Cluttered mind is a devils workshop. 10 Tips to clear the cobwebs

A friend of mine shared a picture of the article written by the famous Clean food coach , Ms Jeannette Bessinger.  That swish swashing of the article in an effort to read it on your cell, puts off the enthu. Atleast for me:) So I opened my desktop to read it.  She has addressed a genuine concern on how to clear our cluttered minds. Our minds get dusty, cluttered, heavy and the ability to process clean thoughts gets affected.Like in the picture, a net gets formed in our mind and its a double edged sword.  Affects our health also. Who wouldnt want to be happier, lighter and healthier?

She writes:

Spring is a natural time for clearing out old dirt and clutter.

We do this for our houses and even for our bodies, but how often do we do it for our minds? In the same way you might cleanse your body of physical toxins and waste, you can also cleanse your mind of mental toxins like bitterness and unforgiveness. If left to fester, these poisons can eventually destroy their containers, like acids of the mind. To replenish our energy and regain our balance, we have to stop feeding off of mental “anti-nutrients” like perfectionism and the need to always be right.

…These ten tips are cleansing for everyone, but they are especially freeing for those of us stuck in chronic, unhealthy eating and self-care patterns. Some of them you can put into practice the second you decide to. Others involve more deeply embedded patterns that will take time and a sustained effort to clear, but you can begin today. Or at least, consider the fresh point of view. Free your mind and free your life.

1. Mind Your Own Business. One of my favorite spiritual teachers, Byron Katie, says that before stressing out about something, you should always ask yourself whose business it is: yours, mine or God’s. If it’s not your business, why are you in it?
2. Let go of the need to be right. Is it truly more important to you to be right about something than to preserve your relationships with others? Have you ever loved anyone more because they were right and you were wrong? Decide if you’d rather be right or be close to people.

1. Stop blaming, shaming, and complaining. Every one of these toxic habits is about giving your core power to something outside of your control. Stop it. It can’t save you. It’s not the difficult person or situation that causes your distress. It’s the story you tell yourself about what it means that causes you pain. Take control of what you tell yourself about difficulties and challenges, and the circumstances of your life will no longer have the power to blow you around like a tumbleweed.

For going through  the  whole article, jump in HERE . Earnestly request you to read the complete article. Some of them can be instantly put to practice.  The rest take mulling and resolutions and a lil bit of effort may be. Jeannette is awesome.

Just pondering

This is an impromptu blog post.  Been away from blogland for one reason or the other.

Time of the year is here again.  Of penning fresh set of  resolutions, of contemplations, of introspection.  This is the time of the year when most of us pause, stop and think of ourselves. Of how we can improve further.  Somehow, this year I am not going to make any resolution.  Cause it looks like resolutions are made to be broken :)

IS it necessary to make resolutions.  Looks like its customary.  Rather live each day... moment. Learn each day.  Be compassionate and kind to each other.  One act of kindness each day could benefit the receiver and the giver even more than the receiver.

Make the world a better place to live.  If all of us decide to do one act of kindness each day. Its possible.  Being happy is a state of mind. Keep away the negative vibes and surround yourself with positive vibrations.

Wishing all a Very Happy Healthy Prosperous Cheerful 2015

Life has its ups and downs.  Sometimes rough and sometimes smooth like the waterfall. Learning to live each day beautifully with positivity is an art, a habit we need to practise.  All the time. Cause Change is constant.

Pep Talk

Read slowly

LIFEISNOWHERE

Did you read it as

Life is no where

OR

Life is now here

Life is what we make out of it

Its upto us how we want to live it.  

We go to a garden (whenever that happens) nearby, for our morning walks. An old gentleman writes a `Thought for the Day' on the white board there.  Most of the times thought provoking.   This thought today kept encircling in my mind while I walked and remained with me the whole day.  Thought I must document it here :)  How true na.  Some people are never happy.  Keep complaining about everything around them and it vitiates the environment around them.  And some, come what may, make the best of everything.  

