the immediate need to focus on the philosophical realm of life. Honestly, I was not impressed. I thought why is this man of scientific temperament and logic, talking of philosophy while addressing the youth of this country. However, the doubting mind quickly took a backseat when Mr. Bokul shared the philosophy behind the demonetization move.<br />
<br />
He said money is a medium of exchange and not a commodity. He explained this concept beautifully by taking the example of a 500 rupee note in his pocket. He said as long as the note lies in his pocket, it is a commodity as no one can use it. It is Mr. Bokil's commodity. But as soon as this note moves into a bank, it becomes a medium. We all were using money or rather hoarding money as a commodity. When we put this money in a bank, it becomes a medium and can be used for funding, giving loans to the needy and generating more money for the economy. Money as a commodity widens the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Money as a medium helps to bridge this gap.<br />
<br />
He also spoke about the footprint of each transaction, the moment it happens in the digital space. This helps in controlling the black money, the sale of drugs and many illegal activities.<br />
<br />
He said that Technology brings Passion in life whereas Philosophy gives direction to life.<br />
<b><br /></b> <b>Indeed, an innovative move with a deep rooted philosophy was made possible using technology.</b><br />
<br />
He stressed the fact that the technological revolution has reached its peak and the world now needs a Philosophical revolution for which India and our youth have to take the lead. Our strength lies in our strong family structure and our human values. Our domain expertise is Philosophy and it's time that we bank upon it.<br />
<br />
Indeed an insightful perspective on technology!<br />
<br />
The next speaker for the day was <b><a href="http://indianexpress.com/article/education/the-new-dean-takes-charge-we-need-more-colleges-like-afmc-says-major-gen-kanitkar-4511504/" target="_blank">Major General Madhuri Kanitkar</a> - The first Lady Dean of the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune</b><br />
<br />
A multi-faceted woman - a soldier, doctor, and teacher, all rolled into one - she came to the dais amidst a thunderous applause. She was impeccably dressed in her Army uniform (what looked like a beautiful saree for a soldier)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyWZ-xKHwQccO43jHVJsRAr3OwRIunu1obW1pAitkIyOYOn7cqHH5F45nWS9lk7lZW44mCHGysumhUqsH6YaYu8RdiFLYPbmjbbjbqHwF0l23fWb5O7pacVaBViFVhLDDwGPpmksOAtDa/s1600/Major-Gen-Madhuri-Kanitkar-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyWZ-xKHwQccO43jHVJsRAr3OwRIunu1obW1pAitkIyOYOn7cqHH5F45nWS9lk7lZW44mCHGysumhUqsH6YaYu8RdiFLYPbmjbbjbqHwF0l23fWb5O7pacVaBViFVhLDDwGPpmksOAtDa/s320/Major-Gen-Madhuri-Kanitkar-3.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
She spoke on the topic of 'Dreams.' She started her talk by quoting none other than Mr. Abdul Kalam "You have to dream before your dreams can come true."</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Major Kanitkar spoke about the importance of finding one's calling in life and directing all the energies towards it. She acknowledged that all of us, at different phases of our lives, are torn between personal aspirations, parental expectations, peer pressure, fear of failure and numerous distractions. She urged us to find our strengths, and use them to achieve our dreams while enjoying the journey. She also stressed the importance of all round development yet keeping our eyes fixated on our goals.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Time, Tongue and Trust are 3 major areas for team building. If you can manage your time well, know how to talk and trust others, you can build great teams. She rightly said that doctors need to have sugar on their tongue and ice on their heads. In fact, all of us need that for facing different situations in life.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
She wrapped her session by stressing Confidence in your abilities as a key and this key can be gained by building competence in your chosen profession. She also suggested each one of us should read the book - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blink-Power-Thinking-Without/dp/0316010669" target="_blank">Blink</a>.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
She was given a standing ovation for her achievements.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Next was a panel discussion with an eclectic mix of speakers:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://youthconclavepune.org/" target="_blank"><br /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://youthconclavepune.org/" target="_blank">Mr. HR Gaikwad,</a> Chairman, and Managing Director, BVG India Ltd.</div>
<a href="http://youthconclavepune.org/" target="_blank">Mr. Aniruddha Deshpande,</a> Managing Director, City Corporations Ltd.<br />
<a href="http://youthconclavepune.org/" target="_blank">Mr. Kapil Apshankar,</a> Director and Chief Architect, DevOps Practice Leader, Cognizant and author of the best-seller - Done! The Art of Managing Priorities<br />
<br />
Each one laid stress on innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship by taking a leaf out of their personal lives and sharing interesting anecdotes.<br />
<br />
A common thread that unified their conversation was that you don't need to be an entrepreneur to practice it. Entrepreneurship is an attitude, it's about taking responsibility and ownership.<br />
<br />
<b>Next came the chief guest of the evening</b>: The master himself.<br />
Suddenly a well-seated audience of 2500+ started rushing towards the entrance. A human chain of volunteers was quickly formed to avoid chaos. What can volunteers do when an overwhelming feeling of love, gratitude and the desire for that one gaze from the master makes even the most intellectual people forget all the discipline and code of conduct.<br />
<br />
Sri Sri breezed into the room, waved at us and signaled us to settle down.Without much ado, he said let's get to business. Intuition, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship being the theme, he came<br />
straight to the point and shared an interesting anecdote. He said many years ago, at a course in the USA, he had challenged the gathering to innovate something. The instructions were to create something new. It could be something extremely mundane but it should have a fresh perspective to it. The entries were quite varied. From food items cooked with a twist to garments, everyone had pushed their limits to create and innovate something. But one entry that stayed with him all these years was that of a frail old lady's. She had created a handkerchief and claimed that it had 22 different things that made it the best handkerchief in the world. From the perfect hemming to the appropriate size, she had 22 unique reasons to boast of and proudly claim that her handkerchief was the best in the world. Through this lady's example, Guruji said Americans are best at Marketing and that's what we need to learn from them. Point well explained and grasped for life!<br />
<br />
He spoke about learning precision from the Germans, Manners from Britan and Human values from India.<br />
<br />
He also spoke about his recent article on <a href="https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154342539632536&id=330938752535" target="_blank">NGT vs The World Cultural festival</a>, that showcases how a government organization has done nothing except for maligning a law abiding organization. He simply walks the talk when he says that such obstacles in life give an opportunity to grow deeper in spirituality and finding creative solutions without keeping malice in the heart. Reminded me of Krishna's equanimity in the Mahabharata. By maintaining his poise and calm, and doing everything that should be done, he reminds me of the swan that remains calm and collected above the water and<br />
continuously pedals underneath.<br />
<br />
Many more questions were asked by the audience. Regular questions of the youth which guruji answered in his trademark style.<br />
<br />
If you wish to go through all the questions, follow<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YouthConclave" target="_blank"> #YouthConclave</a> on twitter. I am not noting them here as I found what I was looking for in that handkerchief lady example.<br />
<br />
When you meet evolved souls, you do get all your answers. I could overhear others leaving the hall with a similar expression "I got what I came looking for!<br />
<br />
The Youth Conclave on 'Innovation Intuition and Entrepreneurship' - was indeed an interesting Event!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Priyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8558725685184023109.post-78383248641766565692017-04-14T01:31:00.002-07:002017-07-23T11:55:50.199-07:00F For Free Flowing Thoughts, My post for #ATOZChallenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFK3mz2LsjQY0o8KfBmpINrD_FxkIucmczFR0GeVA8X_xDWmCWWsAXt7_D1uxd_0GuZ64stu5phH85a8zqyTk_EeNDeKP0EACNyQrHeevmlab39HRkT3UH4oJrGg_C_SDCmWt4spbgQLJ8/s1600/stock-vector-angry-asian-female-car-driver-stuck-in-a-traffic-jam-irritated-young-woman-driving-a-car-in-a-613687490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFK3mz2LsjQY0o8KfBmpINrD_FxkIucmczFR0GeVA8X_xDWmCWWsAXt7_D1uxd_0GuZ64stu5phH85a8zqyTk_EeNDeKP0EACNyQrHeevmlab39HRkT3UH4oJrGg_C_SDCmWt4spbgQLJ8/s400/stock-vector-angry-asian-female-car-driver-stuck-in-a-traffic-jam-irritated-young-woman-driving-a-car-in-a-613687490.jpg" width="382" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN">I brought my car to a screeching halt for the signal suddenly turned red. I was once again late for work. As I cursed my luck from my air-conditioned car, I happened to turn sideways and my gaze fell on a lady sitting on the footpath. Next to her, a shabbily dressed 3-year girl was sitting singing to herself. The lady didn’t look like a beggar. She was dressed alright. But the child certainly looked unkempt. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN">The lady looked like someone who was quite healthy and capable of working and taking good care of the child. She was looking somewhere far. Uninterested in the traffic, uninterested in what the child was doing. She saw the running nose of the child, pulled the child’s dirty frock and cleaned the nose with it. Something that could have easily sent the Dettol team to shame. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN">I replayed my morning scene in my head. I had amicably washed my 3-year-old, fed her, packed her tiffin, filled her water bottle, placed a change of clothes in her new Zara bag and dropped her to her day-care.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN">I noticed the stark differences in her and me cos she looked almost the same age as me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN">The signal turned green and I was jolted out of my reverie by the blaring horns. The woman, of course, was too lost in her thoughts to notice anything around her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN">I had a few takeaways from what I saw:</span><br />
