What Secretly Kills Your New Year Resolutions Half-Way Through?

Just few more days left before we step in to the next year hoping that we can do better and achieve our dreams and goals that are still in the lineup. Now, since I work as a freelance writer, I usually get lot of writing projects about New Year resolutions. Obviously, there are millions that make resolutions during this time of the year. Some complete it; some forget it by the end of January itself as they dragged into all the fuss and tension that life throws at them. I personally never do that, I never really go for resolutions or any such thing. Not because I cannot keep up with it or do not have the ability to fulfill it, but because I do it throughout the year.

As a kid, I learnt a lot from what my parents used to teach me. The values and education that they imparted is something that I still use in my daily life, but after they passed away I was very much on my own, still in my early teens. I had a lot to learn and understand about the world and beyond. I was drawn by everything that was different and unique. One fine day, I was drawn by a movie poster on my way back to home and school. The movie poster had a tag line – “It takes courage to stand alone.” Indians who are curious to know what movie poster was that – it was a movie poster of Ghulam with Aamir Khan smoking his cigarette. Anyways, when I first saw that poster something hit me. I wanted to be different; I wanted to stand out of the crowd. I wanted to stand alone, do what I felt was right; say what I felt was true and feel no burden on my soul. That feeling eventually grew in me and if I begin to tell you personal stories about my life, you will know I have done things differently. To few of my friends, who have been a part of my life for more than a decade, I am an inspiration because they believe I go to great lengths to achieve my targets and practically stop at nothing. However, they've never asked me where I get inspiration from to do these things that they believe impossible.

So, why am I suddenly telling you all this? Well, that’s because it’s the time of the year when people will make resolutions, but they never really know what kills their spirit to continue and complete those resolutions.

Most people that make resolutions and do not work on it only make resolutions because they want to flow with the trend. Often, we make a list of resolutions. I will do this, I will do that, I will quit smoking, eat healthy and blah blah blah..the list never ends. What happens eventually is that we are loaded with too many things to handle at the same time. The result is that we achieve nothing from it. I've also read many self-help books that give you tips on how to achieve your goals step by step. I don’t really follow all that, because the scenarios given in the book is not the life we are leading. No one in this world is living my life, except me. It might be similar, but not the same as mine.

If you have been trying over and over to do something and if that’s not working, it means you need to do it differently the next time, so you get a different result. How to do it is something that you have to figure it out based on your life scenarios. If you notice people around you will notice that we all ARE DIFFERENT, but we WANT TO BE LIKE SOMEONE. We see our friends doing better than us in terms of career, finance and many other things and we say to ourselves..Oh! I wish I could be like him or her. This is generally termed as inspiration. People inspire from each other. However, that inspiration sometimes does bring in some disappointments as well. It’s human nature. We like to be in the spotlight. We want to be heard and loved and we want to SUCCEED. And when our friends race ahead, we also feel that nasty sting right inside our heart, don’t we? A feeling of being left out and left behind.

Imagine the plight of an obese man trying his heart out to get slim while others around him healthy and hearty and fit as ever. The plight gets worse not because he is not trying, because he is constantly comparing himself with other healthy people around. The focus of that man moves from working on his health to something else, and his impatience grows, amplifying his disappointments even further. Soon, his resolutions to stay fit and slim goes out of the window.

Hence, when you make resolutions or any commitments you have to keep complete control on your thought process. You need to protect your commitments and ensure that you work on it. For instance, you saw a martial arts movie and you decided to learn martial arts. You got yourself a membership for the training, but after a few days that enthusiasm fizzles out because you see your friends and colleagues moving ahead in other sectors of life.

Concentrating on multiple things is a good thing, but it requires practice. When you are working on your resolution you should focus on how you can complete it effectively, rather than worried about what others are doing with their commitments. Even if they are doing pretty good and if you’re struggling you don’t have to feel bad. We all have different pace and different situations to tackle, so you need to focus on how you can reach your goals. Be patient and don't let the success of others be the reason for your failure.

So, this year what are your resolutions? Feel free to share it with me.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: It's Not Possible Without You

I certainly believe that 2014 has come as the turning point for India as new government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken up the challenge to take the country to the next level. Whether you support him or not, you have to go with the flow and that is that the whole nation is backing him up. There is a lot of hope riding on his shoulders and millions across the nation believe that he and his government will deliver and make India better. I believe in that as well, but I believe in something more than just that. I believe that he and his government alone cannot do things, if the country does not back him up. In fact, no leader in the world can lead until there is a support system that works in the background. India certainly lack leaders that can push the country on a different level economically and socially. The country has already been through a lot and its time that people start thinking that it is they that also makes a difference in many small ways.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Taking the Initiative

The all new Swachh Bharat Abhiyan also known as Clean India Campaign is a national level campaign started by the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. To give it the right kind of started, the Prime Minister himself wielded broom and cleaned a road. Not just that, he made sure that this becomes the biggest cleanliness drive in the country and therefore included 3 million government employees, school and college students in it. There is little doubt that this initiative by Mr. Narendra Modi is beyond politics and something that other Prime Ministers failed to do.

Bollywood or the Hindi film industry has been influential in starting up certain trends in the country and to back up this noble cause many top celebrities came forward and ensured that they pick up a broom and participate in this cleanliness drive. Public figures like Anil Ambani, Salman Khan, Kamal Hassan and even Aamir Khan joined the drive urging the people to clean India. While I appreciate all the efforts taken to make India cleaner, I seriously don’t like many things that are happening in the country, so I am venting it all out here whether you like it or not, agree or disagree and label me anything you want.

While I appreciate that many people have taken a stance to elect the right leader to lead the country, they also need support their leader in many small ways. It is time that Indians should get rid of their We-Have-Done-Our-Job attitude and contribute to their society. Going all the way to the election booth and voting for the right leader is not just where it all ends. Every leader needs a support system that works in the background while he/she executes visionary plans. I mean come on what do you expect? You expect the Prime Minister to come to your place on a daily basis and sweep your street? I can understand that many would argue that we EXPECT the civic bodies to do their job and to keep the city clean and they have constantly failed to live up to our expectations, we already know that. However, that does not give us the liberty to mess up the already dirty streets, does it? Yes, it is THEIR JOB to keep the city clean and fill up those potholes, but rather than blaming it on them it’s time we do our bit.

