30sec BLOG

Man Feeds 2 Hungry Street Kids at a Restaurant—Then He Gets the Bill with a Shocking Message…

2016-02-12T08:14:00.001+05:30

It’s not often that we come across people who are truly looking out for the lowly, for the “rag pickers” of this world. Akhilesh Kumar is one of those people.

We get so caught up in our privileged lives and first-world problems that it’s pretty easy to forget that there are those who are fighting for their next meal. But this is a need that Kumar saw when he sat down for dinner at Hotel Sabrina in Kerala.

After a long day of meetings, he placed his order. As his dinner arrived at the table, he saw a tiny pair of eyes peering through the window. He noticed they were the eyes of a little ragpicker who was just salivating over the exquisite food being served to each of the tables.

Kumar waved for the boy to come in, so he walked through the doors with his little sister by his side. He asked them what they would like, and the little boy pointed at Kumar’s plate, so he ordered them the same thing.

As the steaming food came out, the boy could hardly contain himself. He was SO excited for the feast set before him! However, his wise little sister held his hand back, indicating that she wanted them to wash their hands first.

After they washed their hands, they quietly cleaned their plates in complete contentment. When they finished, they got up, looked at Kumar and left the restaurant. Kumar hadn’t even touched his food by the time they were done. He already felt full. The looks on their faces filled him with the sustenance he needed.

Afterward, he slowly finished his own meal and asked for the bill. When he got back to the table, he was shocked to see what was on it.

There was no dollar amount on the bill, but a message.

When he saw it, tears welled up in his eyes. It read:

“We don’t have a machine that can bill humanity. May good happen to you.”

How utterly amazing is that? Thanks, Akhilesh, for teaching us that there’s no dollar amount on kindness.

SHARE his heartwarming story with your friends to encouramge others to keep paying it forward with the right kind of currency…our hearts.

49 Ways to Get Inspired

2015-09-03T01:31:00.001+05:30

By Robin Sharma
#1 bestselling author of The Leader Who Had No
Title
#1. Do work that pushes you to your edges.
#2. Waste zero time on the past.
#3. Focus on being masterful at one thing versus
mediocre at many things.
#4. Spend more time around art.
#5. Read biographies of lives greatly lived.
#6. 20X your goals, plans and dreams.
#7. Associate with game-changers, visionaries
and titans.
#8. Celebrate how far you’ve come versus the
distance still to go.
#9. Cause a little trouble by disrupting the status
quo.
#10. Accept the project you fear the most.
#11. Leave an inspirational quote on a stranger’s
windshield.
#12. Stop watching the news.
#13. Think a decade ahead rather than a day in
advance.
#14. Start a movement.
#15. Wow a customer.
#16. Install a new habit.
#17. Remember that the mother of genius is
simplicity.
#18. Know that the thing that is easiest to do is
rarely the thing that is best to do.
#19. Speak less and listen better.
#20. Do a dream collage with images of your
ideal moments .
#21. Record your ideal day in your journal.
#22. Forgive someone.
#23. Thank someone.
#24. Don’t confuse money with meaning nor
income with impact.
#25. Spend the first 20 minutes of your day in
exercise (it seriously optimizes brain and
personal performance).
#26. Do your “Nightly 3″, writing 3 good things
that happened to you during the day that’s
ending.
#27. Speak your truth even when your voice
shakes.
#28. Join Traffic University and leverage time
commuting to learn and grow via audio
programs.
#29. Visit a new city.
#30. Discover a new restaurant.
#31. Get good at being alone (you’re the only
person you’ll be with your entire life so why not
become comfortable in your own skin).
#32. See your work as your craft.
#33. Watch the movie “Searching for Sugar
Man”.
#34. Do meetings standing up so they end
quicker.
#35. Stop using the words “can’t”, “impossible”
and “hate”.
#36. Practice harder (mastery isn’t a natural gift,
it’s a daily devotion).
#37. Write handwritten thank you notes.
#38. Publish a book.
#39. Thank a mentor.
#40. Call your parents.
#41. Get out of the office and go invest in your
personal development.
#42. Stop complaining.
#43. Use social media to uplift, encourage, teach
and share.
#44. Less TV. More reading.
#45. Join a mastermind group.
#46. Spend the first 90 minutes of the next 90
days focused on your single largest opportunity.
#47. Remember that for every one masterpiece,
Picasso painted 1000 paintings.
#48. Don’t listen to naysayers.
#49. Live like you mean it.
As always, hope these move you to play at wow
and dazzle the world by your mastery.

Shared with thanks to Robinsharma.com

The Best & Less-than-Best Motivations for Learning

2015-06-29T19:24:00.001+05:30

By Leo Babauta

We all go through dips in motivation sometimes. The key is to figure out a better motivator, and adjust your plan.

Today I’d like to talk about a few common motivations that don’t work that well, and then share what I’ve found to be the best motivations for learning — ones that keep you going strong even after a month or two.

Let’s start with some less-than-best motivations:

A big goal. People are often very motivated in the beginning of any challenge by setting a big goal for themselves, and there’s nothing wrong with this at all. However, I’ve found that without other motivation, you can lose steam after a week or two. Why? Because you don’t achieve the big goal in a week or two, and in fact if it’s a long ways away, after a couple of weeks you might not be much closer. So go ahead and set a big goal, but have something else that will motivate you in the short term.
Wanting to make quick progress. This is something I’ve experienced, and I’m not alone — we want to make a lot of progress in a short amount of time, and it can be frustrating and disappointing when we don’t make the quick progress we’d like. The truth is that any real progress takes time, and while you might get a quick spurt of learning done here and there, most often it comes with dedication and months of work. That said, if you have realistic expectations, seeing yourself make modest progress can be very motivating.
It sounds nice. Lots of times we take on a challenge because we think it would be cool to complete it. I think it would be cool to be able to do some amazing magic tricks, for example. But in the end, I’m not that motivated to put in the hard work required to do some really skilled magic tricks. That takes hours and hours of practice, weeks and weeks even, and I don’t care that much about it. I just think it would be cool. If you don’t care that much about the learning goal, you’ll quit when things get hard.
Creating your ideal self. Often we have a list of things we’d like to learn or improve, because we want to reach an ideal we have for ourselves. We want to be fit, healthy, mindful, talented, multi-lingual, accomplished and more. And while there’s nothing wrong with having these ideals, the truth is that you lose motivation after a week or two if this is your primary driver. Why? Because at some point, you stop caring about the ideal. You feel that it’s not worth the effort. You’re already pretty cool as you are, without needing to improve.

OK, so these common motivators don’t work so well … but what does work? Let’s talk about the things I’ve found to be good long-term motivators.

