Month: September 2026

Becoming Your Best Self

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I don’t think I am obsessed with becoming my best self but I would like to get halfway there at least. Learning to achieve that goal is not easy because it takes practice and a driven mindset to get there. I am still learning and keeping at it and who knows one day I might say, I did it!

Becoming your best self is not an overnight process and neither does it happen by pressing a button. It doesn’t happen accidentally, it doesn’t happen by chance and it doesn’t happen by waving a magic wand either. It takes action on your part and a commitment to self-discovery and self-development.

“To be your best self you’ll need to first discover who you really are, then maximize your strengths and improve on your weaknesses. You need to completely shift your mindset and take control of your life. When you do, you’ll discover a whole new you.” http://www.tonyrobbins.com

This journey is a hard one. You’ll encounter the good and bad moments, some will be messy and progress will be slow but if you persist and set goals you can achieve anything. Becoming your best self means opening yourself up to challenges, accepting the setbacks and living life to the fullest.

“Prioritize who you are, who you want to be, and don’t spend time with anything that antagonizes your character.” Matthew McConaughey

According to notesbythalia.com, you need to practice wellness daily because it goes hand-in-hand with working towards your best self.

Get at least 7 hours of sleep daily. Move your body as much as you can. Eat well. Build healthy habits. Dedicate time to self-care.

You can’t lay in bed and manifest your dreams. It takes action to succeed. Ask yourself, what is success to you? Set value-driven goals and become “razor-clear on what your future vision looks like.” Align your daily habits with who you want to be and the life you want to live. “Boost your overall health, well-being and productivity,” meaning even your smallest daily actions will determine your future self.

“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” Paulo Coelho

In a nutshell, becoming your best self requires going within to discover the greatness there. It requires strength to bring it to the fore AND it requires courage and hard work to make it shine.

“You are what you believe yourself to be.” Paulo Coelho

Change that mindset from one of negativity to positivity and watch your life take off!

But before you do that:

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, INCLUDING YOU.” Anne Lamont

Then go out and:

BE YOUR VERY BEST SELF!

Have an amazing day.

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Tranformations

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I find Hollywood’s ugly girl turned pretty transformations especially annoying. Give her a pair of glasses, baggy clothes or those that don’t quite fit, messy hair, no makeup, and a host of other stuff that goes to make up a plain Jane a plain Jane and you’ve got the Ugly Girl Syndrome according to Hollywood.

Now, take off the glasses, give her a good haircut, add a wash to that, clothes that show off the figure which you didn’t know she had because it was hiding under all that fabric, add make up and you’ve got a femme fatale in the making. This is an annoying trope that has been used in movies and we lap it up, hook, line, and sinker.

Let’s look at Miss Congeniality. This is an ultimate example of this trope where “an attractive actress wears glasses and baggy clothes to look ugly before removing then to become instantly gorgeous.”

After the magical makeover, her snort is gone, her glasses are gone, and the little trick of brushing her hair puts forth a beauty queen. Hmm…if only it was as simple as that in real life!

This “transformation” tactic has been used many times over. In the Princess Diaries, Anne Hathaway transforms from a frizzy-haired nobody into a royal princess by changing a few things. In My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the same happens to Nia Vardalos when she ditches her glasses and with a little makeup is ready to fly. Just kidding.

I find these transformations more than annoying. Not only that, it is more than predictable as well. However, we are all romantics at heart, most of us are, and we want that moment when the main character, a nobody, meets her charming prince sans all the other stuff, the ugly parts. Fairy tales are alive and kicking through modern storytelling!

That’s Hollywood for you and I’m sure there will be more of the same in some future movie AND we’ll fall for it again!

Daily writing prompt
What’s the most annoying trope in books or movies?
View all responses

When Life Was Simple

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I was about twelve and right on the verge of puberty when life was simple and easy to navigate.

My daily routine consisted of school, doing my homework, getting a few chores done for mom, and the rest of the time was mine and mine alone. I had the woods behind the house to explore and it gave me hours and hours of doing nothing but just that. One day I would explore a beautiful fern growing way up on a tree and on another day, rainbow fish swimming in the stream meandering through the forest. They were mesmerizing. Then there were the mushrooms in every color, shape, and size and I would look for little people under them. Yes, I had a vivid imagination which would help with my writing career later on in life.

