Change is the only constant

Let’s learn to embrace the present moment and free ourselves from the past or the future

Recently, my mother shared with me a video that initially made me laugh but a few seconds later, the writer inside me felt it could be a story idea. The video showed a teacher taking attendance in a classroom in the year 2025. Contrary to what one would expect, the teacher started calling out weird names of the students as opposed to the common Aditya, Anjali, etc. I was taken aback when I realized that the kids were named after coronavirus. The names ranged from Quarantine Kumar, Lockdown Rathore, Coronavirus Awasthi, Wuhan Joshi to Social Distance Singh, Mask Mahto, Gloves Gaikwad, and the funniest of them all, Atmanirbhar Kelawala. The video was a humorous one and was aimed to tickle our funny bone. However, it forced me to think about what does the future holds for us.

This made me ponder over that all of us have been speculating about the fact that there will be massive changes even if the lockdown is relaxed. We feel that we will have to face long term repercussions and that it will take time for normalcy to re-appear in our lives. Well, there is no denying the fact that there can be a huge transformation and probably just like our weight loss journey pictures which are captioned- ‘before and after’, the same caption will be used for our lives ‘before COVID and after COVID’.

Here are some alterations that might happen:

1. Mask will be our companion for the coming few months, even a year.
2. Our concern for cleanliness and hygiene of our homes, offices, restaurants, malls, all the possible places we pass by or stay, what we eat, what we wear, what we use, will increase.
3. There will be less paper wastage as electronic work culture will be increasingly preferred.
4. Flexibility in work will be the new norm now. Gone are the days when we would witness a full house in our offices. Rotational shifts and work from home will rule now along with e-meetings.
5. There will be public-less public places. Hopefully, crowds won’t be visible in malls, restaurants, movie theatres, markets, grocery stores, offices, billing counters, public transportation, etc.
6. ‘Stay at home’ might be the new routine. We will travel less and stay more at home. We won’t step out unless it would be the need of the hour. We will think twice before making plans of hanging out with friends or planning the much-needed vacay.
7. Grand celebration with hundreds or thousands of well-wishers is now passé. An intimate gathering with a handful of closed ones will be our choice now.
8. Coronavirus has led to the formation of the actual digital era as not only businesses or services but even our communication is happening virtually.
9. The craze of watching the first-day first show in the theatres will now wither away as OTT rules over the theatres and television. The same will be for our shopping sprees, we will order more online instead of going out and trying out clothes which may have been tried by many people before.
10. While, there will be no more PDA, hugs or handshakes but our desi Namaste will be the preferred way to greet or even waving hello in the air along with flying kisses. High fives will now be air fives. 

However, despite the various changes which the virus has brought about in our way of living, the pandemic has helped us to live in the moment and to have gratitude for this life, for all that we have. If at this point, we have food to eat, a roof over our heads and clothes to wear, in short, we possess roti, kapda aur makaan, and if we are safe, then, we indeed are lucky.

There are people out there who are struggling with these basic amenities. Others have these facilities but are working 24/7 to ensure our safety, be it medical staff, the police, the militants. Not to forget, many are in isolation or the hospitals fighting their battles with the virus. And some have lost their loved ones too. Looking at the situation from a different perspective, it was coronavirus that made robbery, murder, and theft, and rape incidents to be reduced at least for now.

Coronavirus has made us learn some life lessons the hard way- health is wealth, nothing is temporary, change is the only constant, money can’t buy happiness and life, following the rules is for our benefit, to be prepared for the unexpected, keep calm, to live in the moment, that positivity, willpower, and fitness will help us and be kind and considerate to all. We have now learned to embrace the present and let go of the past. It is high time we think about how we want things to be in the future and prepare as per the present situation at hand.

COVID has changed our perspective and made us live in the moment, one day at a time. Even though it was a sudden event in our lives, it’s been a while now that we stop sulking and make efforts to ease out the situation as little or as much as possible. Even individual contribution at this stage would count a lot. Hence, instead of being disheartened, if we all will make persistent and consistent efforts, this phase might soon be over. It was created by us but can also end by us, by our efforts.  

A recent report by the UN body stated that between March- December 2020; more than 20 million babies are expected to be born in India. Why not let’s fight this virus together (by following all the rules of course) and make this world a better place for all of us and especially for the newborns that are expected to arrive soon. Let’s welcome them in a world where they can breathe freely, live happily. So that when they grow up we can narrate them the story –‘’Once Upon a time, we emerged victorious over the evil coronavirus!’’

