Preeti Shenoy's blog.

Often, especially in today's world of 'Instant- communication', we tend to lose an important thing called 'slowing down'. We are impatient and our smart phones and Internet are, I must say, big culprits in this being contributors in this regard.

We expect instant replies when we message someone, especially if there is that option which tells you when the message was seen and read. If they do not get back instantly, there is that slight feeling of 'rejection' that seeps in.

I know of people who obsessively check out 'last seen at..' on whatsapp, when the person fails to get back, within the expected time of response.

Many a time, people are so busy that they not only do not pick up your calls, but even neglect to return missed calls, unless of course it is 'work related'.

People agree to meet and then cancel at the last minute, because 'something urgent and unavoidable' came up at work--never mind that your friend, who had juggled ma…

And so I look at the blog this morning, and realise it has been calling out to me. In fact, it had been calling out to me even last week, but I managed to muffle it's cries with a pillow so that they couldn't be heard. It managed to shake off the pillow now, and has emerged like a zombie, from the dead, speaking in that gravelly whisper saying "UPDATE.....UPDATE...It has been thirteen whole days you know..THIRTEEN". (Gasp!)

And as though that scary visual was not enough to push me into updating this space, kind readers have been writing in asking "When Preeti--when do I get to read something new written by you?"





Awww---how lovely to be loved this much! How can I not oblige with a new post now? :)

So here I am.

Today I thought I would blog about something that I get asked all the time. I get people asking me how I think of stuff that happens in my books, and whether I know exactly what is going to happen and whether I have a certain story in mind, and what …

So finally--here is the day! I touch the finish line today :)

I started this 30 days back--and there has been a post every single day. Hooray :)

For today's post I thought I would write about 'labels' that define us--labels we use--labels others use.

In the corporate culture, we find that people are defined by their designations..VP..CEO, Director. In the armed forces, we have ranks-- Lt.colonel, Major etc.

 If you aren't in the corporate world, you would probably define yourself by what you do..Graphic designer, Wedding photographer, Librarian etc.

How important are these labels to you?   Is your identity defined by these labels? How do you define yourself? Does others perception of you, change who you really are? If not, why does it affect you? What if someone gave you a label, which you are not happy about? Would you correct them? Would you speak up and say 'hey..This is not how I would like to be known as.. I would like to be known as __________'

I leave y…

Much has been said about the warmth of friendship and the comfort a good one brings. Friends are the family we choose for ourselves.
 However, friendships do break, despite your best intentions to be 'forever friends'.

If you are anything like me, I am guessing you would take your friendships seriously.  I do and am fortunate to be blessed with some fantastic friends. But, I have of course, had my share of friendships breaking--sometimes because of bad choices I made or sometimes, because some things are a complete NO-NO for me, when it comes to friendships. They are the deal-breakers.



Here are my list of deal-breakers (in the order of importance for me)

1.Fair weather friend: If a friend speaks to you, only for 'good times' and isn't there for you, when you are down, and need a shoulder to cry on, then he/she is obviously a fair-weather friend. Dump them, You deserve better.



If your *friend* isn't there for you when you really need them and mysteriously reappe…

Since many of you who read me here are not on twitter, I thought I would compile a list of all the interesting stuff that i tweeted over the last few days, for today's post.

Here are the tweets that I sent out or retweeted which struck a chord in me.

If you do not talk about something you are proud of and have worked hard for, chances are others will not too.
— Preeti Shenoy (@preetishenoy) July 9, 2013
If she texts you, text her back. Just because she’s yours at the moment, doesn’t mean she still will be in the future. Treat her right. 😊
— Relationships ♥ (@reIationships) July 9, 2013
Being drunk is identical to being in love. You have it all figured out until you wake up and realize how stupid you are.
— HappilyDad (@happily_dad) July 8, 2013
Ha ha..yes..i am ruthless. Even on myself. Hard to please RT @GargSachin: Anyone who thinks so should take feedback from @preetishenoy
— Preeti Shenoy (@preetishenoy) July 9, 2013
“All I ask is that you do your work to the best of your ab…

Most of you must now be aware that Amazon has started in India. I don't remember if I mentioned that on the day that it opened in India, my book (Life is what you make it) was on Number one spot.



Today I checked the Amazon Indian writing best seller list. The best-seller lists are updated every hour on Amazon, based on actual purchases and it is an automated list.Out of the thousands of books published, it lists the top 100 best-selling books in the country.

Guess what i discovered?

ALL the books I have written so far, are in this list of top 100!

Boy, was I overjoyed!

