survey Archives - My Inner Shakti

73 Questions

I love old school blogging. You know, day in the life of/chit chat/journal type posts. While I still loosely follow that format here on MIS, I honestly miss some of my favorite bloggers writing in that same way. I hear it’s making a come back though so stay tuned!

In the spirit of old school blogging, I decided to answer a 73-question survey I first saw on Julie’s blog. It’s super random, but because I love these kinds of posts, I decided to partake!

Note that most of my answers are exactly what came to mind in the moment. If you’ve been wanting to get to know me on an even deeper level, here’s your chance!

1. What’s the best thing that happened to you this month? Kaiden started sleeping in until 6-6:30 am (for the most part)!

2. What is something you’re tired of? How divided and caustic our country has become.

3. What is something that recently moved you? A text exchange with a good friend who is currently experiencing some hardship. Her strength is inspiring.

4. If you could teach one subject in school what would it be? Math

5. What’s your favorite beverage? Sparkling water

6. What’s your favorite cocktail? Moscow Mule

7. What is your favorite birthday cake? Anything with lots of chocolate!

8.What is one thing you still have from your childhood? My goofiness

9. What is your favorite movie? Now and Then

10. What is something you can’t do? A cartwheel

11. What is one habit you wish you could break? Picking at my skin

12. What makes you laugh no matter what? Vishnu (my hubby!)

13. What does creativity mean to you? Doing what you love

14. What are your favorite lyrics of all time? Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein…

15. What is something you’ve always wanted to try but you’ve been too scared to do? Bungee jumping

16. Best advice for your 19 year old self? Practice self-love every damn day – physically, mentally, emotionally. I don’t know much, but this much I do know – loving yourself for who you are is the key to a joyous and fulfilled life.

17. If you could raid one woman’s closet who would it be? Nasreen from HeyNasreen

18. Must have purse item? Wallet

19. What did you want to do with your life at age 12? I think at that age I wanted to be news reporter.

20. What is something you will not be doing in ten years? Working an 8-5 [insert prayer hands emoji!]

21. What is an important life lesson for someone to learn? Constantly thinking/worrying about what other people think is a surefire way to be miserable.

22. What is one goal you are determined to achieve in your lifetime? Start my own business.

23. Would you ever live anywhere besides Chicago? Yes, Atlanta. HAHA!

24. What is your favorite dessert? Chocolate chip cookie

25. Is there a dessert you don’t like? Anything made with mint and/or white chocolate

26. It’s brunch! What do you eat? Chilaquiles

27. Who is your favorite painter? Michelangelo

28. Favorite Disney animal? Baloo

29. What is a book you are planning on reading? Things You Save in a Fire (release date August 13)

30. What did you read most recently? I’ll Never Tell

31. Favorite solo artist? John Legend and Alicia Keys

32. What’s your Favorite board game? Taboo will always have my heart!

33. What’s a city you wish to visit? In the US – San Francisco. Internationally –Barcelona.

34. Heels or flats? Flats!

35. Where does one go on a perfect road trip? California

36. What do you do on a rainy day? Read, sleep (well, at least pre-baby me did this!)

37. What’s your favorite exercise? All time – running. Currently – TAP classes at my gym.

38. What was your worst subject in school? Physics

39. What is your spirit animal? Monkey

40. What do you usually eat for breakfast? Protein shake

42. Cooking or Baking? Love both, but if I had to choose, cooking.

41. What do you usually eat for dinner? Varies by the day!

43. Favorite baked good? Soft, warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies

44. What is something you wish you could be good at? Playing the piano.

45. Skiing or Surfing? Neither!

46. First celebrity crush? Mike Vitar from Sandlot and The Mighty Ducks.

47. Most recent celebrity crush? Matthew Rhys (you guessed it…from the Americans)

48. What color was your prom dress? I didn’t go to my junior or senior prom. Whoomp whoomp…

49. How do you manage stress? Deep breathing, making to do lists, and talking it out with someone I’m close to.

50. What do you do to relax? Read, write, or watch TV

51. Age when you were first kissed? 13 or 14

52. Place you were first kissed? My friend’s basement (we were playing spin the bottle)

53. Favorite fashion trend of all time? High-waisted EVERYTHING!

54. Best fashion advice you’ve ever received? Dress for your body.

55. Trend you would like to see disappear forever? Super duper short shorts

56. Shoes or Bags? Shoes!

57. How do you know if you’re in love? When you feel 100% yourself around the other person and don’t question every word, move, etc.

