Balance

In between goals is a thing called life.

That has to be lived and enjoyed.

Recently, I have been so busy with my life, and honestly, it’s not the worst, as I am still trying to find the balance between my work and life. It’s all about priorities, as I talked before, I know I want to get these things done in a day, and I can, as they are all my priorities. When people used to talk about the importance of maintaining a work-life balance, I now understand it. According to me, the balance is maintained when I have two peaceful hours to watch a movie without rushing to finish it. It is important that I give myself the time to sleep peacefully and eat without rushing because health matters the most. I feel like how you make and spend your time matters the most. There is a lot of time, but only when we know how to use it properly. That’s what I am learning. If I look at my day, it’s hectic, but all my tasks are completed without rushing. And I also know sometimes I will be in a rush, but that’s okay, I know I am going to handle it. When I think about life, I think about how all humans have to work just to survive and live in this world. It’s crazy thinking that we don’t live for free but pay with everything, including our mental health. A few years ago, I was dealing with the worst balance in my life. As I wanted things to be done without caring about my mental health as well as my physical health, and at first I didn’t realise how much I was suffering. But later, everything went downhill, and it is also so hard to get back in shape, especially if you are mentally drained. That’s how I was, and I am sure most were in this situation and probably still are. But let me tell you something that I personally learned: everything that goes will return, but you can’t say the same things about health, especially mental. So, like I understood that it’s okay if we take a break, nothing major is going to happen, and if it happens, let it happen. What matters the most is our health, and that’s all. So if you are struggling a lot with not knowing how to balance, just leave everything for some time and find the peace that your mind needs.

My well-being is just as important as my work.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Start of something…

It is okay to be scared. Being scared means you are about to do something really, really brave.

The start of something is always scary, no matter how professional you are. Because it comes with a lot of new things like people, surroundings, objectives, goals, and expectations. I recently started something new, and to be honest, I didn’t really know how I was feeling, but I do know that I will be able to do justice. Well, now I can only say that it is inevitable to make mistakes and that’s totally okay. How are you going to do better if you won’t make mistakes and correct them better the next time? You need to start somewhere to reach somewhere; that’s the mindset I keep. I used to believe everything was scary and still believe it, but learning new things begins with mistakes. And it’s okay, I think we were never really told that everyone makes mistakes in the beginning, and that’s how they learn. When I talk about my experience, everything in my life happened so fast that sometimes I need to snap back and realise how fast I have come. Every now and then, I am starting something new or looking to start, and there is always a thought of what if I am not able to do it. But that’s something that will always come, no matter how much experience I have. And I need to start somewhere so that I know what I want in my life. Life is all about experiences, so for that, we need to start somewhere, no matter how scary it is. When we go blind in something, obviously, it’s going to be scary, but here we have to trust our guts, mind, and our capabilities. I know at first everything looks scary, but once I start, I rock it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t make mistakes. It’s impossible to learn something new without making any mistakes. So if you are doubting whether you should start something and feeling really scared, I would say it won’t go away before starting. You need to start, you need to do it, no matter how scary it is at first, everything is scary, but that doesn’t mean you are not able to do it. You can, because you are made for that opportunity as it comes to you. Be strong and do it, regardless of how scary it is.

The scariest moment is always just before you start.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Book Review: An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

I started this book because I saw the review that it was fast-paced and enjoyable. And I am not going to lie, it was indeed enjoyable. And I know this author’s book is always hit or miss. The book follows the story of characters who get a chance to spend their weekend at an amazing inn deep in the woods. All gathered, excited to spend the weekend; however, suddenly everything went downhill when one of the characters was found to be dead, and soon others followed. The chaos began when a heavy blizzard strangled them, and maybe the killer is among them.

The plot was nice, but I felt that something was missing. I wanted more, and I kind of guessed what the plot twist would be. The book was definitely thrilling as bodies were randomly found around the house. The setting was good too, with an ice storm covering the entire inn, and the inside was all old, like a cosy cottage. The book begins slowly, and I was not having it, but it did pick up its pace.

I liked the plot as it was from twist to twist, especially the last revelation that happened, and I definitely found it over the top, but I think with the story, it went well.

The characters are the main part of the story. I doubted everyone because all of them were unhinged and extremely creepy. I mean, it won’t be a thriller if characters aren’t unhinged. The way all have something to hide or have done something extreme in the past was great to read.

Would I recommend it? Only if you want something quick to read, but nothing over the top. It’s a good book, but not something I would go all over for.

