Tag: work

Happiness

Disturbing in Simla vacation

Couple of days back, I had an inpromptu plan to visit Delhi, where I live. (PS: I am in the last month of my stay at my hometown these days :D)

When I called up my landlord a day prior to my reach, he and Aunty were in Simla, for a short break.

Yet, here’s what Uncle arranged to do for me:
– Asked his brother in law to come home and take out my room’s keys to the kitchen, which was being used by the servant.
– Told the servant to clean my room
– Told the servant to make sure he opens up the main gate, as I wasn’t having the keys

All this, while vacationing.

They didn’t have to do that, yet they did. As a matter of fact, upon reaching my apartment, I texted Uncle instead of calling him so as to not to disturb them, thanking for everything. He replied with taking the help of the servant, if I needed anything.

Just wow!

But why are we talking about it?

Because in a lot of homes, it is considered taboo to get out of your way to help anyone in family, let alone tenants.
In a sad culture that has been instilled, it is thought that if someone is helping us, it should be with some ulterior motive.

And if that was not enough, kids are taught that they should never talk to strangers, let alone help them.

No wonder why that generation has grown up to become mentally ill generation.

That said, if you are able to read this, you have the power to parent yourself. What our parents and our culture did to us is bad, however, if we replicate that to ourselves, nothing could be worse.

So, help others out. It will not be a disturbance on your Simla vacation. Be the one who is a giver, and EVERYTHING else in life, will be well taken care of.

Art and Creativity, Success

Creativity and infidelity

Creativity is a weird companion.

Exactly 24 hours back, I was bursting with ideas to write blogs on.

Right now, I don’t know what to write.

Seems like creativity has been infidel to me and left me. Except that isn’t. Because creativity is a process. If you show up, it always does.

If you are reading this blog post till here, you know that creativity has kept up. Because I kept my promise of writing this post.

Creativity is always loyal. If we are.

Emotions

The silent anger

There’s a wonderful woman I know of, who is living her life for a great social cause. She’s been doing this for the last thirty years, started at the age of seventeen.

She doesn’t get angry.
Always works to uplift people.
Cooks great food for them.
Listens to their problems.
Offers solutions.

All epic. Super-commendable.

But I can often sense hidden anger within her. Because the people she serves don’t live up to her standards.

That’s sad.

Because no one is going to live their lives as we suggest them to be, no matter how much good that suggestion holds.
As a matter of fact, if we force them, they might grow even more resistant.

The key is acceptance. And that is the entire journey all about. Acceptance that we can only guide them and bless them, everyone takes their own sweet time to get to a place of change.

Till then, they need our blessings.

The silent anger causes greater resistance.
And loss of trust.

Clients

Client lessons

  1. Of course growth is painful in the long term. But go ask anyone with a huge following and they’ll say 99% of the people that started with them quit in the middle because of less growth. Persistence is power.
  2. Show them the effort. What looks effortless to you should look like effort to them. Realised this truth quite late, however, thankfully realised it.
  3. If you are talking about a new project, bring the talk of commercials in the first or max second conversation. No one will value you if you don’t.
  4. You are not paid for your core competency. You are paid for your awesomeness in delivery, your accountability, your love for work, and how you give more value to the client in lieu of their money.
  5. Quote what you feel is the right amount for you, don’t lower your standards. And when that is crystallised, always give more than what you are paid for. There is a saying in Hindi: “Daata ke haath sada bhare rehte hain,” meaning, that the giver is always fulfilled.

Hope they help you, as much as they do to me.

Knowing Yourself

Whatever you do…

Whatever you do, others draw an example from.

Whatever you do, becomes the barometer for others to function.

Whatever you do, determines your state of mind.

Remember this the next time you’re going to take a step your intuition refuses to.

Documenting the Day

Documenting NY habits

This year, I’m doing something different: creating habits instead of goals. While I do have some goals at the back of my mind, they’re all effective when we build systems around them.

So here are mine:

1. Create one IG reel + one LinkedIn post daily. And write a Twitter thread every Tuesday about lessons from the book I’m reading.

2. Sleep by 9:30 PM. Daily.

3. Have daily habits of reading and meditation, and check my chart daily at EOD.

The only person between you and your happiness and success is you, and let good habits nudge you away from the old you.

Happy New Year folks! I’d love to listen to your habits, DM me on IG/Twitter/ LinkedIn with the handle nishthagehija26.

See you then, and 2021 will be the best year of your life!

Thoughts

The usual boring stuff

Much of our lives is the usual boring stuff.

Extreme events – such as a job promotion, getting your dream client, getting that deal, your first pair of Nike’s, no matter how eventful – they’re extremely rare.

Which brings us to the boring stuff, and make the best of it.

How to make the best of it – no one can answer that for you, only you can.

But if you keep making the best of each boring day – trust me, you will have ideas to an extent of just extreme events.

Only one caveat: Keep working on your habits and the usual mundane stuff of doing the right things while watching someone else’s happening Insta feed.