58. Television show you’ve binged on recently? Currently – the Americans. We’re hooked!

59. Who do you turn to when you’re sad? My husband or my sister.

60. Name one thing you’ve learned the hard way? Loving myself is the key to joyous existence.

61. If you could make a documentary about anything what would it be? The crisis at the border and the state of the detention centers. More people need to be made aware of what’s happening in our own country for things to change.

62. What is your Kryptonite? My son’s smile and laugh!

63. What are you most enchanted by? The way my son says ‘I love you!’ And sunrises/sunsets.

64. What is your biggest strength? Reading people – what they’re feeling, thinking, etc. Sometimes I’m wrong because I go a little too deep, but most of the time, I’m spot on!

65. What is your biggest weakness? My ability to overthink everything and then blame myself no matter what.

66. What are 3 words to describe living in Chicago? Cold, walkable, food [lover’s paradise]

67. Cutest thing on planet earth? Babies interacting with each other

68. Most important advice you’d give your future children? Be kind…always.

69. Best first date idea? Walking and eating your way through your city!

70. Favorite type of flower? Lilies or roses

71. What do you first notice about someone when you meet them? Smile and sense of humor

72. What’s your guilty pleasure? Currently – binge watching the Americans.

73. Plans for the weekend? My BIL and his girlfriend are visiting from Atlanta, so hanging out with them!

No portion of this post is sponsored. However, affiliate links are included. There is no extra cost to you, but I do receive a small commission on anything you buy through my links. Thank you for reading and supporting My Inner Shakti!

Thinking Out Loud

written by Parita 4 Comments

I love finding new blogs and connecting with the blogger and his/her voice. It’s truly the small things in life… 🙂

Recently, I found Victoria McGinley’s blog and fell in love with her writing style and photography. It’s so light and refreshing! Her ‘Thinking Out Loud’ post inspired me to share something similar (as if you guys don’t know me well enough!). If nothing else, it’s a fun way to check in with all of you on this lovely Wednesday!

One of my favorite picture from our weekend in Madison!

Habit I’m trying to break: iPhone usage right before bed. I’ve gotten a little better but could still use some work! I don’t know why it’s so hard for me to do something I know is good for me. AND I LOVE TO SLEEP. It just doesn’t make any sense.

Habit I’m trying to continue: Morning workouts 4-5-6 times a week. It’s not easy getting up at 5:15 am and heading straight to the gym, and I imagine it’s not going to get any easier as winter approaches. I’m going to try my very best to keep it up because if it doesn’t happen in the AM, it won’t happen at all.

Best experience of the summer: Hands out my sister’s wedding! It was such a magical and special weekend. My favorite part was spending time with the family and friends we don’t see often enough (especially my grandparents!).

Getting me excited for fall: Booties. Let me explain my logic. Winter is coming, and Chicagoans have been warned it’s going to be bad. Like tons of snow and freezing temps bad. With that being said, the thought of cooler ‘booties’ weather after a pretty hot summer is exciting (for now!). I know, crazy talk. But give me a break…I called hot/humid Florida home for five years!

Current thing I’m learning to love about myself: In full transparency, I’m learning to love my body where it’s at today. Like so many people, I’m not always kind to myself about what I see in the mirror. But the older I get, the more appreciative I am of what my body can do versus what it looks like. Let’s just say it’s a work in progress…

Current thing I do love about myself: My ability to get over stuff quickly. I would say I have a unique personality in that I can get super passionate/emotional/etc. over small things, but thankfully, I don’t hold on to those emotions for very long. In fact, there are very few things I’ve held on to for more than a day. It’s pretty great!

Book(s) I really can’t wait to read: News alert – I have no books on my reading list at this time. Sad, I know! I’m currently reading A Lesson Before Dying but don’t know what’s next. Any and all recommendations are welcome!

Task I haven’t done yet that’s driving me crazy: Vishnu and I need to sign up for life insurance. We know it’s important, yet we keep putting it off. The plan is to wrap this task up by the end of the month. Wish us luck!

On the docket for this weekend: We’re heading home (Atlanta)!!! I can’t wait to spend time with the family, eat delicious home cooked meals, go shopping with my mom, and r.e.l.a.x!

Your turn – answer one or more of the prompts above for yourself!

