For four days, I felt an uneasiness in me as the days rolled by. It was as though I wanted to act, but my body was numb. It was the familiar paralyzing effect of writer’s block. But let’s back up a bit, have you read about the 29 Things in 29 Days Challenge that we’re on?

I’m so sorry that I wasn’t able to show up for the past three days. I felt really bad about not staying true to my commitment. But I also learnt how to be patient with myself and how to trust the process. That said, let’s quickly catch up on four challenges in one!

Day 15: invest in a quality item of fashion

Here’s a little secret, like many girls, I thoroughly enjoy shopping! It sends my dopamine levels flying over the roof. So, even though I couldn’t bring myself to write and post on the blog, I was able to go shop for outfits I like. As my mom would say, no one dances as much as a person wearing new clothes. I’ve been pretty psyched! 😅

Day 16: Listen to a Stranger’s story

I met someone while going about my regular cycling rounds. For someone who always has music blasting from her AirPods, I don’t know why or how I took interest in this stranger. I said hi and we exchanged numbers. (Yet, somehow, I still find it awkward talking to a stranger and trying to know more about them.)

Surprisingly, conversations flowed with ease. We cracked a few jokes here and there and soon we were talking often. I listened to this person talk about their health journey. I was curious to know why they were so devoted to exercising. Turns out this person just builds their life around having a healthy body, mind and soul. I found that fascinating. From diet to yoga, and minimized screen time, it was as though he was a robot following specific commands. I wish I could be that devoted to my overall health… but as it is, I’m still a work in progress. (Read as I reward myself with a sandwich every time I do an exercise.)

I’m actually happy I reached out first, and unlocked a channel of communication. I look forward to speaking with new strangers after this.

Day 17: Find a new hobby

As my frustration about not being able to post my challenge continued, I reignited my reading hobby. One would assume every writer would love reading, but these days I feel like my attention span is thinning out and I can’t bear the torture of two hundred pages of literature.

Funny how as a teenager, I enjoyed reading books and exchanging new books with friends. Now I’m just interested in movies that give me a summary of the story. 😅

My journey back to reading books has been a little slow, but it’s on a steady rise and for that I’m grateful. Please feel free to share books with me (that are less than 100 pages).

Day 18: Watch a movie alone at the cinema

Plot twist, I’ve been at the movies at least twice since the challenge started, but never alone. This doesn’t mean I have never gone alone to the movies before, because I have and it’s strangely very liberating. I remember those moments with a revered fondness. I’d just take myself out to the movies and enjoy popcorn and good laughs (yes, alone). But now with Netflix and everything else, I obtain the same satisfaction of seeing movies alone and being in my own world without having to leave my home. That said, I know I’m gonna upset some people when I say I was kinda disappointed at the last movie I saw—Batman. I felt a little let down by the character replacement. (In my opinion, Ben Affleck was way better).

Moving on! Thank you for bearing with me on this catch up post! I hope to write to you soon.

There are millions of incredible moments in a day. Even if you lose 1000’s, there are 100’s of them still left. Make them yours.

Hiral Nagda

Love,

M.