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Read and Listen – Give wings to your mind

Since a long time, I wanted to explore and write on the topic – ‘The Joy of Reading/Listening.’ Have you ever thought about the transformation that occurs when you are reading through the pages of a book or listening to your favorite podcast, or when you get involved in the myriad voices of blogs and social media?

I am a freelance content developer and reading/listening serves as a precursor to idea generation. I am not associated with any organization and don’t have a team so this habit becomes my window to the world and its developments. What is noticeable is that reading builds your confidence and earns you respect. You will always have this one person in your life whom you consider as knowledgeable because he/she is well read.

An immersive reading/listening experience has the power to transform the reader, depending on the type of content consumed.

Reading/listening to self- help books, a reader transcends from the stage of acquiring knowledge to applying it. The knowledge gets stored in the subconscious which you can recollect to handle specific situations. In the famous book – ‘The Monk who Sold is Ferrari,’ Robin Sharma says that mind should be nurtured like a garden. Often when I find my mind clouded with judgements, his words resonate with me and I start clearing the clutter.

When you read an editorial in a newspaper, you get rich information on an issue with multiple perspectives. It helps you take an informed stand on the topic. For instance, after continuous reading on the topic – ‘Sustainable Economic Development’, I concluded that dedicated investment in building a sustainable production cycle by the corporates across sectors is the only way to a green economy.

Fiction reading/listening, carries you to a different world. You become a part of the book and you sense every emotion that each character feels. You get attached to certain characters while you detest some, just like you do in your day-to-day life. I am currently reading ‘Little Women’ by Louisa May Alcott, and every chapter reminds me of the beauty of a simple life where you work hard and expect less.

Spiritual reading/listening enlightens you and pushes you to see the bigger picture. You develop the ability to keep your calm in adverse situations. I am a regular listener of a podcast on Spotify– ‘Gita for the Young and Restless’, by Jaya Rao. This podcast decodes the intricate Bhagavad Gita lessons. A recent episode on overthinking, made me take a pause to do away with the matters on which I was overthinking unknowingly.

Blogs and social media posts are instrumental in bridging divides. It is easy information available to one and all irrespective of their social or financial status. It also reduces the generation gap when two people of different ages, vibe with the same trend. I remember, my mother was amazed when she heard my daughter who is 12 years sing one of her favorite retro tracks ‘Mere Sapnon ki Rani’, from the 1969 film Aradhna, which the younger one had heard online in a reel.

Requesting you all to identify, what are you gaining from your habits.

Please engage and contribute because Reading/Listening is a promising gateway to a newer better world.

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5 Effective Ways to Let Go of the Habit of Procrastination

“I will definitely start from tomorrow.” And tomorrow never comes. Do you feel weak because of your habit of letting things lie till they become urgent or irrelevant? Do you often end the day with a mental burden of procrastinating yet again? Then it’s time you adopt some methods to break the cycle of procrastination.

Procrastination feeds on itself, because every time you postpone, work starts getting piled up leaving you with more and more to do. The quantum becomes so discouraging that you end up deferring again. The loop never ends.

If procrastination is your constant enemy, stop assuming that it is a part of your personality. Treat it like any other bad habit that you wish to work upon like rising early or cutting on smoking or clubbing. This is the starting point of dealing with procrastination. Other effective ways are –

Smaller Manageable Steps

A proven method to beat procrastination is breaking the bigger target into smaller doable steps. You should ensure that the difficulty level is just enough to keep you motivated. Doing these steps for a few days will put you on track for the macro goal.

Prior Task Detailing

Second is pre-deciding the what, where, when of the task. Be specific in stating the activity even if you are telling it to yourself with minute details like the place and time of doing it. This leads to lesser mental fatigue in planning what to do, on the day itself.

Zero Excuse Days

An important part in the process of developing consistency is owning up your incompetence and lethargy. You should not blame external circumstances for not being able to work on your goals. 0 excuse days help you find alternate means to handle situations and people such that your work does not suffer.

NOW is the Best Time

Be OK in starting at any time of the day, any day of the week. Many a times you will find yourself saying ‘tomorrow’ because you want to start in the morning or ‘next week’ because you wish to start on a Monday. But trust me even a Wednesday evening is good to start!

Use Technology

Use tools to cut on distractions. Digital wellbeing and scheduling apps can help you be focused while you are working. Modern technology can be both the source and the end of distraction, depending upon how skillfully you use it. 

Procrastination is self -created and self -nurtured, which means it can be self-destroyed as well. The power lies with you. Start with any one habit, gradually make it 2, then 3 and so on. Often eliminating procrastination from one dimension (physical, professional, social) inspires similar action in other areas as well.

