The Indian Standard | JULY 2021

the INDIAN STANDARD

BY JANANI

FEATURING HAARITH ON FASHION AND HOW IT

PLAYED A ROLE IN HIS LIFE, TOXIC MASCULINITY AND MORE.

START START

JUL 2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS 09

13

Forward

Theme Explanation

Self Concept An Overview

21

31

37

An Interview with Haarith

The Journey

Journaling Example

39

45

54

Gratitude

Our Pride by Kiran Rajan

Special Thanks

04

TRIGGER

WARNING

&

DISCLAIMER

This magazine may contain detailed information regarding anxiety, depression and suicide. Please read with caution.

The interviews, stories and entries in this magazine are included with the approval of the respective creators. All correspondence and interaction occurred prior to the publication of this issue.

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July 2021 At times, it seems as though starting something is equivalent to committing. I notice, whenever i choose to start, my life expands in some unforeseen way. It’s almost as if, recommitting to yourself is what triggers the most illumination.

However, in the beginning, it started off as a request: i wanted life to be easier for me. The path i ended up taking, however, was unprecedented and my life took a drastic turn when i started to learn more about subconscious reprogramming.

The information was presented so randomly that in hindsight, was definitely a granted prayer. I now was affirming, meditating, setting intentions and creating a journey for myself. In a way, i had set the intention to experience life with joy again and the universe handed me a map. This time the map was my mind and the treasure was my life back.

Healing was the answer. I had to work on everything i thought i “fixed”. I had to get back up somehow - i needed some clarity on what this was all for. I mean in the beginning, i was healing a broken heart. Now, i am healing every single limiting belief i could ever possess.

Lately, everything feels like a beginning. Every small step i take to move forward, i feel triumphant on the other side. Then, after a few days of riding that high, my mind reminds me of something else i have to work on, a trigger or feeling comes up that i learn to process. The unspoken rule feels like: if i do not process my emotions or learn to transmute them, i cannot move on to the next level. I think my life over the past few months had been so revolved around healing and learning as much as i could, that i didn't step up for air. I again, put myself in a box.

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I think that’s what this current level i am on is all about. That's why i am being honest with you. In july of 2021, i did not write. I did not write from july through now. I did not create or honor the indian standard. I felt unworthy, unmotivated, ill-fated. I just felt… horrible. I couldn't get up and move. I think this next level is to get back to me. "i know what i want, but i don't have it"… that narrative is going out the window. That narrative has just run my life. Me filling in the type a shoes during the day, and then becoming debilitated by my mind at night. Right when 6pm hits, i go into my slumped, unmotivated, triggeringly-similar-to-depression state. I hesitate, question, disregard, resent. I feel such pain at the most random times - granted, things are slowly but surely getting better. But this fight i'm fighting, is one for my life back. One for me. One that i cannot ever give up on, no matter what. As debilitating as it can feel at times, it is pain that is worth experiencing. It is years and years of tears. Years and years of self-pity, abuse, anger, rage, abandonment, sadness and pain. Its pure pain that i am relinquishing - some scars are bound to be ripped open at times. Healing is not glamorous at all. It is beautiful because it is not perfect or linear. The healing journey is rewarding because it truly is the most work. I mean, most days, you’re questioning if you’re even moving forward. You come off as confident, unbothered, free even at times. But no one really knows how much you wonder if you’re even doing it right.

I think that is the most silent, painful aspects. That no one really knows how hard you're trying. So the off handed tough external moments at work can feel mountainous. However, you soon learn, that your response to triggers are more indicative of your character than the actual event you think is directed at you. So you learn, you grow, you heal and you start creating again.

So hi, after a long time. Im here writing in december for an issue that was supposed to be done by july. So in the name of “making the most of it” - let’s talk about how the start of something can feel mountainous, strenuous, hard… but illuminating.

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s a nd p u c ra iful t u s hi ea ng b y do n a wn m o s sh t i wit w ha il fe w c ho e n e t a a e ic e & cr y t i r : a l c n i a g e ng w i d tan s r nde u ugh o r th

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ar or to tion a e f t t let en e s l e l ove to pr be ue re a tr

haracter.to let c r u lov of o e

cou rse our vei ns and be the sou l re aso n

of living.

