The Expression Hub

  • Facing the world with courage and conviction…

    Published by

    Roshani Patil

    on

    Starring: Emilio Estevez, Joshua Jackson, Vincent LaRuso, Elden Henson,Shaun Weiss, Aaron Lohr, Kathryn Erbe, Scott Whyte

    Directed By: Sam Weisman

    Genre: Sports comedy-drama

    “Our ability to handle life’s challenges is a measure of our strength of character.”

    -Les Brown

    Of late, I have been on a journey of self-discovery after years of people-pleasing and not listening to my inner voice for a long time. The last I remember I had heard to my inner voice was when I was in college. After that, it was just a period of people pleasing and listening to what others felt was right. This resulted in a lot of mistakes made and unnecessary baggage being carried on. But as I had written last week, I am trying to reclaim my self -worth once again and try to assert myself as an individual who has her own voice .After all, someone has aptly said, when one finds the courage to use his or her voice, it has the power to positively inspire and change the lives of others.

    Was I a weak individual before this? No, but I did feel that my voice was being stifled after living up to the expectations of the society. But right now, I just want to be in that position where I give power to myself and focus more on developing myself into an individual I have always wanted to be. And by doing so, I do not want to feel guilty at all nor wallow in self-pity. I just want my work to speak for itself and live my life on my own terms and make my choices.

    Does that mean I am not open to feedback? I am open to feedback and suggestions as well but if it is beneficial for me up to an extent and is not forced upon me . It is good to advice people but shouldn’t the one who is being advised be allowed to make the choice?

    Well, these are some changes which I intend to make in my day to day life. Have you faced such moments in your life lately ? Do tell me in the comments section. I would be happy to listen to your stories. And maybe get some pointers about how I should be living my life more purposefully and authentically.

    The reason why I wrote about this was because I happened to revisit one of my memories which always gave me strength to face life whenever life seemed overwhelming. This movie became my guiding light when I was growing up and maybe that is the reason why it holds a special place in my heart. Which piece of art am I talking about? Lets find out..

    STORY LINE: D2: The Mighty Ducks is a sports drama and is the second part of the Mighty Ducks trilogy. It revolves around the life of Gordon Bombay who was a lawyer by profession but his love for ice hockey transitions his career as a coach. After leading a local team to victory, coach Bombay tries his hand in the minor league expecting that he will end up having a spot in the National Hockey League. However, a knee injury stops him from realizing his dreams.

    Even though his career ends as a professional hockey player, life gives him another role and that is to coach Team USA for the Junior Goodwill Games. Initially, he is reluctant to take up the role but after a little convincing by his friend Jan and Don Tibbles, he does take up the role.

    But being the coach of team USA means that a person becomes a celebrity as well thanks to sponsorships . So, the question is whether coach Bombay will fall into the trap of vanity or will he rise above the challenge and lead Team USA to victory?

    SCRUTINY: This might seem like a simple story having ice hockey at its background. But the reality is that this movie is just not a movie. It has a lot of life lessons hidden behind it as well. This movie teaches the importance of sportsmanship as well as gives us lessons in pride and focusing on matters. It also teaches us to embrace our individuality as an individual by playing our strength and combining them to form a cohesive unit.

    Emilio Estevez shines as coach Bombay but the real hero according to me was his friend and mentor Hans who taught him how to instill the love for the game in the kids. He is also the one who makes coach Bombay realize what his objective was . An old man who was pretty wise and who is a game changer.

    Are there any negatives in the same? Well, not as such but there are a few scenes which are pretty unbelievable in nature. Like for instance , there is a scene in which the team members on their day off go for shopping . Teenagers are not allowed in most of the stores yet they end up window shopping in an elite boutique . How is that even possible?Or in a game where every second counts, who would have the time for a knuckle puck?To know what it is , do watch the movie and try to figure the mystery of the same for yourself. Also, when did a sponsor have so much influence on a team ? That he ends up giving a lot of instructions than the coach? Guess this is another mystery for you guys to unravel .

    THE SENTIMENT: A good watch which will bring in a lot of nostalgic factor and maybe instill a love for ice hockey as well apart from giving you a few important lessons. But if there were no scenes which were a bit difficult to digest, this movie would have been a more better experience.

    But sometimes, I guess you do have to keep your brains aside and just enjoy what a certain story has to deliver. So, if you can keep your logical brain aside while watching this, then this will not turn out to be that bad as an experience. Else just watch it for how a David beats a Goliath story vibe. That way you can enjoy the experience better.

