Looking back at June 2016 #GratitudeCircle

Can you believe that half of 2016 has zoomed by ? Here I was in January, still reeling from the unexpected trip to India, packing & unpacking suitcases, figuring out things in life, when suddenly I realize it’s February - by the time we returned to the US and here we are now in July - waiting for the second half of the year to unwind. I am not going to bother saying the age-old cliched punch line of how quickly time has whizzed past us. Because before you know it, in a blink of an eye, it will be December and the holiday season will be upon us and then boom - ‘Happy New Year’ guys! :)

They say - ‘You never realize how quickly time flies when you’re busy having fun.’ Sure, I am having a lot of fun but I just can’t accept the fact that so much time has passed since. So  instead I am just going to look back at the past month - June 2016.

Quite a lot of activities kept me busy during the first half of 2016 and one major activity was prepping for few shows & performances that were staged whole of last week May. I had a troupe of people visiting from Mumbai, India who needed to be hosted and driven around New York & New Jersey. The busy schedule that began in February ended on June 1st and eventually the curtains were closed on this life-changing chapter. 

Needless to say, once our friends returned to India, we took a breather and chilled out the first weekend in June - catching up on much required sleep, lots of TV and little bit of shopping. Most part of the month went by without a fuss and I caught up on relaxing myself while still going about my other routines. As I look back, I can't help notice how easy-going the past month has been - 

• Blogging - No matter how many excuses I make, I just can’t seem to escape the reasons why I was missing from the blogging world the past few months. So I am not even going to try. :) A major reason (read - not excuse) was when it came to finally sitting down to write, the right words wouldn't come out (whatever that means). I am sure I couldn’t label it as ‘Writer’s Block’ as I was able to elaborate on any given topic  in my mind but at the end of the day, I wouldn't be happy with what I had written on my laptop. I did mention about this funny state of mind to Sid (who blogs at 'I Wrote Those') and Parul (who blogs at 'Happiness & Food')  and they have been very supportive sharing tips on how to stay in touch with writing. Thanks guys ! Facing this mental fear was finally possible 2 weeks ago and apart from other fellow-bloggers’ support (that I always grateful for), I am also grateful to that unexplainable feeling that eventually made me clear my mind and just write.

• Reading - As I sat back, relaxed and contemplated on my writing, I could find a million reasons that catered to it in the first place and one of them is that my reading has hit an all-time low. For starters, I didn’t set any reading goals for 2016. Last December, when I joined a reading challenge that I liked - ‘Book Challenge by Erin’, I ended up backing out at the last moment owing to the unannounced trip to India. Since the challenge required 10 books to be completed in 4 months, I knew I wouldn’t be allotting time so much as to read even 2 pages in a month, thanks to the crazy schedule and rigorous travels. This time around though, I am leaving no stone unturned to give my best shot. So, for a quite obvious item, I am sure grateful that books always feature on my gratitude list since they make me feel happy. Here’s to all the wonderful books in the world. I plan to post book reviews for each book that I finish reading & you can also follow me on Instagram for more updates regarding this book challenge. 

• Support from friends and family - Even though the people who visited last month were my friends, my association with few of them goes back as long as 15 years. So they are now an integral part of my extended family. It never felt as guests were coming over but more like my own family visiting me.  I surely had a ball spending time with them as did the hubby and Baby Girl. At one point, they even made me forget my family back home in India. The silence of the house & the vacuum they had created, once the trip was over, was palpable. But it made me feel all the more grateful that I have such people & mentors in my life. On one hand, I had the company of such wonderful individuals while on the other hand, I had the unrelenting support of the darling hubby and my Baby Girl who never complained my intermittent absence (in between shows) and made sure I was 100% available to attend to my guests. As my friends complimented and as I experience everyday, I am grateful to have a caring & supportive hubby in this life. :)

• Pleasant surprises - June came with it's own share of surprises. From attending a premier show of 'The Secret Life of Pets' at Times Square-New York, to hearing great appreciation for my work from unexpected corners, to dancing and performing at picturesque locales (like a waterfront to live audience), to getting an instant job offer (was offered one right after the performance by a biggie dance company), to eating great food, to receiving surprise gifts & things I love,  I had a wonderful time living all these experiences and feel grateful to the opportunities that come knocking at my door everyday. 

Enough about me, now you tell me how did June treat you ? :)

What events of June 2016 are you grateful for ? 

**Linking this post to Gratitude Circle Blog hop on Vidya's blog for June 2016.**

Yours' truly,

Choosing a good life...

Picked as the "Featured Post" for Friday Reflections - Week 4.