<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-IN"><br /></span></b> <b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-IN">Value your Blessings</span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">: I am capable of earning and meeting my child's needs cos I was privileged to be born to parents who valued education and gave me that. I had done nothing to be born to such parents. I was simply blessed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-IN"><br /></span></b> <b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-IN">Mind</span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">: Your mind can take you places. The women looked healthy but indifferent towards everything. From surroundings to her child, she was simply unconcerned. We are all a burden on this earth. A body mass of 60, 70, 80 kilos. To justify this mass, we better use our mind to something meaningful. A mind that is in the present moment. A motivated mind. A mind with healthy and positive thoughts. Ironically we spend more time fretting over the food we eat than the thoughts we think.</span><br />
<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-IN"><br /></span></b>
<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-IN">Next generation</span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">: This is something I would want every family to read. If you can’t afford to give a good life to a child, don’t bring them on this planet. Period.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-IN">Be overly analyzing and judgemental</span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">: I am sure my observation of the scenario would be far from the reality. Who knows what she was doing there and why she was there? But as human beings we are so fond of over-analyzing, judging and giving an unsolicited opinion based on our perceptions and past experiences that I ended up writing a whole post here. Cheers!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Priyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8558725685184023109.post-36091222452130944152017-04-14T01:05:00.000-07:002017-04-14T01:06:48.069-07:00E for Experience at the Global Mentoring Walk Pune 2017, My post for #AToZChallenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjG0wtYK90C4qnKJ-sM2YMBE1FuwxLUpZCIXlynIrH9tdm9epUgIb9QZ7e5rsdVdeQ8LJdMwD7-8VPsvaV_YEpvu7Bcb39EMZyewcaSbGABxZlpYg_nrTD9IhhyphenhyphenWSZx7WT57xW9cZiZxEa/s1600/IMG-20170316-WA0014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjG0wtYK90C4qnKJ-sM2YMBE1FuwxLUpZCIXlynIrH9tdm9epUgIb9QZ7e5rsdVdeQ8LJdMwD7-8VPsvaV_YEpvu7Bcb39EMZyewcaSbGABxZlpYg_nrTD9IhhyphenhyphenWSZx7WT57xW9cZiZxEa/s400/IMG-20170316-WA0014.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">March 11, 2017, Saturday 7 am</strong></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Amazing things happen when women come together.” </strong></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I had the good fortune of experiencing the power of the quoted words when I joined the <a href="http://www.vitalvoices.org/" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #8c68cb; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Vital Voices</a> Global Mentoring Walk today at Joggers park, Kalyani Nagar.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
My dear friend <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/mohapatrasweta/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #8c68cb; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Sweta Mohapatra</a> and her company ‘<a href="http://www.diversityvision.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #8c68cb; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Diversity Vision’</a> had organized this Mentoring Walk. It’s a unique concept initiated by <a href="http://www.vitalvoices.org/what-we-do/" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #8c68cb; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Vital Voices</a>, where 15 experienced and successful senior corporate women act as a mentor for 15 aspiring and ambitious corporate women, who have relatively fewer years of experience. Each mentor is paired with a mentee and they walk together in the park for an hour. The mentee is free to discuss the challenges she may be facing at the professional/ personal front, seek guidance for career progression or learn about general work-life integration.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEKnweq2GJi2Ru38_ezhZ_XipvC2Gji3XkOIQNSQFtaqFiqx_vFq5qOYAtee9H6wXXkUEBg9wNH28Nayz5Xjju1_C7tVHN4gfXB3V4Iv7mSjhIb5Cttq909JNnywDoA-nMrxmY2q860U-/s1600/IMG-20170316-WA0015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEKnweq2GJi2Ru38_ezhZ_XipvC2Gji3XkOIQNSQFtaqFiqx_vFq5qOYAtee9H6wXXkUEBg9wNH28Nayz5Xjju1_C7tVHN4gfXB3V4Iv7mSjhIb5Cttq909JNnywDoA-nMrxmY2q860U-/s400/IMG-20170316-WA0015.jpg" width="385" /></a></div>
<div class="prose" itemprop="articleBody" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Vital Voices recognizes that while women need professional support and advancement, they also desire personal and emotional support from other women. Which is why they offer this platform to both mentor and mentee to forge new connections and networks and broaden their horizon for personal and professional achievements.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">During the introductory session, each mentee spoke briefly about their backgrounds, challenges and what they looked forward to learning from the session. A few wanted to learn how to get more assertive at work and achieve work-life balance, others wanted to learn about political astuteness to maneuver through office politics. There were some who wanted to know how to deal with women bosses/colleagues, who were at times tougher than their male counterparts.</span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Someone also commented that she cannot imagine a group of 30 men discussing work-life balance. Why even in the 21st century, it falls in our kitty to find the elusive solution to this issue. A very valid point for all (read men) to reflect upon.</span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">After the initial ice breaking round each mentee was assigned a mentor. Sweta had gone out of her way to find a renowned author </span><a href="http://www.womenachievers.net/2016/11/sujata-sabnis-author.html" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #8c68cb; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Sujata Sabnis</a><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> for me. I have been looking forward to publishing my graphic book for a while. So it was extremely kind of Sweta to find the perfect mentor match for me. Sujata is an experienced journalist with 3 books in her kitty. Her latest book ‘</span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32510375-songs-of-stone" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #8c68cb; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Songs of Stone’</a><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> has some incredibly good reviews. She discussed with me the creative writing process, how one must let the characters come alive in one’s head and gave suggestions for reading a few books to hone my craft. During the one hour time that we spent together, she acted as a friend, a guide, a philosopher, a teacher and a critic all rolled into one. She asked me to be resilient and have patience as my time shall come too. One of the best advice she gave me was to strengthen my creative writing process. I don’t think that I would have gotten the opportunity to spend time with a senior writer via any other platform. Thank you, Vital Voices, and my dear friend Sweta.</span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">While Sujata and I were engrossed in our discussion, we also walked past the other 14 mentor-mentee pairs and could see how deeply involved each pair was in their discussion. The mentor more than willing to give and the mentee wanting to absorb as much as possible.</span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Post an enriching one hour walk, we all gathered for a group photo. It didn’t look like that this group of 30 women had just met an hour ago. Each mentee was busy chatting with other mentors to network and gain more.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
By this time, tummies had started rumbling so Sweta took us to Café Columbia, a chic coffee shop just opposite the Joggers park. At the café, we had a power packed session with the corporate leader <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/madhavi-dahanukar-514bb61/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #8c68cb; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Madhavi Dhanukar</a>, Sr. Vice President at <a href="http://www.exlservice.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #8c68cb; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">EXL Service</a>, who spoke passionately about the ‘Big Picture thinking.’</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Madhavi had also brought in her 18-year-old daughter. Reason – She wanted her to learn from other women who have more experience than her. She said one should not reinvent the wheel and learn from others who have gone before us. Smart mommy.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Madhavi started her talk on the ‘Big Picture thinking’ with this quote -</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 0.975em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">‘</em><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 0.975em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One should not lose sight of the forest while focusing on the trees.’</em></strong></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">She highlighted the importance of being assertive for women to get leadership roles. She gave us 5 very simple and practical areas, we should focus on for personal growth and other 5 to develop the leader in us.</span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
5 areas for personal development:</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">1. </span><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Core competency</strong><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">: Whatever your area of expertise, become the best in it so that you are the go-to person in the organization for that need.</span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
2. <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Communication skills</strong>: It’s important to develop communication skills so that you can market your talent and do it articulately.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
3. <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Confidence</strong>: Women are extremely smart. They need to be a bit more confident in their own skin.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
