WOMEN ARE LIKE FLOWERS.

Posted on by SHREYA SINGH

“Women are like beautiful flowers. Only when you love them and take good care of them will they fully bloom into the beautiful flowers that they are.”

No, this isn’t a feminist post! Nor are we trying to advocate or analyse any ideology based on women’s liberation or emancipation!Like flowers, women are a symbol of strength, light and life. They are reborn in the chaos and survive in the storm, and not just anyone who can enjoy their beauty. Women and flowers are the purest and most genuine symbol of the beauty of this universe, so enjoy.

What’s up with women? Why do they always create a fuss when you give them flowers? They act all lovey-dovey and become emotional when you send them flowers. Why is that women feel strongly connected to the blooms and they have to stop in the tracks to admire every fresh flower bouquet and a wild trail of daffodils?

It is true that women have always loved flowers since time immemorial. They adorn their hair with it, wear flower garlands, hold it in their hands, and love to have flowers around. Recently, a study conducted by a team of psychologists from the University of South Brittany found that women are more receptive to men’s advances in the presence of flowers.

Some researchers also suggest the term Biophilia, which refers to “the urge to affiliate with other forms of life” as defined by American biologist Edward O Wilson. According to the hypothesis, during human evolution, it was important for our ancestors to remember planets that could produce fruits and vegetables. As fruits develop out of flowers, flowers get embedded in our natural survival mechanism as positive signs that indicate fertility and food abundance.

Realizing the value of something, which is short-lived, makes me understand why women love flowers to a great extent. It may be beauty, it could be romance, but the impending reality of the last few weeks such a beautiful creation has in its dominion must have stolen their hearts.You all will perish someday and you all know that someday will arrive in the blink of an eye. It is worth learning from the flowers and women that, ‘no matter how short your time, bloom it with grace and beauty.’ Let us all spread the beautiful side of ours, lie the flowers, in this garden of life.

Who says a woman needs to have someone side by side? Even without a company, you are complete. Enjoy life, do what you feel like doing. If you ever knock on your door and ask to live in your heart, don’t forget that the person has to love you just the way you are and, above all, has to overflow you.

The depths of a woman’s psyche are probably the most intriguing in this vast and sumptuous creation. Men since ages have been in awe of the thought process and the sentiments of women. Deciphering her choices and decisions can be one of the most difficult things to do.

One of the fascinating aspects of women is their nature. They speak less to mean much more. This subtleness is best reciprocated by flowers. When you give flowers to somebody, especially women, they say a lot about your feelings for her without any noise being made. The colors of the flowers that you give a woman say a lot about your intentions. No doubt red roses are still the best gift a woman wants from her beau.

The essence of one flower’s beauty is enough to take one’s breath away. Many can bring about a feeling of exhilaration and awe. Henry Beecher once stated that, “flowers are the sweetest things God ever made and forgot to put a soul into.” Many humans thrive on the very existence of a flower without any awareness as to whether or not it has human-like characteristics or traits. 

Poets have celebrated this idea and it has given birth to various beautiful ballads and poems that relate the beauty of women with flowers and the natural inclination of women towards flowers.

A woman is like a flower, to make her bloom you must  shower her with tenderness and love.  For passion to grow she will need to open  the windows of her heart and mind.  As a man it is important for to get to know a  woman’s essence,her spirit.  You than can see and uncover all that she is and will be to you.  Who is she really beneath her looks?  A woman’s fragrance, her smile,  and the way she cares for herself when no one is looking. will reveal to all who she is. and what she will become to her lover.  Men are drawn by the quiet in a woman’s way, the inner person.  The way she moves,  and the words she chooses to express her love. A woman of elegance and warmth draws quality men to herself.  One who will risk her dignity to show love for her man,  knowing that by so doing, he will care for her deeply and tenderly. His need to protect such a precious jewel will overcome him completely. A spontaneous and sensual woman  who likes to love emotionally, physically, and intimately. But who also knows that.   if you can not laugh together,  you will not love each other. That is what men are looking for.   Are you like that flower?

When you see a flower’s true colors come out, it a true vision of art. I say it really reminds me of how similar flowers are to people! We go through some sort of blooming process. Yes, it may not be the same kind of process, but it has the same end result: something beautiful! Just as flowers bloom into their final forms, woman also have the ability to grow and bloom into our final forms, or better worded, our true selves. There are some people who believe they can’t grow or they don’t have the ability to bloom into something more, but that isn’t true. We all have the power to bloom into something beautiful!

After going through all that finally have the power to bloom! She can now become the person she always wanted to be, but was too scared to in the beginning. She did it! She gather up all your courage and bloom! So yay for you! She finally bloom! She no longer feel like you are hiding from the world. Now they are showing the world how beautiful you really are! They are no longer the little bud, but a beautiful flower who is about to leave their mark on this world. Just like a flower in its finishing form, it shows its beauty to all no matter how it looks. It still continues to shine just like you! Now go out there and be the best you that you can be! You see we’re not so different from the flowers here on earth. We both bloom into such beautiful things that make this world even more amazing!

P.S. Dear men, please do not feel left out. It is not like only women are worthy of getting flowers. You do deserve them as much! In fact, everyone deserves flowers!!!

KALI YUGA.