    Rating: ** and 1/2 stars

    Quote-Unquote: “We’re not goons, We’re not bullies. No matter what people say or do we have to be ourselves” (Coach Bombay to his team)

    Que: What is the name of the hockey player who comes to visit Team USA?

    a. Mike Modano

    b. Chris Chelios

    c. Wayne Gretzky

    d. Paul Kariya

    Continue reading →: Facing the world with courage and conviction…

  • Things I promise to myself..

    Published by

    Roshani Patil

    on

    “Self-love is the first step to peace and happiness.”

    – Jessica Collins

    It is the fourth day in the week of love . The week which I really used to feel bad about but right now I am in a phase of my life where my mental peace matters to me more than the opinions of the people around me. Not that I am a very arrogant person(though a lot of people perceive me in that manner as well) or I am a narcissist but it is just that I have been trying to internalize the fact that my self -worth depends on how I perceive myself rather than on how other people perceive me as a person. This realization took a lot of time as I always used to fake the fact that I was okay and that people’s opinion did not affect me when the reality was it did affect me a lot. But after a lot of soul searching, reading a lot of quotes based on self-worth and self-doubting sessions, I finally started accepting a few things which actually made the process of self-acceptance a bit easier. Does that mean I wouldn’t have any self -doubt in the near future? Maybe I will, and maybe I should, but this time I will be in a better position to accept things in a better way. I guess with age, wisdom starts dawning on you. So, here are a few things which I have promised to myself this year after years of fighting internal battles with my demons which always pulled me back and affected me as a person.

    1. I will not lower my standards for anyone and that includes me myself. If someone feels I am worthy of their time and energy, I am going to be okay with the fact. But even if the opposite is true, I will be okay with the fact.
    2. Even if no one comes celebrates someone’s success or does not lend a helping hand, I am going to make sure if I can in any way help a person feel better about himself or herself, I will do so in my full strength. Because, lets face it, we as adults cannot celebrate other people’s success and if you can do the same genuinely, you are an awesome person and way above in your thinking.
    3. I am not going to feel guilty if I am not rushing things. As long as I am putting in the work, no one or nothing can make me feel bad about the same. This is because of a simple fact- if you do not know my story, you simply do not have the right to claim that I am not putting in the work. A thing which I have heard a lot of times from a lot of people but now I am going to be like okay boss if that is how you feel please go ahead. This is because your opinion does not define me .
    4. We all are defined by an internal moral compass. I am going to stick to the same even though a decision might seem impractical in nature. Its always going to be values first because that defines my character and the person who I am.
    5. There are going to be days when I might face a demon called imposter syndrome. I am not going to let it paralyse me. I will take action irrespective of the fact whether I am good or not. Yes, I might fail, I might fall but eventually I will get there.
    6. I am not going to feel guilty if I do have multiple interests.I will take time out for each and every interest and would love that interest to grow me as a person.
    7. If people try to make me feel bad about myself of who I am as a person, instead of taking it at face value, I will try to analyse what is making them say that and not let that affect me.People are going to judge you but should that stop me from being the person I have always wanted to be ? A big no. But at the same time, I am not entitled to speak bad about anyone. If I do have to speak, I will speak with full respect and courtesy.
    8. Everyone’s journey is different. What might seem easy for me might be tough for you. Or what might seem interesting to me might be boring to you and vice-versa. But that does not mean I am not going to give that thing a try. So, why should I let someone’s timeline guide me when I can let my internal light guide me better?
    9. If someone is more good-looking, more confident, more hardworking or has a quality which makes that person more worthy maybe I can inculcate the same quality instead of resenting about the same. And maybe ask that person how he or she does that thing effortlessly. I will be just hoping that the person in front is not a clown( I wanted to use a pretty rough word but I resisted the temptation) enough to refuse help. And if he or she is , then all I can do is pray for his or her maturity.
    10. And the best advice actually came from my father. He said, “as long as you are willing to learn everyday, maybe you should not feel guilty about who you are as a person. Every person does what seems for him or her the best option and with time figures things out if he or she hasn’t. So, take it one day at a time.”
    11. And the final advice came from a story I read recently. Learn to respond instead of reacting because that is going to help you solve problems in a better way.

    I can go on but I do not want to sound preachy. I do not want to sound like as someone who has it all figured out. This is because the reality is I am a person who is and will continue to figure herself out as time passes. And maybe with time, will become more compassionate and kinder to myself without losing my sanity and compromising myself as a person. So, which one pointer would you like to implement in yourself this year? Do let me know in the comments section. Would love to hear your thoughts on the same. Till then lots of love and care.

