I’m so proud of me & you.

You’re awesome and I’m proud of you.

The official last post of 2025, and it lands exactly on my post day. This year was everything for me; it was hectic but amazing. Now I can proudly say that the person I was at the beginning of the year and now are totally different. I am now proud and strong. This year taught me a lot of things, like no challenge is as hard as how I make it in my mind. I can do a lot of things if I want to, and I did. Definitely, I am really happy how the year is ending. However, many moments really showed me the worst; yet, I feel that I learned and grew a lot. Everyone’s journey is different for you; the year might be different; however, remember you still made it, so be proud of it. Always be grateful for what you have in the end, because it is always more than we think. When I look back on my year, it was a rollercoaster with so many things happening. Sometimes it made me want to leave everything, while at times, I was grateful for those things. I would like to dedicate this blog post to you all. I want to show that it’s totally okay if not everything went the right way. You survived the year, and now it is time to buckle up and live the next year. I am proud of you for every single thing. You worked hard, you showed up, you believed in yourself, and there is so much waiting for you. We need to start appreciating ourselves a lot and stop criticising ourselves for mistakes. No one is perfect, but everyone is trying their best. You are trying your best, you are making sure that at the end you see the result you always wanted. And you don’t realise, but in doing so, you are also getting stronger to handle every situation. So before the year’s end, remember all the moments where you have tried your best, where you stopped yourself from giving up, and where you stood still even when the world feels heavy. May the coming year fill you with everything that you ever desire.

I’m growing into someone I’m proud of.

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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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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Book Review: Look Closer by David Ellis

This book is truly the gift of my patience because it took the entire 50 per cent of the book to actually feel like I was enjoying it. I kept it going because every single review about this was 5 stars, so I knew I needed to keep going and guess what, it’s a 5-star read of mine, and I am feeling grateful that I didn’t DNF this book. The book follows the story of a wealthy couple, Simon and Vicky, who seem perfect from the outside, but they hide a lot of terrible secrets. Their secrets and the web of lies started to come out when a body was found near their place.

First, I have to start with the plot, which has me rooting for the villain throughout the end, and I was so happy with the ending. The game plan was spot on, as the main characters manipulated everyone in the book, as well as me. No way, I guessed the plot twist because it was not all at once, I was moving through it and got the realisation and the way my jaw dropped. I think this book has one of the best plotlines because everything was simply written, there was nothing out there, but slowly, slowly, we went through it. I guessed one plot twist; I understood it right away, so that was a win for me.

The story is narrated from three points of view, and at first, I was very much confused, but slowly, it made sense. I won’t say it’s a fast-paced thriller as the first 50 per cent book, nothing really happened, or as such we read it, later it made sense.

Then the characters were amazing, actually, all of them are grey, and in a thriller like this, they fit perfectly. Simon and Vicky were perfect partners now, in what you have to read that, as I am not going to give spoilers. Also, the book title is so perfect because we truly need to look closer to see what is going on. Vicky and Simon are some of the smartest characters because OMG, what I loved every second of them. At the end, I was truly happy to pick this one.

Please read it, it’s so good and fun. At first, it will be testing your patience, but in the end, it’s going to be worth it. I highly recommend this book.

Rating: 5/5

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

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live while you’re busy surviving

You’ve mastered survival mode. Now it’s time to live.

The most I tell myself daily is to live while surviving. I never knew it would be harder to survive than to live the life I grew up in. Every single day I wake up and get in my zone to work, and just like that, the day passes away, and at night I realise that I didn’t even get to live or breathe a sigh of relief, but the more I have gotten, the tension of the day. And I know it will not end while I will be waiting for it; it is up to me to come out of it and live because that’s how life works. I really want to make the best of my life, and I know a lot needs to be sacrificed to achieve it. But if it gets too much, I know I need to take a break for my mental health. We are creating the life we want to live; however, that doesn’t mean we will be surviving at every step. We need to understand and know how to balance between living and surviving. You know yourself the best, you know your mental health the best, and you know how much you are dealing with, so if it gets too much, please take a break and live life. Sometimes we need to do something that totally just brings us comfort and nothing more. Sometimes we need to leave everything and live in that moment of life to bring ourselves some peace and appreciate how much we are trying. Your mental health matters the most. In the process of surviving, spare some time in doing what you love, see it as you are recharging yourself, maybe by watching your favourite drama, cooking your favourite meal, or just taking a walk. We need to understand that the small moments bring so much peace when we just sit and reflect on how much we have done and come so far in life, and be proud of it. So remember when it gets too hard, please take a break because you are living a life, not just surviving it.

