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Importance of Self Image; Powerful Motivational Quote that will help you embrace you totally

August 07, 2021

 

Self Image is important: How do you view yourself?

This may come across as a simple question. I am Teacher, I am _______ etc.

Are we just our professions? or Nationality or Genders?

How do you view you? This is an important question.

Why is it important you ask? Think about it, the answer to this question will determine how you think about yourself.

You may not like people or just plain love them, but one constant companion you have with yourself is you.

Yes, you are your own constant companion. Love yourself and don't let judgements stifle you.

You made a mistake own it, if possible forgive yourself and make appropriate amends.

But accept yourself, This means accepting not just the positive parts of your personality, but also the parts that are not that acceptable.

Accept the dark parts of yourself, It is difficult. But it can be a liberating experience.

I would like to leave with this powerful from Quote from Richard Paul Evans.

Embrace your dark side


Please do share and join the discussion on this post on our FB Page.

Ciao! Have a Happy Learning Week!

Ponder points: What the month of July taught me? 3 Interesting Insights that could help me change

July 17, 2021

 

July has been kind to me


Gosh! This month has been masala packed. I have personally learnt a lot.

I would like share some of my insights this month has shared with me.

This month started as a regular month. One of the precious moments being my Mom's Birthday on the 4th of July.

This pandemic has brought me close to my Wife's family. It has been an insightful experience.

My daughter started school; managing work with schooling can be a challenge for a lot of parents.

3 Insights that helped me see Life differently this month

You can choose your Perspective

Learning and insights


You must be thinking Chris, Duh, isn't it obvious? Not for me...

After consuming some content from New Agers, I realized that I don't need to be fixated into one perspective.

Since ideas have consequences , So does see things from a perspective. When we think in terms of possibilities and scan different perspectives in our day to day lives its a different matter.

I actually started practicing it. It works like magic.

You can be Assertive, but being rude is not necessary

Join our Private FB Group: Life Commune!


I think sometimes Rudeness can be needed. But mostly it is not required. 

Assertiveness is something that helps resolve issues and when we master it. We can come across as being unnecessarily rude.

It was a realization that humbled me. (This post is feeling like a confession now...Lol)

I learnt that I was expressing myself without hurting others (unnecessarily).

You can blog without writing long posts, Hop on Twitter

Twitter is fun! Connect with me.


Initially Twitter seemed like something everyone followed and enjoyed; I couldn't see the point of it.

I forced myself to sign up and just use the platform. Its simplicity is so attractive.

Sometimes a line is enough to express oneself. Writing a long post just to keep it SEO friendly for the sake of it is completely not required.

Let's connect on Twitter and microblog...

In Conclusion

I have learnt so much in 15 days, Learning can shake up a lot of wrong ideas and can open New channels that enrich you.

I would say that learning different perspectives is helpful and besides informing you it can give you useful ideas.

So I hope it is not to early but July has been a kind month for me. I wish you a great month and wonderful day.

Do share your comments and connect with me on FB. Subscribe to my Newsletter by clicking here!

References





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5 Top Mobile Apps to Manage your Time like you Manage your Money

June 09, 2021

 

Manage your time with Apps


Introduction

Wow, We are reaching the completion of the first half of  2021. But one of the issues you must be facing is no time for sure.

Time is a resource we have less of and sometimes its not enough. As a parent there are moments I feel I have no time for certain activities I had when I was single.

So it is the pain of 'No time', time is such a precious resource. Time is really money. 

I did some digging to find apps that can manage time and I thought I would write a blog to share it with you.

I am sure there are many resources on time management, why not an app? 

Is this a complete list?

Does it need to be a complete one? I have included some of the best. It will save some time when you try some of them.

I personally liked the idea of an app. It adds flexibility and its a pretty alternative to Excel, Keep etc.

I would say it is a complete list in the sense, the apps are helpful. So lets jump to the list and see why they may help you with managing time.

Top 5 Mobile Apps

Some of these apps may not have a web app version. Some could be premium which is important (It's business and they are serious about giving you a good app). You don't want an app that is only a hobby project.

Managing time is a serious business, so is getting a good application.

