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I'm still learning myself. So I don't have all the answers. But I highly recommend Feeling Good by Dr Burns (http://amzn.to/2xdUvqJ). It's the No.1 best selling CBT book on depression.

It talks about dependence (love addiction) and approval addiction. Loneliness is something I've looked into a bit as well.

Love addiction

When you rely on love to be happy, you are not taking responsibility for your emotional life. The healthy mindset to have is that it would be nice to have someone love you, but it's not a need. You don't need a partner to achieve what you want and enjoy pleasurable activities.

You can love yourself through positive thinking (admiring your positive qualities everyday and how your a bit better today, accepting your flaws like a loved one would, taking good care of yourself, imagining people who have loved you in the past giving you warm feelings or even an imaginary compassionate being). Self soothing our inner child is an important skill for everyone to develop.

Changing dysfunctional attitudes like "I need love" involves a written exercise where you list the advantages and disadvantages of believing this and then re-write a healthier assumption. It's not wise to put your emotional health in something fickle. It's also unattractive to women if you're needy. It's like a downward spiral of loneliness.

I meet someone who was independent and happy, despite having no relationship experience in her late 20's and believing she would never marry. It gave me a role model to aspire to.

Also your self worth isn't based on being successful in love. Everyone has a self worth of 1 unit. It doesn't change no matter what. Even if you're unloved, you're just as worthy as someone else. Self worth is self worth. Relationship status is a different word to self worth. They're not the same thing. Your self worth is independent of looks, employment status, relationships status etc.

Aim to believe that you're a lovable, good, caring and competent person. Look for evidence that proves it, rather than character assassinating yourself and focusing on the negatives. Nobody is objectively good or bad. It's all opinion. Some people thought Charles Manson was good and worshiped him. So hold a good opinion of yourself because it's the helpful thing to do.

Close friendships

You don't need close friends to validate you as person. You decide how worthy you are. It's independent of how many close friends you have.

You're not entitled to close friendships. It's important to accept the universe owes you nothing and accept real life. In the modern world, most adults don't have that many close friends. And I think a lot of people rely on their partner.

I use my work colleagues as a source of friendship and sometimes organize once yearly socials with school mates through a whatapp group. I also never so no to a social invite. I use to be really closed off at work, because I thought people would reject me. But then I opened up and revealed my authentic weird self. Now I feel like I've built genuine friendships at work that I rely on for social support. Authenticity builds closeness. Focus on the other person in conversations. People love talking and it builds closeness when people feel you know them well and can support them.

Also spend time with family - take them out for dinner, phone calls etc. I appreciate the social support they've given me at times. Make the most out of what little social life you have and accept what people can give you. Rather than demand a level of closeness they can't deliver.

Solitary is nice too. It gives you space to recharge your batteries from work, grow and engage in hobbies.

Loneliness

Loneliness is natural. It's your body telling you that it wants social support and love. When it comes, be mindful of it and self soothe with kindness. Everyone experiences loneliness at some point in their life. It's a regular occurrence for me. You can't avoid suffering. It's a part of life. Make sure you take good of yourself when it comes. The only true solution to loneliness is friendship and love. As long as you are trying your best to get those things, there's nothing more you can do. Healthy distractions are a good thing during the day.

Life will get better. People will gravitate towards you, you may find love and you will become better at coping. You've just got to take every day as it comes and keep working on it.

OP, I would suggest spending the next one year of your life dedicating yourself to learning about India. I do not mean superficial learning about empty customs and rituals - I mean actually learning about the history of India over the last 5000 years.

I hate, hate, hate to use quotes from Westerners who have studied India (because it goes to show that we take pride when Westerners say something good about India) - but because you have such a huge inferiority complex about your race and wish you were White, I shall resort to using these examples.

