How social media has changed OUR society!

Gone are the days when our youth were surviving under the influence of their luminaries worshiping. They used to make their physique, dress style and hair style close to the look of adorable personas from film industry, besides imitating their talking style close to their praised one. ‘Social media’ has risen like a tempest and has engulfed all the existence of so-called superstars till date. Social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google +, Tumblr, Instagram, gaming sites, and blogs have given openings to common people to earn name and fame and thereby resulted in the rise of social media influencers.

Social media influencers are honking on every nook and corner and overpower people from all walks of life especially youngsters. Nobody gets respite, not even the renowned film celebrities who are joining with influencers to promote their films.

IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON YOUTH:

Study Shows:

  • The average person now spends more time each day on their phone and computer than they do sleeping.
  • The average time spent on social networks per day: 1.72 hours (in 2015).
  • The average number of hours a teenager spends online per week: 27 (2015).

Social media has become a prominent part of life for many young people today. Most people engage with social media without ending to think what positive or negative consequences it confers on our lives. Are we as a society becoming more concerned with Facebook “friends” than we are with the people we interact with face-to-face in our daily lives? What will the long-term effects of today’s social media use be?

There are many positive aspects, but there are equally as many hazards that come with the addiction of the sites.

THE POSITIVES OF SOCIAL MEDIA:

ACADEMIC SUPPORT:

It helps a teacher team up and communicate easily with students and one another. Students exploit a free access to the treasure of resources online to help them upgraded. A big chunk of students uses social networking to discuss informative topics, hence complete their school’s/colleges’ assignments.

POLITICAL UPDATES

Social media eases political change. Online networks give social movements a quick and cheap method of broadcasting information and mobilizing people.

AWARENESS SUPPORT:

Social media keeps us updated about the significant things that are working across the globe currently or maybe in our neighbourhood. Social media enables and authorizes individuals to bring a modification within themselves and their societies.

SOCIAL BENEFITS:

Social media allow people to interconnect with friends and the increased online communication strengthens those relationships. People make new friends. A report says 57% online teens make new friends online.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES:

A boon for professionals who love marketing, connecting, and finding business opportunities. Social media sites have created thousands of jobs and new avenues of income for all and sundry.

 

THE NEGATIVES OF SOCIAL MEDIA:

A DAMAGE TO WORK AS WELL AS SCHOOL:

Media created weakness has compelled students to cheat on school assignments. Study shows, for every 93 minutes over the average 106 minutes spent on Facebook daily, college students’ grades dropped .12 points.

On another study, students who went online while studying, have scored 20% lower on tests. Social networking sites have harmed employees’ productivity. Record says 51% of users between 25-34 years age group use to check social media frequently at work place.

GROWING NEED OF PRIVACY:

People, especially the young, are often too open and public with personal information when online.

USERS EXPOSED TO CRIME:

Social networking sites allow hate groups to recruit and distribute propaganda online. Unauthorized sharing and copyright infringement threatens intellectual property and causes loss of income. Security attacks such as hacking, identity theft, phishing scams, and viruses are common online.  Criminals use social media to commit crimes.

SOCIAL DAMAGES:

Cyber-crimes and Cyber-oppression (the use of electronic communication to torment someone, usually by sending threatening messages) are commonplace online, cause emotional disturbance, and sometimes even lead to suicide. Sometimes some online duels eventually turn into a physical confrontation. Children are the worst suffers and are at higher risk for depression, low self-esteem, and eating disorders which ultimately pushes them to be isolated and disconnected (especially youth with disabilities).

MISINFORMATION:

Occasional spread of false rumours, unreliable information and news on social media misguide a vast majority of social media hunters. It encourages unprofessional medical advice and self-diagnosis of health problems, which can be dangerous and life-threatening.

ADVERTISING:

Studies have shown that sites such as Facebook stimulates us, via advertisements, to spend more money. Advertisers gain all kinds of personal information about us via our social media, so, they persuade us to buy their product in due course.

A WASTE OF TIME:

Time flows out uncontrollably from the clutches of the promising citizens due to the bigger exposure to social media. A great chunk of unproductive efforts kills their survival enthusiasm and push them in some lonely corner.

So, for the social media, I think, there is a crucial need of the dissemination of an awareness campaign among mass. Let everyone be alerted about the pros and cons of the social media, its use and disuse, it merits and demerits, its benefits and detriments. We must not forget our sacred rituals, brotherhood, integrity, social duties and responsibilities and all those things which pull ourselves to the higher steps of humanity. After all, safety, security, progress and development of a society do not depend upon any media, rather great thoughts, powerful leadership and practical positivity pave the way for greater citizen and wider tomorrow.

Digitalization: Where will we head?

Digitalization is the process of converting information in the form of text, audio, video, or any combination of all three or more into digital format. The omnipresence of computers in our daily lives had its roots in the introduction of computers in Indian workspaces in the 1990s. Since then the proliferation has increased manifold and digitalization has become an integral part of lives. Indian IT exports have been one of the major contributing factors to our GDP and this will not slow any time soon.

