Things That I am Grateful for, in 2020

 

"Life surprises us the most

When we refuse to quit

At the face of thunder and hurricane,

Knowing well that every storm

Will eventually run out of rain."

2020 changed our perspective towards life. It made us pause, reflect, and introspect. Apart from Covid-19, we people in Kolkata had to fight the hurricane called Amphan in the month of May which was devastating. Negativity, chaos, restlessness, and fear of the uncertain were looming all around us. And yet, 2020 is the year that helped me discover my inner power. 

In this post, I am going to share 7 things that I am grateful for, in 2020 :

1. Yoga and Meditation

I started doing Yoga regularly in 2019 but this year helped me go deeper into it. As I was determined to keep myself physically and mentally fit this year, I made yoga asanas, pranayamas, and meditation an integral part of my daily life.

I started practicing Vinyasa Yoga (flow of yoga asanas) and embarked on my journey towards Kriya Yoga after reading 'Autobiography of a Yogi'.

I completed the first part of the 4-part Kriya Home Study Course by Ananda Institution founded by Swami Kriyananda. Spirituality helped me keep calm amid the chaos. It taught me to stay stable even when situations and people were not according to my way. 

2. Life-Changing Books  

There was no electricity in our house for about 4 days after the Amphan thunderstorm. It was a very difficult time in our lives. That was when some divine force inspired me to pick the book 'Autobiography of a Yogi' from my bookshelf. 

It won't be an exaggeration if I say that it is the best book I have ever read in my life. It changed me as a person and empowered me with its plethora of spiritual teachings. I know that I will go back to this book again and again throughout my life. 

Other life-changing books that I read in 2020 for which I am grateful for, are Tuesdays with Morrie, Hygge, Archer by Paulo Coelho, Vitamin H series by Abhishek Thakkar, Follow Your Rainbow by Rashmi Bansal, Adiyogi by Sadhguru. 

3. Baking

I learned baking this year! I always wanted to bake cakes but due to my hectic schedule, I always ordered from a confectionery shop. Things were different this year due to the lockdown. 

I was not ready to spend my birthday without a birthday cake. So I decided to try baking. On my birthday, I baked a chocolate cake and decorated it with wafers, gems, and nutties. It was so delicious that I fell in love with the art of baking. I made mango cake, coffee cake, and many more chocolate cakes throughout the year. 

I am so grateful that this year made me fall in love with baking. The aroma of a freshly baked cake is magical!

4. Family Time and Staying in Touch with loved ones

Another thing that I am grateful for in 2020 is the amazing bonding time that Papa and I got. Papa and I have always been busy with our work commitments. But 2020 gave us ample time to be each other's best friends. 

We cooked together, tried various recipes, baked, divided household chores, watched web series, listened to audio stories together, celebrated festivals and special occasions. 

I am also grateful that I could stay in touch with my loved ones through video calls and audio calls. Although I couldn't meet them, but we could be with each other in the highs and lows of this turbulent year. 

5. A great year for writing

2020 has been a very fulfilling year for my writing journey. I was busy with clearing UGC NET and with other content developing projects in 2019 which halted my writing. I am so grateful that I could focus on my writing project "Mythological Monologues" when the lockdown started. 

The A to Z challenge helped me complete my 6th book "Mythological Monologues" and publish it later in both Kindle and Paperback edition. 

In the month of November, I participated in NaNoWriMo and completed writing my next novel "Falling Like the Stars" (of 50,000 words) in a month. 

I also wrote a thriller short story "Larceny of Identity" for the book "Macabre Tales" of which I am a guest author. I won the Romantic Rendezvous contest of Writers Melon in which my romantic short story "One day, it will rain" got the first prize and was selected for their upcoming anthology. My audio story "Rose, the Painter's Beloved" (a paranormal story) was selected in the audiobook "Unearthly Lores". You can listen to the story here. 