>1. If I were to look over the whole world to find out the country most richly endowed with all the wealth, power, and beauty that nature can bestow – in some parts a very paradise on earth – I should point to India. If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most full developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions of some of them which well deserve the attention even of those who have studied Plato and Kant – I should point to India. And if I were to ask myself from what literature we, here in Europe, we who have been nurtured almost exclusively on the thoughts of Greeks and Romans, and of one Semitic race, the Jewish, may draw that corrective which is most wanted in order to make our inner life more perfect, more comprehensive, more universal, in fact more truly human, a life, not for this life only, but a transfigured and eternal life – again I should point to India. - Max Muller

>2. J. Robert Oppenheimer, American physicist and director of the Manhattan Project, learned Sanskrit in 1933 and read the Bhagavad Gita in the original form, citing it later as one of the most influential books to shape his philosophy of life. Upon witnessing the world's first nuclear test in 1945, he later said he had thought of the quotation "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds", verse 32 from chapter 11 of the Bhagavad Gita.

>3. In the introduction to The World as Will and Representation, written in 1818, Arthur Schopenhauer stated that "the access to [the Vedas], opened to us through the Upanishads, is in my eyes the greatest advantage which this still young century enjoys over previous ones, because I believe that the influence of the Sanscrit literature will penetrate not less deeply than did the revival of Greek literature in the fifteenth century".

>4. In 1789 Jones published a translation of Kālidāsa's The Recognition of Sakuntala. The translation captured the admiration of many, notably Goethe, who expressed his admiration for the Sanskrit play Shakuntala. Goethe went on to borrow a device from the play for his Faust, Part One.


Spend the next one year reading about how rich your culture is. I don't mean Bollywood culture - you don't need to learn anything about that - read about History, Philosophy, the various art forms. I know India is a messed up place in many, many ways but things will improve. Every country/region goes through ups and downs. You think the US is going to be a great country 300 years from now? There was a time when the Greeks were a mighty nation and now they are reduced to nothing. There was a time when the Arabs contributed a lot to mathematics and art - now they don't have that kind if culture.

You are never going to have true self-confidence if you don't feel proud about your origins. You are lucky that you are from India - because there are many things you can find about India's glorious past to feel pride in.

I recommend this book to get started - 'The Wonder That Was India'

http://www.amazon.com/Wonder-That-India-A-L-Basham/dp/033043909X

You will see how in the Indus Valley there was actual town planning - this was when most of Europe was a complete mess. I agree that we shouldn't just find comfort in the past and the present is most important. The present day India is a complete, complete, complete mess. But how can we expect to get out of the mess if the youth do not even have self-confidence about their heritage? In the case of Indians, we need to teach our children about our glorious past so that they feel pride and then are able to dream big and change the country.

I don't know what your story is and whether or not your parents ever discussed Indian History with you beyond the British rule. Anyway, you are an adult now and live in a country where you have access to excellent public libraries. Go and immerse yourself in some serious study. You will come out a different person.


EDIT 1 - Regarding women : Just have self-confidence and try to be a good human being. Don't give a damn about what another person thinks of you, and this quality will attract women.

I run my own little title insurance agency. Didn't go to school for it, though my field is heavily involved with real estate law and being an English major coincidentally did help a lot (close reading, textual analysis, etc.).

I got into it after my dad, who is a mortgage broker, first tried to get me to follow in his business but I have zero interest in that side of it. So when I was finishing up college he said: "Well you read and write all the time in college, and there's this thing called title insurance where you can at least make money at it." I looked into it, it did seem a good fit for my skills, so I got licensed and hit the road to get clients...turned out well.

BUT it turned out well because I started in 2005. Real estate bubble times. My success was pretty much my timing. Had I started even a year or two later, I'd not have made even half what I have.

I do enjoy what I do, because it's almost like being a real estate attorney through the back door (title insurance used to be done by attorneys in fact). I can't give legal advice or anything, but I have to know quite a bit of local real estate law and many of my clients are attorneys. When a title issue comes up we often hash out the problems & solutions together and it's fun. My respect for attorneys has definitely gone up tremendously, and the jokes about them are unfair overall. Yes there are some douchebag ones with big egos, but there are people like that in every field.

