Preeti Shenoy's Blog, page 38

Push your boundaries. ( post 1)

Hi there! Welcome to my blog marathon!

  As promised--a new post every day, for the next 31 days!!  Don't forget to subscribe if you want to get them in your inbox.  The link is right there, in that box right on top, in the side panel.



Today I had a very productive day. I woke up at 4.00 am, as I couldn't sleep. Then I wrote my newspaper column. I write a regular column in the Financial Chronicle, and it appears on Saturdays. I have to submit it on Wednesday. Most of the time, I file it by Tuesday evening.
Last Saturday I had written on growing old.
 Double click on the image to enlarge and read or if that doesn't work, you can go here.

Today  when I told my daughter that I am starting my blog marathon, she said 'Haven't you done so many of them? Why do you do it?'
I told her that I have done one every year, since 2010! I do it as it is a HUGE challenge to write a new post everyday, despite everything else that is going on in your life. I told her that no matter what your job is, or what your occupation is, it is important to challenge yourself, to push the boundaries, to be able to grow.
You never know what you are capable of, till you push the boundaries. Decide on one thing today--that you will undertake one task, which you have been meaning to do but kept putting off, and that you will do it every single day, for whole of this month. It can be anything! Even a simple thing like tidying a bedside drawer. Or going for a walk daily. Or giving up sugar to lose weight. Or giving up alcohol. Or writing a journal. Absolutely anything you want to do, but haven't done yet.  NOW is a good time to start! New month. New energies.  Push your Boundaries. Are you ready to accept the challenge? If you are, do join me.I will be blogging every day. You can come here and leave a comment, and tell me in my comment box, how you fared with your own challenge that you set yourself.
And yes, one more request. When I write a novel, or a newspaper column, I get paid. On my blog, I do it simply to connect with you!   My payment here is the comments you leave me :)Not kidding. Like any blogger, I  do feel very happy to read the comments. It's always nice when the readers say something back. So do leave a comment in my comment box. 
Will see you tomorrow.
Till then Lots of love!Preeti  


_____________________
ps: Check out my latest book: http://preeti.io/a
Grab It's All In The Planets: http:/preeti.io/3
http://preetishenoy.com/

The Gift. A short story by Preeti Shenoy. Soon on Juggernaut

Hi  here!

How have you been?
I have been buried in my writing for the last many days.

And I want to share something very close to my heart, with you.

*drum rolls and trumpets please*

 I am VERY excited and happy to share with you that a short story written by me is coming out on Juggernaut app soon. Most of you who have read my books and loved them, will be *very shocked* to see this side of me. It's a side I have revealed only in my short stories, which tend to be very different from my books. I truly hope you like this story, as I it's something I am proud of having written.
How do you get to read the story?
Hit 'Like' and SHARE  my facebook post.

Shall reveal details, as soon as we get 200 shares :)
Love
Preeti



Grab It's All In The Planets: http:/preeti.io/3
http://preetishenoy.com/

Why I cannot speak for free at your event.

At IIT Bhubhaneshwar. Was a SUPERB interaction and event

This post is similar to the semi-rant post that I posted a while back--- Why I cannot read the Stuff you send me.  Once again, I am compelled to write this post, after a long e-mail exchange, between one of the colleges I got invited for and Pranav who handles all my speaking assignments. I had to get involved as the person was very persistent.


 I am writing this post so that the next time I get a request, I can just send this link and avoid repetitive email exchanges.

 I get invites from MANY colleges, throughout the country. The requests are many more than I can handle.

 'Ma'am, we are your huge fans..We will display all your books...we will take care of your travel and stay but we don't have a budget for speaker fees.. We must tell you that  X,Y and Z, including Abdul Kalam spoke  at our college and they did not charge any fees .'.  This is the general tone of emails.  Many  of the college festivals that invite me  have music concerts and would be spending huge amounts for flying the performers in. And so, what shocks me is that the colleges expect writers  to speak for free.

At BNLF. One of the best speaking assigments I have had

What I don't get is why would I be interested in flying to X destination , which would involve many hours of travel, leaving my family behind, addressing student gatherings (which takes it's toll on me physically), leaving my main work aside (which is writing), juggling so many many things in order to be able to travel to a college and speak, because the students there need my motivation?!!

