Quarter-life Crisis

They call it the "Quarter-life Crisis."

It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now. You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest peopleyou have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.

You look at your job... and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you. Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't.

One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure. You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you(how true..)! Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you are doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person. One night stands and random hook ups start to look cheap.

Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender!What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF US!!!!!

Note: I received this as a forward, which I really liked, and so, I am posting it here.

The Crazy Ones

The misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes, the ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is - ignore them, because they change things.

They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward. Maybe they have to be crazy. How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?

We make tools for these kinds of people. While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Note: This is a job advertisement posted by a big multinational company.

Concepts From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

A goal that is not committed to paper is no goal at all

5 Step Method For Attaining Goals

1. Form a clear mental image of the outcome
(The clearer this mental picture, the more effective the process would be)
2. Create a positive pressure to keep you inspired (Public pledge)
3. Attach a timeline
4. Magic Rule of 21 (practice at the same time for 21 days to create a habit)
5. Enjoy the process

Push beyond your limits. The only limits on your life are those that you set yourself. The Universe favors the brave.

The Ten Rituals of Radiant Living

Ritual of Solitude*
Ritual of Physicality
Ritual of Live Nourishment
Ritual of Abundant Knowledge
Ritual of Personal Reflection
Ritual of Early Awakening**
Ritual of Music
Ritual of the Spoken Word (positive affirmations, mantras)
Ritual of Congruent Character***
Ritual of Simplicity****

*Also Commune with nature daily

**Think: What would I do today if today were my last? The key is to really get into the meaning of this question.

***Actions should be aligned with the principles of –
a. Industry
b. Courage
c. Compassion
d. Humility
e. Patience
f. Honesty

****Focus only on those activities that are truly meaningful & your life will be uncluttered, rewarding, and exceptionally peaceful.

Welcome To You

You are beautiful. Right now. Today. Just as you are, just the way you look as you red those three words: You. Are. Beautiful. Say it slowly aloud, as if the phrase were a foreign language, for it probably is.

You are beautiful. Now say it in the first person singular.

I am beautiful.

Do you know that? If so, remind yourself of this glorious fact everyday. If not, it is time to become beautiful in your own eyes. This will require a makeover of sorts, but not the kind you think. Learning to love the way you look has nothing to do with starting a diet or reshaping your eyebrows. Accepting and embracing your authentic beauty means seeing yourself from the inside out. I love me, I love me not, I love me. Beauty may only be skin deep, but there is nothing superficial about the complicated relationship that a person has with their appearance. How you see yourself and how you think other people see you – your body image – is deeply connected to how you feel about yourself.

The effects of a negative body image can be devastating. If you don’t like the way you look, you probably don’t like the person you are. And those feelings of worthlessness, self-consciousness, and inadequacy will insinuate their way into nearly every area of your life into your friendships, your career, your romances, and, most importantly, your relationship with yourself.

A positive body image is equally powerful. It is not an instant solution to all of life’s problems, but a starting point, a spark that can set off a fabulous chain reaction. Loving how you look when you catch a glimpse of yourself in a mirror or store window paves the path of self-love, and with that acceptance come self-esteem, confidence, and authentic beauty, a radiance that glows from within. A beauty that is more than skin deep.

Looking in the mirror is a startling subjective experience. When facing her reflection, one woman may say to her self, “I wish my hips were smaller,” or “My fat hips make me ugly.” Or she could say, “My curves make me sexy.” In each example, the hips are the same – it’s how a woman feels about them that’s different. But where do these feelings come from? Whether or not you realize it, you’ve spent your whole life developing them, honing them, cloning them. Transforming the messages communicated by society, your family, your friends, your rivals, and your enemies into cellular memory. “As preschoolers, boys and girls have already learned the lessons about physical appearance that our society teaches,” explains psychologist Thomas Cash, author of What Do You See When You Look in the Mirror? “They know that lovely Cinderella gets the prince; her ugly and mean stepsisters do not. From childhood on… we judge our self-worth by the physical standards that we’ve absorbed.” The world’s standards to be extraordinarily thin, conventionally attractive, and forever young are uncompromising and unrealistic, yet so pervasive that people who do not conform (and who does?) feel flawed, inferior, unsuccessful, unlovable.

Society’s ideals are reinforced in children by parents who overemphasize on the importance of appearance, consciously or unconsciously. Their messages, be they subtle or painfully obvious, are expressed in dozens of ways: Were you put on a diet as a child or compared unfavorably to a sibling? Or were you praised for your prettiness, made you feel that it was your looks that made you lovable? Did your father disparage your mother for the way she looked? Or did she obsess about her own appearance? Don’t discount the influence of friends and classmates: Being teased as a child or ostracized as a teenager can undermine the efforts of the most accepting parents.
Do you have memories of experiences that might have contributed to the way you see yourself today? As an adult, you may be able to ‘understand’ them, to understand to understand that your parents’ criticisms did not mean they didn’t love you, or that the bullies at school were acting purely out of their own insecurities. But this doesn’t make the memories any less hurtful, or their hold on you any less powerful. However, facing them, before you face yourself in the mirror, is the crucial first step.

A lifetime pattern of self-denigration is not going to disappear overnight. You’re going to have to learn how to replace your automatic criticisms with praise. Self-admiration takes many forms. It can and should include the new compliments you pay to yourself everyday. But the most powerful self-compliment of all is honoring the promises you make to your own soul. Remember, if you are a beautiful person from within, you will always be a beauty from the outside.