Rating: 3/5

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Blank.

mind full of unsaid things

Blank when you are doing so many things, you are moving on with your life, but still feel nothing. From inside, you are feeling nothing, you don’t feel that you are moving forward, you don’t feel like yourself. I am so flabbergasted that, as adults, we go through so many feelings, and on top of that, we don’t even know what to do to make ourselves feel better. I am currently in a blank phase where the world around me is moving, and I am moving; however, inside me, I feel so empty, as if I have been standing in the same spot for a long time. I don’t even know how to make myself feel better because my thinking has also stopped, like I can’t think about anything. When you feel so much, when you know how to write down your thoughts but can’t do it is the most frustrating feeling ever, and I am going through it right now. Nothing is bringing me excitement; I feel like I am in my robotic phase, where I am on a roll but without my mind thinking. Time is what I need to overcome it slowly, as I am giving it, as I know myself the best. But at the same time, I think that a human goes through so many feelings that bring out different aspects in their lives. As someone who can’t express her feelings well, I just know it is difficult, but with time, everything gets better. This is my escape, this page where I express myself and connect with you all. I feel like there has to be something for someone for times like when lives get too heavy, they can retreat back to what they like to do and give their mind and heart a break to heal. I am sure I will be fine, and it’s part of life, and I am sure you will be fine as well. Remember, with time, everything passes slowly, painfully, but it does. I hope you don’t give up what you love doing, you are way stronger than you think you are. So hold on and give time to heal again.

I don’t really understand this stage of my life.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Book Review: Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda

This book was a headache to go through; I am not lying when I write it. I know books are meant to be dramatic; however, this thriller was on another level. It frustrated me so much that I wondered why I even picked up this book. The book is about Hazel Sharp, the daughter of a detective. She inherits her childhood home and is drawn to the town and its people. After a decade, Hazel is back, and she is going to discover something unexpected that might change her life.

I don’t know how and why I finished this book, but I have to say nothing made sense to me. After reading the blurb, I thought it was going to be all detective, but it all dived into family relations. I felt that it focused a lot on family dynamics rather than being a thriller. More than half of the book was based on family dynamics, and in the end, a revelation happened, but I was so fed up that I just wasn’t able to enjoy the twist and the ending.

The character of Hazel was so annoying, like, why is she engaging in things when she doesn’t have to? So many moments she was told to just mind her business, but OMG, she won’t listen. I couldn’t like her at all. I hate characters like this; it frustrates me so much. Also, so many things were happening at once, and it was so confusing. Like the round-up of the story and its relation was not well executed; it made more of a mess, according to me.

I want a thriller that I enjoy rather than one that gives me a headache, and this one was not for me.

Rating: …

Side Note: I just want to clarify that this is entirely my opinion; you are free to love this book, and I am free to give my opinion on this book. I would be very happy if you loved this book, but please do not take this review to heart, and it is okay to have different tastes. Thank You.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Take that step.

Small steps in the right direction are better than big ones in the wrong direction.

I was never the child who believed that I could do anything because I was never introduced to the concept of slowly slowly when you grow up, things will start to make sense, you will get to know yourself better, you will understand how much you can do, and everything will work out if you make up your mind. As an adult, I have figured so much, but on my own, I took challenges which everyone called a waste of time, but I saw it as an opportunity to grow to become a better person, to test how much I can do. I want to be tired, but by doing something that will test all of my capabilities and how much more I can do. And for that, I need to take that step, the step that I know will be so challenging, but if I don’t do it today, I won’t do it ever. I feel lucky to see myself as someone who gets excited about taking on a challenge rather than being intimidated by it. Because I have been in that phase where I have lost opportunities as I thought I won’t be able to do it, but how can I know that if I never tried it? It is so important to remember that at the end of the day, one is flawed in something; nobody is perfect, but everybody is trying to achieve something, to make meaning of their life, and we also need to do that. Everything I have done in my life till now was not successful, I would say I saw many failures, but the lessons I learned from them and how proud I became because I trusted myself and my capabilities. Some steps are meant to be taken irrespective of the fear of failure because those are the same steps that will make you aware of how capable you are. So take that step, you never know where you will end up, what lessons you will learn and how beautiful life is.

step by step, day by day

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Book Review: We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough

Wow, that’s the word that came to my mind after reading this book, because seriously, it blew me away with its concept. I would say please go into this book blindfolded and expect the unexpected, that way it will be so much fun. Emily and her husband, Freddie, just moved to a new place called Larkin Lodge. Emily just recovered from an accident and is not well emotionally as well as physically. Emily felt that the house was different as things started to happen to her when she was alone, not when she was with her husband. Emily becomes obsessed with finding what is wrong with the house, even when her situation is crumbling every second.

Let me start with the plot. I loved it. It blew my mind with how unique the concept of this book is. Honestly, hands down one of my favourite plotlines in a thriller/gothic book. The book is about a haunted house, and the revelations were amazing. The plot is very twisty, focusing more on the human mind than the surroundings. Reading about different characters and their flaws made me think of different perspectives.

The characters were so unlikable. Emily, I hated her more than Freddie. She is one of the most complex characters who made me so mad. But also a smart move she made, I loved reading it. I hated everyone, and this is also one of the reasons I liked this book. I really enjoyed reading this book, and it definitely messed with my mind. I legit have a headache, but couldn’t stop reading it.

The book is actually the representation of humans in the disguise of a house. I liked the concept. The descriptions of the house and the atmosphere were amazing; it made me immerse myself in the book. The book is about a haunted house, and at the same time, the flaws of humans, which I loved. I hated the characters more than the creepy things that the house did.