Trello

This is the first on the list, I have used is this app. I used the desktop version of it. I find it really useful for personal and work related activities.

You can manage the simplest to the most complicated task using this system.

You have the free and paid versions depending on what you need. I use the free version and I have a desktop version of the application.

The paid version starts at around $10 per user per month. It's known to be one of the best designed Kanban apps.

(Affiliate Link)

Google Calendar

This one app that resides on your phone and mobile, especially if you have a google account. Believe me it's really powerful.

Let's see some ways we could use it. Schedule meetings, get event reminders, email your daily agenda to your inbox.

A whole host of mind blowing tasks that you can you use your Google Calendar for.

A small list of tasks you can perform with Google Calendar:

  • Create new calendars for different purposes
  • Schedule meetings with groups
  • Sync meetings with your CRM
  • Sync your calendar with your marketing software
  • Hide your event details
  • Add Attachments
  • Enable your world clock
  • Enable working hours
  • Email event guests

So as person who doesn't reinvent the wheel, here is a great article on how to use Google for Time Management.

Focus Booster

This is a really power application. It has a free and a paid version of the same app.

It is based on the Pomodoro technique that chunks time into slots for work and break.

This app helps you implement this technique and build discipline. Besides this it can create dashboards, reports and can be used for client billing.

Using this app can boost your productivity and can organize your time. It is a useful app to build discipline especially with respect to management of time.

Loop - Habit Tracker

This app is more of a habit tracker rather than a time management tool.

It keeps a score of your habits and has a formula to calculate the strength of your habits.

It is completely free to download and use as mobile app. Currently it is available for Android only.

Asana

This is web application is a project management tool. That is more work oriented.

It can be used for managing work and projects. It helps you deal with deadlines and also work with teams

This application has a free and a paid version that are quite powerful.

Honorable Mention

Remember the Milk

This is another cool application. So with Remember the Milk, You manage your time and also the tasks you want to complete.

This connects with the Google drive and it also has an app for Apple Watch.

It has a free and a paid version. It has a whole host of powerful integrations.

Wrapping it up

Time is a very important resource, Managing it is vital and important. It can help us bring out more from ourselves than we expected.

These tools are just resources that help us and are just addons to make the process much easier.

If there is any tool you have been using that we have not covered, Please mention it on our FB Page.

You could connect with us on FB, Like and Subscribe to get notifications on our Recent posts and other Updates.

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Five Barriers to action now, Insights from Top Influencers and why not taking acting can be a huge loss, Just start now!

May 24, 2021

 

Barriers keeping you back...Moving beyond limitations


He got started as a Trainer and he got presented with a Network Marketing Plan. He dived into it headfirst and is really killing it. He is into Crypto Trading too and doing well there too.

Besides the Merits and Demerits of Network Marketing and Crypto, he is learning and experimenting with what he understands. You may say Chris this is so risky.

Yes, it is, but not doing anything is equally risky. The amazing thing here is the fact that he was able to make it with the opportunity he had.

Sometimes a winning mindset is about putting things into motion; accompanied by the desire to learn from mistakes and others.

Paul is not an expert trader or a master marketer, he is just a person with the right mindset and desire to learn.

Learning is risky

Yes, It can be sh*t disruptive in a bad kind of way. It shows you another part of reality and it also makes you realise how much you don't know.

One thing I know about knowledge; is in plenty. Getting too much of it will cripple you(imagine the choices and the stuff to learn). A good way is to add 'Action' to the mix.

How do we do that? Let's say you are starting a business. You are ready with your business plan.

Put it in action, Meet Probable Clients. Interview and negotiate with suppliers. So Let's say you don't have a plan.

You can still Meet people understand their needs and businesses see what they offer and how they can add value to you. It could be difficult or plain awkward. But it's better than not doing anything.

You are starting out somewhere, there is no great cost involved. You could speak over the phone or just email them a questionnaire. There are plenty of options. Be creative!

So what are some Barriers we face before we start out and we must begin now!

Why lose out?

You and I know that every endeavour however good and positive does not promise success.

Let's do a short thought experiment. You start a Coaching business online, you create videos, training material and a whole lot of goodies.