Would I recommend others get into this? Depends. I would not recommend starting your own agency like I did. Small agencies like mine are dropping like flies, both due to tougher regulations (the CFPB, which I actually support, is nonetheless cracking down hard on my industry now) and due to the best days of U.S. real estate now behind us. There just isn't the volume of business or number of clients out there to build a new network, especially with how regulated our industry is when it comes to sales/spending on clients (in my state I'm not allowed to spend more than $20 a YEAR on a client...that means I can't even take them out to lunch in many spots, not if I want to buy them some donuts for Christmas or something...it's nuts).

But I will recommend this: if you're an English or History major and don't mind an okay salary working for a larger title ins. company, it's worth checking out as a sort of "wild card" option instead of the usual teaching path that English/History majors go on.

Which leads to one final note: what I actually went to school for was to become a teacher. I got certified and everything, did my student teaching, taught 2nd & 5th grades. The short answer to that whole path is: only do teaching if you really can't picture yourself doing anything else and don't mind if no one else appreciates you for it. The KIDS do (honestly they really do, even if they act like they don't), and if that's enough to keep you going...well then maybe go for it. It's tough though. (If anyone wants more details on my experience pursuing teaching, feel free to PM me.)

Oh, and ALL of you need to watch this 15 minute video to understand the labor environment of the future we're moving into. Automation and bots are making rapid strides into nearly every field. For example: Think "I'm a doctor, I'll be fine"? Think again:

Humans Need Not Apply

If that video intrigued you, definitely read this book too.

First of all, sorry for responding so late. I saw your comment, but didn't have time to really sit down and give it the attention it warrants. Here is my reply:

This is an excellent and one of the most important points. Unfortunately, health care in America sucks in general and this is even worse for mental health due to a lack of understanding on the part of insurance companies about the nature of mental illness.

I do not have a great answer to your question because I've never really looked into it. There were some sites that seemed like good places to start that I found by Googling around:

NAMI HelpLine

SAMSHA

These are just other general thoughts/ideas:

-If you have insurance and are not really sure what's covered, call them and ask. You'll get a good idea of what's covered, what the copayment is likely to be etc. Even if the copay is more than you can afford, that is not necessarily the end. Many mental health practitioners operate on a sliding-scale which means they have some flexibility in terms of copayment.

-Look into universities or hospitals in your area. They often have clinical trainees or researchers who can see you for a reduced fee or even for free (e.g. in exchange for participation in a research study).

-I was going to say go to your local place of worship, but I am not sure how connected to mental health resources temples and masjids are.

-If you're a student with or without insurance, go to your campus counseling center and talk to them. They usually know practitioners they work with who have cheaper rates for students.

-If you don't have insurance and you aren't a student, there are hotlines or centers that might be able to help you get health insurance. I am not knowledgable of this process, but Google or asking on other subs could help.

-Depending on where you live, there can be support groups offered in the community. It isn't ideal, but you'll receive some form of support and it may help connect to other resources.

-Finally, sometimes seeing a therapist is just not an option. Whether it's due to just not being able to afford it, or maybe you live in an area that lacks mental health resources. In those cases, I could think of a few things.

You can find support groups on the internet. Not necessarily Reddit, but there are entire forums dedicated to people who experience depression, anxiety, substance abuse issues, etc. I'm sure there is a range of variance on the quality, but you should never discount the power of social support, even if it's not through a physical medium.

The other approach is self-education about mental health. Even though I put it as the last option, this is definitely one of the most powerful ones. There are a lot of great books and research papers out there on mental health, understanding specific disorders, and full clinical manuals. Some of these are not really accessible to people outside the field, but a lot of these are meant for the average consumer. You need to be careful because there is a lot of crap out there too. Check reviews, make sure the source is evidence and research based. This one is so critical. Through decades of research, we have a good understanding of many disorders, as well as the treatment approaches that are effective for them. It's important to consume content that is based on these scientific methods. If you need help deciding which books are good, again Google around or perhaps go to a psychology-focused forum and ask for opinions. One good approach is to read books written by the people who actually developed the therapies! Here are two good examples I like:

CBT for Depression

DBT

I fully realize that when you're struggling with a problem, you may feel that you don't have the physical or psychological resources to try to take this approach. But you should always know that this choice is available to you. It's something that you can try. Maybe it will help, maybe it won't. But it will definitely not hurt you.

