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Do you only feel negative during this lockdown? With pain and helplessness all around, With your self-identity forced to switch roles, With a jolted normal for unpredictably long, The thought pop ups cannot be exciting. Infact most of them are negative... Relax... that's human! And it's not only your story. This is the first time we fall on the same page.  But maybe... this lockdown... most of us went all too far. Let's Address the Problem Fear... Dilemmas... Uncertainties... Anxiety... You are thinking too much about the future.  Overflowing thoughts drive you everywhere you don't want to reach. Now that lays the foundation of a quandary. Because when this unconscious flow of thoughts continues, it leads to mental diarrhea, which soon attacks your emotions.  Ahh... now that hurts! With thoughts already conflicting, this lockdown came up with another challenge... Managing emotions... a bigger task than managing mind. Do you know what's the result of mismanaged thoughts and emotions? Your crude feelings turn negative!! Once your feelings turn negative, no matter how hard you try, you cannot feel happy.  And that's what is happening to most of us.... sitting at homes... having nothing to do.  Bodies are locked down, but minds still wandering. Painful state this... densely negative!  The good news: We can get out of here. Let's talk about the revival now! How to Revive From State Where Feelings Turned Negative? Arrange a session You with Yourself where you are disconnected from the outside world.  No people, no cell phones, no distraction whatsoever... Start with a minimum of 30 min session whenever you get Time. Time... not a difficult thing to find during this lockdown... isn’t it? I agree some of my friends would get offended about that. And that's because there are many samaritans who volunteered to step out of their houses to serve people and nation in anyways. And there are also individuals who could not afford Me time as they were, and still are busy with their household chores. But I must say, sacrifice that 30 min of sleep even if you have to, but during this lockdown, everyone needs that session, that session of self-introspection. So what do you do in that session? Do nothing different! Quitely get back to basics... Remind yourself that everything started with your mind... overflowing with negative thoughts... for an extended period. And that's what touched the depth of feelings. So to revive your positive feelings, you need to get back to your thoughts. Go for it! Just sit comfortably, preferably with closed eyes, and observe your thoughts coming and leaving. Don't pay attention to any. Allow them to pass by. Stop participating.... stop involving with any thought... even the ones you call positive.              We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves. — Buddha Why do you stop paying attention to positive thoughts? You might be wondering: No attention to negative thoughts... sounds logical! But why should I stop paying attention to positive thoughts? Because that's a ploy. That's deliberate from the mind to convince you to interact with thoughts. So that you hook to it... and finally get carried away by the flow of it. It's a mind's...

According to Collins dictionary, Nature is all the animals, plants, and other things in the world that are not made by people, and all the events and processes that are not caused by people. (I'll be denoting Nature by They, Them, Their... Just cannot confine nature into a box of It.) Let’s meet Nature Nature is super-expressive! Since ages, they are trying hard to express: Pain during ruthless slaughtering, Misery in feeding pollutants, Suffering after a sudden human attack, Yes that’s what nature had to share. Because that’s what we... the most intelligent creatures on this planet... had been offering to them... in our own filthy ways. Cruel We ... who didn’t bother listening to nature shouts in pain inflicted by us. We could not sense those tears; We had no feelings for them in our consciousness. We murdered them for our luxuries; burnt them for money. We went unconscious of their existence, unaware that our existence is superficial without the creator — Nature! You might wonder: Why am I told this? Why am I forced to realize all of it? Well the whole purpose of saying this is: If that’s the ugly past you want to forget, guess what... you got this opportunity! It’s time you can break that equation, and start afresh chemistry with nature. Because nature just forgot ages of brutality by us during this pandemic. Nature revived without long-due revenge! Nature resurrected! Nature is back to the old school smiles! So time to get back to the present and embrace this undeserved opportunity. It’s important we connect with nature now... when they are all smiles! Never was a better time we could feel free from this guilt... the guilt of causing so much harm to them. It’s time we feel happy with them, for them! Just to remind you, nature was never helpless. If they would take long-due revenge, the entire human race could be sacrificed. That’s how much damage we did to them. But guess what... nothing as such happened... And nature we never met... sounds familiar! Call it luck, fate, destiny, anything, but make sure you accept this as a blessing! That human lockdown led to nature's independence! Indirectly adding more generations to the human race. All mediums of pollution are at rest. And the: fresh air, clear skies, whirling trees, gushing winds, chirping birds, they are all back. It’s a huge offering from nature who was hit brutally hard by us. So come on mate… We always complained about limited time. We were unconscious of their cries then. But about now...during this lockdown... Let us not miss this... to listen to nature expressing joy! Well if you are wondering... How do I interact with nature? Let me remind you there’s an unconscious breath transaction always on between you are the greens outside. Oxygen... Carbon dioxide... Oxygen... Carbon dioxide... lifetime transaction... till your last breath! And now let me ask you: The fact that life is lifeless without breath, and breath connects humans to nature, Is this not enough to create an involvement? I feel... Acknowledging this simple fact has enough reasons to develop a beautiful bond with the creator — Nature! If you could feel this mind shift, you could experience life over mental and emotional barriers. Your ego goes for a toss, as you...

