"Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions - Why
am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only
when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions,
go ahead."
-- Chanakya.
So, here I am heading towards blogging with answers defined to above
three questions.
Why I am doing it?
How often have we come across a striking article and thought to share it with our dear ones (parents, friends, cousin, colleagues) so that it will benefit their existence just like it did for us? My answer to this is "numerous times" So, I am doing it to share some things I have learned through experience,
reading and attending seminars, for others to benefit from. This is to
create a simple database for friends and family to read at leisure, ponder over it, provide comments and most welcome to share
if they like it. Every article need not be my creation but definitely will be a good collection. The message is to open your mind while reading this and be willing to change as "Change is the law of Universe" -- Lord Krishna
What the results will be?
I foresee people reading this applying it to their mind and soul to be
happy, to strengthen relationships, to learn new things which are not
easily accessible or they are not able to search. It could be a known
thing, but reemphasizing it in inspirational form and re-reading it will
definitely help. It will also result in me getting meaningful feedback and the discussions will benefit all.
Will I be successful?
"If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive
us crazy, can be our teacher"
Keeping above in mind and with a positive attitude I am sure I will be
successful.
When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed
of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser I realized
the
world would not change.
So I decided to shorten my sights somewhat and change only my country.
But it too seemed immovable.
As I entered my twilight years, in
one last desperate attempt, I sought to
change
only my family, those closest to me,
but alas, they would have none of it.
And now here I lie on my deathbed
and realize herein (perhaps for the first
time)
that if only I’d change myself
first, then by example I may have influenced my
family and with their encouragement
and support I may have bettered my
country,
and who knows, I may have changed the world.
-- An Anglican Bishop
You have control over
three things – what you think, what you say, and how you behave. To make a
change in your life, you must recognize that these gifts are the most powerful
tools you possess in shaping the form of your life. So choose how you want to
respond to situations instead of automatically reacting to them.
"If you don’t like
something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it."
The "Serenity Prayer" of
theologian Rheinhold Niebuhr, adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous, reflects this so
well:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I
cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference-
living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace.
Letting go and
accepting what is happening does not have to mean "quitting" or
"giving up". Let Go Let God means allowing a "space" to
occur - a space which can become a crucible of creativity. Letting go opens the
door to working in harmony with what is inevitable, rather than using our
energy to fight against what is inevitable. As we let go of our
willful need to change the world, we come into our power to transform
ourselves, or at least to try a different approach or attitude.
Like all human behavior, "Letting go" has to be kept in balance. If we take it too
literally or do it too often (I call this "spiritual dependency") we
may be asking for trouble - surely we are required to take some responsibility
for our own life! In The Bible, the prophet Jesus was tempted by the devil to
throw himself from a high place and trust that God would rescue him - Jesus
wisely refused to abuse the divine power of caring and compassion in this
selfish and lazy way.
All children are
creative people but some children live and breathe creativity. Creativity is an
essential skill that can be strengthened and developed. For children, the
family is the initial place creativity is nurtured
This is to share
my experience on creative playing
and its effects on kids.
How
can you make the most of your child's playtime?
Try these suggestions:
Get down on the floor with your baby. You are the ultimate plaything, and any activity will seem
more fun if your baby can share it with you. Talk to your baby while you play
and you'll help boost his language skills. Just being there says to your child,
"What you do is important to me”
Think of playtime as more than toy time. Playing is really an enjoyable
activity that involves people, objects, or movement. Everything from blowing
bubbles at each other to singing songs to splashing in the tub to chasing each
other around the room qualifies. If you've ever seen a 12-month old enthralled
with a cardboard box, you understand how wide the parameters are.
So, be creative yourself with what
are the varied possibilities you can play with and how. Kids learn from what they see and you play the most
important role there.
Introduce play activities when your baby is happy and rested, suggests
Marilyn Segal, a developmental psychologist and author of the Your Child at
Play series.
Stop when your child's had enough. Children have different thresholds
for stimulation. When yours seems bored, fussy, or tired, it's time for a
break.
Praise your kid often.
It will encourage them and soon you will see the outcome.
Give your child a chance to play alone and with others. Both types of
play are beneficial.
Let your child choose activities and control the direction of his play.
You can suggest new things or present new options, but your child should be the
boss. After all, play is about fun, and if there's one thing your child is an
expert at already, it's having a good time.
Invite your child to be creative. Set up an area
in your home where it's okay for him to be messy. You can prompt his artistry
by asking your toddler to draw certain things: the sky, or grass, or even what
the sound of rain looks like. Bring out tempera paints and some broad brushes
and watch how these additions charge up the creative process.
Introduce musical instruments. This is the
age when music inspires dancing, clapping, spinning, hopping, even shouting —
so why not add to the cacophony by handing over a xylophone, or drum, or rhythm
sticks or casio? Experiment with different genres of music and invite your
child to conduct or beat out an accompaniment. With this technique my 2 year
old can now enchant a sargam even in the reverse order.
Limit the amount of TV your toddler watches.