Incidently, MARK INGLIS, was in town to interact with CEOs and business leaders from the State.  World's First Double Amputee To Climb MT EVEREST, the tallest mountain in the world. A New Zealander as was Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to scale Mt Everest. Mark is now a leading international motivational speaker too.  How rightly her says - Positivism is the only free thing in life! He got stuck in a snow cave on Mt Cook in 1983 at age 23 for approx 14 days due to extreme weather.  Being frost bitten, both his legs had to be amputated below the knees.  This did not deter him from chasing his dream of scaling Mt Everest.  And he did it in 2006.What he has to say about his amputated legs!  He says people see him as a man with no legs.  But for him, it is a man who will never get a frostbite Heights of positivism is all I can say.  The only black dot that does not diminish ever is the controversy that he and his team mates did not assist a stranded, gravely injured British mountaineer  David Sharp just 450 metres down the summit the day he scaled Mt Everest.  David Sharp did not survive.  

Here's a picture of Mt Everest.  Its the top right pic in the collage. As seen from Nathulla Pass. These are pics of Nathulla Pass in India.  My dream holiday yet to happen some day!

This moment reminds me of a lovely  book I read and re-read sometime back. `Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom'. Beautiful  thoughts and life's lessons.  Believe me, it peps you up every time you read it!

Adieu

Adieu 2012....

She created ripples in the conscience of people across the globe.  The heart wrenching  tragedy of Delhi has brought to the fore the need for reigning in a change in the law, a tougher law to check crimes against women. All we can do is, pause for a while, pray for the departed sweet soul AND do all we can to bring down atrocities against women in the country and the world over. Even Mr Ban Ki-moon, United Nations General Secretary has rightly expressed that violence against women must never be accepted, never excused, never tolerated. Every girl and woman has the right to be respected, valued and protected....  Easier said than done. She is always the oppressed and what an irony... a home is where the heart is and a woman is the heart of a home!  Its heart warming to note that all the three Services - Army, Navy and the Air force have called off their New Year bashes. The least that we can do?

One of the New Year messages that I received read - Change is inevitable and so the year changes to 2013. May the new year bring about changes in your lives.... for everything better.....

How true....  Wishing you all and your loved ones a Very Happy and Peaceful year ahead

Why do we put off things for tomorrow ....

This little ant is always at work, saving for THAT rainy day.

And us?

Why do we put off things for tomorrow that we can do today?  I am very much aware of this DEFECT in me.  But have not  yet been able to make a beginning …. Of doing things when they need to be done.  Oh heights !…. I laugh at myself at times when I realize that I have put off things for ages…. Sometimes it reaches a dead end because I put off things… At times cause for an argument because of the consequences of putting off things.   Was wondering how I start off. And stop putting off things for that some other time….. later, tomorrow, after a while…. Phew..  This has been crossing my mind for a while. And you know what?  I have been putting off penning this down for a while now ! 

I think following things should cure

1. Make a small list – not over 3” X 4” for the next day and fix it at such a place that you’d not miss it It works like a visual reminder. I make them and when I check back, only a few would have been crossed off.  At times none!

2. List should be such that what needs priority is given preference over others.  At         times we tend to do something that we love to do and put off things that don’t interest     us but may be important and time bound.

3.  Delaying things, chores are just excuses we find to put off.  Rather, sternly tell ourselves that that this needs to be done NOW.

4. Break the monotony of thoughts which tempt us to put off things for later…. Will give us double boost of energy when we do it NOW. Saves a lot of energy, reduces heartburns and guilt feelings, brings happiness.

5. Some important tasks which are painful are the easiest prey.  Announce them to the family so that external pressure also is built up to complete the task on time

The pleasure of completing a task is equivalent to gathering double the energy.  One finds peace within one self. Hence…….. just dive in! 

Signing off with this fact……Life is what we make out of it. 

A pebble in the pond.....

Still was the pond, serene and blue

Home they had made a quarter of the pond, the water roses

Stiff and firm, yet graceful and confident the green petals proudly arched out

Garlands of greens surrounded the pond

Tall stood the grass, the lotus and her twin petals

On its periphery were the Casurina trees, whispering to each other the scenic beauty around

Never did I notice that my world had divided and drifted to an unknown land

An epoch it had become, that dreamland of mine

As I was lost watching the serene blue waters

In fell a pebble from nowhere

The calmness vanished

There were ripples all over the pond, spreading towards its periphery

Fishes beneath the water ran helter skelter

Submerged branches of trees shook slightly

Flew away the birds perched on them hitherto waiting for their catch of fish

I looked around confused

Wherefrom did the pebble fall!

Was it destiny playing its hand?

Time took its share and serenity of pond restored

Here as I sat watching its beauty

In fell a pebble again, ripples swimming ashore

But times have changed

I am confident, this time around I’d tide over