Inspiration & Motivation

Self Motivation

2011-02-16T23:14:00.000-08:00

Self Motivation

Can you become successful in life without self motivation? No, it is not possible for a person to become successful without self motivation. The desire to succeed must come from within you otherwise how can you motivate yourself and succeed in life. When you previously failed what was that secret ingredient that pulled you out from the pit. That secret ingredient is self motivation. A self motivated person can achieve anything he or she wants. Self motivation enhances your self-esteem and brings within you a desire to do something in life.

Many people achieve self motivation by having faith in their God. They strongly believe in the almighty that can make all things possible. Some can get motivated by previous experiences where they must have failed in something, but had faith in their abilities and came out of it. Self motivation can make you a better person and boost your confidence. In life, you are bound to have ups and downs.

During these times, you need to support yourself and believe in your abilities.

Those of you who have support from near and dear ones are lucky, those of you who do not need to be self motivated to survive these tough times. You may need to sacrifice things in life, which you love or do things, which you may not like to do. So, do not lose hope no matter what.

When you are self motivated success is just a short distance away.

Love Yourself

2010-09-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

In order to love others, you must first learn to love yourself. We are often irritated, angry, and frustrated with our own existence. But if you start loving yourself fully and unconditionally, you can throw open the channels between yourself and the universe to give and receive love. Our primary relationship is with ourselves. Oscar Wilde had said, “To be in love with oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance”. That says a lot about importance of self-love.

We all have our own set of problems. Many of us go through problems like lack of confidence, poor self-esteem, lack of materialistic facilities etc but the biggest tragedies that one can face is inability to love and value oneself. We keep 24/7 company with ourselves so shouldn’t we make concrete efforts to love ourselves? If you have a divided self, it can trigger a lifelong chain of painful experiences. To get ourselves free from emotional and psychological needs that we seek to fulfill externally, we must develop acceptance and basic trust in ourselves.

Loving ourselves means taking good care of ourselves. You must believe that you are worthy of life. The direct result of loving yourself manifests in you not running away from the uncomfortable moments in your life. You accept yourself completely and there is no rejection of any aspect of yourself, no matter how unpleasant the sensation. To be able to love yourself unconditionally also means you firmly believe that you are worthy of happiness, of success, of abundance and love. Your mindset says you deserve to have the best of friends and family. Loving yourself also strengthens you. No matter what sort of troubles you are facing, you are always there for yourself and that’s no mean support and achievement. There is no substitute for it. Remember, we are our own best friends.

How to Give Your Attitude a Boost

2010-08-31T11:56:00.000-07:00

We all know how important attitude is. This one factor can determine the way our life is headed. They say, your attitude is everything. So how do you define attitude? The simplest definition of attitude is, how you see the things around you, how you deal with the situations you face, and what you think about life. If your attitude is negative, your life is negative and that is a pretty straightforward equation. It is important to give your attitude a boost but how? Let me offer some wonderful tips that you can always implement in your life to have a great attitude.

First thing first. Rise and Shine! Yes, that means it is always better to have an early start to the day. Get up early, walk for a while and enjoy the morning beauty. It will invigorate your senses. Never fret over the things. There will always be a tomorrow and tomorrow is always a new day. Many a times, things won’t go your way but that does not mean you lose hope or feel bad over the way events have folded. Always remember that as time passes, so do your troubles. No matter how down and out you feel, life will surely turn for the better and that’s an eternal truth.

Remember, you are master of your own destiny. If there is one person who can give you a good attitude then it is you and you alone. A good and positive attitude can be developed whenever you want it to. It is not a herculean task to wake up tomorrow with a brand new outlook on life. Just remember, you are the master and you are the executioner.

How To Handle Annoying People

2010-07-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

We all are greatly affected by the people around us. Those people could be your family members, spouse, boss, colleagues or friends. What if one of them is annoying? Of course, you will be stressed and worried over the company of that person. Few of you may even feel like breaking the relationship or quitting the job but what is the guarantee of your next boss or friend being not that annoying? You see, there is no such guarantee but yes, what you can do is to psychologically disarm such people.

First thing you need to do is to observe that person, his mannerisms, behavioral pattern and attitude. Why he indulges in such behavior? Many a times, the simple reason is low self-esteem or simply attention deprivation experienced by that person. People with low self-esteem try to do everything to make themselves feel important by flexing their egotistical muscles. You need to acknowledge that annoying person and his personality. A very smart strategy would be to feed his ego by making him feel superior. This will completely transform the behavior of that person towards you.

Make that person feel important by asking for his advice on anything. This will give him a sense of worthiness and will pamper his huge ego. Consequently, he will start developing better attitude towards you.

Shower him with a nice compliment every now and then. This will sooth his senses and he will feel like talking about himself. Everyone likes to talk about himself but good listeners are quite rare. All you have to do is to lend your ears and make him talk. These are simple but effective tips for handling annoying people. Don’t run away from them. Instead, Learn to handle them.

:Image courtesy buzzle.com

Self Improvement Activities

2010-06-30T21:21:00.000-07:00

Self-improvement is a lifelong process. The concept of self-improvement consists of several activities that help you in becoming more productive and achieve better quality of life. This article focuses on some of the activities that you can inculcate in your life. The first activity is ‘focusing on one task at a time’. It is believed that in order to get most out of life, one should concentrate on only one activity at a time. This will ensure that all your energies are directed at a single task which will prove useful in accomplishing the desired results.

The second activity is about using your energy on important things. What’s the point in wasting energy on frivolous activities that will not bring any fruitful results? Watching useless TV channels, surfing net for no important reasons, worrying all the time etc are some of the worthless activities. Indulging in such activities will rob you off your energy and enthusiasm. One should always prioritize important tasks first and then putting all his efforts and energies on fulfillment of those tasks.

The next self improvement activity should be focused on controlling one’s thoughts. Negative thoughts tend to affect our productivity and act as a hindrance in the process of self-improvement. It is important to emotionally disengage from the curse of negative thinking. Moving on to next activity, it must be the ability to get organized. If you are not organized, chaos will ruin your mental peace. In order to live a stress free life, we must live in an organized manner. You should be organized in not only in your mind but also in your home.

The last self improvement activity of this article is about the art of living in the present. There is no point mulling over your past and pondering over your future. All you have is your present and that’s why you should make the most of it. It is important to enjoy every present moment. This will help you tremendously in improving your inner as well as outer being.

Quotes on Education

2010-05-30T09:40:00.003-07:00

We all know the importance of education. It is the lifeline of modern human life. No one can deny the significance of education and learning in our lives. It helps us in seeing things in a better perspective. We get to know the world and its people in a better way. The scope of education is not just restricted to a good career and earning five figure salaries. It is much more than that. Education tells us about what is right and what is wrong. It helps us in developing insight and wisdom. And perhaps, if there is one thing that segregates humans from animals then it must be education. The ability to read, write and understand is what makes we humans the special ones. Let’s have a look at some of the phenomenal quotes on education:-

If a man's eye is on the Eternal, his intellect will grow.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Even without success, creative persons find joy in a job well done. Learning for its own sake is rewarding.

- Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Practice is the best instruction of them all.

- Publilius Syrus

If the next generation is to face the future with zest and self-confidence, we must educate them to be original as well as competent.

- Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

One must learn by doing the thing, for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try.

