#8: It's my Birthday week

15 Reflections

Hello my dearest, 

Last Monday was my 23rd birthday. I couldn’t help but make this newsletter a celebration of my existence :) Here are 15 learnings/ reflections/ joys that I am thinking of this birthday,

1. My Amma’s lap is the BEST place in the whole wide world.

2. Karaoke has become my new favourite unwind-time, joy-bringer, bonding-time activity. My siblings and I have been having one too many karaoke sessions and my current favourite tunes to sing out-of-tune to with those two are (very cringy but I still love them) - Steal my girl, Love story and Thangamey.

3. I love love love peanut butter. If you ever want to buy me a present and are confused about what to get me; bring me crunchy peanut butter please - I will sit eating spoons-full of it and smile endlessly.

4. More often than not, I put myself in a box. ‘‘I’m an introvert’’, ‘‘I’m not the best communicator’’, ‘‘socialising is not my thing’’ and blah blah blah. I’ve built an image of myself within myself, a definition for Vaishnavi, a template based on my past which I feel unknowingly obliged to live by in the present. This is still a work in progress, but over the past year I have allowed myself to keep re-inventing myself, allowed myself to be a different version of me every single day, given myself the freedom to surprise myself. I can be whoever I want to be, whenever I want to be. I am a shape-shifter, an adaptor, an explorer. I am an endless miraculous potential. I will not contain myself within a definition. I can be everything that I want to be; this and that and that too :)

5. That brings me to point number 5; my personality is ever changing. Vaishnavi from 8 months back doesn’t recognise the Vaishnavi that I am today. In 6 months from now I will be version of me that today’s version can only look at with absolute awe and admiration.

6. I’m immensely blessed with extraordinary parents and it is my absolute honour to live each day as a testament to their parenting.

7. I am the average of the people that I spend the most time with. I cannot express and emphasise enough on this. And with that in mind, let me bring in point number 8.

8. You need to free up space to allow the flow of life to happen. Pause and revisit relationships. See what and who brings you energy, see what and who drains energy from you. Respectfully distance yourself from those relationships that are holding you back. It is not always that a person is bad or ill-intentioned, sometimes it could just be that two people are vibrating on different frequencies. Let go, create space for life to happen to you.

9. My friends have made a phenomenal impact on my life. I cannot express enough how grateful I am for them.

10. Consistency is my superpower; the strength that I most proud of. Once I set my mind to something, I will show up for it every single day - sleepy, tired, jet lagged, uninterested, bored! I know for certain that if I decide to do something - I will do it. I decided to eliminate refined sugar from my diet, I’ve been following it for 3 years and 8 months now. I decided to start writing a gratitude journal everyday, I’ve been writing everyday for 3 months now. I decided to start strength training, I’ve taken 73 gym sessions in the past 4.5 months.

11. My sister is my best friend. My no-judgement safe space. My greatest blessing.

12. Graphic oversized t-shirts, purple crocs and hair loosely tied in a springy scrunchy - that has been my go to look for long now. While I still thoroughly enjoy a no-effort look, I have recently also began to realise the importance of putting in effort, the importance of presenting myself well. Dressing well brings in so much confidence!

13. I can do 10 complete push ups now! From being able to do zero push-ups 5 months ago, to being able to do 10 full pushups in one go today, I am very proud of my progress.

14. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Never thought I would be a part of this tribe, but 23-year-old me loves the way diamonds compliment a woman’s charm.

15. Last one for today, but my most significant learning. Have complete clarity on who’s judgement about you needs to matter to you, and for anybody else’s judgement lets just reply in Ariana Grande style ‘‘thank you, next.’’ I was recently watching a show, Dil Dosti Dilemma and I loved this one line ‘‘kuch tho log kahenge, log ka kaam hai khena’’ which roughly translates to ‘‘people will always talk and judge, that is their work.’’

That’s all for this today folks. Let me end this week’s newsletter with one last thing. The past 6 months have felt like the BEST period of my life so far, I am growing unconditionally, irrevocably, unlimitedly in-love with the person that I am becoming.

I cannot wait for life to keep happening to me, for all the big, beautiful miraculous things to happen to me, I cannot wait to see where I take myself, what I make of myself, and who I will keep becoming. I am so very proud of you V.

Sending everyone reading this all my love <3. I’ll see you on Sunday again :)

Lots of warmth and wonder,

Vaishnavi

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