4. <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Gain Knowledge by investing time in yourself</strong>: As you climb the corporate ladder, it becomes important to keep learning and gaining knowledge. She suggested books like the ‘Blue Ocean strategy’ which each woman who aspires to be a leader should read.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
5. <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Personal SWOT Analysis</strong>: (I liked this point the most). She said we should do a personal SWOT analysis - Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat Analysis every year. You will not be able to implement the above 4 points if you do not do this. Because this is the real eye opener. Do it with brutal honesty and you will know the areas you need to focus on your growth.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b>5 areas to focus on developing the leader in us:</b></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
1. <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">IQ</strong> - Intelligence Quotient</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
2. <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">E</strong>Q – Emotional Quotient</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">We are aware of both these so she quickly moved on to the next three.</span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
3. <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">SQ</strong>- Social Quotient: To increase your Social Quotient, make connections outside your team, make a deliberate effort to have lunch with new faces, talk to people in the elevator and ensure that people not directly related to your work also know you.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
4. <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">OQ</strong> – Organizational Quotient: She stressed that informal hierarchy dominates in most organizations. Therefore, we need to be aware of our organizational hierarchy and know whether decisions are being taken in conference rooms or in smoke breaks and coffee sessions.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
5. <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">PQ</strong> – Personable Quotient: Personable Quotient defines how affable you are. I felt this to be my most important takeaway. This quotient shapes your personality, draws people towards you and gets you more opportunities vis a vis others.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">What an excellent framework explained in such a simple and practical manner. We then had a Q & A round.</span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/toshiba-tewari-3b7a86a2/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #8c68cb; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Toshiba Tiwari</a>, a Corporate trainer, was also with the group to encourage the mentor-mentee relationship. For whatever little time, I met her, I could gauge that she is a wonderful champion for women leadership and empowerment. She spoke about how she is raising feminist sons in her house so that the next generation of women have it easy. She shared how the other day, her 17-year-old son made a breakfast when she had to leave for work a little early. She shared how she has such an open relationship with her sons that they discuss everything under the sun – from bodily changes to homosexuality. Got few lessons in parenting too!</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Although it was already 11, but it seemed that none of us wanted to leave as it was such an enriching session with so much positivity. Sweta assured us that she would create a group on social media so that we can continue our conversations. Madhavi had underlined the importance of building an ecosystem where we can support each other. I could sense that ecosystem forming right there for each one of us.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Madhavi concluded it so beautifully that in each family, there is one rebellious generation that paves the way and makes things better for the next generation. She left us with this question –</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Can we be the generation that changes things for the next generation of women?</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Yes, we CAN and it’s time we should!</span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Special thanks to Sweta, Toshiba, Madhavi, each mentor and mentee for the positive vibe we all contributed and of course to Vital Voices for the brilliant vision of empowering women leaders.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="floating-share-button" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px -60px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 908px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
<div class="article-content-footer" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div id="social-actions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="social-actions-wrapper" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 4.8rem 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<ul class="actions article-actions article-footer-actions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="tooltip-wrapper" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<button class="button-secondary-large-round-muted button-like tooltip-trigger" style="border-color: initial; border-radius: 20px; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.54902) 0px 0px 0px 1px inset, transparent 0px 0px 0px 2px inset, transparent 0px 0px 0px 3px inset; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.54902); cursor: pointer; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 0px; font-weight: 600; height: 40px; line-height: 40px; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-indent: -999px; transition-duration: 167ms; transition-property: background-color, box-shadow, color; transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0, 0, 0.2, 1); vertical-align: middle; width: 40px; z-index: 0;"><span class="text text-default" style="border: 0px; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><li-icon aria-hidden="true" style="display: inline-block; height: 24px; left: 20px; margin: -12px 0px 0px -12px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 20px; width: 24px;" type="like-icon"><svg style="height: 100%; width: 100%;"><svg class="icon" height="24px" preserveaspectratio="xMinYMin meet" viewbox="0 0 24 24" width="24px" x="0" y="0"><g class="large-icon" style="fill: currentColor;"><path d="M17.5,11l-2.2-3c-1.1-1.6-1.8-3.4-2.2-5.3L12.7,1H10.5C9.1,1,8,2.1,8,3.5v0.6c0,0.8,0.1,1.6,0.3,2.4L9,9L4.7,9c-1.4,0-2.6,1-2.7,2.4c-0,0.5,0.1,1,0.4,1.4C2.1,13.2,2,13.7,2,14.2c0,0.9,0.4,1.6,1.1,2.1C3,16.4,3,16.6,3,16.8c0,1,0.6,1.9,1.5,2.3C4.5,19.3,4.5,19.4,4.5,19.5C4.5,20.9,5.6,22,7,22h3.8c0.7,0,1.3-0.1,1.9-0.2L15.8,21H21V11H17.5zM19,19h-2.5l-3.4,0.8C12.6,19.9,12.1,20,11.6,20H6.9C6.4,20,6,19.6,6,19.1c0-0,0-0.1,0-0.1l0.2-1L5.2,17.5C4.9,17.4,4.7,17.1,4.7,16.7c0-0.1,0-0.1,0-0.2l0.2-0.9l-0.8-0.5C3.9,14.9,3.8,14.6,3.8,14.3c0-0.2,0-0.3,0.1-0.5L4.4,13.1l-0.5-0.7c-0.1-0.2-0.2-0.3-0.1-0.5C3.8,11.4,4.2,11,4.8,11h6.6l-1.2-4.3c-0.2-0.8-0.3-1.6-0.3-2.4V3.4c0-0.3,0.2-0.5,0.5-0.5h1.1c0.5,2.2,1.3,4.4,2.5,6.2L16.7,13H19V19z"></path></g></svg></svg></li-icon><span class="accessible-text" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px); font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px;">Like</span></span><span class="accessible-text" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px); font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px;">My Experience at the Global Mentoring Walk Pune 2017</span></button><br />
<div class="tooltip tooltip-like" role="tooltip" style="background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85098); border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; bottom: 40px; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; left: 20px; line-height: 20px; margin-top: 12px; opacity: 0; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 18px 8px; position: absolute; transform: translateX(-50%); transition: visibility 0s linear 0.2s, opacity 0.2s linear; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: hidden; white-space: nowrap; z-index: 1;">
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="tooltip-wrapper" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<button class="button-secondary-large-round-muted button-comment tooltip-trigger" style="border-color: initial; border-radius: 20px; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.54902) 0px 0px 0px 1px inset, transparent 0px 0px 0px 2px inset, transparent 0px 0px 0px 3px inset; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.54902); cursor: pointer; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 0px; font-weight: 600; height: 40px; line-height: 40px; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-indent: -999px; transition-duration: 167ms; transition-property: background-color, box-shadow, color; transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0, 0, 0.2, 1); vertical-align: middle; width: 40px; z-index: 0;"><li-icon aria-hidden="true" style="display: inline-block; height: 24px; left: 20px; margin: -12px 0px 0px -12px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 20px; width: 24px;" type="speech-bubble-icon"><svg style="height: 100%; width: 100%;"><svg class="icon" height="24px" preserveaspectratio="xMinYMin meet" viewbox="0 0 24 24" width="24px" x="0" y="0"><g class="large-icon" style="fill: currentColor;"><g><path d="M20,6v9.6c0,0.3-0.2,0.7-0.5,0.8L16,18.6V16H4V6H20M20,4H4C2.9,4,2,4.9,2,6v10c0,1.1,0.9,2,2,2h10v4l6.6-4.1c0.9-0.5,1.4-1.5,1.4-2.5V6C22,4.9,21.1,4,20,4L20,4z"></path></g></g></svg></svg></li-icon></button></div>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br /></div>
Priyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8558725685184023109.post-932940138363033642017-04-04T06:07:00.002-07:002017-04-04T06:09:22.981-07:00Committed yet Carefree<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7WoMxe-tj8Smoh2xCPruXtZI8vT0ajl5bqwxDUu04Xh7TZsIttyqwdIHjXkpQ5hTZl3BiYzAdzxhZItN6YRia1iBXYHH5w1Nq5VZgbbwBFIRDMaZ7VeENd4TF7QbLK_5ZjmalsVSFkQQ/s1600/vector-of-cartoon-school-girls-wearing-animal-backpacks-while-walking-together-by-bnp-design-studio-8236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7WoMxe-tj8Smoh2xCPruXtZI8vT0ajl5bqwxDUu04Xh7TZsIttyqwdIHjXkpQ5hTZl3BiYzAdzxhZItN6YRia1iBXYHH5w1Nq5VZgbbwBFIRDMaZ7VeENd4TF7QbLK_5ZjmalsVSFkQQ/s400/vector-of-cartoon-school-girls-wearing-animal-backpacks-while-walking-together-by-bnp-design-studio-8236.jpg" width="386" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
courtesy: vecto.rs</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I dropped off my 5-year-old to school, I looked at her
carefree gait with which she trotted to her class. She moved with such gay
abandon that brought a smile to my face.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then I wondered, why am I walking through life as if I am
carrying a heavy burden on my head.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Can I not be committed to my goals yet have a carefree nature.
