Dopamine Issue #1

issue #1

January 14, 2019

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let positivity engulf you

Illu

stra ted

by K avy a

Gup

ta

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amine

Editor’s Note

“The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it. Create your own.”

- Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie The world is too fixated around mending imperfections. Only “what’s wrong” is what stands out to us. We need to think better. Are we really happy unless we have a big reason to be so? How long does this state last?

We have a whole world of glee right at our fingertips. The only thing we need to do is open our eyes to discover the magic that surrounds us. Through this magazine, we are on a quest to spread optimism through quality content and making it the new norm. Together we’re learning to be ourselves, doing more of what makes us feel good and changing mindsets along the way.

This issue of the magazine is our first step to make our concept a reality.

What’s yours?

Harshita Nagpal & Mashu Ajmera

In this Edition 1.Look at the bright side4.The Dance of Chemicals 7.Miracle for a Miracle 9.Life,haan?12.Embracing life and little things 13.Music Reviews 15.What is Poetry?

16.Taming17.Micropoetry18.Artwork19.Oh lord, Oh Majesty!23.Happiness List25.What defines us?26.What to do?

Look at the bright side, you.

look at the bright side.

Millenials- a term given to a person reaching young adulthood in the early 21st century.

In short, us.

Now we Millenials tend to be fast and ahead of our time. We can extrapolate our worth to potentials worth hundred millions of horsepower. We’re smart and capable, intellectually aware and quick in our actions. But, to pop the question here: Are we using it all correctly?

Are we making efficient use of our priceless brains? Sadly, maybe not.

Okay, so here are some numbers to get you moving: 7.4 percent of people from 18 to 25 (2014 data) suffer from some or the other serious mental illness. Minors are not included in this data. Hence implied, almost 10% of young adults live a pretty screwed up life out of which 6% are embarrassed to talk about it. Let’s clear the air here. We’re all missing something which is a very basic requirement of a healthy and productive adult life: a positive state of mind.

Why does it even signify? Why do we need to stop the overflowing negativity?

Because, lets face it- Thinking negative is a pretty easy task. As proven after study, in our brains, there are two different systems for negative and positive stimuli. The ‘amygdala’ (a mass of grey matter inside the cerebral hemisphere) uses approximately two thirds of its neurons to detect negative experiences, and once the brain starts looking for bad news, it is stored into long-term memory quickly. Positive experiences have to be held in our awareness for more than 12 seconds in order for the transfer from short-term to long-term memory. Rick Hanson, world-famous psychologist and author, describes it in this way: “The brain is like Velcro for negative experiences but Teflon for positive ones.”

So as we see, positive thinking and making a constructive memory requires effort and knowingly or unknowingly; we all have a natural human tendency to run away from making an effort. Therefore, we end up inviting the negative into our minds. We let negativity affect us and sadly enough; we don’t even get to know. We take it into ourselves, tolerating to levels so high that it starts taking a toll on the overall well-being of the body. From ill-relationships with parents to being negative about everything around us, from considering ourselves unlucky to thinking why certain bad things only happen to us and from considering ourselves alone to always perceiving everything the wrong way- all of it constitutes the window of an agonized mind.

We should definitely be paying heed to this predicament most importantly at this point of our lives; when the stories of our respective lives have already begun to give themselves conclusions- and all of us desire an extraordinary one.

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Today, we live in a fool’s paradise. Our happiness is short lived and our minds are influenced by this well-connected world’s stories, TV, internet, gadgets, new TV series everyday and what not. We don’t even get to know when we start thinking with a whole new perspective (sometimes for good and sometimes for bad). How our thoughts bend into a certain direction has become mostly an involuntary task. We’re all following a herd and forgetting that our most important strength is not being able to fit ourselves into a certain category. Not being easily influenced and positive thinking are both attributes of the intellectual.

As said earlier, taking a step into negativity’s mud is much easier than a positive move- then why choose the easy way out?

Childhood and upbringing play a major role in influencing a young mind-it’s not our fault sometimes. Where we’re going wrong instead lies in knowing things correctly and despite that, not taking responsibility and control of our own situations and our own minds. When confronted about the whole issue, Millennials are all Hem and Haw these days. We find extreme comfort in pertaining to our opinions and thoughts which aren’t even entirely ours; but rather what we see and hear most of the times.

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentimihalyi contends that unless we are occupied with other thoughts, worrying is the brain's default position.

Talking bad about the people and things around us and constantly complaining is a comfortable thing to do. To think genuinely good about things gives us major heebies-jeebies - it’s as if we don’t know how to say good while meaning it anymore.

Remember: Life begins when one steps out of their comfort zone. So go ahead and chuck that bad thought. There’s no use spending life down in the dumps, we’re just letting ourselves down by letting the negativity stack itself inside of us. We aren’t kindergarteners that we survive playing the blame game and just congenially let everything take over us. We should learn to accept the situation as it is and put our efforts into tackling it rather than complaining about it. We are strong and smart and can take it all in our hands- only if we truly want to.

This article doesn’t intend on making one intolerant towards negativity as a whole.

If we’ve been hardwired to feel a certain way, there is some meaning attached to it.

For example; our failures and sadness make us rethink into where we went wrong. Also ,the guilt we feel results in retrospection.

We sometimes tend to work harder simply because we feel jealous.

If the brain needs positivity, it also need some negativity, though just in the right amounts. Sometimes striking a balance means everything ever. Deriving positivity out of negative situations is also an art. Like everything else (except binge watching Game Of Thrones) one learns how to do it with practice. Identify that where thinking negative has started to harm you. Excess of everything is fatal. Be afraid not of crying- it’s good sometimes for it helps all frustration be released out along with the tears. Also, we shouldn’t just follow and get influenced. We have all been granted an individual mind to think.