It does not give you good results. Does this mean that there is no value in your efforts?

Absolutely not! So what can be done? How can we get the value we are seeking for it?

How about leveraging what you created? Can the resource you created to be used for generating leads?

You can offer it as a free program and get leads. You can repackage it and offer it to your students in your college or school.

You can offer it as a digital product online. People can test your product and it will give you feedback. You can use this feedback to improve your offering.

There is no lost effort, just a couple of ideas to repurpose it. If all this doesn't work, maybe you can get inspiration for your next project.

Rome wasn't built in a day; so wasn't Facebook, Starbucks and other businesses. 

Some Quick Reasons to start your Dream Project:

You deserve it:

Yes, You heard me right. Just because magical thinking isn't good, but it does not mean that you don't deserve better.

Imagine getting a better career or even a new car can be life-changing to you and your close ones.

Aim, Plan and work out your plans; Leverage what you learn from the experience. Achieve your dreams, you deserve it.

It may be valuable to others too:

Being satisfied is good, Being contented may not be the best alternative. We may have what makes us happy, but centring everything around us is good in a limited way.

Expand your influence to others, your dreams and goals is also a force to bring positive change. Change into our communities and societies for the good.

That Startup and business you wanted may be a blessing in the making for others too.

Being content can be spiritual, but selfish too:

This may seem like a repetition but it's not. Contentment is awesome, the feeling of having everything that makes life better.

But being satisfied feels like we have reached our destination, Why try? We all live in communities.

Whether we acknowledge it or not, our communities have been a blessing. They are not perfect, of course. But they are not completely horrible.

Giving back is not just some kind of exemplary virtue, it's also about choosing to be less self-centred.

So before we go ahead with some of the barriers we face repeat to yourself, "Why not?"

Barriers to Taking action

Wrong Mindset

All of this “every person can be extraordinary and achieve greatness” stuff is basically just jerking off your ego. It’s shit sold to you to make you feel good for a few minutes

- Mark Manson, Being Average [Blog post]

This is a key point, Mindset can be a difficult thing to fix.

Years of conditioning, personal experiences and a whole lot of ideas though not completely wrong can prevent us from achieving what we aim for.

I remember encountering this idea in a book related to Anxiety, the idea extolled the importance of being Average.

This sounded a bit odd. Sometimes we think our projects and outcomes need to be spectacular. I am sure a lot of Online courses and gurus preach the same.

But building a robust and well-focused business or project just does not need to be spectacular. It can be average but continuously improving and serving people better.

Mindset change to me is more about accepting responsibility for your dreams and actions.

Average does not mean substandard. It just means as good as the rest, but nothing stops it from being unique and different.


Under/Over appreciation of Self

The way you see things - your attitude - is the most important factor in your success.
- Zig Ziglar

I have seen it both in myself, this is not an exercise in self-deprecation. I am just wanting to be honest. Don't think I got it all going perfect.

As a former member of a pseudo-cult, I see the harmful effects of disinformation.

I think an under or over appreciation of self are both barriers. I think it prevents us from the opportunity to deal with issues whilst learning how to improve our situations and ourselves.

If we need to improve and have a better life, we need to understand ourselves first. Maybe what is keeping us back from taking action is because we don't have a healthy view of ourselves.

Stop, think and reflect on yourself. Keep a journal to learn more about how you think.

Give yourself a chance and act on your goals. You will learn a lot about your goals and yourself too.


Having No Plan

Never begin the day until it is finished on paper

- Jim Rohn

As a former IT professional, One thing I can tell you with confidence. Planning is really powerful, But don't get lost in your plans.

When one plan does not work, an opportunity to learn and set another plan in motion.

Planning gives structure to your time and purpose. Sometimes what keeps us back is we don't know where and why to begin.

Planning takes care of the part of 'What needs to be done?' You can review your day and see how productive you have been.

Review your day against the plan you made for it. You can see how productive you have been and what are activities did not bear fruit.

In the scenario that you are able to live the day by your plan; you get to review what activities will be more beneficial and profitable. 

Create great moments and days by planning well.


