Path

Be happy even when you are all alone. Be content with whatever you have and be prepared to work hard for what you want, even when no one else would support you. Have the courage to make the right decision even if it happens to be an unpopular one. 

If you have loving parents, caring partner, supportive siblings but if you do not know the direction you want your life to go in, then none of them can help. People or things can enhance our life and its experiences only if we are on the path we desire to take. 

Jeans: 7 for all mankind, Top: Macy's, Sandals: Etienne Aigner

Truly Patriotic

Is 'patriotism' a byproduct of all the wars and battles which had been fought by tribes, clans, cults, religious groups to survive? Is it soon becoming an obsolete emotion? Because this generation is born and brought up in comparatively calmer surroundings (than the world wars and British Raj) and also this generation lives all over the place. We are born in one country, a study in another, work in the third country and then retire in a new country altogether. So which country are we going to be 'patriotic' about? And I do not mean for a sports game, I mean in the time of war.

Is 'patriotism' one of the hurdles in the path to world peace? If there was no patriotism, but only general regard and respect for mankind, no matter where they were born or bred, wouldn't the need to own, capture, secure and protect a manmade boundary disappear? It is wonderful to be proud of one's heritage but if that converts into thinking that we are superior to the other cultures, then it is not really a noble concept.

From what we know Earth could be the only planet with life ... found anywhere nearby or probably found anywhere in the billions of galaxies, it would be great if we are patriotic for the Earth in its entirety and save its environment, life, and beauty!

Skirt: Banana republic, Top: Macys, Tights: DSW, Shoes: Don't remember, but I should have worn something else.

The Facade

On social media - I have seen a couple posting exotic vacation pictures every month (making everyone feel what a great couple they were) and then they got divorced in a few years. You will see people posting pictures partying with their 'friends', but they would nowhere be close to being 'friends', some barely know anything about each other, and some dislike some of them. I have seen people posting amazing pictures with their kids, the very same people who would be spending hardly any time with their kids otherwise. Social media is a facade where people want to share just the good things and show that they live in a rosy la la land but far is the case.

Social media is setting us up for feeling low as if everyone is having fun but us. I have shared this before why I had deactivated my FB account. I am on it now but I am subscribed to just 6 people - Narendra Modi, Aamir Khan, Rujuta Diwekar being 3 of them. I do not want to see what people are drinking, eating, where they are vacationing, who are they hanging out / partying with or what their kids are drawing, it is way too much information for me than what I care to know. I do not visit anyone's profiles as well.

What I have learned from my social media (FB and blogging) experience is -

- Life is not perfect for ANYONE - even if they are trying hard to portray it that way

- It might seem that everyone has it better than you, but they really don't

- Don't believe everything that people write on their blogs/FB posts. People lie. Or there are some like me who reveal just 5% of their life. People have lines drawn for what part of their life they want to share and what they do not want to share.

Social media can cause depression and the feeling of missing out.. If you get affected by the information that is shared by people on social media (that means if you feel low, inferior, jealous, sad, bad, negative and whatnot) then unsubscribe to people who are not adding any value and also think about how much time you want to spend on its usage...

Jeans: American Eagle, Shoes Vaneli, Top: Macy's, Vegan Leather Jacket: Blank NYC

Taking a pic

How does taking a pic each day help me? 

Everyone knows the disadvantages of being overweight but the pictures I took everyday made me realize the superficial aspect of losing weight. Everything looks great on fit bodies, even torn clothes. The pictures I took each day motivated me to lose weight and they still do.

Top: Loft

Jeans: 7 for all mankind

shoes: Ellen Tracy

sweater: Nordstrom Rack

Belt: Style & Co. from Macys

Why do I like style blogs

It may sound ironical but clothes are the last thing I want to spend time on, be it in the morning or when I go shopping. Though I don't want to be all 'dressed up' I want to be 'well dressed'.

No really, choosing clothes and shoes can be daunting even if it is as simple as black and white (as in today's picture).

It has happened innumerable times that I bought clothes which didn't match with anything in my closet, I bought wrong brands, wrong colors and all the money I spent on it was a complete waste as I never wore it. I thought it will be so nice if someone gave me ideas on what I could wear, buy, where to buy, what looks good and what doesn't. 

That's why I started following style blogs. I like style blogs more than fashion magazines as style blogs are more real and relatable.

Top: Macy's

Pant: american eagle

sweater: Calvin Klein

shoes: dsw

bracelet: Baublebar

Sacrifice

For losing weight one needs to sacrifice a lot of things. WRONG.

If weight loss is an important goal for you then what you give up is not a sacrifice. Anything that we give up to achieve higher pleasure can not be termed as sacrifice, its a gain. So weight loss is also a gain in a way ;-).

Skirt: Modcloth

Top: Macy's

Sandals: Kensie 

Instagram

I am on Instagram and my username is rasikamahabal

Gingham shirt: J Crew factory

Denim Skirt: Banana Republic

Belt: Style & Co. From Macys

Shoes: Me too From DSW

Red Lipstick

Shoes, a beautiful dress, new haircut, jewelry are all trivial material things, in all honesty it should not matter because people say our inner self is what matters.

Once I went to meet a friend who was down with severe bronchitis. She was wearing a nice dress and a red lipstick, she didn't look sick at all. 'You look good' I said. While pricking her skin with a needle (for her gestational diabetes) she said 'Exactly! I look good and so I feel good'.

Our physical form is strongly connected to our identity, that is how we interact with the world around us. The exterior matters as much as the interior... 

Skirt: United Colors Of Benetton, 

Shoes: Guess, 

Top: Charter's Club from Macys