Self Scripted

18 Essential Habits That Will Change Your Life Forever

2012-08-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

Our lives are built from the building blocks of our habits.

We develop both good and bad habits and they have come to define who we are and where we are going.

Developing good habits is essential in living a more fulfilling life and making an impact in the world.

Here are 25 habits you can start working on today.

Your Body, Your Health
You only have one body, so you have to take care of it as best you can.

1. Regularly go for physical check-ups. If you haven't made an appointment with your doctor, do it now. When you keep yourself healthy, you keep yourself happy.

2. Get enough sleep. An exhausted mind is never a creative one.

3. Quit smoking.

4. Substitute unhealthy cravings with healthy ones. Instead of drinking to drown your sorrows. Why not read? Or better yet, take a jog.

5. Hydrate regularly. Water is one of the most important substances we take. Without it we can barely survive the week. So drink water in the morning, just when you wake up and whenever you feel thirsty. Don not wait!

6. Eat only when hungry. Most people struggle with overeating. Sometimes it's due to emotions, other times it's just by being bored. Become more active and you won't even think about food.

7. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Regular exercise has extra added benefits that aren't just physical but psychological as well. Regular exercise is essential especially if your regular routine(e.g work and school) doesn't involve much movement.

8. Fruit up. Add more fruits to your diet. When you have a craving for candy and other sweets, it's actually a craving for sugar. Fruits contain this sugar in healthier proportions and are easily satisfying.

9. Drink less alcohol or none at all. It is true that alcohol (specifically wine) taking in moderation is healthy but would it be worth it if you can't control yourself.

Your Mind, Your Inspiration
Just as we are supposed to take are of our bodies, our minds need the same treatment.

10. Learn to prioritize. Don't get overwhelmed with things that can be easily. Get your most important tasks over with and there will be less of a burden on you in future.

11. Ask for help when you need it. Swallow your pride. If you don't know something don't be afraid to ask for it.

12. Read more. Go to your local book store or library and pick out a book with the intention of finishing it. You learn more and therefore be more.

13. Plan. Plan what tomorrow will be like. Plan next week. Take steps that will prepare you for almost anything.

14. Automation. There a lot of tasks that we have to do everyday, why not automate them? Technology can be used for this. So if possible grab an app that will make things easier for you.

15. Set aside some ME time. Take a few minutes a day to just relax or do whatever you want. Preferably something that you enjoy.

16. Learn the art of "doing one thing well." Even Steve Jobs did it, rather than concentrating on a lot of different things and splitting your attention and quality, do one thing at a time and give it your all.

17. Smile. Your always ugly when you're upset. Smile more, even to complete strangers. Share your joy with the world.

18. Be yourself. Don't try to be like other people because if you do, you will never be better. Be your own person and have your own opinions. Don't be afraid to express them when appropriate.

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What Will You Contribute To The World?

2012-07-24T16:27:00.002-07:00

Last month I read an article where Malcom Gladwell (Tipping Point author) made a statement that really made me think and also inspired this post.

He said:
In 50 years, Gates will be remembered whereas Steve Jobs will probably be forgotten.

Now I know most Apple fans probably sneered at this comment (me inclusive) because we recognize that Steve Jobs has made an enormous contribution to technology.
He brought us the Ipod, Iphone, Ipad etc and some people can't imagine their lives without them.

But, as I continued reading I actually found that Gladwell actually had a strong and compelling argument.

First of all, what Gladwell meant by his statement was while those two might not get remembered for the contributions to technology, they would be remembered for their philanthropic efforts and no one does philanthropy like Bill Gates.

It made think. Sure while we use the Iphone 55's of that time, a handful of us will actually remember or be alive to remember who the genius behind it was.
Whereas in Gates' situation because he contributed so much to the world from helping to find the cure for AIDS to stopping the spread of malaria, even a poor child in Africa would be told stories by his grandparents about the "man who saved Africa"(especially if he succeeds of course).

In Gladwell's words:

" There will be statues of Gates across the third world "

Finding Out What Your Contribution Will Be
Making a world changing contribution is easier than you think. You don't have to be worth $61 billion or end world hunger to do it. Even the simple things you do everyday have the potential to help change the world. You could have done something today that would have a big impact on the future and you didn't even know it.

Don't believe me? Let me give you an example.

