mush

Mush Talks #1: Gratitude

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During a recent review of my ‘dreams list’ I decided to fast-track a few items to ‘goals, plans and action’. One of them was to share my knowledge and experience about happiness, motivation and success through short videos. These video will be 5-10 minutes, focusing on one topic. It’s a non-commercial activity, just for the sake of contribution. To ensure I can do at least two per month, I am doing my own amateur recording and editing. Thank you for watching and sharing…

You may want to subscribe to my YouTube channel or the Blog for auto-notifications of upcoming blog posts and videos.

20 Chinese quotes that pack 4,000 years of wisdom

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Year of the Monkey

  1. A bit of fragrance clings to the hand that gives flowers.
  2. Better to be a diamond with flaws than a pebble without imperfections.
  3. Be not afraid to move slowly; be afraid only of standing still.
  4. A gem will not be perfect without carving and polishing, nor a man perfected without trials.
  5. Deep doubts, deep wisdom; small doubts, little wisdom.
  6. When you drink water, remember the spring.
  7. If heaven made him, earth can find some use for him.
  8. Dig the well before you are thirsty.
  9. If you don’t want anyone to know, don’t do it.
  10. Teachers open the door; you enter by yourself.
  11. A bird does not sing because it has an answer; it sings because it has a song.
  12. A book holds a house of gold.
  13. A filthy mouth will not utter decent language.
  14. A thousand cups of wine do not suffice when true friends meet, but half a sentence is too much when there is no meeting of the minds.
  15. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
  16. Do good, reap good; do evil, reap evil.
  17. A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.
  18. One generation plants trees, the next enjoys the cool shade.
  19. Studying is like rowing a boat upstream; if you don’t move forward, you move backward.
  20. Be patient in one moment of anger, to save yourself hundred days of sorrow.

The image is of one of the best Chinese New Year cards I received this year, from none other than the most creative Stepworks team; click to see the beautiful animated version.

Wishing you a happy Year of the Monkey!

50 Life Lessons by Mush Panjwani

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Mush PanjwaniI’ll be 50 in a few hours! And as a gift to my children, family and friends, I started writing my life lessons a couple of weeks ago. It started looking like another book, so I cut them all down into one-liners and still ended up with about 65. Thanks to Sara who helped keep the best 50. I hope these inspire you to change your thoughts and take some action towards making your life more dinchack…

  1. Life is fair even when it doesn’t seem to be.
  1. You are not supposed to be like everyone else.
  1. When in doubt, listen to your heart, and take a small step.
  1. Change your actions, reactions and the way you put yourself out there, and you will change the way the world responds to you.
  1. Three things change your life: love, suffering and dreams.
  1. Focusing on all you have rather than what you don’t have is far better use of our brainpower. Gratitude is the first step to positivity and happiness.
  1. Holding a grudge is like holding burning coals in your own hands.
  1. Life isn’t perfect, but it has perfect moments.
  1. Nobody has extra time. You just have to make room for what’s important.
  1. Dreams are important, but only when we follow them with goals, plans and actions.
  1. The less stuff you have, the freer you are.
  1. You don’t have to win every argument.
  1. Accept and expect that failure is part of the experience. Learn from it and move on.
  1. Don’t let your past mess with your present.
  1. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
  1. Success with people comes not from being interesting but being interested.
  1. Make exercise a daily priority. It makes you physically, mentally and emotionally stronger. It improves your health and your outlook.
  1. It’s hard to live a high performance life in a low performance body.
  1. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
  1. Friendships need time and attention. Nurture them.
  1. Anything can change in the blink of an eye.
  1. Change is good; don’t resist it. Embrace it and consider it an adventure.
  1. Life is too short for pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
  1. Angry outbursts result in regret, stress and unhappiness.
  1. The only way to overcome a fear is to jump right in.
  1. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
  1. If you haven’t found your passion, make it a mission to find it. The joy it brings reflects in every aspect of your life.
  1. Don’t wait for special occasion to do or say something special. Today is special.
  1. Plan well but be prepared to go with the flow.
  1. Follow-up and follow-through are critical, though few people practice either.
  1. Work harder and smarter – not one or the other.
  1. Travel enlightens you, expands you, and makes you more interesting, insightful and accepting. Spending on travel is an investment in yourself.
  1. Learning is our most powerful leverage in life.
  1. Thoughts become things. Whether positive or negative, limiting or liberating, our thoughts can become our reality.
  1. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”
  1. Forgive everyone everything.
  1. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
  1. Your job won’t take care of you when you are old and sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.
  1. Believe in miracles.
  1. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
  1. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
  1. You can teach them, love them and support them, but you can’t change them. They are unique individuals who must live their own lives. Let them.
  1. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
  1. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
  1. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
  1. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
  1. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
  1. Everything you want is out there and everything you need to achieve it is inside you.
  1. Age is a number. Don’t allow a number to hold you back from being the person you are inside.
  1. The best is yet to come.
  1. Have faith. (Sara suggested to add this to the list)

Please let me know through comments which one did you find most useful/inspiring, and also feel free to share your own life lessons. Thanks!

