Finally, after a couple of years of procrastination, I decided to tackle the clutter in my kitchen by installing two shelves. The feeling of accomplishment and happiness that followed was indescribable. These shelves not only organized my kitchen but also brought a sense of order and efficiency to my daily routine. One example of the difference these shelves made was when I was preparing dinner. Before, I would spend ages searching for spices and utensils, causing frustration and wasting precious time. Now, with everything neatly arranged on the shelves, cooking has become a breeze. Another instance was when I hosted a small gathering. With the extra storage space, I could display my collection of recipe books and serving dishes, impressing my guests and creating a warm, inviting atmosphere. In conclusion, the simple act of installing two shelves transformed my kitchen into a functional and inviting space, bringing me immense joy and satisfaction.

In life, I used to believe that I could change my spouse to match my likes and ways. But I've learned that it doesn't work. Instead, it can make things worse. Now, I feel lighter and happier by accepting that people stay true to who they are from their childhood. Imagine a big tree. It stays strong as itself, just like people who carry their past experiences with them. Accepting this truth has made my life more joyful. Rather than forcing my ideas onto my spouse, I now appreciate what makes them special. Understanding that my spouse has their own unique qualities has deepened our connection. Letting go of the need to change them has created a space for genuine love and respect. Embracing who our loved ones really are helps build a strong and lasting relationship. So, the key to happiness in relationships is letting people be themselves. It's about enjoying the real connection and creating a bond that lasts a lifetime. Photo by Josh Willink (https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-a-man-carrying-his-partner-853406/)

I take great satisfaction and contentment in having been able to suggest the right doctor to my friend's mother, who recently relocated to our town. As someone who values the well-being of loved ones, it was a gratifying experience to offer guidance during a crucial time. Seeing my friend's mother find a caring and skilled healthcare professional is immensely fulfilling. Knowing that I could make a positive impact on her life and contribute to her seamless transition to a new place brings a deep sense of contentment. Helping someone access quality healthcare is not just a service; it's a way of showing that we care for one another. It reinforces the strength of friendships and the sense of community that exists in our town. This experience serves as a reminder of the value of connections, trust, and the simple acts of kindness that can make a significant difference in someone's life.

Ever had a movie that just takes you back? That's exactly what went down when the sequel to a 20-year-old flick hit the screens. And guess what? The songs were back too, but with a fresh twist. I was amped up, feeling like that 20-year-old version of myself, ready to relive the past. So, I caught the movie, right? It was like a time capsule to my post-grad days when the original first came out. But the party didn't stop when I left the theater. Nope, those sequel songs followed me home. And you know what I did? Danced. Yeah, I let loose just like back in the day. Oh, and here's the kicker: at the theater, there's this scene where the main character meets up with an old buddy. The crowd's reactions were priceless – chuckles, a few tears, and plenty of those "I've been there" smiles. Life's a race, isn't it? These little blasts from the past, they're like pit stops where you remember the good times. Those tunes? They're like time machines, connecting past and present with beats and memories. Nostalgia's a trip, no doubt. It shows you where you've been and where you're headed, all while you dance to its tune. Those songs? They're not just music. They're pure joy, bringing back the past and making it groove right in the present.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting Madrid, Spain's captivating capital, along with my friends. Excitement filled our hearts as we embarked on a shopping adventure like no other. The city's vibrant energy and rich cultural charm beckoned us to explore its hidden gems. Our first stop was Mercado de San Miguel, a culinary paradise brimming with mouthwatering tapas and fresh seafood. We savored the flavors, immersing ourselves in the lively atmosphere that surrounded us. Puerta del Sol welcomed us with open arms, showcasing the iconic Tio Pepe sign and the majestic El Oso y El Madroño statue. It was a visual feast that encapsulated the essence of Madrid. We then ventured to Plaza Mayor, where the historical grandeur and bustling ambiance transported us to another era. The architectural beauty and lively spirit of the square left an indelible impression. Of course, no visit to Madrid would be complete without indulging in some retail therapy on Gran Vía. We explored trendy boutiques and vibrant cafes, relishing the fashion-forward vibes of the street. One unexpected highlight of our trip was stumbling upon a captivating street performance in Retiro Park. A talented flamenco dancer took the stage, enchanting us with their fiery moves and passionate rhythm. It was a moment that left us in awe. Madrid had truly captured our hearts with shopping delights, cultural treasures, and unexpected surprises. We vowed to return for more unforgettable experiences.

