25 Oct 2024

#549 A bell that once rang

  A bell that once rang

The image has been generated by the author with the help of an AI tool; GROK.

During my school days, the bell would ring a lot of times, indicating the change in the present state and signaling the beginning of the next phase. For example, A bell would be struck in the morning around 7:30 am as an announcement for morning assembly, and then after the end of each period, we would hear it twice. The school would end with the bell being struck three times.

The ringing of a bell in the afternoon in our locality would wake us up and make us rush outside to find a cart full of ice cream or other delicious street food like chaat, golgappa, noodles, dosa, etc.

I would hear the ringing of the bell while accompanying my mother to a nearby temple in the evening. The bell would be suspended from the ceiling of the temple, still much higher than my height to which I jumped and struck it. It’s a practice in Hindu temples as a mark of reverence for the Deities we worship.

In each of the above scenarios, I admired the sound that the physical bell produced! It was as if it brought some good news!

Fast forward to 2020 and years after that

The image has been generated by the author with the help of an AI tool; GROK.



Even though social media existed long before, their popularity picked up momentum during the pandemic for quite understandable reasons. Then real connections and interactions got converted into virtual ones.

The sound of the bell that excited me as a child, got converted to some brief ringtones or vibrations from my mobile. I found myself more involved in social media than before. I’m sure that most of you might have felt this difference.

Seeing numbers around the bell icon which denote notifications elated anyone using that.

An empty jar doesn’t make anyone happy.

Social media has introduced the bell icon into the user interface, trying to create a similar excitement in users’ minds by prompting them to visit that page and click on the bell icon, which reveals the notifications.

This temptation of clicking on the bell icon or the instant gratification of seeing the account in its best form of engagement has resulted in a lack of focus on the task.

Take my example.

I have been writing since childhood but publishing my writeups on my blog since 2013. This has given me access to all my old writings. The quality of content and time taken to produce it can never be compared to what I am writing these days. There’s no competition. My 13-year-old writeups win!

I can very easily feel the difference between both phases of my writing and it makes me wonder about my ability to produce something profound at the age of my early adulthood.

Art of any form needs solace and focus to thrive. The more we’re away from distractions, the more will we be focused on our goals. Similarly, for writing, it is not easy to process 60000 thoughts that cross our mind a day and derive meaningful connections or hierarchy to present to the readers.

So, I would keep just two tabs open on my web browser; one for the work and other one for googling work-related stuff, to get rid of the temptation to jump to check notifications on my social media.

I would mindfully choose to complete the task I’m doing over instant gratification provided by the notifications on social media and use social media as a reward for completing the task.

All Rights Reserved!

Swati Sarangi
22.10.2024

You can support my work through Buy me a Coffee.

7 Oct 2024

#548 October Wishes

 October Wishes

Image Source : Blogchatter

This post is a part of Blogchatter Blog Hop.


October is the antepenultimate month of the year. Every year, it comes with a handful of festivals to celebrate in an Indian household. Similarly, this year too festive season has begun with the commencement of October. To worship the divine power of Goddess Durga, Navratri will be celebrated from 03rd October to 12th October. There are several changes in the atmosphere too apart from the festive vibes. With leaves turning red and yellow from green before falling from the trees, this month announces the arrival of autumn before the harsh winter.

I was too disturbed by the horrific incident that took place at R.G. Kar Medical College in August 2024. Even after that unfortunate incident, the cases of violence against women are still on rise. No strict action has been taken against the culprits. I wish for the safety and security of women in India. I wish justice would be served to the victim by ensuring the enforcement of law and order in the right way. It is shameful to state that women are unsafe and discriminated in a country where Goddess Durga is worshipped. What kind of hypocrisy is it?

I am also disturbed by the war situations and geo-political instability taking place in the affected parts of the world. War has never been beneficial for any party. It has always caused a huge loss of resources and lives. It’s moving to come across the news of those affected by war. I wish there is world peace and harmony.   

On the personal front, I wish to complete all pending tasks before the end of this year. I wish to be a better version of myself by consistently working towards my goals. Completing tasks from the to-do list requires proper planning, determination, and timely implementation of strategies. I’m trying to follow a routine that will not only improve my productivity but also keep me motivated in the long run. I’ve started implementing some strategies to remove distractions and keep me more focused. For example – working with at the most 3-4 tabs in one window of my laptop, closing the tabs as soon as the task gets done etc.

We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret and disappointment. The difference is the discipline weighs ounce while the regrets weigh tons – Jim Rohn. I don’t want to end this year with regrets of not doing what could’ve been done so easily. So, in these last 3 months, I am wrapping up unfinished tasks by not taking more tasks on the plate. Hopefully, I will be able to accomplish everything that I wish for! Finger crossed!

Image generated by GROK2.0

All Rights Reserved!

