The Day I Stopped Being Nice (and Finally Slept Like a Baby) !!!

There wasn’t a single moment. No dramatic music. No thunderstorm outside or whispering ghost from the attic. Just me sitting with a lukewarm cup of chai that I’d reheated twice and still hadn’t sipped, staring blankly at a message blinking on my phone  “Beta, we’re expecting you at the family dinner. Don’t be late. It’s important.”

Important. That word. Everyone throws it around like a rock into your pond of peace. Birthdays, pujas, business meetings, surprise parties, even the neighbour’s cat’s funeral, everything becomes “important.” But no one ever asks, “Important for whom?”

I looked at my calendar. Full. Every hour blocked like a prison cell. Some meetings had red stars. Others had reminders. One even had ‘CRUCIAL – DO NOT CANCEL’ in all caps. I cancelled it. Just like that. And a strange, dangerous peace spread in my chest, like someone had finally turned the volume down.

That was the day I stopped being nice.

I didn’t attend the family dinner. They were shocked. I didn’t offer ten excuses. I just said, I won’t be able to make it. No explanation. I didn’t throw a party I had half-planned. I didn’t offer my guest room to that cousin who always walks in with a suitcase and criticism. I said, Sorry, I won’t be able to host this time. And lived.

When my kids began throwing tantrums like they were auditioning for a drama school, I didn’t bribe them with screen time or guilt. I drew a line. A calm, firm one. And when they yelled, We’ll go to Dadi’s house!  I said, Okay. Just text me when you reach. They stayed.

One friend kept mistaking my politeness for permission. Always late, always interrupting, always unloading. That day, I said, You know, I don’t appreciate being talked over like that. Silence. Sweet, awkward silence. It felt like fresh air in a room that had smelled like expired apologies.

At home, I was taking care of a sick relative. Day in, day out. A full-time nurse, unpaid, untrained, and quietly crumbling. One evening, while crushing yet another tablet with the back of a spoon, I realized, I was falling apart so someone else could stay stitched. The next day, I hired help. Professional. Kind. Trained. I sat alone that evening and cried, not out of guilt, but relief.

It wasn’t a selfish revolution. It was a gentle reclaiming. Of breath. Of peace. Of a version of me that wasn’t constantly performing gratitude and cheerfulness while dying for a nap.

Because let’s face it, if pleasing people burned calories, some of us would’ve evaporated by now.

We are not honeycombs. We are not built to keep dripping sweetness just because it’s expected.

We’re not cruel when we say no.
We’re not mean when we choose peace.
We’re not selfish when we rest.

We’re just… finally listening. To ourselves. The same self that spent years learning to ignore its own needs for the sake of decorum, duty, and drama.

The truth is, you can take care of others and yourself, but not when you’re empty. Not when you’re dry. And certainly not when you are faking fine.

You owe it to yourself to pause. Refuse. Cancel. Postpone. Speak. Rest.

And one day, without realizing it, you’ll lie down, guilt-free, on a bed that smells like freshly washed sheets and you’ll sleep. Deeply. Kindly. As if the world didn’t need fixing tonight.

Because it doesn’t.

And neither do you…~Latika Teotia

Dream Beyond Limits !!!

Life isn’t a checklist of what’s practical. It’s a canvas, wide and waiting. Don’t hold back by asking if something is realistic or possible. Imagine life as a place where you can wish for anything, without fear, without hesitation.

“Dreams are whispers from your soul.
Paint them boldly, nurture them tenderly,
and trust they will find their way into the light.”

Each dream you carry is a color, a note, a spark.
Feed it with love, faith, and patience.
At first, it may be invisible, like music unheard or paintings unseen.
But quietly, it begins to take form, filling your world with beauty you once only imagined.

Don’t be afraid if it takes time.Every masterpiece begins as a single brushstroke.Believe in your dreams.  The universe is ready to meet you halfway…~Latika Teotia

Standing Up On The Inside !!!

You are not the keeper of anyone’s chaos. Their frustrations are theirs to carry ,not yours to absorb. Even if you stand as a mother, a wife, a daughter, or a friend, remember: love is not a license for mistreatment. Compassion does not mean becoming a dumping ground for someone’s unhealed pain. You are allowed to draw boundaries. You are allowed to walk away. Protect your peace, even from the ones you love…~Latika Teotia

Make Way For The New Beginning !!!

We don’t have to love the scars left by toxic relationships, by a suffocating workplace, or by those who were supposed to be family. We don’t need to embrace the pain that has haunted us for so long. But from this moment on, let us choose to heal. Let us begin to meet ourselves with the compassion, patience, and respect we were always worthy of. This is the moment to rise , to mend our broken hearts, to stop accepting anything less than the love we deserve, and to nourish the parts of ourselves that have long been neglected…
~Latika Teotia

Practice Self-Love !!!

My wish for you is that in 2022 may you start loving yourself so much that in turn you attract abundant love- as love is the panacea for all our ailments. Love heals, restores, unites, binds and conquers all… ~Latika Teotia

Prayer For Caretakers !!!

Filled with tons of love, I am sending virtual hugs to all those who are “the Caretakers”. I absolutely understand and can relate that how difficult it becomes at times to remain positive, hopeful, compassionate and kind, because of excessive stress, overwork, low energy level, tiredness, overconcern, etc. In such situation, to raise the vibrations, we should practice gratitude, mindfulness, meditation, reciting mantras/ affirmations or cleansing.  In short, we have to raise our vibrations to bring back the positive energy and loving vibes.

Right now, I am praying that you feel the warmth of God’s embrace and experience His peace… ~Latika Teotia

Don’t allow your past to mess your present !!!

Hanging on to past traumas of any kind will make you lead a miserable life. These thoughts will cage your wings and imprison you in your own misery. The day you release yourself from your past, believe me, your wings will take you to greater heights.~Latika Teotia

Stop berating and punishing yourself !!!

If you commit a mistake, stop berating and punishing yourself. You are human and you will commit mistakes. God loves you so seek His forgiveness and move on.

Maybe, the mistakes you commit could be because you’ve been pushing yourself too hard. Maybe, it’s time to take a break. Give yourself “me” time- you may feel rejuvenated after your ‘aloneness’. Draw upon your inner strength and come out even stronger and better. With God on your side you don’t have to worry. Start appreciating your strengths you have been blessed with and practice self compassion.~Latika Teotia

Learn to appreciate yourself !!!

Actually we tend to put a lot of emphasis on our so called weaknesses. If you look around and thereafter look inwards you’ll soon realize that no one is perfect. We have been brought up in such a way that we are conditioned to underplay our strengths to others (lest we be termed as conceited or haughty) and blow up our weaknesses to our own selves. Learn to appreciate yourself and downplay your shortcomings. ~Latika Teotia