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  • Home
    • Categories
    • Midlife & the Art of Living
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  • About: Paula
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  • Happiness
  • Illustration by Satyajit Ray
    Books, Faith & Contemplation

    Greatness of Satyajit Ray – The Illustrator

    May 2, 2026 - By Aziza Ahmed Paula

    There is a version of Satyajit Ray most of us grew up with without even realizing it. Not the towering filmmaker whose cinema travelled the world, not the celebrated writer whose characters quietly settled into our childhoods—but the artist whose lines shaped how we first learned to see. Satyajit Ray – The Illustrator For many Bengali children of a certain generation, Ray was not an introduction. He was an atmosphere. His presence lived in the pages we turned before we knew what design meant, before we understood composition, before we had language for aesthetics. We saw his illustrations in Sandesh,…

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    Rumi

    Impossible Rumi, My 800-Year-Old Lover

    September 15, 2026
    Illustration of everyday workers including a security guard, therapist, barber, bookseller, and housemaid, representing grief for the ordinary people who quietly become part of our lives.

    The Unspoken Grief of Losing the Familiar Faces

    August 23, 2026
    Buddha

    Buddha: The Blessed One Who Became My Quiet Home

    August 7, 2026
  • A women preparing a plate of flowers: Happiness
    Happiness

    Chapter 1: What Is Happiness—Really?

    May 1, 2026 - By Aziza Ahmed Paula

    Explore true happiness beyond pleasure and excitement through philosophy, psychology, and lived experience. There comes a point when the question of true happiness stops being theoretical and begins to feel personal. You may notice it in the middle of an ordinary afternoon, when everything is technically fine, yet something inside remains unlit and dimmed. Or perhaps it arrives after a moment of excitement fades faster than expected, leaving behind a faint restlessness. At this stage of life, happiness is no longer about chasing moments; it becomes about understanding what actually sustains a life. Happiness… It is a word we use…

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    A serene and symbolic illustration of happiness as a way of life, featuring a peaceful home surrounded by lush gardens, blooming flowers, books, meditation, nature, and the sun and moon in harmonious balance. A solitary figure sits in quiet contemplation at the center, representing inner peace, love, beauty, and connection with the natural world. The artwork has a clean, dreamlike psychedelic aesthetic with soft luminous colors, conveying happiness, mindfulness, home, spirituality, and everyday rituals as a unified philosophy of life. The word

    Final Chapter: Happiness as Sadhana

    August 16, 2026
    Practices that anchor happiness through journaling, meditation, movement, home rituals, reading, cooking, and simple daily routines.

    Chapter 5: Happiness Begins with Practice

    July 31, 2026
    Foundations of Happiness: Building a Life That Supports Well-Being

    Chapter 4: Happiness Foundations: Building a Life That Supports Well-Being

    July 12, 2026
  • Two women sitting in a cafe chatting.
    Books, Faith & Contemplation

    Effort: One Quiet Ingredient That Changes Everything

    April 20, 2026 - By Aziza Ahmed Paula

    A reflective exploration of effort—how much is enough, why it matters, and how it quietly shapes identity, presence, and everyday life. Effort: The Quiet Ingredient That Changes Everything There was a time when effort meant something almost optional to me. Not in work—I showed up, I delivered on point—but in the smaller, more intimate layers of life. The way I dressed, the way I entered a room, the way I carried myself through ordinary days. Then one afternoon, over a cup of coffee, someone said something that sounded very dramatic at that moment, and annoying too but it lingered on…

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    Rumi

    Impossible Rumi, My 800-Year-Old Lover

    September 15, 2026
    Illustration of everyday workers including a security guard, therapist, barber, bookseller, and housemaid, representing grief for the ordinary people who quietly become part of our lives.

