Category: Family

When the going gets tough..

J

ust when you think life is coming back on track, there’s a train coming head on.

What do you do?

Well. That’s the situation I find myself in today.

After, an ordeal which lasted for over two weeks, I felt much better today.

I have been down with “symptoms” since 7th September, Isolated ever since (as much a middle class Indian household permits) tested “positive on 17th” and just when I thought I was seeing the finish line, well, someone up above had other plans.

While I’m blessed to have the support system I have, if there is one person who has helped me cross this shaken, broken bridge, it has to be my wife, Dinky.

Yes, Dinky you have another feather up your cap.

I realized that with every day of my getting better, my sweetheart’s cold and cough had been getting worse. And, today when she checked, she was running 100.7 •F.

She’s still in-charge and has called Doc mamu herself to look at the best possible options- Medicines, isolation and on goes the list.

The situation is once again a bit of a crisis. When I’m crisis, either design your way out of it or drift with the flow.

The design may not pan out exactly as we think, but then drifting along has never helped anyone get closer to their desired outcome. So, we have decided to design.

Hence, Dinky and I have made following decisions today:

1. We have to face what we can and seek support where needed.
2. We will put up a calm and confident demeanor. No matter what.
3. We will start writing a gratitude journal and be each other’s accountability partners.

We will get over this storm, perhaps more stronger together. “Whatever doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger” as they say.

We don’t have all the answers and uncertainties are looming over large, but does that worry help? No way.

1. Would help us run away from the reality and face it head on. It will also set an example for our children and generations to come.

2. We’re the leaders of the family. Everyone looks up to us. Being shaky and clueless will only shake the confidence of others. We don’t want to let that happen ever.

3. Writing gratitude helps us stay in a positive mindset to be able to adhere to the previous two. As Robin Sharma says. “Worry can’t live in the same house as Gratitude”.

So, leaving it up to God and repeating our favorite Serenity prayers of all times:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.

—unknown

Well, other than those decisions, we also made some micro changes like I started to fill my own water bottle from the dispenser, and decision to wash our own utensils.

Today, I pray for Dinky, her well being, she’s the strength and pride of my family.
The Bhaag Milkha of the house. First to get the family out of any crisis situation. When an iron wire of a remote car went inside my foot one way in and out from the other end (just thinking about it runs shivers down my spine), she ran to get the help from the nearby chemist shop.

She also ran to get the neighborhood doctor when Mom had a seizure.

We have two broadband connections in the house – one is called Mohit and the other Deepti. I once told Dinky that we mostly all use Mohit connection.

Her reply was instant, but when there is something wrong, Deepti never fails to act as our back up.

That’s so true, just like you, Dinky. Whenever something goes wrong, Deepti never fails to act as back up. She always has my back, our family’s back.

I’m perhaps becoming overly sentimental as I write this. That’s also exact opposite to what I had thought – I had thought that I would start finding humor even in this rather tragic situation. it would have helped lighten the mood and others would learn a thing or two about my experiences.

If you’re wondering if there can be anything humorous in this situation, there’s plenty- the PPE Kit the lab tester was wearing had a long tail. Wonder if that’s because we Indians believe in the Hanumanji like there’s no tomorrow, or if that was the meant to distract or bring a smile to the patients.

And, the way people respond when they know you’re positive. Some of them are so insanely funny. Will hopefully get to that tomorrow.

For now, I’ll leave you with this quote that I loved reading from Deepti’s cousins new blog

“There are more things likely to frighten us than there are to crush us; we suffer more often in imagination than in reality.”

— Seneca

Until next time, this is Mohit signing off..

 

 

 

 

 

 

[5-Bullet Tuesday] When Was the Last Time You Thanked Someone?

Hi All,

Here’s your weekly dose of “5-Bullet Tuesday”, list of things I’m enjoying or pondering.

Web series I watched-

With the current COVID-19 situation already giving us enough reasons to stay anxious, who wants to watch another horror or suspense web series?

At least I don’t.

But a friend had recommended it, so I thought I’d at least see a bit of -Breathe: into the shadows, with a promise to myself to stop it the moment it gives my heart any sign of ache.

But guess what, I didn’t have to stop.

