Quarantine Birthday Vlog

Birthday celebrated in Quarantine with home made love and lot of memories, no pressure of gifts, some fights, some random hair cuts gone short, simpler times - But was it enough ?

Best Gifts to gift yourself on your Birthday.

So Birthday is done, Birthday month is done, another year is done and another year of introspection is done. 
I feel quite productive, if I may say so myself (grinning cheekily).
As you guessed from the pic , I had an amazing birthday, I love gifts who doesn’t. 
Talking about gifts I used to invite more friends for my birthday party so I could get more gifts. The feeling of unwrapping pretty colorful presents to find a surprise waiting in there. Some good, some amazing, some OK and some disappointing but nevertheless all are always exciting. 
Honestly,  I use to be eager for my guests to leave so that I could get to my gifts, I still do so (now you know, so urge me to open my gift you always get me, so that I am not wanting you to head over for the door in my head). 

Birthdays always do that to me, I cherish them mine or others and I love that feeling of being special, being cherished. By gestures, love, kindness, gifts. Don’t forget the gifts, I won’t let you (laughing to myself). 

However, as you grow older you need to be are expected to be a bit more mature about your own Birthday. 

Now, that’s one thing about life, when you are a kid, your parents pamper you with gifts, additional love and attention, party with friends- home made Pav Bhaji, or Vadas, chips, pastries and you are made to feel like a star. But as your age increases  and your cuteness decreases along with that - the need to celebrate an individual or is it how they put it, the desire to celebrate your own birthday and all that attention no longer entices one. 

So what they really mean is after enticing you all those years with parties, gifts celebrations they want you to relinquish it all. After tasting self accolade and love the society wants you to give it all away for the bigger picture over here it’s actually you bigger in the picture... 

After years of being celebrated how does one go un - celebratory, if that even makes sense? Why am I supposed to go all monk from monster (monkey would be better) on my birthday ? No offence but I don’t want to be a Monk on my birthday. 

Now I didn’t know that celebrating oneself, my own life was supposed to be a bit immature. 

Well I love to celebrate myself, the day I came in this beautiful universe, the person I am, blessed and loved, I forgot lucky too. 

I am in my 30’s and I still love to celebrate my birthday, I am still far away from being a monk, birthday still entices me and the rate at which I am going, I am sure I would jolly well be enticed by the same even in my ripe old age. 

Celebrations do change, that I will give you. Cute and pretty gifts are always wonderful. 

In the long run though - Love, relationships, family, friendships will definitely hold your fort. 

I definitely love to gift myself more of these things below and then some more for birthday and for life. 

Indulge

Indulge the kid within you, do what you love, have what you love. Go for that big customized chocolate cake, surprise yourself. Have that bucket of fried chicken or cheese and champagne. Gift yourself a lovely candlelight dinner and plush night. 

In short sometimes you can have your cake, cut it and eat it too... 

Love 

Let love in your life, love yourself unconditionally and let others love you. No one can love you more than your own.  Love makes everything worthwhile, it adds meaning to life, to being. 

Cherish 

Cherish your family and loved ones, spend quality time with them, take breaks, go for holidays, talk, eat together, make amends, go that extra mile. It’s these moments, that you will cherish forever, these are the best gifts to give yourself. These are the people who will always matter the most. 

Let go

Let go, life is short; don’t be too hard on yourself. Let go of what you can’t change, what is poisonous, what is unhealthy, what doesn’t give you happiness, that which has served its purpose in your life. Let go off these toxic habits, things, feelings, relations and see yourself soaring higher, lighter, happier. 

(Don’t confuse yourself between cherishing and letting go, I ain’t contradicting myself. There are few things, people, relations which are beloved and which we give our all but which are toxic for our growth, we need to understand the difference. Make a choice for your growth and act on it, without guilt.) 

Let go off your Guilt 

Letting go of the guilt - that you are/were not good enough. You didn’t do your best. 
You tried- you failed- accept that and let go of the guilt weighing you down. 
Learn your lesson and move on. 

Change is the only constant 

Uncertainty is certain, so brave it on, you will surprise yourself with your capability. 

Keep changing, keep evolving, keep updating yourself in all walks of life - survival of the fittest you see. 

Health

And on that last note, being fit and healthy is akin to survival and a good life. To enjoy the pleasures, you need to sweat it out. Exercise, eat healthy, have a disciplined life in some sense. The fitter you are the more birthdays you will celebrate eating cake your way. 