Take that loved idea from the memory box of your mind and start working on it. You never know, it could be a breakthrough that can reshape your personality like never before.

I am a wellbeing and motivational content developer. My posts are a result of deep research, fueled by my passion for enabling the readers to rise above their habits and thought patterns.

Follow, connect and engage on the post. If you love it, don’t mind reposting.

More power to consistency!!!

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A Peep into the Traditional India Culture of Sustainability

Our country is in the middle of a colossal process of development where we are innovating and at the same time rebuilding the old. While we are witnessing such a massive transformation, we must adopt a sustainable approach towards future growth.

In our country sustainability is not a new idea because our ancestors lived by the principle of sustainability. It was not because of poverty or lack of education; it was because of an innate sense of conserving the resources. Putting things to their best possible use and not replacing things too soon requires intelligence and patience.

Following are some common sustainable practices from traditional India

Zero waste plates

Originally Indians used organic cutlery like banana leaves or Pattal made from dry leaves. This was used more often in community functions where they served more people. Today it appears more as a different and attractive style of plating but in whole of Kerala, banana leaves still form a part of the basic house utensils and cutlery. How about giving this simple sustainable practice a try?

Longer lifecycle of clothes

How can one extend the lifecycle of clothes? By repairing and repurposing it. Old sarees were also used to stitch smaller cloth to wrap a new born. It was believed that the fabric has gone softer because of continuous use and the child will be very comfortable, cuddled in the same. Our grandmothers used to make beautiful quilts, doormats and hand bags from old or damaged clothes. They never discarded worn out clothes. It requires simple imagination to reconsider outright discarding of old clothes and putting them to alternate use.

Water in earthen pots

In an Indian household drinking water is stored in earthen pots. Do you know it has a scientific reason to it? The walls of an earthen pot are highly porous which leads to continuous evaporation of water that in turn absorbs the heat from the remaining water as well. As a result, the remaining water is cool round the year.

In our traditional culture there were ways and means to establish a deeper connection between us and the only planet we call our home – Mother Earth.

To read more on Indian companies that develop sustainable solutions visit the link below

https://medium.com/@neha.gmittal1/5-indian-companies-creating-a-culture-of-sustainable-living-d9bf17fe3533

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Effective Ways to Identify and Break the Habit of Stereotyping

As per definition – Stereotyping means holding an often unfair and untrue belief about all people or things with a particular characteristic. It is a practice that includes all acts of biases the most common ones being – Racial discrimination, gender inequality and body shaming and any other discriminating thoughts based on different criteria be it place, position or social circle.

If you look inside, you will find you stereotype unintentionally, but actively.

This practice shatters the person in context and has a negative impact on your experience of life as well. How do you know that you are stereotyping?

When you generalize your thoughts pertaining to a particular individual/group and apply it to a larger unrelated segment, you stereotype. The instances are many

  • Heavy people have less stamina
  • Women presenters get more attention
  • People from South have a dark skin tone and many more

You might wonder that how can a mere thought have such a strong impact?

Yes, it does have a strong impact. Because stereotyping camouflages individual uniqueness.

Negative stereotyping never allows the person to reach his/her full potential. The individual traits are hidden deep beneath the generalized version created by stereotyping. For example, a surgeon cannot drink.

Positive stereotyping also never allows the person to reach his/her full potential, because it exerts pressure to behave in a particular way. Or it keeps the person so comfortably cushioned that he/she does not even try to improve. For instance, an IIM Ahmedabad pass out will definitely do this job better than an MBA from a standard Mumbai institute.

How to change this culture of stereotyping?

  • Do not derive conclusions based on past behavior/past events. See every situation in the light of the present day.
  • Do not comment or share stereotypically in your quest to garner more support because in the process you also lend strength to your own distorted beliefs.
  • Self-talk to give yourself a different perspective on the situation or choose a clear- headed confidante.
  • Refrain from spreading the word loosely because your conversations decide your personality as well.

You need to understand that stereotyping demands unnecessary thought, consuming a lot of energy. This weakens your focus on self- growth.

Stereotyping is an integral part of human nature and can never be eradicated completely. But with this post I appeal to at least put a check and avoid getting into it casually and regularly. Let us collectively break the chains of social and corporate stereotyping and foster a culture that values individual uniqueness.

For similar content on personal growth, wellbeing, and more, connect with me on Instagram @thesimplejuggle.

Together, let’s build a world where everyone is seen and celebrated for their true selves! #OpenMindset #BreakTheStereotypes #PersonalGrowth

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Be like the moon

 

Why seek attention? It’s simply not worth

Does the moon ever insist for the morning earth?

Why speak and act different, to grab that little span?

