5 gems of my world!

 


If travel be the food of life, drive on; Give me excess of it, …

But no surfeiting. Never. Ever. Not especially since you can now take your world with you wherever you want, live your life to the fullest with those you love. Basically that means to #LiveLodgycal in the new Renault Lodgy, since that brings along best of both the worlds – ample space for everybody’s comfort and a powerful, efficient engine to make every drive a memorable driving experience.

Like moms, my baby is my world and I wouldn’t part with it for the world. Taking her along would mean taking along the whole paraphernalia that goes along with a toddler of 1.8 yrs, that any mum would be so familiar with. I would have to load my car with diapers (most important –mind you, and loads of them), wipes, baby bottle sterilizer, sanitizer, milk bottles water bottles, baby feeding cups and spoons and plates (careful, they might double up as playthings too) and as many on-the-go baby food options as possible and many and much more knickknacks. I can stock them all – her favourite food and drinks, since I am taking along a practical MUV for a #LiveLodgycal experience. But with that comes the fear of messing up the interiors, but no food spills in Renault Lodgy because of conveniently placed cup holders and luxurious flight trays.

Baby’s toys and few books maybe. Now that your toddler is part of your world, playthings, toys and what not goes along with you to keep him/her entertained and you relaxed. The big toys, the small toys, the wonderdoggy, and the mini cycle, all that follows. Oh yeah- the stroller too – which occupies a whole lot of space and we have to usually leave it behind otherwise. But in Lodgy what with massive boot space of 207 litres expandable to 1861 liters, I can conveniently pack all this and lots more with ease. And since there’s  a retractable seat in the third row and can be tumble folded to allow extra space and comfort , I too can pack in few books, few light reads and few related to my faith, to enjoy during my baby’s nap times.

Another prerequisite of my world for such a drive, in fact the most important would be the hubby, of course. Afterall, for a drive you do need atleast one licensed individual behind the wheel and who else will that be, with me the wifey, still being driving –challenged. I am sure he’s gonna love wielding the adjustable steering wheel while being parked luxuriously on theleather-upholstered driver’s seat which can be adjusted in 8 different ways according to his preference while resting his arm on the integrated armrest. Oh boy! this one complies and how! Alongwith a face to be envied and a body to be admired that is! And with that kinda comfort and features, short drives can easily become long drives and also, parking can be tad too easy with the rear parking aid. The Eco mode of the car can keep a tab on fuel consumption. No compromises on safety front too. Dual front airbags and ABS combined with EBD and Brake Assist can help him control the car better in case of an emergency braking situation. All in all, he can’t thank me enough for this  #LiveLodgycal experience.


 

Now if the hubby goes, along go his gadgets! His over-worked and constantly-discharged phone, charger, the playlist on the phone and the USB, the DSLR, and what not are the tag-alongs. But thank God, the new Renault Lodgy comes fitted with state-of-the-art MediaNAV console which has all the controls at your finger-tip playing on its 7-inch touchscreen. All he needs to do is
 

just connect the phone to it and that starts the fun not in terms of just entertainment but also, to answer calls, parking and most importantly, navigation with installed maps. Afterall, who’s gonna ask for directions, man? (it’s a man’s best friend, what say?) Oh! for me, I love the radio option alongwith the chatter and the ads. I must mention the life saviour in the car would be the mobile charger for his never-satiated mobile, not to forget there’s a charging socket for all three rows of seats to power your devices wherever you might be sitting in the car. Well that brings me to another addition to my world travelling with me.


  

 
My extended world : Since Renault Lodgy boasts of ample space with  up to flexible 7/8 full-sized seats over three rows, and since my world comprises a joint family with six members (including me and hubby, in-laws, bro-in-law and sis-in-law) and two toddlers, I can take them all along with ease on certain special occasions. Instead of taking two cars and wasting fuel, this can be an economic, entertaining, beautiful and comfortable option. And safe too. No compromises there- whether it is driving safely or parking safely what with cutting-edge research and engineering. I personally loved the anti-pinch feature on the driver’s side offering protection by rolling down on sensing an obstruction. Renault Lodgy can truly be an asset when it comes to living life logically and venturing on picnics, roadtrips or city driving.

