New Beginnings!

I love the Western concept of Thanksgiving! Because really, there is so much we have to thank for!

The lots of food we eat, a great house, parents, a pretty functional body, a place to call your school or college, having a few good friends, the fact that you’re not in jail ;D :D , you probably have a computer or smartphone  with internet, and you are good to go! ;) You are luckier than millions of people on the planet ;)

The fact that you’re gonna be able to see Xmas celebrations! Trees, Candles, Christmas cakes, Santa caps, Lights ,Snow(A can of Snow spray in most of India :P)

No year is perfect, and  thus 2013 came with it’s share of ups and downs, in Politics, in Science, in Bollywood, etc etc. and in our lives. There were times when you felt so lucky! And there were days you wanted to do nothing, escape situations, cry hard, or kick somebody’s ass.

It’s the time of the year to analyse your actions, how much you achieved, did you progress and grow as a person? New things you learnt? New friends you made? People you hurted (unintentionally i hope!), or helped! But the trick is to not over analyse, and let things be the way they are.Or you’ll go crazy :P

There might be bad memories… loss of a loved one,failure at a task, a fight with a friend. Know that you have the strength to put on a smile and move on.

Make a list of things, people, habits or relationships you wanna get rid of before 31^st eve!

 De-clutter and De-tox. 

Resolutions are usually short lived, but still, some very simple ones can REALLY be incorporated.

Like you will help more people.Teach a friend.Help a friend patch up with his girlfriend.Tell word meanings to people.Pick up stuff for the old. Make tea for your Mum Dad. Wish bdays at 12am.Donate little things. Tadaaa ;)

Make 2K14 more awesome than this lovely year already was! Happy New Year J

        

Today my pick is Teenage. I won't discuss why I chose this topic, let's just begin. So, we all know the physical meaning of teenage and the stupid changes that happen etc etc. But it's not the only angle to look at it. There's emotional up and down and then up again and bam! down again :P There's insecurity,there's anger,there's confusion,there's curiosity,there's pressure,peer and parental both.There may be exceptions but let's not be specific.

Teenage is, or should be, a time when you explore your abilities, try new things, realize what is good for you,make new friends,revive the bond with your parents,understand yourself, while being grounded and knowing your limits.

     As important it is to do the stuff stated above, it is equally, or even more important to give a serious thought to your career and studies. Make sure you keep learning and improving as a person everyday. Analyse your day before going to bed and say to yourself, "I'll try and be a better and more positive person tomorrow than I am today" :D

 I see I'm deviating from my topic. So,

Friends,I believe are a prominent part! Hence good ones ensure a better and risk-free teenage! And the slightly loose minded, or those who don't know when to encourage and when to say no,might create some problems. But, no doubt, we love spending time with them,reason simply being they are where we are.

What screws up a perfectly normal teenage? Loosing you mind and not thinking straight. It's a sensitive age,where lot of things and people try to influence us. This is the time to not let go of your moral values and trust your instincts.Critical events like these are a test of the kind of parenting we've got.No offence.

There's a lot of self consciousness too! But then again, shit happens :P So just when you want to look stunning, the mighty acne shows up, or it'll be a bad hair day! I consider people who never face acne really lucky,but at the same time,what is teenage without them :P Also, learn to accept. If you are fat or short, accept it. Of course, work out and do things that could help,but don't hate yourself and know that you'll be fine!

The support of parents,is crucial.It's hard because this is also the time when you rebel. You disagree and you argue. If you develop the habit of hiding stuff from your parents in these few years, it is because either they do not trust you or they reacted bad when you tried to share with them.

It is highly important for mums and dads to be friendly, and not scream or hit their kids when they confess something,because if they do, the vicious cycle of lying will begin,no doubt,and that will turn out extremely problematic in the long run. Parents have to support,no matter what, and appreciate when needed, and maybe a hug and a goodnight kiss sometimes :D Not being able to talk to one's parents,definitely puts you at risk of getting into more problems. It's not easy, they scold us, they say no for things we wanna do,but it's all kind of worth it.

