This was a very quiet week for us and nothing happened that stands out, so this update will be short.

My walking this month mirrors that of February because I have not been able to walk as much as I want to. I have now reached the state of Assam, the biggest of the northeastern states and am about 200 km from the state capital of Guwahati. I’m still a long way from Mumbai and then I still have to make my way to Bengaluru.

My reading this month has also suffered, but I am still reading, just not as much as I should and would have loved to. But the year is still young, so I am confident of meeting my reading goals for the year.

Many countries have now removed mask mandates, including many Indian states. Maharashtra, Delhi, Telangana, and West Bengal have announced complete relaxation of the Covid-19 norms starting from April because of the steady decline in cases. So in Maharashtra and Delhi, whether to wear a mask or not is debatable as both states have done away with the penalty for not wearing a mask in public places. Even in Singapore, masks are not mandatory outdoors but are still compulsory inside. I think I would perhaps take off my mask if I am outdoors and especially if there is no one near me, but would be more comfortable with a mask if I am around people. What about you? Would you continue to wear a mask even with mask mandates off?

Today’s quote is from Orison Swett Marden, an American inspirational author who wrote about achieving success in life and founded the SUCCESS magazine in 1897. He says our thoughts and imaginations ate the only real limits to our possibilities. This is something to think about as it feeds into the theory that we are the total of our thoughts. So let’s think positive and uplifting thoughts this week so we can extend ourselves and reach what we are capable of.

That’s all from me this week. Stay safe everyone.

This week, I finally managed to get into my stride and was slightly more productive than I had been for a while. I hope this reignites my productive streak and I can do more without getting distracted as I have been the past few weeks.

GG has been working in her internship for two weeks now and though she finds it very tiring, she is enjoying herself. She is still not sure if she will do what she is doing during the internship as her career, but while she figures it out, she is enjoying the process.

It’s been a month now since R went back to India and we have now learnt to live without her. I am involving both BB & GG in cooking and other house chores and it’s been fun to teach them everything. Both are learning to cook and clean and as time goes on, it’s easier to pull them into the kitchen. These are essential life skills and I am glad I can teach them.

Today’s quote is from James Arthur Ray who reminds us that often what would seem to others as a detour is the best and most direct way to our destination. And this is a quote that spoke to me this week as BB and I had many conversations on his path in life. This quote told me that my path is not his path and what I see as a detour maybe his direct path.

And on that note, stay safe everyone!

This week has passed by in a haze as I was sick pretty much the whole week with gastric flu. After trying to ride it out on my own for almost five days, I finally gave in and went to see my doctor who confirmed that it was stomach flu. So I just went through the motions this week and don’t have much to report. The medicines worked and I am much better now, though I am still taking it a bit easy for a few more days.

GG’s internship is going on well and the good news is that she does not have to go into the office every day. She is happy to work home so she can sleep a little earlier and need not dress up. BB is enjoying his holidays and catching up with his friends to watch the new Spiderman movie. He was especially happy to meet his best friend who recently enlisted for his National Service and I understand that the boys all grilled the NS recruit during lunch.

Today’s quote is attributed to Ted Murphy, the founder, CEO and Chairman of IZEA. He tells us that if something is safe and comfortable and not a bit scary, it’s not worth our time. Doing something scary helps us grow and makes us get out of our comfort zone. Fear serves a real and important purpose, that of keeping us out of harm’s way and so the directive to frighten ourselves on purpose is scary in itself. So go ahead and do something that scares you.

Have a wonderful week and stay safe!

In the last two years of walking, February 2022 has been my worst month. I walked more even in January 2021 when I first started. I need to get off this malaise that has affected me and start walking anew. Doing this monthly update is good because today after I realised how much behind I am, I am determined to finish my daily quota. I am in Nagaland now and on the outskirts of its capital city, Kohima. I am hoping to walk through Nagaland this month and enter the largest of the northeastern states Assam. Then it’s past the chicken neck in West Bengal and I will soon reach the state of Bihar.

I have been reading a fair bit this month and am at about 15% of my annual target. I am hoping to read at least one non-fiction a month this year and so far I am on course for that. I am also feeling a tad bit overwhelmed because in addition to the housework, cooking and work, I have to read and write and sometimes this becomes hard and I end up dropping one, which usually happens to be my walking. I need to figure out how to do it all and when I do so, I will update you.

GG starts her internship tomorrow and she will be at a big 4 company doing something she is currently interested in. The internship will let her figure out if this is indeed what she wants to do in the future or if she needs to move to something else.

Today’s quote is from Ralph Waldo Emerson, the American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. Emerson exhorts us to not be pushed by our problems but to let our dreams lead us to where we want to and need to be. This is a lesson I need to learn, so this quote is very timely.

And on that note, stay safe and see you all next week!