A Photoless Weekend + Get to Know Me

written by Parita 8 Comments

You guys, I took zero [blog worthy] photos this weekend. Whoops!

That’s never stopped me from sharing before, so here’s a quick update on how our photoless weekend unfolded…

After finishing up with work on Friday, I adulted. I paid bills, checked bank accounts, filed paperwork and rechecked all of our auto pay accounts. And then we fell asleep watching TV at 9:30 pm. I really dislike adulting.

Saturday was a bit more exciting. My coworker and good friend Thea came over around lunchtime. After eating lunch and chatting with Vishnu, Thea and I walked down to Michigan Avenue for a few hours of shopping. The weather was absolutely perfect, there were a few good sales, and the crowd wasn’t too annoying.

Since our evening plans with our other coworkers were cancelled, I asked my sister if she wanted to get together at our place for dinner and drinks. Before I knew it, our place was filled with people. And I loved it! I’m really looking forward to playing hostess. It’s amazing what a little more space can do!

Sunday was truly a day of rest. After Thea left, I cleaned up, did a quick Barre3 online workout, showered, and ran a few errands. When I got home, the exhaustion hit me. 6.5 hours of sleep will do that to you! An hour and quick nap later, I was ready to make dinner. The creative juices were apparently running because I made up a delicious and simple version of Pad Thai with spiralized veggies on the spot. AND it was Vishnu approved!

That, in a nutshell, was our photoless weekend!

Get to Know Me

Jen recently shared a ‘Get to Know Me’ type survey on her blog. I love it when bloggers share random facts/stories about themselves so of course I really enjoyed this post. So much so that I’m stealing a few of the questions and answering them for myself…

What brings you the greatest joy? Nothing brings me more joy than sharing a good meal and good conversation with good people.

What is on your nightstand? Well, I don’t currently have a nightstand (we’re working on it!). However, when I did have one, it was home to an alarm clock, a lamp, and my Kindle.

Do you have a secret talent? Not sure if this counts as a secret talent, but I feel like my intuition is pretty on point . More often than not, I’m able to pick up on things before they’re revealed, especially when it comes to my inner circle of people. I think I get this ‘trait’ from my mom.

What should everyone try at least once in their life? International travel. This should absolutely be on everyone’s bucket list.

What makes you laugh? When it comes to regular, everyday laughter, Vishnu definitely knows how to make me laugh. And it’s not always intentional!

What is on your bucket list? Travelling as much as possible.

How did you make your first dollar? I worked at my uncle’s Baskin Robbins the summer before my freshman year of high school. That was one delicious and sugary summer!

What is on your kitchen counter? My Blendtec, a toaster, and a set of kitchen knives.

What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? I’m an extroverted introvert. My bubbly/goofy (and sometimes outgoing) personality is what people probably think of when they see me, but what they may not know is that I crave alone time and silence, especially after being social. This is likely why I don’t like making Sunday plans.

Happy Monday, friends!

Your turn – what is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

A to Z Blog Survey

written by Parita 6 Comments

I recently saw an A to Z blog survey on Julie’s blog and thought it would be fun to complete it myself. It’s been awhile since I’ve (over)shared random tidbits about my life! Ha!

Here we go!

A – Age: 31

B – Biggest fear: Losing a loved one

C – Current time: 6 pm (I generally write my posts the night before)

D – Drink you last had: Plain water

E – Easiest person to talk to: My sister. She’s also one of the wittiest and cutest people I know!

Aekta or Taylor – #whoworeitbest

F – Favorite song: A Bollywood song called “Shayad Yehi To Pyar Hain” (maybe this is love)

G – Grossest memory: Oh man! This one is way too TMI for the blog. But let’s just say it involved me (and a number of family members) being sick during a trip to India.

H – Hometown: Pawtucket, Rhode island BABY!

I – In love with: [Obviously] Vishnu, summertime, and being home with family!

J – Jealous of: People who live near family

K – Kindest person you know: My dad. He has one of the kindest hearts I know!

L – Longest relationship: Me and Vishnu – 10 years and still going strong!

M – Middle name: My maiden name

N – Number of siblings: 1, my sissy!

O – One wish: More love and less hate in the world

P – Person you spoke to on the phone last: My momma

Q – Question you’re always asked: How’s St. Pete?

St. Pete Pier

R – Reason to smile: What’s the alternative?

S – Song you last sang: “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz because it was playing at the Tampa airport as I was boarding my flight.

