NihshabdBlog

Category: Personal growth

  • 10/10 Would Not Recommend

    10/10 Would Not Recommend

    Describe a decision you made in the past that helped you learn or grow.

    The best decision I ever made?

    .

    Oh, easy—

    choosing something that was very obviously a bad idea…

    and still going ahead like, “no no, this one feels different.”

    .

    It did not feel different.

    .

    I stayed longer than required,

    explained things that needed zero explanation,

    and gave chances like I was running a free trial nobody asked for.

    .

    At that time, it felt like hope.

    Then it felt like confusion.

    And eventually… it felt like I was the problem.

    .

    Plot twist: I wasn’t. 🙂

    .

    I just had a PhD in

    “let me fix this one last time.”

    .

    But honestly, 10/10 experience—

    because nothing teaches you faster

    than realizing you’ve been arguing with reality itself.

    .

    Now I still make decisions…

    I just don’t debate with red flags anymore.

    .

    I see them,

    I respect them,

    and I leave them exactly where they belong

    in someone else’s story. 😌✨

    .

    Sunlit collage with “10/10 Would Not Recommend,” a woman’s silhouette, and a beach photo symbolizing growth and self-choice, signed “Nihshabd.”

    Bad decision. Great lesson. 10/10 would not recommend but it still made me better. 😌✨

    .

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved

  • A Strange Habit of Caring

    A Strange Habit of Caring

    What job would you do for free?

    .

    “What job would you do for free?”

    .

    Anything that lets me make someone’s day a little easier.

    .

    Not in a big, dramatic, “changing lives” way—

    I don’t have that kind of energy daily 😄

    .

    More like…

    fixing something small,

    explaining something quickly,

    or just being there when someone is clearly struggling but pretending they’re fine.

    .

    I don’t even plan it.

    It just… happens.

    .

    I’ll be minding my own work,

    and suddenly I’m involved in someone else’s problem

    like I was personally invited.

    .

    Zero boundaries.

    Full participation.

    .

    And somehow,

    I never regret it.

    .

    Because the return is always the same—

    a lighter face,

    a softer voice,

    that small “oh thank God” kind of smile.

    .

    And I don’t know why,

    but that moment always feels… enough.

    .

    No achievement unlocked.

    No big credit.

    .

    Just a quiet feeling—

    like something went right today.

    .

    So yeah,

    not a specific job…

    .

    just this strange habit

    of not ignoring people

    when I easily could. 😄

    .

    Two hands gently touching in warm candlelight, symbolizing silent care and human connection.
    A quiet kind of care, felt more than spoken.

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved

  • Maybe the Community Doesn’t Need Fixing. Maybe I Do.

    Maybe the Community Doesn’t Need Fixing. Maybe I Do.

    How would you improve your community?

    How would I improve my community?

    .

    By doing something slightly uncomfortable.

    .

    I’d stop assuming I’m always right.

    .

    Not a great personality trait to give up, I know.

    But most of our “community issues”

    feel less like real problems…

    and more like a collection of people

    (me included)

    who don’t pause long enough to think,

    “Maybe it’s not just them.”

    .

    I’ve judged people in seconds.

    Misread silences.

    And replied “hmm” to things

    that probably deserved a little more heart.

    .

    Efficient? Yes.

    Helpful? Not really.

    .

    So maybe… I’d start there.

    .

    I’d listen. Properly.

    .

    Not the kind where I nod

    while preparing my next sentence

    but the slightly uncomfortable kind

    where I don’t interrupt,

    don’t fix,

    don’t turn it into my story.

    .

    Just… listen.

    .

    I’d also retire my habit

    of building full personalities for people

    based on one moment.

    .

    Because apparently,

    people are not trailers.

    You don’t get the whole story in 30 seconds.

    .

    And kindness

    I’d stop treating it like a rare personality trait

    and start using it like a default setting.

    .

    No announcements.

    No “look how nice I am” energy.

    .

    Just…

    a softer tone,

    a delayed reaction,

    a message I choose not to send.

    .

    Because sometimes,

    what I don’t say

    improves things more than what I do.

    .

    And when I don’t understand someone

    instead of guessing, decoding, overthinking

    .

    I’d ask.

    .

    Directly. Simply. Humanly.

    .

    Will this fix everything?

    .

    No.

    .

    Someone will still misunderstand.

    I’ll still have off days.

    And someone will definitely still send

    “Good Morning 🌹” at 6 AM.

    .

    But maybe

    someone around me

    will feel less judged.

    .

    One conversation

    will feel a little safer.

    .

    One moment

    will feel… lighter.

    .

    And honestly,

    if my presence can do that

    .

    then maybe I didn’t fix the whole community…

    .

    but I stopped making it harder to live in.

