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3 great benefits of summer!

Mush Fitness, Happiness, Health, Life , , , ,

There’s something good in every person, place and situation. So it is with summer. We can complain about the heat and sweat or remind ourselves of all the goodness that every weather brings. Few benefits of summer that I can think of:

  1. Detox through sweating. Our skin plays a major role in the detoxification alongside the lungs, kidneys, bowels, liver and the immune system. Sweat carries toxins out of the body and flushes them through the pores. Sweating also helps to regulate body’s temperature. Sweating is a natural sauna!
  2. Free Vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for healthy immune system, is a potent anti-inflamatory, helps regulate blood sugar levels, helps lower blood pressure… and many more benefits are still being discovered. People would pay any price to get this vitamin, but you can get it free from the sun!
  3. More time outdoors. Summer provides an excellent opportunity to switch off the TV, computer and spend more time outdoors. Whether it’s hiking or cycling in the countryside, swimming in the pool or at a beach, walking barefoot in a lawn or at a beach… summer is a great time to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends!

What other benefits can you think of? Please share through comments.

[Photo of a monkey we spotted during the MacLehose stage 5 in Hong Kong a couple of day ago.]

If you could live your life again…

Mush Life, Motivation , , , ,

I turned 46 this month. And this birthday, I asked myself a few questions:

  1. If I could start over, what would I do differently?
  2. What would I not change at all?
  3. What have I learnt?
  4. What do I want to be five years from now, and ten, twenty…?

And I share some of the answers to #1, hoping that the exercise would inspire you as much:

  • I would sleep less, and read more.
  • I would eat less, and work out more.
  • I would complain less, and compliment more.
  • I would spend fewer weekends at work, and more at home.
  • I would spend more time alone with the one I love.
  • I would read more with my kids when they were young.
  • I would talk/listen to my parents more often.
  • I would watch less TV and fewer movies.
  • I would spend less on things, and more on experiences.
  • I would save more for travel; I would see more of this world.
  • I would start a foundation to educate the poor, or support such foundations.
  • I would write a diary of things I learnt.
  • I would learn languages, cooking, playing a flute, rock climbing…
  • I would stay in touch with more friends and more family members.
  • I would plan less, act more.
  • I would worry less, breathe more, pray more.
I realized that while I can’t go back in time, I can still make many of these changes today. I can’t change the past but I can change my today, and tomorrow. I have started on the list, and it feels great!
What would you like to do differently with your life?
[Photo of the Hunchbacks taken yesterday during the stage 4 of MacLehose Trail in Hong Kong]

37 things we take for granted, every day!

Mush Happiness, Life, Motivation, Relationships , , , ,

‘Take for granted’ in the sense that we don’t notice, acknowledge, enjoy these things fully, and even complain about sometimes…

  1. Waking up alive in the morning – thousands die every day
  2. Seeing everyone else in the family also waking up alive and safe – no disasters
  3. Having running water for brushing, shave and shower – millions in the world don’t
  4. Having a choice of hot or cold or warm water for shower
  5. Wearing nice clothes, with lots of choices and matching shoes and bag and jewelry
  6. Eating breakfast and other meals – millions are starving to death
  7. A job to go to – how many are jobless in your city/country?
  8. A car, or other means of transport that allows you to get to work on time
  9. Traffic that keeps moving
  10. Weather that’s live-able – would you rather be at the poles or Sahara?
  11. People trusting you with their problems at work
  12. Appliances and technology that (seem to) make life easier – imagine life without a microwave, washing machine, mobile phone, computer…
  13. Stable electricity – many places have daily power cuts
  14. Getting paid on time
  15. Our ability to see, hear, taste, touch, read, write, think, walk, talk, work, pray, love…
  16. Our education, knowledge, skills, experience, values…
  17. Having a home with furnishing and comforts
  18. Someone waiting for you at home, someone to wait for
  19. Someone that loves you, someone you love
  20. Kids – so what if they are not like us
  21. Friends, and people who care about you, people you care about
  22. Home-cooked meal
  23. Enough clothes to change a couple of times within a day
  24. The air we breathe, water we drink, the variety of food we eat
  25. Money in the pocket, money in the bank, credit cards – millions live under $1 per day
  26. Newspapers, magazines and books to read
  27. TV with 100 channels, and movies to watch
  28. Games to play
  29. Clubhouse or gym to workout
  30. Parents – they are the reason for our being
  31. Good health and fitness – thousands of hospitals in the world full of millions of sick
  32. Functioning government
  33. Good school for kids
  34. Weekends, public holidays
  35. Faith, religion, beliefs and values
  36. Nice bed to sleep in, pillows, blankets, reading lamp, alarm clock…
  37. Trees, flowers, sunrise, sunset, stars, moon, sea, mountain, rivers, breeze…

