Category: Uncategorized
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On Cultivating Adult Friendships
I am a strong believer in the power of friendships. I enjoy my alone time but nothing parallels an energizing and engaging conversation with a friend. Connections are what we as humans thrive on. Imagine yourself as the richest person in the world, but not having a single friend to turn to. Are you happy…
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Learning Skills as an Adult
Let me first put it out there- learning skills as an adult is hard! There are fears to be overcome, mental boundaries to be crossed and new habits to be formed. As if adulting wasn’t difficult enough! But on the other hand, there is unparalleled joy in learning something new. It opens your mind to…
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Designing Your Work Life
We spend a third of our adult life working. Work can take various shapes and forms for different people. It can be structured or unstructured. You could be working for your own business or for someone else’s. It could be a means to pay the bills or it could be something you are intensely passionate…
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A Guide to be a Better Decision-maker
We make countless decisions everyday! From small ones like what to wear to work, and what to cook for dinner to bigger ones like what career to pursue and which house to buy. Some decisions are intuitive and spontaneous while some demand careful thought and deliberation. It can feel paralyzing when you are stuck in…
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Smile, and say Hello!
As a kid, I was always told not to talk to strangers. Looking back, I know the advice came from a good place. The world is filled with all kinds of people and it is best not to come in the path of the wrong ones at the wrong time. Safety first! But over time,…
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On Rethinking Therapy
When a friend first suggested the idea of talking to a therapist, I was quick to dismiss it. My existential issues didn’t seem to warrant talking to a licensed professional. I remember having responded, “I have friends that I can talk to anytime, why should I go talk to a stranger?!”. “But your friends are…
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5 Reasons Why You Should Book that Trip
Is it just me or is your Instagram feed also filled with drool-worthy photos of places that look too good to be real? The glaciers of Iceland, the safaris of South Africa, the lakes of Patagonia… and the list is endless! After the forceful confinement brought about by the pandemic, everyone seems to be traveling!…
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Why Write?
I have always enjoyed writing but often struggled with being regular at it (at least publicly). My first journal entry was in 2011- in a black hardcover diary that I still own. It was when I was overwhelmed with the uncertainty of the future and was not sure who to share it with. So I…
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What Does A Good Day Look Like?
I often struggle with defining what a good day looks like. If you ask me off the bat- “How was your day?”, my perpetual answer is always “Eh! It could have been better”. Off late though, I have been trying to revisit my standard answer. Yes, some days are more monotonous than others and some…
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11 Ways to “Kindle” a Love for Reading
I love books. But at times I love the idea of books more. I buy more than I can read. My to-read list grows at a much faster rate than my “read” list. Bookstores are my happy places. But I often fall short of my reading goals- struggling to hold attention, jumping from one book…
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The Joy and Anxiety of Small Things
This might just turn out to be another post on the internet about minimalism, or it might not. We’ll see how it goes. I moved apartments last week. Although the distance wasn’t much, moving often ends up being more of an emotional journey along with being a physical one. You go through this journey of…
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On Conscious Consumption of Content
While on a sleepover at a friend’s place, I found myself lounging on the couch on a lazy Saturday morning, watching Seinfeld on the television screen. Life seemed good and I felt no motivation to get along with my day. It made me wonder if I was giving up these blissful Saturday mornings by not…
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Black History through Screens and Pages
Every year in February, the United States celebrates the black history month to commemorate and highlight the contributions made by African Americans over the decades. We, as a human race, have come a long way towards eliminating racism, discrimination and inequality, a long way since the prevalence of slavery and the civil rights movement. However,…
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Solo in Sedona
What does it take to do a solo trip? It takes you, of course. But it also takes friends who constantly nudge you on and push you forward when you are at the verge of chickening out. It takes a Dad, who when I told him, “I might skip the Grand Canyon because it might…
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A Journey into Home Cooking: Nutrition, Taste, & Habits
Last year (or two!) has gotten us to stop and smell the roses. Isolation, long walks, home-cooked meals- all have subconsciously made us ponder on the tiny decisions we make in our everyday life. Health and nutrition often take a back seat when you are running to catch the train and a fresh donut seems…
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Unravelling the Past to make sense of the Present
One of my favorite poems of all time- ‘A Psalm of Life’ by H.W. Longfellow preaches one to “Let the dead Past bury its dead!Act,— act in the living Present!”. My approach to life has been along similar lines- its who you are in the present that defines you and who you aspire to be…
Asra Yousuf 