Wednesday, 18 July 2012

How to say no to negative thoughts



Have you ever had thoughts whereby, you think the ceiling would just collapse on you, or suddenly a car would come uncontrollably crashing towards you or your loved one. Or even worse, one of your loved ones is not receiving the call, so he/she must be in danger….all this while we are perfectly resting on a weekend, or taking a nap in the noon, or working our butt out at work, or just plainly reading or watching TV or doing some chore…

My question is, how often when we get these thoughts, do any of them ever actually come true…but the potential of these thoughts disrupting our everyday life is next to gigantic and enormous…and at the time we feel powerless, even if these were to last only for a few minutes, but their effect is way too strong for us to deny them, at the onset…But once these thoughts house themselves in our subconscious, they slowly start growing…leaving us breathless and disarmoured to fight the negative feelings..
 
But there is a way to battle these treacherous monsters…by nipping them in the bud.

Remember when we were kids, our mind was so pure and if at all at night, we used to get any nightmares, and wake up with a sudden shriek, our parents used to run to us and calm us down, and sit beside us and comfort and caress us and tell us that ‘it was just a nightmare, baby, nothing of it will ever come true, you are safe in my hands and no one will ever hurt you, I’m your warrior and you are my princess/prince’..and our childlike innocent hearts used to feel a world of difference when our mom’s/dad’s used to caress us in their arms and subsequently drive our fears away and put us back to sleep…and thus fight the fictional nightmare…with their mere comforting words.

  
So after growing up, why is that we are unable to resort to the same, actually there is not much difference between a fictional nightmare, and negative thoughts, they are all a figment of our imagination, and the subconscious mind is the guard for the same. When our mind plays tricks on us by creating illusionary situations, which may or may not occur, that’s when our subconscious mind should come into picture, whereby we send positive affirmations to the mind to combat these illusionary monsters…and nip them in the bud..
One of the ways to do that is, simply consider yourself in a different place and in a different situation..and immediately engage your idol self in some physical work..If you are in a middle of an assignment, do not pay much attention to the thought, just give an instruction to your mind to shut the thought or even let it pass by and then ignore the same and physically do some activity or distract yourself from the thought. And then back the same with a positive affirmation by saying, ‘You are a child of god, and god will never give you any challenge which you can’t accept, and you are under his watchful eyes and he will protect you and your loved ones’…

Second do not act on impulse, if you are at work or at home, if your mind plays tricks on you regarding your loved ones, then do not succumb to the pressure of calling incessantly to check on your loved ones. As that would account to giving in to the negative thought and encourage it more. Instead engage yourself in some physical activity. Consider the scenario of the nightmare and the comforting words used by your parents, working miracles with you, when you were a child, so shoot the thought down in the same way, that the fear is irrational and none of it is true or will ever come true. Give this positive affirmation to your mind and you will be relieved of the thought. 

Third, do not engage in thoughts of insecurity, trust that you and your family members will always be safe and always give benefit of doubt to the situation, rather than assuming the worst. If someone is unable to attend the call or get in touch with you, then resort to faith and belief in god and yourself, and give the benefit of doubt to the situation the person might be in, say either travelling, the mode of transport might be crowded rendering the person unable to receive the call, or technical difficulty with the instrument, person caught up in a meeting and various other situations. And when your heart is at peace and out of the pounding negative thought, once you are relaxed, give a call to your loved one and speak your heart out, that’s when you would realize that one of your assumptions, regarding the benefit of doubt was indeed true, the person was indeed stuck in a situation, where he/she could not call/or receive calls. This further authenticating the fact about Negative thoughts, just being a figment of one’s imagination..

Just when you feel overridden by the negative thoughts, fill your senses and mind with the thoughts about the good things in your life. When they say diffuse a negative thought and replace it with a positive one, it only means, make the bad feeling go away, by replacing it with all the happy moments of your life, which have actually taken place in your life, and learn to look at your life in retrospect.


