Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Sayesha rebranded

Yeayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!! :D

Sayesha's exams are overrrrrrrr!!!

Sayesha does an extremely silly victory dance.


(Stop it, Sayesha, people on your blog are starin' at you!)

Oh what the hell.

You go, girl. One more time, from the top!

Three... two... one...

YEAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!! :D

===============================================
And here's the actual post for today:

Yes, yes, they are finally over. And they have taught me more than just communication theories.

People say that we only realise the value of something once we lose it. I say we only know we had something when we don't have it.

I used to think "I work so hard... such long working hours... from 8:15 am to 6:03 pm (yes, I said 6:03 pm, don't ask.) I have no time for anything in life... or to have a life even!" Then I started my master's course and struggled with evening classes on top of work. And I realised that I could fit it in. Somehow, I had been able to make time and space for it.

And now that I have no classes and no exams, I suddenly feel like I have so much time. The time which I never knew I had.

This time, the time will be used for a rebranding exercise.

Yes, another one.

My company recently underwent a rebranding exercise, new name, new logo, new stuff, new working style, heck, they even repainted the office building in the corporate colour (again, don't ask). And I thought to myself -- it's not just companies that are rebranding themselves. We're doing it too. All the time.

That new haircut, that new wardrobe, that change in outlook to a more positive one, that deciding not to jump off the cliff, that new boyfriend/girlfriend, that getting over a heartbreak, that new friend you made, that carrying out of the resolution to get that killer body you always desired, these are all part of rebranding, aren't they? But rebranding is not just about changed appearances, it's about changed feelings, about changed ways of thinking.

The last few times I rebranded myself were in uni, once in my second year, when I developed that attitude that said "The world sucks and is out to hurt me." complete with
that haircut that made me look like I'd just been electrocuted. The second was in my third year when I lost all the extra weight I had gained during my first rebranding, gave away 90% of my wardrobe and used all the money I'd earned during my internship on getting a new one. For a thinner me. Complete with a "The world isn't that bad!" attitude.

Then was the one I got after I came back from a holiday in Goa with cousins I had not seen in years. I had a brand new haircut with highlights, which sadly even Alan has not been able to reproduce, and a brand new attitude, and my heart was full of love for all these new people in my life that I had rediscovered. I looked and felt different.

And the last one I had was after my Cambodia trip. I have no idea what that simple little country did to me, but I love it. I found myself at a totally different level of thinking and believing and loving after I came back from Cambodia. The world was a great place. It was such a magical feeling I can't even begin to describe it. And it has lasted. Made me the person I am today. And I know no matter how many times I rebrand myself, I know it will stay. You can take the girl out of Cambodia but you can't take Cambodia out of the girl.

Zoom to the present. Rebranding. We all do it. Sometimes without knowing it. Every now and then, we change something about ourselves, either the way we think, or the way we work, or the way we look. (It's mostly the way we think, but the looking different part is just there to remind us of the rebranding.) We're not really changing ourselves, we're merely turning into what we want to be.

All we need is a bit of motivation, a bit of a push (preferably from a loved one) and a strong mind.

So Sayesha has decided to do a rebranding exercise in all the extra time that she apparently now has. If this works out, I will not need to make any resolutions for the new year.

Here's the list of things to do:

  • Finish writing Hopscotch. Top on the priority list.
  • Bring back the discipline in my life. Yes, I am disciplined, but I need to get better. This is the age and time to push myself.
  • Start work on my dissertation before the new semester starts. I don't wanna struggle at the last minute of the last semester.
  • Travel more.
  • Resume gymming with a vengeance.
  • Give away 50% of my clothes and buy new ones.
  • Experiment with stuff I'd normally not wear.
  • Try growing my hair for a change.
  • Not get lazy. About anything.
  • Catch up on my basic Mandarin and French.
  • Do more crazy things.
  • Get eight hours of sleep every night, especially if I have work the next day.
  • Eat more fruits and vegetables.
  • Drink more water.
  • Start cooking again.
  • Avoid MSG-laden food.
  • Resume my weekly detox diet.
  • Work hard. Play hard.
  • Eat like a pig. Run like a horse.
  • Remember to have my meals. Yes, I tend to forget! :(
  • Take better care of my hands and feet and hair and skin.
  • Keep my house and room cleaner.
  • Super-glue every damn thing that I've meant to fix since September 2005.
  • Carry out the 'How many cats can I photograph in one evening?' campaign I've wanted to do for the longest time.
  • Sing more.
  • Make time for people I care about, but who only see me less than once a month.
  • And finally, inspire at least one more person who's been wanting to rebrand himself/herself and could do with a friendly reminder-nudge now and then.
Every time I rebrand, I feel like a fresh new person. I feel good. Maybe we should all remember to rebrand ourselves every now and then. Do that thing you always wanted to do, look the way you'd always wanted to look, feel the way you'd always wanted to feel.

