Cleansing my Mind by Cleaning my Home

 To find inner peace, first you need to find a peaceful space - you need to build a peaceful place.

One certainty about life is that the journey is not on a steady road. There are ups and downs, straight roads as well as curves, smooth rides at times, while difficult trails the other. And that certainty of the uncertainty is what makes life beautiful. Regardless of this universal acceptance, hard times test our spirits. We wear a smile in public, but deep down doubts creep into our hearts.

Let me be honest here. My life has been a mess for some time now. I realise this is not how I used to be. This is not how my life used to be. I used to be a very sorted guy. Not always, but from around the time I completed my bachelors. I have heard from friends’ friends acknowledging how sorted my life was. Friends often complimented me for the clarity in my goals, activities and everything that I did. 

And now? Things have changed. How? I wondered. How did things start falling apart? Let alone the external things which are not all under my control. But things in my own hands gradually slipped out. I started to play easy and dragged my limbs back into the comfort zone. Delaying until the last hour, getting impunctual, losing my cool - I was getting messier.

It did not happen in a day. Not in a week, a month or a year. Things slipped away from my control slow enough to bother me. Dejected after a loss I took a break from the patterned life. I skipped initially and then found excuses to not being able to get back on track. I skipped the morning routine because I had a lot of important work to do. I had too many responsibilities to pursue my dreams. I was still excelling in the tasks I completed. However, in a couple of years I realised that my efficiency was decreasing. It happened because I was not being me. I was postponing the real me with excuses, indiscipline and laziness. 

Now that I realise where it went wrong, I am optimistic of my bounce back. I admit I made mistakes. But, amidst all the mess, the best thing is that I have already cleared the mess once, in my early twenties. I know what it takes to be a sorted guy.

Therefore, I have started with sorting my home. I have been living in a cluttered space for over two years. Enough of it now. To cleanse the mind, first I need a clean environment. I will clean up the house before the coming week starts. 

I know it will not get me out of my problems magically. But it has the power to shift my mindset. Waking up in a sorted house will give me energy to start my day on a positive note and fill me with hope to pursue the life of my dreams. And to write it down, here, is giving myself a clear direction. To share it in public is for the commitment to get it done. See you next week.

Get Punctual on Time

Punctuality is a gem; hence, we find it very rare in our society. But those who have it earn respect. Unlike many people say, "Arriving late gets respect

Getting late is a habit. when it gets you it follows you wherever you go. But if it is so punctuality is a habit too. And it is a good one. And what? It will benefit you in so many ways. So! How to get it right? Don't worry! It is pretty easy, only if you are determined.

Without taking much time let's get down to the business. I will tell you the same steps which I took to get myself on the right track.

Plan your day

Plan your day in the morning or, even better, the previous night.
What it will do?
You will have an idea of what is it going to be like in advance. It will help you understand the preparations you need to make. Hence, you will not be in a hurry.

Allocate enough time

Give enough time to each and every thing you need to do. Let me give an example.

If I had my class at 11 in the morning I would calculate the amount of time I need to reach to the class before 11.
If it takes 10 minutes from my home to the college I would leave my house by 10:45 at any cost. The extra five minutes is spare time if in case I get stuck on my way.

I have to have some food before I go. I will give 20 minutes for that. Although it will take only 5 minutes for me to finish my breakfast I will give myself a cushion of extra 10 minutes to wash my hands, take out food etc. That means I will go for food at 10:25.

It will take me 10-15 minutes to get ready - dressing up, combing hair fitting on my shoes etc. But I will keep 20 minutes for that. I will start to dress up at 10:05.

Before getting ready I need to clean up my body. I will keep another half an hour for cleaning myself. So, I will get into the bathroom at 9:35. Extra five minutes cushion would not hurt either. I will make it 9:30.

So, I will start at 9:30 to attend my class at 11:00. You might think I am using up time. I should not take 20 minutes to dress up. Or 30 minutes of cleaning up is too much. But if I stick to my schedule I will be on time most days. That's what we are seeking here. Even if I do not need so much time time as I have scheduled and get ready quicker I will utilize the saved time to clean my computer table, play guitar chords or check notifications. It is always good to be safe than sorry.
Set out in advance

Stick to your last schedule at any cost. Leave the house before the alarm. If any job is incomplete let it be. Consider it as a punishment. But do not let pending tasks ruin your other schedules. If any of your task is not getting complete schedule more time for that. Once you get going you will get an idea of how much time exactly do you need for any particular task. Modify your schedules accordingly.