Digitalization has certainly made out lives much more comfortable and easier than it was a couple of decades ago. Since 2015 Indian government focused on increasing digital proliferation to even more areas. With the initiatives like digital India, numerous services have been transferred into digital platforms. This is evident with some major examples like the Driving license and Learners license services which have been fully transferred to an online platform and all the paperwork can be completed without visiting the RTO. The candidates have to select their slot and attempt the test of the stipulated date. This is reduced middlemen corruption and made the process of obtaining a driver’s license much more seamless. After the advent of the Covid pandemic, there has been an unprecedented growth in digital platforms. People who were wary or unsure of digital platforms were forced to learn and adapt due to the unavailability of non-digitalized services due to restrictions. Schools have adapted to the age of online classes. The consumption of online coaching platforms has increased. Businesses are developing infrastructure to support their digital services. Small business owners are jumping on online platforms to reach a wider range of potential clients.

But there are still many discrepancies with digital proliferation. This growth and reach of digital are not equally distributed. India still faces many problems due to its weak infrastructure and limited internet connectivity. This phenomenon which is also called ‘Digital Divide’ has to be addressed quickly. Because many rural areas don’t have the facility of good internet connectivity and many rural communities have not been able to avail many benefits of this digital revolution. Government schools in rural areas have been affected the most during the pandemic as the schools there don’t have adequate funding to facilitate online classes. Many teachers are untrained to use digital tools and many students don’t have laptops or smartphones to really take advantage of online classes. But this problem is not just limited to rural and undeveloped areas and many people whom we call urban poor also face similar problems.

Government initiatives are commendable but there needs to be more focus on the equal distribution of these digital services. There has to be a greater emphasis on how the services can be availed by the weaker economic section of the society otherwise it will only exacerbate the issue of the digital divide that we are facing right now. Despite having the second biggest internet user base second to China, only half of our population has an active internet connection.  A new policy needs to be implemented at a national level so that digital services can be availed equitably by every citizen of India. 

THE ART OF NATURE

Helloooo guys!! Hope you all are doing good😊.

Before we jump right into the topic .

I have a few questions to ask.

What do you think is the most popular pick for any photographer or an artist?
From where do you think are the musicians getting inspired from?

Why is the sun shining so bright in the morning and it’s so dark in the night?
Why are the water bodies blue? Why are trees green?

Ok ok I asked too many questions, haha sorry guys
I will ask only one question .

Why is the nature so beautiful?

All this points to only one thing that is

” The art of NATURE”

It’s the art of nature because the nature is deciding the beautiful and colourful strokes needed for the beings to live.

Nature has everything that is needed to be learnt by us humans .Every aspect of it is something special.

“Nature is magic.”

Nature has many qualities like discipline, strictness, sincerity, love, care
“The definition of beauty is nature.”


Nature is so free, boundless.
But at the same time it is not reckless or careless.

Nature is has its own will but it also bends the will if needed .
It forms it’s rules and abides by it but when it breaks those rules the living beings have to face dire consequences.

It’s as if the process of crafting is so beautiful that your in awe .

It’s make you feel every bit of emotion that exists but you cannot express all in it few words.


The ocean, sea, rivers, all forms of water bodies are like vast blankets that cover the earth as if protecting us .

The sky so free that when we stare at it makes you feel as if the limiter we have set is broken .When we stare at nature there is an immense silence and its as if nothing can stop you from experiencing the freedom .

The clouds are like the drawings that kids draw with pure heart although not perfect, it fills our heart.

We definitely have to talk about the starry night skies that fill our eyes with glitters ,words are not enough describe the beauty of the nature.

This feeling of satisfaction is similar to that of watching an art piece of your favourite artist in an art museum .

Nature gives food, water, what not it gives everything that we need so that we can sustain our lives on earth .

Because of its unconditional love we are leading happy lives .

Everyone calls it “mother nature” .In my view nature is god because of its pure love towards every being living or non living. It doesn’t discriminate anyone on any basis . Nature embraces us, protects us, even when we destroy, pollute it still accepts us.

So in return our only responsibility as on the receiver side is to protect the nature and its beauty
so our next generations can also see the “Art of nature”.

THANKYOU^^

DELTA PLUS- VARIANT OF CORONA VIRUS

BACKGROUND

Union Health Ministry categorised the Delta Plus
variant of the novel coronavirus as a variant of concern.

DELTA PLUS VARIANT

• A further mutated form of the Delta variant
(B.1.617.2).

• Delta variant – Originated in India; predominantly
responsible for India’s second wave.

• Delta Plus has an additional mutation – K417N.
∆ Found in the receptor binding domain – through
which virus gains entry into the human cell.
• Variants of Concern by WHO:
∆ Delta Plus variant
∆ Alpha variant from the UK
∆ Beta variant from Brazil
∆ Gamma variant from South Africa
∆ Delta variant

• Three classes of SARS-CoV-2 variants:
∆ Variant of Interest
∆ Variant of Concern
∆Variant of High Consequence

VARIANT OF INTEREST

• A variant with specific genetic markers – associated
with changes to receptor binding and reduced
neutralization by antibodies. • May result in reduced efficacy of treatments,
potential diagnostic impact, increase in
transmissibility etc.