Almost all teenagers have crushes and feel they like someone( hopefully from the opposite sex :P lol). It's a part of growing up and it's absolutely normal. Some,unfortunately take it too seriously,and think they have fallen in love and found their Mr.Right and all such crap.

Some, take really stupid steps which eventually become regrets for life.

The thing is,never getting too serious.Having fun and friendly relationships.And getting rid of them if they don't make you smile anymore:) Set ground rules. Remember you're just a kid whose maybe confused. But do learn something from every such phase.

Break ups are never easy,but you have to cope with them, so the faster,the better. Good friends,pets,coffee,hobbies to the rescue.

 Also,teens are prone to getting addicted to all sorts of bad habits. To name a few, Drinks and drugs. What helps here, is being in good company of sensible friends who know the fine line b/w Good and Bad.,Healthy and Insane.Right and Wrong.Trying a few drinks is not wrong. Losing control of yourself is.

The need teens feel to make new friends, impress them, become popular,find love etc etc.....can sometimes cross limits,courtesy : Social Networking. As I said before,trusting your instincts is necessary. If you have a feeling that the unknown person you are chatting with has bad intentions, say no, use Block and Un-friend buttons. Being safe is more important than anything! I watch shows like MTV Webbed and Gumrah on [V] and feel that the craziest crimes are committed by youngsters. Why? They're not bad or criminal by heart. They're good people,just overly sensitive,loose headed and angry at the wrong time. Decisions taken in anger, always have bad repercussions.

To sum up, Teenage is hard. There will, surely there will be moments when your mood is crazy, you feel like crying, you want to put your(or somebody else's :D)  head through a wall, when you feel you look ugly, you feel jealous or inferior,you feel you have no real friends, nobody wants you....blah blah. Remember, you're not alone ! Get a hug! Put your energy into something fruitful.Meditation and exercise might help.

My message would be, be frank with you parents, learn art and music, have fun, never neglect you studies, even if you fall down, know that your whole life is ahead of you. Have fun! Experiment with your clothes! Get you hair styled! Sing aloud! Click pictures! Dance hard! Learn new instruments,sports,learn to manage money,

Read good novels,Take care of yourself and indulge in activities that make you grow and build your confidence.....travel and be safe! Always Have faith...:) Tadaaa

Yuvika

Regret and Embarrassment, in my opinion, are the worst feelings of all. You get over anger,jealousy…..but the things you regret and the things that were embarrassing are hard to forget.

The trip you didn’t go to,the guy or girl you didn't propose, the career you didn't take up,the perfect sweet sixteen bash you couldn’t have, the awesome concert you missed, the great dress you couldn’t buy, the ridiculous things you babbled in anger, the bday wish you couldn’t deliver at 12am! And the list goes on…;)

What's tricky here is, that sometimes it's not easy to reckon whether you’ll regret doing something or not doing something.

Lil things like messing up a speech or seriously immoral things can cause embarrassment and guilt for life.

Being careful will always help to avoid such situations,but anyways they can occur and they will,according to Murphy's laws(Go google it! ;D).

But it's important to move on, and try not to repeat them again. Share your thoughts and talk with someone close and lighten yourself. Cos let's face it, shit happens,but so do marvellous things. 

It's important to not blame yourself or anyone and get depressed. Maybe writing in your diary would help. If it's really serious and you're totally not letting it go, consider meeting a psychiatrist instead of taking crazy and wrong steps like hurting yourself.

In the end, remember that somebody is always looking after you and taking care of you :)  
Yuvika 

Ever met people who can pop a conversation with anybody,no matter what their age is?  Well this is a trait worth trying to acquire! It is an indicator of your personality. If you are outgoing enough, your wait at a bus stop or in a queue won't be boring and monotonous. But being reserved,thinking "why should I talk to this guy?",letting the ego creep in,will be of no use. Plus,there are benefits! 

1. Talking keeps you alive and alert. If its a 30 min wait, you better do blah blah blah than sit n yawn .If you have a book to read or puzzles to solve,different story then. 
2. You always learn. Maybe some new piece of information, or something you didn't hear before. There are soo many different people around.You might catch the update on the current cricket match or the upcoming elections.