    Continue reading →: Things I promise to myself..

  • Things I expect will become normal

    Published by

    Roshani Patil

    on

    This is a topic that I would love to reflect upon on my blog’s sixth anniversary(this realization hit me while I was contemplating what to write for today’s blog post). Usually, I do prefer to give opinions about movies or books or web series, or anything nice but after experiencing a few things in the last few months, I did feel that maybe it is high time that I speak about this because sometimes reality is way outrageous (I actually wanted to use a very strong word but I am trying to contain my emotions and be a super rational human while I am writing this). So, these are things that I want to be normal in the near future.

    1. Respect and manners are among the very first things that I want people to normalize irrespective of age, experience, nationality, gender , race and other such stereotypes which we label on each other. It should be simple as if I respect you as a fellow human being, then you should do the same. No one has the right to tear someone each other down and if you do for some reason, at least have the basic courtesy to apologize the next day. As someone has aptly said, how you treat others speaks volumes about your character.
    2. This might be connected to the very first point but it is high time that we focus more on bettering ourselves rather than being envious of other’s good qualities. I am guilty of this as well a lot of times but I do try to work on my shortcomings and try to reason how I can be a better person. I experienced this behavior a lot in my workplace and I did try to ignore it but somewhere it just became unbearable to me. Why can’t we accept a simple fact that every person has some qualities that makes him or her stand apart and instead of celebrating it or embrace it in ourselves? But what do we do ? We tend to destroy that person by playing stupid mind games and resorting to useless manipulation tactics.
    3. Its high time to be less judgemental about others. What a person might be going through might not be shared with you always. And the book which might seem boring to read just by its cover might be the most interesting one to read . I am guilty of this one as well a lot of times but I am trying to fix that as well.
    4. Can we normalize the fact that being sentimental is actually a good thing ? I know we are always told that we are not supposed to show our emotions but can we accept the fact that emotions is what makes us human whether it be in our personal relationships or in our professional relationships. Emotional regulation is a great thing and one should possess it but its okay to let out your emotions once in a while.
    5. Can we be each other’s cheerleaders and appreciate the efforts someone puts in his or her work? I really don’t understand why can’t people give a simple compliment if someone has done a good job. A compliment always goes a long way in fostering relationships and relationships do matter in the long run. That improves confidence and reiterates the fact that what you are doing is the right thing.
    6. Can we create an environment which actually makes it safe for people to open up about what they feel and help them address their grievances if they have any? A lot of workplaces have suggestion boxes but they are just for namesake. And even if you give feedback, they are not implemented in spirit.
    7. Can we normalize the concept of boundaries in all aspects? It is very very tiring and rude if people keep up popping in your lives without your consent and try to poke their nose in someone’s business. I really feel like shouting at such people because such people just show up and give you anxiety like nothing. If someone is a very private person, learn to respect their privacy.
    8. Can we normalize the fact that some people are more comfortable on text messages rather than giving them a phone call? Phone calls drain them a lot and are comfortable only when they are close to people. Else they prefer text messages always. And if you want to give a call, please keep it short.
    9. Can we de-stigmatize mental health issues? If you feel its a joke and is a thing which need not be taken seriously,then I am sorry to burst your bubble. I would be happy if we find the right people to talk to because it is very difficult to talk about such things.
    10. Also, can we normalize genuine conversations over small talk? In my case at least I would be prefer deep conversations rather than shallow conversations. But please do not try to intrude into my life by asking uncomfortable questions and if I do not answer them please respect my silence on the same rather than assuming things.

    These are a few things I feel should be normalized. Is there anything which you feel is a taboo or is something which is a stigma or is a topic which needs to be discussed but is pushed under the mat? Do let me know in the comments section. Would love to hear your thoughts on the same. Till then, lots of love and take care.

    Continue reading →: Things I expect will become normal

Hello,

I’m Roshani

Welcome to The Expression Hub! I’m Roshani, who loves to express herself through the medium of writing. This blog is my little corner of the internet where I dive deep into the world of movies, books, and web series—reviewing, analyzing, and sometimes just ranting about the stories that make us laugh, cry, and question everything.

Beyond reviews, you’ll also find my personal musings—random thoughts, life reflections, and the occasional deep dive into the things that inspire me. Think of this as a space where art meets emotion, and where honest opinions matter more than star ratings.

Join me as we explore incredible stories together, one post at a time. Have a recommendation? Let’s talk—I’m always up for discovering something new!

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