Journey That Matters – Day 100 100 Days Writing Challenge

It is so weird how you might feel about reaching a certain milestone or achieving a goal. You set a goal and are so excited at the beginning imagining how you would feel on reaching it. That excitement eventually experiences a dip as you persist in the process towards the goal. What keeps you going is the commitment as well as the enjoyment and presence in the process.

Developing Writing Habit- Day 99 100 Days Writing Challenge

Being on this journey for the past 99 days, I am pretty convinced about how to develop a writing habit. I have gone through different phases over the past 3 months in terms of living alone, working, finding jobs, returning home amidst the COVID scare, and now working for almost 10-11 hours a day. The only reason I managed to stay consistent in writing was the mental commitment I had with myself (and in public with the Lightbox Originals group). No matter how shitty the pieces came out (most of them are indeed shitty! :D), I’d sit down to write a minimum of 100 words. It is another matter that very rarely I kept within the limit and always extended it. What matters was simply the writing without worrying about topic, research, or target group. That might not have resulted in a great creative output but it did help me exercise the creative muscle consistently. Plus, momentum is a real thing and it is indeed difficult to stop once you start writing even though it might not be pre-planned. Just an uninterrupted flow of thoughts with the only motive of self-expression. What do you think about it? Have you ever tried developing a writing habit or currently have one? What did you do towards the same? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

This is the part of a summer writing experience by Lightbox Originals. As part of this, I will be writing 100 words a day for the next 100 days. You can find all posts under 100words tag here.

Eye of the Storm – Day 98 100 Days Writing Challenge

Yes, it is perhaps the eye of the storm that matters more than the eye of the tiger. The eye of the storm is the place of calm around which the whole flurry of activity takes place. In the modern hustle-bustle, your inner state must be like that eye of the storm that remains calm and centered. It is easy to get carried away with the action happening around you and experience a mental burnout. Being centered and connecting with your inner awareness from time to time during the day can reduce the chances of burnout. You realize yourself as the instrument of action rather than the doer and surrender the outcomes while immersing yourself in the action. That place of calm and surrender is your source of strength just like the eye of the storm that propels you ahead in life.

This is the part of a summer writing experience by Lightbox Originals. As part of this, I will be writing 100 words a day for the next 100 days. You can find all posts under 100words tag here.

Living on the Edge – Day 97 100 Days Writing Challenge

What does living on the edge mean? Is it just a fancy word reserved only for adventure seekers and adrenaline junkies? Or can a normal person also live on the edge? Well, it would depend on how you define that edge. The thrill and excitement with an adventure sport come when you know you are doing something out of ordinary in your context. However, you need not indulge in daily skydiving, white water rafting, etc to define your edge. The edge can be as simple as that of your comfort zone. We all have that edge of comfort beyond which we begin to experience a sense of discomfort, anxiety, uncertainty, or even excitement. As the saying goes, magic often happens outside this comfort zone. You need not stay in that zone for an extended period else that would diminish that novel effect while increasing stress/anxiety. You just need to live and play around that edge of the comfort zone, doing things you are good at while pushing your limit consistently and gradually. What do you think about living on the edge in this manner? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

This is the part of a summer writing experience by Lightbox Originals. As part of this, I will be writing 100 words a day for the next 100 days. You can find all posts under 100words tag here.

Monday Magic or Monday Blues- Day 96 100 Days Writing Challenge

How you feel on a Sunday night or Monday morning could be a litmus test of your alignment with life’s purpose. Do you feel excited about the week ahead? Are you looking forward to waking up in morning after a weekend? Or do you feel a certain sense of dread? On a day to day basis, it could be difficult to be aware of such feelings. Sunday night is perfect for such introspection especially if you are brave enough to admit it. After all, being aware is the first step to change. So, tell me. Are you looking forward to Monday Magic or Monday Blues? :)

This is the part of a summer writing experience by Lightbox Originals. As part of this, I will be writing 100 words a day for the next 100 days. You can find all posts under 100words tag here.

