Happy International Women’s Day to all women the world over!
In this post I give thanks to the Divine Mother and I celebrate my Mom, all the special women in my life and all women the world over! As I always say, I am forever grateful and eternally blessed!
Far too often we sell ourselves short and this explains it perfectly. Let your inner beauty shine and always be true to yourself! Always do your best to be better and if others cannot accept you for that, then don’t let them get the better of you! Remove toxic people and anyone who is pulling you down!
Here’s another very positive message! Don’t lose your faith! Don’t lose yourself! Don’t give up your dreams! Don’t let anyone’s false perception cloud your judgement!
Life is never what we expect but giving up is never an option! Trust that you have come a long way and that the Divine Master is always with you and will never abandon you!
Further to this, keep your resolve and be resilient!
Celebrate your journey!
Celebrate God’s blessings in your life and all He has showered on you and spared you from!
Celebrate your parents because your existence would not be possible without them! Celebrate them for the incredible people they are and all they have done and continue to do!
Celebrate all that you are!
Celebrate where you have come from!
Celebrate the lessons you learned along the way!
Celebrate the experience you have gained!
Celebrate the illusions that have been shattered!
Celebrate those who stood by you!
Celebrate your present, be grateful for your past and look forward to your future!
In this post I am not professing to have the solution but it is my sincere hope that the information shared here will be of help to someone.
Depression is a reality many face. It is also a reality many suffer silently from. It is not something to laugh at or frown upon but it is real and it is something that should encourage us to help especially if we really care.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) around the world over 300 million people suffer from depression. To some it may be a harsh reality but it is a stark truth many face and need help with overcoming. It affects the quality of life, the ability to function and the ability to be the best one can be.
Depression can be the result of many causes. Key among them are traumatic experiences and a feeling of loneliness. The question that arises is, how do we help someone who is depressed?
Be there for that person
Remind him or her that there is a lot to live for. Give them practical examples (e.g. family, things to try that they always wanted to do)
Encourage that person to eat, eat on time, eat balanced meals and do their best to be physically active
Make that person laugh
Keep lines of communication open and do your best to always be there for them
Be patient
Listen and don’t be dismissive
Encourage them to go out and be in the company of those they love (e.g. mall, lunch/dinner, movies, shopping, grab a snack, watch a sunset or go to the beach)
Encourage them to listen to music
I am urging you to do this and make a conscious effort to help someone who is depressed because they deserve the help they need. It is heartbreaking to see those you love and care about hurting but what is even more heartbreaking is being helpless. Caring is a ticket to empowering yourself and empowering someone who is depressed.
Make every minute count!
Make every smile help that person walk the extra mile!
Help that person survive! Let that person remember they are alive and deserve the best quality of life possible!
Special Friday Greetings! Life and experiences change us! Always let them change you for the better and not the worse! Live and love life! Keep being you, keep smiling & always be true to yourself!
Today I take this opportunity to celebrate life, love and blessings! Some may think that a post ‘Celebrating Independence Day 2018’ may be ideal but considering the recent turn of events in our country there is a clear contrast in the way I felt last year and the way I feel this year. I am sure many can understand this and many can also relate to it.
I am happy many opted to visit the page. Maybe it was due to a feeling of patriotism, maybe it serves as a reminder of how drastically things have changed, or maybe just maybe, it is a combination of both.
In all honesty (take note that I always write in all honesty)my heart goes out to the many who had to tell their families they lost their jobs and they don’t know where their next income will come from. Bear in mind it is not just workers of PETROTRIN but hundreds who work for contractors that work for PETROTRIN and the hundreds and thousands who are being sent home in other sectors of the economy.
As if things weren’t already tough we continue to see how they are getting tougher and suffering increases. What it does mean though is that the struggle is real and now more than ever we have to be thankful for life and blessings! We have to continue praying not just for ourselves and our families but we have to pray for each other and for our country. We have to pray for peace and for courage to face the current reality and what lies ahead.
As if the earthquake on August 21 was not enough of a ‘shake-up’ (yes, it is an act of nature we could not prevent) but as a country we have been surviving increases in the amount traffic fines are now costing, people continue to lose jobs, cost of living continues to rise and this past week has been filled with heart wrenching news of the realities of the energy sector.
Now more than anything we have to remember that to be humane we have to live like humans. Now more than ever we have to look out for each other, we have to be steadfast in our prayer and we have to be steadfast in our devotion. Further to that we have to be thankful that our experiences make us wiser and they make us stronger. More so we have to be confident that they will guide us forward and help us to make more informed choices and more practical ones at best.
Let us look at what we can be thankful for:
·We got up this morning (some did not).
·We made it through the day in spite of pain, in spite of hurt and in spite of the challenges we have been facing or the challenges we faced today.
·We are loved and we are blessed by the Divine who has given us life.
·I got an opportunity to share this post with you and you got an opportunity to read it.
·I got to tell you that you are not alone and in case you felt you were hopefully now you know you are not.