To say a mouthful, the secret key to becoming big and successful one day is a free mind. A free mind knows where its true happiness lies and what is healthy for it and what is not. One shouldn’t do the obvious thing: guiding oneself into thinking that the worst WILL happen. If researches are correct, thinking negatively about your problems not only doesn’t help in solving anything, it actually makes it harder for one to think of a helpful solution. Things have come down to such shame that being free form any mental ailment, being mostly happy and not seeing a therapist has become an achievement for a millennial. We should understand how our whole body is governed by the brain itself and its unhealthiness will somehow reflect in the rest of our body too. Depression, panic attacks and anxiety have become common phenomena and it is solely our responsibility to face the music of our actions and battle against such pollution of the mind.

For most people in the world; negativity impacts much earlier than a positive vibe. We step back from going that extra mile and absorbing positivity into us because it’s such a task, right?

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Time after time, though, one gets the hang of it. Life lets go of all weights it once possessed; devoid pf a proud chest.

Negative events in life our very much unavoidable- it’s all about how one interprets them wishes to fight against them. It takes time, to turn your mind over, but at the end, it’s all worth it. The mind becomes free of any latches. The world looks more beautiful and life becomes smoother and richer, just like your favorite hot chocolate from Starbucks.

The truth is that, fortunately or unfortunately, even after being the most nervously evolved animals on the planet, we still cant predict the future and it’s just stupid to assume that everything that happens is going to be bad for sure. Its all a game of perspectives. Sorry for cliche reference, but a glass half empty can also be called a glass half full. One should be smart enough to also take into consideration the opinions of the rest of the population. To not feel different but special if their opinion varies.

While living in the present, one should of course be prepared for a disappointing future but after all its how one thinks- it’s really, all in the mind. Call a spade a spade and see things just as they are with your original eyes and original opinions: uncontaminated by the world. See, learn and comprehend. One shouldn’t be either intolerant or completely influenced.

Striking a balance, again, is very important. We should hold our horses when our brain goes into the autopilot mode of thinking bad about everything around ourselves. Controlling the brain into a positive influence is possible. Pretend to be happy and you’ll soon find yourself in a happy state. Life sans problems wouldn’t anyway be gripping enough. Problems are a test of our strengths, Everyone will complain and whine but the one who survives it with a smiling face will outshine the others. We have to survive this life: do it either crying or smiling. Some will say, oh, how cold it is. They might express how they hate the weather. I say, enjoy the cold. Think how good the cold makes you feel and soon you’ll find yourself apprehending and embracing it. The human brain has powers that we ourselves are unaware of.

Making a logical sense out of things and ‘growing through what we’re going through’ gives us the motivation to tackle any and every hindrance there is. Looking at the good is a smart thing to do and making it one’s default trait will give one an edge over others their age for sure. Normally, life is different strokes to different spokes but an elated and peaceful state of mind is what everyone must pay heed to. Being design students, our minds should be essentially peaceful and relaxed to let creative ideas sprout from them. Positive thinking also helps one work harder. It is the fuel for the revolutionary change that we wish to witness one day in this world. The universe is a reflection of one’s own soul. The moment we change, the world around us turns around. (Isn’t it also cool how stars move by the mere movement of our own figures, too?) So ‘be the change to wish to see’. So make an effort and work on yourself. In life, ‘we focus more on having than being’. Be a little selfish and catch up with your laughter more often.

When people will see you with a fresh wave of change, they surely will be at the edge of their seats. The world around you will rejoice in the revelation of the true, inner and happier soul of yours.

So clinch a deal with your own mind today and try to think good at all times that you can and should. It will do you good.

K U H U

N A G P A L

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The Dance Of Chemicals NILADRI MULLICK

Since centuries scientists and philosophers have pondered much about the three pound organ on our head, the ‘human brain’. The brain is believed to be the primary differentiating factor that determines the superiority of humans among other species. With the advancement of scientific temperament, one of the key area of research was- “How does the mind function? how does it produce consciousness, the secrets of our intelligence and some of the other functions like emotions, pleasure, pain and addiction. Despite much scientific advancements and research, the answer to many of these questions is still open ended, as we don’t know in entirety, how mind operates. The little that we know is also much complicated to be surmised in a few pages and requires a discussion in highly medical parlance. Hence this article mainly focuses only on a few aspects of mind’s functions which would be most interesting for students to read, namely- feelings, emotions, pleasure, pain and addiction.

Some of the most common statements of expressions that we use in our day to day colloquial conversations are- “this was amazing” , “ this is boring” , “that was terrible” etc. All the above three phrases convey contrasting expressions. The first one is an expression of joy, the second one conveys boredom and the third one covey an unpleasant emotion. but there is one thing that unifies all of them- the agent that causes it‘Dopamine’ !! (or the lack of it).

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (a chemical which transports information from one neuron to another in the brain) It is known as the ‘reward molecule’ and is also sometimes called as the ‘molecule of bliss’. It is the main neurochemical that incentivizes most of our life activities and keeps the passion in our life going.

Without dopamine, you will lack the zeal to do anything, your social life and relationships will lose its ardour and your life will be devoid of enthusiasm, a condition commonly known as ‘depression’.

Dopamine along with serotonin, endorphin and oxytocin are neurotransmitters that are the main chemical components of the ‘reward circuit’ in the brain. Whenever we do any delightful activity, even the most insignificant ones like having a slice of chocolate, receiving a compliment from someone or some of the most significant achievements of our lives, the brain releases dopamine, serotonin and sometimes endorphins which gives us the ‘feel-good’ experience. The feeling of bliss is the reward for the accomplishment or the performance of the delightful act. Thus, reward circuits are set up in the neural pathways and the brain rewards itself by releasing dopamine whenever we perform these acts. Chocolates, for example increases the levels of endorphins along with dopamine and serotonin, giving credence to the claim that chocolate is a comfort food as endorphin is a natural pain killer and works to lessen pain and decrease stress. Our brain registers, what kind of activity/situation produced the dopamine, serotonin and endorphins and thus it motivates us to repeat the act/situation more often to derive the ‘same bliss’.

Let us now discuss some of the other roles of dopamine in important mind functions like memory, attention and the most adored of all- ‘LOVE’.

