Six Days Two Continents--Madness Unplugged

It was an ordinary Monday, 24 May 2014.I got married to one of the best persons I know of. May be the link will help. http://www.quora.com/Who-is-Nikhil-Garg (I am so sorry Nik to put up a link here but I thought its so damn cool to have people asking as well as answering it on Quora).

Our wedding was supposed to happen in Spring 2015 but due to some hassles it got preponed to Fall 2014. I am so sorry to all our family and friends who had by then booked their tickets to India in February. 

It was nice. Everything seemed a bit rushed but due to the organising skills of our parents, nothing went wrong. Most of my cousins couldn't make it. This void was anyway filled up my best friends who stepped in on the stage and made us look better. A few of my friends cancelled their trains to be my side for the big moment and I shall forever be indebted to them for offering me so much love.

The seven promises were pretty much designed by the family pandit skewed towards me and Nikhil promised to honor each one of them. 

We went to Bhiwani, Nik's hometown. In those two days, I had been visited by many people who could not attend our wedding in Chandigarh. We went for a slight detour to Andaman and and had the best time at Havelock Islands. It was fantastic and so beautiful. Our resort Munjoh had a private beach and had the most exciting setup. This is however for a story next time. It was an enchanting experience where we did not have access to the Internet which worked out to be fine in the end.

We then flew to San Fransisco and then reached Mountain View. Instead of the ladies who welcomed us at Bhiwani, the house which welcomed us at Mountain View was silent and seemed different from the reception we got at Bhiwani. After getting some Mysore Masala Dosa from the Madras Restaurant, we came home. 

I slept while Nikhil worked from home that day. It is funny because within a span of 7 days we had been to 2 continents and 7 cities. I was tired and Nikhil was busy working.

I am settling in here and have been trying my level best to learn cooking. We have also started looking for jobs for me. 

This a rather dry account of what has happened by far. I shall tell you some glorious details later. Till then Take care and Happy Holidays!:)

Spoken unspoken

There are many things which are better unspoken of. One of them is that nobody wants to be a part of your pain every time you feel sad. Nobody wants to listen to your tirade of the glorious past you had and nobody wants to know why you cried.

What do you do then?

You simply start ingesting your sorrow and pray that the future is bright and in a moment of privacy, relish the golden life you had before.

Nothing much

Its the oldest story in the world. You are sixteen one day getting ready for your first board exam and the next you are just resigning from your first job trying to figure out better avenues to go to.

In between you meet so many people. Some become friends from strangers and some become strangers from friends.

I can't say there are no regrets, but I can say that few unsettling days can make your track go in a different way all together. A little distance away can turn into millions of kilometers leaving just a whiff of a memory of the journey.

There are so many places to go as yet. Will it be as smooth as it has been? Questions such as these are answered by time, only if we are patient enough.

Lots of roles, lots of dialogue and then plain silence. That's life!

Train journey

This post is dedicated to all those who are as lost as I am. For the record I am in a train and listening the tunes of Lucky Ali asking 'zindagi' what it wants with so many 'rastas'.

Remember when we were kids and got the summer holiday homework?
My mom used to get at least 10 photocopies of the thing and by the end of June I had only one copy left. I have no idea where the other 9 went. I don't remember ever flushing them or well throwing them.

Anyway I used to be enthused every time that this time, I would complete my homework by may and then enjoy june. Alas, it never happened and sometimes I even took two days after the reopening of school to finish my holiday homework.

Most of the work was usual stuff with maths teachers offloading their pressures of syllabus by giving two chapters of book as holiday homework. Language teachers lacked imagination and gave us writing of one page everyday. Later the English teachers tried asking us to write book reviews of books like Mill on the Floss. Unfortunately the internet revolution had started by then. It was a time when everybody had funky email ids and no two persons were allowed to have the same passwords. Most of my classmates copied book reviews and others copied exact sentences from the book. The good old days!

