Every Pity Party is a Shitty Party
impressionista's podcast
Going through life without recognizing your privilege is not my jam. In this post, I talk about my own ways of ghosting my personal pity parties and the folks in my life who inspired this way of life. Enjoy!
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Welcome Week - The Real Story
impressionista's podcast
When I went away to college, I was filled with such jumbled emotions that ranged from guilt to unbridled enthusiasm. Thinking I knew exactly who I wanted "college Sheevani" to be, I dove in headfirst the very first night - going to a party and hooking up with a guy. The imposter syndrome was heavy that night and I learned an important lesson about having patience with myself and my identity. This wasn't an easy experience to share, but since it serves as a touchstone for me whenever I feel a bit lost, I thought it could be helpful to others.
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Welcome Week
impressionista's podcast
Seeing pictures of my first college roommate's son going off to college was shocking on so many levels (am I that old??), but also took me back to my first week away at Michigan State University. I decided to write a short story inspired by true events and idealistic wishes.
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Where You Lead, I Will Follow... & Then Eventually Lead
impressionista's podcast
Following was my jam for so long and I had fooled myself into thinking that I wasn't a natural leader, no matter how much my father tried to convince me from the age of 10. As life took the twists and turns that it tends to do, I realized my avoidance of leadership had a lot to do with conditioned beliefs; true leaders only existed in business, politics or some other worthy and impressive arena. Turns out, when I allowed myself to pursue areas of personal passion, I can lead like a mother*cker.
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Promotion Commotion
impressionista's podcast
Choosing a career where I have to promote myself as a "brand" makes me cringe, but in order to have any success, it's a necessity. In this post, I discuss my reservations about self-promotion and how they stem from issues, both societal and personal. Enjoy!
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Pride & Prejudice - Indian Style
impressionista's podcast
When you grow up a person of color with immigrant parents, being proud of what makes you different can be a really complicated concept. In this post, I explore my knee-jerk judgmental reaction to a fellow first-generation Indian woman's expression of Indian embarrassment and how my own path to finding joy in my culture is more nuanced than I first thought.
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Bod Squad
impressionista's podcast
Becoming an active person was always on my to-do list, especially after my body started going through the natural changes that bodies tend to go through. In this post, I tell you why I knew I would have to stop making excuses and put in the effort. I may not have a lot of things figured out, but I'm proud to say I have finally become an active person who thrives on breaking a sweat!
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Whine Country
impressionista's podcast
We're taught that aging is an enemy. The amount of times I've enjoyed some version of, "Oh, this is my 15th 21st birthday, har har har har!!" rivals the number of times I've considered a Goop detox... which is to say never. Why fight or deny that we're getting older? It's the biggest human commonality, so rather than long for the days of my youth, I try to embrace the years as they come... that doesn't mean it doesn't sting every now and then.
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Tone Deaf
impressionista's podcast
When I get emotional and need to discuss an issue, it doesn't always come out the right way. I've lost count of how many times I've had to apologize to people because I've blown up about something that I've held in for so long. Learning to effectively communicate, especially in my marriage, has been tough... but I know it's necessary so I can be heard. I just don't want my husband to be plugging his ears to shield from the yelling.
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Busy Beaver and Beyonce
impressionista's podcast
Being busy isn't a badge of honor in my book, mostly because I've shied away from too many commitments since I've never been great at juggling a lot in my life. But, life has a sneaky way of teaching you things and before you know it, you can multi-task with the best of them. Plus, Beyonce is all-knowing and inspiring for life.
info_outlineGrowing up an Indian kid in a white suburb of Detroit was an experience I hadn't reflected too much on until writing this post. Living a sort of double-life in order to belong was my normal and certainly has an impact on the way I navigate through life today.