Mush Panjwani interviewed about Romantic Relationship

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One of Hong Kong’s top hypnotherapists, an image consultant and a fellow trainer, Sonia Samtani has been producing a series of videos called Raising the Bar. She interviews people who have done something extra-ordinary that can inspire others.

I was happy to be chosen to talk about romantic relationships, and my love story that started at the age of 15! And I hope this talk inspires people, or even one person, to improve their relationships. Great relationships can often mean more happiness, increased motivation and greater success in everything else.

Dinchack’s humble beginning…

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This was the longest break on this blog… apologies to the readers and followers! It was due to my total focus on “Dinchack” – the training company I formed in May.

Thanks to the support of family, friends, old colleagues and the super-helpful community of entrepreneurs in Hong Kong, the company seems to be slowly but surely getting off the ground. Please click on the image to read the full story.

And check back for life-enhancing blog posts here at least once a week. Check the Dinchack Facebook page here.

The first 8 weeks were Dinchack!

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1st May must have been a lucky date to start a new business – because Dinchack seems to be going places, literally! The first 8 weeks have been nothing short of, well, Dinchack!

  • Dinchack did six training events in Hong Kong, Manila, Nakhon Si Thammarat (South Thailand), Bangkok and Jakarta!
  • Dinchack is now associated with a few like-minded, well-established and successful organizations like Ariva in the Philippines, Kornerstone and General Assembly in HK!
  • Dinchack has started supporting Crossroads Foundation, with every paid event!
  • Dinchack is now a member of BNI International!
  • Dinchack has just hired two summer interns who will be trained in online marketing and admin!
  • Dinchack Facebook page crossed 3,000 fans!
  • Dinchack now shows up as the #1 result in Google search!

July is looking spectacular with four training events confirmed already, and a couple of more expected! On the personal front, I’ve organized myself to work 0700-1300 on planning, marketing, communications, follow-ups… meet clients 1400-1800, swim regularly in the open sea at sunrise or sunset, read related books and blogs daily… and still have plenty of time for the family.

As one of my recent FB status said, I’m incredibly blessed, extremely grateful, super excited and totally turbo charged!

[Photo from the Leadership Training in Manila. More photos here.]

Action for Happiness!

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greatdream_full_400Just found this great website dedicated to our favorite topic, happiness. In their own words: Action for Happiness is a movement for positive social change. We’re bringing together people from all walks of life who want to play a part in creating a happier society for everyone.

Check it out for facts, tips, resources and action steps for creating happiness for yourself and those around you. This is one of the posters that you can download from the site.

“Western neuroscience has now confirmed what Eastern wisdom has known for a long time: happiness is a skill we can learn. Research shows that happiness, compassion and kindness are the products of skills that can be learned and enhanced through training, thanks to the neuroplasticity of our brains.”

For daily tips and resources on happiness, motivation and success, also check out Dinchack Facebook page 🙂

An exciting first month of Dinchack (my new venture)!

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On 1st May at 0700, I had a small solo event: I went to the corner desk of my living room which was to become my home office, turned my computer on, declared myself an entrepreneur, and started making checklists and plans. I can’t believe it’s been a month already!

With the support and encouragement of family, friends and even strangers, Dinchack has come a long way. Most of the goals established for the first month were achieved, and then some:

  • Partnered with Ariva, a training company in the Philippines, and did the first event yesterday. The next one is scheduled for August!
  • Partnered with Kornerstone, a training company in Hong Kong, and started with a training session for their own in-house sales team. They are planning a launch of my sales training program for their corporate clients in July!
  • Launched the CSR program by starting to support Crossroads Foundation of Hong Kong!
  • Made lots of new contacts in Hong Kong; been averaging one presentation a day for the last two weeks; joined a few networks.
  • Dinchack website got into the top three search results on Google! Dinchack blog averages three new posts a week!
  • Dinchack FB page has over 2600 followers and reaches over 600,000 people a week, with tips and resources on happiness, motivation and success!
  • Dinchack uniform t-shirts have been extremely popular – possibly another business idea!

The plans for June are looking very exciting already, starting with a 3-day training for ETL at Minor in Thailand! Joining more business networks, hiring an intern, and most importantly, getting at least two more paid events, are just some of the challenges.