Push yourself

And the last thing you need to do is push yourself. It is as important as the previous step. There will be times when you would look to lay back. Let me tell you, to let loose is so much easy. You will be tempted to do so everyday. You might also consider to relax for a day. But let me also warn you; if you do it for one day your determination will get weaker. I already said it is easy only if you are determined. So keep yourself motivated. Push yourself everyday, until it becomes a habit. It is a slow process. But success is not an overnight story.

2 - Minute Noodles: Me and our Maggi

I am alone today as my brother went out with his friends. Nevertheless I have my own ways to beat loneliness- by getting creative.

I started my day with delicious Maggi and boiled eggs for breakfast. As I was preparing Maggi I asked myself, "Is Maggi really a 2 minute noodles?" Common question, isn't it? And the common answer to it is that Maggi never gets ready in 2 minutes. So regardless of what happens with the food safety parameters, I think it should be charged for telling a lie. The lie which is incorporated in the brand itself - "2-Minute noodles". Because we all believe Maggi takes more time to be prepared.

But if a company is sued for taking more time than it actually claims none will escape. It is not only with products but also or more so with individuals, especially we Indians. We all take more time than we say, almost everyone. So why only complain about Maggi! "One second" (ek second) and "ek minute" (ek minute) are common idioms we use everyday. But these 'one minute's doesn't mean a minute exactly. We rarely get ready on time. Even when we have to attend any event we arrive late. Hence, this means we are not punctual.

Some people have the habit of getting late no matter what. Actually most people I would say. Everyday I get to see examples. So you do I assume. People often give excuses that important persons arrive late. Some even say that arriving late grabs more attention. However everyone knows that it is nothing but an excuse. Being late is rude. It shows no respect for time of your host. Being late is pathetic. It doesn't do any good.

Honestly answer yourself - Are you one of those who are always late? If yes, do you wish to change? Believe me it is possible. And if you are one among the few who are punctual, pat your back! If you really want to change your habit I will give you tips from my own experience - how I changed my habit from being always late to being punctual. And if you don't bother to change your habit, well, I wish I never have to deal with you. I hate when someone makes me wait. I guess nor you like it.

But right now I will leave you here. For my tips or my personal experience to change the habit of being always late I will write a new post altogether. But before I go let me make a statement on behalf of Maggi, where we exactly started.

We believe that Maggi is not ready in 2 minutes anyway. But if you turn to the back of the packet you will find directions on how to cook. It says -

• Break the noodle cake into two parts.
• Add Noodles and TASTEMAKER to 1 small tea cup (130ml) of boiling water.
• Cook for 2 minutes in an open pan. Stir occassionally. Do not drain remaining water. Hold for 1 min after cooking. Serve hot.

(As written in the packet of 35g Chotu Maggi)

See! Practically it takes more than 2 minutes. But the directions say that add the noodles in boiling water and cook for only 2 minutes.

Hence, Nestle cannot be called a liar.

30 Days Book Writing Challenge

Yesterday I attended a book writing workshop. Dr. Vineet Gera was here. He spoke many things about book writing. He spoke about what a book can do for the author. He gave some reasons for one to write and also explained about what to write about, where to start. Everyone has something to say, their experiences, skills or even life changing events. So, one can start writing whatever he/she has to say, whatever he/she thinks. And that’s exactly how I started. Dr. Vineet Gera also had the same thing to say.

Dr. Gera also talked about the framework to write a non-fiction. Along with these he stressed on setting up a worthy MRP for a work. Most importantly he introduced me to a new technology, voice typing on Google Docs. I tried it today. It is awesome.

One doesn’t need to be an expert to write a book, unlike we all, or most of us think. At least I thought so before I started to write. As I already said that I have written two stories, I came to know that it is not so hard to write a book. All you have to do is getting started. Once you start you will find a way to complete it. That’s exactly what Dr. Gera told. We make lots of excuses. But if we make excuses we will end up doing nothing. Once you write a book you will be considered an expert rather than expecting yourself to be an expert before writing something. Nothing happens if you do a mistake or even many. You will learn eventually. So I have completed two, and looking forward to writing many more.

Yesterday, after much consideration, I decided to publish my first book with Gurucool Publishing. Gurucool Publishing is started by Dr. Vineet Gera himself. I have done a lot of homework on traditional publishing and self publishing. I found none to match what he offered. So I registered myself with Gurucool Publishing. Ooh! I forgot to mention! I got a book as a present in return from Dr. Vineet Gera – Art of Event Management.

