Monika Suri

Lockdown changed our life upside down From the last 4 months our life pattern has entirely changed . We are all locked down in our homes, not able to meet our loved ones , not able to reach out to friends and just jump on them for a hug . It’s difficult to even imagine that in near future . During Lockdown 1.0 the country together rang  bells in the balconies , lighted diyas to be a ray of light and hope for the warriors . In those initial days It felt to me as if I was on a holiday from my hectic work schedule. Though the news did send vibes full of worriness but I was creatively happy trying new dishes in my kitchen . The month long blogging challenge I took in April kept me positively busy during lockdown 2.0 and I was working hard to publish my eBook .By the end of Lockdown 3.0 , my book ‘The Silver Lined mommy’ was published and I wanted to be back to the normal routine but there came the next phase of Lockdown. The place where I live still being in red zone , it was  becoming st

Love, friendship, networking – these are all critical connections and the foundation of a healthy, happy life. Networking is very important in professional as well in personal life . At offline level , I won’t say I am  bad at networking but I am not exceptionally  good at it . When it comes to online  networking , I would say I am not good at it . I know I lack online networking skills . It’s not that I am not doing it . I am there on FB, Twitter , Instagram , Pinterest and here also  I  am networking with you all being a  part of month long blogging campaign #BlogchatterA2Z . But still I am not very good at it and I admit that I have never even worked hard for it . Effective networking isn’t a result of luck – it requires hard work and persistence. Networking aspects I am bad at , and need to improve upon : Letting the world know I am blogging for the last three years . But still I find it difficult to post my latest post on my FB profile . I do post it on my page but I don’t know

Self-care for a woman and Cooking  Cooking is like an essential qualification to be a woman . Whether you are a SAHM or a working woman , you have to be skilled in cooking . You may have faced the questions  like ‘ Khana banana aata hai na? ’ or the exclamatory comments like ‘What ? You don’t know how to cook !’ during the period when parents were searching a matrimonial  match for you . People make you feel like you are incomplete without this skill . Time , experience , hit-n-trial, mistakes , transform you into the  skilled chef of your own family . Everybody looks towards you many times a day to satisfy their hunger  . Not just basic hunger ,you have to take care of their emotional hunger too . Everyday there is a big question your own mind asks – Aaj kya banaun ? or they may ask ‘ Aaj kya bnaya hai ? ’ Whatever work you are doing or wherever you are , the kind of  thoughts  which are  always at the back of your mind are : What my  husband or children would like to eat today ? Wh

Fitness for women over 40  is a topic of discussion which I notice at my workplace , with my cousins and also on social media . Whatsapp and Facebook are a great source of all the gyan but they become a source of tension too at times . Watching all other posting smart pics or videos of them doing treadmill , may force our minds to go into a comparison mode and we start feeling depressed . Isn’t it ? I am neither  a fitness expert nor a woman with a perfect fitness level . But I can share some practical  tips for you on ‘Fitness for women over 40’ . Kick the idea out of your mind that it’s difficult to maintain fitness over 40 Nothing is impossible . Even health experts say that fitness can be achieved at any age . By fitness you want energy , muscular strength , good metabolism and a body in shape . You may not get a slim figure as the girls of 20s but you can definitely be graceful . So first of all kick the stupid fact that it’s difficult to maintain fitness over 40 . Be determine

When the human   life is surrounded by negativity , tension , fights , stress , hunger , poverty , disease , deaths , many kind of thoughts come up in one’s  mind . When you listen to the news of fast spreading virus and deaths here and there , the mind goes speechless and thoughtless at times . It feels scary too . How  unpredictable Life is ! You never know how long you are going to live on this planet . Whatever life span  one has been granted , one should make it a worthy living . Our life should be meaningful and be able to do something good for others too . That’s what I am blogging  under #causeachatter . Joy of spreading positive vibes Joy of monetary help Our religion gives the concept of Dasvand  Keep aside some budget for charity every month Tiny gestures to adopt for monetary help  ‘Doing something good for others’ Let’s start doing little good things for others. Sometimes those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts .  Joy of spreading  Positive vibes The si