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Studies have proven that dopamine secretions are directly linked to our memory. The levels of dopamine here are extremely delicate so even slight increases or decreases to the normal amount can cause the memory to suffer. Since dopamine affects our memory, it also affects the learning processes of our brain and how firmly information is retained.

When dopamine is present during an event or experience, you will remember it, however, if dopamine is not present, you will easily forget it. As dopamine is tied to our reward centre, so if we don’t feel interested in specific activity, then dopamine levels will decrease and we will not feel the motivation to remember the facts presented to us. This explains why you tend to remember an event or an activity in great detail if you are interested in it and not otherwise. This is because the intensity of interest is a direct function of dopamine levels in your mind. Dopamine also plays a major role in ‘attention’. Since dopamine levels determine the intensity of interest, therefore it determines how focussed and attentive we are. Dopamine works by responding to vision, which causes us to direct our attention to any specific task, activity or event. Dopamine may also be responsible for what content stays in our short-term memory. When the dopamine concentration is too low, then this could lead to Attention Deficit Disorder.

After memory and attention, let us shift our focus to the most cherished of all attribute of humankind- ‘LOVE’. The chemistry of love is much complicated to be surmised in a few words but I will try my best to be as lucid as possible.

Dopamine and serotonin works in tandem with another neurotransmitter known as oxytocin which plays a major role in the process of love. Oxytocin is also known as the ‘bonding molecule’ as it is a hormone directly linked to human bonding and increasing trust and loyalty. Studies have been conducted to show that high levels of oxytocin are correlated with romantic attachment. Some studies show that if a couple is separated for a long period of time, the lack of physical contact reduces oxytocin and drives the feeling of longing to bond with that person again. But the impact of oxytocin is more pronounced on a woman than on a man. This is the reason why the chemistry of love operate differently in men and in women. Perhaps this also explains why men are given the notorious accolade of being more ‘adulterous’ in nature (thought it may be a myth) because the impact of oxytocin (which is responsible for bonding and emotional attachment) is less pronounced on a man than in a woman. (However oxytocin is not the only factor that determines infidelity in humans, there are other factors as well, therefore women may also be as much adulterous as a man.) But again, the bottom line is that skin-to-skin contact, affection, love making and intimacy are key to feeling happy which is reinforced by the collective action of dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. Actually oxytocin works in tandem with dopamine and serotonin to produce love, affection, intimacy, attention, pleasure and bliss.

After all the eulogies that I enunciated about dopamine, you might as well think that dopamine is the elixir of life, the source of pleasure and happiness. But what if I tell you that the process of dopamine and serotonin action could also be the source of your deepest miseries, a sorrowful life and also depression. Till now I had listed some of the ‘angelic’ qualities of dopamine but since we live in a world of duality, there is always a dark side to everything bright, now it is time to list some of the ‘satanic’ attributes of dopamine as well.

Dopamine is also the molecule behind all our most sinful behaviours and secret cravings. Dopamine is lust, dopamine is addiction and is also the cause of alcoholism, gambling and drug abuse.

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One of the most concerning issue for our society today is the pandemic of drug abuse and our youth is most prone in falling prey to these temptations. Drugs hijack into the brain’s communication system and tamper with the way neurons normally send, receive, and process information. The mechanism for drug action is different for different kinds of drugs but basically most drugs work either by imitating brains’ natural chemical messengers or by overstimulating the reward circuit of the brain.

After repeated drug use, the brain starts to adapt to the regular high levels of dopamine either by reducing the number of dopamine receptors or by simply making less dopamine. As the neurons get adapted to high levels of dopamine, the dopamine receptors are inhibited as a balancing step and hence their receptivity for moderate levels of dopamine is drastically reduced. Therefore the person no more feels any joy in normal day to day activities (which produces moderate levels of dopamine). Such a person loses the exuberance of life and the zeal to do the erstwhile gleeful activities like playing, socialising, eating etc., his relationships with family, friends and loved ones turns turmoil, he lacks the motivation to participate in any activity because he no more derives any enthusiasm from it and such a person slowly relegates into depression. He gets his ‘kick’ only from the dose of drug and nothing else. This triggers the process of acute drug-addiction.

We have realised in a scientific way that the very source of ‘bliss’, that we seek around in the whole world is actually within us. Outside circumstances may trigger it, but essentially the source of pleasure (dopamine and the other happy chemicals) is within us. With this realisation, it is imperative for us to use this knowledge to our advantage. But how?. Till now we know of two ways to produce dopamine (or bliss)- one is by consuming drugs and second, by doing simple life activities like playing, relationships or even by having a slice of chocolate. The first way, i.e the use of drugs should be strictly abstained as it is detrimental to the survival process of life itself.

The second method, though is not harmful (beneficial in some case) is also somewhat ineffective as you have to depend on outside circumstances for your joy (you still need a slice of chocolate to be happy). Apart from these two ways, there are more effective ways to stay ‘blissed out’ independent of the outside circumstances or without any drug support. This is done by enhancing dopamine levels by natural processes like meditation, exercise, yoga, socialising with people and so on. Studies have shown that dopamine levels naturally increase and neurons become more receptive during meditation. Meditation, yoga, exercise , good relationships and a balanced life are key to stay ‘blissed out’ all the time irrespective of outside situations and without any substance(drugs). It is imperative for us to incorporate these habits in our daily routine so that we can get ‘high’ in life without getting ‘high’ on substance (drugs).

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Miracle for a Miracle,

Surprise for a Surprise

P R A G Y A

B A N G

Everyone has their own circle of what they call love – family, friends, adventure, passions, philanthropy and what not! To me, animals are the most quintessential part of this circle.

We are all born with innate love for family and people who help us grow but extending this love to those who have no material bonds with us whatsoever takes a lot of true love and empathy. And this love is one that brings out the giving side and yet gives back only more in return.

