The Maverick#59: Defying the Usual to Inspire & Connect

Mornings are usually rough. All of us hit that snooze button one too many times, gulp down an extra cup of coffee to get us going and then rush out of the house before even thinking about breakfast to fuel our day. Only a few of us are stickler for an orderly breakfast and wouldn’t leave home without some fiber in their systems. Image source:successiblelife.com Breakfast is all important. It kick starts your metabolism and delivers nutrients and carbs you need so badly first thing in the morning after a 10 hour hiatus. Still looking for a more thoughtful reason to eat a hearty breakfast each morning!!. You must understand that this fast breaking habit helps to   reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes. Those settling for measly morsel are 21 percent more likely to have type-2 diabetes in their lifetimes. It’s equally important to understand that what you eat for breakfast is just as important as whether you eat. Carbohydrates, proteins, fat… all have a vital role to fit in our breakf...

A lot of renewed interest and enthusiasm is recently seen in ‘ edible weed walks’ . Following the lockdown people have started using the knowledge they have gathered over the time about what a certain plant is, whether it is edible and how to go about preparing a fancy meal out of it.These guys love experimenting with recipes and get excited over finding new edible plants in the most unexpected of places; in the crevices between pavement stones and broken asphalt, in overgrown street sides, sidewalks, abandoned lots and parks.  Many of these weeds and plants we usually dismiss as having no culinary taste or medicinal value.  A class of new urban foragers however thinks otherwise. For them “the food is already there, it’s just not recognized as one.”   Here’s why;   Feast on sidewalk salads Every morning I find a new class of urban foragers sporting pruning shears and a plastic bag, walk along the sidewalks scouting for plants and weeds that can make them a tast...

If you believe that spending time with your kids and spouse is the key to your happiness, you could be in for a surprise!  People actually experience higher level of wellness being while chilling around with friends than they do when spending time with their family!! It’s shocking but true! For quite a few, happiness does not mean spending time with family and finding relevance in unpleasant tasks like chores or caretaking duties. People admit that they usually feel higher sense of well being once they find themselves surrounded by friends and laze around; rather they do when in comforting nearness of their romantic companion or kids. Strangely, happiness quotient falls sharply being around with romantic partners!! Our brains are wired like this…we prefer to spend more time doing enjoyable activities with friends than with our family members. What more, the bond between friends gets stronger with age and eventually could outweigh the connect with the family. These relationships ‘...

People around me could never gather enough courage to say that they never found anything attractive in me, but somehow I knew. I am no freak and I had no great looks , at least not good enough to be an object of desire. I just couldn’t make heads turn..!! I was the one who desired rather than be the one who was desired. Still, it’s taken some getting used to. “ Don't be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.”   ―   Roy T. Bennett I would be lying if I were to say that I didn’t miss the thrill of being wanted. The subtle pleasure of acquiescence to somebody’s needs, the opportunity to say ‘ yes ’ instead of being asked,   ‘ would you’ ? The other day, a man -friend of a friend, distantly acquainted sat next to me in a local coffee shop. I could never figure out this day why he said what he said a little while later in a low voice leaning across. “ I can never make out, if it’s the academics that make everything desirable ...