I had a Casio. I apologize a 'keyboard'. For ten years of calling it Casio, a classmate in a rock band told me it is supposed to be called a 'keyboard'. I felt so embarrassed. It was meant to be a cutting comment. Now that I have completed my MBA, I realize how much the company 'Casio' must have spent on its branding. It was a time when you tried to be more sophisticated by drinking 'Coke' instead of 'Pepsi', when cousins came and you crashed on makeshift beds on the floors because you wanted to sleep together. Now that I think of it, I don't remember ever happening again. We have all grown up into 'cool' adults who barely talk to each other . We have all left that era when being on ICQ seemed cool.

My first email was redridinghood@ yahoo.com . I don't even know if the account still exists.

Anyway it was in the past. Now I want to change the way things are. I want to contribute to the world. I want to change it in some way. I think it is possible.

While I am writing this Lewis Carroll mocks me in my head saying that 'if you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there'.

May June roundup

I have started reading a book by somebody called Siddharth Sharma. It is called Love your Mondays and Retire Young.

According to Ankita B., one cannot love his/her job. It is called a job because you are obligated to do it. Others say that they love their jobs. They say how can you progress if you hate it so much?

I wanted to be in the latter. I spent two months crying and complaining to anybody who would hear my tragic story of the job I dont like. When they stopped listening, I spoke to myself. (Dark days they were)

Then a few days ago, I was given a jolt. I was told that one of my uncles who used to remain always happy go lucky was going to die. My parents came pretty often and discussed how his cancer had engulfed him. I was already going through a "phase" which people generally associate with hormonal changes. My behaviour was rough. I was angry all the time. I hate every aspect of my job. Basically I had become so discontent that I even considered leaving everything and running away.

One of my friends gave me a warning that I was losing grip and finally the realization seeped in. The thing is my last exam was on May 5, 2014. My joining was on May 7, 2014 to a new place which felt less hospitable with every second. It has been a struggle and still is. When I tell people that I have worked for only two months they are surprised. They seemed to think that I have worked long and just need redemption.

Anyway to deal with this, I have decided to develop two versions of myself. One is the one I am usually and the other one is my gangster role with a standard local Gunda name called Hateli Fracture. Hateli Fracture can punch people on the face and should ideally wear a knuckle duster.

The change is pretty instantaneous. I am hungry once again and I want to change the world again. I want to change and contribute to the world. I want to make it better.

Anyway let me go and grab a pack of chips. Anyway tc..:)

Something random

I like Aamir Khan movies but I love Shahrukh Khan. I even sat through jab tak hai jaan, and I liked it. There is nothing like that awesome feeling one gets  when while munching salted popcorn, one sips icy cool Pepsi and watch Shahrukh Khan getting hit twice by a vehicle.

Anyway my grandmother is watching saas bahu serials and I am sitting in a zone of 15 GB of WiFi.

I go to office everyday. They say its difficult but I still want to try. I think people try to complicate lives. I don't get it. It is very easy. You help me.  I will help you. You lie and scare me. I will try not to talk to you.

Building relationships take time. My longest ties with my friends dates back till my school days.

Delhi drearies stories continued

I have issues with people who smoke. At least people who drink alcohol do not effect people who are not drinking.

My auto rickshaw driver is smoking his lungs out. I feel like showing him 'mukesh' ka tobacco ad.

So here's the thing. After engineering, I have somehow landed up with liars. In university, the lying was limited to one person. Job also has its share of plastics but delhi is becoming better.

Delhi summer without a car is accompanied with headaches, cough, cold, dehydration, bargaining headaches, heated traffic jam waits, fear of dying and etc

Without that, it is accompanied with traffic jams, fear of dying etc.

Time freeze please!

I could not decide an apt title for this post.

The past two days were beautiful and horrible at the same time. 

I got abused at and was subjected to the worst meets grill ever.

I have finally decided to move on.

It was beautiful because I lived a different facet of Delhi. It was beautiful. The Delhi I live is dusty and with really bad roads. Recently I came across better options. It was magnificent. I had one of the best companies. 

