I spent my evening chit-chatting with my papa today,

and we spoke about things that matter,

about life, love, happiness, society

mindset, knowledge, anxiety and belief system

you see, my papa is a simple person

and when I ask him to give me a little advice

all he tells me is,

“Khud pe hamesha bharosa rakhna. ”

It has always amazed me that

while he could give me a world full of lessons

the thing he wants me to understand are these 5 words

So today,

when I had plenty of time

to speak about things that matter

I asked him,

"Why do you ask me to have that belief in myself?

I mean, why is it so important?" With all the glitter in his eyes

and a smile on his face

he replied

“Kyunki jabh tak khud pe bharosa nahi hoga,

Kitna hi kuch karlo, sukoon nhi milega,"

and at that second,

at that very second,

I paused. I pondered and it made me realise

that

how a simple act of having a self-belief

can unbelievingly do wonders.

There is a list of things we weren’t taught as kids and most of the time I wonder why. I was never taught how to take care of myself when I find myself vulnerable and lost. I wasn’t taught to be kind to myself.

All I was ever told was, “Be kind to everyone you meet.” Why didn’t they tell me that even I am a part of ‘everyone I met’?

When I feel broken, I don’t know what am I supposed to do because nobody taught me skills that are very important in life; skills that are important to stay happy.

Why didn’t they tell me that everything is fine until and unless you lose confidence in your own eyes and you should never let that happen? They never uttered a word about self-belief and it amazes me to realise how can anyone not tell us some of the most important life skills that are pertinent in every little step we take.

While everyone I knew taught me how to sit and dress, they never gave me a step to step guide on how to love myself. Neither did they tell me that loving myself is the best gift I will ever possess nor did they tell me that it’s okay to cry and it’s okay to feel susceptible at times. They didn’t teach me that it’s completely okay to not-be-successful in something you have put your heart into and that is not called failure. All they ever said was, ‘You’re supposed to be a winner’ What if, I don’t want to be a winner?

I hope we learn the skills that weren’t taught to us. I hope we learn to understand ourselves. I hope we all gather the strength to accept ourselves the way we are and slowly try to make ourselves better. I hope we understand that we all have our own pace and it’s okay to go slow. All I hope is, all of us define our own set of happiness, be the kindest to ourselves and have a huge amount of love and self-belief for ourselves, today and every single day.

Maybe,

today is the day when

you will laugh your heart out and won't let anyone know about it

you won't post on Instagram that you cooked your favourite food

Or perhaps, you will go for a walk without clicking a picture of the sky

Or you will watch that show without sending it on Snapchat to all your friends,

maybe,

Today is the day when

you will collect that piece of rose if that makes you happy

you will write a letter to your loved ones

and smile

or you will create a stupid song and sing it along

Just because that makes you happy.

Maybe, today is the day

When you will have a

Deeper sense of self-satisfaction

and all you will feel is

lively.

We all have those days when we don’t feel like doing anything. It’s a very numb feeling and it becomes difficult to express ourselves. There is something that seems to be killing us inside and it feels so much difficult to convey the sadness we have been feeling to people around us. Life all of a sudden feels a little too overwhelming. During days like these, I rely on art. I listen to Coldplay and When Chai Met Toast on repeat. I watch FRIENDS and I stay in bed till I feel better. And I cry my heart out. I literally cry my heart out. And it makes me feel better.

To everyone who has been feeling the same lately, I want you to know that you’re not alone. We all have those days when our mental health goes for a toss. We seem to detest ourselves and it feels difficult to love ourselves. It’s okay. Hold on. Do everything you can to make yourself feel home. You can take professional help as well. Take it one step at a time and try being kind to yourself. I promise you will find yourself. I promise you will have that sunshine again. Till then, all the love and faith to you.

.

.

.

📸: @pinterest

There are optimists and there are pessimists. And some people are self-obsessed and the other kind of people are the ones who loathe themselves. This is for the one who believes that since one is optimistic and one loves themselves, everything in their life is beautiful or rather, they make everything beautiful for themselves. Shhh, I’ll tell you a little secret today.

