F Stands For Success “ Flaunt your failures, wear your scars like they are medal of honor and accept your flaws and work on them” 🌟 All of us have encountered failures in our life but what makes someone unique is whether they stood up after failing or not. Not failure but standing up right after a failure is what that is going to shape our future. ✨ “F Stands For Success “ is a self-help book which will make you realize that there is always light at the end of the tunnel, and all we have to do is look forward. Rakhi Kapoor, the author of the book has shared her own experiences from getting her book published to going on treks. She faced hardships, rejections but came out stronger each time. She was left alone on the first trek she went because she wasn’t in the right physical state to complete the trek. So, after feeling miserable from this experience she decided to go on a more difficult trek and eventually she succeeded and showed the world that its easy to give up but the one who comes back stronger is the real winner. In this book she has written the ‘untold secrets about failures’ which changed her f for failure to f for success. And she asks every person who read this book to take failure positively and work on it till the time it turns into a successful story. I personally liked the small elements about this book a lot like poems, personal stories and quotes. You will feel so light after reading this book because it will take all the negativity out and fill you with immense happiness and positivity. So, if you are someone who is afraid of failure or if you feel like you have failed in life then you should definitely pick up this book to get daily dose of positivity.✌️💫
You can follow me on instagram @janvi_reads for more such bookish posts and blogs! 💫
StoryMirror is organising a writing competition for all budding writer to sharpen their skills and showcase their talent to fellow writers. StoryMirror (https://storymirror.com) is India’s biggest and fastest-growing literary platform and is changing the way in which people consume literature. In the times of social media and growing academic stress, people have forgotten about the art of literature and internet slangs have taken over the beauty of literature. So, story mirror is taking an initiative to promote creative writing among the youth so that they can restart their passion and love for reading and writing again amidst the chaos of their lives. Storymirror has been organising annual contests for college students since last 2 years and they are back with the third season of their StoryMirror College Writing Challenge (SCWC) where they expect huge participation of students. They are expecting 50,000+ students from 5000+ colleges which is huge! Students from colleges of India and abroad can participate. Reading and writing is very important for youth as it enhances their imagination power, help them to create a vision and helps them to learn a lot in life. Reading and writing is a form of art which can help you travel all around the world just by sitting in your room. Creative writing is an important asset for youth as it will open numerous gates for them in corporate and literary world. A great writer just doesn’t have the power to mould their mind but also influence thousand others just by their words. Using words writers can do a magic in other’s world and help them see the world through writers’ eyes. Storymirror would love to have participation of students from your esteemed colleges to participate on this one-of-a-kind and interesting contest where students can win multiple awards and certificates and promote your college as well just by the beauty of their thoughts and magic of their words.
About StoryMirror
StoryMirror (https://storymirror.com) is India’s fastest growing multilingual community of readers and writers with 1 million+ monthly readers, 600,000+ stories & poems, and 75,000+ writers who have written more than 350 million words in 10 languages which is a victory in its own. They have also published 520+ physical books and 3000+ e-books across various genres and languages, out of which 25+ books have been national bestsellers. They had the privilege of their books being launched by Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, Mr. Subhash Ghai, Mr. Ramchandra Guha, Mr. Sunil Gavaskar, Hon. PM of Mauritius, Hon. CM of Gujarat, Hon. CM of Uttarakhand, Dr. Kiran Bedi, Indian Ocean Band, Mr. Lesile Lewis, Late Mr. Tom Alter, to name a few.
The details of the challenge hosted by StoryMirrors are as follows: • The challenge will accept entries from all college students across the globe. • The challenge will accept entries in the form of Stories (Text / Audio), Poems (Text / Audio) & Quotes because creative writing is appreciated and loved in all forms. • Students can submit entries in 10 languages – English, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Odia, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam according to their preference. • There is no specific theme for the challenge and no limit on entries. • The submission phase of the challenge is from 5th January to 15th March 2021.
Rewards: SCWC – Season 3 has multiple prizes on offer for each and every participant so that they can celebrate as many writers as possible. Literature Masters Award This award will be presented to those writers, who are exceptionally good in crafting their thoughts and weaving words beautifully. Apart from the winner trophies, the Literature Masters will get various paid assignments from StoryMirror for writing /editing. More than 100 trophies will be distributed under these awards.
Literature Premier League A first of it’s kind of literature league which gives a chance to each and every participant to be a winner and take home amazing prizes worth INR 255,000 / USD 3,400. More than 200 winners will be declared under this category. So, you have a great chance to be valued and paid for your skills that you have acquired all this while. Besides, there are multiple participation prizes. To add, selected stories & poems will also be published as books.
