Here is a meme that I came across today and it matched the high
standards of pun set by my blog friend Gilsu.
"I am a woman. I have
ovaries. And that’s why I ovary act."
After I got the joke, I realized, even this damn meme is not
true for me. That’s how easy it is for
me to get negative these days, given my circumstances in life.
The last one year I have realized the need to refocus my
attention on positive things and make it a mindful practice. Its important to look at the little wonderful
things in life that elicit gratitude, to lift up the spirits and also to keep
me grounded.
This new year one of the days, happened to step into a craft store
itsy-bitsy, (didn’t you like that name?, I did too ) and spotted a glitzy notebook
which I picked up instantly. itsy-bitsy-glitsy Did you notice it rhymed too? ha ha. This little notebook has become
my gratitude journal. Always in love with handwritten
stuff, so excited when i write stuff in this everyday. I also hunted down my hero pen which needs some minor repairs, until then i will have to do with a ball pen. I somehow think the mind works better when
you write using pen and paper. Writing
by hand, touching and feeling the writing surface, holding the pen in your hand
kind of directs the thoughts and lets it flow.
Doesn’t it?
While conducting webinars, even today I take down notes
extensively to record the inputs and comments my participants would share and use those notes to play back to hold on to their attention in a virtual
session, which is otherwise a daunting task. I think I belong to old school –
every single day I have a handwritten "Things to do today list" that I put together
and use at work, a habit that I have kept up right from the initial days of my
career.
One person who comes to mind when I think of Handwritten notes is Petula, we must have written a ton of letters to each other. This gratitude
journal is keeping me upbeat for the last 15 days. I also do
read the entrees in the journal, when there is time and its amazing to count the blessings.
New
year, New habit towards a better me.
Comment from Ramesh via email
ReplyDeleteOh - wonderful to meet a fellow handwriting buff. I though everybody has forgotten how to write by hand and I was an old dinosaur. Absolutely delighted to find that I am in such wonderful company. In a room full of keyboard tappers, I am the sole guy with a notebook and a fountain pen. For exactly the sentiments that you have posted.
Nice to see you start the new year with 2 posts. Long may it continue. Without the pressure to post anything - just post when you feel like it.
As for the pun - Groooan !
Ramesh
Ramesh, as always even while on on trip you are there supporting me.
ReplyDeleteat a time when handwritten notes are getting rarer, glad to know that you are a fan of it. never have felt pressurised into blogging. This is a space i love to come to, just that sometimes the attention and focus gets diverted and also there are times when i get a wee bit lazy.
Ardent fan of handwritten stuff -myself too. Even at office, I take my notes in notebook with pen - recently, bought my longtime dream - a Hero pen - and how the ink beautifies the curves. Seriously, how boring is it to use someone else's fonts?
ReplyDeleteSo on the gratitude journal as well. Happened to watch this 100 days of rejection TED talk (https://www.ted.com/talks/jia_jiang_what_i_learned_from_100_days_of_rejection?language=en), and started my 100 days of gratitude journal. At day 25 now!
Savitha, thank you for coming over and commenting. I am a big fan of TED talks and i am going to watch this one. Yaaay on starting the gratitude journal. looks like we both have started it at the same time. I hunted down the hero pen that i used to write my board exams in 10th and 12th standard, but it looks like it cannot be repaired as its nibs are outdated and not in production now. :-(
DeleteThat's like my buddy, I am an ardent 'gratitude' champion and it surely does keep me grounded and sane during difficult days. I too have a gratitude journal but it is an app based one, i started it last year and it was really uplifting when I went through the journal towards the end of the year, it really helps you to count your blessings .At the same time you are right the magic of hand written stuff is something else...
ReplyDeletebirds of the same feather flock together. dont they? Now you know why we are great pals?
DeleteOops I am an odd one out in terms of office work MoM, I like to type...I make notes on "my notes" in the phone. Capture a pic of the whiteboard when someone writes a lot...😆
ReplyDeleteIn the past have written 100s of love letters to the now husband. Those days sms itself used to cost a lot.. Guess should go back to real writing for the wonderful reasons mentioned. My journal : are tick marks and emoticons, and some affirmations written in fancy pens .
Good to know you are reading my posts too. You get most of my experiences first hand and this must be a repeat.
Deleteyou are the new age techno-crat. :-)
Hehe ... delighted, by the word techno-crat, decent !
ReplyDelete