Monika Suri

Starting September 1 , I am taking part in the BIG blogging campaign #MyfriendAlexa and I have been writing my posts under the theme #LetusKISS . KISS is an acronym for Keep it Simple and Significant and I express  my  gratefulness to God who made  me choose this as my theme  I have shared my mind and heart on keeping our Life as simple + significant , and stop unnecessarily making  it Complex . Let us focus more on the aspects which make Life significant , memorable and  appreciable . My Gratitude for Pains and Pleasures  Let us divert our focus from mere collection of  Things to collection of Moments . Let’s live our Life with Mindfulness rather than our minds always full of worries . Let us follow the path which leads to calmness , happiness , cheerfulness. To achieve a special kind of Fullness in life ,  Gratefulness also plays a major part . Gratefulness is magnification of the positive happenings in our life . If we can inculcate  a habbit of being grateful in all the time...

As I told you that in this month of  September I am participating in  the blogging campaign #MyFriendAlexa by the team Blogchatter.    For this month long blogging festival , I have decided a theme in which I would be sharing few thoughts ,  quotes or ideas which can help keeping your life simple and calm . My  Theme is :  # LetUsKISS . What is this theme  about ?  Well  It’s an acronym for KEEP IT SIMPLE But  SIGNIFICANT . #LetUsKISS –Let us keep it Simple But Significant Today all of us seem to have a very complex life .  We are most of the times  in a hurry  and feel  stressed . The reason may be our family , our boss , the traffic jam we faced on road , the messed up kitchen at home,   the EMIs which we have to pay ,  or may be some other reason  . But this is for sure that something or the other keeps our mind  cluttered .    Let’s try working on de-cluttering our lives step by step . Let’s start today with the subject – Less is More or More is Less ?...

  क्या ? आज मेरे जीवनकाल का आखिरी दिन है ? नहीं नहीं प्रभु ऐसी शीघ्रता मत दिखाओ अभी तो बहुत से कार्य बाकी हैं नौकरी , बच्चों की ज़िम्मेदारी , परिवार की देखभाल , सब बाकी है कुछ दिलों में अपनेपन के एहसास जगाना बाकी है कुछ प्रियजनों को गले लगाना बाकी है तो कुछ से माफ़ी माँगना बाकी है अपने कटु शब्दों के लिए पश्चाताप के आंसू बहाना भी बाकी है नहीं नहीं प्रभु ऐसी शीघ्रता मत दिखाओ अभी तो बहुत से कार्य बाकी हैं सोचा था रोज़ाना प्रभु स्मृति में चंद मिनट ज़रूर बिताएंगे रोज़ाना एक अच्छी आदत अपनाएंगें रोज़ाना नहीं तो कभी कभी तो ज़रूर किसी रोते को हसांयेंगें पर ये क्या ? आज मेरे जीवनकाल का आखिरी दिन है ? नहीं नहीं प्रभु ऐसी शीघ्रता मत दिखाओ अभी तो बहुत से कार्य बाकी हैं हम किन झमेलों में उलझे रहे ? रोज़ाना बस दौड़ते ही रहे ‘समय नहीं है’  ऐसा बहाना अक्सर दोस्तों को लगाते गए  सुबह नौकरी पर पहुँचने की दौड़ तो शाम को घर वापसी की दौड़ कभी दोस्त की बड़ी गाड़ी से जलन , तो कभी अपना घर न होने की कसक अभी तो इस जलन व् कसक को मिटाना बाकी है प्रभु नहीं नहीं प्रभु ऐसी शीघ्रता मत दिखाओ अभी तो बहुत से कार्य बाक...