(mind you not careless) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I am committed, I am generally too focused on the
result.<br />
Because I want to win and because I don<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin;">’</span>t want
to fail. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why can<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin;">’</span>t I function
with my focus simply on the goal and not on the result?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even if I fall, I too, just like my daughter, can brush off
the dust and stand up again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By taking out the fear of failure or the burden of
achievement, I can live with a carefree spirit and a committed mind. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aren<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin;">’</span>t kids
simply wonderful! Even by observing them you learn so much!<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Priyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8558725685184023109.post-84210128982662055002017-04-03T05:01:00.001-07:002017-04-03T05:02:24.953-07:00BLAME GAME: Are you a Victim of it?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyD-RnV4P2dBT9ZnM8PiE4Lz13PbGFTlzjPuLLzFcoFkqNKnBbSmV8KJhZlBd_qlVFJHbIQcx2gGXFUoLfWJ8WCctMZfzqlMUze00FFuNIgwASNCasfY9EKJkeukRZIVdDWeCwMOZ5Kyfn/s1600/img.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyD-RnV4P2dBT9ZnM8PiE4Lz13PbGFTlzjPuLLzFcoFkqNKnBbSmV8KJhZlBd_qlVFJHbIQcx2gGXFUoLfWJ8WCctMZfzqlMUze00FFuNIgwASNCasfY9EKJkeukRZIVdDWeCwMOZ5Kyfn/s400/img.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Image courtesy: http://www.christianpost.com/news/dont-lead-your-church-into-the-blame-game-161757/</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The other day, I was discussing my personality traits with a colleague. I shared a weakness and announced that my parents, while bringing me up, subconsciously reinforced one lesson a bit too much. So, this weakness is a byproduct of that lesson. To which, my colleague responded that after a certain age and of course after attaining a certain level of maturity, it is important that we take responsibility for who we are. We can<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">’</span>t be the lengthened shadows of our parents all our lives.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Suddenly a eureka moment happened: I know I have a weakness. And I am not able to correct it. Not because it can<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin;">’</span>t be corrected but because my mind has very conveniently put me in the <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin;">‘</span>blame game<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin;">’</span> mode. The moment I take ownership for anything, I can correct it. But my mind was not letting me accept it as my responsibility. I pushed it on my parents. What a wonderful revelation! How, at times, we let our own mind act as a roadblock to our self-development. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Are you subconsciously blaming others for bad habits, weaknesses, inhibitions? It<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin;">’s</span> about time you take ownership.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Priyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8558725685184023109.post-19604335150904193842017-04-01T02:33:00.001-07:002017-04-01T02:34:43.773-07:00Aspirations of a parent for a child #AToZChallenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div>
The internet is full of parenting tips and 'must teach' lessons for your kids. As an informed parent, who doesn't want to miss out on any parental advice, I read all such articles with interest. The do's and don't's of raising a healthy, well balanced, intelligent child (Ahhh too much pressure)</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
So when I stumbled upon this beautiful lesson which is more important than all other lessons, I promised myself to follow it to the tee.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Teach this to your kids:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx10Cs7P_RfGAP9CHSh_31eFVWs7TtRe3Mby2kmH74jlp4eHkLrvuK-W1DqG89wzkLW9j71ZJB0XlvB00iLirTnhOSDZ5Lwev4YyRLIXwYoOCKbBVtYG1UH0Zn7gQMY3-EWCDoNxdpmNZ8/s1600/kids-in-the-park1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx10Cs7P_RfGAP9CHSh_31eFVWs7TtRe3Mby2kmH74jlp4eHkLrvuK-W1DqG89wzkLW9j71ZJB0XlvB00iLirTnhOSDZ5Lwev4YyRLIXwYoOCKbBVtYG1UH0Zn7gQMY3-EWCDoNxdpmNZ8/s320/kids-in-the-park1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Image courtesy: http://www.academicsavvy.com</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<i>"You will never remember what you scored in your 7th standard physics exam. But you'll remember your memories. Go make amazing memories!"</i></div>
</div>
Priyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8558725685184023109.post-66677680504901568632016-12-18T12:56:00.001-08:002016-12-18T12:57:50.928-08:00Festivelle 2016 – My experience – Lots of fun -Totally unedited<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had driven down from Pune to attend Festivelle 2016. I was there at the event to network for my upcoming book <i>‘Samaira and the gang in London</i>.’ (More on that later for here I want to talk about Festivelle - the first women only event organized by two lovely ladies- Gul Panag and Shruti Seth)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I reached the venue well in time and was happy to experience a vibe similar to what I used to get in our college festivals – a blend of uninhibited enthusiasm and positive energy. Organizers were scurrying for getting things ready. I also saw Shruti running around trying to take care of last minute stuff.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was a beautiful Festivelle logo at the entrance. I clicked a pic and tweeted about it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBY3TxJDmENYmrzXIvdUOpZbW6eS-zZr6xuqfEKYcsY21K_vTppLQ5A6A6cT19XlsjaRhzzd_OraF1_Nqc0cW553umPIi2uUbLb_GlBccr4dl1Fsr0vbmYRRbFNR5XoiWhn-7PA4ZyVOtS/s1600/IMG_20161217_120008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBY3TxJDmENYmrzXIvdUOpZbW6eS-zZr6xuqfEKYcsY21K_vTppLQ5A6A6cT19XlsjaRhzzd_OraF1_Nqc0cW553umPIi2uUbLb_GlBccr4dl1Fsr0vbmYRRbFNR5XoiWhn-7PA4ZyVOtS/s320/IMG_20161217_120008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I walked past the line-up of beautiful stalls and entered the beach facing garden. As I stood there clueless on where to go, Shruti volunteered to help and directed me to the first session of the day. It was quite pleasing to see Shruti extend all hospitality to guests like me and help us find our way.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>First session of the day – Lessons from Kim Kardashian<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Panelists- Gul Panag, Miss Malini and Kiran Manral<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHcM5nvgNmIAr-5nCXZ5nOEjhXvQgLSxNqlhaWVUso3okMXSFo-hhOoza2SVrLAsQBYN16W2AA7SgUP5AiYGC0Lov_M1vLmadOfZ8Y5MX-nxzT-aGG_gAwELFwv2OQ4p8_d4LmG3n3kyA/s1600/IMG_20161217_121406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHcM5nvgNmIAr-5nCXZ5nOEjhXvQgLSxNqlhaWVUso3okMXSFo-hhOoza2SVrLAsQBYN16W2AA7SgUP5AiYGC0Lov_M1vLmadOfZ8Y5MX-nxzT-aGG_gAwELFwv2OQ4p8_d4LmG3n3kyA/s320/IMG_20161217_121406.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The hall was slowly filling up but it was nice that the Festivelle team stuck to its schedule. The discussion between Gul, Miss Malini and Kiran Manral was a perfect kick start to this women only event. They spoke about how the first instinct of women is to uplift other women, which we should never forget.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gul spoke about how she was just another student at a college in Patiala, and how she got an opportunity to participate in a beauty pageant and from there, how she made the most of every opportunity that came her way. She also spoke about her recent entrepreneurial venture Mobiefit – focussing on fitness centered mobile apps. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Miss Malini shared her experience about being a woman in the digital space, the do’s and dont's for sharing information on social media and how her blog turned into a successful business venture -thanks to her passion. She also advised not to say anything on social media that you would not in personal life. Kiran Manral, the moderator for the session, was grace personified. She conducted the session with a lot of panache.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When someone asked - ‘How to build your personal brand on social media’, Gul nailed it by saying - Be who you are! Be natural! Be unique! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My take away from the discussion - </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Stop wearing your gender over your sleeve. Just be!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the discussion, I saw Gul looking at her phone a couple of times. While contributing her wise nuggets at the session, she also kept a tab on the twitter conversations about Festivelle. In fact, she retweeted the Festivelle logo pic that I had tweeted a few minutes ago, during this session itself, never losing her presence of mind in the process.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-hfJZJi29AH9_4nvnO6tM416rmkl-KxsNeI1b00eTI-1vRsaUcuWog2VtmR2SSOds3vM8OMOVd4wzEhqmvFAdmiAczXDwjOIGkYg0VvsJ7r-yJeaB2hKamFBfjyzRi4BOL7t3sg-THGe/s1600/IMG_20161217_141412_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-hfJZJi29AH9_4nvnO6tM416rmkl-KxsNeI1b00eTI-1vRsaUcuWog2VtmR2SSOds3vM8OMOVd4wzEhqmvFAdmiAczXDwjOIGkYg0VvsJ7r-yJeaB2hKamFBfjyzRi4BOL7t3sg-THGe/s320/IMG_20161217_141412_1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Post the session I met Gul and requested her for a selfie. She was extremely warm and gracious. What struck me was the fact that she was hounded by requests from 100s of women like me for selfies and she was equally warm to each. In fact, she made sure that each one of us got a perfect picture, with proper light and pose.- Who wouldn’t love her for that!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Second session of the day – We are our Hormones<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Panelists -Dr. Sheetal Sabharwal, Naiyya Saggi, and Sonali Gupta<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was truly a fun session and I must give full marks to the moderator, Naiyya Saggi, who conducted it so well. Before beginning the session, Naiyya suggested that we hug the person sitting next to us (yes, you can suggest such things only at ‘no men’ events) Naiyya told us to share one thing that we are most proud of with this person. My neighbor was this pretty lady from Future Group -Priya Udani, who had come with her colleagues. Apparently, Future group had sent their women to have fun at this event while men had a working day at the office.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wonderful tweetable quotes came out of this session-<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
‘Sex is to be enjoyed between the years and not between the legs’ said one of the panelists while answering a question on why women have lesser sex drive than men. I tweeted this cool thought and I must mention this tweet of mine got the maximum impressions, retweets, and likes. No wonder!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Discussions also veered towards how mothers eat the leftover food of their kids as they don’t want to waste it. Another quotable quote was spoken by one of the panelists on this topic– ‘It is better to waste it than put it on your waist!’<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was also a funny discussion around the term Starfish Sex (I know most of you will google this term. Go do it cos I am not revealing its meaning here <span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span> )<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My takeaways from the session -</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although it is our hormones that drive us, and we are bound to feel low on a few days, but we can cheat our hormones by –<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Doing things that make us truly happy, indulging in self-care (as women, we completely ignore this) and building a positive narrative about our life to motivate us during low times.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I met Naiyya Saggi outside and complemented her for conducting the session so well. She spoke about her entrepreneurial venture Babychakra and looking at my phone quickly suggested to download the app. I did!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I realized I was hungry so I quickly grabbed a Paneer tikka wrap and a mocktail. Must say - very reasonably priced and very tasty too. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Third Session of the day – It’s good to be a bad mom<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Srishti Arya, Pooja Bedi, Mini Mathur, Lalita Iyer and Shubha Shetty<o:p></o:p></i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i><br /></i>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMgkiyJa9pfoZcGMyAvL233IEbV1t0Hq70P12lYkb5hA_qP3Udjcx4P7giTeTf8AqdM1-ru6wThCLTfGOwp05foAGj2Nrt_cFg7Utb9y75lx7FSsor21i8EGxkX6-_SBi8oRIlEauuyki/s1600/IMG_20161217_144531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMgkiyJa9pfoZcGMyAvL233IEbV1t0Hq70P12lYkb5hA_qP3Udjcx4P7giTeTf8AqdM1-ru6wThCLTfGOwp05foAGj2Nrt_cFg7Utb9y75lx7FSsor21i8EGxkX6-_SBi8oRIlEauuyki/s320/IMG_20161217_144531.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was so looking forward to this session. My favorite anchor Mini Mathur was part of the panel. Actually, it was for her that I had driven down all the way from Pune, to meet and discuss my upcoming book. (more on that later)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is an absolute delight to watch Mini Mathur on and off stage. She is so full of energy and has such positive vibes. Her views on motherhood – ‘Only a happy individual can make a happy mom’- which is why it is so important that you continue with your careers and pursue your passions even after becoming a mom. Srishti shared how in the initial motherhood years, she felt guilty of not spending enough time with her baby, and in most cases, the guilt came not from her kiddo but from other moms. She also said- 'All kids get the mother they need.' I guess it’s time we mothers bury the guilt card for good. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mini also said that if children see a happy fulfilled individual in their mom, they become that. She further mentioned – ‘The quality of time that you give to your child matters much more than the quantity.’<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pooja Bedi shared some interesting personal stories about raising her kids, disciplining them, hiring help for less important stuff (read cooking), so that she could give her best time to kids and balance career and life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Srishti Arya shared how, one day, her son complained that she doesn’t bake for him like his friend’s mom did. Srishti said “I told him that I don’t compare your marks with your friend so you don’t compare me to anyone. You talk to me and I talk to you.” Indeed, a smart answer from a smart mom. Result -Her son stopped those mommy comparisons immediately. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I loved this discussion and wish it could be longer for it was an absolute delight to hear parenting experiences of these ladies. Mini stated that she hates those moms who run around to put their kids in every possible class in town (how I love her for saying that). Lalita Iyer said it so well –“By sending kids to school, you are already putting them in a box, how many more boxes will you create?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My takeaways from the session-<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is more than one kind of a good mother. Very well said. I certainly feel less guilty for not spending as much time with my kiddo as stay-at-home moms do.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Post the session, I went for some Retail therapy. I particularly liked the collection of this beautiful Lady -Himangi who brought her brand Myaara - all the way from Delhi. She looked chic in her white wrap around dress. In fact, most people were drawn to her stall cos of this lovely white dress she wore. Must say she simply looked stunning. She told me she doesn’t make anything that she herself would not wear. That’s a cool thought. Way to go Myaara! She was also kind enough to offer her power bank as my mobile battery was dying.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another interesting stall was ‘The Butternut Co.’ I loved the organic stuff they had, tasted a few flavors and bought the peanut butter flavour. It was absolutely yummy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another stall owner I interacted was Bays. Yes her name was Bays. (She told me the story behind this name, which I am not telling here) Quite unique. She also had a very nice collection. She introduced me to her soon to be hubby. It was quite nice chatting with her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Last session of the day: Sisterhood- Cheaper than a Shrink<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Mini Mathur, Jaya Misra, and Maria Goretti<o:p></o:p></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIiFXgUKzbdaMh_PT5Fyk-brR9dC6uHhan4iI1eEjCVztKzmLiJ0Ct_Ho84OCivZaiPHqn78yu9c2zr4sOzLbJ2gmr62rhq2B4z2Z-Gj9wUAzI_z985aZF-iEqp88yJN2O4uDHK8GG-z8/s1600/IMG_20161217_182555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIiFXgUKzbdaMh_PT5Fyk-brR9dC6uHhan4iI1eEjCVztKzmLiJ0Ct_Ho84OCivZaiPHqn78yu9c2zr4sOzLbJ2gmr62rhq2B4z2Z-Gj9wUAzI_z985aZF-iEqp88yJN2O4uDHK8GG-z8/s320/IMG_20161217_182555.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 of these panelists are dear friends and are besties for long. No wonder the Festivelle team had carefully chosen them to be part of this discussion on Sisterhood. They shared their hilarious personal anecdotes, stories from only girls holiday trips and the super fun that they have without their kids and hubbies and how it is important for each woman to have at least one women bestie in her life! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mini said that there are times in everyone’s life that you suddenly spiral into a well and you need someone who can help you zoom out of the situation and change your perspective. Wonderfully crafted words. Told you Mini. You should write!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They spoke about their whatsapp group called ‘Jai mata di mental hospital’. Next time I meet Mini I want to ask if it’s for real <span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maria shared her love for cooking and if something goes wrong with her friendships, she tries to make it through her cooking. Mini said she bribes people with her culinary skills. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All in all a wonderful session. All 3 of them echoed the same sentiment – If and when you find your tribe, hold close to them, cos girls need other girls as their best friends. Amen!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maria shared her cookery book with a pair of besties from the audience. She told them to share pics of the food they prepare using her recipes. Maria’s passion for cooking and her book was admirable. She gave me a valuable tip – “You write books because you want to. So when you put yours up in the market don’t break your heart if it doesn’t fetch you money. You do it, cos you love it! Period.” Point taken Mam.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Post the session, all the women walked upto these lovely ladies for selfies. They did the needful so very graciously. I must say -If the spirit of Festivelle was about bringing women together and uplifting each other, these women were the best champions of that spirit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I met Gul Panag on my way out and congratulated her for the brilliant show. She gave me a warm hug for that!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gul and Shruti - Cheers to both of you! Already looking forward to the next Festivelle. God bless you and May your tribe grow!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
P.S. - Neha Kare – I missed meeting you and your session. I am sure you rocked as always! Love to You!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Priyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8558725685184023109.post-89937549608107096732016-09-11T11:07:00.000-07:002016-11-03T11:29:36.092-07:00Prasoon Joshi's session at Pune International Literary Festival 2016: A first hand account by a hard core fan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFyX_kfKqI7aD-0rNPqps7bVT477H9vwtY_Ebd_hotB18Z3XdzUcQscv4W3ipFgpuR9uYAPG8SZbnanSm_Nvxe_Gu6VidtjiuspGDrkZfWb5ghXM9-hpnn5R99v1I1jpx8IB7Z5yIzjUD/s1600/IMG_20160904_130112.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFyX_kfKqI7aD-0rNPqps7bVT477H9vwtY_Ebd_hotB18Z3XdzUcQscv4W3ipFgpuR9uYAPG8SZbnanSm_Nvxe_Gu6VidtjiuspGDrkZfWb5ghXM9-hpnn5R99v1I1jpx8IB7Z5yIzjUD/s320/IMG_20160904_130112.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I remember as a young girl whenever we used to sign birthday cards, we would invariably write on the back of the envelope “Open with an ear-to-ear smile”. It would almost always bring a brimming smile on the face of the receiver who would open the card with far more enthusiasm than otherwise.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As you grow up you experience fewer such moments of pure joy and bliss cos the intellect becomes too strong to let you feel the innocence of childhood. This Sunday, I attended Prasoon Joshi’s session at the recently concluded Pune International Literary Festival. It was one hour of sheer joy and bliss to see someone breathe and talk so passionately about his creative pursuit - poetry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tears trickled down my eyes as he recited his beautiful poems. From the famous ‘Tare zameen pe’ song to the ‘raksha bandhan’ poem he wrote for his sisters. The most outstanding of them all was his recent poem - “sharm aa rahi hai na” poem that he wrote after the indian women made us proud by getting accolades at the Olympics.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
h<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/y0MjyfioNWk/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y0MjyfioNWk?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He also hummed a few of his songs. It was pure passion at play. He spoke about how he wrote the extremely popular song - maula maula from Delhi 6. He recounted that every day while going to school, he used to pass by a durgah, where an old lady with wrinkled face would be sitting and praying. From that memory, he wrote the following words: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="background: white; color: #222222; line-height: 107%;">arziyaan saari main, chehre pe likh ke laaya hoon</span></i><i><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 107%;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">tumse kya maangu main, tum khud hi samjah lo.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">dararein dararein hain maathe pe maula</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">marammat mukaddar ki kar do maula, mere maula.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What a beautiful expression to a child’s memory!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; line-height: 107%;">One could further get a sneak peek into this genius’s mind when he answered an aspiring young writer's question on how to become a lyricist in Bollywood. He said “</span>Be like a river, learn each day and keep moving…behte raho kyunki maza behne mein he hai." He further added that he published his first book when he was 17, now even in his 40s he feels that he’s nowhere close to the masters who inspire him. He feels he’s still learning each day. He shared another interesting anecdote that one particular guy used to send him a poem daily. Mr. Joshi ignored the mail every day. But the guy kept sending the poems persistently. After 6 months, he said that he started feeling guilty so he took a print out of all the poems and read them in one go. He liked some of the work and therefore hired the young man in his company. A subtle way of teaching us a lesson in Perseverance. Point taken Sir.<span style="background: white; color: #222222; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The entire hall crackled with the raw energy and passion that Mr. Prasoon exuded. It is in moments like these that you lose count of time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He also shared his thought process behind the famous Happydent chewing gum ad that he conceptualised. He said <span style="background: white; line-height: 107%;">“The regal and feudal Indian past triggered off the idea of a fantastical, imaginary world lit by sparkling human teeth” For those who don’t know his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZNoznbIXSo" target="_blank">Happydent chewing gum ad</a> has </span><span style="background: white; color: #262626; line-height: 107%;">been rated <a href="http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-12-03/news/68741977_1_gunn-report-sameer-suneja-21st-century" target="_blank">among the 20 best ads of this century</a> by The Gunn Report - </span><span style="background: white; color: #404040; line-height: 107%;">the global index of creative excellence in advertising.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #262626; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I can go on and on because as a fan, no matter how hard I try to express my pride in sharing the same space as my hero, I can’t.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I end this post with his beautiful message that it is good to be inspired by many but it is important that you keep your own fragrance authentic. In his words: "apni khushbu authentic rakhen"</span><span style="font-size: 15.3333px;"> Amen!</span></span></div>
