The Beginning

​ A few people have asked me what made me want to start this website, so here’s my first blog entry which explains how this idea came to be.  

For a long time now, I have been searching for something I could do that would help me find myself, what will make me happy and fulfilled. To give you a little background, my parents came to America when I was 9 and I remained in India with my grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins. I had no responsibilities. My brother was born in the US while I was still in India. My parents worked long hours, so when I finally joined the family a couple of years later, my role in the family changed. AT the age of 12, I needed to help my parents with my brother, housework and prepare meals. I started preparing meals on a regular basis. My mom would provide me with some guidance in how to cook Indian food and my dad always encouraged me to try cooking different cuisines. This combination helped me tremendously. I developed a love of cooking for my family and friends. Whenever possible, I found myself in the kitchen at friends’ parties and at charity events.  So, what happened, why didn’t I pursue a career in cooking? Well, life happened, my father fell ill and I had to take on more responsibilities. You can’t predict where life will take you. I found myself working in the IT world because I thought it would give me job security and I can provide a stable life for my family. I got married and had kids and my focus was on everyone else. Don’t get me wrong, it gave me great joy. You see, I love helping people, so in a sense, taking care of my family and making them my focus made me happy to a degree, but it wasn’t enough. Between work and taking care of the family, I found myself depleted and drained most of the time.  

 So, this site is dedicated to helping us find the balance in life which we have lost in today’s 24x7 world. As we have grown to become a global society, we have forgotten to take time and take care of our spirits. Just like our bodies, our soul needs to be fed. 

 In the past, Sundays were spent with our families doing simple things. We don’t have that in today’s world. In our consumer based society, everything is open for business every day. Even the kids’ activities have no breaks, we are on the go all the time.  I found myself in a place where my 24/7 work schedule and family life took over my whole being and as a result, I forgot to take the time to enjoy things that made me feel refreshed, alive and hopeful. I forgot to feed my soul and re-energize my spirit. 

 Recently, I went to a Light of Day Foundation event in Asbury Park (a music charity event) with some friends and later we walked over to the beach, I felt energized and relaxed at the same time. That is when I had the revelation that I had forgotten to take time out for things like this, simple things!  We all have to find what it is that we need to do each day to feel refreshed. It can be as simple as spending 30 minutes to have a cup of coffee with a friend or planning a workout with a friend. Each of us has to find what rejuvenates us, for me, it is spending time with my family, friends, cooking, music, brewing, walking on the beach, just to name a few. 

 My goal with this site is to share various ways we can include some balance into our lives. So, what is it that brings balance to your life? How do you replenish, recharge, restore and renew your soul? What are some things that you can incorporate that will make your day a little better? I am on a journey to discover those things and hope you join me and share your own journey. 
​
 I hope with this site, I can inspire you to find what feeds your soul.