✨ We all eat lies when our hearts are hungry ✨ I read this quote somewhere and it has stuck with me ever since then. We all are caught in a vicious cycle of self doubt and a need for external love. We have always been dependent on other people to make us feel better about ourselves that we forget how empowering it is to validate yourself and respect yourself more than anyone else! We often end up doing so much for people who wouldn’t even do the slightest possible, and all of it just for the sake of being an ‘ideal friend’ and for feeling validated! In this ‘social world’ we get so busy finding love and validation from the outer world that we forget our power, and the power of self love. We forget how important it is to look in the mirror and say ‘you are beautiful just the way you are’ and not waiting for somebody else to say it to us. So let’s feed our heart with so much love that there is no place for lies. ✨
A word which bring so many pictures and memories in your mind, A word which adds value to your life. We all have friends Some who can fight for us And some who fight with us Some who are always there when things don’t go right And some who always stand so tight Some who enjoy with us in the rain And some who stay there when we are in pain Some Friends whom we meet only once in a year And some with whom we shed tears . Some friends make dancing on songs which you never heard so easy And some makes life so breezy Some friends with whom life flows like a swing And some, who makes our heart sing. Some who teach us new things And others who helps us to live our life like Kings. Some take their time but always come back While some always appear as a flashback. Each one of them is special in their own way, has their own way of changing our life. All of them have one thing in common, to change our frown into a smile. But, We expect so much from our friends We expect them to act like our therapists, partners, family and teachers That we forget that they are actually our friends Friends we can laugh with, smile with and cry with. We need to accept that friends can just be friends for once and nothing else.
We all go through times when we feel like everything is about to collapse and nothing feels right.. We all have days when it’s difficult to even smile. So I’m going to mention a few things which makes me happy instantly, and I hope it makes you happy too! 1) Playing with a kid You don’t know how magical it is until you do it yourself. Their innocence will make you smile instantly, no matter what is going in your life. Even a video call with your younger cousin can make everything fine!
2) Going through your oldphotographs Every family has one cupboard filled with albums and going through all of them with your family and discussing how beautiful life was back then can legit make your day!
3) Reading a book which has a special place in your heart Be it a book given by your friend, family member or maybe just a book which has a lot of memories attached to it. Reading it again will take you back to the memory lane!
4) Journaling your thoughts If you are like me who doesn’t like to share feelings with people then this will work wonders for you! You won’t be judged for what you are thinking and it will also make you feel light!
5) Talking to your long lost friend Catching up with people you left in your way is the best way to bring back the memories. It will make you nostalgic, but happy too!
6) Talking about your favoriteschool memories with your best friends Memories from your favorite trip or your first bunk together and talking about your school life will surely leave you in (happy) tears!
7) Listening your happy song For me, listening to ‘Kabhi Kabhi Aditi ‘ and imagining that I am Aditi is the best therapy! What’s your happy song?
8) Reading hand written letters Reading hand written letters is my favorite hobby! Realizing that someone made efforts to make you happy can instantly put a smile on your face!
9) Going through your ‘Gift box’ Looking at all the gifts and realizing their purpose behind it and specially the handmade gifts can make you smile from ear to ear!
10) And lastly hug your favorite person For me hugging my mom makes my day! So hug your special one and if you don’t have one just hug yourself because you are special too!
Photograph.. A visual which brings back the memories you cherish forever and allow you to relive them. Photograph, a piece of paper which is much more than that! Photographs are token to revisit your past and they have a unique way of telling us that smile can set everything right. They make you feel closer to people who were once by your side, but now are nowhere to find.. Whenever I go through my old photographs nostalgia takes over my mind and takes me back to the time when I was genuinely happy with the people around me and reminds me every detail about the day, be it a photograph taken on a trip I went years ago or on the day I cried! Photographs have a unique way of telling us life was beautiful once, and can be beautiful again and for that we just need to smile. So, say cheese!
You are still a great dancer Even if you have been rejected in an audition multiple times. You are still a talented painter Even if your art just got twenty likes You are still a friend Even if all the friends you have are the objects placed in your room. And, You will become a successful entrepreneur Even if you started a little later in your life. You can still smile Even if you have terribly cried last night And, You can still shine bright Even if everything is dark around you, just like stars in the sky.
Trust me, You will stand up again Even if you have fallen a thousand times You will be able to run again Even if you are suppressed today, You will fly one day Even if someone broke your wings today And, You will be happy again Even if you have forgotten how to laugh today.
You are just like a flower because even though you have dirt around you, you can still grow and bloom.
Flowers do not bloom without a little rain. Everything has its purpose, even pain.
Trust me, You are an achiever, you are capable and You are worthy.
Now that our reality has become like one of the nightmares, the only easy way out is to escape it.. I know I am not the only who is in middle of a dilemma where I keep on oscillating between thoughts like ‘ I want to go out’ and ‘I’m absolutely happy at home’ . So,one of the main reasons why I feel happy even after being stuck at home for months now is that I can always wear pyjamas and also because books have come to my rescue!
Adding a little backstory.. so while growing up I was always fascinated by the thought of reading novels and to have a ‘ tiny home library’ but I never really read novels in school..but once I started reading novels which was last year itself there was no going back. Soon , reading became an obsession.