The Best Motivations

These five things are great motivators that can last beyond a week or two, in my experience:

Curiosity. This is my favorite motivator! When I take on a new learning challenge, it works best if I’m genuinely curious about something. If something is mildly interesting to me, I probably won’t stick with it for long. But if I want to go deeper and deeper, and learn everything I can about something, I will stick with it. So try to examine how much curiosity you have for the thing you’re learning. You can spark the curiosity sometimes, but other times it’s better to scrap what you’re learning and find something that really gets you curious.
Exploring something new. For me, it’s often not about accomplishing something cool or reaching some ideal or goal … and more about exploring. This is obviously very related to curiosity, but for me, allowing myself to explore in a less disciplined way is often the more sustainable method of learning. I let myself play, let my curiosity lead me, let the discovery be the goal. Try loosening up on your learning and allow yourself to have fun discovering.
Doing it with someone else. I love this method — often I’ll take on a challenge with Eva or a friend, or one of my kids. It’s fun doing something with someone else, and often if one person loses motivation, the other person will help keep you both on track. I also am very motivated by wanting to help the other person, and while doing something for myself is also a great goal, doing it for someone else helps a lot.
Caring deeply about it. As I mentioned above, we sometimes don’t care that much about creating an ideal self, or reaching big long-term goals. So what do we care about? That’s a question we have to ask ourselves, and if you have an answer, that’s a great thing to devote yourself to learning. If you don’t have an answer, then devote yourself to exploring that question by learning different things.
To prove that you can take on difficult things. For years, I quit when the learning got difficult. But that’s when real learning happens — when things are difficult and you push through, when you are failing and wanting to quit. We learn by pushing ourselves into uncomfortable areas, and if we always quit, we’ll never get very deep into anything. So my best motivation recently is to prove to myself that I can stick to difficult learning challenges. So far, I am proving myself right.

First published on Zen Habits

Quote of the Day -11th Feb 2015

2015-02-11T10:25:00.000+05:30

No Dream is ever too Small,
No Dreamer is ever too big.

After Reading This You Will Never Throw Away Your Used Tea Bags Again

2015-01-24T22:03:00.000+05:30

After Reading This You Will Never Throw Away Your Used Tea Bags Again

You’re still throwing out used tea bags? I can assure you that after reading this you will not throw away a single used tea bag again.

Most of us know the healing properties of tea, but not many know that previously used tea bags can be useful in many different ways.

1. Get Rid of Acne
Acne can manifest for a variety of reasons but tea bags will give you relief! Place already used tea bags on the affected area(s). It will help you get rid of acne anywhere on your body. Green tea is a top choice for this use. In fact, this study found a 70% reductionof sebum after 8 weeks of using green tea topically. Excess sebum production is a problem for every acne patient. Sebum is a natural moisturizer that your body secrets. It can cause or aggravate acne when it is overproduced.

2. Mitigate Sunburns
If you got a little too much exposure and turned beet red using tea bags topically can give you quick relief. Place the used tea bags on the affected area to cool it down and aid the healing process. Black tea works especially well.

3. Marinate Meat
In order to prevent meat from becoming tough marinate it with already used teabags. The tea’s aroma will make the meat taste richer and it will also make it softer.

4. Freshen Your Clothes And Shoes
Store previously used and dried teabags in the closet in order to make your clothes smell fresher. You can also put one of these bags in each shoe. It will get rid of the unpleasant smell in no time.

5. Relieve Mouth Cuts and Sores
If you have a wound or sore inside your mouth, bite down on a previously used teabag. The tea’s compounds will relieve the pain and it will speed up the healing process.

6. Clean Your Home
Tea can clean dirty mirrors, floors and even linoleum.

7. Get Rid of The Redness on Your Eyes
Put a couple of teabags in cold water and let them soak for 2 minutes. Place them onto your eyelids. Let them rest there for a couple of minutes. After you put them away the redness will be gone and your eyes will look fresher and more youthful.

8. Use Them to Keep Your Garden Healthy
Tea bags make a wonderful addition to your compost or soil. You can also add them to compost tea, or simple steep used tea bags and feed your plants with the water. Organic gardeners report that feeding your plants with tea or adding tea bags to the soil repels root maggots effectively. Be sure to use pesticide-free brands. Some good choices are listed below.

CHOOSE TOXIN-FREE TEAS
Cleanplates.com compiled this awesome list of non-toxic tea brands. Make sure you’re using one of the teas below or can verify that it is not full of pesticides or toxins. Big thanks tocleanplates.com!

Bagged organic tea. The following are all free of epichlorohydrin, as well as pesticides and artificial flavorings:

Numi Tea. Confirms a company rep, “Our teas are pesticide-free and non-GMO verified, and our tea bags are made from manila hemp cellulose, and free of epichlorohydrin. The tags are made from 100% recycled material and soy-based inks.”

Rishi Tea. Rishi’s certified organic teas are bagged with PLA—polylactic acid, creating “silken” bags. Unlike other “silky” bags, which can be made with PET plastic, these are corn- and potato starch-based. Adds Assistant Tea Buyer Jeff Champeau, “Our Natural Fiber Loose Leaf Tea Filters are made without glue or any other binding agent.”

EDEN Organic. Confirms company rep Wendy Esko, “The bags are made from oxygen washed manila fibers with no polluting whiteners used. Once filled, the bags are crimped and sealed with 100% cotton string. No staples, plastics, or glue are ever used.”

Organic Stash. “The filter paper used for Stash Tea bags is made from 100% cellulose fibers (wood) and is made to appear white by forcing air between the fibers. No bleach is used,” explains Stash’s website. “The filter paper is not coated with the compound called epichlorohydrin, and does not contain any free epichlorohydrin.”

Choice Organic Teas. One of the company’s consumer relations experts, Nia, assured Clean Plates that all Choice Teas are not only organic but free of epichlorohydrin.

Two Leaves organic teas. Says a company rep, “We pride ourselves on being pesticide-free as well as on having corn-based tea sachets.” The website adds, “Our sachets are made of biodegradable cornstarch based nylon, not petroleum based nylon.”

Organic Tazo. “We’ve checked with our teabag suppliers,” says a spokesperson for Starbucks (Tazo’s owner), “and they have confirmed that the only teabags we sell (our Tazo sachets or paper filterbags) do not use epichlorohydrin.”

Organic Traditional Medicinals. We’ve confirmed that this brand is epichlorohydrin-free. From Traditional Medicinals’ website: “Our herbal teas are put into unbleached tea bags made from abacá (Musa textilis), also sometimes known as manila hemp. The tea bags are attached with aluminum staple wire to teabag string made of raw cotton (Gossypium spp.) and a paper tea tag.”

Organic Yogi Teas. Writes a Yogi Tea rep, “We currently use a non-heat sealable filtration paper made from a select blend of high quality manila hemp (abaca) fibers and wood pulp. The filtration paper does not contain epichlorohydrin, nor plastic or polypropylene. It is oxygen bleached using a natural process that is completely free of chemicals or toxins, including dioxin.”

Bagged conventional tea.
Tetley Black & Green tea. Tetley’s new Black & Green (a blend of both varieties) uses Perflo paper bags, which are free of epichlorohydrin. The tea is also free of pesticides.

Loose organic tea. By straining your own instead of paying for packaging, you’ll get more cups for your bucks. A to-go tea strainer like the VALERY makes it easy.

Teanzo 1856. “We use only natural and organic flavors and ingredients. Nothing artificial,” says founder Meena Kapur.

