Preeti Shenoy's Blog, page 6

13 of my favourite books for Thursday Thirteen

 

Hello 👋🏽 again !

We are half way through the blog marathon now !

For today’s post I thought I would do a Thursday Thirteen. (Click on the link to know more )

It is very hard for me to choose my 13 favourite 📚 books. I have reviewed over a 150 books on my Instagram . Check highlights “books read”

But since it’s a Thursday 13, I just thought I would list 13 of my favourites from the top of my head.

Here goes (in no particular order)

1. Time Traveller’s wife : Audrey Niffeneger 

2. Collected stories of Roald Dahl. (For adults)

3. Ghachar Gochar: Vivek Shanbag

4. When breath becomes air: Paul Kalanithi

5. Many lives many masters and Only Love is for Real : Brian Weiss

6. Maharani: Ruskin Bond

7. Travelling Cat chronicles: Hiro Arikawa

8. Stationery shop of Tehran: Marjan Kamali

9. Tattooist of Auschwitz : Heather Morris

10. Maus : Art Spiegelman

11. Goat Days : Benyamin 

12. The Guernsey Literary and Potato peel pie society :Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer

13. Every seventh wave : Daniel Glattauer

Which of these have you read ?

Tell me in comments 👇🏽

I would love to know.

See you tomorrow!

❤️ Preeti

Wordless Wednesday! Guess who this is :)

 Hello 👋🏽 again!

For today’s post I thought I would do a 

Wordless Wednesday! 

(Click on it to know more !)

Here’s a pic that brings back many happy and fond  memories. I was invited to speak at an event along with this gentleman you see in the pic.

We spoke a lot back stage in the green room where we were waiting when  the other speakers were on :)

Who is he ?

Tell me in comments ! 👇🏽

See you tomorrow!

❤️ Preeti 

3 quick and easy tips to be more creative

 Hi 👋🏽 again !

Creativity is something that is thought to be “magical” . Creative people— whether they are inventors, entrepreneurs who introduce a new product to the world ,  designers , film makers,artists or writers —are seen as ‘gifted’ or ‘different’.

Is creativity something that people are naturally born with ? Or can it be cultivated?

Studies show that creativity like every other skill can easily be cultivated if you practice it regularly. People who don’t consider themselves creative too can learn to “think differently” as that’s what creativity truly is. It is to find connections between objects in a way that hasn’t been done before . It is to see the usual objects with a new 👁 eye. It is to find unusual solutions to common problems. (Remember the story of the crow who couldn’t get the water from the pot ?)

Here are three tips you can use straight away if you want to be more creative: 

1. Ask the “what if” questions:

 Whenever you are doing the most mundane of tasks like say brushing your teeth, ask the “what if” questions. What if your toothbrush could talk ? What if water has to be made from scratch by combining hydrogen and oxygen? What if we didn’t have toothpaste ?

2. Allow yourself to day dream😴 

 Your mind wanders when you do nothing. Allow your mind to dream 💭 and think. Do nothing ! Ever notice how you get ideas in the shower or while doing some very  banal activities like folding clothes ? Some of my best poems have come to me while I was ironing clothes! Take time off from your phone and do another activity which requires no active thinking on your part. 

3. Expand your mind 

The more you listen to podcasts, the more you read, the more foreign TV shows you watch and the more Ted talks you listen to, the more your mind expands . I mentioned foreign TV shows as then we have to work hard to read the subtitles. It also really opens our eyes to new cultures which are different from our own. Expand your mind in all ways you can and you will be surprised how it contributes to your creativity!

We can use creativity in our daily lives to solve problems that bother us. It is not only writers or artists 👩‍🎨 or film makers who are creative.

Software Engineers who wrire  elegant code, Architects who come up with simple executable designs and solutions using local materials,  scientist who innovate, chefs who combine cuisines, gardeners who landcape — everything in life that you do can become better when you approach it with creativity!

Let me know in comments whether you found these tips useful !

See you again tomorrow!

❤️ Preeti 

A very short post !

 

Hi there!

How has your day been? Mine was spent largely at the Apple I Care centre because the battery of my mac died. I am told it will take seven working days for it to be fixed. (as they have to order a new one  after running diagnostics on my laptop for 48 hours!

Since I'm blogging from the phone( a first!) I am going to keep writing super-short posts for the next seven days ! (or till I get my laptop back (whichever is earlier)

I also realised how easy it is to use emojis on the phone 😁. So expect a lot more of them!

I probably will not be able to reply to your comments either (I am going to try ) but I would definitely be looking forward to them and reading them too!

Today I was thinking 🤔 about how much the actions of our family members affect us! Our values, our world 🌎 views , all of it is shaped by what we are told .

How many of us are willing to examine these values we have been conditioned with? Do we pause to think about them? Are we willing to make a change in our thinking if we find that the values we were taught weren’t exactly ideal ones?

I find that the more I travel , read, listen to podcasts , watch TV shows and movies made in foreign languages, the more I read up and  learn about other cultures, the more my mind expands.

