2026- Another Chance!
Choose yourself.
Thinking from a more impartial place—one shaped by growth of the heart and soul, and a deeper love for myself—I’m here creating this small, precise newsletter: a few bytes from my life, gentle updates, what I’ve been reading, and little things that have stayed with me.
November has been especially sacred. I received one of the greatest gifts from God—my baby girl. She is so wondrous, so overwhelming, that it still feels too soon to articulate the depth of that emotion. All I know is this: I am profoundly blessed to have her. In many ways, she reminds me of my mother, and that resemblance carries its own quiet magic.
Through September and October, I worked throughout my pregnancy—teaching, organizing programs, cooking dinners—doing everything that kept me active and moving. I want to pause here to express my gratitude to God for carrying me through difficult moments and surrounding me with warmth and strength to continue working and growing. I never stopped my chants or my prayers. Some may doubt it, but prayers do help—you just have to give yourself to them fully.
With a little time now to myself, I’ve devoured a few books—ranging from spirituality and self-growth to fiction, and Heart Lamp. I’ve been away from writing long poetry or submitting my work to larger spaces, mostly because my days were consumed by nausea, heartburn, or long conversations with parents about their children’s behavior. Still, I’m slowly returning to reading and writing as I move through this postpartum phase.
What you can watch/ read rather than doomscrolling—
Maximize your time during your commute-
“MAKE IT A HABIT TO TALK ABOUT BLESSINGS MORE THAN BURDENS.”
Lately, while folding my daughter’s clothes, I’ve noticed almost everyone turning to Substack—sharing notes, unfiltered thoughts, fragments of their lives. It makes me wonder whether, as an individual, I’ve begun to lose my own distinct way of being out there. I understand the appeal: platforms that give everyone an equal voice, the freedom to speak without gatekeepers. But maybe, in that sameness of space and format, something quieter gets lost—the feeling that presence, expression, and individuality once carried a different weight.
“The cure for imposter syndrome is to realize that all the other people are just convincing imposters, too.”
— Alison Gopnik
Henri Matisse
Things I am working on:
Getting to know my connection with the God
Discovering myself as a new mom
Getting along with my stress level
Not exhausting myself just to please others- :)
Reading more and more
Solving lots of Wordsearch, I have been cherishing that.
Submitting to less literary places, it was exhausting last time.
This is my first newsletter of 2026, and I’m hoping I’ll be able to write many more this year. I’ve been doing this for about five years now, along with writing poetry and other things, and sometimes I still feel like taking a long pause.
I think it comes down to connection—the solidity behind what we create. Whenever I start doubting the credibility or meaning of something, I feel it’s important to slow down, pause, and think it through again. And again. Sometimes that pause is just as important as the act of creating itself.
What steps do you take to deliver pause to your routine? Share! :)
Until then,
With Love
Devika
Not exhausting myself just to please others---- I am working on this as well!