After 10 days...

Well, well, well...so much for the new plan!

I am very sorry to see that I have only been able to stick to the plan around 30% of the time. This is not a great figure obviously, but I have found out some holes in the plan that I had filed to cover. Today, however, was a better day in terms of physical activity.

I have also come across certain issues which were not there before, but have cropped up now (more about them in some later post, after some postmortem). So now this whole is dedicated to experiments with various techniques and finally coming up with a game plan.

It seems to me as if something is here already, but is just out of reach...Now working on increasing my reach. More power to me! :D

Can eating healthy really impact the way one feels?

I was reading this article at stevepavlina.com and I really started wondering when I reached the point where he says that vegans tend to have better relationships. Now I have been a vegetarian all my life but am I good at relationships? According to my friends, I suck at 'em. Do I really? That's a different story for different time...

For now, I need to understand if the way I eat affects the way I feel. Sure, I agree that if I put good stuff in my body, I am showing that I care about what happens to my body. But who will decide what is good and what is bad? If I crave a certain kind of food, what does it mean? Am I not caring for my body then? Am I numbing my senses to postpone facing ugly truths?

To know these answers once and for all, for the next 21 days I am going off anything that is called 'junk food'. No more eating anything that is not cooked/concocted in my house. I will also try to keep it as fresh as possible.

So for next 21 days I am committing to:
1. Light dinner, heavy breakfast
2. 50-60% raw diet
3. At least half hour of some physical activity everyday
4. No junk food, no sodas, no bakery item
5. Sweets as less as possible - can't swear off them completely, coz I have one heck of a sweet tooth!
6. Writing about my experience

This is a tall order, but I am going for it.

Hopefully, I will come out enlightened on the other side of this experiment.

Ciao for now.

Positivity Post No. 6

With every list, my positivity gets further enforced. My suggestion is for everyone to continue this for 14 more days, as anything done for 21 dyas continuously becomes a habit. And putting up a gratitude list is one habit that I am sure everyone will be glad to cultivate!

Today I am thankful for:

1. Two connections I made out of the blue, both related to a dream project of mine that has been on the back burner for a long time.

2. My MacBook - am still discovering its awesome functionalities.

3. Luxury to sleep in the afternoon.

4. Homemade pizza - that I made - loved them!

5. Complete recovery from stomach infection.

6. Great conversation with an enterprising friend - we brainstormed regarding so many business ideas!

7. Perry Mason novels - awesome companions on a dull afternoon.

Positivity Post No. 5

As my commitment to write this gratitude list deepens, I find that I have more and more things to be thankful for and hence the list invariably grows - just like that!

Today, I am thankful that:

1. I was reminded to take a deep, deep breath and take a second to do just that. It was peaceful.

2. I got appreciated by complete strangers.

3. I got friends that care.

4. I was remembered by someone whom I had forgotten.

5. small joys and gestures do not escape my notice.

6. a friend got down from his vehicle and ensured that I found conveyance. He need not have done that. especially when it was raining so hard, but he did it anyway.

7. the guy at the medicine store was amiable with us when we told him we were short of cash as the doctor took it all (he really did! :D) and gave us medicines in such a way that we won't have to go out again to buy medicines and I could even buy a chocolate!

8. I found extra 500/- in my purse exactly when I realized that I was not carrying enough to pay for my purchases.

9. I got inspired by Preeti to join this experiment, which has now become a phenomenon. Join the group on Facebook.

Positivity Post No. 4

26th July 2010

Busy day today, and therefore I have more than 5 things to be thankful for...but my list is here, it was a day of learning:

1. Learned the art of showing someone the mirror without being judgmental. Also learned to see it myself.

2. Learned to stay relaxed even while oscillating between 2 decisions.

3. Learned to let go once I have said my piece/done my part.

4. Learned to stand up for myself and take some risks even if it means some immediate situations/people will change.

5. Learned to go easy on mon estomac (I am reminded on Hercule Poirot on sea)!

6. Learned to expect small pleasant surprises: got 4 free tickets to a weekend movie! YAY!

7. New business came my way from an old client.

Affirmation for today: Tomorrow is already bringing new gifts, new joys, new pleasures and good news.

Positivity Post No. 3

Day 3 of the Positivity Experiment.

Today was not a fun day at all...I am not well and therefore have come to the computer only now. It was difficult to find 5 things to b thankful for today, but I did it:

1. The weather: lazy, yet comforting...slept my way to almost recovery.

2. My maid - she helped with my feet pain.

3. The Discovery channel - had a nice time watching TV after a long time, that too for so long at a stretch.

4. Alice in Wonderland. 'Nuff said!

5. My brother, Prachir, for his support.

Positivity Post No. 2: The day after yesterday

Today's post is in continuation with yesterday's post. The five things that I am thankful for today is:

1. My friend Manisha - she did something wonderful for me today, making it a landmark day. Thank you for your guidance, love and most precious gift of all: time! Also for introducing me to a lot of new things today.

2. My current time in life where I can afford to get up and go for a movie first thing in the morning (today we saw Salt).

3. Christopher Nolan  - for making Memento, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Prestige and the most awesome movie ever - Inception! Thank you God and Christopher Nolan himself for being on Earth.

4. My Tarot.

5. The four strangers whom I met today at various places within an hour and had a tiff with all of them. They provided instant irritation, contrasting emotions and became characters of funny stories that I narrated to my friends.

:D All in all, pretty interesting day!!

Rest in next.

Positivity Post No. 1

This is my positivity post number 1. I will be posting everyday for seven days and each day list 5 things that I am thankful for. I have started this post after getting inspired by Preeti Shenoy who blogs here. [To read about her seven days positivity experiment, click here.] I have decided to join this experiment as while reading it, I felt it was a classic case of an advisor not following her own advise me - meaning your's truly and not Preeti! When I perform tarot readings for people, creating a gratitude list is something that I frequently advise. However, I myself stopped keeping my own gratitude journal long back... Last night, I was going through another post about how to shape your life in the way you want and y thoughts were drifting towards my gratitude journal and next thing I know, Preeti is writing about it! Now this was too much of a coincidence for me to ignore this 'calling' :D. So here goes my list:

1. The rains! Its raining today and its BEE-YOU-TEE-FOOL. 

2. My terrace garden is thriving. 

3. Great lunch with some great friends.

4. My cat!

5. A conversation with my dad a little while ago. 

May this atitude of gratitude stay with me!

“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” — Cynthia Ozick