Productivity

3 more tips to avoid clutter

Mush Happiness, Inspiration, Life, Productivity , , ,

 

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I continue to believe that a minimalistic and uncluttered life can lead to more productivity, increased efficiency and greater happiness. I’ve written several blog posts on my experiments with minimalism and tips to reduce clutter – at work, at home and life in general. Here’s a short version, because I think it all starts with buying stuff…

Buy mindfully:

  • Only buy what you need – really need. If it’s a temporary need, see if can be borrowed or rented.
  • Go with a shopping list and stay focused. Don’t be distracted by displays or special offers.
  • Don’t buy anything ‘just in case’ you might need it. Trust that you’ll find it ‘just in time’.
  • Always buy quality. It lasts longer, so costs less in the long run.
  • Don’t compromise on your style, size or color, otherwise you may be discarding it too soon.

Discard ruthlessly:

  • Once you buy a new something, get rid of the old one. Not tomorrow, not later, right now.
  • Find local charities or Salvation Army stores where the old stuff could go. If it’s too bad or old or broken to go to charity, then recycle it.
  • Give yourself limited space to keep your stuff. Once that space fills up, you know it’s time to reduce.

Use gratefully:

  • Whether it’s clothing, gadgets, books or other possessions, be grateful every time you use them. Remind yourself that millions of people do no have access to such luxury.
  • One of the biggest reasons for buying and accumulating stuff is being ungrateful for what we already have – that feeling of not having enough.
  • When we are grateful, we take good care of our stuff, and don’t discard/replace them easily.

If that sounds too difficult, just take one step at a step. And perhaps developing the attitude of gratitude would be a good start.

6 Key Ideas on Simplifying Your Life (and fit all your belongings in an 18kg bag or less)!

Mush Happiness, Inspiration, Life, Productivity

mush-panjwanis-possessions-in-an-18kg-bag.jpgDuring a recent move, I was proud to put together all of my personal stuff (everything that I own) into an 18kg bag. And the FB post got a lot of interest – some wouldn’t believe, some wanted to know what’s in it, some curious to learn how or why. And that inspired this blog post, and I am happy to share why I do it and how.

It’s a lifestyle! Accumulating less stuff; getting rid of unwanted things; keeping within a pre-defined space; staying organized… is not a one-time project. It’s a lifestyle. I started the process about ten years ago, and wrote the first blog post on the subject five years ago. That post covers how I got rid of all the books, reduced the amount of clothes, minimized all accessories, simplified and organized everything, and then applied the same principals to my office and desk.

Why de-clutter and simplify?

  • Easy to find what you are looking for, whether it’s a file on your computer or a travel adaptor
  • Take less space, whether it’s a wardrobe, cabinet or a shoe rack
  • Focus on quality instead of quantity
  • Spend more on experiences (books, travel, personal development, causes) and less on things (except those you buy for others)

Buy less, of everything

  • Buy only what you need, and only when you need it, not whatever is on sale.
  • Wait and see if you really need it. Then see if you can borrow it, before you buy.
  • Buy good quality so it lasts longer and you buy less often.
  • Buy only if there’s space to keep it, not find a space after you buy it.

Continue getting rid of stuff

  • When you buy a new one, get rid of the old one – clothes, shoes, bags, stuff
  • If you bought something but not using it, either due lack of interest or wrong purchase, get rid of it.
  • If you get a gift that you know you are not going to use, get rid of it.
  • If you haven’t used it in 6 months, get rid of it.
  • Only keep stuff that’s essential, makes life easier, or inspires you. Get rid of everything else.
  • When getting rid of anything, try to sell or give away to somebody who can make use of it or recycle. Trash bin should be the last option.

Use technology

  • Unless you can’t live without the touch and smell of physical books, go digital. There’s a long list of pros and cons, but I only buy ebooks and only read on my iPad.
  • Covert all important documents, photo and videos into digital copies and put them all on Dropbox or iCloud. In my recent round, I took photos of loads of ‘emotional-value objects’ and threw them all out. These included large photo frames, desk gifts, crystals, accessories and more… all with thank-you notes, names, or messages printed/engraved on them. These were in a large box, which I don’t have any more!
  • I’ve stopped using notebooks or diaries and pens for a long time. All notes are digital.