To those of you who think that I should do it out of the goodness of my heart, I must clarify that I have done a lot of work with the underprivileged and the poorest sections of society.

But when it comes to speaker requests, allow me to explain further why speaking is WORK and why I will not work for free.


 1. Loss of working days: Firstly when I take up a speaking assignment, it is a loss of several working days for me. When I work on a novel, or a newspaper column, I have deadlines, as my publishers have invested heavily in me. I receive seven figure advances and my professionalism does not allow me to miss a deadline. I have never missed a deadline in my working life. Not even when someone close  died. I deliver. It is something I am proud of. If I accept your speaker request, it probably means I would be cutting down on my sleep, or time spent with family, in order to catch up with my work. Writing IS work, and taking up a speaking assignment=  loss of working days.

2. I invest a lot  for a talk: When I accept a speaking assignment, it takes me at least 10 days to prepare for it.You can watch my tedX talks (please google) to see the level of preparation.This takes away from the other commitments I have.

3. Travel is exhausting--even if you take care of the tickets: Even if you take care of my tickets, travel is exhausting. I live in Bangalore, and the Bangalore airport has been shifted to Devanahalli which is very far from the city. To catch a 9.40 am flight, I have to leave home at 6.00 am. Which means I have to wake up at 4.30 am. Then there is the flying time itself, and usually further travel after that to reach the destination.

4. My time is limited: I would love to do the things that give me utmost joy---like spending time with my family, with my dog, reading, catching up on movies, sketching, having a good time with my friends and most of all writing. When you invite me, you are asking me to suspend all of that for a few days.

5. I rarely learn anything new: Most speaking assignments are the same to me. I get asked the same questions over and over and over. I have answered them so many times. While it is completely new to the audience, I don't get to learn anything new.

6.  I need to be selective: How will I choose the colleges that invite me to speak? I don't go by the reputation (I have had some TERRIBLE experiences at very reputed colleges and some great experiences in unknown colleges). So one of the criteria for me to choose one college over the other is whether or not they value me enough to offer me a speaking fee.

7.  It doesn't matter to me that others speak for free: Most colleges come back and say that so-and-so spoke for free, and the past speakers have included Shashi Tharoor/ Abdul Kalam/________ (fill in suitably). I am happy that all of them have spoken at your college, and also that they did not charge anything to speak. However, it doesn't work for me. I am not as rich as them ;). At end of the day, it is writing that is my bread and butter, and it is my writing that gives me joy.

When I explain all of this, I get mails like these: (I am copy pasting an actual mail that I received after I refused to speak for free  and when said that I would like to close this exchange)

Sure Mam.

Let's close it here. I thought "the higher you rise, more humble you get". 
I guess that is not the case with everyone. Thank you so much for your time.

It was my pleasure to get in touch with you and your wonderful team and such a quick response.
All the best for your future. I will make sure that no one invites you to our college any further and waste your precious time as I did. 

Thanks and Regards

I did not ask to be invited and I don't have to prove my humility!! Those of you who have met me in person know how I am. One of the things I always hear is 'M'am, you are so down-to-earth and nice.'
One maxim I live by is 'It is nice to be important but it is more important to be nice'.

However, being nice/humble/kind does not mean you have to compromise on what you believe you are worth! If you believe you deserve a certain sum, it is important to state it.  If you have a policy, it is important to abide by it.

Also I have no issues at all with those folks who don't charge anything to speak at an event. I am happy if you get a speaker for your event, who is willing to work for free. It just doesn't work for me.

If you have understood the point I am making, show me some love please, by leaving me a comment, so I know that you get it!

Thank you! <3

Love
Preeti
__________________________________________________

Ps: Those of you who are in Calicut, I will be at the Kerala Lit fest tomorrow. And I have a 5.00 am flight to catch. So gnite!
Grab my latest book: http://preeti.io/a


Grab It's All In The Planets: http:/preeti.io/3
http://preetishenoy.com/

A food post. Life's little blessings

It is rarely that I post things about what I cook. And very very rarely have I shared photos of stuff I cook. Many people who meet me are surprised to know that I haven't hired a cook, and I do all the cooking myself. My husband too cooks, and one of the things we love doing together, is cooking.

Today was one of those days, where I ended up making  some  stuff which turned  out YUMMILICIOUS.