I think the problem lies in my location. I called up a few clients who got scared when I wished good morning because I spoke English. They were okay when I said namaskar.

My supervisor asked me to be more strict and firm. I was polite. The funny part was that it worked. The customer understands that he will be at a loss if he doesn't behave and fulfil his obligations.

I am having a hollow feeling in my heart and I wished time could still

Offo!

I chose this title because this is what I am listening these days and feeling it!

Offo!

For everybody in chandigarh, don't try the sausage pasta of nik bakers. It is okay types and you can get the same taste at fire and grill at half the price.

Offo!

It's hot!

Offo!

I have to go shopping!

Offo!

We had to go for a movie marathon!

Offo! Offo!

Highway

Imagine you are embarking a journey. You want to go to Tokyo and your friend wants to go to Paris. You can have any mode of transport but both of you decide that both shall take the bus as it will all be exciting and full of adventure.

You sit in the bus and you convince your friend to go to Tokyo. After much grumbling, you decide that Paris is better. Meanwhile, the friend decides that Tokyo is much better. 

Your friend then leaves you and departs for a newer journey. You are left alone looking for a destination. The serpent of abandonment is sucking the blood out of you and replacing it with its poison. 

What should you then do? Should you go to Tokyo like planned before or should you to Paris? 

Or just go to Amsterdam for the delicacies it is fabled about?

Status quo: Still Bonkers!

My finals finish on 24th April 2014. My banking days are to begin on 7 May 2014. I am very nervous about that. What if my freedom just goes away? What if I become like those people sitting in Sagar Ratna having that bored expression on their faces?

This is making me go bonkers!

Somebody great once said that you need to be outside your comfort zone to achieve greatness. Well, the comfort zone is too cozy. Reminds me of the 'garden' and 'forest' discussion of my corporate governance class. Garden is like my safe haven and forest is like a really dangerous zone. I wanted to stay in a garden with the forest as my neighbour. Probably, by living with my grandparents in Delhi, I have actually tried to create that. Let's see how that goes. 

There is a group of friends which is going to McLeo and Dharamshala. Anyway, my parents donot really like McLeod Ganj and Dharamshala. I really wanted to go there with my friends and experience it. I want to go trekking, bask in the lap of the nature, do all that what Wordsworth and Tennyson do in their poems and then join my bank.

I am going bonkers. Is it because I am leaving a safe territory? Or is because I am leaving my friends and going? I spent 13 years in school and four years in am engineering college. I have never felt the anxiety while leaving those friends. How is that friends I met just an year ago became so important? I think there is a study thing also. I am going to embark a new journey where I have no idea how I am going to fare. School and college were easy. You study, you score. In a job, the criterion changes. During my MBA days, I realised the more experienced a person is, the more he went out for trips. Probably it's the missing thing, while working. My friend Richa's sister thinks that when you have the time, you don't feel like going, sometimes because you don't have the money and sometimes the mood. But when you have the money, you donot have those senseless friends and energy to go, despite the cash in your bank. 

My worst nightmare is to get bored with myself. I like myself. I want to go to new places. Is that bad? Does that make me somewhat of a 'brat'? Mothers say that the world is cruel. I still want to see it. Call me crazy but I have already started looking for holiday destinations for the long weekend in October. I actually understand the Pepsi' ad campaign now. It is designed for us.'oh yes Abhi'

I am still going bonkers. Time to go study....take care..:-)

Random talk

Have you been insulted and complimented at the same time?

Something like I really think you are not that attractive but I think you are cool.

How do you react in such situations? Do you care about the former or the later?

I say get a good night sleep and just let things fall in place or well cry your heart out and just think how you died for like full two minutes and decide to walk away.

Finals are coming so I can't really write more. Take care.

P.S. Food for thought..did you know that if you say colourful, your lip movement may be read as 'I love you' (source: a fifth grader)

You can be anybody you want!