P.S- All the parents reading this are requested not to be influenced by that video or this article while deciding a name for your kids. Just imagine how would COVID Awasthi seem to be on your child’s report card or their wedding card?

P.P.S- If you have no clue which video am I talking about, then, please contact me and I will share it with you.

If you have any suggestions, please feel free to comment below.

World Laughter Day

World Laughter Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of May every year. The founder of this day is Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement.  It is based on the theory that our facial expressions can have an effect on our emotions. (facial feedback hypothesis).

Laughter is positive and powerful. It is the magic cure to stress and helps bring about a change for the better, be it in our personalities or in our surroundings. And which is why it is all the more important for us to laugh and stay happy as due to the pandemic, there is a gloomy environment around us.

Once the situations around us are peaceful and light, we will automatically be relieved and stress-free. And this is what is essential to keep us positive and going.  

Laughter day is now a global event. Though earlier, it was celebrated by gathering in person, we can, however, spend it online this time while being in quarantine.

Wondering how? Read on the given hacks provided below:-

1. Fun sessions with family

You read that right. You can have a gala time with family. Sit together and share all the forward jokes. Your phones are flooded with them. Why not put them to good use right? If you are creative enough, you can write your own jokes and perform. Have your stand-up show with and for the people you love.

Another fun way would be to give everyone a different tongue twister and make them repeat it fast. Most of us will end up blabbering and this will definitely leave you all in bouts of laughter.

Another idea is a bit nostalgic yet will bring a smile on our faces. Take out the old photo albums and CDs. Revisit the memories and just laugh at your infancy and teenage years.

P.S- We all used to question our parents when we were kids that why we weren’t invited to their marriage. (Hahaha)

• Watch comedy movies today

This is a must one on the list. Create a watch list and have movie shows back to back. Have a fun-filled day with comedy and cinema. My favourite would be Dhamaal, Her Pheri, Phir Hera Pheri, Ishq and Golmaal.

• Laughter yoga

We might have heard about it but would have never thought of trying it. Well, what better day than today to initiate this. Open YouTube and their videos will teach you various exercises. And it is extremely simple, all you have to is LAUGH!

Interestingly, there are various online courses available where you can learn the exercises and also get certified in laughter yoga. A pretty good and productive way to use the lockdown days and add some humor to life I must say. 

• Stand-up comedy is the new way

If you don’t want to perform, you can certainly watch it. Stand-up comedy has certainly picked up over the years. Dig out all the videos of your favorite comedians, compile them, and just hit the play button. Your stomach and jaws will definitely pain with all the laughter.

 I also suggest shows such as Comicstaan 1 and 2 (Amazon Prime), Khichdi, Mr. Bean, Takeishi’s castle, Tu Tu Main Main, Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, and well a favorite of many, Kapil Sharma.  Our beloved, Tom and Jerry can be another great show to binge watch on.

• Chat with your friends

This is the best laughter source. Video call your friends and just gossip. Amidst all the chaos, they are our happiness abode. When you will end up gossiping, sharing each other’s troubles, look each other’s so-called homeless state in the video; playfully abuse and tease each other, pull each other’s legs, you will have the best time of your day. You will end up laughing the entire time.

Whoever said nothing in the world is free didn’t include laughter I suppose. It is one of the easiest and cheapest yet effective ways to instill positivity in our lives and be healthy. It is indeed the best medicine and therapy. It not only keeps us happy from within but also makes us look attractive and cheerful from the outside. As the saying goes, ‘smile is infectious’.  Hence, always have that curve on your faces, do not give the power to anything or anyone to steal it away and keep on spreading it far and wide.

 Hiam Abbass rightly explained, ‘’ Laughter is a way of really letting out all this pressure that you could face in your daily life in the suffering of your people, and comedy is almost like a medicine to your soul in a way. So, why not take a pledge and spread laughter all around us and help everyone especially in this stressful period?

Wishing you all Happy World Laughter Day!

Read.. so you never feel alone

This is what you will read if you open UNESCO’s website.

On 23^rd April, readers and authors all over the world celebrated World Book Day. This day marks the celebration of one of the most beautiful feelings and activities in the world- Reading. The history of this day dates back to 1995 when UNESCO decided to celebrate 23^rd April as World Book and Copyright Day in a Press Conference in Paris. This day is a tribute to significant literary figures like William Shakespeare. This day also marks the birth and death anniversary of Shakespeare, along with the death anniversary of along with Miguel de Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.  Each year this concept is being increasingly loved and supported by people globally. 