T – Time you woke up: 6:55 am

U – Underwear color: Black and white

V – Vacation destination: Spain, somewhere in the Caribbean, anywhere really!

W – Worst habit: Interrupting people mid-sentence. I’m trying really hard to be better about this because it annoys me when people interrupt me!

X – X-rays you’ve had: Dental x-rays…

Y – Your favorite food: Longtime readers know I love anything and everything made with chocolate! Other than that, I LOVE anything and everything my moms makes. Her food is da bomb!

Z – Zodiac sign: Aquarius

Have a wonderful weekend!

What’s your worst habit?

I Was Selected for the…

written by Parita 7 Comments

…Liebster award!

My friend and fellow blogger Heather asked if I wanted to participate, and since I love completing surveys/answering questions, I said yes.

So let’s get started!

What is your biggest pet peeve?
People who walk super duper slow and then don’t move out of the way when they see/hear people coming. Actually, just inconsiderate people in general.

How did you come up with your blog name?
I knew I wanted my blog name to incorporate the Indian culture in some way. As I was cleaning my kitchen one night, I started brainstorming potential names. This was actually the same night I decided to start blogging. Almost immediately the word strength came to mind, and then I thought about what the Indian equivalent for that was…SHAKTI which is strength in Sanskrit! When I told Vishnu that I named my blog Inner Shakti, he suggested adding My to make it more personal. Done and done!

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
My parents are my biggest inspiration. Not only have the given me and my sister anything and everything we could ever need/want, but they continue to enrich their own lives with meaningful pursuits and experiences. Even when it’s hard to do so, they have fun and make the most of every situation.

What’s the riskiest decision you have ever made?
In the spring of 2008, my friend Jigna and I decided that we wanted to be adventurous and spontaneous. So we decided to go skydiving. Except we didn’t tell anyone. When we got to the site, we basically signed our lives away (I almost backed out at this point). It was one of the most thrilling experiences of my life, but looking back, I now realize how risky it was. Never again!

What is one thing that they should teach in school that isn’t being taught right now?
Two things – personal finance and nutrition. These two topics need to be weaved into every school’s curriculum across the country. I truly believe our country’s future depends on it.

If you could hear anyone from history give a speech who would it be?
Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr. Kind of expected I know, but these two men fought long and hard for equality and their messages weren’t as much political in nature as they were human. Regardless of what anyone says, these two men put their lives on the line for progress, change, and love.

Source

What is your favorite aspect of your blog?
I honestly love how random my blog is. Not only does that afford me the opportunity to write about whatever I want, but it makes the process of blogging so much fun. It never feels like a chore because no topic is off limits!

What is your favorite accent?
The British accent. LOVE!

Would you rather be invisible or be able to fly?
I would rather be able to fly. Think of all the savings – gas, airfare, time, etc! Someone needs to get on this ASAP.

If you had to give one object to every person in the world what would it be?
I would give every person in the world a picture of someone else in the world. On the back of the picture would be that person’s story – who they are, where they live, what they love, what they struggle with, etc. A twist on Humans of New York if you will!

Happy Monday!

Answer one or all of these!
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
What’s the riskiest decision you have ever made?
Would you rather be invisible or be able to fly?

‘ING’ Survey

written by Parita 4 Comments

I’m going to take a leaf out of Jen’s book (blog!) today and complete a fun ‘ing’ survey. Feel free to play along in the comments or even on your own blog! I’d love to read your answers to a few or all of these.

Making: plans with my sister about what we’re going to do when she and her boyfriend visit us at the end of December!

Cooking: more Indian food! I have two dishes planned for this week.

Drinking: lots of unsweetened tea from Publix. It’s our favorite!

Reading: Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. Almost done!

Wanting: jeans that fit me perfectly. The quest continues…

Looking: forward to spending time with my sister next week and being in my friend Monica’s wedding!!!

Playing: phone tag with a lot of people.

Wasting: time thinking about what I’m wasting…haha!

Sewing: I don’t sew!

Wishing: everyone strength, love and light. It was Diwali last week, so consider this my belated Diwali wish!

Enjoying: Miami’s fabulous weather – love this time of year here!

Waiting: for the World Series to be over so that I can watch New Girl and The Mindy Project again.

Liking: the fact that Vishnu’s schedule is not filled with studying! More time for me!

Wondering: what our next city will be. New city = new adventure!

