With March ends the first quarter of 2016. It’s the close of the financial year too and in Bangalore looks like we are in for the hottest summer ever. The temperatures have been soaring and the once all-year-round pleasant Bangalore is not the same anymore. I will attribute all this to changing weather conditions and the global warming. A grim state yet the reality of ignoring nature and letting pollution take over us.
Without drifting further, as I look back on March, I see it had a lot of variety. Friends, family, food and writing were the key highlights of the month. Here’s my gratitude list for the month.
- Family: First few days of March were a bliss. The kind that’s possible only in the company of loved ones. My cousin was getting engaged and VT and I travelled to Delhi and Kurukshetra for a day each. So many conversations, home cooked food, the warmth of family and just the celebration all around pepped up my mood. Just before leaving for this trip, I was not sure if the timing was right. Work pressure was mounting and taking a day off sounded like not the right thing to do. However, I am glad I took that break. VT met my larger family for the first time after our wedding and everyone loved how he was running around finishing chores and being a part of the family in the real sense. I am grateful for family and their genuine love and care for us.
- Yoga Classes: This month I tried to be regular with my Yoga classes. I pushed laziness aside and woke up early on most days to catch up on the sessions. Yes, during weekends I caught up on my lost sleep but the days I went to the hour-long class, my day seemed so productive and happy hormones were on a high. Another exciting thing on health front was this FitBit Challenge that Sanch invited me to. My first ever and I came 4th in a super active group of 5 but it was fun checking out others who were walking twice or thrice more than me in a day. Fun it was. I am grateful that I was able to focus on my health.
- Social Media Reach: My Kannada classes came to an end this month. Three months of learning a new language and getting to know people from all walks of life was a great experience. During the last few classes, our instructor mentioned of the lease for the building drawing to a close and that the organisation wouldn’t have a place to teach students from April onwards. I wanted to help and resorted to social media. To my surprise, the post was shared over 65 times and we got some leads. I loved the fact that people genuinely want to help each other. I am grateful to all those who shared the post and reached out to help.
- Festival and Cooking: During March, we celebrate the festival of colors, Holi. Though I am not a lot into traditions and following customs, this time is once a year I happily cook. I made gujhiyas. One of my favorite sweet and this time I took a day off from work to cook. It was a tiring day but gujhiyas turned out to be delicious. I am grateful that I could find to cook and that I was able to do exactly what I wanted.
- Annual Review: One thing that makes me really nervous is Annual Reviews. I don’t know why or wait, maybe I know why. It’s called Imposter Syndrome. I am always scared that I will be told not-so-good things and that I will be asked to leave. Sounds funny as I am typing this but this is exactly what I feel. So this year, as I walked into my manager’s office, I walked in with the same thoughts and walked out with the same messages as I have been getting over previous years. I got promoted and got a great score. What more can I ask for? I am grateful for the work that I do and that I am able to add value to myself and my company.
- Blogging: It was a moment of joy when fellow blogger Eloquent Mind felt inspired to write by reading my February Gratitude List. Another fellow blogger, Chandni is also starting her Gratitude Lists this month. I am glad that one post could inspire two other bloggers. I am grateful that I was able to touch people with words.
- Laughter: What’s life without a bit of fun and some silly jokes. For close to 10 years now, this guy still cracks me up with his jokes. Be it about my Hindi or the words I use, my cooking skills, my enthusiasm for social media, my reading habits or whatever. Nothing under the Sun is left out. I am grateful for a partner who tries to make me smile even on a hard day.
Life is about balance. While there will be hard days, we should not let go the happiness that comes from good days. Only then, we will be able to smile and keep ourselves going for the remaining days of our lives. Gratitude Lists is my way of finding balance.
What was the top thing on your Gratitude List this March?
