Wow, so I get to write good things about myself? This is bound to be so therapeutic, thank you!

1. I’m someone always wants to learn new stuff – be it a musical instrument (currently it is the piano), a new language (I did start learning French in between though it sadly got lost somewhere in between) or a new sport (squash. Learned that from my better half. And am pretty good at it now). All in all, I’m very enthusiastic when it comes to learning something new.

2. I consider myself to be quite generous. I give away lots of stuff without meaning to, even if at times I later find myself wanting/requiring something I’ve given away.

3. I believe in generally being optimistic about things. Like they say ‘the glass is half full’? Well, I like to believe it is three-fourths full, and that too with something like iced cold coffee. Know what I mean?

4. My first love – reading. I consider reading to actually be a good quality about myself. I have to read something everyday, even if it means a newspaper or the couple of pages of a book. Otherwise my day seems incomplete.

5. My hair is nice and brown and shiny and wavy and looks great when it’s curly.

1. Maintain a diary for at least a week and jot down every single bit of food and drink you consume through the day and night (except water). This will help you realize those little bits of food which go in unnoticed and add to your overall weight.
2. Stay away from soft drinks of ALL sorts.
3. Stay away from rice and pasta of all sorts. Brown bread instead of white bread is a good option.
4. If you experience hunger pangs during the day, have either an apple or a handful of nuts (almonds work best) washed down with two glasses of water. This will instantly fill you up.
5. Have an early meal in the evening, preferably 3-4 hours before you turn in for the night. This way you will not pile on those excessive calories.

Hi Diana,

I can somehow totally relate to how you’re feeling right now probably because a couple of years ago, I was in a very similar position to what you are in now. It was like this: I had taken up a new job, had a boss who was about ten years older to me and was super-successful in whatever she did (or so it seemed). She was beautiful, rich, talented and instantly likeable (everything that I wanted to be myself but wasn’t). And that put me in the dumps. I used to try to concentrate (unsuccessfully at most times) in office but got behind in my work, and started comparing myself with every single person I came across, in the real as well as virtual worlds. Each time I came onto facebook, I would see my friends enjoying themselves, traveling to exotic locales with their partners, partying away with food and drinks and everything else. The result – I started suffering from depression and retreated into my shell, feeling all alone and forlorn.

And then my mother was the only one who could break into it (thank God for that!). She taught me how comparison was the death of joy of any sort. She taught me how people will start automatically respecting you if you are content to be simply yourself and don’t try to compare or compete with the people around you. And last but not the least: She taught me how I should compare myself to myself, to see how much I’ve grown, what I’ve achieved and what progress I’ve made towards my goals. And this made my life simpler and me happier.