As The friendship day arrives , I am reminded of all the lovely friends who have been a part of my life . From school to college and now some of my colleagues –all those friends have been  an important aspect of my life . Some of them are cute , some crazy , some are like  angry stuff and some are funny. Friends are so important in our life . And there are some special friends whom I  know since birth  and these are the ones who loved me yesterday , love me today and for sure would love me  forever . These special friends are my  Cousins . Yes  ! We are cousins by blood but friends by choice . Dear all cousins , you make my life worth living . I love you all ! Where should I start writing from ? The very first moments which unfold  in front of my eyes are the times when I , Nitu , Gitu would wear lehngas and dance for hours together at any family function , be it a small birthday party .  The music to our dance used to be given by Munish Bhaiya on his drums . That small birthday p...

Well I like to click pictures but I  am not  the kind of person you can call a selfie queen . I do like to click occasionally , especially when I am on a holiday or I am dressed up for some party . And you know,   my smile is part of my personality and obviously it is there whenever I pose for any picture . Any of my pictures,   which is by chance  clicked without a smile , appears so dull to me . I think one clicks a selfie only when one is really happy . Below is one of my smile wali selfie   which I love and  cherish . I took this selfie last year in June 2017 when we went on a holiday trip to Nepal .  The girl with me in this picture is neither any of my relatives or friends . She was a stranger to me until we clicked a smile wali selfie together . Actually we had hired a bike for one day in Pokhra , Nepal for local sightseeing . The weather was so pleasant ; I and my daughter were feeling the winds on the rear seat of the bike  as my husband drove on the hilly roads of Pokhra cit...

X stands for X-Factor X- Factor is a noteworthy special talent or quality , It’s an attribute beyond description , something which makes a person unique . A piece of fiction on “X-Factor” At the age of 62 , Today when I was being awarded with “Pratibha Puraskar ” by the district social club , I overheard someone saying ” That lady has an X-factor in her which makes her so special” . The term X-factor took me in my past . The only rosy part in my married life was that I got blessed with two beautiful daughters . To live with their father always was a task that tested my patience and quietude . I never knew my Art College degree would be wasted in such artistic roles like dusting , washing or just  cooking . I was happily playing all the roles of a maid and was sometimes  even being  treated   like the one , although my  official tag was that I was a Home Maker. One day one of my friends Ravita happened to call me after a gap of many years , As s...

W stands for Weakness A piece of fiction –“A woman” as described by her husband She was a kind heart . She always loved me and  my  family . She never boasted of her doctorate although married to just a graduate .From day one of marriage she supported me in my business both physically and financially . She was a kind heart . She stood by me  in the bad times too when my business suffered huge losses . She proved herself to be my better half from all aspects even while my own family denied to support me . She  took care of all the family expenditures , never with a burden . Many times she acted ignorant of my stealing from her purse  for my drinks . She always praised me in front of others , even in front of her parents whom I often criticized . She was a kind heart . She maintained the family peace even when I made the business losses as an excuse for drinking . She didn’t want any bad effect on our infant . She remained calm even on that day when I dared to rais...

S stands for Second Sex . By Second Sex , they mean  Women . Now the question is that why is SHE  addressed as the Second Sex ? Why is SHE considered at the second position ? Why is it always HE at the first position ? Is the woman still seen as a secondary thing , a subordinate to the male society ? Yes She is  , she is still trying to find her real existence ,  she bewails of her thwarted existence . She still feels angry when some factors stand in her way , blocking her path to her real independence , success and happiness . A woman is still   juggling for total liberation  Simone De Beauvoir , the French feminist and philosopher has written at length about a woman . She has made a detailed analysis of a woman’s oppressions , the unjust treatments or the mental pressures she has always been facing . It’s true  that Women have progresed in many fields but this is also not false that there are still constraints on her . It’s true that women have won their freedom...

  N stands for Nuptial Knot Nuptial Knot relates to marriage when a boy and a girl are united together by a Knot , in the hope that this Knot creates a love bond between them and unites them for lifetime . They share their happiness , sorrows , ups and downs equally . A girl’s marriage story Hi , My name is Priya . I am a single child of my father . I am writing it as only father because God took away my mother when I  was very small . I am thirty five years old now and working as a teacher in a school . I would take you to my past first and then bring you to my present ,  and then would ask you to suggest about my future too . As I told you , I was a single child of my father. I have always been a dark looking girl but my friends said I had a bright intellect . Since childhood , I had love of reading  and writing , writing  short stories was my passion and I still have a diary full of my penned stories . Unlike other girls who start dreaming of tying Nuptial Knot just after ...