Fear

Extreme fear can neither fight nor fly.

- William Shakespeare

New Direction, new beginnings can have an element of the unknown. We may not know what lies ahead or how we may look in front of people.

This can bring a measure of fear. This feeling may stifle your action or the desire to act.

This can be a painful situation to be in. Take action, Yes it does not have the guarantee of success. But a chance in succeeding is better than no chance at all.

If the Plan is worthy and good to you and won't affect anybody else. It could be a place to consider planning and thought before acting on it.

Overthinking is also not good. But coupling action with planning will give you direction, it will help you realise the possibilities and reality behind your plans. 


Overestimating the Past

Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.  

- Bill Gates

So you are a veteran and experienced professional. You have tried and failed, you have seen it all.

You don't feel encouraged to continue or try something new. Maybe you need to reevaluate the way you look at your past experiences.

As a person with a fair amount of experience, I realise that sometimes we selectively look at our past. We overlook the bad or good moments depending on how situations might make us feel.

We may not be as objective as we think we are.  I personally found it more productive to learn from the past and continue with my current plans.

Success is also about the journey (Does it sound cliched? lol) But it is true...


In Conclusion

Yes, there is a lot more that can be said. But there is a lot that needs to be done.

Sometimes life and situations can be discouraging, or sometimes we may just be too lazy. I would encourage you to start today.

Maybe in a small way, Just by planning or take action on a plan. Barriers are means to take you to the next level.

Wish you a happy learning day, if you liked this article, Do Share it.

You could share your views by commenting on our FB Page.

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Treasuring and Missing our loved ones during tough times, 5 Suggested Strategies to cope with grief

May 03, 2021

Grieving is something we all may have to encounter at some point

 

One of the two things constant in Life is Death and the second is Change. I think this is attributed to Buddha, I found this idea quite profound.

I have lost loved ones to death and it is a painful experience. You wonder (at the moment) if there is some way to restore them. It is painful to see them being buried or cremated. But it is a part of life.

It's everywhere in Nature, Death and New Birth. How does one cope with losing someone dear? I don't know if there is a special 5 step formula, but I do know the pain is real.

If you are one of those people who is experiencing this unfortunate situation. I wish you hope and strength, I am sorry for your loss.

I have collected some ideas that may serve you. They may help you cope and guide you through these difficult times.

Before writing and researching this article, I have dwelt on this topic many times.

Grief and Loss: An important Life event?

As we grow older this is a reality we find ourselves in. The possibility of us transitioning into the afterlife and our loved ones going through the same.

These pointers will focus on those who are left behind. Those who are bearing the pain of this huge loss.

I have spoken to a few friends and email subscribers, I am going to share some of the ideas I have got. Suggestions here are meant to help you cope and not serve as an alternative to Professional Medical Help.

Life can be difficult, community support and the right kind of Medical Support can be really productive. (Speaking as a recipient of good Medical support myself, Helping yourself is wise when you need it)

Some strategies to consider during grieving times:

I hope I don't personally find this odd when I am grieving. I used the word strategy, I think it can be an extremely painful situation to be in.

I have lost loved ones and I still miss them to this day. Some have been lost to illness, accidents and old age. But It feels painful whatever be the reason.

It is a part of life, a Life event we all must experience. But the ones left can be a lot of heartaches and memories.

It's normal to miss them

People express the pain in different ways. It's completely normal to miss a loved one. It may be missing a friend or a relative, missing a loved one always hurts.

You may feel a lot of things emotionally and physically while your grieving. It's normal to feel and experience these kinds of changes.

It's okay to express grief

While your grieving there is no set time limit or rules that govern the entire process. It's a heartfelt response to a personal loss.

You should not punish yourself or blame yourself for expressing your loss. Get the healthy support of friends or family members.

If possible join a support group or speak with a counsellor.

If you are physically hurt it is not considered wrong to seek help. Similarly ignoring professional help during tough situations is unnecessary. It is proper and right to seek professional help.

I would say it is wise too. A lot of times we become victims of wrong thinking patterns during difficult times. Professionals can give us strategies and effective help to deal with troubling situations.