1. We are not always positive. We self-doubt too. It’s just that we don’t let the feeling of negativity make a home in our heart real soon.

2. We live on energies. I’d rather say we breathe on energies. And it’s difficult for us to let go of people and the situations that send us negative vibes and turn it into a positive one.

3. There are days when we google, “What to do when one is feeling low?” Yes, it’s true. We do that too.

4. We do feel sad, lost, broken, vulnerable and all kind of negative feelings that everyone else feels. And we cannot fix everything. Some feelings stay broken and we learn to live with it, just like you.

So, the next time when you assume that because we are optimistic, we are supposed to be lively every single time, spare yourself a moment and think before spitting it out. .

Trigger warning

To this day, I remember that day so vividly

It was a warm summer evening

I was at my garden, playing hide-and-seek

I was 11

rushing towards the stairs

to hide somewhere around the corridor

in the first floor.

In a second or two,

my eyes met a man standing outside my house

it was a short lane

he had a black jacket in his hand

with his eyes as old as my dad’s

he was constantly passing me a smile

a wide smile, to be precise

And before I could even process anything in my mind

His hands touched that part

that defines him as a “man”

and he masturbated

in front of my eyes.

I started shivering and sweating

I was so scared that I couldn’t utter a word

I felt my body getting frizzed

And I don’t know for how long

I saw him holding his thing.

To a 11-year old,

it made me feel sick

and nasty

and that scene stayed within me for months

I dreaded myself for watching him.

the saddest part of all is,

12 years have passed by

And I still hear and read such cases

And all I can do it

Sit spellbound

and shed a tear or two,

And I hate to admit it

but it makes me feel

“everything is still the same.”

Picture Credits: Pinterest

Since childhood itself, we have been asked to gain knowledge and learn soft skills. We are taught so many subjects in school which has no application in practicality. But one thing which we have never been asked to do is understand ourselves. I can’t remember anyone telling me or even the present generation to understand our feelings and emotions.

This is how things work; the more you spend time in something, the better you are gonna be in that field. But, how many of you recall spending time with yourself? To be honest, we don’t know ourselves. It is because we have never been advised to spend time knowing just ourselves. The concept of “me time” sounds alien to most of us. If we want to know more about ourselves, we will have to spend time introspecting and retrospecting ourselves.

You may ask, why is it so important to understand ourselves? It’s because we cannot let go of ourselves. You need to be there for yourself. The answer to how do we make ourselves better is by knowing ourselves deep within. It’s about knowing ourselves inside out and figuring it out for ourselves what keeps us lively and what drains the energy within us.

So, why not take the first step towards a better content life from today itself? And who knows you may start liking yourself a little more.

I enter the washroom,

to check if I got my periods,

Unfortunately, I bleed red

I am at the washbasin,

I see myself in the mirror,

And all of a sudden

I start crying

I tried not to weep much

but the tears couldn’t just stop

I took a little stroll in the washroom itself,

wiped all my tears

my face has now turned pink

I wait for it to change the blush

looked into the mirror again

I fake a smile to myself

the blush has now gone

I look fine

I walked outside the washroom

Confidently, looking straight into the eyes

With my head bowed high

I do small talks with people I meet on the way

nobody ever knew

that I just cried

that I’m in pain

that I’ve been feeling a little too much

that the moment of weeping just passed some seconds back

no one knows about it

And girl, you say, you aren’t strong?

You’re a warrior, my love

A complete warrior

.

.

.

Picture Credits 📸: @pinterest

To the ones struggling to keep up with their mental health,

I would be lying if I say I understand what you’re feeling because I don’t. I don’t know exactly what you’re feeling but I know you’re filled with emotions, with feelings you can’t seem to express and I know you’ve been exhausted altogether. I know you have this urge to make yourself ‘fixable’ but let me tell you, you don’t need to fix yourself. You are beautiful in your deeds, in the way you treat others and you’re going to be better at it.