When was the last time you rebranded yourself?



57 comments:

Anonymous said...

Me a silent watcher so far...but couldn't resist the first post. Me does a silly victory dance too...YEAYYYYYYYYYYYY :D

Btw congrats. Waiting for the remainder post...

Suess

Manish Kumar said...

:):)
hmmmm grt feeling of getting it all over
ENJOY!

BP said...

Heh congrats! :)

Anonymous said...

Basanti , inn blog readers ke saamne matt naachna ! ( read this in dharmendra praaji's voice )

Enjoy the freedom ! :)

Sayesha said...

#Anonymous,
Wow, I should suspend blogging more often if that's the only way all the silent readers will show themselves! :)

#Manish,
Hey, thanks! :)

#Banana,
Haha! Thanks, girl! :)

#Abhi,
Yun ki... yeh tu kya bola? ;)

#Pradyot,
Yeah baby, bar was always open, but a consignment of new drinks just arrived! :)

R said...

"t's about changed feelings, about changed ways of thinking..." I AGREE!!!

best of luck with the new list!

and hey.. comm theories suck nig time...

R said...

hey..that was NICE!!!!!!
glad to hera that ur exams are ovr..:) mine begin in less than a month and i getting all jittery and wobbly and jelly-like( dont sk me what that menas!!!)
enjoy this exams-over feeling!

Arka Das said...

Wow, you seem to be rocking.....:)

Kaala Kavva said...

When I saw that Sayesha studyin post, i thot were would be no sayesha for 8 10 days... one fine day i come and i see... 3 posts! oh shit!
hehehe
i was amazed!

anyways
sayesha
I think we change every bloody instant and as u say rebrand ourselves. I rebranded last time when I finished readin ur post and now i feel changed after writing this comment.

We're not really changing ourselves, we're merely turning into what we want to be.
and what we want to be changes everyday in one aspect or the other.

Anonymous said...

Good to see you back :). Rebranding, I do it in instalments. A mini-makeover is what I call it...changing hairstyle, looks..every now and then...also..kapde, attitude, the kind of songs I listen to.... and all that. It feels good. And as someone said...Only change is constant. Monotony kills.

Adi Oso-Groot Finch said...

why 18:03?
whats the new office colour?

why are there any exams?

Anonymous said...

Hiya, been reading your post religiously.My exams are up soon.And I can only wait to get that free feel good feeling.Will definitely work on rebranding.You totally perk me up.Thanks.Hoping to hear more from you.Malika

Shobana said...

nice post:)
Few times i end up rebranding myself without making a conscious effort!
but i guess the one time i really changed myself was like 8 yrs back... guess i should do something soon!

Sayesha said...

#Rohit,
Thanks! :)

#Ruchi,
Thanks, girl! And all the best for your exams! :)

#Zap mama,
Thanks! :)

#Ze,
Hahaha! Yeah man, Sayesha couldn't help herself, blogging can get quite addictive! :O
ps: Good luck with your rebranding exercise too! :)

#Keshav,
Hey, long time! Thanks, am back for good! :)

#Raven,
None of your questions are answerable without me pulling my hair out.

#Malika,
Hey, you're still around! Malika Garg, right? I remember you from an earlier comment. Thanks for dropping by! :)

#Jade,
Thanks! :)
And good luck with the rebranding! Hope your list is shorter than mine! :)

Anonymous said...

