Mind Musings

"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment and I told them that they didn’t understand life." This small incident in the life of John Lennon, a member of the band Beatles resonated with me because I believe the most important thing is to be happy and enjoy life.  Happiness comes from within. It's knowing who you are and letting that shine. It's being content with the people and the things you have around you. And most importantly, it's just enjoying each day as it comes and never taking a thing for granted. I find happiness in the simplest of things. A good book, a delicious meal, a beautiful day, someone’s smile, a dog walking down the street, just writing about it makes my heart swell with happiness! We should enjoy the little things, for one day you’ll look back and r...

Do you wince when you hear sounds like scratching on a chalkboard or high-pitched  noises? Well, I do and it's not very pleasant. I realized that I was sensitive to few sounds when I was around 12 - 13 years old.  Particular noises such as chewing or when my friends accidentally scratch their school bags with their nails (a bit specific but this happens a lot in school) causes a headache.   Also whenever my family travels in a car, my mom grabs the car 'grab handle'... and EVERY SINGLE TIME, she scratches the handle with her nails. The sound hurts my head like anything and the rest of my family do not believe that it causes pain. A couple of months ago, my sister was furious with me for some silly reason, and knowing that I usually complain about the scratching, she started dragging her nails across the car handle. I tried to ignore her in order to stop infuriating her, but my 'sweet' sister kept scratching and scratching... (she did it for about 5 minutes bu...

The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agricul ture, manufacturing, mining, transport, and technology had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions starting in the United Kingdom, and then subsequently spreading throughout Europe, North America, and eventually the world.  I had to do a project on Industrialisation in Britain which delves into the various aspects  of the industrialisation period and enables us (me) to understand the nature of growth in the period and its limits.    So after completing a 30-page report and making a presentation, the project just helped me realize that we are better off now than we were before it happened even though it created many environmental problems and the living conditions were very tough for most people.  Since a picture speaks a thousand words, I drew a few pictur es depicting the industrial revolution. Hope they speak...

W hat does the word painting mean?   The dictionary definition is  the action of using paint, either in a picture or as decoration'.  It is more than that, it is a method of communication, evolving and explosive. It can connect people and reflect on culture, knowledge, and emotions. One such type of painting style which reflects on Indian culture is the Madhubani painting (place of origin: Mithila). It was done by t he women of the Mithila village and they practiced these paintings on the walls of their respective homes which showcased their hopes and dreams.  Over time, Madhubani paintings became a part of festivities and special events like weddings. The paintings use symbolic images of the lotus plant, the bamboo grove, fishes, birds and snakes in union. Like most ancient art forms, Madhubani art too takes inspiration from nature and Hindu religious motifs, and the themes generally revolve around Hindu deities like Krishna, Rama, Shiva, Durga, Lakshmi an...