Theo van Gogh was Vincent van Gogh's younger brother. Theo can probably be considered the single most important person behind Vincent's masterpieces. One thing you have to understand is Vincent wasn't at all famous during the time he was alive. He was poor and often suffered bouts of mental illness. He had only ever sold one painting his lifetime!
Despite all this Theo continued to encourage his older brother to continue doing the work he loved. Not only that, he also supported him financially. The result? Today Vincent is considered one of the greatest artists that ever lived.

So you see, what I realized is that even something as simple as showing love and support can cause greatness in someone and contribute a ton to the world.

Getting Started
Getting started can be easy as long as you know where to begin. Here are some ways you can start making your contribution today.

Explore your talents. The first place you should look should be your own talents. Explore and develop them. There's a reason you have them isn't there? So use them to make your own unique impact on the world.

Give Encouragement. Just like Theo, you should try and encourage the people you love, even for the small things. No matter what they choose to do, you should always be there to give them that drive. You could be encouraging the next great writer, singer or even scientist.

Help. Whenever you have a chance to help someone, you should take it. Even just talking to a random person could do wonders. You could just save their life or increase their self esteem. Best case scenario you would have just helped a world changer.

What about you?
What will you contribute to the world?

Photo Credit: Ingrid0804

Welcome To Self Scripted: Why We Want To Be A Part Of Your Overall Growth And Success

2012-07-23T16:03:00.002-07:00

Why Self Scripted?

At Self Scripted we believe that everyone should be able to write the script to their own lives.

No one should define you but yourself. You are much more than you think and there's much more you can become.

We all have a right to success and claiming that right all starts with understanding ourselves. Once we know who we are, anything is possible.

The amount of potential in each of us is unlimited.

To change the world, all we need to do is tap into that potential.

Many people live their entire lives without knowing who they are and so they constantly make decisions they regret.
They get into careers they hate, bad relationships and financial problems for example all because they lack identity.

If you agree with this, we'd love to consider you a regular reader.

We will cover a range of topics like self improvement, productivity and inspiration etc in a way that will enable you to know more about yourself and drive your own success.

Photo Credit: BhumiJoshi
Just click Subscribe and join us!

Finding Your Inspiration When You Feel UnInspired

2012-07-22T10:19:00.002-07:00

Inspiration has been the single most potent ingredient in our progress as human beings. Inspiration has bred creativity and genius. It's actually amazing how something as simple and common as an apple inspired a young Newton to go and understand what gravity was and how it behaved in nature. It is also quite fascinating how a clock tower brought about thoughts of time in the universe for Einstein.

One spark of inspiration has the power to build and change the world. Unfortunately for the greater percentage of the world, inspiration is hard to come by.

Have you ever just sat down and try to think hard of a new idea for something.... anything? How hard was it? If you are anything like me then it was probably a nightmare. Have you also noticed that your most incredible ideas usually came when you weren't even looking? That's just how inspiration works.

Don't worry, I'm not saying that inspiration is some sort of uncontrollable force that you have no power over. Surprisingly you do have some (though limited) control over it.

The trick is not to constantly obsess over coming up with something new and amazing. It's simply to allow it to come to you naturally. Now I know this may sound like it could take forever but I'm going to share with you some techniques that always seem to work for me especially when I'm at a complete blank and feel extremely un-inspired.

Evaluate your ultimate goal
Ask yourself what your ultimate goal is. What is your drive? What do you expect to achieve at the end? Sometimes you fail to find inspiration because your goals are actually not to your best interest and a mental block is your subconscious' way of telling you.
Ask yourself if you're doing it for the right reasons.

Spend some time with friends
Inspiration doesn't have to come from a thing. Inspiration can also come from a person. Some of the best ideas I have ever had came from something one of my friends said or did. Sometimes even the most stupid of actions can inspire greatness.

Also, friends can inspire you directly. If you're a writer they could inspire one of your characters. If you're an innovator you can use a problem they're having to find a creative solution.

Expand your social circle
Sometimes your friends don't provide you with the inspiration you need. Then it's time to expand your social circle. Get yourself out of your comfort zone and meet new people. These people could directly hold the key to your inspiration. They could also indirectly inspire you by introducing you to new things.

Do something that breaks routine
Einstein defined insanity as "trying the same thing over and over again expecting different results." If you're doing what you always do and you're not getting any results then change!

If you usually take the bus, walk!

If you usually use one route to get to a certain place, use a different one!

Admittedly, this is exactly I did and was late for one of my classes and part-time job as a result. The bright side is it worked!

When you change your routine you break your usual train of thought and you're able to explore newer and possibly more exciting ones. So try something new.

Use nature
Sometimes nature can be an amazing source of inspiration. Nature has been know to inspire everything from paintings and sculptures to architecture and science.
Sometimes all you need to do is get out and experience the great outdoors. Soak up the wildlife and scenery. Appreciate the beauty of the world and your inspiration could be right around the corner.

Tap into your experiences
Usually the answer lies in your past. You just don't know it. I didn't either. I only realized this one day because I keep a sort of journal. I was going through a really serious emotional problem that was really affecting my concentration and creativity.

While reading my journal, I realized that I had gone through a very similar problem before and gotten over it and that helped me a lot.

Now I'm not saying you should also keep a journal, it's not for everyone. All I'm saying is you should try to remember a similar problem you had and use your experience to inspire the solution.

Photo Credit: !Roberto!
What about you?
This is what I do when I feel completely uninspired. It works some people, it doesn't work for others. What do you do to get yourself inspired?

10 New Activities You Can Take Up To Break A Rut, Know Yourself and Help You Relax

2012-07-21T10:44:00.002-07:00

Taking up a new activity can be great for breaking a rut and adding a little extra spice to your life.

The Psychologist Rich Walker of Winston-Salem State University looked at about 30,000 event memories and over 500 diaries, ranging from durations of 3 months to 4 years, and he says that people who engage in a wide range of experiences are more likely to retain positive emotions and minimize negative ones than people who have fewer experiences.

A little over two years ago, I was still in school and was used to sticking to the same routine day in day out. My mornings would usually go like this.

Wake up --> Shower --> Brush teeth -->Wake up my room-mate --> Eat Breakfast --> Brush Teeth --> Go to Class.

It was always the same. Nothing changed and this became really boring. The problem is I was already integrated into the whole system and if anything did change, like me waking up a bit late or I didn't brush my teeth. It usually ended up in a chaotic chain reaction that left me tired and extremely stressed at the end of the day.

It kept happening over and over again until I decided enough was enough. I was going to take up something new that would break the rut, keep me relaxed and add value to my life while still keeping my schedule intact.

I also adopted the slogan "I'm willing to try anything at least once" especially when it came to food, relationships and opportunities. After all, if you choose to close yourself up to new things, you choose to close yourself up to new possibilities.

This is the list I came up with back then although I have added a few more which are really good and you should consider.

Art

Art is all about self expression. It allows you to dig deep within yourself and produce something physical. It brings out your inner most emotions and puts them down on paper or within a piece. A sculpture for example. I had always been into drawing so this was a great fit for me. Taking some classes actually enhanced my love for it and also allowed me to focus on the more emotional side of art. It was relaxing and stress relieving.

Yoga
Yoga has so many benefits and advantages for those who take it. It helps you get in touch with your body, restores your balance, is healthy, gives you flexibility and is extremely relaxing. It also helps you achieve a better sense of self.

Meditation
Meditation bring serenity, clarity and bliss. It is an activity that can help re-examine your life, control your thoughts, increase creativity and emotional stability. It's as easy as sitting comfortably and focusing on your breathing. Taking a few minutes of each day can not only help you relax. It can also help give you a deeper understanding of who you are as a person.

Reading
As like most teenagers growing up, I wasn't a huge fan of reading. Then only time I would actually pick up a book was when I had to study and that was it. If a book was going to be made into a movie, I saw no point in reading the book! I would rather wait for the movie. That was until for some reason I was forced to read John Grisham's "The Testament" and I couldn't put that book down. It gave me a new found love for reading.
Reading can be very relaxing. All it takes is finding out what genre of books you might be interested in and going for it.

Cooking
It's a good skill to learn especially if you're doing it with someone you love, like your wife or girlfriend. It's also a heck of a lot of fun too and surprisingly, it's not as hard as you think. There are so many things you can learn to cook and you can also experiment a bit too.

Karaoke
A karaoke night with friends on a weekend is a great way to relax and break a rut. It's a time you can just let your hair down and sing some of the songs you love.

Photography
Photography, like general art is great method of self expression. You also capture the beauty of the world and the people in it, in your own unique way. You are able to get in touch with life and appreciate nature for what it is. It's easy to start as well.You don't need to go and buy an ultra professional camera like a FinePix F550EXR (for those who know what I'm talking about), any simple camera will do.