 Well, not to say that it doesn’t have the ingredients of a good suspense story, but more than that, it is the acting, the pace and the direction which keeps the story going. Besides, one can relate with the protagonist after all. As you can guess, I’m trying my best not to divulge the details while still nudging you to go watch it. You may not give it a five on five but you’ll enjoy watching it thoroughly with your family. Here’s the direct Amazon Prime link. It’s rated 16+ and it was mostly my wife and I watching it, with occasional peep-ins from children.

Quote I’m pondering-

[bctt tweet=”If you can name it, you can tame it. – Daniel Siegal ” username=”mohitsawhney”]

Whether it is your anxiety or fear, if you put a name tag to it, you will be able to tame it. Same holds true when you’re preparing to give a speech. Once you are able to pinpoint the key message – in the speech title or a foundational phrase, you will be able to build the rest of the content around it.

Movie I watched-

Yes, I’m watching a lot of stuff these days. I think most of the travel time is going into consuming content. Not all of what I’m watching is great, but Gunjan Saxena – The Kargil Girl, is one movie which is must watch. It is a beautifully made, has a powerful message and the acting of Janhavi Kapoor is awe-inspiring. She seems to be one promising star kid in the way she acts from her first movie, Dhadak.

The song I loved-

This Independence Day, 115 children from all over India have come together to give out a message of Hope, Courage & Determination through this music video – O BANDEYA, an initiative by Songfest India. You certainly don’t want to miss it. Watch it here.

The monthly mission we’re running-

It is said that gratitude is the antidote to fear. If we can shift our minds to focus on what we have rather than what we don’t, we will all be in a better place. I along with my nieces, my children and wife are running the month of August as a mission to write a gratitude every single day for 30 days. The finish line is visible now and I for one can certainly feel that I’m a slightly better person already. Our mission is called August-itude.

That is our Mission Augustitude, Whatsapp group display picture to prompt us every day. Isn’t that cool                        

If you like this post, then show the love by sharing it with friends and family. The best part of writing a blog is the discussion that follows, so do register your thoughts and views below.

                                                                                                                                    

[5-Bullet Tuesday] Have You Been Writing Love Letters to Whomsoever It May Concern?

Hi All,

Here’s your weekly dose of “5-Bullet Tuesday”, list of things I’m enjoying or pondering.

What I’m reading –

[bctt tweet=”A day without laughter is a day wasted – Charlie Chaplin” username=”mohitsawhney”]

If you’re looking to add humor in your speaking and making it part of your life, get hold of this book: The Levity Effect, by Adrian Gostick and Scott Christopher. It’s available in audio format from Audible as well as in hard copy from Amazon.in. I have grabbed my audio copy just today and can’t wait to listen. .

Great Leadership: Is Having Fun at Work a Myth?

Podcast I loved—

I think I was an early mover as far as listening to podcasts is concerned. It’s only recently though that it’s become more popular in India. Having heard so many international podcasts over the years, I have developed a sense of separating the wheat from the chaff. This one comes from a friend, a fellow Toastmaster from the same club, but it’s superior quality and I’m saying so while swallowing my own ego given the competitive rivalry that exists with people you’re close with. Hustle with Harmit, has a long way to go. Listen to this episode and decide yourself.

What 500 rupee or less purchase I’m proud of –

I bet you know by now what written form of gratitude can do to positively change your life forever.

But then, is it easy?

Maybe not. Life comes in the way. That’s why, we need a gratitude buddy – A buddy who is an accountability partner. One you trust and who nudges you to do it daily. My wife and I decided to be gratitude buddies for each other. We finished the 30 day gratitude challenge today. And guess what, we’re feeling lighter, may be not so much in our body but certainly so in our heads.

Quote I’m pondering —

Top 20 Simon Sinek Quotes That Reveal the Hard Truths About ...

Tip of the week –

One Public speaking tip that stuck with me was from TEDx speaker Chendil Kumar. Chendil says that audience analysis is sacrosanct while public speaking. In his own words: If you’re giving a speech without doing an audience analysis, it’s like you’re writing a love letter to whomsoever it may concern.