Bollywood Celebrity Hritik Roshan Wielding the Broom

Probably for the first time ever, I have seen celebrities taking to the streets with a broom ensuring that their streets are clean. Now, I can debate on both sides of it. On one hand, I can see that celebrities are making a great publicity out of this because they want their pictures get clicked on some of the country’s leading newspapers and websites and even social media sites. The media on the other hand, get the right content that can help them sell more newspapers and get more online traffic. They just do this for one day for few minutes and then they disappear into their own space. But for a moment, let’s us not question their patriotism and their love for the city and their effort and commitment towards the city and believe that they are doing the right thing. While all this certainly puts them in a great light, in some way it also implicates that we are so reactive that we need celebrities to tell us to keep our city or country clean. The same city that we call our home. Imagine this, some superstar knocks your door, walks in and tells you that you haven’t cleaned your home in years so let’s do it together and only then you realize, Oh! Yes, he is right. You wake up from your slumber and start cleaning. As if he hadn’t come to your home, you would’ve conveniently stayed in that same dirt for years, because it didn’t bother you at all.

I certainly have lot of faith in the young generation that is going to shape the future of India probably in the next decade and after that. We, not just as Mumbaikars, but as Indians need to put our country ahead of everything else. It is surprising to see that when Indians travel abroad, we follow rules and regulations of that foreign land, we don’t spit on the road, don’t urinate in the open and we don’t throw trash on the road, but we do that here in our own country, our home. Why? because we have the freedom. The freedom to piss on the roadsides, freedom to spit anywhere we want, freedom to throw waste out of the running car and the same freedom that we celebrate every year on the Independence Day without realizing that independence is not a gift to us from our freedom fighters and martyrs, its a responsibility. So, stop littering and let's make India a BETTER place to live because it's NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT YOU.

Cracking the Super Crush Dense Load

Every city is different in its own way. Every city has a lifeline. It can be anything. It can be an important river, a dam, a road that connects different parts of the city, a busy marketplace that brings in people from across the city and so on. Whatever it is, it remains at the heart of the city and plays vital role to everyday lifestyle of the locals. For Mumbai, it is the suburban railway that connects this mega-city together. It functions like the central nervous system allowing people to get from Point A to Point B across the city. Even those who do not depend entirely on the railway system know its importance because when this system comes to a halt, it’s not just the trains, but the entire city that comes to a standstill.

On a positive note, Mumbai is a very helpful city. Yes, we are busy and frustrated and in a rush, but we offer help. When 2006 Mumbai train bombings happened, many nearby residents and commuters came to rescue the injured ones even before the police, fire department and ambulances reached the scene. It was a tragic event, but it only strengthened the city into one big family. There is a sense of unity that you can feel here and that is what makes this city quite different from the rest of the mega-cities across the country. One of the main concerns that international travelers and even Indians from other parts of the country face is commuting in a local train.

Mumbai Suburban Railway is the oldest railway system in Asia started by British on 16 April, 1853. Today, the suburban railway is handled by Indian Railways and is divided into two zones; Western Railway and Central Railway. The Central Railway operates the Central Line and the Harbor Line, while the Western Railway operates the Western Line. Currently, the system offers 2,300 plus train services daily and around 70 million commuters depend on it on a daily basis. The annual commuter count exceeds 2.6 billion making it one of the busiest transit system in the world. I travel on the Western Line of the system which is quite infamous for overcrowding.

Local trains have their own unspoken laws. While taxis and rickshaws are good for small distances I would not recommend it for long distances. Why? Local trains can take you across the city faster than a Hayabusa and in fraction of a price. For instance, a cab ride from Churchgate (Downtown South Mumbai) to Borivali (Northern suburban area) will cost you around Rs. 1000/- (US$ 17) whereas a local train ticket for the same distance will cost you Rs. 15/- (25 US cents) per person. Surprisingly, a taxi ride will take around 90 minutes and more (considering there is no traffic jam) while in a local train you will cover the same distance in an hour. I believe that certainly indicates why millions of locals prefer suburban trains over any other mode of transport.

However, that also brings the bad part. Super Crush Dense Load. Wondering what it is? This term is not coined by me, but by the Mumbai Suburban Railway Department. In simple words, it means 16 passengers standing per square meter of floor space. To make it simpler, imagine a train that has been designed to carry 1,700 passengers, but instead it carries 4,500 plus. For local commuters this is just a daily routine, but for outsiders this can be their worst nightmare. I have seen many outsiders being pushed around by the crowd simply because they don’t know these rules that are not mentioned anywhere. Not even in any Mumbai travel guide.

So, how do you deal with it? Well, there are two simple rules that you need to keep in mind; Stay Informed and Be Quick. Below I am going to decode how you can travel safely while you are in Mumbai local train. It’s funny, scary and quite a different ride that you might never experience elsewhere.

Know Where You Want to Go

Mumbai is a giant concrete maze filled with tiny streets and by-lanes, so you better know where you are going. Don’t walk out with generic information like – a white color building, a big temple, a shopping mall. Very generic. Always keep the exact address of where you are going, so that locals can help you. Like I mentioned earlier, we are busy and frustrated, we don’t have the time to listen to those generic landmarks or pointers that don’t make sense. A better way is to keep a mobile number handy, so you can ask for help when you need it. You should also know which train line you need to pick to reach your destination.

Nearest Station to Your Destination

Know about the nearest station to your destination, so you know when and where to board/alight. These days all local trains announce the name of the next approaching station so you don’t have to peep out of the crowded train to know what’s next. However, always keep in mind that it’s can be a jam packed journey and if you don’t move fast there is very little space for you to step out. For instance, if you want to travel from A to E, you should be ready and standing near the door when the train moves on from D. If the train is not crowded, you can relax and get down when the train gets you to E.

10-Second Window - Be Prepared

Local trains usually stop for 7 to 10 seconds and at max 15 seconds. So, you practically have only 7.5 seconds to make your way out of the crowd and step on the platform or the vice versa. If you don’t make it, you will have to get down at the next approaching station. If there are too many people standing before you near the door it is always advisable to ask them if they will get down at the next stop so you can follow and alight. Similarly, you have the same amount of time to board the train so stay ready when the train arrives at the station.