How different would our days (and therefore life) be if we noticed, acknowledged, enjoyed and were grateful for even half the things we take for granted every day? Would we be happier, more cheerful and have more enthusiasm? Would we complain less? You bet.

Right now, I am grateful for the long battery life on my mac, the comfortable sofa, the cushion on my lap absorbing the heat from the notebook, the lamp, the cool breeze from the window, the family sleeping quietly, the calm of the morning (4 AM), WordPress, Facebook, people who ask me when they don’t see a new post on my blog… a fridge full of stuff, mostly healthy!

Please share through comments (here or on my Facebook page) what else we usually take for granted, every day. Thanks for reading and sharing.

[Self photography during a beautiful drive in Surabaya yesterday, feeling the rain and breeze]

Virtuous until proven otherwise

Mush Books, Happiness, Motivation, Productivity , , , ,

Richard Stengel writes in Mandela’s Way, the biography of Nelson Mandela:

“Some call it a blind spot, other naivete, but Mandela sees almost everyone as virtuous until proven otherwise. He starts with an assumption that you are dealing with him in good faith. He believes that, just as pretending to be brave can lead to acts of real bravery, seeing the good in other people improves the chances that they will reveal their better selves.”

My humble additions:

  • People are mostly good, honest and helpful – regardless of their origin, religion or race.
  • There’s some good and bad in every person, place and situation. We can choose to focus on the good or the bad.
  • We don’t have to smile only when we are happy. Smiling makes us happy.
  • We don’t have to wait for motivation before we act. Action brings motivation.
  • We don’t have to see evidence/results before we believe. Belief produces results.

What do you think? Please share your thoughts through comments.

[Photo of a friend, tour guide, driver and mentor-for-the-day in Rotorua NZ. More photos here.]

Trick your brain into happiness

Mush Happiness, Life , , , ,

It’s not often that I get a forwarded email with good content. This came from a friend yesterday, without the name of the author or the source. And I am copying it as is, because I believe this is true. I have been practicing and preaching this concept for many years. Try it…

Did you know that you can actually “trick” your brain into thinking you’re happy? Dr. David Lykken, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at theUniversity of Minnesota says, “Emotions are a combination of internal feelings and physical responses that provide feedback to your brain.” In effect, you can consciously initiate or provide the mental and physical conditions that your brain will naturally translate into feelings and emotions — you basically have the power to influence your mood. Try it for yourself.

Smile even when you don’t feel like it. You’ll think it’s silly but studies have shown that people who force themselves to smile eventually develop a more positive attitude towards challenges and setbacks. Smile the moment you wake up. Smile as you put yourself to sleep. Smile at everyone you meet.

Laugh at the pettiest things. Get some air into those lungs! More oxygen, more energy, brighter day! Ten minutes of laughter a day –- that’s all you need to ensure a life of contentment. You’ll be surprised that in Asia, some companies have employed a daily “laughter break”. Employees have to walk to a park, form a circle, and force themselves to laugh non-stop for 15 minutes. Company executives swear that this relaxation break has caused worker enthusiasm and productivity to soar!

Stand tall and walk fast. Remember your teacher in second grade? She tapped you with a ruler, screaming, “No slouching! Chin up! Walk tall!” You had no idea that she wasn’t just insisting on good posture, she was also making sure you developed a bright and confident outlook in life!

Stretch – better yet, exercise! Don’t “think” about your workout, just do it! If you pause, to think about the sweat, the pain, the monotony and the time, you’ll find one excuse or other not to do it. So, don’t rationalize. Just get up and do it. You know that at the end of the workout, you’ll feel good you did it. And if you’re not exactly the workout kind, try dancing!

Think only positive thoughts, speak only positive words. Every time you start to think or say something negative, stop. Change your sentences into the positive. Pessimists complain about their problems; optimists think of solutions. Advise, rather than criticize. Encourage, inspire, motivate –- yourself and others. Pick up a lesson, rather than blame. And always count your blessings.

