99 Ways To Show Love

In my last post I may have sounded bitter and you have assumed me to be a person incapable of loving or being loved. So here I am, to display my romantic side, with some love tips [not some, 99 to be exact] of displaying affection to your loved ones. I got this as a mail, so I thought I should share this with everyone. Here I go:

1. Hug them.
2. Write a love note.
3. Call them at work just to say "Hi."
4. Give them a foot massage.
5. Tell them a joke.
6. Caress them with slow gentle strokes.
7. Go for a walk with them.
8. Send them a "happy gram."
9. Admit your mistakes.
10. Say: "I love you."
11. Indulge a whim.
12. Listen to them talk about an interest of theirs.
13. Be trustworthy.
14. Instead of complaining, tell them what you would prefer.
15. Look at them when you're in a discussion.
16. Send flowers.
17. Compliment something they did.
18. Offer to help.
19. Ask them to show you how to do something.
20. Call when you are going to be late.
21. Take them out to dinner.
22. Write them a poem about how special they are.
23. Cut out a cartoon they'll enjoy.
24. Ask them what they'd like sexually.
25. Go shopping together.
26. Take an afternoon drive.
27. Cuddle.
28. Put your arm around them in front of others.
29. Take them out on a surprise date.
30. Do something they want to do.
31. Listen.
32. Plan a candle light dinner.
33. Look at old photos together.
34. Serve them breakfast in bed.
35. Hold hands.
36. Share sexual fantasies.
37. Do a work project together.
38. Rub their back.
39. Take a shower together.
40. Carry their photo in your wallet.
41. Go away together for a weekend holiday.
42. Kiss them.
43. Smile more when you look at them.
44. Go for a bicycle ride together.
45. Surprise them with "special" attire.
46. Plan a picnic lunch.
47. Read something together about how to have a better relationship.
48. Repeat what they say before answering.
49. Say "Good morning" first.
50. Ask if they have a few minutes first before interrupting.
51. Send them a card.
52. Surprise them with a gift when it's a non-holiday.
53. Cook them a favorite meal.
54. Try a new restaurant.
55. Ask them how they feel.
56. Let them know when you are proud of them.
57. Ask for their opinion.
58. Turn on some romantic music.
59. Dedicate a song to them.
60. Send them a balloon bouquet.
61. Watch a sunset together.
62. Play a game together.
63. Have them teach you something they know.
64. Tell them they have the night off.
65. Go to a movie they select.
66. Ask them for a hug.
67. Wear some new cologne.
68. Discuss future plans with them.
69. Ask if you can help when they look sad.
70. Ask them about their dreams.
71. Meet them for lunch.
72. Enlarge a scenic photo of a place you've shared.
73. Give them a gift certificate for their favorite store.
74. Tell them what you like about them.
75. Buy them a new perfume.
76. Take them to a scenic spot.
77. Send them a gourmet gift basket.
78. Send them a joke card.
79. Let them know when you've thought of them during the day.
80. Buy them a toy.
81. Compliment them to their friends.
82. Bring them a thirst quenching drink.
83. Tell them when they look attractive.
84. Send them a post card.
85. Invite them to a secret rendezvous.
86. Give them a massage.
87. Take a lesson with them.
88. Look at photos together of when you met.
89. Plan a vacation with them.
90. Listen openly to their opposing opinion.
91. Buy them a new piece of jewelry.
92. Watch a TV show they like with them
93. Write them a letter.
94. Listen to music with them, such as an old favorite.
95. Whisper sweet nothings in their ear.
96. Tell them what you like that they do.
97. Give a head massage.
98. Invite them to a concert.
99. Let them know you care.

You may think that I am a bit too late with this post since V-Day is over. But, these tips are not just for that special day .... these tips must be followed all round the year ... 24 x 7. After all, a successful person is one who has lived, laughed and loved.

Image Courtesy : http://www.fotosearch.com

Love Is In The Air ???