Don’t Pick the Wrong Train

Being in the wrong train is something you should avoid. Local commuters know their trains very well and I believe that is why they subconsciously expect you to be on the right train. If you’re in the wrong train you might get stuck inside if more people begin to board the train. Since it is horribly congested inside the coach you just can’t tell the next person to excuse because there is no space for the other person to move. While boarding you can always ask someone around if the train will stop at the station you want to alight.

Slow and Fast Trains

You need to be sure if the train will halt at your station. There are slow and fast trains. Slow trains stop at all stations on the route. Fast trains cover only important stations and skips certain stops. Fortunately, there are apps available that you can download that guide you on whether you need to catch a slow train or a fast train to reach your destination.

What Time Is It?

Understand this. Millions across the city stay in northern suburbs (including me) and commute southwards to downtown area for work. So, usually during the morning peak hour time all south-bound trains are crowded as people commute from far northern suburbs to the city for work. During the evening time, it’s the opposite so all north-bound trains are crowded. If you want to avoid crowd, try travelling in the opposite direction of the crowd. The morning peak hour time is from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and in the evening it begins at 5:00 p.m. until 10:00 or 11:00 p.m.

Travel Light

When you are travelling in the city make sure you travel light. I've seen international visitors with loaded backpacks waiting for a less crowded train that they can board. There. Is. No. Such. Train. My friend. If you still have to travel with your luggage travel during afternoon period. When I am travelling with lot of baggage, I prefer to travel between 1:00 in the afternoon so I can complete my journey while most people are busy relishing their lunch in their office cafeteria or at their home. The 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm time is the time slot when local trains are comparatively less crowded.

I hope this piece of information will help many international tourists and even Indians from different part of the country to travel with ease while handling the Super Crush Dense Load which does sound like a scary ride. These days you can also download apps on your smartphone that help you to stay informed how to move around the city. So, use the right resources and I am sure you’ll fall in love with Mumbai forever.

What Does Diwali Mean to You?

Today is Diwali also popularly known as Deepavali or the Festival of Lights. To those who don’t know what it is let me put it this way. It is the Christmas of India. This ancient Hindu festival is celebrated every autumn in a grand way. Weeks before Diwali the mood sets in and children are happy about the school holidays that they get and new clothes, toys and crackers. For elders, it is the time to meet and greet and of course, eat. The festival spans over five day period and the atmosphere across the country is quite electrifying as people are glad about being with their loved ones and spending some great moments.

While India is quite diverse in terms of culture, traditions and even religion Diwali acts like a single grand festival that bonds all of India together. I believe Diwali is the only festival that is celebrated throughout India covering more states than any other festival. It has cultural significance in many different religions and cultures and therefore everybody is able to associate with it.

Religious Significance

For Hindus, Diwali marks the day when Lord Rama, his wife Sita and his younger brother Lakshman returning home after 14 years of exile. This comes from Ramayana, an ancient Hindu epic. There is a similar story from Mahabharata, another ancient Hindu epic that talks about the return of Pandavas after 12 years of exile. In some parts of India, Diwali is a celebration of Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Jains in India believe that Lord Mahavira, the last Jain Tirthankar (holy man) of this era attained moksh (salvation) on this day. There are many other theories that go around Diwali depending on different states and cultures that we come across.

Shopping Time

Diwali is the time to shop and billions across India get busy with purchasing new clothes, household appliances, home refurbishments, gifts, gold jewelry and automobiles. Since the festival is closely associated with Goddess Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and prosperity many believe that it is a good sign to invest and spend money. Gambling is also considered to be a way to invite more money into your home. Shopping malls and retail stores bring out their new stock and offer discounts and offers that tempt consumers to shop more. These days the competition has just moved on to the next level as online retailers like Flipkart, Amazon and Snapdeal have joined the competition driving the product price down.

Firecrackers

Diwali is incomplete without firecrackers and therefore many temporary stalls sprung up all over the country to make money out of this short term business. In cities, you will find firecracker stalls in almost every block. As a kid, I have always loved Diwali for fire crackers. I would go shopping for fire crackers with my mother and select from wide range of fire crackers available. However, over a period of time I realized that it can lead to air pollution, noise pollution and even burn injuries so I no longer involve in it. I do lit oil lamps outside my home to celebrate Diwali in a peaceful way.

Diwali Lamps

Traditional Diwali lamps are usually orange and yellow in color. However, people are now sort of bored with the same old design. Hence, today you will find wide range of designs and colors being infused in the Diwali lamps. Like firecrackers, Diwali lamps are very much in demand for these five days so price bargain is tough, but they are not that expensive either. I believe some Diwali lamps are available at Rs. 150 to 200 and above so that’s around $3 and above. People across India decorate their homes with lights and Diwali lamps on their windows which makes the entire city shimmer in light of orange and yellow.

Oil Lamps

Indians might be stepping quickly into the new age technological world, but at heart we are still firmly rooted in our culture and traditions. This is why you will still find oil lamps lit outside every household during Diwali. The literal translation of the word Diwali means “row of lamps”. In the earlier days, oil lamps were considered to be a symbol of purity, goodness and good luck. It is also used to weaken the evil forces around the house. The oil lamp outside every house door symbolizes the inner spiritual light of each individual that must reflect outside as well. It also stands for unity because everybody has similar pattern oil lamps symbolizing social togetherness and bonding.

Rangolis

More than the firecrackers, I am more passionate about watching women creating these beautiful handmade designs right outside their home entrance that simply leaves you in awe. Females painstakingly create patterns using the white chalk powder and then use color powder to bring some life to it. These floor decorations are done right at the entrance to welcome Goddess Lakshmi and guests. Some designs are small, some are large and some designs are beyond the wildest imagination. The below rangoli design was made at my work place at the reception area by 3 housekeeping girls.

Socializing

Diwali is also a time to be with loved ones. It’s a national holiday, but many take extra holidays at work to stay away from their hectic schedule and visit their native places and family members, friends and relatives. In cities, it is all about visiting friends and families and offering sweets and dry fruits. Some families plan dine-out party where they can have some great time together and talk over a delicious meal. Teenage kids these days prefer to have their own private parties at some locations like KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut and other international joints. Food and culture go hand in hand. Diwali is the time to bring out some of the best Indian dishes on the dinner table. Females prepare delicious meals for the family and the guests and the regular normal dinner routine turns into a mini over-the-table-in-house party.