I hated finance, now I don't. I could not see myself drowned in numbers but now, it can be safe to say I  have started enjoying it. In every interview, I sat for, they asked me what interests me more. I always said 'Marketing'. What am I going to do on May 7?

I am going to join as A Management Trainee in HDFC Bank in the working capital division of Business Banking.(quite a mouthful, right?)

Why would we want to be the same person year after year? One of my tshirt comments at the last day of college was 'don't change'. I personally do not believe in the concept. I am the kind of person who at a new year night would like to think how I changed in the year and 'how awesome I became'.

When we were children, we could be anybody. It was the kick of hormones and a sense of embarrassment which stopped us but then my question is why should we learn from other people's mistakes? Let's make our own.

You know what I want to do. I want to get a ticket of a place I have not heard of or well get off a random station on a train journey. 

I want to change my look every three months to the extent that I don't want to resemble my Photograph on my ID. Every morning, we should be shocked by our reflection. 

Explore!

I want to learn at least 5 languages fluently. You ask me for a reason? I would say because I want to 'be born' everyday. Just like a baby who learns to babble and then gets fluent in a language.

I also want to forgive and forget like a river which cleans the dirtiest and doesn't really gets dirty itself;a river which throws all the clutter in the ocean and purifies itself. 

I don't say forget yourself. There is a thin line between somebody new and faking it all. If you ask me, I would rather become a 'good, new me' then an already jaded 'somebody else'. Something like wearing a denim of 'flying machine' rather than a second copy of 'fcuk'. If you are trying to be somebody new, be classy about it, otherwise count it as an experience and get made fun off with friends who actually give a damn about you.

Life is beautiful and short, so let's be born everyday!

Tc

A love story..

"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure"

Today somebody died. She was the sister of my grand father, probably one of the persons who had known him the most who was alive till yesterday.

She used to come almost everyday for tea at our place. She probably wanted to spend her some time in our house, a house built by her only brother. Her story begins much earlier. Born in a humble family, she aspired to become an educated lady. If looks could kill, she was a dynamite.

She studied MA English and became a lecturer in a girls college. She wanted to be successful,an ambitious woman. An educated and a smart woman with beauty at her side , is a lethal combination. It not only gave her confidence but an appeal which could have made the straightest of trees bend. She helped everybody who came to her. She inspired a friendship within people. She was with everybody yet always a leader, a support of her friends.

One day she met him. He was an advocate, a rich man of generations. He was well respected and his opponents felt their knees weaken just by the mention of his name. He was everything a girl inspired in a man. He was a gentleman. He was orthodox. He had earned his reputation of one of the greatest men by his own merit in his twenty year career. The only problem was that he was already married. 

The first day she met him, she did not swoon. She looked at him in his eye and asked him to behave better. He found her endearing. She found him irresistible. The first meeting became a series of meetings. 

He left his wife. She was tagged as the 'other woman'. When she married him, she became the 'gold digger'. Her family resisted, yet they understood later. She then became the principal of colleges and probably one of the most respected women of the city.

She had his children later. He died his natural death. She was younger than most of his friend's widows. She lived on, sparkling in her glory. 

She started visiting our house more frequently since the last few years. She would look at her brother's photograph in our drawing room and cry. She had no memory of the recent past yet had a crystal clear memory of what happened a two decades ago. 

I met her yesterday. She died today. 

I was not close to her, yet her death makes me remember her words which she had once told me,"They may call me a 'gold digger' but I was irrevocably in love with him. I see myself in you. Don't settle for what the world hands you. Fight for you want and choose your own regrets".

I like to believe that she went to a special place where he was waiting for her. After all, an era of hers cannot end without a happy ending for she never settled what the world handed her.

Jhadhu(broom), hi 5 or a lotus..your choice?

The election times have come.

This time  I feel more empowered than ever before. I want to vote, choose a better government. I want to become a participant. I don't want to sit in the corner like my elders do and say that nothing will move here.

