The Biggest Adventure: Live the life of your dreams.

Hi everyone, hope all had a crazy start to this year.
Are there any extremely maddening things that anyone did these holidays? If so, please do mail me and I would put you down in the list of people whom I should keep up with. :D 

What I'm writing about in this article has been on my mind for quite some months now, so I decided to put my thoughts together and help some people out there who are in a dilemma about what to do in life. 

Most of you are already down your path leading to your careers. But the question you should be asking yourself is: Have you chosen this path for yourself, or has it been forced upon you by your so-called well-wishers?

Every human being has his own capabilities and talent. Every human being is born to do something, to give something back to this world, in one way or the other. One usually discovers his/her talent eventually and works on improving that. This however, is not the case in India. People push their kids to engineering and medical colleges, thinking that their kids will have a secure future, with a good income and a good spouse. Engineering and medicine has a lot of scope, and provides you with a lot of money no matter what you do. Or does it? 

Engineering Colleges have become like factories. They manufacture lakhs of engineer graduates every year, flooding the industries. There are thousands of students who don't even know why they are doing engineering and end up with a BTech degree, which hands them a job, and that is the end of their lives. Is this the life that you imagined you would have when you were five? 
Was this your dream? Very few, would say yes.

Then why do we not listen to our heart? Why do we let our parents and others decide our future? Why do we just let go of our dreams? Why don't we do what our heart tells us to? We don't have an answer. 

One decision, can change your life. Every single person I know, has a special unique talent. Everyone has their own interests. If a person does not score well, one cannot look down upon him. These are things that not many Indians understand. All they care about is 'a good future'. But we will have a good future only when we are happy, when we are content in life. Today if I'm not doing something that I love, 50 years down the lane I will be filled with regret. I certainly do not want that. 

Are you a good singer? Go ahead and do a professional course. 
Do you love dancing? Dance your way to become a dancer! 
Are you a good seller? Do an MBA and become a businessman. 
Do you love technology? Yes, Engineering is meant for you. 
Want to cure the world? Be a doctor. 
Photogenic? Love posing for pictures? Become a model.
Good actor? Do a course in acting and be a theatre artist! 
Love writing? Arts is for you!
And the list is endless. Take a step closer to who you want to be, and success will follow. 
There is nothing as 'scope', It is for you to create. 
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. 
Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true.
Explore. Dream. Discover.
 

Kriti's Blog: Are you 'the one'?

Kriti's Blog: Are you 'the one'?: Close your eyes for two minutes and think. What is the craziest time you have had in your life until now? The silliest thing you have done?...

Are you 'the one'?

Close your eyes for two minutes and think. What is the craziest time you have had in your life until now? The silliest thing you have done? Which is the 'man-that-time-was-fun' moment of your life? 
I'm sure most of your answers will be from your high school time. 
Remember that time when you used to think to yourself, "I would do anything to be 18! I just want to be an adult already, want freedom!"? Well, now that you are, are you happy? If you are, I think you haven't had the best of chidhood. If I was given a chance, I would definitely want to go back in time and relive my high school. I'm not saying I didn't face any problems. In fact, I have never experienced as much politics anywhere else. Friends, relationships, fights, misunderstandings, rumors, betrayals, heart-breaks. So much life! I think a person lives an entire life's emotions in his school life.

Now, how many of you have met 'the one' in your school? You would probably be thinking, that's total bull shit, never happens. Wrong. It does. Let me explain myself. 

It was the month of August, my favorite month (i.e. my birth month) when I first saw him. He was late by 10 days to come back to school after vacation, as he had been travelling across the world. He seemed popular in the school crowd. I was one among the few new students of the 11th standard, who barely talked to anyone in the first week of school. There was something in his grey eyes that pulled me to talk to him, but I couldn't gather the guts. 

He played basketball with his group of close friends, and I would just sit in a corner silently, watching him. In class he would make everyone laugh with his witty sense of humour, which would make me smile everytime I would think about him. He was a brilliant flutist, and had given concerts in many countries. And still, I didn't try going upto him.

Finally, one day in the english hour, we were given a project to work on, and we were divided in teams. He was in my team. And that's how we started talking. From then on, I started loving to go to school. I would go only to be able  to talk to him for some time in the day, to watch him smile. But I never had any expectations of anything more than that. I was happy to have him as a friend. 

It was not long before we became very close. We would talk for hours after school. We got to know each other really well. But all this while, we never talked about relationships. Soon, I realized that I really liked him. He used to be on my mind all the time. And so, he became my secret crush, which only my best friend knew about. 

After a month, I came to know that he had a girlfriend. I didn't feel anything, actually I half expected him to have one. And anyway, I never thought that a guy like him would ever date a girl like the-then-me. After some days, I asked him about her, asked him the story. He wasn't very open about the topic, so I changed the subject, made it a point to never talk about it again. 

Then, something very strange happened. 

He broke up with her. This was shocking, but I felt like dancing. I realized that I was being selfish, and tried to not flirt with him and tell him that I liked him. We started hanging out more often. I had a 20% hope that he would fall in love with me someday. But of-course it was very faint, and less-likely to happen. 