Is the night sky less beautiful with its moon-star clan?

Why feel low when the limelight eludes?

Do no moon days not promise a full moon new?

Why spread the bitterness about the illusionary less?

The moon gets unasked attention for its purity and calmness

Will the forced affection make you feel any better?

I asked the moon and it said, “I simply shine, rest doesn’t matter!!”

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The Manipur incident – An act of riot or an act of ego?

I started my day on a positive note. Mild workout followed by meditating on my manifestations. I thought I had filled my cup for the day and was looking forward to working on my task list. I opened the newspaper and on the front page, I read about the Manipur incident where 3 women were made to parade naked. I read it twice because I could not believe what I read.

I was disappointed and scared all at the same time. I tried reading the Speaking Tree, with a hope that it will discuss some virtue which will take my mind off the heinous incident, but I tried in vain. I did not wish to read any further, I shut the paper.

As I started my chores, I kept thinking that if by mere reading, I am so severely affected, what would be the plight of those who witnessed it and what would be the mental state of the victims who lived that incident.

There were questions in my head. Where are the virtues? Can anyone ever be so wrong for her to go through this? What paralyzed the onlookers? What kept the assaulters going, were they even human?

No, they were not human. Why? Because they did not hold any of the human values. They were not empathetic, not kind, not respectful and most importantly they had a big ego.

Ego is a silent killer and it has the power to steer you away from the path of righteousness. Your ego overshadows all the good that you possibly hold. How? Because in your quest to be right in your judgements and decisions, you resort to inappropriate thinking patters. Your ego makes everyone else look smaller, insignificant and not worthy of winning.

On a daily basis, we experience ego – sometimes we are egoistic and some other times we are negatively affected by the ego of others. But the latter is almost always, clearly visible and criticized. We fail to understand that what is more dangerous is self-ego because it makes us lose control of our mind. What are the early signs of self-ego?

1. You think you are intellectually superior to a large group of people

2. You believe your way of working is the ideal way

3. You don’t appreciate the individual interests of others if they don’t match yours

4. You cannot see others go ahead (small or big win, you feel the same)

5. You easily distance and disconnect from people

These incidents are a call to humanity to put a check on their egos. Knowingly and unknowingly, we tamper the peace of many, by fueling our self-ego. If you think you have even the slightest trace of any of the above 5 thinking patterns, self -realize and control it from growing bigger, else by the time you will act, the damage will be done.

What are your thoughts on the same?

#ego #behuman #behumble #humanity #humanvalues #valuesmatter

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5 ways how you can be sensitive to people who work for you

Your caliber and personality put you in a position of authority both in personal and professional life. Your virtues build a positive aura around you due to which people value your opinions and respect your decisions. In an organization setup you refer to this behavior as employee loyalty – Loyalty towards the leader and the company.

What are these virtues that make you a better leader/owner/employer? They are truthfulness, dedication and SENSITIVENESS towards people around you. These values are the base of a long-standing resourceful relationship between the higher and the lower strata in the society (based on money and position). Here we will talk about how to develop a nature of being sensitive towards people who work for you.

Value their time

Time is the only thing that we all have in common. The rule is simple – As much as you value your own time, you must also respect the time of others. Keeping your staff or employees waiting creates dissatisfaction among them. Why? Because they have put aside their commitments to be available for you. On the contrary, if you are before time, they feel valued and respect you.

Involve them in decisions

Delegation cannot continue for long. As the employee or staff take the learning curve, they want to actively decide their scope of work. If you do not provide the same, they become resentful or disinterested. These negative values affect the work quality. Regulated authority boosts enthusiasm and nourishes creativity.

Give them space

You need to keep in mind that they have their personal life too. Do not repeat instructions just to clear the clutter in your head. If the other is not in a frame of mind to discuss a topic, postpone the conversation if possible. Do not ignore the other person’s needs.

Recognize their contribution

Recognize their contribution and acknowledge it publicly. A minimum level of motivation keeps their spirit high. You develop humility as you appreciate because you come to understand that you are not the only one responsible for success – it’s a collective effort.

Let go

There are days when your junior or house help or team is in a bitter mood. They are curt or critical or simply off. If it is a one-off case, do not give much value to the incident. Resist the tendency to assume that if you do not put a check it will turn into a habit. Let it go. Why? First to protect your peace and second to give a benefit of doubt to the other. If it happens repetitively, then you need to take charge. 

When we talk about relations, we are very careful while we deal with our superiors. What one needs to work on is good behavior with the ones who are below in the hierarchy. How well you interact with your team and employees is a mark of your good leadership character.

