Mindblowingly Mundane: Recent Episodes
Pritha Lal
Pause here with me for a few minutes as I share some true, interesting, and, inspirational reflections on everyday life and living.
It will make you appreciate, how an ordinary day can be filled with extraordinary moments, if we only care to look a little deeper.
A very simple but profound statement by my almost 12 year old, and made me record this today. Do tune in…
The sky has the sun, the moon, and the stars. Do we find resonances of those Beautiful heavenly bodies in our own lives? Tune in to find out.
The gentle ripples on the stillness of water have a beautiful way of reminding us of our own strengths. Tune in to find out more ..
Welcoming you back to this space with new context and content… do listen in. I agree with you life may be still mundane, but I guarantee you it is still remarkably mind-blowing ❤️❤️. Thank you for coming back.
When progressives and bifocals teach you to look at life a little differently, vision correction notwithstanding, you learn to see things in a whole new way ..
It’s incredible how many life lessons are in nature. Do join me in unraveling one from the sea that touched me deeply several years ago. I feel a lot of you will resonate.
A New Year is all about looking up, but it never hurts to ground oneself a bit, does it?
Sometimes a closed window offers us more than an open one would. Tune in to this episode of Mindblowingly Mundane and see if it’s a story you often tell yourself?
There are multiple beginnings in our lives, and they aren’t too different from one another. Do tune in for an interesting flashback that we all have in common, no matter who we are and where we are from.
Today with my mindful writing practice inspired by Nadia Colburn, I found something quite mind blowing in a couple of lines of poetry by the Sufi poet Rumi. The context was quite ordinary but as always, we strive for the “extra”. Do tune in.
A wonderful poem by Bacca and a mindful writing challenge took me to place of largeness today. The largeness we all aspire for in our day and yet may be apprehensive to face. Tune in to this episode of my podcast for a few moments of reset in your otherwise busy day.
As a part of my mindful writing challenge with Nadia Colburn, I was privileged to listen to the translation of the 15th century Indian poet and saint, Kabir Das. His poem “I said to the wanting creature”, translated by Robert Bly, offered a lot of food for thought on stillness in the present moment. Do tune into this episode for a glimpse into a resonance you may also see, like I did.
My Writing Workshop with Nadia Colburn has made me look at something seemingly insignificant in a whole new way. Do Tune in to listen to my take on "Spinelessness" on this episode of Mindblowingly Mundane.
In this space where look for the extraordinary in the ordinary, doing a writing challenge with Nadia Colburn, opened up a whole new experience of how much inspiration this world offers even it isn't always first hand. Do tune in to listen to my first attempt at writing a bit of fiction.
Participating in a writing workshop opened a whole new way of looking at the ordinary. Today I talk to you about a doorway.
A cup of coffee, some piano practice, and a very interesting question from my 10 year old, led to a fun conversation and a few moments of self learning on my part. Do tune in.
A rainbow colored tee shirt sparked a very interesting comment which led to a conversation with my 10 year old, followed by my own moments of introspection. Have we created differences just to glorify them or to truly accept these without judgement? Do tune in
A square piece of cloth crumpled with time, ironed out some profound truths for me. Do tune into this episode of Mindblowingly Mundane and travel back with me to unfold some simple truths that remain hidden in a little handkerchief, cast aside by time and age.
Carefully arranged real flowers and petals in a plastic vase, a day dedicated to mothers, and the non denominational realities of motherhood , all call for the extra in the ordinary, the real in the unreal. Do tune in.
A photograph, a chant, a downhill descent, and yes the Beatles , all make for a very different take on motivation on my episode today. Tune in to find out exactly how !
Winter sunsets through a tree bereft of a single leaf can offer a beautiful lesson of joy, humility and then some. Tune in to learn more of yet another ordinary moment that held within it much to be inspired by. Episode Pic Credits: Abhishek Purakayastha
As I sat in my shrine, offering my prayers to the Hindu God Ganesha, many thoughts crossed my mind. It felt like a good day to share some of them with you …
Welcome back to Season 2 of my podcast Ladies and Gentlemen. Mindblowingly Mundane is back after a break as we continue to look for the joys of everyday and the extra in the ordinary. Today’s episode talks about a seeming paradox, but probably a deeply inspiring one. Do tune in… and leave your thoughts.
When those dear to you face insurmountable pain, you pause a bit and realize there are so many who we don’t know, who also bear very heavy crosses.
An artwork by a 7 year old on social media made me pause. Her subsequent explanation stopped me on my tracks. This time on Mindblowingly Mundane, a young artist Raima, from Kolkata India, shares a perspective that could make many adults rethink their responses to life itself. I know it has for me...
