In Defense of a Slower Life

I read a lot of books and blogs and websites and articles and research papers. I love learning new things. I don't always apply/implement those things in my life. Isn't knowledge enough, sometimes? The world is getting faster every day. It's about doing and moving and hustling. I don't want to hustle. I want to live my life.

I want to do the things I enjoy, not things that people say you're supposed to do. Yes, I want success. I want financial independence. But more than anything I want to be happy; to give myself permission to be happy.


I don't see why the world is about doing more and running, running, running, just running. Slow down. Breathe. Love yourself a little. Give yourself some credit. Give yourself some time to just be.

There's no set path in life. I think we 20-somethings are at the stage in our life where we're kinda starting to figure that out now. Everything is uncertain and unstable. And we're young, let's give ourselves a break. Let's understand that we don't have to know everything right now. We're allowed to make mistakes. We're allowed to take time off if we have to. We're allowed to have off days. We're allowed whatever we want to do.

If you want to hustle, sure go ahead. But you don't have to just because everyone around you supposedly is. It's not a competition. It's your life and your path and your time.

Take your time.  I don't think we should feel guilty for wanting to spend an evening curled up in bed with some hot chocolate, just reading a book. We don't have to work on our side hustle all the time. If you do want to stay in and work on your side gig, you don't have to feel guilty about not going out to hang out with your friends.

It's about what we want - at the end of the day, what's going to make us feel content. It's not about what I say or your friends say or what anyone else says.

It's about what your heart says. If that's doing 20 things off your to-do list, good. If it's doing absolutely nothing all day, good. It should be good according to what your heart says is good, not what you think you're supposed to feel.

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The Reason to Start Over New

and the reason is you...

Well, in this case, me. I just thought of the song and wanted to be cheesy.

I want to start over. I know better than anyone how many ups and downs this blog has had. Sputtering starts. False turns. An unplanned hiatus or two.

It isn't like I cannot write. I contribute regularly to other online platforms. I am a pretty devoted food blogger and love experimenting with different foods - yes, I'm vegetarian; come at me. I read so much and write book reviews for another blog. I write freelance as well.

I hereby commit, to myself and whoever chances upon this page, that I am going to try again. Yet again. Maybe this time it'll stick.

I'm doing it for me. Nobody else. This is something I have found difficult to explain to myself in the past. And present. Writing is a solitary activity. It stands to reason that you will, for extended stretches of time, be alone with yourself and your words. This is a space I enjoy occupying.

Why is it, then, that I work well on other platforms - any platform but this. Any platform but the one that is solely mine?

Is it because I know exactly what to say at those sites? Write about books. Write about food. Write a home page for our new startup. Write evocative descriptions.

I have no particular thing here that I have to write. No constraints I have to follow. Somehow, that should be more freeing. Clearly, it isn't.

I propose to write whatever pops into my head, here, atleast once a week. I'm sure I have enough thoughts in a week that atleast one would be worth penning down and turning into a blogpost.

I would like to take a moment to say thank you to the people who keep coming back to this blog ever so often and just read old posts of mine because I am fairly irregular, optimistically speaking. I am very grateful to all of you, you wonderful people. I come back to the blog after a while, and see you as numbers and locations and the fact that each of those things symbolize wonderful people behind those Google Analytics markings, and there's a sharp pang in that moment. I've let you all down.

I really intend to try. What's the worst that could happen?

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I moved to Dubai!

Hi guys,

Once again I start with an apology for my lack of posts! I have a reason though. A very legitimate reason. I moved to Dubai!

I moved here around a week and a half ago and I'm excited and scared in equal measure!

This is a new chapter in the journey of my life and I am looking forward to it. Moving here was a leap of faith. I am not someone who takes risks easily so for me this was a big deal. I am looking forward to a new life here and hoping that destiny has good things in store.

This is a little something I wrote about it.

I believe that every little change is meaningful, but something this big is definitely going to have major effects. Looking forward to unraveling them in the future!

This blog will continue and I have promised myself I will be more regular here. However, location specific posts will probably be at a minimum, unless its something I really love and want to show to the world at large. My readership and audience is global and I think it's time to start giving them something that is relevant and useful, too.

I'm still going to be writing about food, but it'll take on a different aspect that I am excited to share with you in the coming days!

Because who doesn't love Cinnabon!

Apart from this, I am finally finally starting to focus on the skincare and wellness posts that I speak about writing but never get around to.