I have been hearing this all through yesterday that 'love is in the air' ..... but I don't see where. When I switched on the tv and browsed through a couple of news channel, all I gathered was that there was violence and serious national issues being discussed.

There was this discussion about security issue after the verdict was out on the 'Kandhar flight hijack' and the central government planning on some anti-hijack laws. Then, there was this news about Shiv-Sena playing spoil-sport again in Mumbai and small pockets of Maharashtra where they staged protests against Valentine's Day, calling it influence of western culture and erosion of indian ethos. And there was this raging debate about 'localites' versus 'outsiders'; another narrow-minded approach to weaken the fabric of our society. And hordes of north-indians fleeing from Nasik and other cities, in search of safety and protection. Talk about love, people are busy spreading hatred !!!

I had enough of news, so I changed my mind and tuned to some music channels. Well, things got worse. There was a mad-mad competition among fmcg products trying to push/force/shove/coerce love into the air. There were ads, one after another, forcing people to fall in love. It was actually the naked face of commodification of love; where the ads were trying to sell dreams, aspirations, holiday destinations, romantic moments, love .... and countless other intangibles. The channel aired almost everything except songs, forget love songs.

Then I moved onto sports channels and the daily soap operas, but they could not even hold my interest for 10 minutes. So, I turned on the radio and tuned to a couple of fm stations and I was in for some mushy crap. There were listeners clamouring to call up the radio station and narrate their love stories, about how they had met, how they proposed, how they got rejected/disposed etc etc. After a while it got boring as I could easily guess what the next caller was about to say.

Anyways, after I was done with the electronic media I moved onto the print media. I read some business news, about appreciating rupee against dollar, merger and de-merger of firms, fluctuating sensex, yahoo rejecting microsoft's bid etc. It was all very good, until I opened the tabloids and turned to page-3 articles and the entertainment news. I was in for some more mushy stuff. The pages were filled with columns on how to celebrate v-day, what gifts to buy, how to propose, how to handle rejection etc etc.

For a moment I felt that a hype was being built-up around valentine's day. After all, it was just another day of the year; and I still felt the same way about my near and dear ones. Neither had the magnitude of my love increased nor decreased, it was the same amount as it is on any other day. I stepped out of my room and walked into the balcony, took a deep breath. I almost choked. I looked up and saw huge clouds of dust; the air was filled with smoke, saw-dust, pollen, sand. cement particles........anything but love.

Image Courtesy : http://www.fotosearch.com

illusions : the adventures of a reluctant messiah

I have just finished reading a book called Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach. This is not the first Richard Bach book I have read. Earlier I had enjoyed his Jonathan Livingston Seagull which was about breaking away from conventions, taking the path less trodden and achieving the impossible.



This book Illusions is about enlightenment, about search for a master who can tell us the real meaning of life. The book is slightly slow paced and the story takes time to unfold, but it keeps you interested. The book has two main characters, Donald Shimoda and Richard, both pilots who entertain people by taking them on joyous flights. Donald Shimoda can be considered as your present-day Buddha ..... who walks the earth amongst us .... is an enlightened soul, while Richard is a lesser human who chances upon Shimoda. Shimoda takes to flying a plane and performing miracles in the air because he believes that people are more interested in "illusions" of life, rather than understanding the deeper meaning and the message behind them. Both these characters get talking, and the true master Shimoda, hands Richard a Handbook Of A Messiah. This handbook is filled with words of wisdom[wow]. That's what I kept saying all through the book 'wow'...

There are lots of people who may not get a chance to read the book, or may not be interested in reading the book. For their benefit, I am listing some of the quotable quotes:

• Don't be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again.
• Every person, all the events of your life are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you.
• Your conscience is the measure of the honesty of your selfishness. Listen to it carefully.
• You're never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true.
• Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours.
• There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands.
• Your friends will know you better in the first minute you meet than your aquintance will know in a thousand years.
• Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself.

The best quote of the book is: Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you are alive it isn't. This quote also appears on the back cover of the book.

But my favourite is: What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly