Day 1 : Maa Shailaputri

Day 2 : Maa Brahmacharini

Day 3 : Maa Chandraghanta

Day 4 : Maa Kushmanda

Day 5 : Goddess Skandamata

Day 6 : Maa Katyayani

Day 7 : Maa Kalaratri

Day 8 : Maa Parvati

Day 9 :  Maa Siddhidatri

Shubh Navratri 

When we type the word -”Empathy” on a search engine, we end up getting results like- ‘ ability to understand or feel what another person is experiencing’, ‘to place oneself in another’s position’. Primarily it’s all about considering others. But why do we need to do that? Why should we start focusing on someone else’s emotions and problems. Well this is because, being empathetic is not advantageous for anyone else but for us. It’s for our very own benefit. Let us tell you how it impacts the major areas of life.

1. Personal

There comes time in our lives when we feel puzzled and it seems impossible to get out of the problem. This happens because our mind centralizes on the complications rather than paying attention on fixing it. In that case, we must go out and extend hands to the ones who are sailing in the same boat. Helping others makes us concentrate on solutions instead of getting disheartened by the situations. Consequently our dilemma too gets unravelled and this happens when we put ourselves in someone’s shoes.

2. Professional

Having empathy makes us apprehend the pain of others. The moment we start realizing the ordeal of people, we begin to ponder how to facilitate them. Consequently, we attain the quality of building people, gathering people, organizing people, managing people and this is the quality of becoming a Leader!
‘If you know how to walk along with everyone, you’ll be successful in life!’

“If you want to walk fast, walk alone. But if you want to walk far, walk together” – Ratan Tata

3.Entrepreneurial

Being empathetic is one of the essential skills of becoming an entrepreneur! In the movie Padman (2018), Akshay Kumar playing the role of Laxmikant, decided to manufacture the low cost sanitary pads for comfort and happiness of his wife. In the process of making, he tried to improve it at every stage with the help of ‘Feedback’ i.e. by understanding his customer. In other words putting himself in their place. And for that he even tried using it himself! He ended up manufacturing a machine producing extremely affordable pads and changed the lives of several rural women. All this started and continued with an emotion called “empathy”.

4. Social

Besides our personal and professional concerns, the act of empathising plays a pivotal role in beautifying our relationships with people as well. Arguments, disputes, breakups, divorces – all are repercussions of dearth of empathy. All of us are distinctive and so are our perspectives towards life; yet we consider our opinion to be the best!
We forget – different individuals act differently on similar occasions since their upbringing, surroundings, socio-economic conditions and experiences are not same.
When we attempt to perceive the emotional undercurrents of another person, we acknowledge that nobody is right or wrong, we’re just dissimilar. From that moment we stop reacting and start responding to the situations and consequently will harmonise the ups and downs in our relationships as well.

5. Emotional

When we begin practicing empathy and commence feeling & understanding emotions of others, it bestows an immense pleasure to see others happy and successful and that pleasure is absolute! The day you start getting happiness from someone else’s smile, you’ll be above your own emotions. At that point of saturation, nobody can defeat you because the meaning of your victory, bliss and contentment lies in people rather than you! If you want to be invincible and unstoppable then empathy is a terrific weapon you must possess.

6. Spiritual

If you presume you are not empathetic at this point of time then don’t worry, you can attain it with practice. Universe has never been unjust while rendering to us the different virtues. It’s solely up to us, to which emotion we give power.
Empathy is an ultimate emotion, emotion is energy and we all humans are forms of energy. Being empathetic is one of the chief spiritual traits and we ponder on developing such traits! We have forgotten – “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience”, said by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.
So wake up! Being empathetic is the very nature of humans.

Is Red lehenga in trend or pink or shall I go for ivory? Well if you’re a bride to be, then these questions must be hovering over your mind. Here is the Magic bullet from the storehouse of Wedding Consultants. Consider the following tips while selecting your bridal outfit for an authentic, enchanting as well as voguish look!

1. MONOCHROME

Selecting a monochromatic lehenga is surely a Royal choice, however this look may turn monotonous because of one hue from top to bottom.

To break the boredom, accentuate the whole look with either one color or a color scheme in form of bangles, bindi or jewellery. This little touch will embellish the whole look. Make sure to keep the accents minimal so that they don’t overpower the continuity of the uni-color scheme.

2. MULTI-COLOR

Multi-hue lehenga is a perfect blend of warm & cool pigments & therefore it turns out to be the best choice for Indian skin tone; with the condition having all colors in subtle form. If that’s not so then each hue will fight for attention.

