Things that have started making my day - ParenthoodDiaries #33

Things that have started making my day are the scenes of the same alphabets, numbers, images, that I have been knowing for years, are being written or drawn by our boys. Amazing feeling it is.

From the book - 'The Power Of Habit'

"Champion teams don't do extraordinary things. They do ordinary things, but they do them without thinking, too fast for the other team to react. They follow the HABITS they have learnt"

Our garden's monsoon makeover!

 

Ridiculous comment about RRR movie that I have heard!

Gone are the days when the friendship between a man and woman used to be misunderstood. Here are the days when the friendship between two men is being misunderstood.

The most senseless comment about a movie I have ever heard is that #RRR is a gay love story !!!

Crazy critics! Now I know what it's like 'mind-blowing', really blown away!

Movies: Virata Parvam and Rocketry

 I have watched "Virata Parvam" and "Rocketry" movies, which are inspired from real life incidents. I'd want to share two of the ironical realizations I have.

1. Life is unfair, fair, unfair, fair and so on. Where we find ourselves in the fair-unfair cycle is ironically uncertain and depends on the circumstances, people and what we choose to do.

2. We believe certain things and we refuse to believe some. Tens of years of our life revolves in this belief-whirlwind. Ironically, our lives are made of what we believe as well as what we refuse to.

You may be able to relate when you watch these movies. I do not intend to elaborate much.

Thanks to the makers and actors who played the protagonists roles in these movies, for bravely and boldly putting up the two stories to the nation, to its people. Applauds and applauds.

The ability of kids to be adaptable - ParenthorDiaries #32

"Past is past", "Live in the moment", "Moving on" etc. I think kids are the best among human species to practice these in their truest sense, hence are the happiest ones. Their adaptability is admirable.

You might have your own and unique experiences with kids, I'm sharing few of my own.

They had been drinking milk in bottles for years. I used to get worried how much time it might take to get them rid off that habit. Recently, one day I decided to give them milk in glasses instead. They drank without any complaint. I threw away the bottles the next day. Every since, that have been drinking in glasses.

My parents were here in Pune for summer vacation. Kids spent most of the time with them, played with them alot. They wouldn't stay a moment without asking for their grand mother especially. The younger one used to say he would go to our native with his grand parents. They were sleeping when my parents left. It's been 4 days since my parents left. Kids asked about them only once, literally, that too very briefly. It's exactly the opposite of what I thought the situation would be.

Having spent lot of time together with me during the Pandemic, I thought it would be difficult for them to stay away from me. My maid tells me that when I go to office, kids ask once or twice about me, that too occasionally, and they play peacefully the rest of the time. That sounds like a soothing music to my ears which makes me happy (and pinches me too sometimes!). I'm sure that's how it sounds for every working mother.

I'm inspired by their adaptability. How quickly they get adjusted and move on with life, with the current moment. For them, past is past. As we grow, we keep remembering things, more so the ones that hurt us from the past. If only we learn to move on, we learn to let past be the past and not intervene in our present, we will be more productive, more adaptable, and we will be the happier species too.

I have started practicing it.

Percentage of devotion towards work!

From a book by Dale Carnegie Institute: 

"The average person puts only 25 percent of his energy and ability into work. The world takes off its hat to those who put in more than 50 percent, and stands on its head for those who devote 100 percent".

In my career I have come across seeing colleagues who belong to each of the categories. I have been one myself who had to play it differently under different circumstances, under different leaders, and for different projects. I believe we all come across similar experiences in our work-life. 

Fact is fact, the circumstances that are impacting our thought process, physical or mental well boing are known to us only. What happens between us and the leaders under whom we work is known to us and not to anyone else. How some projects motivate us and how some don't is known to us. All these cannot be known to the ones who are judging us or assessing us, constantly. Especially when we have been great performers at the beginning of our careers, any impact either the circumstances, leaders or different projects may have on us is the weak-link that mostly leads to questioning our integrity towards work. It's all different for different individuals, hence do not want to generalize further. And it's nothing wrong with the people who judge or assess us based on our performance. After all, what's seen is what's appreciated, although what's done is not always what's seen! 

I doubt if discussing things openly will help. It might further worsen the situation. We must let the time pass and comeback to our fullest performance all by ourselves. Everything is within us. The external factors like the ones said above can impact only temporarily. Its all up to us as to how we wish and work towards developing and growing ourselves.

The Joy & Pain - Take Home #677

The pain of understanding certain things is deeper than not understanding them. The joy of not understanding certain things is greater than understanding them. And the vice versa is true too. It's our choice, to go for pain or joy. We might not have that choice too in some circumstances! All that we can do is to train ourselves to face the joy and pain with grace and perseverance.

What the COVID-19 Pandemic has taught me the most?

The things the we do not do otherwise, either because we do not want to do or we think we cannot do, we make them happen either when we 'need' them or when we 'have to' do them.

First rains of this monsoon season, at Pune!

 

Louder bikes - ParenthoodDiaries #31

I never liked the louder bikes. Now I have started disliking them, especially when they pass by while kids are asleep at night. Use of sound for no good!

Our home garden!

On this year's world environment day, i.e. yesterday 5th June, we added few more plants to our home garden. And that brings it to a total of 55 types of them. Happy to share the glimpses of our indoor and outdoor plantations.

This is the hobby I developed during Pandemic. Two close-mates have inspired me through this. One is my mom Ravi Nageswari and another is my dear friend Sudha Kondepati.

Items dismantled by kids - ParenthoodDiaries #30

These were all in their rightful places in our house before Pandemic, and now I have them stored under the category - "items removed by kids from either home, dresses, or toys".