No matter which God you believe and no matter whichever religion you follow here in India, Diwali is a time of celebration with your loved ones. It’s a mega party that sweeps the entire nation into one collective fold. For me Diwali has always been a special festival as I celebrate it with friends and loved ones. It gives me a feeling that world is not too bad as we think. I see darkness disappearing as lights from firecrackers and sparklers take over signifying the victory of good over evil and hope over despair. Surprisingly, Diwali is also the only Hindu festival that falls on a New Moon night which makes the firecrackers look more spectacular.

How Not to Buy What You Don’t Want?

In the last few years of my life, I realized that the most difficult job for us is to make decisions. We are simply scared of it, because decisions have consequences and sometimes they might not be in our favor. Buying a product is a decision. Although, we are sure about what we want we still look out for the options that are available in the market. When we do that, we are more confused than ever before. We see ten different items having ten different features with ten different discount offers and that’s it, we are doomed and we end up buying something that we don’t want.

One of my blogger friends Dan wrote about product reviews recently and mentioned that there are three kinds of people that write product reviews online. Read his post here. Here I am not trying to justify anything or trying to claim that writers are right and buyers are fools. I am bringing in a new perspective and new ways to look at things that will help buyers choose wisely. I've been in the service industry for quite some time now and I see this buying pattern almost everywhere I worked. Based on my experiences and what I have observed all these years, I decided to come up with this post.

I believe it is the responsibility of the buyer/consumer to segregate and evaluate all the pieces of information before making any decision. As a buyer/consumer I want better satisfaction ratio/value for money in every product and service that I buy. Why? Because I am putting my hard earned money on it. I patiently invest small amounts of money for many months before I buy anything, so I want to make sure that all that patience and hard work pays off, in the right way. If I am not satisfied or happy with that product or service, even a 5-star highly rated product/service is as good as junk for me. 

Now, most buyers that I have come across don’t even know what they want in the first place, so there is a high probability that they are going to end up buying something that won’t offer complete satisfaction. Secondly, buyers believe everything that is written in product reviews, offline and online. Third, they ask too many people about what product/service they should buy and get multiple recommendations that again leave them clueless about which product they should purchase.

I am not someone who does lot of shopping, but whenever I plan to buy something I make sure I get 100% satisfaction from the product I buy. Now, how do I do that? 

What You Want?

Even before you start researching and read product reviews you need to know what you want. It’s like deciding your destination before you pack your bags and step out. All around me I find people who are not really sure what they really want. All they know is that they want something that can help them to simplify their life. For instance, many of my friends ask me which smartphone is really good in the market (since I write lot about smartphones). That is a difficult question for me to answer because there is no one single model that has all the features packed in, not even the most expensive ones. Some smartphones are for budget consumers, some are good for photographers, and some smartphones are designed for better web browsing and social media and so on. Buying the latest Android version or iOS version doesn't help because you have to focus on the processor, RAM, internal storage capacity and so many other things. What I do is I sit down; write down all the features that I want in my smartphone. I also write certain features that I don’t want or that I am willing to sacrifice because you will certainly have some drawbacks in any model that you choose. I then focus only and only on what features are absolutely necessary for me, irrespective of what others think or buy. I do this for all other products that I want to purchase that helps me to narrow down on what I really need. 

Read Product Reviews

Before I even proceed further, let me confess that there are various kinds of product reviews you will find online. Some written by irate customers, some paid ones that are written by freelance writers like me and some by industry experts. Take your time and read through multiple product reviews before you make your mind. Also please keep in mind that not everything mentioned in the product review is true. It could be that the product that the reviewer is reviewing is not as good as he/she expected and therefore the reviewer voted poorly, but the same product could satisfy all your expectations because you have a different set of expectations. Some product reviews are written by freelance writers like me who are paid by companies. I have written positively about many products that I personally thought were waste of money, but that’s my job. Of course, if you bought those products you would be cursing me and I understand that frustration completely. When you read a product review, focus only on features and not on how the reviewer is feeling about those features. For instance, the reviewer will say the reading angles of the smartphone from the side is poor, so you can't see the fonts and icons clearly. Now, the question is are you really going to read that way all the time? If not, you should not be bothered about the side visibility of the screen. Instead focus only on the screen ppi which is the pixel density and the glass panel used.

Customer Feedback and Reviews

Many customers prefer to write their experiences after buying products. Hence, when you go on sites like Amazon you will find that there are many customer reviews right below the product. Now, it is important for you to read those reviews, but don’t be judgmental about it. There are many companies that actually pay writers like me to write those reviews posing as customers. So, even those reviews or experiences are not completely true. Some are written by irate customers who are not even sure what they want and now that they have not received the right product they are just venting their frustration using whatever options they have to drive down the sales. What I do is I just stay focus on what features are important to me. For instance, if the smartphone is voted poorly on battery life and if the customers have mentioned that they hate the battery life because it gets depleted in few hours, I don’t mind because for me that is not an issue. So even when the smartphone has been voted poorly for battery life I would still discount those reviews and focus on something that matters to me.

YouTube Unboxing and Review Videos

I always make a point to watch these YouTube videos where they unbox and review the products. It’s a great way to watch the product first hand and see how it looks in real. Unboxing and review videos are good, but again you got to detach yourself from what the reviewer has to say. There might be some good points that these videos might tell you that normal reviews might miss out on so ensure that the product fits your requirements and budget.

Compare

I believe the compare factor works really well for those who are not brand focused. If you are loyal to certain brands you might not make the most out of comparing different products, but if you are willing to move on other brands comparing will help you find a better product. For instance, I am quite loyal to HTC in terms of smartphones and I was recently searching for a new smartphone. The features I wanted were available with HTC smartphones, but the price factor was beyond my budget. I compared it with other similar phones and I found Asus Zen Phone 5 that has similar specifications. I bought Asus Zen Phone 5 at a price that fits my budget and that fits my requirements. So, comparing helped me to discover similar or better products that I can use. In fact, I also found that Moto G was in the same performance category and price bracket, so I could have bought that as well.

