Month: June 2012

Human Feelings as Drugs

For a long time now, I have witnessed thatpeople in general tend to suppress their basic emotions – which is odd considering its emotions that make us who we are.

However those feelings of basic dealings, encouragement, happiness, welfare, health and mostly importantly feeling loved and security should be expressed openly and without any hesitation or shame. But our forced lifestyles, overly committed social gatherings, high stress levels at work, and”I am busy for nothing”attitude leads us to look for recovery using various drugs, painkillers, anti-depressants, vitamins and so on..

Of course in this time and age, the marketplace offers us a wide range of meds in order for people to feel better and recover from the sicknesses, disorders, disabilities or complaints and their related symptoms…. London-based photographer Valerio Loi created human feelings in medicine, and displays it in a set of new images titled Human Feelings as Drugs. Very colorful bottles with descriptive labels of each emotion.

Hope these series of alternative medicines which contain concentrated amounts of human feelings and ways of interaction, really work and fulfill our lack of gratification on a divine level.

This works or not, but definitely their will remind us that sometimes we just need Love, Hope, Empathy, Joy and Peace to lead a Healthier and Happier Life.

Empathy – Empathy is the ability of blurring the line between self and other

Hope – Hope is the feeling of expectation for a certain thing to happen

Joy – Joy is a state of well-being characterized by positive and pleasant emotions

Love – Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment

Peace – Peace is a state of mental and spiritual serenity and calmness.

I would be so thrilled to find these on the shelves of the pharmacies, hypermarkets, departmental stores and I think they would also make great gifts to buy and share with others.

To start with just these five would seem very little but a lot of time and efforts are put into it to make it work…

“Feelings do not grow old along with the body. Feelings form part of a world I don’t know, but it’s a world where there’s no time, so space, no frontiers.” – Paulo Coelho

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

I finally got to watch the much-awaited British comedy/ drama movie “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”

It’s nice to see such wonderful passionate actors in a different light – the story revolves around a disparate group of English retirees, who abandon they homeland to look forward to a much deserved, much awaited and seemingly luxurious vacation in Jaipur, India. As usual in our good old India – nothing is as promised, becox the so called seeming lavish hotel is badly in need of repair.

However disappointed (phones not working, no doors, birds in the room, constant leaking of the taps) and however troubled (spicy meals) they seem, somehow time seems to heal and provide comfort to all the seven British pensioners.

The characters are quite colorful, especially Judi Dench as a widow in financial straits after her husband’s death and the loyal if unhappily married husband (sweet and funny) and his perpetually dissatisfied wife (uff!). Not to forget the enthusiastic attitude of the hotel’s manager Sunny (Dev Patel), the entrepreneur behind the whole mess. (who doesnt want to give up his dream rather his father’s dream also inspite of his mothers persuasive nature for him to move to Delhi.

The moral of the story is – Everyone knows to love. Everyone knows its ok to dream and Everyone knows when to let go of things that no longer belong to you. Lovely soundtracks and it has one of the best quotes I’ve heard in some time – “Everything will be all right in the end. So if it is not all right, then it is not yet the end”

A quick sneak peak : http://www.imdb.com/rg/s/4/title/tt1412386/#lb-vi929996313

Enjoy! 🙂

 

 

Fengshui

I am sure at some point of time we all have read and heard about Fengshui (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feng_shui), it is only 3000 years old. In other words, it is not rocket science at least if you wish to practice with just minor adjustments or details. What I personally love about Fengshui is that

“Feng Shui is the Taoiste Science of Harmony.
Harmony comes when the place where you live exactly
corresponds to what you want and to who you are.
Your harmony is unique because your are unique.”

I do not need to stress on the Yin and Yang or Qi or Bagua however I am just going to share a few basic tips from time to time to start off with, for the essential areas in our house:

BATHROOM – a very important place, especially first thing in the morning.
• Keep the pipes in the bathroom in good working order.
• Monthly place 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain and follow with 1 cup of vinegar. Let sit for approximately 10 minutes and flush with hot water from the tap.
• Keep the bathroom door closed at all times and the toilet seat down.
• Display bamboo and have it reflect in the mirror.
• Have good quality towels in the bathroom to show wealth and abundance. Gold towels are great for bringing this energy forth.
• Fresh flowers and plants are great for uplifting and cleansing the chi.
If there is no window in the toilet hang a mirror above the toilet.