California Tea House. Says co-founder Will Bailey, “All of our teas are free of pesticides and artificial flavors and organically grown, and many of our teas are USDA certified organic.”

Upton Tea Imports. The company offers a host of high-grade, organic varieties (use the “search” box to find the organic blends).

That’s safe-tea. (pun intended!)

Know more toxin-free teas? Leave them in the comments!

Via RealFarmacy.com

References Include:
http://national.cleanplates.com…
http://www.bjbms.org…
http://www.realfarmacy.com/acne…
http://www.realfarmacy.com/black-tea…
http://www.healthyfoodhouse.com

21 Stunning Bookshelves You’ll Want for Your Home

2015-01-23T17:10:00.000+05:30

It’s every book lover’s dream to have an in-house library, and we've rounded up a few dozen beautiful bookshelf ideas to inspire your own! Check them out below, and then let us know in the comments which is your favorite.

1. The ceiling bookshelf

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2. The tree branch bookshelf

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3. This A-frame bookshelf

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4. This bookshelf made from a recycled piano

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5. These floating bookshelves

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6. The infinity bookshelf

Source via Buzzfeed

7. This bookshelf made of letters

Source via Buzzfeed

8. The bookshelf above and below your bed

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9. This entire room of booksheves

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10. The framed bookshelf

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11. This pretty blue bookshelf

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12. The sleek diagonal bookshelf

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13. The useful horizontal bookshelf

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14. This bookshelf shaped like the United States

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15. This staircase bookshelf

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16. And another!

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17. There’s this bookshelf made of books

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18. The bookshelf leads to a secret passageway (with more books)

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19. The massive, two-story bookshelf

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20. This peacful, candlelit bookshelf

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21. And finally, a bathtub bookshelf

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Which bookshelf is your favorite?

First published on Book Bub

The Love of a Mother and Her 3 Year-old Daughter, who Were Attacked With Acid by Their Husband/Father

2015-01-23T17:03:00.000+05:30

Somayeh Mehri (29) and Rana Afghanipour (3) are a mother and daughter living in Bam, southern Iran.

They were attacked with acid by Somayeh’s husband Amir.

Somayeh Mehri (29) and her daughter Rana Afghanipour (3) give each other a kiss. Since their disfigurement in an acid attack, they say, others don’t like to kiss them.

Somayeh had frequently been beaten and locked up by her husband, and finally found the courage to ask for a divorce. Amir warned her that if she persisted in her attempts to leave him, she would not live out life with the face she had.

One night in June 2011, he poured acid on Somayeh and Rana as they slept. Somayeh’s and Rana’s faces, hands, and, in places, their bodies were severely burned. Somayeh was blinded, and Rana lost one of her eyes.

Somayeh’s father sold his land in order to raise money to pay their medical expenses, and fellow villagers have also helped.

http://www.worldpressphoto.org/awards/2013/observed-portraits/ebrahim-noroozI

If you want to help, please check into http://www.acidviolence.org. As always, do your research before giving, but they seem to be one of the few charities dealing with this type of shameful incident.

Nationality: Iran

About: Ebrahim Noroozi was born in 1980 in Tehran, Iran. He began working as a professional photographer in 2004, with Fars News Agency.

Read more about this photographer

First Published on Kindness Blog

30 Life Lessons From Chinese Billionaire Jack Ma

2015-01-20T21:23:00.002+05:30

by JAN SHULTIS

Have you ever felt discouraged when you consider your professional progress or financial state? Chinese billionaire Jack Ma has a few tokens of advice for you.

Ma is a Chinese internet entrepreneur who launched his first big endeavor, and many since, in the face of adversity or criticism. He was named Financial Times’ “2013 Person of the Year,” and is widely held as a symbol of the Chinese entrepreneurial spirit. While some of his insight may constitute a new approach more focused on the bottom line than others, there is no denying that his perspective is one that has proven staggeringly successful.

Ready to incorporate Ma’s approach into your management of professional and financial life? Copy those that resonate most with you on a notecard and post them on your computer, in your wallet, or at another location where you will see them regularly. You’re about to go on a wildly successful ride with Jack Ma.

1. Look far and wide for opportunity.

Ma categorizes those who fail as often being myopic to opportunity. Look across the professional and financial landscape with a broad lens first, considering all possibilities. Then, bend down to dig under every rock and in every nook and cranny for potential opportunities.

2. Treat every opportunity as an open door.

No chance is too small, too menial, or beneath you. When something lies before you, seize it. Grasp it with all of your strength, work this opportunity with all of your heart. Bring everything that you are to bear on this task. Do not treat anything as small if you want large results.

3. Seek understanding.

Work to understand both your current position and the position to which you aspire. What, exactly, are you working for? Why? What will it take to get you to where you want to go?

4. Act quickly.

Sometimes, the race does go to the swift. What most folks miss, however, is that being “swift” means bouncing back from failure, not necessarily running most quickly at all times. Acting swiftly can also mean being the first one out of the blocks when the gun goes off. When an opportunity presents itself, act.

5. See beyond your circumstances.

No matter what your current condition, how or where you grew up, or what education or training you feel you lack, you can be successful in your chosen endeavor. It is spirit, fortitude, and hardiness that matter more than where you start.

6. Channel your ambition.

It is your job as a visionary to become single-minded in your ambition. Focus on your goal, work toward it, and never let it go.

7. Be courageous.

When Ma launched Alibaba Group, a highly successful group of internet businesses, he did so in the face of cautionary feedback from potential backers. There is a time for boldness, and in pursuit of your chosen ambition is that time.

8. Take chances in your youth.

If you are not rich by the time you are 35, says Ma, then you have wasted the opportunities of youth. Capitalize upon these young years, with their energy and imagination, by giving in to your ambition and the pursuit of it.

9. Unify your team toward a common goal.

You will never succeed in unifying every member of your team behind a single person. Ma estimates that 30% of people will always disagree with you. Unite them behind an idea, cause, or mission, however, and you can harness the power of the team.

10. Make yourself replaceable.

Part of unifying behind an idea or mission is reducing dependency upon any particular individual, including the founder or lead boss. Cultivate the ideas, skills, and approach that you value in individuals you trust. When you move on, their leadership will ensure the continued success of that mission or idea.

11. Hire those with better technical skills than you possess.

If the boss has better technical skills than the employees, then they hired the wrong people. Workers should always be technical experts. Hire them, empower them, and let them do their jobs. They’re better at it than you are.

12. Lead with vision, tenacity, and grit.

There are skills that are vital to successful leadership of any company or endeavor — vision, tenacity, and grit. A leader must be a visionary, able to see opportunity where others do not and acknowledge challenges before they come. A leader must be tenacious, be able to “hang in there” when a less determined individual would have long since given up. A leader must have grit, that ability to buckle down and do what is required in order to get the job before them, done.

13. Persevere.

Hard times will come. Challenges may be everywhere even at launch. Keep that founding vision in mind, and cling to it in rough waters as a lighthouse and guide. Your actions will inspire others to do the same.

14. Attitude is more important than capability.

It is your attitude that determines your altitude. Whether in smooth times or rough, successful leaders remain calm, confident in their mission, and focused on their desired outcome.