Posted on by SHREYA SINGH

“In reality, however, it is out of the power either of heads or hands to alter in any way the destiny of machine-technics, for this has developed out of inward spiritual necessities and is now correspondingly maturing towards its fulfilment and end. Today we stand on the summit, at the point when the fifth act is beginning. The last decisions are taking place, the tragedy is closing.”

Kali RESIDES in places where selfish accumulation of GOLD is done; wherein ANGER, JEALOUSY, KNOWLEDGE FIRED FALSE EGO, LUST, GREED, ENMITY, GAMBLING, DRUGs/ALCOHOL, ANIMALS ARE SLAUGHTERED, WOMEN ARE INSULTED… such instances are rampant as per the Scriptures.   So, the best way to escape from his evil clutches is to stay away from these vulnerable points.

The Hindu doctrine teaches that a human cycle, to which it gives the name Manvantara, is divided into four periods marking so many stages during which the primordial spirituality becomes gradually more and more obscured. We are now in the fourth age, the Kali-Yuga or “dark age”, and have been so already, it is said, for more than six thousand years, that is to say since a time far earlier than any known to “classical” history. 

Since that time, the truths which were formerly within reach of all have become more and more hidden and inaccessible; those who possess them grow fewer and fewer, and although the treasure of “nonhuman” wisdom that was prior to all the ages can never be lost, it nevertheless becomes enveloped in more and more impenetrable veils, which hide it from men’s sight and make it extremely difficult to discover. This is why we find everywhere, under various symbols, the same theme of something that has been lost—at least to all appearances and as far as the outer world is concerned—and that those who aspire to true knowledge must rediscover; but it is also said that what is thus hidden will become visible again at the end of the cycle, which, because of the continuity binding all things together, will coincide with the beginning of a new cycle.

The two pillars of religion during the Dwapar Yuga are compassion and truthfulness; and look at the irony here. At one place where compassion towards other beings is the foundation, we humans are treating fellow beings brutishly. It fills my heart with annoyance when I look upon what was meant to happen and what is happening now.

In the Dvapara Yuga, human beings were meant to cross each other’s path while possessing Tamasic qualities. People were not meant to be as strong as their ancestors and diseases were to prevail among humans. Humans were meant to fight wars as from their countries and it was predicted that there would be many wars between countries. Feelings of discontent and hatred would be prevailing as predicted.

When each of these things was predicted, what is actually happening is gruesome and out of anyone’s imagination. People nowadays who are inflicting harm to minors and women are turning more barbaric than anyone could think of. Acts like pulling out the organs out of a girl’s body is not a humane act. Neither is picking up eyes and cutting the hands and legs of a small girl of 3 years old humane. This is out of imagination. This is terrible and horrific.

Laying all blame on the parents and the guardians of the accused would be very wrong in my opinion, as not only does society aid in the commitment of these crimes by staying quiet at a few places, the internet also plays an equivalent role.

People have become so degraded in this Kali Yuga that they think they can do anything, and then they can go to a holy place, and their sins will be forgiven.

आज का यह युग

जिसे कहते हम कलयुग

गांधी जैसे महात्मा

कसाव जैसे शैतान का युग

मानते है लड़की को देवी जहाँ

फिर भी गर्भ मे उनकी हत्या करने वालों का युग

करते है रात रात भर देवी जागरण

ऐसे कुछ भक्तों और दिल्ली के उन दरिंदो युग

नौकरी से पहले खाते ईमानदारी की कसमें

फिर भी 100 में 90 बेईमानों का युग

यहाँ अमीर कम खाता है

क्योंकि सुना है ज्यादा खाने से पेट बढ़ जाता है

सबका पेट भरने की खातिर जो किसान पसीना बहाता है

आखिर वही किसान भूख से मर जाता है

ये है बलवानों का युग,

राजतंत्र के पहलवानों का युग

चुनाव से पहले जो घर आते उन सज्जनों का युग,

चुनाव के बाद जो भूल जाते उन दुर्जनों का युग

यहाँ अमीर गरीब नहीं गरीबों को हटाते हैं

उनका कहना है गरबों के झोपड़े उनके महलों पे दाग लगाते हैं

एक तरफ ये ए.सी मे आराम फरमाते हैं

दूसरी तरफ वही गरीब लोग गर्मी से फड़फड़ाते हैं

राम नहीं,रहीम नहीं,ना समय अब कबीर का

भूल गए सब दोहे,वक़्त अब हनी सिंह का

भूल गए अब सब मंत्र

पूजा करता खुद अब संगीत यंत्र

हे भगवन आया केसा युग है

मित्रों जरा संभल के, घोर कलियुग है|

I do not think that it would be a conventional approach to think that the rape happenings nowadays has been on an elevation due to the obscene content available online, sorry to say but that is the harsh truth. Why did such barbaric crimes happen to increase after the age of the internet? Why were there lesser offenders in the past, and why has the number gone up suddenly in about a decade.

The question does not narrow down to how the internet spoils the minds of the youngsters, but to what all the youngsters should be granted access to and up to what limits. In this age where a smartphone is available at a mere price of 3000- 5000, things become quite handy for the youngsters. Everything is available at their doorstep and there are hardly any filters in what they search. The result is quite evident. Increase in the number of sexual offences against minors and girls.