If you choose to allow some television, break it up into 15-minute
increments. Explain what's going on in the show, and encourage your child to
ask questions and relate what's happening in the show to his own life. Extend the show's content with activities or books. Slower-paced
viewing gives your toddler time to think about what he's watching and absorb
the information. Lots of action and quickly changing images will only confuse
him or make his eyes glaze over.
Early Multi-language Introduction: Introduce
multiple languages early to the child. Ask your maid, grandparents to talk with
kids in mother-tongue. Introduce Sanskrit shlokes, Sanskrit helps in improving pronunciation.
Its most easy for toddlers to learn most of the languages at this age. My kid
can count 1 to 10 in Hindi, English, Marathi, Sanskrit and French and a small
rhyme in each of the language too.
What kind of toys are to be introduced to your
toddler?
Try these suggestions:
Balls: Balls continue to be a favorite, but
even more so now that your toddler can target his throws. A few kids this age
even make the occasional catch. Set up a couple of wastebaskets as
"hoops" and the two of you can have a rousing game of basketball. Or
establish two goal lines and introduce your child to a drastically simplified
version of soccer.
Child-size household equipment: Toys for
dramatic play need to be realistic. So buy a set of toy dishes, pots and pans,
and plastic food. Set up a small table and chairs where your child can host tea
and dinner parties. Acquire a small broom, or even a little vacuum cleaner, to
make cleanup fun. Kids enjoy winding up for themselves.
Construction toys: Your child may become interested in new
construction possibilities. Consider giant Lego blocks or play sets with pieces
that can be linked or snapped together. Your child can create buses, trains, or
entire farms, complete with furnished houses.
Puzzles and manipulative: Your child's new dexterity has
opened up many new play possibilities. He can more easily organize cups so that
one nestles inside another, assemble four- or five-piece puzzles, use a set of
plastic keys to open doors in a plastic house, and dress and undress a doll
outfitted with laces, snaps, and buckles.
Illustrated books and cassette tapes: Reading large-sized
picture books with your kid not only increases his knowledge but also provides
you both a cozy loving moment. While recorded stories are no substitute for
reading to your child, many toddlers do enjoy the novelty of hearing a voice
come out of a machine and can appreciate that the voice is new and different.
The regular patter of nursery rhymes is particularly pleasing to a toddler's
ear.
Washable crayons and paper: Your child is
becoming more interested in making her own mark — on floors, walls, furniture.
Clear a space for her to work, give her a big sheet of paper (tape it to the
table) and a couple of crayons (you don't want to overwhelm her), and she'll
get the idea that art has its place. Hang up whatever she makes for you. Don’t forget
to use some of the crayons for yourself.
All this helped
me and my kid, hope this works for you too. It will also provide a great
opportunity for the family to bond, and everyone will have a fun time.
Following is a
very good matrix that helps you identify and eliminate unimportant activities
and allows you to focus on what matters most in your personal and professional
lives.
Message to note
here is:
Things which matter most must never be
at the mercy of things which matter least.
Choose to spend
most of your day’s time in quadrant II so that time spent in quadrant I can be
reduced. Very minimal time should be spent in quadrant III and IV.
We all want a
happy life, and we all know that having a positive attitude feels
better than a negative one. But for some reason, we are all attracted to and
can be easily drawn to the negative side. How do we go about to establish a
more positive attitude as a daily habit?
Foremost, we need to believe
Happiness is a Choice
This is a hard one at first. But truly one can choose to be happy, I have
tried it and is one of the greatest things I’ve done for myself.
When you find yourself in a bad situation, please know that it’s up to you
to find the good, to be happy regardless of what’s happening around. Try not to
point fingers or place blame. Realize that everything happens how it happens
and it’s up to you to choose how you want to feel about it. This way, you are
in control of your happiness level and no one can take that away from you.
“Good enough is the new
perfect.”
Reinforce Positivity in yourself
Positive
thinking can be one of the most powerful weapons one can have. We are living in
a brutally competitive world where a minor slip can result into voyage to
abyss. Each one of us has this constant need of love, admiration and
acceptance. However, people often fall victim to outbursts, anger, fear and
dislikes. All these elements are mere manifestations of our negative thoughts.
But the thing with negativity is that, the more you express it, the more you
attract it. That’s where power of positive thinking comes into the picture.
There is the
positive aspect in everything. In every person, in every situation, there is
something good. Most of the time, it’s not all that obvious. We have to look.
And sometimes we have to look hard. If you really take the time to look, you
will usually find something good, something really positive, about every person
or situation.
"Turn your face toward the sun and the shadows will fall behind you"
Simple
suggestions and tips to develop positive attitude:
- Be natural and
be happy with what you are and what you have
- Choose to be
and stay optimistic.
- Find reasons
to smile more often.
- Have faith in
yourself and in the Power of the Universe.
- Contemplate
upon the futility of negative thinking and worries.
- Associate
yourself with happy people.
- Read inspiring
stories.
- Read inspiring
quotes.
- Repeat
affirmations that inspire and motivate you.
- Visualize only
what you want to happen.
- Develop a
healthy eating and sleeping schedule
- Learn
concentration and meditation.
- Take some time
and be thankful. Be thankful about what you have, who you are, and what your
life is like.