15. Savvy decision-making is more important than capability.

The most successful leaders are not always the smartest or the most qualified on paper. They do, however, surround themselves with extremely capable experts, turn to them for input, and make clear decisions. It is the decisions you make that will advance you and your endeavor forward one step at a time, not how qualified you are to move from square to square.

16. Money and political power cannot exist together.

Money and political power are mutually exclusive. One is the powder keg, the other, the match. Where both exist, an explosion will occur. If you are interested in both, pursue them consecutively, not concurrently.

17. Resilience is only understood after you have gone through hardship.

An intellectual understanding of resilience means nothing. The capacity to be resilient means nothing. It is only after having gone through hardships and having been tested, that an individual can be deemed “resilient.”

18. Your job is to be more diligent, hardworking, and ambitious than others.

There is a simple formula for success, every time. Be diligent. Work hard. Never lose sight of your ambition. Whatever form your endeavor takes, these principles hold true.

19. Compete with grace.

If you treat your competitors as enemies, you will be seen as an enemy yourself. You will soon be surrounded. Instead, enter professional competition with grace, honoring your competitor and remembering that next time, the tide may turn another way.

20. Take all competitors seriously.

No competitor is a giant unless you make them one in your perspective. Treat all competitors with respect; treat your own business with respect. All have an equal chance of success when the competition begins. The one you overlook may be the one that beats you.

21. Behold yourself a giant.

Every large business started somewhere. Your business started somewhere. All deserve a seat at the table. Behold yourself equal to those you are competing with, and conduct yourself accordingly.

22. Winners do not whine.

While occasional poor spirits are to be expected, with the accompanying utterances of annoyance or dejection, regular whining is a sure sign of failure. All endeavors will bring hardships and challenges. How you deal with them will indicate the success of your business. Winners do not whine.

23. Customers are first; employees, second; shareholders, third.

As a leader, you only have a certain amount of time and energy. Give yours to those who enable your business, first — your customers. Those who make your business run come second — your employees. The shareholders are given attention and resources only after the first two have been satisfied. Many business owners spend all day, every day, catering to the shareholders. This resource allocation is not sustainable.

24. Forget about the money.

You did not launch your business or project solely for the money. You went down this path to build a particular lifestyle, or to meet a need of your soul and mind. If you focus on the money, you will make different decisions than if you focus on the journey. Walk the path you started down diligently, with ambition; the money will come.

25. Find the right people, not necessarily the best or most skilled people.

The most skilled people on paper are not necessarily the ones who fit best into your culture, or work best with you. The most efficient people on paper may not be those you trust most. Sparkling resumes do not mean that an individual can grow and evolve with your company. Find the right people, now. They are the best people. Their skills can be developed, as will yours.

26. “Free” is a very expensive word.

When you give something away for “free,” you give away profits, as well as resources of manpower spent during development, implementation, and follow-up, and possibly intellectual property in the form of a great idea. Think carefully before you run such a promotion. Nothing is truly free.

27. A smart man uses his brain to “speak”…

The words that come from another’s mouth are not meaningful. Engage your mind. Utilize your intellect. Make decisions from an informed, grounded perspective.

28. … a wise man uses his heart.

Likewise, trust your intuition and your knowing. Making decisions from a place of faith can serve you exceptionally well, particularly with regard to personnel and when identifying strategic objectives.

29. We are born to enjoy life, not to spend it working.

The point of life is not to simply work, work, work, grinding away our bodies and our minds until we die. The focus should be on enjoyment, not only of your work but by creating time to play, relax, and enjoy those around you. If you work your life away, you will regret it — this is guaranteed.

30. Giving up is the greatest failure.

You will never know what you can achieve and accomplish, unless you try it. You will never know if your idea will “work” or if the business will produce, unless you stick with it. Adapt your ideas, change your strategies if you must, but never give up.

First published on Life Hack

12 Motivating Quotes that will make your Sunday a Powerful One for the week to come (PICTURES)

2014-12-28T17:47:00.001+05:30

To make the best from this Sunday for you we are presenting the best 12 Motivating Quotes for you. Followed are the 12 most motivating quotes of the day:

1-

10-

11-

12-

Please share to inspire your friends

December 18th,2014- Quote of the Day

2014-12-18T13:05:00.002+05:30

December 18th,2014- Quote of the Day

"Your Future is created by what you do today not tomorrow"

Please share to inspire your friends.

13 Most Disturbing Images of Peshawar School Attack

2014-12-17T16:14:00.004+05:30

Taliban Militants attacked an army-run school in Peshawar, Pakistan on Tuesday. Followed are the 13 most disturbing images from the 'massacre of humanity' in Peshawar.

Pakistani video journalists film inside the auditorium of an Army Public School a day after an attack by the Taliban, in Peshawar, Pakistan (AP)

Pakistani journalists film and photograph inside an auditorium of the Army Public School attacked the day before by Taliban gunmen (AP)

Pakistan army soldiers stand outside the auditorium of an Army Public School a day after an attack on the school, in Peshawar, Pakistan (AP)

A hospital security guard helps a student injured in the shootout. Reports suggest over 100 people including 84 children have been killed. (AP Photo)

An injured student is taken to a hospital ward(Fayaz Aziz/Reuters)

A man carries an injured girl after the attack(A Majeed/AFP)

Rescue workers and family members carrying \ coffin of a Student killed in Peshawar School Attack

An Elderly person carrying an injured student

Relatives of an injured student comfort each other outside Lady Reading Hospital.(Fayaz Aziz/Reuters)

Women mourn their relative Mohammed Ali Khan, 15, a student who was killed during an attack by Taliban gunmen on the Army Public School, at his house in Peshawar Dec 16, 2014. Reuters

Women mourning / Pic Credits: Huffington Post

A picture from the inside of the school campus

The Secret of Real Motivation

2014-12-17T14:22:00.000+05:30

There are many schools of thought behind what actually motivates us, day in and day out. Some theorist’s believe it’s reward, others purpose, some say it’s status, social acceptance and pressure. But, is motivational universal? Is the driving force that will motivate you, motivate me? Or do all of us have our own unique triggers?
What do you think?
What motivates you?
Here is an article from Forbes, to help answer some of those questions.

What really motivates us?

Several books and studies have been published recently on the source of motivation and productivity in the work place. Here are a few sources of motivation theses studies have found:

No One-Size-Fits-All Principle
There is no universal motivation that works for everyone. According to “Do You Play To Win- Or Not Lose?” published in the Harvard Business Review, by Heidi Grant Halverson, a social psychologist and author, and E. Tory Higgins, the director of the Motivation Science Center at Columbia University, there is a way of grouping people into types based on personality traits that does not predict performance: promotion focused or prevention focused. Promotion focused people have goals that are focused on professional progress and rewards. They are eager, work quickly, take chances and dream big. Prevention focused people see their goals as responsibilities and fixate on staying safe. They are careful, thorough and not particularly creative.
The study says that a person’s goals are based on these personality traits because often a person recognizes their strengths (or weaknesses) and purses a career path that plays to those strengths. Identifying your own type should help you cultivate your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses.