    The Unspoken Grief of Losing the Familiar Faces

    August 23, 2026
    Buddha

    Buddha: The Blessed One Who Became My Quiet Home

    August 7, 2026
  • Midlife Skill Learning
    Midlife & the Art of Living

    Midlife Skill Learning: Starting Anew at 50 and Finding Meaning Again

    April 10, 2026 - By Aziza Ahmed Paula

      Midlife skill learning can transform your 50s into a phase of renewal, purpose, and joy. Discover how learning a new skill adds meaning, resilience, and a fresh identity. Midlife Skill Learning: The Quiet Beginning of Something Else At the threshold of fifty, something subtle shifts. The house grows quieter, the routines loosen their grip, and the roles that once defined you begin to soften. It is not always sadness—though sometimes it arrives that way—it is more like an unfamiliar stillness. A question begins to hover: is this where life slows down, or where something else quietly begins? In this…

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    Traditional jewelry revival

    Traditional Jewelry Revival: Statement Necklaces, Kacher Churi, and the Return of Ornament

    May 10, 2026
    Bullet Journaling

    Bullet Journal: A Perfectionists’ Guide to Navigate 1 and get absolute Burn Out

    October 17, 2021
    c412e36e 0528 47fe bcca 67e5c959d750 Ghost kitchen or cloud kitchen

    Ghost kitchen or cloud kitchen

    September 1, 2021
  • Almond blossom by Vincent Van Gogh
    Books, Faith & Contemplation

    Love Letter to Vincent: How Vincent Became My Lifelong Devotion

    April 1, 2026 - By Aziza Ahmed Paula

    A reflective Love Letter to Vincent exploring art, memory, and a real-life encounter in Berlin that deepened a lifelong connection with Van Gogh.   Love Letter to Vincent There are certain affections that do not arrive with permission. They begin quietly, often in childhood, and then remain—unquestioned, almost invisible, yet deeply formative. Writing this Love Letter to Vincent, I find myself returning not to a grand moment, but to a subtle shift. A young girl standing before something she could not explain, yet could not leave behind. Over the years, that early encounter does not fade. Instead, it rearranges perception.…

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    Rumi

    Impossible Rumi, My 800-Year-Old Lover

    September 15, 2026
    Illustration of everyday workers including a security guard, therapist, barber, bookseller, and housemaid, representing grief for the ordinary people who quietly become part of our lives.

    The Unspoken Grief of Losing the Familiar Faces

    August 23, 2026
    Buddha

    Buddha: The Blessed One Who Became My Quiet Home

    August 7, 2026
  • A woman writing her journal spending alone time, living her best life. Live
    Books, Faith & Contemplation

    How to Live Without Loneliness: A Practical Philosophy of Mindful Life

    March 24, 2026 - By Aziza Ahmed Paula

    Live a peaceful life not as an escape from the world, but as a deliberate way of being within it. Peace is not passivity; it is clarity. When the mind is not constantly pulled by comparison, urgency, or restless desire, it begins to see things as they are. In that seeing, decisions become simpler, relationships become lighter, and daily actions gain meaning. A peaceful life allows one to respond rather than react, to choose rather than be driven. It creates space for attention, and attention is where life actually unfolds. Without this inner steadiness, even success feels scattered; with it,…

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    Rumi

    Impossible Rumi, My 800-Year-Old Lover

    September 15, 2026
    Illustration of everyday workers including a security guard, therapist, barber, bookseller, and housemaid, representing grief for the ordinary people who quietly become part of our lives.

    The Unspoken Grief of Losing the Familiar Faces

    August 23, 2026
    Buddha

    Buddha: The Blessed One Who Became My Quiet Home

    August 7, 2026
  • a stack of all classic books of all time
    Books, Faith & Contemplation

    Why the Most Radical Thing You Can Do Is : Reading

    March 12, 2026 - By Aziza Ahmed Paula

    We are accustomed to speaking of reading as a hobby, a diversion, a pastime to be indulged once the duties of the day have been attended to. It is pleasant, often enjoyable, certainly enriching—but optional. Reading sits in the same polite category as stamp collecting, embroidery, or amateur gardening: commendable, but not essential, a polite accessory to life rather than a foundation of it. This is a fundamental misunderstanding. Reading is not a hobby. It is work. Serious, disciplined, exacting work. Hobbies, by their nature, are deferable. They yield gracefully to the urgency of other obligations. Work does not. Work…

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    Rumi

    Impossible Rumi, My 800-Year-Old Lover

    September 15, 2026
    Illustration of everyday workers including a security guard, therapist, barber, bookseller, and housemaid, representing grief for the ordinary people who quietly become part of our lives.