Where Education has a big role to play in correcting what goes around nowadays, each one of us should take responsibility on our shoulders in terms of pulling these culprits down. The question comes down to who are these people and where do they come from. The answer to which would be, these people are the ones roaming around us, wearing face masks. These people, who term themselves are humans, are devils wearing those false images of being divine creatures. In my opinion, the strictest of punishments should be given to them. That would be a solution to the problem.

As we approach towards the Kali Yuga, which contains pain, grief, anger, depression, ill-mannered human-like animals, the situation worsens. Although the starting of the Kali Yuga is dated to 17/18th February, 3032 BCE, it looks that similar condition would arrive soon. The Kali Yuga, in my opinion, is not too far. The visuals can be seen nowadays. So let us all prevent what can be prevented. Let us all take steps to curb the ill-minded elements in society. And in my opinion, even a small step would be beneficial for our children, our sisters and mothers, our beloved brothers and sisters of the nation, our nation, our Mother India.

Life cannot be told. Telling is only to inspire, to de-mesmerize you from your own self-mesmerism. Every human being has hypnotized himself or herself into their own limitations and they believe this is it. If you undo that hypnotism, they will feel fearful because existence is limitless. Therefore, if they are spinning one way, you have to spin them the opposite way for some time for them to feel they are going somewhere.

FLAT EARTH

Posted on by SHREYA SINGH

“Do flat-earthers believe that other planets are also flat?”

The flat Earth model is an archaic conception of Earth’s shape as a plane or disk. Many ancient cultures subscribed to a flat Earth cosmography, including Greece until the classical period, the Bronze Age and Iron Age civilizations of the Near East until the Hellenistic period, India until the Gupta period, and China until the 17th century.

The idea of a spherical Earth appeared in ancient Greek philosophy with Pythagoras, although most pre-Socratics retained the flat Earth model. In the early 4th century BC Plato wrote about a spherical Earth, and by about 330 BC his former student Aristotle provided evidence for the spherical shape of the Earth on empirical grounds. Knowledge of the spherical Earth gradually began to spread beyond the 

Despite the scientific fact of Earth’s sphericity, pseudoscientific flat Earth conspiracy theories are espoused by modern flat Earth societies and, increasingly, by unaffiliated individuals using social media.

With the sphericity of the Earth empirically established by the ancient Greeks more than 2,000 years ago, it is difficult to believe that there are still holdouts. Yet, as a reporter for Vice recently observed, “If a flat Earth conference in Edmonton, Alberta, of all places, can pull in over 200 people … I think we may be underestimating the size of the movement.”

From any one location on the surface of the Earth, it’s impossible to tell what our planet’s shape is. Having a single vantage point, even with a clear horizon, allows you to see a handful of miles  in any direction, but that can only allow you to place constraints. The Earth could be flat, or spherical, or in hydrostatic equilibrium, or egg-shaped, or irregular, and you wouldn’t know. 

People who believe in a flat Earth assume that gravity would pull straight down, but there’s no evidence to suggest it would work that way. What we know about gravity suggests it would pull toward the center of the disk. That means it would only pull straight down at one point on the center of the disk. As you got increasingly far from the center, gravity would tug more and more horizontally. This would have some strange impacts, like sucking all the water toward the center of the world, and making trees and plants grow diagonally, since they develop in the opposite direction of gravity’s pull.

The flat Earth model places our planet at the center of the universe, but doesn’t suggest that the sun orbits the Earth. Rather, the sun circles over the top side of the world like a carousel, broadcasting light and warmth downward like a desk lamp. Without the linear, perpendicular momentum that helps generate an orbit, it’s unclear what force would keep the sun and moon hovering above the Earth, Davis says, instead of crashing into it.

“If we presume that the boundary of the universe is a kind of surrounding wall,

then we think like ancestors who thought there’s abyss at the edge of flat earth.”

In any case, while it’s fun to imagine counterfactual scenarios, science proceeds by coming up with theories to explain observations. When it comes to these theories, the simpler, the better, Davis says. The flat Earth idea, however, clearly begins with the idea that the planet is planar, and then attempts to twist other observations to its benefit. You can find odd explanations for individual phenomena under this framework, says Davis, but “it falls apart pretty quickly.”

A majority of Flat Earthers believe that space agencies of the world have conspired against the people, and faked space travel. So in simple words, we have, as they believe, never been to space.

Astrology is superstition. A remnant of the ignorant dark ages, when people knew nothing about how the world works. They believed the earth is flat and the center of the universe. Astrology might have made sense a long time ago, when people didn’t know any better. Back then people believed that the stars were gods, with names like Zeus or Mars, the God of war, who had nothing better to do than to watch us down here on earth, and fuck with us. And gods have superpowers. So it would make sense for gods to be able to influence our lives or our decisions. Back then it sounded like there was an internal logic to it all.

But nowadays we know better. Now we know that the earth is not flat and not the center of the universe. And now we know that the stars are not gods with superpowers, but simply suns and planets, millions of miles away. Big balls of gas and rock, flying through space, minding their own business. Mars is not the God of War. Mars is just a big red rock. There is simply no mechanism by which a big rock, flying through space millions of miles away, is gonna affect whether you’re gonna get a raise tomorrow or not.

