My husband shares his company PL statement every month with us and I start over with mine. Now, the thing is, he, as a businessman, has an eye constantly on the profit and loss pulse. But my PL is all about perspectives in life.

When he starts with his, I follow with mine. As a good wife I follow in the footsteps of my husband. Can’t let the children be influenced by one parent now, can I? As a businessman, he insists it’s the PL that drives the factory and a healthy functioning plant. So, I say it’s the same with running a home, with the right perspective, the house stays healthy and robust. Good energy, huh. (Before a good argument where we both want to get heard, I order a fresh round of ginger chai. Never. I mean, never argue on an empty stomach, the bile rises straight to the mouth. And words come out acidic and angry, you know what I mean.)

My new line to my husband these days is, “We have known each other so long, we have to trust each other!” So, to show my bonhomie, I let him go first! And when I go, I insist the children sit up and listen. They are lounging on a couch and peeping into these irritating Blackberry phones that are a direct competition to me. If its one thing that gets precedence in our home its the ring tone of the Blackberry. Now my older daughter says: “What the perspective checklist this time?”

Here it is: No complaining; gratitude is the right attitude; and believe in yourself, because every place, relationship and space are a reflection of your own life state. If you are in a state of hell, then your life reflects it. Taking a nap, and slowing down is okay, the rest of your life will wait for you. Don’t lose yourself to fear or doubt. Self esteem is my new mantra for a family workshop... we have to work at it together, because it’s teamwork that makes the home tick. Girls, I say, this life is your moment on stage, you are the writer and this story is yours to play out. Point is to stay a participant do not become competitive. Competition is perched on razor sharp edges and drags you there, and before you know it you have invisible demons sitting on your shoulders. Envy, jealousy, anger, hatred... All vying to seduce you into submission. Now, I tell them, this is a home, so I am allowed to be imperfect, have weight problems, financial hiccups and lose my way when careening from crisis to crisis. So, bear with me, because sometimes I talk aloud so I can hear the things I say.

And let me share this odd dream I had last night: I had landed up in heaven. I don’t think I died, I just ran away from home and landed up outside the pearly gates of heaven. An angel saw me enter with all this baggage I was carrying and asked me, “Why are you still hauling around all this baggage? You were given this life to get rid of it!” “Well,” I answered, “kicking the misery habit is hard. You know my husband and children can take their toll on me, not to forget the two dogs that side with them and you know those low life forms I work with...” The angel heard me whinge and rejected my entry papers, “Still haven’t got your PL right sweetheart! Repeat and return! You are being recycled into the Earth bin. Practice what you preach!”

So, here I am starting over... With the Pl statement.

(The writer is a theatre director and novelist)