Frzen Thoughts' excerpt

I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life.
I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.
"God", I asked,
"Can you give me one good reason not to quit?".
His answer surprised me...
"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"
"Yes", I replied.
"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them.
I gave them light.I gave them water.The fern quickly grew from the earth.
Its brilliant green covered the floor.Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.
And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said.
"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.But I would not quit.
In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit." He said.
"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."
He asked me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots".
"I would not quit on the bamboo.I will never quit on you."
"Don't compare yourself to others." He said."The bamboo had a different Purpose than the fern.
Yet they both make the forest beautiful.""Your time will come", God said to me.
"You will rise high".

"How high should I rise?" I asked.
"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.
"As high as it can?" I questioned."Yes." He said, "Give Me glory by rising as high as you can."
I left the forest and brought back this story.I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on
you.Never, Never, Never, Give up.

How to Become an Early Riser

A good article that I came across on raising early!

An extract - For detailed article pls checkout zenhabits

• Don’t make drastic changes. Start slowly, by waking just 15-30 minutes earlier than usual. Get used to this for a few days. Then cut back another 15 minutes. Do this gradually until you get to your goal time.
• Allow yourself to sleep earlier. You might be used to staying up late, perhaps watching TV or surfing the Internet. But if you continue this habit, while trying to get up earlier, sooner or later one is going to give. And if it is the early rising that gives, then you will crash and sleep late and have to start over. I suggest going to bed earlier, even if you don’t think you’ll sleep, and read while in bed. If you’re really tired, you just might fall asleep much sooner than you think.
• Put your alarm clock far from you bed. If it’s right next to your bed, you’ll shut it off or hit snooze. Never hit snooze. If it’s far from your bed, you have to get up out of bed to shut it off. By then, you’re up. Now you just have to stay up.
• Go out of the bedroom as soon as you shut off the alarm. Don’t allow yourself to rationalize going back to bed. Just force yourself to go out of the room. My habit is to stumble into the bathroom and go pee. By the time I’ve done that, and flushed the toilet and washed my hands and looked at my ugly mug in the mirror, I’m awake enough to face the day.
• Do not rationalize. If you allow your brain to talk you out of getting up early, you’ll never do it. Don’t make getting back in bed an option.
• Have a good reason. Set something to do early in the morning that’s important. This reason will motivate you to get up. I like to write in the morning, so that’s my reason. Also, when I’m done with that, I like to read all of your comments!
• Make waking up early a reward. Yes, it might seem at first that you’re forcing yourself to do something hard, but if you make it pleasurable, soon you will look forward to waking up early. A good reward is to make a hot cup of coffee or tea and read a book. Other rewards might be a tasty treat for breakfast (smoothies! yum!) or watching the sunrise, or meditating. Find something that’s pleasurable for you, and allow yourself to do it as part of your morning routine.
• Take advantage of all that extra time. Don’t wake up an hour or two early just to read your blogs, unless that’s a major goal of yours. Don’t wake up early and waste that extra time. Get a jump start on your day! I like to use that time to get a head start on preparing my kids’ lunches, on planning for the rest of the day (when I set my MITs), on exercising or meditating, and on reading. By the time 6:30 rolls around, I’ve done more than many people do the entire day.

Love Yourself - How to

#Be honest with yourself about how valuable you believe you are. The way you see yourself and treat yourself is the very way others will see you and treat you. Do you see yourself as valuable and worthy of the gift of love? Do you treat yourself lovingly and as a valuable being? And most importantly, do you treat OTHERS with love? That's the first step to feeling better about yourself. It’s ok to be truthful with yourself, though it may not be pretty! Awareness is the first and more powerful step on the path to change!

#FORGIVE yourself if you ever believe you aren't worthy of love.''' After all, there were probably things in your childhood or previous years that created that belief for you. It SIMPLY IS NOT TRUE; every being on this planet is worthy of love, after all, love is what we are here for, it’s what it’s all about. Say to yourself now; “I forgive myself for believing that I was not worthy of love.” Go look in a mirror and say it out loud to yourself, look yourself right in the eyes and say it like you mean it.