K stands for : Kanyadaan Pic credit : weddingokay.com Kanyadaan – This hefty word has been very  very hard to digest for her mind , since childhood . The word Kanyadaan  has inflamed Rekha’s mind whenever it has been used . She still remembers when a day before her marriage , she had overheard her Papa whispering  tensely to her mother ” The groom’s family wants us to keep atleast 200 gm of gold in Jamai Raja’s hand at the time of Kanyadaan ” And she also has a fresh picture in her mind when her Papa had  actually placed a folded cheque along while placing her hand onto the  the Rajiv’s hand . At that moment , Rekha’s mind had started questioning itself again , as it had been questioning since childhood . Since   childhood  , Rekha   attended many weddings with her parents . At every wedding , she always saw  Pandit G reciting some mantras , asking father of the bride to keep his daughter’s hand in the groom’s hand , and then ...

Under #blogchatterprojects , I started spreading #bhagavadgita teachings through my blog. I have read the  sacred book earlier too but #Blogchatter provided me opportunity to read #bhagavadgita once again. Many of us have  already read it and many want to read it . But the way the life keeps us entangled  , leaves hardly any time for taking any steps on the spiritual path . We are left just  thinking and thinking and thinking.   So I thought of noting down  few   important verses from #bhagavadgita which we can implement as   daily life management tips . These tips  are the wisdom of the Vedas which can help us   manage anger/stress   in life and  by HIS grace , we can have peace , love and contentment in Life . 1 .   2 . 3 .     4 . 5 . 6 . 7 .   8. 9 . 10 . My blogging would mean successful and I would feel blessed  if   any of these  ten life management tips from #bhagavadgita  can make a difference in your life . Read my previous post on #Buddhiyoga from #Bhag...

This post won the WOW badge from Blogadda Megha is married to Akash for the last 12 years and they are blessed with a son Madhav who is now 4 years old.  Having blessed with parenthood after  many years , Akash is too possessive about his son and is always concerned about him . Sometimes his over concerned attitude shows few signs of narrow-mindedness, which Megha  doesn’t feel good about . But she has adjusted. She  gives priority to his home and family . Megha had a love for classical dance in her college  ,  which she couldn’t continue after her marriage. Last year when  she had turned 39 , she had shared about this interest with Akash and asked  for permission to join a dance academy.  But Aakash had refused on the pretext of their baby  being too small . This year , when Madhav has started going to school , Akash agrees about Megha pursuing his dance interest, but  asks her to make sure this doesn’t happen at the cost of the time and care their baby needs. Altho...

  Our Mind Sometimes our mind is  so cheerful  and the other time mind is full of anger . Sometimes the mind behaves generous and sometimes it is full of greed and lust . Sometimes it is spreading smiles and sometimes it is just passing negative vibrations  all around. We are behaving as per mind’s wish , feeling helpless , having no control over the emotions. So is our mind our enemy or our friend ? The mind is always restless and unsteady . All the time it wants to do something or achieve something . Many times we act as slaves to our mind by fulfilling its wish of certain material desires. But it is so turbulent that it just doesn’t get satisfied and it further wishes something more . Many times we have to serve the dictations of lust and anger . So isn’t our mind our Enemy ? The Unconquered Enemy ?  Bhagavad-Gita says  the following : We definitely need to do something to conquer this enemy . In  practical world it is very difficult to control our mind.  In Bh...