After long hours of discussion with my best friend and his friends, I decided to give it a try. I decided to ask him out. I knew that if he refused, things would screw up between us, and I would lose him as a friend as well. But the fact that I loved him was much more powerful than the fear of refusal. Yes, I really did love him, as this had never happened with me before. I had been in and out of relationships, but never did I feel the way I did now. And never. did I. ask a guy out. Never. It was always the other way round.

Finally, I called him up, and asked him if he could join me for a movie. He agreed. After the movie, we went for lunch. And then was the moment. I looked into his eyes, and asked him, " Would you like to, maybe, umm, date me?" And I would never forget his answer. He smiled his beautiful smile, and said, "How can I say no to those cute eyes?" 

That day changed my life forever.

It is said that some things are meant to happen. Some people are meant to meet. He changed me. He made me who I am today. He inspired me. It is not just about love, he taught me to be a better person. I owe him everything. 

So, if people say that high school romance is infatuation, it is 99% true. But there are some in the 1%, who join hands for an entire wonderful lifetime.  
  

The Real Resolution?

Hello everyone! I know, It has been a long time since I have updated you guys. Hope you had a warm Christmas! 
This month has been a busy time for me, actually the busiest in the entire year. All that I had been wanting to do in life has finally started to happen. 
I hope you guys have checked my website out. If you haven't, please do. --> http://www.exercisemyway.net63.net/index.html . I want to reach out to as many souls as I can. This is just the smallest step I could take to start with.

People ask me, why I spend so much time in advising people about fitness. Well, the answer to that is, people don't realize the importance and the need for fitness. They fail to realize the fact that it could solve all their health and money problems. Hospitals will have lesser reservations and appointments. And the nation will be working a lot more efficiently. If you are laughing at this and find it utterly pointless, then deep down you know that you want to exercise but just find it too difficult to begin with. 

When you wake up in the morning, what is the first thought that occurs in your mind? That pretty much defines your day. Mine is: "What workout am I doing today?" Also, "What a beautiful morning it is." This positive energy always stays with me through the day and keeps me going. Do what you love, and love what you do. 

Always, make time for things that you love to do. Whether it is painting, or singing, or just playing an instrument, you should make sure that you find some time in your busy day for that one thing that you love to do. 
Mine is going for a long drive with my sister with loud music on, we scream our lungs out knowing that there is no one listening to us. Sadly, I can't do that in college.

All these small things make up an awesome day. And if all the days in your life are awesome, then your life is the best. Meet new people, learn new things, and have fun. Create something exciting and feel proud. Discover a shortcut to your favorite place in your city and feel happy. If a joke crosses your mind, let it out to the people around you and spread laughter. Feel contented. Go to a park and for once, don't listen to music, feel peaceful. If you hear the tune of your favorite song, no matter where you are, dance. Feel the freedom. If you love someone, let the person know how much you value him/her, feel the warmth. If you find your favorite chocolate in your bag, scream and let your excitement out, feel high. If you desire to do a hundred skips, go ahead and do it. Feel the satisfaction. Treat yourself.
Live for these small happy moments in life, which make up a big part of your story. Start writing yours today. :) Have a wonderful new year filled with new spirits and lots of parties. Happy 2014 folks!

Watch your back. Be alive!

Hi guys, here I am with yet another post. Now this is something that is just out of a growing concern for the safety of women runners in Bangalore, actually, pretty much any city.
I go for outdoor running on a daily basis. In the beginning I used to go around the city on the roads, but since I almost died in an accident once, I decided to limit it to the endless parks in the garden city. Presently, I go to this park that is around 20 minutes from my house, and is pretty big. There are people of all age groups who come there for different purposes. Majority are the old people who come for walking and chatting with the other oldies. Apart from these, there are all kinds of people out there who land up in the parks. I have seen girls who walk in wearing a pair of tight jeans and high heels and start walking around trying to exercise. I have seen guys who walk around conversating on their phones, and the tone of the conversation somehow convinces people that it has to be a woman on the other end. There are couples who come to the parks to sit and waste their time in trying to flirting with each other. And then, there are those weird creepy looking guys, whose motive seems to be just to give you those scary eye-gauging stares and drive you away.  This set of people is who you should look out for. 
There is always atleast one guy everyday whom I suspect to be following me or clicking my pictures or something like that. This is because, I have been made to believe that this world is a cruel place for women. Men are evil (Ofcourse not all). I hope you know about the ATM incident that took place in Bangalore last week. If you don't, google it. It is just so shocking. It shook my entire universe. Innocent people get killed, girls get raped. And this can just happen to anyone. All this makes life very insecure for women in cities, especially if you are like me, running in parks and wandering off on your own. And sadly, there is no particular solution. You have to look out for trouble and take care. In this, Impulse plays a big role. You should take immediate action even if you have the slightest of suspicion. 
And NEVER look back at a guy if he is staring at you. Because this kind of gives them something to use against you. Ignore and pretend like you don't know anything unless it gets serious. Always carry some weapon in your bag. This can be anything from a fork to a nail cutter. Even keys can come in handy. Just keep in mind that in this case, you should never think before acting. A second can save your life, a second can also take it away. So,use your time wisely, and be safe. 