#'''Post this affirmation up someplace where you will see it each and every day;''' "I have the courage to believe that I am worthy of love." Read it out loud, every day, at least once, ideally at least ten times each time you notice it. Sticky notes are fabulous for affirmations.

#'''Take action and make those words real.''' Begin loving and valuing yourself. It is said that you cannot give what you do not have. So, if you are not able to love and accept yourself unconditionally, how in the world are you going to love and accept anyone else unconditionally? Much less accept that love in return from them?

# Learn to let go. There are a lot of people out there that have had hard lives/bad beginnings or moments. A lot of people close up on themselves out of grief or fear and have a hard time opening back up. It is important to let go of all the pain that is still inside of you from that bad experience. This is often the hardest part of the journey, but once you've done it, you will really benefit from it.

#'''Remember that love is not a feeling, it is a choice!''' Make the choice to love yourself and the feeling will come. After all, who deserves it more? The more loving you are to yourself, the more loving you will be able to be to everyone around you. Family and friends will especially benefit from this. Make a choice to come from a place of love for yourself and for everyone who is important in your life.

#'''Think about what you need to fill that emptiness inside, that place that is longing for love.''' What specifically are you lacking? Find the answer and then give it to yourself. No one is more capable of loving you, and giving you exactly what you need than you are! When you learn how to fulfill yourself in that way, you stop searching for it outside of yourself and you suddenly begin attracting it to you. You change yourself from a sponge to a magnet! People see you radiating self love and they are drawn to you.

#'''[[Keep a Journal|Keep a journal]].''' Write about your experiences, good and bad. When you write down your good experiences allow yourself to feel those good feelings again. When you remember the bad experiences, allow yourself to feel pride. Pride because you faced a challenge in your life and you are here today to write about it, which must mean you are a survivor and a fighter. Tell yourself, "I know pain, but I have yet to be introduced to surrender." Keep on keeping on.

#'''Get in Tune with Yourself.''' Music reminds us of who we really are.

#''' Do 3 things a day, to change yourself into your dream girl''' If it is gaining or loosing weight, then take a step by dancing for 20 minutes. If you want to ace your midterms, study harder. If you need to become more organized and stop procrastinating then start cleaning and maintaining a place for every single item. Do what is on your to do list by scheduling yourself. Those are an example of 3 things to do in one day, to further a goal of someone becoming more fit,great career and has mental clarity from liberation of clutter! Achieving your goals, can make you love yourself much more because you are building foundation of your own life and character. That is very attractive and will make you more valuable! Motivation ? happiness, success and hopefully inner peace. Grab a hobby, finish or start education. The brand new you will arrive. Success is the best revenge!

Joy at work

Few tips to find joy at work

1) Be Realistic –
We often have the habit of setting unrealistic goals for ourselves. We expect more than what we are capable of and when we are not able to meet our goals, depression seeps in and work becomes a source of unhappiness rather than joy.
Set S.M.A.R.T goals for yourself.
[SMART = Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely goals]

2) Enter Office With The Right Mindset –
Enter your office with a positive mindset about your work, colleagues and employer. Bearing negative thoughts about your workplace will not only hamper your performance but will also not let you like your work!

3) Maintain A Good Rapport With Everyone At Office –
This is something that is often said but not practiced.
The best way to maintain a good rapport at work is to maintain open communication with your boss and colleagues.
Small things like helping people wherever you can, smiling often as you see a colleague etc will help here.

4) Try To Fix The Problems Rather Than Simply Complaining About Them -
Most of us have the habit of sitting and criticizing things rather than thinking of how we can help to make things better.
Rather than just discussing the problems around us, it will be a better idea to find a solution to them.
This will not only create a healthy work atmosphere but also give you a sense of achievement.

