New years are full of confessions, resolutions, and promises.I like to keep it simple.One motto, one word, and a wishlist.
One main motto:
Stay calm and carry on!
Have you seen things fall into place when you are calm?Have you seen people and situation get worse when you get scared and upset? Most difficult and crippling emotion is fear and anxiety.
“Daar ke agey jeet hai ”is not just true.But an important part of life
So what are my top tips for handling scary stuff?
I discuss with people I trust.
Think about giving up trying.Yes, I do that to keep my priorities in focus.
I think about the absolute best and worst from that situation.The worst visualization has a way of seeing the bigger picture and helps me calm down a lot.
I get on my treadmill and start walking listening to music.This is one of my secret weapons of a more calmer and productive me. This is fail proof.Even when I don’t have a solution at the end of walking I am infinitely calmer.Much better for my BP and those around me.
I go on a weeding spree.There are few things better than pulling up weeds and cleaning up your garden.
I paint my planters and pots.
I start dusting or folding clothes.Both these acts of organizing my home helps me feel more in control.
I read my favorite book and take a nap.
All these help me relax.
One quote
Health is Wealth
This was for 2014 ,2015, 2016 and now 2017
My blog was named Healthwealthbridge to help me remember this truth.
What I didn’t finish in 2017
I am sorry to say I still am halfway through at least 20 books.It’s embarrassing but the truth.I read around 61 books but that’s much less than my personal goals.
If it’s one word I will say Believe.
The first time I read Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow rich I laughed.
You will laugh too if I tell you the title of the book is the exact premise of the book.
But one thing I took away from the book I took to heart was the power of our thoughts.
Your mind is all powerful.Your brain is still unchartered territory for scientists. We have traveled to new planets searching for life.Our scientists discovered another galaxy but no one has been able to correctly estimate the strength or power of your thoughts.Should you measure it in Gigabytes?In light years, or in unicorn numbers?
When logic fails sense fails and you want to stop trying to try one more with belief.Believing means not letting a shred of doubt pierce your armor.
Know the truths the myths and the hardship and then decide what you will believe in.
What if you believe you will fail?
If you believe this you are guaranteed to fail.
Why not believe and try?If nothing else you will have a beautiful story to tell your grandchildren.
[bctt tweet=”Life, after all, is your own fairytale.” username=”misra_amrita”]
You choose the fairies and demons.Do you want to be a victim or a superhero??All will depend on what you believe in.
If you want your child to be strong it’s important you give enough protein in her diet.But if you want her mind and soul to be strong, practice believing in her and with her.
The power of your minds can move mountains!
If you don’t give up on something you truly believe in, you will find a way.”
Roy T. Bennett
As my blog turns one, I thought the best way to celebrate would be to share the stories of people who inspired , helped and made this journey possible.
All mom’s know taking care of your little one and household chores are a never ending job.I am also working full time .
But you always find time for things you love.Even when you ignore piles of dirty laundry and need time management tips.
Mompreneurs make time for everything Image courtesy Stuart Miles Freedigitalphotos.net
I was always a voracious reader of mystery, murder and all sorts of dystopian stories.In Malda as I managed to devour huge amount of ebooks , paperbacks ,I discovered my love for nonfiction.
My husband says my money dream was about sitting at home with my tab and the money magically appearing in the bank.
But honestly like most people I wanted to be financially free.Another dream!
Any way then I realized the true road to financial freedom is having your own something.
Staying at home with your baby gives you limited options in terms of entrepreneurship.But is their anyway you can stop yourself from daydreaming?
Baby steps…
I started blogging.My first blog was my personal blog at WordPress.com.Its called dramrita….apartment therapy.
Blogging opens up a world of virtual friends.People you will probably never meet , but who know this thing about you , which few outside the blogging world seem to comprehend.
When I bought my first domain and hosting I was ecstatic. My darling husband was happy I had something to occupy my time (other than Rai) which was making me happy.
Blogging confusion
Creating, useful, relevant , interesting content is always a challenge but the most difficult part for a non techie like me was all the backend, behind the scenes stuff.
The Html, css, js, mobile optimization and goggles various rules and regulations made me feel more stupid & frustrated than I have felt in a very long time.But seriously it was a challenge and I had nothing to loose !
Plenty of you tube videos, websites, ebooks, ecourse claim to help you set up your blog in no time.Step by step guide is available for free to launch your blog.The free stuff is actually great.But what happens after that ?
So much about SEO, social media, marketing, analytics ….A virtual limitless amount of info to wade through.Top that with the questionable nature of the information.
