Gentle Whispers

We live in interesting times. We’re blessed that way. The world is changing rapidly. The way we work is changing, the way we live has already changed. Entire industries are crumbling, and more are growing on their ruins. People are empowered to express themselves, to create, to become a part of a global conversation and transformation, in a way that has never existed before. What will you do with that? What will your place be in this new, interesting world? Will you have a voice? Will you be a creator, or just a consumer? Do something. Do something interesting. Be a part of the conversation, and say something remarkable. Create something unique, new, beautiful. Build upon the works of others and transform it into your own. How to do this? Write a book. Or an ebook. Write poetry and publish it on the web. Create interesting, lovely or funny videos, put them on You Tube. Be passionate. Write a web app that will solve a problem in people’s lives. Become a watchdog to re...

A few months ago, I sat with my BFFs (I think now might be the time to stop reading Cosmo) and we spoke late into the night about life, love and careers. What was going right and where we'd gone wrong. What needed major surgery and the bits that needed a little bit of tinkering. In the contentment of being all together after what felt like a long time. It didn't matter that it was 4 AM. It didn't matter that I had to be at work bright and early the next morning. I didn't even feel the ache in my bones or my eyes struggling to stay open. But that's not what this is about. A conversation came up in which I participated very little. It was about Kindles vs eBooks. 'Books are books', they said, 'Kindles are nothing'. While I sat back chuckling to myself, wondering, what exactly were we arguing about here? I'd be the last person to tell you that Kindles are all good. I love old books and I love new ones. I love sinking my nose into the spine of a b...

27. I often repeat it over and over to myself. Trying perhaps to get myself to believe that I am actually this *old*.  Such a nondescript number, 27. No one ever asks you what you did on your 27th birthday. Seven months since I turned 27 and I'm still reluctant to answer the question of how old I am.  Perhaps it's because 27-year-olds are meant to have their lives sorted by now. Maybe I still haven't perfected that easy response to the inevitable question.  At 27, I thought life would be different. I thought by now I'd have the man of my dreams by my side and we'd be living and building our forever right now. That I'd have the person I could see myself spending the rest of my life with. There have been boys - lovely, kind, interesting, handsome boys, but not THE ONE. Boys I've loved plenty, but not enough to walk off into the sunset with.  Compromise? Don't comprise? Or that most favourite of Indian words, 'Adjust'. Should I?...

Ah, 2013. Where do I begin, but I think I can safely say that I am rather glad to see the back of you. You've been a tough year. To borrow a phrase, from the Queen, my "annus horribilis." It was the year of self-introspection when I realised several rather discomfiting facts about myself, that were hard to take and even more difficult to accept and understand. But more on that later. In my work life though, 2013 has been a mixed bag. I left a job I adored for another very similar one, only to realise how different organisations can be. From the first moment to the last of those miserable seven months I spent there, I can't say that I ever truly felt happy or free. So I did what family and friends told me was foolhardy in the extreme, I upped and quit and refused to put myself through that rigmarole for another day. One month of unemployment later, I found a new job. One that entailed me making a switch from journalism to marketing. It gave me the clarity to k...

*Image off Pinterest just don't have the same magic. “Books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators.” - Stephen Fry

For the first time in years, I've spent New Year's Eve at home and despite what many around me seem to think I've actually had a pretty good evening with my books and some television. And if how your feeling at the stroke of midnight is any indication for how the rest of the year will turn out, hopefully I'll be as content and as at peace through 2013 as I was this evening. The New Year is a time for resolutions . To make pacts and to promise yourself however foolishly that this time your going to stick to your vows and not abandon them halfway through and I've been thinking about my resolutions for the New Year ever since November and I think I at least have my basic goals and aspirations for the year ahead firmly in place now. And they are as below in random order. a) Lose Weight: I've never been hung up on the way I look. I don't hate myself but neither do I love myself and at the best of times, I think I'm thoroughly average-looking. But la...

The other day as I made my way home from work, a friend called and asked what I would be doing that evening, at which point I explained that I would be showering and heading out again to meet some other friends. At which point, she jumped in with a "I don't know how you do it. I couldn't go out again after a full day at work, I'd be too exhausted." Now to be perfectly honest here, I was exhausted and I could have easily chosen not to go out once again but when I quit my last job, I promised myself in the new place that offers me better timings, I would maintain a better work-life balance. And often, this is something I stick to it, even if it kills me to do it. Now, at this point, I know some of my friends are going to point out how I'm lucky enough to live bang in the centre of Bombay and that I have a mere 30 minute commute to work everyday. Sure, I have a job that has a 10 to 6 timing, but there's much more to it then that, I often have meetings, c...