Zapstore: best shopping experience online

Shopping is a basic human need which serves in acquiring things that are needed for optimum chances of survival and existence. Generally, we tend to equate buying stuff with positive emotions. Thus we correlate buying new things with achieving happiness. Actually, the brain’s pleasure center gets activated and floods the brain with dopamine- the feel good chemical, at the very thought of getting something we want.

Making decisions is hard work! And our brains don’t like to work that hard all the time. So, we are more often attracted to simple and easy solutions. This explanation holds true even for our shopping behavior. When we are bombarded with too many choices of products with varying price ranges, we tend to become confused and are not able to decide what to buy. This is the reason, we looked to narrow down our search by relying on advice of friends and relatives traditionally when deciding what to buy. Thus, in conventional mode of shopping, word of mouth is what people relied on most of the time to make purchasing decisions.

In the digital age we live in, we prefer to shop online at the various e-commerce websites available these days owing to the convenience, time saving, comfort, money saving , discount deals and  the variety of products these portals provide. But sometimes we just get overwhelmed with the options available and want to compare the price and quality being offered at the different sites to get the best value for the money we are spending, before finalising our purchase.

Zapstore provides  a perfect solution for this dilemma of ours. It is a one stop shop for all our shopping needs with a social network of users as its main base. These users select products which they find good in all aspects of quality and pricing from different sites like flipkart, amazon, snapdeal etc and add them to their individual stores on zapstore. Other users can select from this list of curated products which they like and get the best deal or they can add their own products as well, by opening their own account on zapstore. Thus consumer gets the option to buy the product at the lowest price available at different online sellers of the product.

The hand picked products offer the best deals as the options are narrowed down from thousands of choices available, as users carefully select the best out of the rest. Now, we can just finalise our purchase from these best ones by comparing prices and features from all stores at one place easily. This is thus a single platform for all the best products online which makes shopping a fun and enjoyable experience by satisfying all the needs of the consumers by just a click of finger.

You can open your own zapstore at this site and add your chosen products and become the #BestZapCurator youself easily. An account can be opened on zapstore very quickly by following the instructions given for guidance. Then one has to select few main categories of products one is interested in purchasing. click the save option once you have chosen the categories. An update box will appear in which you have to copy and paste the url links from other e-commerce sites from where you have selected a certain product. Then click the update button. This product is thus added to your individual zapstore. There are bonus points added to user’s account under fulfillment of certain conditions. For more info you can  Check out my zapstore here-https://zapstore.com/s/Pearl

After opening my account, i selected these products which i had been planning to buy :

 

1. Apple iPhone 6: this was available at discounted price of Rs. 38,479 and the features it offers like it’s power efficiency, advanced ios 8 and a large and superior 11.93 cm high definition retina display screen, were the reasons i selected this phone. It ensures high speed and power packed performance with M8 motion co processor, which makes it a great choice to watch videos or play multimedia games. Large amount of data can be stored as it has 16GB internal memory, so no need to constantly shift pictures, videos and data files elsewhere. The 8 megapixel camera is a boon for users like me who love photography but don’t like  taking the cumbersome cameras along . The feature of optical image stabilization technology provided is found in high end cameras, this also results in blur free photographs.
2. Fostelo Beige PU shoulder bag: it seems a nice, durable product and is completely worth the price  of Rs.594 as it is stylish. This bag can be taken to work daily or can be carried on weekends out with friends. It reflects the latest trend.
3. Fostelo Brown shoulder bag: this bag is also available at a good bargain price at Rs. 594. It combines rich polyurethane like finishing with fine attention to detail. The bag is made of good quality material and has polycotton linings with inside  zippers and back zipper pocket. It also comes with a warranty of 1 year on manufacturing defects.
4. Luck Jewelry white alloy kundan necklace set: this is available at a discount of 50% at Rs.3,122. Kundan is an art of making jewelry which was fostered in India by Mughals but it is as popular and cherished today.
5. Sewad antique gold plated necklace set: this comes at a discount of 40% at  Rs.1,019. It is traditional in design and looks very pretty, chic and classic.
6. Brand new blackberr  z3: this phone i selected as a gift to my nephew who is looking forward to get his first phone as gift for his good performance in high school exams. This phone has good features available at price of Rs.6192 .
7. 

Loads of other products and deals are there on zapstore to check out and grab. So, get going and enjoy a wonderful and joyous shopping experience which your wallet will love as well !

“I am making my own store for the #BestZapStore activity at BlogAdda in association with Zapstore. ”

You need hope to survive in this world!

Life is a blessing and a joy to be lived and experienced to the fullest. But sometimes for an individual, it becomes a burden and he is forced to take the extreme step of suicide. Loss of life is a tragic event in any of its forms.

What are these forces that drive a person to such a pit that he sees killing himself as the only solution to his misery, suffering and pain? These are the forces of betrayal, shame,depression, failure, defeat, heartbreak, helplessness or loneliness.

I came across this novel by Sriram Aiyer – “The story of a suicide” recently. Once i started reading it, i could not keep it down till i had finished it. The story is interesting and narrated in a very unique style with each chapter focusing on different issues faced by the youngsters in our society. It is the story of Sam, Hari, Mani and Charu and how their lives are interconnected through deceit, betrayal, hurt, passion and heart break.

 

The book vividly captures the pressures these young people face as a result of stereotyping and non acceptance by society. Hari is sexually abused by his own uncle but fails to find any confidante within his family and friend circle which drives him towards frustration, loneliness and despair. The hurt and pain he experiences makes him completely hopeless. A person can face extreme difficulties if he has hope, even if that hope is just an illusion. Lack of support system of any kind is his undoing in life. Even his parents refuse to believe him when he approaches them for support and help. He is warned against hallucinating by his doting dad who later refuses to accept that his son is a gay.

Later Hari finds a friend and partner in Mani, but his trust is soon broken. This episode in particular is quite ironic in the story as Mani himself had reached a point in life because of despair where he decides to end his life. Luckily life gives him a second chance to live. But he himself becomes the cause of despair and reason for a friend’s complete disillusionment with life which forces him towards the doors of no return-suicide.

The book can be read here http://www.storyofasuicide.com

Many shades and stages of lust, passion and love as experienced by Sam and Charu are well portrayed. Ego of a person can drive him to even hurt and harm the person he once confessed to truly love. Sam resorts to snooping on Charu by implanting a software Jarvis in her devices to record her activities, but this act of his had far reaching effects which he had not expected in his wildest dreams.

The lines which i found had a deep meaning and were profound are mentioned below-

“When a person loves another to fill a void, then the relationship is doomed for failure. It is born out of fear, insecurity and low self-esteem. And this is common among men and women. But the way both of them handle that during and after break up may be different.”

Saar, this is my son Manivannan. I am a labourer in a brick kiln from Devarapalayam in Dharmapuri. I have never been to a school saar, but my son is very intelligent. His school head master told me that he has scored big marks. I am very happy. He is my only hope saar. My husband ran away with another woman, when Mani’s brother was just two months old. My Mani will become a very big man and a collector one day. I am confident. Saar, will you take care of my son?” Alex remembered this scene distinctly.

 

This book by the author is a strong and very timely initiative to bring into focus the lacunae in our society and its detrimental effects on sensitive individuals. After each chapter in the book,  a guidance column on’  how to cope ‘ on different topics like heartbreak, loneliness, betrayal, sexual abuse, harassment and bullying are given in detail. One can find great suggestions and course of action to follow in times of despair. link is –http://www.storyofasuicide.com/how-do-i-all.html

To be strong and cope with the hardships in life, one should strive to develop inner strength. Instead of looking for happiness outside, get in touch with your inner self and achieve true contentment. Keep your expectations low as when these don’t get fulfilled, the hurt caused is immense. Be your own true friend and practice self love. Accept yourself completely and stop looking for approval from others. Learn to move on , let go and forget. You cannot move forward in life if you are buried under the burden of past mistakes and regrets. Don’t be ashamed of asking for help from family, friends or professional psychologists. You don’t have to suffer in silence while fighting the external or internal demons.

I would recommend this book for reading to everyone as it carries pearls of immense wisdom and learning. Let us strive to the best of our capabilities to bring this topic into focus and discuss solutions to stop suicides at all costs. Its high time society and we, as integral parts of this society learn to let go of the age old prejudices and stop judging and stereotyping people. Everyone deserves freedom of choice and right to live peacefully.

pic and video credit: storyofasuicide.com

Treasure Hunt

This weekend, when we went grocery shopping, I was surprised to see my son spending lot of time in front of the toothpaste section of the supermarket and closely checking out their brands and packs. When I asked him, what was he searching for, he told me about the Colgate toothpaste packs which have magical sea world printed inside. He had seen the ads about these packs on television and wanted the toothpaste.

I picked a pack for him from the upper shelf. He was super-excited and eager to cut out the intricate little figurines printed on the inner side of the pack at the earliest.

He got to work as soon as we reached home, cutting out the boxes and arranging the sea creatures carefully on a board. I must confess, the figurines were really fascinating and even I was transported to the fairyland of childhood for a while. I relived those moments of innocent wonders and imagination again with him by  pitching in to help him with cutting the print outs of pirates, sea-creatures, and under-water castle.

It was such a pleasure to watch him completely engrossed in the fun activity, almost lost in the sweet world of dreams, spending his leisure time in a creative and constructive activity away from the screen and gadgets.

My son has always been fascinated with sea and the wonders that lie hidden within it. Along with cutting and arranging the figurines, he was also weaving a story about the magical sea world in the imaginary world of his brain. I realized this soon, as i was treated to a fascinating story, which i am sharing here with you-

Magical sea world cut outs

 

“Hey! Try to keep the ship steady” Blackbeard, the pirate shouted.

“I am trying my best” shrieked back Sadie, his assistant and co passenger on the ship.

Just then another huge wave came crashing into the ship, almost toppling it over and the duo fall into the water. Their ship started sinking rapidly into the deep sea.

Blackbeard and Sadie try to keep themselves afloat but are soon knocked out by sheer physical drain. Next morning, they wash up on an island and realize the real situation when they are woken up by the bright sunlight.

Actually, Blackbeard and Sadie had been sailing the seas since several months searching for a big treasure hidden at a secret location in the sea. On the way, a storm struck their ship.

When Blackbeard and Sadie looked around, they noticed that the island was deserted and there was no one to help them. For some time, they sat dejected and utterly frustrated. Then, as the sun was setting on the horizon, Sadie decided to search around for something to eat for dinner before it got completely dark.

Soon, she found a coconut tree which had several fresh green coconuts hanging on it. She picked up a big bamboo from a groove nearby and hit it at one of the big coconuts which immediately fell on the sand below.

As Sadie bent down to pick it up, she noticed something shimmering in the sand. On removing the top layer of the sand from the spot where the heavy coconut had fallen and created a small depression, she discovered a shiny brass box.

She hurriedly picked it up and went back to where Blackbeard was still lost in his depressing thoughts of impending doom.

