Petals!

That feeling of being in love is probably the happiest, craziest and over-the-moon experience in your world. Embrace it.  Love it.  Cherish it. What's your favorite love quote? 

The Upanishads have compared a spiritual aspirant's journey to a razor's edge. From the age of 9, I have been walking on that razor's edge. No matter how hard I try, how sincerely I aspire, the fall is always a gut-wrenching one, filled with mind-numbing pain. In life, there will be difficulties and hardships we have to navigate. There are no shortcuts for honest people. Sadhana elevates our consciousness and gives us the courage to tackle everything with faith. [READ: What is Dark Night of the Soul?] Then I chant the name of Lord Sai in my heart and I start my baby steps all over again, stumbling, sometimes falling but always knowing that my God is there , protectively watching over me.  Being human, sometimes I forget that my nature is essentially divine. And on such days, I turn to Him in despair, wanting to understand the cause of these inner struggles and consequent pain.  I forget that my real Self is untouched by suffering.  Subscribe To Svara's Ne...

Before I became a mother, I was a busy, successful party-hopping editor. I came home only to crash and I didn't have a single boring 'at-home' weekend. And I kept FAR away whenever I saw kids....just as I did from domestic pets ....not that the two are fair comparisons.  And when I was in the process of becoming a mother, I went cranky with worry.  Kept asking myself questions like: Will I be a responsible, loving mother? Will I feel that my baby tied me down to a routine that bogs me down? I remember the exact moment when my baby, Adi was placed in my arms.  When the doctor placed Adi in my arms, I saw a red face that was shrieking in a way that would have made anyone wish to be tone-deaf....but the emotion that I felt at that moment was one of ocean-like love, may be much more.  I loved this tiny being with a fierceness that I didn't think could have existed in me ...no wonder, it is said that when a baby is born, a mother is a...

What to do when you feel bogged down by negative thoughts? These simple tips give you a clue: 1. Do something you enjoy Bake. Cook. Read your favorite Or better still, go to one of your favorite places and simply chill. Watch people around you, how life moves on and brings out the best in everyone.  2. Contemplate on how you feel Work through your observations. Everyone deserves happiness, so do you. It's just your thoughts that tend to choose happiness and unhappiness. Once you know what you want, create your action plan and stick to it no matter how impossible it seems .  3. Visualize your dreams Remember, you alone can make your dreams come true. Visualize and live your dream. You have to help yourself first by taking the first baby steps. Doesn't matter if you fall, get hurt... just NEVER GIVE UP. Keep trying.   4. Dare yourself to do something like never before I am a cautious person by nature. I hate taking risks. Afraid of getting badly...

We take ourselves too seriously. A good laugh is the best part of your day.  And there are very brands that get it SO right! Growing up, I loved the Amul billboard signs because they were just so creative, apt and always had a quirkiness that made everyone smile.                                          [Image Courtesy: MorgueFile] I happened to read this peppy post on how Mouth Food uses Mail Chimp to reach out and engage with people.    They use funny emails with a creative zing! Their emails are so full of life that it leaps out straight at you. Like a warm bear hug. Maybe humor does that - it gives us a sense of intimacy when some one or something has the power to make us relax our guard and make us smile. Next time you are about to send out one of those boring e-mails that tempt you to yawn if you ever received one of those, think ...

You know what often happens to me when I sit down to write....I think to myself, "It's been written before...so many brilliant writers have done it before me...why should I start writing on this story that's driving me crazy unless I let it out on paper?" And then there is a delightful quote by Elizabeth Berg, who says, "As for the notion that everything has been said, maybe it has, but life is like a meatloaf, there are so many different ways to present it. What's unique about you is what makes your writing interesting and what makes it shine. "  Hmmm, I like that quote.  Your turn: What do you think makes your writing shine?  Or can you share writers whose writing makes you go 'Hmmm, I've got to read this again!"

There is a delightful quaintness to Farahad Zama's debut novel titled The Marriage Bureau for Rich People and its sequel The Many Conditions of Love.  The Marriage Bureau for Rich People revolves around Mr. Ali, a retired government clerk, who starts a marriage bureau in Vizag to keep himself busy.  For latest book reviews, subscribe to  Svara's Newsletter !                                                                                     (Image: isahitya) Mrs. Ali adds intelligent observations and practical solutions to keep it going during its initial phases. She brings in the element of easy going, witty conversations and breathes life into an otherwise dull routine. Subtle references are made about their son,  Rehman, who is a social acti...