Tag: Poetry

  • Every Soul Leaves Something Behind | हर मुसाफ़िर… 

    Every Soul Leaves Something Behind | हर मुसाफ़िर… 

    हर मुसाफ़िर

    ज़िंदगी एक लंबा सफ़र है…

    और हम सब,
    एक-दूसरे की राहों में
    बस यूँ ही नहीं आते।

    कोई मिलता है
    तो हमारे अंदर
    बंद पड़ी किसी खिड़की को खोल देता है।

    कोई चला जाता है,
    और जाते-जाते
    हमें हमारी ही ताक़त से मिलवा जाता है।

    कुछ लोग
    मुट्ठी भर वक़्त लेकर आते हैं,
    मगर यादों की उम्र
    पूरी ज़िंदगी जितनी दे जाते हैं।

    कुछ लोग
    हर सुबह की तरह होते हैं—
    चुपचाप आते हैं,
    और बिना कुछ कहे
    जीने की वजह बन जाते हैं।

    शायद इसलिए
    अब मैं किसी से मिलने को
    इत्तफ़ाक़ नहीं मानती।

    क्योंकि किस्मत
    रिश्ते नहीं भेजता,
    वह सबक भेजता है…
    मरहम भेजता है…
    आईना भेजता है…
    और कभी-कभी,
    अपना कोई अंश भेज देता है।

    इसलिए,
    जो ठहर गए,
    उनका शुक्रिया।

    जो बिछड़ गए,
    उनका भी…

    क्योंकि
    हर मुसाफ़िर
    अपनी मंज़िल से पहले,
    किसी और की कहानी में
    एक वजह बनकर ही आता है।


    Every Soul Leaves Something Behind

    Life is a long journey…

    And perhaps none of us
    crosses another’s path
    by accident.

    Some people arrive
    only to open a window within us
    that we never knew had been closed.

    Some leave,
    yet in their leaving,
    they introduce us
    to a strength we never knew we had.

    There are those
    who stay for only a handful of moments,
    yet leave behind memories
    that outlive years.

    And then there are those
    who are like the morning light—
    they quietly become a part of our days,
    asking for nothing,
    yet giving us countless reasons to keep going.

    Maybe that’s why
    I no longer believe
    that meeting someone is mere coincidence.

    Because fate
    doesn’t just send people.

    It sends lessons.
    It sends healing.
    It sends mirrors
    that help us see ourselves more clearly.

    And every once in a while,
    it sends someone
    who quietly changes the way we see life.

    So, to those who stayed…
    thank you.

    And to those who had to leave…
    thank you, too.

    Because every traveller
    becomes a part of someone else’s story
    before continuing on their own journey.

    And perhaps,
    that was the reason
    they were meant to cross our path.

    .

    Until the next whisper…
    —Rajeshwari 
    🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari

    .

  • If I Had to Be an Animal for a Week | A Butterfly’s Lesson

    If I Had to Be an Animal for a Week | A Butterfly’s Lesson

    If you had to be an animal for a week, which one would you be and why?

    If I Had to Be an Animal for a Week…

    A butterfly 🦋

    .

    Not because she’s beautiful.

    But because she has absolutely no idea that she is.

    .

    She doesn’t fly past flowers thinking,
    “Good morning, everyone. Kindly admire my wings.”

    .

    No.

    .

    She simply wanders from bloom to bloom,
    living her tiny, colorful life
    without checking mirrors,
    without counting likes,
    without asking,
    “Do these wings make me look fat?”

    (Imagine if butterflies had social media.
    “Just hatched. No filter.” 🦋)

    .

    The funny part?

    Nobody applauds the caterpillar.

    .

    Let’s be honest.

    .

    If a caterpillar applied for a beauty pageant,
    even the leaves would politely excuse themselves.

    .

    But then comes the quiet miracle.

    The waiting.

    The breaking.

    The transformation.

    And suddenly…
    the same little creature that once crawled
    begins to fly.

    .

    Gold becomes pure only after enduring fire.

    .

    A butterfly becomes beautiful only after surviving its cocoon.

    .

    Maybe we are not so different.

    Most of us never realize how much we’ve grown.

    .

    We keep showing up.

    We keep loving.

    We keep healing.

    We keep surviving.

    .

    We rarely notice the strength we’ve earned
    or the beauty that quietly settled into our souls.

    .

    Someone else sees it long before we do.

    .