It's fine to seek company or community

This is another one I wanted to speak about. It's okay to join a group that is helping you cope with your grieving process.

This can be your local religious community or even your friends. But do take care not to fall for groups that prey on people. 

There are sadly some religious groups and network marketers who are taught to actively use this kind of painful situations for recruitment. 

(I am not against Network Marketing and Religious recruitment as long as it is not Coercive and Shaddy)

It's okay to delay making important decisions

Difficult questions may not come when we would like them to. So when making important decisions try to delay (if possible) to a time when you are in a better mental space.

I can't tell you how important this one is. But a better mental space is important while making Life-changing decisions.

It's fine if we commemorate them

It's okay to celebrate Life events associated with them. If people think otherwise it's okay.

I believe treasuring memories and appreciating people who made a difference in our lives is important.

It helps us express our appreciation and the wonderful moments we shared with them.

In Conclusion

I don't know how you process the afterlife and all its mysteries. But I am sure our Loved ones will always live in our memories and in our hearts. 

Maybe there are things we thought we could do with them, but we must also remember the joyful moments you shared. You can share that joy with your near and dear ones.

Reaching out to people and creating new memories with people. We all move towards the same destination. I think it makes a difference to make a small difference.

I may not share the intensity of your pain, but as a Human, I can see how painful it is. Wish you strength and courage, May God bless you!

Further Reading

Coping with Grief and Loss by Helpguide

Coping with Grief and Loss by Psychological Health care

Can Money buy love? A Short reflection

Kickstart your next side hustle

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Can money buy love? What does love mean to you

April 25, 2021

Can Money buy love?


I recently shared an interesting quote by Brazilian playwright Nelson Rodrigues. What do you think about it?

I had mixed reactions reading about it. When you read about love from a psychological point of view. It brings out the sacredness of love and how it relates to the sacred aspect of our lives.

The other element it looks at is the emotional life that love seeks to fulfil. According to an article in Psychology Today, love cannot be bought but only the occasions and situations that help us find it can be enhanced.

I think these are some important questions we ask ourselves. Maybe there are situations that compel us to reflect on life in this way.

On the other hand, however, we may try to rose coloured love, but there are practical aspects to a relationship we cannot ignore.

Love thrives in situations and so does our relationships. If care and attention are important for a good relationship so is the practical parts of it.

I think as we learn from the good and bad parts of our relationships we grow and learn new things. There may be many guides and articles on the science of a healthy marriage or partnership, but I think giving our best and learning actively about the other person is important.

I think sometimes we tend to fit things in a framework. This may suck the freedom and life of the other person.

The other problem is this hopeless political game of power. Yes, Power struggles can be real in a relationship.

There could be many more problems, Some are practical problems like Time or money. 

I think anything worth the while has its struggles.

I hope you found this short reflection useful. Please share this article and subscribe to our Facebook page

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5 Powerful Books that can kickstart your next side successful hustle

April 15, 2021

 

Photo by Slidebean on Unsplash

Hey, It's been a fairly long time. Just took refuge in Goa, my ancestral home state. You may be thinking, Chris you are chilling and having a great time. 

Oh yes, but it's more about connecting with my newborn son, Caiden aka the fiery one. Little bustling bundle of joy, it's awesome being Dad. 

This current situation (a lot of us staying at home) has gotten me thinking about side hustles.

I would like to share some of the books to start out as a newly minted side hustler. 

I am not going to recommend super Management and Y-combinator startup stuff, but books that can actually start something you love and everyone can read.

Some reasons why starting a Side Hustle makes sense

So you want to escape the proverbial 9 to 5 or have passive income? This is not the blog to read. 

I believe starting a business part-time requires a ton of passion and effort.

It's about being independent but more importantly, I see it as solving problems that are important to you and others. 

Hustling the Canva way

Imagine Life before Canva or YouTube. Don't remember, Bad designs with illegible texts on graphics. That was life before Canva. Canva solved a major problem with Bad design. The best part it is available for Free. They have a paid version that I think is worth it.

Next is YouTube, When Satellite TV touched our neighbourhood there was such a buzz around it. There were households with Doordarshan and those who had the new Cable TV networks. 