    The Unspoken Grief of Losing the Familiar Faces

    August 23, 2026
    Buddha

    Buddha: The Blessed One Who Became My Quiet Home

    August 7, 2026
  • Behula Lakkhindar, Annada Mongol and Radha Krishna
    Bangali Life & Memory

    Exploring Bangla Folklore: A Tapestry of Tradition and Storytelling

    August 27, 2024 - By Aziza Ahmed Paula

    Folktales are an important branch of folklore. They are usually created orally by rural, often illiterate communities and passed down from generation to generation through memory and storytelling. The English term folk tales broadly refers to all types of such traditional narratives. In Bengali, stories commonly called rupkatha or fairy tales resemble what English literature calls fairy tales, though not all of them involve fairies. Instead, they often feature magical kingdoms, demons or monsters, heroic princes who accomplish impossible tasks, rescue distant princesses, and receive supernatural help. In German, such tales are known as Märchen. In Bengal, famous collections of…

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    How to Be a Dhaka Woman — a vibrant collage of Dhaka culture featuring a Dhaka woman, Shilpakala Academy, North End coffee, a local tea stall, colourful rickshaws, fuchka, chotpoti, cultural events and the city skyline.

    How to Be a Dhaka Woman: 1 Guide, 100 Contradictions and Plenty of Courage

    September 7, 2026
    A vintage-style cover illustration titled “BENGALI” depicts a serene river winding through the Bengal delta, surrounded by historical architecture, a Baul musician, a woman reading, ancient manuscripts, folk art, pottery, and Bengali script, symbolizing the history, culture, and enduring soul of Bengal.

    Unfolding True Essence of Bengali Identity

    August 31, 2026
    The Last Crab Before Australia

    Cherished Last Spicy Crab Before Australia

    July 25, 2026
  • Bangla Batik Prints
    Bangali Life & Memory

    Bangla Batik Prints: Tradition, Craftsmanship, and Modernity

    August 8, 2024 - By Aziza Ahmed Paula

    Bangla Batik prints represent a unique fusion of tradition, craftsmanship, and modernity. Originating in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in regions of Bangladesh and West Bengal, Batik has a rich history that dates back centuries. This intricate dyeing technique has evolved over time, blending cultural heritage with contemporary trends. In this article, we will explore the origins, techniques, cultural significance, and modern adaptations of Bangla Batik prints. Bangla Batik Prints Historical Origins Ancient Beginnings The art of Batik is believed to have ancient roots, with evidence of its practice dating back over 2,000 years. Though its exact origins are debated, it…

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    How to Be a Dhaka Woman — a vibrant collage of Dhaka culture featuring a Dhaka woman, Shilpakala Academy, North End coffee, a local tea stall, colourful rickshaws, fuchka, chotpoti, cultural events and the city skyline.

    How to Be a Dhaka Woman: 1 Guide, 100 Contradictions and Plenty of Courage

    September 7, 2026
    A vintage-style cover illustration titled “BENGALI” depicts a serene river winding through the Bengal delta, surrounded by historical architecture, a Baul musician, a woman reading, ancient manuscripts, folk art, pottery, and Bengali script, symbolizing the history, culture, and enduring soul of Bengal.

    Unfolding True Essence of Bengali Identity

    August 31, 2026
    The Last Crab Before Australia

    Cherished Last Spicy Crab Before Australia

    July 25, 2026
  • Bullet Journaling
    Midlife & the Art of Living

    Bullet Journal: A Perfectionists’ Guide to Navigate 1 and get absolute Burn Out

    October 17, 2021 - By Aziza Ahmed Paula

    Bullet Journal, from where is all started. When I was younger, my father would always call me impatient. Whenever we had plans I would bombard him with questions about the duration of the commute, the starting time, the hypothesised arrival time and a million variations of time related questions. Although growing up I would think of myself as impatient as well, with time I realised you can be overly punctual without being impatient. I was not overly eager to get on with my plans to the point of irritability; I just wanted to get things done at the time I…

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    Traditional jewelry revival

    Traditional Jewelry Revival: Statement Necklaces, Kacher Churi, and the Return of Ornament

    May 10, 2026
    Midlife Skill Learning

    Midlife Skill Learning: Starting Anew at 50 and Finding Meaning Again

    April 10, 2026
    c412e36e 0528 47fe bcca 67e5c959d750 Ghost kitchen or cloud kitchen

    Ghost kitchen or cloud kitchen

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