The Really Successful Aren’t Working For The Money

In a TedxRiodelaPlata talk, Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist, discusses several studies that he has conducted and studies conducted by others about what makes people productive and happy. One of the studies had Harvard undergraduates give speeches and participate in mock interviews with experimenters who nodded and smiled to their responses, or shook their heads, furrowed their eyebrows and crossed their arms.

Read the rest here.

Turning The Pain of Excuses into The Seeds of Greatness

2014-11-24T04:47:00.000+05:30

Written by Robin Sharma

I posted this piece on my Facebook page the other day and within hours it had over 45,000 likes.

It’s clearly touched something deep in a lot of people–and fueled a wealth of inspiration within them.

The main insight from the post: the instant we drop our excuses is the moment we enjoy freedom from pain…

…because potential unexpressed and dreams left undone are what cause the regret that powers all suffering.

In my ongoing devotion to be an instrument of service to you, I wanted to share the piece…I called it Turning The Pain of Excuses into The Seeds of Your Greatness…

Here you go…

“Why make excuses when you can start your dreams?

Why do nothing when you can begin something?…

Look, you know you have a lot more power within you than you’re revealing to the world. We ALL do.

But because of the distractions and interruptions and responsibility and excuses we sell to ourselves, we coast along–at the same level–for the best years of our lives.

Only a few have the guts to make A LEAP…

…a leap into new habits, new routines and a whole new story about their place in the world–and their service to it.

The Gandhis and Mandelas and Zuckerbergs and Mozarts were just ordinary people who had an idea, protected it from the voices of dissent, advanced it daily via tiny wins and got up every time they got knocked down.

YOU have this power too. But power unused deteriorates. And potential unexpressed turns to PAIN.

Now’s your time to fly and to shine and to rise up. This is your day to show all the world who you truly are.”

- See more at: http://www.robinsharma.com/blog/#sthash.C4XQ3uVu.dpuf

30sec Read: Frogs being boiled

2014-10-29T11:51:00.001+05:30

by Paulo Coelho

Several biological studies have shown that a frog placed in a container along with water from his pond, he will remain alive while you heat the water. The toad does not react to the gradual increase of temperature (change of environment) and only dies when the water boils, swollen and happy.

On the other hand, if a toad is thrown into that same container when the water is already boiling, he will immediately jump out. He will be a little singed, but alive!

Sometimes we can be like the boiled toads. We do not notice changes.
We think everything is good, or that whatever is evil will pass, it’s just a matter of time.
We are about to die, but we are floating, stable and apathetic as the water warms up every minute.
We are dying, fat and happy, without having noticed the changes around us.

There are boiled toads who still believe that the key is obedience, not competence: might is right, and obey whoever is sensible. From all this, where is the real life? It is better to emerge from a situation, maybe a little singed from time to time, but alive and ready to act.

First published on Paulo Coelho Blog

45 Life Lessons, written by a 90 year old

2014-10-28T10:18:00.002+05:30

45 Life Lessons, written by a 90 year old / 30sec Blog (Getty Images)

1. Life isn't fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short not to enjoy it.

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Don't buy stuff you don't need.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for things that matter.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye… But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words, ‘In five years, will this matter?’

27. Always choose Life.

28. Forgive but don’t forget.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give Time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you think you need.

42. The best is yet to come…

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

(Source: reginabrett.com)

Hanged Iranian Woman's Heartbreaking Last Message

2014-10-27T15:01:00.000+05:30

A picture taken on July 8, 2007, shows Iranian Reyhaneh Jabbari standing handcuffed at police headquarters in Tehran after she was arrested for the murder of a former intelligence official.

The 26-year-old Iranian woman who was executed on Saturday for murdering a man she said tried to rape her sent a final message to her mother, asking her to make sure her organs would be donated. Reyhaneh Jabbari is largely calm in the voice message she recorded for her mother in April; in it she seems resigned to her fate after being on death row for five years. Iranian activists distributed a translation of the message, equating it to Jabbari’s will.

Read the full text of the message after the jump.

"Dear Sholeh, today I learned that it is now my turn to face Qisas (the Iranian regime's law of retribution). I am hurt as to why you did not let me know yourself that I have reached the last page of the book of my life. Don’t you think that I should know? You know how ashamed I am that you are sad. Why did you not take the chance for me to kiss your hand and that of dad?

The world allowed me to live for 19 years. That ominous night it was I that should have been killed. My body would have been thrown in some corner of the city, and after a few days, the police would have taken you to the coroner’s office to identify my body and there you would also learn that I had been raped as well. The murderer would have never been found since we don’t have their wealth and their power. Then you would have continued your life suffering and ashamed, and a few years later you would have died of this suffering and that would have been that.

However, with that cursed blow the story changed. My body was not thrown aside, but into the grave of Evin Prison and its solitary wards, and now the grave-like prison of Shahr-e Ray. But give in to the fate and don’t complain. You know better that death is not the end of life.

You taught me that one comes to this world to gain an experience and learn a lesson and with each birth a responsibility is put on one’s shoulder. I learned that sometimes one has to fight. I do remember when you told me that the carriage man protested the man who was flogging me, but the flogger hit the lash on his head and face that ultimately led to his death. You told me that for creating a value one should persevere even if one dies.

You taught us that as we go to school one should be a lady in face of the quarrels and complaints. Do you remember how much you underlined the way we behave? Your experience was incorrect. When this incident happened, my teachings did not help me. Being presented in court made me appear as a cold-blooded murderer and a ruthless criminal. I shed no tears. I did not beg. I did not cry my head off since I trusted the law.

But I was charged with being indifferent in face of a crime. You see, I didn’t even kill the mosquitoes and I threw away the cockroaches by taking them by their antennas. Now I have become a premeditated murderer. My treatment of the animals was interpreted as being inclined to be a boy and the judge didn’t even trouble himself to look at the fact that at the time of the incident I had long and polished nails.

How optimistic was he who expected justice from the judges! He never questioned the fact that my hands are not coarse like those of a sportswoman, especially a boxer. And this country that you planted its love in me never wanted me and no one supported me when under the blows of the interrogator I was crying out and I was hearing the most vulgar terms. When I shed the last sign of beauty from myself by shaving my hair I was rewarded: 11 days in solitary.

Dear Sholeh, don’t cry for what you are hearing. On the first day that in the police office an old unmarried agent hurt me for my nails I understood that beauty is not looked for in this era. The beauty of looks, beauty of thoughts and wishes, a beautiful handwriting, beauty of the eyes and vision, and even beauty of a nice voice.

My dear mother, my ideology has changed and you are not responsible for it. My words are unending and I gave it all to someone so that when I am executed without your presence and knowledge, it would be given to you. I left you much handwritten material as my heritage.

However, before my death I want something from you, that you have to provide for me with all your might and in any way that you can. In fact this is the only thing I want from this world, this country and you. I know you need time for this. Therefore, I am telling you part of my will sooner. Please don’t cry and listen. I want you to go to the court and tell them my request. I cannot write such a letter from inside the prison that would be approved by the head of prison; so once again you have to suffer because of me. It is the only thing that if even you beg for it I would not become upset although I have told you many times not to beg to save me from being executed.