Lots of online experts offer wonderful courses for (also with EMI options ) totally unaffordable price for the average and not so average Indian .
When you are testing the waters it’s unlikely you have huge funds to blow away on ideas !
I was searching for books to help get me started.I have always found Amazon and Goodreads reviews very helpful.They are unbeatable when it comes to offering honest reviews.The shocking thing none of the books on blogging seemed to hit the mark.
The Solution
When i had almost given up I came across this site by Amy…amylynnandrews.com.
The free resources and content on this site was so awesome it just blew my away.
I had signed up for her newsletter The Useletter, which is a treasure trove of knowledge for all wannabe bloggers.
Amy makes all the hair tearing, blue in the face part of blogging understandable in plain english.A few weeks of her Use letter and I was hooked.I practically devoured her blog and saw that she had an awesome resource to offer called the Knowtbook.
♥
Amy Lynn Andrews…famous KNOWTBOOK
Its like an online diary which contains all the tips, tricks, tools, resources, articles which helped her and is helping her on her blogging journey.
The innovative thing was you learn what she learns as she updates her Knowtbook! It was available for life and affordability was high.I just wanted to buy it.Buying on her site required a PayPal account or a credit card.
Credit card I don’t have, neither does my hubby .We manage using our debit cards.My bank doesn’t allow PayPal Payment!
( This credit card issue , I saw firsthand how uncontrolled credit card debt can destroy a family)
I tried to buy from amazon…It was not available on amazon.
I was so sad and totally crushed.Finally when I thought I had help , it seemed far away.
I wrote to Amy about whether she had any plans to sell the Knowtbook through amazon.
I shared with her my inability to buy due to lack of the credit card and the impossibility of buying high priced online courses as a newbie blogger.
Kind hearted Amy did something which has surprised me .Good people are everywhere we just have to reach out.
She immediately thanked me for the feedback .Then sent me a free access link to her KNOWTBOOK. That’s how sweet Amy was.No request to share, like or any thing at all.Just helping. A mompreneur who inspires and helps.
I think you understand how such an act of kindness affected me.
Overjoyed I promised myself I would do all that was in my power to continue this cycle of good deed.
This was a moment I will remember forever.When I realised the true purpose of being a blogger.Blogging teaches you empathy.You feel other people’s pain, their problems, like it’s your own.
This empathy, is the most important in the world.We all want to solve our problems, but few loose sleep over problems someone else faces.
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Amy has lived in Africa.She understood the plight of people needing help to become independent. The first step is often the most difficult.
In fast developing nations with a need for new ways of supplementing the family income blogging is a ray of hope, (but a long journey).
As a mom of 2 young boys she is an inspiration to all who want to earn a living , or supplement their income by working from home .Mom’s everywhere want to take care of their family.But most high paying job requires you leave home.
It’s only the Internet that can offer help.But blogging , whatever people claim is not a cakewalk.Specially when you want to earn money ethically , in your own time doing what you like.
I you have even half a thought about starting a blog go visit Amy’s blog.
Amy is a mompreneur and a truly inspiring person. When you learn from people like her you have to become a giver .
My journey as a mompreneur was well on the way.I was still in blogging kindergarten. But I am terribly persistent. Hopefully I will learn … soon!
Till the next time.
Take care and keep dreaming.
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase. Please understand that I have experience with all of these companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals. Follow my blog with Bloglovin
When I moved to Malda, a small town in India with my little bundle of joy it was winter and very cold. With an -month-old baby, a new job, new home in a new town challenges were many. I felt lonely, out of sorts, and totally bored of the lack of adult conversation and company. My husband did his best to keep us occupied and happy. But between the mad rushing around and sleepless nights, there was a germ of an idea.
Peace and happiness, I realized came from within. As I tried to make this new house our home(and take care of everything else), I often had days of intense self-pity. Days when mundane work seemed piled up everywhere, without any inspiring to-dos. I still have those days but now I cope better with them. Pinterest is a haven for tired mommy minds. Women have many roles to play. The way we are made we tend to have guilt trips about whichever role we ignore.
Dinner at a restaurant in Darjeeling
As wives, mothers, and daughters you have to make daily choices.Choices about whether you give time to something you want to do for yourself (the elusive self-care)or something which needs to be done for the home, childcare, or husband care. As I complete one year birthday of my blog (it’s on 13th October), I will be sharing with you the stories of my virtual friends who inspired and helped. I thought it was the best way to say thank you. Also by telling you about these truly fantastic women, I hope a little of their magic will rub off on you and me:)
Mompreneur Who Inspires
Cleaning, shopping, cooking, and taking care of the health, wealth, wisdom, and entertainment needs of your family is a job that expands…filling up all hours. But how fulfilling is this? A lot …but as human beings as women who are striving to make a better life for your family it’s important you do something just for yourself. You expect people will notice your efforts and hard work, but more often than not the little, big, and in-between things in life, like cleaning fairies of childhood are taken for granted. My job as a doctor in a district medical college in India involves night duties once or twice a week, taking care of indoor and outdoor patients, surgeries, and taking classes for undergraduate medical students.