 Carrot Idlis for breakfast.  You can find the recipe HERE




I served it with some coconut -coriander chutney. It is something my grandmother used to make, and the recipe has been passed down the family. I love the feeling of nostalgia, warmth and comfort this brings.

And then, in the afternoon, I baked a banana-walnut cake. I used THIS recipe.

That turned out really well. It tasted divine and the the aroma wafting across the home, brings such a happy, warm feeling. This is what love smells like  :)




Sometimes, we forget to be grateful for life's little things.
 I think it is important that we are.

Do you cook? What food brings you comfort? Is there a recipe that hs been passed down the generations?
Tell me in my comment box. (I have a selfish reason for asking this too. What you share here, might end up in a novel :)  [ Yes, I have already started working on my next book. ]

Will post again soon. Till then, don't forget to be grateful for life's little blessings.
_______________________________________________________





 Read It's All In The Planets yet?

THIS is what the Hindu said about it.

It was also featured by buzzfeed in the 35 Top books of 2016.

GRAB it :  http:/preeti.io/a


Grab It's All In The Planets: http:/preeti.io/3
http://preetishenoy.com/

A recap of my last few days--A picture post.

The last few days have been really hectic for me, and I have just got back from Hindu Lit For Life in Chennai and a few events in Kolkata, where I had some good sessions, met interesting people and had a pleasant time.
I am sharing a few pictures with you:
A picture of the audience at my session at Hindu Lit For Life
With my fellow panelists--I am sure you know who they are.
I admire her a lot. I don't think she needs an introduction!
A section of the audience at DPS Kolkata
Got a standing ovation.




As you might have guessed I am EXHAUSTED, travel-lagged and sleep deprived. Many a time I am asked if I enjoy these events. I do. But it takes me days to recover. I do prefer writing to addressing large crowds (even though I always get standing ovations).

Will blog again soon. Till then, keep smiling.
_____________________________________
ps: Get my new book: http://preeti.io/3http://preetishenoy.com/

Seven things I do when $*^# happens!

 Have you been following your new year resolutions? I am happy to report that I have very much been following mine. :)  Going strong, in fact. In my last post, I told you about the reading wall.
 I have already finished reading two books so far, and now I am on my third. Satish too has finished reading two books, and he too is on his third. Any free time we get, we are reading secretly and competing with each other openly. :) Of course, both being bibliophiles, we read for the joy of reading more than anything else.


If you want to know the books I read and whether or not I liked them, you can leave me comments, in this post asking me to mention them. If there are at least a 50 requests, then will write a post on them. Why fifty? Because it's WORK for me to do a review, and I don't work for free. But if there are enough number of requests, then I will do it [call it a wave of altruism submerging me with the number 50 ;)].

 On a different note, what do YOU do when things don't go the way you expect them to? I am certain all of you have ways of dealing with a bad day. I know someone who binge eats (and then regrets it later!). I know someone else who drowns it with alcohol only to wake up with a massive hangover, not feeling any better. I know another who texts a friend.

Here are MY seven favourite ways to deal with a bad day, or to deal with life when things don't go my way. (This is of course apart from my 1st favourite thing to do, which is read, but I have included that too, as it  is something I do ).

1. Go for a walk: A walk always clears my mind. I love long walks. I sometimes go twice a day. Each walk is about an hour long. As I walk, I think about variuos things, and I can see different perspectives. A lot of my own thoughts become better.

2. Listen to podcasts: This is something I do, when I walk. There are some brillaint podcasts out there. I happen to like BBC's Reith lectures a lot. One that I found very pwerful, poignant, moving and enlightening was a  podcast by Atul Gawande called 'The problem of Hubris.

3. Sketch: This is my favourite activity as many of you know. I have an exclusive Instagram page for my art now. Check out https://www.instagram.com/preetishenoyart/
I am sharing here one sketch (or drawing or painting or illustration or whatever you want to call it. I am clarifying as someone asked me the difference between them) that I did in charcoal.




4. Write: I write such a lot! What would I do without writing? I have different journals for different things.  I maintain an illustrated art journal. I have one for my deeper thoughts. Another for my story ideas and yet another to develop the novel I am currently working on.


5. Call a friend: This is something that I do very rarely. I dislike talking on the phone as it takes too much time. But if the person is very close, I make exceptions, and when I do talk, we end up talking for 30-40 minutes.