As Mother Teresa said, “Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.”
I ask that you be mindful of the fact that survival is a key part of moving forward! Prayer is a key part of surviving and having faith is a key part of why we pray and how we choose to live. Never believe that you are alone because you are not!
In closing please remember this: His Holiness Param Pujya Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji always reminds devotees, “If you are a Hindu, be a good Hindu. If you are a Christian, be a good Christian and if you are a Muslim, be a good Muslim.”
To those of you who have been chanting “Shivaaya Rudraaya Namaha” as directed by His Holiness I urge you to continue doing so! To those who are praying please continue to pray and please share the message of peace. Please share the need to pray, to look out for each other and to not give up. Let this be an added source of motivation to you:
This post is dedicated to Celebrating 2015 and surviving it. What a year it most certainly has been and our comfort lies in know that our loved ones who have been ailing for some time and suffering are no longer enduring such a fate.
2015 was a year unlike any other. So much happened and this is probably one of the ways to describe it:
As I said to so many I spoke to in the past couple days, when 2015 began, we did not expect so much of what happened or for it to turn out the way it did. Our comfort lies in knowing that that our loved ones who have been ailing for some time and suffering are no longer enduring such a fate. We survived the year and all that it brought us, and we are stronger because we saw the year through in spite of what it presented us with.
Like everyone else experienced, the year was filled with prayer, laughter, smiles, tears, courage, faith, hope, gratitude, sadness and pain. Some were experienced more than others as expected. Whatever it brought we got through it both as a family and for our respective selves, rallying for each other along the way.
Apart from these experiences I can look at a few things in 2015 about me:
I am more confident about cooking. I not only cook more but I have more confidence about what I cook. Baking is also something I am better at. In 2016 I will be able to add to my list of things I bake and things I cook.
I have become better at clearing away clutter. Sometimes it’s just too much procrastination and needing to have the right mindset but it usually becomes easier once I get started.
I continue to establish myself as a writer and a blogger. This blog is my proof! 30 new posts were published in 2015. The busiest day of the year was March 25th 2015 which received 45 views. The most popular post on that day was the post dedicated to my grandpa, the late Mr Ramlal Dookie. Its title is Celebrating the life of my grandfather, the late Mr Ramlal Dookie!
I graduated with the Associate Degree in Journalism and Public Relations from COSTAATT’s Ken Gordon School of Journalism and Communication Studies.
With great company-that’s Shiva- I have been able to appreciate music and movies more. In saying this I refer specifically to the fact that he is a big fan of “The Voice“. I understand music more as well as the lyrical content. Also we appreciated not just the great acting and plot of “Bridge of Spies” and “Everest“, but also the fact that they were based on true events.
I realized that I am good at transcribing. I began transcribing in COMM 120 class – Critical Reading and Writing Skills for Journalism and Communication Majors- with Ms Michelle Mitchell. Outside of the class setting I have been able to do some professional transcription.
Ask yourself, in spite of how tough the year was, what did it teach you? Give yourself the credit you deserve because I am sure there is something from 2015 that makes you a better you! What is it?
Here are the trailers to “Bridge of Spies” and “Everest“:
Take life’s challenges one by one. Don’t give up! Always believe you can!
My post on my Facebook page, Celebrating Existence today!
reads, “Here’s to celebrating another day of existence and celebrating you! You made it through the day and the challenges that presented themselves. You endured, you conquered and you triumphed! Be proud! Stand tall! Celebrate You!”
Allow me to continue. Life presents us with many truths! From before we can even remember we have been dealing with truths, making decisions, dealing with realities and accepting them as they come along the way!
Some truths are the experiences we live through and when we look back we ask, “Huh, was this my life? Did I do that?” Some even ask, “Did I really go through that?” and “How did I survive it?”
Our comfort is that we endure, we conquer, we rise and we triumph by God’s Grace, our Faith in Him, regardless of how we call Him, be it Appaji, the Heavenly Father, Allah, Rama, Krishna, Shiva or any of the many other names He is called by. Through Him and His Grace we have the love of our family and friends too!
etsy.com
Along the way we learn some truths that may seem harsher than others. Here as some:
Not everyone is You or Me– Expectations from the world may lead to disappointment.
Never change who you are-don’t lose yourself and what you believe in. With that comes the fact that you should always make ‘YOU Time” (Time for You).
Some people do not care about who they step on or damage in their aim to get ahead. Let your comfort come from knowing that God does not let His children suffer.
Every experience gives us something positive. We walk away stronger. The mere fact that we walk away from it or live through it is positive.
Using the scissors of life can sometimes make the world of difference…cut off the negatives and cut off the crappy stuff.
Courtesy fumozar.com
On that note, “Here’s to celebrating another day of existence and celebrating you! You made it through the day and the challenges that presented themselves. You endured, you conquered and you triumphed! Be proud! Stand tall! Celebrate You!” As I close enjoy this:
Celebrating Existence 