All this is a part of my husband’s duties too, together with the training he has to give to doctors and nurses regarding newborn care. The workload at home we share equally (not very rigidly) and outside work at banks etc are mostly done by hubby while I man the home front. My nursery-aged baby is great at keeping me busy and loves doing all sorts of painting stuff. We have spent many happy hours painting the flower pots in my balcony garden.
Balcony garden..pots painted with Rai
I first decided to start a garden on my balcony when Melissa Michaels at The Inspired Room announced her book.Love the Home You Have Tell me honestly have you heard of such an inspiring and motivating name for a home decorating book Ever? Calling it a decorating book is saying too little. For followers of Melissa, it’s a spiritual guide to a more fulfilling home forever, wherever.
My mom always told us to keep our own homes neat and tidy but often it felt like such a chore. Melissa’s blog and the book took the guilt out of doing it in small chunks. She has told people like you and me it’s okay to have a beautiful mess in a growing family. Magazine perfect is not family perfect. Loving the home you have frees you, from always longing for that larger, more modern, vintage and the neighbors home. Making money for keeping your home organized, and beautiful, while taking care of family … was truly inspiring.
Finding contentment in my home freed up time for other stuff! An organized home practically opened up a gateway of creative ideas in my brain.
So as I tell you the story of how I started on this interesting journey I want to tell you Melissa Michaels’s story. A mother of 3, an avid home decorator, and an unlikely mompreneur. She is not a DIY sensation but still manages to personalize and make beautiful, everything she touches. Melissa’s first book Love the Home You Have….a New York Times bestseller! As home decorating magazines show glossy picture-perfect homes, her cute book is full of sweet hand-drawn graphics and inspiring quotes.Its guilt-free, motivational, easy to read, and totally doable. It’s not something you read and forget. It’s a book that makes you do something about your home …that makes you love it more. Wherever you live, a house, apartment, or rented accommodation you will learn to make it a home. It’s such a gift to give your family!
In India, most people would not be able to afford to own a house. Flats in apartment complexes are more likely. But the wonderful thing about this book is, it helps wherever you live. I’m living in a 2 bedroom rented apartment with 3 Balconies! That makes this rented flat a little green oasis. It’s all because of Melissa that I found contentment here in spite of the fact that our job involves transfers and living in remote places!
Change is the only constant in life and embracing and liking it will make life so much more exciting. This is the 6th home I am living in in 8 years of marriage and the longest stay of 2 years and 8 months is here. Everywhere we went I longed to put down roots and just settle down..but God has his plans.I longed for the familiar comforts of home. Realizing too soon that if I wanted them, I had to make it happen Inspired by Melissa to make this rented flat a home, I had a “eureka moment! I too wanted to do something like Melissa but I was not sure what and how. Learning from her to keep my home working and pleasant, was my first step to making this journey to being a mompreneur. Want to know more? Wait for my next post. Visit the inspired roomand make an inspired home. You can also read my lessons from Make Room For What You Love and about the Magic of Clearing Up.
As the year draws to an end, I feel a tremendous sense of gratitude for the years that went by. It’s important I remember. That’s why I thought of writing them down and sharing with you.
30 reasons I am thankful: Amazing things that happened
1)I walked 5 km every day for the last 365 days. Give and take a few here and there. Not joking at all. This has been my best gift to me this year.
Hoping to take it up a notch in 2018.Health is my biggest wealth and I will never forget that.
2)I wrote more than I ever wrote before.That has been a gamechanger in more ways than one.
3)My daughter enjoys her drawing doodling and artwork as much as I do.Check this post out to know what I mean.
4)I got gifted books more than any other year.The main reason I want to take up a Reading challenge this year.
5)I traveled.Family vacations just to unwind for few days but mind refresh like nothing else can.
6)I fell in love with the Fade away sleep sounds.Sea noises and white noise will help you relax and sleep anywhere.
I travel a lot.Travel companion in trains can be unpredictable.That’s why your trusty earplugs and soothing sounds can make you fall asleep anywhere.