VARIANT OF CONCERN

• A variant with increase in transmissibility and more
severe disease. • May result in significant reduction in neutralization
by antibodies, reduced effectiveness of
treatments/vaccines, or diagnostic detection failures.
• More attributes than VoI: Substantially
decreased susceptibility, reduced
vaccine-induced protection, increased
transmissibility etc.

VARIANT OF HIGH CONSEQUENCE

• Prevention measures/medical countermeasures – have significantly
reduced effectiveness.

• More attributes than VoC: significant
reduction in vaccine effectiveness,
significantly reduced susceptibility to
approved therapeutics, more severe
clinical disease etc.

Fog Computing

Fog computing, also known as fog networking or fogging, is a decentralised computing architecture that exists between the cloud and data-generating devices. Users may put resources, such as programmes and the data they generate, in logical areas to improve performance using this flexible structure.

In simple words, Fog computing is a type of decentralised computing infrastructure in which data, machines, storage, and applications are distributed between the data source and the cloud. 

The term “fog nodes” is used in fog computing. These fog nodes are closer to the data source, and they have more processing and storage power. When compared to sending the request to the cloud for centralised processing, fog nodes can process the data much faster.

The large number of devices connected to the internet makes the cloud more clogged. Fog computing has become important for IoT devices since cloud computing is not feasible in some circumstances. It is capable of handling the huge amounts of data generated by these devices.

Advantages of Fog Computing

  • Privacy:Fog computing could be used to limit the amount of information shared. Instead of transmitting sensitive user data to a centralised cloud infrastructure, any sensitive data may be examined locally. The IT staff will be able to track and operate the device in this manner. Also, any subset of data that requires analysis may be transmitted to the cloud.
  • Bandwidth: There are pretty minimal bandwidth requirements since the selected data may be processed locally rather than being sent to the cloud. These bandwidth reductions will be particularly useful as the number of IoT devices grows. 
  • Latency: Another advantage of processing data locally is the reduction in latency. The data can be processed at the data source that is closest to the user geographically. This can result in immediate answers, which is very useful for time-sensitive services.
  • Productivity: Fog apps can be used by customers who want the machine to perform the way they want it to. With the appropriate set of tools, developers may quickly create these fog apps. They can deploy it whenever they wish when the work is completed.

Disadvantages of Fog Computing

  • Complexity: Fog computing is a difficult concept to grasp because of its complexity. Many devices, situated in various places, each store and analyse their own collection of data. This might add to the network’s complexity. In addition, a fog infrastructure has more complex fog nodes.
  • Power Consumption: In a fog environment, the number of fog nodes present is proportional to their energy consumption. This means that these fog nodes demand a lot of energy to work properly. There is higher power usage in a fog infrastructure when there are more fog nodes. Most businesses attempt to cut costs by utilising fog nodes.
  • Authentication: Fog computing is a large-scale service provider. End users, internet service providers, and cloud providers are all part of fog computing. In the fog, this might lead to difficulties with trust and authentication.
  • Maintenance: In comparison to cloud architecture, where maintenance is smooth, fog is not. Because controllers and storages are dispersed throughout the network, additional maintenance is required. Processing is decentralised in the fog architecture.

BALANCED DIET

“TO ENSURE GOOD HEALTH: EAT LIGHTLY, BREATHE DEEPLY, LIVE MODERATELY, CULTIVATE CHEERFULNESS AND MAINTAIN AN INTEREST IN LIFE.”                                           – WILLIAM LONDEN

A balanced diet is a diet that contains differing kinds of foods in certain quantities and proportions so that the requirement for calories, proteins, minerals, vitamins and alternative nutrients is adequate and a small provision is reserved for additional nutrients to endure the short length of leanness.

A well-balanced diet provides important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to keep the body and mind strong and healthy. Eating well can also help ward off numerous diseases and health complications, as well as help maintain a healthy body weight, provide energy, allow better sleep, and improve brain function.

There are seven main classes of nutrients that the body needs. These are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water. It is important that everyone consumes these seven nutrients on a daily basis to help them build their bodies and maintain their health.

A healthy diet is essential for good health and nutrition. It protects you against many chronic noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Eating a variety of foods and consuming less salt, sugars and saturated and industrially-produced trans-fats, are essential for healthy diet.

monsoon delayed in capital, temperature to touch 42 degrees celsius next week

Despite monsoon not reaching the Delhi NCR region, Chandigarh, and parts of Punjab yet, the North-West India region has got 58% surplus rain so far. According to IMD, East and North East, Central and the South Peninsula regions have all got above normal rains so far.

Daytime temperatures in Delhi, which have been below normal for the most part of June, are set to rise and touch 42 degrees Celsius next week as rains skip the National Capital. The Indian Meteorological Department had earlier forecast an early monsoon in the region. However, changes in wind patterns meant that the advancement of moisture laden winds, which bring monsoon rain, has now been hampered.

According to officials at IMD, there is now a chance that monsoon rains will hit Delhi after its onset date of June 27.

“Further advancement of the Southwest Monsoon into the remaining parts of Rajasthan, Western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Punjab is likely to be slow as large scale features are not favorable and the forecast wind pattern by the numerical models do not indicate and favorable condition for sustained rainfall over the region during the forecast period,” the IMD stated.

Despite monsoon not reaching the Delhi NCR region, Chandigarh, and parts of Punjab yet, the North-West India region has got 58% surplus rains so far. According, to IMD, East and North East, Central and the South Peninsula regions have all got above normal rains so far. While light rain is expected on Friday and Saturday, with the maximum temperature expected to be 39 degrees Celsius, the next four days are expected to be dry, with the maximum temperature expected to touch 42 degrees Celsius on Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Thursday morning, the minimum temperature was recorded at 28.3 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year. The maximum temperature on Wednesday was recorded at 40.5 degrees Celsius, 2 degrees above normal. Humidity has been high throughout the past week, touching 77% on Wednesday.

 Due to not favorable conditions, there is a possibility of delayed arrival of monsoon in the southern districts of Punjab and Haryana including Delhi and northwest parts of Rajasthan. Although rain and thundershower activities are possible over North India from 25th to 27th June, it will not be Monsoon rain. During the next few days, rain will remain very light in many parts of Maharashtra including Mumbai and the temperature is

likely to rise. Heat and humidity are very likely to increase over Northwest India including Delhi during the next few days.

“HEALTH IS WEALTH”

“To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”                       

                                      – Buddha

The proverb ‘Health is wealth’ means that one’s health is the greatest wealth. The definition of health is a state of a person’s physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being . Every person must maintain good health. It makes them feel good and positive.

This gives large meaning to our life, as health is considered the most valuable and precious for every individual .  Good health means not only the absence of disease in the body but a complete physical, mental, social as well as spiritual well-being of an individual.

The value of health is vital for every human being . Many people have to suffer from diseases to allergies and stuck with it for their entire life . If people had control over health , then they would make sure that there are no issues with it.

Being healthy should be part of your overall lifestyle. Living a healthy lifestyle can help prevent chronic diseases and long-term illnesses. Feeling good about yourself and taking care of your health are important for your self-esteem and self-image. Maintain a healthy lifestyle by doing what is right for your body.

Be physically active for 30 minutes or at least 10 – 15 minutes for every day . Healthy movement.  includes  walking, sports, dancing, yoga, running or other activities you enjoy. Eat a well-balanced, low-fat diet with lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

       
                        “Health is not valued till sickness comes.”
                       
                           – Thomas Fuller

➡️ Healthy habits to stay fit and happy

• Eat nourishing food

• Sleep seven to eight hours a day

• Stay positive and read good thoughts

• Avoid smoking and alcohol

• Get regular exercise

            “Happiness is the highest form of health.”
                       
                              – Dalai Lama

How To Find Your Dream Job In 9 Steps

DREAM JOB!

Many people have a job they don’t like. Many take jobs they don’t like. The reason we take jobs we don’t like is because we need money. I can’t think of any other reason people would waste their time doing something that is not passionate about. I challenge you to find your dream job—a job that you love doing 7 days a week. Work that doesn’t feel like work. In that way, you are not only living for the weekend.

Many of us only live on the weekend and after 5 pm on weekdays. ‘The American Time Use Survey’ shows that we spend almost 40% of our time at work. Would you waste 40% of your money? I’ve never heard an average person saying, “I have $10.000 in savings, I’ll just throw $4.000 away.”

Time is more valuable than money. So why would you give away your time? By doing what you love to do, you are doing something of meaning. Stop the busy work and find your dream job! Here are 9 steps that you can use as a guideline.

  1. Decide exactly what kind of job you want. If the job doesn’t exist, create it.
  2. Choose the company or person you want to work for.
  3. Study your potential future employer
  4. Find out what kind of competencies you need to be successful
  5. Do a strengths/weaknesses analysis of yourself. You have to be clear about what kind of value you can offer.
  6. Create a plan of how you’re going to develop your competencies you need further.
  7. Now, apply. Forget about job openings or vacancies. If you can add value to a company, they would be idiots not hiring you.
  8. Once you know what job you want, what the company needs, what competencies you have, and what value you can add, put it on paper. Hire a copywriter or who can help you with his. Or have someone who is in sales look at it. You have to be persuasive.
  9. Find out who has the ‘power’ to hire you. Browse LinkedIn for the senior manager of the department you want to work for. If it is a smaller company, contact the CEO.

This method may take you longer and more analysis of your skills. But it’s worth it to find your dream job. Financially and mentally. By doing something you love you will save yourself many headaches in the long run. You’ll probably earn more money as well. If you follow the standard hierarchy and climb the ladder like everybody else, you will earn exactly the same as everybody else.

Learn More About Finding Your Dream Job

If you’re interested in learning more about finding your dream job, feel free to check out my course.

Mental Health in India

According to the World Health Organization(WHO) there is a 10-25% life expectancy reduction in patients with severe mental health disorders. WHO has labelled India as the most depressing country.  

These might be facts but they present the glaring reality of the stigma attached to mental health in India .

In India when a person feels anxiety or has panic attacks , they are described as doing drama to gain attention. If someone expresses desire to see a psychiatrist they are labelled as mad, lunatics by the society. Mental illness is not considered an illness , it is just seen as something which will become alright in a day or two. This mindset of people needs to undergo a change , they need to understand mental illness is an illness and it is real .

The stigma attached to mental illness prevents the ones who are suffering from seeking timely help which further worsens their condition. 

Some steps to improve the situation are:

  • First and foremost there is a need for empathy and sensitivity in people regarding mental health. 
  • There is a need to create awareness regarding mental disorders in India . Through the means of workshops, films, TV people must be made aware that mental illness is real .
  • There is also a requirement of active policy intervention and resource allocation by the government. 
  • There should be creation of a peer network to connect patients with each other so that they are able to support each other.
  • There should be an increase in the number of health personnel in the mental health care sector.
  • There is a need for more counseling facilities especially in the rural sector and counseling centres for women with women doctors. 
  • There can be establishment of telephone based helpline numbers and mental health apps.
  • School based programmes on mental health can improve and teach children about mental health. 

Hence, immediate steps should be taken to deal with the menace of mental illness in India . Awareness should be created about mental health to reduce the discriminatory attitudes of people.

How Two Words Can Change Your Life

THANK ME LATER!

We live in a uniquely safe, risk-free, and good time.

Mortality rate is at an all-time low. Poverty is decreasing year over year. Diseases are treatable. You get to live longer. And technology makes life easier and safer.

Evolution is a beautiful thing (if you only look at the facts).

However, that’s not the full story. People are still miserable. Suicide rates increase. People have more depressions and burnouts. More and more people are on meds. I’m not going to flush you with all the hard statistics. It’s not pretty.

But there are also soft measures that show the ugly side of today’s world. When you walk around on the streets, go to restaurants, parties, festivals, or take public transportation, you see a bunch of zombies instead of happy individuals who are celebrating life.

Because to me, that’s what I think everybody is doing: Dancing around all the time and saying, “I’m alive! I’m alive.” I can’t be more wrong than that.

The reality is that we, humans, are ungrateful idiots. Always have been.

The Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus, who lived between AD 50–135, put it best:

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”

Why do we always desire what we don’t have? Desiring things you don’t have is not necessarily a bad thing. That same trait is also the reason the world developed the way it did. If we didn’t desire unattainable stuff, the world probably wouldn’t advance one bit.

But when I read about historical figures such as Christopher Columbus, the Wright Brothers, or Nikola Tesla, they used that desire for good things. They didn’t complain and had an innate desire to achieve things.

  • Can you image Columbus saying: “Fuck this stupid boat. Let’s sail back home, I want to chill out.”
  • And that the Wright Brothers said to each other: “Man, screw this flying thing. Let’s play checkers and drink beer.”
  • Or that Tesla would say: “Who cares about current? Let Edison and his stupid DC current win. I’m going for a swim in the lake.”

Of course not.

Just Be Thankful For Goodness Sake.

Two words. That’s all.

Say it. Believe it.

Thank you.

Easy.

Or you can go with a casual “thanks.” You can say it to people, but more importantly, you can also say it to random things.

When I wake up, I just say: “Thanks.”

I don’t even know who I’m thanking. God? The universe? Life? I’m just happy to be alive. And that mindset changes everything in your life. When you say thank you, and you truly believe it, you become a grateful person.

Gratitude changes the way you:

  • Think
  • Behave
  • Talk
  • Walk
  • Eat
  • Love

You can also say it to people. When your mother, father, brother, sister, spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, friend, colleague, manager, does something for you (no matter how small), say: “Thank you.”

What you will find is that people appreciate you too. Gratitude goes both ways.

  • “Thank you.”
  • “No. Thank you.”

Saying thank you is a habit. It shows that you appreciate everything. Big things and little things. And appreciation is an important aspect of a happy life.

The French philosopher Voltaire put it well:

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”

  • If you want to enjoy life, start by appreciating it.
  • And you appreciate things by saying thank you.

Thank you for reading this article.

Talk to you in the next one.

Stop Giving Toxic People Your Time

BE CAREFULL!

Do you ever get upset about the nasty behavior of your co-workers, friends, or even family? Well, if you let others upset you, it’s not their fault.

“It’s not me, it’s him!” is what most of us say. We’re always quick to blame others for how we feel.

We say that others make us feel that way. But that’s false. You decide how you feel about the things that happen in your life.

Events can’t harm us. Our perception of an event harms us. That’s one of the most important ideas of Stoic philosophy.

In other words, you decide what meaning you give to the things that happen in your life. If your friend tells lies about you behind your back, and you get upset, that’s because you decided to get upset.

After all, you don’t control others. That’s why who you spend your time with is a matter of life and death.

The great Stoic philosopher, Epictetus, said this in his Manual For Living:

“Avoid fraternizing with people who don’t share your values. Prolonged association with those with false ideas can only tarnish your thinking.”

It’s something I truly live by. I’ve seen others destroy people’s lives too often to take this idea carelessly.

And I bet that you’ve had your share of, for lack of a better term, “toxic” people in your life.

There Are Two Kinds Of People

  • People with values
  • People without values

I think that less than 1% of the population has values. Values entail nothing more than answers to questions like:

  • How do you treat people?
  • How do you treat yourself?
  • What’s right and what’s wrong?

Here’s an easy way to detect people without values: When you see that someone becomes an entirely different person in a heartbeat — that’s when you know someone has no values.

For example, at our company, we recently hired a toxic intern. The intern turned out to be a different person from the person we thought we hired.

Of course, that’s our mistake. Even though we talked extensively about values during the interview process, we didn’t detect any warning signals.

And everything was fine during the first week. But as soon as the intern found a partner in one of our other interns, things started to change.

All of a sudden, with this new-found support, the intern started gossiping, trying to manipulate others, and causing mayhem. Fortunately, we identified it quickly and communicated that we have a zero-tolerance policy for toxic behavior.

It’s not an unusual thing in organizations. People often hide their true colors. I should say, they hide the fact that they don’t have colors.

When you lack values, you automatically gravitate towards natural human behavior. And that’s very dark. I recently read 12 Rules For Life by Dr. Jordan Peterson, a clinical psychologist, and a professor at the University of Toronto.

His fundamental proposition is that people are malevolent and that life is suffering. To prove that statement, Peterson shares compelling examples of human history with us.

He’s right. People have always lied, killed, and deceived their way through life.

But There’s An Alternative

Look, you can easily go down the rabbit hole of nasty behavior. Just spend enough time with bad people — eventually, you will become one of them.

You can also fill your days with gossiping, lying, and manipulating others. And you’ll probably also feel good when you do it. A sense of power, no matter how it’s achieved, gives people satisfaction. That’s how our minds work.

So when you recognize someone who doesn’t have principles, shows nasty behavior, and has multiple personalities — step away.

Instead, surround yourself with people who want the best for you.

Not with people who are jealous, can’t see your success, and thrive off negativity. I think this is important to realize for anyone who wants to live a good life.

A few years ago, when I started to live a conscious life, I had to say goodbye to people who only wanted to live a life of pleasure.

And I’ve also seen other friends that started to change their life for the better but were dragged back into the bottomless pit of darkness by others.

But as you and I both know, life is also full of warm and caring people. It’s not all bad.

Be Stingy With Your Time

“You’re the average of the five people you spend your time with.” It has become such a cliché. But I don’t think that we truly understand the impact that other people can have on us.

Like Epictetus said, others can tarnish your thinking. Is that worth it?

Look at it this way. Would you give $1000 to the people in your life if they asked for it? If the answer is no, stop giving the people who don’t share the same values as you, your time.

I’ve narrowed down the list of people I spend 90% of my time with to my direct family and my two best friends. Other than that, I spend my time working and exercising. That’s what I mostly do. And I’ve never enjoyed my life this much.

So if you have a job you love, and a few people in your life who you love, you don’t even have more time to spend.

Nothing else gives more satisfaction than having a meaningful career and a strong family.

“But what if my family is toxic?”

Inspire them to change for the better. I don’t give up on my family. Even if it takes 10 years, I will still try to help them.

Create Your Values, And Stick To Them

To live a virtuous life, you need principles. Without principles (or values), we have no character. And without character, we’re nothing.

“Who cares!”

Well, you should care. You’re the one who looks in the mirror every day. Are you happy with what you see?

That’s the only measure I have for my life. I must like the person I see in the mirror. If I don’t like that guy, I’ll change. That’s what I’ve always done. And that’s what I still do every day.

Improve Yourself

What’s the alternative? Like Peterson concludes in his 12 Rules For Life, there’s no other viable option for life.

There’s only one path to happiness: Forward motion.

You need the promise of what could be. You need a path to a better life. None of us is perfect.

It doesn’t matter if we ever reach our desired destination or not. What matters is that we keep improving.

Dig Deeper

If you want to hear more thoughts on why you should surround yourself with good people, listen to my podcast episode about it.

If You Feel Like You Need A Break, Take One

HAVE A BREAK!

You recharge your phone when it runs out of juice. You refill your gas tank when you’re running on empty. But sometimes, you forget to take a break and recharge your most precious possession: Your body (and the brain that’s inside of it).

Whether you love what you do, are in between jobs, or have a job you hate: You’re working. Living is also a job. A pretty tough one, actually. Just the act of getting up in the morning can be a daunting task. And I’m not even talking about all the responsibilities we have.

So why do you make your life even more challenging by not taking a vacation to recharge? I’m not talking about your weekends that are packed with activities, or holidays where you do more work than relax.

No, that type of “free time” only costs energy. I’m talking about resting with a very specific reason: To recharge your battery so you can get back to living a productive life.

A break reduces stress and improves productivity.

Scientific research shows that a vacation decreases perceived job stress and burnout. Now, that’s a pretty solid benefit of taking a few days off. But there’s more.

As you may know, I’m always interested in productivity. In the case of resting or a vacation, my question is:

Will I get more things done when I get back?

The answer is yes, but there’s one major thing to keep in mind. But let’s back up a bit: What does it mean to get more done? Getting things done has nothing to do with time—if you work more hours, you don’t necessarily get more done.

In fact, research shows that working more hours general means less productivity.

Why? Well, we often waste time if we have a lot of it. It’s simple: If I say to you, you have a year to write an article. What would you do? Put it off until tomorrow, right?

But what if I tell you that you only have 2 hours? You’ll probably get started right away. So in a way, having more days off, and fewer days to work, forces you to be more effective with your time.

Research shows that a vacation in itself won’t make you more productive, but when you have more days off, you have a strong desire to get more things done in less time.

And that’s a win-win situation for everybody: You, your business, or your job. You take off a few days, recharge, spend time with your family or friends, and when you come back, you’re more productive.

Sounds great. But wait, there’s a caveat.

When your vacation is stressful, the positive benefits go away. So keep the stress at a minimum on your holiday. Otherwise, you’ve wasted a perfect opportunity to relax and boost your overall productivity.

I recently felt I needed a break for several reasons. I had a few injuries that didn’t seem to go away and had less energy. I could have powered through, but instead, I decided to go on a vacation with my family. For a week, I did absolutely no work. And when I came back, I was full of energy.

Here are a few tips that might help you to take a break that fully recharges you.

1. Do What You Want

There are no rules for taking vacations and everybody relaxes in a different way. If you like to plan your holiday, just do it. If you want to go with the flow, then do that.

Want to wake up early? Do it. Don’t like waking up early? Sleep in. Even if you go on a vacation with your partner, friends, or family, you don’t have to be together 24/7. You can also sometimes do things that you enjoy.

The key is to not have expectations on your vacation. Let go of everything. I also don’t like to post vacation pictures on social media. Otherwise, I’m constantly thinking about taking a cool picture so I can impress others.

You’ll probably even do things you wouldn’t do just to take a picture. “I really need to rent a jet ski so I can take a picture with it.” No, you don’t.

Who cares? Focus on enjoying the moments you experience. Whatever those moments may be.

2. Read

Bill Gates is famous for his voracious reading habit. He is also known for his ‘Think Week’ where does nothing else but read and think.

You don’t have to be Bill Gates to think about your life and career. We all have our daily, weekly, and monthly routines. Usually, routines and habits work very well. However, you can also get stuck inside a loop.

That’s why I recommend you to step back from your daily life and career. If you do that, two things can happen: When you step away, you miss your daily life and can’t wait to pick up where you left off.

Or, the opposite will happen. You don’t want to go back. See that as a sign that you need to make a change. Either way, a break always serves a purpose. It doesn’t only help you to recharge, it will also make you think.

That’s why I like to read for hours on my vacation.

3. Get Bored

One of my favorite strategies for finding new ideas is to get bored out of my mind. It sounds easier than it is because of distractions.

In the past, I would do everything to NOT get bored: Watch TV, go out, browse Facebook, etc. But did you know that you can use boredom to your advantage?

Instead of giving into distractions, just give into the boredom and see it leads your mind to. In fact, one of my favorite artists of all time, Andy Warhol, embraced boredom. You can tell by the boring films he made or the references he made in The Philosophy Of Andy Warhol about getting bored.

Whenever I hit a creative wall, I just do nothing. Literally, nothing. Try it sometime. It’s a great strategy; maybe you come up with the next best thing in your industry.

It’s never a good time to take a break.

  • “I just need to finish this project.”
  • “My boss will never accept it.”
  • “People will think I’m lazy.”
  • “I don’t have time.”
  • “My family needs me.”

Yeah, yeah, I’ve been there too. But what would you rather: Continue to work without resting and burn out? Or take some rest before you’re tired?

So before you use all those valid reasons to not take a break, think about what all the people in your life have to do if you’re not here anymore. Yes, you’re important. So take care of yourself. Take a break and come back with more energy.

7 world famous paintings that were stolen

Mona Lisa - Wikipedia

Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci

The Mona Lisa was stolen from the Musee du Louvre in Paris back in 1911. The theft lead to a stir worldwide. The painting was stolen by a Louvre employee Vincenzo Peruggia. The painting was recovered two years later along with the thief. The painting has an estimated value of $860 million as of the 2020.

Poppy Flowers - Wikipedia

Poppy Flowers, Vincent Van Gogh

The painting was stolen from the Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum, Cairo, Egypt in August 2010 and still not recovered to date. It is regarded that Van Gogh painted it three years before committing sucide. The painting had a whopping value of $50 million. The painting was also previously stolen from the same museum in June 1977. The painting was found after ten years later in Kuwait.

The Storm on the Sea of Galilee - Wikipedia

The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt

The painting was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts. The painting was stolen along with 12 other paintings in March 18, 1990. The 1633 painting depicts Jesus calming a storm at sea by the side of his disciples. The painting was thieved by two men who obtained access to the museum by claiming themselves to be police officers. The painting had an estimated value of $100 million. Another painting which was also looted that night, The Concert, had a staggering estimated worth of $200 million.

Le pigeon aux petits pois - Wikipedia

Le Pigeon Aux Petits Pois, Pablo Picasso

The painting known as The Pigeon with Green Peas was stolen in May 2010 along with 4 other artworks. The robbery was accomplished by just one man. The man was later arrested but the police could not recover the painting as the thief had claimed he threw it away. The painting had a value of $28 million.

Portrait of a Young Man (Raphael) - Wikipedia

Portrait of a Young Man, Raphael

The painting was done in the early 15th century. The painting was looted by the Nazis after they conquered Poland. The painting is considered to be a self portrait of Raphael. The painting was confiscated by Hans Frank, one of Hitler’s senior officials, who took it it for Fuhrer Museum. The painting was last seen at Frank’s residence in 1945 and it’s been missing ever since. The painting was valued $100 million and is deemed as one of the most important paintings missing since World War II.

The Just Judges - Wikipedia

The Just Judges, Jan van Eyck

The painting was on display at Saint Bavo’ Cathedral, Belgium, when it was stolen in 1934. The painting was robbed with the leaving a note ‘Taken from Germany by the treaty of Versailles’, which written in French. The Belgian Government had a tough time exchanging notes with the alleged thief, a successful politician Arsene Goedertier. The thief claimed he knew the whereabouts of the painting but said he was taking the secret to his grave. Till now the location of the painting is still unknown.

Portrait of Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud

The painting went missing in 1988 from Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie and was speculated that it was stolen by a fan of Bacon or student. Following the theft, Freud designed a wanted poster for his artwork but did not amass any responses. The painting was on loan from the artist’s collection at the Tate Britain Gallery.

Mango – The King of Fruits

Mango is not only a tasty fruit eaten in the summer season but also reaped with various health benefits. Mango is now making people crazy not only in India, but also across the world. Mango varieties like Dussehri, Langra, Chausa, Kesar, Badami, Totapuri and Alphonso are very much liked in India.

Health benefits of mango –

1. It is rich in vitamins and minerals –
Mango contains vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Vitamin K present in it is beneficial in blood clots. The iron present in it also prevents anemia. Mango also makes our bones strong.

2. Rich in vitamin A
Mango is also rich in Vitamin A. There are so many benefits of eating a mango that it can meet almost 25 percent of the daily requirement of vitamin A. Vitamin A is also very important for reproduction and immune system in the body.

3. Helps in quick recovery
In the current era of COVID, the demand for fruits containing vitamin C for immunity has increased. Mangoes are also rich in vitamin C, which is important for forming blood vessels and healthy collagen. Apart from this, mango helps in fast healing of any kind of wounds of the body.

4. Helps in digestive process
Mango is such a fruit that maintains our digestive system. Amylase compound and dietary fiber in Mango also provides relief from constipation. Amylase compounds help in the digestion of foods and dissolve hard starches.

5. Boosts immunity
Mango is a good source of immune-boosting nutrients.
One cup (165 grams) of mango provides 10% of your daily vitamin A needs. 
Mango also contains folate, vitamin K, vitamin E and several B vitamins, which aid immunity as well.

6. It helps in fighting cancer – Mangoes contain antioxidants such as quercetin, fisetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, gallic acid and methyl gallate. All these properties protect our body against breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer and leukaemia.

7. Helps in alkalizing the body – As mangoes are enriched with tartaric and malic acid and contain traces of citric acid, it helps in maintaining the alkali reserve of our body.

8. Prevents heat stroke – This summer fruit also helps in preventing heat stroke. Eating it cools you down instantly and hence refreshes you. Add this ‘super fruit’ in summer and stay cool during the got weather.

9. Contains high iron content The high iron content in mango is a natural remedy for anaemic people. Also, women should eat mangoes to increase iron level and calcium content in their bodies.

10. Improves concentration If you find it difficult to concentrate and have low memory, then gorge on mangoes. They not only help in improving your concentration but also boost your memory.

Mango is delicious, versatile and easy to add to your diet. However, it can be difficult to cut due to its tough skin and large pit. There are various ways where one can add mango to their daily diet.
Like adding to your smoothies, or making mango ice creams, thick shakes or fruit custard. However we need to keep in mind that mango contains high amount of sweet so its recommended to add 1-2 mangoes per day.