What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
People in this world give some advice while moving around, even without being asked. But sometimes such advice can be very useful. Once I was travelling by train. Many poor people travel short distances in Indian Railways to seek help. It was evening time. An old man boarded the train and said a few things through a song, which are advice worth implementing in life even today. And I have not been able to forget the words of that old man even today.
He said, if someone is not understanding after explaining once or twice, then stop trying to explain to the other person. Your views match with a few selected people, if you do not match with one or two, then stop taking them to heart. If after a certain age no one asks you or someone is saying bad things about you behind your back, then stop taking it to heart. When you experience that you have nothing in your hands, stop worrying about the future. If there is a lot of difference in your desire and capability, then stop expecting from yourself. Everyone’s position, stature, pride, everything is different, so stop comparing. Enjoy life in old age, stop worrying about daily expenses. If there are expectations, there will be many shocks too, if you want to live peacefully, then stop expecting.
This advice proved invaluable to me. And I completely agree with his words. Because the most inspiring advice of my life was given by a passerby.
True beauty is far more than skin deep. When our face glows with inner peace and happiness, we radiate true beauty. Happiness comes from what we give to others. It comes from the love we feel in the relationships we hold dear. Beauty is an age-old concept that humanity has enjoyed for generations. However, it is often shrouded in myth and misconception. These myths shape our perception of beauty and influence our self-image and social values.
Beauty is inherently subjective, shaped by culture, society, and personal perceptions. There is no one universal standard of beauty that applies to everyone. Accepting definitions of beauty leads to greater acceptance and appreciation of individual differences. True beauty goes beyond physical appearance and includes many qualities such as kindness, confidence, and truthfulness. Accepting imperfection and celebrating uniqueness is what truly defines beauty beyond superficial standards. Although physical beauty may attract attention at first, true beauty comes from within. Inner qualities such as compassion, empathy, and intelligence contribute greatly to overall attractiveness and beauty. Beauty does not require expensive products. There are so many cheap and easy skin care products and makeup options available today and natural remedies can be just as useful as high-end makeup. Beauty is not constrained by age but grows and evolves over time. Embracing the process of creative ageing and valuing the knowledge and experience that comes with it is important to rebuild society’s beauty standards. Beauty is a precious gift given by God. For some, beauty of the body matters, while for others, beauty of the mind matters. Many people have tried to define beauty. But there cannot be just one definition of beauty. There is beauty in every form of nature, which is not only difficult but impossible to describe. Life is full of beauty. Pay attention to the bumblebee, the moon, the sun, and the smiling faces of small children. Smell the rain and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest and fight for your dreams. A lot has been written about beauty, but I have always felt that beauty actually emerges from accepting yourself and being at ease with yourself. The moment you are comfortable with yourself, you feel beautiful.
Style is when a 5 foot 1 woman goes to a party in flat sandals instead of heels. I think when you accept yourself, your confidence attracts other people towards you. Maybe that is the real beauty. I think most of us don’t feel beautiful because we don’t listen to ourselves. That is why we always use clothes, brands, fashion as a protective shield to feel good. We don’t even know if they are having any effect on us or not. On the contrary, over time it takes away our confidence. So I think whether it is a man or a woman, beauty starts with simplicity.
My mother’s love is the biggest energy for me. Because we all know that mother is someone who cannot be described in words. That is why most of the life-giving and respectable things in the world are called mother like mother earth, mother cow etc. A mother is a word given to a person who sacrifices and gives her first priority to the well-being, development and welfare of her family and children throughout her life. A mother not only gives birth to a child but also makes a lifelong commitment to love him, take care of him and show dedication and love without any prerequisites or conditions. A mother plays an important role in the life of every person as she plays the role of a protector, a friend as well as a disciplinarian. She is a selfless loving person.
Mother is the most loving person in the world. She selflessly showers her love on her children. Which cannot be described in words. My mother is the pillar of my life, she is my Guru and guide as well as my best friend. She stands with me in all my problems, sorrows and adversities and also gives me strength to fight all these obstacles of life, the small things told by her have made a big change in my life. Therefore, I can say this with great pride and confidence that my mother is the best mother in this world because along with giving birth to me, she has taught me every single thing in my early life, for which I will be grateful to her all my life. When I was small, my mother taught me to walk by holding my finger. And as I grew up a little, my mother has given me other basic education at home like wearing clothes, brushing teeth, tying shoe laces. Everyone knows this that a mother’s lap is never too small for her child. A mother’s love for her child is so deep and unbreakable that she can fight the whole world for the happiness of her child. A mother has a great importance in our life, this world is incomplete without a mother. A mother has the courage to face the biggest calamity to protect her child. A mother may suffer a lot but she does not let any harm come to her children. For these reasons, mother has been considered as the form of God on earth and hence a saying is also quite popular that God cannot be present everywhere, that is why he has created mother. This is the reason why this relationship of mother is still considered one of the most respected and important relationships in the world.
I like Kailash Kher’s Piya Ghar Aavenge very much. Actually I like all his songs. Kailash Kher is an Indian pop-rock singer whose style is influenced by Indian folk music. Kailash Kher has sung songs in 18 languages so far and has sung more than 300 songs in Bollywood.