- Aristotle

Education is not the piling on of learning, information, data, facts, skills, or abilities--that's training or instruction--but is rather a making visible what is hidden as a seed...

To be educated, a person doesn't have to know much or be informed, but he or she does have to have been exposed vulnerably to the transformative events of an engaged human life...

One of the greatest problems of our time is that many are schooled but few are educated.

- Thomas Moore

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.

- Sir Richard Steele

Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.

- Aristotle

We can get over being poor, but it takes longer to get over being ignorant.

- Jane Sequichie Hifler

Fear is the instructor of great sagacity, and the herald of all revolutions.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Never let formal education get in the way of your learning.

- Mark Twain

If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.

- Thomas Watson, Sr., founder of IBM

Criticism should not be querulous and wasting, all knife and rootpuller, but guiding, instructive, inspiring.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.

- Aristotle

Knowledge is the food of the soul.

- Plato

Productivity Key

2010-04-28T13:18:00.001-07:00

Productivity is such an important factor in our lives. It is not just restricted to our professional lives but also to other important aspects of our lives. Productivity is at the core of ambition. No dreams, no ambitions can be fulfilled without you being productive. Productivity as a virtue is very much determined by how comfortable we are with ourselves. It is imperative to love and respect ourselves without putting any condition. Setbacks and mistakes are parts and parcels of life. One cannot escape them but the trick is to continue loving yourself despite the regular obstacles. Others’ view about you whether in positive or negative sense should not determine our love for ourselves. If you love yourself just because someone has praised you or you start hating yourself because someone has blamed you, is far from an ideal key of productivity.

Don’t condition your appreciation for yourself on your work performance. In fact, sometimes it works other way. When we love ourselves more because of our success, the less focused and motivated we’re likely to be. To meet our productivity goals, we need to build a sense of unconditional appreciation for ourselves. Attaching conditions to your productivity is not likely to produce positive results. Suppose, if you are criticized by your colleagues for your work, your love for self decreases and does it further leads to low productivity? Then, consider this- Your value as a person is not just dependent on your work success. The perfect key to be more productive is to believe that no matter how people are judging you and your work, you will continue loving yourself and that will further make you more productive. Try it and see the results yourself.

Loving Your Family

2010-03-30T07:55:00.001-07:00

Family is perhaps the most important part of an individual’s life. Right from our birth to the time when we breathe last, it’s our family we always count upon. Whether you are sad or happy or just want to share your things, family is the place we need to be. As we are living in a time when people are struggling with time constraints, we find ourselves more alienated with our family members. But it is important to remember the true value of family and accord them the respect and love they always deserve. Let’s share some wonderful quotes on family emphasizing its importance.

We all grow up with the weight of history on us. Our ancestors dwell in the attics of our brains as they do in the spiraling chains of knowledge hidden in every cell of our bodies.

- Shirley Abbott

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them.

- Desmond Tutu

The family is a haven in a heartless world.

- Christopher Lasch

Family: A social unit where the father is concerned with parking space, the children with outer space, and the mother with closet space.

- Evan Esar

Nobody has ever before asked the nuclear family to live all by itself in a box the way we do. With no relatives, no support, we've put it in an impossible situation.

– Margaret Mead

Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts.

- Author Unknown

It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons.

- Johann Schiller

An ounce of blood is worth more than a pound of friendship.

- Spanish Proverb

When you look at your life, the greatest happiness’s are family happiness’s.

- Joyce Brothers

Family quarrels have a total bitterness unmatched by others. Yet it sometimes happens that they also have a kind of tang, pleasantness beneath the unpleasantness, based on the tacit understanding that this is not for keeps; that any limb you climb out on will still be there later for you to climb back.

- Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

In some families, please is described as the magic word. In our house, however, it was sorry. - Margaret Laurence

There is no cure for laziness but a large family helps.

- Herbert Prochnov

The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together.

- Erma Bombeck

When our relatives are at home, we have to think of all their good points or it would be impossible to endure them.

- George Bernard Shaw

I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich.

- Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford

Blood's thicker than water, and when one's in trouble

Best to seek out a relative's open arms.

- Author Unknown

The happiness of the domestic fireside is the first boon of Heaven; and it is well it is so, since it is that which is the lot of the mass of mankind.

- Thomas Jefferson, 1813

To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.

- Barbara Bush

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.

- Jane Howard

A family is a unit composed not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold.

- Ogden Nash

In a houseful of toddlers and pets, you can start out having a bad day, but you keep getting detoured.

- Robert Brault

The Art of Public speaking

2010-02-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

Public speaking is an art. Mastering this art requires some practice and effort. Many people fail to do true justice to their talents because of the inability to speak in public. It is common for many students or professionals who are hugely talented otherwise, but stutter while speaking in public. What this does is one, restricts the career growth and second, person suffering from this problem has clear issues of low self confidence. So how to tackle this impediment?

Remember, body is used to two responses of fight or flight. So either, you handle the butterflies in your stomach or you just hide in a flight mode. While we go on stage to address a large gathering, the rush of adrenaline is more than usual. We keep assuming, what people will be thinking of, what if I make a mockery of myself, what if I start stammering, what if I forget what I was to say and the ‘what if’ phenomenon goes on..

First thing first. Nobody knows you and everybody is conscious of the fact that its ‘you’ who is on the stage and speaking. Don’t assume how people will be reacting. You are what you are and you definitely have your own style of speaking. You must establish eye contacts with the audiences. This helps in communicating the message clearly and shows you are very much confident about what you are saying.

You should also use appropriate body language. Proper movement of hands makes a lot of difference. Before you begin, it will also help if you could communicate a clear set of ground rules from public speaking engagement aspect. Few speakers love to interact with audiences during the speech whereas few others invite questions only when they end the program. Finally, try to master the art of telling stories. All these suggestions will help you in improving your public speaking and if it works for you, don’t hesitate in sharing your experience.

Powerful Thoughts

2010-01-25T06:37:00.000-08:00

To a certain extent we all know the power of thoughts. Thoughts are truly powerful. Thoughts are also extremely creative and can cause huge difference in our lives depending upon what one think. Preachers, philosophers and great motivators always talk about power of thinking. It has been rightly said that, thoughts are so powerful that one can make his life the way he wants it to be if he thinks on those lines.

It is believed that there is a certain connection between create life force energy and powerful thoughts and one can dramatically affect another. The energy present in thoughts makes them creative and dynamic. Thoughts always have elements of focus, energy and emotions. So if one experiences things of life in a positive way, it gives way for powerful thoughts. The power of thoughts makes itself manifested in high self confidence, positive approach towards life and enthusiastic persona.

One will need to work in a disciplined and consistent way to enhance his powerful thoughts. It is definitely a long journey but worth the labor. The thoughts have the power to change not only someone’s perspective about life but it also affects lives of people in one’s surrounding. It can make a direct impact on others when they come into your company and a positive vibration spreads throughout. Keeping an eye on your thinking pattern is of prime importance. Negative thoughts must be kept aside and should be replaced with happy images and positive thought process. If one wants to attain happiness and peace of mind, positive thinking is the key.

Learning

2009-12-18T11:22:00.001-08:00

We all know the importance of learning. It would not be an exaggeration to admit that human civilization is founded on the basis of learning. Without learning, world would have been a different place. In fact, learning is what makes us different from animals. But learning again has several aspects and layers. Not surprisingly, governments all over the world emphasize the need of education and learning. This habit is not just for kids but also for adults who are losing the art of reading in the era of instant information. Let’s check some wonderful quotes that demonstrate the importance of learning.