Think about how self-centered and narcissistic that idea actually is. Astrology is the idea that this endlessly big universe and all the trillions of planets in it, are only here to affect whether you are gonna have a good day tomorrow. Because all these big rocks flying through space millions of miles away have nothing better to do than worry about you. Because you’re so special, and everything is about you.

The idea behind astrology is so stupid, it’s actually kinda funny.If it’s difficult to believe that people embrace a flat Earth, it’s going to be difficult to trust a poll that claims to validate that belief.

A GIRL

Posted on by SHREYA SINGH

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”

Imagine feeling trapped in an unsatisfying existence. Wasting your precious time doing things that you really don’t want to be doing. Being afraid to express your uniqueness. Having fun on the weekends then dreading the upcoming week. Maybe you don’t have to imagine it; maybe your life is just like mine was, few moments of satisfaction drowned out by a constant grind of work that doesn’t fulfill you.

Life for some people is a place where lots and lots of happiness exists and for some it’s a reason of sorrow. You may not know what your life is exactly but you will regret having a life full of problems with no solutions. If every problem has a solution?

Bringing up daughters is complicated: Empowerment messages and impressive achievements are everywhere, yet depression and anxiety are very real threats. This is how to help your daughter become her best, well-rounded self in spite of it all.

कुछ माँगा नहीं,कुछ चाहा नहीं

बदला बस खुद को, कि रिश्ता टूट ना जाये कहीं

आदतों को बदला, चाहतों को बदला

भले मेरे अरमानों ने, अपनी करवट को बदला

समन्दर की एक बूंद बन जाऊं भले

बस समन्दर में मेरा अस्तित्व तो रहें

धूल का एक कण भी में बन ना सकी

मेरे त्याग की ओझल हो गई छबि

Today in this blog of mine I am going to share a true story of a girl. Many one would recognize the face behind the story of the girl. She was born in a middle class family consisting of many a number of family members. She was never close to her family like she didn’t have the emotional support when she needed the most. She created her own world which consisted of her dreams, her desires which she wanted to fulfill at any cost, but at not the cost of her father’s dream. Yes ,her father had a dream to make his daughter a successful engineer. She never told her father that she wanted anything else in her life. She kept her dreams aside and always tried to fulfill his family needs first. As I told earlier, she didn’t have emotional support from her family, so she was upto some extent dependent on her friends for her happiness. But destiny has decided something different for her. She didn’t have true friends in her school days. She had to suffer from depression at a very small age of 15. She took sleeping pills to sleep and somehow she recovered from it from lots of counseling sessions and so on.

Then, a new chapter started in her life when she was out of that depression phase. She became completely different. Previously she was dependent on others for her happiness like friends and she expected some from the family also. Now she took the basic responsibilities of her family, she used to pay bills and decided to take care of the medicines her parents used to take. I know it was just 16 to take all these responsibilities but she took and she never complained to anyone that she needed anything. She was living with her which her family decided to have. She never wished anything. She was somehow happy, she accepted her reality.

She never believed in god’s miracle or anysort of superstition. She always felt that what is going on is not decided anyone else. She had many other health issues also till she turned 18. She was suffering from migraine and she didn’t have periods. She never told her family that she was unhappy with the things and she had so many health issues. She always suffered from all the pain without uttering a single word. She was trying to build herself as a fighter. 

At the age of 18, herself she went to the Engineering College which her father and other family wanted. She was never sure that she would fulfill her father’s dream or not. But she decided to give it a chance and she did it. She went there away from her family , she made new friends there. But will these friends last a long time? Let’s see.

Being a middle class family girl, she knew how to live with a life with some changes. She was always ready to accept the changes in her lifestyle and everything. She made her adjustments in the hostel room with her roommates. Now she accepted them as her family for at least 4 years. She always thought of her dreams but never told anyone about them. She made many new friends there. She was good in studies also. But again, destiny took her to a situation where she lost her few friends. Whatsoever may be the reason was. Now she had only 3 friends there for her who supported her every time.

They always suggested that she do what she likes,what she wants. They even told her to pursue her engineering but at the same time they told her to dream also. She started a life with them which was her happy place. They shared every moment which they could. She started living a happy life with them. Now she had a real smile on her face. She started taking small steps towards her dream and her career. 

She was still suffering from the health issues but they literally gave her reasons to be happy. She was interested in fine arts and writing. She started them again. 

She is not a barbie girl

Who is fair and delicate

And she is okay with what she is.

She doesn’t look like any fairy

Nor she is any princess with a crown

She is a simple middle class girl

Who do her daily house course by her own

And her sacrifice remains unknown.

She don’t spend hours in front of a mirror

By looking her face and doing makeup

Because she has responsibilities in her house.

She does different kind of work to support her family 

She is just that one of the one many tired faces among the crowds.

She needs to learn so she can earn

She knows the difference between fairy tale and real life

So she handles her issues by her own rather than waiting and sits aimlessly

And it really needs effort to live her life which is full of swirl

Because everyone takes her for granted

And no one really cares what is wanted

Her struggle never just ends , no matter how much she is exhausted.

No one appreciates her, for her efforts, which she makes endlessly

But she continues her work and lives through by wearing the face of the smiley.

She also don’t know when she could able to live her life 

The way she wants, the way she should

She knows only, one thing 

That she can’t give up her responsibilities 

Though she have all the ability

But still she lives for others

While her dreams of life and the world just fall apart like broken feathers.