PS: If you like this broadcast, you may enjoy exploring more from me. You can connect with me at www.mohitsawhney.com.                                            

If you like this post, then show the love by sharing it with friends and family. The best part of writing a blog is the discussion that follows, so do register your thoughts and views below.

 

[5-Bullet Tuesday] Hey, When Is Your Golden Birthday?

Hi All,

Here’s your weekly dose of “5-Bullet Tuesday”, list of things I’m enjoying or pondering.

Game I’m loving playing –

There are no birthday parties without games, right? Last week was a birthday week in the family. Saesha, my niece’s birthday on 16th and Mom’s on 18th. And, if you’re like us, you have, by now, played most online games with friends. Here’s a new one I tried and loved -an old wine in the new online bottle: Hangman. Follow the link and you can have two main contestants and winner continues to play with the next contestant. You can keep the entire audience engaged by having them guess the letters, while the contestants are allowed to only solve the full word.

To add to the fun, we announced prize money for winners immediately, which would be paid through PayTM.

Now, for Mom’s birthday, we tried the evergreen Passing the Parcel, well again on a video call. The virtual circle was arranged such that the last person in one house would pass on the parcel to the first person in the second house, and so on, until it comes back to the first person in the first house. The usual music which would stop randomly to decide the victim who would then have to take out a chit and perform the act.

What games are you enjoying for such occasions?

Quote I’m pondering —

Quotes on Twitter: "You Block your #dream when you allow your ...

What I’ve learnt –

Did you know when is a Golden Birthday? Well, Your golden birthday is the year you turn the same age as your birthday. Saesha, my niece’s golden birthday would be when she’d turn sixteen because like I said, her birthday was on the 16th. If you still have the opportunity to celebrate your golden birthday, make sure the party is as good as gold.

Term I’m finding helpful –

In post lock down times, this one word could be the difference between life and death: WASH. It is one acronym that is applicable to you no matter whether you’re an individual, a corporation or even a government. It stands for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. It may sound very basic but no matter whether you’re rich or poor, today’s times have thrown us all down to the bottom of the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Here’s a quick refresher. Remember, we all have to start climbing again.

Any yes, this term, WASH, was coined in 2000 by Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) which is part of the United Nations.

Tip of the week –

If you’re into content creation, your job is to provide answers. But answers without a clear question are just noise. What question are you answering with each piece of content? Answer The Public is an online tool that takes a topic, like career, and displays all the different ways people already ask questions about that topic. Check out this really cool resource and once you know the question, only then is it time to create. All the best.

If you like this post, then show the love by sharing it with friends and family. The best part of writing a blog is the discussion that follows, so do register your thoughts and views below.

                                                                                                                                    

5-Bullet Tuesday – Are You Feeling Stuck? Here’s What To Do.

Hi All! Here is your weekly dose of “5–Bullet Tuesday,” a list of what I’m enjoying or pondering.

Mother’s Day wish I loved —

Check out Twinkle Khanna’s wish for the Mother’s Day.  I’m sure all the mothers can relate and for others this may be an eye opener. Check it out here. 

What I’m watching —

If you’re thinking of watching something fresh while still being locked out, there’s hardly anything new playing on TV, right? Wrong, there is MTV Rodies Revolution. They have shown the courage to produce raw, fresh content directly from their homes for Roadies Season 18 auditions. I love all the gang leaders who are doing a splendid job in showing  to the world that it is possible to entertain the audience no matter what the circumstances. Hats off to Neha, Nikhil, Ranvir, Prince, and Raftaar. Tune in, guys. 

Resource I’m excited to explore —

There is perhaps never been a better time to pursue your passion. Register for a course now. For me, I’m passionate about building my platform and so I have registered with Platform University. They teach you the building blocks to create your platform. Check it out here. By the way, how are using the time to fire up your passion?

Quote I’m pondering —
The second we embrace change, we become open to the limitless possibilities of life. – Michelle Maros

Tip of the week –
You’re inside the box, literally. Look around, four walls, the ground and a roof.  Sometimes being inside the box can severely impact our out-of-the-box thinking. Be mindful of this and take intentional action when you’re feeling stuck. Don’t end up killing yourself trying to work everything out all by yourself. Seek external help – your spouse, family, friends (including me) are all still there and will be more than glad to help you. And of course, go all out to serve them in return when they need it. It’ll be very gratifying.