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THEME

EXPLANATION

START it’s steep - the notion of starting to start is to initiate a new line of thinking, a new belief system, a new path. with every moment, we manifest a reality that is designed perfectly for us so why not hold the paint brush? initiation is a form of energy & to start is to initiate a new line of thinking. with every moment we spend dreaming of a life that empowers our being we create a pathway for inspired action therefore, those who tell you to keep your head out of the clouds are those afraid of their own potential

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"People will learn to respect you far more if you can acknowledge that you are an imperfect person - like everyone else - learning, adapting, and trying your best" - The Mountain is You, Weist, 47

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M IrecenterN D

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THEME

EXPLANATION

START

recenter

when you work on your self-concept and adjust your beliefs, you become a person with a new state of mind - a new “default mode”, if you will. this is why taking conscious breaks is beneficial, allow your program to reset, surrender and recenter.

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SELFCONCEPT QUESTIONING YOUR BELIEF SYSTEMS JOURNALING BY JANANI

Our beliefs have dictated our lives. The creation of a belief starts at a young age where our familial influence, surroundings and thought pattern develop. Our perception of the world was likely held between the four walls of our childhood home and parents that have their own beliefs about the world.

Now this is apparent in our lives today.

How we choose to see the world is merely through our mind. Our feelings of how we are “supposed” to feel has shaped our emotions. Our subconscious mind has stored a series of true/false statements creating a sense of judgement for our society. So long as we hold onto that judgement energy, we may never break out of the first of many matrices.

Self-Concept is how you see yourself in relation to x,y and z. Now this variable can be love, wealth, success, abundance, relationships, family, friendships, career, etc. So essentially, we are asking the question, "how do I see myself in relation to _______"

HOW DO I SEE MYSELF IN RELATION TO CAREER, ABUNDANCE, PASSION & HAVING FAITH IN MY DREAMS.

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JOURNALING BY JANANI

P R O B L E M S O L V I N G T H O U G H T S . . .

CREATE MOMENTUM BEHIND THE FAVORABLE STORY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIRAN RAJAN

JOURNAL PROMPTS FOR ABUNDANCE, CREATIVITY & GROWTH How do I see myself in relation to career?

How can I obtain financial freedom?

Do I believe money is hard to come by? Why? Why do I need to break my back for abundance?

How can I be creative today?

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIRAN RAJAN

How can I be better than I was a moment ago?

Is there anything I can shift about my mentality?

How do I feel at home? What makes me feel at home? What makes me currently feel safe?

How do I envision my life? Do I believe that life is easy?

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIRAN RAJAN

JOURNALING BY JANANI

Take a place in your life that you are unsatisfied with. Now take that word and use it in the blank - "how do I see myself in relation to ______". This is what we are trying to address. We want to investigate how we see ourselves to a particular area of life (career, abundance, love, parental relationships, friendships etc.) and identify how we can change the story to make it favorable to the outcome we desire.

Start with your journal and put your question at the top. Now think about what each word means to you and remember we are trying to understand where our thoughts wander off to. Once you start to journal about this, you can begin to understand where your associations, triggers, trauma, pain and hurt all started. I do want to caution that this journaling exercise may not yield the root of the problem on the first day. Sometimes I sit with the same journal prompt for weeks at a time. It is totally normal to not solve everything in one night, but trying everyday is what builds strength. Now that you have written where you are currently, we can start to create affirmations that allow us to transform the old story. We take the old story, and line by line create a new one where we win.

Instead of, "money only comes to people who work hard" we change the story to "I am so happy and grateful now that money flows to me with ease". We turn every line of our old story into a favorable, new one. The last step is to persist. Changing anything is a journey. So be patient with how your life transforms, but believe more than anything that there is ALWAYS movement. The Universe is always conspiring for ways to allow you to win, so why not entertain the idea that you always get what you want?

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIRAN RAJAN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIRAN RAJAN

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JOURNALING BY JANANI

How do I see myself in relation to my career?

How do I see myself in relation to my career?

I am confident in my career. I have always worked hard in what I wanted and as a result things have financially worked out for me.

However, I am not completely fulfilled by my job. I feel ungrateful even saying that because I am lucky enough to even get a job - but at the same time, a part of me feels like my creative ventures bring me more happiness. I just wish I had time to live both lives. I crave the financial stability the 9-5 job gives me, but I feel called to do something else. I also know that a creative field is a lot riskier and I feel like everything I do is a struggle. I just want everything to work out on it's own because I feel helpless. I feel like nothing that I do allows me to fully transform my life and I am always in the "I'm trying to get my life together" phase. I want to have my dreams and my life together. I am sick of feeling unsatisfied with life but I just don't know what to do about it. I feel like there is no way out and I am just going to be stuck living the same life - doing what is expected of me at all times.

