The mind is the easiest place to invade

 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬 # 177

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐚𝐝𝐞!!!

🏝️Last month I went on a vacation to the beautiful country of Sri Lanka. It was an amazing visit in a land full of greenery, fresh air, sea, hills, history and wonderful architecture. The country being a blend of village life and the modern amenities of life.

As I explored its landscapes, I also learned about Sri Lanka’s past—how it was ruled by the Portuguese, then the Dutch, and later the British. The architecture tells this story clearly. Foreign influences are visible in food, habits, and everyday life, showing how a country and its people transform when outsiders arrive and settle.

Even in India, many habits, rules, and systems still reflect the era of British rule.

History reminds us that when countries experience invasions or foreign influence, their culture, architecture, and way of life inevitably change. Some influences enrich a nation; others slowly erode its originality.

✨Isn’t this the same with us humans also?

So often we get influenced or ‘invaded’ by thoughts of others.

--We allow other people’s opinions, lifestyles, and choices to enter our mental space and shape how we think and behave.

--We get influenced with what others are doing, how they are living their lives, and try to replicate or adopt it without considering our own thoughts or way of lives.

--We start comparing, copying, and adopting—often without pausing to ask whether it aligns with who we truly are.

And just like a country or city, we change - sometimes the change is a positive one and helps us to grow – But when it makes us lose ourselves, when our originality fades and we become a version shaped entirely by others, that invasion is not a healthy one.

Blindly copying, constantly getting influenced or being invaded by what and how others think and not using one’s own mind or simply following what others are saying, is not something which makes us grow. Having one’s own opinion, voice, brain and using it wisely does.

So pause and ask yourself:

Who is invading your thoughts—and are you allowing it?

I leave you to this thoughtful 𝑾𝒆𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒅𝒂𝒚........ 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒈𝒖𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌... 𝑹𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆... 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 '𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒔' 𝒏𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒆 '𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝑮𝒐𝒅' 𝒇𝒐𝒓! 😊

#𝖶𝖾𝖽𝗇𝖾𝗌𝖽𝖺𝗒𝖶𝗁𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗅𝖾𝗌

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀..

 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀 # 𝟭𝟳𝟲

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀....

Start of the year and a wonderful event being hosted in my city Pune- 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗿 - India’s first UCI 2.2-category men’s multi-stage continental cycling race and a major milestone for the sport in the country. The event began with a short prologue before moving into four demanding stages that test sprinting, climbing and race strategy. 

While cycling as a sport may not be so much popular in our country, but cycling is!! 

Visible less now, a cycle has been the most convenient mode of transport- be it in villages or cities- one can spot people cycling to work, school, vendors distributing goods. Cycle was a prized gift on birthdays and good school results.

With time, cycles gave way to faster two-wheelers and cars. Roads became crowded, riding became unsafe. Cycles evolved too — from simple black frames to multi-gear, electric, colourful, more comfortable versions.

As a kid I spent hours riding my red cycle – running errands, just cycling with friends, going nowhere in particular – a cycle has always been by my side for a very long period of time. 

With time, it was replaced by a two -wheeler and then a car took, but cycling was always an activity which I immensely loved. After a long gap, I purchased a cycle few years ago – I may not ride it regularly, but whenever I do, it feels familiar — like coming home.

However one may look at cycling, but it teaches few very important life lessons

🚲When I initially learnt cycling, there were many instances when I lost balance, fell down, wobbles, got up and moved on – isin't that the  ‘cycle’ of our lives? 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 – 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 - 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻

🚲Cycle also means 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 – 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 – 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 – good and bad, too much and too less, too busy and too free- maintaining the right balance in life in whatever you do is important

🚲Cycle denotes circle and repetition – same things going in a circle- most of our lives – we are following the same routine – night comes after day, failure comes after a success – but what do we do of this repetition or circle – how we take it up is what defines us

🚲A cycle also teaches you quietly. No engine. No shortcuts. Just effort. You push the pedal — it moves. You stop — it doesn’t.

🚲A cycle also reminds us: Progress is personal. Speed is optional.  Consistency is everything.

Keep pedaling – your balance will come!!

As I start back on my cycle of writing this year, I leave you to this cycle thought on this 𝑾𝒆𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒅𝒂𝒚..... 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌... 𝑹𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆... 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 '𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒔' 𝒏𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒆 '𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝑮𝒐𝒅' 𝒇𝒐𝒓! 😊

#𝖶𝖾𝖽𝗇𝖾𝗌𝖽𝖺𝗒𝖶𝗁𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗅𝖾𝗌

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳

 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬 # 175

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳

𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳. 𝘚𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳… 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥-𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺.

✨New year, a new start, new month and a head full of new thoughts!! 

How did you start your year? Rather end the last year? 

I am sure all of us have had a roller coaster year - some good moments some tough ones, plenty of learnings and some mistakes on the way... 

And as we stepped into the new year, we carried with us a quiet resolve—to make it better than the last 

Many of us would have made resolutions, many would have just let it come as is 

Few celebrated the new year loud and long... Few like me quietly welcomed the new year quietly enjoying at home 

I remember the new year celebrations when I was a kid. 

My father used to bring lots of goodies to eat. We used to plan to stay awake till midnight. The TV channel at that time used to show some wonderful programmes which continued till midnight. These were enjoyed with these goodies along with a flask full of tea. The news channel (DD1 at that time) used to show the highlights of the year gone by - this always was a special attraction. 

Most of the time, I used to doze off and the goodies would patiently wait the next day. 

The 1st day of the year was spent going out for a family picnic to a nearby spot or the city zoo. Thus, we used to bid goodbye to the last year and welcome the new year 

Over time, rituals changed.

--TV programmes gave way to movies and series.

--Entertainment options multiplied.

--But the goodies stayed.

--The picnic stayed—at least for a long while.

Even today, 31st night is spent at home watching some series or movie and then watching the fire crackers outside along with the ping ping of WhatsApp messages. 

The 1st is quieter - visiting the temple or a quiet outing 

Whatever may be the way of celebration, but the excitement and joy of the moment remain still the same - 

-- A moment to reflect on the year gone by.

-- A chance to live each day a little differently.

-- To try and do better than yesterday.

-- To be a better version of ourselves.

-- To celebrate small moments.

-- To do things that truly make us happy.

Wishing a bright and happy new year, I leave you to this first 𝑾𝒆𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒅𝒂𝒚 of the year........ 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒈𝒖𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌... 𝑹𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆... 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 '𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒔' 𝒏𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒆 '𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝑮𝒐𝒅' 𝒇𝒐𝒓! 😊

#𝖶𝖾𝖽𝗇𝖾𝗌𝖽𝖺𝗒𝖶𝗁𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗅𝖾𝗌