It was a time when life was simple. The simple pleasures put a smile on my face and my mind was filled with something wondrous, nature at its best. I was caught up in a world of imagination and anything was possible, that was the message I got. I didn’t know at the time that I was getting ready to leave it all behind and “time” would show me a different path altogether. Simplicity would be left behind and I would embark on growing up where life became difficult but that year in the woods would stay with me forever.

It is a year I would love to relive and I would go back there willingly. Time stood still and I was caught up in something bigger than myself. It was a time when boys were waiting to be discovered and life’s demands were put on hold and SIMPLE was what it was about.

Daily writing prompt
If you could relive one year of your life, which one would it be?
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The Prep

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The first OP went better than I expected. I thought I was going to die but I’m still here and recuperating. The wound seems to be healing and I made six rounds in the garden today, walking from one end to other with no problems. Still, I am impatient and I want to get back to my normal routine of 40 minutes of bone-busting workouts!

Patience you say? Exactly what friends are saying. Anyway, the second OP is looming in the not so distant future, less than five weeks away and I’ll be wheeled into that operating room again. Seems like a long time before that happens but I know it is just a matter of time before I am staring it in the face!

I prepared like an athlete for the first one. Working out with weights, cardio, walks, meditation, and eating right were all part and parcel of my daily routine. It seemed to help because I was up and walking a few hours after the procedure and did 4 or 5 rounds in the hospital room with no help at all. Add no pain to it, no meds and no painkillers and it seemed like I was coasting through on clouds. Well, not quite. I was still attached to a couple of things but according to the Gods, the doctors, I was doing exceptionally well.

Coming back to the second OP, this one is going to be different. I know what to expect but the outcome is still unknown. Plus, I’m not able to workout like I want. These itty bitty walks in the garden is not going to do it. Keeping off my feet and resting is not going to do it either so I’m worried. Will I fare as well?

I don’t know and that is scaring the …. out of me! Planning ahead has always been my thing and I try not to leave things to chance. I find that I can’t do that with this one. Have faith? I am trying but just when I think I’ve conquered my fears, another bigger and stronger one rolls in. It comes in waves.

Concentrating on what I can control is my next step. Today, I made my six rounds in the garden. Then I got my bag and decided to pack the essentials again. This time a much smaller bag. Wishful thinking? Maybe, but fingers, toes, and everything else crossed!

The bag is not fully packed, it never is. I am “female” remember. We always need more. The next step is to eat right, try not to lift anything that could cause problems and get myself out of the house! It is getting claustrophobic!

A friend is going to come by later and drive me to the cafe. We plan to have coffee and breakfast there and people watch for a little while. It should be a good outing and will do wonders for my mind and psyche.

Have an amazing day.

In the Dead of Night

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I’m not a very brave person and being brave also means taking risks and I’m not a risk-taker. However, I have learned that sometimes you have no choice and being brave is not up to you but about the circumstances you are in.

I live in a village that goes to sleep at around 7:30 in the evenings! The streets are empty and so are the roads. When my son was in his teens and just starting to spread his wings, I found out that that bravery would be called into play many times.

I recall he was going to a party in the next village. He was going to walk and it would take him about 20 minutes to get there. It was ok in the daytime but at night a game changer. I was nervous about him getting home late at night so I offered to pick him up when he was done and ready to come home.

It was getting late approaching midnight when he wrote, “Mom, please pick me up at around 2.”

“Where?”

“Gas station”

I wasn’t happy but I had promised and I’m a promise keeper. At 1:30 in the morning, I got into my car. There was no traffic on the road as I made my way there. I was freaked out but took deep breaths as I pulled in at the gas station. It was deserted as with everything else at that time of morning. I parked and waited.

At a quarter past two, I heard voices. Then I saw two figures in the distance heading in my direction, they were talking and cutting up. One of them was my son. He saw the car as he got closer and I could see relief cross his face. His friend lived in that village so he was just a stone’s throw away from home and didn’t need help getting home.