****

Every fortnight we visit our local town library to pick out new books and return the old stock. As is the case, when I am at the library, I always lose track of time. When I walk through the fiction aisles glancing away at random titles, my mind does it's background job of scouring for the perfect author and book. Most of the times, I know which author/title I am looking to read thanks to the homework beforehand. But there is always space for an extra book or two. :)

The last time, however, my routine was a little haphazard. Thanks to the kids section of the library being closed, LP and Baby Girl decided to help join me in my book search. :)

This obviously meant cutting short my detailed search operation because I didn't want an over-excited and playful toddler decorating the quietness of the library with fun-filled baby talk. :) 

As I quickly made my way through the regular aisles to come over to the checkout counter, I was drawn towards the 'New Arrivals' section. I seldom pick any book from there due to the quick returning policy. But this time I gave in.

As we readied ourselves to head out, one particular title grabbed my attention. I didn't even have the time to read the synopsis at the back so I plainly trusted my instincts and brought the book home wondering what it was about.

'Choosing a Good Life' by Ali Berman

I recently finished reading the book and boy am I glad I picked it up in the first place! :)

Around this same time, I joined the weekly link-up for bloggers called 'Friday Reflections' -  hosted by Janine and Mackenzie which is a very interesting and inspirational place to link-up posts based on weekly prompts.

One of their weekly prompts for this week was - 

"What is the most influential book you have ever read?"

The timing couldn't be better since I just completed my book last week and I am ready with the answer for this prompt. :)

For me, reading this book has been an eye opener in every sense. We all experience ups and downs in life but the real question is how do people go on living their lives normally who still battle the endless problems on an on-going basis. 

The author, Ali Berman, has  beautifully showcased real world experiences of few chosen individuals. These people have not only found a better way to tackle their problems but also figured how to effectively respond to natural situations. Something she calls - a deep sense of balance.

The reason why the author found these people ideal for this book is very well-explained. I could relate a lot of experiences from my personal life with these individuals and also got to understand how they choose to stride with ease in every instance.

As I read through the life history of every individual in the book, I would step back at regular intervals and reflect on my life to see if I could have handled a particular point or phase of my life differently with the same kind of vision as the models of the book. 

But, I guess it's better late than never ! :)

I still get amazed thinking how things worked out such that I hurriedly picked this book at the very last moment only to appreciate the simplicity and greatness of the book in the end.

Would highly recommend this book to all my fellow bloggers and I hope, in the end, you find the same happiness that I did after reading it.

Leaving you with few of my favorite lines from the book - 

"If I have to learn something, I go ahead and learn it instead of worrying about it."

"I've learned so much more to live in the present moment because that's really where the power is."

"Every individual has exactly the same right to pursue happiness and the kind of life he dreams about."

"Let me be an instrument of peace;

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is anger, understanding;

Where there is fear, courage;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

(A prayer from Saint Francis of Assisi)"

Yours' truly,

My Happy Place...

Of what use is a palace for me?

Only to wander about aimless and remain a mime?

Instead give me a cozy cottage and a candle's flame,

There I only yearn for some peace and lots of time.

Don't get me silver, don't gift me gold,

As unworthy as these can be.

I only crave for sweet solitude,

To set my soul and mind free.

Worries or problems can't reach me here,

There's no place left for envy too.

When I'm here, I weave my own world,

With countless books, me and you.

From the first break of dawn,

I’m lost in a trance with my only one.

I read and read to my heart's content,

Till the last ray of the evening sun.

They teach me about life,

They take me to different places.

They tell me about life's experiences,

Be it enormous quantities or miniscule traces.

When it’s late and about time,

I sulk to leave this space.

Because such a paradise is duly,

Every book aficionado’s happy place.

Source : Google Images

Tell me about your happy place. :)

Yours' truly,


                  **Linking to the Ultimate Blog Challenge for July 2014 and BlogHer - NaBloPoMo**

What I am reading ...

:)

Favorite Quotation

My favorite quotation would be -

 

"Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life." ~ Mark Twain

My friends are the oxygen of my life. Remove them from my life and I would become breathless. I am a strong believer in friendship and for me, this is the biggest truth in my life.

Books are my best friends ! I would panic if I didn't know how to read or express myself. In the book - 'The Namesake', the author describes books as the mode of travel with which you don't have to move an inch. I couldn't agree less.

It's amusing when the author describes conscience as "sleepy". I believe our conscience dictates our actions based on our choices. The inner sense of being right or wrong helps to define our conduct and motives. Now, if the conscience was put at rest, the world would always appear nice and beautiful.

Tell me, what is your favourite quotation and why?

March Photo A Day 4 - "Bedside"

Books, Water, Kindle and Mobile :)