Education and Success. Success can mean different things to different people, so there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. However, education can certainly be a factor that contributes to success in various areas of life. In some fields, such as medicine, law, engineering, and academia, education is typically a prerequisite for success. In these fields, obtaining a degree or certification from a reputable institution is often necessary to gain the knowledge and skills required to excel. However, in other fields, such as entrepreneurship, entertainment, and sports, formal education may not be as crucial to success. Many successful entrepreneurs, for example, have achieved success without a formal education, but through practical experience and trial and error. In summary, while education can certainly be a contributing factor to success in certain fields, it is not a guarantee. Success often requires a combination of factors, including skills, hard work, determination, and sometimes, a bit of luck. There are many successful entrepreneurs and educationists who have achieved great success despite not having a formal education or a college degree. Here are a few examples: Richard Branson: The founder of Virgin Group, Richard Branson dropped out of school at the age of 16 and started his first business venture, a student magazine called "Student". He went on to launch Virgin Records and later expanded his business into the Virgin Group, which now operates in a variety of industries. Henry Ford: The founder of the Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford did not have a college education. He started his career as an apprentice machinist and went on to develop the assembly line production method that revolutionized the automobile industry. Coco Chanel: The famous fashion designer Coco Chanel did not receive any formal education in fashion design. She started her career as a singer in a cabaret and later became a seamstress, developing her own unique style and eventually launching her own fashion brand. Benjamin Franklin: One of the founding fathers of the United States, Benjamin Franklin did not have a formal education beyond the age of 10. He went on to become a successful author, inventor, and statesman. Mahatma Gandhi: The father of the Indian nation, Mahatma Gandhi did not have a formal education beyond the age of 19. He went on to become a lawyer and a prominent leader in the Indian independence movement. In the field of education, there are also many examples of successful educators who did not have a formal education. For example, Booker T. Washington, who founded the Tuskegee Institute, and Frederick Douglass, who was a prominent abolitionist and writer, were both born into slavery and did not have a formal education. However, they went on to become influential educators and advocates for equal rights. It is also important to remember that while there are some successful individuals who did not have formal education, they are the exception rather than the rule. In general, education provides numerous benefits that can help individuals achieve success in a variety of areas: Knowledge and skills: Education provides individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in their chosen field. Whether it's technical skills in a trade or professional skills in a white-collar job, education can help individuals gain the knowledge and skills they need to excel. Critical thinking and problem-solving: Education helps develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are essential for success in almost any field. Networking: Education provides opportunities for individuals to meet and network with people in their field, which can lead to new job opportunities and business partnerships. Personal growth: Education can help individuals develop their personal and social skills, which are essential for success in any area of life. Improved job prospects and earning potential: Education is often a prerequisite for many high-paying jobs, and individuals with higher levels of education generally earn more than those with lower levels of education. In summary, while there are some examples of successful individuals who did not have formal education, education provides numerous benefits that can help individuals achieve success in a variety of areas.

There are several investment options nowadays. Everyone is aware about it. A few years ago, I did not know much about it. I have been investing for ten years now. I find fixed deposits as one of the safest and decent ways to invest my money. It is least risky so the returns are not high. I avoid high risk-high return investments. One should not put all eggs in one basket. This proverb is quite true. Moreover, I find fixed deposits the best way out of all options. The financial counselors have their vested interests. They see their benefits first so one should not follow their advice blindly. I have been cheated twice by financial advisors. On their advice, I bought two insurance policies but did not get expected returns. In one of the cases I had to close my policy in the middle of the tenure. It is your money so be extra careful. Do your homework, study the financial trends, acquire knowledge about investments and its market. There are millions of resources to gain that knowledge. YouTube is one of them. Even investing in property will fetch good returns but one has to wait long for it. Waiting period could be as long as fifteen years in this case but the return is very high. This is solely as per my personal experience and I do not guarantee anything. Image by Rilson S. Avelar from Pixabay

I was unaware of the fact disclosed in the book "How To Become Rich" by Devdutt Pattanaik. Before reading the book, I was chasing money, running behind it, craving for it, working hard for it until I came to know the simple fact that wealth will keep coming our way if we help others selflessly. I would like to thank the author for this marvelous piece of information. How do we earn money? The author has beautifully described it as follows: To earn money, we must be sensitive to the hunger of customers and provide them with goods and services they want, so they give us our due as part of yagna, or exchange. If we do not think of customer needs and demands, we cannot do yagna. This is from the business point of view. To make it simpler, we need to help others without any expectations. This in turn will bring us the fortune. Overall there are twelve lessons that can be learned from this book. I highly recommend it to one and all here on this global forum. These lessons are 'made in India' but are 'for the world'. I am sure you are going to appreciate this book once you read it completely. Do share your feedback with me. Happy reading!