  Why Bhagavad-Gita ? In today’s modern life we are always in a hurry , doing something or the other. We want to earn big , have all modern amenities and enjoy our life. Anger, tensions, frustration, materialistic comparisons have become part of lives. Our very physical existence in this world keeps us surrounded by many kind of problems and tensions. Daily we hear news of murders or rapes . I think the much needed religious bent of mind is lost somewhere. We need to take a step towards divine Consciousness. We should help others too in moving  on this path. Reading Bhagavad -Gita on daily basis , may be even one verse a day , can be very helpful to bring joy in our life. When you start reading it , you would find that its verses  comfort you and can give you tips about managing  your  life in a better way, be it managing anger or remaining stress free. It’s explained in Bhagavad-Gita that as sun is situated in one place but is illuminating the whole universe , similar...

Friendship……what a lovely bond. Isn’t it ? We experience many friendships in our life right from the day we are born. Our parents become our first best friends , then relatives , then we make many during our school n college and then God sends another very good friend in our life  that’s our spouse. Of course I am grateful to all the good friends I  got to make in my life . But few were the special ones which immediately come into my mind whenever friendship is talked of. I am remembering today my friends which are pure friends , I mean not husband or parents or siblings , but the friends I made in my hostel days. I wish to dedicate the following 5 Best quotes to those friends which have created a permanent mark on my heart. A FRIEND IS WHAT THE HEART NEEDS ALL THE TIME Whenever we are feeling down , sometimes we don’t even know the reason for it , what our heart craves for is a true friend , with whom we can just open our heart and feel light.  That true ...

I was wearing the RED , but blushing red SHE  was. I was wondering at  the beauty of the RED saree , but feeling proud SHE was. Actually it was Karvachauth festival and I had worn my Mom’s  RED saree.  It was not an ordinary saree but my Mom’s RED Wedding Saree, the one  she had worn on her Big day more than four decades ago. Watching me wearing her outfit , she was feeling very happy. I could see the extraordinary smile on her face and the radiance in her eyes.  That day, that RED saree unfurled many memories before her eyes. My Mom hinted  Dad ” Did you see what our daughter is wearing today ?” Mom was doubtful if  Dad’s mind would be able to race back in time .  But Dad quickly gestured YES to the memories.  I think they shared many memories of their wedding even in that quick glance at each other, may be some of their honeymoon too which ofcourse they didn’t  want to share with me . Here  I write about their feelings & memories which were  sha...

The month of September 2017 went crazy with #Myfriendalexa.  Blogchatter gave my blog  a new friend  #Myfriendalexa  which further gifted me many new friends. Waiting eagerly for the reading list every week was fun and it was more fun to read all the blogs out of the list . Lots of engagements as a blogger, lot of reading, writing and learning. Actually, a month  ago ,  I never knew what Alexa   rank meant. Why one talks of it ? Why one wants it to lower down ? How does it make a difference to my blog ? When  I came to know of #Myfriendalexa campaign  to be hosted by the blogging community Blogchatter , I came to know a little about Alexa. Actually Alexa is a ranking system of sites  done by Alexa.com . This belongs to the company Amazon. The rank is calculated based on how many people visit your site . If the audience comes from someone who already has a good Alexa rank, better it is for your site. As on date , I don’t know the minute details about Alexa ranking and how does it affect...

U know my daughter has a period in her school , called as DEAR period , which stands for DROP  EVERYTHING  AND  READ  It is held twice a week and i just love this concept. Everybody just drops any work he/she is doing and starts reading any book or magazine of choice. Same was the case with  me   in the month of September 2017 under #Myfriendalexa. Daily  I was finding special time when i dropped everything and started to read others’ blogs . #Myfriendalexa gave a wide collection of   blogs based on different genres.  Reading these blogs  widened my mind’s thinking . My daily DEAR time not only took me to different worlds( worlds of fiction, fantasy , recipes, travel ,……..and …….its a long list )  but also enhanced my vocabulary . I learnt many new words which i had never known about . I had to search for those words in the dictionary to understand what they mean. So today let me  share some of the words that i recently  learnt . You may be already...