Mahasweta - inspiring story showing grim realities of our society by Sudha Murthy

As usual, Sudha Murthy has nicely narrated the story of a young woman who fights the odds and challenges posed by society for a condition that was not at all her fault. The novel highlights the difficulties which are faced by people suffering from Leukoderma. 

Even with so much advancement in the medical field and efforts by govt and NGOs to educate people that leukoderma is not contagious and can be healed with proper medical care, leukoderma is considered a Taboo in most parts of India and people with this condition are forced to leave the society they grew up. Mahasweta takes you through the journey of one such protagonist "Anupama". Being brought up in a modest and traditional family, Anupama was an ideal daughter for any father. She never complained about her stepmother even when she was deprived of basic needs. 

Her stepmother was always jealous of the good looks of Anupama as her own daughter was not so blessed. Anupama was always full of energy and has a special inclination to help people in need. On the other side, there is Dr.Anand who hails from a well-established and respectable family. Anand falls in love with Anupama after looking at her simplicity and enthusiasm for everything. Just when Anupama thought her life will be a fairy tale after marrying Anand, life had a different plan for her.

  

 Anupama was diagnosed with Leukoderma and instead of supporting her to go through this, Anand's family sends her out. 

Anand, even after being a Doctor doesn't show his support and sides with his orthodox parents. After feeling the same reception at her parent's place, she decides to carve a life of her own by being independent. She gets support from her friends and she successfully fights the social stigma. What happens next? Will Anand come back? If yes will Anupama accepts him in her life? If not will Anupama find another soulmate? I will definitely not spoil the plot and urge everyone to read the book. 

As with other books, Sudhamurthy succeeds to keep readers awestruck and guessing on every page. She narrates all her stories in a simple yet classy language. Read the book to experience the journey of Anupama and I am sure you will be mesmerized by the narration and encouraged by Anupama's girt and strength. Share your experiences in the comment section.

You can order your copy on Amazon from here

 #books #goodreads #sudhamurthy #mahashweta #novel #mustread

Cultivating Emotional Intelligence for Relationships and Success

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is one of the most powerful elements for achieving career excellence and building strong relationships. EQ refers to your ability to recognize and manage emotions in yourself and others. Strengthening your emotional intelligence unlocks deeper self-awareness, thoughtful communication, and the empathy required to connect.

With focus and practice, you can greatly expand your EQ. Doing so will transform how you lead, collaborate, resolve conflict, and relate to people. Developing your emotional intelligence nurtures personal and professional fulfillment.

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence consists of four core skills:

Self-awareness - Recognizing your own emotions and understanding your tendencies, motivations and desires.

Self-management - Handling your emotions maturely through self-control, integrity and adaptability. 

Social awareness - Empathizing with others, appreciating diverse perspectives and cultivating compassion.

Relationship management - Using awareness of emotions to interact positively, communicate clearly and resolve conflicts collaboratively.

High EQ means skillfully leveraging emotional data to guide thinking and behavior. It complements technical expertise and IQ by enhancing your ability to thrive in relationships and challenging situations.

Why Emotional Intelligence Matters

Emotional intelligence promotes strong leadership, teamwork, and mental health. Advantages of high EQ include:

- Deeper connections and social belonging

- Increased empathy, patience and compassion  

- Ability to resolve and de-escalate interpersonal conflicts

- Capacity to pick up on non-verbal emotional cues and unspoken feelings

- Enhanced leadership, influence and inspiration of others

- Greater career success and fulfilling relationships

- Confidently handling workplace challenges and changes

- Increased self-awareness and growth mindset

- Less anxiety, rumination and destructive responses to stress

Emotionally intelligent individuals have thriving relationships and navigate life’s obstacles with maturity and resilience. They positively impact those around them.

Improving Your Self-Awareness 

The foundation of EQ is understanding your inner emotional landscape. Self-awareness means tuning into your feelings and tendencies. Strategies to grow in self-knowledge include:

- Identify emotions - Practice naming feelings in the moment without judgment. Connect feelings to potential triggers.

- Notice patterns - Reflect on how you typically respond to certain situations, challenges or moods.

- Ask for feedback - Ask trusted friends for honest input on your blindspots. Listen with an open mind.

- Keep a journal - Record reflections on reactions, lessons learned, goals and areas for personal growth. 

- Meditate - Sit quietly noticing thoughts and emotions arising and passing without reacting.

- Seek self-knowledge - Explore your passions, values, childhood wounds and inner narratives through self-inquiry practices. 

Increased self-awareness helps you recognize unhelpful emotional patterns and make conscious choices aligned with your values and goals.