I have a list of topics and I want to get around to covering them asap. I big part of this decision has been the realization that I love my blog and somewhere along the way I kind of lost ownership. I started to post what I thought people wanted to read. But you know what? My best and most read posts are the ones I wrote because they were posts that I wanted to read. Turns out that's exactly what resonated with you guys too.

So I'm going to continue doing that and this time I'm going to create the best content I ever have!

Cheers to many more posts and I hope this blog becomes better and better every day.

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Why Go Green?

Nowadays we are seeing a lot of interest in ‘living green’ or ‘going green’. Apart from it being the latest fad, what do we really know about it? It isn’t just about getting into the latest trend or following the latest fashion. It is fashionable right now, yes. However, I do not advocate this as a trend, or something to do once and move on to the next thing. Do it if you believe this is a way of life, not a new hashtagged trend. What does it mean to go green?

It means living a sustainable lifestyle

Knowing that what you’re using is not going to harm the environment, is a really good feeling. Also, it will be good for your skin and health and your mind, too. Many of these sustainable products also help the farmers and growers who painstakingly ensure that the products are truly green and environment-friendly. That also adds to a sense of satisfaction. It gives a certain peace of mind, knowing that your actions help our planet and the generations to come. Knowing where the ingredients of your products come from or the fabric of your clothes, or the vegetables in your food; makes you more connected with the world, giving you a keen awareness of how our actions affect everyone else.

It means awareness and caring

Being aware to this extent – it stands to reason that you do care about the effect of every decision that is made. It means living in harmony with your surroundings. It means being aware of the effect of every purchase you make. It means living a more responsible life. Being in harmony with the world around you goes beyond healthcare or sustainable fashion. It touches you in ways you won’t imagine or understand till you try it. It is a good lifestyle, one we truly advocate. And I can’t stress this enough – do not treat this as a trend. A green lifestyle is above and beyond such fads. It is something that requires dedication and a will to really make a difference.

It means commitment

Going green is a gradual lifelong process for most of us. We really don’t just wake up one day and decide to make radical lifestyle changes – it requires a commitment and dedication that would be difficult but totally worth it in the long run. The fact that you are here, reading this, shows that you’re wondering about whether to make that commitment. Honestly, go for it.

I'm not saying it will be easy; it is a lot to take in at once. Go about it slowly, make small changes, and you’ll see that it is easier to do so when you do it little by little. 

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Picture credits:

heartsandmindbooks.com
lovetoknow.com
pinterest.com
theecologist.org

My Pretty Simple Day

I created this very simple board, with the name of my blog on it, including the hyphens that are a part of my blog link. I keep it propped up on my table, and it reminds me what I am working towards - making my little spot of the internet the best I can make it. So today, I just decided to click a few pictures with it. Taking my board out in the pretty sunshine. Here they are:

Hello board!

Photo Credits: Mikhil Mehta

In other news, I'm going to head out for the BNLF briefing soon. Been looking forward to the event for quite a while and it arrives tomorrow, I just can't wait! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram for updates, BNLF and otherwise. My facebook page is up, too. Thank you for all your support, and do comment and let me know what you would like me to write about.

xx

Myra 

Alternatives to Heat Styling - 1

In a previous post, I wrote about how heat styling is not good for your hair. I'm sure you guys are thinking, 'well, yeah, but what else can we even do?'

My favorite go-to style tip for when I want some natural wave in my hair is to braid it. I do not use product at all. No mousse, no gel, no hairspray. Nothing that would suffocate my hair. And it works!

This would require washing your hair the night before.
Okay, let's go -

Brush out the tangles using either a wooden comb or a boar bristle brush. I personally prefer a wooden comb.

Make sure you remove all tangles.

Wash you hair as per usual - shampoo, condition, deep condition.  Whatever you normally do. There is no extra step to be taken here.

Don't brush it or comb it. This is why we did that step before washing.

Let it air dry slightly, till it is semi-damp. 

The reason we do not braid it immediately after washing is because the hair is very porous when wet. This increased porosity leads to the hair being very stretchy, which in turn leads to hair being more prone to breakage and formation of gaps in the cuticle. Braiding it or styling it when wet can irrevocably damage your strands.

Tie your hair into a loose braid. Or two, like Heidi. Or more. To get the effect in the picture above, I had tied 4 braids. Go crazy!

The more the braids, the tighter your waves will be. Mine actually had a crimped effect.