To get a ‘picture perfect’ look all the colors must merge with each other & one of the pigments could be picked up for jewellery & make-up to continue the rhythm.

3. PASTELS

Pastels are new craze among Indian Brides this wedding season. However, we need to know the undercurrents of this tone to wear it with ace. Pastels are slightly greyish version of pure hues which sometimes make the Asian brides look dull.

The best way to carry a pastel lehenga is to select the cooler tones & compliment it with warm make-up.

4. TINTS

Tints are undoubtedly a better option than pastels for warm skin tones. It gives you a glazy bridal look no matter which color you wear. Since tint has it’s own shine & beauty, kundan with no hue works best with it. Continue the repetition of subtleness with nude make-up & tinted chooda .Prime focus could be smokey eyes, completing the whole look.

5. RHYTHM

While synchronizing the jewellery, personal colors & make-up, we forget to harmonize the essence of personality. Like a Poetry, there has to be a rhythm in the overall glimpse of a bride. For instance, if you are planning to wear delicate colors, so should be your make-up too. Bold lip shade will distract the look. You can continue the yin aroma with loose braid embellished with fragile adornments.

On the other hand this couple justifies the Yang Personality in their outfits altogether. Audacious color, royal velvet fabric, bold make-up & silhouette of groom’s sherwani everything signalling a uniform message of Yang-ness!

6. RED

If u still love the classic red color then go for it! However make sure crimson is an accent color and always dominates its presence. The intelligent way to moderate it, is to wear ivory bangles & neck-piece and nude lip shade.

Another innovative technique is to vice versa that is wearing ivory lehenga with red ornaments & make-up.

“You don’t need to follow the fashion as it fades. All you need to know is your style, it stays and belongs to you.”
– Namita & Garima Manocha (Image Consultants)

There comes a time in our lives when we feel shattered and astray from our path. We feel stuck and can’t go ahead in personal and professional life. In that moment, we want someone to come and motivate us, push us. However, we don’t need motivation; we need Inspiration. Inspiration to get up and start again, something to pull us from inside rather than push us. And for that we don’t need to walk miles. Just look around you and you’ll find abundance of inspiration.
Let’s learn 5 life lessons from nature for a successful and stress-free life.

1. Birds

“I won’t do this, no I can’t.
I think I’m not made for this.
I would fail even if I try.”

Do we often think this way before trying anything for the first time?
Well we may but birds don’t! They have so much faith on their fragile feathers that they never think, before taking the very first flight from their nest. They teach us such a great lesson on ‘Believing Ourselves’. If a bird can, then what’s holding us back? Well it’s our very own self which allows us to doubt our abilities, creates fear and hesitation. If we listen to our instinct, our inner voice and have faith on ourselves, nobody can stop us.

2. Fern and Bamboo

One of the major reasons of getting demotivated in the path of success is ‘Comparisons’. We often compare-
Why can’t I have what my colleague possesses?
Why can’t I achieve what my sibling does?
Well in that case, we may have a look over Fern & Bamboo. You must have heard this story, when god explains a shattered man that even after nurturing and taking care of fern & bamboo equally, the fern quickly grew while bamboo took around 5 years to show results and after that within 6 months it rose to over 100 feet. It had spent five years growing roots.

All of us have different timings and our timings are perfect. There is no benchmark to get settled or achieving success in life. If you are not getting results on your path, don’t give up on you. This is your phase of growing roots.

3. River

Have you ever seen stagnant water, how’s it? – Contaminated, not fit for drinking! While on the other hand the flowing stream of water is pure and free from dirt. To keep flowing is the very nature of the river. No matter how many twists and turns are on its way, a river never chooses to stagnate and eventually ends up flowing into the oceans. It moves on and stops for none.
Once Martin Luther King, Jr. said –
If you can’t fly then run,
If you can’t run then walk,
If you can’t walk then crawl,
But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.
Now you decide what you want to be – water without flow which is muddy and murky or fresh flowing water which is going to reach its destination at the end.

4. Ants

Well how often we have tried this in our childhood, putting finger in the path of ants. They either take a route around or over the obstacle, but they always find a way. However, the question is how often we do that while anticipating a hindrance in front of us. We may opt to sit down and dissolve into self-pity or just cry over situation.
This little creature teaches us such a big lesson – ‘Always find a way’. Whenever you feel surrounded by the circumstances, don’t just sit down looking at them like a threat. Instead blend your ways, find other solutions to get out of it as ants do.
Remember! If Plan A doesn’t work, there are still 25 alphabets left.