Managing Difficult Emotions  

EQ involves appropriately processing emotions rather than suppressing them or lashing out. Strategies to master difficult feelings include:

- Identify triggers - Figure out people/situations eliciting negative emotions to prepare thoughtfully.  

- Allow time to process - Don’t react in the moment. Take time and space to calm down and reflect.

- Talk it out - Verbalizing feelings with a trusted friend or counselor provides perspective.

- Relaxation practices - Meditation, deep breathing, yoga and spending time in nature relieve stress.

- Reframe situations - Look for positive angles, lessons learned and growth opportunities.

- Forgive mistakes - Let go of anger/guilt through understanding emotion just signals to act right.

- Cultivate optimism and gratitude - Choose empowering thoughts and appreciate positives.

With emotional maturity, you respond skillfully rather than reacting destructively when intense feelings arise.

Developing Empathy for Others 

Deepening social awareness means honing your empathy skills, which opens the door to richer connections. Ways to expand empathy include:

- Listen fully - Give people your complete presence and focus when listening without judgment.

- Ask questions - Inquire with curiosity to better understand someone’s experiences and perspective. 

- Suspend assumptions - Set aside your beliefs and worldview to see another’s reality. 

- Observe body language - Notice nonverbal cues that reveal deeper emotions.

- Imagine their perspective - Put yourself in their shoes using your own feelings to connect emotionally.

- Offer compassion - Verbalize care for any suffering someone is feeling. Validate their emotions.

View every interaction as a chance to intimately understand and share in another’s experience through empathy's power.

Fostering Strong Communication

Talking effectively and extracting meaning from exchanges is a key EQ skillset. Enhance communication through:

- Paying full attention - Remove distractions to deeply engage.

- Asking clarifying questions - Uncover complete understanding before reacting.

- Sharing your experience - Use “I feel” statements to express your perspective while owning your emotions.  

- Asserting needs positively - Avoid criticism and blame. Focus on resolving the issue.

- Speaking concisely - Fewer words with care creates clarity.  

- Reading body language - Notice nonverbal cues that reveal true feelings.

- Restating key points - Repeat main ideas and summarize conversations to verify comprehension. 

Mastering authentic, thoughtful communication fosters mutual understanding and prevents unnecessary conflicts.

Resolving Conflict Positively 

Handling inevitable disagreements maturely is a hallmark of high EQ. Strategies for resolving conflict include:

- Taking a timeout - Give yourself and others space to process emotions before discussion.

- Finding common ground - Identify shared interests, values or goals.

- Sharing feelings calmly - Avoid accusatory “you” statements. Own your feelings using “I”.   

- Listening generously - Hear each other out fully before replying. Seek understanding.

- Compromising - Find solutions working for both parties.

- Forgiving easily - Let go of bitterness and focus on the future with optimism. 

Approach conflict as an opportunity to strengthen the relationship by illuminating and addressing issues respectfully together.

Achieving Excellence in Work and Life

Developing your EQ cultivates leadership, success and fulfillment. Emotionally intelligent individuals are poised, empathetic and able to actualize their potential. Fortify your EQ through:

- Continued self-awareness and reflection

- Journaling emotions and responses

- Seeking constructive feedback 

- Meditation to enhance presence

- Immersing in relationships mindfully

- Expressing feelings and needs assertively 

- Assuming positive intent in others

- Forgiving mistakes quickly

- Developing optimism, courage and moral purpose

With lifelong practice, EQ becomes an integral part of who you are. You experience life richly while ushering others toward their own self-actualization through wisdom, compassion and service.

Boost Your Self-Confidence

Developing robust self-confidence empowers you to reach for opportunities and handle life’s challenges. Self-confidence is the assured belief in your abilities and worth. It provides the courage needed to fully express your talents and take risks that lead to fulfillment. Fortunately, anyone can boost their self-confidence through intentional mindset shifts and behaviors. With consistent practice, these confidence-building tactics will help you unlock the potential within yourself to live boldly.

Why Self-Confidence Matters?

Embracing confident thinking produces real-world results and success. High self-confidence is correlated with:

- Greater career success - Confidence inspires decisive leadership, public speaking and career advancement. 

- Better relationships - Self-assuredness allows for authentic vulnerability, empathy and engagement.

- Improved mental health - Confidence reduces anxiety, loneliness, stress and tendency toward depression.

- Higher achievement - Belief in your abilities gives you the motivation to persist through obstacles.

- Increased earnings - Confident negotiation and leadership results in increased salary and promotions.

- More respect from others - Displaying self-assured body language earns esteem and influence.

- Ample opportunities - Recognition of your worth leads to actively pursuing your ambitions. 

- Resilience - Faith in your inner strength helps you quickly rebound from setbacks.