I know I destined for success. I believe that hard work is important, however tirelessness is not the only path to greatness. I now believe that everything does come to down to just that: belief. I am fulfilled by my career since I work for myself - I create, workshop and am in control of my destiny. I know that my thoughts create my reality. I am so happy and grateful now that I am solely responsible for my creative ventures - I am so thankful that my passions bring my financial reward and stability. I am comfortable, safe and secure in my current place in life. I am always transforming and I know now, that everyday is an opportunity to set intentions for bigger and better. I know that I do not have to always be happy, however, I can control what I think. I know that I can depart or attract situations with my thoughts and it truly is all up to me. I am so happy and grateful now that I am living my own dream - I cannot believe I get to wake up everyday living this life.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIRAN RAJAN

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIRAN RAJAN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIRAN RAJAN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIRAN RAJAN

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You don't heal to get back to who you used to be... you heal so you learn how to understand, work-through and process complex emotions. You heal so that you can learn and grow into a version even you has not witnessed

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B OjourneyD Y

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THEME

EXPLANATION

START

journey

People often say it's about the journey not the destination. However true this advice may be, I don't think I saw that reality until this year.

Every day is just an opportunity to try. Just an opportunity to put forth effort, and hey, if for some reason you feel resistance, just try again.

Failure is only what you think it is.

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HAARITH - HAARITH - HAARITH - HAARITH - HAARITH - HAARITH - HAARITH -

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HAARITH - HAARITH - HAARITH - HAARITH - HAARITH - HAARITH - HAARITH -

Language is what brought me closer to people.

I realized at a young age, that the cultural divide I saw in school existed everywhere. When I picked up different languages such as Punjabi, Hindi, Arabic, and Spanish, I realized that I was meeting tons of people that I wouldn't normally interact with.

This even helps with what I do now through social media - I try and bring people together whether it is through religion, common interests or social activism. I am a believer in that we are all one and the same - religion should never cause divide. One of the main issues I see in my community is the judgement for different belief systems - as if it is not okay to be a non-Muslim. I want to assert that this is the exact opposite of the teachings of being Muslim. I was taught that you are supposed to be very inclusive, judgement free.

Chase your happiness.

Modeling and acting makes me really happy. I recently got signed to an agency which is really cool and will hopefully open up a ton of doors for me. I want to be able to show that representation really does matter and hopefully me pursuing my dreams will encourage minorities to do the same - I want to see a world where it is normal to see black, brown and asian people in mainstream media. This is the main reason Tik Tok is so important to me. When I first opened the app, I saw so many brown guys doing fashion videos. That made me so happy - I finally felt like it was possible for people like to me to succeed in a creative industry.

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JULY 2021

HAARITH BODY

an interview

BODY

Toxic masculinity is very much present. I noticed that the hatred towards the LGBTQ+ community came from a lot of the men I was surrounded with at the time. At the end of the day, it seemed like dudes were the ones obsessing over who another dude loves - I just couldn't wrap my head around concerning myself with other people's business like that. Men who are confident in themselves and their sexuality don't care who's gay, they don't care who's bi, and they certainly don't care what other guys are wearing.

A lot of men I know just don't want to appear feminine. My stance on toxic masculinity is simply this: be exactly who you are.

Understand and love that part of you because at the end of the day, you shouldn't care about what someone else is doing when you could just do you.

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JOURNALING BY JANANI

T H E J O U R N E Y MANIFESTATIONS & OUR CURRENT REALITY

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JOURNALING BY JANANI

The healing journey is humbling. Our character that is vast, our character that is flawed and perfected in the most dualistic way is neatly shown on a silver platter.

Our character that is vast is put simply and that interruption can cause dissonance... once you reach this stage which is also coined as "the dark knight of the soul" your true desires emerge. In this, you'll see that this journey, this delicate pathway is merely a stepping stone in the right direction, which arguably is far superior to any conscious manifestation. See, the journey is what makes the manifestation so beautiful. It's not the money, or the relationship, x-situation-resolved, that brings us peace. It is the knowing and feeling that you already have access to the same emotions those manifestations may illicit. Often times, we want to manifest certain things into our lives because we notice the lack of it. However, the bases of manifestation is to live as though you have already obtained the desire. With the Law of Assumption, you are to live in the wish-fulfilled or "live in the end" - which essentially is occupying the state of achieving whatever it is that you desire.