</div>
Priyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.com0Pune, Maharashtra, India18.5204303 73.85674369999992518.2795358 73.534020199999929 18.7613248 74.17946719999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8558725685184023109.post-59690035014470275212015-07-29T00:22:00.002-07:002016-04-27T04:58:05.534-07:00Samaira and the gang in London<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHM3nOOurKLt1oQZf11_XmaXrOl0KCYnQY0ovgSOpxsUWtHoNXwdhPrJOWhGuRakf5c17s4ndzX7Nl-OyGO_oA4rFIqEKIXGMGA8FTymg4gwIRCqK7ek8hxfTOl-yDJty7SgH1pSoboQWf/s1600/page+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHM3nOOurKLt1oQZf11_XmaXrOl0KCYnQY0ovgSOpxsUWtHoNXwdhPrJOWhGuRakf5c17s4ndzX7Nl-OyGO_oA4rFIqEKIXGMGA8FTymg4gwIRCqK7ek8hxfTOl-yDJty7SgH1pSoboQWf/s320/page+1.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigICtLcdFOVTP7cAVD6QJt8Ac99MHX56R3ywy1-jFGsBEPcRmgCZ0S7-b8EM4bvgs0d-UmOZeA76NzZK1GBge5PWoyBVqlXWOdgxl_e-2-3SUM4pzAFvQDEYClXXhYK3tHIcgneX2z5bWa/s1600/page-2%252C3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigICtLcdFOVTP7cAVD6QJt8Ac99MHX56R3ywy1-jFGsBEPcRmgCZ0S7-b8EM4bvgs0d-UmOZeA76NzZK1GBge5PWoyBVqlXWOdgxl_e-2-3SUM4pzAFvQDEYClXXhYK3tHIcgneX2z5bWa/s320/page-2%252C3.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFeGyIP3b_O_TdJoLlDFiED2m8r_CXJz9KYpcpNnNKMKvTO3715BF8vkBVbeqiWB0Py7DRyAtvlUce8Byu83QQL6BLuW1xibO0BMY6QPKBxkqtWORIRUFtBBrWQCYAyY2ZivxYjwmTT7at/s1600/page-4-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFeGyIP3b_O_TdJoLlDFiED2m8r_CXJz9KYpcpNnNKMKvTO3715BF8vkBVbeqiWB0Py7DRyAtvlUce8Byu83QQL6BLuW1xibO0BMY6QPKBxkqtWORIRUFtBBrWQCYAyY2ZivxYjwmTT7at/s320/page-4-5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbxf7D_YiG5yS9XGu-evsXc6-VBcIsaab-BvN_tp5ycqrbyKq85CvGvOXJ00BkN6_Ye-6uqS-nNjKuGlcq_8kQGqFBbzqMp4ksJj03f91RhtP6GIFtuZdpLmoD8cEYo0NXXzLOhI2mUFw/s1600/page-6-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbxf7D_YiG5yS9XGu-evsXc6-VBcIsaab-BvN_tp5ycqrbyKq85CvGvOXJ00BkN6_Ye-6uqS-nNjKuGlcq_8kQGqFBbzqMp4ksJj03f91RhtP6GIFtuZdpLmoD8cEYo0NXXzLOhI2mUFw/s320/page-6-7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Priyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8558725685184023109.post-52764403131224185802013-05-17T17:56:00.000-07:002016-04-27T05:25:17.756-07:00Soft Skills lesson 4 : Listening skills<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Soft Skills lesson 4 : Listening skills<br />
<br />
<br />
Embarrasing situations and myself run parallel to each other in life. My indiscretions have become so grave and frequent that that I want to forget the incident the moment it happens. Probably, I am too mortified to accept the kind of awkwardness I have put myself into and sometimes others aswell.<br />
<br />
<br />
As they say,"Commit mistakes, but do not repeat them. Make new ones."<br />
<br />
So, I have now resolved to look into my embarassing encounters and learn some perennial lessons from them.Trust me, it is like living your own clumsiness all over again, going through the 'What a fool I am' phase afresh, accompanied by an apologetic smile, flushed cheeks, something churning in tummy, and a deep desire to erase the incident from either memory or life..<br />
<br />
Well, after extracting enough courage from inside myself, I am reflecting on my recent faux pas and trying to learn a lesson from it too. I was at my husband's colleague's place, who had thrown a farewell party for us as we leave London for good. There were other colleagues and their families aswell. Now, we have all known each other for over a couple of years and share a good rapport.. Me and a colleague's wife were sitting across each other on the dinner table and a third lady was standing closely overlooking us from the open kitchen plan. This lady from across the table, passed a polythin bag to me saying " This is your hubby's jacket ( which he had left at our place last month). Without listening to the bracketed words, I chose to say "What is the need for this? I am not taking any souvenirs. We'll be in touch then why the formality. She restated sheepishly" No No it's your hubby's he left it at our place".To save both of us from the awkwardness, I asked " O really, when did he leave it". The damage, anyways, had already been done.<br />
<br />
I had not only thrown an egg on my own face but made her uncomfortable too by making her feel that I was expecting a farewell gift.<br />
<br />
Never before have I felt the need to be a good listener than the way I felt today. Had I let finish her sentence and then responded, I would have saved myself this piece of writing at 2 in the night.<br />
<br />
Some research has pointed out that our listening skills have become so poor that even before people finish what they have to say,we are framing answers in our minds.<br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">It is also pertinent to note that listening is not the same as hearing.</span> Hearing refers to the sounds that you hear, whereas listening requires more than that: it requires focus. Listening means paying attention not only to the story, but how it is told, the use of language and voice, and how the other person uses his or her body. In other words, it means being aware of both verbal and non-verbal messages. Your ability to listen effectively depends on the degree to which you perceive and understand these messages. Lesson well learnt !!!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px;">
</div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br /><a href="http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/listening-skills.html#ixzz2Tb92sdyy" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a name='more'></a></a></span></div>
Priyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8558725685184023109.post-10924404176114398072012-10-31T18:58:00.000-07:002016-04-27T05:25:17.751-07:00Soft skills lesson 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am generally a good host and treat people very nicely whoever comes to my house. In our culture, we are taught 'atithi devo bhava', meaning 'Guest is next to God'. What we learn at young age are probably very strong impressions that remain with us throughout life. This makes me feel that all that I ever learnt in life was in the first fifteen years. Gosh,What went wrong after that!!! A lot I guess..College, adolescence, an abysmal interest in boys...But more on that later. Let me not digress. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As I am gliding on a self adulatory trip about my hostess skills, I must confess one such occasion where I did not do much justice to the situation. The guest in this case was my landlord, an elderly british gentleman, who's purpose of visit was to help me equip myself with the workings of the new washing machine, which he had just bought for us. I hate technical manuals and he had been kind enough to offer help. Moreover, he always says that it's my house so I better understand the workings of things. Very responsible thought indeed.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now, I had had a bad day so far with a sleepless previous night (baby chose to wake up every hour), cranky behaviour in the day and no time for doing the basic of chores read bathing, eating etc. The first six months or more, of the new arrival's existence had been more or less like this only. The incredible optimist that I have always been (things are changing now),I tell myself every night "This too shall pass".(Moral from a fable where the king wears a ring which has such magical powers that if a happy man looks at it, he becomes sad, and if a sad man looks at it, he becomes happy. It has these golden words inscribed on it ).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Anyways, the landlord arrives in time for our discerning session on the recent acquisition. After exchanging pleasantries, he got down to work. I kept a few clothes in the machine so that while going through the manual, we could simultaneously test the effectiveness of the appliance. His love for such widgets and curiosity to learn new things in infectious. Not on this occasion though., considering the kind of day I had had. He passed me my copy of the manual and started going through the pages one after the other. From, safety instructions to understanding different parts and their functions and ofcourse cross checking the presence of those parts in the machine, from programme selecting options to drying options, from drying with normal settings to drying with customised settings, from activating childproof lock to what not (from this point onwards, I had lost interest and hated myself for calling him and not doing it myself ),we went through the length and breadth of the manual. I always wondered who would care to read such tomes. Now I know, who would. Finally, he decided to practically test this contraption through trial and error method. Every cycle that he wanted to test would obviously take a minimum read long and boring 25 minutes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In between the second cycle I believe, I began shifting my weight from one foot to the other(non verbal communication is always stronger than words, I had learnt this in one <i>kinesics</i> class but I guess forgot it here). I fidgeted with the television remote (showing my interest has moved to other things ), switched off one light accidentally. Now trust me I was not doing any of these things intentionally. Probably my actions were stating my state of mind.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As he observed all this, he couldn't refrain from pointing out "Are you getting impatient, that it's taking so long". I smiled apologetically and emphatically counterclaimed a NO. Am sure he was not convinced as my body language was showing otherwise. He finally said, "You are an sensible lady and such behaviour is not expected out of you". I froze. Since the time school finished, no one had ever chided me like that except for my mum who of course was a perpetual critic. I was short of words. My first thought was anger at his upfront behaviour. My second thought was that I was in the wrong accompanied by feelings of guilt. My final thought was a lesson of a lifetime. No matter how bad your situation is (In my mind I have underlined and emboldened this statement<b><u> No matter how bad your situation</u></b>), you have to treat people well. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As Regina Brett writes in her book, '<i>God never blinks</i>',"No matter, how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. I would add to this. Get up, dress up and show up but do show up well !!!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Priyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8558725685184023109.post-45179005014831228902012-10-31T16:56:00.000-07:002016-04-27T05:25:17.753-07:00Soft skills lesson 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In today's ICE Age i.e. Information ,Communication and Entertainment Age, where knowledge and wisdom are readily available, it has become increasingly pertinent to equip oneself with soft skills or simply stating interpersonal skills which have become much more important than any hard skills(ability to perform tasks and activities) that one may have.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Soft Skills are </span><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">behavioural</i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> competencies and i</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">nclude proficiencies such as communication skills, conflict resolution and negotiation, personal effectiveness, creative problem solving, strategic thinking, team building, influencing skills, selling skills etc.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A lot has already been spoken about soft skills, do's and dont's, but I am writing on this subject based upon personal experiences with people. Experience is a funny thing. It <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted and is often the most valuable thing one has to offer. I am writing this based upon few of my best experiences on</span><b style="background-color: white;"> </b><span style="background-color: white;">the usage of savoir-faire or the lack of it by either myself or by people around me.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soft skills Lesson 1.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brevity : the soul of wit</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Shakespeare wrote this meaningful line in The Hamlet, it seems, he conveniently ignored people's love for talking. On top of it if he were to observe the world today and witness people's penchant for saying something again and again(probably believing that it would create a better impact), he must ceaselessly churn in his grave.