Say, when you were a kid, we (believe it or not), for the fear of studies and exams, sometimes used to get nightmares that we would flunk or fail a semester or the finals, but today when you look at yourself, you know that none of those feelings were true. Then as a child, if you used to be gripped with the thought of being taken away from your parents, or the nightmare of losing one of them due to some unfortunate fictional accident, when you look at the situation now, they are all hale and hearty and living well in their 70’s & 80’s, you immediately realize that the fears at the time, were totally irrational, and your parents long life is a living proof of the same. 

About one getting the feeling of never passing a certain professional exam, or never getting the spouse they desire, or never getting their dream home, when we look in the retrospect, we come to realize that none of the fears were rational at the time, after we having received all or at-least some of the above, just to prove to us, that most fears are irrational and negative thinking or thoughts are parasitic seeds waiting to grow on our minds and subconscious, but if we act in time and nip them in the bud, then they would be rendered meaningless and powerless. 


So, good luck my friends, do convey to me, your methods of tackling and battling with this slow yet poisonous monster, which sometimes, render us restless and eventually giving us an anxiety attack, if not controlled at the right time..
 
Cheers!
Seeta   

Useful reads:





Thursday, 21 June 2012

My take away from 'I'm Another You'

Hi All,

I had always been fascinated with the Self help section of the book store, for the content and knowledge that is imparted in the same is immense, that's what used to draw me towards this section.

Always wanting to know ways and means to enhance one's life, find hidden meanings and secrets that engulf our whole lives..After having downed couple of  bestsellers from ace authors like Paulo Coelho, Robin Sharma, Ohso and more...I landed myself a simple, yet beautifully narrated book, written by a motivational speaker, Priya kumar, it was some 2 years ago, I had, had my hand over her masterpiece, titled 'I'm Another You' and simply could not resist it and I picked it up and brought it home, by the time it was the next day, I had already devoured the whole book....

And the next two days or more were spent in contemplating what had just occurred, the book was so interesting and wonderfully narrated, it got me thinking about the authors own experiences and the quest that she had been to discover her own self.....the scenarios, the trails, similar to the ones that many of us also go through, hence it was aptly titled 'I'm Another You' but the take away message was, something for each of us to contemplate on, and make the most out of it, so I did..

And two years later I had the result of that contemplation in my hand, my first Book which embodies the life that many of us live today and I thought the apt title for the same should be 'The Cup of Life - A Journey towards Self Contemplation'.

And today thanks to her, and various other books that I've read be it inspirational, philosophical, spiritual and own observations, that I could piece together a little gift for my loved ones to remember me by...As they say, some like to be buried at sea, some like to be immortalized as mummies;

Nonetheless, I would like my obituary to read; She Came, She Lived, She Wrote......

As I've taken this first step in this wonderful journey of the unknown, which may seem intimidating at first, but seems home to me as I move along merrily....

So here is the recount of the event of my book launch 'The Cup of Life - A Journey towards Self Contemplation', beginning with my appreciation to all who came and the ones who could not be physically present, but did send their lovely wishes and blessing along...which meant a lot to me...

For starters let me thank each and everyone who made the book launch a grand success (including the two gracious Chief Guests and the honorable Publisher) and the rest who wished me luck with many more books to come.

It was indeed an evening to remember, along with an overwhelming response and kind gesture shown by various familiar and unfamiliar faces. Some friends, some family and (some strangers at the beginning of the evening but parted as friends).

So a big thank you to every one..who made the evening so memorable, that it has etched in my heart forever...


Here is the link to the video and some pictures from the launch evening....

Hope you guys enjoy the same as the ones present, did...

Book Launch - 'The Cup of Life' by Seeta Rajesh Nawagekar

Some Pictures from the Launch











Writers all over, with their art, keep bringing a glimmer of hope, passion, love, strength to this withering world, which like it or not, is soon getting engulfed by trying times...

So in the quest of self, one will soon realize that in the journey of discovering self, the various elements which shape the earth, also embark upon a new world of change and in the end, stand Altered...

Would like to leave you guys with this thought to marinate..for each one of you to come up with a recipe of your choice to shape and enrich your own life....