Overall, it was a fulfilling year for writing where I worked on my poetry book, novel, and short stories of 3 genres - romance, thriller, and horror. 

6. Learning Literature with Purba

Students were unable to attend classes in this pandemic. I feel so grateful that I could teach English Literature to college students and NET aspirants through my YouTube Channel and Podcast of Learning Literature with Purba. 

My sole focus was to create enriching videos of English Literature that could help plenty of students and make bite-sized podcast episodes that will make Literature a lot of fun. Today, my channel has more than 13.6K subscribers and my podcast is being listened by people of more than 18 countries. 

7. Happiness lies within

I learned this year that my happiness lies within me, not on something outside me. I am the Creator of my Destiny. I create my thoughts, feelings, words, and deeds which contribute to my happiness. 

This year, after the lockdown, I could not meet any of my friends. The first time I went out of my house was in November after more than 8 months of staying at the house. I hardly ordered food from restaurants and went on outings. Despite that, I was happy, stable, and peaceful. 

All I had to do was think and create positive thoughts consciously, take care of my mental and physical health, and wake up with the intention of being good and kind to everyone who comes across me. When we are calm, we can find joy in every situation. This year empowered me and helped me connect with my inner paradise. 

Well, these are a few things that I am extremely grateful for, in 2020. This year brought me closer to myself, made me calmer, wiser, and more compassionate. 

The fact that we have reached the end of 2020 proves that we have survived the most challenging year with flying colours. I am sure all of us have learned something from this year that we will carry forward in 2021. 

May we be compassionate towards everyone - ourselves, fellow humans, animals, and Mother Nature. Wishing everyone a wonderful 2021! 

"When humans learn to bloom together

At their own pace and style

Like the rose, lily, and the sunflower~

No competition

No insecurities

No fear

No envy;

The Earth will turn into an

Evergreen garden of paradise." 

 ‘This blog post is a part of the Welcome 2021 Blog Hop hosted by Swarnali Nath.’

Shopping India 1011: Your New Fashion Destination for Every Occasion

Imagine having a reliable fashion store on your Whatsapp! Every day, you get to check out amazing new products that are available at an affordable price! The products range from ethnic to contemporary clothing, footwear, and accessories. You get free shipping on every product and 100% quality assurance. Sounds good, right?

Let me take the opportunity to introduce you to Shopping India 1011- an online store for busy and fashion-forward people. You do not have to spend hours browsing for the perfect outfit or footwear that you need for a particular occasion. Whether you are looking for western or ethnic outfits, you can check out a wide range of designs on your Whatsapp daily. All you need to do is DM on the given number for regular updates on your phone. 

Recently, I bought a pair of jhumki earrings and a black and white striped top from Shopping India 1011. Not only the products are amazing, but they are also available at the best market prices. Moreover, shipping is always free which helps you save a lot of money every time you shop. 

The oversized silver jhumki earrings reach to the neck. They go very well with Kurtis and Salwar Suits. Despite being oversized, the earrings are light and comfortable to carry. 

The black and white striped top has become one of my favorite comfort tops. It can be paired with a pair of denim shorts, denim jeans, and a skirt. As you can see, I have teamed it with a pair of striped blue shorts. The stripe on stripe trend always looks classy. I have tied my hair in a ponytail and accessorized the outfit with long danglers. 

The length of the top is so convenient that you can choose to tuck it or leave it open according to your style. 

Shopping India 1011 has a fabulous collection of tops, jumpsuits, Kurtis, suits, accessories, bottom wear, and footwear. The personalized updates on your phone will make your shopping experience friendly, personal, and hassle-free. You will feel that a friend and stylist is always guiding you to choose the next fashionable outfit. 

No matter what the occasion is, you will find the perfect outfit and accessory. Check out the super cool fashion destination on Instagram/Facebook and DM them directly for regular awesome updates. 