5. Butterfly

Here’s the onset of spring and it’s delight to watch these beautiful butterflies this season. However, have we ever wondered, so much of hardships they have to go through to reach this level? They well explain that it’s not possible to directly jump from eggs to butterfly without the grueling stages in between. Same is the case of our path to success, we can’t just reach the pinnacle of ladder without climbing it. It demands to go through the struggle and hardship.
“Diamonds cannot be polished without friction.
Gold cannot be purified without fire.”

The stages of caterpillar and pupa are our phases of trials that are going to make us better, teach us the lesson and make us ready for the days to fly with enchanting wings as that of butterfly.

If you don’t think you’re being evaluated and judged as soon as you walk into the room, then you’re certainly mistaken. First Impressions are self-fulfilling prophecies that create lasting impressions. A huge part of making a good first impression is dressing for success.

Your appearance shows your level of professionalism, your seriousness towards the job opportunity and your level of respect for the interviewer. Before you schedule your next interview, be sure to review this list of “10 common mistakes men do while getting ready for an interview.”

The Size of the Tie

Incorrect tie length is one of the top most on the list of things most often done wrong in tailored menswear. Ideally, the tip of your tie should end in the middle of your belt buckle or waistband. Classic width of 3.75 inches is always appropriate.

And in case you are wearing a suit, width of the tie should be about the same size of your jacket lapels which covers about half the distance to your shoulders

Colors & patterns

Dress Shirts are the most visible piece of cloth to the interviewer. So, try to pick pastel colors or wardrobe neutrals with classic patterns like pinstripe, windowpane, gingham or solids. Shocking hues & bold motifs can be distracting.

Belt

Polishing your shoes is just not enough, don’t forget to polish your belt as well when you are going for an interview. The color & fabric of belt as that of shoes is preferable with a classic width of 1 to 1.5 inches & moderate buckle. Avoid buckle with fancy ornaments that catches attention.

Tip : If you are an average or short-statured, you may wear belt, trousers and shoes of same color to bring the continuation, consequently increasing the visual height. In case you have dizzy height, choose the color of trousers different as that of belt & shoes.

Socks

Wearing a too short pair of socks can leave a gap of flesh when you are seated. Go for dark coloured solid hosiery with a length of at least mid-calf. The color of socks matching with trouser and/or shoes is considered to be most appropriate.

Shirt

An unfit dress shirt giving you a sloppy look may disqualify you from the list of aspirant candidates. If there is excess fabric in the chest & waist causing a billowing effect & the shoulder seams are not at shoulder bone, then it is a bad fit. Try to consider these points while buying a shirt.

To make shirt intact for the whole day, suspenders are a good option.

Collar

Choosing a shirt with a right collar for your face shape can accentuate the whole look. If you have narrow face choose a spread collar. While narrow point collar is good choice for the ones with round face shape. And if you are planning to ditch the tie, button down collar can meet your requirement.

Undershirt

Vest’s silhouette visible through your dress shirt can be an image breaker. Undershirt comes to rescue in this case. Moreover, it protects your shirt from deodorant & sweat stains and can keep ample chest hair from poking through the surface of the shirt. If you leave your collar unbutton then opt for deep V undershirt.

Suits

Most men make mistake while dressing their hand. Well Gentlemen, you can fix it very easily. All you need to remember is 1/2″ shirt cuff should be shown below the jacket cuff.

Moreover, the rules of buttoning your suit are different for different jackets. Two-button blazers are usually fasten at the top button and three-button jackets in the middle.

Another important thing to be considered while putting on a third layer is its length. Make sure the end of your suit jacket should hit just above your fingertips.

Accessories

Spiritual threads, astrological rings & visible tattoos can create a halo effect on your interviewer. Each piece of jewellery gives a message & we don’t know the values & background of the interviewer. So, it is better to play safe. Minimum accessory like a wedding ring or two & a classic watch is sufficient. Try to hide all your tattoos, remove piercing & nose rings if possible. So, the thumb rule is – less is more.

Perfume

Applying too much of perfume can be overwhelming as you never know your interviewer might be allergic to strong scent. So, it is advised to use some neutral-smell deodorant. Hiring managers should remember you, not your cologne or perfume.

As they say you never get a second chance to form a first impression, one wrong move can distract an employer from your polished resume and outstanding experience. Appearance is the first element of image that let the formation of first impression in just 3 seconds. So don’t take it for granted while going for your next interview.

**Image Courtesy – Pinterest**

In this fast pace professional life, we are neglecting one of the precious reasons of our happiness i.e. – A Healthy Relationship!
Quarrels, misunderstanding, stress, disinterest… all this is very common in any relation. Here are some tips from your Life Coach to maintain the loving & long lasting bond with your partner.