Never let your beauty napping be hampered again.They are great for putting your baby to sleep (Kevin has a special set of beautiful soothing sound for just this).I also use them to concentrate while writing!
7)I found fantastic friends online.I realized once again that good friends grow with you even if it’s in opposite direction.Only when you respect growth will relationships survive.
All relationships are a balance of good, bad and ugly.The trick is to increase the good and downplay the rest.
Support from unexpected directions made me deeply grateful once again.
8 )I reaffirmed my faith in humanity.With terror strikes everywhere only kindness, good sense and positive actions will help us.
9)Things I learned from the sea:
What goes around will come around.
So be careful whom you associate with.Negativity breeds negativity.An attitude of gratitude is cool.It makes you a good things magnet.Try it and see.
10.Writing is fun, happiness, cathartic soul food, rants, thank you notes, wishlist, to do list and everything else.While good writing needs a lot of practice.It’s achievable. Just measure your success on your own scale.Not with others.
11.Closure is needed.
Maybe not possible physically but you can do it all the time inside your head.
12.Save money earn money, invest, buy your insurances.Health and child education are priorities but rest use for things which nourish your soul.
13.Supporting creativity is wonderful.When you are creative you become more innovative
My post about Creativity and how it boosts Self-confidence in children is a top post this year
14.Women make up half the world’s population but less than 10 percent of policymakers in the world.Being a woman is a challenge in whichever profession you are and wherever you are.
Whether you accept it or not woman face more socio-economic cultural challenges than men.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing.
It depends on how you take it.Remember women are diamonds you are born to shine.So take it on ladies the universe is yours.Embrace it and walk with us to break those glass ceilings.
My Women Entrepreneurs list is a top page celebrating that.
15.As the year draws to an end I need to tell you how being featured as a Top Blogger in the Entrepreneurship and Startup category helped me choose my #Blogchatterproject.
TOP Indian blogger startup and entrepreneurship
By Gods grace, I was also featured on
Vasantha’s blog
On smarty kids parenting
Directory of Top Indian Blogs
Newspatrolling.com among the Top 20 Indian Blogs
16.When I decided to write about 15 Startling secrets about Giving birth in December I didn’t know it will become my most popular post on Pinterest having 17,0000 in 3 weeks.
It’s also my most popular post in December and among the top 10 posts of 2017.
18.When I decided to write about the confusion between MR vaccine and MMR vaccine I didn’t know it will have so many parents reaching out to me with queries. It validated my primary goal with my blog.Help as many people as I can with my professional skills and experience as I can.The rest is a result of that.
19.Reviewing products which help you can help many more.
My 2 posts about Mama Earth products (I am not a brand partner anymore) were honest and helpful.
So was the Philips Air fryer review.
The first I used for some time the latter is my partner in my healthy living journey for last 3 years.
These two are also in my top 10 most popular posts this year.
20.People love to travel.
My post on Vizag and Zainab’s post about Around the world with kids is my most visited travel posts.
21.My absolute favorite lipstick this year wassmudge me notby Sugar.
If you are a busy mommy blogger who hates retouching lipstick then this will be a lifesaver.Lipstick has secret superpowers.
22.My favorite Nikon camera and tripod changed my blogging life forever.2018 will be all about better pics on my blog.
23.My favorite site online is still Indiblogger.For making so many of my posts top posts.
24.Favourite tools online InLinkz link up tool, Lumen 5 and Recurpost.
25 Favourite plugin Yoast SEO tool the premium version I co-bought with Neha and it takes awesome to a new level.
26.Favorite place I visited Kailasgiri in Vizag.
27.My most popular video was not educational.It’s a tongue twister and was a contest.Made me realize I need to have a fun script for some of my videos.
29.The resolutions I broke this year.
I cried about things I promised I wouldn’t.
I am behind folding clothes and keeping them in the right place.I decided to give away everything I haven’t worn for one year.That way less clutter. But goals not met.
The hectic pace of modern living would have made ancient men tired?You take our multitasking so seriously, that not doing a million things before breakfast, makes you feel guilty. I am a multi thinker.Multitasking is a natural progression.All women, especially mothers have to try multitasking, to be able to manage it all.
But how healthy is this Habit?
Is Multitasking good for you? Not Really! As we increasingly multitask our ability to truly concentrate dwindles.The more technology dependant you are the bigger is it a challenge to concentrate. I am a doctor, mother, wife of a child specialist, teacher in a medical college and a blogger.I really love all that I am blessed to be doing.
