Four Ways to Make Your Summer Better

It's getting​ hotter by the day, and God knows we start worrying about our skin, amongst other things, even more during these times. Here are some tips to make sure your skin is glowing and you are comfortable even through the hot, dehydrating summer days!

Aloe Vera Gel

A very versatile product, you can leave it on for a few hours after a grueling day in the heat, or even overnight. It acts as a cooling agent and it also moisturizes skin very well. It plumps up your skin, and helps regain the softer and smoother skin you love.

Drinking more water

Water keeps you hydrated and fresh. It is much more important in summer because there's a higher chance of dehydration, so you gotta be much more careful. Always carry a water bottle so you can keep track of your water intake. Oh and fruit water works wonders too! You could also carry a small spray bottle to mist your face once in a while to refresh yourself or simply carry a pack of wet wipes!

SPF Sunscreen

This is actually a prerequisite for all seasons but it's always good to pay extra attention in summer. Always look for an SPF sunscreen with a factor of at least 15, irrespective of skin type and ethnicity. Damaging UV rays can penetrate all types of skin. However, the lower the melanin content of your skin, the higher the SPF you require, because melanin is like a natural UV filter of sorts.This Kaya sunscreen is my personal favorite and I absolutely recommend it! Find it here.

Loose clothes

Loose clothes allows your skin to breathe easily and light colors does not trap heat as much as dark ones. Think soft colors, flowy fabric, and airy silhouettes. An extra tee shirt in the backpack will always come in handy.
An added bonus: These clothes are super comfy!

Would you like to see me talk more about specific skincare products? Let me know on Instagram/Twitter!

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Picture Credits:

express.co.uk

ayurtimes.com

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nykaa.com

pinterest.co.uk 

Why You Should Never Save Money

Yes, you read correctly. I don't think one should be saving money at all. But, you say, what else are we supposed to do? Haven't we grown up hearing that it is most sensible to squirrel away funds, a little every month, and save it up? That it is the only way you can get rich.

Yes, we've heard that. But it's wrong.

 

You shouldn't save. You should invest.

A lot of people save money, putting it into their bank accounts or fixed deposits. How much interest do you get from a bank account? Four percent? Six percent, at max? And that comes at conditions of a minimum balance to boot.

What about fixed deposits, you say? Even the best FD interest rates do not go beyond 7% in India. And they have a mandatory lock in period.

Does this equate to making money? No. It does not. Because it does not really make you any money at all. Over the long term, interest rates balance out the inflation rates that are rising every single year. What this essentially means is that while you are making money on paper, and you do get to see interest added in your account, the overall gain does nothing but bring you at par with the rising inflation.

Basically, even with the increased money in your account, you have pretty much the same purchasing power with the increased amount of money. This is an oversimplification of the fundamental theory, but you can read a little more about it here at Investopedia.

The point I am trying to make is - the money you manage to save every month? Don't just leave it in your bank account. Invest it in more viable options where you can build assets with that money.

That is the trick to building a large corpus of funds - building assets. Assets will bring you even more money in the long run. As they say, make your money work for you.

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This is the very first post of a new series I am starting about how to manage your finances. This was something I'd been wanting to do for a long time but I never really got around to it. I felt like maybe it was time to let people know about everything I've learnt over time. I am still in the process of learning everyday and I hope you can also benefit from the same.

Join me on my Facebook page to stay updated with my posts or follow me on Instagram for posts about my life + blog post updates!

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Photo Credit:
ohmconnect.com

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4 Things that Ensure your Morning Productivity

I previously wrote a post about how you can slow down a little in the mornings and give yourself some love and self care. Till date it remains one of my most read articles.

So I decided to follow up with the next step. After you do takeout some time for yourself -- and don't let anyone tell you self-care isn't important because that's the most important thing there is.

Once you've taken care of yourself and your sanity, it's time to get down to business!


Whether you're a student, run your own business, work somewhere, or you're hard at work at anything really, this works for everyone!

1. Gratitude

Write down 3 things you are grateful for. Every single day. This will put you in a positive mindset. Even on the days when you are feeling really low, do this activity. Just three things. Not more, not less.

I know that this works. It makes you count your blessings. Often, we don't realize how blessed we really are. We have a roof over our heads, goof food, clean water. We have been given so much, and now we have to make ourselves better. Writing down what you're grateful for will put you in a positive mindset, ready to take on the day!

2. Visualization

Once you're down with writing down three things you're grateful for, you'll be in a positive mindset. This segues into the next step, which is visualization. Patiently, without being too hard on yourself, think of what your goals and intentions are.
Think of your short term and long term goals. Create a mindmap.
See yourself in the future, having accomplished those things. It could be anything -- writing a book, creating good artwork, becoming a good cook, being a successful entrepreneur -- whatever it is that drives you. Once you see yourself, having accomplished all those things, it really boosts your confidence and faith in yourself.
This is a good way to change your psyche to a growth mindset. It ensures that you will always have the courage and strength to go for it!