    .

    And these days,

    that itself feels like a pretty good improvement. 🙂

    .

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved

  • My Failures Did Something My Success Never Could

    How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?

    Man sitting on a rooftop at sunset reflecting on failure and success with the title “My Failures Did Something My Success Never Could”.
    Failure did the real work

    I once tried to win at life

    on the very first attempt

    because obviously,

    I thought destiny had prepared

    a red carpet for me.

    .

    Life laughed.

    Not politely.

    The full-volume kind.

    .

    Doors didn’t open.

    Plans collapsed like cheap furniture.

    My confidence packed a bag

    and quietly left the room.

    .

    Failure arrived instead

    uninvited,

    overdressed,

    and extremely comfortable

    staying longer than expected.

    .

    At first I hated it.

    Naturally.

    .

    Nobody throws a party

    for the day they discovered

    they were spectacularly wrong.

    .

    But failure has strange habits.

    .

    It sits beside you

    when the applause disappears.

    It points at your excuses

    like a strict teacher with a red pen.

    And it whispers,

    .

    “Try again.

    But this time

    maybe use your brain.”

    .

    So I did.

    .

    I learned how to fall

    without announcing it to the entire world.

    How to rebuild quietly.

    How to laugh at my own dramatic disasters.

    .

    Turns out,

    failure wasn’t the villain

    I thought it was.

    .

    It was the unpaid internship

    that secretly trained me

    for the job I wanted.

    .

    Because the truth is

    success didn’t arrive

    when everything went right.

    .

    It arrived much later,

    wearing the clothes

    my failures stitched for me.

    .

    And honestly?

    .

    Looking back,

    those failures did most of the work.

    .

    I just showed up

    for the success interview.

    —Rajeshwari🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved

  • The Beauty I Grew From♥️

    The Beauty I Grew From♥️

    What experiences in life helped you grow the most?

    .

    What helped me grow?

    Honestly… my habit of finding joy

    in places no one even checks.

    .

    I grew when life handed me small moments—

    a pretty sky,

    a good song,

    a silly conversation,

    a smile from someone who didn’t know

    they just made my day.

    .

    I grew because I laugh easily,

    love openly,

    and get excited over the tiniest things

    yes, even perfectly crispy dosa.

    .

    I grew when I realised

    life doesn’t have to be perfect

    to feel beautiful.

    Sometimes it’s just one good joke

    away from being amazing.

    .

    I grew when I loved someone

    with my whole, bright heart

    and loved myself

    with even more sparkle than that.

    .

    I grew through the “oops” moments,

    the “lol forget it” moments,

    and the “thank God nobody saw that” moments.

    .

    I grew by staying kind

    even when sarcasm deserved a trophy.

    And by staying soft

    even when the world tried to act tough.

    .

    Most of all

    I grew because I never stopped choosing happiness.

    Not fake-happy.

    Not show-off happy.

    But the honest, warm,

    “I’m grateful for my life” kind of happy.

    .

    So yes

    my growth came from joy.

    From dance-in-the-kitchen joy,

    laugh-with-your-friends joy,

    sit-in-silence-and-smile joy.

    .

    And from knowing that

    no matter what life brings…

    I’ll always find something beautiful in it. ✨

    .

    ✨The Support Behind My Smile♥️✨

    .

    And through it all,

    I grew because I was never alone.

    .

    Because my family held me

    no matter who I was becoming.

    Because my friends stayed close

    even from miles away.

    Because life kept sending

    small lessons wrapped in kindness.

    .

    If I shine today,

    it’s because of every heart

    that quietly walked with me. ✨

    .

    —Rajeshwari🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved.

  • If I Could Be Someone Else… I’d Still Pick Me 2.0

    If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be, and why?

    A digital illustration of a woman in a white and gold saree standing gracefully between two ornate green pillars. She has long dark hair, a magenta blouse, and a soft confident expression. The text above her reads “If I Could Be Someone Else… I’d Still Pick Me 2.0,” and “Nihshabd” is written elegantly at the bottom. Illustration by Rajeshwari.
    Illustration by Rajeshwari

    **I’D STILL PICK THE UPGRADED ME**

    .

    If I could be someone else for a day,

    honestly—

    why borrow anyone else’s chaos

    when my own evolution is already iconic?

    .

    I’d choose Me 2.0 —

    the version with fewer meltdowns

    and better brain Wi-Fi.

    The me who eats chocolate on impulse

    and refuses to feel guilty about joy.

    .

    The me with built-in auto-replies like:

    “Not today, darling.

    My peace is running on premium mode.”

    .

    A me with a radar

    that detects energy vampires

    from two emotional miles away.

    .