Loving: that my company is giving us 12 days off at the end of the year so that we don’t have to use our own PTO (paid time off)!!!

Hoping: my sister likes what I got her for her birthday!

Marveling: at all the beautiful sunrises and sunsets we’ve seen over the past few weeks.

Needing: about one more hour of sleep every night. Working on it!

Smelling: lavender scented candles. My favorite!

Wearing: dresses and shorts…anything else will cause overheating.

Following: lots of new blogs, Facebook pages, and Instagram accounts!

Noticing: how changing my perspective/attitude has a huge impact on pretty much everything (finally putting into practice what I’ve conceptually known forever).

Knowing: that everything happens for a reason.

Thinking: about how precious life really is (both a beautiful and slightly terrifying thought).

Feeling: a little nervous about my half marathon training…that starts today!

Bookmarking: slow cooker recipes. VIshnu found a great deal for one this weekend, so we are now the proud owners of a crock pot!

Opening: myself up to new ways of thinking and doing things.

Giggling: at almost everything The Fat Jewish posts on Instagram!

HAPPY MONDAY!

The ABCs of Me!

written by Parita 18 Comments

A. Attached or Single? Attached with a capital A!

B. Best friend? If I had to choose one person (not including my husband), it would be my sissy. She’s seen the best of me and the worst of me and loves me just the same.

C. Cake or Pie? Cake, preferably with lots of chocolate incorporated into the mix.

D. Day of choice? Friday. How can you not LOVE the day that signifies the end of a work week and the beginning of the weekend. Saturday comes in at a close second though.

E. Essential Item? Chapstick, iPhone, wedding rings.

F. Favorite color? Blue.

G. Gummy bears or worms? Neither. I’m not a gummy person. It’s a texture thing.

H. Home town? Even though Atlanta is home, Pawtucket, Rhode Island is my home town. It’s where I was born and raised for the first 14 years of my life! A little history lesson – Pawtucket is the home of the Slater Mill, the first fully mechanized cotton-spinning mill in America. How interesting, huh?!

I. Favorite indulgence? Rich, chocolaty desserts of any kind. The more chocolaty the better!

J. January or July? January. Not only is it my birth month (woo!), but it brings with it the opportunity to start the year with a clean slate. Love that.

K. Kids? None yet!

L. Life isn’t complete without? The people I love, laughter, and good food.

M. Marriage date? June 30th!

N. Number of brothers/sisters? 1 little sister.

O. Oranges or Apples? Apples. Probably because of the apple + PB combo.

P. Phobias? Entomophobia – the fear of insects. Our trip to India (see R below) should be interesting!

Q. Quotes? “If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart, I’ll stay there forever.” -A.A. Milne

R. Reasons to smile? It’s all about the little things for me – it’s Friday, Vishnu’s supposed to get home early from work today, the weather is beautiful, I had a great conversation with my mom this morning, my sister is visiting in a couple of weeks, our good friends are visiting soon there after, we’re headed to India in August…lots to smile about and be thankful for!

S. Season of choice? Spring. The transition from winter to spring is the best. Warmer weather, green grass, spring rain…love it all!

T. Tag 5 People. I love it when bloggers post these kinds of surveys, so with that being said, EVERYONE is tagged!

U. Unknown fact about me? I hate the combination of mint + chocolate. It grosses me out. Yuck!

V. Vegetable? Oh my gosh – I love most vegetables (except peas), especially when roasted. Sweet potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, broccoli, zucchini, peppers, onions, squash – yum!

W. Worst habit? I often forget to close or fully tighten the caps of shampoo/conditioner bottles, body wash, lotion, etc. It’s a bad habit that has caused my husband much angst, so I’m working on it!

X. X-ray or Ultrasound? X-ray at my last dentist’s appointment…?

Y. Your favorite food? Hands down – anything with cheese or chocolate (my mom’s enchiladas, paneer makhani, chocolate everything, etc.).

Z. Zodiac sign? Aquarius. I’m a water baby!

Thanks for the tag, Colleen! Like I said, I love these surveys that make their way around the blog world, so if you have a blog, be sure to join the bandwagon and share your ABCs!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!

Your turn – pick one or more of the above questions and share away!

73 Questions

Thinking Out Loud

A Photoless Weekend + Get to Know Me

A to Z Blog Survey

I Was Selected for the…

‘ING’ Survey

The ABCs of Me!

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