The theme city this year was Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur because of the strong focus on inclusive education, the development of a knowledge-based society, and accessible reading for all parts of the city’s population.

With the slogan “KL Baca – caring through reading”, the program focuses on four themes. They were:-

1. Reading in all its forms
2. Development of the book industry infrastructure
3. Inclusiveness and digital accessibility
4. Empowerment of children through reading

Among other events and activities there will be the construction of a book city (the Kota Buku Complex), a reading campaign for train commuters, enhancing of digital services and accessibility by the National Library of Malaysia for the disabled, and new digital services for libraries in 12 libraries in poor housing areas of Kuala Lumpur.

UNESCO is also providing access to some free books. Visit their website and satiate the reader in you.

Link: https://en.unesco.org/courier/suplemento-digital/unesco-courier-issues-books

Also, UNESCO and Idries Shah Foundation have launched the “World Tales” Short Story Competition. The details of which can be accessed through the link below.

Link: https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-and-idries-shah-foundation-launch-world-tales-short-story-competition

My mum gave me an activity yesterday. (Not the household chore silly). She said, ‘’ you love books and possess so many. I have a task for you. Count them and tell me the figure in your stockpile. ‘’ (Which is why this post is coming today as I was busy the whole time counting the books and soaking in their fragrance. Hahahaha).  I first giggled at the idea but then I thought to myself, ‘let’s do this’.  When I did, I couldn’t take out all the books since they were neatly stacked and I didn’t want to disturb their sequence. (Read- taking them all out would have been a mess and I didn’t have the time to rearrange them back).

 Well, when I did the calculation in my head, I roughly estimated that there would be around 120 books. The figure is higher than this, to be honest. But the immediate question which my heart popped was.’’ aren’t they less?’’ My mind replied,’’ considering the space, not at all. The shelf is already stuffed.’’ My soul said,’’ I want more!’’  ‘Excess of anything is harmful’ doesn’t apply to books I suppose. For me, it’s ‘the more, the merrier’.

In this pandemic, hard copies should not be preferred. E-books and audiobooks can be considered as an option now.  Something is better than nothing. In these tough times, Amazon comes to our rescue. It is providing some free issues and is offering some great deals for the e-books which are pocket friendly and along with giving a wide variety of books.

So what if the World Book Day is over, the lockdown isn’t. Here I enlist the 5 must-read books in the quarantine from my collection. (Honestly selecting only 5 was pretty tough).  I am hoping they will help you sail through this gloomy phase.

1. Bridget Jones’ Diary

This book by Helen Fielding is one that I can read anytime anywhere. The protagonist shares her story via her journal and is a light story packed with many elements- drama, romance, comedy focusing on all aspects of her life- career, family, friends, relationship, her personality, her feelings, her emotions.

P.S- This was probably the only one which when adapted into the movie, won my heart in the screenplay form too. Kudos to the author who did wonders.

2. Life is What you make it

I am a Preeti Shenoy lover. And I don’t hesitate in admitting that. Whenever I read her books, I am mesmerized by her writing and story-telling skills. In this particular piece, she has perfectly explained the journey and struggle the protagonist faces while she is in depression and eventually becomes a bipolar personality. I won’t give any spoilers and reveal the ending. You will have to read it to know the end. All I can say is that this is one of the motivating books I have read and helped me sail through many low phases in my life. 

• 3. Tuesdays with Morrie

This is a story about Albom’s regular visits to his professor who doesn’t have much time in hand. A beautiful tale of the student-teacher relationship, this will touch your hearts. It even topped the New York Times Non-Fiction Bestsellers of 2000. Also, I find this one special because my cousin introduced me to this author.

• 4. Adultery

To read about the grey areas of relationships, I suggest this one. Apart from being written by a famous author, Paulo Coelho, this adultery story is interesting and gripping.

• 5. Corporate Atyachaar- The Comical Journey of an office doormat

Well, the name in itself is self-descriptive and interesting too. I am sure you would like this. The story of a fresher stepping into the corporate finance world as a financial advisor, settling in a new city, you will relate to it. A dominating and controlling boss, managing a weird client portfolio and the frustrations, this book by ABHAY NAGARAJAN has it all.

