Author Archives: Shashwat Mishra

Write about your approach to budgeting.

The ability to earn income is critical to sustaining livelihoods. Having a definite source of income is the bedrock of budgeting.

If you have a set salary, you can easily divide it up, how much to spend where, how much to save or invest.

But if you have more than one source of income and the amount of income is not fixed, then there are some complications in budgeting.

If you do business, have investments in many places and regular work is going on, then you have to hire a chartered accountant to manage, bill, taxes, GST, and profits.

So if you do a job where you get paid at a fixed time, then life follows a set pattern, more or less calculated budget.

And if you run a business, budgeting can be a bit challenging because it depends on profit and loss. And if you don’t do anything, it’s a cause for concern.

Because everyone should make allowance in their budgets for uncertainties like health issues, social engagements, inflation, unemployment, recession and price shocks.

Are there any activities or hobbies you’ve outgrown or lost interest in over time?

My interests in many things have either shifted or changed completely. I feel like I’ve become a little selfish and a lot more lazy. As a result, I find it’s best to just stick to the bare minimum.

Losing interest over time, often affects hobbies, physical activity, sports, social interactions, romantic relationships etc. Instead of doing all this I prefer to take rest and a proper sleep.

Aging and changing social environments are responsible for this. Because even if people get free from work, they prefer to remain busy on their mobile phones instead of going out and playing any sports.

I never imagined I would be blogging actively on the online platform like WordPress. It needs a proper time and have many excellent fellow bloggers to read. This is a prime example of an interest shift.

What’s your favorite candy?

Childhood memories.

Do you need a break? From what?

I belong to a generation that has seen life without phones and the internet. I’ve witnessed how a simple communication device is transferred quickly and keep updating regularly. And slowly and silently become a vital part of life. And we also accepted it too and no any question arises, it became a part of our culture.

This evolution has completely changed the entire human life style. Mobile phones have become a compulsory part of life. Living without it seems impossible. When work ends, there’s the dazzling world of social media, videos, and reels. So much is happening through this device. I think in 24 hours, I’ll have at least 8-10 hours of screen time.

I’ve often felt compelled to get involved in meaningless things, only to realize later that I’ve just wasted my time. So I want a proper break from mobile phone and internet. Turn off unnecessary notifications and avoid constant multitasking on devices. Create screen-free times for a week or month. Engage in offline hobbies, reading, travelling, gardening, cooking, or fitness routines.

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

After completing my studies, I failed to build a career. I tried many things but didn’t achieve the desired success. I had to endure a long struggle, endure many bitter experiences, and learn a lot. Instead of blaming circumstances, struggles encourage taking responsibility for one’s life and reactions.

In times of struggle, a person becomes very sensitive about his self-respect. He gets very upset by any negative viewpoint and unnecessary starts reacting to everything. Going through hard times allows people to better understand and connect with the struggles of others.

But the struggle in your life doesn’t last forever, things change with time. By facing difficult circumstances, you emerge even stronger. Overcoming hardship prepares individuals to handle future challenges, making life’s difficulties feel more manageable.

Struggle fosters a “growth mindset,” forcing individuals out of comfort zones to re-evaluate priorities and find deeper meaning. This process often leads to increased maturity, empathy, and a, renewed appreciation for life’s everyday blessings.

Human beings are good. If you greet someone with a smile, you will surely receive a smile in return. Humans are inherently good and that doing good comes more naturally than doing evil. We social being like to co-operate with eachother so that life becomes easier for everyone.

Many researchers argue that humans have a natural, biologically ingrained tendency toward empathy, compassion, and kindness. Studies on infants suggest they prefer helping, friendly behaviors over hindering, malicious ones.

Mahatma Gandhi said that the human soul is a reflection or a spark of the Divine (God). He believed that while humans are not God themselves but they are part of God, often using the analogy of a drop of water and the ocean. So that the human soul possesses inherent divine qualities.

Ultimately, the belief that “humans are good” is supported by our capacity for compassion and social connection, though this is tempered by our, at times or selfishness. But I still have strong belief that humans are good.

What do you complain about the most?

If life is not going well, we easily put the blame on others, saying that because of that person I have to take this decision otherwise I would have done this or that. If I had made my own decisions in life, I wouldn’t have had this problem.

It’s okay to speak out against injustice in genuine case. But don’t make baseless accusations against a good person for selfish reasons, otherwise you’ll endanger humanity itself. You forgot how much boundaries cross that person to support you, all their efforts will be lost in an instant.

Your success, self-reliance is not for arrogance, arbitrary and rude. It serves you as a direct pathway to self-respect by fostering inner dignity, confidence, and personal responsibility, you have to understand these differences.

What books do you want to read?

I heard about this book at very young age because this book is part of our religion and traditions. But then I never had the courage to buy and read it because of shyness. Recently I download this book in english version and soon start to read it.

This book have significant portion discusses the philosophy and theory of love, desire, and attraction. Written by the sage Vātsyāyana, likely between the 1st and 6th centuries CE in India.

The book Kama Sutra is an ancient Sanskrit text by Vātsyāyana, is a comprehensive guide to living a virtuous and gracious life, focusing on love, pleasure,  emotional fulfillment and many more things.

Write about a few of your favorite family traditions.

Family traditions here in India are deeply rooted in respect, togetherness, community, and spirituality, often centering on joint family systems, joint decision-making, and close intergenerational bonds.

Joint family system where multiple generations (grandparents, parents, children) live under one roof and share resources. Younger generations touch the feet of elders to seek blessings, and they are consulted for all major life decisions. But this tradition is in danger, nuclear family rising in cities.

Daily worship my family have a designated prayer corner where daily, morning, and evening, rituals take place. My mother apply a dot of vermilion and father apply sandalwood dot on the forehead for blessings.

Family traditions in Awadh area emphasize etiquette (tehzeeb), refined grace (nazakat), and a profound appreciation for culinary arts and hospitality. Serving tea ☕ and paan (betel leaf) is an essential, highly ritualized aspect of hospitality.

Annual Pilgrimage (Magh mela) is defining tradition of Hinduism, families from across India travel to my city Prayagraj to stay in tents, take holy dips, and live a simple, disciplined life (Kalpavas) for a month during January-February.

The sharing of food, known as Bhandara (community meals), is a common sight during major melas and festivals, with local families and groups often organizing free meals, reflecting a tradition of charity and community, especially during the month of Magh.

A real saint have divine qualities like fearlessness, compassion, truthfulness, self-control, purity, and detachment. In Hinduism a true saint must have some key traits include Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truth), Daya (mercy), Shanti (peace), Tapas (austerity), Daan (charity), and freedom from ego, anger, and greed.

A saint who also maintains a good relationship with everyone and be equal to everyone . In a sense, he is tolerant enough to considers ‘the entire world as one family’ (Vasudhaiva kutumbakam).

Here I am talking about one of the top religious post in Hinduism that is ‘Shankaracharya’. Shankaracharya in Sanskrit means ‘teacher of the ways of Shankara’ and is a title given to the heads of the four Hindu monasteries established by the 8th-century monk Adi Shankara.

They in the four cardinal directions of India (North, South, East, West) to uphold and propagate Advaita Vedanta, these are Jyotish Math (North), Sringeri Sharada Peetham (South), Govardhan Math (East), and Dwarka Sharada Peeth (West). One of the four Shankaracharyas, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, head of the Jyotish Peeth of Badrinath, Uttarakhand, India.