“Look ! what i found” squealed Sadie as she handed over the brass box to Blackbeard.

Blackbeard quickly opened the box and was completely astonished. There was a wonderful surprise for him inside. It was a treasure map which was neatly folded and kept in the box.

 

“Sadie! This is the map we have been searching for!” exclaimed Blackbeard.

“Are you looking for the treasure hidden in the underwater castle?” a strange voice spoke behind them.

“What?” Blackbeard looked up towards the voice, completely surprised.

“I’m Hari!” said the parrot which was perched on the top branch of the palm tree just behind where they were standing. I had been guarding the map inside the box since long but as  you have  luckily found the box, i will help you find that treasure.

So, next day, Blackbeard and Sadie followed the parrot, who led them to the opposite side of the island. There, the parrot called his friend Rudy-the crab and stated discussing something with him. Rudy, later called the other sea creatures- the lion fish, the sea horse, the dolphin, octopus, star fish, sword fish, and many more.

After a while, Hari flew towards Blackbeard and Sadie.

“My fellow mates have only one condition to support you in getting the treasure; and that is, you must give each of them their rightful share of the treasure after you retrieve it” Hari told the duo.

“Okay, i agree!” said Blackbeard, his face gleaming with joy and determination.

“Hello! there is a boat hidden right there, if you want to start right now” said the crab, pointing towards the mangroves.

 

 

Blackbeard and Sadie immediately take the boat and start their journey, with the parrot guiding them towards the underwater castle for some distance.

“From here my friend Oru- the octopus will guide you underwater and help you carry the treasure back.” Hari told Blackbeard after they had covered half the route on the boat. Now, they would have to swim underwater to reach the castle.

Blackbeard and Sadie followed Oru, swimming with full strength and soon reached the underwater castle. They are overjoyed to find the huge treasure inside the castle which they had been searching for years. Blackbeard divides the treasure equally amongst all the sea creatures, Sadie and himself. He thanks them all for their help.

With this, my son ended his interesting story. I was really amazed by his imagination skills. Thanks to the new Colgate strong teeth packs, i was able to witness a new facet of my son’s personality which i’ll try my best to nurture and polish further.

There are four packs in all of this colgate toothpaste with different themes, which have sea creatures printed on the inner side along with information about these creatures- the coral reef, sea magic, treasure hunt and pirate ship.

This activity is a fantastic way of unlocking your child’s imagination and unleashing their creativity.They learn wonderful facts along with playing. Not to forget, that the mundane chore of brushing teeth, twice a  day becomes more fun for kids when their toothpaste pack is so interesting.

Next day, my son decided to test my knowledge about sea creatures by taking a small quiz. He prepared the quiz from the info he had collected from the colgate packs.

IT’S QUIZ TIME !

1. Why are Lion fish dangerous?
2. How does Puffer fish defend itself?
3. What is the name of largest member of dolphin family?
4. What is uncommon about the way crabs walk?
5. How many hearts does an octopus have?
6. What are mermaids and pirates?
7. How does sting ray defend itself?
8. What are groups that dolphins live in called?

Now, don’t you think this is real infotainment!

You can find the answers to the above questions and many more like these on the inner side of the packs,  so get going and grab the new colgate strong teeth toothpaste which helps not just in fighting against germs and gum diseases but also spark the kids’ imagination towards unrestricted flights of fantasy.

Unlock little imaginations with Colgate’s magical sea world!

Easier and faster way to file income tax !

“The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax”  ~Albert Einstein

This bang on assessment on income tax by Einstein was made decades ago; but it still holds true. For majority of us, the mere mention of the word ‘tax’ is enough to trigger a headache and an avalanche of stress.

According to wikipedia, a tax is a financial charge or other levy imposed upon a taxpayer by a state to fund various public expenditures.

Purpose of tax is to raise  revenue to fund government to carry out expenses on economic infrastructure, military, scientific research, public work like construction of roads and bridges, public utilities like maintaining of law and order and operation of government itself. Tax is also the main source of government revenue needed for developmental and welfare programs like free education and mid day meal schemes for poor and assured employment plans.

Thus income tax filing is an important duty of all the citizens who come in the tax paying category. It is our duty towards our nation. The importance of income tax can not be emphasized enough as it is the powerful force which drives the economic growth of the nation and helps in creating more jobs which is the urgent need right now for youth of India. It is also a barometer for progress of a country as rising income tax shows a corresponding growth in income.

Still, only about 4% of the population pays taxes, according to the income tax department records. Some factors to be considered here are- that 60% of the population is excluded as they are into agriculture. Out of the remaining, certain percentage of the citizens doesn’t fall into the tax bracket. Also, a large percentage of those who fall in taxable bracket, don’t pay their taxes regularly or timely. Some deem it as an unnecessary, unimportant, time consuming burden. All this results in tax base remaining low in our country, resulting in lack of revenues for the authorities.

Thus, it is necessary for those who come in tax paying bracket to do their duty by filing tax returns regularly and timely and also encourage others in their family and friend circle to do the same. This way the tax base can be increased which will be advantageous to the nation as a whole.

Also, our job does not end at just paying the taxes, filing returns is an equally important activity so that details of all income sources including salary, interest rent earned etc can be specified and appropriately taxed.

 

Some personal benefits of filing income tax return are:

1. It is highly useful in your financial life. It comes handy for sanctions of loans be it for your dream house, vehicle or higher education.
2. Opening bank account, trading in stocks or making any other investment becomes easy for you if you have income tax return statement.
3. It can be used as your standard income proof.
4. It becomes easy to obtain a visa for foreign travel as most countries want to cross check if you are financially sound before granting visa. In such cases, income tax return can effectively prove your financial worth and sound status.
5. Financial portfolio planning becomes easy, which can lead to maximized returns.
6. There are good chances of getting a refund of extra tax paid by you if you file the ITR.