Do check out the reviews on Flipkart, as the book is available there for purchase...
Flipkart - 'The Cup of Life' by Seeta Rajesh Nawagekar

Cheers!
Seeta

Friday, 25 May 2012

The Cup of Life - A Journey Towards Self Contemplation!!

Hello folks!!

In case you missed me then I'm back, although the past few days had been tough on me health wise, as I was down due to the case of severe food poisoning coupled with severe gastritis attack, as a result was hospitalized for past 3 days and just got discharged.....Hence as a well wisher and good friend, I would suggest to you to surely take care of yourself this summer, specially in terms of what you eat and drink.

Now enough of this sad talks....let me give you a good news....as the most awaited event for me has arrived and is just two weeks away.....

Yes, the Launch of my very own Book titled 'The Cup of Life - A Journey Towards Self Contemplation', the video on which is appended below for your reference to share with your family and friends..this video will give you a glimpse into what exactly one can expect from my book.

The Cup of Life Trailer - Book by Seeta R. N

Below is the poster created by my publisher for the book.


And I would be honored if you would be able to grace the occasion with your presence at my book launch, which is to be held on 8th June, 2012 at Oxford Bookstore, Churchgate, Mumbai. The invitation for the same is appended below:


Alternatively, my book is also available on Indiaplaza and Infibeam as pre-order facility, do feel free to grab a copy for your self and your loved ones...

Below are the links to the same:
Indiaplaza

Infibeam

Do visit my website www.seetarn.com for more information and to know about me..

Take care guys...and see you at the launch....

Cheers!!
Seeta

Wednesday, 9 May 2012

Birthday Time = Cake Time!!!

Hello folks!!

Hope you have been taking care of yourself...and also having a good time...well if you are looking for some more good time..then hop on to the Birthday bandwagon...as today I'm gonna take you all on a sumptuous ride to choco land....Yes its my birthday today....and yes I've baked a choco cake at home...which of course I'm gonna totally relish with my darlin' hubby....but you too can enjoy the same....haha..but virtually....

Hey! I'm not being mean...well I thought how is that I could make you guys also part of the celebrations...so I thought I would share the recipe with you..of my quick 30 minutes homemade egg-less choco cake...so here it goes...grab your aprons, oven mits, and get to work....

Home Made Egg-less Chocolate Cake Recipe - 1 Kg


Ingredients: 
1 1/2 Cup Refined Flour (Maida)
Brown Bread - 4-5 Pieces
Vita Marie - 8-10 Biscuits
Baking Powder - 1 1/2 Tsp
Baking Soda - 1/4 Tsp
Salt - 1/4 Tsp
Powdered Sugar - 2 Cups
Coco Powder - 3 Tbs
Butter - 250 gms
Amul Fresh Cream - 1
Chocolate - Dark or Milk - 2 bars.

Method:


Pre-heat the microwave at 180 degrees.


Then grease a cake pan with some butter and lay butter paper on the bottom and the sides, so that the cake does not stick to the pan after baking.



Then beat 250 gms butter and 1 1/2 half cup powdered sugar to make a fine paste like consistency..after beating rapidly it would look something like this..
Grind and make powder of 4-5 pieces of brown bread and keep it aside, then grind 8-10 pieces of Vita Marie biscuit and keep it aside.


Add all the dry ingredients together i.e.

All purpose flour (Maida) + Brown Bread powder + Biscuit powder + Baking Powder + Baking Soda + Salt + 1 TBS Coco Powder + 1 chocolate bar (roughly cut into pieces)
This mixture will look something like this:


Now for the wet ingredients:

Melt 1 bar of milk/dark chocolate by double boiling it along with 1 Tbs of Coco powder. Then add 1/2 cup milk to the mixture and make it into a fine paste like consistency. This mixture would look something like this:


Now mix both the dry ingredients in the butter & sugar bowl and beat them together well, while adding the wet ingredients, i.e. the chocolate & coco mixture...if the batter is too thick, then add 1 Cup milk to loosen the batter and finally bring it a soft flowing paste like consistency. Then pour the same in the butter greased cake pan. Do save some of the chocolate & Coco syrup like paste for the topping.

