We’ve slogged through an entire year – almost 12 months of ups and downs and sometimes bone-crushing weariness. There have been high points and low points, exciting times and heart-warming moments, and heart aches and betrayals, and some things that can really weigh us down. But we don’t want to start the New Year on a weary note, do we? So let’s do something about it…
Begin today
Today, a brand new gift of 24 hours.
A fresh slate to start anew.
Myriad possibilities, new potential,
so many little things we can change.Continue reading
Decoding The Year: Turning the goal setting process inside out
“I’m breaking up with resolution setting,” I fumed. “It’s only February and I’ve fallen behind on everything!”
This was me, some years ago, ranting and railing to the husband. And as I got ever more angry with my lack of stick-with-it-ness, he quietly said: “Are you sure you’re approaching this whole goal setting thing the right way?”
That made me stop in my tracks and think – my resolutions were a list of things I “should” do:
- Lose 10 kgs
- Exercise everyday
- Be more organized: Clean the living room and prepare for office at night
- Organize the <insert latest pain point in the house>
- Weekend getaways every month
You get the drift, right?Continue reading
Tarot forecast for 2017 + a giveaway!
Can you believe we are in the last month of 2016 already? How this year has flown! We’ve had our ups and downs; wins and losses; lessons, heartbreak and learning. And we are fast approaching a brand new year!
While it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and frenzy of the festive season, I like to slow down and savor December – to reflect on the past year and dream about the new year. For me, that includes a lot of journaling and planning {and I’m going to have something exciting for you on that front next week!} and, of course, the Tarot!
I’ve been doing this particular Tarot reading for myself and some friends since a couple of years – around the New Year and also on my birthday! The year ahead reading offers a beautiful, in-depth, layered look at any yearly cycle.
This year, I thought I’d do a general Tarot forecast for 2017 for my lovely peeps {yes, you!}. So let’s dive into it, shall we? Continue reading
With love, from Instagram!
Hello there!
I thought it would be fun to pop in today with some Instagram love! I love sharing snippets from my art, life, books, and more on there. It’s visual, instant, and so much fun!
Like the time when I got my hands on the gorgeous Kuan Yin oracle deck – the artwork is scrumptious and the messages are deep and beautiful – I just had to share immediately!
#KashmirDiaries: Srinagar in a day
When you drive down from the airport into Srinagar, one of the first things that strikes you is the army presence. After all, the state is regularly in the news for skirmishes between the army and militants. Kashmiris are quick to assure you “yeh yahaan nahin hota” (this doesn’t happen here). Indeed, skirmishes are often closer to the border or in areas that don’t get much {or any} tourist inflows.
The main pavilion at Shalimar Bagh
Then you notice the houses and how they are constructed. Almost all the buildings have gently sloping roofs, and a lot of them – even the big houses – have tin roofs. Most houses are built on a base of stones, with liberal use of wood and tin – to better insulate them during Kashmir’s cold winters.Continue reading
#MicroBlogMondays: Dealing with overwhelm
Have you ever felt like you’ve bitten off more than you can chew?
Work commitments. To-do lists. Hobby projects. Managing the house. Looking after a sick cat. Planning and preparing for exciting projects. And completely underestimating how long all of the different pieces might take.
And even when you set supposedly realistic goals for the day, you are unable to finish them. So what gives?Continue reading
#KashmirDiaries: Romancing the Dal
When you think of Srinagar, you think of the Dal Lake.
And I think of Shashi Kapoor romancing Sharmila Tagore in Kashmir ki Kali. {Yes, yes, complete cliché, but it is what it is.} So it should be no surprise that a shikara ride was right up there on my have-to-do list. I was so eager to experience the romance of the shikara that I dragged the husband to the Dal almost as soon as we had checked in to our hotel.
Sailing into the sunset
I had heard that the Dal Lake is dotted with shikaras selling everything from trinkets to chips and Coke, and that they start hounding you almost the minute you get into a boat. That was not what I wanted at all, and I was prepared to tell the boatman that in no uncertain terms. But when we reached the lake, I didn’t see any other shikaras floating around – how lucky was that?Continue reading
#MondayMusings: Thoughts on the far-reaching social impact of the Trump Presidency
As a general rule, I don’t write about politics on the blog. No matter what my views may be and what arguments and debates I may have in real life or online, I keep all of that away from this space.
But the recent election results in the US have shaken me to the core. And though they have no direct bearing on me, there is no denying the wide-spread social impact of a Trump presidency.
I also think that the time is now ripe to have multiple conversations about righting wrongs – about inclusion and diversity, about the fact of a changing global order, changing race and cultural dynamics, and a shift in the old patriarchal systems and beliefs. And I believe this is a conversation that we need to have globally.
Continue reading
On my art table: Soulful surrender
There’s a current of magic that flows through our life.
I’m not talking about the Harry Potter kind of magic. I’m talking about the magic that shows up in our life – through synchronicity. Which is simply being in the right place at the right time, meeting the right people at the right time, hearing a message or a piece of music at the right time.