Sweat to Fit into your Old Jeans.

First of all, I'm overwhelmed by the responses I'm getting from you guys. I love your mails. Keep them coming. :)

Today, let me talk about something that actually is a major part of my life but hasn't yet been written about. It is - Fitness. Fitness is literally a big part of my life. It's what I live by everyday. If you ask the people who live with me or who know me, they would probably call me a freak. According to them, I wake up in this super-zombie mode, put on my running shoes and shoot out of my window. Yes, we all have our own weird imaginations and theories.
So, getting back to the topic, ever since I started working out, my life has changed, and I'm doing serious talk here. Like seriously.
Don't believe me? What if I told you that I lost 11 kgs in a year? Yes, it's true. I'm not bull-shitting with you this time. I know you must have watched all sorts of  advertising for 'calorie burning belts and creams' and all kinds of crap. But trust me, there is no shortcut to fitness. It requires dedication and patience. A lot of patience.
I used to be this plump kid who was good-looking but just wasn't good enough. And then I met this amazing person, Loka. 
He was a real inspiration. I got to know that he is a marathoner and so are his parents. He told me all about running. Told me how I shouldn't have so much hatred towards it and how it's not so bad. I decided to try. And so I started out on this amazing journey of fitness and happiness. It has been four years now that I have been working out, and I have never felt better.
Most people think it's very cool to just go with the flow of today's gen, munching on lays and kurkure all the time and drinking alcohol. If even one person at the dinnertable says, "No sugar please", people stare at that person for a moment and then have a good laugh about it. But only you know the consequences of such a lifestyle. So, don't worry about  others, you do what you believe.The start of anything is always a discomfort. But that shouldn't stop you. When a person gets used to a certain thing, it becomes a habit and comes naturally. Following the same law of nature, exercise also becomes a habit. And when it does, it's the most amazing feeling in the world.
To many, starting an exercise routine comes with a hundred excuses. The list goes something like this:
1. I work through the night and thus can't wake up early in the morning to fit in exercise.
--> There are 24 hours in a day. Be honest to yourself and tell me how you cannot spend just one hour for working out.
2. Exercise is boring.
--> You can't hate all the forms of exercises! Find your area of interest : dance, swimming, skating, running, cycling, skipping, and ofcourse, gymming.
3. It's pointless. Anyway, I will gain weight at some point of my life. So why bother?
--> You will die at some point in your life, then why bother living?
...

No apples are needed to keep you away from the doctor. Try raising your heart beat instead, and feel superhuman :) This is probably one of the best things that has happened to me. If you already are a workout person, then you know what I'm talking about.
To those of you who are yet to experience it, a whole new world is waiting to be discovered, you just need to find a little bit of time and put in a little bit of effort. When you do, I promise you that you will come and kiss me for this. :P
Go ahead and have fun!

Meet my boyfriend! --Wait. Who?

Boyfriends. Who exactly is a boyfriend? Is he the one who used to help you build sand castles by the beach? Or is he the one who says cute things to you to spread a smile across your face?
The word means different things to different people. And I have met plenty of different people to have realised this fact and thus to have been able to put it across to you today.
When I was in fifth standard, I had a 'guy' best friend. I used to literally spend my entire day with him. We used to play together, laugh at silly things together, cry successively and I used to be the initiator most of the times, and used to do a zillion things. In some days, a new girl in school started spending more time with him, and I started losing out on him. This was the first time I ever felt what jealousy feels like. It was frustrating. I don't know if you can call it love, I don't know if you can call it a crush, but that's what I'm talking about here. I wouldn't categorize it in either one, but for you, it might have seemed like love.
Love is a complicated thing which very few succeed to understand. If you are in a relationship, it doesn't necessarily have to be about love always. Nowadays people date people for unreasonable and unexplainable things. There is no trust, no "lovey-dovey" feeling, no blowing-wind-in-your-hair feeling. It's just pure politics. And hey, if you are in love, don't misunderstand me. I'm just generalizing things. So, go easy on me. :)
You probably must be wondering how I can quote such things without having experienced.
You are wrong, stop thinking on that line right away.
I am probably the most experienced person you could turn to. I know it's nothing to brag about, but seriously, I could save you from getting into a lot of shit that I have already been into.
After much thought put into this, I have come to the realization that, rather than believing "Love is Life" which most of us newly-turned-adults tend to believe, we must look at it in a different perspective : "Life is Love".
Love is what you want. So make life the way you want it to be. Love its nature of bringing new experiences everyday, love its sweet memories, love it for its complexity and simplicity, love it for making you meet so many new wonderful people, Love it for letting you dream and for letting you be independent of someone to love you. You don't really need anyone to express their love for you if you realize your importance.
Ask yourself, why exactly do you have a boyfriend? What does he mean to you? Is it about love? Or is it just a feeling of love that you get from that person, that you feel cared for?
Love yourself, and everyone else will love you. :) You are beautiful however you are, you don't need anyone to tell you that. And you are special. Just look around into the real world, and you will find your path to your dreams.


P.S. This is for you pretty girls.