Meditate 

Cleansing your mind is of utmost importance, mental health is as important as physical. You want to remember your party people and stay sane till your last birthday now, don’t you? 

Kindness 

Be kind to yourself first, be gentle on yourself. 
Don’t blame yourself for everything that goes wrong and don’t be too hard on yourself. 

Be kind to Others, help those in need - a loving gesture goes a long way. Kindness always comes back. 

Believe 

Believe in yourself. If you will then others will. 
Believe and you will do wonders. Believe in the universe, the greater force. Have hope and faith always. 

Attitude 

Have a right attitude cause it’s all about the attitude. 
The glass is half empty or full only you decide, the same way your life is beautiful or no only you decide. 
Look for good in everything and you will see it. 

Friends 

You need your chosen family, the crazy ones to make this ride worthwhile. To throw you that birthday party every year. The people who have your vibe, keep them close. They will always be there for you, they are your tribe.  

Enjoy your own company 

Enjoy your solitude, your own self. 

Get to know yourself, fall in love with yourself, romance yourself. The longest and most stable relationship you will ever have - you - invest in it totally. Invest in yourself. 

Read

Read a lot of books, weave a lot of stories in your mind. 
Books are your best friends, they will take you around in their world. 
They will enrich you like nothing ever will with their treasure troves. 

Podcasts are the new favorite books, not mine really though but as I said you should stay updated. 

Gift Experiences 

The trip you wanted to take, that class you wanted to join, the mountain you always wanted to scale. Do that.

Experiences make you feel better than materialistic pleasures. You will always cherish the memories. 

Learn 

Be a student of life forever. In whatever field, way, thing, experience you want - educate your self. 

Happiness 

Be happy. Happiness is not a destination, it’s the journey. So don't wait for it, make it happen. It’s work in progress, chose to be happy every day and see the joy it brings in life. #smallthingsbigsmiles 

Grateful 

Be grateful for yourself, this life, all that you have, all that you are. Celebrate it aka celebrate yourself- celebrate your  Birthday 🥳🎂🧁🎊🎁🎉 

—- point proved —-  laughing happily, as if I need a reason... 

No pressure but you better celebrate with me cause this one will leave old and with a grand big one. 

xoxo
Bhakti

Birthday Shenanigans

Birthdays are always special to me. I go all out and crazy for birthdays, including mine.

In my childhood my mother use to buy me all new clothes for the D day and we use to celebrate with a cake with family and friends, it was kind of a tradition.

The tradition still continues I need to doll my self with all new things and yes then I feel like a birthday girl and yes the loved ones need to be there with all the jing bang.

Birthdays make you feel so good, there is something so electric in the air. 

I love to spend my birthday with my near and dear ones and just can't help grinning throughout the day.

A year older, a year wiser, welcoming a new decade, I decided to spend my Birthday this year giving smiles and making everyone happy. It's not the first time that I did something like this but indeed the first time I decided to share it with everyone.

We always say that you should do the good deed and never tell. No one should even know that a good deed was done, as it's not for showing off or being conceited, it's about doing your bit and feeling good. I beg to differ, isn't that being secretive and keeping the happiness just to our-self.
Let everyone know, let the happiness spread, let people join in , the good spread and multiply, let there be more smiles and hearts full of gratitude for giving and receiving. Gratitude for the being.
If we can be the inspiration or motivation for others or give ideas and share ideas, then why not ? Lets share, lets tell, lets make a difference, lets make the world a better place, lets be better humans.

So this is how my birthday went.

Made sandwiches for the homeless. Felt so nice as this made for lunch for so many homeless dotting the city streets. 

A quick trip to the mart. 

All ready for our next pit stop -Maher - home for orphan kids and women. 

On enquiring they told me any kind of food products, grains are most welcome.

The kids playing. 

Next stop on the list - Blue Cross. Contributed in the form of food. 

They just want love and affection. 

Birthday well spent. Birthday girl all happy and grinning. 

One gets so much peace after seeing smiles on others faces. Giving has got certainly more happiness and power than receiving. A little bit of effort towards society. Giving back to the universe, to the society, to life in whatever way I can. It definitely makes a positive impact and it really makes you feel good and fulfilled. The happiness is unparalleled. 

I strongly urge everyone give in whatever way you can back to the society to life. Help to make our world a better place. Small steps, small changes towards a bigger picture. 

P.S I myself was inspired by Mimi Ikonn to share my experience and make a difference. 

xoxo 

Bhakti