Learn to live with less

  • So what do I have in that suitcase? Clothes: formal, casual, summer, winter, gym and swimming gear. Shoes: just two pairs. Gadgets: MacBook, iPad, cables. Lots of socks and underwear; last few copies of my book to give away; pack of business cards; travel toiletries in mini sizes; travel adaptors. No ties, accessories, notebooks, stationery or camera.
  • Living with less inspires gratefulness; helps you keep organized; reduces stress; gets you more focused… is extremely easy to pack and move and unpack!

I know it’s easier said than done. I understand this may not be for everyone. I am sure there are people who can be happier with more, but for me, less stuff equals more happiness. I am happy to answer any questions and offer further advice to anyone who is starting on this journey or wants to get to the next level of minimalism.

 

 

Everything I know about delegating

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Delegating must be one of the toughest leadership/management challenges, considering that almost everyone seems to struggle with it. Delegation affects people development, business growth, team motivation and success of the organization. Here’s a summary of what I’ve learnt about delegation…

Why we don’t delegate:

  • Insecurity – if they do it well I won’t be needed
  • Status – it’s ‘my’ job
  • Fear – what if they do it well; what if they can’t do it well
  • Love – it’s my favorite task

Why we must delegate:

  • To be a leader/manager, instead of a doer
  • To develop people – build trust, improve their self esteem, opportunity to reward/recognize others
  • To manage our time better; get more done in less time; focus on our own strengths
  • To build happy, motivated and successful teams

How to delegate effectively:

  • What – pick the tasks to delegate (considering the reason to delegate)
  • Who – find the best person to delegate to
  • How and when – communicate and establish clear objectives, expectations and deadline
  • Track – monitor progress and offer support if required; be patient
  • Recognize – give credit

And finally, some quotes to inspire you to delegate more and better:

Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.

When you delegate work to a member of the team, your job is to clearly frame success and describe the objectives.

The really expert riders of horses let the horse know immediately who is in control, but then guide the horse with loose reins and seldom use the spurs.

When you delegate tasks, you create followers. When you delegate authority, you create leaders.

If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate.

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.

A star wants to see himself rise to the top. A leader wants to see those around him rise to the top.

And a final word: You can do anything, but not everything.

5 More Tips to Get Results!

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I continue to apply the four steps to achieve anything with great results. I also get excellent feedback from people who have learnt this and accomplished much! When I see someone struggling with four steps without much success, it is usually due to a dream they don’t believe in, a goal not specific enough, a plan not detailed/clear enough, actions not consistent or persistent enough. The most common challenge is with the action (or lack of). So here are five additional tips to get result while working on your dreams, goals, plans and action:

  1. Make it a priority. Once you have figured out what you need to do every day, make it a priority. Allocate a particular time of the day for the action necessary to achieve the goal. Whether it’s time for exercise for your fitness goal, time for phone calls to achieve your sales goal, time for study for your personal development goal, or time for family for your relationship goal, you must block off the required time to do what’s necessary. And do nothing else in that time.
  2. Get back to routine. If you miss a day of the necessary action, get back to the committed routine the very next day, not next week or next month. It’s so easy to tell ourselves, ‘I missed a few days this week, so what’s the point; I’ll start properly next week, or next month.’ Never listen to that crap!
  3. Be persistent. You can’t plant a seed today and expect a tree tomorrow. You need to water it every day for a few days/weeks before you see the first bud. If it took years to put on that weight, it will take months to get rid of it. If you are learning something new, commit to the plan and stick to it until you succeed. Giving up is not an option if you are really committed to your goal.
  4. Change the plan. If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan, not the goal. If your consistent and persistent actions are not producing the expected results, stop and think, get some advice, check if you are doing it right. Maybe you need a different strategy, a change of direction or a modified plan. Make the necessary adjustment and go after your goal with renewed commitment.
  5. Stay positive and happy. Happiness is the foundation for all success, and positivity is essential for self-motivation. While you are working towards your goals, continue to acknowledge and be grateful for what you already have. Get inspiration from your dreams, and your ability to pursue them. Believe in your self and be positive about the outcome of your actions.

A little progress each day adds up to big results!