 

Income tax department of India has taken several measures to make the process of tax filing easy, quick and hassle free by adopting informational technology. ITR can be easily filed online by registering on the income tax India website from anywhere, anytime. Several services have recently been upgraded and a user friendly grievance mechanism has been put in place for the benefit of tax payers.

 

E-filing of income tax return is the best option as it is:

1. Faster and easier-It is very simple, convenient and quick to file ITR online. E-filing transfers your tax return documents instantaneously to income tax department. It gets filed in timely manner without any undue hurry when the deadline approaches. It is completely DIY (do it yourself) with easy steps to follow and it can be done from anywhere at your convenient time through your computer, tablet or smartphone.
2. It is non time consuming– you don’t need to travel long distances in heavy traffic to tax offices or your financial advises’s office. There is no need to stand in long queues . If you submit your tax return online on regular basis, the statement comes pre-filled with earlier information like salary details, investments, fixed revenue sources. You can then file it with a few clicks in a couple of minutes, thus saving lot of valuable time.
3. It is secure and completely confidential- the information is guarded through high grade encryption system. There is no chance of the important tax documents getting misplaced, lost or forgotten unlike the traditional paper based system.
4. E-filing is cost effective and free – you don’t need to pay heavy fees to get your documents prepared and submitted by professionals.
5. It is more accurate– the online site is always accessible from anywhere. You can check your information and make changes as many times as you want before final submission. You can double check the details like PAN number, bank account numbers and address. So, there is almost no chance of wrong info related to name, income, address etc.
6. Tax estimation can be calculated easily and accurately – taxable income, tax dues can be easily calculated. You can thus find optimum plans to maximize deductions which will lower your taxable income by great margin, which puts you into a lower tax bracket, helping you save a big amount.
7. Tax refund of excess tax is fast and completely hassle free- you can get tax refund directly into your bank account, often within a month if you file tax return online.
8. You can view your tax credit and file it online from any part of the world at your convenient time. You can even track the processing status in real time.

 

 

 

Some documents to keep handy while e-filing your tax return:

1. Form 16- This is your tax credit statement as well as your salary certificate. It has two parts- part A (contains TDS details from your salary )and part B( contains salary details like allowances, basic salary, deductions under chapter vi A etc.) You can upload your form 16 directly or fill it manually making sure you don’t miss out on any info.
2. Tax credit statement 26 A – Form 26 A contains details of -tax deducted from tax payers income,tax collected,advance tax etc.
3. Investment details- details of ASF, NSC, ULIP, UTI, PPF, Equity saving schemes, ELSS etc.
4. Interest income details- interest earned on saving bank account, PPF account, FD etc.
5. Medical or life insurance details-The premium you pay for these are allowed as deduction from your income.
6. Bank account details- It is compulsory to mention all your active bank accounts as on date of e-filing the tax return. Details like account number, IFSC of your bank branch and type of account should be provided.

Over all, e-filing is not a difficult task, but if you need assistance in filing your tax return electronically, there are tax-expert platforms like H&R Block to help you. They have experienced and expert professionals on their panel who can guide you at each step and are available on chat to solve all your queries. H&R Block – the largest tax filer in the world which has  the experience of serving 2.5 crore clients worldwide, has tied up with 300+ corporates in India and e-filed more than 3 lakh returns with customer score of 9/10.

Their in depth knowledge is also  a great advantage to individuals with capital gains, dual taxation, ESOP workings, global income,sale of foreign shares, and many similar complicated issues. They also provide year long access to your adviser, your account page and documents that help in planning taxes in better way with guarantee of accuracy and confidentiality.

So, let us all take a #taxpledge to regularly and timely file our income tax returns. Hope this initiative by blogadda and H&R Block truly acts as a wake up call for everyone and we all take a much needed step forward in becoming worthy citizens of our great nation.

pic credit: pixabay.com

“I’m taking the #TaxPledge to file IT returns with the easy Income Tax efiling option from H&R Block at BlogAdda.”

Profoundness of Silence is Necessary !

It’s strange but true that in spite of so many sounds and words, silence is considered ultimate. Silence and peace is needed to communicate with your own self. When we dwell deeper in silence, we can listen to our inner guide and follow it. Thus find solutions to many recurring dilemmas and get motivated to tackle them.

“When you learn to read the silence, you will discover beautiful patterns that speak louder than any words written or said aloud”            ~S.L. Alder

When we practice silence consciously, we get attuned to higher vibrations. This restores and multiplies our energy levels. Silence is the awareness of constant moment of ” vibrant present”, not based on past and future. It is coming back home into yourSELF , which lies within. SELF gets purified by silence (maun).

Silence is not Empty, it can provide umpteen answers which we fail to grasp in the endless noise around. It is passive communication.

Silence is the timeless state through which one can understand one’s own eternal truth and find infinite bliss.

Silence is the discovery of your own existence !

How Can Yoga Help In Transforming Your Life ?

The word ‘yoga’ means ‘to add’, ‘to join’ or ‘to unite’. Yoga is a practical aid involving controlled breathing, prescribed body postures and meditations. It originated in ancient India. It has been practiced for thousands of years. The development of yoga started almost 5000 years ago.

The word yoga was first mentioned in the oldest available text- the Rig Veda.The vedas were ancient texts containing rituals and mantras to be used by Vedic priests. Over the years yoga has evolved into its modern version. It does not belong to practices of  any particular religion or sect, but is a way of life.

Traditionally yoga was developed and practiced to clear one’s mind and make body flexible, in order to allow the practitioner to sit and meditate without worrying about the stiff back or clogged thought process.

Yoga is not just about the physical exercises like the postures and asanas. There are many more aspects to it. It also involves breathing techniques and meditation which have tremendous  positive effects at the mental and emotional levels. It is a completely natural and  holistic way to achieve optimum health.

Some of the aspects of yoga are:

1. Balancing of physical body leads to balancing of emotions also.
2. Forward bending postures develop understanding and flexibility to situations and people.
3. Backward bending poses help in developing strength and courage to face the setbacks in life.
4. Twisting exercises help by aiding in releasing all fears and inhibitions that block your progress.
5. Pranayama increase the mental stamina.

 

Yoga has been developed into various forms differing on the benefits they provide and main techniques that are focused in that particular form. Some forms like Iyengar yoga, Hatha yoga, Hot yoga, Bikram yoga, Ashtanga yoga and Power yoga have gained lot of popularity over the years due to the illness controlling and treatment solutions they provide.

Even in its modern avatar yoga helps in achieving all round fitness and total personality development. It is a life style to integrate one’s body, soul and mind.

Some of the benefits of yoga are:

*Holistic package for complete fitness and health: yoga helps with pranayam(breathing techniques), meditation and physical poses, thus covering all aspects of health.

*Stress relief: yoga is a stress buster. It helps to dissolve tensions stored in the body and mind. It focuses on living in the present, without worrying about the future or thinking about the past. Yoga makes the mind calm and peaceful.

*Weight loss: There are several postures like sun salutations( surya namaskar) and breathing technique like kapalbhati pranayam that help in loosing extra weight.

*Improved immunity: yogic exercises help in building core strength and stamina, and reduced tension leads to increased protection against illnesses.

*Increased happiness and awareness levels: increased peace of mind results in higher satisfaction levels leading to more happiness. One hour of yoga  a day will make rest of the 23 hours happier. Living in the present moment leads to living with more outside and inside awareness, connecting with your inner self at deeper level.

*Increased energy: In yoga, body is stretched with every posture you perform, leading to muscle increase and higher levels of energy all through the day. Few minutes of regular yoga keep you fresh all day long.

*Better flexibility and posture: Regular practice of yoga tones the muscles and also makes them strong leading to improved flexibility of the whole body .This also leads to  a better posture when you stand, sit or walk.

*Better intuition:meditations increase concentration levels and focus. the intuitive abilities of the practitioner are also significantly enhanced.

On the occasion of international yoga day today, Let us embark on this journey of self, to the self through the self with yoga as a positive aid.

Let us include it in our lifestyle, follow it with sincerity and dedication by:

1. Fixing a goal to practice it regularly and continuously.
2. Choosing a proper time slot and sticking to it.
3. Keep yourself constantly motivated. This can also be done by selecting a yoga Companion to do yoga with or doing it in a group.

 

Yoga transcends culture, age or religion and promotes overall unity.

 

“The highest form of yoga is called Raja Yoga- The king of yogas. So, to have a very deeply, orderly, moral, ethical life, not just merely performing various postures but to lead a very disciplined life, that was the real meaning of the highest form of yoga.” ~ J. Krishna Murti.

 

 

 

The Capacity To Be Alone Is The Capacity To Love!

“The capacity to be alone is the capacity to love! It may look paradoxical to you, but it’s not. It’s an existential truth: only those people who are capable of being alone are capable of love, of sharing, of going into the deepest core of another person without possessing  the other,without becoming dependent on the other, without reducing the other to a thing, and without becoming addicted to the other. They allow the other absolute freedom, because they know that if the other leaves, they will be happy as much as they are now. Their happiness cannot be taken away by the other, because it is not given by the other.”

                                                                                                                                                ~Osho

 

To let this existential truth manifest in our lives, we need to have good connection with our inner self first, only then can one truly connect with others at the core level. This helps in building a solid foundation.

Try to understand yourself at all levels and discover your true inner self. Other’s view about you are just assumptions. No one knows you more than you yourself. Take time to get to know your subconscious self and decipher it. This can be achieved through constant awareness and deep meditation.

Who is the real ‘you’ behind yourself,Try to know this!

And then only can you Rebuild a bridge to that reality that resides deep within you, which gets hidden due to the constant suppression by negative thinking , stress and worrying.

 

“The desire for connection with the Divine and our formless inner self is at the foundation of all desire for human connection.”    

                                                                                                  ~Donna Goddard

                                                                            

What are your views? Do share them in the comment section below !

 

EKincare App- Your Personal Wellness Manager and EKincare Corporate Wellness Program

* This is not a sponsored post.

“He who has health has hope; and he who has hope, has everything”

~Thomas Curlyle

In matters of health it is said that ‘Prevention is better than cure’. We all know how true this statement is, and it is always better to take early precautionary measures to avoid health problems. In case, one gets unwell, the chances of getting cured are better when the symptoms of the disease are diagnosed and treated in the initial stages itself.

 

But in today’s fast paced lives that we live, where our each second counts, we often don’t get the luxury of ample time to focus solely on our health issues. When we notice minor symptoms, we tend to ignore them till we can find free time to go a health professional for consultation.

At that point, the whole cumbersome process of searching for a competent doctor, booking an appointment, retrieving our old medical records from bundles of files tucked away in some unreachable corner starts. After all this hard work, once the old records are found, its a herculean task to carry along these bulky reports to the doctors office.