A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring: there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again.

- Alexander pope:

Your ability to learn faster than your competition is your only sustainable competitive advantage.

- Arie de gues

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.

- Buddha:

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

- Alvin toffler

Then, without realizing it, you try to improve yourself at the start of each new day; of course, you achieve quite a lot in the course of time. Anyone can do this; it costs nothing and is certainly very helpful. Whoever doesn't know it must learn and find by experience that a quiet conscience makes one strong.

- Anne frank

Learning without reflection is a waste, reflection without learning is dangerous.

- Confucius

In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.

- Eric Hoffer

Creativity is a type of learning process where the teacher and pupil are located in the same individual.

- Arthur Koestler

If we value independence, if we are disturbed by the growing conformity of knowledge, of values, of attitudes, which our present system induces, then we may wish to set up conditions of learning which make for uniqueness, for self-direction, and for self-initiated learning.

- Carl Rogers

Generosity

2009-11-18T00:35:00.000-08:00

The moment I mention the word, generosity, something strikes up in the mind, no? Rings a bell? Well, we keep coming across notions of generosity in our day to day lives. We are taught to be generous in our deeds and words. But easier said than done. Many people find it really hard to be generous considering we all are struggling in some way or other. The focus is always on ‘self’ factor. The competition is cut-throat and one is not expected to make any mistake in personal as well as professional life. One simple mistake and you no longer find yourself in the place. People have started to become less and less tolerant. Generosity is a virtue that has always been admired but not many strive to be generous. This word does not just signify giving away large sums of rupees or doing great social work. It could also be just a nice word, a warm greeting and an endearing smile. That’s all it takes and that also makes it easier to start with. Perhaps one warm touch is all that the other person requires. I would be sharing a story of The Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi who exemplifies how you can appreciate little gestures of life and cherish them forever.

“Mahatma Gandhi went from city to city, village to village collecting funds for the Charkha Sangh. During one of his tours he addressed a meeting in Orissa. After his speech a poor old woman got up. She was bent with age, her hair was grey and her clothes were in tatters. The volunteers tried to stop her, but she fought her way to the place where Gandhiji was sitting. "I must see him," she insisted and going up to Gandhiji touched his feet. Then from the folds of her sari she brought out a copper coin and placed it at his feet. Gandhiji picked up the copper coin and put it away carefully.

The Charkha Sangh funds were under the charge of Jamnalal Bajaj. He asked Gandhiji for the coin but Gandhiji refused. "I keep cheques worth thousands of rupees for the Charkha Sangh," Jamnalal Bajaj said laughingly "yet you won't trust me with a copper coin." "This copper coin is worth much more than those thousands," Gandhiji said. "If a man has several lakhs and he gives away a thousand or two, it doesn't mean much. But this coin was perhaps all that the poor woman possessed. She gave me all she had. That was very generous of her. What a great sacrifice she made. That is why I value this copper coin more than a crore of rupees.”

Happiness Quotes

2009-10-26T00:17:00.000-07:00

Happiness is such an important virtue to have. If truth be told, happiness is the essence of life. So, let us share some finest quotes reinforcing the virtue and necessity of this wonderful human quality.

Men spend their lives in anticipations,—in determining to be vastly happy at some period when they have time. But the present time has one advantage over every other—it is our own. Past opportunities are gone, future have not come. We may lay in a stock of pleasures, as we would lay in a stock of wine; but if we defer the tasting of them too long, we shall find that both are soured by age.

- Charles Caleb Colton

Happiness does not consist in pastimes and amusements but in virtuous activities.

- Aristotle

People with many interests live, not only longest, but happiest.

- George Matthew Allen

In the hopes of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet.

- Albert Schweitzer

Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities.

- Aldous Huxley

Action may not always bring happiness;

but there is no happiness without action.

- Benjamin Disraeli

There is only one person who could ever make you happy, and that person is you.

- David Burns, Intimate Connections

Happiness resides not in possessions and not in gold; the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul.

- Democritus

Happiness grows at our own firesides, and is not to be picked in strangers' gardens.

- Douglas Jerrold

The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions—the little soon-forgotten charities of a kiss, a smile, a kind look, a heartfelt compliment in the disguise of a playful raillery, and the countless other infinitesimals of pleasurable thought and genial feeling.

- Samuel Taylor Coleridge

To be happy, we must not be too concerned with others.

- Albert Camus

Try to be happy in this present moment, and put not off being so to a time to come,—as though that time should be of another make from this which has already come and is ours.

- Thomas Fuller

Who is the happiest of men? He who values the merits of others, and in their pleasure takes joy, even as though 'twere his own.

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Happiness is not a matter of events; it depends upon the tides of the mind.

- Alice Meynell

Fortify yourself with contentment, for this is an impregnable fortress.

- Epictetus

Happiness depends more on the inward disposition of mind than on outward circumstances.

- Benjamin Franklin

There is only one way to happiness, and that is to cease worrying things which are beyond the power of our will.

- Epictetus

Happiness is where we find it, but rarely where we seek it.

- J. Petit Senn

I have learned to seek my happiness by limiting my desires, rather than attempting to satisfy them.

- John Stuart Mills

The chances are that you have already come to believe that happiness is unattainable. But men have attained it. And they have attained it by realising that happiness does not spring from the procuring of physical or mental pleasure, but from the development of reason and the adjustment of conduct to principles.

- from How to Live on 24 Hours a Day, by Arnold Bennett

You're happiest while you're making the greatest contribution.

- Robert F. Kennedy

The rays of happiness, like those of light, are colorless when unbroken.

- Henry W. Longfellow

Happiness depends upon ourselves.

- Aristotle

When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.

- Helen Keller

Knowledge of what is possible is the beginning of happiness.

- George Santayana

No man is happy who does not think himself so.

- Publilius Syrus

Our minds are as different as our faces: we are all traveling to one destination; --happiness; but few are going by the same road.

- Charles Caleb Colton

Great effort from great motives is the best definition of a happy life.

- William Ellery Channing

It’s Your Life

2009-09-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

Last post discovered the missing elements of your life and how it affects your life in general. Let’s talk about how you can acknowledge your privilege to enjoy your desires. Did I say privilege? Oh, yes, absolutely. It is your birth right to pursue what excites you most and what makes you most happy. It is as simple as allowing yourself to accept your right of enthusiasm and excitement. It all boils down to your willingness and initiative. Time is never a constraint if you are enjoying your stuff. Yes, things will have to be adjusted but when managing time has been difficult for you? Remember, how if a sudden work comes up in office and you have to go whole hog to complete it despite the apparent lack of time. So in similar way, consider your fun stuff as your priority and do it whole heartedly.

One of the best ways to enjoy this new found freedom is to write it down. It’s like making a journal where you are expressing your desires and writing down the steps you have taken to achieve them. You can always manage to bring pleasure in your busy life style and trust this fact blindly. Excuses will run away and life once again, will seem like a pleasure journey only if you desire so. Never compromise with your pleasure quotient and literally indulge yourself. The moment you starts accepting less than what you deserve thing will always come in less measure. You have to realize that you deserve more and you will get it somehow. Finally, accept what you are and what you want. This is simply your life and you have got every right to live as you choose.