While struggling to keep my pace and poise at work on a very hectic day, I randomly googled – ‘how to sail through a bad day at work’. The results popped up and I opened one of the top few links instinctively. Besides the general advises on keeping motivation and thought momentum, there was a final bullet which said – ‘look at pictures of baby animals’. To my utter amazement, it wasn’t just me but a whole bunch of people who found the very eyes of animals repositories of infinite positive energy.

The innocence bracketing a certain naughtiness, an incessant zeal for life and a never diminishing hope for a good life – are all conspicuous in their eyes if you look closely enough, and that is where I source my positivity from – almost instantly.

There is no joy greater than being able to contribute to someone’s little happiness and choosing to do it for souls which are most neglected is all the more empowering.

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I am at a stage today where, whenever distressed I simply tell myself – ‘had a dog been in your state, he would have still wagged his tail’. The formula about thinking of distress of the least fortunate and most helpless beings helps in realizing how trivial our quandaries and vagaries of life are.

It has long been known that therapies that use animals have better response and participation in treatment plans from patients. In fact, in a research it was shown that children made fewer errors in match-to-sample categorization task in the presence of a dog relative to a stuffed dog or human. Similar studies may indicate presence of a dog serves as both a source of motivation and a highly salient stimulus for children, allowing them to better restrict their attention to the demands of the task.

All of this only boldfaces the idea that there is a direct correlation between love for animals and the influx of positivity in human life. So the next time you see a puppy cold and hungry on the streets, don’t hold back, go ahead and delight him with the most unexpected surprise – some love in addition to food, and watch the universe reflect that positive energy back to you.

If you will surprise a soul with love and a moment of happiness, expect the magic to only come back to you at a time when you will most seek a miracle, a little moment of reaffirmation of faith in God. I have experienced this enormous power of compassion, have you yet? If not, try it – TODAY.

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L ife ,

?

P R A N K U R

A R O R A

What I’d most like to say up front and with all the love that I can muster is that you my dear reader are ver y welcome indeed. Whoever you are, however you’ ve chosen to ar r ang e yourself to read this piece, and whatever snack you’ ve selected, I clasp you f ir mly to my wr iterly universe. Let there be no confusion about that. You are a much-loved guest in my universe. I applaud you for choosing – and I say this with absolutely no impar tiality or objectivity of any kind – such a mar velous mag azine and ar ticle. Of all the pieces in this world, just look what you’ ve gotten yourself to read. Give yourself a round of applause, even if you’re in public. I dare you. Actually, I tell you what, as this would make me ver y happy: if you’re in public and see someone else browsing something on the inter net, make them read this piece and then why don’t you applaud each other? What a lovely moment that would be. I advocate that as much as I advocate adults g alloping, or people r andomly wander ing into an optician’s to tr y on the most unf latter ing and amusing glasses for no good reason. It’s what I call ‘making your own fun.’ Because you have to, really, don’t you? As, let’s face it ; life does have a tendency to throw up dif f iculties, depression, moments of boredom, loneliness or g r ind.

I don’t know. Life, haan?

‘Life, haan?’ It’s a phr ase I’ ve heard myself and others say over the last few years, many times.

It’s of ten only just audible, thrown away over a sigh, or comes at the end of a laugh. A phr ase, or tic, or jerk , or (and I beg your pardon) ejaculation reser ved for signif icant moments. Times when you just can’t put into words the emotions and happenings of this weird and wonder ful jour ney of existence. I recently said it on the phone with my fr iend, Ridhi, when she and I realized we’d known each other almost six years to that day. We looked back at all that we had wanted then, and all that we had achieved. It was a lovely moment, and I heard myself punctuating the conversation with, ‘Life, haan?’ When my little sister st ar ted researching about the schools she could apply to for her post-g r ad, she sat with my laptop in my of f ice, remember ing how she would t ake it out of my bag and br ing it to me to st ar t researching stuf f when I was confused about what I wanted to do af ter my underg r ad. We said tog ether, wistfully, ‘Life, haan?’ It says ever ything without having to say anything: that we all exper ience moments of joyful or painful ref lection, sometimes alone, sometimes shar ing laughs and tears with others; that we all know and appreciate that however wonder ful and precious life is, it can concomit antly be a ter r ibly confusing and myster ious beast. ‘Life, haan?’

Those kinds of moments – the big ones, the meaty ones, the bir ths, the deaths, the reminiscences – I can handle. Those kinds of moments I enjoy or endure, much as we all do.

There’s usually a sor t of road map for them. Tr aditions. Procedure. But . . where I feel alone and unprepared is with the less ser ious but undeniably discombobulating and embar r assing hiccups, nuances and foibles of just . . being a person.

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How do you just ‘human’ your way through life?

People always say “It costs nothing to be kind” but technically it doesn’t cost anything to be a real asshole either, so I’m not sure why we’re br inging f inancials into it. It does, however, cost money to hire lawyers af ter you kick people you don’t like in the balls so maybe that should be the phrase ever yone should remember. Then ag ain, if you bottle ever ything up and continue to be kind to people who are being real jerk s you’re going to end up in some pretty heavy therapy or in a lot of bars dr inking your resentment away and I can tell you that neither of those things is cheap. Really they should just change the saying to “Life is already expensive. There’s no need to make it worse by being a jerk to people.” It doesn’t quite sing like the f irst line, but it’s more accurate.

My point here is that it’s easy for silly dramas to overshadow good things and for small slights to get blown out of propor tion. Also, the best thing that you can do if someone pisses you of f or hur ts your feelings is to go up to them and give them an enor mous hug. Both because it’s healing and will make you feel better about being so tot ally self less and also because it’ll make the person who was mean to you all paranoid and they’ll be too disor iented by your kindness to be mean to you anymore. It’s a win for ever yone. Especially for all of your fr iends who don’t have to spend the rest of the evening awkwardly picking sides and watching the whole debacle unfold on social media.

Of course, the awesome thing about social media is that you have a voice and you don’t have to listen to any of this and can go out r ight now and wr ite a post about just the opposite of this one and call it “ Why it’s impor t ant for me to be an asshole” and I will suppor t that post entirely because ever yone has the freedom to choose the type of asshole you want be and I celebrate that freedom. Personally, I’m going to tr y to be the kind of asshole that look s for the goodness in ever yone, hugs ever yone they see, and suf focates any drama if they see it. It’s my fondest hope that you’re that kind of asshole too.