This unwanted burden increases our stress level further during the times when we are already reeling under the anxiety caused by our health problem. Even to check and compare  one single health parameter, the doctor has to go through several pages in different files. This is time consuming and irritating as well.

In such moments, we often wonder how nice it would be to have an assistant who would take care of all these unnerving tasks for us and we could just concentrate with single-minded focus on getting back to our normal healthy self.

Now, this wish of yours has been fulfilled with the help of information technology. There is eKincare- an app that will happily work as your personal medical assistant. It will effectively bridge the gap between you and your doctor.

EKincare is a fast growing company in the medical field which has been founded by experienced professionals and  has renowned expert doctors on the panel. They have developed the EKincare app which can be downloaded free of cost. This app is available both for IOS and Android devices.

This app will store your health records in a digital format at one place, monitor health parameters constantly and get timely recommendations for health assessment and advice on prevention of ailments.
Here is the list of EKincare features you will find very useful:

Safe storage of personal health records: you get to keep not just your own health records at a single place but also those of your family members. Five family members can be added under a single  user profile. These details can be accessed from anywhere, anytime using a computer, smartphone or tablet.

 

Easy and simple to use: this app is very user friendly and convenient to use. Just take a picture of your medical records using the eKincare phone app and save on your profile. The records will be analyzed, digitized and stored for your future reference.

 

Get lab results conveniently: the data from your medical records received from labs is converted into easy to understand color coded summaries, graphs and track-able time lines. With the help of these features, even a layman can understand the why and how of the diseases and take remedial measures. This knowledge also comes in handy while interacting with your doctors.

 

Faster expert consultations: securely sharing your medical information with a distant expert or a panel of specialists for consultation is extremely easy. In case of emergency, the digitized records can be accessed and shared immediately with several health experts based in any part of the world without wasting precious time. Suggested opinions by the experts are mailed to your registered mail id. The access of records by doctors is revoked after 48 hours to ensure your privacy.

 

Complete privacy: the medical records are transmitted using 256 bit encryption safety to a highly secure world class data center. You can rest assured that your medical details are in safe hands and remain private even if they are digitized.

 

Timely reminders: this is a very useful feature which helps to schedule and remind you for immunization, follow ups and updates. You don’t need to be stressed about missing an important medical appointment for self or for any of your family members.

Discounted health packages: you can get up to 70% discount on several health checks. There is a network of 1500+ partners like Apollo white dental, Thyrocare, Maxivision,  spread all over India, making it very easy to avail the offers provided.

 

Home sample collection facility: this facility saves lot of time, energy and money for the users.

 

Blood SOS: In case, there is need for blood transfusion, eKincare provides a strong database of matching blood donors within ten km radius. You can also easily volunteer to donate blood and help others in need.

 

Hydrocare: Water is our life line. But most often, we forget to consume enough amount of water required to maintain good health. Not anymore ! You now have a personal assistant at your service to constantly remind you to keep drinking water throughout the day to stay hydrated and keep yourself safe from many diseases.

 

Thus eKincare empowers you to take charge of your health by enabling you to monitor critical medical info and identify potential health risks. It also informs and motivates you to take necessary steps towards improving your health.

You can download the eKincare app for free on  www.ekincare.com 

 

EKincare Corporate Wellness Program:

EKincare  is a pioneer in corporate wellness in India offering workplace and corporate health programs with commitment to deliver high quality care for their employees. It helps to keep the work force healthy and productive.

After all, workforce is the backbone of any organisation and healthy employees are the greatest asset any company can have. Unhealthy employees greatly add to the loss for the company in terms of quality and quantity of work they are able to deliver.

Health, happiness and productivity are closely linked. Surveys have shown employees who are healthy are more likely to be engaged and satisfied in their work, thereby also increasing their work productivity and efficiency levels, which ultimately results into more profits for the whole company. So, the saying ‘health is wealth’ is true not just for an individual but also for the organisation as a whole.

Now, the question that arises is-

What are you doing as an employer to ensure the good health of your workers?

Here  eKincare can be a great aid by providing a wellness platform that integrates medical records, healthcare services and leverages predictive analytics to design wellness initiatives and reduce healthcare cost.

Technology + Analytics = Good Health

EKincare’s personalized platform provides employees an ability to assess, track and stay informed about their health using proprietary algorithms.

A good wellness program is one that can be measured. To ensure this, eKincare helps the company with :-

• Appropriate wellness strategy.
• Key performance metrics to measure it at the population and individual level.
• Continuous wellness trends.

 

To promote wellness among your workers and to keep them happy, a sustainable approach should be followed. Being healthy should be a norm that every employee of the company embraces and is able to avail of.

 

Are you ready to assess your current wellness plans and understand how eKincare can maximize Return on Investment out of your wellness budget?

EKincare corporate wellness programs are the right solution for you. They bring a host of benefits that are designed to make your employee wellness programs a smooth and hassle free process. With focus on helping you improve your corporate wellness the eKincare programs are ‘tailor made’ to suit organizational requirements.

For more information click here – www.ekincare.com

Why I decided to download and start using this app :

Recently, I was witness to a difficult dilemma faced by a colleague of mine. This person had recently got transferred from Delhi to Chennai. His family members were still in Delhi and he stayed alone in Chennai. He had a history of high blood pressure and heart disease, so he always kept his medical files with him. But on one of his journeys back from home, he forgot his medical file at Delhi. Co-incidentally, on the next day itself, he developed high BP problem and had to consult the doctors but proper prescription of treatment was not possible without checking his previous medical records. Even the courier services couldn’t have transported his records within a few hours. Luckily, one of his relative in Delhi got the idea of scanning and sending the reports through e-mail, thus, he could be given proper treatment on time. But that was indeed a very cumbersome task.