My experience with Shopping India 1011 has been amazing in every aspect: price, product quality, and customer satisfaction. I will highly recommend to check out this fashion destination during this festive season.

Happy Shopping!

"What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language." —Miuccia Prada

A Letter to my 20 Year Old Self

Dear 20-year-old Purba,

Today, I remembered you the way one remembers a favorite novel read long back or a favorite movie watched long back. I felt like reliving your life and the world around you the way one feels like watching every scene of a favorite movie again.

You simply refused to go away from my mind despite the deadlines beckoning me every fifteen minutes. I remembered the hopeless romantic, the crazy dreamer, the kind soul, the aspiring writer and singer so much in love with life. You inspire me, girl!

When I feel I am becoming a cynic, you teach me to love deeply, be ridiculously kind, and forgive others. When life seems mundane, you teach me to become a hopeless romantic once again. Every goal that I set and achieve, the inspiration has to be the crazy dreamer that you are. 

Today, I long to have a long chat with you because no one can understand me perhaps better than you. Honestly speaking, I feel too tired today with all the bitterness and hatred lurking all around, especially in social media. It is challenging to be positive when you are surrounded by negativity all around. 

Twitter/Facebook were once such fun places to be.  Strangers became close friends and now, friends become strangers and strangers can give you threats if your ideologies/opinions don't match with theirs. It is like walking on eggshells every single minute. 

Today, we are battling a pandemic where our country is registering nearly 1 lakh cases daily but I realize that the venom-like hatred in hearts is such a bigger pandemic than the Corona Virus. It is more contagious and deadly. 

I long to spend some quality time with you today. Together, let's listen to some Bollywood retro songs, ghazals, and 90s pop songs. 

I know you will teach me to see how far I have come and how much I can go ahead. You will remind me that although the outer world is not in our control, our inner world is. I know you will fill my heart with love, light, gratitude, and magic. You will teach me to spread my wings and fly in the sky of love, dropping every ounce of negativity. You will teach me again how to sing amid chaos and dance amid storms. 

Love,

30-year-old Purba

7 Affirmations to Practice When You Feel Anxious

Our greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another. -William James

Affirmations are a set of words that carry positive vibrations. Repeating them again and again tricks the mind into believing them. And once the mind believes it, we become what we affirm. 

We feel anxious when we worry about the future, when we do not get answers to our questions, and when we feel clueless about the next step. We get lost in the illusion that we have to figure everything all at once. Life is a Journey and there is a Divine Intelligence watching over us. That Higher Power makes sure the sun rises each day and seasons change annually. We do not have to figure everything at once. We do not have to foresee our future and feel restless. We just need to live in the present moment with awareness. 

During the current pandemic times, when uncertainty prevails everywhere, most of us are struggling with anxious thoughts. But as William James said, we always have the ability to choose one thought over another. This is how we can defeat stress and anxiety. 

Affirmations are beautiful tools that allow us to choose healthy and positive thoughts. The right thoughts make us feel harmonious, healthy, peaceful, and happy. 

Here are 7 beautiful and powerful affirmations that you can practice when you feel anxious:

1. I love and approve of myself. I trust the process of life. I am safe. 

2. Everything I need comes to me in the perfect time, space, and sequence. 

3. When one door closes, another door opens. I am willing to change and to grow.

4. I am the Creator of my Destiny. I am the Creator of my every thought, feeling, word, and action. 

5. I am always protected by the Universe. I can manifest everything that I desire. I am a magnet for miracles and blessings. 

6. Everything I need to know gets revealed to me at the right time. 

7. I prosper wherever I turn. All is well in my world!

These affirmations will empower you mentally and emotionally. These words, filled with positive vibrations will convert your anxiety into serenity. You can check out Louisa Hay's book "Heart Thoughts" for more beautiful affirmations. 

Every time a negative thought enters your mind, consciously think 3 positive thoughts or practice 3 affirmations. That's how you can change the script easily! 