After that what happened with that girl, is still unknown. I may continue her story some other time.  The girl in the story suffered but she always managed to life happily.

As much as we could use that with a negative emphasis, it can also be really good! We live in a world that is changing so fast that it is impossible to keep up with the amount of information now being released.And it doesn’t matter if the candles are lit or you’re holding in your hand a bunch of beautiful red roses. These are great bonuses. We wish you THE REAL stuff that will never change!

What is happiness?

If I asked you and your neighbour to define happiness right now, the two answers would probably be wildly different.Why is that? What is happiness really? Is it a feeling, a state of mind or just an emotion?What initially looks like a very simple question turns out to be one of the hardest questions out there.How can happiness be defined? 

WE HAVE FIVE SENSES.

Posted on by SHREYA SINGH

“All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason.”

Just how many senses does a human being have? If you Google this question you will find, as with just about anything else you might care to Google, a variety of answers. Some say we have seven senses, while others put the total at nine, ten, or twelve. What’s the right answer? It all depends on how you define things.

A sense may be defined as a mechanism in the body which allows a human or an animal to receive special information about the world and transmit it along nerve pathways to the brain. Each sense has its own specialized cells for picking up its own particular type of information — sounds, tastes, sights and so forth. And each sense has its own area in the brain where the information garners is monitored.

When we think of human senses we think of eyesight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. Yet we have always known that we are capable of sensing much more than this. Exactly what, however, is still subject to ongoing scientific research.Neuroscientists are well aware that we are a bundle of senses.

Unless something goes wrong with one of these senses, the ordinary person continues seeing and touching, smelling odors, tasting tastes and hearing sounds without giving a second thought to the diligent, no‐nonsense faculties that keep him so well‐informed about the complex world around him.

“It doesn’t take much reflection to figure out that humans possess more than the five “classical” senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch.” Because when you start counting sense organs, you get to six right away: the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin, and the vestibular system.

Our understanding of the vestibular system’s role as a sense organ dates only to the early 1800s, more than two millennia after Aristotle. We now know that the vestibular system, located in the inner ear, is an integral part of how we balance ourselves, but it also plays a critical role in vision, allowing us to keep our two eyes focused on things even while our heads are moving about.

Happily, scientists have not shared this general indifference. Indeed, information about the senses has been of first interest to scholars from Aristotle on, touching, as such information does, on primary philosophical problems concerning the nature of reality and the perennial question of how we know what we know and whether we really know it. For the past 100 years or so, research on the senses of humans and animals has led to a mass of information extraordinary in amount and kind.

“The senses deceive from time to time, and it is prudent never to trust wholly those who have deceived us even once.”

Human vision entails the ability to distinguish light from dark. For some primitive creatures, this is as far as their vision takes them. We humans can tell light from dark, we can distinguish images, we can see in color and, having two eyes, we possess stereovision. So just how many senses do our eyes afford us? One? Two? Three? Four? The conventional wisdom says we’ve got eyes, we can see, and that’s one sense. Good enough for me.

These are but a few of the facts uncovered about the senses in the past century. The extension of- this knowledge, and of practical uses for it, seem today almost limitless in scope.

One thing is clear. We shouldn’t take our senses for granted. Recent experiments have shown not only that the senses are important but that they are essential to survival of the human mind. In these experiments subjects were cut off from all possible sensory stimulation; their eyes were covered with goggles that blocked vision, their hands were covered so they could not feel anything; they were isolated from contact and could hear only a steady background hum.

The classical view has always been that “the mind” is something that can exist as distinct from the senses. But it now seems that the higher brain functions are vitally dependent upon the senses, that deprived of our senses we would become mindless in short order. It is fortunate that the scientists have kept their eyes and ears open about our eyes and ears. and fingertips as well.

Drugs are a social stigma

Posted on by SHREYA SINGH

“Like an exploding cannonball, he was blasted out of his body – feet forward, arms clutching at his sides – through a tunnel of cold, midnight sky. Mario’s human instinct told him screaming was appropriate, and yet some other side of him was in transcendental awe.”

Untreated drug and alcohol use contribute to tens of thousands of deaths every year and impact the lives of many more. Healthcare already has effective tools including medications for opioid and alcohol use disorder that could prevent many of these deaths, but they are not being utilized widely enough, and many people who could benefit do not even seek them out. One important reason is the stigma that surrounds people with addiction.

This highlights a dimension of stigma that has been less remarked on in the literature and that is uniquely important for people with substance use disorders: Beyond just impeding the provision or seeking of care, stigma may actually enhance or reinstate drug use, playing a key part in the vicious cycle that drives addicted people to continue using drugs.

Stigma on the part of healthcare providers who tacitly see a patient’s drug or alcohol problem as their own fault leads to substandard care or even to rejecting individuals seeking treatment. People showing signs of acute intoxication or withdrawal symptoms are sometimes expelled from emergency rooms by staff fearful of their behavior or assuming they are only seeking drugs. People with addiction internalize this stigma, feeling shame and refusing to seek treatment as a result.