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cut to Northwick Park Hospital</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anxiety prevailed our faces, me and hubby dearest were pushing our buggy into the main reception of the hospital. An earnest call from a senior doctor requiring urgent blood tests for the little one had hassled us. He was not happy with the sample taken earlier as it showed lower blood caplets. There were two possibilities. One, the blood caplet count was actually low. Two, insufficient sample taken for the previous tests, which sometimes provides erroneous reports. The doctor was positive that it would be the second reason. We dreaded the first.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The entrance to the paediatric ward was adjacent to a glass window, inside which a team of receptionists was seated. They were approached by all the people coming in. Since we didn't have anything to do with the general ward and the door to paediatrics was open ,we walked through. (Probably, in situations like these, it is best to ask).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we marched ahead, a young lady, apparently, one of the receptionists, came running behind us and shall I say, started enquiring, in a very loud manner about the purpose of our visit. Hubby explained the reason for our tarriance. She calmed a bit. Then as if had an afterthought and decided to yammer "You cannot enter the premises without informing one of our teams." We realised our mistake and duly apologised. She asked us to follow her to the reception so that she could do the entry. We did. While walking back, she muttered " You shouldn't have gone in without permission." I apologised again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We reached her desk. As she was settling in her chair, she probably decided to whine a bit more. "No one enters here without permission." She took the child's details and remarked, "It is wrong to enter without letting us know." Her constant attempts to make us feel remorseful were getting on our nerves. She asked our postal address and repeated, "Whenever you come to the hospital, you first come to this desk"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hubby (an otherwise calm and composed gentleman) had had enough of it . He rejoined, "Madam, with due respect, your point is taken and we have given our sincere apologies. Now, will you stop harping on the same fact and allow us to take the baby to the doctor. Not to be outdone, she responded "No need to take offence. I am just explaining you the rules." Knowingly or unknowingly she explained the 'Rules' a bit too many times undermining the weight of her own words.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This reminds me of childhood days when our mum would keep saying that kids don't listen and one look from dad was enough for us to toe the line. Even in spirituality, they say, the fewer words, the better prayer. Probably, God also agrees with Shakespeare !!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
</div>
</div>
Priyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8558725685184023109.post-59288342554738823422012-10-18T17:51:00.000-07:002016-04-27T05:25:17.758-07:00Soft Skills Lesson 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Frantically pushing my baby's stroller, I walked as fast as my (not so) tiny frame would allow. Desperation unleashed all over my otherwise radiant countenance. The urgency was that I had to rush for a prebooked appointment with my GP for an ear infection. With last minute nappy changes and refusals for sitting in buggy, my little one is making me a pro at being late for almost every appointment. In such frenzied moments, the brain generally stops its usual tete-a-tete and one is more or less blank. In this vacuous state, I observed an octogenarian couple walking right in front of me. In ordinary circumstances, my absent minded soul would have conveniently ignored their presence. But they chose to park themselves right in front of me and saunter at a snail's pace. For someone who enjoys the British summer, it was quite nice and sunny with slightly cool breeze, brewing a perfect<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"> weather to laze around. Ahhh no time for such simple pleasures for me. I could only think of a missed appointment which would lead to my name being removed from my local GP 's list. The rule says that if you miss your appointments thrice, your name would be removed from the list and you have to reregister, which of course is a tedious process. With the baby keeping my hands full I have no time for that and you guessed it right I have already missed my appointments twice. The couple's mood appeared to be in stark contrast with my state of mind. They wanted to sway with the breeze and soak in the daylight as if there's no tomorrow. (Well, actually that's the way to live life fully). The lady stopped midway to admire some flowers in a private garden. The gentleman followed suit. They were absolutely thrilled and delighted to see the beauty and grandeur of those flowers like a little child, who eats candy for the first time. Their intention was not to pluck and own those flowers. Infact, they were just breathing in the fragrance and appreciating the bountiful nature. Their coos of appreciation were so animated that I couldn't help but smile.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
My Lesson for life learnt : If you are happy and joyous yourself, you can spread this happiness and joy wherever you go. Like a blossomed flower, you can warm the cockles of many a heart. And if you are happy within, being courteous and gentle becomes your second nature.</div>
Priyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8558725685184023109.post-61179414396364024492012-09-29T15:42:00.001-07:002016-11-04T08:07:27.240-07:00Ahh Romance... the fanciful notion !!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 15px;"><span style="background-color: white;">I was looking for the meaning of word 'Romance' in the dictionary. Since in real life, especially in the lives of married couples, it's a bit difficult to trace. Surprisingly the meanings that I found were also a bit unreal.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 15px;">Following are the meanings I found :</span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="hotword" style="color: #333333;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">1. a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">novel</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">other</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">prose</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">narrative</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">depicting</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">heroic</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">or </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">marvellous</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">deeds,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">pageantry </span></span><span id="hotword" style="color: #333333;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">usually </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">historical</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">imaginary</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">setting.</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<div class="luna-Ent" style="background-image: none; color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px;">
<span class="dnindex" style="color: #7b7b7b; display: block; float: left; font-weight: bold; width: 28px;"><span id="hotword" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">2.</span></span></span><br />
<div class="dndata" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 37px;">
<span id="hotword" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">colorful</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">world,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">life,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">conditions</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">depicted</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">such</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">tales.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="luna-Ent" style="background-image: none; color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px;">
<span class="dnindex" style="color: #7b7b7b; display: block; float: left; font-weight: bold; width: 28px;"><span id="hotword" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">3.</span></span></span><br />
<div class="dndata" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 37px;">
<span id="hotword" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">medieval</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">narrative,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">originally</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">one</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">verse</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">some </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">Romance</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">dialect,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">treating</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">heroic,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">fantastic,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">or </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">supernatural</span> events<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #0055bb; cursor: pointer;">,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">often</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">form</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">allegory.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="luna-Ent" style="background-image: none; color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px;">
<span class="dnindex" style="color: #7b7b7b; display: block; float: left; font-weight: bold; width: 28px;"><span id="hotword" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">4.</span></span></span><br />
<div class="dndata" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 37px;">
<span id="hotword" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">baseless,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">made-up</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">story,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">usually</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">full</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">exaggeration</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">or </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword">fanciful</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">invention.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 15px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">I was confounded . An emotion that I always thought is absent in my marital life, does not even exist in reality. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">It was a bit galling to believe. I decided to look out for a few quotes on Romance. After all Literature is known to glorify life's delusions.This is what I found.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 15px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 15px;"><span style="background-color: white;">"Romance reading and writing might be seen ... as a collectively elaborated female ritual through which women explore the consequences of their common social condition as the appendages of men and attempt to imagine a more perfect state where all the needs they so intensely feel and accept as given would be adequately addressed." </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">More Discomfiture</span><span style="line-height: 15px;">. I switched on some Bollywood love songs replete with happy couples merrily swaying to mesmerizing music with snow clad alps in the background . Aah. Finally, felt a bit better. Atleast my dreamlike assertions had some subsistence. But this eureka moment didn't last long as reality </span><span style="line-height: 15px;">dawned quickly. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">I had actually discovered its ( Romance's) existence in imaginary world only.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 15px;"><span style="background-color: white;">Hubby dearest inturrupted my ramblings as he came close to give a peck on my cheek and say goodnight. Is that Romance ? I asked myself. I was transported back from my imaginary world and started looking for this word in my life .</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 15px;"><span style="background-color: white;">Caring for your spouse's value systems, beliefs and principles is romance, letting her have her way almost 90 percent of the times, buying a smart phone for her before you buy for yourself, having her have the last piece of pizza when you also want it equally badly, never letting past arguments affect future ones, on being woken up by your wife at 2 in the morning just because she feels a bit insecure about your love, you have the energy and patience to explain things calmly, (knowing so well that she has the luxury of sleeping the entire next day and you have work ), letting her decide when she wants to plan the family and having her way, alllowing her to complain about your mother to you whenever she wants to, upon coming late from work tiptoeing in the house so that she is not disturbed, warming your own food and not bothering her, allowing her total space in her gallant culinary ventures ( which are generally bloopers ) and then assuaging her mood with pacifying words waiting for her at the dinner table no matter how hungry he is, patiently handling the baby and following her from one shop to another for the perfect dress that would suit her imperfect figure, going out in chilly weather to get her favourite food...the list is endless.