I love the idea of spreading positive stories of hope and inspiration.That’s why I started writing about blogging journeys.But today for the first day of, We are the world Blogfest ,I want to share with you a new story . A story about upliftment .
In the first post of this blog hop , I want to tell you about Ulrike and Janwaar castle.
Janwaar in Madhya Pradesh in India has India’s first skate park up. The woman behind it is the inspiring Ulrike Reinhard who has many feathers in her cap.
It’s designed as an open-ended the social experiment, where the people are not given money as aid .They are empowered.They are asked to learn something ,which in its turn is rewarded.Started with children ,this model is classic application of positive reinforcement ,acting as a motivator for learning
Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.
We are the World Blog fest:Teach a man to Fish
Credit is not known (Chinese, Native American, Italian, Indian, or Biblical. Sometimes it is linked to Lao-Tzu, Maimonides, or Mao Zedong. I love the principle of removing poverty and promoting self-sufficiency. But is it ever easy or full proof? The 12th-century philosopher Maimonides wrote about eight degrees in the duty of charity. In 1826 an analysis of the eighth degree was published in a journal called “The Religious Intelligencer”. Boldface has been added to excerpts:
Lastly, the eighth and the most meritorious of all, is to anticipate charity by preventing poverty, namely, to assist the reduced brother, either by a considerable gift or loan of money, or by teaching him a trade, or by putting him in the way of business, so that he may earn an honest livelihood and not be forced to the dreadful alternative of holding up his hand for charity. . .
What Ulrike is trying through Janwaar castle is to teach these little children about life; lessons. But not directly.She knows life for them is not easy and choice impossible.But by being an example Ulrike is teaching these children, the future of the world the truth about life and living.About learning and doing.About walking the talk.
So what should we do?What can we do?
It’s not easy trying anything new anywhere in the world and even less in India.But should that stop us ? The world belongs to each of us.It’s our duty to each try, in our own space, with whatever time and resources we have, to make this world a better place.I am trying through my blog and through my profession.By choosing to stay in India.Maybe I am making a difference?Maybe not.!But at least I am trying!Are you trying?
When you say “thank you “the universe does give you more of the same .Life gives us all chances and choices ,what we do,with these chances and what we choose makes a lot of difference.
My joys have been a result of difficult choices.
Independence
Deciding to study in Delhi was difficult. I had never lived away from home.But that experience helped me learn what I was capable of .Including midnight madness.Coping with peer pressure and homesickness can be potent.
That choice helped me realize my strengths. The joy of being independent and learning how to choose friends wisely .
Being married
I love being married .The joys of married life make a lot of troubles disappear.My hubby is my best friend and my favourite sounding board for my 2pm ideas.It helps that he has oodles of patience and the kindest person I know.He once told me
“If you can’t say something nice it’s always better to keep quiet.”
So simple to avoid trouble and unpleasantness. So difficult to learn.
Being a mommy
My daughter is a darling .She makes me enjoy all things creative with her .Revisiting childhood with her makes life better.Motherhood is a joy and source of all my creativity.
Love of nature
I love gardening and the joy of staring at a bud or a freshly bloomed rose is ummatched. I just love spending time surrounded by nature.The medical college and hospital where we work had few trees and plants. But the authorities are taking care to give the grounds a green cover.It’s a pleasure seeing the saplings everywhere. Studies prove that hospital rooms with green views have patients recover more quickly .Mental health plays a large role in physical recovery.
I rarely vacation any place without nature around. At least the resort should have green cover .Concrete jungles make me bored after a few hours.I am thankful that God takes care of my love for nature at home and when I travel.
Once you take care to travel healthy ,your adventures will always leave you happy and rested. .
What can I say, I survived med school ,because I used to promise myself limitless library visits, after exams were over.Kolkata has an Eloor Library close to Ballygunge station.We are still members and I love visiting this place to pick up old favourites and find new loves.
I feel writing has been on my friend list, but lost in kumbh mela, reunited again magically .After class twelve ,medical school had enough going on for me to have no time for any recreational writing.
I started writing when I realized that information can help create awareness. It helps me spead preventive health care at zero cost to the people I want to help, without tearing my hair over it.Repeating the same thing over and over again made me want to have a place to store all this information. Someday hopefully , someone will be helped.
My happy time includes family books ,nature ,access to my blog and opportunity to travel.
Dream in life: Financial freedom to do all this for life.
Aim in life :To help women who travel with me find this road .
While I am writing the post I am lounging at the poolside in Goa .Yes I am travelling .The wifi here has an interesting charge of 100 rupees per hour .So I am thankful to Vodafone 3G.It’s not doing too badly and saving me money I can’t give to this hotel!
This week has been impossible. My biggest help at the hospital had to take leave suddenly because of a family emergency. Last year’s batch of interns had their convocation yesterday,which unfortunately I missed and the next batch is starting today.We missed both the events because we desperately needed a break.Rai’s new session starts next week and I get crabby and my feet tingles every 2 months.I like doing little or nothing on holidays .The sheer bliss of no worries can be the biggest therapy.