I know you’ve been trying really hard to not feel whatever you’re feeling and to get the lost sparkle back and I even know that it doesn’t come easy. I just want you to know that you'll be okay. Everything will fall in place. Sending you all the love and faith.

From,

Someone who has been feeling way too much lately

It’s a cold night today. I’m watching the moon outside my balcony and I’m smiling throughout. I feel happy within. I’m content. Okay, so why am I telling you this? Oh, yes. I would definitely love to hear that you’re content too but it’s okay if some days you don’t feel anywhere close to being okay forget about feeling content. You’ll see me today and you will wonder why am I so happy. And when I tell you that I cried myself to sleep last night and it was so difficult for me to breathe, you will refrain yourself from believing your ears. But, that’s reality. This is how life is. One day you are happy and content and beautiful and peaceful and everything you’d want to be. And the other day you’re fragile and lost and vulnerable and susceptible to everything. And it’s okay. It’s completely okay to feel everything you’ve been feeling. We are all on the same page.

The only thing to draw back home is to be kind to yourself when things feel a little off. It’s important to give yourself the love you’ve been waiting to get it from someone else. It’s important to sit with yourself and have patience with yourself just like your best friend manages to have that with you. And during days when you’re happy and smiling all the way watching the moon, smile till you feel like and let it reach your heart. Because all of us we deserve this kind of happiness once in a while and when such joy makes its way towards you, make sure that you’ve made it home to your heart.

Picture Credits: Pinterest

I hope we all get the right kind of people in our lives. The ones who are so happy for your success that they shed a tear or two out of happiness. The ones who will pick you up when you feel you’ve lost everything. The ones who will laugh with you when you bagged that dream job and will also be there to pick you up on days when you’re finding it difficult to leave your bed. When people call you ‘weird’, I hope you know there is nothing wrong with you but the way that person looks at you. And they are the wrong kind of people.

The right kind of people will be there for you through thick and thin. They will be there for you at your lowest and even at your utmost happiness. The right kind of people will love you more than you love yourself and they will push you to give your best.

The right kind of people will never ask you to be somebody else. You will be ‘you’ in front of them and they will absolutely love you for what you are. They will make you feel beautiful. The right kind of people will help you grow and nurture yourselves and they are the kind of people one ever needs in their life. And I hope we all get all the right kind of people because all of us deserve to have people who make us feel worthy.

Picture Credits: Pinterest

somedays,

the morning won't look lively

unlike the prefect dream you had last night,

the lilies in your garden

will not always give you that happy vibe

and that's okay,

somedays,

you'll achieve everything

you have wished for and even then

you won't feel satisfied

but, somedays

you'll be glad that you survived that day

or that you cooked the meal for yourself

or you completed that piece of art you have been delaying for long

or that you took the first step to call your long lost friend

and during those days,

pat your own back

and be happy for that little task

you achieved

and mind you, stop seeking appreciation

from people you adore

because not everyone will get

what that little deed means to you

and that's okay.

Somedays, you'll have to be your champion

and I guess, somedays

that's all you need.

Picture Credits: Pinterest

We hold on to those people who cannot love us for so many reasons. In a way or the other, they make us feel that we are so difficult to be loved and cared for. We pause, we introspect and we give our best to let ourselves feel worthy of their love. We wait to feel loved. And in this run for holding on to people who treat us the worst possible, we let go of the people who love us for so many reasons.

Let go of this kind of love. Rather, hold on to people who love you when you are at your worst. Hold on to people who can hear you crying at 2 in the morning, and is there to pick you up. Make room for the people who are there for you where the world seems to cease away. Make room, make enough room for people who are there to lift you up and make you better with every passing day.

Stop holding on to people who see the worst in you even when you’re at your best. Stop doing that to yourself. We all deserve the love that manages to see the good in us even when we are on the verge of breaking down. Make room for such people and please do not let them go. Hold them too close to your heart and keep on doing the best for them. The love we deserve will love us for our folly. Most importantly, the love we deserve will love us for who we are.