Three quotes that inspire me daily:

  1. “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” -Vince Lombardi
  2. “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.” -Napoleon Hill
  3. “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” -Bill Cosby

And my prospecting line: “Do you know any companies with salespeople, looking to increase sales?”

PS. It seems getting fired from ETL could be one of the best things that happened to me!

10 of the shortest and the most inspiring Buddha quotes

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Today is a celebration of Buddha’s birthday in Hong Kong. And here’s a collection of the shortest but very inspiring quotes by Buddha. Each one seems so simple, yet is so deep.

  1. You have no cause for anything but gratitude and joy.
  2. What you are is what you have been. What you’ll be is what you do now.
  3. Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.
  4. Until he has unconditional and unbiased love for all beings, man will not find peace.
  5. We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think.
  6. Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.
  7. Always be mindful of the kindness and not the faults of others.
  8. It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.
  9. Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.
  10. Live every act fully, as if it were your last.

Do you have a favorite Buddha quote, or any other short inspiring quote to share?

[Photo of a wall hanging in a store – probably unauthorized]

For daily tips on happiness, motivation and success, join the Dinchack Facebook page.

10 more inspiring birthday quotes

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1.  Live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you were to live forever.  -Mahatma Gandhi

2.  The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot. –Michael Althsuler

3.  The way I see it, you should live everyday like it’s your birthday. –Paris Hilton

4.  God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well. -Voltaire

5.  The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate. –Oprah Winfrey

6.  Every year on your birthday, you get a chance to start new. –Sammy Hagar

7.  How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? –Satchel Paige

8.  You were born an original. Don’t die a copy. –John Mason

9.  There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval. –George Santayana

10. Don’t just count your years; make your years count. –Ernest Meyers

Which one did you find most inspiring? Please share your own inspiring birthday quotes too. Also see 10 inspiring birthday quotes.

11 benefits of napping during the day

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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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10 tips to stay happy and motivated after getting fired…

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“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” -Dr. Seuss

I wrote this within two days of getting fired from my job, but decided to hold it till I’ve completed a couple of weeks. That gave me an opportunity to ensure that I applied all the Do’s and avoided all the Don’ts myself . These tips have not only allowed me to stay happy and motivated, but also focused on the new possibilities and making the right choices for the next phase of my life:

  1. Don’t deny it. If you aren’t normally prepared for the realities and changes in life, your first thoughts could be ‘I can’t believe it’, ‘It can’t be happening to me’. It’s OK, as long as you don’t remain in the state of denial for days or weeks. Remind yourself that thousands of people lose their jobs daily; it’s beyond your control. The quicker you accept the reality, the faster you can move on with your life.
  2. Don’t make it personal. Most sudden layoffs are results of corporate decisions, often part of cost-cutting exercises. Don’t make it personal with your boss or the HR manager. The world is too small to make enemies, and life is too short to hold grudges. And what if it is personal? Your best option is still to forgive, forget and move on.
  3. Don’t beat yourself. Unless you were terminated due to poor performance or misconduct, there’s no point in beating yourself and self-pity. Remind yourself of your skills and strengths that made you successful in this job, and will make you successful in your next venture.
  4. Don’t get angry. Getting angry with your family, friends, cat, the taxi guy or anyone else is not going to change anything, except adding to the negative emotions. Remind yourself ‘when things seem to be falling apart, sometimes they are actually falling into place.’ So keep your cool.
  5. Don’t give up your health regimen. Losing a job is no excuse to binge on unhealthy stuff or give up the exercise. That will only make your feel worse, while increased physical activity will boost your motivation. Continue reading →

An exciting first week – after losing my job!

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The only reason I posted the news last Friday, within hours of getting fired from my job, was because it was the fastest and most efficient way of letting everyone in my world know what had happened and that I was actually excited about the situation. I never expected to receive 200+ beautiful messages through comments on the blog, Facebook, emails, SMS, whatsapp and phone calls! I can’t express in words how thrilled, excited, blessed and grateful I felt reading those messages. I smiled, laughed and cried. It would be a huge understatement to say that ‘you made my day/week’. You made my life! Thank you.

To those who keep saying ‘is that true?’ ‘how did it happen?’ ‘but why?’ ‘i still can’t believe’ etc., I can only say, ‘get over it, move on’!

To those who think they have lost a leader, mentor, guru, hero (and all those amazing words I didn’t think I was worthy of), I am very much alive and will continue doing what I do best. Feel free to connect with me through this blog, Facebook, or Twitter. I will also continue to post my photos and videos on Flickr and YouTube.

So what am I up to?

