Blissed # 1
Making memories with our children | Appreciation is the key | Book Recommendation | Points to Ponder | Snippets from my nature walk
I am so excited to have you all join the launch of my newsletter - Blissed 🙏. The name came so naturally to my mind as I wanted to keep it light, simple and blissed (of course). In these fast-paced routines we rarely get time to engage into content which is not only for the sake of information, but also helps us bond with nature, communities and most importantly ourselves. Through this newsletter I intend to bring slowness, calmness and prettiness — the traits which we usually think are very irrelevant, but trust me they do bring more efficiency and productivity. Along with we would be doing some healthy conversations on parenting, mindfulness, books and selfcare.
The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little.
Jon Kabat-Zinn
So let’s start this journey together and try and make it Blissed for all of us.
Parenting - Making memories with our children
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-woman-and-girl-talking-while-lying-on-bed-4473774/
I would often ask this question to myself, that what kind of a parent am I? Am I being that parent which I wanted my parents to be — friendly, understanding, playful, easy-going or am I the parent who’s running behind my child in search of good grades, good manners, discipline and always being competitive? Frankly speaking I can’t escape admitting that I was part the latter one for a long time, as that’s how we are always conditioned. But, lately I have realized it’s not worth it, to always chase for results and the end-product, rather we should be more concerned with the time we spend with our loved ones as that time would never come back and we would be left craving for those little happy memories which we didn’t create as we were busy chasing success. It certainly does not mean forgetting the basics but what we need is to try and make everyday a memory — which could be in the form of photos, videos, paintings, outings or even some conversations. When was the last-time we laughed out loud with our child, or have a mature conversation with our tween turning into a teenager? I wish I was a child in the current times when a child-parent relation is more transparent and friendly giving way to this breed of smart children who are more aware and analytical (according to their age groups) than most of us adults.
But, how do we achieve this balance of living joyfully along with performing well-enough? How do we squeeze out time from the busy schedules (both us as parents and the children) and still make way for those happy memories? The answer to these could be numerous but here is a small list to just start off :
DETAILS - Make small notes in the tiffin of the child which could read something like “ Hope you enjoy Mr. Sandwich with healthy greens and a crunchy chickpea patty”. Now in this we are able to teach the child importance of healthy eating, mention the ingredients that go into the food along with connecting with them during lunchtime through a personal handwritten note.
SEEK - While on the way to school, I generally discuss about what is expected in the day ahead at school, talk about the plants or birds we see on the way or anything peculiar from the routine. Again here what I try and do is strike a healthy conversation to say that I care about what the child is doing at school alongwith creating empathy, in order to appreciate the nature around us (as mornings are the best times to admire Mother Earth 😊).
EXPLORE - Go on random nature walks or heritage walks to expose them to the beauties of nature and heritage.
Source: Author - Trying to explain the importance of walking barefoot on grass in morning
We often believe these trips would be bore for the little ones, but they can be made interesting by digging into facts about the area or foraging some wild flowers and fruits and putting them into scrapbooks (which can be admired later as a souvenir from the trip). Usually while visiting International cities we queue for hours to catch a glimpse of the famous landmarks but often forget to appreciate the beauty in our own neighborhoods.
DISCUSS - Doing in-house book discussions like a book-club . This can hold true for families with reading habits where we discuss the books read by the child (and at times adult books) with — plot, characters, strengths, moral of the story, learnings etc. to make the most out of the book-reading. At times, the Point of view (POV) of the child is so differentiated and worth visiting that we could be forced to rethink our thought-process.
PARTICIPATE - Figure out a game / activity which you like to do along with your child and make them an equal participant to ensure them with duties like responsibility and caring. The activity could be anything from pizza-making, to gardening, to painting etc. Basically anything which is enjoyed by both us (parents) and children in their own manner, without pressure. This would ensure enjoyment and bonding while performing the activity.
These small improvisations with a dash of patience and generous sprinkling of love on these young ones will surely make this so-called stressful journey a joyful-ride of parenthood 😊.
Behind every child who believes in himself is a parent who believed in them first.