3. Write

Here, it doesn't matter if you're a writer or not. Just pen down whatever comes to mind basis the visualizations you made above. Writing down your intentions has a twofold benefit.

The act of writing it down makes it 'real' --  it makes it tangible. It's your way of telling the universe that this is what you want. Intentions work in mysterious ways.

Secondly, the fact that you've written it down and put it out there, ensures that you have brought it to the forefront of your mind and day. Often, we push back our goals, or we don't accept them because we are scared to admit it (even to ourselves) that this is what we want. Writing it down makes you accept it, face yourself and face your fears. Facing your fears is a big part of the next step - doing.

You're going to succeed at everything you've written down on that piece of paper. No two ways about it.

4. Proceed!

 Go for it! Start small, because there is no other way to start. Begin somewhere, because that's the only place to begin. Word hard, because that is the basis of success. Luck plays a part -- I won't deny it. But the people who get lucky are people who have been trying for a long time and then when an opportunity came up, they were ready to take it. That's what luck is. Being ready for opportunities. That's what makes you lucky. Go for it. Get lucky.

_ _ _
I hope this helped! If you want any other specific guidelines, feel free to comment below, and I'll write a post on it!

Photo Credit: pinterest

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Passion Isn't Everything

It definitely isn't. Passion is just a part of it. I almost did believe that passion is everything, and in the process I almost let my passion handicap me.

It is about passion, yes. But it is more about consistency.
You may have that one thing you are passionate about. Music, books, movies, art, writing, painting, photography, dance, programming, creating websites, training animals - I don't know what you like most. But whatever the case may be, just passion doesn't cut it.

The secret to success in any field, creative or otherwise, is consistency. You just gotta show up.
And you gotta show up every single day.

Add something to your treasure trove every single day. Even if it's just a small dust particle of shimmer. It's still shimmer. And all those little particles of shimmer will add together one day into a huge dazzling stone, and that stone will just keep getting bigger and better and shinier.

It is then, when your shine gets bigger and better than most, is when people start noticing. Hey that's one shiny rock!, they'll say. Wonder how they got that!

But you don't get gems like these. You make them.

You make them with showing up everyday and adding a bit of glimmer everyday.

Passion helps you discover the glimmer. It makes you want to find the shine. But consistency is the one that makes you find it. Consistency is what pushes you to get that damn glitter particle every single day.

If passion is what keeps you up at night dreaming, consistency is what will not let you sleep till that dream has become tangible.

There are no overnight successes, but consistency ensures that there will definitely be success some day, irrespective of how long it takes.

And time taken is okay, because there is belief and faith. Because when you show up every day, there is no chance of not winning.

You are winning. A little every day.

And major wins, whatever those wins are to you, will also be a part of it. They'll come before you know it, and make you even more excited for the next milestone.

And that's why passion isn't everything. Passion is what ignites everything that comes after. What comes after is what determines your success.

Photo Credit: pinterest

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Write Often

I absolutely love writing. I've been doing it for a long time and I honestly cannot imagine a life without me reading and writing almost every single day.

I wouldn't even be able to start explaining how I felt when I just wasn't able to write for a while. Then I decided to take action. And things worked out way better than expected.

When I got into my #project50 on Instagram, I made up my mind to post everyday. The agenda was to get better at photography and just generally create work I myself would like to see. Over the course of those 50 days, I realized I was paying equal, if not more, attention to writing the captions. That should not have come as a surprise because writing is my addiction.

This blog is my passion project and it was making me feel really weird that I wasn't able to write even one blog post a week - rather, barely one a week. It was an absolute shame because the blog was started for me to write about what I wanted to write about, but along the way, when collaborations started coming my way, I kinda got off the track of the topics I wanted to write about, and started writing more about the fun and interesting new things that came up for me to collaborate with.

Now, I'm at the stage where I am still taking up collaborations, but I've learnt to compartmentalize. Atleast, I am still learning. I have not entirely 'learnt' anything yet, because you never really stop learning anything.

That's where writing comes up again. After my #project50 I started being able to write again. I am so grateful about that because I was in such a rut.

It was the daily writing, albeit just on Instagram, that made me able to write again. And I have finally been able to get back on track. From not being able to write on this blog for months at a stretch, I am (not too ambitiously) trying to post every week. And you know what? It's working. I have been able to.

It's because I started with baby steps. I didn't even know if I would be able to get out of that rut but just posting a small paragraph everyday on social media made me feel I could do a weekly blog post. And I can.