But then sometimes, ever ything seems like a source of existential despair and a lot of anxiety.

You don’t have the inclination to hug others and you don't have time to examine any real solutions to your own problems because you're stuck in front of a screen 19 hours a day. In such situations, slowing down for some self-care is of utmost impor t ance. "Self-care" just means showing yourself you care, showing yourself some kindness and in my family, we show we care with cheap indulgences that feel good in the moment but make things worse in the long r un. And for some reason they all involve consuming large amounts of g arbage.

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An x iety : Pol i t i c al Angu ish S o l u tio n: M omos f ro m t he loca l ma rket Re f re s hi ng Fac eb ook a nd twitte r ove r a nd over fo r ho u r s d o esn' t m ake H ind u tv a go o n s d i sappear. S o metime s t he be st t hin g to d o is to g o o u tsid e, see t hat t he wo rl d i s stil l tur ni ng, and f in d some loca l bu sin e ss to su ppo r t. The Mo m o s st and o n t he c o r n er market c ounts a s loca l, r ight? Th e ir fo o d w il l rem ind yo u t hat yo u are incap a b l e o f maki ng e ven mild l y re sp onsible d e cisio ns ab o u t yo u r ow n b o d y, l et al o ne f i g u r in g out how to p re ve nt impe n d ing comm u nal d isaster s. Takes t he pressu re o f f !

An x iety : S oc i al anxiety a t a pa r ty S o l u tio n: Tandoor i pla tte r, e sp e cia ll y t he p a n eer J u n k fo o d i sn' t real l y ju nk food u n le ss you e at a l ot o f it. St and next to t he Tand o o r i p l a t te r a nd don' t sto p u n til you r bod y is 40 p ercent paneer. And d o n' t t hink yo u ' re f i n is h e d just b ec ause you 've d e plete d t h e cu r rent su ppl y. In al l l ikel iho o d , so m eo ne wil l rep l eni sh i t and you ca n g et ba ck to work .

An x iety : You' ve just d iscove re d somet hin g ex trem el y annoy ing ab o u t yo u r sel f t hat ha s a l w ays b een t r ue a nd , in a p a n ic, you re ca l l scenes f ro m t he l ast twenty year s in a k in d of "put t i ng t hin gs tog et h e r " se q u e nce w hil e t hink ing , " No , no , no . " S o l u tio n: T he Chandni Chowk Pa r a t ha s Yo u w a n t to tor ment you r bod y bu t d on't t h ink yo u d eser ve any pl easu re, so yo u c o me to t he hor r i f i c comp romise of e a tin g so m et hing t hat t astes ter r ib l e and is stil l b a d fo r you. I t mi ght in itia ll y se e m like a lose-l o se b u t it' s actu al l y a b ig W IN fo r yo u r s e lf -f ul f i l l i ng prophe cy t h a t e ve r yt hin g is, and al w ays w il l b e, ter r ib l e.

An x iety : S e ver al l arg e looming d e a d line s t ha t yo u ' ve b een pu tting o f f S o l u tio n: H omemade pot a to sa nd wich e s A c o mp l i c ated and ve r y g re a sy e n d e a vor t h a t w il l t ake fo re ver to m ake and cau se yo u r en t i re apar t ment to sme ll like gh e e . It wil l al l end u p t asting g reat, as su ch fo o d a l w ays does, and for a fe w blissfu l h ou r s yo u ' l l have fo rg otten ab o u t al l t ho se p res s in g mat ter s, which a re n ow e ve n more u rg ent.

An x iety : Unpl ac eab le , u nsha ke a ble d re a d S o l u tio n: W hate ver r a n d om pa st a you h a ve in yo u r cu pb o ard w it h so m e o il o n it Yo u c a n c r y whi l e you 're ma k ing it, you ca n c r y w hil e yo u ' re eating it and yo u can c r y a f ter w ard, remem be r ing wh a t a pa t hetic m eal yo u ju st had , m ak ing t his o ne o f t he mo st ver sat i l e g ar ba g e food s in existe nce.

An x iety : Fac e ac ne t ha t h a s a ton of v igor for l ife S o l u tio n: Choc ol ate Chip Fr a p pu ccino H a v in g a par t i c ul arl y br u t a l bre a kou t? Why not stick it to t he m an and g ive in to t he o n e fo od i tem t hat ro lls e ve r yt h ing you 're su ppo sed to avo id w hen yo u ' re ac n e - p rone tog et her: d a ir y, su g a r, ca f fe in e , cho co l ate, t he b l o o d , sweat, and tear s o f Ph D - hol di ng b ar i st a s a nd p roce sse d n on- fo o d chem ical s. Acne is t he m an (o bv io u s l y ) in t hi s sc enar io, a nd "sticking it" is just, l ike, su ccu m b ing to it (o bv io u sl y ), I guess.

An x iety : There' s so mu ch goin g wron g you d o n' t e ven k now w hat to b e anx io u s ab o u t S o l u tio n: Cheese Bur st Pizza G o in g out for hot pizza wit h che e se d r ipping f ro m al l sid es is o ne o f t he m o st reck le s s j u nk food choi c e s. It's n ot ch e a p, it d oe s n' t t aste ver y g o o d , and yo u feel ex tremel y b ad i n al most e ve r y con ce iv a ble w ay af ter w ard s. Bu t t hat reck l ess feel ing i s p re ci sel y what ' s so g re a t a bou t it. You d on’t g ive a f u ck . Yo u ' re l iv ing l ike a ro ck st a r. Sex, dr ugs, and h ot liq u id che e se .