Candle March for our Martyred Soldiers

Lighting candles at Albert Ekka Chowk

Candle March with the poster of Martyr Vijay Soreng

People across the country are saddened by the Pulwama attack. Nevertheless they show respect for the martyred soldiers. People are raising their voices to take action against the ugly act. From common man to celebrities, all are condemning the cowardly attack. The incident has united the citizens to show their patriotism. So it the same in the capital of Jharkhand.


Jharkhand also lost one of the brave sons Vijay Soreng. He was among the Jawans who lost their lives in the Pulwama Attack. His corpse landed into the soil of Jharkhand with utmost respect and pride yesterday. Funeral ceremonies were held today. And in the capital Ranchi people marched down the lanes to show their anger, distress, love and respect.

I was also present in a candle march from Mission Chowk to Albert Ekka Chowk. We marched to honour to Martyr Vijay Soreng and other soldiers. In the end everyone lit candles in front of his photo at Albert Ekka Chowk. Slogans roared in the air - "Vijay Soreng amar rahe!"

Amidst all these I was little sad to witness comparatively lesser people involved in the march as I expected. There is so much of protest in social media platforms. So I thought people might be present in large numbers, and not only good numbers. But it seems people are more expressive in social media platforms. Changing their DP, sharing inspirational videos, reacting to patriotic posts and so on have become the medium to show support. Everyone did not get the information. It is acceptable. But there were some who were so impatient to cross the street paving through the marching people.

But proud of those who participated and also those who showed respect standing at the sidelines.

Introducing Shaan

Hii!

I have decided to spend little time here regularly. I don't know how to start. But I believe I will eventually know. But for a start I think should say a little about myself.

First things first! My name is Roshan Horo. But most people know me as Shaan Horo. I live in Ranchi, the capital state of Jharkhand. And I have been living here since 10th June 2007. I am good at remembering dates, I guess.

I was living in a small town named Margherita till then. It is a nice place in Tinsukia district of Assam. I was born there and did my schooling in  St. Mary's School Margherita. The same school where Anushka Sharma and Sakshi Singh Dhoni were once classmates. After class 10 I decided to leave the town. And I planned to spend some time in Ranchi. But destiny (even though I least believe in it now) took me to a place called Torpa. I did my higher secondary in St. Joseph's Inter College Torpa. After completing my +2 I got an opportunity to live in Ranchi.

I joined BA in Gossner College Ranchi. I got some direction in life there. Although my transformation from a shy and typical good boy in school to the way I am today was a long process. But my days in Gossner College was the significant one. I grew up in those years, I learnt lessons about life and also my appearance was transformed. When I turn back I see my life starting from there.

After graduation I did PG Diploma in Film and Television Production from XIC Ranchi Centre. It was a branch of XIC Mumbai and we were the second batch. I gathered technical skills there. And then I was sent to Naukuchiatal, in Nainital district. It was another beautiful experience- Hills, mountains, lakes, forests and everything around there was heavenly. I happened to meet some people there and learnt more about life. It was 2014.

In 2015 I enrolled in Masters in Journalism and Mass Communication from Ranchi University. I would not have completed my post graduation if it was not for Eva Kisku. She has always helped me from the time I was her student in Gossner College. During that period I worked in an Creative Ad Agency for 5 months.

I then joined Radio Dhoom as an intern, as it was in our curriculum to get one month industrial experience. After one month I got an opportunity to work in the station. I was the music scheduler there, and then I got to host a show. It was the best thing I have done- to interact with the listeners and then play songs of their choice. I really miss that! Because currently I am working as a freelancer- clicking photographs, editing videos and also some cinematography.

I am also writing stories. I have always been a narrator. But I was not always good in story telling. However I am learning by trail and error method. I have already completed two stories- The Courage To Love and The Vet Leader. They are under processing. I have many more stories to tell and I am looking forward to it.

So, here we are! I tried to give a short introduction of who I am. I hope I succeeded. If you have anything to ask, suggest or explain you are always welcome. Stay connected for there are lot of things to share.

Thank You!
You can also connect with me on below.

facebook.com/RJ-Roshan/
twitter.com/ShaanHoro199
instagram.com/roshan.live

My first activity on Blogger; following the Superstar Amitabh Bachchan ji.