To the girl who hasn’t been herself lately,

I know how it feels to catch yourself daydreaming and lost. I know how it feels to feel how you’ve been feeling. I know you're trying really hard to not let your emotions overcome you and to get that lost sparkle back. And I even know that it doesn’t come easy. I know. I can feel you.

No matter what are you feeling right now, I want you to stop and breathe. Breathe deep and let the negative energy pass away. Next, I want to remind you of something really important.

1. Vent out all the emotions. Cry if you feel like. Write down in a paper what you’ve been feeling. And let go of it at that point of time itself. When written in a piece of paper, it gives you clarity.

2. I want you to know that you’ll regain the sparkle. And you’ll shine that bright again. Till then you’ll have to do yourself a favour and have faith; faith in yourself. Do you understand?

3. It’s important to know yourself. It’s important to know the kind of things that stress you out and the kind of things that makes you feel home. And, it’s important to understand that you’ll be the only person for yourself. And you’ll have to do everything necessary to make yourself feel happy and peaceful. Your mental peace should be your first priority. Do anything and everything to make yourself at peace.

4. No matter what you’ve been through, I need you to believe that there are a handful of people who will love you always. ALWAYS. Make sure you speak to them and get enough of their love.

5. LOVE. Love Yourself. Forgive yourself and forgive the people who broke you within. Rekindle that love with yourself. Remember, you’re stronger than you believe and much more amazing that you’ve lately been.

6. Lastly, just to let you know, I’m proud of you. I’m proud of everything you’ve been doing to make yourself at peace and to find the lost YOU. Much happiness and pretty vibes are coming your way. Till then, Keep trying. - Someone who can feel you.

We all make choices in our lives. Choice to be there for a show that your friend is hosting while you could be preparing your favourite meal for the day. It is about being there over the call just to listen to her silence when your friend is crying over something that is bothering her. It’s about being there. It’s about asking, “Hey, are you feeling any better?” when you realised your friend has been a little off. It’s about late-night talks and early morning motivation to do better in life. It’s about being sensitive about the things that could hurt the other person. It’s about giving the liberty to make mistakes and at the same time helping her rectify the mistake. It’s about trying to help each other grow and be the best version of themselves. It’s about understanding that we are two different people with different fears and insecurities, and still trying to make space for each other.

It’s about talking passionately about things you love without any judgement. It’s about laughing your heart out over lame jokes. It’s not always about understanding one another in the best way possible but it’s about giving each other utmost respect even if your opinion doesn’t match. It’s appreciation. It’s gratitude. It’s respect. It’s a feeling of thankfulness that you have for each other.

Friendship is about sticking through no matter what. And it’s a choice like any other.

It was 4 in the evening,

I left work early today

and came home to accompany mom for lunch,

mom was in her room,

eating roti and curry with a little of coriander sprinkled to it,

I tiptoed to her bed and hugged her from behind,

She saw me. And she grinned

“I’ll get your lunch. Till then, you change your cloth.” she says

I smiled.

I was removing my stinky pair of socks while the phone buzzed

It was in the table beside me,

not mine, it was mom’s phone

“Mummy Calling” it read,

from my room, I call out, “Mom. Nani’s video call. Come fast.”

She replies back, “Get me the call na please.”

I rushed to give her the phone with one of my sock still stuck to my legs,

“Here, take it.” I say

From my room, I could hear them whispering,

they were just having some small talks

knowing about the weather,

if the lunch is cooked or not,

in the meanwhile, the curry in the stove was getting heated,

and mom was repeatedly managing to stir the curry

and keep the conversation going with my Nani,

Out of the blue, Nani says,

“You know, I’m so proud of you.”

I could hear mom speaking, “Areey, ma. Kya aap bhi na.”

My Nani takes a pause and she says,

“You see,

Women must learn to be tolerant.

They must know to work in the kitchen.

They should be the one compromising

and they should make sure to take care of everyone else

before they take care of themselves.

And I’m glad I taught you all these.”

I was standing in the kitchen,

taking the first bite of roti in my mouth

and as I hear her saying this,

I turned to face my Nani in the video call

“Nani, what if I don’t do any of these.