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JOURNALING BY JANANI

Take a second to appreciate how far you have come. Everything has only ever prepared you for this moment... and at the end of the day, knowledge only ever finds you. You are ready for the next up-level and I think sometimes we need a reminder on how valuable we are. We have the ability to access our differentiating factor. What makes you special? What makes you excited? When do you find joy?

How do you feel when love fills your chest? How do you feel when you see your favorite person? Or hear your favorite song? This is the key. What makes you, you?

By slowly, day by day, answering this question... we can start to access our true desires. Our true intentions and thus, can start manifesting a life that is conducive to our ability to heal, create & grow.

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"People will learn to respect you far more if you can acknowledge that you are an imperfect person - like everyone else - learning, adapting, and trying your best" - The Mountain is You, Weist, 47

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S OpeakU L

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THEME

EXPLANATION

START

peak

the peak is not what you think it is. yes the glory is present - the burst of "wow I cannot believe this happened" - but unfortunately, we move to the next worry rather quickly. the real climb is realizing that "peak" we are searching for is actually within us, in this moment. the peak is realizing that your highest is only ever equivalent to how much you love your true self.

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JOURNALING BY JANANI

"I am so happy and grateful now" brings the emotion and feeling of the manifestation to the forefront of your mind.

S E L F C O N C E P T J O U R N A L I N G CREATE MOMENTUM BEHIND THE FAVORABLE STORY

"Current status" is reminding us that abundance starts NOW - so reflecting on the present moment allows you to cherish it.

The Favorable Story Do I believe money is hard to come by? Why? Why do I need to break my back for abundance?

I am so happy and grateful now that I believe that abundance is easily obtained. I am so grateful for my current status of wealth, my loved ones and everyone who has aided me in this journey. Everything about my life feels abundant and I know that all creation starts in the mind. I am easy going and stress free always, thank you Universe for allowing this to happen!! I remember when I used to think that money was difficult to come by, I thought it defined my self worth and status - I am so thankful that I now believe that I am already extremely abundant as I am.

The phrase "I remember when..." is an example of the Revision technique coined by Neville Goddard. When you remember a time with your limiting beliefs, you can replace the association of those events with a new one thereby healing your trauma and improving your self-concept at the same time.

Through Revision, you're recounting when you used to believe that money defines your self worth and status now you are looking at money as a tool.

Using the word "feel" helps to embody the manifestation

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JOURNALING BY JANANI

How do I see myself in relation to money?

How do I see myself in relation to money?

I grew up with immigrant parents. My relationship with money/grades determines my relationship with my family. I guess I always had a low self-esteem and confidence when it came to my success. Then all of a sudden, I learned how to fake it. Everyone around me seemed to know what they wanted. In high school and college, people entered each room with this confidence of themselves, whereas I was still struggling with my place in this world. I think money will come to you if you know how to save and if you have a good job. It is very important for me to have a lot of money so that I can feel stable and safe. Going down a traditional, already carved out path is the safest way to make/ maintain a good cash flow.

Money, like everything else, is an energetic frequency. I see myself as abundant already. I am very content with where I am now and honestly, I do have blessings in every corner.

I had to realize that money was not the only form of abundance and that everything I need is already with me. I have new opportunities and excitement in every corner. There is so much I already have!

Thank you universe for everything you have given me and I hope you continue to inspire, excite and motivate me to continue. I know that luxury is in the mind, and everything that I could ever want is already with me. I am passionate about my dreams and I am excited to pursue them because I do not need monetary gain for me to feel secure.

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JOURNALING BY JANANI

even gratitude should be intentional...

We hear about the importance of practicing gratitude but do we actually know why?

When we are consciously and consistently practicing gratitude, we see that our sight is now only equipped to see what we have rather than what we lack. What you focus on expands and how you choose to see the world dictates your experience.

So start small. Get a notebook and every night, write three "wins" you had for the day, three wins you will have for tomorrow, and five reasons you have to feel grateful in this moment. As you continue with this practice, you'll notice that your passive reaction to life will be in the energetic frequency of gratitude and as a result, abundance.