My kind mother, dear Sholeh, the one more dear to me than my life, I don’t want to rot under the soil. I don’t want my eye or my young heart to turn into dust. Beg so that it is arranged that as soon as I am hanged my heart, kidney, eye, bones and anything that can be transplanted be taken away from my body and given to someone who needs them as a gift. I don’t want the recipient know my name, buy me a bouquet, or even pray for me. I am telling you from the bottom of my heart that I don’t want to have a grave for you to come and mourn there and suffer. I don’t want you to wear black clothing for me. Do your best to forget my difficult days. Give me to the wind to take away.

The world did not love us. It did not want my fate. And now I am giving in to it and embrace the death. Because in the court of God I will charge the inspectors, I will charge inspector Shamlou, I will charge judge, and the judges of country’s Supreme Court that beat me up when I was awake and did not refrain from harassing me. In the court of the creator I will charge Dr. Farvandi, I will charge Qassem Shabani and all those that out of ignorance or with their lies wronged me and trampled on my rights and didn’t pay heed to the fact that sometimes what appears as reality is different from it.

Dear soft-hearted Sholeh, in the other world it is you and me who are the accusers and others who are the accused. Let’s see what God wants. I wanted to embrace you until I die. I love you."

Reyhaneh

(Presented with thanks to Slate)

A Short Story about A Beautiful Way of Looking at Things! Must Read

2014-10-11T13:58:00.000+05:30

WORTH READING AND SHARING!!

A BEAUTIFUL WAY OF LOOKING AT THINGS..!!

A Father was reading a magazine and his little daughter every now and then distracted him. To keep her busy, he tore one page on which was printed the map of the world.
He tore it into pieces and asked her to go to her room and put them together to make the map again. He was sure she would take the whole day to get it done. But the little one came back within minutes with perfect map....

When he asked how she could do it so quickly, she said, “Oh…. Dad, there is a man’s face on the other side of the paper….. I made the face perfect to get the map right." She ran outside to play leaving the father surprised.

MORAL OF THE STORY:
There is always the other side to whatever you experience in this world. Whenever we come across a
challenge or a puzzling situation, look at the other side…. You will be surprised to see an easy way to tackle the problem.

Read this post at your own risk!!!

2014-10-10T23:45:00.005+05:30

Read this post at your own risk!!! - 30sec Blog

Read at your own risk!!!

The Bus Conductor

Once there was a bus conductor, who was very rude to his passengers.
One day a beautiful young girl, of around 18 years,tried to board the bus, but he didn't stop the bus. Unfortunately the beautiful young girl came under the bus and died on the spot. Angry passengers
took the conductor to the police station, who in turn took him to
the court.

The judge was not at all impressed with him and gave him capital punishment. He was taken to the electrocution chamber. There was a single chair in the center of the room and a single banana peel at one corner of the room. The conductor was strapped to the chair and high voltage current was given to him. But to everyone's amazement, he survived. The judge decided to set him free, and he returned to his profession.

After a few months, this time, a good looking middle aged woman tried to board the bus but the conductor didn't stop the bus. Unfortunately, this time also, the good looking middle aged woman
came under the bus and died on the spot. Again angry passengers took him to the police station, who in turn took him to the court. The judge took one look at the conductor and gave him capital punishment. The Bus conductor was taken to the same electrocution chamber where there was a single chair in the center of the room and a single banana peel at one corner of the room.He was strapped to the chair and high voltage current was given to him. This time also, to everyone's amazement, he survived. The judge decided to set him free, and he returned to his profession. A couple of months later, an elderly gentle man tried to board the bus.

This time the Bus conductor, remembering his earlier experiences, stopped the bus. Unfortunately the elderly gentleman slipped and died due to his injuries. The conductor was taken to the police station and then to the court, to the same judge. Though he hadn't done anything wrong, but considering his past record the judge decided to set an example and gave him capital punishment.

The Bus conductor was again taken to the same electrocution
chamber where there was a single chair in the center of the room
and a single banana peel at one corner of the room.He was
strapped to the chair and high voltage current was given to him.
This time he died instantly !!!!!!!!!!!

The question is why didn't he die on the first two occasions, but
died instantly the third time?? Try to solve it yourselves. This is
rather interesting and answer is perfectly logical. If necessary read
the puzzle once again. Still couldn't? Then see below.........
Think hard
C'mon .............
Tired....?
Wanna know the answer????
Ok........ here is the Answer......... ...

During the first two times, the conductor was a Bad Conductor, therefore electricity didn't pass through him. But during the third
time, he was a good conductor, so electricity passed through him
freely and he died !!!! :D:P

P.S.: We published this just to bring that sweet smile on your face. :-)

Keep sharing. Spread Happiness.

Develop an Attitude of Gratitude

2014-10-10T22:14:00.000+05:30

by Shiv Khera

Develop an Attitude of Gratitude by 30sec Blog

Count your blessings, not your troubles. Take time to smell the roses. It is not uncommon to hear that someone, because of an accident or illness, became blind or paralyzed but won a million dollars in settlement. How many of us would like to trade places with that person? Not many. We are so focused on complaining about things we don't have that we lose sight of the things we have. There is a lot to be thankful for.

When I say count your blessings, not your troubles, the message is not to become complacent. If complacence was the message you got, then I would be guilty of faulty communication and you of selective listening.

To give you an example of selective listening, let me share with you a story I heard about a medical doctor who was invited as a guest speaker to address a group of alcoholics. He wanted to make a demonstration that would be powerful enough to make people realize that alcohol was injurious to their health. He had two containers, one with pure distilled water and one with pure alcohol. He put an earthworm into the distilled water and it swam beautifully and came up to the top. He put another earthworm into the alcohol and it disintegrated in front of everyone's eyes. He wanted to prove that this was what alcohol did to the insides of our body. He asked the group what the moral of the story was and one person from behind said, "If you drink alcohol you won't have worms in your stomach." Was that the message? Of course not. That was selective listening--we hear what we want to hear and not what is being said.Many of our blessings are hidden treasures--count your blessings and not your troubles.

An excerpt from 'You Can Win' by Shiv Khera

Share this with your loved ones.Sharing is Caring

12 Inspirational Quotes on Teachers by A P J Abdul Kalam

2014-10-04T16:07:00.000+05:30

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam ( born 15 October 1931) is an Indian scientist and administrator who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. Kalam was born and raised in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, studied physics at the St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli, and aerospace engineering at the Madras Institute of Technology, Chennai.(Source)

He is the author of many books which includes 'Wings of Fire: An Autobiography by A. P. J Abdul Kalam, Arun Tiwari; Universities Press, and 'Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India by A. P. J. Abdul Kalam; Viking, 2002'

Below are the some of the best sayings by him on teachers:

Give me a child for seven years, afterwards, let the God or the devil take the child, they cannot change the child.

I believe there is no other profession in the world that is more important to society than that of a teacher.

Teachers are the backbone of any country, the pillar upon which all aspirations are converted into realities.

