Preeti Shenoy's blog.

      Today, I turned fifty. It seems like a big number, and it seems like a milestone. I think it is more so because suddenly I am hit with a realization that more than half my life is over (If I presume a lifespan of 85 years, which is a more than reasonable assumption).   I have always believed that age doesn’t define you. In one of my books, a character says ‘You can be old at 24 or young at 62’ and it is a maxim I’ve lived by. Yet I cannot escape the undeniable physical signs of ageing—grey hair, actually being one of the better things about it because there are worse things, which I leave to your imagination!   For the past few months, (partly because I have completed the manuscript of my 14 th book and sent it off to my publishers) I’ve been ruminating and thinking deeply about life. What does it mean to be a certain age?   What does it mean to turn fifty? Is it watching one’s body slowly wither away? Is it growing stronger mentally? Is it

 Hello again! In the last post, I'd mentioned about the cover unveiling of my new non-fiction book The Magic Mindset. So many of you joined in and you made the celebration of the book truly special by interacting with me, sending me your wishes. Thank you so much for that!  Here's the cover of the book! To capture the spirit of the book, my publishers Harper Collins created  this beautiful video , which I want to share with you. Do use the headphones or switch on  the sound and watch it.      If this video made you feel calm and peaceful, then you will definitely love the book!    To give you a better idea about the book, here are a few questions that I was asked, and my answers as well!  1) What brings you to write this book? What is it that you want to send out into the world via this book? I began the 21 days of positivity when the first lockdown started in 2020. At that time we naively believed that the lockdown would be only for 21 days. We were all in shock, and unaware

 Hi all! I am really excited to share the cover of my new non-fiction book in a live session tomorrow (3rd September ,Friday) at 5.00 pm. We will stream it live on Facebook as well as on Instagram! Do join us. We will talk about how to find your happy space in these difficult times. We will give you a sneak peek into the topics of the book and we will also answer your questions. Instagram: Preeti.io/insta  Facebook: Preeti.io/fb Do mark your calendar and see you tomorrow!  Love Preeti Shenoy

    In the year 1800, in the month of May, Varanasi received an unusual visitor — a heartbroken man called Swami Nirgunanada who came with a large group of women and men. He was actually the the King of Nepal, Rana Bahadur Shah, who was fleeing Kathmandu where military forces had been dispatched to arrest him. He stayed in Varanasi for four years and began the construction of a temple — a replica of the Pashupathi nath temple of Kathmandu. During its construction Rana Bahadur Shah moved back to Nepal where he was stabbed to death in 1806 by his step brother. The temple could be completed only 20 years later, when his son undertook the project. The land belongs to Nepal Government now. . I fell in love with the temple built in pagoda style architecture, made of wood, terracotta and stone. See this  photo  below and you can imagine how much effort went into its construction and how skilled the artisans were. I observed old women, dressed in white , living inside the temple

 Hello dear folks! How have you all been? My last post here was in April. After that India was hit with the worst second wave of the pandemic. The images of horror are etched indelibly in all our memories, and I sincerely hope we avoid a third.  Like many of you, I too lost loved ones. The one thing this pandemic has done is shown us all what truly matters---enjoying the cherished moments we have with our loved ones, being grateful for the gift of health,  doing what you love and  doing a lot of it. I was also busy with the edits of my next book which be out in the last week of September . It is a non-fiction book on finding that happy space, especially in these times. It was a very exciting time when my editor sent me this photo with  these messages:   As you can see from the messages that my editor shared, the book has a lot of lovely exercises, which make you think. I have shared a numerous anecdotes from my own life too, apart from many real life stories that helped me and motivate

 We're in the worst second wave of this terrifying pandemic. We all thought 2021 would be better and that the worst was behind us. But how wrong we were. Anywhere we turn, there is death and illness. Shocking images of crematoriums running full, people dying outside the hospitals for lack of oxygen cylinders and beds, heartbreaking appeals from doctors and ordinary citizens, pleas for help in getting admitted to a hospital, pleas for injections and oxygen--we cannot be immune to it. There's not a single person I know who hasn't faced some kind of a loss because of the Pandemic. Everyone is stressed. And when you are stressed it affects your immune system. You are likely to succumb to illnesses.  Stress is something which we have to minimize at all costs, especially in these times. But how do we do it?  Like everyone else, I too was affected.  For a while, my stress levels were high. I  felt totally down as well as angry and helpless. But I am in a much better frame of min

   Hi there, How have you been?  How is the summer heat  at your part of the world? I got the first dose of Covid vaccine on 1st April. I was fine that day. But the next day,  it knocked me out completely . I was so exhausted I slept the whole day. Fatigue hit me hard. I didn't have fever or any other symptoms though. Many of my friends  too reported feeling the same. It took me 3-4 days to recover.  I am glad to be back on my feet now. A thought struck me--if the vaccine itself causes so much discomfort, how terrible it must be for the ones who actually got Covid. I say a prayer for all the ones suffering. We are at a phase where it might be 2020 all over again. Maharashtra is mulling a lockdown as I type this. Bangalore might follow suit if the cases don't subside. There's already a night curfew in place. I don't get why people don't follow precautions, and why people still want to have large gatherings for celebrations. The need of the hour is staying safe. We ne