Have you been hunting for ways to transform into a happier self? It is time to call shots and make some big changes in life.  Well, little did you know but creating a happy bubble around you is easy-peasy. The secret lies in unleashing the potential in you so that you become your best version. Kiss goodbye to anxiety because happiness is not hard-found. Being happy is easier than you think.  So, are you great at chalking out plans and strategies but not quite efficient in implementing them? No problem! Digging into the best of self-improvement books can help you rule out every little hurdle, standing in the way of you and a good life. Believe it or not but self-help books work like magic. Taking cues from the insights shared by the greatest minds in the world, reading lines that are inspiring and healing and getting a hang of simple, developmental exercises, the perks of engaging in self-improvement books are way more than you can imagine.  Wondering where to start? Don’t worry because here’s a curated list of 10 best self-improvement books of 2020 Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert If you’ve been dreaming of taking pleasure in a fairytale life, Big Magic is a must-read. The author has splendidly jotted down stories, spilling beans about her experiences with magic and creativity. Read more to find out what makes her life so much happy and fulfilling. Buy Now Here - Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear   Time Management Secrets by Martin Manser Do you struggle to execute a job perfectly when your plate is too full? Well, Time Management Secrets is a winning aid for you. Explore the fundamentals of time management and give your career the much-needed wings. Read about the ways of strategizing and recognizing your priorities. The book includes priceless words of wisdom from experts in business circles. Learn the ropes of necessary work ethics, analyze the importance of communication and every other knick-knack, important to hit the easy-street.  Buy Now Here : Time Management: Collins Business Secrets   Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis Is your life topsy-turvy? Well, Rachel Hollis is here to tell you that it is okay to have a messy life. However, to make it a joyful space and make life a smooth-sailing, one must get over the bait of procrastinating and lying to oneself. It is a big hurdle that does a lot of damage. Girl Wash Your Face is a book that enlightens you about the 20 odd lies, people love telling themselves to procrastinate and hold back.  Buy Now Here : Girl, Wash Your Face   Year of Yes by Shonda Rimes Shonda Rimes is not an unknown name if you loved to binge-watch shows like ‘How To Get Away With Murder’ and ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ The book is not a fancy tenement of tricks and tips for a better life. Instead, Rimes highlights the changes she witnessed after she said ‘YES’ for a year. It is a chronicle of episodes that only got better when she started nodding ‘YES’ for everything in life. Her...