We always are conditioned to think that the way we do things is best .

But  I think we will grow more if we accept that there are definitely other ways to look at things and “our way” is not the only ☝🏽 one.

What do you say ?

Do you pause to think about things? If so what do you compare your values against?

Does it make you want to change ?

Tell me in comments!

See you tomorrow.

❤️ Preeti 

The best way to change your life

 

Hello again!

Welcome to day 11 of my blog marathon.

Today, I thought I'd talk about the power of human mind. It seems incredible just how much, out minds are capable of achieving. It seems like a miracle when we're able to change our lives for the better, merely by changing our thoughts, and changing the way we look at things.

I've written about it in detail in The Magic Mindset.

 

I am sharing with you two interesting anecdotes from the same: (These are pages from the book)

 

 

 The Magic Mindset is full of inspiring anecdotes like these---about how people changed their lives by small actions they took. They were able to do this as they began thinking about their obstacles with a new mindset.

The book also has exercises to make you think--and it outlines tiny steps you can take to find your way to optimism joy and hope.

If you liked this post, do pick up the book: Click HERE

  Let me know what you thought of the book, if you have already read it.
See you tomorrow!
Love

 Preeti

 

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Some fun questions answered

 

 

 Hello there!

For today's post I thought I'd do a fun post. So i decided to do a  Sunday Stealing

 (click on it to know more)

1) What one event from your lifetime would you change if you could, and why?

I wouldn't change a thing. Our experiences , especially  the most painful ones are what has made us who we are today.

2) If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be and how old would your younger self be when they got it? Do you think your younger self would listen?

I'd probably tell my 21 year old self that it would all work out for the better. I'd be successful and well known. I'd tell my 21 year old self that the best is yet to come, and I would be living the life of my dreams. My 20 year old self would probably say 'whatever'.



3) If you could have a conversation with the historical figure of your choosing, whom would you pick and why? What would you talk about?

Wouldn't  particularly talk to a historical figure. But I'd love to have met Oscar Wilde, and talked about what inspired him to write Nightingale and the Rose.



4) What's a safety rule that's very important to you?

Wear seat belts while driving. Wear Helmets while riding. Never drink and drive. Never leave your drink unattended at a pub or at a party. Carry a pepper spray.


5) What would you like to say to people in the future?
Reels were a trend, Tik Tok was banned and we survived a pandemic!


6) What's your favorite dish to bring to a summer cookout?
I ain't bringing no dishes..I'd order pizza :)

7) How much time have you spent outdoors this week?

Around 14 hours.

8) Where do you set your thermostat?

Fortunately I don't need that in this part of the world. Mother Nature sets it for me :) It's currently 15 degrees at night and 26 during the day.

9) How did you learn to swim?
My father taught me and I learnt in a river.

10) How do you avoid overheating?
Overheating my brain--I take breaks. Overheating my body--I hydrate :)

11). What are you going to do this weekend?
Spent my whole day buried in the edits of my next book.

12) What’s your favorite way to spend time?
It used to be travelling. But these days it's mostly watching Korean shows, illustrated journalling and reading.

13) What’s the most useless thing you own that you would never get rid of?

I thought long and hard about this. I realised that everything I own is either beautiful and gives me joy or it is super-useful. I get rid of useless stuff immediately.

14) Have you started planning your next vacation?

Yes! And I hope to travel with my mother.

15) Are you very active, or do you prefer to just relax in your free time or is it one and the same to you?
It is one and the same to me. I draw, i spend time in my garden, I read, I walk around various lakes.

 

I hope you enjoyed my answers.
See you tomorrow!
Love
preeti

-------------

ps: Today is day 10 of blog marathon

Did you know about the painful process of book editing?

 

 

 Hellooooo there!

Today is day 9 of blog marathon.  Time is certainly flying. It goes by so fast,  that it seems like just minutes ago the sun was rising, and now it's almost the end of the day. Does it feel like that for you too?

My day today was spent in editing my next book. It will be published by Harper Collins, and will be out in April or May. It is set in a beautiful coffee estate, and is a very unusual story. I am most excited about it, and so is my editor. I am fortunate to be working with her-- as she is very experienced and is in love with the book and the characters as much as me. She enjoys the process immensely too!

 A good editor can enhance the book and a bad editor makes the writer look bad.

Editing is extremely intense and focussed work. My attention cannot waver even for a second because I might miss out an important detail. The book usually goes through three or four rounds of edits and proof-reading before it goes to press. 

I do enjoy editing, because this is when I am polishing my draft and making my work better. I love the inputs and comments my editor makes. We send each other voice notes and messages on whatsapp. We call to discuss a scene, a turn of events, a little detail.

By the end  of the edits, the editor knows every inch of the world that I have created; For months I have been working alone, writing the book. Then there's the editor who joins me. It is like being the sole occupant of an island, learning to survive for months, and then having a friend come along and join you!