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a r c b i n m g e life and little things

We tend to forget sometimes that time is both a deep wound and a slow heal. Most of us believe in either only one side of the coin, but I am here to tell you about the third possibility of flipping the coin. Our surroundings, life and whole of the world is filled with innumerable uncertainties. No one knows whereabouts for where the time and future will take us to, leaving us in a constant state of confusion, awe, despair, anxiety, confusion and what not. There are times in all of our lives when we see no rays of hope, everything seems dark, all of the possibilities appear to be vanishing in the abyss converting to zero. All of our plans, dreams start getting shattered. Anything you see seem to appear in shades of gloomy blues and the sad black and whites. You don’t feel anything, you become numb, food becomes tasteless, you start ignoring people and find a cozy little space in the ill-lighted dull corner of the room to be sad and feel guilty about anything just to cry. You do that too but, in the end, you realise that remorse and tears come in a vicious cycle which never ends. You go to sleep and wake up again, cursing the circumstances and your life again and again.

But I should tell you a secret here.

The secret is that no one or for that sake no one ever has escaped all of this in their life too. Everyone has their share of problems, their indivudial heaps of dreams equally sandwiched between efforts, luck, outcomes. But that doesn’t qualify to make you sad, feel bad or be bitter in your thoughts about life and yourself. You must find a way to embrace the life outside you, the life inside you and the life above all- the almighty life. Everyone should grow up to realise few truths of life, possible that each one of us may do it in a different manner. Happiness in life is not about the big things, monumental megastructures of your success.

We should realise that happiness is a decent breakfast, it is the silent love from your parents, it is hidden in those rusted toys of your childhood. Happiness is meeting your friend after a long time and getting a warm hug from them. It may also be the rustling sound of trees in the wind or the earthly smell of the rains. Happiness is also wearing your favourite pair of socks and flaunting your shoes and jacket.

Remember, Happiness comes from anywhere for everyone, it is anything at any time and is everything for everybody. Realise it, embrace it before it goes away.

WRITTEN BY SAURABH JAIN

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M U S I C ‘Positivity’- this 10-lettered word embodies an immense power in itself that has got no counts, whether it be the power of happiness, love, determination or of perseverance. This list is perpetual for those who wear positivity as their crown and sit on the throne of success despite the prickly thorns that the world has adorned for everyone.

However, those who get trapped into the whirlpool of negative emotions like hatred, jealousy, etc., have got no time to taste the adroitness of positivity. And it’s tragic to mark that people belonging to the former group are negligible as compared to the ones present in the latter, and this is why the ambience around us smells ‘negative’, vanquishing the fragrance of ‘positivity’.

‘Music’ is one of the wires directly connected to positivity.

The only thing that you need to do is just click on your favourite playlist, increase the volume of your music, and sing your heart out giving yourself completely to the music world and a natural high.

R E V I E W S

Here’s some music to cheer you up

What Do I Know Ed Sheeran If you are a minimalist, ‘What Do I Know’ is just the song for you. This folk song with mediocre beats, plucks of guitar here and there, and the mellifluous harmonies of Ed Sheeran, is all about love and positivity. Ed Sheeran uses a very easy-going pattern in his song for anyone to sway with the beats and find themselves smiling at the very appealing lyrics he used in this folk music.

Ed Sheeran uses the very basic idea to be happy with what you have. ‘You’ should be your first priority. Loving yourself is very imperative. And as we know how our Ed is, he makes sure that he conveys his thoughts in the song in an emanate manner. He says in his song that life is not about fitting in. It is all about love and positivity. He thinks love can change the world, and if we think about it, there is no ounce of doubt about that. The song is very ambient and is a must on your playlist when you are travelling through the country road.

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Do you ever feel like waking up, and not doing anything?

Just snugging yourself in your bed, swiping through your feed on your phone. Well, Bruno Mars tells us about his lazy day in his happy, pop song, ‘The Lazy Song’. Mars uses a nice blend of harmonies and an upbeat rhythm that goes hand-in-hand with the sweet, not-so-mind-boggling lyrics.

We, as humans (if you consider yourself one!), need a break from our daily redundant lives. Some might travel, some might hangout with their friends. For the lazy ones like me, and obviously Bruno Mars, we just like binge-watching a series or go on a movie marathon, with hands buried deep in a bowl of popcorn. ‘The Lazy Song’ describes that feeling of ecstasy when we do nothing but ‘Eat Sleep Repeat’ throughout the day! And there is no harm in not doing anything for a whole day, it is just a way of spending ‘me-time’ everyone craves for! So, let ‘The Lazy Song’ blast through your speakers as you lay on your bed doing absolutelynothing!

The Lazy Song Bruno Mars

B

14

Living in the Moment!

Jason Mraz TAPE-XX

B

B

B The main ideology of life isB to stay happy in the present. I read somewhere that living in the past makes you sad, living in the future makes you anxious, but living B B in the moment is what makes you happy.

Jason Mraz sets up this emotion very vividly in his song ‘Living in the Moment’.

We should live our lives ‘easy and breezy’, with peace in our mind, heart and soul! Jason Mraz starts the song on a very minimal music with steady beats and wonderful strums of guitar. Mraz always excels in his acoustic domain, and ‘Living in the Moment’ is another piece to prove that.

Jason, in a rather sunny mood, says he let has let go of his past and he is living in the moment, living his life! And this idea, though very cliché, is not wrong at all. In my opinion, you cannot live in two timelines at the same moment!

TA P E - X X

TA P E - X X

MEDIA

W R I T T E N B Y I S H A A N K U M A R & A I S H W A R Y A M O H A P A T R A

Wh at is P o et ry ?

R O H A N

K . B R O A C H

Poetr y i s w h e n you c l os e your e yes af te r a n ex h a u st ing d ay a nd your e yebal l s t h aw u nd e r you r e ye l id s .Poetr y is when you f l ip ove r you r pil l ow a nd you r ch eek br ushes ag ai nst t h e s id e w h e re c ol d , m ist y c louds l ay be l ow you r d r e a m s .

Po etr y is when you are h a l f aw a ke a f te r a pe a c e f u l a f te rn oon nap and you str u g g l e to w a ke u p, l ike a bu t te r f l y le ar ni ng to f ly for the f ir st t im e .