Learning needs freedom to think and freedom to imagine, and both
have to be facilitated by the teacher.

A good teacher, with meticulous planning, prepares himself for teaching
and the student for acquisition of knowledge.

Teachers have a great mission to ignite the minds of the young.

Teachers should be the best minds in the country.

A teacher has to create a lifelong autonomous learner.

The role of the teacher is like the proverbial ‘ladder’, it is used by
everyone to climb up in life, but the ladder itself stays in its place.

A teacher’s life lights many lamps.

Teachers must be perpetual seekers of intellectual integrity and
universal compassion.

The purpose of teaching is to create nation building capacities in
students.

Take a Weekly Sabbatical

2014-08-14T00:12:00.000+05:30

Take a Weekly Sabbatical - 30sec Blog

In ancient days, the seventh day of the week was known as the Sabbath. Reserved for some of life’s most important, yet commonly neglected pursuits, including spending time with one’s family and hours in deep reflection and self – renewal, it provided a chance for hard – working people to renew their batteries and spend a day living life more fully. However, as the pace of life quickened and more activities began to compete for people’s attention, this wonderful tradition was lost along with the tremendous personal benefits that flowed from it.

Stress itself is not a bad thing. It can often help us perform at our best, expand beyond our limits and achieve things that would otherwise astonish us. Just ask any elite athlete. The real problem lies in the fact that in this age of global anxiety we do not get enough relief from stress. So to revitalize yourself and nourish the deepest part of you, plan for a weekly period of peace – a weekly sabbatical – to get back to the simpler pleasures of life, pleasures that you may have given up as your days grew busier and your life more complex. Bringing this simple ritual into your weeks will help you reduce stress, connect with your more creative side and feel far happier in every role of your life.

Your weekly sabbatical does not have to last a full day. All you need are a few hours alone, perhaps on a quiet Sunday morning, when you can spend some time doing the things you love to do the most. Ideas include spending time in your favorite bookstore, watching the sun rise, taking a solitary walk along a beach and writing in your journal. Organizing your life so that you get to do more of the things you love to do is one of the first steps to life improvement. Who cares if others don’t understand what you are trying to accomplish by making the weekly sabbatical an essential part of your life. Do it for yourself, you are worth it. In the words of Thoreau, “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him

step to the music which he hears, however measure or far away.”

(Extracted from 'Who Will Cry When You Die' by 'Robin Sharma')

Share what you have learnt in this post with your friends because "sharing is caring"

Learn to Say No Gracefully

2014-08-13T01:16:00.002+05:30

Learn to Say No Gracefully - 30sec Blog

It is easy to say yes to every request on your time when the priorities of your life are unclear. When your days are not guided by a rich and inspiring vision for your future, a clear image of an end result that will help you act
more intentionally, it is not hard for the agendas of those around you to dictate your actions. As I wrote in Leadership Wisdom from The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, “if your priorities don’t get scheduled into your planner, other people’s priorities will get put into your planner.” The solution is to be clear about your life’s highest objectives and then to learn to say no with grace.

The Chinese sage Chuang – tzu told the story of a man who forged swords for a maharaja. Even at the age of ninety, his work was carried out with exceptional precision and ability. No matter how rushed he was, he never made even the slightest slip. One day, the maharaja asked the old man, “Is this a natural talent or is there some special technique that you use to create your remarkable results?” “It is concentration on the essentials,” replied the sword – crafter. “I took to forging swords when I was twenty – one years old. I did not care about anything else. If it was not a sword, I did not look at it or pay any attention to it. Forging swords became my passion and my purpose. I took all the energy that I did not give in other directions and put it in the direction of my art. This is the secret to my mastery.”

The most effective people concentrate on their “areas of excellence,” that is, on the thing they do best and on those high – impact activities that will advance their life – work. In being so consumed by the important things, they find it easy to say no to their less – than – worthy distractions that clamor for their attention. Michael Jordan, the best basketball player in the game’s history, did not negotiate his contracts, design his uniforms and prepare his travel schedules. He focused his time and energies on what he did best: playing basketball, and delegated everything else to his handlers. Jazz great Louis Armstrong did not spend his time selling tickets to his shows and setting up chairs for the audience. He concentrated on his point of brilliance:
playing the trumpet. Learning to say no to the non – essentials will give you more time to devote to the things that have the power to truly improve the way you live and help you leave the legacy you know in your heart you

are destined to leave.

(Extracted from 'Who Will Cry When You Die' by 'Robin Sharma')

Share what you have learnt in this post with your friends because "sharing is caring"

How to Find Your Life Purpose: An Unconventional Approach

2014-08-12T14:13:00.000+05:30

by Leo Babauta

How to Find Your Life Purpose: An Unconventional Approach - 30sec Blog

Let’s say you’re feeling unmotivated, unsure of yourself, aimless, can’t find your passion, directionless, not clear on what your purpose in life is.

You’re in good company — most people are in the same boat.

Now, there about a million things online telling you how to find your passion in life, and that’s a good thing. It’s a search worth undergoing.

I’m not going to give you a fool-proof method, or a 5-step method, nor share my passion manifesto with you today.

I’m going to give you a one-step method.

However, that one step is a doozy.

The One Step to Finding Your Purpose

It’s simply this: learn to get outside your personal bubble.

Your personal bubble is the small world you live in (we all have one), where you are the center of the universe. You are concerned with your wellbeing, with not wanting to look bad, with succeeding in life, with your personal pleasure (good food, good music, good sex, etc.).

This is the bubble we all live in most of the time, and people who say they don’t are trying to prove something.

When someone tells you you look fat, this only hurts because you’re in your personal bubble. You take that statement (a colleague who says you look fat) and believe that it’s about you, and feel the pain or embarrassment of how the statement affects you. It matters a lot, because in your bubble, what matters most is how everything affects you personally.

I’m the same way, and so is everyone else.

Some other problems caused by this personal bubble:

In our bubble, we’re concerned with our pleasure and comfort, and try not to be uncomfortable. This is why we don’t exercise, or eat only healthy food.
This fear of being uncomfortable is also why we get anxious at the thought of meeting strangers. It hampers our social lives, our love lives.
Because we don’t want to look bad, we are afraid of failing. So we don’t tackle tough things.
We procrastinate because of this fear of failing, this fear of discomfort.
When someone does or says something, we relate that event with how it affect us, and this can cause anger or pain or irritation.
We expect people to try to give us what we want, and when they don’t, we get frustrated or angry.

Actually, pretty much all our problems are caused by this bubble.

Including the difficulty in finding our life purpose. But more on that in a minute — I ask for your patience here, because this is important.

What Happens When We Get Out of the Bubble

If we can learn to get outside this personal bubble, and see things from a less self-centered approach, we can see some amazing things:

When someone says or does something, it’s not really about us — it’s about pain or fear or confusion they’re feeling, or a desire they have. Not us.
When we have an urge for temporary pleasure (TV, social media, junk food, porn), we can see that this urge is a simple passing physical sensation, and not the center of the universe.
We can start to see that our personal desires are actually pretty trivial, and that there’s more to life than trying to meet our pleasures and shy from our discomfort. There’s more than our little fears. Including: the pain and suffering of other people, and compassion for them. Compassion for all living beings. Wanting to make the world better.
We can tie our daily actions, like learning about how our minds and bodies and habits work, or getting healthy, or creating something, not only to our personal satisfaction and success (trivial things) but to how they help others, how they make the lives of others better, how they might lessen the suffering of others.