Swati Sarangi

06.10.2024

You can support my work through Buy Me A Coffee.

5 Oct 2024

#547 Celebrating festivals abroad

 Celebrating festivals abroad

Image source : Blogchatter

This post is a part of Blogchatter Blog Hop.

This post is a part of ‘Feeling Festive Blog Hop’ hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed under #EveryConversationMatters

Festivals provide a way to escape from the mundanity of life and celebrate it. In every Indian household, they hold immense importance and bring countless moments to be treasured as memories. Festivals bring a variety of mouth-watering food, magnetically divine vibes, some rituals to perform, and get-together with family and friends.

Every year, there comes a handful of festivals that all of us look forward to. As a child, I used to surf through festivals on the calendar, not because I hated going to school but because I enjoyed everything about it; be it helping my mother with preparation, serving guests when they arrived home, cleaning or decorating home. All of us, my sister, father and I worked together like a team during the festive season to execute every plan that we had made.

Out of all the festivals, my favorite one is Dusshera. I don’t know why I remember almost all memories of it, right from my school days. Is it because we were given 2 weeks of Autumn holidays then or the extravaganza associated with it? I can’t figure out the right reason. Every year, it falls during October and the feeling of nostalgia engulfs me. The image of stage, competitions, aromas of delicacies, and other performances. Having spent my school days in Kanpur, I witnessed how grand Sarvojanin Kali Puja Samiti used to organize Kali Puja for a week. There used to be competitions for different age groups. We participated in it and won some prizes. The entire celebration would end with fireworks, a prize distribution ceremony, and a concert. I have been missing this festival ever since I was away from Kanpur.

 

Image Source : Generated by GROK2
 

It has been 3.5 years since I have lived abroad. I try to recreate events from my festival memories because it is always not practically possible for me to visit India during festivals. The first that I do as a part of preparing for festival is to rush to an Indian Store to get the groceries or related items for the festival. We celebrate at home with decorations, and delicious dishes or additionally look for communities where it is celebrated. No matter how much I try to recreate those feelings of excitement of celebrating festivals at home back in India, something remains missing.

Such is the power of home; festivals that we celebrate with family and friends! The nostalgia associated with festivals hits me every year and makes me miss home a little more.

© All Rights Reserved!

Swati Sarangi

04.10.2024

#BlogchatterBlogHop


Edit : This post received TOP POST on Blogchatter



Top post on Blogchatter

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15 Sept 2024

#546 What do you talk with yourself?

 What do you talk with yourself?

Image Source : Generated by GROK2.0


This post is a part of ‘Mindful Pursuit Blog Hop’ hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed under #EveryConversationMatters.

I was informed by my blogger friend Manali to participate in this bloghop and I thank her for that. Since September 10th is regarded as the World Suicide Prevention Day, I’m going to write about the mental tussles or battles that we all fight every day. For some, it becomes very intense pushing them to take the extreme step while for others it’s like some mental noise that they’ve learned to deal with. Like our bodies, our minds require decluttering of unnecessary things. In other words, our minds require cleansing, and it should be very normal to do that. Asking for help from friends or a therapist should be normalized.

Let’s first look closely at causes or sources of generation of the mental battles.

1) In the era of social media where a lot of information is accessible so easily, one gets easily trapped in the invisible chains of comparisons. These comparisons are often irrational or unreasonable. They can lead to the fear of missing out, thereby making someone do something just to garner some engagements on social media.

2) We all must have heard about this saying, “An empty mind is devil’s workshop.” On an average a person gets 6.5 thoughts per minute and these thoughts keep multiplying rapidly just like a forest fire. When not controlled, it can lead to negative interpretations causing depressions or self-doubt.

3) Unproductive use of social media leads to overindulgence and waste of judicious time, thereby causing lack of focus or disruption of sleep cycle. It can also generate a sense of guilt and incompetence.

4) Sometimes, it gets challenging to deal with personal losses due to failure on personal or professional fronts, loss of any near or dear ones unexpectedly or a heartbreak due to unexpected turn in any relationship.

5) Burnout from a busy work schedule which doesn’t have any slot of reflection or pursuing something that makes you happy or relaxed can cause a lot of mental troubles.  

In all above situations, the question is what do you talk with yourself? Do you believe in every thought that your mind produces or choose to accept only those that seem to be positive ones? You should check your thoughts, if they’re encouraging or critical ones. During such situations, you should lend an ear to your own thoughts and emotions with empathy and patience. For an introvert like me, it becomes even more difficult to share feelings with others.

What have worked for me in my favour during such situations are –

Ø Being mindful of the present and taking one day at a time.