The concept was amazing, and I was in awe. From my perspective, I think humans are never happy with anyone unless they act a certain way. Also, some mistakes are never meant to be forgiven, and even if others don’t know the guilt of living with it, it makes it hard to repair the relationship. Nothing will go back to the same again once everything becomes beyond repair.

The book made me so mad, and my mind was definitely feeling it, and if you want to be like that, definitely give this one a try.

Rating: 4/5

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Raw feelings…

Being a person who feels things deeply is exhausting.

I was sitting in the middle of the chaos, but my heart was so empty that the outside chaos couldn’t stir the chaos in my heart. These are my thoughts when I was sitting between kids running around and just living their lives. And this brought me back to my time as a child. I was a child who lived fully. I played my heart out and never worried about my future or what I would be once I grew up. Now, when I look at myself, I have grown a lot in a lot of ways. I was a child who never believed that I could stand up on the stage and speak a few things, that I could overcome any challenges, or that I could ever achieve things. But as for where I am today, I can proudly say I am doing everything that I was made to believe that I couldn’t do. I feel like, as I have gotten older, I have gotten really quiet, but I have a raging storm in me that I don’t know how to express. But at certain times, I feel like nothing, no matter what is happening around me, I feel empty inside. I don’t know how to express myself, especially my feelings, which are so intense that I feel nothing, leaving me feeling empty from the inside. This makes me believe that every feeling is valid, and it’s okay to feel nothing when everything becomes intense. Everyone has different ways in which they deal with their feelings. For me, it’s to give it time and let it flow; otherwise, I can’t function properly. Also, I need to think about my feelings, I need to observe my surroundings and express how it makes me feel, and one of the reasons why I am here is to express my raw feelings.

I wrote this post in the situation, so it came really raw. I hope whoever is reading this post is okay, and that it’s okay to deal with feelings that make you feel nothing inside. Everything will work out eventually.

It’s okay. To feel all the feels.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Book Review: Guess Again by Charlie Donlea

For such a long time, I really wanted to read a mystery thriller, a proper one with a detective and all and when everyone started raving about Guess Again by Charlie Donlea. I knew it was time, and everyone liked it so much. So the book is about a girl, Callie, who disappeared 10 years ago. And the detective working on that case, Ethan Hall, now works as an ER doctor. He gets a call from his former detective partner to reopen this cold case and find unfinished answers.

I have to start with the plot, it was amazing with twists and twists coming every second. Throughout, it was engaging, and I really wanted to know how it would end. However, the book is huge with many chapters that are so short. The different places and timelines were so chaotic that I couldn’t keep up with them. Because of it, I was dreading continuing. At one point, I wanted to know, and at another point, I was getting confused with all the names of the places. I wish it were not written that way; it would have made the book fast-paced and more enjoyable.

I legit guessed the plot twist. I guess I don’t have to guess again! (hahaha) I will be honest, I didn’t like the plot twist, it was too predictable, or would I say too common for a thriller book. I like the vibe of the book, the chapters are short but very chaotic, which, for a thriller, might be a part I didn’t like, and till the end, it never really made sense to me about the places.

After reading the blurb, I thought that the detectives would work together; however, the entire book is totally different. The storyline is good, the vibes match with it perfectly; however, it was very common, so I didn’t find it amazing, or something I will rave to others.

The characters are good, including Ethan Hall, the main protagonist. The pressure of finding out what exactly happened to Callie, while his own personal and professional life is getting mixed up. As we move through so many POVs and characters, nobody really stands out as such.

If you want, you can give this book a try.

Rating: 3.5/5

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Random Pause…

It’s okay to push pause.

In one of my earlier posts, I talked about how taking a pause is so important for the mind and body. And here I am with another post on pause; however, it’s quite different from that one. So basically, you know when everything is working out and all, but suddenly a random pause stops you and just like a line is drawn and you see yourself not able to pick yourself up. Yes, this is how I am currently feeling. I have gotten into a random pause zone where I want to do, but I just can’t. My mind won’t allow me to focus and would work against it. And I know this is just for some days, but I feel like I am wasting my time doing nothing. Having the urge to pick up the pace in life and do everything, however, at the same time, you will always find a small rock trying to throw you off. I guess that’s life. The random pause coming in the middle of something is like a routine. Whenever I am doing something, there are always some days when I question everything and wonder what I am even doing. And this all goes only when I give myself time to just let it pass through, and I guess that’s not a bad idea. However, it is in life that there will be days when we will feel our worst, feel that we can’t do anything, it’s like a constant. We need to learn how to live with those feelings and cope with them. What I have understood is that life not only wants to be successful but also wants to be stronger to face any challenges. I feel like in doing anything, there will be more challenges, and we should trust ourselves in overcoming them. Giving time to ourselves is so important. You are human; it’s in your nature to feel things and take breaks, but sometimes we are so under stress we forget to do it, and our mind shuts down. So if it feels like you are unable to do something, just shut everything down and breathe.

Pause now, rise later

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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