Life Etc Etc

When I first started writing this blog more than a decade ago, the reception wasn't exactly great for me to continue sharing my thoughts, opinions or observations . I questioned myself a lot during those times and seriously doubted whether I would ever garner attention for the blog. While self doubt drove me into inaction, the awareness that I was letting myself down urged me to repeatedly mount a comeback and write something after a lull period. These alternate cycles of boom and bust taught me one important thing, that come no matter what the only person I had to impress with this blog was me. Maintaining a certain standard with my blog was the highest priority. As long as I lived up to that ideal everything else that came along with it was just an added incentive. The same, I believe applies to everything you initiate in life. The only person you have to impress with anything in life is just yourself .  Why? What about trying to impress loved ones, family members, friends ...

With the start of a new year, the season of new year resolutions is upon us once again. The dawn of a new year is the perfect time to try something new and the resolutions you set up might just be the magic bullet that your life needs. Here are some rules to keep in mind while brainstorming about a resolution, they might just help you to commit to something that is more practicable. Rules for New Year resolutions <Courtesy: Tim Mossholder > Have specific measures around your resolutions: For Example:  If you want to lose weight then your resolution must target a specific number of kgs/pounds you are willing to lose. You should also have a date by which you are hoping to achieve that target. If you want to buy a house, then put a date around when you would like to start house hunting and when you would like to close the deal by. Break up resolutions which center around large goals into smaller ones: Let's say you want to lose 20 kgs in a year. Think about how about many kgs ...

Ever had a dull and drab today where your zeal was at an all time low and then suddenly: An old friend rings you up out of the blue OR A curious message pops-up OR An appreciative email arrives OR  Your social media post receives an unforeseen response OR Your favorite movie crops up as an OTT recommendation OR You get invited out for a sudden plan Wouldn't we all want to have such external things motivate us time and again whenever we are down? Looking elsewhere for motivation seems easy but we keep forgetting that: Nobody has time for us 

Another day is about to pass us. Before the day passes by, I have a very important question for all of you.  Did you have a good day?   You are not sure, then why don't you ask yourself the following questions? Did you sleep well? Did you have a decent meal? Did you exercise? Did you spend time with your near and dear? Did you dwell on the positive aspects of your life? Did you watch something nice? Did you take up a task? Did you focus on something which is bothering you? Did you do less of what you consider as a bad habit or what spoilt your day the last time around? Did you repent or admit to follies of the past? Did you fight a bad thought? Did you indulge in a hobby or take part in a sport? Did you make a plan for the future? Did you try to help someone? Did you dream? Life is only good if the days in it are good <Credits: Dominik Hofbauer > If you have answered 'Yes' to any of the above questions then you definitely had a good day because a good day is made up o...

Five years ago on this very day I didn't have a clue as to what I was doing. I had just floundered on a very important interview and there was no end in sight for the rut I seemed to be on. I was no fresher, had close to a decade of experience and was at one point excellent in converting interviews. Friends who started with me were all well-settled and here I was experiencing a mid-career slump unable to nail down a job. Half-a-dozen opportunities blew past me and my dreams of making it in Canada were slowly evaporating before my very own eyes. What did I do? I strolled down to CN Tower in Toronto just to clear my mind. Height of the CN Tower Even though my life was quite literally going nowhere I found myself standing at a greater elevation than most people in this world (thousand feet give or take). That very thought made me smile. That smile in turn reminded me   that things were not really as bad as they seemed. Sure, I had to figure out a way to perform better in my intervie...

  Until Next Time, Your Inspirer, Chaitanya J.J. 

10 years of Life Etc Etc ! I can scarcely believe how quickly time has passed. I've told the story before, about how Life Etc Etc started as a MBA project in 2010 but I never talked about what that time meant to me. 2010 was one of the most fulfilling years of my life, a time when life looked up and dreams had wings. Anything and everything seemed possible back then and I was raring to enter a brand new decade with boundless energy to take down my goals one after the another. Nothing quite went to script after that. The last decade was one hell of a roller coaster ride for me ultimately culminating in a pandemic which still has all of us in its grip. Now, the intention of all of this is not to invoke nostalgia about the bygone times. The sole purpose of all this is to state unequivocally that milestones come and go, plans often go wrong but life goes on !     Keep the hopes going (Courtesy: Janaine Arioli ) There are only two ways life can go on: You either let life drift you...

