Action replay

“All it takes one song to bring back 1000 memories.”

-Anonymous

Day 9/30

While mindlessly scrolling through YouTube today, I stumbled upon an old song that I was addicted to as a kid. I played the song and it felt like I was transported back to my childhood days when I used to listen to that song on loop. Who needs a time machine to revisit your past when you have music? I relived every single memory I had of those times when I used to listen to this song, my thoughts, aspirations and dreams during those time and most importantly, my innocence. Before all the setbacks and failures, the roller coaster like ups and downs in life, I was a young kid beaming with POSITIVITY and HOPE for the future. I used to think and believe that I will achieve all my goals and get everything I ever dreamed of. After all, hope is all I had during those days.

I also experienced deep emotions. I used to smile, laugh and also cry a lot. Now I’ve turned into a zombie who rarely cries and can literally count on her fingers, the last time I experienced the feeling of exhilaration and excitement in life. Life was so different back then. I had envisioned my life in a much different manner as a kid. I’m grateful for all the opportunities and blessings in my life. But, I want to be hopeful again, in the same manner and passion as I was as a kid.

There were certain things that I thought I’ll experience for sure (especially after watching countless rom-coms) which still haven’t panned out in my life. There are many things that have happened in my life that I could never dream of, I’m extremely grateful to the Universe for bringing abundance in my life, in the form of food, financial stability and opportunities.

I am currently reading a book called “Flow” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. If you’ve seen the Arabian Nights, you would know how Aladdin felt when Genie told him that he will grant him 3 wishes (anything that he could dream of). This is how I feel with this book in my hand. The tagline of Flow is “The classic work on how to achieve happiness“. That’s what I need, I want to be happy, in any circumstances. Even if I fumble or fall, I want to bounce back stronger.

In Csikszentmihalyi’s words, flow is “a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it” (1990)

Now imagine if you know how to be in flow, always. You’ll have a much better quality of life and be HAPPY effortlessly. That’s what I seek. I plan to read this book over the weekend so that I can reset my life and start afresh. I want to completely get rid of the feeling of being STUCK in life and I trust this book to get me out of this dilemma.

Let’s do this.

The secret to success

#39/100

BTS : First Korean act to top the Billboard chart ever

I literally jumped with joy when I got this news yesterday. My beloved BTS has created history yet again. They are the only Korean act to top the Billboard chart in it’s entire history. This news made me so happy, it felt like my success. I have been closely following BTS’s journey since 2015 and have been their ardent fan ever since. From being disregarded in their country to becoming the global sensations and music legends that they are now, BTS has come a long way.

BTS always make me wonder how they managed to get this successful in life. They are small time boys from South Korea who were passionate about music and dance and wanted to make a mark in their local music industry. For 3 years since their debut, they were moderately recognized in their country but were subjected to harsh criticisms, mean comments, jealous remarks, derogatory opinions and snubbed by their own industry. However, they continued to work hard each day with the dream to make it big one day. Their hard work knew no bounds, they put their heart and soul into everything they did and managed to enjoy and live in the present. I don’t know what they did exactly to tilt the universe in their favor but their countless hours of hard work paid off eventually. They earned international acclaim in the year 2016 and their popularity has increased by leaps and bounds ever since. In the words of John Green, their life is a roller coaster that only goes up. With each success, they continue to work harder, be happy, live in the present, be humble and just love themselves and their life.

BTS has been a big source of inspiration for me ever since I’ve had the privilege of knowing them. Their journey gives me hope and great strength to deal with every situation in my life. I remember during my weight loss journey, I was constantly inspired by BTS to work a little harder, do a little better each day. I still remember my first 10 km marathon run. The last 2 kms with extremely tough and I wanted to give up. At that moment I closed my eyes and thought about BTS and their undying spirit, it instantly energized me to finish my marathon strong.

From BTS’s journey, I’ve realized that the cheat code to crack life is very simple but somehow extremely hard to implement by many people. We need to live in the present, give more than our best in everything that we do, be kind and humble, be grateful for our blessings and find happiness in everything that we do. So simple right, this is what BTS do as per my observation. These are very simple steps but somehow we fall prey to the challenges that life throws at us and bow out of the success race mid way. I’m trying to follow these ‘cheat codes’ to the best of my ability and have never felt happier in my life.

Let’s try to un-complicate life and be happy no matter what. I’ve been grinning from ear to ear throughout the day today because of this incredible news of BTS. Cheers to many more amazing accolades in future. Thank you BTS for keeping me sane and being my number 1 source of comfort and happiness whenever I am down and out. Thank you for inspiring me to do better and celebrate all the small wins in life. Life is extremely beautiful, let’s keep it that way and make it brighter and happier.

Musically

#34/100

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.”

-Plato

What is it about music that brings an instant relief and sense of happiness to my life? I’m not a musician, neither am I a student of music. I am normal human who derives immense pleasure from listening to music. Sometimes listening to favorite songs changes my mood, helps me concentrate, makes me instantly happy, deviates my mind from the reality and brings peace to my mind.

I really wish to know how music became such an integral element of everyone’s life. There’s a right kind of music for every occasion. Music also has the ability to bring out certain emotions from people that words fail to derive. While listening to songs that were my jam in the past, I instantly time travel to the past and relive those moments.

I haven’t come across a single person in my life who doesn’t listen to any kind of music. I’m sure such people do exist and I’m curious to know how they manage to exclude this beautiful element from their lives.