Recommendations

Recommendation is a better way to find better products/services. Why? Because our friends and relatives are using those products and at the back our mind we start assuming that those products are good for us as well. We buy it even before we think twice about it. For instance, I go to a friend’s place I see this great HDTV and I am in love with it. I buy it impulsively in the next few days, but then I realize there are certain features in it that don’t suit my lifestyle, or there are certain features missing that I wanted in the first place and that brings my satisfaction level crashing down. Personally, I don’t ask for recommendations because I have a different lifestyle as compared to any of my best friends or relatives. In fact, every family has a different way of living. I certainly take that product into consideration while I am researching, but I don’t just buy it blindly because my loved ones have it.

Conclusion

Consumer market today is flooded with wide variety of products and services from different companies and brands. This makes it easier for us to make choices, but at the same time it can be dauntingly confusing. I believe there is no buying tips and trick that can help you find the right product/service that you want, but you need to stay informed and aware to make the right decisions. I hope this post will help buyers to make better decisions when they go out shopping online or offline and get 100% satisfaction and ensure that they invest their hard earned money on the right product or service.  

One Lovely Blog Award - What Inspires Me and What Keeps Me Going?

When I look back in time, I can’t find the moment that ignited the writer in me. In fact, the funny thing is that although I write professionally for a living, I don’t really consider myself a professional writer. I am a passionate one, but it’s hard to tell anything about the early days of that passion. I believe the roots of my writing lie in the fact that I was reserved and shy, but at the same time I had the urge to share what I was observing quietly. I was observing people, things, circumstances and even my own life and I wanted to share that on a large scale without uttering a word because when I utter more words my feet tremble, my hands shake and my voice would get choked.

Anyways, this post is dedicated to all the people that inspire me and push me to write better. Generally, it is the people around you that push you to do better and to reach out for things that you think is far beyond your reach. For me, it’s the quite opposite. Although, there are people close to me that have encouraged me to do better, I have more people who are far away from me, but they have allowed me to go beyond my comfort zone and try new things.

Today, when I woke up I saw an email from Cheryl with a note that she nominated me for the One Lovely Blog Award. I was touched, deeply. I mean I have friends that don’t even read my blogs and somewhere out there I have Cheryl, never met me in person and she is nominating me pushing my simple content to people she know. Cheryl, I am so grateful to you for all this. So, as she mentioned I am writing this and taking the chain ahead.

Like she said there are certain things that you need to do to take this forward:

First, copy and paste the logo to display the award.

Second, give out 7 facts about yourself. What inspires you and make your creativity tick.

Third and the last thing write or talk about bloggers to boost their blogs and to pass on the love.

7 Things that Inspire Me and Facts

My biggest source of inspiration might sound strange to you guys, but it’s not a person, it’s a place. Marine Drive has always remained at the core of my heart and I actually wrote one blog about it on my IndiaDestinationsBlog mentioning how close this place is to my heart. I used to visit this C-shaped boulevard with my mother. After her death, I used to visit this place alone. Cry here for hours staring the humongous Arabian Sea ahead, but it was here that I wrote my first poem. Funny to say, but whenever I visit Marine Drive in stress, I’ve gone back with positive answers.

Sarah, my wife is the next on my list. I guess more than a couple, we are friends. Individually, we might be imperfect, but together we are just perfect for each other. We’ve faced some great life challenges together and to be together and that makes us stronger. We talk and discuss about almost everything without hesitating. She is probably the ONLY ONE who knows me as me and probably understands me more than I do about myself.

Nature is the third thing that inspires me to write more. This is one of the reasons why I decided to move out from the Mumbai city that leaves no room for nature. I love to admire the huge mountains and listen to the flow of water down the river. I love to see those shadows of clouds of mountains and the thundering rain, frogs croaking, birds whistling and leaves rustling. I believe no technology can give that kind of luxury.

Mumbai city is where I was born and brought up. I have seen this city and have been an integral part of it. It’s like my second mother and has been close to my heart. I love the spirit of locals here who do not stop at anything. It’s a race against the time where 24 hours just pass by in a blink. It might not be as developed as New York or London, but it has its own lifestyle where people are left behind, if they take a breather.

Communication is at the core of human lifestyle and we all love to talk to each other, express our views and share and like things. I am no different, but the only thing is I don’t prefer to say it aloud. I prefer to write instead and share things and communicate my heart out.

Travel inspires me in its own small ways. I love to meet new people, go places where I’ve never been and see things that I don’t know exist. It gives me the opportunity to widen the horizon of my knowledge and what I really know. I prefer places that are least visited because that’s where you find untouched nature and the real essence of people.

Knowledge is also one of the factors that inspire me to write more. If I am attracted by something, I want to know almost everything about it. I guess the Knowledge is Power phrase has stayed with me since my school days and I love to read on so many different things from animals, insects, technology, science and religion and even classic novel writers and so on.

Apart from all the 7 inspirational factors above, I also get inspired by bloggers and writers that I follow regularly. Sometimes I am busy with my own writing projects, but whenever I have time I read these blogs that help me keep my sanity, creativity and above all inspire me to write more.

Here are my nominees:

Daniel Antion

http://nofacilities.com/

I met Dan in a private group and I am lucky that I did. I am always inspired about the way he writes and the way he infuses humor into the content that I cannot. I am quite straight-forward and simple in terms of how I put my content. It was only after reading many blogs of Dan I decided that I should step out of the travel blog zone and write on different things like him. He writes about his experiences while he is traveling for work or when is going through some experiences that intrigue him.

Cheryl Pennington

http://tropicalaffair.me/

If you love poems, read Cheryl’s poems and you’ll see what I am talking about. She also writes stories, but more than that I love her pictures and poems. I love photography and I believe she is leagues ahead of me in terms of poetry and photography both. She also does art work for books and she has done it so well. I can only ask of getting 10% of the talent of what she does in terms of photography and poems.

Paul Ruddock

http://echoesofthepen.com/

I certainly look up to Paul when it comes to humor and short stories. He is a master at it and I believe his stories can give you the right dose of comedy when you are unhappy with what life just offered you. He also writes book reviews and gladly he does not put his personal bias in it, nor does he give away any spoilers which is good. He is my Master of Comedy.