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Value of trade-offs

A trade-off means – ‘An act of balancing between two opposing situations, qualities or things, both of which you want and need.’ I find this definition to be incomplete because it does not highlight a key feature of a trade-off which is, letting go of some needs and keeping some. Yes, a trade off implies you forego few opportunities and also relationships to make the most of what you decide to keep.

If you were to list the numerous instances where you felt tremendously pressed for energy and time, most of them would fall in the group of professional life v/s personal life. Balancing both is ideal but trade-off is the reality of everyday life.

Advantages of a trade-off over endless juggling

  • You become more passionate about every task that you take up at office or home.
  • You feel powerful because you know you have a choice.
  • You are at peace as you have limited priorities.

Disadvantages of a trade-off

  • You unintentionally limit your scale leading to a limited world view.
  • You need to continuously put effort to build acceptance around your decision.
  • You may often take guilt trips when you see others excelling at something that you have chosen to forego.

How can we make this trade-off easy? Following are 3 points to keep in mind

  1. Make a well evaluated choice which is driven by both facts and feelings. Understand the consequences well because many a times the change is irreversible. For example, you invest your savings in a course abroad, whether you are able to cope up with the vagaries of the new city or not you have to complete the course for better work opportunities.
  2. Know how to handle guilt. Here the best example would be of a working parent. While you meet your office deadlines you miss on your child’s milestones. Pre-empt the situations that will create heaviness in your heart and deal with them head-on. Do not waste time convincing yourself and others every time a new event comes up.
  3. Accept your limitations. While it is good to dream, keep your resources and capabilities in hindsight. Only when you accept your current state can you do a systematic trade off. Random half-hearted bouts will take you nowhere. For instance, your friend did the Everest Base Camp trek which you wanted to do too, but could not do due to a big family event in the same period. Plan the training schedule and take it up the moment you are released off your commitments but for the time being ACCEPT.

Golden rule

The length of the period of a trade-off decides the degree of its reversibility.

Think about it!!!

Following is the link to an article that appeared in the Speaking Tree. It supports my content and is also responsible for the thought of writing on the topic – ‘Value of trade-offs’

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-edit-page/heisenberg-principle-and-trade-offs-in-life/

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Step by step, day by day

Don’t let someone define your goals for you

Don’t believe in the outside world view

Step by step, day by day

Keep going on, make your way

 

Don’t get disheartened when you look around

Don’t be deaf to your inner sound

Step by step, day by day

Keep going on, make your way

 

Don’t fear failures when things go wrong

Don’t worry if progress is taking long

Step by step, day by day

Keep going on, make your way

 

Don’t be insecure when others soar heights

Learn to take inspiration, it makes you feel light

Step by step, day by day

Keep going on, make your way

 

Don’t engage your mind in matters trivial

Think the bigger picture, stay jovial

Step by step, day by day

Keep going on, make your way

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Achieve your dream of living an ideal day – Part II

As committed in the last blog, this post is about more habits that will help you live an ideal day. Personal development should be a constant endeavor. It is one of the worthiest pursuits for each one of us because we are our most valuable resource. Following are some interesting habits that can make your day more meaningful –

Save energy

Energy is infinite and it is the reason of all activity and existence. Know what depletes your energy and take active steps to tackle it. One of the biggest energy depleters is holding hard feelings against people. All the attention that you give to developing and nurturing a negative feeling towards a person, consumes too much of your emotional and physical energy. It will be impractical to say that be good to all, so what I mean here is if someone does not give a good vibe, disconnect. Stop thinking about that person or situation every time it comes to you. Every single time you discourage that thought, you save some energy.

Time management

This is a topic in itself that we will definitely cover in the posts ahead but in the context of this post, time management is inevitable to get the desired value from your day. As discussed in the post before, an ideal day should have a little development in every form – physical, emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual and professional. Yes, you cannot attend to every parameter each day but each of these should be attended to consistently. This is where your time management skills come to your rescue. Prioritizing, setting up target timelines and working with focus are the key. Adhering to time standards set by self is a rewarding experience.

Go with the flow

This contradicts the habit that we just read about. But the fact remains that as much as you try to be in control of your day there are situations that are beyond your reach. In times like these it is intelligent to go with the flow because resistance makes you feel tired. I do not suggest that you should be over accommodating, but more often than not coming back to the task after an unexpected interruption puts you on track. Only when your mind is stuck on the abruptness of the flow-break, you are paralyzed and you fail to accomplish. Whatever it is, take it in your stride and go with the flow.

What you have achieved in a day gives you partial elation. It is more about how you have achieved it. Let the power of your habits put you in a place that is better than yesterday. Like a master sculptor carve your days carefully and intricately. The simple reason being that days make a week, weeks make a month, months make a year and years make a LIFE.