Jokwa

Some random jokes

Been sitting next to a new room heater. The RHS of me is in Mumbai now, while the LHS is in Delhi, while me sitting in Rajasthan.

***

Had gud+cashew as a mid meal snack. My fingers are greasy, helps with a smooth zoom out on the trackpad.

***

If you want to feel really hot, keep your laptop on your lap. 100% tried and  tested super effective technique!

***

How to distinguish an amateur from a pro?
A pro is someone who has enabled “Add Space After Paragraph” in a doc, instead of pressing “Enter” twice.

***

Desi culture is
Moms being okay with kids carrying
heavy bags of groceries or even suitcases

But not trusting them to lift a pressure cooker at home.

Tu gira degi!

***

That’s it folks! Worked whole day on it 🙂

Chalo, have a great Sunday!

Clients

I almost forgot…

I almost forgot to write today’s blog post.

And now, while sleeping, reminded of that.

So, what is it about today?

Hmm, I’m thinking of charging for consulting as well over the call. Okay, the client is going to pay me beautifully when the work starts, however why do I behave like a fool and offer 2.5 hours of free consulting?

Nishtha, grow up!

No one will value you if you don’t do that to yourself.

That said, the last leg of brainstorming with the client is left, will seek guidance from God in meditation early morning tomorrow, if it is right to charge or be modest if the contract is already yours.

Chalo, good night peops!

Knowing Yourself

O yeah, that happens with me too!

O yes.

It is weird sometimes.

People behave in strange ways.

They act as if they don’t care.

And more than anything else, they tell you that you matter however, that is the last thing you see.

So, what to do?

Take care of yourself buddy!

The advice is real, the execution in takes all the effort. And if you are you, there is no one that can shake you.

Career, Success

Entitlement

Today I came across a wonderful story on LinkedIn, wanted to share the lesson from it here.

A guy had gone to a tea stall, where he saw a father struggling to get his daughter admitted into a top college.

The man had worked really hard, and the daughter had gotten into a top engineering college. More so, he was willing to work harder to support her through college.

So this guy who posted on LinkedIn offered his help, and after few minutes of helping him out, also offered this Uncle to keep his phone number. Now he will help Uncle and his daughter.

Which brings me to hunger.
When we are hungry in life, we help others in satisfying their hunger.
When we are happy in life, we help others get happier.
When we have risen from nothing, we love to help others rise up.

However, only the people without entitlement can do it.
Only the people who love hard work can help others in theirs. The ones who feel they can work less and get done with, don’t know what lies ahead of them.
Only the people who believe they “have it all” actually have it all. As the 1984 Apple commercial states: “They push the human race forward.”

So, are we pushing the human race forward? Or are we pushing ourselves backward by letting entitlement get in?

Success

So there are two ways

Way 1:

People may make mistakes. That’s why, when you make a rectification in the email, send a fresh email, instead of a top-up.

This is usually a “don’t use your brain because you don’t have one and I anyway don’t trust you” approach. No one grows with it.

Way 2:

Making people more attentive.

How? Through meditation at work (even WFH), no-work policy on weekends, and endorsing silence more than loudness.

The world, after all, is no different from we ought to have created it to be.

Knowing Yourself

Stern. Not really!

It was a delay in delivery of work from one of our delivery partners.
What was supposed to be delivered in two days, was easily and conveniently taking a week.

In the first week itself, they broke several promises.

As a result, I was asked to be stern with them. Which I did.

In the coming week, they again faltered.
This time I became stern without being asked to.

As a result, I was told to be the nice and kind girl, and let the sternness be the game of the seniors.

Which made me think: I let go of my original nature of being kind, it only backfired on me.
I am known for being kind and compassionate, however, I let go of my real original nature (which, in fact, is a good virtue to possess) and that backfired on me.

Lesson learnt: NEVER let go of your goodness, even when the world wants you to.

Life

The biggest thing in life

The state with which you enter your home.
The way you walk from the parking entrance to your vehicle.
How much are you ready to ignore to make your happiness a priority.
How much you’re ready to endure to make others are happy
How to look at the person in the mirror – smiling or critical
The sigh or the joy on waking up.
Water bottle kept next to your laptop.
Not using phone because you want to read.
The general convo drifting around how bad your luck was, or how hopeful life is!

Small things that define our life in biggest ways.

Career

Making a career move

Someone reached out to me on LinkedIn yesterday, and really appreciated my decision of moving from a well-established job of an Internal Auditor, to full-time content writer.

A lot of people remark that it is a courageous move, however here’s my take:

(PS: This is a stoic move, not the I worked really hard part. We’ll cover that part later:D)

– God moves in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform (Truly remarked Napoleon Hill in Think and Grow Rich)

– If you have worked really hard and are doing it daily, the Law of thoughts will always be there for you.

– This also means, that the opposite of a good thought will also affect us, if we are really willing to listen.

If you don’t believe this, read it again. And you will see the difference.

Success, Thoughts

How to get what you want

How can you get what you want?