Accessing Intuition- Day 95 100 Days Writing Challenge

I recently started reading Autobiography of A Yogi again. I had read it for the first time around 7 years back. At that time, I remember I was mesmerized by that but over time forgot about it. However, it did lead me on the path of exploring meditation that started when I went on a 10 day Vipassana meditation retreat. It made me recognize the importance of calming the mind. While I have struggled on and off with that aspect of calming mind and controlling voices in my head, today once again I stumbled across a similar passage in the Autobiography of a Yogi. I have written in past about my desire of walking on a path where I can feel guided towards a divine soul mission. Swami Paramhans Yogananda talks about a similar thing about accessing intuition and divine guidance when one is able to quieten the mind. It further reaffirms my belief and makes me want to focus more on going within through regular practice in meditation. Perhaps, this is required the most at present than any other lifestyle change. What do you think about meditation and intuition? Do you know of any other practice to strengthen the intuition? Share in the comments below.

This is the part of a summer writing experience by Lightbox Originals. As part of this, I will be writing 100 words a day for the next 100 days. You can find all posts under 100words tag here.

Watching Your Heroes Get Old- Day 94 100 Days Writing Challenge

Today I watched MSD play after a very long time. It was nostalgic especially after his retirement last month. His rise in the Indian cricket had coincided with my maturity. I was 15 years old when he had led India to T20 world cup win. It was surreal to see him play, worn and tired after nearly 16 years in Indian cricket. It reminds me of the power of time. No matter how famous or rich you are, time treats everyone equally. It is easy to assume that your heroes will stay the same. It is the same way sometimes we think good or bad times are here to stay. However, nothing is permanent. Everything changes except time. Old paves way for the new. Change is the only constant.

This is the part of a summer writing experience by Lightbox Originals. As part of this, I will be writing 100 words a day for the next 100 days. You can find all posts under 100words tag here.

Looking Back at 2020- Day 93 100 Days Writing Challenge

Exactly 3 months to go till this year ends. I cannot believe it had been three months of 2020 when the world was brought to a standstill by COVID in March. 6 months have gone by since then disrupting the way of life as we know it. It is funny how fast this seems in retrospect. I spent a good 5 months in total isolation while living alone and stayed in partial isolation for another month while staying in quarantine after returning to the family.

Honestly, I did not accomplish a single thing I had dreamt in the beginning. Hell, even the plans made to utilize the extra time when the lockdown was announced have largely failed especially around health and fitness. The only positive thing to have happened is this 100-day challenge that started in July. I am close to the finish line and happy that I came so far. I do feel a sense of creative satisfaction in letting my ideas flow on paper whether I was in mood or not. It was the only thing that kept me centered when things were changing around me. This is one thing that these 6 months have taught me- the importance of staying centered and in touch with oneself in some way or the other.

How has been your 2020 so far? What did you learn? How do you plan to spend the next three months? Share your stories below! :)

This is the part of a summer writing experience by Lightbox Originals. As part of this, I will be writing 100 words a day for the next 100 days. You can find all posts under 100words tag here.

When Dreams Overwhelm You- Day 92 100 Days Writing Challenge

There can be times when your biggest dreams, that once excited you, might feel overwhelming. Thinking about the long road ahead and things you need to do to achieve those dreams might cause anxiety. One way to prevent this is by ensuring you enjoy the process more than the end result. As they say, it is the journey that matters. However, sometimes that is not enough especially when you are too attached to your dream.

Technology for Freedom- Day 91 100 Days Writing Challenge

We often see technology as something which replaces human jobs and curtails our freedom. However, in this assessment, what we might forget that it is humans who have made technology. If we want we can actually find ways to use this technology for the betterment and for our evolution. For example, I am technically speaking this piece out loud and using Google speech recorder to actually turn it into text.