I live a mundane life every day. At first, I was sad and disappointed with my choice – of living a life with no adventures, no excitement, no enjoyment. How could I live a life without being a dreamer? Without being an explorer, a leader? But slowly, I got used to living with this simple life. And guess what, I found the key to happiness.

I found a rhythm in the monotony.

I found the beauty of simple living with a handful of resources to make my day, I love cherishing the lyrics of the song that sings the glory of the humdrum of life. This is how slowly I started believing in the joy of living with minimalism. Oh yes, slowly, I discovered the magic of living in the present. Mindfulness, you name it.

I can’t say that I am a practitioner of mindfulness but yes, I do try to practice mindful living. Mindful, is a difficult word for me. I love to do multitasking, enhance my productivity, and don multiple hats together. No, I don’t do it to be famous or be a social media influencer, or a popular public figure. I don’t do them to prove my ability, I just, can’t sit idle and let the hours pass by.

But recently, I have started practicing Niksen, the art of doing nothing. Trust me, it’s a wonderful art to give yourself the rest your mind, body, and soul need. Most of the time, we can’t realize how tired we are, how stressed we are, how burned out we are. We can’t realize it until the body sends you a sign that it’s high time, you need rest.

And this is how you come to know that even sometimes doing nothing is the best thing you can do. It’s the best choice you can opt for at that moment, for yourself. Only then, you realize how blessed you are with everything you could wish for.

Only slowing down offers you the moments to cherish the abundance of joy.

– Swarnali Nath

So, living in my small world and finding happiness in my own little universe with my dear ones, my books, my journals, and my songs, is my favorite thing right now. Because I find my inner peace in these little beauties, and they make me happy with the way I am shaping myself for my higher purpose.

I start my day at 6 AM. Though I don’t wake up from bed at that time. Usually, my sleep ends at the sharp hour of 4 AM, then I keep twisting and turning on the bed for some more time, then I fall asleep again but my eyes tell me to start the day by the time when the clock strikes 6 AM. So, then, I wake up (I mean, my eyes!)

But I stay on my bed for one more hour and keep thinking about the things to do in the day. Then, I finally prepare my mind to put my feet on the floor (Do I deserve a pat on my back?) at 7 AM.

Before I put my feet on the floor, I show my regards to my Guru. I do my pranam, pray to Him, and only then, I start the day. After freshening up, I drink my detox water which is a blend of Jeera and Ajwain water (Half tea-spoon of Jeera, half tea-spoon of Ajwain soaked or boiled in one cup of water.) Then, for thirty minutes I do some exercises. Sometimes I do yoga or simply dance to the rhythm of my favorite songs. Oh yes, I often come to the balcony and walk. Then, I eat two biscuits and one cup of leaker tea.

Next, I go to the kitchen and ask Maa if she needs any help from my side. If she says yes, then I assist her, otherwise I make my breakfast and come to the room where I work. For my breakfast, I prefer to have some preparation of oats. So, I opt any one of these on my breakfast, whatever my mood allows me to have on that specific day: oatmeal with fruits and nuts, oats khichdi, oats chilla, oats poha, oats bhel, and oats omlet. Some days, I eat sprouts salad. Oh yes, I do have my cheat days so some days I prefer to eat chirer pulao, or suji, or sandwich, or simply one roti with some preparation of aalu or some other veggies.

Some days, I sit for work after having my breakfast. On the other days, I sit for singing. I sing the songs my heart wishes to sing or I randomly choose from my collections (my singing copies and books). On the other days, I learn new songs and sing them. While working on the easy projects, I prefer to play my favorite songs on the Bluetooth speaker. On lazy days, I simply play the songs that I love to sing, sit on the recliner, close my eyes, and sing them aloud with the singers. Thus, I calm down my stressed nerves and feel the peace within.

Singing also gives me a chance to converse with my inner self through the language of music, and sometimes even through the silence between two notes.

Thus comes the hour of my bath and I go for bathing. After that, I go to the kitchen and assist Maa if anything is needed, or simply give a treat to my tastebuds with the awesomeness of her delicious dishes. Then I finish my pending work or do some other things. Thus comes the lunch hour and Baba, Maa, and me, we three have our lunch together. Next, I help Maa in the kitchen cores and return to my work.

Some days I work in the afternoon, some days, I allow myself to take a small nap and then read my current picks. After spending some time with my work or books, I take a break. I come to the balcony and watch the people on the street in front of our house. Some days, I come outside, stroll in our courtyard, water the plants in our garden, and sit lazily to relax my mind-body-soul. When slowly the dusk falls, I prepare myself for my evening walk and go out. I spend quality time with my solitary self, in nature’s abundance and the hustling streets. Sometimes I hum a song, sometimes, I only observe people and everything I come across while walking.

Some days I don’t go outside of home, instead, I walk in the courtyard, listening to the songs in my favorite playlist. These days, I walk barefoot and feel the touch of the ground.

The earth beneath my feet leaves a kiss of affection from the mother, reminding me of keeping myself rooted to the very beginning of my story.

– Swarnali Nath

Once I return home, I freshen up myself and sit for some time to rest my pacing heart as I sweat out after the walk. But I feel afresh within after returning home from my evening walk. I rest for five to ten minutes, then I freshen up myself and make green tea for me. I drink it slowly and with every sip, I relish the calmness of my heart. After that, go to the puja room of our house, burn an incense stick, and start my meditation, prayer, and chanting. This is the hour when I spend time with introspection.

Then, I have a mini-tiffin time. Either with some healthy snacks or some bhajia (specifically on my cheat days), or simply with some homemade delicacies by Mom. Then, I resume the work of the day and finish it. If the work is finished soon, and I see the clock has only ticked to its 9^th room, I sit to read the current book. I read for thirty-forty minutes and then go to the kitchen to start preparation for the dinner. On the other days, I come to Maa to oil her hair or massage her fingers, or simply accompany her with some random chit-chats so she doesn’t feel lonely. Some days, I talk to Baba about the books I am reading or the nice movies or short films we have watched recently and their stories left a deep impression on us.

Once I am done with the preparation of dinner, I call my parents, and Maa and I start serving the plates together. We also have some chit-chats while having our dinner. Then, I help Maa in the kitchen cores just like I do after lunch. Once we are done with everything, I come to the balcony and walk for fifteen minutes while listening to songs. Then, I sit for my night prayer and after five minutes, I go to bed. Some days I read before going to bed but most days, I go straight to bed and close my eyes to evoke the Goddess of Sleep.

Soon, the peaceful mind sings a lullaby to my ears and I call it a day!

Only to pave my way to another tomorrow, filled with an abundance of inner joy, self-love, and peace of mind.