Sleep on it. 

Since your hair is still a little damp, it'll take the shape of the braid as it dries.

Wake up, shake your hair out of the braids.

Revel in your awesome effortless wavy hair. 

Note : After a few hours, when I had been messing with my hair and running my fingers through it a lot, it still looked like that; just the waves had loosened up a bit, and it gave a little more effortless air to it.

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram, and do comment below if you would like to know about more alternatives to style your hair with no product and lots of love :) 

Why I don't like Heat Styling

All of us know that using hot tools and heat styling isn't really good for our hair. Yet we insist on doing so. Why is that? Just to look a little better, we are sacrificing the health of our hair. We already know it is damaging. We know about split ends, and straw like hair but we continue doing things. Today, I'm talking specifically about heat styling though.

Hair fibers are essentially made up of proteins. The protein in our hair and nails is called keratin. therefore, even though our hair fibers aren't technically living, it is still made of proteins and they need to get nutrition for the hair to be healthy. For this, you need to baby your hair and care about it just like you care for your skin. You don't skimp on moisturizing and treating your skin well, so why not extend the same courtesy to you hair?

When you use hot tools, you are making your hair brittle each time you use it. The strands become dull, dry, damaged; not to mention scary split ends! Reducing the use of hot tools can go a long way in repairing the hair damage to your strands.
 
Heat makes your hair brittle from the follicles all along the hair shaft - all the way to the tips. So it isn't a healthy option under any circumstances. The heat actually boils and drives out the water from the shaft, leading to cuticle damage as well as breaking the proteins, leading to brittle, easily breakable hair.

I do not use hot tools AT ALL on my hair. I experiment with my hair a lot, but I do not use any daily heat treatments on my hair. I use it very very rarely. The last time I used a hot tool was at my cousin's wedding a few months back. And I used a hair dryer set on low. That's all. No hot tools, no products.

I understand that not all of you would be able to completely quit heat styling, as many of you are so used to it, but trust me on this, try to cut back a little everyday, and you'll get used to going all natural with your hair. And your hair will thank you for it too!

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram, and do comment below :)

I'm lovin Bloglovin'!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I recently discovered Bloglovin', and I'm so glad that this exists! It's such a convenient way to follow all your favorite blogs, and stay updated with all their new posts. As a blogger just starting out, it is great to have that kind of inspiration that takes you forward everyday. For that, I am grateful.

Also, I have a tendency to bookmarks posts that I am unable to read just then, which then proceed to get lost in the multitude of bookmarks I have in the first place. Here, you can just mark them as favorites, so it can hold all my favorite inspiring posts as well as stuff I can keep for later!

I wish I had discovered this sooner! Bloglovin' really simplifies things for all bloggers and readers out there. And that's what The Pretty Simple Life is all about. Keep reading! And follow me on Bloglovin' :)

Simplicity

What exactly does one mean by simplicity?

Before I explain that, let me make a few basics clear for you. I am not talking about simplicity as minimalism in the sense of a fashion style of interior design choice. My idea of simplicity has definitely been inspired by minimalism, though.

The simplicity I talk about is a lifestyle choice. I have been intrigued by minimalism for a long time – I tried to apply it to my life in bits and parts. Changing your lifestyle is a big thing. Over time, I realized that that level of minimalism is not for me. I cannot be that extreme, living with 50 possessions or spending a month in 22 articles of clothing or suchlike. I absolutely admire the people who can do that, but it's just not for me. 

I need more things than that. But those things are either things I need or things that make me happy. In this age of ease of access, it is very easy to fill up your life with too many things that you don't need. All they do is add clutter to the space around you, and clutter never helped anybody. Even if you are one of those people who are kinda messy and have stuff lying around, you can still find everything you need because you know exactly where things are in that pile. I'm like that too sometimes. I'm not saying that you should be super neat. I'm saying even if it's a mess, make the mess full of things that add value to your life. Make it such that each of those things fulfill a purpose in your life -  be it about work, or your dreams, something that makes you smile, chocolate chip cookies, inspiring stuff. But definitely chocolate cookies.

I also am not limiting this to your possessions and the area around you. It is about simplifying your life in general - making time for the things that are the most important to you. It's about leading a more productive and fulfilling life.

In conclusion, I would rather, in the words of William Morris, "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."  My focus is on simplicity and quality, in every aspect of life.

Photo Credits:

seanwes.com

buzzquotes.com