6. Read a book: Always, always always. A good book can be your best friend. You can have several best friends :) It's a fabulous feeling to lose yourself in the world created by a skilled writer. The characters you read about, become a part of your life. You find some bits of yourself in them. You care for them. You understand them, empathize with them. They console you. That is the power of a good book or a good story.


7. Tidy my room: I always quip that you can tell my emotional state just by looking at the state of my cupboards. My room generally tends to be tidy, my desk is always mostly messy and my wardrobes depend on my state of mind.  When I get rid of clutter and organise stuff, it does make me feel better.







What do YOU do, when things don't go your way? How do you cope? Tell me in comments.

Till the next post (which will be soon), stay cheerful :) 
Love
Preeti



__________________________________ps: If you are anything like Aniket, you probably have a Subbu in your life :)
Read about it in my new book It's All In The Planets. Get it at http://preeti.io/3http://preetishenoy.com/

The single best thing you can do for yourself in 2017

So we are already on 2nd January 2017. Hope you managed to stick to your resolutions at least on Day 1. I did. (see my previous post for my resolutions)

I had said that I would share with you, one nice thing that we did at my home, and that you could incorporate it in your home too, if you liked the idea. Any guesses as to what it was? Well, I created a Reading wall.

So what is a 'Reading wall'? It is a large sheet of paper stuck on the wall, on which you enter all the books that you read.  I made mine into four sections, one for each member of the family. We threw in sops like dinner at a nice restaurant, when four books are collectively read (so it's a win-win for all). We also threw in rewards like _______ (fill in suitably) when you reach  N books. I am sharing some pics with you.
This is what I made. The pen and the scissor give you an idea of the size of the sheet. I used a full size chart paper/


I added details in each one's section, like how you see below:


And then I stuck it on the wall! The snap is clicked at an odd angle. I am too lazy to click a 'proper angle one'. But you get the general idea from this photo.


And guess what---Satish has already made the first entry on this wall, under his name! I am secretly competing with him, and so I am quietly reading my book, whenever i can. (I read foru books at a time and so I am all the more motivated now).

I think a reading wall is a great idea, if you live with people whose reading goals are same as yours. Give it a try.

Coming back to the title of the post, what is the SINGLE best thing you can do for yourself in 2017?

I think it is mindful living. Many a time we just go through the motions of living without any focus. If we ask ourselves at the beginning of the day 'What would make today a great day?' and if we do that one thing which made that day great, don't you think you would feel good when you hit the bed?

At the end of the day, we can take stock and think about how that day went. Make notes in a journal. Bullet journal is a great idea for those who lack time. There are tonnes of article online about bullet journals. Change it to suit your needs.

This morning, I waled 8.82 kms! Something I am proud of.

Especially so, as it was so cold! There was mist all around. The visibility was just about 8feet. Beyond that I couldn't see anything. Here's a pic I clicked on my walk.


And here's another:



How has your new year started?
Good luck with your resolutions. I am happy that I am  definitely keeping mine!
________________________________________________________

ps: my book was picked as top romantic reads of 2016. To see the full list go HERE
Buy my latest book: http://preeti.io/3


http://preetishenoy.com/

Start Fresh!!

As I type this, I can hear the loud music  from the 20,000 watt speakers floating in. A DJ has been hired for the evening, caterers have been arranged and the residents association promises to make it a 'memorable' night. There's all kinds of food on the menu, there are games, stalls and celebrations galore. People are getting ready, wearing their finest clothes, planning to party it up to welcome 2017.

Me? I am staying home. There are years when I have given in to the 'popular thing' which is to party hard, and welcome the new year. But now I know I don't enjoy it. I want to start the new year in a way that has meaning for me.

We have a ritual in my home. We light the lamp at midnight, say a prayer, offer gratitude to the Universe for all the blessings that we have, we wish each other and welcome the new year. The next day, we don't sleep late. My grandparents used to say that whatever you do on the new year sets the trend for the rest of the year. So we usually start it on a very positive note. Quietly.

I do believe in making resolutions. Not just on new years, but whenever I have wanted to make a change in my life. New years eve is especially good, as one is in a joyous mood, at 'closure' of an old year. Hence it is as good a time as any.