Will I still be considered a woman?” I ask her.

Her smile fades

and all she does is

disconnects the call.

To my internet best friend,

While there are many people I could have interacted with online, I guess it was a part of god’s master plans to send you in my life. I remember how all this started. You happened to drop me a message on telegram voluntarily helping me with my exam preparations and there was no looking back after that. To tell you a little secret, you are the first person I have conversed online and you made me realise how the world of internet is not so bad.

From trying to know each other to late-night talks, to cracking jokes about anything and everything, to knowing our fears and to helping each other overcome it, I don’t even know when we started calling each other best friends.

I have known you for about 7 months now and we haven’t met even once, but the distance has never taken a toll on us. You’re a unicorn. You never fail to amaze me with the way you look into life. You’re a person who lifted me when I lost confidence to a low key level. You were the one who motivated me every now and then and you’re the reason I am going to get into my dream college. No matter where I am in life, I will never be able to forget the love and the belief that you had for me at that point of time. You make me a better person. I hate to admit it but my eyes are holding back the tears of happiness even while I’m writing this. I feel so much blessed to have you in my life. I can’t put this feeling into words.

We are some thousand miles away but you know my favorite coffee place in Kolkata and I know your love for chicken. I know how to fix your mood and so do you.

I find it so much weird that though we haven’t met, we miss each other and how sometimes virtual hugs and texts are enough to heal the other person. I guess, this is what they mean when they say we are emotionally connected.

You’re a gem of a person. I can’t afford to lose you. Will you promise to stay by my side, always?

Love and hugs,

Your fav.

I dreamt of you tonight,

where you were exactly like the way I saw you last

but I wasn't,

I was a different person,

where my eyes weren't brown but turquoise blue

that told you stories you'd been waiting to hear

where my smile was just too perfect

neither too wide nor too clumsy

just as you wanted

where my expressions didn't remind you of her

but of dreams. and happiness and everything lively

where my heart was gold plated

that gave you more than you could ever ask for,

and

in that different world

I ask myself

will I then be worthy of your love?

When I look into the mirror early in the morning after I’ve just woken up, I see a bright smile and a sparkle in my eyes. My eyes speak in itself. It subtly conveys me that the girl right in front of her, she is proud of her. It speaks about the amount of respect and love that I have for myself. It reminds me that I own this day and I can handle everything I wish for. I confidently smile back at the happy face smiling right back at me and I mentally remind her to be good and do good. I sometimes wonder, how can the eyes know so much but most of the times I let it go. I stand confidently in front of her, looking straight into the eyes with messy hair and it makes me feel good.

I like myself. I like to believe that I like myself.

Here’s to the one who hate themselves for so many reasons,

Here’s to the one who questions their existence,

Here’s to the one who tries hiding pain by watching movies and random shows

Here’s to the one who isn’t proud of who they are,

Here’s to the one who is trying really hard to make themselves feel fine,

Here's to the one who feels lost,

Here’s to the one who looks into the clear blue sky and tries to connect to themselves

Here’s to the one who cries themselves to sleep every night

Here’s to the one who questions their self worth

Here’s to the one trying to lose or gain weight

Here’s to the one who is kind to others but hard to themselves,

Here’s to the one who doesn’t know what they have been feeling,

Here’s to the one who finds it difficult to express themselves

Here’s to the one who are full of insecurities, doubts, worries and fears,

Here’s to the one who detest every inch of their body

Here’s to the one who feels way too much

To you and everyone feeling anything and everything, know that you’re not alone. I might not know what you're feeling exactly, but I certainly know that you will get through it. We have all been there, felt miserable about ourselves, haven’t known the right step ahead and that’s okay. It is all going to be okay. Till then, have faith in yourself. If it makes you feel a little better, know that, I’ve been there too and it will all be okay.

From,

Someone who has felt exactly the same

I don’t know how to paint sunsets. I don’t know how to click the perfect photograph of yours that makes you look slim. I don’t know how to play the instrument that makes you groove. I don’t know to sing the song from your favourite artist and I even don’t know how to cook a delicious dessert or cuisine for that matter.