I was at a family get together when I ran into an elderly gentleman who was an old acquaintance. He eagerly shook my hand and and asked me about the time I met Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam . He listened in rapt attention as I recounted how fortunate I was to meet Dr. Kalam along with my author friend Raghu. After I finished, he remarked, " You were lucky to meet   Dr. Kalam. He was indeed a man of great integrity and character ". The words from the elderly gentleman exactly summed up the imprint  Dr. Kalam had left on me. ' Integrity ' , ' Character ' and ' Focus ' were indeed Dr. Kalam's signature . But what was mine? Do I even need to have one? Imprint your signature on other's hearts and minds (Credits: Leon Seibert ) It only took a few seconds before I answered ' Yes ' to the second question. The reasoning was intuitive, you can pass on your material assets such as wealth and property to your near and dear but what intangible ass...

Until Next Time, Your Student of Life, Chaitanya J.J. 

I seldom set off on a tour or a trek without a book. Books are my source of relaxation and a welcome diversion from the rigors of travel. On one such trip I found myself unwinding on a park bench overlooking a beautiful landscape. I reached for a book within my bag but soon realized that I had left the book behind at home. I had no other recourse but to pull out my mobile and start reading my own blog. 15-20 minutes later when I resumed my trek, the only feeling I had was that my blog made some sense, that for me was my first measure of success .  Life gets very complicated when we refuse to understand or analyze the motivations behind our actions. Life Etc Etc should have been done years ago when a series of personal misfortunes rocked me. The blog and everything associated with it became the farthest thing on my mind during that period. While I was piecing my life together, I remembered something that my mother told me when I was at school. She advised me that things become...

" The road to my 100th post had to go through a chilly 8 KM run! " Spring in the northern hemisphere is not all bloom and sunshine as they make it out to be, there's the frequent rain coupled with the occasional snowfall and then there's the gloom of the dark skies engulfing you at every possible interval. But this was not a gloomy day by any stretch of the imagination. The forecast predicted sun and we had sun. At about 10 degrees Celsius we had the hottest day of the year thus far and I was right there basking in the sun. Now why I was there? Because I had to get out of my house! I was reeling from months of snow and sub-zero temperatures. The weather was just not conducive to keep up a schedule with anything else other than work. I did manage to squeeze in a few hours of gym every week though and was eager to test myself at the right opportunity. The opportunity arrived soon enough in the form of ' The Spring Run-off ' at High Park and I signed up for...

Until Next Time, Yours Thoughtfully, J.J. Chaitanya

Life and sport rarely offer a sequel upon request, but today the 2019 Queen's Club Championships delivered a heart-warming and larger in every sense sequel to the 2017 edition. The hero on both occasions being our man of the moment, Feliciano Lopez. There's something in the hallowed lawns of Queen's Club that spurns the genius in 'Feli' (as his friends on the tour call him) and transforms him into a mythical hero who scripts incredible sporting moments every time he sets foot on this court. Champion again! (Courtesy: Sportsnet.ca ) The History: But let's rewind a bit, Feli had just concluded winning the 2017 Queen's Club Championships in a thrilling fashion. As an avid tennis fan I was extremely excited about his prospects at Wimbledon 2017 but no sooner had the first round begun Feli was forced to retire with an injury. The next time I saw Feli was in the 2018 Queen's Club Championships where he was in decent form but couldn't get past Ni...

Until Next Time, Yours Inspiringly, J.J. Chaitanya

Until Next Time, Your Inspirer, J.J. Chaitanya

Climb your own Mountain Until Next Time, Your Philosopher of Life, J.J. Chaitanya

Inspiringly Yours, J.J. Chaitanya

Aham Brahmasmi , J.J. Chaitanya

Inspiringly Yours, J.J. Chaitanya

Until Next Time, J.J. Chaitanya