What fascinated me was the logo design and the programming of these TV channels. I just loved the whole idea. But then becoming a content creator is so difficult and requires such a huge budget. 

YouTube just solved that one for you. Completely free to start a channel and reach out to millions of users worldwide. No license fees, no distribution costs. 

You could just design a logo on Canva and even edit your video and upload it on YouTube. It's that simple,

Yes, you can create videos on Canva. They have a powerful and simple video creation tool. For more powerful tools than Canva, we have Adobe Premiere, Davinci Resolve, Shotcut etc. But I love Canva because I can show my 5th Grade Students to make beautiful looking videos on it.

Problem Solving is hustling

Can you see how life-changing Problem Solving can be? 

Your side hustle has the power to actually change things around you. 

There are many more benefits like it provides employment to people, it gives you independence and the supplementary income.

Five Books to get you started on your Next Side Hustle


Unscripted: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Entrepreneurship by M.J. DeMarco 

Very refreshing read for New Entrepreneurs

This is a must-read book by MJ De Marco, a self-made millionaire. 

He offers no BS tips but only how to start a business and change your mindset. 

He does not offer any shortcut formulas but common sense ideas and a framework to get started.

This Framework deals with deep-seated myths and false beliefs around work and success.

He also has a forum to discuss ideas to build a successful business. He is a huge proponent of the fast lane, which most of us think is dangerous. Read the book to know more...

The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau

Learn how to build a side hustle with your Passion

This book actually features people who have made it big with small but powerful ideas. I had the opportunity to meet of one the person mentioned in the book. 

I met this person much before he was mentioned in the book. Though I must say that person (who I won't name) was weird to meet (He would just not speak) with but was very talented and deserves all the respect.

The book offers a workable and practical framework to convert existing talent to help people and make an income. It also shows you practical ideas to scale the business to something big.


The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferris

A classic book on Life Design

This is a powerful book by Tim Ferris, I found the concept behind the book really powerful. Tim offers really practical and quick hacks to starting a business and building a lifestyle that you would envy.

Tim offers a whole range of recommended tools with workable plans that you could use to actually start a side hustle. He takes you through a few ideas and plans that could actually work and be useful to start with.

He shows you how to build a lifestyle around your side hustle. He also enlightens you about the negatives and how to deal with them.

Overall it will provide you with a good idea to get started with your side hustle in a very practical manner.

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert T. Kiyosaki

One of the first books I read on Entrepreneurship

This is another power-packed book. I am sure you may have heard a lot of people recommend this book. 

This book will share ideas that will challenge some of your ideas around Employment, Life and business. 

This book is quick to read and some of the ideas are practical and useful.

He shares ideas he learnt from his Rich Dad (His mentor) who taught him well-treasured lessons about the realities of life and work.

He shares some key insights and direction to help you build a successful career and business.


The Startup Owner's Manual Strategy Guide by Steve Blank

Business Model Canvas beautiful technique to design your next business

This is a killer book. You could read this book and use the ideas to understand your current business or work. 

It focuses on Entrepreneurship and practical ways to become a successful Entrepreneur. 

You could start by Taking a Free course before actually Reading the book. Check it here.

Well, This is my shortlist. Of course, there are many I left out. I will mention them at some point.

The key thing about these five books is that they present side hustling as a practical way to explore your talent and more importantly a realistic and personal take on life.


In Conclusion

I believe it's when we seek to make a difference and not just an extra buck that we succeed. It can be difficult without the right knowledge and support.

These 5 books can be a starting point to plan well and begin with the right tools and mindset. Please share your favourite books on Entrepreneurship.

If you have read these books, Share what you think about them in the comments section. 

Note: Some of the links used in this article are Affiliate Links

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Happy Women's Day, 3 Women who inspire the best in me and one of them is my wife

March 10, 2021
Women who inspire me
Women who inspire me

 
Yes, you might be thinking Women's Day is over. Chris, you are late. I must confess every day belongs to you. Carpe Diem! 

But having said that I must say looking back the women I know have been an inspiration to me.

It is amazing how people we know can share such an influence on us. 