But I know how to love. I know how to love wholeheartedly. I know how to care. I know how to make people smile and laugh their heart out. And I know holding conversations. I might not know some of the most wonderful things that people know, but I know how to make people feel worthy. I know giving my heart and soul while listening to everyone I talk to and I know how to build a safe space. The one where people comfortably tell me about the deepest scars that they have or how they are good at something but wished to be good at something entirely different. Where they talk about their dreams with the sparkle in the eyes and they keep on talking about it for 3 straight hours.

Where they look into my eyes and tell me how they feel vulnerable every night and how they feel they have done more wrongs in their life than rights and that makes them a terrible person and therefore, they do not deserve happiness. And that’s the time when I look straight into their eyes and tell them that they deserve all the happiness that the world has to offer and I silently wait to watch their lips curve into a smile.

Picture Credits: Pinterest

To the one who has been there for me since the last 15 years,

They say it well that it doesn’t really matter who came early or late in your life, what matters is who stuck through. And you’re one of them.

I believe we all love people for a particular set of reasons. And given a chance to articulate, we particularly know why we love them, what makes them different and the kind of things that you learn from them.

Saumya, I love you for so many reasons. I love you for the kindness you have. I love you for the warmth you spread around. I love you for your big bear hugs. I love you for your utmost dedication and passion towards whatever you do. I love you for your innocence and the confidence that you radiate. I love you for taking that leap of faith and trusting yourself with your passion as a makeup artist. I love you for maintaining so much balance with people, things and experiences. I love you for what you are to me but I love you for what you are to the world as well.

You’ve been there for me through all the highs and lows. Celebrating my achievements. Sticking through the right and the wrong decisions I made. And you still chose to be there for me.

Saumya, we have shared too many firsts. And I am sure we are gonna stick through too many lasts too. I just want you to know that you mean the world to me and no one else can ever take your place.

All the love to you until we meet again. If you're wondering what is wrong with me, I hope you know I'm as weird as you are. There are days when I miss you so much and today is one such day.

Warmest,

S

Hey Jack Pearson,

I’d call you by your real name, but that won’t do justice to your character, right? I just want you to know how awesome you are. And how I really want me to be you; a perfect everything. Jack, you are something. You are something so special and just so beautiful.

When I saw your house getting burnt, for a while I felt that my house is getting burnt. You know that feeling of attachment. I felt I have been a part of your life all these while. And when you died, I don’t know if you believe me, but I couldn’t stop crying. It was like an important person of my life has been taken away. I love you, Jack. I love you for the perfect person you have been. I love you for all the love you have spread around, To Randal, and Kate and everybody.

This is a little personal, but I’d like you to know. Every time when you say, “I Love you, Bec.” I find you super cute. It’s a wonder to know that you don’t hesitate even for a while to tell her how much you adore her. Remember every time Kate doesn’t feel okay, you’ve always been there to listen to her and let her speak her heart out. How can she feel a little less loved when she has you? In fact, how can anybody not feel loved, when they have you?

Dear, Jack Pearson, you’re a beautiful soul. You’re a perfect father. A perfect husband. And a perfect lover. I’d never believed that perfection exists, but you proved me wrong.

I love you. We all love you.

And just like Rebecca, Kevin, Kate and Randall, we miss you too, sweetheart.

Yours,

Someone who adores you.

There are days when I go to bed early but I barely manage to fall asleep. On those days, I cannot help but question everything. I wonder, why am I here. I wonder, what is that one thing that I want to achieve. I wonder what makes the moon and the stars so pretty. I wonder what makes life worthy.

Somewhere within I wonder what if I was not meant to do what I am doing. What if, I am good at something different altogether which I haven’t even explored till the date. I wonder the amount of difference the kind of family you belong to can make and I even wonder, what if I wasn’t as privileged as I am today, how would life turn out to be?