Inspiration Credits: Artwork of a 7 year old on Instagram Music Credits: Better Days, One Republic, Amazon.com Song ID: 200000352232553, Album - Human 2021
Three puzzling situations in a montage of ordinary memories on this episode of Mindblowingly Mundane... tune in to find out if they fit or don’t. Maybe it will resonate with some of the jigsaw puzzles in your own life.
Once upon a perfect fall afternoon, two birds decided to teach me some important lessons. Tune into this episode of Mindblowingly Mundane to listen to this special story. It is not uncommon to leave a little bit of water for birds in the summer, no matter where in the world you are. And the next time you do, I hope my little anecdote makes you smile.
Music: Sails of Joy, Govi ( Amazon.com Song ID: 200000320445812 ) ( Album : Guitar Odyssey, 1997 ) ( Artist : Govi )
Inspiration Credits: A bird bath in my backyard !
Every spring a Cherry Blossom tree at a parking lot tells me a story. It is the same story, but it never seems to get old. Tune in to find out exactly what it says and why the delicate blooms are much more than the seasonal "happily ever after" cliched fairy tale ! Music Credits: www.bensound.com Inspiration Credits: A Cherry Blossom Tree Trunk !
What have your experiences been with truths that are different from yours? Did they conflict, collide or coalesce? Did they reinforce your own truths better for you and solidify your journey? Or did they make you question your views and make you take a long hard look and do some resets in your mind ?
Tune in to this episode of Mindblowingly Mundane to find out the meaning behind the word Isha that spans some pretty expansive views culturally, and find out how this one word helped me personally to reconcile truths in a world that seems so ready to thrive in strife and conflict.
Music Credits: www.bensound.com
Inspiration Credits: The word "Isha"
What do motion, stillness, and surviving a pandemic have in common with a little ballerina doing her pirouettes and her mother trying her best not to fall off the Tree Pose in Yoga? Well, you will just have to tune in to find out now, won't you?
Music Credits: www.bensound.com Inspiration Credits: A point on the wall !
Today we talk about the incense stick. No, not so much the fragrance, but rather the form, with which it spreads. Notice how it always rises up? Ever wonder what analogy one may find in life with something so obvious? Tune in to get a whiff and more !
Music Credits: Amazon.com Song ID: 236387321 ; A.R. Rahman; Minmini; Roja (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) : 1994
Inspiration Credits: The Incense Stick !
Two half knit pieces of fabric, two pairs of knitting needles, and two balls of yarn, all continents apart, spin an interesting tale in this episode. Do listen in when you have a few minutes to spare, and are looking to pause in the midst of the ordinary to find that bit of "extra'. While you may or may not want to take up knitting, I guarantee you a smile. !
Music Credits: www.bensound.com
Inspiration Credits: A half knit sweater !
Have you ever wondered what motivates an individual to start on the most unexpected journeys and see them through completion? Is it because of their situations and circumstances, or their own drive to take on new challenges? Do such people only exist on the glossy covers of magazines or are they regular human beings like you and I ?
Tune in to this very special episode of Mindblowingly Mundane to learn about an artist, a dancer, a mom, a commercial ( Semi ) truck driver and a hiker ... oh wait, did I mention, they are all one person? Yes my dear friend for several years now, Mindy Olsen, is all of those things and more, and what makes her so?
Well you will just have to hear it from this amazing lady herself ! And yes there is a song involved !
Inspiration Credits: A friend and her ability to begin absolutely anywhere !
Music Credits: Try Everything (From "Zootropolis"), Amazon.com Song ID: 266746766. ,Artist: Shakira, Album: Try Everything (From "Zootropolis"), Year - 2016, Genre: Pop
The most unappealing little fruit greeted me at a grocery store many years ago. It taught me a life lesson that I am still trying to understand. Tune in to another episode of my podcast Mindblowingly Mundane and find out what this was all about.
Music Credits: Josh Woodward : TheWake : No Vox 04 : CrazyGlue
Inspiration Credits: Oh the Rambutan , of course !!
A story of the most unlikely of friendships, in the most unlikely of places, and then a love story, too real for cliches ! Do tune in to my podcast not for the immaculate pink hearts and expensive chocolate this Valentine's Day, but rather a mindblowingly mundane picture of love. I will let you decide if you found it perfectly imperfect, or imperfectly perfect ?
Music Credits: (Where Do I Begin) Love Story (Theme from Love Story) [Instrumental Version], United Guitar Players, Amazon.com Song ID: 254186962, Popular Hit Songs on Spanish Acoustic Guitars: Classical Gas
Inspiration Credits: A Lame Dog !