Fueling Your Passions

2009-09-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

Passion is such a magical word. It has so much effect on our life. Passion simply signifies having something in your life that you absolutely love to spend time doing. It also means you do it on a regular basis and your participation in it gives you a great high and ultimately that results into a delightful living. It always pays to take some time off from your busy lifestyle and treasure your longings. Such small wonders make life worth living. Normally, humans in this cut-throat competitive world do not spare any time for their passions. As time runs out, they also get totally involved in professional and personal responsibilities and ignoring their passions. Whenever asked, one classical answer you will always get is lack of time. But in this mad rush, we forget to comprehend how badly we are affecting our lives by ignoring our passions.

It is always easy to push aside your special fun time and postponing your favorite activities to some other day but unfortunately that later date never come. Have you ever seen that date coming and offering itself to you requesting you to indulge yourself? No, you have not. How often you have seen other people stopping for a while in the hectic journey of life and doing things they love the most? How many times you have discovered that you really need to pause and reflect upon your life and find reasons of missing fun from your existence? Well, if you have not then it is high time you once again rediscover your passion and submit yourself wholeheartedly to it. It won’t take much of your time to pursue your passion. In fact, it could be one of the reasons of you enjoying other aspects of your life in full flow.

Colors Affecting Our Performance

2009-08-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

Productivity is greatly values all across the world. People normally associate with one’s professional life but if we see it from other perspective, we will find productivity factor applies to all the spheres of life. The more productive you are, more you are valued and appreciated. Several factors affect one’s performance and productivity. We already know about motivation, will power, environment and such related elements that greatly affect our performances. One of the lesser known elements is color. Yes, we are talking about colors that powerfully and quickly affect our choices that we make in our day to day lives. This surprising fact is proven by scientists who took great efforts and several research projects to come to this conclusion.

It is also known as color therapy. Alternative healing makes a great use of color therapy. The research says, when you are stressed, combining the five senses will create a powerful synergy. One can take for example case of deep breathing with visualization or mixing music with exercise.

Talking about effects of different colors, Green is omnipresent. It symbolizes a new life and growth. Green promotes healing. Orange represents high activity and cheerfulness. People often use an orange object on their works stations to feel good. Red is a powerful color that depicts energy and boldness. Red also represents confidence. Blue is a soothing and relaxing color. Blue often instigates creativity. Purple makes you feel empowered and regal whereas yellow enlightens you. White inspires you to go clean and brown symbolizes stability. Finally, the color black is very powerful and represents mystery and depth.

The Power of Achievement

2009-08-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

We all strive for success and achievement in every sphere of life. Right from family, friends, relationships, career, love, and parenting we want to touch every pinnacle. So what is the difference between a loser and winner? Isn’t it all about some solid achievements that make all the difference? The more you achieve, better you feel and more confident you are. Achievement also makes you hungry for more. It fuels a kind of inner desire that has the ability to take you too far in the tough journey of life. Let’s share some famous achievement quotes to fuel the fire and reignite the passion:-

Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstances.

- Bruce Barton

Winners compare their achievements with their goals, while losers compare their achievements with those of other people.

- Nido Qubein

A constant struggle, a ceaseless battle to bring success from inhospitable surroundings, is the price of all great achievements.

- Orison Swett Marden

To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time.

- Leonard Bernstein

The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, Just as a small amount of fire makes a small amount of heat.

- Napoleon Hill

The great accomplishments of man have resulted from the transmission of ideas of enthusiasm.

- Thomas J. Watson

The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.

- Michelangelo

Study while others are sleeping; work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing; and dream while others are wishing.

- William Arthur Ward

Picture yourself in your minds eye as having already achieved this goal. See yourself doing the things you'll be doing when you've reached your goal.

- Earl Nightingale

Most people give up just when they're about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game, one foot from a winning touchdown.

That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.

- Abraham Lincoln

All great achievements require time.

- Maya Angelou

Taking Responsibility

2009-07-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

Life is all about choices you make. We must accept responsibility for each and every action we take. But before that, one must understand what our choice is. There is a subtle difference between choosing any random way and following the path you have chosen. There are several elements in life that is beyond our control but these entire events sum up our life. Things keep happening and life is far from fair. Not everyone has same share of luck and achievements but at least we can begin on a fresh note if we just start making right choices.

External factors like family, friends, economy, money etc decide our conditions to a great extent. There is this maxim, ‘The best thing one can do when it is raining is to let it rain.’ Now, isn’t that wonderful? The best way to handle things beyond your control is to accept them. One thing you shouldn’t do at all is to term yourself as victim and feel awful about your existence. That’s a pretty lame approach to tackle things.

The point is, we cannot choose what happens to us but we can always decide how best to respond what happens to us. Now that you have accepted the things happing to you, move on to gulp and swallow part. Its time you start changing the things. One is either part of the problem or part of the solution. It’s high time you decide which part you want to choose!

Controlling ‘Upset Feelings’

2009-06-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

We humans are designed in such a way that we get to experience the entire spectrum of emotions ranging from happiness, sadness, contentment to being upset. In that light, feeling upset is a normal part of our life that we feel every now and then. So why do we feel upset? Well, reasons could vary depending upon person to person. The most likely cause of feeling upset is when things don’t go as we plan, when things do not turn out to be the way we had anticipated. But, this feeling should always be temporary. We can not afford to let this upset feel last longer. Once you allow it to last longer, it will start making a continuous presence in your life.

The trick is to learn how to control one’s feeling of being upset over trivial matters. Upset is kind of addiction. If you are liberal with it will continue to bother you. One basic step is start using breathing technique. Take a deep breath and start counting backwards and you will immediately feel a lot calmer than earlier. There are several such options to make you get rid of ‘upset feeling’. One easy way is to make a list of all the factors that irritate you and then tear it apart. Call up your friends and talk about your problems. Try to do what you love most. Go out and share your stuff. You can also try to write your feelings in a diary. Sort out issues with the person you were upset with. Lastly, trust your positive qualities and make the most of what life has given you.

The Importance of Friendship

2009-05-31T09:59:00.000-07:00

Friendship plays a major role in an ordinary person’s life. Having few good friends is like a blessing. They say a friend is need is a friend indeed. But that will be like seeing a blessing in a micro term. A friend is someone who is always beside you, not just during the times of need. Having a relationship as beautiful and pure as friendship works on several layers. You can confide in someone. You can always share your stuff with a friend. You will always find your friend standing for you during the times of distress and sadness. Experts say, a person with good friend circle lives a longer and healthier life. They are the best medicine for our boredom. Sending friendship sms and cards make our lives exciting and fun.

Agree, one also has the support of parents, lover, kids and siblings but having a friend is like a shot in the arm. A knight in the shining armor, your mate offers you wonderful health benefits. Friends are known to improve your immunity system. Apart from acting as a wonderful support system, friends can keep you motivated and can also comfort you. Relationships provide us stability. They are an amazing source of relaxation.

In this world where you will find cut-throat competition at every place, having a good friend is a great source of relief. It’s all give and take in a relationship. People should be motivated and inspired enough to make new friends and cherish older ones.

Pain of Losing Someone

2009-04-29T23:51:00.000-07:00

Losing someone very close is an extremely painful experience. People find it very tough to cope up with the realization that they will no longer be able to see someone in particular who was very close to the heart. Heart aches or should we say it feels as if heart is breaking. Such deep emotional feelings often manifest themselves in physical symptoms of heaviness and tightness in your body structure. The other parts of body seem like reacting in a way that they want to protect your aching heart.