My son got in and the first thing he said was, “Mom, I’m hungry! Let’s get Burger King!” We drove to the all-night Burger King place, which was deserted as well, and got him what he wanted. It was quiet in the car as we drove home and occasionally the silence would be broken by his chatter. He was happy and feeling safe. Mom had come to the rescue and it wouldn’t be the last time either! It was the beginning that would test my bravery many times over!

In the dead of night and when the world around me was asleep, I chose unwillingly to show just how brave I was!

Daily writing prompt
What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done when no one was watching?
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Chachi’s Blue Mood

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The little guy is sad. He lost his two buddies recently when they went back to their daddy. I’m talking about Shiro and Galli, temporary guests at my place. They belong to my son and after a short stay, it was time for them to go. So, he lost two best buddies.

He was still navigating that loss when he was faced with abandonment! My going in for an operation and having to spend time away from him DID NOT set too well with him. There was no other choice. I got him a cat sitter and she would come in twice a day to make sure he was alright. The pics she sent was of a grumpy cat who didn’t want to have anything to do with her! I came home after four days and his face looked like he had been crying! He also kept his distance from me.

I couldn’t hold him because he was too heavy and I had orders not to lift anything heavy. I stroked and cooed to him but nothing helped. One night, he did come over to be cuddled and those purrs took a long time coming. I thought we had crossed the bridge to forgiveness but the next day, he was back to being the same.

The traffic, well-wishers, didn’t help either. They meant well but for Chachi they were encroaching on his sacred space again so it was tough. He ate very little and kept his distance from me. He wasn’t used to all the noise and the chatter of people talking. It was just me and him most days so this disruption to his regular routine was a no go.

It has been more than a week since I’ve been home and he is slowly warming up. I have given him his vitamins, brushed him, kissed him several times, and tried to hug him standing up. That was hard! In the evening, he started cuddling again but he is still suspicious. I whispered, “I am sorry.” Last night, he stayed beside me for most of the night although the purrs would come and go. It wasn’t a constant.

This morning, a new Chachi appeared. He was happier and wanted to play. Purrs are aplenty and he is following me around again. However, here’s the problem. I have another OP at the beginning of October and he will have to go through the same procedure again.

I wish there was another way.

Less Heavy-Handedness

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My parents were hands-on when it came to raising a child. There was strict discipline, no talking back, do as we say, no bucking the rules, and definitely no DISRESPECT!

It was tough growing up in such a household because at times I wanted to spew like a volcano and let them know that I wasn’t going to stand for it anymore. However, I kept it all inside and had to find other avenues of letting my frustrations out. Running wild in the woods was one such way.

I’m not saying they were bad parents, probably the opposite. However, they took discipline to a new level and it wasn’t to my liking. The thing I do differently is to raise my child with less discipline and more understanding. I also tell him that I love him everyday. My parents forgot that part in the hectic and chaotic world of raising a brood! I wanted to hear those words badly but they just went about it a different way. As a parent, I want my child to know that he is loved unconditionally, no guessing games involved.

Discipline is hard here in Germany. The child raising model is different.They emphasize, “independence, self-reliance, and social integration.” All fine and good but discipline is sorely lacking and respect, well, it is right up there with discipline. My neighbor’s kid used to call or rather scream his mother’s first name when he needed help. It shocked me at first but different strokes for different folks I suppose.

Mine was never allowed to do that. I doled out disciplinary measures and my ex, a German, didn’t agree. Time-out when the child was acting up was cruel and inhuman punishment, according to him. I had to navigate both sides, but I must say that I’ve raised a good boy. He is a young adult now and doing well on his own. He knows he is loved and he is independent starting to travel the world because his job requires it.

I’ve learned to let him go although the “helicopter rotor blades” are ready to take off any minute if needed! I am still there to talk with if he needs that support, I let him have his say, and anything he wants to tell me, I am there for him with a listening ear and a warm embrace.

Those are the things I do differently and I think it has worked well so far. Respect is still hard because at times he kicks up his heels and at those times, I give him space. Sometimes I get a sorry but seldom and that is okay too. I am standing on the sidelines now watching him take off and I wish him well.

I’m still here if he needs me.

Daily writing prompt
What’s something you do completely differently from how you were raised?
View all responses