Always remember that you are the Creator of your Thoughts. Your Mind is a great machine and it is you who controls your Mind. 

This post is a part of Blogging with a Purpose series in association with Blogchatter. My theme for this year is Physical, Mental, and Emotional Wellness. 

#CauseAChatter

My 6th book Mythological Monologues is now available on Amazon!

I am delighted to announce that my 6th book, "Mythological Monologues" is now available on Amazon Kindle. The paperback will be out later this year. The book is getting great reviews from fellow authors, bloggers, and readers. 

What the book is about!

How did Ahalya feel when Sage Gautam cursed her to be a stone?
How did Eklavya feel when Dronacharya asked for his right thumb as his Guru Dakshina?
How did Karna feel when he learned he was the brother of the Pandavas before the Kurukshetra war?
How did Draupadi go through the various trials and tribulations of her life? What was her anchor?
How did Arjuna feel after being enlightened by Lord Krishna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra?

The friendship of Sudama, the love of Radha, the longing of Rukmini, the devotion of Shabari, the compassion of Sita, and the revenge of Shikhandi also find a place in this book of dramatic monologues.

Embark on this fascinating journey inside the minds of iconic characters of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Listen closely to their voices and dive deep into their hearts. Maybe, you will find yourself in some of them.

Sharing two short excerpts from monologues of Janaki and Urmila from Ramayana. 

If you enjoy reading mythological fiction and poetry, you will definitely enjoy reading this book. 

Grab your copy on Amazon!

If you are a book reviewer and you would like to review the book, do let me know in the comment section or send me an email. 

How to Have a Better Attitude Towards Fitness?

Do you have a very on-off relationship with exercising, diet, and fitness? Do you struggle to stay committed to your fitness goals? Do you feel exhausted when you don't get the results that you have been expecting? I totally get you. It takes more than exercising and dieting to have a great relationship with fitness month after month, year after year.  

First of all, fitness is not restricted to how you look on the outside. You may be physically very fit but emotionally, you may be on the verge of breaking down at any moment. And that is not called being fit at all. Fitness means you have a healthy body and a healthy mind. Your immune system is functioning well and you are emotionally stable. Even when people and situations are not according to you, you handle it with grace instead of getting extremely angry and agitated. 

Let's take a look at a few simple ways that will help you to develop a better attitude towards fitness:

Befriend your kitchen and eat balanced, healthy meals. 

If you want to stay fit and healthy always, you need to befriend your kitchen. Instead of ordering junk food, you have to learn to enjoy healthy homemade meals. Eat balanced meals that have proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and fiber in the right amount. 

Learning a few easy and healthy recipes will motivate you to have a healthy relationship with food and your kitchen. Try to eat 80% of home-cooked meals to stay healthy. You can download the app HealthifyMe on your phone to track the number of calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fats that you are consuming per day. You can also find great suggestions for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This App will help you make healthy food choices every day. I have been using it since 2018 and my experience has been fabulous. 

Do not get obsessed with the weighing scale

Your health and fitness cannot be only determined by how much you weigh. Some people are prone to weight gain and some are prone to weight loss. Therefore, obsessing over that perfect number can disappoint you in your fitness journey.

If you want to determine how fit and healthy you are, do it through other parameters such as how well you are sleeping every night, how good your digestive system is working, how good your immunity is. If you feel fresh after waking up every morning, do not have trouble digesting your meals and do not fall sick during season changes, you are fit. Women can check if they are having their periods on time and whether they are painless. Your focus should be on measuring your fitness by these parameters, not by a particular number on the weighing scale. 

Workout at least 4 days a week

4 days a week. 

30 minutes workout session. 

Even if you are very busy, you must take out at least 4 days a week and commit to a 30 minutes workout session to stay fit and healthy. In order to make your workouts fun, mix and match various activities that you enjoy. If you like dancing, skipping, running, and walking, include them in your weekly workout sessions so that you look forward to that time. 