-Matthew L. Jacobson
If you think someone would like to join us in this simple, mindful parenting journey, kindly help spread the word. Let’s grow as a Community🙏.
Mindfulness: Appreciation is the key
Photo by Kelvin Valerio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-wearing-black-cap-with-eyes-closed-under-cloudy-sky-810775/
Of late, I have made a pact to myself that whenever I would start getting mad at something, I would not just jump into a bout of anger, rather I would pause and try to distract my attention to things that I often ignore. I would try to remind myself that God has blessed us in innumerable ways and we as humans need to appreciate the same rather than crib about petty issues. I know you would say, ‘But who thinks sanely when one’s angry?’ That’s exactly what the challenge is about! Getting into the angry mode is the easiest and the most natural thing that would come to us as humans, but if we are able to manipulate our own thought processes and deflect our negative energies, half the battle is won! The rest would be done by appreciating which in itself is an art and a therapy worth soaking in 🙏. Find my short-post on Appreciation on my Medium page (click here) to know how I do this with some quick tips.
When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another – and ourselves.
Jack Kornfield
If you like the newsletter till now, I would love to have some feedback from you! Also you can share ideas about what more topics would you like me to discuss 🤗.
Book Recommendation: The Dolphin and the Shark - Lessons in Entrepreneurship by Namita Thapar
Publication date : August 2022; Publication : Penguin
The book is for all those who are looking for:
Looking for professional advices in fields including entrepreneurship, management etc.
Someone curious to know viewpoints of successful entrepreneurs
People interested in learning leadership skills
Image Source: Amazon
We all know Namita Thapar as one of the Sharks in Shark Tank India. The book is based on her experiences on Shark Tank India and her professional learnings over the course of her career. The book though mostly talks about entrepreneurship and related challenges it is a good read if someone generally wants to understand how to grow as an individual and as a team professionally. It has some real nice quotes and management jargons 😀. Worth reading if you looking for some inspiration for growth or just want to learn how Sharks think 😜 !
Some quotes from the book which I really liked and thought should share with the community:
“A mentor is a teacher best summed up in the words of Khalil Gibran. The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind”
Courage : “Aristotle says - Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality that guarantees others”.
“Oprah Winfrey says so beautifully - Whenever you have a setback, ask yourself the right question. Not why this is happening to me, but what is this here to teach me”.
Similar book recommendations for inspiration and lessons on entrepreneurship:
Connect the Dots by Rashmi Bansal
God's Own Kitchen: The Inspiring Story of Akshaya Patra - A Social Enterprise Run by Monks and CEOs by Rashmi Bansal
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Points to Ponder : Discussions from News around India & the World
Source: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChBFAfJO4D_6zKgLl6pQrLQ?app=desktop
I was reading about the life story of the famous Indian Con-man Sukesh Chandrasekhar who duped hundreds of people including politicians, industrialists, actors etc. to make a wealth of 500 crore (to read detailed story click here). Apart from his tricks of luring people into giving him money, what intrigued me more is his early life years which motivated him to perform these Con-acts so seamlessly and artistically.
He belonged to a somewhat poor family and the fact that he was put along with some wealthy set of children, fueled the aspiration to live a luxurious lifestyle alike them. The story isn’t new, but what is concerning here is the so-called society we are trying to build, based on equality and inclusiveness . As a developing nation we are trying to bridge the gap between rich and poor, but what we are also (maybe) creating is an illusionary world where things seem so alluring, that the boundary between the two is blurred and activities like these, are born inevitably and unknowingly.
My question here is simple (to which I invite you all to poll and give your opinion) :
Is it alright to put aside two very different set of strata together and expect the dynamics to be perfect, and ignore the disparities which may arise due to the unequal distribution and thus (flaunting) of resources?
Photography : Snippets from my morning nature walk
Ending the newsletter on a pretty and inspirational note🤗. Check out the pictures I click on my Morning-nature-walk. Hope it brings some positivity and good luck to you 👍
© Parul Kapoor, 2022. All rights reserved.
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A great start. I like your first newsletter. Keep going!
Beautifully written Parul kapoor!
Congratulations on the launch of your first newsletter.
Good wishes.
Awaiting more topics!!