I am from Chandigarh. I do not keep an active interest in politics, but I don't want to sit behind and say that politicians buy votes and do what they have to do. I want to vote, even if a different party comes in power. I want the right to discus and debate. 

So I ponder. Gul Panag(AAP), Kirron Kher(BJP),  and Pawan Kumar Bansal (congress) are fighting for election here. ( I have just alphabetically mentioned the names of the candidates)

Well, so far I can tell you that Gul and Kirron are free of any criminal charges whereas Bansal,despite no charge sheet been filed, has been earlier convicted for the Railgate escapade.

While Kirron declared her assets to the tune of Rs 23.88 crore, Gul showed her assets amounting to Rs 5.5 crore. Gul has liability in the shape of loans amounting to Rs 21 lakh.

Bansal along with his wife has assets worth 7.7 crore . 

So in the terms of assets Gul Panag has the lowest amount of assets and Kirron the highest.

Gul and kirron are both first time candidates and Bansal has been a seasoned politician. If he wins this will be his fourth term at a stretch. Frankly, Bansal's  work is worth mentioning. He has helped the power issue and has brought more organisation. There is a 24x7 power service departments. There is an intimation of power breaks if any. We have e-Governance cells called Sampark all around. The chandigarh election commission have started working. Bansal is amongst  a common man here. The only blot is his rail gate scandal.

All of them are graduates from Panjab University. It strikes a personal chord with me because pretty soon,I will be one of the graduates from PU.(does that make my entry into politics a possibility?)

Gul and Kirron, apart from their dimples are both known for their elegance, with the former being a beauty queen and the latter being a theatre stunner. Bansal, whereas has more wrinkles. He is a smart old man and makes you feel like talking to a veteran who is always smiling and knows what it takes. He gives you a feeling of the 'uncle who goes to the office every day and does his work in the office'. He would probably come back and watch the news and would probably give every youngster who comes across him a lecture on 'good Heath' and 'early to bed, early to rise' kind of lectures.( now that I am thinking, wasn't it Bansal's tenure in which the culture is Pubbing and Clubbing in the city is getting so popular? Ironic)

As a citizen I will always be in two minds whether kirron is in Mumbai for judging her reality show. Gul would probably be somewhere acting in a parallel cinema film. Pawan would be in the office or talking health benefits with passer bys. 

It's a tough call. Can we punish peopl for their lack of experience? That's way no new comer would ever stand for elections? Can the angst and guts shown by kirron while running away to become an actress be ignored? Can Gul Panag's confident and determined smile to change the world be ignored? Can Bansal's consistence to improve our city be left aside in front of his rail gate scam?

This is our time to decide and What a decision we have to make! This has our and our next generation's destiny involved. May the best candidate win!

Dream of Paradise!

The Bing dictionary defines "Paradise" as

1. place or state of perfect happiness: a place, situation, or condition in which somebody finds perfect happiness
2. heaven: in some religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, the place where good people are believed to go after death, or the state they are believed to attain after death
3. Garden of Eden: in the Bible, the perfect garden where Adam and Eve were placed at the Creation

I like the first definition better. I think I would have more control on it but then nothing is perfect. Even, the perfect rose has its thorns. Who knows, who gave it those thorns. Probably some animal might have gotten attracted to the rose and tried to pluck it. To safeguard her self interests, she grew thorns, a self defense mechanism to keep the poets away.

Coldplay got it right when it sang the song "Paradise". It has perfect lyrics, music and vocals.

I am looking for that paradise. What should I do?

Actually its a new runway. Lets run away and never look back, till we find paradise.! 

No nomad stays!

Sometimes the pain of being alive makes you wants to do things you donot want to do.

But why is that my pain making me feel alive today?

You donot know me and if you think you do, I don't want to know you. 

It is not that I want to hide. I don't want to be empty. 

They say the glass is never empty. It is always filled with air. It is all about perspective. 