I will continue to do so.

Nothing is impossible.

Photo Credit - npr.org

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Create Good Habits

It is often easier to continue doing the same things you've been doing for a while. But is that really the best thing to do for yourself? Doing the same things everyday puts you in a sort of comfort zone, a sort of rut that it is just easy to stay in, because it is what you know. It is a habit, a series of habits, in fact.

I'll give you a task to do that'll make things so much clearer for you. The first step might take a few days, or a maximum of a week since it would be good for you to do it on weekends also.
You can thank me later.

Firstly, you must observe.

When you start to observe things around you, you realise how many things you do, what those things are, how much time you spend on each, and whether they contribute to your growth or not.
This requires noting down what you do. Every time you start a new task, make a note of what time you started it. When it ends, make a note of what you did in that time span, and how much time it took you to do so.

Regular readers of this blog know that I have not been able to write here regularly. I intend to post once a week, and I haven't even able to do that.

Writing one blog post in seven days is really not a big ask, and I'm the first person to accept it.
It's only after I tried this myself, am I able to write. I have now set aside scheduled time to write blogposts, and I actually have next week's post scheduled too. It gives me an immense amount of satisfaction that I am now starting to create quality work every single week. This is just the start but I know that I am doing it and that is the difference it makes when you start observing what you do with your time.

So now you have the observation bit down. You've​ made your notes. Now is the time for you to understand what to do with it. Now is the time that you make a plan of what you want to accomplish.

One by one, start making time for your goals.

The first thing on my list is writing a weekly blogpost that adds value to my readers and provides valuable information. The tabs on top are the topics I cover in this blog and I want to add something valuable to each tab. My goal is to make this blog a repository of valuable information across all those topics.
Working towards that necessiates writing regularly. Once writing a blogpost becomes a habit, once I automatically start creating, I will go on to the next habit on my list.

The beauty of this is that it counts on natural human nature to form habits, and one habit at a time is not a big change from your schedule.
But, and this is the magic, those habits slowly add up, and those multiple new habits that you have created just change up your day and suddenly you are more creative and productive that you ever knew.

It's a slow process, and sometimes it'll be hard, but nothing that was worth it ever came easy.
Easy come, easy go. We don't want that.

Photo Credit: pinterest

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Start Before You're Ready

 
I am guilty of this. Of waiting for things to be perfect. So many times that I have not published blog posts because I felt they weren't perfect. I needed it to be perfect before I hit that 'Publish' button. That drove me to my misery for a long time.

But then I realised that I was giving in to something that a lot of us fall prey to. And then I went back and thought about it.

Let's rewind a little.

I have been writing since I was a kid. I never really cared about how good or bad it was, I just wrote. That is how I got better; at the stage where today I am proud of myself in terms of how much I have grown as a poet. I can write a multiple page poem, haiku, quartets, and slam poetry too. I have done well, even though not many people have witnessed the growth. That did not come about with ceaseless editing and harsh self criticism. It came about because I gave myself the freedom to write all sorts of rhymes. And then those rhymes got better.

However, I did not give myself the same freedom when it came to blogposts.
Why?
After much introspection, I have realised that it is in large part due to my poetry being for my eyes only. This blog, as Google tells me, is read by people all over the world. On an average, over 10,000 unique visitors read this blog on a monthly basis. That froze me up. I started thinking I was accountable to those people. But why? Those people came because of what I wrote to begin with. If they didn't like it, they wouldn't have come, they wouldn't have read this, they wouldn't have stayed and come back for more.
But they did. They did for a reason. I was adding value in some way that appealed to them. SO I have no reason to be afraid. I know I can only get better with time. I can only get better with practice. Constant practice.
And if I procrastinate and if I hold myself back from putting up a new blog post, how will I achieve
that constant practice?

So this post is as much for me as it is for you, if you ever feel like you are not good enough, just put yourself out there.
For me, it is this blog, which I adore, and people seem to like. For you, it could be a new venture, a job search, a new relationship, an ambitious project - anything that you know will make your life better, but you keep putting it off because you're afraid that you're not ready. Because you think you should wait till the situation is perfect.

Nothing ever is perfect. So just try.
You are already better than the millions who didn't even try.
You are strong, you are talented, you are passionate.
All we need is to believe that we can do it.
All we need is to have faith in ourselves.
All we need is to stop hesitating before we push that 'Publish' button in our lives.
Start before you're ready.
That's the only way to be ready.

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Why Go Green?

Nowadays we are seeing a lot of interest in ‘living green’ or ‘going green’. Apart from it being the latest fad, what do we really know about it? It isn’t just about getting into the latest trend or following the latest fashion. It is fashionable right now, yes. However, I do not advocate this as a trend, or something to do once and move on to the next thing. Do it if you believe this is a way of life, not a new hashtagged trend. What does it mean to go green?