I had spoken about letting go of the past and making fresh beginnings on Thoughtful Thursdays on Facebook Live . That video went viral and it has got 1.1 million views, 834 shares, 25,000 likes and 4700 comments as I type this.  You can watch it here. I will also upload it on Youtube, for those of you who aren't on Facebook.

I have already started following my resolutions.
Here is my list:



Everyone who has mailed me would have already got a reply. I plan to blog regularly too, as I wasn't happy with the number of posts that I made last year.

And yes:




In my next post, I will share with you something nice, which I have done at my home,  that you can
do in your homes too.

What is on your list? If you share, I am listening.

 Hope all of you join me in  making a magnificent new start

Love
Preeti
__________________________

ps: buy my book :https:/preeti.io/3 
It was among the 35 great reads of 2016. You can see the whole list here: 
Bit.ly/BuzzFeedItsAllInThePlanets   http://preetishenoy.com/

Updates from me--Some happy things!

Hi there,
How have you been? I  hope the holiday season has brought you cheer.

There has been a lot happening in my life,  since I last posted, even though I posted less than 12 days ago.

I was a part of the Bangalore Literature festival. I felt delighted that my session had a massive crowd, and was very well received, as you can see from the pictures.

A full house
Signing the books
The large screen projecting what was happening on the stage You can get a better idea of the screen here in this photo
For more photos you can go HERE.

The other BIG news from my side is that It's All In The Planets was featured among the  35 great books of 2016, by Indian authors.

What made me really happy was that it shares this honour along with greats like Ruskin Bond and Amitav Ghosh.

Here's what they said about It's All In the Planets:

 A love story that becomes so much more, and with characters that are beautifully fleshed out, Shenoy’s latest offering is a delight to devour in a single setting.

On the personal front, I had a GREAT birthday. Easily one of the best I have had :) My family planned some great surprises for me. When I came back from my morning walk, this is what greeted me!


 

Of course I had to make a sketch :)

Here's a picture of me drawing it:

 



 And here is the finished sketch

Then Satish told me that we were going somewhere and it is a surprise. We went to Tipu's palace, where I had always wanted to go, to sketch.
I had an amazing time, and this is what I sketched:



After that we went to a lovely Art cafe, where I had a wonderful time with my family. We ended this perfect day with a movie.(La La Land starring Ryan Gosling)
Meanwhile there were tonnes of people calling, wishing.
I do feel thankful for being loved so much.

I have been sketching a LOT and I feel lazy to upload them all here. If you want to have a look, please see my new Instagram Art page: https://www.instagram.com/preetishenoyart/

One of the things which regular readers will know is that I watch  absolutely no television. In the past I have talked about how 'Breaking Bad' had me hooked, and how I watched the  entire 5 seasons on Netflix. Another one which I binge watched in 2 days (It was that gripping!) was Stranger Things. (it is rated a 9 on imdb). Go give it a try, this festive season.





Have you all made your resolutions?
I will be making mine soon.

And I am also going to give away three handmade cards :)
Stay tuned for more.

You can also connect with me on my Instagram(Preeti. Shenoy) or Snapchat(Preeti.Shenoy)  or Facebook Author Page.

Will blog again very soon.
Hope you are all having  wonderful  holidays, and hope you are making many happy memories  with your loved ones.
Warmly
Preeti


ps: Buy the book: http://preeti.io/3http://preetishenoy.com/

On jealousy and possesiveness in a relationship. Your questions answered!

Off late, I have been crazily sketching/painting. I am into this thing called 'Illustrated Art journalling'. In case you don't know what that is, you can go HERE .
There's a detailed explanation there.

I like to put the date and time in all my sketches as it's a record of my day, what I did, what I saw, where I was at that point in time, and how I was feeling.

Here are two pictures that I did today.


Meanwhile , a video where i went live on Facebook, has got 1.2 million views, 16000 likes and more than 1800 shares on Facebook. I do something called Thoughtful Thursdays, where I interact with my readers live.
For those of you who are not on Facebook or who missed it, I  thought I would upload it on youtube as well. I have just done that and I sharing it here.





I have answered a lot of questions on jealousy and possessiveness in relationships, that people asked me, when I was live. I have also read out bits of my new book, It's All In The Planets. So you can listen to that as well. The whole video is about 22 minutes.

Do watch it and  let me know what you think?
Love
Preeti
____________________________
buy the book: http://preeti.io/3

http://preetishenoy.com/