December 7 ,2019 Before I start , I would like to bring into your notice some of the incidents-little and big . Incident no 1 : Yesterday somebody had posted a video of a wedding  on facebook .  Jaimala was going on and first was bride’s turn . She put the garland around the groom and then touched his feet . There were many comments particularly of men on that video like – Ye hote hain sanskar , Ye hai asli Indian sabhyata , Ladke ki to life ban gyi , kitni sanskari bahu mili hai ….and so on . Incident no 2 : When I was a little girl I think I was in class 5 th , I was travelling with my mother in a local bus . I remember I was wearing a lemon colored  without sleeves  frock with my long hair open . A man , should I say an elderly uncle sat with us and I felt a strange   touch on my arms . The innocent me couldn’t say or explain anything but the only thing I knew was that  It felt bad .That day was my first experience of abuse ,although I  hardly understood the word  ‘abuse’ at

What kind of person I am ? Before I start writing about my habits , let me write about the kind of a person I am . I am a simple woman –not too much after fashion , brands or  make-up . I am most of the times a smiling person . It’s not that  I do not get angry , but I have observed that my anger lasts only for few minutes . I yell it away and then suddenly my smile is back. I also have the ‘Let-go’ tendency . That keeps me stress free in many situations . Now analyzing all these things , what should I call myself ? Will the word   ‘Easy-going’ be suitable ? ‘Easy-going’ is the person who keeps himself at ease while moving through Life In everybody’s life there are ups and downs , smiles and stress. Not all days are good . But on the same time not all days are bad . And you will agree that some days go very good . When I spent the good days excitedly with smiles , then I should be having enough strength to  move across the bad days without frowns . ‘Easy-going ‘ doesn’t mean that I am 

Everything changes . You acted like mad sometimes in college but now you find all that to be foolish . You were able to do high energy tasks when  young but with age , you start finding the task difficult . You used to love the risky rides but now you just can’t dare anything risky . You have started feeling the changes in yourself with age. You have got wrinkles on face , spectacles on eyes , grey hair , some aches in the body , some tensions in your mind or some regrets in your heart. We all change . That is natural . This natural course of life is prosperity .(How? Read a story ) But if you keep yourself young at heart , your biological age won’t matter much . Keep yourself enthusiastic about life always . Don’t keep regrets till the end of your life . Simple tips to stay always young at heart Be Honest , Truthful and Loving If you are not truthful  or honest or keep bad feelings for others , that is reflected on your personality . 2. Be Kind to others 3.Practice Gratitude  4. Find

Zen is a school of Buddhism that originated in China . The word Zen means meditation. Zen teachings emphasize  the value of meditation and intuition rather than ritual worship or study of scriptures. It offers a method of self-searching . Zen stories are great lessons for life. The lesson can be anything about life  which can be discovered through a life devoted to looking within yourself. Zen lesson about ‘Time’ Gasan , a japanese Zen master instructed his pupils one day ” Those who speak about killing and who desire to save the lives of all conscious beings are right . It is good to protect animals and insects . But what about those who are killing time ? Furthermore , what about the one who preaches without enlightenment ? Isn’t he killing Budhism ?”  The story teaches us the value of time . Time is wealth and once it is gone , you can’t bring it back . So one should make the best use of Time . Begin Today .   Zen lesson about ‘Temper’ A student went to his Zen master and complain

Spiritual health is basically one’s morals and life principles  -its how we treat ourselves and others when no one is looking .  Spiritual health is about the connection with self , others , the nature and God .  Spiritual health  is  one of the key aspects of overall health of a being . According to numerous studies , spiritual health leads to improved mental health  and is positively related to physical health too . No doubt that  the major component of spiritual health is the religious component- the religious thoughts or actions , But still a  person may not be  spiritually very healthy just because  he goes to a temple or other religious place daily . Spiritual health components Connection with God–Religious Component  The religious component means a sense of connection with God, love of God, prayer, the feeling that God is effective, and God-oriented knowledge, attitude, and behavior.  “ The most important and essential component of spiritual health is communication with God ” (1