It means living a sustainable lifestyle

Knowing that what you’re using is not going to harm the environment, is a really good feeling. Also, it will be good for your skin and health and your mind, too. Many of these sustainable products also help the farmers and growers who painstakingly ensure that the products are truly green and environment-friendly. That also adds to a sense of satisfaction. It gives a certain peace of mind, knowing that your actions help our planet and the generations to come. Knowing where the ingredients of your products come from or the fabric of your clothes, or the vegetables in your food; makes you more connected with the world, giving you a keen awareness of how our actions affect everyone else.

It means awareness and caring

Being aware to this extent – it stands to reason that you do care about the effect of every decision that is made. It means living in harmony with your surroundings. It means being aware of the effect of every purchase you make. It means living a more responsible life. Being in harmony with the world around you goes beyond healthcare or sustainable fashion. It touches you in ways you won’t imagine or understand till you try it. It is a good lifestyle, one we truly advocate. And I can’t stress this enough – do not treat this as a trend. A green lifestyle is above and beyond such fads. It is something that requires dedication and a will to really make a difference.

It means commitment

Going green is a gradual lifelong process for most of us. We really don’t just wake up one day and decide to make radical lifestyle changes – it requires a commitment and dedication that would be difficult but totally worth it in the long run. The fact that you are here, reading this, shows that you’re wondering about whether to make that commitment. Honestly, go for it.

I'm not saying it will be easy; it is a lot to take in at once. Go about it slowly, make small changes, and you’ll see that it is easier to do so when you do it little by little. 

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Picture credits:

heartsandmindbooks.com
lovetoknow.com
pinterest.com
theecologist.org

My Pretty Simple Day

I created this very simple board, with the name of my blog on it, including the hyphens that are a part of my blog link. I keep it propped up on my table, and it reminds me what I am working towards - making my little spot of the internet the best I can make it. So today, I just decided to click a few pictures with it. Taking my board out in the pretty sunshine. Here they are:

Hello board!

Photo Credits: Mikhil Mehta

In other news, I'm going to head out for the BNLF briefing soon. Been looking forward to the event for quite a while and it arrives tomorrow, I just can't wait! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram for updates, BNLF and otherwise. My facebook page is up, too. Thank you for all your support, and do comment and let me know what you would like me to write about.

xx

Myra 

BNLF - Five Days to go!

As you all are aware, BNLF is coming up soon! I have previously written about it here, you'll find more information there and on the BNLF site so be sure to check it out.

Five days to go!
Let's have a countdown, shall we?

Monday - Well, today, it's evening already. You're probably reading this on your way back from work. Check out the tweets by indiblogger and various other bloggers who have written and tweeted about what they're looking forward to at BNLF! It'll make for an interesting read, and you'll feel good that you get to be a part of something so awesome. Go out for drinks, maybe? Get rid of the monday blues!

Tuesday - Get annoyed at work. Countdown the hours. It's much more difficult when you have something to look forward to and it just doesn't come soon enough. Get productive, finish up work, go home early. And maybe write something nice. Share it with us. Spread the word. Contribute to the excitement!

Wednesday - I know, I know; you're daydreaming at work, and you can't really concentrate. It's okay. Happens to the best of us. Write something, watch tv, tweet your #BNLF feelings, go out for dinner, go to sleep. Or go crazy on social media. You know you'll end up doing that. So why not about what we all are looking forward to?

Thursday - Start packing, dither over what to pack, pack a lot of things, remove half of it, put some other things back in. It's okay. Just pick whatever you feel awesomest in. Pack accessories, makeup, equipment, whatever. Dress to kill. Prance around the house wearing that. Feel good about yourself. Take it all off and put it in your bag. Done. Packed. Fellow Bombayites, I think we just have to have a regular day. But I guess we can still dress up. Get ready for the weekend!

Friday - Prepare yourself mentally for the awesomeness that begins tomorrow. Out-of-towners, I hope your bags are packed. I told you to do that yesterday itself. Out-of-town crew members, I hope you have reached the city! Don't forget our briefing meet in the evening! And for all of you coming from all over the country, I hope you are taking advantage of BNLF and Stayzilla's generous offer to stay here for free. Check it out here. Only a few spots left, me thinks.

Saturday - The big day! You'll find me running around as part of Indistage, and I would be happy to help you with any queries that you may have. I'll be covering the event across social media too - like live tweeting, as often as I can. So, be sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram for live updates, and feel free to tweet or mail me (or anyone else who is part of the crew) if you have any questions about BNLF.

See you there!

Myra