One option is very valid: Try. Put in the efforts. Do the hard work. Which is all very beautiful and necessary.

There’s another option as well: See yourself as awareness, just aware of everything.

It takes a lifetime to learn the second one. But when we do, we won’t read a blog titled “How to get what you want” 🙂

Success

Met my love on Diwali

Had decided to not work today.

But opened up the laptop and did an hour of writing. Felt like bliss.

Up until last Diwali when I used to have a job I didn’t like, I never opened the laptop for the 5 days of Diwali. Now that isn’t the case, thankfully:)

This is what true love is 💖

Keep looking, and don’t settle.

– Steve Jobs

Clients, People

Wow! Just wow!!!

Last Friday, a founder and CEO of one of the groundbreaking startups in India approached me on LinkedIn. He wanted to speak to me for writing content for them.

When I responded to their DM to know more about the work, his first response was: “Thanks for the response,” and then we talked further.

Who does that in a mean world? Such a kind soul! He could write a social media post and get 100’s of writers in less than an hour, and still responding me with kindness? Wow!

So we spoke further and scheduled a meeting three days hence.

Almost two-and-a-half hours prior to the meeting, he sent me an email informing the meeting had to be inadvertently cancelled due to a family emergency. Not only that, he ensured to DM me on LinkedIn as well.

Of course, I understood and replied with an understanding and affirmative response.

That’s not the point. The point is he did not “need” to inform me before not showing up for a meeting, yet he informed me at two places – that too when it was a family emergency.

So so sooo fortunate to be working with such generous and kind folks. People who value the time and work of others just as theirs and not taking their art for granted are a priceless asset. Always.

Just that I got lucky, because the world doesn’t owe us anything. All the kindness and ease from clients like him is always a blessing to be bestowed upon. If you are one such kind soul reading this, thank you to you too! You rock <3 🙂

Uncategorized

7 great things 2020 gave us

2020 is a blessing, if we see it!

While most of us have already named 2020 as the worst year ever, there are some incredible gifts that 2020 brought with it – something that we could have come into our lives had the pandemic didn’t occur.

Thus, 2020 in all its rights, is the year of these life lessons:

  1. It was never the lack of time: It is always about whether you really want the change, or whether you really want to cling to the way you were before. 
    Change is hard. And with so much time on our hands due to lockdown and work from home, we realized time was never the issue. It was all about making the choice. After all, how can we expect anyone to give us their time if we do not have time for ourselves?

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  1. How we were without pandemic was reflected in how we were with pandemic.If we look closely at the behaviours of people we admire – be it online or offline – their lifestyle, approach to life situations and happiness remained unaffected despite such major changes the world over. And if you see people around you that were suffering or in pain during the pandemic, they were suffering even before. This isn’t judgement, this is a reflection that the outer situations do not determine who we are or what we become.
  2. Meditation is a necessity: Since the response to external events is always dependent on our inner thoughts, meditation is not something to take up, it is something to imbibe in our lifestyles. Even five minutes between two tasks, 5 times a day works wonders. If you haven’t tried it, you have missed out on abundance of peace within you.
  3. Fitness isn’t just a hobby:I read a story of a 40 year old daughter, taking care of her Covid-stricken father. Her husband was out of city and her mother had passed away, so she, along with her father’s full-time aid started living in a room next to his. After some days, the help who was there to help also developed Covid symptoms. Meanwhile, the husband had returned, so they both started taking care. However, very soon the husband was also Covid positive. So she was there taking care of her father alone. Throughout that period of taking care of him, she was healthy and unaffected. Reason? She has been taking care of her fitness as well as diet. It is as magical as parents’ love, we don’t see it unless we see the absence of it in people around us.
  4. We have the power to heal others. However, how will we able to extend a hand if our own is fractured? Tell me in the comment section.
  1. Don’t delay giving love.You may never know the person may not be with you tomorrow
  2. It all begins and ends with only one person: YOU. No one, absolutely no one has the right to enter your space of mind if you have decided to make yourself stronger – not even family, not your colleagues, not your friends – no one. I understand it is easier said than done. However, my mental health issues also surfaced during this pandemic and made me realize the importance of being the master of my mind, instead of letting it control me. It takes efforts, but what’s a good thing without making the efforts?

Isn’t it?

Work & Business

A Mastery in saying no

The vibe never lies.
Your soul shouldn’t be exchanged even in lieu of diamonds.

In the past two weeks, I said no to two writing gigs that could have made me six figures.

And since the money involved is too big, first response is to ignore everything and jump on it.

However, in both those cases, I realized I wouldn’t be happy or be myself – I would be just putting a price tag on my soul. And that is the last thing I signed up for.

Thus, I said no. Without surprise, felt light and easy beyond measure.

The best Content Writer is also a contented writer – who is feeling contented with every business relationship they have.

That doesn’t mean not having more gigs. However, that does mean feeling happy while doing the work – and trusting yourself, that when you say no when the vibe doesn’t match, much better ones with better vibes come to you.

Standing for yourself is priceless.