Tag: motivation

UNPRECEDENTED TIMES REQUIRE UNPRECEDENTED MEASURES

“Vulnerability is not a weakness, it is our greatest measure of courage.”
What role does this impactful quote by Brene Brown play in our life? Arduous times have a tendency to shake the psychological well-being of any mortal. Sometimes, during unprecedented times, we are forced to take steps that were never dreamt of, by us.
Since the Big Bang, mankind’s path to advancement has been full of thorns. The Spanish Flu, the 1931 China floods, the 9/11 attacks, and numerous life-threatening scenarios were faced by us.
But if during those times, we hadn’t taken the necessary steps and shown impeccable courage, we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to write essays like this. We have to deal with emergency situations or when besieged by sorrows and life-threatening situations, we feel pressed to come out of our comfort zone of normalcy.

The most considerate example in front of us is the current pandemic that has befallen the planet-“The COVID-19 Pandemic”. This worldwide disaster crippled the economy of most of the countries, disavowed more than half of the businesses and industries, and forced millions to migrate.
Then the question that comes into our mind is-“How to avert this biological calamity?”And the first answer that we take into account is “Unprecedented measures”. We needed to do something that might not have happened in decades before. We were forced to go into a worldwide lock-down. People couldn’t step out of their houses and were forced to confine themselves within four walls. Collaborations were arrow-struck, the aviation sector was totally destroyed, and worse was the case of unemployment.
This was not the time to be insensitive or remain aloof. We had to support our families as their pillars, and console the infected.
There were various steps taken up by the governments, to control the situation. A few major ones include business shutdowns, work-from-home situations, and an obligation towards the country by wearing N-95 masks.
These times required us to keep ourselves immaculate and avoid as much contact with others as possible.
Even though hardships come and go in everyone’s lives, when we introspect, we find that the courage to overcome the difficulty is on the other bank of the river. The bridge that we need to cross, is that of self-confidence.
One of the main reasons people fail to scrutinize a burdensome task is an apathy. A lack of interest tends the bearer to give up easily. Thus being ebullient is very important to take unprecedented measures during unprecedented times.
The Indian directorate introduced a number of schemes for containing the economic fallout. An economic relief package of ₹20 lakh crore was announced by the Prime Minister in support of the financial victims of the pandemic. Numerous farmers and unemployed were funded by the government. Under the Pradhan Mantri Yojna, a sum of ₹12,000 crores was donated by PM Narendra Modi, to the farmers. Under the Ujjwal scheme, the government decided to provide free LPG refills to around 8.3 crore poor women. Close to 6 crore farmers were benefitted during the lockdown, because of the ingenious steps taken up.
There were countless such initiatives taken up in our country and the world. But the significance of these is often missed by us. The spontaneous reaction to the spread of the virus is often missed by us. The virtual operating system of the countries is often missed by us.
Many would still condemn the lock-down, rebuke the improvised and extrapolated agencies and organizations of the world, because they are unaware of the fact that even soothsayers cannot tell if a pandemic would fall upon the planet within a few days.
Difficulties and struggles do not knock on your door. They don’t even wait for you to be ready to tackle them. But if the wit of a person or country is strong, none can stop them from becoming the “difficulty for the difficulty”.
If we scrutinize a catastrophe and its victims closely, we find that the optimistic have a better chance of reverting back to normalcy, than the pessimistic. This also proves, that the degree of impact of our reaction towards a crisis, “is directly proportional” to our attitude. Giving up is too easy, winning may also be too easy, but the most difficult part is standing up, after falling down. The most important part is about how we perceive the situation in front of us.
What most individuals fail to acknowledge, is that preparing for an unprecedented time in advance is not possible, because of the word ”unprecedented”. Sometimes we have to go with our gut or rely on involuntary actions.
Looking back, we realize that even history provides a lot of classic ethics about times when people were given a chance to show their heroism.
Japan suffered two atomic bomb attacks in 1945, and it was predicted that it would take a few hundred years for the country to come back to its normal state. But as we see now, it is the world’s second-largest developed economy. How could that be possible? It was the civilians in Japan who fought vigorously against all anomalies to make their country one of the finest technologies in the world.
Recent events like the “Black Lives Matter” movement highlight the need for these unexpected times and measures. When George Floyd was cumbered to death by a policeman, thousands took to the streets and protested for the lives of the black community. Was this ever expected to happen? NO, but it still resulted in all 4 officers (who were responsible) being taken into custody. Thus, the reaction of a unified mass can change a lot of things.
Accomplished pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests. Our valor often increases in proportion to the hindrances imposed upon it. Nobody learns to drive without knocking off a few trash cans or ace an examination without making mistakes.
Thus-
“A winner is never actually the person who wins, but it’s the loser because he knows the true meaning of winning.”

MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES

The work of the farmer depends almost entirely on the weather which is an uncertain factor; he has accordingly, bright sunshine. So the farmer has to be on the alert to get his hay in, while the weather is favorable, lest it should be ruined by rain and mist.

Opportunity: make it count!

In an extended sense, the difficulties of the farmer are like the difficulties of all people, no matter what their walks of life ( maybe ). Like the weather, life and health are uncertain; opportunities rarely occur and never repeat themselves.

Do it ! Win it !

When an opportunity offers itself, man must seize it and use it to the best advantage. Otherwise, he gets ruined like the negligent farmer whose hay is destroyed by a change in weather. The man who takes things easy postpones till tomorrow what he should do today, suffers heavily like the one who does not strike while the iron is hot. It is, therefore, necessary to make use of favorable opportunities. While we have health & the means, against a day when we may be deprived of one or the other, or both.

How to keep yourself motivated.

As we all know, motivation is the key to success and that’s why we need to stay motivated to succeed in life. Often, people confuse motivation with productivity but motivation has nothing to do with it. Being motivated means doing your work without considering it as a headache and not for just the sake of accomplishing the goal. And to stay motivated, you need to find a reason to love your life and to love what you do. Achieving purpose should not always be considered as a priority rather finding happiness in your life should be the goal. Because if you’re not happy in your life, not even a single thing will satisfy you and you will end up being frustrated and feel the pressure of your work or day to day life that is detrimental to health. So for that matter, we need to seek prosperity and it will just come up with the idea of being passionate about what you’re doing.

That is why it is necessary to take leisure in between so that you can do things for yourself. Even if you’re not doing something that suits your personality that is completely fine, you just need to take a gap in between so that you can fill that time with the things you love to do. Like for instance, if you’re someone who works in the IT sector, but your inclination is more towards nature or gardening then try to take a break from your work and can do gardening side by side, can water your plants or can go through some research article about anything that makes you happy.

Set your priorities and goal that is the foremost thing that will help you in the long run. When most people create goals, they write them down, stow them away, and promptly forget about them. They let the urgency of day-to-day operations distract them from dynamic growth and, before they know it, six motivation-less months have passed.

Your long-term goals should be so visible they’re consistently on the top of your mind. If they’re not, they won’t be completed; it’s as simple as that.

There are thousands of reasons to stay happy, and they ultimately enhance your motivation level. All we need to do is just introspect so that we can know ourselves better and find that purpose in life.

Motivation

The term motivation is derived from the word ‘Motive’. Motive is a combination of thought, feeling or condition that causes one to act. Motivation is that force which incites individual to perform some activation.

Types of Motivation

  1. Intrinsic Motivation :- Intrinsic motivation is internal. It occurs when person are compelled to do something out of pleasure, importance or desire. Motivation is always intrinsic when it comes from within oneself.
  2. Extrinsic Motivation :- It occurs when eternal factors compel the person to do something. Reward,punishment, praise, blame or cash prize are example of extrinsic motivation.

Techniques of Motivation

  1. Goal Setting :- If you don’t set a goal, you cannot achieve apex position in your life.
  2. Elaborate Arrangement of competition :- Without extensive arrangement of competitions one can’t perform well in such competitions.
  3. Healthy Environment :- Healthy environment consists of good climate, proper wealth, humidity and temperature etc. In such healthy environment one can exhibit good performance in competition.
  4. Motivational Music :- It is a good way to motivate someone.
  5. Positive Attitude :- For proper motivation the one should try to encourage positive attitude among themselves.

Thin line between pride and arrogance | Are people just envious of my success?

Am I really arrogant or am I just confident? How to deal with people calling me over-ambitious or arrogant when I am just working towards my dream?

Let’s first dive into difference between pride i.e., self-confidence and arrogance.

As we discuss previously, pride is having satisfaction over our abilities and our accomplishments.

Previous article: https://eduindex.org/2021/07/22/pride-prejudice-and-aggression/

Arrogance is having excessive pride over one’s or a particular group’s accomplishment to an extent wherein we believe that our abilities are nothing compared to others and the success would have come sooner if I had done it alone.

In psychological context, there are two kinds of pride. 

  • Authentic pride- Positive feeling about ourselves, loved one’s success, our actions after successfully coming out from comfort.
  • Hubristic pride- It usually involves ego coupled with arrogance. Has an exaggerated self-concept.

PRIDE

  1. Any act that boosts our self-esteem, building trust about what we are capable of, and recognizes it, accepts our flaws. It pushes you to perfect your talent and bring forth a blooming personality.
  2. You accept the potential of those working with you and try to form a group that will put in collective work to achieve your collective goal.
  3. Values other’s input and doesn’t hesitate to ask for guidance.
  4. Accepts constructive criticisms, filters their work to make it more productive.
  5. Never slacks off.
  6. Is aware of strengths, weaknesses, and areas which can be improved.
  7. Keeps striving better (Knows that knowledge is boundless).

ARROGANCE

  1. Believes that I have everything I need and that my gifts are beyond immeasurable.
  2. Believes that I have no flaws and cannot make a mistake or create complications from my actions.
  3. Every bad outcome is due to the people affiliated with my work.
  4. Looks for external validations.
  5. Thinks that there is no need to practice or attend meetings because I can win no matter in the end.
  6. Is okay to not follow moral rules (Legal ways) to achieve my needs.
  7. Other’s input is worthless (but will take others’ great ideas making it own saying you got this idea from me) and find them distracting.
  8. Works alone even though being a part of a group activity.

SELF-REFLECTION

If you need to know, whether you really are being arrogant due to impatience or intentionally or people are envious of your success, potential; self-reflecting on your actions, thoughts, and intention will help you resolve your doubts and get back on track with change in yourself or environment.

Self-reflection: Ability to witness and evaluate our own cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes. To give an objective thought about your behaviors, thoughts, attitudes, and desires.

You work hard, burn the midnight oil, respect everyone and their opinions, and achieve success. But in the end, you get judged as an overachiever, arrogant and rude. Those judgements try to bring your down, make you doubt yourself.

 Well, let me just highlight that it is okay. These doubts usually arise because you care about how you respect not only yours but others’ effort that goes into bringing about results which is beneficial for everyone.

Look at few differences I have mentioned above and reflect.

Are you dismissive of your colleagues’ efforts? Do you assure them to implement their ideas but you end up doing completely different without informing them? Do you go late to meetings and displace your external anger on their capabilities?

Few more points to take note of:

  1. Not being honest about their work, where you want improvements, and blaming entire failure on their recklessness. (This is concerning leadership).
  2. Thinking you are superior and forcing rules obnoxiously while you try to put them down.
  3. Seeking constant validation.
  4. Yes, you have achieved great things, burnt that midnight oil but boasting about it is not going to change the outcome of your efforts. You have to keep learning and communicate and inculcate views of your colleagues to bring the best out of them and to bring about a team with the same goals and motivation.

Negative critics/members with less motivation, insecurity and less self-esteem may see you with the lens blurred with their issues.

Reach out, write a diary, and find out ways to bring out the best in you. People will usually have prejudices regarding your ethnicity, your way of leading, the cause of your goals, gender, religion, race, color, and everything that has nothing to do with you or your work but everything about themselves.

Do not give up because just like supporters exist, people against you will try to affect you. Believe in yourself, your teammates, reflect occasionally, and keep moving forward with your head held high.

Teachers Day

We celebrate teachers day in memory of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan .we as a whole have learned a lot from our teachers. Their lessons direct us at each phase of our life. They value the most in our lives, and this is the motivation behind why we observe Teacher’s Day devoting them. It is a day to praise the most encouraging bond between the teachers and the students.

Each student should value and regard their teachers. Their challenging work and sacrifices for our mental development are unimaginable. A teacher, some of the time, plays a more critical job than our parents. They shape up our future and build up our mind to differentiate between good and evil.

Photo by August de Richelieu on Pexels.com

A teacher additionally does the country building work by making the future of every individual living in a nation. Teachers show us, yet they likewise improve our character, ability level and certainty. They think for each person, that is the reason we should consider and respect them on Teacher’s Day every year.we must follow their lessons to become successful.

A Teacher is someone who acts as a guide and inspiration to people – both young and old. He/she is charged with the responsibility of creating awareness as well as opening the mind of people by instilling values, morals, and ethics. Teachers efforts are recognized during the teacher’s day. They shape minds, and we annually celebrate their contribution to the development of society in the form of Teachers’ day across the world. However, We celebrate The International Teachers Day on October 5th annually.

Teachers’ Day in IndiaTeachers are respected and honored for their important contribution in shaping individuals. 5th of September is annually celebrated as Teachers’ day in India. This is actually the birthday of the former President of India, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

The contributions and efforts made by teachers never go unnoticed. This led to the inauguration of the Teacher’s day which seeks to celebrate the efforts made by the teachers. In India, we celebrate the teacher’s day on the birthday of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan who was known as a man of many great qualities and attributes.

Teachers play many roles in overall development such as:

  • They guide children and students to leadership skills
  • They instill discipline into young people molding them into future
  • Also, they provide their students with spiritual and emotional guidance.

Teachers also come across numerous challenges in their day to day activities such as the unappreciative culture by the community as well as dealing with disciplinary issues of their students.

What can we do on Teachers’ Day?

A thank-you can go a long way. In our busy lives, we have come to forget expressing gratitude. Many studies have come up explaining the benefits that gratitude can have on the one who expresses it and on the one who receives it. We can take this opportunity as a day to thank our teachers and express our love and care for them.

  • We can suggest and provide assistance by making use of the skills that we have learned over these years.
  • Also, we can give them a visit on this day and share with them our experiences. This will for sure make them happy and proud of their efforts.
  • We can present a small token of appreciation, something that they could keep as a memory like a pen or a planner or something that would be useful for them.
  • We should also seek their blessings and let them know that we are always there for them when they need us.
  • Students can collectively gift them books and other materials and organize a get-together especially if the class has graduated.

Time spent with them and gratitude expressed would be a great gesture to make teachers happy and proud. It is very important to recognize their contribution to molding our personality.

Conclusion

Teachers play an important role in the development of any country. This is why it is vital to set aside a day when the teachers are given the recognition they deserve. We celebrate Teachers’ day to honor the contribution of Teachers in our lives. Duties undertaken by teachers in the upbringing of children is immense and thus being recognized with teachers’ day is a step towards recognizing the profession and the role they play in society.

What is procrastination? How to stop procrastinating?

Procrastination is the propensity for postponing a significant errand, normally by zeroing in on less dire, more pleasant, and simpler exercises all things being equal. It is not the same as lethargy, which is the reluctance to act. Tarrying can confine your latent capacity and sabotage your profession.

It can likewise disturb collaboration, diminish assurance, and even lead to sorrow and occupation misfortune. In this way, it’s critical to find proactive ways to forestall it.

Procrastination: Why We Do It and What It Says About Our Psyche

The initial step to defeating stalling is to perceive that you’re doing it. Then, at that point, distinguish the explanations for your conduct and utilize suitable techniques to oversee and conquer it.

TIPS TO STOP PROCRASTINATING:

1. GET ORGANIZED

You are bound to stall on the off chance that you don’t have a set arrangement or thought for finishing your work. Putting resources into an organizer is a smart thought. Begin monitoring every one of your tasks and their due dates. At the point when you’re coordinated, it’s anything but an all the more organized and estimated system inside which to work.

How to Stop Procrastinating Right Now When You Have ADHD

2. KILL DISTRACTIONS

Disposing of interruptions is another tip to stay away from dawdling. By restricting the quantity of interruptions around you, you’re bound to complete what you need to do. Close your telephone off, retreat to a calm place and pay attention to traditional music or repetitive sound muffle any commotion.

3. PUT OUT GOALS

Part of the explanation you may dawdle is on the grounds that what you need to do appears to be overpowering. It’s significantly simpler to begin on an undertaking when you set up basic, reachable objectives instead of face a major, obscure arrangement. Rather than advising yourself, “I’ll study science around evening time,” you may rather say, “I’ll study part six this evening.” This makes your objectives not so much scary but rather more feasible.

Procrastination: Tips for Helping your Procrastinators...Now

4. SET DEADLINES

Another tip to keep away from stalling is to set cutoff times. Numerous understudies stall out in the “I’ll do it tomorrow or ultimately” cycle when in truth that day or at last won’t ever come. Set a particular date for when you need a venture or task to be finished. Plan to have your activities and tasks finished a couple of days ahead of time. That way, if something unforeseen occurs, you actually have additional chance to finish them.

4. ENJOY A REPRIEVE

Another tip to stay away from dawdling is to enjoy a reprieve from your school work occasionally. Enjoy a 10 brief reprieve. Pay attention to music, go for a stroll or shout into a pad — anything that removes your psyche from your school work and permits you to unwind. An Oregon State University study shows that taking a break can expand center, decrease pressure, and assist you with bettering data.

5.AWARD YOURSELF

Compensating yourself may make an impetus to do a job and assist with keeping away from lingering. Subsequent to reading for a test or finishing a task, consider giving yourself an award. It very well may be just about as straightforward as, “When I finish this task, I can watch a scene of my number one show.“

At first it will be troublesome however in the event that you simply stay not too far off and continue to go on it will turn out to be simple. With little trust on yourself and hard work you will actually want to change yourself. You will likewise see that subsequent to applying the above tips in your day to day existence you will turn out to be more self -restrained. Additionally you will feel inward fulfillment and bliss. At the point when you will rest around evening time you will feel that you didn’t squander your day and at last you will get a decent rest.

Yet, on the off chance that you at any point feel unmotivated and need to surrender, continue to advise yourself that “YOU CAN DO IT”, “It’s NOT A BIG DEAL”.

Procrastination – the art of the last minute - StuDocu Blog

RESOUCES: 1. https://www.collegedata.com/resources/campus-life/8-tips-to-avoid-procrastination

2. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_96.htm

HOW MUCH ‘INSPIRATION’ DO WE NEED?

“THE PESSIMIST SEES DIFFICULTY IN EVERY OPPORTUNITY. THE OPTIMIST SEES OPPORTUNITY IN EVERY DIFFICULTY.” – Winston Churchill

EFFECTS OF INSPIRATION

The word “Inspiration” rings out many bells in one’s mind. It suggests many feelings such as promise and self-confidence which further charges up the other emotions to move forward in whatever domain one want to. Inspiration is a highly effective dose to bring out all the hidden personalities and characters in one’s disposition, which helps him or her to comprehend the potential and attain the set goals.

IT IS OMNIPRESENT

All the renowned and celebrated people who have made a mark in their life have been inspired and motivated at some or the other point of their life. We can take examples of people in the field of Art, Music and Medicine’ or in the field of Technology. Even politicians and great saints cannot be ruled out. One can get inspired in countless ways, it can be verbal, written or may be through some of the work done or an example set by the person they kind of became role models. When you carry a deep feeling for a person, you start trusting and have a blind faith in his thinking and philosophy and just start following the tracks without even being sure of that.

WE ALL NEED A MENTOR

The person you are impressed with or whom you ae following becomes your counsellor and you have to consider him like your ‘leader’. Only then, benefits can be gained and dreams can be appreciated. If we turn the pages of history Arjuna got so inspired after Lord Krishna’s sermons and he realized that if he did not listen to Lord Krishna at that time, then he will not be able to fight and protect Dharma’, as by that time he was totally influenced.

A TRUE LEADER ENKINDLES OUR FAITH IN THE ACTION

There are many saints who have earned name and fame in people’ s heart by simply following their ‘expert’ for an inspiration in life. So, an inspiration coming from the right person helps us to internalize our goals and we attain our mission Sometimes when we are depressed and are literally down in the junkyards, at that time a Comforting sentence or a gentle hand on the head gives us much required and desirable confidence and assurance. Such motivation goes a long way.

SUPPORT INSPIRATION

Therefore, one can work hard only if there is moral support and inspiration. As the saying goes that there can be perspiration only if there is an inspiration.

FAILURES: REGRESSIVE OR PROGRESSIVE ?

“The only difference between success and failure is ability to take action.”….. Alexander Graham Bell

WHAT IS A FAILURE?

According to Wikipedia, “FAILURE is the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and may be viewed as opposite of success.”

In another definition of “ FAILURE is the act of falling short of a goal of a person, who hasn’t achieved what they set out to. It is a cessation of proper functioning or performance or rather a decline in strength or effectiveness.”

HOW IS IT DIFFER WITH SUCCESS?

Your action in your field of work, in your niche, in your desired goal of life, actually work like a decisive factor. If you feel harassed, defeated, exhausted, and give up pursuing, your efforts are bound to hang in the hands of destiny. These things leave you to procrastinate. Start moving away from the active zone and surrender to a gloomy laziness and here begins your downfall.

Now if you see this entire act in opposite train, you are able to penetrate and grip the reason of failure. You reschedule and reprogram your activity. You put more organised, alive and determined endeavour and keep faith within yourself, you are bound to hug success.

FAILURES ARE OUR BEST TEACHERS.

They are stepping stones to success, or to put it in other Words, they are the pillars of success. Since failures teach us to introspect or peep within, they make us think of our weaknesses and flaws and learn lessons from them and vow not to repeat these mistakes again in life. In this way they are a mirror to our real personality and provide scope for upgrading ourselves. Failures may discourage, depress, or demoralize. Most do shake a person’s confidence at least for some time but nor for ever. The real strength of a man comes out only when he faces the ups and downs of life with patience and perseverance.

BE OPTIMISTIC

Men of courage face each rejection courageously and come out unharmed and unblemished. Failures and sufferings bring out the best of human beings. They learn that life is not a bed of roses only; it is full of challenges, obstacles and obstructions which can be set aside with persistent hard work and repeated efforts. To achieve anything in life one has to be aggressive, as nothing is achieved by being passive or pessimistic. Fear of failure may be a hindrance for some people, but to any daring person, it is just an illusion. You may think something is standing in your way, but there is nothing there.

You have an opportunity to do your best and conquer success. If it turns out that your best was not good enough, you’ll just have to look back and say, maybe I was too afraid to try, it was not good enough. There is nothing wrong with that, but nevertheless, a great eye-opener.

HOW DOES IT WORK LIKE A PROPELLING FACTOR?

Failure always made me try harder the next time. Think positive. and find fuel in failure’ is a sound advice. Failure will surely get you closer to where you want to be. The greatest discoverers had to face hundreds of failures before the final answers were found. The inventors, researchers and pathfinders had to encounter manifold hardships and opposition. But were they deterred by failures? Many often could not taste success but left great legacy to be followed by others to seek inspiration and take up their half-finished work. The world would not have progressed and the march to civilization would have halted if failures could dampen the spirit of the people. It is, therefore, advisable not to be discouraged by failures but to develop positive attitude to life, that obstacles are bound to be there. Only commitment to your mission must be steadfast.

SO…..NEVER GIVE UP

Therefore, when failures appear awfully incontrollable and life appears miserable, one has to remember “The end part of every night is the darkest one and then comes the dawn.” Thus, when nothing appears to work out in the desired way and all roads seems to lead to failures, one has to just remember the advent of the dawn. Therefore, we shouldn’t drop hope but keep on trying till we achieve. No one knows, that the final round exertion may declare one a champion.

Body positivity

I have thighs that giggle a little when I run. So what?

I like it that way.

When I adorn myself in a new black dress some tell that it adds on to my darkness. So what?

I like it that way.

People presume that I may have any syndrome as I appear very thin. So what?

I like it that way.

You would be shocked to know that 20% of adults feel shamed and depressed of their body weight. Adults say that the images used in magazines and advertisements have caused them to worry about their body weight. 64% of teenage boys and 94% of teenage girls are being body shamed for the way their body looks. A doctor says that she sees patients as young as six years old with body image issues. Anorexia Nervosa is an earing disorder causing people to obsess about their body weight with an unwarranted fear of being overweight. It is the most lethal of all psychiatric conditions. It is the leading cause of death of many teenage girls.

Is being plus body sized, dusky, dark complexed or being very thin becomes a stigma or an an insecurity or does it mean that a person isn’t beautiful enough?

Body positivity renders a great response to all of these alike questions. Body is neither an object of shame nor an entitlement. Body positivity is a social movement initially laid to empower and popularize overweight women and men, while also challenging the ways in which the society presents and views a physical body. The movement advocates the acceptance of all physical bodies irrespective of size, race, appearance or physical ability. It asserts that all people over here deserve to have a positive body image, regardless of how others view them. It also recognizes that judgements are often made based on race, gender, shape, and appearance.

What do we mean by being beautiful? Is it being fair, slim, tall, chubby cheeks and rosy lips? The definition of beauty is being switched over randomly by people in line with their marketing of products. A Hair product adverts that silky and smooth hair is beauty. A skin product adverts that the soap and creams they vend makes you more beautiful. A diet product adverts that the food they provide you, turns you to size zero. All of these beauties just end up being a fantasy. What actually beauty means? It is possessing the quality that gives pleasure or satisfaction to see hear and think about. It is about being genuine, authentic and real, being yourself. Dimple chin or double chin doesn’t matter, DARE TO BE YOURSELF.

By whom are these are these beauty standards being framed ? Day in and day out people are being influenced by several factors like advertisements, brands, magazines and influencers who device body image problems and then exploit them. When we were young we would have had a great craze for barbie dolls which dictated the definition of beauty( fair, slim and tall). According to a study done the barbie dolls does have a huge effect on a younger and older girls’ self esteem because if a child is raised with dolls such as barbie wouldn’t their idea of perfect body image come from their experience by playing with their perfect barbie dolls. When we grow up beauty brands define perfect skin, fair and spotless. Images used in magazines, televisions and newspapers influence the concept of an ideal body weight of nearly 70% adolescent girls. In this world where beauty care is an investment people are expecting the providers of said products to deliver results. There are still products who actually do what they claim and invest on the actual research of products. However in this world where persuasion is done by emotion a lot of beauty care brands invest in advertisements rather than on the real products. If we think in depth beauty brands use hashtags like #loveyourself and #beyourself but are they really encouraging us to do so? They obliquely delude us that we aren’t beautiful enough and impose their selling of products on us. By using our ignorance the cosmetic industry climbs up and up the ladder.

Be aware of the business behind the products you use. Get rid of the unreal things happening around you. Body positivity is the only weapon to overcome these unreal beauty facts created by random people and stop getting influenced. It is the idea that one should be proud, happy and comfortable of ourselves regardless of the size and looks. Body positivity movement has flooded the timeline for years now. There are some who say that it promotes unhealthy lifestyle and encourages obesity, but the movement is all about self acceptance and not letting your physical appearance let you down. Don’t try hard to stick to the stereotypical order that someone has created. KNOW YOUR WORTH AND DEFINE YOUR OWN BEAUTY. There are many ways to motivate you to lose or gain weight but if you dont wish to do so gain enough confidence lose your timidness and confront others valiantly.

DONT TRY TO IMPRESS PEOPLE BY BECOMING FAIR OR SLIM , INSPIRE THEM BY BEING YOURSELF!!!

Book Review: Atomic Habits by James Clear

There are very few books in your life that you will read and think “Wow, this was life-changing”. You may enjoy reading books, and may even be a fan of a certain series of books like Harry Potter or Game of Thrones. However, these are generally limited to serving entertainment purposes only and are not the kind of books that will give you deep insights into life or help you reflect on yourself. Having said all this, I do believe the book “Atomic Habits’ that I am going to discuss in this article is the type of self-help book that will change or give you a new perspective on habits and lifestyle choices in general.

General Idea

The general idea of the book is this: small changes or habits you incorporate in your life will compound into much greater results in the long-run. Hence the use of the word ‘atomic’. The author is trying to explain that even small habits materialize into major results if we keep at them. This is a fairly new idea being introduced in this book, as we are often told if we want to change our lives, we have to take drastic steps like moving to a new place or quitting our jobs. This book replaces this notion with a new and improved one: change can occur even through miniscule habits and can provide life-altering results. You do not have to take drastic steps to create change, in fact you are probably better off starting at something very small and sticking with that. The process of building and sustaining these tiny habits, while also stopping or breaking free from bad ones, will help create the positive change we require.

Key Insights

  • The 1% rule – This relates to ‘compounding’ as mentioned before. It works in a similar way to compound interest. As we leave something to develop for a long period of time, eventually the net growth is massive. In this way, if we try to better our lives by even just 1% everyday, then we will be a 37% better version of ourselves after a year. The author provides a very insightful quote “Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement”. We should be careful though, as it also works the other way and even bad habits can compound to make us worse. So, we should focus on the self-beneficial ones while trying to limit or remove the harmful ones.
  • Focus on ‘Systems’ not ‘Goals’ – An important idea stressed upon in the book is on building ‘habits’ and not focusing on ‘goals.’ Our behavior should be such that it becomes repetitive and compelling, and not completely goal-oriented. If we become goal-oriented, we may become disappointed if we don’t meet our goals, but if our sole focus is on building a habit which we will maintain for the rest of our lives, there will be a much greater positive impact. For example, if your goal is to lose 5 kgs in one month, you will become disappointed if you don’t. Even if you do, it is only a temporary achievement and you may gain weight again after that. Instead, you should build the habit of exercising routinely to sustainably lose weight and stay fit.
  • Identity is the north star of habit change – This basically means that we should not solve problems based on their outcomes and results, as this means we only solve them temporarily. To solve problems for the long-term, we need to change our identity itself. This ties into the previous point in essence. For example, instead of saying you want to eat less junk food to lose weight, you should change your identity to a person who likes eating healthy and wants to build a good diet. To quote the book; “The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when habits become part of our identity.”
  • How to build a habit – There is a basic 4 step process for building habits: cue, craving, response, reward. Cue triggers the brain to perform an action, Craving provides the motivational force to perform it, Response is the habit/action that we perform and Reward is the end result. So, we should build habits that we want to incorporate into our lives through this process, by making the habit obvious, attractive, easy to perform and satisfying. In case all these are adhered to, the process of habit formation becomes rather easy.

Conclusion

As mentioned earlier, the book really is life-changing for anyone struggling to build a habit or break an old one. The aim should be to build long-lasting and sustainable habits (systems), however small, and to not focus on achieving some set goals in life. It is hard for many of us, in this world of instant gratification, to stick to habits that will show outcomes only after a long time and through a process of compounding, However, this book helps us with this and guides us on how we can build habits in and easy and efficient manner, and also explains the benefit this may have on our lives if we are just able to stay discipled and stick to them. Tiny changes, remarkable results.

MEANING OF MOTIVATION

Multicolored Bontainer

Kilimanjaro is a snow – covered mountain that is 19,710 feet high and is said to be the highest mountain of Africa ……. close to the western summit there is the dried and frozen carcass of a leopard . No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at the altitude.

– Ernest Hemingway

In the above passage , two points draw the attention of the reader . First, the behaviour of the leopard was purposive – that he was trying to find out something by climbing on the snow -covered peak . Second, to understand the leapord’s behaviour , we would have to understand his purpose – what he was seeking . But one thing is sure that there was some force of motivation behind such action . Motivation is the main determinant of an individual’s behavior . The term ‘Motivation’ is derived from the word ‘Motive’ . Motive is a combination of of thought , feeling or condition that causes one to act . Motive can be for a short period or can be for a long longer one . If a child takes a colourful ball , he plays with the ball but if , in the meantime , he is attracted towards the other colourful ball , or toy, then we say that his motive for the first ball was a short period . But if a player wants to win gold medal at the international level and he/ she works hard for years to get the medal , we say that his/her motive is for longer period .

Human behavior is controlled , directed and modified through certain motives . When a person feels hungry and searches for food , we say that he/she is motivated by his/her drive , i.e. biological drive . When he/she gets food and is satisfied , we say that his/her drive for food has been fulfilled .

Motivation is one of the main psychological factors which affects performance . Motivation means to be inspired to do something . The definition of motivation is to give reason , enthusiasm or interest that causes a specific action or certain behaviour . Motivation is present in every function of life .

The following definitions may clarify the meaning of motivation more explicitly .

According to Crooks and Stein,“ Any condition , that might energies and direct our actions” is called motivation.

According to Sage,“ The drive to strive ” is called motivation .

According to Alderman,“ Motivation is the general level of arousal to action in an individual .”

“Motivation is the inclination to persue and persist in activities related to one’s sports .”

SELF-HELP IS THE BEST HELP

“Don’t start your day with the broken pieces of yesterday. Every day is a fresh start. Each day is a new beginning. Every morning we wake up is the first day of our new life.” …….. Self-Help Quotes

WHAT IS SELF-HELP?

Self-help asserts developing one’s competences or solving one’s own problems, fighting against social, physical, professional, and psychological complications, with or without the association with other individuals having similar interests. Self-help demands the use of one’s own efforts, resources, etc. to achieve things, without depending on others. It is a great virtue. It provides courage to meet the difficulties of life bravely. It is the secret of success in life.

SELF-HELP GENERATES SELF-CONFIDENCE WHICH LEADS TO SUCCESS

The life of man is very complex. He is always placed in adverse situations. Every dawn of man comes with a shining hope and a whole day’s gruelling work and crushing ups and downs, frustrate and betray many dreams he had stored for the future. If his dreams depend on others whims and wishes, then his success is questionable. If for every short decision he waits for other assertion then he/she certainly under the shadow of life long pain.  It is his strong will, determination and repeated attempt that help him to overcome difficult situations. His indomitable will power coupled with his irresistible effort for the liberation, help him to rise above all odds. Supports him every moment to beat dark clouds of devastation. Being self-confident he stands like rock and defeats all oppositions. He who depends on his own efforts and resources is the most successful man because the best kind of help comes from within.

GOD HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES.

God has sent us on this earth with many gifts like a body, mind and a soul. How we make use of these gifts is our own discretion. It is the way we use our faculties that makes all the difference. Some people share hard work and believe that whatever is in store for them, would be theirs ultimately. This blind faith in one’s destiny is in itself defeating and damaging. God helps those who help themselves. We have to make efforts: otherwise, all promising opportunity will vanish and will leave us mourn over our sluggish helplessness. One has to sow the seed, till the land and plough the fields, water them, nurture them carefully and only then can we expect good crop. God’s mercy is also important because for good crop, we must have rains at the right time, but if we have not sown the seeds, rain or no rain, we would not get any crop. So, destiny or luck, no doubt, plays an important part in our life but we can’t depend on that only. Destiny, along with right efforts in the right direction, will bless us with our desires fulfilled.

THE BEST KIND OF HELP COMING FROM WITHIN

The deer do not enter into the mouth of a sleeping lion. The lion has to run after it. The fan does not give air by itself. It has to be operated manually or electrically. A plate full of delicious meal doesn’t go automatically within the mouth, hands pick it up and take it to the mouth. A job doesn’t come to the job seeker, he or she has to put her effort to grab it. There are several examples of self-made men and countries. Though Vidyasagar was born poor, poverty could not dampen his spirit. His courage and determination helped him in every field of activity. Japan which was weakened in 1945 in the atomic bomb explosion has now become a superpower because of self-efforts.

So, leaving behind all weakness, closing all the doors of begging attitude and silly dependency, diminishing expectation and appreciating every little step of achievement, come, let us be winner by changing our views about the happening, rewarding world.

A wise man says……

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”