7 Essential Apps for Traveling

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IMG_4526.jpgOver the last few years, I’ve tried quite a few apps related to different aspects of traveling. And deleted most of them. Currently I have nine apps in my travel folder, seven of which are extremely helpful:

  1. Hopper. This is one of the best apps I have ever used for finding the best airfare deals, and buying tickets straight from the app. Unlike most airfare apps, it starts with the date of travel and shows you the most expensive to the cheapest dates in that month, marked as red, green and yellow!
  2. Airbnb. If you are looking for inexpensive and unique places to stay, or a homestay with a local family, nothing can beat Airbnb. Also great for getting local advice from hosts through the built-in messenger, even before you book.
  3. TripAdvisor. Great to find local local attractions, restaurants and things to do in that city or in cities nearby. Or to read other travellers’ reviews about the suggestions you hear from the locals, and write your reviews to help other travellers.
  4. Google Maps. Indispensable whether you are walking, cycling, on a taxi or even on a public transportation. You know where you are, and where you are going, especially for people with poor navigational skills (like me).
  5. Speak & Translate. The fastest way to communicate to anyone in almost any language. Click, speak in your language, click. Then it repeats in the local language selected! I still have the Google Translate app when I want to practice speaking the local language, or showing the translation to the other person. But I miss the days of communicating just through body language, actions and expression 🙂
  6. PowerPlug. Helps you pack the right plugs for your devices. I don’t carry the bulky universal adapter any more. It also tells you the voltage and frequency for the country you are traveling to, though I don’t know what to do with that.
  7. Currency. Check exchange rates before changing money, or instantly convert local prices to your home currency, and multiple currencies at the same time.

The most recent addition to my travel apps is Travelpod, the online travel journal which I started using to keep all the photos, videos, maps and stories in one place. Needless to say, you need to have a local pre-paid sim with Internet access to make full use of all these apps 🙂  Hope you find this useful. Please share your most useful travel apps too.

Mush Talks #11: ‘Three Benefits of Waking up Earlier’ by Mush Panjwani

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I could script these talks, do a few rehearsals, record professionally with mics and lights, edit better, put music and effects and titles and captions… but then I wouldn’t be able to do one a week. I hope these zero-cost productions are still good enough to inspire some.

You may watch Mush Talks #1-10 here. And please feel free to leave comments below 🙂

Celeste Headlee: 10 ways to have a better conversation

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I just heard one of the best TED talks about conversations. Celeste Headlee covers everything I try to include in my 1-3 hours of training on communication skills, and even more, in just 12 minutes!

The ten tips are:

  1. Don’t multi-task. Be fully present.
  2. Don’t pontificate. Set aside your personal opinions.
  3. Use open-ended questions.
  4. Go with the flow. Let your own thoughts come and go.
  5. If you don’t know, say you don’t know.
  6. Don’t equate your experience with theirs. It’s not about you.
  7. Don’t repeat yourself.
  8. Stay out of the details.
  9. Listen! Be interested.
  10. Be brief.

I also loved these quotes from the talk:

  • “If your mouth is open, you are not learning.” -Buddha
  • “No man ever listened his way out of a job.” -Calvin Coolidge
  • “Most of us don’t listen with the intent to understand; we listen with the intent to reply.” -Stephen Covey

Mush’s Lessons from the Himalayas: The joys of disconnecting (being offline)!

Mush Inspiration, Motivation, Productivity , , , , , , ,

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My two weeks in Nepal were full of inspiration, with some important lessons learnt and many beliefs reinforced. Through this series of blog posts, I am sharing some of those thoughts and hoping to inspire some of my readers.

There are many things that we take for granted in life. When you are up in the mountains or in villages, a network on your phone is a privilege and Internet access a luxury. Imagine waking up in the morning completely offline, with no emails, messages or FB to check. And going through the day, using just the camera function on your phone. Once I accepted the reality, I began to see the beauty of the situation and the many benefits of disconnecting, unplugging and being offline:

  • Connection. I was better connected to everything and everyone around me. I was able to better appreciate the beauty of the nature; I was more aware of the presence of other human beings and the opportunity to talk to them, listen to them and learn from them.
  • Inner voice. By ceasing the flow of information and news, and other people’s opinions and updates, I was more in tune with my inner voice. I became more aware of my own thoughts and feelings. I even found solutions to some of my problems, within myself, due to the clarity and focus.
  • Mono-tasking. The increasingly unusual state of doing just one thing at a time. I was reminded of the pleasures in simple things when done with mindfulness – a sip of coffee, a hot shower, breathing with awareness, a bite of wholesome food, an eye contact, a smile, listening to someone with 100% attention!