If he had his records digitized and consolidated at one place which could be accessed from anywhere, he could have been saved from a lot of trouble and  he needn’t worry about always carrying his bulky files or about forgetting to carry them.

These days , with the rise of chronic diseases, regular body, dental and vision checks can help find problems before they start. With the help of this app, problems can be detected early and chances of treatment and cure are better.

So, make use of the opportunity to ensure good health for your own self, your family members and also your employees.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Datsun Redi-Go

I like visiting new places but I don’t like travelling; that is travelling in a plane, bus or train. I dislike flying and also hate the departure delays, airport lines and crowds at the stations. So, for visiting new places, the only means of transport left for me is my humble car.

 

I love going on road trips. Road trips provide me the flexibility of visiting a place according to my own time and wish, without the hassles of booking tickets and other inconveniences. I don’t even need to be away from the comforts of my home for too long. And, of course, I have the luxury of driving through the scenic remote areas with eye-catching views where I can sit for hours simply admiring the natural beauty.

 

Over the years, my car has proved to be a steady companion for me on many of my road trips. But, now as my family and the circle of my friends is growing, I have been looking for a bigger car within my budget. After all, enjoying a road trip with family and like- minded friends, doubles the fun.

 

So, the announcement of the launch of its latest car Datsun Redi-Go by Nissan has come at a very opportune moment. Redi-Go is India’s first ever urban cross. This new car is a unique fusion of compact crossover and urban hatchback. It has already created quite a buzz in the car market. It is a car with the driving experience of a hatchback along with the ruggedness of a sports utility vehicle (SUV), priced between 2.5 lakhs to 3.5 lakhs.

The Redi-Go will compete with the Maruti 800 Alto, Eon from Hyundai motors and the Kwid from Renault India. The company has started pre-launch bookings for Redi-Go since May 1, 2016. Deliveries for the car will start from June 2016.

 

Dimensions of Datsun Redi-Go

Length	3,429 mm
Width	1,560 mm
Wheelbase	2,348 mm
Ground Clearance	185 mm
Turning Radius	4.73 m
Height	1,541 mm
Boot Space	222 litres

 

I am really excited to take a test drive of this car as I find most of its features really appealing. Specially these three:

1] Value for money:

The company statement mentioned that Redi-Go is powered by a fuel efficient 0.8 L (800 cc) three cylinder engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission. The car is expected to give a mileage of over 25Km per litre. This fuel economy is definitely wallet friendly. The shift indicator is easy to read and it displays the ideal time to shift for maximum efficiency and performance. The price of the car easily fits in the budget of middle class households looking for a car in this segment. With all its attractive features, this car is a very good option in this budget.

Price of Datsun Redi-Go in India

Variant	Expected price (Ex-Showroom)
D	Rs 2.5 Lakh
A	Rs 2.70 Lakh
T	Rs 3.2 Lakh
T option	Rs 3.5 Lakh

 

2] Spacious and Stylish Interiors:

The tall body structure of the car gives comfortable space for both the front and rear passengers and the cabin looks very spacious. The high driving position and high structure enable the driver to be aware of the real road situation. The dashboard panel is stylish and very user friendly with a digital tachometer.  The drive computer displays the average mileage along with the fuel remaining. With seating for five, along with enough boot space the entire family can enjoy a ride together, very comfortably. The design and fabric of the car seats is of a high-end quality.

3] Superior Air-Conditioning

Air Conditioning of the car is of paramount importance in the scorching Indian summers. The air circulation in Redi-Go’s air conditioner is precisely calculated according to Indian weather conditions. This ensures that passengers inside the car are always comfortably cool, irrespective of the heat outside. Its 89cc compressor provides high cooling capacity. Even the rear seat occupants receive ample cooling through the optimally placed A/C vents. And in  Chennai, which has only two weather conditions throughout the year- hot and hotter, a good A/C system of a car is very significant, useful and appealing feature. The good cooling capacity is a major plus factor in the sultry and humid conditions here, where the A/C of most cars in this price range prove to be almost ineffective on hotter days.

 

The company has revealed that the car will be available in 5 colors- White, Ruby Red, Silver, Lime and Grey.

 

The stylish exteriors of Redi-Go which give it a dynamic, sophisticated and premium look are also a great point of attraction for me. The car has features like day-time running LED lights, which were till now available only in high segment cars. The modern looks of the car make it stand out from other cars in this segment.

 

I would love to test the Redi-Go on the East Coast Road (ECR) en-route to Mahabalipuram where I often go on my spur-of-the moment weekend road trips. It is 40 kms from where I stay. I would test it for the comfort and easy maneuverability on the road.

 

The two unique features which make the car excellent to tackle Indian roads and drive away my driving blues on the city roads are also very important to mention:-

 

1. First is the high ground clearance of 185 mm which is the best in this class of car segment. It helps to deal with the low obstacles one often encounters while driving on rough Indian roads.

2. Second feature is the turning radius of just 4.73 m, which makes it suitable for the city use, where traffic is a perpetual menace. This factor of Datsun Redi-Go will serve as a boon while parking in crammed up spaces and on steep turns.

 

In my opinion, it is a very good car in this budget which provides complete value for money and is a good option both for those looking for a car in the entry level segment and for those looking for a second bigger car for the whole family to travel together.