5) Focus On Your KPAs –
Many of us feel that we are doing a lot of work which is not recognized. This acts as a source of depression at work.
The best way to come out of such a situation is to focus on your Key Performance Areas.
If you do everything but your actual job, your performance will never be appreciated.
So see if you are doing the right things.

6) Maintain Transparency –
If you are a boss or a senior person at your workplace, try to maintain transparency in the work culture.
Well informed employees are easier to work with and will reduce your worries. Moreover, you will see that they will stand by you in the hour of need.

7) Celebrate Success With Juniors –
Keep patting for the next batting!
Celebrate success with the junior members of your team. If they are happy and motivated, half of your worries will evaporate.
Also, such informal gatherings bring your team members closer and increase the compatibility quotient.

8) Accept New Challenges And Risks –
Accepting challenges is a common feature of most of the happy professionals around.
This will give you not only the joy of recognition but also a feeling of satisfaction. Identify new challenges and volunteer to handle them.
If you are offered an opportunity to handle any new project which might be totally new for you, accept the challenge and do all that is required to make it successful.

9) Keep Your Distance From Office Politics –
Office politics will not let you do your actual job. It will affect your performance, will keep your colleagues away from you and won't let you think constructively.
Therefore keep a distance from work place politics and “Blame Games”

10) Take A Rejuvenating Break From Work –
There will be times when even after practicing all the above mentioned things you will feel exhausted. This is an indication from your body that it needs rest.
So, take a break and rejuvenate yourself for the next innings.

With these 10 tips on our minds, we can enjoy and celebrate work every day of the year!

Tips for Better Sleep

In worklife, a healthy mind produces better ideas and yields satisfaction. And a better day often starts after a good sleep. In this article we present tips and techniques for a sound and satisfying sleep.
1. Sleep is a ‘Life process’: Sleep replenishes our physical and cognitive resources. Sleep deficiency causes fatigue and enhances perception of pain. The pain contributes to insomnia and this becomes a cycle. Sleep has a restorative function and must not be treated as optional.

2. Quality matters: quality of sleep can be attributed by freshness and energy levels you experience when you wake up, and not by the hours spent. Ideally, 6-8 hours sleep can be sufficient for the majority of people.

3. Enter the bedroom only when you feel sleepy: Don't eat, worry, or argue in the bedroom. For some, mild music is useful.

4. Do not engage yourself with stress when you are trying to sleep: If you must, walk out of the bedroom, pick up a pen and pad and write down your problem areas and action plans. Return to bed only when you are sleepy.

5. Conditions such as anxiety, depression, stress and chronic pain need to be addressed to get a relief from chronic insomnia. Breathing exercise and mild workout during the day is vital for good sleep.

6. Take the word of Experts: Look for the cause of your insomnia. Don't just take a pill for it and ignore the cause. Behavioral changes yield better results than medication.

7. Physical inactivity and restlessness caused by ongoing major medical illness such as heart disease or chronic pain resulting from physical and psychological conditions cause insomnia. Consult medical expert if you are insomniac for a long period of time.

Tips for Enhancing Memory

In worklife, there are times when we want to recall some detail and we can't. For Example, name of peer/ client, schedule/ venue or time of an important meeting. In most of the cases, we can significantly improve it by following a few simple tips.

1. Higher the depth of processing, better the recall: The more you think, reason, and comprehend, better the likelihood that you will retain and recall it later on. Good memory is a state of the active mind.

2. Interest and importance: When you are really interested, you pay greater attention and your brain releases chemicals to form deeper "symbol systems" that store memory.

3. Relaxed mind controls anxiety: Learn with a relaxed mind. Recall the learned material with a relaxed mind. High anxiety levels can impair ability to concentrate which limits the recall. If we are too anxious during an interview, we may not recall what we know very well.