What is Self Confession? No one is perfect. It is quite human to commit mistakes and errors.  However, the important thing is to take responsibility for the mistakes, take corrective measures to rectify it and make sure to never repeat it again. Interestingly, mistakes are of two types: Which gets noticed by others. Which gets noticed only by the individual who committed it. In this article, I am addressing the type two mistakes, which are committed solitarily, irrespective of whether anyone is around or not.  Yes, I am referring to the errors which get unnoticed by others, the mistakes in which the person committing it is only the witness. Well, these are the mistakes which only our inner-self is aware of, the errors which we cannot accept and admit in front of others.  Thus, it becomes imperative to admit it in front of ourselves. This confession of the mistake/error to oneself is nothing but a SELF CONFESSION. Few such mistakes in which self-confession is important: Forming a negative opinion about an unknown person Taking the loved ones for granted Getting carried away by the materialistic drives Inner-self complexity and inferiority-superiority complex Avoiding compassion Pervert thoughts Not expressing yourself Unnecessary judgment about people A discrepancy between your physical and mental appearance  Competition and comparison with others Inability to say no to others    These are some of the examples in which only our inner-self is the witness. And cannot be apparently seen by others as these conditions are within an individual. A few heartfelt Realizations: As most of the above-mentioned mistakes are not apparently seen by others, it becomes extremely important to make self-confessions where we admit our errors and mistakes to ourselves. Only when we admit it, we can rectify it to boost up our inner-self attributes like self-confidence and self-esteem. Always remember, our instincts play a vital role in letting us know about our mistakes. Let us not avoid it just because we think nobody can see it or no one will get to know about it. My dear friend, you are highly mistaken if you think likewise. Always remember, sooner or later, it will start reflecting in your attitude. And finally, it shall transform into your behavior where it will become virtually impossible for you to hide your mistakes even from the outside world. Let us never forget that our mind is extremely vulnerable and gets carried away easily. Self-confessions boost our inner-self to such an extent where even when we get alone time to think and do whatever we want to, we shall always be able to say no to ourselves from committing the things which are wrong. The significance of self-confession: Self-confessions help us to eliminate self-humiliation because when we are committing things which we know are wrong(mistakes), it leads to self-embarrassment and self-humiliation where we begin to curse and abuse ourselves. In the process, our self-love diminishes dramatically. Let us sink into minds that self-love is the essence of quality living. Let us never neglect the mistakes. Be courageous to make self-confessions and...

Allow me to begin with a small composition of mine: Speak Speak speak... you speak SPEAK WITH AUTHORITY, SPEAK WITH CLARITY... make sure you get heard when you speak Irrespective of the language YOU SPEAK... as long as you have a voice, you speak don’t wary the criticisms and the questions ... as long as you are right, you speak Don’t worry about losing them, FOR THE SAKE OF FINDING YOURSELF, you speak. To spit out the negativity, for the sake of positivity... gather courage only once to speak on their face and never behind, as long as they are wrong, you speak FOR THE SAKE YOUR RESPECT AND ESTEEM... SPEAK SPEAK SPEAK... YOU SPEAK Hope you liked it! Let's jump right into the nitty-gritty of expressing: Expressing is an introduction of your true self to the outside world. Whatever you are inside, just exhibit it outside. What you are and whatever you feel, just express yourself. Never feel afraid of it. Always remember: “You were born to be real, not to be perfect.” - Claire Baker And this applies to everyone. When you have the freedom of expression, use it to your advantage. You are probably wondering: Why is expressing important? Expressing is your deliberate attempt to convert the negativity felt into positivity. In the world full of lies and betrayals, it is difficult to stop feeling negative. But you need to understand that feeling negative is not a problem.  The problem arises when you keep that negativity within you and do not express it out. But when you express out, you unburden yourself and flush out the negativity.  To maintain transparency between your physical and mental appearance. In case you don't know: There are two facets of your appearance- physical and mental. Expressing acts as a mirror between the two. It ensures that whatever you feel from inside, you present it outside. This way, you are true to yourself and to others. There is no retention of negative feelings inside you to attract other negative energies. You always ride high on yourself via expressing. When you express your true self to others, it means you value your ideas, thoughts, and beliefs. No wonder, expressing is one of the best ways to develop self-love. The quote above says it all... When you express, you expose yourself in front of others. You reveal your true identity to them. In the process, people might get hurt. Many people might not like you. They can call you rude, offensive and aggressive. They might misunderstand you. However, the ones who deserve to be in your life will understand you gradually. They will accept you the way you are. No wonder, these people will be less. But they will be the ones whom you will find by your side every time you need them. It's your identity, this is the way you always are, independent of the person, time and situation. Feel proud! Look: Being nude is always better than being naked. Sounds silly? It's not: Being nude is your choice. It is when you uncover yourself by yourself. It‘s your discretion to expose yourself to others. It is the transparency you...