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OUR PRIDE - Kiran Rajan -

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"If we can't stand up for ourselves and demand to be treated with the respect our heritage deserves, then all of these issues are on us. Ignorance can be educated, but we have to be the ones to do the educating. So don’t be silent, if something makes you uncomfortable then say so. Some of you may have tried speaking out only to be made fun of more, to that I say, if you’re going to get made fun of one way or another then hold your pride close to you." - KR

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JULY 2021

SOUL

OUR PRIDE

SOUL

By Kiran Rajan If you’re reading this as a brown person who grew up in this country, what I’m about to talk to you about will sound like a bitter walk down memory lane. Since I’m an Indian person, I will speak from that perspective, but I’m sure you’ve experienced this no matter what flavor of brown you are. I vividly remember sitting at lunch in elementary school with my tupperware container of Indian food that my mother had so lovingly prepared for me. The next thing I know I hear the gasps of non-indian students around me. Some were laughing at the appearance of my meal, with others making exaggerated faces as if they were smelling the scent of death in the air.

This is simply one of the ways brown people are shamed for aspects of their culture. The ignorance aside, by far the worst part about this was the silence of the other brown kids around me. Those of us who went through this and similar ordeals will remember the deep sense of isolation and the lingering feeling that being a brown person was somehow a sign of inferiority. As I sit and write about this, I think about how Indian culture and its aesthetic has become trendy on social media. The women I grew up with who were made fun of for using oil in their hair now have a front row seat to non-indians hailing it as a part of their hair routine. It seems that parts of growing up Indian can only be considered valid when people who aren’t Indian validate it.

Indian food, music, clothing, even Hindu gods and symbols have become plastered across the feeds of celebrities, influencers, and average people that grew up and made fun of Indians for the same things. I watched as kids would make fun of our deities being depicted in ways that seemed “weird” or “funny-looking”. Nowadays we have Kim Kardashian using Om earrings in her shoots, and people walking around with Ganesha tattoos. Every part of Indian culture was made to be a joke, and then society turned that narrative around at the expense of brown people.

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JULY 2021

SOUL

OUR PRIDE

SOUL

By Kiran Rajan

What really makes this worse is the fact that Indian people are still grossly stereotyped and mistreated while the people responsible, use our culture for the “aesthetic” and “clout”. To be real with you guys, it feels like one hell of a “Fuck You” to brown people. As much as the culpability falls on the ignorant people perpetuating this cultural appropriation, what did we do about it?

I’ve seen numerous brown people allow themselves to be the butt of jokes just to feel a sense of belonging. Many of us threw our culture under the bus and joined in on the jokes to protect ourselves from being ousted from whatever group was making fun of us. We laughed along while our identities were ripped apart, we allowed our heritage to become a punchline time and time again. Instead of speaking up and defending ourselves and the way we lived, we sat in silence and eventually a part of us believed that being brown was something to be ashamed of. We became “one of the cool ones”. Was that small dose of dopamine from being backhandedly accepted really worth sacrificing the pride of being a brown person? Even when other brown people make this point, they’re usually hit with “ Yo it's just a joke bro”. The fact that we as a people get systematically gaslit for being uncomfortable with someone actively trying to shame us out of loving our roots, is honestly beyond ridiculous. What is wrong with anyone not wanting to hear their identity becoming a laughingstock? Absolutely nothing.

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As I sit here now writing this a small voice in the back of my mind is trying to convince me that it's not that deep. Over time, I’ve learned to tune that type of thinking out of my brain. We as a people should be vocal about not tolerating this kind of thing, and when the day comes where we all agree on the fact that being brown is something to be proud of, maybe things will get better. My parents came to this country in the hopes that I could be something big in this world, and if I can’t take where I come from seriously, then it won’t matter where I end up.

If we can't stand up for ourselves and demand to be treated with the respect our heritage deserves, then all of these issues are on us. Ignorance can be educated, but we have to be the ones to do the educating. So don’t be silent, if something makes you uncomfortable then say so. Some of you may have tried speaking out only to be made fun of more, to that I say, if you’re going to get made fun of one way or another then hold your pride close to you.

I would take my pride over being someone’s punchline any day.

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SPECIAL

THANKS

thank you for bringing me back to me and for forcing me to fall in love with my passions again. thank you to life for surprising and inspiring me. i now know that you have my back and just want all of us to do the best we can.

JUL 2021

credits Cover MIND Self Concept - An Overview BODY An Interview with Haarith The Journey SOUL Our Pride by Kiran Rajan

@haarithh @by.janani @by.janani @by.janani @haarithh @by.janani @by.janani @thekiranrajan

SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram Personal Instagram Tik Tok

@theindianstandard @by,janani @by,janani

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VOL 2 ISSUE 7