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.
info_outline
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!
info_outline
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.
info_outline
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!
info_outline
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.
info_outline
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.
info_outline
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_outline
Allowed and Proud
impressionista's podcast
This post is one of my favorites because it was truly a spur of the moment logging of my thoughts. Feeling proud of myself isn't a common theme for me, but I'm trying to be better about recognizing my accomplishments... hell, I spend enough time dwelling on my disappointments, right? Don't we all? I'll never stop reminding myself that I'm allowed to be proud.
info_outline
Marriage Scoreboard
impressionista's podcast
I've never been one to play sports so a score is meaningless to me, yet I would always attempt to keep score in my marriage; who got more personal time, who was more involved in the kids lives, who had the power due to income. All that would do is lead me down a path to misery and depression. I'm trying to express my feelings to my husband more often, so he is aware of some of the imbalances I'm feeling so we can work together to achieve a harmony that works for both of us... it may not be 50/50 in a mathematical sense, but we are striving for a mutually emotional balance. And that's been...
info_outline
Sheevani < Perfect Indian Daughter
impressionista's podcast
Growing up in the Indian community meant being held to a set of standards that felt incongruent to my strengths, but I was held to them nonetheless. Falling short of being a Perfect Indian Daughter is something I have grappled with for a long time. For anyone whose sense of worth has been defined by very stringent rules, recognizing the otherness in you will always be a complicated venture, but if you're anything like me, you'll eventually realize those tired old rules were the limits you were always supposed to break through.
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.