Linking this post to Vidya’s Gratitude Circle Blog hop for March 2016.
happiness and food 
YAY for great scores. When I worked in an office, I’d get that annual review from my boss and he’d say, “Sorry, but we aren’t giving anyone above a ‘3’.” If they gave a 4 or 5, they had to justify it and get it approved from the people at the top, so they just didn’t bother. But he’d always stress I was doing a GREAT job. Now they tie raises to that…you only get a tiny raise for a 3…and I heard everyone is still getting 3s. Morale has to be at all-time lows.
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The power of social media. Social media is thrashed for the negativity and trolls it perpetuates but that only says about the people who use it in this way. I see its presence in today’s times as something to feel grateful about because for one we wouldn’t be knowing and connecting with half of those wonderful people we know in our lives and secondly it brings about positive stories to our finger tips. And the same goes about blogging too. If not for blogging and social media which helped me discover the Quiet Revolution and other introverts similar as me, I would have continued to see my introversion as digression from the normal.
And to have a partner who is able to make you feel happy after all those years of being with each other, nothing else can be a bigger blessing than this.
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Congratulations on the promotion, Parul. I’m sure you’re every boss’ dream employee! 🙂
The pictures tell a wonderful story of community and belonging!
Have an equally fruitful April.
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Congrats dear Parul !!! Feel haapy and goodness on reading your post !!!
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Congratulations for the promotion, Parul!
It is wonderful to read about all the wonderful experiences and moments you had in this month of March. The ghujiyas do look quite yummy! And the pictures definitely tell a story of contentment and joy. Be happy, always!
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I love these posts of yours! Family, good food, good times, happy manager, good health – wat more can we ask for rt!
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Congratulations Parul! On the promotion, and also for getting so many people involved in the social media post shares!
I might start this Gratitude list in May.. after the AtoZChallenge gets over, and I get some time to breathe. I wanted to do it today, but there’s too much of April work to do!
All the best for the challenge too 🙂
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Many things to be grateful for, including our early spring at a time when there would normally be snow on the ground. But winter is returning and we are going to have the hard freeze I dreaded – the one that may destroy the apple blossoms. We will have to see what happens. It is disturbing, your extra hot summers. Heat is deadly.
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What a lovely and eventful month you’ve had! Congratulations on your promotion – and so nice to read about your family get-together! I keep thinking I should switch to early morning walks but they only happen sporadically – but I do love the evening walks as well. What is the pic that looks like a black donut with the white center?
Are you learning to read and write Kannada? So happy to hear of a responsive social media!
May April be even better than March, Parul!Thank you for joining me in the Gratitude Circle bloghop.
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Thank you Vidya. I took up penning Gratitude Lists in May 2015 and I am glad I found so much joy in that.
That’s the little rolled maida poori for the sweet khova stuffing 🙂 I am learning to speak basic Kannada. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
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You seem to have had a great month. Wish you more happiness and love in the coming months. Each month should be better than the previous month shouldn’t it ?
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Not really. We should make each month better than the last by practicing gratitude.
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congrats to you ! despite all the nervousness you got promoted… something to be happy about. Nice to hear about your yoga classes it makes a lot of difference, specially some of the stretches can be very relaxing. Glad to know that you have completed the language course in Kannada.. nice pictures radiating joy and happiness.. and perfect balance of family, friends, food and laughter, thanks for sharing 🙂
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Great way to count our blessings.. Leaving this blog with a happy feeling 🙂
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Thanks Sampada. So happy you feel that.
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Hi Parul, Great post. Many congratulations on your promotion. May your many more success stories ahead. May you enjoy coming months equally and we would get to read some great stuff here.
Enjoy 🙂
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Thank you so much for those lovely wishes. Means a lot. M glad you stopped by!
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Asusual a beautiful post. Though i congratulated and blessed u but once again a formal congratulation. May God u do better everyday . I am grateful to God for a lovely daughter like u and VT a caring son-in-law .
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I feel first and foremost we should be grateful about the decent lives we have…we don’t have to fight everytime for our livelihood and don’t have to sleep empty stomach.
Rest are all a bonus for us, actually a luxury 😊
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