There are some songs that hit the right chord with me from the word go. I have a tendency to keep listening to the same songs on repeat once I like them. I never outgrow such songs and they take a permanent place in my playlist. For a person like me who has a limited attention span, music does manage to draw my attention to it every single time. Of late, listening to songs has made my long bus commute to office so much better. It has a magical effect of soothing my nerves and bringing a smile on my face every single time. I really don’t know what this world would do without music. Sounds like a really sad and depressed world to me.

Light it up like Dynamite!

#28/100

It’s 12 pm right now, I’m typing this post quivering with excitement. BTS has dropped their new single “Dynamite” at 9.30 am today. I’ve logged off from my social media as I’m yet to watch it and don’t want to bump into any spoilers. I’m in office today and definitely don’t wish to watch the MV (music video) hushed up inside the office on my phone. BTS MV’s deserves to be reveled on the big screen (my home TV in this case).

It was year 2012, when I first got introduced to the magical world of K-pop. I call it magical for a very definite reason. I was neck deep in studying for my C.A. Final exams. This involves studying for 8 different subjects with vast curriculum and year long preparations consisting of long hours each day. Calling this time of my life stressful would be an understatement. After attempting the first paper, I got extremely panicky after reaching home. My heart was racing and I had to lie down to control my breathing. I was never scared of giving an exam in my entire life, but the pressure and absolute necessity to clear this exam freaked me out to another level.

My sister was already into K-pop at that time and kept pestering me to listen to their songs or watch their shows. I never paid heed to her suggestions as I was too closed minded (call dumb) to listen to music in a language that was completely unheard of (to me, as I said, I was DUMB). That day I decided to sit with her in front of the computer when she was watching a Korean variety show just to divert my anxious mind from all the stressful thoughts. It felt like I was teleported to a parallel universe where there are no worries. The variety show was extremely funny and made me laugh till I dropped. That was the exact stress buster my mind was seeking, I realized that day laughter is the best medicine after all. I was hooked to K-pop after then. The band I followed first was known as SS501, I moved on to Super Junior who were my bias and source of strength and happiness for a long time. I remember coming back from each exam and watching Super Junior shows just to blow off some steam before I sat down to study for the next exam. Super Junior kept me sane during that time, they are the reason I could give my exams in peace and eventually ended up clearing it.

BTS came into my life when I had no interest in it anymore. It was the year 2015 and all I did those days was work for a job that left me exhausted to live my life. I had insanely long working hours and didn’t practically enjoy any part of it. It was my sister again who re-introduced me to K-pop through BTS. I was closed minded yet again because I didn’t really feel like investing my energy in anything at that time. I realized much later that I didn’t have to “invest” my energy into BTS, they became the biggest source of it. The process of falling in love with BTS was slow and organic. They were the biggest underdogs in the K-pop industry, it was through sheer determination, hard work and sincerity that they became the “legends” that they are now. I and my sister have followed their entire journey and it’s nothing short of spectacular. They have shattered all barriers imposed on them and emerged victorious time and again. They teach me to never give up on my dreams, love myself unconditionally and find happiness in the smallest things. Their songs have the power to instantly uplift my mood and bring a smile on my face. My love for them knows no limits.

It’s 1.44 pm now. I just can’t wait to get back home. Before that I have 3 hrs of office work and 6 excruciatingly painful hours of travelling ahead but I don’t mind any of it at all, no, NOT TODAY!

P.S. If you don’t know who BTS are, they are the biggest boy band on the planet right now!

Road trip, anyone?

#21/100

Don’t we all absolutely love road trips? Long serene drives through the hills, flashy music blasting from the stereo, chit chatting group of friends and some food for company. Ah, sounds blissful right? Hell NO! For someone who has suffered from motion sickness since childhood, even the sight of a car can make me go dizzy!

I remember my first all girls trip to Manali. The place was a wonderland. It was the first time I saw snow in real life. This trip was pure delight with an only exception of the 9 hr long drive from Pathankot to Manali. While my friends were having fun talking to each other, listening to music, watching shows, my head was safely perched on my lap with eyes shut trying very hard to not puke and disgust my friends. It’s really an unfair situation since I can’t even go to sleep while travelling in a vehicle. Oh yes, I can never take the middle seat in a vehicle, a corner seat with the windows open somehow helps me sail through the ride without any unnecessary instances of puking.

Ever since I was asked to resume office, I had sleepless nights thinking about the 7 hr long bus ride I was supposed to take each day. The first day, I kept the big window next to the corner seat open to take in fresh air. The ride was smooth although I was exhausted by the end of the day. I was disappointed with the pointless wastage of time spent to and fro from office. I felt helpless because I absolutely couldn’t use the travel time to my advantage because of my motion sickness.

However, yesterday was different. Ever since I’ve decided to only pursue activities that truly make me happy, my brain somehow is in sync with this idea. I seem to have a teeny tiny bit control over my thoughts and negative self talk pattern. Meditation has a huge rule to play in this welcome change. I listened to my favorite music and was blissful throughout the 7 hr ride. I even managed to cover few episodes of a drama I’m currently watching. When I reached home, though my body felt some exertion, my mind was totally fresh. I was chirpy and happy throughout. This happened today as well!

I have absolutely no scientific explanation for this phenomena. Was it this simple always? Why did I waste my precious time dwelling on negative thoughts all this while? I don’t really know how long I can sustain this but I want it to be a permanent change. I know life has it’s ups and downs but I really wish to be patient and bounce back to my happy self in no time. I’m rooting for my happiness this time!

He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe. 

-Marcus Aurelius