Jogging
A good jog can not only be healthy, it can also help you get your mind off things and also help you know more about your body. You'll know your limits and feel better about yourself.

Learn a New Language
Great skill to learn and also an opener to doors of opportunity. You never know, it could even save your life! Check Out This Story.

Fishing
Sometimes, nothing beats just relaxing in the great outdoors. I recently took a trip with a group of friends and spent 5 days by a lake and it was one of the most interesting experiences of my life. The highlight was of course taking a boat out and fishing. We got to know a lot about each other and ourselves while competing over who would catch the biggest fish.

What about You?
What activities would do you take to relax? What activities do you want to take up? Which activities would you recommend?

13 Actions You Can Do Today to Set Yourself Up for A Stress Free Life

2012-07-20T09:25:00.005-07:00

Stress is one of the main obstacles to a happier and more fulfilling life.

It is not possible to live 100% stress free but by carefully changing some aspects of your life, you can eliminate most of its sources and pave the way to greater things.

Stress is unavoidable. It’s a part of life. Something as simple as waking up late in the morning can lead to an uncontrollable chain reaction later in the day which doubles, if not quadruples your levels of stress.

For example, you could end up late for work and worst case scenario, you get fired! A bit extreme I know, but it happens. Then you would have to deal with the fact that you have a family to take care of and bills to pay.

There are many ways to gradually deal with stress but what about TODAY. What can you do right now to set the way for a better tomorrow?

Action #1: Set aside some “ME” time

A few minutes of solitude today can go a long way. Just take out 15 minutes to relax, reflect on your life and meditate. Think about all the good things that have happened. Think about your loved ones. I can assure you that you will come out feeling happier and more refreshed.

Action #2: Organize your space

Identify the place you spend most of your day. Is it your office? Is it your desk at home? If you’re anything like me then it’s probably cluttered most of the time. Organize it! Where there’s clutter, there’s a higher chance of losing something which leads to stress.

Have you ever lost something and desperately looked for it only to realize that it was in front of you the whole time? Imagine all that stress you went through. All that can easily be avoided by simply organizing.

Action #3: Make a To-Do List

We all have commitments. We have commitments to our jobs, our families and ourselves. Write down all the non-immediate commitments you’ve made. This not only ensures you don’t forget, it also helps to take a lot of them off your mind. When you right down your commitments, you are able to focus on other things and even have some time to relax time.

Action #4: Make a NOT To-Do List

Everyone makes bad decisions. Some of those you promise yourself never to make again. Why not write those down? They will help to serve as a constant reminder and because you’ll be avoiding these, you will be avoiding unnecessary stress.

Action #5: Uni-Task

Do one thing at a time. Don’t try to do too many things at once because this can really get stressing especially once you realize that you haven’t really done a good job on any of them.

Action #6: Break unnecessary commitments

I know it doesn’t feel good to disappoint people but it is okay to break some commitments if they are getting you stressed. Better yet, it’s better not to make any in the first place if you know you won’t be able to handle them.

Action #7: Take a Walk

Take a short walk. Even five minutes will do. Just get some fresh air and soak in your environment. It’s both relaxing and fulfilling.

Action #8: Avoid a stressful situation

Avoid a situation that would get you upset or worked up. If that means not taking any alcohol today for example, do it!

Action #9: Reconnect with someone

Reconnect with an old friend or family member. You never know, they could be the key to your next big opportunity.

Action #10: Have a meaningful conversation

Talk to someone. This can be your friend, mother, brother, boyfriend, girlfriend, wife or husband. Discuss your emotions, laugh a bit. Sometimes all we need to do is talk to someone and let everything out. Definitely a great stress reliever.

Action #11: Give a gift

Give someone you love a gift. Even something small will do. When you give someone a gift, you make them happy. You also create a stronger connection. In the future when you have a problem or need them, they will not hesitate to help.

Action #12: Help someone

Helping is a gift in itself. The more you help someone, the better you feel and the stronger the connection you make. And just like giving a gift, they will not hesitate to help you when you need them.

Action #13: Take control of your debt

One of the most common causes of stress is debt. Analyze all your debts and if you owe someone anything (most likely money), call them up and reassure them that you’ll pay them back or at least give them an appropriate date that you will.

Photo Credit: Mauro B. 24
What about you?
How do you plan on setting yourself up for a stress free life?