    The version of me

    who doesn’t argue with the bathroom mirror—

    just lifts an eyebrow and says,

    “You’re doing amazing.

    Stop underestimating your own sparkle.”

    .

    A me with

    better boundaries,

    cleaner eyeliner,

    and a much smarter list of people

    whose opinions are allowed to land.

    .

    A me who knows

    when to raise the sarcasm

    and when to raise the silence.

    The Nihshabd version—

    just with a software update.

    .

    A me who says

    “I deserve softness”

    without whispering it.

    A me who dances

    like people are watching—

    and still doesn’t care.

    .

    If I could be someone else for a day,

    I’d pick the woman I’m already becoming:

    sharper, softer, louder, quieter—

    all in the right places.

    .

    Because honestly?

    Why be someone else…

    when the next version of me

    is already legendary in the making?

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    Poem & Illustration © Rajeshwari — All Rights Reserved. Do not repost or reproduce without permission.

  • Tiny Creations, Big Heart♥️

    Describe the most ambitious DIY project you’ve ever taken on.

    Original Artwork © Rajeshwari

    Honestly, I’ve taken on so many.

    I made a crochet skirt and shawl from scratch,

    I shaped mirrors and clay to make my own lippan name plate,

    I painted walls with colours that didn’t even exist in my moodboard,

    Embroidered by © Rajeshwari

    I stitched embroidery till midnight,

    and I illustrated moments that only my silence understood.

    But if I have to choose the most ambitious one…

    it’s the courage to try so many things with my own hands.

    To turn yarn into fabric, clay into art,

    walls into stories,

    Illustrated by © Rajeshwari

    and empty pages into drawings.

    Maybe my biggest DIY project isn’t a single piece —

    maybe it’s the artist I’ve slowly created inside me

    with every stitch, stroke, and sketch. ✨

    —Rajeshwari🧿💕

    Poem & Illustration © Rajeshwari — All Rights Reserved.

    Do not repost or reproduce without permission.

  • The Ones Who Know I’m Not Always Easy 

    The Ones Who Know I’m Not Always Easy 

    Who are your favorite people to be around?

    Who Are My Favourite People To Be Around?

    .

    The Ones Who Don’t Need Me To Be Pleasant To Be Loved

    My favourite people

    are not impressed

    by my efficiency.

    They are not waiting

    for me to be calmer,

    nicer,

    more adjusted,

    less complicated,

    more available,

    less emotional.

    They do not love

    the version of me

    that manages everything.

    They love

    the one

    who occasionally forgets

    why she walked into a room

    and stands there

    like a buffering video

    in her own life.

    .

    **The Ones Who Know

    Silence Is Also A Language**

    We don’t always talk.

    Sometimes

    we just sit together

    doing different things

    on different sides

    of the same exhaustion.

    No fixing.

    No analysing.

    No

    “you should try yoga.”

    Just presence.

    A kind

    that does not feel

    like performance.

    ..

    The Ones Who Let Me Change

    My favourite people

    do not archive me

    into versions:

    “You were not like this before.”

    “You used to be fun.”

    “You’ve changed.”

    Yes.

    I have.

    Grief changed me.

    Motherhood changed me.

    Healing changed me.

    Pain changed me.

    Learning how not to apologise

    for existing

    changed me.

    They do not expect

    consistency.

    They allow evolution.

    .

    **The Ones Who Understand

    That Care Is Sometimes Untidy**

    Care

    is not always

    remembering birthdays

    and planning surprises.

    Sometimes

    it is:

    • forwarding a job link

    • asking if I ate

    • not taking my bad day personally

    • closing the kitchen cabinet I left open for the 9th time

    Care

    is maintenance.

    Daily.

    Uncelebrated.

    Unposted.

    .

    **How To Be Someone’s Favourite Person

    (From A Woman Who Is Tired Of Explaining)**

    • Listen

    without preparing your defence.

    • Don’t offer solutions when someone is offering vulnerability.

    • Don’t compete with someone’s pain by narrating your own.

    • Ask “Do you want comfort or clarity?”

    • And most importantly:

    Do not punish honesty by withdrawing warmth.

    .

    What Stays

    My favourite people

    are not the ones

    who make life easier.

    They are the ones

    who don’t leave

    when it isn’t.

    And somewhere

    between staying

    and understanding

    love

    quietly matures.

  • Confessions of a Procrastinator: Why Chaos is My Best Friend

    Confessions of a Procrastinator: Why Chaos is My Best Friend

    The most important invention in your lifetime is…

    The most important invention in my lifetime is… procrastination.

    Yes, I know what you’re thinking: “Really? That’s your big pick?”

    But stick with me it’s a masterpiece.