And, as always, please give me feedback. Which bullet above is your favorite? What do you want more or less of? Other suggestions? Let me know! Have a wonderful weekend, all! Mohit.

[5-Bullet Tuesday] Some Ideas While You’re Still Locked Down

Hi All,

Here’s your weekly dose of “5-Bullet Tuesday”, list of things I’m enjoying or pondering.

What I’m reading –

Lockdown has allowed you to time to read those old half baked draft writings of your own. The one I found the most interesting  was the one I had noted about the Indian version of the SKILL-WILL matrix. While the original one is taught in management schools, nothing can beat this indigenous version which goes like this.

Quite relatable, isn’t it? Take your time to understand and laugh (and contribute towards the world Laughter Day which was just last Sunday)

Now try placing your colleagues in each of the quadrants. It’ll be fun. You yourself are, of course, Faadu! 🙂

What Movie I watched —

Finally watched the movie, The Sky is Pink, starring Priyanka Chopra, the Secret Superstar girl, Zaira Wasim and Farhan Akhtar. While the start is a slow, the movie picks up pace somewhere in the middle. Rented it from Apple TV for 150 bucks. I would highly recommend the movie, it’s very fulfilling although it does become emotionally heavy towards the end. And more so, knowing that it is based on real life of  story of Aisha Chaudhary, and her family, whose real pictures and the song composed by her brother they show at the end. 

Affirmation I’m chanting –

It’s extremely important to remain mentally and physically fit regardless of the circumstances. One thing that I’d recommend you do daily is to chant, write a daily affirmation. I usually go with one until I find another which I like more. Here’s the one that’s keeping me going these days:

I’m balanced.

I’m calm.

At the center off the life’s storm,

I’m serene.

Web series I’m following –

So, you’re looking for programs that you can watch with your family isn’t it? I doubt if there are any completely clean family shows these days. They all have at least some abuse, vulgarity, or violence. But the good news is that perhaps your family’s tolerance threshold has also increased with time, so I would still suggest you to go for Panchayat, if you haven’t seen it yet. Anyone 7+ can watch although it couldn’t completely hold my 11 year old son‘s interest for long.

Another one that perhaps require some more threshold limit is Ekta Kapoort’s Fittrat, showing on ZEE5. This is the story of a smart go-getter girl, Tarini.

Fittrat is one of Ekta’s shows that doesn’t start with K, but with an F and F words don’t end there, so be cautious, but other than that (well, and glamourising smoking throughout), I wouldn’t mind watching with family.

There are a few places with adult humour but nothing vulgar. I have watched 6 episodes of the 15 yet. More on what my family likes about this show in the next bullet.  

What family activity I’m doing –

One of the activities you can do while at home it to get your family to share their perspectives on a common thing of interest. For example, if you’re all watching a show like in our case it is this web-series, Fittrat. Even though it is the same show you we’re all watching, the  lens through which each pair of eyes is seeing is very different. You’ll only come to know of that when you ask. When I interviewed my family about what is the best thing they like about this show, here’s what they said.

My six-year-old, daughter, Sohana likes the way they’ve shown the friendship of the lead character Tarini and Amy, her chuddy buddy.  Sohana is looking forward to how eventually this equation would take a turn when Tarini falls for her best friend Amy’s fiancé.

Tanav, my 12-year-old son is fascinated about how Tarini would eventually fall for Amy’s BFFs fiancé, “that’s really something I am looking forward to see.”, my pre-teenager says.

Deepti, my wife loves Tarini’s confidence in herself.

And as far as I’m concerned, I love how they’ve shown the luxurious lifestyle of the filthy rich, which is otherwise quite rare to see on small screen.

If you like this post, then show the love by sharing it with friends and family. The best part of writing a blog is the discussion that follows, so do register your thoughts and views below.

                                                                                                                                    

How COVID-19 crisis is helping you sharpen your saw?

Hi All,

Here’s your weekly dose of “5-Bullet Tuesday”, list of things I’m enjoying or pondering.