1. Replace “I” with “We”

In this world of individuality, we need to get out of the self-centered shell to understand the point of view of our better half. Don’t just have your own perspective, start looking at life through your partner’s eyes. Give each other the same importance that you give to yourself!
A vehicle can’t be driven smoothly unless all its tiers are balanced at same level.

2. Do away with Communication Barrier

“Don’t talk about your partner, talk to your partner”. Majority of the conflicts don’t come to an end just because we don’t communicate. Your companion can’t read your mind, you need to express.
Talk what you feel, what you expect. And when your spouse expresses, listen to understand not just to respond. Communication is the foundation of good understanding.

 

 

3. Trust each other & respect the Privacy

4. Resolve your conflicts before going to bed

It’s good to have some healthy conflicts but carrying forward an unresolved quarrel to the next day can worsen the situation. Don’t just talk while resolving the matter, try to read between the lines. Notice the body language, voice tone, facial expressions, whether the other person seems stressed, sad or frustated.
Put yourself in your partner’s shoes, Such emotional attunement  will level up your ability to understand the other person, and respond in ways that lead to happy and long-lasting relationships.

 

5. Balance Between your Personal & Professional Life

Taking the baggage of office to your home can bring cracks in your love life! Prioritise your goals, manage your time well to strike a balance between the both.
Don’t be just present physically – remove your tie, get into casuals and feel the home.
Don’t let the sourness of your workplace enter the sweetness of your abode. Leave it at the door step!

6. Say the magical words

7. Pay attention on your appearance

8. Go for a Date

Looking adorably different from other brides, Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma has altered the set standards of an Indian nuptial culture. Magical flowery theme of the Tuscan wedding was not just another marital motif but was in complete synch with personal style of the celebrity couple especially the bride. The free-spirited actress has always been offbeat and unconventional, so was her wedding. She broke the regular Indian spousal stereotypes and gave some serious bridal goals; let’s decode them through the lens of Image Consultants!

PERSONAL STYLE

Themes like – Royal Rajasthani, Bollywood or Fairy-tale are picked by the couples either because they are in vogue or were experienced by them in someone else’s marriage. They don’t underline the fact whether the idea really belongs to them or not! However, the flower child actress followed her heart. She implanted her ‘ecologically innocuous’ personal values and ‘buoyant and chirpy’ personality traits to each and every bits & pieces of her revelry. From potted sapling in the invite box to minimalist French decor, every aspect of the ceremony was completely drenched with authenticity.

PERSONAL COLORS

Whether it was the Sabyasachi lehenga, the décor or even the garlands! Everything was in perfect blend with Warm & Cool hues on the wedding day. Pale pink, ash rose, lavender, tints of orange and yellow were enchantingly complimenting the personal colors of dazzling bride.

MAKE-UP

Being Bridal Consultants, we always recommend our clients to select their make-up artists according to their personality type, that’s what our new-age bride too did! Moreover, Sharma didn’t wear too much color cosmetics just because everybody does, rather she chose the look that enhanced her natural beauty. Throughout her wedding album, we can notice she followed the micro-bindi trend with nude palette which didn’t take away from the overall beauty look. Her candid allurement was the best ornament that overshadowed everything else.

HAIR

The gorgeous actress wanted her to look like herself on her momentous day. She was absolutely aesthetic and so was her hairdo. Unlike stylized bulky buns, she opted for roses adorned classic hairstyles that not just depicted her charming elegance but was well going with the flowery theme too. During the grand Delhi reception as well, she didn’t leave the gajra. This led the focus just on her!

APPROPRIATE CLOTHING

While concentrating on Attractiveness and Authenticity, we often neglect the Appropriateness of attire, especially for wedded occasions. However, Anushka Sharma left no stone unturned.

For the D-Day, she focused on soothing and calm colors which exemplify the serene bond of marriage. The outfit, jewelry and makeup; everything was harmonious to each other.

Since, Ring ceremony was a night affair, she preferred the bold look and added drama with smoky eyes. She was truly synchronizing with her dauntless bridegroom.

Mehendi celebration is all about joy, merry and fun that was beautifully illustrated by the Bohemian outfit of her in vibrant colors.

The classic royal banarasi saree was going well with the illustrious Delhi reception. To portray a perfect daughter in law, she followed the Indian tradition and adorned herself with vermilion. Sharma made a comeback of Kumkum and Banarasi saree. However, the choker neck-piece was not just clashing with the heavy jhumkas and pallu but was also making her face look round. Moreover, smaller motifs of saree would have complimented her tubular body shape well.

