Let's get inspired: Q+A with Savvy.

Have you ever met someone that has inspired you in ways you didn't think possible? Whether it's their charming personality, positive vibes, or solid self-discipline - - (Savvy's got it all), one can't help but share their inspirational stories with everyone else around them! This is an interview with Savvy so get ready to get INSPIRED!

Can you name a person that has had a tremendous impact on your life? Perhaps a mentor? Why and how did they impact your life?

Luckily I've always found inspiration and learning in every person I've met so far. Every encounter and every rendezvous has taught me something significant and something different about life. But yes there's always that one person who leaves footprints on one's soul, who mentors your mind and heart and who acts as your guiding light. In my life there hasn't been one but two. 

First and foremost is my grandmother whom I call the 'Iron Lady'. She has faced a lot of adversaries in life, much more than most normal people do. But what sets her apart is the unmatched amounts of courage, discipline and determination that she possess. She believes in defying conventional norms and in standing tall no matter what. She's a true epitome of the spirit of humanity and if I could ever be even one per cent of her, I would feel most proud of myself.

Her story is no unusual one. My grandfather left her and their three little children one day to never come back. My grandmother only had elementary education and had no job experience of any kind. But she didn't lose hope and bravely raised her three children without any monetary help from her parents or relatives. She would tailor people's clothes and even tried her hand at other jobs which were considered to be in manly domain. She not only successfully raised her children but also bought a nice home for her little family to live in. Till date, she is the source of courage and encouragement in the family and is respected and loved by everyone. Her biggest mantra in life is 'Hard work never goes unrewarded and always yields good results'.

The other person to have strongly impacted my life is Leo Babauta who writes zenhabits (http://zenhabits.net/). I've only recently started reading his blog but it has already affected me deeply. His words are those of strength and encouragement. Reading his words, I truly feel convinced that I can transform my life into whatever I desire.

You are an amazing writer but you already knew that. What is one piece of advice you could pass along to a fellow aspiring writer?

My only advice to my fellow writers would be that 'Be yourself'. I believe that the best articles are written when they are written with conviction and a peaceful mind that wants to give something to others be it some advice, some piece of information, some sort of knowledge or wise tips. So be yourself, stay true to who you are and write what you deeply feel about or relate to. Also it's highly important that you write something every day even if it's just a single sentence expressing your thought.   

Writer’s block. What do you do when that happens?

I read and observe my surroundings. There surely are times when I feel am out of ideas, when am confused and unable to conceive something to write about. At that moment, I consider two options. Either I relax and read other blogs, articles, stories and books or I simply take a long walk alone and observe my surroundings. Both these activities always trigger threads of thoughts in my mind and I eventually end up writing something great!

4.What is your long-term goal with writing? Paint me a picture.

I want to write great articles for lifestyle magazines. I would probably pen a book as well narrating my transformational journey and helping others with the same, telling them how every dream is as much a reality as we want it to be. Ten years from now, I can see myself sitting in my home office cum library and writing a guest post on 'transformation and subsequent success' for your blog!!!

What are a few resources you can pass along to any aspiring writers reading this interview?

The best resource that I have is my power of visualization and imagination. The more details and emotions you can visualize, the better you write. The second best resource is an online thesaurus dictionary that allows me to share interesting words and expressions with all of my readers. I also use 'Instapaper' to save the articles I like and reflect on them later. The 'write to done' and 'the write practice' blogs are great resources for all aspiring writers. They have wonderful posts that interestingly deal with all nuances of writing.

What’s life in India like? Is there anything about India you would like to share to readers that are from a different country?

India is a diversity and intelligence pool. The rich religious, moral and academic history of India has made Indians not only academically genius but also great and helpful human beings. India is a colorful and a mysterious country that has a lot to offer. However presently a major cultural shift is taking place in India as the modern youth is challenging conventions, hypocrytic rules and morals as well as political domination. We are an economically growing nation trying to break out of set cultural norms. By the way, Indian food is definitely very yummy (and no it's not always super spicy). Bollywood and cricket unite us Indians the most. There's a lot of poverty and illiteracy in the rural parts of the country but there are many individuals and organizations that are creating exemplary success stories of development and innovation even as I write.

Visiting India will leave anyone with overwhelming emotions. The experience will certainly prove to be a unique and memorable one.


Need more SAVVY in your life? Visit her positive blog over here at Life Palettes!