Here is the order of appearance:

Life is what you make it (Number 4 on the list)

The Secret Wish list (No.28)

34 bubblegums and candies (No.39)

Tea for two and a piece of cake (no.93)


I also got two totally contrasting perspectives today. One reader wrote to tell me that she hated 'life is what you make it'. It left her depressed and she was unable to complete the book. Another wrote to me telling me that he was…

Thought I would do aSunday Scribblings post for today and the prompt at Sunday scribblings is 'Belly'.

The word belly conjures up  mainly three  images in my mind..
Pot-belly, Belly-laugh and Belly-dancing

Of all of the above, the one I like most is of course a belly-laugh. A deep, rumbling belly laugh that spreads all over your body till you are shaking helplessly in laughter. Sometimes you laugh so much that your belly hurts. I laugh a lot and I laugh often. I feel blessed to be able to do that. I can laugh at any damn thing, including myself. (okay--most of the time) :) People who know me well, sometimes call me up, just because they know I will make them laugh.

And the one I  dislike most from all the above is a pot-belly.

And the way most Indians are, I would not be surprised if the pot-belly is a secret turn-on, for most of our people. The closet sex-symbol :) (How else do you  explain the burgeoning, ever-growing population in our country? You have a pot-belly? By Gane…

Two pictures, both clicked by my son (who is 15).












I think he has a good eye---even if I may say so myself. Don't you think?
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If you like my writing, you might enjoy my books.

To  Buy my books in India, click here. (You can pay cash on delivery. You don't need a credit card)
To buy my books on Amazon, outside India clickhere

The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.


                     -- Jelaluddin Rumi,
                          translation by Coleman Barks

When I first came…

Sometime back, someone had given me a tag of a 'relationship expert'. This person felt that I am extremely understanding, kind and compassionate by nature. I guess I am all of that--but of course, what you see on the blog of my personality, is just one-dimensional! I am extremely restless by nature, get bored by routines and I want to try new things each time, and most of all I detest rules. If there is a rule, you can be sure I would want to break it.

However, there are some rules that I have always followed, or tried to follow. They have stood me in good stead and saved me many relationships. (I am blessed to have tonnes of good friends who love me a lot)

 Here are eight rules (that I follow) to simplify relationships:

1. When you are wrong, apologise humbly: Be gracious in accepting your mistake. It is okay. You are human. You are allowed to err. Say that you goofed up and mean it. Ask the person o forgive you. You will be surprised, how far this simple act can go. (Don…

Today, I met  the gorgeous Madhuri Banerjee at a lovely cafe in Bangalore. We had a fabulous time together and had so much fun. I don't remember laughing this much, in the last few weeks! She and I talked non-stop, and we had so much to share. We talked about books (mostly), writing process, men, phones, fitness and a whole lot of other things.




 Madhuri is truly one of the warmest and nicest people I know. She is also very down to earth, unassuming and a total riot to be around :-)  I also follow her on twitter and some of the stuff she tweets go straight to the heart.



Later, we went and checked out some clothes, did some girlie things, and generally relaxed and unwound. We discussed so many things--the conversation was buzzing, flying and zooming in all directions, it was hard to keep track of the multiple threads we were conversing on.

I had read Madhuri's'Mistakes like love and sex' and I told her that the sex scenes in the book were sizzling! She has done a splend…

I was browsing through the Internet, and I found these 100 random questions
Decided to do it for today's post.

Here goes:



Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4.
Karnataka has an impressive range of KSRTC buses. :D

Stretch your left arm out as far as you can, What can you touch?
Edge of the bed

Before you started this survey, what were you doing?
Whatsapping :)

    What is the last thing you watched on TV?
OMG--it has been so long I watched TV that I don't remember.

Without looking, guess what time it is
4.11
Now look at the clock. What is the actual time?
4.56

With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
Sound of rain

    When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
This morning. Was meeting some people.

    Did you dream last night?
yes
    Do you remember your dreams?
yes--most of the time.

    When did you last laugh?
Yesterday

    Do you remember why / at what?
At something my kids said.

    What is on the walls of the room you are in?
Paintings by Niall…

A little while ago, I was speaking to a good friend. I was telling her about how the older I get, the more convinced I am about 'destinies and life path.'
I was telling her, that when things happen, we always do not know the reason instantly. But a reason there is. Always.

When a situation is giving us pain, it is because we are looking at it too closely and we are in the midst of it. If we step aside, outside it for a moment, and try and look at it from a distance, you might see a clearer picture. It may not lessen the pain, but it sure gives you a more philosophical perspective.

If we are hurting because of something, we need to heal first. Emotional wounds are just like bruises. Except that they are internal and you cannot see them. Just as you would apply medication to an external bruise, and be careful about that area, till it heals, so too with emotional wounds.


If you have been hurt by something (or someone) and are in pain, you need to do stuff which is a balm to your …