We become less self-centered, and begin to have a wider view. Everything changes, from letting go of fear and anger and procrastination, to changing our habits and finding work that matters.

How does this relate to finding our life purpose? Let’s explore that.

The Wider View, and Our Life Purpose

Once we get out of the bubble, and see things with a wider view, we can start a journey along a path like this:

We can start to see the needs of others, and feel for their suffering.
We then work to make their lives better, and lessen their suffering.
Even if we aren’t good at that, we can learn skills that help us to be better at it. It’s the intention that matters.
As we go about our daily work, we can tie our actions to this greater purpose. Learning to program or become healthy (for example) isn’t just for our betterment, but for the betterment of others, even in a small way. This gives us motivation on a moment-to-moment basis. When we lose motivation, we need to get back out of our bubble, shed our concern for our discomfort and fears, and tie ourselves to a bigger purpose.

In this path, it doesn’t matter what specific actions you take or skills you learn to make people’s lives better. What career you choose is not important — what matters is the bigger purpose. You can always change your career and learn new skills later, as you learn other ways to fulfill this purpose. You’ll learn over time.

What matters is becoming bigger than yourself. Once you do, you learn that you have a purpose in life.

How to Get Out of the Bubble

Sounds great, but getting outside this personal bubble isn’t as easy as just saying, “Let it be so.” It takes work.

First, you must see when you’re stuck in the bubble. Whenever you’re angry, frustrated, irritated, fearful, anxious, procrastinating, feeling hurt, wishing people would be different … you’re in the bubble. These are signs. You are at the center of your universe, and everything is relating to you and your feelings. When you can’t stick to habits, or have a hard time with a diet, you’re in the bubble. Your momentary pleasure is what matters in this bubble. Outside the bubble, they’re just little events (sensations of desire, urges) that can be let go of.

Second, when you notice that you’re in the bubble, expand your mind and heart. See the bigger picture. Feel what others must be feeling. Try to understand rather than condemning. See how little and petty your concerns and fears have been. Realize that if others treat you badly, it’s not about you, but about their suffering.

Third, wish others well. Genuinely want their happiness, just as you want your own happiness. See their suffering and wish for it to end or lessen.

Fourth, see how you can help. How can you lessen the suffering of others? Sometimes it’s just by paying attention, just listening. Other times you just need to be there, just lend a hand. You don’t need to go around solving everyone’s problems — they probably don’t want that. Just be there for them. And see if you can make people’s lives better — create something to make them smile. Make one little part of their world — a cup of tea, an article of clothing you’ve sewn — be a little space of goodness.

Repeat this process multiple times a day, and you’ll get better at it.

You’ll learn to be bigger than yourself. You’ll learn that the life we’ve been given is a gift, and we must make the most of it, and not waste a second. You’ll learn that there is nothing more fulfilling than making the lives of others a little better.

This post was first published on Zen Habits. This post is published under our 'What's trending in Self-Help Series'.

Start Your Day Well

2014-08-11T21:49:00.000+05:30

Start Your Day Well - 30sec Blog

The way you begin your day determines the way you will live your day. I call the first thirty minutes after you wake up “The Platinum 30” since they are truly the most valuable moments of your day and have a profound influence on the quality of every minute that follows. If you have the wisdom and self – discipline to ensure that, during this key period, you think only the purest of thoughts and take only the finest of actions, you will notice that your days will consistently unfold in the most marvelous ways.

Recently, I took my two young children to see the thrilling IMAX movie Everest. Aside from the breathtaking imaginary and the powerful acts of heroism portrayed, there was one point that stayed with me: in order for the mountain – climbers to scale the summit, it was essential for them to have a good base camp. It was impossible for them to get to the top without the camp at the bottom that offered them a sanctuary for rest, renewal and replenishing. Once they reached Camp Two, they then returned to the base for a few weeks to recharge their batteries. On reaching Camp Three, they hastily retreated to base camp to prepare for the trek to Camp Four. And on reaching Camp Four, they again went back down the mountain to base camp before making their final push for the summit. In the same way, I think that every one of us, in order to reach our personal summits and master the daily challenges of our own lives, needs to revisit our base camps during “The Platinum 30.” We need to go to a place where we can reconnect to our life’s mission, renew our selves and refocus on the things that matter most.

In my own life, I have developed a very effective morning ritual that consistently gets my day off to a joyful and peace – filled start. After walking, I head down to my “personal sanctuary,” a little space I have created for myself where I can practice my renewal activities without being disturbed. I then spend about fifteen minutes in silent contemplation, focusing on all the good things in my life and envisioning the day that I expect is about to unfold. Next I pick up a book from the wisdom literature, one rich with those timeless truths of successful living that are so easy to forget in these fast – paced times we live in. Example include Meditations by the Roman philosopher Marcus Aurelius, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and Walden by Henry

David Thoreau. The lessons in these works center me on the things that truly count and help launch my day on the right footing. And the wisdom I read during that precious early morning period infuses and enlightens every remaining minute of my day. So start your day well. You will never be the same.

(Extracted from 'Who Will Cry When You Die' by 'Robin Sharma')

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Honor Your Past

2014-08-10T20:40:00.000+05:30

Honor Your Past - 30sec Blog

Every second you dwell on the past you steal from your future. Every minute you spend focusing on your problems you take away from finding your solutions. And thinking about all those things that you wish never happened to you is actually blocking all the things you want to happen from entering into your life. Given the timeless truth that hold that you become what you think about all day long, it makes no sense to worry about past events or mistakes unless you want to experience them for a second time. Instead, use the lessons you have learned from your past to rise to a whole new level of awareness and enlightenment.

Life’s greatest setbacks reveal life’s biggest opportunities. As the ancient thinker Euripides noted, “There is in the worst of fortune the best chances for a happy change.” If you have suffered more than your fair share of difficulties in life, perhaps you are being prepared to serve some greater purpose that will require you to be equipped with the wisdom you have acquired through your trials. Use these life lessons to fuel your future growth. Remember, happy people have often experienced as much adversity as those who are unhappy. What sets them apart is that they have the good sense to manage their memories in a way that enriches their lives.

And understand that if you have failed more than others, there is a very good chance you are living more completely than others. Those who take more chances and dare to be more and do more than others will naturally experience more failures. But personally, I would rather have the bravery to try something and then fail than never to have tried it at all. I would much prefer spending the rest of my days expanding my human frontiers and trying to make the seemingly impossible probable than live a life of comfort, security and mediocrity. That’s the essence of true life success. As Herodotus noted so sagely, “It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half of the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what may happen.” Or as Booker T. Washington said, “I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles he has overcome while trying to succeed.”

(Extracted from 'Who Will Cry When You Die' by 'Robin Sharma')

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