Unlike other holidays celebrated in India, Christmas isn’t
about making noise, wasting water, risking your life or killing an animal.
Christmas is simply a time of the year where one is supposed to feel grateful
to the Lord and one another, while bonding with family and loved ones.
Christmas has not yet
been commercialized
I would say Christmas in India is better than Christmas in
western countries since it has not yet been commercialized to such an extent.
As a rule, though I am non-catholic, I spend Christmas vacation with family and
New Year’s Eve with friends and acquaintances. If at all I choose to travel
with family I choose a quaint place and avoid strenuous sports or activities.
Comedian Kautuk
Srivastav loves it!
Even Kautuk Srivastava of SnG Comedy loves Christmas. Watch
their Video Podcast here:
There are also several NGOs with whom you can volunteer
during the Christmas vacations. The Robinhood Army also plans a lot of fun
things to do for street children during the Christmas vacations. They organize
games and magic shows for the children.
Sweets and Goodies
I know I this goes against what I said previously. But I
would be remiss if I only focused on the emotional bonding and introspection
related aspects of Christmas and not the gifts and sweets that come with it. Some
of my catholic friends also send chocolates or plum cakes or regular cakes to
my house. Visiting their house is also an amazing experience, since I get to
feel genuine love and affection and am fed like a pig that is about to be
slaughtered (Forgive the grim metaphor).
Conclusion – Why Christmas
is the Best
I love Christmas because it is a time of sober
celebration and emotional bonding. This year I believe I have been a good boy
and hope Santa gives me the thing I ask for every year – ‘Peace on Earth’. I
urge all my readers to also plan a peaceful and meaningful Christmas this year.
Take Care!
“The greatness of
a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his
ability to affect those around him positively.”
-Bob Marley
How does one measure ‘greatness’? Is it the number of
trophies and medals you have? Or is it the number of digits in your bank
balances? Surely, we look for greatness in our cricket players and our movie
stars, but we not succeed in viewing the idols of greatness that are near to
us. No, according to me, the above quote of Bob Marley sums up greatness
perfectly. The only flaw in the quote is that Marley used the word ‘he’,
whereas in my case the person who has always inspired me and made me strive for
greatness is a lady. A strong, bold and gentle lady. My mother.
What drives her is not wealth or power, but simply - love (Courtesy: browniephotography)
That’s right. My mother is an all-rounder. She has
managed to balance work, home, kids and even the several social causes that she
supports. I often used to wonder what drives her. One day it became obvious to me, that the passion that runs in her veins comes simply from the love in her heart. Love for her family, friends, work, fellow human beings and all living things. Love is the most powerful emotion. Its what can make you go to the edge of your limits and beyond.
Therefore, my motto in life became “W.W.M.M.D.” (“What Would My
Mother Do”). Here are just a few tips and life-hacks my saintly mother taught me:
Focus on the
Solution: Whenever I get furious, I remember all the
times I screwed up in life, and my mother, instead of beating me or shouting at
me, would just sit me down and talk to me. She’s always solution oriented. It’s
like Eldridge Cleaver said, “If you are not a part of the solution, you are a
part of the problem.” When something goes wrong, there’s no point crying over the
spilt milk, the only thing you can do is try to solve it or mitigate the damage
as much as possible.
Walk the walk,
rather than talk the talk: Actions speak louder
than words. My mother is the best example of this. She didn't just tell me to
work hard and be good. She did it herself. Like Bapu said, “You must be the
change you want to see in the world.” Instead of just trying to make me better
human being, she herself became a great human being, and that has made all the
difference. If you want to bring out the greatness in others, make sure you are
#madeofgreat yourself.
Be better today
than what you were yesterday: My mother taught me
to compare myself to nobody but myself. “The
only time you look in your neighbour’s bowl is to make sure that they have
enough. You don't look in your neighbour’s bowl to see if you have as much as
them.” We have to strive to improve. Physically, mentally and spiritually.
Never be static. The moment we stop moving forward and upward, we fall into a
rut.
Happiness is a
choice: Truly, at any given point of time one can
simply choose to be happy. If you have the right attitude, you can find joy in
anything and anyone. If you don’t’, then no matter who or what you have, it
will never be enough.
Believe: My mother isn't just blindly optimistic, she really believes in a brighter future. The most significant events in your life won’t always happen
because of things you do, but also because of things that happen to you. There
is a plan for all of us. Of course, that doesn't mean that you don’t have
control over your life. What we do defines us. However, you can’t loose grasp
over the fact that sometimes bad things just happen. At such times, you just
need to have faith. Always, hope for the best, but plan for the worst.
Believe in karma
if you want, but don’t rely on it: This may sound
strange, but it is absolutely irrelevant that whether doing good to others
means that good will happen to us. A person must do good because its the right thing
to do. That is all. You don’t help your fellow human being, with the
expectation that you will get something in return for it. The joy you bring to
others is itself the end result. That is the fruit of our efforts.
Anyone can be #madeofgreat: Like happiness, even greatness is a choice. Hard work, perseverance,
humility and compassion for all living things- that is what greatness is made
of. My mother is a testament to that. These qualities can also be seen in other people who are #made of great and have influenced me, such as Bapu, Mother Teresa, Lionel Messi and Usain Bolt. No wonder Tata Motors has chosen youth icon Lionel Messi as its brand ambassador, after all, they are both #madeofgreat. <wink>. Messi is driven by the dream of being the best and Tata Motors is driven by design, technology and the road ahead. So, what drives you?