The Chocolate Cake batter will look something like this:


Now bake this cake mixture in the microwave for around 10-12 minutes, and to check the same if it is done, insert a knife or a fork in the middle of the risen cake, if it comes out clean, then consider it done. And get the cake out and rest it till it cools...


Out from the oven the cake would look something like this:



Now for the topping, beat Amul fresh cream in a bowl until it resumes a fluffy cream like consistency, then add the remaining chocolate + coco powder syrup along with 1 tsp butter along with 2 Tbs of powdered sugar in the fluffy cream and beat them together to make a fluffy choco paste.

This mixture will look something like this:


Finally brush this mixture over the rested cake with a spatula and spread it evenly all over the cake..


The final product - Egg-less Homemade Chocolate Cake would look something like this:


So there  you go, you can either choose to serve the cake immediately or also refrigerate the same, in case you want to serve it later...


And if you are a chocolate fanatic, you can shred some pieces of your favorite chocolate and sprinkle it all over the chocolate cream, to add to the merriment....but in case you are watching your calories, then you can leave the extra chocolate out....Besides you can also make the same cake, by using Sugar free instead of powdered white sugar...And alternatively, you can also make the same by using 1 cup Milkmaid melted with 1/2 cup milk, in that case, you should use only half the quantity of sugar..


So guys...here is my quick 30 minute egg-less home made chocolate cake recipe...Easy to make with everyday ingredients...and turns out delicious....


Guys...while savoring this virtual cake of mine, you can also visit my site www.seetarn.com which has information on my upcoming book 'The Cup Of Life'.


Hope you guys enjoyed my virtual tour...for more...interesting thoughts and recipes keep watching this space...ciao guys...my cake's waiting....c ya..


Cheers!!
Seeta

Monday, 23 April 2012

Believe in your dreams... They do come true!!!


Hello there friends…

Today I’m going to talk about something which each one of us experiences and feels, but for various reasons, is unable to fulfil it…Yes my friends…Dreams…

Not the kind of abstract ones which you get in the night, well we wish the abstract ones too come true, but that would be funny..coz my favourite abstract dream is, I’m flying around the world…just like birds, but I’m in my nightgown..God save the world…anyway..coming back to the real topic of dreams…the ones that we see often in our childhood, of who we want to be when we grow up….but the same gets crystalised when we begin college and higher studies, and finally our jobs…

And everything seems alright, life is going on track, we are earning well for our comfortable living, for some it is even luxurious..but when we reach the cross roads of our lives, we realize something that although we have everything that we desired for, riches, settled job, good family, good house, etc…there is still something missing…and from somewhere the muffled voice within us, which has been silent for as long…suddenly comes to life and prompts us to remember our dreams..the dream where one is independent, earning his own livelihood by his own means, one is living for his own sake, living on his/her terms, enjoying their every moment on earth…finally doing what he/she wants to do, i.e. living our passions…..

Yes, our passions…its possible, if you look deep within yourself, you will realize all this time, you would have loved to follow your passion, but just that you were not aware it existed, its only one day, when you felt you have achieved all, it slowly crept into your conscience and made you realize, what if you were not who you are right now, but you had the potential of becoming someone else altogether, if only you had noticed your yearning for creativity long before joining the rat race…you would have emerged a winner after all these years…having said that, no matter, when you start..it is the realization that matters….and this is my story….after having followed one unknown path for so long…I felt so lost…when I reached the crossroads…



Destiny came knocking on my doors and my conscience spoke to me and presented me with two paths, one which was familiar and less scary and less uncertain…which apparently I had chosen for so many years…and landed at the crossroads confused….and other path…although scary, uncertain, challenging, adventurous and unknown….but…heart warming, soul endearing, full of surprises, full of passion, full of life, above all with the warmth of God and his encouraging support….