Written by Sarah Ban Breathnach, the author of Simple Abundance
Ref: MIND OVER MATTER, Sunday Times of India, Pune – April 18, 2004

What Intrigues Me?

What is it that really intrigues me? On a sustainable basis? That is what I'm trying to find out. That should give me a purpose. I personally feel it is pointless doing something that you do not enjoy. It should really interest you, for you to dedicate yourself completely to it. I am going to adopt a different approach. That of not trying at all. Let it just come to me without any effort. I had read about the principle of least effort in one of Deepak Chopra's articles.

I want to go on a long vacation, maybe somewhere in the Himalayas, so that I can be with myself for some time, and also drink the beauty and splendor of the world's most spectacular mountain range. I would prefer going alone this time. This prospect really attracts me, and has been there in my mind for quite some time. And fortunately I have got a nice break after finishing my MBA, so at least I have the time to do what I want.

I also want to take better care of my body, as I believe that a healthy body leads to a healthy mind (even the converse, I believe, is true). I feel it is very important to be in top shape always, and nothing can match the high that you get from having a healthy and well-toned body. I will be able to get with with a combination of regular exercise (I like running), yoga, and right eating.
It is very important that I feel physically fresh and active. Anything which is in a regular working condition requires very little maintenance, so I feel regular exercise is very important.

Reading

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdgnieg
THE PAOMNNEHAL PWEOR OF THE HMUAN MNID

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

The Concept Of Blog

The concept of 'blog' is fascinating. One can express his / her feelings, thoughts, and experiences. Well, even a diary serves the same need, but unlike a diary, this is open for all to read. It is open for comments from others, which helps one look at a particular feeling / thought / experience from various perspectives. It could either totally confuse you, or could reveal aspects that one could never have realised otherwise.

And finally, it also helps you know more about yourself. You know the path you are taking, you can see yourself growing, and understand your own thoughts.

Selfishness

Each and every person is, and should be, selfish. There is only some difference in the level of selfishness. Some want everything only for themselves. Some want something for their family, some for their friends, some for the society, and some for the nation. Be selfish, but for happiness, and not for things. The highest form of happiness is experienced when you give happiness to some other person. That is the highest form of selfishness. The more you give, the more happiness you get. But you have to be really selfish to get that kind of happiness.

The most unselfish person is actually the most selfish. He only wants to be happy. Happiness comes through love and understanding. The person who is aware of this finds true happiness by being selfish. So, the highest form of selfishness is unselfish. Whatever you do, you do it for your own happiness. Maybe you get something for your mother, or father. They feel extremely happy to receive it, and in the course you feel happier. You do some thing for the society, and people speak well about you. Maybe that is not your intention; your intention may only be to serve the society. But this gives you tremendous happiness. This happiness is much greater than the happiness you get by possessing anything. So be selfish for your own happiness, which you will get only through spreading happiness. It is in your hands.

Laughter & Love

Laughter and love are two of the best things in life. In both, a person tends to forget himself and his ego. Anything, if done in the same spirit, will give peace of mind and happiness. Whenever a person laughs wholeheartedly, he is living in the present. There is no point thinking about the past (being happy about good memories, or being sad about bad memories). We have to realize that it is the past and it has already gone. There is also no point speculating over the future, as it is yet not there. The only thing in our hands is the present, and we should live fully in the present.

There is no point worrying over the future, or fretting over the past. Similarly, there is also no point getting excited over the future, or living in the fond memories of the past, as you are forgetting the present in the deal. You are forgetting what you have at the moment, and not living life to the fullest. Life should be like playing a game. You should have fun in playing it, but at the same time, you should play it with honesty, sincerity, understanding, and love.

You should learn to accept that there are bound to be differences in perception, in thinking, in views, and in preferences. But rather than fight such differences, you should just accept them and live with them. Be happy that everyone is different. Life would have been so monotonous if everyone had the same views and everyone acted in the same way, and everyone accorded with everyone’s thinking. It is the differences that make life so interesting.

Seriousness

Why be so serious? Everyone has problems in their own lives. Why not just accept, than trying to contradict or suppress them. Try to solve the problem, than turn against it. If you feel something is not happening right, then leave it. It will take its own course. You cannot do everything right all the time.

It is very important to accept this. People do make mistakes; people do make wrong decisions (mostly out of ignorance than out of any malafide intent). It is better to learn from those and move ahead, than worry over it. Accept the problem with open arms than trying to resist it. The more you resist, the more big will it start seeming. Accept it, and it will vanish. It won’t be a problem anymore. Be relaxed about everything.

This doesn’t mean being irresponsible. There is a difference. Be sincere, honest, and understanding. But don’t let seriousness creep in. You have to be sincere in everything you do, be it at home, or at work. You also have to accept responsibility. Accept it and do not be tense or serious about it, but be sincere and responsible. Then work will become play. People get serious even while playing, which is so sad. Enjoyment is the only purpose of any sport or game, and you should play it only for sheer enjoyment, and nothing else.

The same applies to life as well, as it is just like a game. Everyone has to work, everyone has problems, and everyone has their share of happiness, along with a share of sad moments. Everyone is different and unique. It is not possible to please everyone or be like everyone. Instead of comparing oneself to others, or comparing one’s wealth with others, why not compare with yourself? Everyone has something different with him or her, and we have to accept that everyone cannot get everything. Why not enjoy what we already have than fret about what we do not have? Is it not better to spend time being thankful for what we have than complain about what we do not have?

The First One

Is material success different from spiritual success?