There are 4 elements of exercise: Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, and Balance. To increase your stamina, you must do cardio. For developing strength, you can do weight training. Start with 1kg X 2 dumbbells and gradually increase the weight as your strength develops. You can also do pushups and squats to increase strength. For increasing your flexibility, yoga is the best form of workout. To increase your balance, you can do yoga and planks. 

Reward yourself

In order to have a better attitude towards fitness, you must reward yourself from time to time. Have a cheat meal once in a week without feeling guilty. Pamper yourself with a gift when you maintain your exercise regime consistently for a month. Gift yourself athleisure clothing that you can wear while working out. It will increase your confidence and make you look attractive. 

Take care of your mental diet

The way you are taking care of your daily meals, you must also take care of your mental diet to stay fit and healthy. What we watch, listen, and read impacts our minds more than we think it does. Therefore, be attentive to the content that you are consuming. Make sure that it rejuvenates your mind and makes you feel good. 

These methods will help you have a better attitude towards physical and mental fitness, month after month, year after year. I have personally implemented all of them in my life and have gained tremendous results. Now, my relationship with fitness is a happy and steady one. 

"The best investment you can ever make is in your own health."

This post is a part of Blogging with a Purpose series in association with Blogchatter. My theme for this year is Physical, Mental, and Emotional Wellness. 

#CauseAChatter

7 Magical Benefits of Natarajasana

Life is a balance between what we can control and what we cannot. It is about learning when to put effort and when to surrender. 

A balanced person is a fit and healthy person. Fitness is not only limited to physical strength and wellness. It is also important to be mentally and emotionally fit to live a beautiful life. Natarajasana is a wonderful yoga asana for restoring balance in your life and improve your concentration. It helps in making the mind stronger and calmer. As it is a great stretching exercise, it also develops strength and stamina. 

Natarajasana is the combination of three Sanskrit words: Nata (which means dancer), raj (which means king), and asana (which means posture/pose). The King Dancer Yogic Pose is dedicated to Lord Shiva or Nataraj whose cosmic dance restored balance in the Universe. 

Let's take a look at the 7 magical benefits of Natarajasana:

1. Strength

The Asana provides a great stretch to the shoulder, chest, thighs, abdomen, and legs. As a result, you will feel stronger when you practice this asana regularly. 

2. Flexibility

With the regular practice of Natarajasana, your spine flexibility will increase. If you have tight shoulders and hamstrings, this asana will improve your flexibility and will make you feel youthful. Maybe you would want to dance like no one is watching! That's the kind of magic this asana creates. 

3. Balance

When you are balancing your body weight on one leg, you also learn to balance your mind. You learn to delete the useless junk thoughts lingering in your mind for long. You are able to maintain a better work-life balance. 

4. Concentration

The person who has a great concentration level can achieve success easily in all ventures. Due to the time spend on gadgets and overload of information, we often find ourselves distracted. Natarajasana can improve your concentration to a huge extent. Look at your extended hand in jnana mudra (hand gesture of wisdom). Breathe in and breathe out. As you practice it regularly, you will be able to notice an increase in your concentration level. 

5. Calmness

Natarajasana can alleviate your stress levels and make you feel calmer. The key is to breathe in and breathe out mindfully as you hold the posture. 

6. Better Digestion

As Natarajasana provides a great stretch to the abdomen, it also facilitates digestion. If you are facing any digestive issues, you can practice this yoga asana twice a day to give a gentle massage to your abdominal organs. 

7. Energy

Most of us are used to a sedentary lifestyle that often makes us feel lazy and fatigued. Practicing Natarajasana makes you feel energetic, agile, and fit. The asana works on the mind-body-soul and injects you with youthful energy. 

These are the 7 magical benefits of Natarajasana. As it is the King Dancer Yogic pose, it looks extremely graceful. Practice it regularly to notice the changes in your mind-body-soul. Try to hold the asana for at least 10 seconds. If you are a beginner, you can use the wall as support. With time, your balance and flexibility will automatically increase. 