Before evaluating the differences, let's find out the similarity between both the attitude.  Did you notice that both the attitude have four consecutive letters in common-'LOSE'? You know what does it mean? It means that both the attitude(loser/nothing to lose) are provoked by a loss. Now, there are two possible conditions involving a loss.  You are on the verge of losing. You have already lost. Subsequently, when you encounter any of the above-mentioned situations,  it provokes either a 'nothing to lose' attitude or you develop a 'loser attitude'.   An example involving sports where you are on the verge of losing... Two players are playing a game of squash inside two different courts.  The game is of 5 sets. Both the players lose the first two sets. Obviously, the recovery seems extremely difficult hereon. Now, let us try to compare and analyze their respective attitude where one develops a loser attitude while the other develops a nothing to lose attitude.  The one with the ‘loser attitude:’ After losing the first two sets out of five, the person with a negative mindset starts considering himself as a loser even before the result of the game. It evokes fear inside him and he begins saying to himself that he cannot win from this particular game-situation. Eventually, he surrenders to a situation and showcases a ‘loser attitude’ in the subsequent game-set. This attitude fails to deliver miserably, no need to mention the outcome. The one with the ‘nothing to lose attitude.’   A person with a positive frame of mind sees things differently. After losing the first two sets, he sets himself free. Even he starts considering himself as a loser but with a different mindset. As soon as he accepts his loss, he starts seeing it as a different ball game altogether. It evokes a fearless attitude within him as he is already considering himself as a loser. He starts feeling that he cannot go down anymore and plays the rest of the game carefree and stress-free. Trust me, most of the times he is able to turn the tables around from nowhere, and an evident lose turns out to be a surprising victory. Let us consider a monetary example where the loss has already occurred: Two businessmen suffered a huge financial loss in their respective trades. The one with a loser attitude: The person with the loser attitude starts feeling embarrassed and ashamed. He is not able to sink that loss inside his mind. As a result, it never lets him overcome that loss or defeat. That fear of losing refrains him from starting again. As a result, he always considers himself a loser.  The one with a nothing to lose attitude: There is the other businessman who considers it as an opportunity, the opportunity to start from scratch, where he cannot go down beyond it. This attitude allows him to realize his mistakes so that he never repeats it again. Time for some Happy Realizations!!! Friends, we all lose on something at some point in time.  But what makes us a loser or winner depends...

When people don't fulfill your expectations, you get hurt. Your undue expectation from people has become one big reason to feel negative.  Therefore, it is imperative to find out why these expectations and from whom are these expectations? Why do you expect and from whom do you expect? In today’s world, you expect from people because you want them to ‘Return the favor back.’ It is an obligation you anticipate from others in exchange for the good things you assume you did for them. It is the reason why you expect a reciprocation. Quickly, you need to understand that if you are counting on every acquaintance to fulfill your expectations, the matter of fact is that you are unreasonable and foolish. Supremely, your expectations could be from the ones whom you love, who are important to you. It might be from the people you care for, whom you respect, the ones with whom you share a strong bond and an active connection. Let's say, people are fulfilling every expectation of yours. But, what we need to comprehend is that everything is perfectly fine until people keep responding as per your expectations. The question is how long you will keep on getting your expectations fulfilled by others? How long will others carry the burden of meeting your expectations? The never-ending expectation process: Be mindful of the fact that the fulfillment of one expectation leads to the urge of the other. Gradually, it leads to an endless flow and to tell the truth, the chain breaks down one day. Yes, your feelings get hurt one day. Sometimes, the volume of that pain soars high to an extent where you tend to shift your perception of people who belong to you. By and by, you even form a negative opinion about those people. You begin to judge those people based on that particular situation in which they did not raise up to your expectation. You start to forget the positives associated with them. In due process, you don’t realize the value of that person in your spirits before this particular incident. And eventually, you lose that person.  Let me bombard a few questions on you... If you are demanding the ideal condition out of a person, are you an ideal person to demand it? How will you feel when you are on the other side of the table? Are you not wrong on your part if you are expecting people to respond according to you? Are you not judging people calling them wrong without knowing about their problems and situations? Maybe, they could have been in their world of problems when you were expecting from them. Or maybe they are the ones dwelling in their own aura and you are not able to perceive it. Sorry for being brutally honest but when you start putting conditions on expectations from others, you are wrong. Put it to yourself and ask yourself how do you feel about those people who impose their expectations on you? And when you are not able to meet their expectations, how do you feel about those judgemental...