    So today, this little butterfly is for everyone who still thinks they are “just a caterpillar.”

    .

    your transformation is already happening.

    .

    You don’t have to rush it.

    You don’t even have to see your own wings yet.

    .

    Just keep becoming.

    One day you’ll look back and realize…

    It was never the wings that made you beautiful.

    It was everything you survived before you learned to fly.

    .

    🦋 Before the Butterfly Flew…

    So perhaps the butterfly’s greatest lesson is this:

    Be grateful for the cocoon.

    Without it, there would never have been wings.

    🦋

    Until the next whisper… 🤍

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari

    .

    Read more : Collecting Colours the World Forgot

    Nature Is Calm… But My Imagination Is Not 😌🌿🐜

    Which Animal Am I? A Whole Wildlife Sanctuary

  • My Gut Doesn’t Give TED Talks| A Poem About Trusting Your Gut

    My Gut Doesn’t Give TED Talks| A Poem About Trusting Your Gut

    What’s a time you followed your gut and it turned out to be exactly right?

    “What’s a time you followed your gut and it turned out to be exactly right?”

    You’d probably expect
    one dramatic story.

    A rainy evening.

    A life-changing decision.

    A perfect movie climax.

    I’m sorry to disappoint you…

    My gut doesn’t save me once in a lifetime.

    It works overtime.


    When Logic Speaks, My Heart Listens

    .

    There is always a moment…

    Just before life quietly asks,

    “Are you sure?”

    My brain immediately begins its presentation.

    “You’re overthinking.”

    “Don’t judge too quickly.”

    “Give it another chance.”

    “What’s the worst that could happen?”

    Meanwhile…

    My gut doesn’t prepare slides.

    It doesn’t quote philosophers.

    It simply whispers,

    “Hmm… something feels off.”


    No proof.

    No screenshots.

    No eyewitnesses.

    Not even a decent explanation.

    Just an odd little feeling…

    Like my heart somehow received tomorrow’s news
    before the rest of me.

    And honestly…

    That tiny feeling has a better success rate
    than all my overthinking combined.


    The Warnings No One Else Could Hear

    .

    I’ve met people
    who looked like sunshine…

    until they arrived carrying thunderstorms.

    I’ve almost said “yes”
    to things that looked exciting…

    until something inside me quietly said,

    “Not this one.”

    I’ve changed plans at the last minute,
    cancelled meetings,
    walked away from conversations
    without knowing why.

    Every single time…

    Life later revealed
    the chapter I had unknowingly skipped.


    The funniest part?

    People ask,

    “How did you know?”

    I didn’t.

    That’s the whole point.

    If I had evidence,
    it wouldn’t be intuition.

    It would simply be common sense.


    So yes…

    There have been times
    when I ignored that whisper.

    Those chapters weren’t tragic.

    Just… unnecessarily exhausting.

    Sleepless nights.

    Overthinking.

    Conversations I should never have had.

    Apologies I never owed.

    Peace I willingly exchanged
    for curiosity.

    Turns out…

    Curiosity may have killed the cat.

    But ignoring my gut
    nearly killed my peace.


    The Peace That Came From Listening

    .

    These days…

    When that quiet voice arrives,

    I don’t interrogate it.

    I don’t demand logic.

    I don’t ask for references.

    Some truths
    aren’t meant to be proven.

    They’re meant to be trusted.

    Because experience has taught me
    something beautiful…

    That whisper isn’t fear.

    It isn’t negativity.

    It isn’t pessimism.

    It’s every lesson I’ve survived…

    Every heartbreak…

    Every disappointment…

    Every mistake…

    Quietly joining hands
    to say,

    “We’ve been here before.”

    “Let’s not buy another ticket.”


    So…

    What’s a time I followed my gut and it turned out to be exactly right?

    I wish I could tell you
    just one story.

    But I can’t.

    Because it wasn’t one moment.

    It was dozens of tiny moments
    that never became disasters
    simply because
    I listened.

    Maybe I’ll never know
    what I escaped.

    Maybe that’s the point.

    Not every victory
    comes with applause.

    Some arrive quietly…

    Looking exactly like
    the problems
    that never happened.

    And if there’s one voice
    I’ve learned to trust
    without asking for proof…

    It’s the one
    that speaks the softest.

    Because I’ve realized…

    My gut was never trying to predict my future.

    It was simply trying to protect my peace.

    .