Today's story and story teller are both very special. Tune in to listen to an 8th grader explain the very crux of any relationship, in a way that would make adulting seems highly overrated ! My young guest Inika Mukherjee from California, is a poet, story teller, and into theater. She has used her time during the pandemic wisely and well. I am so fortunate to have her kick off the essence of February in her own words, in her own style ! Do listen in and maybe like me, you will never look at a pair of untied shoelaces, the same again ! Music Credits: www.bensound.com Inspiration Credits: The untied shoelace, of course !
Do you talk to your plants at home? Do they talk back? Or do they teach you simplest at yet the most profound of truths with their silence? My life long indulgence of my green thumb has been much more rewarding than I can adequately express, but I shall try. Do listen in and maybe you will look at houseplants a little differently and share your views on what you think about them? Music Credits: www.bensound.com Inspiration Credits: Houseplants, flowers in vases and my own partially green thumb !
Have we forgotten how to laugh? I mean really? Have we gotten so embroiled between the strange cadence of political correctness, and taking offense at every little thing? Why do we take ourselves so seriously? What happens when we don't ? A wonderful woman showed me how, and that memory makes me chuckle when I am least expecting. Music Credits: www.bensound.com Inspiration Credits: "girly pockets" !!!
Ever come across a tree stump? Ever stop by to hear its story? I did once, and it left me with a smile in my heart, that I would love to share with you today ! A story that started in my hometown in India, and has traversed the years and oceans to remain a part of who I am. even today ! Music Credits: www.bensound.com Inspiration Credits: A Tree Stump
When a young man, all of 8 years old tells you with conviction on how and why mistakes of the past, can be fixed in the future, you listen very very quietly and make sure you take copious notes to share with everyone. Intelligence and clarity of thought, have never been a function of age in my opinion and this episode of Mindblowingly Mundane talks to a very special incident that happily proved me right. Do listen in. This one is really special ! Music Credits: www.bensound.com Inspiration Credits: A voicemail !
Welcome to 2021 friends, and thank you for tuning back into my podcast. We begin this year , here at Mindblowingly Mundane with an earnest wish I have for all of you listening in. And what is this wish exactly ? Well for that you will have to actually listen in to find out ! Music Credits: www.joshwoodward.com Inspiration Credits: Being unmasked by a little girl !
It is a couple of days after Christmas, and also the last episode for this year ! We all have a lot going on, as far as flashbacks and resolutions go. So I will not touch on any of that. Instead, let's pause for a few minutes today and talk about the most iconic and worldwide symbol of Christmas - Santa Claus ! Do you believe he is real ? Or just a guy in a big red suit ! A trip to Mexico and a green candy cane changed the way I look at Santa forever. Signing off for this year with a story , very very close to my hear. Happy New Year Friends.. See ya back in 2021
Much Love and best wishes, Pritha
Music Credits: www.bensound.com
Inspiration Credits: A green candy cane !
It is less than a week before Christmas and I have a feeling, no matter which part of the world you are listening in from right now, there is a very high chance that you are not too far away from a Christmas Tree. Neither was I when the thought of dull and shiny surfaces, from a picture book came to mind suddenly, making me look at the tree in my living room, in a whole new light. All pun intended, it was a very interesting epiphany, one I wouldn't have gathered with just once glance as one of the most iconic symbols of this time of the year.
Music Credits: Purple Planet
Inspiration Credits: The Christmas Tree in my living room !
If you have known light, you had to have known darkness. If you have seen a candle flame, in all probability you have also seen it flicker. In today's episode we continue to look for light in December, but this time we get our fingers a little messy.. who's with me? Music Credits: www.bensound.com Inspiration Credits: Some burnt candle wicks and oil lamps !
Have you ever wondered, why so many cultures and communities, across the world, celebrate light, in one way or another, during this time of the year? A casual text from a dear friend, stating this very simple but profound fact, inspired this episode, as we start on December. Irrespective of where we are in the world, this month is going align or hearts and minds, across space and time, much more so than in the years past.
That does make it the "most wonderful time of the year,,", wouldn't you say?
Music Credits: www.bensound.com
Inspiration Credits: A text from a friend on Light !
Thanksgiving isn't a holiday I grew up with, but it has become a very integral part of my life in the last 20 years in the United States. This episode isn't about Thanksgiving though, but it is about, food, a table, and something I feel we all need to give thanks for... the kindness of service. Once in a while, a perfect stranger comes along, and touches your life in such a simple, and yet so profound a manner, that you can't help but reminisce them when you want to express gratitude for the things that really matter.