Damyanti Biswas

http://damyantiwrites.wordpress.com

First, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Damyanti that she allowed me to be a part of a blog group where I found new friends. Damyanti writes about creative writing and about various workshops and travel and different things that cross her mind. She has a different perspective which I admire and I have so much to learn from her. She might not even notice this, but every time I read her article I improve my vocabulary. I find a new word that I can now put to use. Her writings inspire me in small ways that make a big difference to what I write.

Peter Nena

http://drkillpatient01.wordpress.com/

He is my very personal Stephen King and I am not saying this because I know him or just flattering around. You’ve got to read his horror short stories to understand why I say that. I’ve read Stephen King and many other horror writers from the UK, but they didn’t impress me much. With Peter things are different; he gradually sucks you into the world of darkness and presents horror in a situation that seems so real and scary. If you love horror short stories I would recommend you to read some of his stories.

Lauren Mokasdar

http://englishwifeindianlife.com/

Lauren hails from the UK, but now she resides in the same state that I do, Maharashtra. Although, she is miles away, I stay connected with her through her blogs that share about her experiences in India after she got married to an Indian. Simple, straight-forward and intriguing, her blogs not just reflect the mentality of people around her, but also how she has coped and survived to stay in an environment which is completely alien to her. Living in the “Orange City – Nagpur” she has now transformed herself to Indian conditions. If anybody internationally wants to know how it feels like living in India you should read some of her early blogs, they are absolutely true to the core.

Shraddha Bhatia

http://shradhabhatia.com/

I agree that I might not Shraddha much, but her blogs inspire me and relax my nerves. Well, when I read her About Me page, I was simply blown away. Her English is impeccable and every time I read her articles, I only wish my English moves up to that scale. She writes about her experiences and about lifestyle, style and fashion and even some travel that she does.

How to Live Your Dream for the Rest of Your Life?

It took me around 7 long years to decide that I don’t want to continue working in call centers and focus on something creative that gives me pleasure from within. Well, I was not that brave enough then to take bold steps, but unfortunately life put me into that situation where I had no options. It was a Do or Die situation for me and I chose to do things the way I want to and not let life dictate how I want to move ahead. While all this sounds quite interesting when you read it in a book or view a heroic event in a movie, things are quite different in real life. Living on your terms is not that easy and you have to pay a price for it. There will be challenges, but there are ways to survive and thrive. 

Here I am discussing some challenges that you might come across and also some solutions to how you can handle those effectively.

Challenge 1 – Social Pressure

Well, you might think the biggest challenge comes from strangers, but the fact is that you might face tough time explaining things to your loved ones and friends and relatives. Remember this – Only a Dreamer can see his dream. If you have a dream you need to protect it, not just from strangers but from your loved ones and friends as well. They might not be able to see your dream, but you do. Be a little selfish and insensitive and focus on your goals. If you start caring too much about people you will find it hard to achieve your objective. If you have someone that really cares for you, share your dreams and your partner will make things easier for you.

Challenge 2 – Money

The world moves around money and at some point money will become a major challenge. It could be in any possible way. It could be that you don’t have money to start your new business or it could be that you are not making enough money from your hobbies. Never let it weaken your determination. Read some rag to riches stories and you will find that some of the people on the millionaire list were not that rich earlier.

Challenge 3 – Hard Work

We always see top executives and celebrities enjoying the best parties in town and going for that ultra-luxurious holiday trips taking their selfies and posting it on social networking sites. Well, don’t let that fool you. Living your dream isn’t that easy and you will have to work many hours at stretch to earn that kind of lifestyle. Nothing substitutes for hard work and when you are living your dream and doing what you love you will cross over this challenge with a smile.

Challenge 4 – Comparisons

We all like to compare and do a quick review of where we stand and how we are progressing. That’s good, but don’t start comparing your progress with others’ progress because that will discourage you. I often see some of my friends comparing their lives and their work with mine, that’s wrong. Focus on your individual performance few months ago with the current one and see if there is any progress. Push yourself to do better than before and take your performance to the next level. Others might probably do better than you in terms of money and job security and that might creep in some amount of envy and disappointment, but don’t let that bother you. Focus on your dream, not theirs.

Challenge 5 – Patience

Patience is the key to success, but it can be a challenge as well. When you are living your dream or working on your dream project you need to be patient and focus on the work rather than success. You need to understand that it will take time for your dream to turn into reality so you need to stick with it, in your head and in your soul. Many people give up on their dreams after some time because they feel it won’t happen. Don’t set unachievable targets and always consider unexpected issues that can mess your plans. 

Being a Ghostwriter – 5 Years of My Life

Last month I completed five years being a freelance ghostwriter and content writer on the internet and I am quite thrilled about it, but in some ways I still see some struggles and challenges that I still have to overcome. I am not really a Plan-My-Career type, so I moved into various job sectors until all my options crashed in 2009 – when the global recession hit the world. Like millions around the world, I lost my job. I was terribly scared about the entire situation mainly because I had very little financial backup in my bank account. There were jobs in the market, but the companies were paying peanuts which I wasn't happy with. After around three months of struggle, I finally found someone who was willing to offer me a job based only on my talent, and not on certifications. This was the moment I've been waiting.

The Initial Resurrection after Recession

I won’t mind if anybody called me an accidental writer because I never really planned to be one. Those days, I was desperately seeking out for options to make money and to explore the creative side of me and when I got the opportunity; I grabbed it with two hands. Since then I am into this work-from-home content and ghostwriting business that allows me to write on wide range of topics. To be honest, early on I had little confidence in my own articles. It took me almost a year to get that confidence. I made mistakes and knew things about SEO and keywords and all that. It was a tough phase for me, although I was sitting home. Of course, many of my friends never really understood the darker side of this profession and neither did I.

The Ghost Image

The funny part about being a ghostwriter is that everybody believes you are doing well. Financially. Mentally. Physically. How? Well, I am earning in US dollars, so I am financially well off. I have no mental stress because I am always home and have international clients just an email away and guess what I don’t have to commute on a daily basis. For many around me, I was enjoying the dream job of my life, while the truth is that it was quite a challenge having no prior experience and information about how to write and impress clients. I was equipped with passion and talent, but no guidance. I was home, yes, but I was typing and creating content for hours at stretch sometimes exceeding more than 20 articles a day. Gradually, I moved into a comfort zone where I was quite good at writing articles, but I was quickly losing my steam writing the same stuff over and over for multiple clients. I became a Human-Printer. The only difference between me and a printer was I had the intelligence to write the same content in multiple ways thus abiding to CopyScape guidelines. Thankfully, for me the initial launch was quite easy. Thanks to one of my friends Jyotsna who brought me enough projects and help me sustain and survive all these years. However, like any other profession, online writing has its own challenges that took me completely by surprise.