These are just a few of the many ways you can jumpstart an overall feeling of happiness and contentment. Remember that your emotions are dictated by your perception of the world around you. And your reactions are a product of choice — you can “choose” to be happy, angry or sad. As Ecrivain Lesage wrote in “Histoire de Gil Blas” in 1735, “I am happy and content because I think I am.”

[Photo from the window seat while flying from Dubai to Colombo]

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Causes, prevention and treatment of hair loss

Mush Books, Health , , , ,

I’ve been reading about hair loss, and I came across this very comprehensive ebook: Solving Hair Loss. It has very useful information on the reasons for hair loss and what you can do about it; different hair loss conditions; prevention and lots of practical advice. Here’s a section on Nutrition for Healthier Hair:

  1. Avoid junk food. Steer clear of sugary, fatty foods, which fill you up with calories that have no nutritional value to your body. These empty calories contain nothing your body needs for building and maintaining healthy skin and hair.
  2. Eat high-quality proteins. Since hair is made of keratin protein, a diet deficient in protein will show up in hair thinning and loss. Increase your intake of protein-rich foods such as fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, soy, nuts, grains, beans and seeds.
  3. Get amino acids. There are eight essential amino acids included in “complete proteins” which are necessary on a daily basis. Come complete proteins include fish, poultry, yogurt, cheese, soybeans and eggs.
  4. Consume essential fatty acids. These nutrients are essential to healthy hair and the cellular function necessary for hair growth, but they are not produced within the human body. The daily use of seeds and nuts and the oil from them, such as flax seed oil, on salads and in any dishes that do not require heating will bring the essential omega-6 fatty acids to your diet. Omega-3, the other important fatty acids, are contained in oily fish and walnuts.
  5. Avoid caffeine and carbonated drinks. These empty-calorie drinks actually leach important vitamins and minerals from your body, and also take the place of healthier choices such as water, green tea and fresh fruit juices.
  6. Drink your water. The human body needs about 64 ounces of water (eight 8-ounce glasses) to maintain healthy body systems, including hair growth. After urinating the first time upon waking up, your urine should be colorless and odorless for the rest of the day. If it is a concentrated yellow or has a strong odor, increase your water intake further.
  7. Don’t crash diet. A diet very low in calories (fewer than 600 per day) deprives hair, as well as the rest of your body, of the necessary nutrients for health and growth and will result in breakage and dull hair.

Download the free ebook here, and find more info at Hairloss.com. And please share your own tips through comments. [See Mush’s Page on Facebook]

Inspiring Quotes: Life and Living

Mush Life, Motivation , , , ,

Someone in my family died a couple of days ago. A wonderful and kind woman who had been fighting a disease for a long time. And there are two other people, very close to me, who are struggling for life – a two and a half year old and a 60 year old.

We have no control over when and how we will die. But we can choose how we live – with gratefulness, happiness, peace, contentment, love, laughter, fulfillment, forgiveness, action… or with complaints, anger, worries, greed, hate, jealousy, procrastination…

“Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrow.” (Pope Paul)

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” (Mahatma Gandhi)

“As long as I have a want, I have a reason for living. Satisfaction is death.” (George Bernard Shaw)

“As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death.” (Leonardo Da Vinci)

“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” (Mark Twain)

“Death is not the greatest of loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.” (Norman Cousins)

“Have courage to live. Anyone can die.” (Robert Cody)

“A man who dares to waste one hour of life has not discovered the value of life.” (Charles Darwin)

“A man whose today is the same as yesterday is as good as dead.” (Imam Ali)

“Life is too short to complain.” (Yours truly)

[Photo of a Muslim graveyard in Sarajevo]

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Over 100 million homeless people!

Mush Happiness, Life, Motivation , , , ,

Over 100 million people are homeless throughout the world, the majority of them women and dependent children. Overall, at least 600 million people live in shelters that are life threatening or health threatening in developing world cities. Every day, some 50,000 people die as a result of poor shelter, polluted water and inadequate sanitation. Some 70 million women and children live in homes where smoke from cooking fires damages their health. There are over 23 million refugees worldwide, and 27 million internally displaced people- within their own countries.

Please remember this, the next time you feel like complaining for lack of space. Another reason to be grateful.

[Photo taken in Bangkok yesterday]

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