And in the long run, it is always the little things, isn't it?
Music Credits: www.bensound.com
Inspiration Credits: A warm bowl of soup !
What's in a name ? asked Shakespeare's Juliet, a very long time ago. Turns out, a lot actually. And sometimes the writing on a wall can tell you very clearly why. It definitely did for me.
You will have to tune in to hear this story. It may just make you fall in love with your own name a wee bit more.
Felt like a good one to share a couple of days before my 50th 😃😃❤️
Music Credits: https://mixkit.co/free-stock-music/ Inspiration Credits: A poem on the wall !
Ever been crowned? I am sure you have. I am sure you have had opportunities to celebrate success. Ever had a moment where you were the recipient of such glory because a known or unknown benefactor was only too happy to step aside and let you enjoy your well deserved moment in the spotlight? I went through a little coronation once, and a bit of the royal glory and joy.. still lingers. Listen in... you will enjoy this !
Music Credits: www.bensound.com Inspiration Credits: A Princess Crown
Perfection, as amazing a goal as it is, is a little overrated and static in my mind. This is just a personal opinion, but I find myself more and more inspired by those who traverse the unknown path towards such perfection, and in the way they do it. They don’t know it all, but they don’t seem to give up. The have what something that I have come to understand is best termed as, the "Power of Yet" . Mindblowing or Mundane, whichever way you look at this fact, it is something that we each possess in some measure or another... and I came to appreciate this because of a very unexpected occurrence during just another ordinary day ! Music Credits: www.bensound.com Inspiration Credits: Online School !!!
Let's switch things up a bit today shall we? Let's ride the dark side for a bit on today's episode of my podcast. Happy Halloween folks, whether you celebrate this holiday or not, our lives aren’t mundane because they are at some point or another touched by darkness. They are also mind-blowing, because, we as human beings from the times immemorial have always found light. And so we shall, yet again. Music Credits: https://mixkit.co/free-stock-music/ Inspiration Credits: Why Halloween of course !
As this strange year draws to a close, I find myself appreciating celebrations even more than I have before, but not exactly for the obvious overt reasons. Being a part of two very different cultures, I have come to appreciate that, there is much more to festivals we celebrate, no matter where in the world we may be situated. Stop by a few minutes and see if these thoughts resonate with you.
"You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit !" she said. I listened, and I am still listening. Care to spend a few minutes on the power of words? I think you will enjoy this.
Music Credits: www.bensound.com
Inspiration Credits: Words from a 6 year old !
There is so much more than meets the eye in a simple box of crayons, and as we grow older, we seem to take those lessons for granted to the point of almost forgetting them. Let's revisit some colors together, shall we? Music Credits : www.bensound.com Inspiration Credits: A box of crayons
Country roads, didn't quite take me home that evening, but offered me a new appreciation for the different journeys we undertake in life. A sweet story of a commute to a coffee shop and a tractor !!
Music Credits: www.bensound.com
Inspiration Credits: An evening drive !
One of the biggest lessons I have received in gratitude came from a young man, all of 5 years old, in a Kindergarten class. It was as humbling as it was profound. And yes, I will never look at tally marks the same again. Join me as I share my story on this episode of my podcast. Music Credits: www.bensound.com Inspiration Credits: A very grateful Kindergartener
There is a reason they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day ! No, this episode isn't about oatmeal, but it is about change. Tune in and spend a few minutes with me at my breakfast table and let me know what you think ? What are your thoughts on change?
Music Credits: https://mixkit.co/free-stock-music/
Inspiration Credits : Breakfast and the school bus !
Ever wondered that you can't quite see your own face, unless you have a reflective surface in front of you? A simple truth that my 4 year old held up to me in no uncertain terms, made for some interesting reflections, so to speak. Music Credits: www.bensound.com Inspiration Credits: A mirror, or its lack thereof
Do you think our environment predisposes us to be more wary of strangers or can we put in a kind word now and then? In a world that is in dire need of compassion, is it harder or easier to reach out to a stranger?
Music Credits: www.bensound.com
Inspiration Credits: A quick stop at a gas station !
Hi I am Pritha, and in the last 10 years or so, I have come to realize, the best thing we are given in this world, is this moment, this present day, this minute, of this hour to either make a difference, or be witness to something that can make a difference in our own lives. Welcome to my podcast Mindblowingly Mundane where we will take the time to pause in the midst of our every day life and living and find something extraordinary in the ordinary.
Music Credits: www.bensound.com
Inspiration Credits: A Yellow Balloon !