Ø Counting blessings regularly

Ø Meditating and believing in higher powers working favorably

Ø Appreciating the journey you’re into

Ø Spending some time in nature away from social media

Ø Pursuing hobbies that bring out the inner child in you

Ø Believing the impermanence of the situation

Ø Journaling every night

Ø Making physical exercises fun

Ø Connecting with like-minded people

 

Everyone’s journey is different unlike the question paper we get in exams. When the journey is different, the speed with which we’re navigating through this journey or the people we come across in this journey is bound to be different. Before believing anything, we see or hear, we should at least ask our mind about the verity of it. Life’s not a race we’re into, so instead of rushing into any stage of life, just immerse yourself in the process of it and make memories for life. Let’s embrace our unique journey of self-discovery and existence!

Mental health has always been a taboo or less discussed topic. It can happen to anyone at any point of time just like any other disease affecting our body. Dealing with mental turmoil is an indication that our mind needs some rest or a little more care just like our body. There’s nothing unusual or unconventional about it. So, let’s just break any stigma around mental health and normalize seeking help during such situations.

Image Source : Generated by GROK 2.0


All Rights Reserved!

Swati Sarangi

15.09.2024

#MindfulPursuitBlogHop  

Edit : This post received TOP POST on Blogchatter


Top post on Blogchatter

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11 Sept 2024

#545 Perfection is a myth

 Perfection is a myth

Image Source : Generated by GROK 2.0

This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2024.

They said, “You’ve to be perfect in everything”

While I replied, “Perfection is a myth”,

It’s a myth that generates fear and

Would never let you get started.

 

The fear of failure paralyzes them,

Who run before the idea of being perfect,

Or creating a fake image just to

Hide their insecurities so well!

 

The one trying to improve,

Is the one who is bound to fail,

For failures don’t define him,

When they push him towards the goal.

 

Failures are like stepping stones

To success for them who are

Willing to take risks and don’t

Afraid to fail repeatedly.

 

I don’t believe in what they say,

I will choose the thorny path,

Fail many times but not lose faith,

Perfection is just a myth.

 

I just want to get started,

Fail as many times as it takes,

To reach that finish line and

Bask in the glory of success.

 

All Rights Reserved!

Swati Sarangi

10.09.2024

 You can support my work through Buy Me A Coffee.


#544 That never-ending wait

 That never-ending wait

Image Source : Generated by GROK2.0

This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2024.

You wait for something,

Never knowing when it will end,

When your waiting period is brief,

Result makes you elated.

 

You wait for something,

Never knowing when it will end,

You’re visualizing of its end,

That makes you ecstatic.

 

You wait for something,

Never knowing when it will end,

Still hopeful that something

Will turn out to be favorable.

 

You wait for something,

Never knowing when it will end,

Like the dark clouds in the sky,

Just about to bring rain.

 

You wait for something,

Never knowing when it will end,

Those dark clouds are dispelled away,

And sun rays make their way.


You wait for something,

Never knowing when it will end,

Assuring yourself that when it ends,

It will be the best part.

 

You wait for something,

Never knowing when it will end,

Sometimes questioning your faith,

And your mind surrenders to high powers.

 

You wait for something,

Never knowing when it will end,

Universe rewards you with bonus,

For waiting with patience and hope!

 

Now you look back at the journey,

And connect the dots to realize,

Waiting was just a process to test your patience,

And the journey never looked the same.

 

All Rights Reserved

Swati Sarangi

10.09.2024


P.S: Through this poem , I've tried to portray various stages of wait and how a human mind navigates through it. Sometimes, it assures that everything will be fine when this waiting period gets over , while sometimes our self-doubts seem to get multiplied. We must remember waiting is a process designed by the Universe to test our patience and when it is over, we're able to find the missing pieces of that big puzzle called life.

You can support my work through Buy Me A Coffee.

10 Sept 2024

#543 Death of dreams

 Death of Dreams

Image Source: Generated by GROK 2.0

This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2024.

The white coat she dreamed about,

As a child adorning a toy stethoscope,

How could she become a doctor,

By parents’ meager earnings?

 

Father stitched clothes all day long,

While mother working as domestic help,

Sacrificed a lot, every penny they saved,

Daugther’s dream became their own.

 

Society said “Only rich can be doctors,

While poor can never”, her relentless toil,

Made her shine out from the crowd,

No, her fate wasn’t like that of a beggar.

 

Her hardwork made her pass every

Exam with flying colours, schooling

Got over, time to advance a step

Closer to her childhood ambition.

 

Biology she opted, sacrificing Maths,

Determined was she to crack exam,

Her dreams were limitless,

So was her love for parents.

 

Result came again in her favour,

As she knew fortune favours the brave,

Government college was what she got,

In the counseling, making expenses bearable.

 

5 years went by then she graduated,

Hunger for knowledge wasn’t satiated,

Decided to study further, prepared and

Appeared in the exam for Masters.