    Trust the quiet voice. It has been rooting for you all along. 🤍

    Love,
    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari

  • A Smile Woven Through Silent Pain | Nihshabd

    A Smile Woven Through Silent Pain | Nihshabd

    लबों पर मुस्कान सजा ली, आँखों को ख़ामोश रहने दिया,
    हर दर्द को लफ़्ज़ न मिले… कुछ ज़ख्मों को बस जीने दिया।

    .

    जो बिखरा था, उसे समेटने में कई मौसम गुज़र गए,
    अब ख़ुद से मिलने लगे हैं… तो लोग कहते हैं, बदल गए।

    .

    अब कोई ग़म दस्तक भी दे, तो मुस्कुराकर दर खोलते हैं,
    कुछ दर्द मेहमान नहीं होते… उम्रभर साथ ही चलते हैं।

    .

    चेहरे पर जो सुकून दिखता है, वो यूँ ही नहीं आया है,
    बहुत कुछ ख़ामोशी से खोया है… तब जाकर ख़ुद को पाया है।

    .

    अब आँसू कम और दुआएँ ज़्यादा निकलती हैं,
    शायद टूटे हुए दिल ही… सबसे ख़ूबसूरत दुआ करते हैं।

    .

    मुस्कुराना अब आदत नहीं, रूह की तहज़ीब बन गया है,
    जो दर्द कभी मेरी पहचान था… आज वही मेरा नसीब नहीं, मेरा सबक़ बन गया है।


    .

    I taught my lips to smile,So my eyes wouldn’t have to explain.Not every wound asks for a voice…Some are meant to be carried in silence.

    It took a lifetime of quiet stormsTo gather the pieces of who I was.Now that I’ve found my way back to myself,The world simply calls it change.

    Grief still visits from time to time,But it no longer feels like a stranger.Some sorrows never leave your heart…They simply learn to breathe more gently.

    If you see peace upon my face,Know that it wasn’t gifted to me.It was stitched togetherFrom every goodbye I survived in silence.

    My eyes have forgotten how to plead,My heart has remembered how to pray.Perhaps only those who have been brokenLearn to bless without asking for anything in return.

    A smile is no longer an expression I wear.It is the grace I chose over bitterness.The pain that once wrote my storyNow merely turns its pages.

    Because healing isn’t the absence of pain…
    It’s the quiet courage to carry it beautifully.
    🤍

    .

    कुछ एहसास कहे नहीं जाते…बस लिखे जाते हैं।

    शब्दों में शब्‍द — निःशब्द
    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari

  • तस्वीरों में कैद यादें

    तस्वीरों में कैद यादें

    तस्वीर और आईना

    ज़रूरी था तस्वीर लेना भी,
    आईना तो बस आज दिखाता है,
    कल की हँसी, बीते लम्हे,
    कहाँ कोई आईना बचा पाता है।

    चेहरे की रंगत बदल जाती है,
    मौसम अपना असर दिखाते हैं,
    पर तस्वीरों में कैद वो पल,
    सालों बाद भी मुस्कुराते हैं।

    जो साथ थे, जो दूर हुए,
    जो बातें अधूरी रह गईं,
    एक तस्वीर चुपचाप मगर,
    सब यादें फिर से कह गईं।

    आईना सच तो दिखाता है,
    पर सिर्फ़ इस पल का फ़साना,
    तस्वीरें वक़्त की किताब हैं,
    जिनमें छुपा है पूरा ज़माना।

    इसलिए कुछ लम्हों को रोक लेना,
    वक़्त की रफ़्तार से पहले,
    क्योंकि यादें वक़्त की धूल में कहीं खो जाती हैं,
    मगर तस्वीरें ख़ामोश रहकर भी बहुत कुछ कह जाती हैं। ✨📸

    शब्दों में निःशब्द,
    — राजेश्वरी
    🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari

  • The Difference Between Being Needed and Being Loved

    The Difference Between Being Needed and Being Loved

    A Few Lines Before We Begin

    .

    Sometimes the heart confuses importance with affection,
    and attention with devotion.

    .

    For when someone constantly reaches for us,
    it is easy to believe we are loved.

    .

    Yet there is a subtle difference
    one that many discover only after disappointment.

    .

    A person may need what you give.
    But love begins when they cherish who you are.

    .

    When Being Needed Feels Like Love

    .

    Being needed can feel a lot like being loved.