I don't know if your cutting or bulking but these are for cutting, if I was bulking I imagine I would maybe use more fats or something. I've been cutting for a looonnngg time. I went from 278lbs and just weighed in today at 207, started heavy lifting when I was at 230. So I had to make meals I enjoy eating and I cut down on cooking time as much as possible without resorting to meal prepping because I don't really have that kind of room in the fridge. I actually make meals following recipes (I make some adjustments) instead of eating like a bowl of broccoli with a bowl of beans etc., because if I didn't I can't imagine how I could sustain it long enough to lose the amount of weight I have/had to lose. So these recipes just work for me. I've done macro ratios splits (and been really precise about it before) but right now all I care about its hitting protein as high as I can, while keeping the fats in the 15-20% range and letting the carbs fall where they are but I try to keep high carbs like 45-50%. I average 172g protein. I calculate the macros for all the recipes using myfitnesspal's recipe maker.


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BREAKFAST
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Alright so I eat oatmeal sprinkled with cinnamon everyday made with nonfat milk which gives me enough carbs plus 14g protein to power me through my workouts. Some days I add a tbsp or 2 peanut butter if I'm low on fats that day also gives extra protein. If you don't care for carbs I would make something else like a egg white breakfast burrito or something.

-----------------------------------------
SUPPLEMENTS/SNACKS
---------------------------------

• Protein Shakes
  
  The supplements is where I get a good amount of my protein. I'll have 2-3 whey protein shakes at least one with nonfat milk.
  
  
• Protein Bars
  
  I also make and eat one of these no bake protein bars everyday. They make 10 bars out of oatmeal, peanut butter, whey protein powder, a little vanilla extract and a little nonfat milk for mixing. Its kind of tricky to make but once you get it down it's simple ingredients, and easy to make with 214 calories, 18g protein, 19g carbs, 8g fat. I've posted my tips on how to make it before here
  
  
• Edamame (soybeans) or what I like to call 'em, Senzu Beans
  
  Great source of protein with low fat. You can buy these dry snacks. Or if you don't mind cooking add 2 quarts of water and 1 cup of edamame in their shell (in the frozen aisle in the grocery store), cover and let it simmer for about 5-8 minutes and then drain and sprinkles with salt they're actually really delicious. That makes 50 calories, 4 grams protein, 5 grams carbs, 1 gram fat. You can make 3 cups to make 150 calories, 12 g protein, 15 gram carbs, 3 g fats etc.
  
  
• Mango "Lassi" Protein Smoothie (or mango flavored yogurt)
  
  I got tired of making this because I was cutting my own mangos and freezing them because the frozen ones at the store sucked and without good mangoes this recipe is god awful. With good mangoes though its amazing.
  
  145 calories, 18g protein, 19g carbs, 0g fat. (Pistachios omitted)
  http://dailyburn.com/life/recipes/mango-lassi-protein-smoothie-recipe/
  
  
• I know you asked for high protein but if you want a delicious tasting high carb, spinach and fruit green smoothie I would make this. Can't even taste the spinach. If I could fit them into my macros everyday I would. Plus you feel so healthy drinking it but I feel like I'm cheating. Good mangoes are key though.
  
  -----------------------------------------------------
  LUNCH/DINNER MEALS
  --------------------------------
  
  
• Black Bean Quesadillas
  
  I always look forward to eating these probably my favorite meal. You can make 10 and stick them in the freezer. I follow the recipe exactly except I use whole wheat tortillas and reduced fat cheese. (For more protein you can make more black beans for the side use nonstick spray for low fat).
  