What if the positive perspective of being alive is just one big lie? What if there is no hope?

When I was a kid, I read the story of Pandora whose curiosity made her open the box of everything disdainful and horrible. After crying a lot, she found some relief when the Fairy of Hope came. Where there will be despair, there will be hope.

What if that hope has been crumbled and it's only the horrible things which are making you feel alive?

It's ironic. I am sitting in my room with all my hair being messy hoping for the pain to engulf me. 

I can hear every sound. I can hear the birds tweeting somewhere. I can hear an automobile moving on the roads outside. I can hear the clock tick every second. I can hear myself inhale in air and giving it all out. I can hear some stray dog bark somewhere.

I have nothing going on in my head. It's complete silence there, yet very peaceful. It is as if I am waiting on a train station of Solan waiting to board the train for somewhere, yet I don't want to leave as yet. 

You can always come back here. This is home, he said. 

Every traveller must leave. No nomad can stay, he does not understand.

Till then, let's wait for the train together till we board our own trains.

Don't worry! Be happy

They say happiness is a state of mind.

Amongst the number of people I have interacted with, nobody wants to be sad and depressed.

We’ve all known that one person who is always happy, even while going through the worst phases of life. 

Everybody has a different way of being happy. Some smoke their lives, some do photography, some travel, some make trolls of people they work with(if you are in my class, you know what I am talking about),some shop till they drop.

I just thought and borrowed a couple of ways by which being happy can become a habit.

1. Appreciate Life

My corporate governance teacher's mantra of life is that be thankful that you woke up alive each morning. There should be a sense of wonder towards life. Make the most of each day. Don’t take anything for granted. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Coming to the class and getting marked for your presence is just a way people survive,not live. Question everything. Curiosity kills the cat but doesn't stop her to get a thrill.

2. Choose Friends Wisely

My closest friends have probably the highest self esteems. By surrounding yourself with happy, positive people who share your values and goals, you make your life worth living. Those Friends that have the same ethics as you ,will encourage you to achieve your dreams. They help you to feel good about yourself. They are there to lend a helping hand when needed.(plus they accompany you to the newest eating spots and share the experiences..even if it's unhealthy)( yes,Richa and Ankita,I am talking about you both and Sahil too)

3. Be Considerate

This is something which Gurravi and Richa think. We should accept and respect others for who they are as well as where they are in life.. Touch their hearts with a kind and generous spirit. Help when you are able, without trying to change the other person. Try to brighten the day of everyone you come into contact with.

4. Learn Till you die

Find a hobby. We must try new and daring things that has sparked our interest. It can be anything such as dancing, skiing, learning music,reading or even bungee jumping.

5. Don't pity yourself

Don’t wallow in self-pity. As soon as you face a challenge ,get busy finding a solution. Don’t let the set backs affect your mood, instead see each new obstacle you face as an opportunity to make a positive change. Learn to trust your gut instincts – it’s almost always right. This is borrowed from my mom who believes let's not dwell on problems,let's find solutions.

6. Do What Thy Love

Can you imagine a finance guy developing a advertising idea or a marketing guy taking capital budgeting decisions? Everybody is not an all rounder like Farhan Akhtar who can act,sing,write,direct,produce,make music and dance at the same time. 

Some statistics show that 80% of people dislike their jobs! No wonder there’s so many unhappy people running around. We spend a great deal of our life working. Choose a career that you enjoy – the extra money of a job you detest isn’t worth it. Make time to enjoy your hobbies and pursue special interests.

7. Enjoy Life

Take the time to see the beauty around you. There’s more to life than work. Take time to smell the roses, watch a sunset or sunrise with a loved one, take a walk along the seashore, hike in the woods etc. Learn to live in the present moment and cherish it. Don’t live in the past or the future. Sit in a car with your friend and listen to groovy songs on the radio and see people walk by.