Self-confidence forms the foundation to reach your potential. Fortifying your confidence levels benefits all life domains.

Identify Self-Doubt Triggers

In order to grow in confidence, first reflect on when you consistently feel self-doubt or insecurity. Common confidence-killing situations include:

- Meeting new people and making conversation 

- Public speaking, performing, or expressing yourself 

- Trying something challenging or unfamiliar

- Being evaluated on appearance or abilities 

- Making mistakes or failing publicly  

- Being criticized or rejected

- Comparing yourself to others who seem more accomplished

- Aiming for a big goal with an uncertain outcome

- Tense situations requiring speaking up or asserting needs

Recognizing recurring triggers of self-doubt is the first step to dismantling them. Boosting confidence requires awareness of when it commonly wavers.

Challenge Negative Self-Talk 

At the root of most confidence issues is a stream of negative self-talk questioning our abilities and worth. Identify instances when your inner voice contains:

- Self-criticism and dwelling on flaws

- Catastrophizing possible outcomes  

- Harsh comparisons to others

- Over-generalizations based on a single failure

- Blaming yourself for things out of your control 

- Minimizing your talents and accomplishments

- Assuming you’ll be rejected or judged 

Challenge these untrue yet persistent thoughts. When you notice negative self-talk, refute it with a realistic affirming statement. Replace self-criticism with self-compassion. Talk to yourself as a trusted friend would - with kindness and belief in your inherent value.

Visualize Success

Enhance confidence through visualization techniques that prime your mind for success. Picture yourself excelling in future scenarios. Imagine giving an eloquent speech, nailing an interview, or mastering a skill. Envision the feelings of strength, pride and joy.

Mental rehearsal activates the brain similarly to physical practice. By repeatedly visualizing future success, you build the confident framework to make it reality. Approach each challenge having “felt” your capable response already through visualization.

Power Pose 

Use body language to reinforce self-confidence. For two minutes before a stressful situation, adopt a power pose - stand tall with shoulders back and head held high. Spreading out arms and legs signals dominance. Power poses release hormones that reduce stress and increase confidence. You experience real biological changes.

Cultivate Self-Confidence Affirmations  

Combat negative self-talk through positive personalized affirmations. Identify core confident beliefs you want to embed, such as:

- I am capable and resilient.

- Challenges help me grow.

- I naturally handle obstacles.

- My unique talents add value.

- I improve with consistent effort. 

- I believe in my abilities.

Repeat affirmations daily and record in a journal. The consistent positive messaging drowns out inner critics. Choose phrase patterns that resonate and slowly transform your self-perception.

Celebrate Small Wins

Viewing progress in terms of growth versus fixed success promotes confidence. Celebrate small daily wins rather than waiting for major milestones. Recognize effort and improvement. Give yourself credit for persevering during a challenge. Self-confidence accumulates gradually through recognizing daily progress.

Learn From Setbacks 

When facing a setback, treat it asvaluable feedback rather than personal failure. View setbacks as data helping you adjust course and improve. Ask yourself constructive questions like:

- What lessons does this reveal for next time?  

- How can I do things differently moving forward?

- What new skills can I gain from this experience?

This growth mindset maintains self-confidence despite temporary challenges. You remain focused on building abilities rather than dwelling on perceived flaws.

Take More Risks

Step outside your comfort zone regularly. Taking positive risks expands your horizons. Push past self-limiting beliefs by incrementally trying new things. Each risk successfully taken builds confidence to continue reaching higher. Start small by having a conversation with a stranger, sharing your writing, or taking an introductory class. As you get comfortable, keep challenging yourself. The thrill of growth eclipses the fear of uncertainty.

Fake It Till You Become It

It’s normal to feel scared during intimidating situations when confidence dips. Move forward anyway while “faking” confidence through your body language, voice tonality and belief in your preparation. As you consciously exhibit confidence, you trigger corresponding emotions. Eventually self-assured behavior becomes your natural state, not just an “act”. With practice, acting confident molds your reflexive thought patterns.

Connecting with Supportive People

Build a network of personal cheerleaders providing encouragement. Their confidence in you reflects back, reinforcing belief in your abilities. Share goals and ask for specific positive feedback. Celebrate their pursuits too - self-confidence isn’t competitive. Giving support boosts confidence just like receiving it. Mutual trust empowers all to reach higher.

The growth process takes patience, self-care and little steps outside comfort zones. Fortifying your confidence opens up a fulfilling life of expanded potential. You must risk, act and grow first - certainty follows action. Trust in your abilities. The seeds of confidence you sow today will multiply into a thriving grove of self-assurance. Keep planting.