Poetr y is when you r u b s we a t of f you r fore h e a d on a sunny day and a sudd e n w ind c ool s you d ow n m ore t han your air conditione d l ife e ve r c ou l d . Poet r y is when you r un barefoot on f re s h l y c u t g r a s s a nd you al m ost rem em be r t h a t st a nd ing st il l is n't how you're m e a nt to l ive .

Poetr y is t his ex a c t m om ent.And Poetr y is a l s o tom or row, wit h no m ist akes in it yet .

In a w ay, Poet r y is your l ife ; it c a n escape you q u ickl y

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Taming

N I R M A L

K .

S I VA R A M A N

Master, Life is full of misery and pain How do I change it?

Why do you want to change it?

Because I want to be happy Why can’t you be happy?

Because of the misery and pain What is happiness?

I don’t know, but definitely not misery and pain Ask your mother if she was happy when she gave you birth Definitely she was Ask her if she was happy about being miserable to raise you Definitely she was Then how will removing misery and pain help you to be happy?

I don’t know! Then how do I make myself happy?

Why do you want to be happy?

No one wants to suffer Do you suffer whenever you are not happy?

No, but everyone wants to be happy That doesn’t make happiness the best goal one can have Do you mean I should not be happy?

There is life beyond happiness and suffering Just choose to accept what comes to you And choose your response to them dispassionately You will have peace How can one accept misery and pain?

By being with them, observing them, Respecting them, learning from them, Befriending them, playing with them, Instead of fighting with them in fear But how will that make me peaceful?

Because you are at peace with your friends, not with your enemies!

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Haikus by Vandana Parashar Photographs by RIshabh Nema

bubble maker I bI cucababrrlrreyymr raaL kiaoneribrenombw osi pws su m o onn mm yy f fi ni ng egret irptsi p s

f i r s t fk ii rs ss t k i s s a m i l lasi oemne pi sl lhtiahodrneo ssu hgoahf dlreaessdto fn irgehdt ' s c l o u d s seep through last night's clouds

Ashfakh Rithu

Artwork

Kavya Gupta

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Imagination is a mere conglomeration of human observation, I see, you see, what we all see is no truth but just a personification, Brain, I tell you is something beyond, Perhaps like a mystic, capabilities of whose is far unseen and mislead, this technology that we are building is of no use for if we forget to fuel and harness the human potential, I believe that it’s about time we need to start doing that, by going deeper, by taking a step back and then searching for it, the quest for which shall actually make us what we truly were destined to become, Whatever we see, is us, whatever we observe, is us, whatever we imagine, is us, it’s all us, everywhere and anywhere, ideas and fiction are realities that are happening, stories that we live, stories that we wish to enrol ourselves into, are all but a mere glimpse of our god’s eye, our centre has the infinite capabilities to turn us into whatever we want, whenever we want, it is this vision that has in real made me write this, and it is this power that will come to you too, soon, sooner I suppose, my vision is simple,

I want to change this world.

I want to change how this world functions, human imagination is the new weapon that would save the humanity from all the dangers that we have created for ourselves.

And the only thing that can actually fuel this power of imagination are stories, stories have the power yet unknown to human findings, otherwise, you think, how would a mere combination of 26 letters arranged in some manner would make so much sense that they could possess the power to transcend time, and oh speaking of which , time is no different, it is also a relative concept because there is no absolute reality but imagination.

What you dream is what you imagine, your subconscious does all the role in whatever you can think and write and conclude, if we all start garnishing our imagination we can become whoever we want and possess skills whatever we wish to possess.

Imagination has something to tell you, to all who are reading this message, It’s telling you to read beyond this, go beyond these letters and see how some beautiful arrangements can make such meaningful impact on your mind that you physically feel so overwhelming.

Imagination my friend can move mountains You know that we are all alive and were alive at one point in time in human history,

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or else what could be the possible reason of fiction coming onto peoples’ mind, every fiction ever written is someone’s story at some point in time.

Consider all of us to be connected by a pool of invisible connections that lay around with one major conglomerate as the parent, like a tree.

You see, we are all connected this way, the human way. see, it’s all imagination or what else could be possible explanation of human intuition.

The rays of light, beats of the sound, the contraction and rarefaction, the crest and the trough, the forces of the gravity, the effervesce of the gases, birds chirping, cloud bursting, the warmth in colors, the vividness of dreams, Oh dreams, Dreams my lord, don’t even get me started on them, dreams are actual visualisation of our imagination, it’s like we possess so much power that we can actually make things that we think alive, whatever we can be think, can be made, and all of the reality is just the results of some of those interventions, so just think is anything even real in itself?

20

Oh Lord, Oh Majesty!

by Jeetendra Ajmera

Reality is the biggest fake ever told to the humankind, all these reality is a delusion of an illusion practiced far beyond the range of our sight, for our eyes are meant to see only one side, what if there’s an inside out?

And just to assure you, there is, there is an inside out that we have forgotten long back, see the key could always find patterns for its lock, it’s us or nothing, or even nothing at all. nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, you say this word twice, thrice, many a times and what image do you see, I see some white colourless blank of sheets to which I associate the word nothing, To tell you about association, association is a weird concept, we tend to associate anything we read, listen, see, observe to a mental picture that has been saved in our mind, at times we even try to create a new one, but that is impossible, so you see nothing is new, it’s all been there, always and shall always be,

it’s known to us already, the problem is that we aren’t really aware about it, for how a man could even think of a device which could roll on its own or fly for that matter, I understand there’s a source of inspiration, but to tell you the truth it isn’t inspiration, it’s the source itself that has brought it to you, for your purpose is nothing but self-awakening.

Science and art has always been a compliment to each other, one draws while the other crafts, it is science that makes us realise the power of arts and vice versa, both has existed due the single phenomenon in human history and that is imagination, imagination further has always given birth to curiosity.