I was still connecting to the Internet for an hour or so almost every evening after the trek. I was posting photos to Facebook, blogging my daily diary, and even uploading my daily 2-minute videos to YouTube whenever the connection was ‘good’. And I found that even my connected time was so much more productive and efficient due to the focus, and the awareness that I only had an hour or two to get everything done.

Since getting back from the trip, I have incorporated some of these ideas, yet again, into my life. I have switched off many ‘push’ notifications on my phone, so I can better control the flow of information. I have again started doing emails in blocks of an hour, 2-3 times a day. I have again limited my social media time to the bare minimum, and only twice a day. I have again started switching off my phone after 7pm. It’s only been a week, but it’s working out so well then I’m unlikely to go back to the old habits.

What do you think about disconnecting, unplugging and going offline for scheduled periods of time every day? How will that affect your productivity at work and the quality of your time with yourself, friends and family?

Please also check out Dinchack Facebook page for daily inspiration.

Make 2014 a Dinchack (Fantastic) Year!

Mush Dinchack, Happiness, Inspiration, Motivation, Productivity , , , , , ,

Dinchack Season's Greetings2

For many of us, New Year is a time to make some resolutions and commit to bring positive changes in our lives. See if you would like to include any of the following to your goals and to-do lists for 2014:

1. Learn to be happy! Happiness is the foundation for all success and achievements. Happier people are more productive at work, better at relationships, healthier and have more energy. Practice the happiness principles daily:

  • Be grateful. Acknowledge the good things in your life. Being alive, having the comforts, doing a job, having a family… are not things to be taken for granted, but to be thankful for.
  • Accept what you can’t change. Don’t get angry, frustrated or disappointed at things that are beyond your control: The weather, traffic, the colour of your skin, your height, your past, other people’s thoughts and actions…
  • Make others happy. Compliment more. Acknowledge when someone does something well. Be kind and helpful. Help someone solve their problem. Give your time.
  • Find out what makes you happy and do that. Whether it’s nature walk, some form of exercise, volunteering, learning something new… Change your job if you have to.

2. Become more productive! Do the right things, do them well, on time and with ease. That may seem too ambitious but here are some of the ways to achieve that:

  • Prioritize. Do less to get more done. Ask yourself whether you can drop it, delay it or delegate it, before you do it! Distinguish between important and urgent. Develop the habit of ‘first things first’. Do what matters most first.
  • Simplify. Unclutter. Get rid of useless stuff that just occupies space – in your office, on your desk, at home, your wardrobe, book shelf, even the desktop of your computer and the number of apps on your phone. Don’t accumulate excess in the first place, and keep cleaning. When you buy something new, give away the old one. Go paperless!
  • Cut your Facebook time. And other social media time. And emails. Do them in batches instead of 24/7. Switch off the push notifications.
  • Sleep less. Waking up an hour earlier in the morning can be the single most critical change you can make, adding significantly to your productivity, efficiency and effectiveness. Use this time to exercise, plan, read, learn… no more ‘I don’t have the time’ excuse!

Do you have any additional tips for the two lists above? This is part 1 of a series. Can you guess what’s coming up next?

For daily inspiration and resources on happiness, motivation and success, please also see Dinchack on Facebook.

My top five productivity apps!

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IMG_0482 IMG_0483 IMG_0484 IMG_0485 IMG_0486During the last six months, I have tried more apps than in the last few years, to increase productivity and efficiency in managing my business. Most of them were just average, few are dinchack (wow!) and some have become indispensable. If you are looking for useful productivity apps for your iOS devices, you might like to try these:

