The recipe of Happiness!

[Published in Woman's Era - Feb 2011]

Serves: ALL!

Life is what we make of it! The steering wheel of our life is in our hands and we steer it the way we like it. Of course the route is chalked out much earlier by Him. But the decision of making it a joy ride or a rickety ride, He has left to us. Let’s make our life’s odyssey a wonderful one. Let’s look at the secrets to Happiness!

Smile and the world smiles with you. The most contagious act in the world is a simple smile. Smile… and you get a smile back. Smile… and you spread happiness. Smile… and you make someone’s day. It takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown. So why frown and create wrinkles, when you can smile and flash your dimples!!

Do away with comparisons in life. The life we are living is exactly meant to be the way it is. Nothing more… Nothing less. The grass may always seem greener on the other side. But if your whole life is spent on admiring the other side, even the little greenery on your side would wither away!! Its human nature to want what is missing thereby missing out on enjoying what we have! Making the most of what is given to us would be the wise way of living our life rather than to crib for what we have not.

Shed away those grudges. Not everyone always do things that please you. Every individual is unique. If everyone thinks the way you do, wont life be boring! There may be instances when views clash, bitter words are exchanged and feelings are hurt. So what do you do? Hold a grudge against that person? Promise yourself to get back at him/her one day or the other? Holding ill feeling against one another would only breed contempt. What purpose do they serve? Just forgive…Forget…and move on! To quote Malcolm Forbes “Keeping score of old scores and scars, getting even and one-upping, always makes you less than you are.” 

Just follow your heart. When there comes a situation when you have to choose between the decisions of your heart and mind, chose the heart. The mind is moulded by society to behave in a certain way… but the heart is pure and intuitive and reflects the real you. It won’t let you down. Just sit back, go by your heart’s decision. It will guide you towards the right direction. 

Dream!! Dreams add glitter to your life. Dream on… nurture dreams… big or small. Some day or the other… dreams do come true. Nurturing dreams for years and finally seeing them come alive is a feeling worth experiencing! Life is never boring… for a dreamer!

Never give up! In your quest to do what you feel is right…. Don’t ever give up. Give your cent percent to whatever you do, a sense of satisfaction results. Sweat it out when you have to; you have enough time and more to rest once you have accomplished what you wanted to. Reach for the stars, even if you have to step on thorns.

To have a friend, be a friend. Friendship is a special relationship in life. Some of the best lessons in life can be learnt from this relationship. A shoulder to lean on, when in doom; a hand to clasp, when in fear; an ear to lend, when you have a secret to share; valuable advice, when in distress; a firm grasp to bring you back on track, when blinded by pride; heartfelt applause, when success comes your way; warm embrace, when lost in this world……that and much more is friendship! And in order to enjoy a lasting friendship… one has to be a true friend first.

Love…unconditionally! Love is the pre-requisite for an ordinary association to become a meaningful relationship. According to me, there is no greater joy than making a person happy. This inner joy comes from the love bestowed on that person. Loving without any expectation and restrictions is the best feeling one can experience! It is this essence in every relationship that is what makes a house – a home, a group of people living together – a family, an acquaintance – a special friend. 

Celebrate life… don’t live it like a duty. Face each day with new hopes, aspirations and dreams. It’s the little moments in life that bring greater joys. Look around for them carefully, or they may jus slip away. You have just one life to do all the things you want to. Time gone by is gone forever. Between a thousand yesterdays and a million tomorrows, there is just one today! Go ahead and live it up! :)

“Do that something,

You always wanted to.

Tell that someone,

How much you care.

Be generous with your smiles,

Make someone’s day.

Cos hey! You never know…

Kal ho na ho…”

This article was published in Woman's Era - Feb 2011

Pandemonium at the Mandap!!!

It is that time once again… Festivity time at ‘ANAND’!! The twins of the family are venturing on to take their first step into the world of family hood. It’s the betrothal ceremony… a double betrothal!! Which means… double the festivities, double the fun-fare, double the joy….and maybe double the pandemonium!!

With identical twins like my dear brothers Suchit and Sumit, identity related confusion is never far away. Even to date there are several relatives who mistake them for the other. Rewinding a bit, when these two were young little brats, this identity crisis was utilised by them to their favour! At school the mischief monger would put on an innocent face and conveniently blame the other twin for all the mischief done. And it’s not too soon before he gets paid back for it by his sibling in just the same manner!

It is that time once again… Festivity time at ‘ANAND’!! The twins of the family are venturing on to take their first step into the world of family hood. It’s the betrothal ceremony… a double betrothal!! Which means… double the festivities, double the fun-fare, double the joy….and maybe double the pandemonium!!

With identical twins like my dear brothers Suchit and Sumit, identity related confusion is never far away. Even to date there are several relatives who mistake them for the other. Rewinding a bit, when these two were young little brats, this identity crisis was utilised by them to their favour! At school the mischief monger would put on an innocent face and conveniently blame the other twin for all the mischief done. And it’s not too soon before he gets paid back for it by his sibling in just the same manner!

And now… as they are stepping into the threshold of family hood, there is all likelihood that such identity crisis would repeat itself on several occasions. What if Suchit’s ‘would be in-laws’ walk up to Sumit and proudly introduce him as their ‘would be son-in-law’, to their relatives. And amidst the introduction, when Sumit is enjoying the fun, Suchit walks up from behind and says, “Excuse me… I am Suchit… he is Sumit. And Sumit, your ‘would be in-laws’ thought I was you and are now looking out for the actual Sumit!” At this point, I guess I have successfully managed to confuse you too at this possible scenario.

Here, I take liberty in letting my imagination run a little wild for the sake of some self entertainment! How would the situation be if the lovely brides too were twins! What if Jyoti and Rita were twins!? This means… double in one more aspect… the identity crisis also doubles! The boys, who were till date on the fun side of the identity confusion, now would be on the receiving end!

Consider the following hypothetical situations…

Situation No: 1: Suchit wants to introduce his fiancé, Rita to his room mates. He looks around the hall and sees his bride. He smiles and waves to her and signals her to come over. She returns the smile, and rushes to him. The introduction takes place fine…. Hmmm…. or so he thinks!! There is a naughty twinkle in the girl’s eyes… just as the friends move on; she whispers into our hero, Suchit’s ears, “I am Jyoti!! Rita is over there…” pointing to a small gathering of giggling girls who were all party to the prank.

Situation No: 2: Sumit wants a picture to be taken on his digicam to capture some special moments of his special day. He pulls over his fiancé and poses for a snap. But then all of a sudden… just as his sister is about to click, he stalls her and turns to his bride. He gives her look of concentration… a tinge of suspicion creeps in his mind… and he stares at her for a few long seconds… his expression changes to desperation…“Is she really Jyoti!!?”. All the while Jyoti looks on at him with concern wondering what was going on… The expressions are perfect and the sister loses no time in capturing this candid moment on camera!

I guess I have been entertained enough for the time being… so lets return to reality. Thankfully ‘ANAND’ would have to deal with just one pair of twins. And thankfully the two have decided to grace the occasion in different coloured attires. The ‘ANAND’ clan eagerly awaits this unique dual betrothal ceremony. Designer sarees and their silk counterparts would be flaunted by the excited ladies of the household. The unison of three families would take place. Excitement and exhilaration would surpass every other emotion and amidst all that… A pleasant loving welcome awaits the beautiful brides!!