Moments of grief are experienced by one and all. Hardly few people can ever claim to have not experienced this feeling at all. The issue to be tackled here is how soon we can get over with those painful feelings of grieve? These heartbreaking moments don’t need to exist for a long time because longer they last, more we feel like a part of us to the monster named grief.

It’s easier said than done. The trick is to realize and identify the feelings of grief. Once you become aware of the changing taking place in your body and inside, you are bound to change sooner or later. Not realizing your own feelings can make things worse and more painful. Losing someone close is definitely a life-changing event. The world does not seem the same. Deeper you go inside, more aware you will be and easier it will be for you to come out of the feeling of loss and restlessness.

Matter of Choice

2009-04-21T23:49:00.000-07:00

Freeze the word ‘choice’ and think of it. A bit longer than what you would actually prefer to. We all have choices, no? Infact life is all about choices. It has been rightly said that either you choose for yourself or accept whatever life chooses for you. There is no other way. It is quite certain that whatever you choose will be filled with some troughs and roughs. But then, what in life is not? Our choices teach us a great deal about who we are and what are our needs. These choices reveal in great detail about our passions and desires.

World is an ever evolving place and so are we. Stagnation is no better than death. While one is dead he can still be sure of moving onto the next life but what about stagnant people with frozen mindset? They are not moving anywhere. They are okay with whatever situations they are in. if you feel you are in the same condition, you need to make a choice, either of being a perennial victim to stagnation or embracing the choice of change. Make sure to relish the choice and the lessons learned. It is also suggested to be grateful for the world of wisdom your changes represent.

Reminding oneself about importance of evolving is very pleasing to the senses. Don’t stop to do that because that will mark beginning of a sad chapter in your life. Even if a particular choice made you cringe, try to have a good laugh over it and move on. Be easy on yourself. After all, it’s a matter of choice.

Keep On Living

2009-04-14T23:47:00.000-07:00

One of the basic truths of life is to keep on living. We constantly need to feed our soul and mind with things that we relish so that we keep on living in a harmonious and peaceful way. It is said that nobody is perfect. What does that mean? Isn’t it a license to commit mistakes and not regretting them? Yes, it is. Living simply implies we must do our best in every aspect of life. But in hindsight, we may not always be able to achieve the desired result despite giving our best. Why so? Simply because nobody is perfect.

No matter how well trained we are, how smart we think of ourselves and how many experiences we have acquired in the journey of life, we will still commit some mistakes that will make us feel terrible. But then, desire of achieving perfection comes at a price. If something goes wrong we don’t need to put ourselves down. Every experience is like a wake up call. We can always consider the whys, how’s and what’s of an event gone wrong. It’s always in our hand to constructively evaluate ourselves and take the responsibility. We can always learn from whatever happened and move on.

I know it’s easier said than done. But every good thing comes at a price. There is no such thing as free lunch. So why not gear up yourself for the challenging but exciting ride ahead. After all, we need to keep on living.

Importance of Mistakes in Our Lives

2009-04-07T01:39:00.000-07:00

We humans are great learners. We have mastered the art of improvising and improving. Despite that fact and our tendency of trying to attain perfection in whatever we do, we often end up making mistakes and regretting later on. There is not one person who hasn’t committed any mistakes. And if someone claims otherwise it simply means he hasn’t tried anything. We humans have been designed in such a way that learning process comes naturally to us. So many times these lessons are disguised in form of obstacles, mistakes and difficulties. But then, what is life without the iota of those failures. It is said that our difficulties teach us more than what our successes do.

How true! Mistakes are part of our lives and we will keep making mistakes till our last breath. But while mulling over our mistakes we often tend to undermine our success and other positive experiences. Can’t we just say to ourselves that yes, we made an experience instead of saying we made a mistake? Perhaps this single change of words will bring huge joy and pleasure in our lives. As they say, it’s all about matter of perception!

Mistakes are essential parts of our lives. They are an indicator of where we need to take a pause in the maddening rush of life and take care of the things that demand our urgent attention. They are simply a way to remind us not to let loose what you have earned and acquired over the years. Don’t deny this necessity of life. Accept its importance and take it as a gift. Rest will become very easy.

Acceptance of Self

2009-03-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

The most important step one needs to take is to accept the fact that every individual is a different person and he or she has the perfect right to be his or her original self. We are proud of having been bestowed with freedom of choice and so are others. It’s our job to accept people as they are. Others are not bound to change themselves so that they could fit in the periphery of our choices. All the people have a choice of being the way they want to and we must surrender to this fact.

We need to remember that world was never created to please each one of us. It also implies that we need to adjust to the surrounding reality and get in tune with the world. let me tell you how it works. The moment we prepare ourselves to accept others’ reality, we are no longer burdened with any sort of expectations. Give people the right to be themselves and you will find yourself getting rid of monkey off your back. Expectations also imply that we think we have control over others but in reality we just have control over one person; and that’s you. So whatever you feel, however you behave and react, take responsibility for each one of them. These things are entirely our problem. Let each one of us take complete ownership of these feelings and have their movements restricted within us. Don’t ever think of spreading around your mess. That way, you will always be dependent on others. Soon enough, you will make this your habit to assimilate your feelings in your inner being and you will find yourself happily accepting feelings, desires, anger, rage, frustration, wants and likewise. Gradually self control will be a part of your lovely habits and you will be enjoying them.

The Virtue of Self-Control

2009-03-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

Self control is not a common virtue. Humans in general tend to react more than act. Our behavior is subject to how others are reacting instead of how we want ourselves to behave all certain situations. Imagine, someone mimicking you in a group and everyone is laughing, imagine the drive on the road is driving too recklessly or slowly and because of that you are feeling perturbed, imagine your beloved nagging you n trifle issues and you feel all stressed up. So what happened in these conditions? The behavior of other people is driving your emotional and behavioral pattern. You are not in control of your own self.

Thinking of it, do we really have any control over what others think, behave, act or say? We don’t and we can not have. The point is, then we do we indulge in cribbing and screaming out other’s behavior? The anxiety caused by them is unintentional and yet who is getting affected? You and you alone. Sometimes, one even needs to visit a doctor because of the stress caused by others. So wouldn’t it be better for us to just accept the way people behave? One can not control others but yes we can have complete control over our reactions. It would not be such a great idea to have our life dependent on other’s reactions. People often complain about how others are unreasonable, unfair and that causes them stress and anxiety. So why not start some self-control measures and save yourself from similar fate.

Believing in yourself

2009-03-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

“Believe in yourself” is one of the most common phrases that people hear all around; in books, in conversations, in stories, in television etc. This is because of the power that the meaning of these three words carries. Most famous personalities have believed in themselves and their philosophies right from Mahatma Gandhi ( On of the most respected of Indian freedom fighters ) to Barack Obama. Untill and unless, you have a strong conviction inside you, success is far away.

Even in organizations, people who rise to the top are people who believe in themselves. They have the power to give something new to the organization. They have the will and the determination to carry the organization in the right direction. Because people who believe in themselves are self motivated, they tend to be good leaders. They are in fact successful in the motivation of employees in the organization.