The Realization Part – I am a Ghost

When you are into ghostwriting you might be happy that you are being paid well, but you still don’t see your name anywhere. Almost after three years of ghostwriting, I realized that I really don’t exist on the internet. I was a ghost. Paid for writing skills, not for the name. So, if you are opting for ghostwriting as your career you have to realize that you need to put your name out without actually putting your name all over the content you write. Hope I am making sense here.

The Dilemma – Being Ghost, Being Visible

Most freelancers would agree that in the world of online writing it is all about “Being Visible” and that is something I am not good at all. I am not much into social networking sphere. I don’t meet too many people. So I had to start something afresh. In a desperate attempt to make my mark, I started my new travel blog and I have worked hard to get better visibility. I am not sure if I have achieved that amount of visibility, but in this process I have made some good blogger friends, true and supportive and creative genius in their own way. I would consider myself lucky that they allowed me to be a part of their group and that they read my blogs and articles I write. On a better note, they inspire me to write on different topics and let me keep my sanity.

There Are More Ghosts – Be a Ghost-Hunter

While online writing sounds exciting it can be extremely challenging especially in a developing country like India. Freelance writers are human beings that live as per jungle code. Find-A-Prey-and-Live-Another-Day. Other writers here are hungry for more work and clients and that means they are going to slash their rates and that will only make your quest for work harder. On the other hand, you have to live up to the expectations of the clients and ensure that you offer them what they want. Now that Google has modified the search algorithm, international clients are hunting for US writers that speak native language which means Asian writers are stooping lower making it harder for quality writers to make a living.

Being More than a Ghost

Content writing and ghostwriting sounds like a great way to earn passive income and to explore the creativity in you, but you need to put in more than just your passion and creativity. You need better social networking skills and you need to engage with more people that can help you out with your efforts, or you might just feel left out like me. You also have to be communicative and sort of stubborn about the rates you charge from your clients rather than stooping extremely low like most do. Create your own blogs and sites that works like your resume so that you can display the quality of work you do. However, the most important thing you will need being a ghost-writer is patience. Don’t expect overnight or short term success and focus on the quality of work you do. Ultimately, when you love what you do, things begin to roll the way you want it.

Interesting Facts and Legends Related to Lord Ganesha

When you come down to India, you will find Lord Ganesha or Lord Ganpati in almost all states across India. You will see small and large temples dedicated to Lord Ganesha and hundreds of believers and followers visiting the temple to offer prayers and asking for forgiveness and strength and wisdom to fulfill their dreams. While Indians pray to many more Gods, Lord Ganesha remains the most popular of all. During Ganesh Chaturthi, individuals and societies and communities bring in the idol of Lord Ganesha and worship it for ten days and then immerse it in the water. This time I am diverting from my usual topics and focusing on why Lord Ganesha is so immensely popular throughout India. I will also add some tales related to Lord Ganesha that probably my international visitors have never heard before.

Birth and Rebirth

Every life on earth starts with a birth. The story of birth of Lord Ganesha is as interesting as the God Himself. Lord Ganesha is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. The legend goes like this – Once, while Goddess Parvati wanted to take a bath she found that there were no attendants around to guard her and stop anyone from accidentally entering the house. Utilizing Her powers she creates a statue of a boy out of the paste which she had prepared to cleanse her body. She infused life to that statue and this is how Lord Ganesha was born. Till now, Ganesh was just a regular boy with a human face and not the elephant-headed God that you see in the pictures. Parvati ordered his son Ganesh not to allow anybody enter the house. Ganesha obeys her mother standing right at the door ensuring no one enters the house. This is when Lord Shiva walks in and finds this strange boy standing at the door.

Ganesha immediately warns Lord Shiva to stop and return which sort of displeases Lord Shiva who was gone for years for war and had returned home. Lord Shiva was known for his quick-temper and excellent sword skills. He was not happy with how the boy warned him and asked him to return. After all it was Lord Shiva’s home and this boy was actually denying the access to his own home. Lord Shiva warned the boy again and demanded that he let him enter or suffer the consequences, but Ganesha was obedient and brave. He didn’t move. Feeling insulted, Lord Shiva drew his sword and sent Ganesha’s head flying off far into the distance. Inside the bathing area, Parvati heard the commotion and she decided to check the scene. She was terribly distraught at the scene seeing her son’s beheaded body. She screamed at Lord Shiva, “You have killed our son!” Lord Shiva felt pain and was filled with remorse when he realized that he accidentally beheaded his own son. He promised Parvati to bring back life to his son. He hurled his trishul (a traditional trident weapon) and commanded the weapon to bring Him the head of the first living creature that came across. It happened to be an elephant. The elephant head was attached to the body of Ganesh and he was brought back to life.  While Ganesha lost his head, he gained respect and love of Lord Shiva for the bravery and obedience. Lord Ganesha becomes the second son of Lord Shiva and Parvati along with Kartikeya as his brother.

The Lord of Intelligence and Wisdom

Lord Ganesha is considered the God of prosperity, wisdom and good fortune. This is why Hindus pray to Lord Ganesha before starting any new project or buying a new home. It is believed that Lord Ganesha will offer them the intelligence and wisdom and keep them on the right track and bring prosperity and success.

Here is one legend that symbolizes just that.