I think we need days and moments to stop and reflect on the impact people have on us.

Influencers in our lives

Our Personal Influencers: our loved ones

We all have a circle of influence. It may be big or small. But it is important.

I once read while studying about EQ (Emotional Quotient) on the importance of choosing at least 15 people to have in our lives.

Among those 15 people, Women of course share a huge role in my life.

I see people who share lives with us and mentor us as Real Influencers we have. They may not be perfect but they are there to guide us.


My First Influencer

When I see people face family pressure for choosing a different religious or spiritual path. I think it should not be like that.

 

The first person we know (for most of us) is our Mother. My mother has been a huge influence on my life.

She would never influence the way we thought about things. We all (The Dias's) have a kind of free spirit.

I seem to like the only conservative at home. My mom has been very accommodating. As a person, I have been exploring spirituality for years.

My Mom supports that and has never confronted me and treated me like a pariah. There has rarely been a confrontation on this point. Maybe a concern, but absolute freedom. I love my mom for that.

When I see people face family pressure for choosing a different religious or spiritual path. I think it should not be like that. The family should continue to love and support the person.

It's not that my Mom endorses my religious or spiritual views but she dialogues and tries to hear me. That's so encouraging and I love my Mother for it.


One of the Reasons I love Entrepreneurship

When I look back I remember her and it encourages me to give my best. 

 

My Grandmother was an entrepreneur. She started a Small Business in Mumbai. She was a student when she came to Mumbai.

She has always been someone I look up to for inspiration. I am sure wherever she is, She is wishing the best for me.

She would take me to Church every day. I would play as a child in Church, lol it was so awesome. She would feed me fruits and tell me Biblical stories and stories about our Family.

She would share her experiences and the difficulties she faced. It was one of the best days of my life.

When I look back I remember her and it encourages me to give my best. It shows me the value of working hard and being resourceful. She showed me the importance of mentoring and sharing life with people.


My Better Half



I have been married for the last 6 years. Wow, it been a long time for me. 

My wife is one of the people who know me quite well. She is my closest friend, partner and thoughtful critic (I hope she doesn't kill me for saying this).

We all need someone to keep us grounded. She as a person has been a constant support. She has shown me a different side to life.

She is not so dogmatic about life and passionate about Teaching. During the pandemic, she would stretch herself to give her best to her students whilst being with child. She would just give her best to her work (and for me that is truly inspirational).


The Long list


My Sister, my Aunties, my close friends, and a whole host of colleagues and students have been there for me and I am ever grateful.

This blog would never end and they have been a source of inspiration and help when I needed it. 

Does this mean I have no issues with any of the above? Not at all. The problem is we fail to realize our idols are Humans too. We put them on pedestals and when they falter we demote them.

I must say all of the 3 women I mentioned are as human as Human can be. But there is a value that people and life can bring. We must acknowledge that.


In Conclusion

Women are loved and they have added tremendous value to our lives. Down the ages, they have been a source of Joy and tremendous progress.

I always wanted to say this. I think this is the power of blogging that even a video can't capture. The ability to just express freely. Once again Happy Women's Day!

In the comments section please share about the women who have inspired you.

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Chris Educator's Top 10 Affirmations on Gratefulness for building a positive attitude and patting your own back

February 22, 2021

Do you encourage yourself? Funny thought, right!

Why Affirmation?

 When I got the results I was surprised I actually got the score I had aimed for. 

How many of you have seen 'The Secret'? Let me start by a small confession. I just don't buy the idea of the law of attraction. Before you skip this page, Please wait I shall share some reasons why I don't believe it.

But regarding Affirmations, I think there are good reasons to believe it (is effective). Let me share a testimony. I could have started by listing my reasons, but I think a testimony will capture much more about how I feel. 

It was during my Grade 10 exams, I had read an article on tips for preparing for examination. Yes, Students do read and believe ideas you share (So we must be careful while sharing ideas).

This article suggested that affirmations and visualization had helped people achieve great results. I tried it everyday but not very seriously. During the day casually I reminded myself about my goal to achieve a good grade. Sometimes I would even dream about it. 