Story I loved–

One thing that I try not to miss these days is tell children a bed time story. This one in particular is the one that I loved the most. It is an extension of the old rabbit and the tortoise story that you all would have read. It’s really interesting how the rabbit deals with losing to a tortoise and what happens after that.

It’s particularly relevant in today’s quarantined world where instead of competing with each other, we must learn to complete each-other instead. Give it a watch here.

Quote I’m pondering —

Mother Teresa once said this. I wonder if there would be a better time to implement it.

Song I loved –

I’m pretty sure by now you have heard this, but if not, you must do so now. First time I saw it, it brought tears of joy to my eyes, extremely emotional and one that connects us all as a country.

Yes, my friends, Muskurayega India. Watch it here.

Poem I loved –

Ayushman Khurana’s poem on Corona warriors is extremely poignant. Hear it from the horse’s mouth here.

What I’ve learnt —

One of the concepts that is taught to MBA students in Strategy class is that of Stretch and Fit. Stretch is how organizations smartly utlilize their meagre resources to meet their aspirations. Fit on the other hand is how organizations match its rsources and capabilities with the opportunities in the external environment.

This little learning is extremely applicable in today’s context of a locked down world due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Not only organizations but even individuals are learning to stretch –extended family meetings online, neighborhood balcony tambolas and Antaksharis on a chain-phone call with school time friends.

And we’re learnin to fit as well, learning to eat without non-veg, sleep without AC and drink…, well, what’s that?

If you like this post, then show the love by sharing it with friends and family. The best part of writing a blog is the discussion that follows, so do register your thoughts and views below.

 

How Can You Stay Sane in Stressful Times!

Hi All, Here’s your weekly dose of “5-Bullet Tuesday”, list of things I’m enjoying or pondering.

Quote I loved – 

A smile acts upon difficulties as the sun upon clouds – it disperses them. Keep smiling.

Story I loved hearing – 

I was listening to a podcast in which Jack Kornfield, a trained Buddhist monk talks about remaining calm in crisis as the best approach. Jack has conducted online sessions for people in China and other countries that are severely affected by the Corona virus. He Talks about how when in ancient times when the pirate ships were caught is storms, everyone on the ship was saved if even one of them remained calm. This one person would show everyone the way forward and all would survive even the mightiest of storms. Today, in this time of crisis, I want to invite you to be that one person. How could you be that one person, you may be thinking. Read further..

Best advise I heard on staying sane during stressful times –  

According to Jack Kornfield, here are the steps to follow:

1 Acknowledge your anxieties – Write down your worst fears and worries on chits of paper and put them all in a bowl. Place them at your place of worship in the house. For Lord to take care and hold it for you.

2. Change the lens through which you’re seeing the happenings around you. Start believing that this is not happening to us, but for us. – Is there something to learn from this? Can this downtime be used for deepening compassion, strengthening connection and improving ourselves?

Turn it around and say the universe has provided you with a retreat which would otherwise not be possible.

Hasn’t this situation already taught us to look beyond the boundaries of geography and religion? We’re all, the entire humanity in it standing together like never before, in this fight against the unknown.

3. Get real: Denial is wrong and so is getting lost in the future. It’s time to get into action. We have got work to do, a lot of it. Stay home, clean the house, wash the dishes, doors and handles too. Clearly, there is not any time to waste, no time for gossip and no time for a constant inflow of breaking news.

A motivation tip I loved the most- 

This too is by Jack Kornfield, “Remember, we have generations of ancestors behind us, who are looking at us today and saying -we too survived some extremely tough times, you will too. You can do it. Keep the faith.”

A creative way of creating the Daily Top 3 things to do –

Jonathan Fields, the author of The Good Life Project says that to live a good life no matter what the circumstances, you need to constantly work on filling three life buckets. These three buckets are those of Connection, Contribution and Vitality.

Connection – Attend online meetings, rekindle relations with the family, express gratitude to the real hero’s- the doctors at the frontline.

Contribution – Like I said before, stay home, clean the house, wash the dishes, and doors and handles too. 

Vitality – Learn and grow. Physically, Spiritually and mentally. Various things you can do for that. For example, even in this downtime, my calendar is busier than ever.

If you like this post, then show the love by sharing it with friends and family. The best part of writing a blog is the discussion that follows, so do register your thoughts and views below.