I like Kailash Kher’s Piya Ghar Aavenge very much. Actually I like all his songs. Kailash Kher is an Indian pop-rock singer whose style is influenced by Indian folk music. Kailash Kher has sung songs in 18 languages so far and has sung more than 300 songs in Bollywood.
Everything is not perfect in anyone’s life. Every person has his own qualities and shortcomings, which make him unique along with humanity. Life is a journey of struggle and learning. We have some things and some we don’t. Most people focus on what they don’t have, while winners always focus on what life has still given them. Those who think what can be done with what they have move ahead in life. You see where you are right now, the level you are at, the capabilities you have, the resources you have, how you can reach the next level by using all these properly. The one who knows how to do this does not waste time in making excuses. He does not weaken the power of his mind by complaining about life. If you don’t believe it, listen to this story.
This is the story of Mariyappan Thangavelu. This child was born on 28 June 1995 in Periyavadagampatti, a small village in Salem, Tamil Nadu. Born into a poor family, he was the youngest of six children of his parents. His father died when he was young and his mother used to support the family by working as a mason and selling vegetables. She used to get only Rs 100 per day. Despite this, she gave priority to the education of her children. When this child was five years old, one day he met with an accident that changed his entire life. A drunk bus driver ran over him, due to which his right leg was completely injured below the knee. After this accident, he became permanently disabled and had to use a wooden leg to walk. But despite the pain and difficulty, he did not let his disability dominate him. He continued his studies. While continuing his studies, the boy also continued playing sports as he was fond of sports since childhood. He used to play volleyball but one day his teacher noticed his talent and encouraged him to participate in high jump. After this he started participating in high jump. He won many medals and trophies and caught the attention of Shri Satyanarayana, a renowned coach of para athletes. In 2015, Shri Satyanarayana invited Mariyappan to join his training camp in Bengaluru. Under his guidance, Mariyappan became the first Indian to win a Paralympic gold medal in high jump. Today Mariyappan has become a triple Paralympic medalist, winning a gold medal in Rio 2016, a silver medal in Tokyo 2020 and a bronze medal in Paris 2024. He is the first para athlete from India to set such a record. He is also a double medalist in the World Championships with one gold and one bronze medal. Mariyappan, who has received major honors like Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award and Padmashree, is also a graduate in Business Administration.
Just think how many complaints Mariyappan might have had about his life. How many excuses he might have had. He could have given up studying. He could have gone into depression. He could have become a burden for his family but he did just the opposite. He brought glory to his family as well as the entire country. The question is what are we doing! Are we really working towards our goal with honesty? Are we putting in our hundred percent? Or are we wasting both our mind and time in useless things?
Which topics would you like to be more informed about?
I like to learn about nature because for man, the earth is the courtyard of his house, the sky is the roof, the sun, moon and stars are lamps, the sea and river are water pots and trees and plants are the sources of food. Not only this, there is no better teacher for man than nature. Whatever man has achieved till date, he has done it by learning from nature.
Actually, nature teaches us many important lessons. For example, autumn does not mean the end of the tree. The person who imbibed this lesson in his life never feared failure. Such a person tries to achieve success afresh without getting distracted after every failure. They keep doing this until they get success. Similarly, trees laden with fruits but bent downwards teach us to remain humble and modest despite getting success and fame or being rich.
The most important thing is that everything has its own importance in nature. Even a small insect is useful for nature, while in Matsyapurana a tree has been described as equal to hundred sons. This is the reason why we have an eternal tradition of worshipping trees. It is said in the Puranas that the man who plants new trees, flourishes in heaven for as many years as the trees planted by him flourish. The biggest specialty of nature is that it does not consume its things itself. Like- a river does not drink its own water, trees do not eat their own fruits, flowers spread their fragrance in the entire environment. This means that nature does not discriminate or show partiality towards anyone, but when man unnecessarily messes with nature then it gets angry. Which it warns man by expressing it from time to time in the form of drought, flood, deluge, storm. Nature teaches us to have patience. Patience opens the door to achieving goals in life. Those who keep on saying ‘hurry up, hurry up’ are actually living up to the ancient saying ‘an impatient mind slows down’. Only those who keep working patiently get success and respect.
This world is full of uncertainty and chaos. The contraction and expansion of moments of happiness and sadness depends on what we do to deal with it. At such times, songs and music are a refuge of sympathy. Music acts as a bridge between a person’s experience and worldly truth. Music weaves the threads of existence. It consoles in times of sadness. It acts as a companion in loneliness. That is why we embrace music in bitter and sweet moments. Music is that art in which we express our feelings through tone and rhythm. If we express our feelings through colors, pencils, paper etc. then a painting is created. Similarly, if we express our feelings through tone and rhythm then music is composed. The main purpose of music is to express the feelings of one’s mind. Music is that art through which a person can express the happiness and sorrow of his mind.