When the exams approached me, things and people just supported me and things really worked out. I got the right material for studying and my parents really supported me. It was a great experience. When I got the results I was surprised I actually got the score I had aimed for.

So did that convince to practice Affirmations and visualizations, Lol, actually no. But I do use it sometimes. But what interests me more is that how it works and its effectiveness.

What are Affirmations? Please explain. 

Affirmations are positive statements


Okay, Let me explain affirmations and what they are. Are they just repeating statements? Do they have magical powers?

So here it is, What is an Affirmation? According to Mindtools.com, "Affirmations are positive statements that can help you to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging  and negative thoughts. When you repeat them often, and believe in them, you can start to make positive changes."

affirmations and visualization had helped people achieve great results. I tried it everyday but not very seriously. During the day casually remind myself about my goal to achieve a good grade.

So they are simple positive statements that you repeat to yourself. They are not negative statements. I know it was quite obvious. A lot of us may not realize, how we talk ourselves into negativity. I know it feels fake or just an exercise in self deception.

Patrick Bet-David from Valuetainment puts it like this, He calls it a 'Future truth'. Just Think about it, why should it be a present reality to use it as an Affirmation. It could be something that you strive for and dream about. These affirmations can be seen as an exercise in Self Motivation.

We can also use Affirmations to build a spirit of Gratitude. This has tremendous benefits.


Being Grateful and How it matters



According to Researchers, Joshua brown and Joel Wong in the Article, 'How Gratitude changes you and your brain' Gratitude has tremendous benefits.


In their research, they discovered that it has mental benefits and it also has positive effects on the brain. It can be used as an 'effective beneficial tool'. Please do read the article.

It can have a great benefits in your personal life, relationships and understanding others. It helps us see the positive in our lives. Rather than just building on the positivity it helps by reminding us of the benefits we are receiving from various situations, things and life in general.

Woo woo and the known

The science behind the 'Law of Attraction' is highly questionable. They try to use Quantum Mechanics and then use that as a spring board to tie it with affirmation and give it magical powers.

I don't see why they should build such a big claim on limited evidence. Quantum Mechanics is a science and there is scope for learning a lot more information. This can transform technology. But to claim that it would attract riches and good health is largely unproven scientifically.

Yes, I must say if you have a spiritual or religious connection to the theory than the topic would need to be approached from a different route. I don't see the connection it has with Science and how is different from Psychological benefits

Here is an interesting article by Ashley L. Peterson where she explores the question if Thoughts vibrate, Check it here.

Reasonable Use of know facts

Affirmations are not inherently magical


I believe in the reasonable use of facts ( and let me add experiences). I am not saying that we should discount spiritual experiences, but I do believe we must practice a certain level of healthy skepticism.

We know about the psychological and practical benefits of practicing Gratitude. We can now start by actually writing our own Gratitude statements.

Some tips to write your own Gratitude Statement:
Step 1: Write it in the 1st Person.
Step 2: You could begin the statement with 'I am'.
Step 3: Avoid using negative statements or words.
Step 4: Write them down.
Step 5: Read them aloud to yourself.

You create a gratitude journal, Please check this article on  Creating your own Gratitude Journal.

My Top Affirmations for Gratitude

  1. I am filled with thanksgiving.
  2. I am grateful and thankful.
  3. I am grateful for a good sleep, job etc. (add the Benefit you enjoy) 
  4. I am grateful for all of my successes.
  5. I am grateful for all of my mistakes and failures.
  6. Thank you for this New day.
  7. Today I will have an attitude of gratitude.
  8. I am grateful for everything in my life.
  9. Today I will have an attitude of success.
  10. I am grateful for all resources I have.
In Conclusion

It can be surprising how simple practices and strategies can enhance life. Self Development is a personal journey.

Practicing gratitude is just not a virtue but also a healthy practice that can enhance your mental and overall health.

I send out regular emails sharing additional content on Self Development and updates. Please do subscribe by using this link.

Do Share & Comment on How you practice Gratitude!

References

Study on Affirmation

Positive Affirmation by Actualized.org

Reasons to Practice Gratefulness

Power Ideas on Experience your Daily Miracles

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