3. A new friend is always welcome! It feels good if you know just the next person's name in a place where you are new or alone. If your conversation goes well you can connect with the person on facebook and maybe get yourself a date :D heheh. And, being able to talk with all age groups,all genders, makes you a better person. 

So,the next time in a train journey, or at a bus stop, if you see a kid or an aunty or a pretty girl or a serious uncle, get talking. BUT don't seem too eager or they'll get scared :-P And everyone likes decent conversations...Tadaaaaaaa
Yuvika 

The next issue is the crazy rush for fairness creams in India! What's the deal with that? India is a tropical country,so the natural skin tone is obviously, dusky or wheatish. And yes the white skin tone looks pretty,but that doesn't mean the not-so-fair people don't look beautiful ! Indian women are one of the most beautiful in the world! For example-Priyanka Chopra!

Making this a basis to judge or choose people, is pure discrimination.

The ads we see on TV daily, promote a sense that only very fair people are wanted,liked and successful,which is totally unfair. Even this feature is deep rooted in orthodox narrow Indian minds. People actually put 'Wanted a fair girl' in their matrimonial ads. They sure have the right to express what they want, but this isn't a totally progressive picture for a developing country.

Skin color is something nobody has control on. So clearly, it shouldn't stand in the way of anybody's professional or personal life. But bitter truth,some sick minds consider white is good and black is bad.

Don't forget, brown rice and brown sugar are way more healthy than the polished pretty ones :P
Yuvika

India sure does have a lot of shortcomings...every country does! In the government system,people's mindsets,roadways and railways:D. But today I'm picking two of them....both in people's mindsets.They aren't as serious as Poverty or Corruption or Illiteracy,but they sure are common in our lives.The first one,is the mad rush after IIT-JEE. Being ambitious isn't wrong. Keeping a target and working towards it is great. But going crazy after it is. Let's face it, clearing an entrance exam like this isn't everyone's cup of tea. Out of 5 lac aspirants,merely 3000-4000 get their dream grad school. Hundreds of thousands of kids are sent to coaching classes,some by there choice,but most of them because their parents want them to. Lakhs of rupees are spent,on tuiton fees,hostels,books,and daily amenities.A lot of people even go to Kota for a couple of years! And taking one,two,or even three drop years is not a very rare sight. And,what's more crazy? Students going under depression,even making suicide attempts on recieiving failure. This aspect makes this topic a serious issue. Young innocent teens....merely 17-18 yrs old....taking up the dream,working towards it(some do,others just bunk classes have fun and waste their parent's money...not their fault,because they've been forced into something they don't really want!) and dealing with pressure.

      So what can we do to make a difference? First of all,Dear Moms and Daddys, don't blindly believe that your kid can and will crack JEE. This may sound negative but some things really are, almost impossible. Ask them,is Science and Engineering really the field where they wanna be?

Next, being a chef, writer,model,photographer,fashion designer...etc etc are not bad things. The country doesn't need only Doctors and Engineers! I won't drag this topic,I assume all my readers have seen Taare Zameen Par and 3 Idiots. Copy Paste the moral :)

And,dear aspiring or forced into kids, never take such phases of your life so seriously that you feel ashamed or guilty or not capable enough! Do try your best and be honest ! You are just a growing person! Not everything you do will turn into what it should have,but there's a never ending list of more options! Trying to end your life or hurt yourself is the worst thing you can possibly do,to yourself and everyone around you. And, be strong and bold! Practice meditation to strengthen your mind. It'll increase your concentration too! Don't hesitate to tell your parents that you don't want to become what they want to make you. Save them all the money they'll spend on your meaningless training. Okay I think I'm done :)
Yuvika

Upset? Not feeling great? Angry on someone? Just Smile! Coz you look so beautiful when you do! :) Plus it lifts your mood. And I guess it takes less muscles to smile than frown :D
Lessens the chances of dark circles :D Also a good idea is to write in your diary at the end of each day! It may sound boring or time consuming.....but believe me, when you read the stuff after 5 yrs,you'll love yourself for doing it.. :)) It takes stress off your head.So that explains the title of this blog. Tadaaa