She kept the glamour for the Mumbai reception and gave full justice to the dazzling celebration in the dream city. She ditched the ‘Sanskari’ look this time and was in full Bollywood mood. However, the colored gemstones could have done a better job with shimmery lehenga by adding hue in the overall look. Furthermore, ‘Sabyasachi’ logo making another focal point at the waist was quite distracting.

FASHION

While balancing her ‘Romantic’ & ‘Classic’ personality, Sharma didn’t ditch the fashion trends. From velvet saree to pastels, metallic to boho, she was perfectly in vogue.

DÉCOR

Another aspect the new age bride paid attention to is – Decor. All the efforts made on outfit, make up & jewellery go in vain if the background doesn’t complement them all. This is the reason special attention was paid to the surroundings during all the wedding functions of the celebrity couple.

Whether it was the pastel flowery mandap in Tuscany coordinating with their vintage colored clothes or softly lit background in Delhi reception going well with the royal theme; every time they looked a picture perfect.

So, brides don’t be just trendy! Be authentic and set your own trends. Plan your dreamy wedded affair with your Bridal Image Consultant!

No matter what the occasion is, we always pay attention on ‘Coordination’. Everything we are wearing should be in ‘Sync’ – is everyone’s motto and when it comes to wedding, we go crazy in applying the ‘Matching’ concept with the spouse and in fact the whole family!

But what makes the coordination? A couple wearing the same hue outfits or a lady carrying the identical coloured bag & shoes as that of her dress!?

Well the ‘Sameness’ is the general notion people apply, to balance their look. But that’s not on the ball! Let us tell you certain ways to bring equanimity in your look, right from the diary of image consultants.

Color 

When you and your better half decide to get into monochromes, make sure the intensity should be same. If one is dressed in tint, the other shouldn’t pick an accent. However, selecting the Xerox pigment doesn’t give a bang on look! After all we want parallelism not uniforms.

Another creative way to have a picture-perfect glance is to try color schemes like Triad, Complementary or Analogous. for example- women wrapped in yellow outfit with a red lip shade along with her man in blue, aces the Triad chromatic scheme.

Accessories

A couple’s embellishments must convey an alike mood! If your mistress has put on traditional adornments, you can’t afford western accessories. Try wearing classical brooches or necklaces to complement her.

Fabric

If you are planning to attire more than one fabric pay attention on the quantity & positioning of them. The heaviest the fabric, the dominant it looks. To coordinate with your partner, make sure he/she has at least one element of fabric; of what you are wearing. For instance, a gentleman may add a velvet jacket or stole to synchronise with her lady in velvet saree!

Personality

Couple exhibiting the similar personality type through their apparel, steals the show, especially during marriage. The groom can’t pick a royal sherwani (depicting Classic personality) to coordinate with her bride in Delicate blush lehenga. To look ‘Made for each other’, he needs to slip into some pastel silk attire. The whole picture looks more harmonious if the ‘Decor’ around them too illustrates the delicate message.

Personal Colors

We, humans have our own personal colors. After analysing them, we can categorise whether warm hues should be put near our face or cool ones. Putting our personal colors near our face make us shine out no matter what we are wearing!

Backgrounds

This factor is important especially in pre-wedding shoots, when different locations are chosen to capture the emotions of love birds. Choosing the same background color as what couple is wearing can let them lost in the picture.

Moreover, when the hue of the background and couple’s attire, both are accent with high intensity then they will fight for attention. Harmonious coordination is required while selecting the frame unless all the hard work on synchronisation of bride-groom goes in vain and the picture will never come out to be a perfect one!

Bridesmaid/ Groomsmen

When it comes to wedding, coordination of couple is just not enough!  Bridesmaid, Groomsmen and Infact the whole family need to maintain the equilibrium to get the absolute look. All the bridesmaid & groomsmen must decide a dress code, either everyone wear traditional or western in similar colors.

The intensity of color & theme of their outfits must equate with the bride & groom, however, the couple should select another hue in the same shade and mood to stand out of them. After all it’s their day!

For instance – Brides men in colors of yellows & mustards surrounding the bride in navy lehenga, letting the attention just on her while beautifully maintaining the rhythm.

We often oversee these little things however they make a huge difference on your D-day! Applying the different color schemes suitable to your Personal colors & Personality, keeping in mind the Decor & Background; may seem tricky to anybody. It’s advisable to seek help of your Image Consultant so that your wedding turns out to be a Masterpiece of Art!

**Image courtesy: wedzo.in, theperfectlocationfaridabad, shaadisaga**