Even a homemaker needs to believe in her actions to manage her tasks successfully. She believes that she can multi-task, she believes that she can carry on all her activities on time. It is this strong conviction that drives you to achieve what you want to. There are many people who always feel that they will not be able to do a particular task. This in itself is a de-motivating factor. There may be some genuine tasks that you may not be able to do. In other cases, you are able to achieve a lot by simply believing in yourself.

What did President Obama philosophize: Yes we can. What is this? Nothing but a strong belief in self that it is you who can make change happen by casting the correct vote. So the next time you are upto some task, just say “yes, I can because I believe in myself.

Sense of Freedom

2009-03-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

The most crucial component of a relationship is feelings. These feelings are always at play no matter what type of relationship you share with different individual. This also gives us a clue about one element that is often ignored. And that element is as an individuals we possess very little self determination and control. It does not feel good to realize this truth but then ponder over this fact. Where is freedom? Our freedom goes for a toss when someone doesn’t react in an anticipated way. Words or looks from others make us feel happy or sad then is that really indicative of freedom? Where is the freedom when you have just returned from achieving something big and then people around you nullify that sense of achievement and all you are left with is sense of despondency? Where does freedom exist when success of your colleague or neighbor make you feel envious? No, that is not freedom.

In reality, we are never free because of the pull and push equation of different relationships in our lives. People around us determine our moods and motives. Not many of us give this fact a thought but probably reality bites. So what should we do? How can we get rid of feeling of attraction and repulsion and yet maintain the inner love. Don’t we have rights to remain free as in real value of the word? Shouldn’t we must be able to relate to others in freedom. That will provide us much needed balance in any sort of situation. Our primary aim should be to remain our own person with world in general!

Agony of Love

2009-03-03T09:46:00.000-08:00

Now that we know the concept of relationships, how should we make relationships the source of joy and happiness? Can we replace rage, tension and grief that quite often emerge out of relationships, with happiness and peace? We all have relationships with different people in our lives like parents, siblings, friends, lover, colleagues, boss or teachers etc. Quite often we manipulate them or vice versa, bully or being bullied etc but one feeling is common and that is of helplessness. Rather call it dependence on others for our happiness.

Most of us have already experienced the beautiful feeling of love. Ever wondered what actually happens when you are in love? One single person starts affecting our lives so strongly. He or she becomes the single biggest source for our happiness. We try our best to please that person, to be with him/her, to be loved by the person and all these for what? To see the relationship last long! This one relationship makes us aware of a wide gamut of emotions including, love, joy, affection, tension, grief, pity, rage, excitement and frustration etc.

Now think about it! In reality you are in a love relationship and yet what you experience is pain. See the irony! So when pain has become such integral part of the love, did it remain love? How can it be? So what exactly we start experiencing? Well, it’s nothing but play of our imagination and needs of our own ego! What had started as love is no longer love but just fulfillment of our desires and our ego! Think about it!

The Concept of Relationships

2009-02-28T00:24:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered whether we are free beings or not? In many aspects, yes will be the answer. But in few others, no will be more appropriate answer. So what encages us? Relationships? Yes, indeed! Right from the time when we are born, the pushing and shoving process in relationships always goes on. This process goes till your last breath. Our relationships determine critical things in our lives, the likes of which include; motives, moods and actions etc. so is there any way to get yourself free from this quagmire? Aren’t relationships supposed to be one happy experience that are also beautiful and loving?

Many of you must have heard of J. Krishnamurti? He was a renowned philosopher. He once stated a beautiful line, ‘To be is to be related’! That statement clearly gives a lot of weightage to the concept of relationships. When we arrive in this world, we don’t live in an isolated mode. We get to meet numerous things and that includes relationships, events, objects etc, in our life. This is a kind of web that is never ending. Our relationships greatly define us as humans. This criterion of relationship also involves how we deal with others as well as ourselves.

One factor that is most critical in happiness quotient of an individual is his relationships. Good relationships are source of extreme joy and contentment. The types of relationships we have give others an indication of our state of minds. It also shows the intricacies of our personality including strength and weaknesses, generosity or lack of it, sense of complete security or need to have it and our sense of love, nurturing and caring.

Pain Management- Mental Aspect

2009-02-25T22:21:00.000-08:00

Pain works on both layers; mental and physical. We have already read about physical aspect. Now if we look at this concept from mental point of view then we will find several dimensions and variable factors associated with it. Emotional, spiritual, relationships etc will come under mental aspect. One thing that is very striking about pain is that it has some purpose. No thing in world comes without a purpose. Probably we fail to recognize or identify the purpose but it’s always there. All we need to do is to realize this truth and find it. Similarly, pain can not be termed as some kind of jumbled occurrence that comes and goes for no logical reason. It comes with a purpose and reminds you abut that. Its primary message is don’t take anything for granted and cherish whatever you have been gifted by the almighty.

Pain in a way makes your mind and body remind you that there is some sort of predicament in your existence and that’s why it is hurting you. The hurt factor will probably make you correct the problem. The best way to tackle this phenomenon is by having some specific mind maneuvering that will free all the unexplored energy inside for the healing purpose. Don’t feel tired while you go through the process. Try to enjoy it and seek the blessings in its effects. Sooner or later you are bound to come up with exceedingly good results and the pain will be done.

Pain Management- Physical Aspect

2009-02-23T07:04:00.000-08:00

Pain management tells you to deal with pain. It involves several ways of treatment; mental and physical. Health problems can be dealt with in new and improved ways, all thanks to medical science as well as spiritual awareness. We often think that the cause of the pain can never be known but that’s a myth. The cause of pain is always visible but it’s just that the closed mind never allows us to look beyond available knowledge. Many of us resort to taking prescribed drugs for even small ailment. But one thing that is mostly ignored is drugs only fight symptoms. They do not heal or fix anything substantial. So the best way while dealing with pain is to remove it. Our body is the biggest and strongest healer. For example, in case of any cut or broken thing, see how your body takes care of its parts and in certain duration, the body part is healed efficiently.

Try accepting the fact that pain has a specific purpose and once the purpose is fulfilled pain can be removed easily. Pain is very useful in alerting us and protecting us from taking things for granted. See, in our lifetime, we consume no less than 70 tons of food and that’s huge quantity. Now what is left after that is called toxin that needs to be removed. The body is designed in such a way that it automatically takes care of this garbage. Known as lymph system, it contains numerous glands, cells, vessels and fluid that keep us alive and pain free by getting rid of toxins from the body. All we need to do keep it efficient is by not overburdening it with excessive amount of intake. Remember, we are talking from physical point of view.

Painless Living

2009-02-21T07:02:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered what’s the most common complaint you get to hear these days? Yes, it’s the word ‘Pain’. Everywhere, in any sort of health issue pain is the common word. Millions of people across the world have made this word an integral part of their lives. The worst possible effect of this word is manifested in statements like, ‘one has to learn to live with pain’, ‘pain is a part of getting older’ etc. That’s how they have created and developed the belief system inside themselves. So where do you put yourself? In the category where you have already surrendered to the belief of inevitable pain or have simply resigned to the belief that sooner or later some type of pain is going to hurt you?

But then, in all fairness I will not buy the idea of having to suffer your entire life with some kind of pain. That was not the way we people have been designed by the supreme almighty. Human body is supposed to live pain free and pain free life is nothing but a normal and natural condition. All you require is to support the efforts of your body and keep the pain away. Our body has several elements that strongly oppose pain. However, what we fail to realize is these elements require our support as well as efforts so that they can perform their job with complete efficiency. This philosophy is called as pain management. Our coming article will take a deep look into concept of pain management and how it works.

Health Motivation

2009-02-19T09:37:00.000-08:00

The existence of a good life is subject to several conditions. They say to achieve real happiness is basically having your mind, body and spirit in perfect harmony. ‘Health is wealth’ is an old adage but it still holds true. For most of the people, health is the most important aspects of the personality yet it is often the most ignored one. In the hustle-bustle of our busy lives, often we start taking our health for granted. Youths, specially have a fondness of indulging in all sort of pleasures in life and most of the time these pleasures take a heavy toll on one’s health. In the era of fast food and fast paced life style, we forget to follow the body's natural cycles and munch on unhygienic foods and oily substances. But then, who pays the price in the long run?

Most of us wish to have lots and lots of money and a good health to enjoy those riches. Health and wealth are perhaps the biggest desires of any human. But imagine a situation when you are not able to enjoy the large sums of money you have at your disposal because of some kind of sickness. What would you do? How would you feel? So better follow the idiom, when you have the money you have everything. Health is indeed the greatest wealth. The eternal desire of human beings is to have a life sans any illness, pain and disease but unfortunately not every desire gets fulfilled that easily. To attain few, one has to put in lots of efforts.

Spreading Positivism

2009-02-16T09:29:00.000-08:00

A sane mind and stable existence demands you to have a balanced mindset. When you are able to achieve such balance, moving into new direction becomes very easy. Swinging into new direction gives you a wonderful opportunity of directing your thoughts to the direction where you want it to. You also manage to direct your energy levels to a higher vibration and here onwards, an entirely new journey begins. This journey will allow you to attract the things which you never thought of earlier. Also wishing for new things will become much easy and at the same time you will feel the power within to go whole hog towards attainment of new wishes.

The new journey of life is all about lighting your inner candle. And once the inner candle is lit, you will be surprised to notice how easy it is to keep it alight. That easiness comes from the realization that your inner light signifies your positive energy and that positive energy is affecting all the people around you. This affect phenomenon is very much positive and you are sure to get the high seeing positive changes in your environment. There is a famous saying by Lord Buddha; ‘a candle's life will not be shortened when it lights other candles’! How true but easily forgotten by many! If someone wants to bring the change in the world, that’s how it works. You light your inner candle, spread the resulting peace and happiness and others on their part light their own. And soon it becomes a chain, a positive chain that has the profound power to change many things

Self-Awareness

2009-02-14T10:06:00.000-08:00

I hope, previous articles have made concept of self awareness quite clear. So how to tame vicious games of mind? Well, we should not try to tame it; rather controlling it will be the better word. We must start to be more aware of what goes in our mind and consequently decide upon the relevance of surge of numerous feelings. We also need to raise our vibration level. That will result in producing better outcomes in life. But that demands effort and moving out of one’s comfort zone. You will require you to operate from an altogether different level and that will ask you be determined.

There is a concept called energy psychology. This concept teaches about how to make best use of different energy techniques. These techniques are extremely useful in increasing our cognitive awareness. It is being said that, on an average 60,000 different thoughts go through our mind on a daily basis. Obviously, many of them are negative thoughts that produce negative emotions. So whenever, you come across a negative emotion, you must first try to recognize it. This needs practice but once you are able to identify a negative thought don’t try to avoid it. Accept it as it is. No point, running from your own conceived thought. Accept its negativity and then try to pick a different though that must be positive in nature. If you are able to do that, you are on right path. The positive thought will help you in neutralizing negative thought. This is also called as principle of healing that focuses on having a neutralized state of mind.

Mind game

2009-02-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

Our mind is basically untrained and to conquer fears we need to control it. No feeling is higher than the feeling that assures us that we are in control of our lives. Things that make us fearful are in reality not happening to us. That’s actually a projected event that our mind thinks as if that unfavorable situation is going to happen to us. When we expect taking place of some positive events we feel optimistic and things get reversed when we think of negative events and that’s the moment when fear creeps in. Mind is a powerful tool and when it is used effectively it can create magic in our lives. But if the mind is not controlled then life can also be full of havocs. For example take a scenario of your past or future events.

Our mind keeps fluctuating between possibilities of past and future. There will be several things that have yet to take place in our life and yet mind can make these possibilities appear real to us and generate consequent feelings. Similarly, mind things of past events and related memories and based on that experience, we start connecting the present with past references and things can appear wild or rosy. So the word projection plays a major role here. If we set out to achieve something great in future we feel secure and happy whereas possibility of failure can make us fearful. In reality nothing reality has taken place but then just the projected image and mind game!

Fear Syndrome

2009-02-09T09:58:00.000-08:00

It’s very important to get rid of all the fears from our lives. As talked previously in light your inner candles, the negative external sentiments often affect us in a major way, albeit subconsciously. And once you have fell victim to constant barrage of negative emotions emanating from media intrusion, things no more remain the same. The likely mental status could be depression, fear and finding negativity in every thing of life. It is also termed as swinging of balance of momentum against you. The more you think and realize it, the more hard it will appear to get rid of. Getting trapped in emotional trauma where the spirit takes a massive beating is truly a devastating condition. Wise men also feel suffocated seeing the destructive thinking and regressed steps being taken by influential persons in society.

Our core fears almost always take a heavy toll of us. Core fears often make us give in easily and surrender to worst possible situations. But here mind game is one crucial aspect that we often ignore. Fear is very rarely real. Fear is being instigated by others and not by we witnessing something real happening. Have you realized whenever we feel fearful it’s about the things that have yet to happen in real life? Just the assumption and perceiving of a bad thing taking places makes us give in when in reality we should have fought for our own strength.

Light Your Inner Candle

2009-02-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

Ever heard of the beautiful statement, ‘Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared’? Many of you will nod your head in affirmation. Yes, it was said by The Buddha. It is not a big secret that when you share your happiness, it rises manifold. Enhancing your own happiness is very much conditioned to sharing it with your loved ones. The more you share, happier you are. Many philosophers have agreed upon one thing that, when our energy sources combine together, our influences in different field rises as well.

Self awareness is also important in our self growth and motivation. Environmental influences play a major role in our growth. Self realization is also instrumental in opening our mind to several new factors and makes us more aware of the things. One of the most influential external factors in our life is intrusion of media in our drawing rooms. To put it more openly, media has even encroached in our bed rooms. And most of the times, all we hear are negative news. Robbery, corruption, riots, unpleasant news etc are the most used themes in day to day media broadcast. However, we don’t actually realize how badly these news affect us, albeit subconsciously. The negative sentiments creep inside us and make us depressed we start developing the cynic attitude and also tend to find negative element in every things relating to our lives. We are no more detached in such conditions rather our spirits have already taken a beating and it becomes much harder to get rid of all the negativity inside us.

Mother Nature

2009-02-05T08:26:00.000-08:00

How many of us ventured out to soak the beauty of Mother Nature? If you haven’t done it already, start doing then. This is the best way to unwind you, lose self to the beauty and serenity of Mother Nature and feel the rhythm divine. Just be still when you are in the lap of cosmic beauty. Leave all the stress, work loads and family responsibilities at home and don’t allow yourself to think anything. Make a genuine effort to observe the beauty of nature. It will unfold in front of your naked eyes and the only feeling you will feel is of utmost calm and tranquility. Look, what nature is offering you. Shining stars, sun rise and sunset, white clouds, trees, singing birds, beautiful flowers, sunshine and rain and so many other things. How about feeling the blowing winds across your face? I am sure you will get the heavenly feeling.