  Two quesadillas give 440 calories, 20g protein, 62g carbs, 14g fat.
  http://www.budgetbytes.com/2012/02/hearty-black-bean-quesadillas/
  
  
• Broccoli Cheddar Casserole
  
  I use reduced fat cheese, brown rice, whole wheat flour, nonfat milk (works fine trust me turn the heat all the way high instead of medium), cut the butter in half (I use my mom's ghee which we call kay), and add half a cup of nutritional yeast. This doesn't take long at all trust me the cooking time is mostly oven and cooking rice.
  
  ~372 calories, 22g protein, 44g carbs, 11g fat.
  http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/03/broccoli-cheddar-casserole/
  
  
  
• Seitan w/Broccoli and Sriracha
  
  I also make my own seitan (heard you can buy it at some asian stores though). I use the recipe down below because it tastes great and is easy to make, makes 4 servings. 278 calories 49g protein, 15g carbs, 1 g fat.
  I eat it with this broccoli cooked like this (recipe below) but with nonstick spray so I don't have so much fat. It takes like 5-7 minutes to steam. It makes 2 servings, 118 calories, 9g protein, 21g carbs, 1.5g fat.
  Then I pour some sriracha over it and chow down.
  
  http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/homemade-seitan/
  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/simple-and-satisfying-broccoli-recipe.html
  
  
• Black Bean Burgers
  
  I make this with whole wheat buns and eat it with spicy ketchup and honey mustard. I substituted the egg (I needed lower fats plus I'm cutting out eggs from my diet) for 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (protein) and 2tbsp corn starch with 3tbsp water for binding.
  
  460 calories, 23g protein, 90g carbs, 5g fats.
  
  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/black-bean-burgers-recipe.html
  
  
• Lasagna Roll Ups
  
  Makes 14 (Eat 2 for one serving) and you can put them in the freezer for later. I don't really enjoy eating these anymore they're meh (kinda bland) and I'm embarrassed eating them in front of people when they're microwaved leftovers but I still eat them because the macros are so good on it. There are better recipes like four cheese stuffed shells that are similar but taste better but it's way more cooking, I got tired of that.
  I used reduced fat moz cheese, part skim ricotta the rest is like the recipe.
  
  2 roll ups - 466 calories, 29g protein, 54 carbs, 14 g fats.
  
  http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/01/spinach-lasagna-roll-ups/
  
  
• Rajma
  
  I also make my my mom's rajma but with less fat and salt so it doesn't taste as good. Also I make it thicker (makes it easier to measure the servings) I can provide the recipe if you like but I'm just trying this and not sure how long I'll be continuing with it. I eat it with 3/4 cups brown rice and I get
  
  448 calories, 25g protein, 93g carbs, g fat.
  
  
• Apple Cheddar Panini
  
  2 whole wheat slices bread, 8 oz reduced fat mild cheddar off the block, half a medium apple (300gram fuji apple) sliced kinda thin, 1tbsp honey mustard. If you don't have a panini press (I don't) use nonstick pan spray with pam and put a plate and then something heavy over it. Cook on both sides tlll cheese melts. I don't like the honey mustard really so I take it out, but here macros with it.
  
  350 calories, 20g protein, 38g carbs, 13g fat.
  
  
• Tofu
  
  I'm still testing out tofu recipes. I found one I like but I got tired of making them just because the wait time for draining the tofu then baking it was too long but Tofu is a great source of protein.
  
  
• PB Sandwich (whole wheat) w/Milk
  
  You can count the macros yourself but it's really high protein but also in fats but it's a good if you have nothing to eat emergency meal.
  