As per Hindu scriptures, Narad Muni gives a special gifted-fruit to Lord Shiva and Parvati saying that they should give it to their favorite son. For a long time, both Shiva and Parvati discussed about who should get the fruit, Ganesha or Kartikeya as they loved both their children equally. Finally they decided to test and let the winner take the fruit. Lord Shiva and Parvati called Ganesha and Kartikeya and asked them to race around the world three times. The one who comes first is the winner and will get this gifted-fruit. Kartikeya was quite certain that he would win because he had a peacock as his vehicle so he would just fly around the world and win the race while Ganesha’s vehicle was a mouse. A mouse is no match to his fast peacock Kartikeya thought and so he flew off wasting no time. Ganesha stood there for a while and then he started circling his parents. He made three rounds and stopped. Lord Shiva and Parvati asked him, “Ganesha why are you circling us and why are you not going for the race?” Lord Ganesha answered, “You, my parents are my world and my universe and so circling around you is as good as circling the world.” This answer immediately impressed Lord Shiva and Parvati and they decided to give the fruit to Lord Ganesha. When Kartikeya returned he accepted the wisdom and intelligence of his brother Ganesha and he let him win the gifted-fruit.

History of Ganesh Chaturthi Festival

Ganesh Chaturthi marks the day when Lord Ganesha was born. Hindus have been celebrating this day for many centuries, but it was not like the 10-day festival that we see these days across India. This style of festival came up in 1893 and was first started by Lokmanya Tilak, an Indian freedom fighter and social reformer who transformed the traditional home festival into a community event. At that time, India was under the British rule and Britishers would not allow Indians to form groups on a social level or publicly fearing uprising, scheming and formation of rebel groups. This was the time when Lokmanya Tilak decided to bring in the concept of Ganesh Chaturthi that allowed people to come together on a social scale and which British officers would not deny considering that there is religious sentiment attached to it. It also brought many high and low class people on the same level breaking class and caste barriers. Eventually, this concept grew across the nation and many communities and societies decided to bring in idols that they could worship and bring in more people to unite and celebrate as One.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Days ago, (weeks ago should be the right now that I am posting this article almost after a week I actually wrote it) I read an article written by Damyanti on 'who do you follow'. Honestly, that was an interesting question, but I am not going to talk about that here. I am here to talk about the complexity about being in the social networking sphere or not. It is certainly a tough choice to make, especially if you are harnessing the power of internet to promote your talent and creativity. There are many others that can certainly switch on and switch off to social networking sites because they are exploring that just out of curiosity. On the other side, there are individuals like me that put down our thoughts and feelings on blogs and sites and we crave for some amount of readership, both on personal and professional level.

Individuals like me are caught in the net because we want some amount of sensible and like-minded people that can share their viewpoints and information, but instead we see this huge list of people that are just there to feed us with spam. The problem is quite impossible to solve because if you follow certain people and ignore the rest you might not get the kind of response that you want. If you keep following more and more people chances are that you may find people that might be interested in quality communication, but then you also have to handle the garbage that comes with it. The answer lies somewhere in finding the right balance. You have to sort out the good ones from the bulk and use them appropriately and be useful to them in return.

I am certainly not the guy meant for social networking. Not that I have not used the potential of these sites. These sites have helped me make new friends globally (I am glad about the small close knit group I am part of), but making hundreds of friends and followers is not the thing I aim for. I would certainly go for quality of friends and contacts, but I have my own problem. I am a writer and I would like to communicate to millions out there. This is paradoxical in some way because I don't want tons of people in my profile, but I need them to read my content. This is probably what many others feel and they often feel like doing away with social networking sites, but they cannot. Why? Because the world is out there. On Facebook, Twitter and many other social networking sites. Its like the current under your feet, you got to flow along with it, or disappear forever. If you're not on Facebook or Twitter  no one is listening to you. Even the giant corporate firms that have the financial power to hire the most popular celebs feel the need to harness the potential of social networking. If you don't you are left out.

I am not here to dissect social networking into good or bad. It may be bad to some and probably to some it may be the best thing in the world that also depends on our individual experiences. It all comes down to what we choose and how we sort out the garbage in the right way. Probably, at times you might just feel that you are stuck between the devil (other social networking sites) and the deep blue sea (Facebook).

What Influences You?

Even before I start writing any further, let me tell you this one is inspired by one of Dan’s blog posts (one of my blog group friends), so in a way I am dedicating this one to him. Dan, you deserve this. Well, in his post, Dan talked about LinkedIn invitation for subscribing to some top influencers which he ignored and also some of the offers to “Go Pro” which he rejected. To be honest, I am not a people’s man. You don’t see me attending parties, social gatherings, functions, or any local events. I am living in my own world. As rightly pointed out by one of my friends, I am a “kuaa no dedko”. Now, that is a local Gujarati phrase which means “a frog who lives in a well”. I am not bothered about my neighbors, my society people or anything else.

However, that does not mean I am not influenced by people. In fact, I am a distant observer. I don’t talk to you, I don’t “hello” you, but I still see you, observe you and I collect information about you through what others speak about you. I cannot really say how and when this thing hit me, but I guess I can at least say that it was mainly after I joined Elphinstone College that I got hit by this wave of knowledge and certain people that changed me into what I am. Of course, my mother has influenced me a lot. I still do things that she taught me when I was too young to differentiate between right and wrong, but there are others and other things that has influenced me and made me what I am.

I agree with Dan’s idea that there cannot be certain set of people that can influence you because you can influenced by millions of things around you, not just human beings. For instance, after I took Sociology, my perception of life in India has changed completely. Similarly, I am influenced by many people that I don’t speak to. It can be just anybody, even a stranger sitting next to me in the train. I don’t have to be friend with him or her. Similarly, I know many of my friends who are influenced by me. I feel this quite strange that someone can get inspired from my acts and my decisions, but I have seen that happening. Honestly, I sometimes feel awkward that someone should follow what I am doing, but the truth is they do. I get influenced by movies, I get influenced by poems, by songs, by inspirational quotes that I see on some poster or on computer wallpapers. It’s a feeling of realization and it has an effect on your character from that very moment.

In fact, if anybody of LinkedIn is reading this, I would like to tell that even those top influencers whom they put into that slot are influenced by common people like us. To be brutally honest, these top influencers might be paid users that are using LinkedIn services and probably that’s why the company is putting their profile in such slots. How do you know that these set of guys are going to have some potential influence on my mind? Only because they are holding higher positions or they are in the same field as me? Influence, as rightly pointed out by Dan is not just an exclusive set of people because then you are just limiting yourself and how you think. If you really want to be influenced you have to focus on everything around you and not just people. Sometimes, even hard time and complex relationships can influence the way you think and understand life. It is all about how you perceive and take things in stride as you continue your journey of life.