Summers at the hospital are beyond crazy .Queues stretch wherever you look.The poor people who throng the hospital ,have a tough time and so do the doctors .Writing on the prescription pad ,medicine slip ,investigation slips get progressively challenging as the mercury rises .When there are 77 doctors per lakh patients in India how can doctors maintain any uniformity in the service they offer.
A doctor in Mumbai had referred a patient to a different hospital for a neurosurgery consultation .He was so badly beaten up that he lost an eye.I have faced threats of bodily harm by people claiming to be family members ,because they believed only males can be surgeons.I still have nightmares .
Do I lament the ignorance of these people or pray for my own self ?
Can anyone honestly be above human error? While I am going to write my thankfulness post with a worried heart, I wonder how far things will get worse before things can get better
Prompt this week
5 small joys that you are Thankful for
Our winner this week is Manisha of zarahatkeblog.wordpress.com.
Manisha of zarahatkeblog.wordpress.comThankful Thursdays winner Manisha :Congratulations
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The prompt I thought was going to be difficult. But in fact it’s the easiest thing to write .I listed all the mad things I love doing and and post was ready .
So what are my secret quirks ,which no one knows?Ladies promise not to judge me .I am a doctor by profession, but a woman after all.I am allowed to be a little off the radar sometimes,right ? It may be the extra X or our hormones ,but being a woman is fun !
Here goes the list my 5 Womanly Quirks
I buy lipstick even when I don’t need it.
No sorry, I buy lipstick because it’s not right to use the same one for more than 6 months .So it’s an investment in healthy lips .That’s not so bad then !
I adore SRK ,George Clooney, Bruce Willis , Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ranveer Singh .I think my hubby is the perfect balance .Okay this is taking it very far .He will kill me for writing this .But excuse my delusions.
I believe we can change the world Each of us ,if we try hard enough .But intentions are important. Until you want to succeed, no amount of pep talk will make you believe that.Our life on earth has a purpose.Until you find the purpose and do your part how will you become immortal?
Luckily as a blogger you are now digitally immortal .Just need to work on the other kind!
I go into the deep end about things I do support and believe in.Faith in yourself and God is deep and personal.Justike it’s important to voice concern for the voiceless, it need not be done at the cost of degrading something other people believe in.
All religion can exist in peace & harmony as long as they are compassionate towards men and women .We are all God’s children so discrimination cannot be a way of life.
If standing up for what I believe in makes life difficult maybe I will need to get tougher .
My hubby says
if there’s trouble brewing somewhere and you know it’s inevitable ,Amrita please don’t go there ….you will only make trouble come sooner!
That makes me a catalyst right ?
I believe women are blessed with this amazing power of bringing change ,of being flag bearers, of being catalysts .
Our quirks makes us special.
If God thought men were perfect ,there would be no woman.If men and women didn’t complete each other ,then the world would be a very boring place .We need each other .The world needs saving .
Together we will bash up the bad guys (by words and deeds),find our loves with our heels on and lipstick intact!
Women suffer from guilt.All sorts of guilt haunt us .That’s why this interesting prompt by Amber (originally from Glamour magazine) called to me.This is relaxation therapy .I couldn’t resist writing .
Women stop being hard on yourself .You deserve the best .Just don’t stress it .
Here goes my list for Hey it’s okay…
To not go to the beauty parlour for a year .Seriously there’s no option .I am mortally afraid of strange parlour women giving me surprise eyebrows.So I choose stylishly bushy eyebrows .
To not visit your relatives except when invited.More likely people will behave and not say awkward stuff.Invitation after all comes with expectation of normal behaviour.
To stress before night duty and demand a piece of chocolate.They are rationed by hubby .I am a recovering sugar addict .We all need life support in the form of chocolate right ?
To expect to be pampered on women’s day.I Am expecting gifts.
To try to exercise everyday .Yes trying has made me fitter and set realistic goals .This trying has helped me make this a daily habit .I get a headache from the reminder my brain sends, when I don’t get on the treadmill! For the days when I have loads to write and want to be on the treadmill, I walk and write with my makeshift treadmill table attachment.When I want to run,I get the wood slab off !Its definitely not mindful.But you do what the Lord guides you to do.
To get irritated when people lie .Expectations are the root of all evil . Apparently people have no problem being dishonest But thats there choice.Coming to terms with this one .
To feel strongly about things and avoid saying it ,if it helps no one.Yes I know suppression leads to outbursts .But believe me it’s not a good idea to say everything you feel.
To eat before anyone else, if it stops you from being crabby .Low blood sugar makes everyone cranky !Milind Soman says he eats his dinner by 7 pm.That’s the secret behind his fitness evem at 50.
To want to travel to a beach every weekend.Who wouldn’t right? But I don’t like packing and unpacking so frequently .So maybe once a month? I need to write more travel posts to get this going.
To enjoy time alone with hubby .It’s a must .Don’t go down the guilty lane. Happy parents mean happy family.
To admit you don’t know it all.Nobody does anyway.Just doing our best where we are with what we have.Bluffing is what people get good at with time.