  
• Fake Meats
  
  I don't really like to eat processed food but if you won't care, incorporating these will make your life way easier. I use these sometimes, for emergencies if I don't feel like cooking or I don't feel like running out to the store to buy some ingredients I'm missing for that day.
  I like Morningstars Grillers and Crumbles. You can make burgers with the grillers, with the crumbles you can make Low Carb Sriracha "Beef" wraps. http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2012/01/recipe-for-quick-sriracha-beef-lettuce.html
  I like Field House (Seitan) Sausage that are 25g protein for 250 calories, and I'll eat that with 170g potato which I sliced really thin and then nuked in the microwave with cooking spray until crispy kind of crispy and then season with salt after. I wish a store near me had fake chicken strips so I could make fajitas.
  
  -------------------------------------
  
  
• Some vegan bodybuilder youtubers you might get ideas from
  
  Vegan Physique (he has macros in his videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6FtBjNlqu2wNAH87Qj1UVA
  
  Brain Turner: https://www.youtube.com/user/HumerusFitness
  
  Vegan Hustle TV (This guy is really really into veganism): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3R83OcCzoCmRc2AapQeL7A
  
  Jon Venus: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheQuestForFitness
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Preface: This is going to be a long post, but I like oversharing/giving details.

I've only started to GAF about how I look/what I wear this year, it's been a very "informative" process. Wish I would've done this 10 years ago, but c'est la vie

 

I'm short + overweight (working on that though! Have a personal trainer, down 20lbs so far, still a ways to go, but progress is being made!) so any type of style has always been a struggle. EVERYTHING needs to be altered, especailly pants. I work in IT, dress code is business casual (most days its pants/shirt, occasionally jeans/polo, etc), although I've always trended closer to the business side of business casual.

In the past, I always went through a Harbaugh-inspired routine of having a set standard template that didn't require much thought: of Black Pants (Eddie Bauer), Black Socks, Black Belt, Black Shoes, and then just "mix it up" with different shirts (CT Non-Irons). My main concern was to avoid any type of faux-pas, better to play it safe and consistent.

 

Frustrated at myself, kinda hitting a midlife crisis this past winter, I decided to revamp everything. Reading a ton on MFA, GQ, MensXP, AoM, etc, got a crapload of conflicting info, and decided just to dive into it - I've tried to develop some sort of sense of style, I do know that I prefer quality/classics over trendy, and I thought the "good" brands would help me stick out some. Clothes, Shoes, Watches --> tried to improve it all.

 

This is what my "Wardrobe" now consists of, 90% is less than year old. any gaps/comments would be appreciated - Plus, as I lose weight, it's giving me opportunities to get new clothes, so always looking for new things. I'd proably like to have fewer but BETTER clothes, if I could do it over again.

• 30ish Dress Shirts, mostly all from CT. Some of them are getting too baggy, so will probably thin the heard by 10 or so in the next week, and replace them with 5 smaller cut shirts.
  
  
• 12 Polos, 5ish are various athletic/sports related ones, the rest (newest ones) are Lacoste, Polo, and Brooks Brothers
  
  
• Shoes: Cole Haan Lenox Hill Cap Toe Oxford, Black , AE Oak Street Cap-Toe Oxford, Black , Cole Haan Jay Grand Cap Toe Oxford, British Tan , AE Neumok 2 Wingtip Oxford , AE Park Avenue Cap-Toe Oxford, Black --> Reserved for formal occasions only , Nike Killshot 2s , Adidas Originals Superstars , Timberland Brook Park Chukka Boot, Brown Smooth , Sperry Top-Sider Gold Two-Eye Boat Shoe, Congac , [GH Bass Proctor Oxfords, Tan] (https://www.ghbass.com/product/proctor+buc.do)
  
   
  
  Pants:
  Normal rotation of 3 Blacks, 3, Navys, 2 Dark Gray, 2 light gray - All with the legs shortened + tapered, I don't get too radical with the pants.
  
