January Moments!

I came across two memes pertaining to January - one defining January as a never-ending Monday and the other stating that out of 365 days of a year, January itself feels 300 days long.

While these memes are hilarious, they do drive a point home. There were times during the month when January felt as if it is stretching itself. Then there were some days when I realized that the first month of the new year is speeding by.

Whether long or short, January has been eventful for me. Be it books, my write-ups, movies or just personal reflections, January gave me enough time to catch up with all of these.

Reading Reflections:

Reading-wise, January has been a peaceful and satisfying month. I deliberately chose cozy, comfortable and light reads. I joined an online book-reading group and it has really motivated me to keep up with my reading habit. 

Here are the books I read in this month:

Books by Carolyn Brown:

The Lullaby Sky

The Lilac Bouquet

The Party Line

Books by Sadhguru:

Mind Is Your Business

Body, The Greatest Gadget

Christmas At Silverberry Hall by Lucy Coleman

More Days At The Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

Writing Routine:

I love to write, and all this while, I have been jumping from one writing project to another, sometimes trying my hand at multiple projects. There was the book I desperately wanted to publish, there was the new series of blogs I wanted to get started on, there was the cooking blog that I have not updated since a long time, there was my journaling blog that I wanted to keep up with. Someday I had to reach my breaking point. In the month of January, I finally reached it. The prospect of publishing a book felt more daunting than the happiness of having published it. The multiple blogs started feeling like a chore to be attended to. When something you have always liked to do, starts feeling like a task/chore to be handled, you know it is time to take a step back. 

That's precisely what I did. The book has been set aside for now. May be someday I will return to it. But if I don't, I know I will be alright. The multiple set of blogs narrowed down to just one - a set of short, feel-good stories that I write and publish every Thursday. Then there is the writing platform Penmancy where I write two stories every month. For now, I am sticking to just these two - Penmancy and my short-story collection. 

Here are my write-ups for the month of January! When you get time, please do read them and let me know your views.

Penmancy:

Threshold Of A Boundary

How I Became A Dad

My short-story collection:

The Keeper Of Lost Hopes And Dreams

Iyer's Impending Trip!

The Spirit of Celebration

The Mysterious Gifter

Movie Magic:

While I am not a fan of Bollywood movies, I do like to catch up with the occasional Hollywood flick. This month, I caught up with some movies, brushing aside the guilt that pricked me every time I decided to watch a movie rather than spend that time reading or writing. It feels good to relax and do nothing 'productive' for some time. I always used to feel that the time that I do not spend writing or reading is the time that I am wasting. But as the saying goes, the time that you spend doing what you like, is never wasted! So here are some movies that I watched this month:

Barbie

Madagascar - Escape To Africa

The Royal Treatment

Personal Ponderings:

I have had a complaint since a very long time. Why do I need to strive to be happy? Shouldn't that come naturally? After reflecting on this question for a long time, the only answer I could come up with is this, that some people are naturally happy while many are not. For people like me, happiness is a continuous ongoing project.

If happiness doesn't come naturally, we need to find reasons to include it in our day. As the saying goes, the way you live your days is the way you live your whole life.

Anxiety is a big challenge for me, something that I have been fighting since my childhood. This month I introduced some activities to help me cope with my anxieties. 

Meditation - This is now a daily ritual for me. Since I am a beginner, I am currently listening to guided meditation sessions of just five minutes. In fact, today was the first time I attempted a ten-minute meditation session. I bowed out at 7 minutes but I still consider it a minor success compared to my daily limit of 5 minutes. For those struggling with anxiety and other issues, I cannot recommend meditation enough! It really works, friends. Give it a try and include it in your daily routine.

Journaling - Since evening is the time that anxiety catches up with me, I have resorted to journaling during the evenings. I was skeptical at first but as I started journaling every day, I could feel a change in my mindset,  sort of a calming down. I use prompts for journaling. For the few minutes that I journal, my mind gets a much needed break from its chaos. The calm lasts even after the journaling session. This is another ritual that greatly helps to calm the mind. 

Doodling - Initially when I watched doodling videos, I felt that they are beyond my limit. But once I started, I just could not stop. Doodling is highly addictive and immensely calming. I have kept this ritual for the time just before I go to sleep. It soothes and refreshes the mind.

Motivational Speeches - Early morning, I listen to short motivational speeches for five minutes or so. They set up a mood for the day. Since the mind is most receptive in the morning, these speeches set a precedent for the whole day and I attend to my tasks with more confidence and vigor.

January has all been about creating moments, finding peace and taking both mental and physical breaks. With a fresh mind, I look forward to a new month and new experiences.

It all comes down to making the best of every moment and every day, and taking life as it comes, one calming breath at a time!