Without music, life would be filled with despair, sadness and stress because our feelings would remain buried within our hearts. Without music, even dance would have no value. There are so many kinds of dances performed in the world today. Every country, province, caste has its own culture and its own music. Without music in the world, the simple joy of dancing to a catchy tune or singing your own song would be lost. The background music of life, which is there for all your happy and sad moments, would be replaced by a boring silence. Without music, life would be nothing more than a blank canvas.
Listening to music can not only relieve body pain but it can also be very useful in relieving problems like stress, high blood pressure etc. Listening to music increases the level of happy hormones in the body such as endorphins, oxytocin, serotonin, dopamine etc., which can make a person feel happy and good. The world can never be dull due to music, because music impacts a person’s personal development, which gives people a reason to live and love.
As a result, sorrows and worries are resolved. We enter such an environment where life appears as transparent and pure as the gurgling water. Another such song is- ‘Machalti Aarzoo Khadi Baahen Paisare’. This too fills life with enthusiasm and excitement. It brings us into such a joyful environment where the desire and will power to live increases. The heartbeats of life start to be heard. The pleasant experience of spring starts to be felt. It infuses juice and energy into the dull life. It pushes sorrows behind and fills the mind with new consciousness. What I mean to say is that the imagination of life without music is incomplete. The inclusion of sweet sounds in the web of words makes the mind ripple. This music sometimes appears like tears from the eyes and sometimes makes the mind happy. As if the light showers of the monsoon are wetting the body and mind. Music changes so many things in life. Similarly, songs and music again infuse hope in a dejected, broken, hopeless mind. This aspect of literature has the power to change the entire society. It frees us from the struggles of daily life and various kinds of worries and brings us to a garden where flowers are in full bloom. There is Champa, Jasmine and Rose. This creates fragrance everywhere. The mind becomes free from suffocation and worry. Like a mountain, if a traveller lives the small moments of happiness in the tune of music, then he does not feel tired in climbing this mountain. Happiness and sorrow are woven into life like threads in a carpet. Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche has said that life without music is a mistake. And now this music is being accepted as a medicine for mental illness.
But people have their own perspectives on music. Some people consider the cooing of the cuckoo, the sound of a waterfall, the chirping of birds, the hum of the bumblebees, the sound of waves, temple bells, the laughter of children, etc. to be no less than music. But whatever it may be, in my opinion, any sound that calms the mind becomes music.
Holiday means only rest. The word holiday itself is such that there would hardly be anyone who would not be happy on hearing it. I also like to celebrate holidays. I like to go to some new place every time during vacation. Especially visiting some religious place gives me a lot of peace. Such places where one can visit and also have the darshan of God.
If I am not able to go out anywhere, I take complete rest at home. Waking up late, playing games with husband and children, strolling in the park in the evening, eating ice cream and having my favourite dinner at night makes me completely energetic. Sometimes chatting with friends, watching a movie and getting lost in old memories with a cup of coffee becomes a fun evening.
Sometimes I like going on long drives with family and meeting relatives. On holidays, I am able to do many of my tasks which I otherwise do not have time to do. Organizing my house, cleaning the clothes cupboard, cleaning the kitchen boxes, and there are so many other tasks which keep waiting for a holiday. There is so much of hectic life that we are not able to pay much attention to ourselves. Sometimes, it happens that we keep waiting for a holiday even for some minor medical treatment. Holiday is awaited to do shopping for the house, children, husband and even for oneself.
Sometimes I get a body massage done on holidays. Spending a few hours in the parlor is also very important. We say that there is no life without work. But sometimes it seems that if there were no holidays, I don’t know what would have happened to life.because Vacation is a pleasant feeling.
Write about your most epic baking or cooking fail.
Today the prompt forced me to remember a very old incident. It was when I was newly married. At my in-laws’ place, I was sometimes asked to cook something. I did not know the exact jar of the spice container there. One day I was asked to make mixed veg pakoras in the evening. I always liked cooking and I knew how to cook. I chopped all the vegetables and started making the batter for the pakoras. Then when I started frying the pakoras, the pakoras were puffing up in a strange way. I thought maybe the gram flour here is different. First of all I gave the pakoras to my father-in-law. He ate them and said there is no salt. I added a little more salt. I started frying the pakoras again, the pakoras were puffing up even more. This time I gave the pakoras to my eldest brother-in-law. He also ate them and said there is no salt. I was confused because I had added salt. Then I called my sister-in-law. When my sister-in-law came, I said that I am adding salt again and again but still the pakoras are not getting salty. When my sister-in-law saw that the salt bottle lying next to me, was it really salt? Then my sister-in-law took out the salt bottle from inside and said that this was baking soda which you were adding again and again. In my in-laws’ house, the bottles of salt and baking soda were the same. Both were white in color. But the salt was a little coarse and the soda was very fine. I had not paid attention to this thing. Now tears came to my eyes, so much batter for pakoras, what will I do with it. Seeing me crying, my sister-in-law started laughing and said, it doesn’t matter, let’s both quickly cut the vegetables together. We cut the vegetables again and then made the pakoras. From outside, my brother-in-law was calling out whether we will also get pakoras or not. But my sister-in-law silenced everyone. When I remember that day, I laugh a lot. But I am thankful to my joint family, which supported me at every step.
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