Life should be more than just surviving. Strive to live, laugh, make memories, love, cry, and learn.

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

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Review: ‘The Heirs’ K-drama (2013)

“One who wants to wear the crown, bear its weight.”

“What type of crown were you trying to wear?

Was it wealth, fame, or love?” – The Heirs

The frustration I felt while watching this drama was so strong that I still remember it after such a long time. I feel like this drama was and is the real mirror to the aristocratic family. Also, this rich family has the most traumatised kids because of the household situation and social pressure. The K-drama that I am going to talk about is ‘The Heirs’, which is more than a decade old but doesn’t feel like it. The story is about rich kids and how, because of a problematic family, all of them suffer. It follows the story of Cha Eun-sang, a servant’s daughter who gets to study in the most prestigious school, where she hides her identity. Kim Tan is the illegitimate son of the rich family where Cha Eun-sang’s mother works as well as lives. They fall in love with each other but deal with a lot because of the difference in their backgrounds.

Now, if we watch this drama now, there would definitely be so many differences in opinions, but I am writing what I felt watching it at that time. If we start with the character of Kim Dan, he was definitely highly flawed, as he was not loved by his father and was not accepted. So, imagine being in love with someone who is emotionally unstable; it definitely makes life hard. He is such a sad character, and especially the dialogue and eyes that speak out his feelings.

Cha Eun-sang is also struggling because of expenses and her mother’s health, so I could say every character of this series is highly flawed. She is emotionally drained, and when she started going to the prestigious school, it made it even worse.

Choi Young-do and Rachel Yoo are my favourite characters from the series. Again, they were deeply flawed, but I see myself relate to them. Choi Young-do is one of the characters who started the second lead syndrome for me. Actually, I like Kim Woo-bin, so I might be biased. Jo Myung-soo, another very important character that actually helped in lowering the trauma of this series, I can’t believe he is the same Park Hyung-sik from The Happiness.

The plot line is very much tiring because of their class difference; they keep having low moments in their relationship. But in the end, I could see both were very much tired from all of that. It’s all about the parents’ fault, and the kids are suffering, which is very much a common thing in wealthy families.

I loved Cha Eun-sang, Choi Young-do and Jo Myung-soo’s friendship. How they both protected her when the lead couldn’t do it. The chemistry between the couple is okay, I would say. They were going through a lot with everyone on their shoulders, constantly watching, so I couldn’t really enjoy their scenes. It is more of a plot-driven story. The second couple, Lee Bo-na and Yoon Chan-young, are also really cute.

It’s a long drama and needs to be committed with a lot of patience. If you have that, then please go ahead, and if not, then you are honestly not missing much.

“If I have to kneel, I’ll kneel. But I can get up again. If I keep getting myself up, a day will come when I don’t have to kneel anymore.” – Kim Tan (The Heirs)

Total Episodes: 20

My Rating: 7/10

Genre: Teen, Romance, Drama

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

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A life of your own.

Why regret something you once wanted?

I don’t think so, we are ever told that we have to live for ourselves, that we have to create a life of our own, and we never understood the point of it until we grew up and realised that everyone in our lives is selfish, but they don’t want us to be selfish for ourselves. It hurts seeing that choosing what we really want from our own lives is unacceptable to others, and we become villains for it, for the life we want to live. It is so hard to make people understand that everyone has their own lives, just like them, you do have your own life, and you have the freedom to choose however you want to live and whatever you want to achieve, but why can’t people just accept this fact? My only goal in life is to do what I really love. Time is running and life is short, so trying to fit in someone else’s shoes is not at all my goal, and I ain’t got time for it. Just imagine a life of yours where you have the freedom to do whatever you want, how cool it sounds, right? So if it comes true, how fun it would be living it in real life. I know it’s hard to live the life that you have created in your mind, but nothing is impossible. Take that opportunity and do what you truly love, creating a life of your own. You can proudly say that you fought for it. I always keep remembering that I just have one life, and if I allow somebody else to rule it, then when am I going to live the life that is given to me? I think you need to become a villain to live the life you want. There will be moments where you have to leave behind something, but this is the cost of creating your own life that you truly deserve. Be strong for yourself, and I know nothing happens at first, but trust me, you have to become stronger, you have to think for yourself, you have to be selfish for yourself, and that’s how you are going to create a life of your own.