We live in a society where millions of Americans are dependent on drugs or alcohol and only a small percentage receive treatment at a facility. In fact, the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 21.5 Americans aged 12 and older had a substance use disorder in the previous year; however, sadly only 2.5 million received the specialized treatment they needed.

“Sometimes we must allow our locked-and- tethered inner demon a short glimpse beyond the bars,” thought Mario, “lest we forget the full extent of our virtue. One’s power does not reside in the length of their demon’s claw, but in the strength of its manacle. The unleashed demon is worthless, lest it’s controlled.”

Perceived stigma can cause major harm to people in their social lives. The chronic stress of discrimination may affect the mental and social health of individuals who use drugs. People who use drugs can feel pushed to the outskirts of society and may lose touch with their community and family and experience profound loneliness and isolation.

It can also be internalized. People who use drugs can view themselves as deviants; this can severely impact their self-esteem and self-worth. Historically, a dependence on drugs has been viewed as immoral or the result of a lack of self-control. These views contribute to stigma and present barriers to people accessing necessary treatment.

Family, friends and the general public can carry negative feelings about drug use or behavior. They may even use derogatory terms such as “junkie,” “alcoholic,” or “crackhead.” These thoughts, feelings, and labels can create and perpetuate stigma.

There must be wider recognition that susceptibility to the brain changes in addiction are substantially influenced by factors outside an individual’s control, such as genetics or the environment in which one is born and raised, and that medical care is often necessary to facilitate recovery as well as avert the worst outcomes like overdose. When people with addiction are stigmatized and rejected, especially by those within healthcare, it only contributes to the vicious cycle that entrenches their disease.

People report perceived stigma from healthcare providers, loved ones, and the general public. No matter the situation, no one likes to feel judged or devalued. In order to encourage people to reach out for help and get on the path to recovery, it is important to reduce the stigma surrounding their situation. Educational programs and modeling of non stigmatizing behavior can help people provide nonjudgmental, empathic support.

Always put your best foot forward.

Posted on by SHREYA SINGH

“As you become more successful, the gender barrier disappears. The credibility challenges you have during your growing up years starts disappearing when you start demonstrating success. “

In life, we are presented with thousands of opportunities. Some of these opportunities could be landing an interview for your dream job, getting accepted into university or an opportunity for your own start-up. It could be meeting the man of your dreams! Whatever it may be, life is full of wonderful opportunities, and sometimes it is really up to us and individuals to take life by the hands and just go for it!


This all sounds too easy, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, not all of us are blessed with supermodel genetics, family fortune, royal blood or celebrity status and we have to work incredibly hard to create opportunities for ourselves. Further to this point, as human beings we can become overwhelmed, uncomfortable and once nerves kick in, we can totally blow it. I remember being a 16 year old me and going for an admission for a fine arts diploma. I was asked to make a clay model. I was so nervous, I was shaking, I was stuttering. Let’s just save myself any further humiliation and get to the point here- I totally BLEW it!! The funny thing is, I look back now and think I didn’t even really want that degree, why was I so nervous?

Putting your best foot forward is an important, yet under-rated life skill. Putting your best foot forward means presenting yourself in the best possible light. It means making a great first impression.

There is something so appealing and attractive about confidence- whether it is inner confidence or confidence you see in others. Confidence is often attributed to success, so the saying goes “fake it till you make it.” From personal experience, confidence is developed over time and is something that comes with life experience. Much like learning to ride a bike or drive a car, confidence comes with practice and exposing yourself to things which may initially be out of your comfort zone. The more you get used to presenting to a crowd, speaking with executives or networking at social events, the more natural it will feel.

“Always put your best foot forward, because you never know where your next step may lead you.”

Like mentioned earlier, not everyone is born to be the next Victoria’s Secret Angel, however we can certainly put some effort into daily morning rituals and maintain a high standard of personal presentation. After all, you never know who you are going to bump into! I once heard the saying “Dress like you are going to bump into your ex.” If this is what motivates you to put that extra effort in the morning, go for it! Even on my laziest day, I will still show up to work with a full face of makeup and my hair slicked back into a ponytail. What if today is the day you have an important meeting, presentation or interview sprung onto you, or you meet the man of your dreams at your local cafe? I don’t know about you, but I would certainly be wanting to look my best.

It can be difficult to find what sets yourself apart from others in the professional world — but not impossible. Take some time and identify a niche, specialized skill that you possess. This could be a particular certification or the way you handle your work. One particular skill that emphasized is the value of being good at talking about what you do.Once you’ve established what your particular skill is, own it by writing about it regularly, and find some platform on which to publish your work. By doing this, you will distinguish yourself in your field and open doors as you advance your career.

We may not all be privileged and born with a silver spoon, however we are all presented with certain opportunities and it is up to you as the individual to shine from the crowd! By keeping the basic principles in mind, you will be able to make a positive, lasting impression and always put your best foot forward, whatever the circumstances may be!

Foggy Brain

Posted on by SHREYA SINGH

“Nothing is more mysterious than watching a lonely man who is taking for a night walk in a foggy street!”

Brain fog isn’t a medical condition itself, but rather a symptom of other medical conditions.Some people also describe it as mental fatigue. Depending on the severity of brain fog, it can interfere with work or school. But it doesn’t have to be a permanent fixture in your life.