    .

    At first.
    Your phone lights up every day. They seek your advice, your comfort, your time, your endless supply of patience. You start to think,
    “Wow, I must be special.”
    Then one day, you stop being useful.
    Suddenly, the messages arrive less often than your food delivery notifications.
    Interesting.

    .

    The Difference Reveals Itself

    .

    A person who needs you usually remembers you when their world is falling apart.

    .

    A person who loves you remembers you when something wonderful happens too.

    .

    One says:
    “I need your help.”
    The other says:
    “I saw this and thought of you.”
    One treats you like customer support.
    The other treats you like a favorite person.

    .

    Umbrellas and Sunsets

    .

    Being needed is being the umbrella someone grabs when it rains.

    .

    Being loved is being invited to watch the sunset when the sky is clear.

    .

    And no, before anyone panics, there is nothing wrong with being needed. We all need people.

    .

    But if every conversation starts with a problem and ends when the problem is solved, congratulations.

    .


    You’ve accidentally subscribed to a premium emotional support package.
    No free trial.
    No cancellation notice.

    .

    Love Is Wonderfully Unnecessary

    .

    Love, on the other hand, is delightfully impractical.
    It checks on you when it wants nothing.

    .

    It remembers your favorite coffee order despite forgetting where the car keys are.

    .

    It sends you memes with absolutely no strategic objective.
    It stays for the conversation, not just the solution.

    .

    A Small Test

    .

    The trick is simple:

    .

    Ask yourself,
    “If I had nothing to offer today no advice, no help, no emotional rescue mission would they still want to spend time with me?”

    .

    The answer may sting.
    Or it may remind you of the people who never needed a reason to stay.
    And those people?

    .

    They’re the ones worth keeping.
    Because being needed makes you useful.
    Being loved makes you irreplaceable.

    .

    Closing Verse

    .

    Not every hand that reaches,
    reaches for your heart.

    .

    Some seek shelter from a storm,
    and leave when skies depart.

    .

    Yet those who stay in sunshine,
    when there is nothing left to gain,
    are the ones who teach us gently
    the difference between love and need again.

    .

    A Question For You

    .

    Perhaps the real question is this:

    .

    If one day you had nothing left to offer no advice, no support, no solutions would they still value your presence, or was your worth tied only to your usefulness?

    .

    With love,
    Rajeshwari ♡🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved

  • Winter, My Favorite Season… and My Biggest Enabler 🤭❄️

    Winter, My Favorite Season… and My Biggest Enabler 🤭❄️

    What is your favorite season of year? Why?

    Winter has always been my favorite season. There is something special about warm cups of tea, cozy blankets, gentle sunshine, and those lazy mornings when getting out of bed feels like a heroic achievement. This funny and relatable winter poem is a lighthearted celebration of everything we love—and occasionally complain about—during the cold season.


    If seasons were teachers,

    summer would be that strict one
    who keeps giving homework.

    Monsoon would be the dramatic one
    who changes the mood every five minutes.

    But winter?

    Winter would be the teacher who walks in,
    puts on a movie,
    and says,

    “Let’s not work too hard today.”

    Naturally, it’s my favorite. 😌

    Winter never judges me.

    It sees me wrapped in a blanket at noon
    holding a cup of tea
    and says,

    “Honestly, that’s reasonable.”

    And I appreciate that kind of support.

    The best thing about winter
    is how it changes ordinary things.

    Tea becomes an emotion.

    A blanket becomes a lifestyle.

    And sunshine?

    Sunshine becomes a limited-edition luxury item.

    People will cross entire rooms,
    move chairs,
    and rotate themselves like sunflowers
    just to sit in one perfect patch of warmth.

    For those few minutes,
    life feels completely under control. ☀️

    Then comes the morning.

    The alarm rings.

    I open one eye.

    The room is cold.

    The blanket is warm.

    And suddenly I’m forced to choose
    between ambition and happiness.

    It’s not an easy decision.

    Winter also has a special talent.

    It can make a grown adult
    stare at a bucket of water
    and reconsider every life choice
    that brought them to that moment. 😭

    But the real problem is this—

    Winter starts out adorable.

    Cute sweaters.

    Foggy mornings.

    Hot tea.

    Cozy evenings.

    Everything feels like a scene
    from a feel-good movie.

    Then winter gets overconfident.

    One morning it wakes up and decides,

    “Let’s see how much they really love me.”