Want to feel calm, balanced, and strong? Then practice Natarajasana every day. Inhale love. Exhale stress.

This post is a part of Blogging with a Purpose series in association with Blogchatter. My theme for this year is Physical, Mental, and Emotional Wellness. 

#CauseAChatter

"Mythological Monologues", my 6th book released in the #BlogchatterEBook Carnival

Today, I am thrilled to announce the release of my 6th book "Mythological Monologues - 26 Dramatic Monologues of epic characters from Ramayana and Mahabharata". The eBook got released in the coveted Blogchatter eBook Carnival Season 5 on 25th May along with 62 other eBooks.

The book will be available for free download till the 30th of June, after which it will be available on Amazon Kindle.

Download your free copy at : https://www.theblogchatter.com/download/mythological-monologues-by-purba-chakraborty/

Hope you have a great time reading the book. I will be elated if you can write a short review of my book on your social media, blog or directly email me your views on purba.khushi@gmail.com

Meet the book:

How did Ahalya feel when Sage Gautam cursed her to be a stone?

How did Eklavya feel when Dronacharya asked for his right thumb as Guru Dakshina?

How did Arjuna feel after being enlightened by Lord Krishna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra?

Mythological Monologues is a collection of 26 dramatic monologues of epic characters from Ramayana and Mahabharata. Dive deep into the hearts, listen closely to the voices of Draupadi, Sita, Karna, Lakshmana and others in this collection of dramatic monologues.

Publish your New eBook in the #BlogchatterEBook Carnival

Blogchatter eBook Carnival Season 5 is here and this is your chance to be the author of a brand new eBook. 

Last year, I published my eBook "Letters from the Soul" in the Blogchatter eBook Carnival and was overwhelmed to see the response. It was an amazing experience. 

I will be participating in the Carnival this year too. And I am elated to be one of the mentors of the Blogchatter eBook Carnival 2020. 

As a mentor, I am going to share a few important points that will help you in creating and publishing your eBook. If you have any questions about participating in the Blogchatter eBook Carnival, you can ask me in the comment section or on my Twitter Handle @Manchali_Purba

If you have participated in the A to Z blogging challenge 2020 and now thinking to convert your 26 blog posts posts into an eBook, you must participate in the #BlogchatterEBook carnival. Consider the feedback and comments of your readers when you edit the posts.

If you have a collection of great blogposts or stories or poems or articles, you can compile them today and create a valuable eBook.

First of all, think of a catchy title for your book that will go well with the theme of your content.

You will need MS Word to compile and format your posts. After compiling the posts, edit and proofread them so that there are no grammatical and spelling errors. You can use Grammarly for that purpose. Make sure that the word count of your Blogchatter eBook is atleast 5000 words.

Do not forget to add the copyright, dedication acknowledgements and author bio in your eBook. Add a table of contents to make the reading experience better. Once you have the entire eBook ready, proofread it for the final time. Ask a friend/family member to go through the book and give you honest feedback.

Make sure that the cover of your #blogchatterebook is attractive. Canva is a great app for creating the cover of your eBook. You can also take professional help. Write an interesting blurb that will capture the essence of your eBook & tempt the readers to read it.

Your eBook will be on the website of Blogchatter for a month. After that period, you can publish your book on Amazon Kindle. You can also approach various traditional publishers.
Promote your #blogchatterebook in various ways so that your book emerges as a roaring success. You can do FB and Insta Live sessions, interact with your readers, share stories about the making of the book, arrange contests/polls/giveaways to create a buzz.

The last date to register for the Blogchatter eBook Carnival is the 8th of May, 2020. Here's wishing you all the very best in converting your dreams of becoming an author into reality.
Register at https://www.theblogchatter.com/blogchatterebook-carnival-season-5-is-here/