To be worried about the earth’s future.What with terrorism and pollution ,man has limited choices.
To get ready to fight. You never know when it might be useful.
That’s it for this time .The crazy list comes to an end . I am linking up with the fun prompt by Amber
One to reach more people and spread health awareness
Two :to rediscover my self from the mess I was becoming.It was a match made in heaven.When God takes away something he gives much more back,Being a mommy bound me physically and emotionally to my daughter .But it also helped my mind fly.
Everything I see through her eyes is fresh and new,
Seeing her never giving up ,reinforces my belief in the human spirit.
So how do I keep the woman in me alive.
Listen carefully .
This is top secret .
But I am sharing with you today.
You choose well .Everything!
Choose your partner with care.I have known my hubby for 17 years .He has been my best friend for 15 years and husband for 9 .A very smart friend told me once
Amrita if not for Abhijit ,there’s few who can manage you?
Now tell me which grown woman wants to be managed?No one but you need a partner who ”gets you”!Men and women are two sides of this beautiful world.The happiest family is a balanced one
“The opposite of happiness isn’t sadness – it’s boredom” – Tim Ferris
That’s something I believe too.Little girls and women all want to have fun .When I became a mommy it was the beginning of the most magical adventure.A second chance of enjoying a carefree childhood .But it did mean cutting those coffee dates off the calendar.It also meant juggling a lot.While keeping the balls up the focus was so much on keeping them up, than on remembering what they meant to me.
Women for women:Keep the fire burning #WorldWomensDay
As a mom I am the heart and soul of our home.Travelling from one city to another working and taking care of everything makes spring cleaning the soul least important .But last year something happened. I went through a lot of downs to realize ,I should not waste one second regretting .The only thing I should do, is to say thank you and focus inside.Whats happening inside me as a woman, keeps me happy as a wife ,mom ,doctor!
As a very wise friend Deepa said
When things get rough ,take a step back.
That’s exactly what I did.Which battle is worth fighting for I realized as a woman I needed to get my act together .I have always been social .But as time passes I am selectively social.Life is too short to waste on things and people who don’t appreciate you .Its okay to have differing opinions.Agreeing to disagree and still being friends is a fine art.
As a woman I have realized I need to shop occasionally for pretty stuff to keep me happy.I even window shop online.The best part no one looks at you strangely.Worst part ,you get upteen mails from the ecommerce site .
Chatting with my girl friends over the phone at least once a week is a must.Old fiends are there for a reason,They knew you when you were still dreaming.You became friends just because you liked each other.With passing time you outgrow some ,but not all.Its a fact of life that you will only be intouch with people who are in the same place as you are.Its great to not have to wear a mask and just be me
So is my nonstop chatting with support system online.We gravitate toward people who have similar ethics and dreams.Making new friends and catching up with old ones are an integral part of my happy me.
Looking good and feeling good go hand in hand.Its important you look at the mirror every morning and say you look beautiful and believe it.Until you believe no one else will.
I enjoy dressing up .My daughter looks apprehensive when I tell her I am wearing a saree.She thinks it makes us late for parties!Children they will think the strangest things.
I never stop self care.This part of the world has limited access to beauty parlour ,The ones there are I am afraid to step into.But I definitely take time to oil my hair and use the kitchen stuff to take good care for my skin and hair.Healthy body and mind is a beautiful me .That’s why I focus on eating healthy,exercising and practicing mindfulness my way.
On days when I feel sad for unknown reasons I put on lipstick at home while cooking,I feel like in a KJO movie.It helps.
I read to keep my brain happy .When I started reading I found a lifelong friend in my books.Whenever I go on book buying sprees,that’s when I remember the childhood experiences .I just need my rocking chair my bottle of water and a good book.!Heaven on earth!
I love exploring the creative side of me which comes from keeping the woman in me alive .I insist on enjoying time with my husband everyday. Even if it’s 2 hours at night after baby sleeps.
I support women .That’s why I started the mompreneurs blogging journey and #MondayMommyMoments.Helping other women ,is the best way to thank God everyday for making me a woman.How else could I have it all?
We are celebrating women on our blogs all this month .What are you doing to support women ?
#WomensSpecailMarch
How do you keep the woman in you alive?
Comment below to let me know.
Preethi is a blogger and a published author .I have written about her here,She has been a favourite both #MondayMommyMoments and #ThankfulThursdays.
Our #MondayMommyMoments top tips for Exams given by Preethi Venugopala
Our Supermom for February is Dipika.How do we choose our supermom?Busy mommies who write,read,comment and share other posts in the linky sincerely are our favourites.Our blogs are our online homes .We invite and welcome everyone with an authentic and sincere voice.Someone who tries ,despite all the ups and downs ,when moms write ,its cause for celebration!
Dipika Singh :Featured winner of #MondayMommyMoments week 4 January 2017
Dipika is mother of one, Lecturer for many aspiring managers, Ex- AML banker, MBA in marketing, voracious reader and now a budding blogger.
Super Mom February #MondayMommyMoments
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