There are numerous explanations for why brain fog occurs. Once you identify the underlying cause, you can begin fixing the problem. Poor sleep quality can also interfere with how well your brain functions. Hormonal changes can also trigger brain fog. Levels of the hormones progesterone and estrogen increase during pregnancy. This change can affect memory and cause short-term cognitive impairment.

One of the most common things that I hear people say is that they have brain fog. It’s when they have fuzzy thinking or feel like they’re unable to feel sharp in their thoughts anymore. This is a common thing, but it’s not supposed to be there. It’s not normal and it’s really complicated because it can be caused by a long range of lifestyle problems, medications, or conditions.

I started writing because I needed an outlet. I wondered if there was anyone out there struggling like me… I wondered if there were folks looking for a place where they could feel hope. Over the years I would come back again and again during my dark days. I would sit there in the middle of the night and just start typing. I wouldn’t stop until I had most of my feelings on the page. Then I would go back and edit… and edit… and edit. After I read and re-read many times over, and added and deleted content I would realize that even in my toughest moments, I am still so incredibly blessed. By the time I finished writing and hit the Publish button, it was impossible for me to sit there and feel like shit. At that very moment I felt a bit of joy . The main point , is that I never felt as bad as when I initially sat down at my laptop. The act of writing always put things in perspective.

My biggest challenge most days, after managing the pain, is this damn foggy brain. I can’t remember a lot of great memories that I have shared with family and friends. Memories that are so meaningful to you are simply gone for me.Please understand when I get that blank look on my face that that moment is more painful for me than it is for you. I try to laugh it off, but inside I am cringing at the fact that once again I have lost a part of my past. I can deal with the lost keys or lost memory of last week… but I truly miss being able to replay in my mind moments like when my children took their first steps. The point of this is not to bring you down, it is to hopefully help you better understand that when I don’t remember something, it has nothing to do with the role you play in my life or the level of importance of the event or conversation – it is simply a side effect of all the shit that goes on in my body.

“When fog invades the plains, everything disappears; everything but fog! When love invades the minds, everything disappears; everything but love!”

Pinpointing the causes of brain fog can be simple, but it’s also important to note that, like brain fog’s symptoms, there are quite a few things that can cause it, and they range pretty drastically in severity from things like poor sleeping habits to larger issues like depression and hypothyroidism.

Pharmaceutical medication can also cause brain fog, whether it is over-the-counter or prescribed. Major medical treatments like chemotherapy or recovery after surgery can result in brain fog. Its length can vary depending on the treatment and your recovery protocol.

It’s no secret that today’s always-on lifestyle causes us to feel stressed out. Cutting down on stress will give your mind, body, and brain time to rest and recharge.Mindfulness meditation can help reduce stress by bringing us to the present moment. It teaches how to observe the fluctuations of the mind without emotionally engaging in them, which can help to step back from powerful emotions like anxiety and stress. It teaches how to observe the world “as it is”, resulting in a calmer, less reactive headspace overall—and a less foggy one.

Don’t let your coding judgment get clouded! If you are a little foggy on what code to use, it is important to remember that when there is a lack of a definitive, “codeable” diagnosis, we must rely on what we have. Code underlying conditions, and unless there is a clear connection between a disease process and the symptoms, report both the disease and the signs and symptoms codes.

When push comes to shove, treating brain fog should be left up to your doctor. However, there are several things you can do if you’re experiencing symptoms of brain fog to help alleviate some of its symptoms.

Brain fog can be frustrating, but relief is possible. Don’t ignore your symptoms. If left untreated, brain fog can impact the quality of your life. Once the underlying cause is addressed, you mental clarity can improve.

Two Pieces make One

Posted on by SHREYA SINGH

“You know, life fractures us all into little pieces. It harms us, but it’s how we glue those fractures back together that make us stronger. “

For us to live our lives to the fullest, the only way we can achieve this is by overcoming the challenges that life throws at us. We have to experience the pain, the betrayal, the adversity, the feelings of hopelessness and the despair in life, because how else do we learn about who we are?

The pain and the feelings of hopelessness and despair have consumed my life for many months. I wondered if I would ever survive this, or if I would live a life where I felt happy and safe. Slowly, over time, my life got better and I got stronger. Now when I look back, I realize that these events, though they were painful at the time, were the catalysts for me to change my life.

Though we do not like it, everyone feels broken at some point in their life journey. Often when we find ourselves at this place of despair, we do not know what to do and so we can end up living our life through our fear, regret, pain, disillusionment and sadness. This is not the way our lives are meant to be lived. In today’s world of constant change, it is hard to hold on to who you are and manage the complexity and unpredictability of life. The one constant thing in our lives today is change.

Our thoughts fuel how we feel about our life. When we feel broken in our life, it will be our negative thoughts that dictate our feelings of sadness, disillusionment and unhappiness. When we feel joy and happiness, our positive thoughts of hope and self belief will support more of these feelings.The key to managing our negative thoughts is to practice trying to distance yourself from these thoughts and observe them rather than react automatically to them.

“Without you everything falls apart. Without you it’s not as much fun to pick up the pieces”

The emotional pain that heartbreak evokes is excruciating. Nothing else matters, no one else matters. We can barely function, think, or move. We feel removed from everyone and alone in a haze of unreality, trapped in our shattered world. All we can see is the person who broke our heart, and all we can feel is terrible pain.What we want most is for the pain to ease, to stop hurting so badly — but that is not what our mind wants. When our heart is broken, our mind has a very different agenda than we do. As a result, it ends up deceiving us and making things worse. If we want to stop hurting and move on, we need to know when NOT to trust what our mind tells us.

