Books, Music, TV and Bird watching - Gratitude List

Time is just going by in 2026 with my India Trip, MA Kuchipudi classes, AI at work, kids' pickups and drops, dance classes, etc. Interestingly, the first quarter of the year is already over, and I am still reminiscing about our winter vacation days :-) Anyways, time flowing by isn't a concern for me; I enjoy this fast-paced life to some extent. 

I just wanted to pop out here on my blog and share my current hobbies and happenings. Usually, I share my gratitude lists in a few categories like books, dance, work, and travel. This time, it is different, though I couldn't skip books altogether. So, let me start with that!

Books

Usually, I set a goal of around 20 books per year, and I can read that many. But for the last 5 years, I chose to slow down in reading to give importance to quality sleep. Thus, I have set a rule not to read before bed.

 Does that rule sound weird to you? I have been reading books before bed for many years in my life. It is a wonderful experience reading before we sleep and drift into our dreams, right? However, I realized it might not be good for my sleep. Now, I am treating my sleep like the most treasured part of my life. I blissfully sleep 7 to 8 hrs. That helps me to stay active the whole day. 

https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-book-on-a-bed-15187362/

So, with these strict rules and a busy life, reading 10 books a year has also been tough for me. However, this quarter, I have already completed 10 books. 

The Tenant by Katrine Engberg is a 5/5 read, whereas Little Renee of Sunshine is a great book for kids to teach kindness.  The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis and Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewel are ok. 

Music

I haven't been listening to any music lately, but I attended an event where teachers introduced the Band instruments to kids entering middle school. These kinds of events make me emotional. I really appreciate how much time music teachers spend helping kids learn about each instrument and making them try before they join the band next year. 

My younger one is also preparing for a competition in music memory, where he has to identify the names of the songs and composers to win the competition. We are both blissfully enjoying listening to the classical music while driving :-) While he prepares, I get to learn about Western music for the first time.

TV

I am a Netflix fan. I love the quality of Netflix series so much that I stopped watching TV altogether when we stopped the subscription. I cannot enjoy any other shows with lower quality. Amazon Prime pales for me and is not even a comparison. We subscribed again this time, and I'm exploring new shows and movies. I am a fan of easy-going comedy series or on-the-edge thrillers/ horror. Yes, both extremes. Cannot handle the middle ground and the average. 

https://www.pexels.com/photo/popular-generation-phrase-on-board-6633003/

I started Bridgeton again, and in the last season. Oh, I love historical fiction as well. Young Sheldon is a light-hearted family show we all love to watch as a family in the evenings. We haven't explored documentaries yet, but Brain Games was our favorite earlier. 

Bird-Watching

I never thought I would be interested in just sitting and watching nature! I love Sunrises and the hues of sunsets, though. Thanks to the hubby, many birds regularly visit our backyard. It is very interesting to watch these beautiful, colorful birds. 2 small chirping yellow birds, 1 blue bright one, pigeons, cardinals, and humming birds come regularly. Today we saw a Cooper Hawk for the first time! What a variety!

This is supposed to be a gratitude list. Did you see all the little things in my life that I am grateful for?

What are you grateful for? Please do share in the comments.

Until next time,

Gratitude list for March 2019 #GratitudeCircle

How was my March? Just, busy. I was practicing for 2 dance performances and also giving classes on weekends. Work and home management is as usual without much challenges.

I couldn't complete reading even a single book but spent my time participating in blog trains by writing atleast weekly once. Iam so grateful for that.

In some discussion with a friend I heard about the dreaded C word again and the struggles the family is going through along with the patient. This made me realize how lucky we are for every small thing we have. Health, wealth, shelter, family, food, love, hobbies- every small thing. Life is unpredictable and nothing is permanent.

So, this month my gratitude list is very basic and ofcourse iam more than grateful for every little thing that God gave me.

Here goes my Gratitude list for March :

1. Health :

This always tops my gratitude list as you know, everything else like money can be earned but we should be blessed with good health.

Yes, we can improve our health by excercise and good diet but our genes/DNA impact some diseases that we get and eating good food is difficult these days with the pesticides being used in farming.

Iam grateful for my health and my family's and I pray to God that everyone be blessed with better health. I request everyone to focus on their health, be mindful and take good care of themselves.

2. Happiness

Be grateful for every thing in life,  you will be happy. Iam grateful for my happiness and contentment.

I read a beautiful WhatsApp forward from my friend who scientifically explained the reasons for happiness.

• Playing and exercising releases endorphines.
• Being appreciated by someone or being valued by someone releases dopamine.
• Sharing what we have and helping others release serotonin.
• Physical affection, hugging and being loved release oxytocin.

These 4 harmones ensure our happiness.

3. Hobbies

Iam grateful to my parents for introducing some hobbies to me at an early age which give me happiness. Reading books, dancing and painting are very relaxing.

4. Money :

We should all be grateful to God for having a shelter and food every day. Moreover,  iam grateful for having money for luxuries and money enough to lead a comfortable life.

5. Love :

I cannot tell you how grateful iam for my loving parents,  spouse, inlaws, children and my sister. They are the reason for my peaceful and happy life.

Being loved by someone is the greatest asset in life. Never take this for granted. Life is short. Love them back, forgive others mistakes, don't carry revenge and free yourselves.

So, that's about my generic but important gratitude list for last month. What are you grateful for? Do let me know in comments.

Have a happy April.

Until next time,

Linking this to #GratitudeCircle hosted by Vidya Sury.

Word of the Year and 3 ways to stay positive #WOTY2018

Word of the year is some word that you want to focus on in the coming year. 

I have set the Word of the year in 2017 as 'Aggressive' even though I didn't publish on my blog. It seems negative but I wanted to move things fast from my end. I wanted to make drastic changes, leave monotony and adapt to new things by taking more initiative. I could implement a lot like starting dance classes, searching for more freelance software testing work, getting a driver license and driving to places on my own and learning a new art like Zentangle. 

This time, my word of the year for 2018 is "Positive spirit/ Positive Attitude". I want to accept things in my life as they come and be positive throughout irrespective of successes/ failures. I am planning to be more grateful for every small thing and count my blessings than worrying about things going wrong.

I think these 3 ways help me to stay positive in the coming year. Let me know in comments what makes you stay positive in your life.

1. Being Grateful
I observed from the last year that counting my blessings is an effective way to stay positive. I feel blessed to have a good family, time to pursue my hobbies and to have food and clothes that are needed. I am happy for my health and happiness. When I browse my old photos, I feel grateful for the memories that I have created with family, friends, and colleagues. Positivity is everywhere, just we have to pause and appreciate.

2. Pursuing hobbies
Any art form is a blessing. Dance, music, and painting let me forget all negatives and take me into a new world of happiness. It is difficult to explain how any art impacts our heart and brain, but we have to experience it to understand. When I feel low and stressed, 30 mins of drawing a Zentangle will remove the gloominess for me.  Even gardening and reading books help me to cheer up quickly.

A recent Zentangle of mine

3. Travelling
Fortunately, I could travel more in 2017. I hope the same with 2018. Travelling is like opening myself to new environments and constantly learning something new. An Added bonus is the beautiful nature. I am amazed at the beauty of mountains, lakes and different hues of the Sky. Travel at least once in 3 months to stay positive. Change in the routine work and place is relaxing. Even though it's tough to travel with 2 kids (one is a toddler), it helps me to escape from negative thoughts. 

Did you set any word for the coming year? If not, Is there something that you want to focus on this new year? Do let me know in comments.

Until next time,

Linking this post to #WOTY2018 link-up hosted by Corinne @everydaygyaan.