With its features, it is the best car to buy for the daily office commute or for other purposes like road trips.

 

Nissan has 217 outlets in 165 cities, and 300 sales and service outlets by March 2017 are planned as the company understands well that giving good service after selling the car is very important.

Prospective customers can also book Redi-Go through snapdeal.com, the online e-commerce platform. Pre-bookings can be done by paying Rs 5000. Datsun has also launched an app called ‘Datsun India App‘ to book the car and keep the interested buyers updated about latest information about the car.

 

So get ready to drive to your destination in your dream car- Datsun Redi-Go along with your entire family with confidence, enjoying your freedom while having complete fun.

 

Fun. Freedom. Confidence. The ultimate Urban Cross – Datsun redi-GO – the capability of a crossover with the convenience of a hatchback.

 

Pic credit: Datsun India

Beautiful Journey Towards Motherhood !

“The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new”~Osho

 

One of the happiest moment of my life was when I got the confirmation of my pregnancy. That moment is truly memorable. Pregnancy is a unique and life-altering journey. It brings along immense joy and excitement. It is the beginning of a beautiful journey that lasts a life-time.

 

For me, it was a time of transition, growth and profound awakening. I developed new perspectives and started seeing things and situations in new light with a totally different viewpoint. I could feel a new sense of responsibility.

“That first pregnancy is like a long sea journey to a country where you don’t know the language, where land is in sight for such a long time that after a while it is just the horizon- and then one day, birds wheel over that dark shape and it is suddenly close, and all you can do is hope like hell that you’ve had the right shots.”~Emily Perkins

 

The preparations for having a healthy baby starts long before one gets the confirmation of pregnancy. The best approach to follow is a natural and holistic lifestyle. One should avoid smoking and drinking in order to keep the body healthy and fit.

 

After I got the confirmation of pregnancy, although I was ecstatic and anxious at the same time, the first question that cropped up in my mental arena was “When will the baby arrive in my hands to cuddle and to love?” I wanted THAT moment to arrive at the earliest.

 

As the news reached my near and dear ones, I was bombarded with lots of do’s and don’t’s from all corners. Based on that advice I decided to take proper rest, care and caution. I went for the regular antenatal check ups and diligently followed my gynae’s instructions related to vitamins, diet and exercise.

 

Proper diet and nutrition is of utmost importance for a would-be mother. This is necessary for the proper development of the fetus. Doctors often suggest special pregnancy diets with supplements and added vitamins. It was a really challenging time, as I had to alter most of my habits and routines keeping in mind the well-being of my baby.

 

But I could overcome all the challenges with the unflinching support and loving care of my loved ones, specially my hubby. I was continuously pampered with different varieties of food preparations and all sorts of comforts were taken care of. But the constant feeling of nausea hardly allowed me to consume anything for the first couple of months.

 

The neighbours would turn up with new, healthy dishes, hoping that i would somehow overcome the nausea and relish eating their preparations. It was a big help. The family atmosphere was kept happy and cheerful so that I did not become stressed or worried at all.

 

The first trimester was a mixed bag- with the euphoria of knowing that i will soon be a mom, mixed with uneasiness of constant nausea and crippling morning sickness. It was a tough period. Due to hormonal change s almost the whole body got affected in some way or the other. It underwent several changes. These were very overwhelming initially.

 

More over, extreme tiredness, mood swings, heartburn, completely altered my behavior. Strange craving for ice-cream at midnight and even stranger dislike for certain other things like incense, perfume, etc. were crazy. Hubby dear was on the receiving end because of all these anomalies.

 

Maintaining an active routine helped me a lot and i remained sane. By being active, the blood supply to the fetus remains optimum.

Luckily these conditions, started disappearing somewhere around the 2nd trimester. As the pregnancy progressed, I started feeling much better and more relaxed. The initial discomforts settled down.

 

The second trimester was easier than the first one. The nausea and tiredness were negligible and very rare. But a lot of physical changes started happening in the body like stretchmarks- on abdomen, thighs, lower back, swelling of ankles etc. I felt a little conscious and inhibited. Initially amazed how fat how widely my body was undergoing changes but soon I accepted my new body image.

 

The beautiful thought of my baby growing inside my body made me accept the changes wholeheartedly. This small compromise was nothing compared to the amazing gift my body was about to bestow upon me and my dear ones in the form of my baby.

 

There are multitude of remedies available nowadays for stretch-marks, in the form of vitamin- e creams and bio oil. With the proper application all through my pregnancy, I was able to counter this problem to a great extent.One can be a yummy mummy according to one’s wishes.

The moment when I first felt my baby move inside me is beyond any explanation and expression. It was like epiphany, the most profound expression of creation possible in the physical realm. I couldn’t stop thanking God again and again for making me a part of his team for Divine Creation. I felt totally humbled and was in immense gratitude for getting this amazing opportunity.

 

It is a magnificent feeling to realize that you are carrying life within you; that you carry the future of mankind inside.

Now I could hardly wait to hold my baby in my arms. All family members were also waiting with lots of anticipation and with prayers on their lips for the baby to arrive.

“A baby fills a place in your heart that you never knew was empty.”

Soon the day arrived when my darling angel son was placed in my arms and I proudly wore the crown of motherhood.

 

“Babies are bits of star dust blown from the hand of God. Lucky is the woman who knows the pangs of birth for she has held a star”~ Larry Barreto.

 

“I’m writing about my wonderful journey of pregnancy for the#YummyMummy blogging activity at BlogAdda in association with Marico Bio Oil.”