Apart from Mother Nature, try to look out for someone you are very comfortable with and share your innermost feelings. It could be anyone; parents, spouse, kids, old batch mate, or friends. Any of the above mentioned names can help you in finding your inspiration.

We should also take into consideration that, sometimes other people know us better than we know ourselves. Our loved ones want the best for us and they can give us the most appropriate guidance. Often we are so jumbled in our thoughts that we stop looking for other alternatives. But when we seek other people, we start receiving new dimension about numerous things of life. Soon enough, finding your true inspiration will no more remain an elusive search.

Inspiration Everywhere

2009-02-02T08:17:00.000-08:00

The words inspiration and motivation hold such significant values in our life. Sages and philosophers always preached the value of finding inspiration within self. They were so right! As mentioned in the previous article, the complete usage of five senses is very essential to achieve the higher goal. Another good idea is to allow your thoughts to roam freely. Imagination plays a crucial role in your endeavor of finding inspiration. When your mind is relaxed and at peace, it’s very easy to reflect upon things and find that elusive miracle.

It takes efforts and practice to completely make your mind blank. But when you manage to achieve that, you will find a completely new vista to explore. Try sitting alone and relax. How about smelling flowers in your garden? Or even smell the cake baking in the even or feeling the smell of spices in your kitchen? These ideas are not usually thought of or even given importance. But then, life is all about seeking inspiration and finding happiness in small things because the basic of life is composed of several small moments. If you try to wait for bigger things to happen that could make you happy then my dear friend, you may have to wait till eternity. Try remembering memories of your life and rejoice the sweet sensations. Think of your childhood dreams, past events and see the aftereffects. Make those memorable senses an integral part of your existence. Your experiences are your treasure so you should better try to enjoy them. That way, search of happiness will appear quite rudimentary.

Motivational Movies

2009-01-31T08:20:00.000-08:00

Glory- this movie is based on a true story and has won several Academy awards. With powerful performances from Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and the ilk, movie portrays fight of 54th Massachusetts infantry (all black regiment) for abolishing slavery and to acquire the freedom. Movie depicts events of American Civil War and was wonderful because of belief shown by black persons.

Amazing Grace- A story about the struggle of William Wilberforce who sets out to abolish slavery in the 18th century Britain. A heart-wrenching tale of people suffering from curse of slavery and how it affected their entire lives. One can watch it for the sheer value of leadership and determination for a good cause.

Osama- this movie was the first one to be made in post-Taliban Afghanistan. This film will show you real pains and troubles of girls who had to cope up with a fundamentalist regime. Movie was extensively shot in war ravaged Kabul.

Gladiator- movie won several international awards and the sheer intensity of Russel Crowe will blow one away. Story of Maximus who witnessed drastic changes in his fortunes and yet managed to rise from ashes and win heart and support of Rome. This movie is an inspiration because of protagonist’s never say die approach and how being true to one’s belief will bring success in the long run.

There are several other inspiring movies like Cooler, Chariots of Fire, Dreamer, The World’s Fastest Indian, Brave Heart, Remember The Titans, Men of Honor, Miracle, Walk the line, Ray, and Bridge Over The River Kwai among others etc.

Inspirational Movies

2009-01-29T11:07:00.000-08:00

The Pursuit Of Happyness- This is a beautiful tale, told in a fascinating way. It tugs at your heartstrings. A rags to riches story about a person who had to face several hardships yet he managed to stay true to himself. Finally, he reaches the top. This movie is an ode to determination, struggle and dreams of a person who traveled the journey from streets to millionaire. The movie is based on the life Chris Gardner who had to work as an intern with no pay and no guarantee of job afterwards and yet he never quit and forced his way to success. Once you start watching the movie, you will feel motivated and ask yourself if he can do it then so can I!

Bucket List- This movie is right there in list of motivational movies because of the story and wonderful theme. It shows, when you want to do something, you can always go for it. No terminal illness can stop you from fulfilling your dreams. One should live life till the last breath.

The Shawshank Redemption- this movies is one of the greatest of all time. Movie deals with trials, tribulations, sorrow, joy, and several other facets of human emotions. Movie won several awards and shows strong characterization.

Forrest Gump- This is story of a person who had the IQ of a child and yet he managed to achieve numerous things in his life. It’s truly astonishing, watching Tom Hanks essaying the role with utmost perfection. The movie will leave you spell bounded. This movie inspires in the sense of if one has unlimited beliefs and childish dreams, then even sky is not the limit.

Seeking Inspiration

2009-01-26T11:02:00.000-08:00

Often people ask where do I seek inspiration? Movies? Music? Nature? Books? Meditation? Well, the answer is a very simple one. Inspiration is not a thing to be found but it’s something to be acquired by applying all the five sense. One needs to be present in ‘Now and Here’. One needs to devote himself completely in whatever one does at one particular point of time. How exactly does inspiration functions? The basic function of this magical word is to stimulate one’s mind or emotion to a high level of activity. That also resembles to one of its dictionary meaning. Inspiration manages to touch your inner being, your soul. It inspires and touches your heart in a wonderful way.

Inspiration depends a lot on one’s current mood. If the mood is right and willing to be inspired, one will certainly feel inspiration. Te mood sets the tone for the object that will inspire you. So, one should never venture out to seek inspiration without setting the mood. Your mindset will determine source and degree of inspiration. Having the right and open frame of mind will make it much easier for a person to receive things which come his way.

I am emphasizing on the word mood and mindset because that really plays a big role in seeking inspiration. Suppose, I get my inspiration from watching movie. So whenever, I feel low or want to get inspired I just start watching a movie with my mood tuned to expected outcomes. Now, the inspiration will also depend upon what genres of movies I prefer. It could be drama or sports or adventure or even war movies. So either way, mind-set and movies reflect each other. One can suit the needs of another. Apart from that, one can also seek inspiration from minor things of life like taking his favorite tea or wearing his preferred clothes. So we decide our mood and this starts the process of finding inspiration.

Inspiration and Motivation

2009-01-22T06:24:00.000-08:00

It’s a brand new year. Year 2009 has arrived along with renewed hopes, faith and aspirations. We humans live an imperfect live however, we continue to strive for better living. Probably, that’s what differentiates us from animals. We always think of more which can also be termed as growth and development. Images of a better life drive us. In fact, that’s the basic fundamental of life; to improve your future by learning the experiences of past and working on those in present! That’s what sums up the basic drive of a human being.

They say, motivation is ego-driven whereas inspiration is spirit driven. But both contribute significantly in the development of us. As the blog title suggests, inspiration and motivation for all, the prime focus of this blog will be to inspire people in all the aspects of life. Inspiration works on several layers. Sometimes, we need to heal the soul, uplift the spirit for the purpose of achieving our goals in life. A stagnant life is never good and for advancement our beings, we need to take help of several motivational and inspirational aspects.

Motivational and inspirational techniques as well as tips are essential for personal growth, spiritual growth, better relationships, staying focused, improving concentration, enhancing optimism, getting over bad phases etc. We humans need to use this tremendous force to excel in lives and to prove to be of some value to society. Let’s ignite the fire within and surmount all obstacles for the betterment of our souls.