“I’m participating in the #LiveLodgycal contest with Renault in association with BlogAdda to get a chance to be a part of the #LiveLodgycal Drive in Goa.”


 

I Saw, I Learnt

Albert Einstein has said "Learning is experience. Everything else is just information." We are constantly bombarded by information on a regular basis but some things touch you and never leave you and become a part of your learning. That’s something you take with you wherever you go, shapes up your personality and as an experience makes you richer. As they say, life is the biggest teacher. Our programming, being loaded with information starts pretty early in life. However, how much we imbibe and actually goes into our human revolution depends on us. 

When we talk about learning to do things right, its just not just from the people around us, or even the strangers we encounter, but also, places, situations, circumstances, non livings things too, for that matter. Even silence, at times, lends us so much to learn from.

People: The moment I start thinking about the people who have inspired, encouraged me, there are lotsa images that start floating in front of my eyes - my parents who I owe it all to, my favourite teacher who was so fair (impartial), the night watchman, from whom I learnt my first lesson in bravery (I wanted to grow up and become one, coz I thought he was so brave and could wander during the night protecting one and all, can you beat that?). Once I grew up, my friends and peers, movie stars or the roles they played, professors, authors, I read, they inspired me. The basic lessons had all been ingrained till then - no lies, do good, caring and sharing, keep your word, practice good manners, try, try and win. But there was still something missing when I came across the writings of Dr Daisaku Ikeda, President of the lay Buddhist organisation, SGI. And the lessons I have come to learn are invaluable.

Respect and appreciate your life first

Respect every other life too, irrespective of their job, social standing 

Be happy first and self-lessly work towards making others happy

Strive for peace not just in your family, but society and peace of the land

Be world citizens

Appreciate and show gratitude to one and all (we owe much to them)

Think not just of yourself but the successors who'll follow you

Sufferings are inevitable, so learn to challenge them to win over them
Winter always turns to spring and so many others

And even something as basic as, greet others every day with a smile. Not that I hadn't heard these before, the way you could impact your environment and life through these won me over. Not mere hollow words or preachings, he has shown it thorough his experience, that you needn't forget and forego all the good things learnt to live happily in these soiled times.

Place : Earliest learning begins at home, then at school, or at grandparent's house or a friend's place. So many places, like people are etched in our minds for the right things we have picked up from there. I had my fair share of such places and incidents in my life till one day I decided to take up the radio job I was offered in Mid East. First time ever, I was ready to leave the protective environment of my house and that too so far, when I hadn't even stayed in a hostel ever. Of course, with my kitty full of revised lessons as well as new ones waiting to be learnt, ones you can only learn when you are alone in a distant land. How the freedom and independence brings along a whole lot of responsibility, how your confidence grows, how manage it all single-handedly, be it the finances or chores apart from your job, how your decisions affect you and others, how to keep yourself motivated despite anything, how not to take your independence for granted, how to say no and host of other such lessons which take you through the roughest of times in your life later, Yes, being single and away from your home is one experience I believe everyone should experience. Its such an invaluable lesson. I might have felt bogged down sometime but in retrospect, its one decision of my life, one experience that has made me see things differently and do them right, a place that I will always feel gratitude for making me what I am today.

Well not just people and places, situations and circumstances, even negative, do make us learn quite many right things. Certain situations or the absence of them, does make us learn life's harsh but important truths and lessons. When I quit my job, little did I know how things, people will change just because of that one change in my life, I was the same person, well educated, with same values, who had just left her well -paying job to take a break, or take another one after a brief sabbatical Soon things changed, the attitude of people changed and I realised I was being judged just on the basis of that, that I was jobless and not getting another one! I have learnt that just because of one change in your circumstances doesn't make you less of a person, worthy of respect. What you do to earn a living and how much you earn is important but isn't something that solely defines you as a person, that there is more to any individual, if you gotta appreciate them and feel grateful for. 

I am sharing what 'I Saw and I Learnt' at BlogAdda.com in association with DoRight.in.