8. Laugh

Don’t take yourself  or life to seriously. You can find humor in just about any situation. Laugh at yourself. No one’s perfect. When appropriate laugh and make light of the circumstances. (Naturally there are times that you should be serious as it would be improper to laugh). Most of my class mates are really good at this.

9. Forgive

Holding a grudge will hurt no one but you. Forgive others for your own peace of mind. When you make a mistake – own up to it – learn from it – and FORGIVE yourself. This is my best friend Ishani telling me while watching how I met your mother when robin starts dating Barney.

10. Gratitude

Develop an attitude of gratitude. Count your blessings; All of them – even the things that seem trivial. Be grateful for your home, your work and most importantly your family and friends. Take the time to tell them that you are happy they are in your life. 

11. Invest in Relationships

Always make sure your loved ones know you love them even in times of conflict. Nurture and grow your relationships with your family and friends by making the time to spend with them. Don’t break your promises to them. Be supportive. Direct quote from mom.

12. Keep Their Word

Honesty is the best policy. Every action and decision you make should be based on honesty. Be honest with yourself and with your loved ones. Sometimes people will call you names. Let them. It is only possible for them to make you feel small unless you allow them.

13. Meditate

Meditation gives your very active brain a rest. When it’s rested you will have more energy and function at a higher level. Types of meditation include yoga, hypnosis, relaxation tapes, affirmations, visualization or just sitting in complete silence. Find something you enjoy and make the time to practice daily. I tend to have a virtual sleep phase everyday where I don't literally sleep but I am actually sleeping.

14. Mind Their Own Business

Concentrate on creating your life the way you want it. Take care of you and your family. Don’t get overly concerned with what other people are doing or saying. Don’t get caught up with gossip or name calling. Don’t judge. Everyone has a right to live their own life the way they want to – including you. So the next time, somebody tells you that you are living the wrong way, smile and just start talking about bjp, congress and aap. It will distract them and anybody can comment on them.

15. Optimism

See the glass as half full. Find the positive side of any given situation. It’s there – even though it may be hard to find. Know that everything happens for a reason, even though you may never know what the reason is. Steer clear of negative thoughts. If a negative thought creeps in – replace it with a positive thought. The number of people who say this are Ankur, Gurrav, Tapsi, Sahil, Richa, Ankita, etc etc etc. 

16. Love Unconditionally

Accept others for who they are. You don’t put limitations on your love. Even though you may not always like the actions of your loved ones – you continue to love them. This is what has been taught by all the classic writers.

17. Persistence

Never give up. Face each new challenge with the attitude that it will bring you one step closer to your goal. You will never fail, as long as you never give up. Focus on what you want, learn the required skills, make a plan to succeed and take action. We are always happiest while pursuing something of value to us.This is what dad says.

18. Be Proactive

The word 'proactive' has been used by my mom since I was in school. One day, I just asked what she meant by it. Trust me, till my sixth semester of Engineering, I had no idea what she meant by 'being proactive'.

This is what she told me. Accept what can not be changed. Happy people don’t waste energy on circumstances beyond their control. Accept your limitations as a human being. Determine how you can take control by creating the outcome you desire – rather than waiting to respond.This is what my mom says. 

19. Self Care

Take care of your mind, body and health. Get regular medical check ups. Eat healthy and work out. Get plenty of rest. Drink lots of water. Exercise your mind by continually energizing it with interesting and exciting challenges. This point credits to Ankita Bhasin. She works outs everyday you see.

20. Self Confidence

Don’t try to be someone that you’re not. After all no one likes a phony. Determine who you are in the inside – your own personal likes and dislikes. Be confident in who you are. Do the best you can and don’t second guess yourself. My closest friends know who I am talking about here.

21. Take Responsibility

Happy people know and understand that they are 100% responsible for their life. They take responsibility for their moods, attitude, thoughts, feelings, actions and words. They are the first to admit when they’ve made a mistake.har

Begin today by taking responsibility for your happiness. 

Most of all: BE TRUE TO YOURSELF.