4. Faith: If you believe you have a poor memory, your brain will do everything to prove you right.

5. Depressions impair the interest levels and joy in life events. As a result too little energy is left to recall anything. We often hear this phrase "I have lost my mind” when the mind is agitated.

6. Use your favorite sensory channel: Use symbols, Acronyms, Colours and shapes to store and represent information. If you prefer, discuss something with peers. More you process the information, lesser the chance that you would forget it. Use a combination of your sensory systems to stay organized and focused.

References:
http://users.ipfw.edu/abbott/120/AtkinsonShifrin.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Memory_processes

Presentation...Contd.

Active Listening

Good speakers not only inform their audience, they also listen to them. By listening, you know if they are understanding the information and if the information is important to them. Active listening is NOT the same as hearing! Hearing is the first part and consists of the perception of sound.
Listening, the second part, involves an attachment of meaning to the aural symbols that are perceived. Passive listening occurs when the receiver has little motivation to listen carefully. Active listening with a purpose is used to gain information, to determine how another person feels, and to understand others. Some good traits of effective listeners are:

• Spend more time listening than talking (but of course, as a presenter, you will be doing most of the talking)
• Do not finish the sentence of others
• Do not answer questions with questions
• Aware of biases. We all have them. We need to control them
• Never become preoccupied with their own thoughts when others talk
• Let the other speaker talk. Do not dominate the conversation
• Plan responses after others have finished speaking...NOT while they are speaking. Their full concentration is on what others are saying, not on what they are going to respond with
• Provide feedback but do not interrupt incessantly
• Analyze by looking at all the relevant factors and asking open-ended questions. Walk the person through analysis (summarize)
• Keep the conversation on what the speaker says...NOT on what interest them

Nerves

The main enemy of a presenter is tension, which ruins the voice, posture, and spontaneity. The voice becomes higher as the throat tenses. Shoulders tighten up and limits flexibility while the legs start to shake and causes unsteadiness. The presentation becomes "canned" as the speaker locks in on the notes and starts to read directly from them.
First, do not fight nerves, welcome them! Then you can get on with the presentation instead of focusing in on being nervous. If you welcome nerves, then the presentation becomes a challenge and you become better. If you let your nerves take over, then you go into the flight mode by withdrawing from the audience. Again, welcome your nerves, recognize them, let them help you gain that needed edge! Do not go into the flight mode! When you feel tension or anxiety, remember that everyone gets them, but the winners use them to their advantage, while the losers get overwhelmed by them.

Questions

Keep cool if a questioner disagrees with you. You are a professional! No matter how hard you try, not everyone in the world will agree with you!Although some people get a perverse pleasure from putting others on the spot, and some try to look good in front of the boss, most people ask questions from a genuine interest. Questions do not mean you did not explain the topic good enough, but that their interest is deeper than the average audience.
Always allow time at the end of the presentation for questions. After inviting questions, do not rush ahead if no one asks a question. Pause for about 6 seconds to allow the audience to gather their thoughts. When a question is asked, repeat the question to ensure that everyone heard it (and that you heard it correctly). When answering, direct your remarks to the entire audience. That way, you keep everyone focused, not just the questioner. To reinforce your presentation, try to relate the question back to the main points.
Make sure you listen to the question being asked. If you do not understand it, ask them to clarify. Pause to think about the question as the answer you give may be correct, but ignore the main issue. If you do not know the answer, be honest, do not waffle. Tell them you will get back to them...and make sure you do!
Answers that last 10 to 40 seconds work best. If they are too short, they seem abrupt; while longer answers appear too elaborate. Also, be sure to keep on track. Do not let off-the-wall questions sidetrack you into areas that are not relevant to the presentation.
If someone takes issue with something you said, try to find a way to agree with part of their argument. For example, "Yes, I understand your position..." or "I'm glad you raised that point, but..." The idea is to praise their point and agree with them. Audiences sometimes tend to think of "us verses you." You do not want to risk alienating them