Let’s spread some cheer in the world — June 10th: You have been selected to create the next national holiday. What is it? Did you know that you could actually register a national day with the National Day Calendar website at a cost? Apparently, many of the “national days” we now celebrate have been registered by companies and corporations as part of their marketing strategy. Now, since I have been selected by Dawn…

This is really a wishlist — June 16th: Write a letter to yourself 5 years from now. Dear Vidz — 2027 A little funny to write a letter imagining, visualizing the self five years from now — we both know through experience how quickly five years whizz by. Obviously, a letter from me to me is bound to be a list of questions because that’s how my…

I am lucky to have found it so many times — June 5th: Do you believe in true love? Why or why not? What serendipity that I saw this prompt today, thanks to someone’s post. Yes, I believe in true love, and so, I’ll naturally go with the “why.” …

Because Everything Has A Tune — June 24th: What songs are on your favorite playlist? Why those in particular? I grew up in a family of music lovers — with some excellent singers and also fantastic listeners. I owe my eclectic taste to them. While my earliest listening pleasure was classical music, live performances in the family, and my own music classes, today it fills me with joy to…

Grateful to receive unconditional love! — June 18th: You Meet Your Soul Mate. What are they like? I never believed in the concept of one soulmate. I think it is because I did not really make close friends during my childhood — or so I thought. I did not imagine that I would stay in touch with some of the people I met. After all, those were…

A thought-provoking book about resilient women — June 15th: Give us a short book report about the book you love the most. Surge On Like a River is the English translation of the Tamil book titled ‘Nee Nadhi Pola Odikondiru’, written by Bharathy Bhaskar, a chemical engineer and an MBA, and a banker. …

A lesson in mindfulness, a path to happiness — June 30th: What makes you happy I’ve already written about 100 things that make me smile and 30 things that make me instantly happy. But. I realized that there really is no end to what makes me happy because I have learned to focus on the little things. Also, it makes me happy to think that…

If you know where to shop — June 29th: You just won 44 billion dollars, tax-free. What do you do with it? There used to be a time when I’d joke to my mom that she should marry a billionaire so I can inherit all that wealth. I did not think beyond that because we were basically struggling to survive. …

Words, words, words — June 28th: Does correct spelling and grammar matter in a text message or email? Speaking for myself, I’d say yes to correct spelling and grammar simply because I am conditioned to write right and I like it that way. To that end, one of my jobs is as an editor of manuscripts for authors and publishers to help them fine-tune their manuscripts and make…

What I have learned from keeping a journal — June 27th: Do you keep a diary or journal? Why, or why not? I remember starting my diary writing when I was very young. I’d write all kinds of stuff, from mundane everyday events to poetry, stories, fantasies, and so on. My Mom encouraged me to write about my experiences, every trip we made, even if it was to the grocery store. If…

A series of Haiku — June 26th: Write a Haiku (see link for instructions) about Summer Summer means unexpected heavy showers that always result in rainbows — isn’t there a life lesson there? Scorching rays beat down Parched earth looks skyward for rain Yearns for a shower. Skies respond, pour forth Lightning, thunder add music Earth smiles joyfully. Sun peeks through dark clouds Hope emerges, storm abates Rainbow appears now.

What You See Is What You Get — June 23rd: Are you the same person on social media as you are in real life? Yes, what you see is what you get, wherever you see me, whenever you see me. Maybe it is because I lived before the Internet age and the only modes of communication were face-to-face. You may ask, what about phones? I got my first landline connection in my early thirties…

. . . that I love housework? — June 22nd: What’s your favorite way to relieve stress? Not kidding. At all. Very early in life, I learned that physical activity is one of the best ways to get rid of stress. The trick is to pick an activity we enjoy. For some it is exercise, for some, it is dancing, yoga, aerobics, and for some, like me…

Because we all need a laughter break! — June 21st: Create your own prompt for today :D What a great idea! I am a quote-junkie and therefore, I decided that my prompt would be a list of quotes that make me smile/laugh. Here you go! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! The pen is mightier than the sword and considerably easier to write…

The world is calling — June 20th: What would you do if you had unlimited time and no restrictions? I love to travel. Luckily, I was born in a family where annual trips were routine. Many impromptu trips happened, as well and it embedded the travel bug in me. My grandmother once remarked that I was born with wheels attached to my feet — I could never stay put…

And I’ve made it my life’s mission — June 19th: What do you collect? When it was time for this prompt that asks “what do you collect’, Sharmila mentioned that the answer was a no-brainer as far as I was concerned. She said, “By the way, we already know what Vidya Sury collects.” Around the time I switched from a corporate career to being…

You’ll be glad you did! — June 17th: What skill could you teach someone in 10 minutes or less? Isn’t it amazing that some of the life skills we learn are simply by observing our families/parents/friends/peers/teachers — and some thanks to the life situations we are faced with? Here, then, are just a few of these that I’ve learned by watching — and can teach you in a jiffy…

To help others — June 14th: Do you want to write a book? If yes, what’s it going to be about? If not, why not? The answer to today’s prompt is yes I want to write a book. I’ve co-authored a few and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of interacting with some brilliant writers. In the meantime, of course, I have been participating in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November every year since 2011…

Are mostly from unsung heroes — June 11th: What are the most memorable works of art you’ve seen so far? Today’s prompt got me thinking. I thought of beautiful paintings, sculptures, and various other things. Then, of course, I had to think in terms of the words “my favorite” and that opened up a whole new train of thought. …

Think before you leap! — June 12th: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done because of peer pressure? I did not experience much peer pressure until I was 10. I was hardly ever allowed to go out of the house on my own for various reasons and I was fine with that. We lived in a really large house. …