Mindful living.Image courtesy Stuart Miles Freedigitalphotos.net
But the regular grind of household chores is a real job.Keeping the house clutter free, managing my home and workload keeps me, breathless…literally. For the last few months, I was having shortness of breath, palpitations and had started to worry about a multitude of things. On top of that, we experienced the aftershocks of the Earthquake that left Nepal with thousands dead and injured.
The Nepal Earthquake was devastating..mindfulness meditation helped me calm down
Alone at home with my 3-year-old, I did what any mommy would do.Grabbed the water bottle, and rushed out in the open grounds with the baby in my lap. We suffered 2 more vibrations over the next 3 days but none was as bad. The news about Nepal kept coming. The total devastation there as made me take stock. Gratitude for the life we have here now is uppermost. Before the earthquake hit Nepal, I had read a book Love the home you have by Melissa of The Inspired Room.
The overall tone of the book has a lot to do with living in the present and being thankful for all the blessings you have now. Tomorrow is a dream, the past has gone, but today well lived will make our life here on this earth worth it.
A lot of my friends, relatives, and patients complained of a feeling of panic and light-headedness in the days after the quake. Since I too was suffering from similar complaints related to Post-traumatic stress disorder, a solution was urgently needed.
I tried the many relaxation and mindfulness techniques for calming an anxious mind. Some worked well and others not so much.
Then I discovered mindfulness!
So what exactly is mindfulness?
The word literally means being aware of one’s own mind.
The formal definition of mindfulness:
Intentional acceptance and non-judgemental focus of one’s attention on emotions, thoughts, sensations occurring in the present.This can be achieved by training in meditation practices. Mindfulness is a concept having its root deep in Hinduism. The Sanskrit term Smriti and Buddhist term sati mean to remember….not the past but a conscious remembrance of the present.That’s where mindfulness comes from.
Mindfulness signifies the presence of mind and being attentive to the present.The mind which does not fritter between thoughts, but concentrates on one thought at a time! A clear, conscious, focused mind is what mindfulness aims to make. Seriously this was easier to write, than do.
As with most things in life which are worth doing, the going for this too was definitely not easy. Whenever I started to concentrate on this post, 10 different things that needed doing, rush through my mind.
All of us mothers have to manage so many stuff that we forget,to really focus! Life rushes by. I have tried to give you some ideas about the methods which worked.As I get more mindful I will be adding them here to really become mindfully yours. So here goes.
5 Best ways to be mindful for your inner wellness(absolutely essential for sanity)
1) Stop and breathe slowly every morning: 5 minutes to 25 minutes (according to time you have) close your eyes and focus on your breathing.While doing this initially you will find your mind wandering.Just catch hold of the wandering thought and refocus. Just imagine your brain is a naughty child always in search of new stuff, but you have to be strict ! Close your eyes and visualize a black dot in front of you and concentrate.
A healthy mind and healthy body go hand in hand.Mindful lifestyle helps meet this goal.Image courtesy of arcadante at Freedigitalphotos.net
2) Stop multitasking.Easier said than done. It takes at least 15 minutes for us to concentrate deeply.Multitasking often decreases your capacity to really give your best to a job. Refocus scattered thoughts.So the Pomodoro technique of working in blocks of 20 minutes work.
Do one thing at a time
Do it deliberately, concentrating on it and complete it
3)Take time out. When doing any job, if you find your mind wandering too many times..take a break and try.Often it’s some other chore nagging you from your subconscious brain. You can either do that chore first then get on with the new job with full attention. The other way is to write down whatever that needs to be done so that you are not distracted by trying to keep remembering. Have a daily ritual for
Housework…mindfully, Love the home you have (Thanks Melissa
The art of mindful living.Image @Healthwealthbridge
4) Eat well mindfully. Up to 75 % of overeating is emotional eating. Mind-body disconnect during eating causes excessive eating and binges. Savoring each morsel of food helps in decreasing cravings and improve satiety.Mindful eating is great for your mind and awesome for your Body! We see and smell the appetising food, taste the true flavors , eating is a truly sensory experience.
5) When interacting with others be mindful. You become the good company and a better judge of character. While researching this mindfulness practice I came upon this article where videos help you become more conscious of your inner self. Often in the race of life, you forget to breathe deeply. Health benefits of mindfulness are many most significant is its effect on stress hormones.
Chronic stress is responsible for many of your health problems and mindfulness can help you. But if you are reading this post you must have already realized that you are blessed to have this life.Living in the present and really appreciating every moment is mindful living.
Mindfulness has been described as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally.”(2)
That’s a start to walking the mindful path. Are you Mindful? Have you ever participated in a mindfulness session? Write to me and tell me about your mindfulness efforts. Live well mindfully.