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 15px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">I am feeling a bit ashamed for taking hubby dearest for granted and still complaining about the absence of romance. Romance in real life is probably more real. You can't be dancing in chiffon sarees in minus zero temperatures. While attending a wedding in peak winters in north India, the weather got the better of me, thanks to the flimsy chiffon saree. I pu</span><span style="line-height: 15px;">ked in hubby's friend's brand new car. Poor hubby dearest was looking for mops and antibacterial stuff for cleaning at 2 in the morning. ( the friend ofcourse was never told about this)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 15px;">You can't expect diamond rings every day ( Actually,I generally don't like his choice. I have exchanged 90 percent of the gifts he ever bought me ), candle light dinner settings are too dim in real life ( Once at it, I remember complaining I can't see my food ), looking into each others eyes (I am always the first one to blink when we do that), </span><span style="line-height: 15px;">buying you flowers,Yes he does that many times, dedicates songs for me while standing at the beach, </span><span style="line-height: 15px;">expensive holidays, yes he does that (but no surprises they are planned by me ) he doesn't play with my hair like they so romantically do in movies ( but I don't maintain them..he once tried and his fingers were stuck, and yes he never leaves the house without kissing me .</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 15px;">Now I am feeling a bit angry at all those things that create such a fanciful picture of romance. Excessive reading of mills and boons ( that too during the lectures in college ) where the settings always had heart shaped balloons in background, scented candles and lots of cake. Am I talking like a collegiate.huh.The settings that I so beautifully described reminded me of a classmate in college, whose boyfriend had come all the way from a different city, actually 5 hours away from ours (read distant land like as in fairy tales ) to celebrate Valentine's day with her. Yes. Valentine's day was a big thing before marriage. He sat outside the college gate with a guitar in hand waiting for her ladylove. From there, they went on their beautiful date</span><span style="line-height: 15px;">. We all saw them </span><span style="line-height: 15px;">squeamishly, but </span><span style="line-height: 15px;">behaved as if we didn't car</span><span style="line-height: 15px;">e. Ofcourse, We did. Me and my group of friends grudgingly pointed out "She's not even that pretty that someone should pamper her that way". She was plain average. Really. The next day she recounted the experiences of her date, he proposed, they kissed ( the entire class faked some ooohs and my gang of girls singed with envy ), he shared his intentions of taking her to his far off land. She was also very proudly flaunting that he doesn't want her to cook after marriage so there's no kitchen in the house. It's an english style house you see. A friend wondered out aloud if they had a bathroom also in the house or they will use the neighbours to which all of us had a hearty laugh (wicked). </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 15px;">Now I am thinking from a Man' s perspective If your woman has such romantic notions in life where will the poor hubby go !!!</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 15px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">What was Alfer Noyce thinking when he wrote the Highwayman. You can't make hubby dearest come riding a horse, to meet you in the night like the poem giving false ideas to impressionable souls.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 15px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> He rose upright in the stirrups; he scarce could reach her hand,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> But she loosened her hair i' the casement! His face burnt like a brand</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> As the black cascade of perfume came tumbling over his breast;</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And he kissed its waves in the moonlight,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> (Oh, sweet, black waves in the moonlight!)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Then he tugged at his rein in the moonliglt, and galloped away to the West.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, My highway man has gone off to sleep waiting for me.zzzzz</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: #f5f4f4; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "lucida" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Priyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8558725685184023109.post-30645212020425295352012-09-04T18:35:00.000-07:002012-09-04T18:35:07.859-07:00Some pleasures of childhood !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
"Climb every mountain,ford every stream till you find your dream"<div>
Beautiful signature lines that we used in school while writing slam books for friends.I often quoted it as I liked the nice rhyming words in it .The daydreamers that we are at that tender age we don't really read between the lines and take things literally.Like when I used to look at the skyline from the terrace of my house,I could see some far off mountains,remotely visible.And I would think if I climb all the terraces one by one that are there between my terrace and the mountains,I'll be able to reach that distant mountain some day.Thank God I didn't try that out.If I share these thoughts with my friends today they would relegate my ramblings to an inebriated state.</div>
<div>
'Ford every stream' was little less absurd. For me it meant having adventures straight out of the life of Sindbad the Sailor.Infact, there was a very dirty pond close to our house.A drove of pigs inhabited it.They would bathe,lounge and get tanned there with dozens of mosquitoes aimlessly meandering over their heads, oozing extremely filthy smell.The swashbuckling explorer that I was, followed by an extremely enthusiastic pack of small kids, I would throw some small stones in the pond and then tiptoe on them to cross our version of the English Channel and squeal in utter delight at having crossed it without falling in the puddle.</div>
<div>
My mom could never understand the ceaseless invasion of lice in our house.Maybe she didn't ford many streams in her life!</div>
</div>
Priyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8558725685184023109.post-2201069133519756192012-08-27T08:01:00.006-07:002012-09-04T17:34:20.661-07:00 Meeting Sara<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Truly deep relations happen when we let go of our old habitual selves and allow nature to take it's course. Same is true of every new friendship we have ever forged in our lives. By becoming open to new experiences with new people from varied backgrounds,we allow ourselves the privilege of experiencing God's vast creation.<br />
<br />
Everything above is so garbled, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">but would be clear once I explain meeting Sara.While crossing the road on a chilly December evening in London I observed my fellow pedestrian was a lady in black flowing garment, covering herself from head to toe pushing a child's buggy. Instinctively I said "Hi ,Can I talk to you?" She seemed unperturbed by such audacious attempt at invading her privacy or I looked harmless or she received some good vibes from me because I feel I meditate daily and hence send out only positive vibes to the universe.Whatever it was</span>, she appeared warm and welcoming. Putting myself in her shoes I can't somehow fathom the same response from my end. My first thought would be a.) she's a stranger, dont talk and move on b.) She might hypnotise me and con me into giving her my valuables c.) she's a salesgirl and might sweet talk me into buying something I don't want d.) all of the above.Well thankfully for me she didnt appear to think that way or at least I would like to think that way. I asked her "Have you heard of The Art of living Course under the aegis of Sri Sri Ravishankar ji?" Had she said no I wouldn't have known how to carry on the conversation. Infact,she asked "Do you know Mr. P from Leicester? He used to organise a couple of yoga sessions of the Art of living and I had the privilege to attend them." I knew Mr. P only virtually because of my openness of spirit in the virtual world as well but let me keep that story for other times. We got talking and I came to the real point cos of which I had started the conversation. I invited her to my house for a Health & Happiness workshop, which is an introduction to The Art of Living Course at my house the next month. She seemed excited about the idea and we exchange numbers and email ids.Now in the first place,what made me speak to a total stranger and invite her over.It was a desperate move.I had been trying to organise this workshop but was not able to get committed individuals ,who would attend. Lesson one learnt here : If you really want something very strongly and are willing to do anything for it,eventually things do happen.Otherwise how else do you think I managed to rope in 8 people for my workshop in a country where i was less than 3 months old.<br />
Anyways, Sara, couldn't make it to the first workshop but turned up for the next one that I organised within a month.Now this workshop of mine was a great success with more than 20 people attending,but the most impressive part was Sara 's presence or shall I say a muslim woman's prsesence in a hindu congregation signalling to all those who were attending, that the organisation I am representing, is truly secular.I have been in touch with Sara since then and she's truly a divine soul believing strongly in the goodness of people around her. Everytime I speak to her I am reminded of simple things in life like faith in your own instincts which made me open the first conversation with her.God bless Sara Adams !!!</div>
Priyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8558725685184023109.post-64312093007384221472012-08-25T16:24:00.000-07:002012-09-04T17:34:48.485-07:00O Man, thy nature is resilience !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I read this beautiful quote in school "Never tell a young man that something is impossible.God might have waited for ages, for someone ignorant enough to do that very thing "<br />
<br />
Well, reading alone isn't sufficient.It's only when theory metamorphose itself into something real that we get that 'aha' <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">feeling.I experience the same when I observe my little toddler,who was a helpless baby a few weeks back,crawling ,jumping,running,climbing ,discovering her world and doing things no one has ever taught her. Nothing unusual or out of the world.All kids do these things.Not that I have produced a ninja or something.What amazes me is the adventuresome and daring human spirit that nature has endowed each individual with and if it's not hampered by discouraging words,every individual can reach to one's highest potential. A child learns to walk by falling, getting up ,shaking off the dirt, moving ahead and repeating the process umpteen times till it isn't falling any more. Same can be said about our goals in life also. If only we can learn to ignore the din of outside opinions and move inwards where the beautiful spirit tells me "If god gave me this dream, he'll show me the means to accomplish it as well."</span></div>
Priyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8558725685184023109.post-75644821850710415902012-08-18T20:01:00.000-07:002012-09-04T18:35:38.046-07:00Life's lessons in nursery rhymes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
"Row Row Row your boat gently down the stream,<br />
Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Life is but a dream"<br />
<br />
I learnt this rhyme at the toddler session where I take my 11 month old daughter.<br />
After listening to this, I felt as if the entire knowledge of life and of Bhagwan Gita has <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">been beautifully coded in these two lines. Life is eventually nothing but a dream and the little kids sing along and dance to the tunes of this rhyme. Probably they understand much more than us. Thats why they are called little angels.</span></div>
Priyankahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906436982626632344noreply@blogger.com0