So, I think my readers have heard enough from me today. I'm going to stop talking about greatness now, and am going out to try and achieve. Before I leave, I wan to leave my readers with just one question: What do you think of Tata Motor's association with Lionel Messi? Reply in the comments. Thanks. Live long and prosper.
A vacation means going to an amazing destination to have
fun and rejuvenate. People go to different countries to look for these
destinations. But have you ever considered that there may be amazing vacation destinations
in your own city? What if I told you that you didn’t have to travel more than
just a couple of kilometres to unwind and relax? For example, I’m from Mumbai,
and I’m not really fond of travelling. So if I needed to go to a place where I
could completely refresh my mind and my body, I would pick one of these three
hotels in Mumbai itself:
1) Svenska
Mumbai , Mumbai
In
middle of all the hustle and bustle in the city of Mumbai, you will find
Svenska Mumbai, standing out. This hotel inspires peace and tranquillity. The
staff is polite and bends over backwards to ensure that all your needs are met.
The rooms are well designed and clean. One must not forget to go to Miro, the
Mediterranean restaurant, to try their amazing wood fired grills. Do also enjoy
a drink at the Miro Lounge. The Mesa Deli provides a huge range of flavoured
and herbal teas.
Svenska Mumbai , Mumbai
For
those who are coming from outside the city, Svenska provides facilities such as
airport transfers in luxury sedans, currency exchange and sight-seeing. The concierge
is extremely helpful. Of course, no vacation is complete without a visit to the
spa or a swim in the swimming pool, and Svenska has one of the best spas and
swimming pools.
2) Meluha
The Fern , Mumbai
Not
only is the Meluha The Fern, a great hotel, but if you want to go out for a bit, you will
really enjoy yourself, since this hotel is located in one of the best areas in the
city, i.e. Powai. The rooms are modern and spacious. The ambience relaxes you
instantaneously. IF you look outside your window you will see wide green
pastures. Trust me, you live here and you will forget who you are and where you
are. Time comes to a halt and you feel serenity so divine that you think you
have transcended into the heavens. It was never so easy to attain inner peace
before.
Meluha The Fern , Mumbai
The
restaurants, Tiara & Cesky are not only good to please your stomach, but
also your ears. The combination of the food and the music is, for a lack of a
better word, simply..... Wow!”
3) Waterstones
Hotel , Mumbai
Waterstones Hotel , Mumbai
Another
place to spend a great day, either alone or with your significant other, in just the the swimming pool, spa and salon, is
the Waterstones Hotel. If you are staying at the hotel with your soul mate, do
take them to Waterstones Bar + Grill. The ambience, the food and the drinks, can
really awaken a lot, if you know what I mean <wink>. Do also try the Lobby Lounge, Moon Girl or The
White Barn.
For a
relaxing evening do try the Van Goghs, On The Rocks, or at the Room with a View.
What are you waiting for? Come join me for a vaction. Book a hotel right now. Click here.
You know we can spend thousands and
lakhs on going around the world or attending lavish events. Some people climb
mountains and cross seas to look for happiness. Yet what most people don't
realize is that happiness sis in he simpler and smallest of things. Here are a
few of the simple things that make me happy:-
Taking a walk in the garden with my
beautiful wife and baby girl, surrounded by the trees and with the sound of
children playing in the background. The colourful butterflies crossing our paths,
as if waving to us as they pass by. At such times I'm really happy and find
that I am closest to family.
Sitting with old friends, and getting
nostalgic. Narrating stories from yesteryear while drinking refreshing
Coca-Cola. Truly, even something as simple as a bottle of Coca-Cola can put a
smile on a persons face.
Playing fetch with my dog, Tommy. That
makes both of us happy. Dogs are truly man's best friend. You won't
believe the amount of joy my canine friend gives me.
Surprising my parents. A child is really
satisfied when he can put a smile on his/her parent's face. That's when the
child actually feels that his/her mission is accomplished.
Binge watching TV shows with my wife,
while drinking my favourite refreshment - Coca-Cola. I don't watch an episode
per week. I'm more of an entire season in a day kind of guy. Be it Game of
Thrones or Madmen or, my current favourite, House of Cards, watching
these shows with a Coca-Cola in one hand and my wife in the other also brings
me happiness.
Writing for my blog. Yup, as my regular readers are probably
aware, I update my blog frequently. This is a place where I spill my emotions,
my inner feelings and my deepest thoughts. I do it because I love it. Few
things gives me more joy than a seeing a well-written blog post of mine getting
appreciated.
Listening to old movie songs. My favourite singer is K.L.
Saigal. His song, 'Do Naina Matware' really plays with the strings of my heart.
The new songs cannot compare to the old ones. I hope that one day the new songs
will also become melodious. But does it ever happen? No. It's only noise!
Eating cake
Playing hide and seek with my little girl. When I play with her,
I also become a child once again. It may sound silly for a grown man to say so,
but I do enjoy playing hide and seek.
Watching the sunset with along with my
best friend – a bottle of Coca-Cola
So these are a few of the things that make me happy. What are
the simple things that make you happy? Leave your answers in the comments
below.