  1. Evernote: This app lets you take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists, record voice reminders and makes these notes accessible on all computers and devices. I use it to take meeting notes, capture ideas, maintain time logs for client consultation, and even keep all the dreams, goals and plans in one place.
  2. Receipts: This is a great app to track your personal and business income/expenses. It allows you to create different accounts, categories, fields and capture photos of receipts to be attached with each expense. Income and expenses can be entered in any currency and instantly converted to your home currency. And finally, you can export reports as Excel or PDF.
  3. SignNow: How do you send invoices to clients? Create the invoice, print, sign, scan, email? With SignNow, you can just upload the PDF, drag your digital signature, save and email – totally paperless! You can also sign any documents using your finger. Works well on all devices!
  4. Feedly: This is an RSS reader that aggregates all your favourite websites, blogs, YouTube channels and more for easy and fast browsing, reading and sharing from any device. It actually makes reading on handheld devices more fun.
  5. 1Password: Probably the best app to keep all passwords in one place – plus logins, memberships, bank accounts, credit cards, IDs, secure notes. You can also generate strong passwords, and keep them in sync across all devices.

Please let me know about your favourite productivity apps through comments.

How Do You Score on Your Time Management?

Mush Productivity , ,

time to take a break

Answer these simple questions and find out:

  1. Do you usually have time for the essential stuff like reading/learning, exercising, socialising, relationships, holidays?
  2. Do you usually get things done on time – including getting to appointments on time, whether at home or at work?
  3. Do you usually have written goals and plans to achieve them?
  4. Are your tasks usually connected to your goals and plans?
  5. Do you usually have a written list of priorities for the month or the week?
  6. Do you usually differentiate easily between urgent and important? And spend more time on important stuff?
  7. Do you usually focus on one thing at a time, clearing away all distractions?
  8. Do you usually differentiate between efficiency and effectiveness – doing things right, and doing the right things?
  9. Do you usually get a lot of stuff done through delegation?
  10. Do you often say ‘no’ to things when your schedule is already full?

The more yeses you have, the greater is your time management, and the better your quality of life! And what if your time management isn’t so great? Firstly acknowledge. Then understand that it’s a skill that anyone can learn, like driving or cooking or languages. And like any other skill, you can learn time management from books, courses, workshops… as long as you start applying the principles that you learn. Time management is a skill that you live with, so you need to make the necessary changes to your habits and behaviours.

Get a better understanding of some tested and proven time management strategies, and some practical tips, at my upcoming class at General Assembly in Hong Kong on Tuesday 8th October. Registration and details here.

[Photo at Interlaken in China – a recent short holiday]

Inspiration from Hal Lasko: 98-year old Pixel Painter

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Also check out the other blog for news and updates on Dinchack. And the Dinchack Facebook page for daily tips on happiness, motivation and success.

11 benefits of napping during the day

Mush Happiness, Health, Productivity , , , , , , , ,

A wonderful illustration from Daily Infographic shows, humans consolidate sleeping time for a long period at night, but we’re designed to feel tired in the early morning hours and mid-afternoon, when a 2 p.m. nap would feel awesome. A 2- to 5-minute nap can perk you up and a 5- to 20-minute nap can improve your motor skills and performance.

Looks like life could become really ‘dinchack’ if we napped every day!

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I lost my job today, but I am grateful and excited!

Mush Happiness, Inspiration, Life, Motivation, Productivity , , , , , ,

I lost my job today! Few immediate negative thoughts:

  • How could they do that to me? I’ve been working here for over 16 years!
  • What will I do now? There aren’t many opportunities in my specialized field and my set of skills!
  • How long can I survive without a job? The mortgage, bills, kids… and the bigger dreams!
  • Why did it happen at the worst possible time?

Fortunately, there were a lot more positive thoughts that followed:

  • Most dynamic companies go through restructuring, reorganizing and cost-cutting. Nothing personal! 
  • Thousands of people lose their jobs every day around the world – there are over 197 million unemployed people. This is part of working life and can happen to anyone, any time.
  • There are endless opportunities if I look with an open mind, and beyond my current industry!
  • It’s an exciting challenge, and I am totally ready for it. I must stay focused, continue to believe and dream.
  • The timing couldn’t be better! I’ll be 48 in a few weeks. It’s time to do something even more exciting!

And looking back, I felt even more grateful and excited that my job had allowed me to learn so many new things, develop different skills, almost master the art of training, travel the world, see amazing places, meet wonderful people… and above all, make a difference in the lives of so many people in so many places! My job is gone but all of that will stay with me forever! And all of that has prepared me for the next phase of my life.

“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change. At such moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back…” -Paolo Coelho

Please feel free to share your words of support and encouragement through comments.