Thats quite a list! So u have decided to keep your schedule as hectic as it was during exams?!

I was looking at the images on hop-scotch. The pages were taking time to load so I went to images section of google search and typed the word sayesha. All the images loaded there. Only the images from your blogs were displayed there except for one. Guess whose image was there at the last of the last page... the one and only Bappi Lahri!!! :))

Tinku

Kroopa Shah (Kr00pz) said...

Welcome back!! :-)
About the rebranding bit, I think we do it all the time :-) Can't remember when I am not doing it!!

Anonymous said...

Yup, yup, yup Sayesha. I agree. I think we do that all the time...sometimes quite unconsciously too. Or we think and plan, but sometimes it takes a while before we actually convert it to action. I think we do get comfortable with routines and things that are familiar, but we also thrive on change. It's amazing how a different hair-cut or clothing (even a little change) can change one's whole attitude about oneself, and then how we relate to life around us. It feels fantastic.

It must feel so great to be "free" after exams. That feeling is quite indescribable.

Hope you get to accomplish everything you plan to Sayesha.
*thumbs-up* ! :-)

Rays Of Sun said...

Hey Sweetie pie,

Loved your dance..I know its coz I played the "pungi"

I agree, a little push in the right direction takes you a long way:)

Also, common facts between your to-do-list and mine
@4, 5, 7, 13, 14, 15,18,

Also @ long hair...yeah! you should do that..meree baat suna kar, bacchi!

Princessse said...

tussi aagaaye tussi aagaye!!!!! Princessse does a sweet lil ding dong dance herself in honour of sayesha's much-awaited post! :)

and kya post likha! Seedhe dil tak pohnchaa. Woh kehte hain na, 'Jor ka JHATKA, dheere se laggaa!' :P

I've been in the process of a mass rebranding exercise over the last 3-4 years but the last 12 months have been the most crucial of my life thus far.

I have one last thing to say ji: Tussi Great ho :)

Leon said...

Only on this blog can we find.. "good to see u back" and "welcome back" after a four day absence!! :D

Btw, you can check the last bullet off your list. I'm inspired... :-)

And you won't forget about that friendly reminder-nudge now and then, will you? :p

Sayesha said...

#Tinku,
Yeah, I guess it won't be that bad, but I will definitely make good use of this "extra" time :)
ps: Bappi Lahiri? Damn! Did you come across Alka Yagnik? She has an album and a daughter called Sayesha.

#Kroopz,
Thanks! :) Yeah, we're doing it all the time, but on small scales only, e.g. a haircut, a new dress, etc. I'm talking about doing the big stuff, change in attitude and working style.

#Harshi,
//(even a little change) can change one's whole attitude about oneself, and then how we relate to life around us.

Couldn't agree more! :)
ps: Thanks! :)

#ROS,
And here I was, wondering why everyone ran away! So it wasn't my dance, it was your pungi! :O

Long hair... well, knowing me, it's not gonna get too long for sure, but yes, you and certain others on this blog have been asking me to try growing my hair. Let me see how long they can get before the new short-hair rebranding exercise! :P

#Princesse,
Tussi bhi naach rahe ho? Who is your pungi person? :D
ps: Thanks!

#Leon,
Haha! Cool! You're on. I will keep doing the friendly reminder shove...er... I mean nudge thing. Here's a tip -- blog about what you wanna do. That way, it's out there, everyone's read it, and there's no escaping it! :P

Nandya said...

love...do put up ur snaps after a month...hoping thats a deadline for ur rebranding project...would love to ogle..:))

Bhole said...

That was quite a list :) Don't forget to send me a before and after pic ;)

inhas said...

following your blog for some time now.rebraniding to start commenting...just a little question if you are rebranding all the time , when do you enjoy the comfort of an old pair of jeans???

Sayesha said...