    Now the floor feels like ice.

    The water feels personally offended.

    And my teeth begin communicating
    in Morse code. 😂

    Yet somehow,

    every year,

    I fall for winter again.

    Because no other season
    makes doing absolutely nothing
    feel so productive.

    No other season
    makes a blanket feel like home.

    And no other season
    can convince me that sitting in the sun
    with a cup of tea
    is a perfectly successful day.

    So yes,

    winter is my favorite season.

    Not because it’s perfect.

    But because it understands
    that sometimes happiness is simply

    a warm cup of tea,

    a cozy blanket,

    a little sunshine,

    and absolutely no intention
    of getting out of bed. 🤭❄️☕

    Winter and I have a beautiful relationship—

    I praise it in poems,

    and it tests that love
    every morning. 😆✨

    .


    Perhaps that is why winter remains my favorite season year after year. It reminds us to slow down, enjoy simple comforts, and find happiness in ordinary moments. A warm drink, a cozy blanket, a patch of sunshine, and a little extra sleep can sometimes feel like life’s greatest luxuries.

    .

    Wrapped in words and winter sunshine,
    —Rajeshwari
    ❄️🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved

  • 🎵 My Mood Manager Has a Playlist

    🎵 My Mood Manager Has a Playlist

    What’s a song that always puts you in a good mood?

    .

    Honestly, that’s a difficult question.

    .

    It’s like asking a tea lover to pick one favorite cup,
    or a bookworm to choose just one page.

    .

    I love songs.

    Happy songs.
    Then come the sad ones.
    Sometimes old songs.
    And often new ones.

    Songs I understand.
    Songs I confidently sing wrong.

    .

    .

    Some songs make me dance in the kitchen.
    Some turn traffic jams into music videos.
    Some convince me I have a surprisingly good voice.

    .

    (For the record, the neighbors may disagree.)

    .

    Whenever life feels a little too serious,
    a favorite song appears like an unpaid therapist.

    .

    No appointment.
    No paperwork.
    No judgment.

    .

    Just three minutes of:

    “Everything will be fine.
    Now sing the chorus.”

    .My Playlist Works in Shifts

    .

    The funny thing is,
    the song that always puts you in a good mood
    is not necessarily the same song every day.

    .

    My playlist changes more often
    than my password.

    .

    One day it’s an energetic anthem.
    The next day it’s an old melody
    that suddenly reminds me of absolutely nothing
    and somehow everything.

    .

    So, do I have a song that always puts me in a good mood?

    .

    No.

    .

    Choosing just one would be unfair.

    .

    Every song in my playlist has a job.
    Some make me smile.
    Others make me dance.
    A few remind me who I am.

    .

    And when life starts acting like a complicated drama,

    I simply press Play.

    Because while I can’t always change my mood,

    I can usually change the soundtrack.

    Maybe that is the real answer to the question,
    “What’s a song that always puts you in a good mood?”

    .

    It is whichever song meets you exactly where you are
    and gently takes you somewhere better.

    .

    And somehow, the soundtrack changes everything. 🎵✨

    Life may not come with a manual, but thankfully it comes with a playlist. 🎶😊

    .

    With love,

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved

  • How Do You Build Loyal Subscribers?

    How Do You Build Loyal Subscribers?

    People ask,

    .

    “How do you build loyal subscribers?”

    .

    As if they’re ingredients

    .

    and I’m missing one crucial spice.

    Add a pinch of consistency,
    a dash of wit,
    stir vigorously,

    and voilà—loyal subscribers.

    .

    If only.

    .

    I don’t think loyal subscribers
    are built at all.

    .

    I think they begin
    with a stranger.

    Someone who finds
    a piece of themselves

    hidden in your words.

    A thought they recognize.

    A feeling they’ve carried.

    A smile they didn’t expect.

    .

    They read a post.

    Then another.

    And that’s where the mystery begins.

    .

    Because the second visit
    is always more interesting
    than the first.

    .

    The first is curiosity.

    The second is choice.

    And somewhere between
    one post and another,

    something small happens.

    .

    A shared laugh.

    A familiar thought.

    A sentence that quietly says,

    “Me too.”

    Without either of you noticing,

    the stranger becomes familiar.

    .

    And isn’t that extraordinary?

    .

    In a world full of endless scrolling,

    someone pauses.

    In a world overflowing with voices,

    someone remembers yours.