   
  
  Other stuff:
  
  
• A bunch of "fun" dress socks
  
  
• Now have a collection of Watches: Bulova Curv 98A158, Gray , Michael Kors Gareth Brown, Citizen Ecosphere, Black/Blue, Skagen Titanium Mesh, Seiko Solar SSC139, Gunmetal/Silver, Seiko Solar SSC446, Silver/Gold/Black
  
   
  
  Summary: I don't know what this all adds up to, what "Style" this is, but I have to be honest, I do feel a lot better regarding the TYPES of clothes that I wear, and I have gotten a number of compliments, each one that I cherished greatly ;)
  
   
  
  TL;DR : I read too much stuff online, got confused, bought a ton of random stuff, and don't have any more space for new clothes. I do feel a little better though

I read this often, like whenever I feel the life is flying off the handle- it's a therapy. If you can, I recommend Gujarati or Martahi edition.

https://www.amazon.in/That-Thou-Art-Dhruv-Bhatt-ebook/dp/B00RLTDFZK

About: This book is English translation of Tatvamasi, the Sahitya Academy Award-Winning Gujarati Novel by Dhruv Bhatt.It will be definitely appreciated by all those who love India and its great ancient culture. In all this novels there are undercurrents suggesting unexpressed tender feeling between the hero and the counterpart, but there are no love-stories as such. And yet, all his novels hold the reader’s interest throughout, with gripping stories which are beautifully worded and thought provoking.Shri Druv Bhatt always emphasises the basic decency and value of life, which are found in Indians all over the country at the grass level. He attributes these commendable properties not to any religion but to the deep-rooted spirituality among the people.
Towards The Silver Crests of The Himalayas and Know Thy-Self by G.K.Pradhan
https://www.amazon.in/Towards-Silver-Crests-Himalayas-Pradhan-ebook/dp/B01G7AB5CI
https://www.amazon.in/Know-Thy-Self-Pradhan-G-K-ebook/dp/B01G984APC/


Being grounded is what keeps us firmly rooted within our self and in reality and these will certainly help get us there.

​

On my summer reading list, I have:

• Player Piano
  
  
• Lolita (re-reading. Nabokov's use of language is sublime)
  
  
• The Swerve: How The World Became Modern
  
  
• The Conquest of the Incas
  
  
• Let The Great World Spin
  
  
• Theodore Rex
  
  
  I'm currently half way through The Conquest of the Incas. If anyone has interest in the Spanish invasion of Mesoamerica, I highly recommend it. It's a very vivid account of the political games Pizarro and his generals played to take over the Inca empire and solidify their grip in the New World.

Yes! There's a long an amazing history of South Asians and African Americans working together in common struggle for joint decolonization of South Asia and African America. Two of my favorite books on the topic:

• "Colored Cosmopolitanism: The Shared Struggle for Freedom in the United States and India" by Nico Slate
  
• "Raising Up A Prophet: The African-American Encounter With Gandhi" by Sudarshan Kapur
  
  If living a world away, Tagore could be in conversation with African-American newspapers (Google "A Message to the American Negro from Rabindranath Tagore"), and Nehru with folks like W.E.B. DuBois, I feel like we have all the historical grounding/precedent we need to be able to build together with our African American friends and neighbors. (Of course these stories are all based on South Asia and African America, not South Asian Americans and African Americans — but the work we do today is how history is made.)

I'm in the middle of The Lies of Locke Lamora. I'm not a huge fan of sci-fi but my brother recommended it to me and insisted I read it. I'm actually really like it so far.

The other book I'm reading is Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. I'm only a few chapters into it but it's interesting to this point.

These are the ones I like. I guess you get them on Amazon. :)

https://www.amazon.com/Cello-Technotip-Writing-Cricketer-Mahindera/dp/B00KNTKH6A

https://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Buddy-0159-BLU-Personal-Filter/dp/B00478UIB2/ref=sr_1_3?crid=4323U9HF3CN1&keywords=smoke+buddy&qid=1555903941&s=gateway&sprefix=smoke+buddy%2Caps%2C218&sr=8-3

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or just do it when you're on vacation somewhere.

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If you're ever in Cali, grab some tiny edibles like mints or sweets.