Straight out, positive thinking is good, while negative thinking is bad. But this answer is not that simple than it appears.  The question, whether thinking is good or bad, is a very subjective question. It is subjective because the answer to it varies from person to person, and situation to situation. Most of us might have answers to this question based on our real-life experiences. According to people who have sweet memories attached to thinking, thinking might have a positive connotation. Likewise, thinking can have a negative interpretation in the opinion of people who have been often hit by thinking adversely.  Let us try to analyze the two conditions when thinking is good.  1. FAVOURABLE CONDITION Practically, when situations are favorable and everything in the personal and professional sphere is happening according to you, your approach towards life-situations is positive by default. Yes, your thinking is bound to be bright and spirited. It is because the dark side/ negative side of the mind is untouched, and you are not tested. 2. DEMANDING CONDITION There are also situations which demand thinking; the state of affairs where thinking is an essence. Few instances...a student solving a mathematical problem will obviously require thinking. A teenager obviously needs to think about his/her career opportunities. An artist, a blogger, a businessman, a serviceman, all require thinking in their professional spheres. In these instances, your mind is thinking productively and therefore emits positivity. Now, let us try to comprehend the conditions when thinking is bad. 1. HOSTILE CONDITION The mind often falls prey to the unfriendly situations where you are unable to cope with the unfavorable changes. Unexpected daily-life problems, failures and losses, mishaps and misfortunes are some of the situations when your mind is not able to sink in the turnaround. Your best friend Stress is always with you in these situations. Subsequently, thoughts, which are obviously negative at that time, does not allow you to move on. Finally, your mind gets stuck with those thoughts and positivity is denied. 2. IDLE CONDITION You might undergo phases and situations in life when you are not doing anything. Even in everyday life, you are not working all the time. That particular time(the idle time) does not demand thinking. Avoidance of thinking is a must at this very time. On the contrary, instead of feeling the moments of solitude, you consume the mental energies in unnecessary thinking. By and by, components like inner self-complexities and insecurities begin to add fuel to your thoughts. Finally, grudges, jealousies, comparisons are the extracts from the negative thinking, evolving out of idleness. No wonder, positivity is denied. Time for some Happy Realizations... Positive/productive thinking is a boon while idle/unproductive thinking is a bane. Positive thinking can make you while negative thinking can break you. There are also times when you don't want to think, but you are not able to get rid of negative thoughts. I know it is not easy but you know what, it is not difficult either. The best way you can do it through meditation. Meditation is the best way where you...