The learning kids have is invaluable; and incomparable to the price of the original items.

Learning pattern of kids - ParenthoodDiaries #29

 Our kids' "My first learning library", the way it is now vs how it looked when purchased!

And that's how kids learn.

New Addition to my book rack!

 

KGF Chapter 1 & 2 - Not just a movie review!

 

I dedicate this post to my friend 'Subbarao Popuri'. I wish he was around!

I remember watching KGF Chapter-1 in Prime Video at the mid of night, holding mobile in one hand and moving the baby-cradles with the other. More than that of the protagonist's, I got connected with his mother's characterization. I completely resonate with the thought process of raising kids to become human beings with a 'strong conviction' towards what they want to, or have to, do.

Being a fictional story and using the cinematic liberty, they had shown what they had shown in the movie. That mother's wish was about 'gold & living rich'. The wish could be of anybody or anything. The conviction with which one must fulfill it, was profoundly depicted in KGF Chapter-1.

Along with the continued display of conviction, there is one more thing that I'm admiring about KGF Chapter-2. The 'Screen Presence' of Yash. Breathtakingly beautiful.

Credit to the brilliant script-work by Prashant Neel in making the film commercially successful, inspite of NOT having item number, dance numbers, separate comedy track, sexually intimate scenes or even skin-show. Dialogues of the protagonist, no matter how weird they may sound at times, have come out well, probably because they are overshadowed by his body language. Background score, art work, cinematography, costumes especially that of Yash, everything happened so well together. Some call it destiny; I call it the strong conviction with which the KGF series is made! Inspiring.

I watched the movie a month ago. Waited this long to write the review, just so that I would not spell the words out of the Mental Euphoria the movie took me to, to an extent that I did not watch any video content for the following two weeks! I'm happy that I have waited and could give a genuine dedication to my friend.

Signing off from Tata Motors!

While crossing the Tata Motors main gate for the first time as an ex-employee, I told myself that I will be responsible to make the journey ahead absolutely worthy of leaving this wonderful organization.

29th April 2022 marks my last working day at Tata Motors, the place that has been my second home for close to 14 years.

Every time I will see a Tata car on road, I'm going to rejoice not just the components I worked for but also, and more so, the people with whom I had spent memorable moments.

I thank everyone whom I was blessed to have both on personal and professional fronts, during my tenure at Tata Motors. My bosses, senior colleagues, peers, ex-colleagues, immediate team members, creche staff, parents, immediate family members, friends, husband, kids, and maids - everyone have their share of contribution in whatever I have done and become.

I look forward to accomplish & contribute further more in the journey ahead.

Start of their writing - ParenthoodDiaries #28

 Start of their writing and end of our white walls. It's true that there is ending in every beginning.

Congratulations Team RRR!

 Joining 'Amul' in congratulating the Team RRR for the thunderous show.

Birthday and thoughts of death!

 Never on my birthday I had thought about 'death' as much as I did yesterday.

While we celebrate our birthday, someone might be mourning their loved one's death on the same day. This is a raw fact of life, but never it occurred to me until this year's birthday, until I mourned one myself.

Few months ago, I got to know about a friend's death due to post-covid health issue. We shared same birth date. We shared common interest in 'cinema'. We used to discuss about movie reviews. We were relatives, though never met in person. The web series he suggested me last to watch was 'Maharani', to watch which I'm yet to come to terms. I feel, this web series is the only remaining emotion between us.

People come and go. With him, a portion of my desire to write movie reviews has gone too. Hope it's for a temporary period, just like life.

Emotions of kids - ParenthoodDiaries #27

I'm a fan of my kids' raw emotions. Smiles that make my day escape in a flash, fights that make my day last longer than the sun-moon cycles, stubbornness that often seems beyond their age, anger that makes the moments tough for me, oneness that they both display while playing together, ego that I often wonder if these little kids too have it in abundance, and all the other emotions that I do not know how to write about.

Sometimes I feel as if they are growing faster than time and some other tough times I become desperate thinking when they will grow up!

My parenthood journey is a mix of emotions and beautiful moments that I keep bagging and bragging about!

Parker probe and Corona!

Finally, got to hear a pleasingly positive news about 'Corona'!

NASA's Parker Probe has touched the sun's atmosphere, called Corona. Positive is still a positive word.

Wonderful achievement by the Team NASA.

Of all that we know, we know ourselves better

 #JustAthought

Of all that we know, we know ourselves better.

We accept or not, realise or not, express or not, we own everything we do and experience. Our decisions, our choices, our limitations, our impressions, we just own everything about ourselves and our lives. We may not always get to control the happenings, but we always get to get along.

Of all that we know, we know ourselves better. Of all the we own, we own ourselves the most. We know what we know and we own what we own. However may be our lives are, this core fact does not change, ever.

When we change the way we question!

When we change the way we question, we can change a generation's perspective of life, work and much more.

Not how much do you earn, but how much do you save!

Not how many marks the first ranker has got, but how much have you improved to the last time!

Not who scored the maximum goals in a match, but how many passes had made the winning goals happen!

Not who stepped on the moon first, but how many people had worked to land the first men on moon!

Not who is your favorite hero or heroine, but which film characters do you like the most!

Not what is your favorite dish, but how is your favorite dish made!

Not where do your parents work, but how much time do your parents spend with you!

And so on! You may add on!

Sports Teach us a lot!

The leader who makes the team give its best. The leader who needs, not the best team but just a team, to win. The leader with a flamboyant skill and conviction.

One name reflects on my mind and will remain forever - Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

I'm saying this not as a fan of him, but as a constant learner from #SPORTS.

#SportsTeachUsAlot