But the process is so intense that after a while, it feels like my head will explode if I don't stop. I can work only on about 3-4 paragraphs at one go. I have to take a break after that. Then I have to get right back to work. My attention cannot waver. If I have other stressful things going on in my life,  my head hurts as a result of too much mental work, and I would have to take longer breaks.

However, I wouldn't have it any other way. I love the job I am doing!

My page in my illustrated journal yesterday reflected this. You can view it on my art account if you wish to see it. Click HERE.

I shall be  back here with another post tomorrow.
If you are enjoying my blog marathon, do leave me a comment. I look forward to them as much as you look forward to my posts !
 Love
Preeti

Photo by hannah grace on Unsplash

Don't worry about what they think of you!

All of us are guilty of  giving too much of  importance to how others perceive our actions. We want to be loved and approved by all. We crave validation from others. There's a evolutionary reason for this.As children, we're dependent on our parents approval for every single thing.

Human babies  are completely dependent on their parents. As a species, our emotional well being depends on how well we fit into the 'larger group'. Hence this craving is hard-wired into most of us.

 The fact is not everyone will like us, or understand us. The younger you are, the harder this is to accept.

 The older we get, the surer we become of who we are as people. It becomes easier to stop caring what others think of us.

 Have you noticed how really old people do not care at all about what others think of their actions?  They do as they please!

 Today I posted this on my instagram:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Preeti Shenoy (@preeti.shenoy)

 

 

If you have trouble accepting yourself and if you crave approval from others,  a tool  I highly  recommend is mindfulness practised through meditation. The benefits are numerous. I have written about it in detail, in my book The Magic Mindset.

 

I have explained in detail how to start meditating, if you have never meditated before.  I have given  simple steps that anyone can follow.

 

As we make it a daily habit, our mind is able to focus on the big picture. The opinions and actions of others affect us lesser and lesser.  We find more joy in our life, and we lead better lives.

Do pick up the book, if you haven't. Many write to me and tell me it has helped them a lot. (click here to buy)

Tell me if you enjoyed today's post and what you think about it. If you are reading this in your inbox, do head over to my blog and leave me a comment.

See you tomorrow !
Love
Preeti

_________________

Photo by Duy Pham on Unsplash

You, my mirror (a poem)

 Hello,

It's already day 7 of my blog marathon! Check out the side bar on the left and see archives for previous posts. I am doing a new post, daily for a month!

 For today's post , I thought I'd write a poem as it's been a while since I wrote one.The last I wrote, I'd been commissioned by Conde Nast to write one for a special issue of theirs.

 Today, I  used a random prompt generator, and the prompt it gave me was Mirror. It was a 3 minute exercise.
I started writing it. and after three minutes ended, I continued for about 28 minutes more.

Here's what I came up with.

 

 

You, my mirror

Tell me things I’d rather not hear

You, my mirror

Show me  what I didn’t think would appear

 

You, my mirror

Reflect not my thoughts, but your own

You, my mirror

Whisper sentiments I’d never known

 

You, my mirror

Stoic, smiling back through tears

You my mirror

Giving me courage, suppressing my fears

 

You my mirror,

Of my heart the sole occupant

You my mirror

Without you my life would be vacant

 

You my mirror,

A portal to my dream

You my mirror

Bind me with a silent scream

 

In you, my mirror

I find myself lost
Forever we will be in

Waves of love, tossed

 

Oh my mirror

Will we swim? Or will we shatter

If I’m  merged with my mirror
It ceases to matter.

 

_______________________

 

© 2022 Preeti Shenoy

For more poems click here. Some poems have already appeared in print. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

 

 

 

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Three interesting postcards from my garden

 Hi there!

How was today for you? My day was hectic. I have no idea where the time went--it was spent mostly doing mundane chores around the home.

No matter how busy or stressed I am, when I am watering my garden, I am filled with a sense of awe. How beautiful nature is!  I've always felt that writing a book is so similar to gardening. You need to sow the seeds (an idea), you need to fertilise the soil (developing the plot), you need to water it every day (write daily), and most of all, you need to be consistent and patient. It can take months before you are rewarded with a flower! (the book!)

For today's post, I  combined my love for the written word with my love for flowers and gardening. I love postcards--they are always exciting. The charm of a postcard never fades, especially in today's age, where communication is instant (and fleeting). Long before the internet, when we went on a holiday, we'd mail pretty postcards from that place, to someone we missed. They were lovely reminders that the person is being thought of. I have a collection of some treasured postcards which my good friends have sent from various places.

I thought it would be interesting to create postcards, using photos of flowers that are growing in my garden.

So here are three postcards to self. I hope you enjoy them too.

 

Do you like postcards too? Which of these are your favourites?
Tell me in comments :)

Also tell me if you are enjoying my blog marathon, and if there are any specific topics you want me to write about. (Today is day 6. I will be blogging everyday for 30 days!)

See you tomorrow!
Love

Preeti