This 6 letter word has so much power in itself that it makes you think, see right now, right here, it caught you again, it made you count on the fingertips, I know it’s a nine, but you see that’s how it’s always been, we had always known, you, me, all of us, it’s just that mere findings help us realise this information, Oh the creator must have been a clever fellow who likes to play game,

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he has given us all the information right in front of our eyes, but with a blindfold upon them, through which we barely tend to see, Seeing is another visual impairment that has been created for us, it makes us blind, it makes us blind such that we don’t see what we are truly meant to see, These senses often make us do things that we aren’t supposed to do, these senses are an obstacle to our imagination, for imagination is a pure bliss and comes from within, there’s a within where there are no lies but truth, I understand everything is a perspective, and even the perspective about perspective itself, is a nothing but a lie, but then we as creatures have to believe in the power of imagination, because history has proven that whenever have we tried to disrupt the process of mother nature, it has made us do things to recreate itself, wars, destructions, it’s all the part of the cycle, it’s about time that we start recognising it and understand the concerns,

22

This business I tell you is very hideous, it makes us wear blindfolds and takes us to an evil land of unimportant possessions, for there’s’ nothing but imagination and human (un) consciousness And there shall be nothing that shall remain after, So I must tell you, or should I rephrase according to modern times, I must warn you, That my child, we are everything, we are the reason, we are the solution, It’s we who has challenge ourselves, and to be honest, as it may sound, we have done it quite foolishly, it’s about time that we realise this, for the whole fraternity should reconsider it, or else, there shall be none left to, ever again.

Yours sincerely, Conscience

H A P P I N E S S

t oget her nes s byPar t hJ awal i a

me i bedt a Meht ni byDami

ance t s eneddi t hor s nandes er haF as byNat

i nnocence byPar t hJawal i a

nt pai f o p a cu Meht ni i m a D by

L I S T s unr i s e byAk agr aGupt a

ni ght l i ght byYas hPar as har

wat er f al l byPar t hJawal i a

f r agr antl i ght byAk agr aGupt a

dr eams

by MadhavKhandel wl

Wha t de fines us ?

R O H A N

K . B R O A C H

Th e wo r ds t h at we p o ur f ro m a w h ite j ug o f lie s , se r ved w i t h c are a n d p rec a u t io n so t ha t it d o e s n' t s pill.

O r t he h o ne st wo r d s we a c c id en t a l l y d ro p o n a brow n st ai n ed c a r p et , l ike tea r s we cou ld n' t c o n t ro l o n a l o n g, l o n el y night.

W h at de f i ne s u s ?

Th e sm i le t h at we wea r, sh in in g br ight like t he go ld e n s un, re f lect i ng o n w a ter a n d re vea l in g l ittle pa r t of our s e l ve s .

O r t he c lo u d y f row n s we rec eive, su ppre s s ing our t houghts by j udg m e nt a l g re ys a n d mud d y rema rk s .

W h at de f i ne s u s ?

Th e to u ch o f a loved o n e ma k in g u s go a g e ntle re d , w ar mi ng o u r s o u l l ike f resh l y b a ked m uf f ins wi t h e m b e dde d ch er r ies a n d sweet co nve r s a tions .

O r t he s am e re d t h a t h ea t s u p in to ang e r, f l y ing e m b e r s of a d y ing f la m e u nwill i ng to b u r n a f ter a l l it 's b een t hro ugh.

Th e many c o lo r s we a d o r n l ike f l owe r s in a g a rd e n, se as on to s e a s o n ch a n gin g h u es a n d m ood s ; W h at i f a b e e s u ck s a l l t h e c o l o r, mi st a k ing it fo r ne ct a r.

Would we b e c o me l ess bea ut if u l w it hout our co lor s ?

D e ny in g t h e h u ma n n a t u re o f it s sk i n, c an we a ch i e ve o u r a bst r a c t id ea l s?

Acce pt i ng t h e c o n c rete ex p er ien c es in t h e i r e nt i re t r a n sp a ren c y, c an we u nde r st a n d w h a t b ea ut y t r u l y is a n d w h at a re m ere f igmen t s o r p igme nts

25

What to do?

By Harshita Nagpal

Humans do this very stupid thing where they forget to do the most basic free of cost things.

Like breathing.Taking a break.

Blinking. Can you believe that we forget to BLINK because we’re so busy staring into our screens?

Stretching. Walking around.Doing a digital detox. Shut the phone for once. Your mother will be grateful.

Appreciate nature.

Smell flowers. You don’t even have to buy them. But you could. Or grow one yourself. Take care of it. Pet a dog.

Give it love. Let them lick your toes, it’s fine. They’re just showing their love through their saliva.

Telling people you love that you love them. Tell them they’re awesome!

Tell yourself you’re awesome.

Compliment yourself.

Compliment people around you. Give genuine compliments.

Call your parents. Tell them you called them for no reason at all. You just wanted to hear their voice. It will 100% make their day better.

Do something new. Make lists. Things you want to do before you die. Things to do this year. Places to visit.

Discover a new hobby. Thumbpaint. Meditate. Listen to music. Make music. Write some code. Read a book on a subject you love. The next time you think you’re bored….remember that the majority of the world’s knowledge lies on the internet. Take advantage.

There's another thing that humans do, again, extremely stupid. For others, we have this fixed moral system, we display some manners. We say sorry to apologize. We say please to request. We say thank you for gratification. Do we ever talk to ourselves that kindly? We fail to cut ourselves some slack and realize that, we too, are mere humans. We add a negative adjective “guilty” before talking about our pleasures . What is the point of living if we cannot indulge We need love and kindness. And this need not have to depend on others.

Next sunday or birthday,whichever comes first , try making a card for yourself. Buy yourself a gift. Take yourself out on a date.

A r t w or k by Palak Kumar

26

Now there are atleast a hundred verbs on this page and if you fail to do all of them(which you cant unless you’re on a ventilator, actually in that case you’re still breathing, just artificially), here’s two more, trying and existing anyway.

how to make

(your life better thru)

paper planes

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G ra p hic b y K uhu Na gp a l