Update (17th March): Thank you for such kind, nice, wonderful, amazing, surprising messages! I am deeply touched by your love. And also under a lot of pressure to do something big 🙂 I have no issues with the company, and do not wish to hear anything negative.

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Bonus time

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Jugja

“Bonus time” is an interesting concept that keeps me happy when I am supposed to be angry, frustrated or disappointed.

If my flight is delayed by an hour, I consider it the ‘bonus time’ I’ve been granted. Full 60 minutes of no plans, no commitments, no schedules! I can do whatever I like – read, work, think, relax, eat, take photos, call family, or just sit and do nothing for a change. Of course, I have the alternative to get angry at the airline; demand explanations; get upset about the delay; think of the rest of the things that would all be delayed by an hour… but none of that is going to help. Next time you have a delay or a wait, try to think of it as a gift of ‘bonus time’ e.g.

  • You have an appointment with a dentist, or with anyone else, but are asked to wait for half an hour when you arrive.
  • It takes you longer than planned on the road, due to traffic.
  • You queue up somewhere and it seems to take forever.

In each of these situations, you have a choice to get upset or consider the waiting time as ‘bonus time’ in which you can do something positive, productive and unplanned – like making that call to someone special or catching up on the news or thinking some good thoughts or just conscious breathing. Will you try?

[Photo taken during a road trip in Yogyakarta last week]

The lies we tell…

Mush Fitness, Happiness, Health, Inspiration, Life, Motivation, Productivity, Relationships , , ,

201301 sunrise

The lies we tell ourselves and others…
Lie: I am late because of traffic
Truth: I am late because I got up late; I am late because I am not organized…

Lie: I don’t have time to read/exercise/call…
Truth: I am not really interested or committed

Lie: I am not good enough for…
Truth: I haven’t learnt how to…

And some more…
There’s plenty of time/life for…
It’s just one bite…
People are no good…
I’ll be happy when…

What other lies can you add?

[Photo of sunrise in Hong Kong. Some more photos of the sun and moon between 31st Dec and 1st Jan here]

What if?

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What if…

  • we start being a little more grateful for everything we do have?
  • we complain a little less and compliment a little more?
  • we accept everything and everyone exactly as they are?
  • we wake up half an hour earlier every morning?
  • we read something positive and/or useful every night?
  • we focus on the most important tasks, instead of just the urgent ones?
  • we exercise just 10 minutes every day?
  • we replace just one unhealthy meal with a healthy one every day?
  • we add just one healthy snack to our daily diet?
  • we dedicate just one day of the week for our loved ones?
  • we tell them just once a day we love them?
  • we sometimes just listen without passing judgement or advice?

Each of these seemingly small actions have the potential to significantly improve our level of happiness, productivity, health and relationships… and improve the quality of our lives and the lives of people around us. Too difficult? Let’s start with just one of the above, just for this week!

“Just do it! First you make your habits, then your habits make you!” -Lucas Remmerswaal, The A-Z of 13 Habits

[A new day dawns over Shek’O in Hong Kong – courtesy Sara Mush]

3 questions before you buy it

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Here’s another very useful shopping strategy to keep life simple and uncluttered. If it’s anything other than the basic necessities, it must do one of the three things:

  1. Will it be a source of information or inspiration?
  2. Will it help simplify or un-clutter my life?
  3. Will it save me time or money?

If it does, I allow myself the pleasure of impulse buying. The following wooden stand that I bought today is such an example. It helps keep the coffee capsules organized and tidy, replacing the boxes. The photo shows before and after.

Do you think the three questions can save you some money, time or space?

Related post: 3 rules for guilt-free shopping

Your body language affects your own mind and behavior too!

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Did you know: Our body (how we sit, stand, walk, and our facial expressions) changes our minds; our mind changes our behavior; our behavior changes our outcomes.

It’s something I first learnt from ‘Awaken the Giant Within’ by Anthony Robbins – more from his talk than from the book. I’ve been applying, and teaching this principle in all sales/motivational training programs. It’s not only relevant at work, but in all communications with others and ourselves. And now Amy Cuddy’s research on body language reinforces the concept further: that we can change other people’s perceptions — and even our own body chemistry — simply by changing body positions. Whether you are familiar with the concept or not, please stop and watch this inspiring video from TED…