Our mind wants to do the opposite. Our mind wants us to think about the person all the time, to hold on to the pain and never forget who and what caused it. Our mind wants this because it is trying to “protect” us in the manner in which it typically does. If something causes us pain, like a hot stove, our mind’s job is to remind us not to touch that hot stove again, to make sure we remember how painful it was the first time. The more painful the experience, the more our mind will labor to make sure we don’t forget it, so we never make that “mistake” again. Given how excruciating heartbreak is, our mind will do everything it can to keep that pain fresh in our thoughts.

Life is a funny thing and the more we fight and resist it, the harder it is to live our life. Accepting and embracing the mystery of life allows us to heal and look at our pain as only one chapter of many chapters in our life.It throws us curve balls. It tests us and challenges us. We survive and thrive in life by embracing these challenges so that we can grow and live courageous and resilient lives.
When we feel broken inside, we need to remember that this is part of our journey and that there is no escaping the pain. We just have to work our way through the pain and despair.

Instead of fighting and questioning life and blaming yourself for how you feel, take a deep breath and remember that life is a mystery. Do not make the moments of despair and unhappiness in your life as foundations for how we will live your life forever. Our role in life is to embrace it – the good, the bad and the ugly and to live our life to its fullest – so go live it!

Fear makes you cling

Posted on by SHREYA SINGH

“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. “

What are we most afraid of? I am not talking about phobias—fear of spiders or heights—nor I am talking about obsessive-compulsive disorder, such as washing your hands to avoid germs. What I am talking about is core fears, anxiety that is always there and acts as an undertow in our life, dragging us down, pulling us away from our goals and the person we really want to be.

Every one of us has fears about being left alone. Most of us struggle with some fundamental feelings that we are unlovable or won’t be accepted for who we are. We all have a “critical inner voice,” a negative internal dialogue that chronically criticizes us or gives us bad advice.

Many of us have one or two because anxiety is part and parcel of the human condition. But the effects are multi-layered. There is the fear, and perhaps more importantly, how we cope. And often how we cope inevitably creates a self-fulfilling prophecy: What we do to manage our fear sets us up for perpetuating it.

While abandonment and rejection are about others pulling away, defeat about not measuring up, this fear is about being invaded, trapped. We need space; we need to be in charge; we don’t handle any criticism well. Rather than accommodating or internalizing and becoming self-critical, we see the world as one where people can take advantage of us, can screw us over, and can hurt us.

The first steps in conquering our fears are stepping back and looking at the larger landscape of our life. We need to identify our core fear, our overall coping style, and see what is not working. Once we have surveyed the landscape, we want to have first-aid tools to help us when our fear and anxieties are being triggered.

“Fear and anxiety many times indicates that we are moving in a positive direction, out of the safe confines of our comfort zone, and in the direction of our true purpose.”

Many people grow up with fears around abandonment. Some are plagued by these fears pretty consistently throughout their lives. They worry they’ll be rejected by peers, partners, schools, companies, or entire social circles.Everyone experiences this fear at different levels. Most of us can relate to having heightened anxiety over thoughts of rejection. We may be set off by anything from an aloof first date to a longtime partner seeming distracted and unavailable. In extreme cases, people may struggle with “autophobia,” an overwhelming fear of being alone or isolated, in which they perceive themselves as being ignored, or uncared for even when they’re with another person. They may also experience a fear of abandonment phobia, which is characterized by extreme dependency on others, and is commonly seen among individuals diagnosed with Borderline Personality disorders.

Fear of abandonment can feel very real and very painful, but if people can practice self-compassion, they are more likely to get through those times when they’re triggered. The more individuals can trace these feelings to their roots in their past, the more they can separate these experiences from the present. It takes courage for someone to be willing to see what hurt them and face the primal feelings of abandonment they may have had as children when they had no control over their situation. However, when people are able to face these feelings, they can essentially set themselves free from many of the chains of their past. They can become differentiated adults, who are able to create new stories and new relationships in which they feel safe, seen, soothed, and therefore, secure.

A person’s early attachment history acts as an internal working model for how he or she expects relationships to work. As a result, people may carry their childhood insecurities and expectations for how others will behave into their adult relationships. Children who experience an ambivalent attachment pattern may grow to have a preoccupied attachment pattern as adults, in which they continue to feel insecure in their relationships.

We all have a “critical inner voice,” a negative internal dialogue that chronically criticizes us or gives us bad advice. This ‘voice’ often perpetuates our fear of abandonment: “He’s gonna leave you,” it warns. “She’s probably cheating,” it cries. Because we all have “voices” and alarms that are set off when we feel triggered, it’s helpful to have tools and strategies to calm ourselves down when we notice our fears amp up. One useful resource is this toolkit to help people cope with anxiety, which lists exercises and practices that are beneficial for anyone to utilize when they feel stirred up.

The keys to conquering our fears start with realizing what is driving us, what we are doing, and then deliberately taking action steps to change those patterns.It’s not about doing it right, but about practicing doing it differently.