You see, the world has been pretty kind to me all this while and I wonder if I deserve all of it. I wonder if I am worthy of the best friends that stick by me at 3 in the morning or at 6 in the evening. I wonder if I’ve done something really grateful to be worthy of having a roof over my head. I wonder if I am making a good impact in anyone else’s life and while I am wondering about everything which doesn’t make much of a sense at this hour, I open my WhatsApp. I go through some of my starred messages and I read some of the messages that makes me feel grateful of who I am as a person.

There is a text message from my best friend that reads “You’re worthy. Thank you for existing.” there is another that reads, “10 beautiful things that I’ve learnt from you.” I read these messages, I smile to myself and at that moment, I feel I deserve all of it. You see, this is why I starred those messages, for days like these; days when I cannot sleep and when my heart ceases its way to question my self worth, these are the kind of messages that keep me going. And these are the kind of people I need when I seem to lose my right state of mind; people who let me be who I am and who help me grow every single day without asking for anything in return.

They tell me that I deserve nothing but the best and I don’t completely believe it. Anyways, you tell me, do you and I have a say in what we deserve?

Picture Credits: Pinterest

I make my to-do-list of the day, and the first task of my day is to be happy. Before going to bed I have this feeling of contentment that kind of speaks in itself that I made my day worth it. I practice this gratitude exercise every single day where in my head I thank 5 people or things that I’m glad to have in my life and I realized how things really change with all these little manipulations in your head.

I often wonder, what it takes to love; to love ourselves, to love things we do, and to love everything and everyone. I haven’t known a stronger emotion than love and it amazes me to find how a little of love can make everything so perfect. Add a little love to how you look into yourself and you will be amazed to find a new you. It's important to spend time over things that makes us happy. The definition of what makes us “happy” is different for each one of us and that’s okay. It’s absolutely okay. Look at the clouds and dance if that makes you feel happy. Have that warm cup of coffee if that is what makes you day. Have a productive day if that makes you happy or do nothing if that kind of makes you feel free, so be it. But do whatever necessary to have a happy day for yourself. Also, no matter how much we run for fame and money and all the materialistic elements required to have a successful life, at the end of the day, having that peace and content within is what we really thrive for. So, pause, introspect and reflect a little on what keeps you going and what is your kind of “happy."

I really hope just like me, you are in a state where you wake up every morning and remind myself of all the wonderful blessings you’re bestowed with. And all it does it puts a smile on your face.

List of things I’d like to remind my future self.

1. Kindness: No matter how successful you get in the ladder of life, remember to be kind. Both to yourself and to others. In the world full of like-minded people, kindness is a blessing. And I want you to be that person who is a little kinder and therefore, a little more lovable. There is nothing that can certainly beat people who treat you with kindness.

2. Never be afraid to love wholeheartedly: I won’t tell you that you will always have wonderful days. And I won’t even tell you that you’ll make it smoothly through life. I won’t. Rather, I want you to know that even after some rough relationships, I want you to stand for yourself and never stop appreciating and loving the other person to the best you can. You’ve always been an epitome of love. I don’t want you to lose that sparkle just because some other person didn’t have the capacity to give you enough of their love.

3. Be there for yourself: Whether you like it or not, you’ll always be with yourself. I don’t want you to just be with yourself, I want you to be there for yourself. Got the difference? Listen, honey, I want you to be with yourself in a good way. I want you to tell yourself everything positive, inspiring and lovely every now and then. I want you to know that you’re confident, amazing and inspiring in your own little ways. If you ever have this thought “Am I enough?” At that point of time, I want you to tell yourself boldly, “Yes, I’m. I’m capable of doing anything I wish to.” 4. Your family and some close friends should always be your priority. You should be happy enough to make time for them. There are no excuses acceptable when it comes to family and friends that are no less than a family.

5. At any point of time, if you feel like you’re not living life on your own terms and conditions or you’re not kind of happy, I want you to stop and ponder. I want you to introspect, revisit what makes you happy, switch careers if you feel like, and keep experimenting every now and then. Tell me, what is the point of living, if you aren’t happy?