Yesterday, I went shopping with my friend. She purchased some clothes and paid the bill. I asked her why didn't you negotiate. She said there was no room for it. I told her briefly about negotiation skills. We went to another shop and during payment I negotiated with the shopkeeper. He gave a 10% discount to which my friend was stunned. She was under the impression that the shopkeeper would not even deduct a penny. I suggested that she should read a book called "The Tao of Negotiation" by Joel & Mary. Many of us don't negotiate out of the fear of losing the relationship. This is not true. There is a lot of scope for negotiation in everyday life. #negotiation #skills #deal #discount #relationship #learning

Managing time is not easy. I used to waste it a lot until I was 23. At this point, I realized time is precious only because of my boss. I was doing quite well in my job since I had a great boss who was also my mentor. At the same time he motivated me to acquire additional skills which I ignored. Later, he got a better opportunity in Europe so he moved on. Now, I was alone and my new boss did not take much interest in my job activities. He actually wanted to fire me so that he could place his candidate at my position. He gave me a project that needs to be completed in a week's time. The situation was difficult for me to handle as I did not have the expertise. This was the same expertise that my earlier boss wanted me to excel at. Had I acquired those skills earlier, today I would not have to worry about it.

Life is quite simple nowadays. Digital world is an icing on the cake. Food, doctor, teacher, groceries, electronics, everything is available online today. Apart from it there are many processes and things that are available offline as well. Are you happy with all of it or do you feel the need for improvements of any sort. Just to give you an example: Yesterday, I went to interview some professionals at a reputed institute of my city. After shortlisting the candidates they were given a form to fill. I was shocked to see the kind of questions and sections of the form. It was purely meant for the freshers but they were giving it to professionals who have more than 15 years of experience. Here, I think separate forms should have been provided to know the individuals better. Share your thoughts where you visualize things or methods that need to be implemented in a better way.

In India, Diwali is the main festival of Hindus (Indians). It is the festival of lights. Why this celebration? According to Ramayana, Lord Rama, his wife Sita and brother Laxmana finally returned to Ayodhya after spending 14 years in exile and defeating the demon king Raavana. Diwali marks his return to his home. In order to welcome Lord Rama we Indians clean our homes and light it up with diyas and lamps. On this occasion, we wear new clothes and cook delicious food items especially sweets like Gujiya, Laddoo and Cashew Barfi. We also light up firecrackers to express our happiness. Cute message from my 13 year old niece on Diwali 2021: Happy Diwali to you.. Enjoy the day with diyas and firecrackers. May Laxmiji and Ganeshji give you abundant blessings.. Stay happy..

Major online retailers are providing attractive offers these days. They also claim a lot of savings for the ultimate buyers. We get attracted to the massive discounts on expensive products specially mobile phones and electronic items. Beware, only purchase them if you really need them. Discounts and products are unlimited but your earning is limited. I am writing all this because in the last season I purchased a lot of items that provided special discounts. Later I regretted purchasing them. To date, I am paying EMIs for that and it is pinching me a lot now month on month basis. This is my personal experience so I thought to share it with you. Hope you will not make the mistake I made. Take an informed decision by discussing with your family members before buying anything. Happy saving!

The training not even boosted my self confidence but also my overall skills as a person. Thank you trainers and colleagues for making this experience wonderful.

Finding the right job is difficult but finding a good boss is even more difficult. You must agree with me. Getting the first job was not easy for me but I was lucky enough to get a nice boss there. My first boss was quite helpful and through her efforts I could over achieve my sales target in the first quarter itself. She was a true leader. I think the following helped me a lot: 1. I was provided with the complete information of the product before reaching out to the customers. This gave me huge confidence to handle customer queries. 2. The overall working environment of the organization was healthy as there was no competition among the colleagues even though we were in the sales department. 3. Regular training and doubt clearing sessions with the boss was spot on. 4. Last but not the least, the cash that was coming to me as incentives through sales was the major motivating factor. The organization's motto was to give below average salary but huge incentives. I think this model should be used by every sales company. Thank you boss.

I am enjoying the rainy season. Tea, snacks served with hot soups have their own taste in this season. Really excited to see the rains after waiting it for long. Video by Taryn Elliott from Pexels

Tasty and healthy. Pomegranate has high antioxidant content and is extremely anti-inflammatory. Inflammation causes chronic diseases like diabetes, heart problems and cancer. Pomegranate is considered very heart friendly and useful in reducing high BP and cholesterol. It's high in Vitamin C, improves memory, digestion and arthritis. If you like this health tip, let me know I will start sharing such stuff frequently. This is my all time favorite juices.

From last couple of weeks my junior colleague and his friend were playing dirty politics in the office. I was under tremendous pressure. Today an idea worked wonders. We have a office group on social media. I highlighted their bad activities in the group without taking their names. Everything changed for good. They personally called me and said sorry. This gave me a great sense of relaxation. I am feeling light and energetic now.

I am growing vegetables in my kitchen garden since childhood. Earlier, I used to assist my mother in it. Now, I am habitual to eating farm fresh vegetable directly coming from my own kitchen garden. This is such a nice feeling. You sow seeds, nurture the plant and seeing it growing daily in front of you. Wow, the whole process is enjoyable. The biggest advantage is I am serving healthy food to my family which is free from pesticides. Grow vegetables at home. Believe me, it is one of the best feelings you experience. Those who are doing it, knows it. Share your experiences with me if you too maintain a kitchen garden at your home.