  • I have freelance work from the company till the end of April, to complete the ongoing projects and fulfill my travel commitments to the distributors. That means I get to see some of you soon!
  • I am working on my first CV ever, while also developing certain business plans. Absolutely over the moon about the possibilities!
  • I am doing more reading, more writing and more thinking! I’m still following the diet, and have more time for exercise too.
  • We have leased a much cheaper apartment at one of the edges of Hong Kong, and shifting in a few weeks. It’s much farther from the city but a bit bigger and right on top of a beautiful beach!
  • The family is totally supportive and positive, and we have never been closer!

Thanks again for your wonderful support and encouragement!

You are not just ‘OK’, you are ‘incredibly blessed’!

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

DLOf all the things I have learnt about personal motivation, this is one of the most profound. I learnt this more than 20 years ago from the book Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins, and my life has never been the same:

  • English language has over 500,000 words, but our habitual vocabulary consists of 2,000 to 10,000 words. Less than 2%.
  • There are over 3,000 words to describe human emotions. About 1,000 for positive emotions and about 2,000 for negative emotions.
  • Most words, in addition to their literal meanings, convey distinct emotional intensity. This means our choice of words gives us the power to take the most negative feelings and lower their intensity to the point where they no longer bother us. And similarly, we can take a positive experience and move it to greater heights of pleasure.
  • What are some of the commonly used words to describe negative emotions? Now think of new words that help lower the intensity of the negative emotions e.g.
  • Replace ‘depressed’ with ‘not on top of it’
  • Disappointed with Under whelmed
  • Failing with Learning
  • Frustrated with Challenged
  • Pissed off with Peeved
  • I hate with I prefer
  • Insulted with Misunderstood
  • Painful with Uncomfortable
  • Illness/sickness with Cleansing
  • Stuck with Busy
  • Starved with Hungry
  • Similarly, what are some of the positive/mediocre words that you can replace with more powerful words to increase the intensity of the positive emotion e.g. Continue reading →

    • Do you believe in magic?

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    Some more iCards (inspiration cards) here.

    Good luck, bad luck, who knows?

    Mush Happiness, Inspiration, Life , , , , , , ,

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    Once upon a time, in a far away land, there lived a farmer with his family. This farmer had a horse that one day, ran away to the hills. So the farmer and his son had to plow their fields themselves. Their neighbors watched them working hard and said “Oh, we pity you, what bad luck that your horse ran away!” But the farmer replied “Good luck, bad luck, who knows?”

    The next week, the horse returned to the farm, bringing a herd of wild horses with him. “What wonderful luck!” cried the neighbors. But the farmer responded “Good luck, bad luck, who knows?”

    Then, the farmer’s son tried to ride one of the wild horses. He was thrown off and broke his leg. “Ah, such bad luck!” sympathized the neighbors. Once again, the farmer responded “Good luck, bad luck, who knows?”

    A short time after, the emperor recruited all young men to join his army for battle. The son, with his broken leg, was left at home. “What good luck that your son was not forced into the army!” celebrated the neighbors. And the farmer remarked “Good luck, bad luck, who knows?”

    A re-post from Eva Snijders’ blog.

    So what’s happening in your life that seems good luck or bad luck?

    [Photo of Chinese red lanterns – symbol of good luck – from Guilin]

     

    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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    One link at a time…

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    The full collection of my iCards (inspiration cards) are posted on this page, using my own photographs. Free to download and share.

     

    6 months on Paleo: maintaining at 75kg and 32.5″!

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    Paleo has become my favorite diet and lifestyle. Not only it allows me to maintain myself at my perfect weight and size, without regular exercise, there are lots of other benefits too!

    I first heard it from Hamza, my son who is a bigger health and fitness freak than I am. Then I read the book, The Paleo Solution. More on that here.

    I started following the diet in September, and lost 3kg and 2 inches of belly fat in 4 weeks, as reported here. By week 6, I had lost 3.5kg and 2.5 inches of belly fat, as posted here with a photo in November 2012.

    By week 8, I had achieved my target of losing 4kg and 3 inches of belly fat. I was down to my perfect weight of 75kg and waist size of 32.5″. Here’s the best part: I have maintained it for the last 4 months! Want to know what the diet really is? Read it here.

    It’s easy to follow. You don’t need to go find or cook anything special. Just remove carbs from your regular meals and add some more vegetables, nuts and lean meat.

    While on Paleo, I feel more energized all day long, even during late afternoon and after dinner. Sleep seems to have become more refreshing and it’s easier to wake up energized.

    If you are serious about weight loss, you must read more on Paleo and give it a try.

    [Photo of one of the best fruit salads I’ve ever had, during one of my travels to the Middle East]

    Bonus time

    Mush Happiness, Productivity , , , , , ,

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    “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]