Let us fathom a  difference among sympathy, empathy, and compassion. Sympathy is to feel sorry for others’ misfortunes, to feel pity for someone’s pain and plight. When you raise the level of sympathy feeling what others are going through, it is Empathy. Empathy is a more intense feeling than sympathy where you sense the pain of others by stepping into their shoes. If empathy is to feel the pain of others by stepping into their shoes, Compassion is to walk wearing those shoes. It is the conversion of feelings into action, doing something to relieve their pain. As it comes: You are fortunate if you can sympathize. Others' plight does not affect everyone. Kudos! Humanity prevails within you. But is it enough? No, it's not. With sympathy comes responsibility, responsibility to convert those feelings into actions. Sympathy only cannot solve their problems.  My dear friend, sympathy leading to empathy, and empathy leading to compassion is a process, which must be completed. It may not be possible every time but trust me, it is possible most of the times. You can always extend either your tangible or intangible support. Let us assume two instances from daily life, one seeking tangible support and the other seeking intangible support. Let’s find out whether you are sympathetic, empathetic or compassionate? The instance seeking your intangible support... Not only you are surrounded by life but also death surrounds you. Let's be practical. Someone known to you dies once in a while. And in this situation, feeling sympathetic about the loss sitting at your home is not doing any good to the ones who lost their loved one. If you feel bad about it, go to them and express your sympathy. Trust me, even a few encouraging words is an act of compassion here. It is because this is the best you can do in this situation. No one can overturn this unfavorable situation. But what you can offer here is your intangible support. Never refrain from showing up to people experiencing these situations. Sink into the mind that people acknowledge your face in a funeral more than in a celebration. If they are facing it today, it can be you tomorrow. If you need shoulders, offer a shoulder first. The instance seeking your tangible support... You see an old disabled person; worn clothes, as skinny as a rail, helplessly lying down on the roadside. Instinctively, you feel sympathy towards him. ‘Cruel life,’ you mutter to yourself. A few thoughts of kindness follow your ongoing feelings. Dear friend... You are right until now. But the problem is you change thereon… You start putting allegations as per your convenience… on God, destiny, government, country, people, and so on. Ironically, you blame everyone for their plight except yourself. You feel lighter because you think you bailed yourself out of that situation. Sorry but to say the least, you step back at the action time. It is the same case when you want the street drains clean after throwing garbage inside it. Next day, you come across the other incident of the same genre and repeat the same process. Sorry but this is happening with...

What is an aura? According to the Oxford Dictionary, the definition of aura is “the distinctive atmosphere or quality that seems to surround and be generated by a person, thing, or place.” If you ask me in simple words, your aura is the surrounding energy you create by your presence. Wherever you are and whatever you do, your aura always surrounds you. So you can say your presence is the creator of your aura. More powerful your presence, more dominant your aura. Similarly, your inactive presence lowers the intensity of your aura.  There are many reasons why it is important to raise the intensity of your aura: To be yourself... When your aura is strong, your appearance is not deceptive, and showcase what you are. It authenticates your individuality and originality. To take your independent decisions... Powerful aura powers self-belief. And when you believe in yourself, you are not afraid of taking bold and independent decisions. To say NO to others... You are not under people’s influence when the presence of your aura is strong. You don’t get carried away by them, which is difficult otherwise. To test the boundaries of your comfort zone... Your self-motivation keeps you ready to confront new challenges, which enhances your personal and professional growth.  To stop being a soft target for others... You never get attacked by others, never get bullied and nobody takes you for granted.   To become a proposer, not a seconder... When your aura is strong, you initiate things in your personal and professional sphere. You never play the waiting game. This way, you enforce your aura on others. To stop being a puppet of others... People cannot make you dance to their tunes. They cannot take undue advantages from you either. To become a leader, not a follower... You attract people by your aura. And the queue is always behind you. To follow your dreams and passion... Following dreams and passion is difficult. You need to be strong and ready to endure. Powerful aura provides the impetus.  (Find out whether the passion-driven journey is easy or tough?) To stop fearing people’s judgments... It does not concern you how people see you and perceive you. You are on your own. To fall in love with none other than oneself... You don’t commit to things which can hurt your self-respect. You don’t fall prey to the self-harming thoughts, which enables you to develop self-love.                      And to stop being a television whose channels are changed by the person, in whose aura you are dwelling. Let’s find out how do you raise the intensity of your aura? Try to carry out a simple process... Be it anything big or small,  refrain yourself from doing it for the sake of doing it. Try to find out a motto behind every subsequent action. When there is a motive, you do it putting in efforts and belief behind it.  This way, you can commit to it. You feel it from within, which gives you a sense of satisfaction. And my dear friend, when you feel whatever you do, you will fall in love with...