Your idea of me is not my responsibility to live up to.

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

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Book Review: The September House by Carissa Orlando

The perfect book review for the perfect month with the perfect vibe. The September House by Carissa Orlando is my favourite horror thriller and mystery book, and you know why? Because it’s funny as hell, I was laughing rather than creeping out by the book. The book follows the story of Margaret and her husband Hal, who bought a Victorian mansion at a very low price. But then they started discovering haunted things in the house that only happen in September. Margaret is not ready to move as it’s her house; however, after four years, Hal can’t take it anymore and leaves. But he is not returning the calls of their daughter, Katherine, who is unaware of the house, and she has never visited the house. And now she is on the way to the house to find her father, and the worst part September has just begun. How Margaret hides about the house is fun to read.

Let’s start with the main character, Margaret. Only one thing to say about her, she is fantastic. It is so rare to like a character of a thriller book, and I was rooting for her till the end. The woman is so adamant that she won’t leave the house, no matter what. And a lot was happening to her physically as well as emotionally. Her talks are my favourite, she is so sarcastic and knows how to deal with things perfectly. Because of her, I loved the entire book and never got bored with it.

There are other characters as well, but they don’t play much. It’s actually just Margaret and her house, so here the house is another main character. I loved the house and the creepy things it does. I don’t think so, I have never read anything so unusual, but I loved every second of it. The house was definitely creepy, but I didn’t find it much; it depends on the reader. There were many fascinating things about the house. Firstly, it happens only in September, and what it brings is so much fun to read. The house characters were amazing, and the way they all came together in the end was mind-blowing to read.

Talking about the plot, it’s a mixture of horror, comedy and thriller. Nothing is foreshadowing but working together, there is not much thriller, but the plot twist I loved. The plot is engaging and so fast-paced that I couldn’t stop reading it. Actually, I just wanted to read what Margaret has to say.

The author’s writing is so simple, the way she has described the activity happening in the house and the dialogue of Margaret, I loved every second of it. Honestly, I thought the ending would be like that only; however, in the end, the plot twist, wow, it still amazes me when I think about it. I loved that the author decided to end like that rather than how it was going, and I thought it would end. The ending scenes were my favourite; it was like I was watching an action-packed movie, and it really felt like that.

I highly recommend it.

Rating: 4.5/5

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

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Not starting is scarier…

Sometimes we have to stop being scared and just go for it. Either it’ll work or it won’t. That is life.

I used to think that taking the opportunity would be scarier, and entering into a new world would be impossible because I didn’t know anything. This was my mindset. However, as I grew up or was growing up, I realised that no matter how much I read theoretically, the most I will learn through the practicality of my life. Now, as an adult, if I let an opportunity go by, be it big or small, it hurts me so much because I don’t know what that opportunity would bring me in the form of a blessing. I have read about many people, and all of them talk about how they were looking for something else, and suddenly, one opportunity came, and just like that, they took it, and now they are where they were supposed to be. Now, as the realisation hit me that if I let go of the opportunity due to my fear of not getting selected, it would harm me more than being rejected after giving it a shot. Not starting is scary, which is my mindset whenever I am about to try something new. I made up my mind that I should give it a try. I don’t know how much I know, and I will not know until I try. Rather than doubting myself before even starting, I focus on what I am about to learn. Rejection teaches us a lot. I am writing it with my experience, it makes us think that at least we tried, at least we overcame our fear and went through it. It’s life, there will be many rejections, but that doesn’t make you a failure, but the strongest soldier who took the first step. Start just start, no matter how scary it looks, trust me, when you look back, you will be so proud of yourself. For you to look back and be proud, you need to start, no matter how scary it looks, it will make such a difference in your life.

Making a big life change is scary. But you know what’s scarier? Regret.

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

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