#Nandu,
You wish, my dear!
There shall be no 'before and after' photo of this rebranding, mainly because this one's not so much about a different look, but more about a different attitude. :)

#Viks,
Hahahahaha! But I must take care of my feet too, to keep them in good form to kick certain people! ;)

#Bhole,
Hahaha! Read my reply to Nandu! :)

#Inhas,
Welcome to Sayeshaz! :)
We definitely need the comfort of certain 'old' things, which is why even when I change my wardrobe, I can't do a 100% rehaul, 'cos I need the comfort of my old pair of jeans. Some things should not change, isn't it? :)

oxymoron said...

aaj ki taaza khabar, aaj ki taaza khabar - sayeshaz is back and will blog regularly - yipppeee!

Good luck with the rebranding exercise!

Anonymous said...

// Try growing my hair for a change.
Unbelievable. I was thinking just last evening that it would be so cool if you grew your hair :)

// Catch up on my basic Mandarin and French.
Can I join you?

// Drink more water.
Excellent idea!

// inspire at least one more person who's been wanting to rebrand himself/herself
Add me to that list... I mean, seriously!

ritzkini said...

hehehehehe....finally thru with your exams huh ? good for you...
:)

Parth Anand said...

Hey cool that the exams are finally over...
Hope you do well

//Take better care of my hands

hmm...you wanna get more people crazy for those hands huh ;)

//Eat like a pig. Run like a horse.
I see the reason behind this..the next time you sit on a horse, he sure would not be able to bear the burden (eat like a pig) and would wanna kick you..so you want to be able to run fast (like a horse)
Is peta listening??

On a serious note..yeah rebranding does make you feel good..makes you be someone different physically and mentally too...different attitude to look at things... I am game for it only if it is not just the physical aspect...shouldnt be just like same old dish but new package...but an altogether a better individual...
Good luck with yours :)

Ravi said...

Whenever I start with my rebranding, I go ahead on it in full swing. But with time the brand sort of mellows down, is not different anymore & I start getting back to the routine. This is not a good phase & I am in such a phase these days. Maybe its time for another rebranding. hehehe

Anonymous said...

Nice post. Exams (like a mini, near-death experience) used to make me re-assess life too.

> Carry out the 'How many cats can > I photograph in one evening?'
> campaign I've wanted to do for
> the longest time.

Ha!..and then you can strike that item off the "do more crazy things" list :)

- Kais

Sayesha said...

#Oxy,
Hey, thanks for the warm welcome-back! :)

#Viv,
1. But you've seen me with long(er) hair!
2. Ok, I'll send you an email every day, alternating between Mandarin and French, and you reply. Sounds good? :)
3. Yeah, and more water will also mean more pee breaks and hence more rest for the eyes!
4. Added you to the list! But I must warn you, I'm a hard task-master. Are you up for it? :)

#Tarzan,
Yes, I am done! Yeayy! :)

#Parth,
Itne lambe post mein tujhe hand and pig wala point hi prominent dikha?? :D
In case you really did not get the pig-horse point, it means that food is the essence of life and should be hogged on, but only if you're prepared to exercise like mad.

#Vikram,
Just remember -- when you point one finger at people, three of 'em point back at ya! ;)
ps: And Sayesha's kickin' aim is very accurate! ;)

#Ravi,
I know what you mean about the mellowing down, happens to me too. Which is why, it helps to have a friend to do some friendly neighbourhood pushing.

#Kais,
//Exams, like a mini near-death experience

Hahahahahaa!! :D

ps: Yeah, you have a point about the cat thing!

MeAwinner said...

Sayesha !
Once Again Great post.. !
I did remember, a change in attitude, self-esteem,self-image,self-vanity.. :)
when I lost weight..turned into more well-shaped body(that was visible) but rest all was (Change in my 'me'not-so-visible to others)

Once you find a motivation,persistently work on that...what you want to be..Results "makes you PROUD on urself" 'that you is me too' :D

I was/am so happy.. by all positive changes in me..ALL the time..Something I keep changing in me...
ALL The BEST Babe !
Love,
Maneesha

Raj said...

The last time I rebranded myself was when I started working. I went from being a shy, reserved person to an outgoing, talkative person overnight.

I want to rebrand again sometime soon. Will let you know about the changes I'll make to myself and my life.

Siddiqui said...

hey its still more than a month for new year resolutions !!

bt yups!! we do rebrand ourselves every moment.

I wish I could learn few things from your rebranding list..
>>Resume gymming with a vengeance.
>>Travel more.
>>Eat more fruits and vegetables.

and get rid of the extra flab.

Anonymous said...

// But you've seen me with long(er) hair!
Exactly! And it suits you well :)

Points 2 & 4 sound good. How about a refresher course first?

virdi said...

yahoooooooooo me 1st... (after the forty)

oye party time... who like to move it move it... i like to move it move it... :-)

virdi said...

the guy who was doing mischief on Priya's blog mailed me... he says he didnt delete her blog... see the mail here

Sayesha said...

#Maneesha,
Thanks, girl! :)

#Rinku,
Thanks! Hope some of the 'false promises' can be made true! :)

#Raj,
That's great! Do blog about it. Will look forward to reading it. :)

#Ashy,
Hey, these are not difficult to stick to. It's all about inertia and momentum.
Good luck! :)

#Viv,
Long hair suits me? Hahahaa! Well, that's a first, coming from you! :)
ps: On for the refresher course. It's a date! :)

#Virdi,
Ab aaya tu, itni der baad? Aaj kal galti se office mein kaam karne laga hai kya?? :O

Siddiqui said...

Good Job Virdi :-)

Pujya said...

i'd settle happily at 45th position.
guess what..now my exams are staring and i m doomed..ya last moment panic..
and congrats..
and ..am i allowed to ask anything..everytime u r saying dont ask..:)
--and that is LONG but neat list..all the best with all that..have fun..

Sayesha said...

#Ashy,
Our friendly neighbourhood Virdi surely succeeded in scaring the 'hacker', didn't he? :)

#Aethyr,
All the best for your exam! :)

Bhole said...

Experiment with stuff I'd normally not wear

I think this one's about a different look ;)

Sayesha said...

#Bhole,
Of course there is a change in look. Like I mentioned, a change in look just helps one remember that a rebranding has been done. :)

Anonymous said...

Its called a MAKE-OVER.

Branding is what's done to cows,horses, not people.

Sayesha said...

#Grammatically mine,

Loosen up, buddy. This is a blog, not a dictionary. I define my own terms here.

And guess what, people CAN rebrand themselves. If only you could see beyond the end of your grammatical nose.

Anonymous said...

Critic-*insert an opinion which doesn't kiss ass*

Sayesha-*insert tired, recycled response about how she can write and define anything she wants because its her blog*

Seriously, so creative of you...

Sayesha said...

Critic-*afraid of even identifying himself/herself while criticising*

Sayesha-*not afraid of redefining things*

Seriously, so brave of you...

Sayesha said...

And dude, on this blog, I express my opinions, I don't enforce them on others. I am always open to criticism. I get a lot of flak on my blog, but you know what? There's a way to criticise, and not being rude is just one of the points. Go back and read your first comment, and then figure out why I did not take well to you trying to enforce your opinion on me.

Anyway, cheers to Friday! Have a good weekend, smile, and hope to see you back on this blog. As yourself :)

Anonymous said...

Nice going deleting the comment with my name on it!

Yeah, the first comment wasn't rude. Look up a dictionary. Branding is done to Cows.

Sayesha said...

I only deleted Doc Dope's comment on this post. If you are him, well, everyone knows why his comments should be deleted. And if you are him, I have no desire to further this conversation.

And like I said before, this blog is not a dictionary, and often does not follow one.

Anonymous said...

Who's doc dope?

Sayesha said...

Some sad attention-seeker who goes around posing as other people and posting very low-taste comments.

Siddiqui said...

Sayesha, I really missed out that hacker's apology mail coz the link is getting proxified at my end.

Sayesha said...

#Ashy,
Actually it was not really a hacker, but a prankster. Anyway, he has apologised and now everything's fine :)

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Bhavya said...

I've been trying out this sort of rebranding thing in the recent past - it can have some miraculous effects!