The Life-Changing Power of Gratitude

Practicing gratitude provides a simple yet profound way to positively change your life. Cultivating gratitude means intentionally focusing on all there is to be thankful for. This outlook of appreciation unlocks many benefits for your mindset, relationships, health and personal growth. Discover how living with gratitude can transform your attitude, increase happiness and help you fully embrace the gift of each day.

The Benefits of Gratitude

Science confirms that expressing gratitude leads to a range of positive effects. Studies show that practicing gratitude can:

Boost Happiness - Gratitude fosters appreciation for what you have instead of focusing on lacks or desires. This mindfulness leads to increased life satisfaction and reduced feelings like envy, regret and depression. 

Strengthen Resilience - Viewing challenges with gratitude as growth opportunities builds determination. Gratitude helps you reframe setbacks positively and persist through obstacles.

Enrich Relationships - Thanking people and expressing your appreciation deepens bonds. Gratitude helps relationships thrive through empathy and goodwill.

Improve Physical Health - Gratitude reduces stress and blood pressure. It improves quality of sleep, energy levels and immunity. Overall health gets a boost.

Increase Mental Health - Gratitude combats anxiety and decreases symptoms of conditions like PTSD. It also boosts self-esteem and mental strength to handle challenges.

Expand Opportunities - Approaching life gratefully opens you up to new possibilities. Gratitude helps you embrace and create life-expanding opportunities. 

By choosing to focus on reasons to be grateful, you unlock all these amazing benefits in your life. Gratitude empowers living fully and boldly.

                        

Cultivating Gratitude

Gratitude starts as a mindset within. Like a muscle, regularly exercising your ability to be thankful strengthens your gratitude practice. Here are ways to cultivate gratitude on a daily basis:

Keep a Gratitude Journal - Writing down things you are grateful for helps positively reprogram your brain. Note 3-5 items like health, loved ones or simple joys.

Give Thanks - Verbalize appreciation to others. Thank helpful strangers, hard-working colleagues, supportive friends. Say grace before meals. 

Appreciate Small Pleasures - Notice and give thanks for simple joys - morning coffee, the sunset, a good song. Train your mind to appreciate blessings.

Focus on Progress - Be grateful for growth milestones and positive change. Give thanks for abilities developed, obstacles overcome, lessons learned. 

Perform Gratitude Check-Ins - Take a moment during the day to identify reasons for gratitude. Give thanks for things like safety, freedoms, access to knowledge. 

Practice Mindfulness - Stay present and aware so you fully experience life’s many gifts. Intentionally savor positive moments as they happen.

Share Inspiration - Spread gratitude by sending thank you notes, writing positive social media posts, telling others why you are grateful. 

Give Back - Volunteer, donate, and help others in whatever way you can. Acts of service expand gratitude.  

Replace Complaints - When tempted to complain, reframe the situation positively and express thanks. Turn grumbles into gifts.

Gratitude in Relationships

Practicing gratitude in your relationships deepens appreciation and affection. It strengthens bonds when you:

- Thank your romantic partner for all they do, express love regularly.

- Appreciate friends for adding joy, sharing wisdom and being present.

- Tell family members why you’re grateful for their support over the years. 

- Recognize coworkers for their efforts, patience and teamwork. 

- Thank mentors and teachers for the knowledge and guidance they provide.

- Appreciate customers/clients for the opportunity to collaborate and serve.

The more you can voice gratitude and recognize others' contributions, the more you cultivate warm, supportive relationships.

Gratitude Overcomes Challenges

During tough times, embracing gratitude parts the storm clouds revealing the sun. Intentionally appreciate:

- Frontline workers keeping us safe and supplied.

- The ability to communicate and comfort others remotely.

- Nature’s resilience and the passing of each season.

- Opportunity to spend more time with immediate family.

- Time to reflect and reassess priorities and goals.

- Ability to adapt and learn new skills.

- Life’s simple gifts - health, freedoms, safety, food, shelter.

- Strength to overcome present obstacles and find hope.

Gratitude cannot change external circumstances. But it can powerfully change how we respond to them internally.

The Path of Gratitude

Living gratefully requires rejecting feelings of entitlement and intentionally nurturing an attitude of gratitude. Begin your day by naming five things you are grateful for. Look for reasons to be grateful during challenges. Be mindful of life's many blessings throughout your day. Appreciate others at every opportunity. 

You have the power to focus your mind on what you already have instead of what you lack. Turn this power inward to be the change you wish to see in the world. Radiate gratitude. Relish the beauty of simple moments. Give thanks for your incredible life.

The simple practice of gratitude holds profound power to uplift your mindset, relationships, health and purpose. Give it a place each day in your life and let gratitude work its magic. Keep growing in gratitude until thankfulness becomes your natural state of being. May you fully embrace all there is to appreciate along your journey.