Apart from the above ones, you can also read The Secret wishlist (for the friendship rides, love roller coaster, boring marriage, temptations of extramarital aggair), Love, Cricket and SRK (the name says it all), Almost Single (It has humor, love, customs, family, a drama about mother-daughter disagreements on marriage as the clock is ticking), Almost There (Almost Single’s sequel), P.S I Love You and The Fault in Our Stars (for the hopeless romantic in you).

Reading has off lately, taken a backseat for quite some time as people now have access to other entertainment sources. However, I would suggest revisiting your reading habit as this lockdown can be a perfect time to do so. Apart from providing knowledge, they will instill positivity which is required to beat the self-isolation stress.

 John Green aptly describes the quality of books, ‘Books are the ultimate Dumpees: put them down and they’ll wait for you forever; pay attention to them and they always love you back.’ For those who already have a collection, it’s time to wipe the dust and start reading! For those who don’t, please initiate the process. It will be a magical journey, trust me. As Ernest Hemingway rightly explains books,’ there is no friend as loyal as a book’.

Happy World Book Day 2020

Books are a uniquely potable magic

• Stephen King

A Happy World Book Day to all the avid readers out there!

On this special day, I wish to dedicate this blog to our beloved novels. I fall in that category of readers, where if you ask me my favorite book, I won’t be actually able to think of just one.  For me, every book is mon amour (It means my love in French). I am a bibliophage along with being a bibliophile. Basically, all the adjectives you associate with books.

 Since my childhood, I have a collection of books, and I have been updating it as and when I get an opportunity. I also get many of them as birthday presents from my friends since they know my craziness levels for them.  I owe this fondness for books to my mother primarily, since; she was the one who introduced me to them. I still recall an incident when in my second standard, I secured third rank (90 plus %-mentioning this just to show off a bit. Wink, wink!) and when my parents questioned about the gift I wanted, all I said was, ”I want storybooks”. I indeed got one and still have it in my stockpile.

Even now I buy books wherever my eyes can search them- at the airport, the railway station, the book fairs (this is an obvious one), any roadside stand. Despite living in a 2 room house, and having limited space, I have managed to dedicate a separate shelf to my books and I term them as my ‘prized possession’. For me gold is secondary but books are the primary ‘asset’. They are not only my best friends; they are my companion, my partner in crime.

I am sure many of you would agree with me that the hard version is the best. Even in this age of Kindles and e-books, I just can’t get myself to sit and read the soft copy. I want the hard copy, to soak in the smell, to feel the book’s texture. I know with this pandemic striking us, a hard copy is out of the question and should not be preferred. Well, I am ready to wait!

This World Book Day, I would like to thank all the authors who came up and brightened our world with the light of their words and books. Our life would have been colorless without your work.  I would also like to thank the aspiring authors who took that leap of faith and started to write. All I want to say that you are amazing. Deciding to write is one of the bravest decisions one can make and requires a lot of courage. It is easy for others to criticize and pinpoint the mistakes. So, the next time you find one, just ask them to sit for half an hour or how much time they want and just write!  Write about anything. Well, this is my viewpoint and a guess that either the paper might be blank or there would be a few lines written. This will make them understand that when it comes to writing, it is an art and requires hard work and patience and an open mind.

But yes, please don’t misinterpret my statement. Healthy criticism should always be welcomed. It will definitely help you improve your writing and your thought process.  But the ones who constantly focus on the negatives rather than appreciating for the positives and who question your abilities, it’s time to ignore them and move on. Write and write and write! Your written words shall answer on your behalf. The verbal speech might not even be required. 

I honestly cannot imagine my life without books. I actually keep one in my handbag always, literally, always. I might skip makeup but not that copy. Honestly, if I have to sit down and write something, it does take me a minimum amount of time to think and list down what I wish to focus on. But while writing this blog, as I sat down to write, I really did not need any focus points or keywords. The emotions just started flowing and my fingers started typing on the keyboard. Hence, this has been written from the heart and not from the mind.

Lastly, all I want to say is that off lately, reading is not preferred by people now since we have a lot of other entertainment options available. However, my request would be to revisit the books. They will not only entertain you but will broaden your thought process spectrum and provide you the knowledge and will take you away in their mystic land where no airfares, railway reservations are required. All you need is a quiet place and your book. Along with a cuppa maybe. Trust me, this feeling is one of the magical feelings in the world and only those can understand who has ever read a book by choice. As Jhumpa Lahiri rightly said, ‘That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet. ‘

Keep reading, Keep writing!

Stay home, Stay safe!