KITCHEN – another necessary area of the house for your morning Cuppa..
• According to Sheffield Feng Shui Course instructor Marelan Toole, good kitchen design is based on a traditional triangle model, with the sink, refrigerator and range making up each point of the triangle. There should be a 6-8 foot distance between each appliance; this allows for maximum convenience and a minimum of repeated moves. Because you’ll have that space between each of the major appliances, it should be easy to adhere to the Feng Shui principle of having fire elements—such as the stove and microwave—separated from water elements—such as the refrigerator, dishwasher, and sink. They can be separated by something made of wood, or by something representative of wood, such as a plant or a painting of a plant.
• Feng Shui believes that windows should not be placed over stoves because heat represents prosperity, and you don’t want your prosperity flooding out the window.
• Plants with rounded leaves attract customers (for the restaurant business)

And today’s last tip for the entrance of your HOME SWEET HOME
• Put a pile of gold near the main door. You can use a pile of rocks painted in gold. This is especially beneficial for houses whose main doors are located in the NE or SW sector.

Life in a Moment

Times when you stop to think wonder what I am doing, where I am, and what I should be doing or where I should be – all those moments.. to love /to be loved /making the most of your moments together /having a good time… These feelings sometimes, you wish they would just go away however hard you try they stick to you like a dreadful worm even after you wish it wouldn’t…

Yes, sometimes we all feel that way..

But that’s what makes this life so precious, so beautiful and that’s why I call it “Life in a Moment”. We all have to lose something in order to gain something else, we choose to live in the moments that fill up our soul for just that moment and we can live forever just thinking or looking back at those moments (One of the reasons I take a lot of pictures..) This way I can store them and look back at them and recall those moments… of course it could be from anything silly, fun, family, friends and lots of crazy times…

A minor thing like when I was all set for the MDNA concert, my friends encouraged me here in Kuwait to go for the MDNA show and once I was there, I didn’t feel away from home for the same reason I had so many memorable moments with all my supportive friends and family there and a brilliant week after that too and then I have friends here who wondered when will I be back in the country (all thanks to FB and What’s app) and once I am back – I am happy to be here again..

All these moments without any doubt , show me that Life is as wonderful as you make it and : “You do not need for someone to give you permission to do what will make you live more fully and healthfully.”

Hope these days of summer, that are here, be filled be lots of sunshine, lots of love, lots of happiness, new adventures, new experiences, new bondings and lots of fun for your family.

Happy Holidays 🙂

I will be supportive

It is easy to say, ‘I will be supportive’. But what does that mean – A quick look through the dictionary and you get words like “to hold up or serve as a foundation or prop for”, “to promote the interests or cause of” or “to keep from fainting, yielding, or losing courage”. This shows there is a lot more to the word “supportive” that we would think.

Simple ways to be supportive:

Ride the wave – When your partner has an idea or a thought they are excited about – listen to them first and without thinking join in their energy and excitement. Sure , you could be the one with a practical mind and start talking about why the idea will not work and there are a million other people working on the same idea, you think you are being the one protecting your loved one, instead all you are doing is telling your partner that none of their ideas are up to your expectations – So stop being so practical and enjoy the energy from the idea.

Watch them  – When your partner looks like they have something on their mind , you don’t need to try and pry the information out of them. We know you love to fix things, but sometimes, we just don’t need things fixed and we don’t want to talk about them. Instead learn to read between the lines and if you see your partner is in a solemn mood do something for them they like – perhaps take them for a drive and a quick ice cream?. It shows that you are there and even if we are not talking you are listening to the unsaid.

Friends first – You know how when your friend has a problem and calls you up to just talk about it, well the same goes in a relationship – if your partner has made a huge mistake at work or is having issues with her family – first thing – take their side. You could tell them at what point they made a mistake and what would have been the better thing to say to their family – but that’s not what a friend would do. Don’t try to fix anything – Just listen as you do to your friends.

Positive step forward –  If you think your partner is asking for advice, don’t jump in head first. Start of with what you think they do well and then follow it with your advice. So for example they have an issue at work, start off with what you think of their positive points to their work ethic and then add your advice.

Wait for it – If your partner starts off with a Big idea (I’m changing jobs etc)  hold your tongue. Remember to ride the energy of the new ideas and smile.Just because they have this idea doesn’t mean they are going to do it. Calm down and listen with an open mind – you should know that the excitement of the Big Idea might change in a day or two and your partner might have a differing opinion later. Many times, one partner reacts to the other’s Big idea and this reactivity leads to even more issues.

Acknowledge –  If you know your partner is going through a tough time at work or with personal matters. Let them know that you are aware that things are stressful but you are around to catch the slack. You might not consider your partners issues important, but they do and by acknowledging it – you are letting them know that you understand.

What is more challenging is to actually love and be supportive towards them when they need it or when they want to share their moments with you. When times get hard or people behave in hurtful and disappointing ways or they continue to make negative choices and hurt themselves that is when your love is put to the test.

So show your support to your loved one and let them feel they are surrounded by you not just by words but by your actions.!!