    Not because every post is perfect.

    .

    Thank goodness.

    Perfection is exhausting.

    But because, every now and then,

    your words make them feel
    a little less alone.

    Perhaps that’s how
    loyal subscribers are made.

    .

    Not through clever tricks.

    Not through algorithms.

    But through tiny moments
    of human connection.

    One post.

    One smile.

    One “I’ve felt that too”

    at a time.

    .

    So perhaps loyal subscribers
    aren’t followers at all.

    .

    They’re the people
    who turn words into conversations,

    conversations into friendships,

    and an ordinary blog

    into a place that feels
    a little like home.

    .

    And if you’re reading this,

    whether you’ve been here
    for years,

    or only just arrived,

    thank you.

    .

    You may think you’re following a blog.

    .

    But from where I’m sitting,

    you’re helping build
    the reason it exists.

    .

    With love,

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved

  • Practice Makes Perfect? I Respectfully Disagree

    Practice Makes Perfect? I Respectfully Disagree

    They say,

    “Practice makes perfect.”

    .

    I would like to respectfully disagree.

    .

    Still Waiting for the User Manual😌

    I’ve been practicing adulthood
    for quite some time now,

    and I still occasionally walk into a room

    and forget why I went there.

    .

    Mirror vs Camera: An Ongoing Feud 😒

    I’ve practiced taking selfies.

    Hundreds of them.

    Yet somehow,

    the person in the mirror
    and the person in the photo

    continue to be complete strangers.

    .

    Love, Water, Sunlight… and Drama 🎭

    I’ve practiced gardening too.

    The internet says:

    “Give plants sunlight, water, and love.”

    I did.

    The plant responded by dying.

    Meanwhile,

    a neglected plant growing from a crack in the pavement

    is absolutely thriving.

    .

    Explain that.

    .

    One Eye Understands the Assignment🤯

    I’ve practiced drawing.

    Which mostly means

    spending hours creating something beautiful

    and then noticing one tiny mistake

    that suddenly becomes

    the only thing I can see.

    .

    A Pinch of Hope, A Dash of Panic 😱

    I’ve practiced cooking.

    And every time I make a recipe,

    there’s still a brief moment

    when I stare into the pan

    and hope for divine intervention.

    .

    The Perfect Reply Arrives Three Days Later 😪

    I’ve practiced conversations.

    Yet I still remember things

    I should have said

    three days ago.

    Usually while showering.

    When it is far too late.

    .

    The Password and I Are No Longer Speaking 🤭

    I’ve also practiced creating passwords.

    Strong passwords.

    Unique passwords.

    Passwords with capital letters,

    small letters,

    numbers,

    symbols,

    and what feels like

    a personal sacrifice to the technology gods.

    And yet,

    every login still begins with:

    “Incorrect password.”

    Followed by:

    “Forgot Password?”

    which feels less like a question

    and more like a judgment.

    .

    Practice makes perfect?

    Really?

    .

    Because from what I’ve observed,

    practice mostly makes us

    slightly less confused than before.

    And even that’s not guaranteed.

    .

    The funny thing is,

    the people I admire most

    aren’t perfect at all.

    They’re the ones who keep trying.

    The ones who laugh at their mistakes.

    The ones who accidentally send messages too early,

    water the wrong plant,

    burn the toast,

    miss the turn,

    make the typo,

    and somehow continue living

    as if the world hasn’t ended.

    Which, surprisingly,

    it hasn’t.

    .

    So perhaps the proverb needs an update.

    .

    Practice doesn’t make perfect.

    Practice makes stories.

    .

    It gives us the embarrassing moments,

    the unexpected detours,

    the inside jokes,

    the lessons,

    and occasionally,

    if we’re very lucky,

    a little wisdom.

    .

    Because perfection is impressive.

    But imperfection?

    Imperfection is relatable.

    It’s the selfie that took fifty tries.

    The recipe that looked nothing like the picture.

    The plant that survived purely out of stubbornness.

    The sketch with one slightly suspicious-looking hand.

    The password we reset yesterday

    and forgot today.

    And if we’re being honest,

    most of us don’t need another perfect person to admire.

    We just need proof

    that everyone else is making it up as they go along too.

    And after years of practice,

    that’s the one thing I’ve finally become good at:

    .

    Looking perfectly confident…

    while having absolutely no idea what I’m doing. 😄🌷✨

    .

    With love,

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved