This video can make you sick: A shocking look inside Chinese fur farms
I never realized that there is so much cruelty towards animals in so many ways and in so many countries. Check out PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) site to find out. And see how you can help.
According to Duke University researchers, we are not only attracted to people who smile but we also tend to remember their names. In a 2008 fMRI study, Professor Takashi Tsukiura and Roberto Cabeza showed subjects pictures of smiling and unsmiling individuals, followed by their names. The results found that their subjects’ orbitofrontal cortices – the region of the brain associated with reward processing – were more active when the subjects were learning and recalling the names of smiling individuals. “We are sensitive to positive social signals. We want to remember people who were kind to us, in case we interact with them in the future.”
Isn’t it great to see science backing up the affects of positive and negative attitudes? Let’s smile more often 🙂
In this deceptively simple 3-minute talk, Dr. Laura Trice muses on the power of the magic words “thank you” — to deepen a friendship, to repair a bond, to make sure another person knows what they mean to you. Try it.
During the last few days, I heard a lot of negative stuff about a variety of things:
It’s strange how some people have a mission in life – to spread gloom and pessimism. And how discussing any of this would help anyone. I wondered if there’s such a things as ‘brain mask’ that can protect you from the affects of negativity – like a face mask that protects you from catching germs. Here’s my strategy to deal with negative people, depending on the person and the situation: Continue reading
Breathe. Breathing can transform your life.
If you feel stressed out and overwhelmed, breathe. It will calm you and release the tensions.
If you are worried about something coming up, or caught up in something that already happened, breathe. It will bring you back to the present.
If you are discouraged and have forgotten your purpose in life, breathe. It will remind you about how precious life is, and that each breath in this life is a gift you need to appreciate. Make the most of this gift.
If you have too many tasks to do, or are scattered during your workday, breathe. It will help bring you into focus, to concentrate on the most important task you need to be focusing on right now. Continue reading
Note from Mush: Hamza continues to read huge amounts of stuff and has been recommending some really useful stuff. The article on sleep is a must-read. Thanks, Hamza!
For the week ending Sunday, 05/07:
Enjoy.
I loved this post on ‘Inventory of Normality’ on Paulo Coelho’s Blog:
I decided to conduct a survey among my friends about what society considers to be normal behavior. What follows is a list I have made of some of the absurd situations we face in day-to-day life, just because society sees them as normal:
1] Anything that makes us forget our true identity and our dreams and makes us only work to produce and reproduce.
2] Making rules for a war (the Geneva Convention).
3] Spending years at university and then not being able to find a job.
4] Working from nine in the morning to five in the afternoon at something that does not give us the least pleasure, so that we can retire after 30 years.
5] Retiring only to discover that we have no more energy to enjoy life, and then dying of boredom after a few years.
6] Using Botox.
7] Trying to be financially successful instead of seeking happiness.
8] Ridiculing those who seek happiness instead of money by calling them “people with no ambition”.
9] Comparing objects like cars, houses and clothes, and defining life according to these comparisons instead of really trying to find out the true reason for being alive.
10] Not talking to strangers. Saying nasty things about our neighbors.
11] Thinking that parents are always right.
12] Getting married, having children and staying together even though the love has gone, claiming that it’s for the sake of the children (who do not seem to be listening to the constant arguments).
12ª] Criticizing everybody who tries to be different.
14] Waking up with a hysterical alarm-clock at the bedside.
15] Believing absolutely everything that is printed.
16] Wearing a piece of colored cloth wrapped around the neck for no apparent reason and known by the pompous name “necktie”.
17] Never asking direct questions, even though the other person understands what you want to know.
18] Keeping a smile on your face when you really want to cry. And feeling sorry for those who show their own feelings.
19] Thinking that art is worth a fortune, or else that it is worth absolutely nothing.
20] Always despising what was easily gained, because the “necessary sacrifice” – and therefore also the required qualities – are missing.
21] Following fashion, even though it all looks ridiculous and uncomfortable. Continue reading
Change is the end result of all true learning.
Don’t brood. Get on with living and loving. You don’t have forever.
It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them.
Life lived for tomorrow will always be just a day away from being realized.
The easiest thing to be in the world is you. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don’t let them put you in that position.
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.
Watch one of his short videos: Only You Can Make the Difference
For the week ending Sunday, 28/06:
Happy reading.
In January 2009, Ray Zahab broke the record for fastest unsupported trek across Antarctica, to raise awareness and money for kids’ environmental education. In 2006, he ran across the Sahara to raise awareness of water shortages. Here’s the best part: He only started running 5 years ago. Read more about him and his Impossible2Possible team here.
We all know that everything makes a difference when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. If you find it difficult to make major changes to your diet and exercise routine, start with small changes. See how many of the following you can commit to:
Please share your own health and exercise tips too.
The number of comments are going up as the readership of this blog grows. I’d like to dedicate this post to thank all of you who take out the time not just to read my blog but also leave thoughtful comments. Even a simple ‘very nice!’ makes a difference. Here are few interesting comments from the last couple of weeks:
From Jamal (UAE) on Favorite Quotes on Dreams: Mush here are some of my favorites on dreams, though I don’t know from whom:
-Poor are the people who don’t have dreams.
-Be careful of the dreams you chose, for dreams come true.
-All men dream but not equally. Most of them dream in the rusty recess of the night and by morning it fades into vanity. The dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they might live their dreams.
From Vijay (Australia) on 5 Benefits of Rising Early: I’m an early riser myself – would easily do three hours of work before 9am. However, I think people have different biorhythms. Some function best in the morning while others come alive later in the day. I’m sure even the late risers can claim their peace and quiet in the wee hours of the morning while we early risers are traipsing lala-land.
From Dr. Mona (India) on Price of Coffee Can Feed Many: Hi Mush, I’ve started thanking lord for how fortunate i m instead of cribbing about my adversaries.
From Andy (Singapore) on What Do You Expect? Wow!!! That’s powerful. I like the 4 magic words. Another 4 magic word Mush: Face it, Except it, Slove it and Leave it!
From Mashu (Hong Kong) on A Better Runner: AAAWWWWWW!!! I really should have got that earlier so i could do it in my sports day!
Why do people succeed? Is it because they’re smart? Or are they just lucky? Neither. Analyst Richard St. John condenses years of interviews into an unmissable 3-minute slideshow on the real secrets of success:
When the pilot announced, “…and the ground temperature is 38 degrees centigrade”, I was excited. Because I was expecting 40-45 degrees. After all, it was Delhi and the month was June. During the next 24 hours, I heard many people complaining of the heat – taxi drivers, colleagues, friends etc. And I asked everyone the same questions: What do you expect? And I realized the power of these four magic words like never before. They seemed to diffuse the anger, put things in perspective, and even reduce the temperature a little bit!
The next time traffic bothers you, ask yourself these four magic words. What do you expect? Did you expect everyone else to stay at home today? Or did you expect everyone else to walk to work today? Or did you expect new roads and flyovers to come up during the night? Or did you expect everyone to move to the side and let your car or bus pass?
Have you noticed how parents expect their kids to behave like mature grown-ups – tidy room, homework on time, healthy eating habits and all. Teachers expect all students to be intelligent and interested in the subject. Salespeople expect an order on every presentation. Managers expect everyone to be competent and committed all the time. And the result is… anger, frustration, disappointment.
I know this seems to go against the philosophy of ‘expect the best’, ‘you get what you think of’ and ‘the secret: our thoughts become things’. But not really. Positive thinking is not about unrealistic expectations. I expect most people to be nice, but not all. I expect myself to be healthy, active and energetic most of the time – so it’s not hard for me to accept illness when it comes once in a while.
So, what do you expect? And do you always get what you expect?
First off, my apologies for missing out on the weekly posts past couple of weeks. Exams/work/partying got the best of me.
Here are my top picks for the week ending Sunday, 21/06:
Enjoy.
The single most important piece of advice I’ve ever gotten on running came from my high school sports/fitness instructor. By running I don’t mean sprints, I’m referring to slightly longer distance runs – anything that takes you over half an hour. This is what he told me:
“Run the first part with your legs, the middle with your mind, and the final with your heart”.
So next time you go on a challenging run, split it into three parts. For the first part just use your legs, focus on the physical movement, the muscles, the blood flow, your feet hitting the floor. For the second part shift the hard work to the mind; affirmations, positive thoughts, visualizing the outcome, self talk. For the final part, run from the bottom of your heart. Pure, unadulterated passion and belief. Completely detaching yourself from the physical movement and complete ignorance of any pain or tiredness you may be feeling, with the awareness that the pain is only temporary and that there is not a force in the world that’s going to stand in your way of completing the run.
Before you know it you’ll be running distances you never thought you were ever capable of. The three part method. Works like a charm.
Originally published on 3rd April:
We are all so busy. We have so many things to do, and so little time. We can’t get everything done. And even if we do, we don’t always get the sense of fulfillment. Most time management books try to teach you how to do more in less time. I think the secret to fulfillment is doing less, not more, but doing it with passion and attention and focus. To do less, I use the “4 D’s Principle”:
Look at all the stuff you do and see what can be dropped, delayed or delegated. How much more time you’ll have to do the things that really matter – that are important, as well as urgent! Please share your own examples.
John Wooden, affectionately known as Coach, led UCLA to record wins that are still unmatched in the world of basketball. Today, he continues to share the values and life lessons he passed to his players, emphasizing success that’s about much more than winning. In this inspiring talk he shares the advice he gave his players at UCLA, quotes poetry and remembers his father’s wisdom.
A very interesting post in Seth Godin’s blog:
Fewer college grads have jobs than at any other time in recent memory—a report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers annual student survey said that 20 percent of 2009 college graduates who applied for a job actually have one. So, what should the unfortunate 80% do?
How about a post-graduate year doing some combination of the following (not just one, how about all):
Beats law school.
If you wake up every morning at 6, give up TV and treat this list like a job, you’ll have no trouble accomplishing everything on it. Everything! When you do, what happens to your job prospects?
Mush Panjwani 