    Without procrastination:

    • I’d finish work on time. (Boring. Soul-crushing. Snooze.)

    • Missed deadlines would never have revealed my hidden talent: panic-fueled genius.

    • I wouldn’t have discovered the thrill of doing 3 things at once… badly, but with style.

    • And let’s be honest, my 2 AM existential crises? Pure procrastination magic.

    Procrastination is not a flaw.

    It’s an art.

    A life coach.

    A free therapist.

    It teaches you that:

    • “Just five more minutes” is basically a life mantra.

    • Chaos is not the enemy it’s inspiration in disguise.

    • Last-minute adrenaline is more powerful than coffee.

    So here’s to procrastination:

    The invention that makes me question time, respect naps, panic creatively, and occasionally save the world… at 11:59 PM. 🫠

    Because let’s be real without it, life would be efficient, predictable, and tragically boring.

    And honestly, procrastination isn’t just about putting things off.

    It’s about discovering that your brain works best when it’s panicking, your creativity peaks at midnight, and somehow miraculously you survive the chaos with a smile.

    So next time someone calls you lazy, just tell them: “I’m not lazy. I’m strategically optimizing my genius under pressure.”

    —Rajeshwari 💕🧿

  • When Time Grow Older Than Us

    When Time Grow Older Than Us

    How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life?

    Life, Time & Other Personal Attacks (A Friendly Roast)

    Life doesn’t arrive with warnings.

    It doesn’t shout.

    It just casually taps your shoulder

    again and again

    until you finally say,

    “Okay. I get it.”

    So let’s talk about how time and life events quietly change us.

    No heavy philosophy.

    No emotional burden.

    Just flow, humour, heart, and a little truth served warm.

    1. Time Doesn’t Heal. It Lowers the Volume.

    Earlier, everything was loud.

    One comment—overthinking marathon.

    One mistake—full identity crisis.

    One bad day—life cancelled.

    Now?

    Same problems.

    Lower volume.

    Time didn’t remove the pain.

    It just taught us not to scream about it.

    Experience is basically emotional noise control.

    2. Life Events Are Like Terms & Conditions

    Nobody reads them.

    Everybody accepts them.

    Marriage.

    Kids.

    Health scares.

    Aging parents.

    Bills (so many bills).

    Life just says,

    “Adjust kar lo.”

    And somehow we do.

    Because quitting was never really an option.

    3. The Day You Realise… Oh. I’m the Adult.

    You wait for someone older to handle things.

    Then you realise

    You are the older one.

    You’re the emergency contact.

    You’re the decision-maker.

    You’re the calm voice pretending to have answers.

    Scary?

    Yes.

    Character development?

    Unfortunately, also yes.

    4. The Inner Child Is Alive. Just Slightly Tired.

    She still laughs at silly jokes.

    Still gets excited over small wins.

    Still believes hugs fix most things.

    She just also has:

    back pain, responsibilities and a strong opinion about bedtime

    Same heart.

    Different stamina.

    5. Emotional Intelligence Is Knowing When to Say Nothing

    Earlier:

    “I need to explain myself.”

    Now:

    “Hmm. Okay.”

    You learn that:

    Silence can be self-respect Not every opinion needs your energy Peace feels better than being right

    Very boring.

    Very powerful.

    6. Love Stops Performing. Starts Staying.

    Love used to be dramatic.

    Now it’s dependable.

    It looks like:

    showing up without announcements listening without fixing choosing each other on ordinary days

    No fireworks.

    But steady electricity.

    Much safer.

    7. Discipline Is Self-Love in Casual Clothes

    Discipline isn’t motivation.

    It’s doing the thing without mood.

    It’s:

    getting up anyway showing up half-tired continuing even when nobody notices

    Not glamorous.

    But extremely effective.

    8. Life Is Deep… and Slightly Ridiculous

    You can question existence at 2 PM

    and laugh at a random reel by 2:07 PM.

    Both are normal.

    Both are necessary.

    Humour isn’t avoidance.

    It’s emotional first aid.

    9. What Time Teaches (Without a Lecture)

    You stop chasing perfection.

    You start choosing peace.

    You forgive faster.

    Judge less.

    Rest without guilt.

    You realise growth isn’t loud.

    It’s quiet adjustments.

    Final Thought (Light Ending, Promise)

    Life doesn’t get easier.

    You get calmer.

    You react less.

    Understand more.

    Laugh when needed.

    And one ordinary day, you’ll think:

    “Okay… I can handle this.”

    That’s it.

    That’s growth.

    A whimsical illustration of a child sitting on a clock, surrounded by memories and signposts of the past and future, symbolising how time gently shapes perspective and wisdom.
    “When time grows older than us, we grow quieter—and wiser.”