Reading helps me calm my mind, and escape the reality.. and I guess it’s really important when our reality is a pandemic. Reading fictional books at time like this helps me a lot! I have read more books in the lockdown period than I have read last year and I’m so proud of that!! People binge watch TV shows and movies and I binge read novels because when you read you live the character’s life , and your imagination comes into play. For example, color of the shirt of your favorite character is totally dependent on your choice and everything is not served to you on a platter. In addition to all of this, I cherish the mild aroma of new books which is like a therapy itself.
According to me,Reading is the best ‘ me time ‘ and specially in lockdown as lockdown is all about solitude and enjoying your own company. Having one sided conversation with the author is magical, getting to know their thought process is magical and to be able to live thousand lives is magical !
Do you miss that one specific person? The warmth of their hug?or maybe just laughing with them..? Do you miss their silly jokes..Oh, if you think that I am talking about someone you don’t talk to anymore, then you are wrong. You can stil see that person someday or the other. I’m talking about someone special you lost to death.. That loss which inculcated a permanent void in your life and now you just have their memories left. The loss that you can’t have in your arms anymore,but always in your heart.
Do you also wish to dance on your favorite song with that specific person for one last time.? Or laugh with them for one last time? Or just see them in front of your eyes ..for one last time. If you do.. then you are not alone. When someone leaves us we still enjoy their favorite dish,but without them. We still sing their favorite songs,but without them.. we still laugh on their jokes but the ones which were told by them a long back ago..
When you lose someone very special,you lose a part of yourself. You see them in your dreams, you miss them in accomplishments and you cherish the memories you made together..You unintentionally wait for the time when you can meet them again…on the other side.
So, I’m going to turn 19 in a few days and here is a list of 19 things I learned before turning 19!
1. Family over everything I can’t emphasize enough on how much I believe in this.
2. Spending money on books is worth it all! Reading is the best hobby that I have picked up on and it has worked wonders for me. It has changed my life in so many possible ways and it has given me a privilege to live so many lives (of the characters in the book)
3. Female friends are the best. No matter what Fun fact: I was so skeptical about getting admission in a girl’s college because I thought I would hate it because I have always had more guy friends. But now I have realised that having female friends is a privilege. They support you like no guy could and make world a better place for you.
4. Law of attraction, manifestation and gratitude works magic I have learned that What you have in your thoughts is what you can have in your life. If you see it in your mind,you are going to hold it in your hand. Thoughts become things.
5. Me time is the best time Spending time alone is probably the best therapy.
6.Being alone is not bad Actually it’s not at all bad. Being single or maybe just not having any body around can help you know yourself in ways you never knew. It lets you discover who you actually are.
7. It’s okay not to have a plan I have always been the kind of person who never had a plan in her life. I didn’t know what I would do 2 years later, tomorrow morning or the next week. The moment I posted my first blog I didn’t know what I would post here. But I knew I would figure it out for sure.
8.I learned writing and reading I learned writing and reading and also gained the courage to make it public. And now it has become one the reasons for me to smile,everyday.
9.Communication is magical I have realised how important conversations are and what was the need to discover language in the first place. Talking to a friend, mom, or maybe just a page makes my life 10 times better.
10. “Fake it till you make it” If you are not happy right now, fake it . Fake your smile,fake your happiness and one day that would change into a genuine smile for sure.
11. It’s okay if you don’t make sense to other people It’s okay if the other person doesn’t get why you are so excited to go for a walk in park, or to start reading a particular book. Do things for yourself and for your happiness.
12.Failure is very very very important. Failure is vital failing in an exam,in a relationship with your partner or a friend, or getting rejected for a position you really wanted, is really important sometimes. Failure is important to get yourself out from your comfort bubble and make yourself a better version of yourself.
13. Accept your flaws and flaunt it You are not perfect,that Instagram model is not perfect. Having flaws is also beautiful. But most importantly Accepting you flaws is beautiful.
14. Being selfish is fine sometimes. I might have already looked very narcissistic for writing a whole blog just about myself but being selfish and putting yourself first is absolutely fine. It’s okay to be your number 1 priority.
15. I have learned that I’m not always going to get the closure/explanation I think I deserve And I think it’s better like that because maybe the explanation would hurt me more than anything else did.
16. Trust the process Everything happens for good and nothing lasts. It’s surely going to make sense some day if not today.
17. Not everybody is going to support you and I have learned this very recently that even the people you chill with won’t support you for what you do and that’s fine. You do what you like.
18. I learned that self love is very important not just accepting your flaws but also loving yourself for who you are is the most important thing. Because you can’t figure out how to love somebody else in a relationship ( be it your partner,friend) if you have not figured out how to love yourself first.
19. And lastly, I learned that giving yourself a gift every now and then is important because you deserveit.
Unapologetically honest 