 

Result came again in her favour,

As she knew fortune favours the brave,

Government college was what she got,

In the counseling, making expenses bearable.

 

She knew that she could change

The condition of her family,

Made parents come out of

The vicious cycle of poverty.

 

Each morning she affirmed to

Work in reputed hospitals,

And her nights were filled with

Rounds around patients at the hospital.

 

She was dutiful and charming,

Her ambitions drove her each morning,

Left her home that day, a fateful day,

For a night duty.

 

Completed her rounds, celebrated

Niraj’s win at the Olympics, had a very late dinner,

Was exhausted, so went for a nap,

After finding an empty conference room.

 

There came a strong hand, chocking her neck,

She resisted with all her might,

That devil, drunk, overpowered her trials,

Cut her wings forever; silenced her!

 

Not just she left this world,

But her dreams died due to a demon,

Waited to show his patriarchy, a false male ego.

Who has been excused over and over again.

 

With her died dreams of many young

Women who aspire to be independent,

And live a life of dignity and respect by

Normalizing their existence just like that of men.

 

Saddened and outraged got people,

Once this news came out,

It has been over a month since

That dreadful incident happened.

 

How many Nirbhayas will sacrifice themselves

To correct the law and order?

Why does justice always appear

To be a far-fetched dream for us?

 

We’re not independent, when women

Fear to pursue their dreams,

Fear to be noticed by such demons,

Walking freely on this planet.

 

When will the time come,

When God will incarnated himself

To descend to our planet to

Destroy such demons forever?

 

All Rights Reserved

Swati Sarangi

09.09.2024

 You can support my work through Buy Me A Coffee.


9 Sept 2024

#542 Being a creator at 𝕏

Being a creator at 𝕏

Image Source: Generated by Grok 2.0

This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2024.

𝕏, formerly known as Twitter, has become a go-to platform for people these days. With Elon Musk taking charge of this platform, many changes have been introduced. A visionary and supporter of free speech, Elon Musk is influencing people positively. According to his latest tweet, “Almost a billion people used 𝕏 last month.” Such is the popularity of 𝕏.

 

Screenshot : Elon Musk's profile on X

Ever since Elon Musk announced monetization of the accounts based on certain criteria, more and more people have decided to be creators on this platform. These criteria are not so easy to satisfy. Even though one may gain 500 followers but that’s not enough, one has to achieve an impression of 5 million in 3 months, which is nothing sort of a milestone. Impressions are the views on your posts and replies which are both considered as content on this platform.

 

I joined 𝕏, it was called Twitter then, in Dec 2021 to document my #100DaysofX journey. I was then doing #100DaysOfWriting, #100DaysOfCode, #100DaysOfReading and #100DaysOfMeditation. I dropped out of #100DaysOfMeditation soon but continued with the other three and completed them. I found users of Twitter very supportive and productive. I was inspired by their journey and got motivated to pursue my passion. I could interact with them and get suggestions and useful resources.

 

𝕏 got monetized from Feb,2023. By monetizing 𝕏, Elon Musk intelligently increased the activities on this platform by encouraging people not to consume but to engage with the posts of others. He wants people to voice their thoughts in the form of replies and make this platform more happening. That’s the reason why 𝕏 is gaining popularity so rapidly. With the inclusion of Grok2.0 for the Premium users, image generation has become just a cake walk.

 

From many creators on 𝕏, I got motivated to be a creator. I started my journey of being a creator from 24.07.2024 and got the Premium Membership on 30.07.2024. I resolved to be mindful about creating content or using the platform on a better way rather than just consuming content by doomscrolling throughout the day. This decision changed everything about the way I was using this platform before. I came in contact with some like-minded people who had similar goals as that of mine. I connected with them and learned the strategies to grow. I started applying the tips from 04.08.2024 and within a month, I gained an aggregate of 3 million impressions.

 

Growing on any social media needs a lot of consistency, focus, and strategy. 𝕏 is no different. It might look easier to grow on social media, but it is not. I’ve been dedicating 2-3 hours every day on an average for a month on 𝕏 and could attain 3 million impressions and 1700 followers. It’s a continuous process and one has to show up every day, no matter what! I enlisted all big accounts and turned on the notifications for them so that when they posted something, I would try to reply meaningfully at first. Some days, I was able to cross 100k impressions while other days, especially during weekends when I got engaged in some other tasks, I could hardly reach even half of it. Some days were rewarding while others seemed to be struggling. Isn’t that part of every game?

 

As a creator for almost a month, I realized that consistency is the key. One will get success only when he’s consistent every day. He has to show up every day, no matter what! I hope to receive my first payout from  𝕏 by the end of this month.

 

Image Source: Generated by GROK 2.0


All Rights Reserved!

Swati Sarangi

08.09.2024

 You can support my work through Buy Me A Coffee.