Change is positive.

Change is progress.I believe in this.That is why ,I have changed & am a better person than I was.Unless,I change my attitude,I am lame to expect the world to change to suit me.

I have tried to become a calmer person & have succeeded to certain extent.There is, still a lot to achieve, on that front.I pray & try to meditate to overcome my urges to breathe fire every now & then on the smallest instance.I feel that I am slowly & surely inching towards that goal. Initially ,I would pray & complain that the Almighty was being partial towards the world & not me.Now,I know better- my prayers have made me stronger.I am able to face difficult situations unlike before.

I have become health conscious.I use less oil,salt ,refined foods,etc.I have tried to make my kid eat healthy by making her develop taste for lobhia,rajma in addition to chhole which she loves .I also include greens in parathas so that my kid can also eat green leafy veggies. I have developed a liking for baking in microwave .I keep trying new cake recipes from the net.This baking task has boosted my confidence so much that now,I have a cookery blog wherein I share my cooking experiments.

I regularly walk .I walk to the grocery store & for buying vegetables & fruits.I use public transport whenever feasible.

I left my job to take care of my kid.As I was getting bored,I took to penning down my thoughts & soon had my blog.I share my rangoli patterns on my blog as well.My Deepavali rangolis shared on face book were appreciated by many.

Now ,that I have changed myself,I can change others.I have joined PETA online & share vegan dishes with others so that the world becomes more caring towards other living beings.I do my bit for the environment by switching off lights when not needed.I switch off lights & fans in homes where I am visiting, if I feel ,they are not needed.I Take cold water baths in summers to save electricity.I try to carry  shopping bags when I am out shopping to prevent plastic pollution.

I try to use up fruits & vegetables.I have made it a point to buy less rather than buy more & waste.If I feel ,I have brought more than what I can consume ,I share with my maids & neighbours.In these days of high inflation ,it pays to avoid wastage .

I have taken up some NGO work to do my bit towards the society of which I am a part.Since I am blessed to be healthy & contented,I feel it is my sacred  duty to help others.If I want to change the world ,then I must change myself - meaning I must progress towards being a better person than before.After all ,change is the only constant, in this Jeevan Yatra !

Image courtesy Stayfree India (Albums ) on facebook.

Going green ...

Now that a deal has been somehow managed at Copenhagen,how about all of us,doing our bit for greening this planet ?

Well,I have been at it since ages-only, it has become the in thing now.I always used to switch off lights when not in use or when they were  not needed.Yes,you guessed correctly- I do wear glasses but then the two are not related.

My dad joins me in this- in fact,he is the one, who took the lead in this.He never switches on the fan unless it is .unbearably hot.He feels hot only when he switches on the fan &  he starts sweating as the  running fan reminds him of the spiralling  electricity bill ! I also ape my dad in this respect, but, not completely.Moreover,I feel a stationary fan gathers less dust & so I have to do less of cleaning up ! So,you see, that this is pro -green as also good for relaxation -when you work less,you relax more !

I try to carry a bag whenever I go shopping- cloth bag .It is advisable, so that I can tell the shopkeeper to put the items in my bag rather than he handing the items to me in a plastic bag which is manufactured of a micron value less than allowed under the law for the same.Hence, such bags are all anti green .

I have also started using water wisely-I use the water to wash rice & the same water I reuse to wash dal & again reuse to wash the veggies daily.I am doing this for purely selfish reasons ! The Municipal   bulletins  on the water scarcity in my city  have scared me to the hilt to take drastic corrective measures to conserve water !

I also walk to nearby places like when I go shopping for groceries ,medicines ,toiletries as they are all available locally.I walk as this saves money,is  healthy & does not leave a carbon footprint ! What more could I ask for ? For the same reason ,I do not own a vehicle.I prefer public transport over autos & taxis.

I separate wet trash & dry trash so as to ease  garbage disposal.I use both sides of paper & read many things on the net . I recycle old clothes by passing it on to my maids,milkman,etal.I also use less of soap & detergents so that less water is needed.Moreover,the chemicals in the detergents & soaps cause more harm than good.Obviously, they add to the pollutants in the atmosphere making it unhealthy.

I have lessened my visits to hotels & restaurants as the food there makes me sick with  indigestion.Moreover,the method & ingredients used are all suspect.Compared to that, home cooking is clean,fresh , delicious & obviously healthy ! Moreover,I have discovered that I am a good cook so much so, that I have uploaded  my recipes on to  my blog !

I chide my kid also to use paper economically .I tell her that it is wise to be economical in habits as many more can use our scarce resources  & that too for a longer period .
I have learnt that being economical with habits is being green -which is the need of the day now.Thankfully,I have always  economized which appeared like miserliness to others but then ....in this age of spiraling prices,it pays to be thrifty .Thriftiness translates into going green - what a wonderful double whammy !

Spartan living.

My father has been getting a pension which has suddenly been given a handsome raise -in fact,he remarks, that he is getting more pension than his salary.He could never have imagined in his wildest dreams that he would be drawing such a sum as this.

But his habits are as thrifty as ever.He travels by public transport though he is more open to travelling by autos & taxis on my mom's insistence now.He still goes to nearby places by walking or what he calls by bus number 11 that is by his own two legs ! He goes & buys his clothing at sales only - & that too only those pieces which are on maximum discounts.

Not only that,he makes it a point to quiz us on our mode of transport-public or private.If it is private,then,we are in for a long lecture on how he has failed to instil any spartan values in us despite the best of his efforts.Even if we have used public transport,he is ready with tips on alternate routes which will save time as also money.He has never accepted that we are grown up & have kids of our own !

He will give directions to the auto or taxi driver on the shortest route & if the driver ignores that then,we all are in for a big argument at the time of paying the fare.We have told my dad that this is embarrassing but he believes, that, such drivers are taking us for ride & with persons as gullible as ourselves,their tribe is on the rise.

My dad has taken up to fruits in a big way & insists that we should also partake of them.His persistence makes all this feel like nagging us but he continues.He opines that we should not neglect our health like he did.He also states that we are giving our kids all the wrong foods like bread,biscuits,burgers etal though this is all only once in a while.

He has got an expensive watch now at the age of seventy five & proudly shows it off.He is quite lean but is thankfully able to take the weight of the savvy wristwatch.

Like him,we also live frugally but cannot match up to him.I feel this may be due to the fact that we feel,we can spend as we are earning more than what my dad did & also because money is losing its value so rapidly.How much so ever,we may save today-it will have hardly any value tomorrow-so we would rather spend it today.My mom has another take - she feels, that parents should spend most of the money-if they leave fortunes for their offsprings-the offspring will just wste it away & never learn to earn!