I felt its now or never, and leapt towards  the new path…and embraced it with all my might..and the result of that faith and hard-work is the creation of my Book – The Cup Of Life – A Journey Towards Self Contemplation…which is due to release soon…the presentation of which you can check either on my website www.seetarn.com or follow the Youtube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8znCvfZj864&feature=youtu.be

And also like my Fanpage: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Seeta-RN/362218747149409

And hoping for all your love and support for the success of my book and the beginning of my journey towards the unknown, yet soulful path…The path which was awaiting my arrival for long, but fortunately I did arrive…..and I’m glad I did….so here’s wishing all you guys…good luck and lots of courage to take that leap of faith, as there is someone who would guide you to fulfil your dreams, if only You Believe…..

Cheers!
Seeta

Monday, 16 April 2012

Man and Wo..Man

Hey there guys,

I'm back, if you missed me, or not..no worries..but I sure did miss talking to you guys...and today I'm bringing to you, the quintessential topic, the very reason our world even started....coz of the two coming together, Adam and Eve...symbolic of man and wo...man..and their relationship...

See, there can be so many things, that I could talk about Men and Women and what makes us the way we are..but of all things I would like to talk about the reason why we love to be together..and no matter what, believe me, no matter what, how much ever anyone denies, we cannot, cannot live without each other...

And the way our (as in Man and Woman) relation goes is...we fight we hate each other, we call each other names, we bicker, we bit...h..we swear, we feel like almost killing each other at times....but the moment the other goes away...we are done..we feel empty, we can't breathe, we wait around desperately for our love to get back, we ask for forgiveness even if it isn't our fault, we recite the words we would say to cajole them and bring them back to us...we shower them with gifts symbolic of our love...we write to them above all we miss them...and we crave to say we love you...to the one who we hurt...that's our partner...be it a man hurting his woman, or a woman hurting her man...the moment the other goes away, we realize the importance of each other..and sense of belonging and crave for that togetherness again...



And this is for all those, who are madly and deeply in love with their spouses, girlfriends, boyfriends, fiances, would-be's bride's or grooms, or even partners....etc.



What I'm trying to say though, is no matter there will be so many, who sometimes might feel bonded in their love relationships but at such difficult times, one has to take time out to get to know each other, hear each other out, well listening to your partner's needs and wants could go a long way in strengthening a relationship, and who ever is making the demand for something should not refrain from being reasonable, should not take over advantage of the other partners patience, give equal respect to each other, try to mend the situation, rather than name calling, bickering, fighting or making things worse and finally causing immeasurable damage to the relation as well as to each other, that it becomes irremediable and all this if one of the partners becomes incorrigible...

Although it is an understood fact, that people of opposite sexes can't be totally, cent percent compatible with each other or so to say an epitome of perfection...but the remedy for all this is the imperfections within ourselves, that is why our partners are called our better halves, as they complete us, they fill the gaps which we have within ourselves, they make us into a whole person, with all the likeable and not so likable traits that we possess, but also correct our unlikable traits and we do vice versa..thus making two people as one...signifying two bodies yet one soul...and this should be the crux of any love relationship say, a marriage, a courtship, college romance, etc...

Respect each other for their in-conformity and help to fill it, not expect each other to be the epitome of perfection. Thus learning to dwell together, as our ultimate aim should be to bring about synergy in our relationship, coz that is what will strengthen it more, walking alone is not the answer...as co-existence is the name of the game..even for the Neanderthal man...so how can we be any different...

So guys, learn to co-exist, rather than craving for extinction, coz believe it or not, one day we all have to perish, so why be so petty and fight for smaller differences, or create misunderstandings due to lack of communication, etc...between each other as spouses or partners...after all the reason a man and a woman got together was for love, so why let it die so soon, but not crave for re-igniting it, I'm sure either could be wrong, but why is that we are ready to give it all away in a second, be it a relationship, or a marriage, but not realize the good that it brought for us when we were together...
So here's to all the couples who love each other immensely...but sometimes drive each other nuts...but surely realize they can't live without each other....and know each others worth in their lives...surely for a man...he has to woo his woman...that's why the word is coined as Man - Wo....Man....
 


And last but not the least, if these cuties can love and co-exist, so can we....enjoy this pic...



Cheers!
Seeta