If you
have good health, you are young; and if you owe nothing, you are
rich.
- Ruskin Bond
One of the great influencers on my life is Ruskin Bond. His book
A Little Book of Life which
was purchased on a rainy afternoon in November, 2014 had completely transformed
my life.
One of the secrets of Ruskin Bond being the happiest man even is his child-like
mind-set. To become like him, your
stars must also cooperate apart from your own willpower. His
another equally power-packed book A Book
of Simple Living - Brief Notes from the
Hills would make you think simple and unified with the world, without loosing your individuality.
There is a world of difference between childlike and childish. What I learnt
from the books of Ruskin is, you should not give up childlike nature
though you grow up in age. This
tenderness reflects innocence which keeps you boundless and eternally
joyful. His argument in favour of imbibing this unparalleled trait must
be accepted without a word of dissent :
I have the temper of a child, and a tendency
to be mischievous. And I still retain a child-like trust in grown-ups, which
sometimes works to my detriment. But it
doesn't matter. In the long run, the exploiters and manipulators
meet with their comeuppances; they are their own worst enemies. Meanwhile, I will continue being an eight-year-old.
Recently, I was feeling a bit low, so I played marbles with the
children. They won all my marbles, but I felt better !
The beauty of Ruskin Bond's literature is, you need not require any physical
resources to become like Ruskin. The
only prerequisite is an open mind to
embrace the Truth. With that mind-set,
your restlessness dies down slowly leading to good health by which you feel
younger irrespective of your physical age.
BE LIKE RUSKIN BOND
ARE U A GOSSIP MILL?
A large chunk of leisure time is spent unproductively by majority of us in gossip. If two people meet, they talk less of themselves and more of the world.
If you involve more in gossip, you will be in utter chaos. Indulging in such unproductive and futile talk not only seep your energies but also negativity corrodes your system. Instead, you could use those energies for self-reflection so that you can tread a path of success.
Socrates gives a Triple Filter Test to overcome this problem:
One day an acquaintance met Socrates and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"
Hold a minute, Socrates replied. “Before telling me anything, I’d like you to pass a little test. It is called the Triple Filter Test.
Triple filter?
That is right, “Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be good idea to take a moment and filter what you are going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. "
The first filter is TRUTH. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?
"No," the man said, “actually I just heard about it and ...."
All right, “said Socrates.” So you don't really know if it is true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of GOODNESS. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?
"No, on the contrary...”
"So, Socrates continued,” you want to tell me something bad about him, but you are not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left: the filter of USEFULNESS.
Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me? "
"No, not really. "
"Well, concluded Socrates, “if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?
If everybody prevails on the wisdom of Socrates, we could channelize such unproductive energies for more creative pursuits.
LISTEN !
Listening is key to effective communication . If you see your sense organs, it is apparent that the Creator has given you two ears and one tongue for a reason: listen double to what you speak.
Research reveals that people spend 70 % of their work life in communication, and listening occupies a lion's share of 45%. Talking accounts second with 30 %, reading and writing rank third and fourth with 16 % and 9 % respectively.
A good listener is always superior in his actions than a glib talker who runs out of words as well as energies. Without paying much attention, they indulge in futile talk which may help enemy to ascertain his plans.
Listening is obvious to increase your analytical and judgemental faculties. Listening
skills benefit a lot in personal life, like having great number of friends and
improved social networking and more importantly a high self-esteem.
The importance of listening need not be over-emphasized for a marketing
professional whose job is to connect more
with his clients. If you are a good listener, it will give a lasting impression
at personal level and contribute to both to your personal and organizational
growth. For software
professionals this faculty is of
paramount importance to know minutely the user experience for which they have
to pay attention and this
could be possible only through effective listening.
In nutshell, listening gives an unparalleled wisdom to know about the other
person. So next time when anyone try to speak to you, allow him/ her to do so, instead of
interrupting in the middle. It is not only a good manner, but an intelligent
way of tackling other person in consonance with his/her emotional needs.
TAKE A WALK !
In the first place, the myth that the body is a ‘structure’ should be taken out of mind. It is in fact a set of processes. In order to ensure the organic processes happen as they should, you need to be in tune with nature and exercise should be treated as a non-negotiable activity of your daily life.
The simplest form of exercise is walking; it has a multitude of benefits both physical and psychological. A simple walk on a daily basis puts you on sound health. The testimony comes from none other than a grand old man of 102 years from Mahabubnagar district (Ayyavaripalli village in Veepanagundla Mandal ) of Andhra Pradesh.
Sesha Sarma, by profession a family priest, wakes up at the crack of dawn and starts his fitness regimen with 2 km walking even at this ripe age. When asked about the secret of his healthy life, he says that he has been walking and doing yoga uninterruptedly for the last 72 years.
Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician and father of western medicine sagely said that “Walking is man’s best medicine. An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day. One of America’s greatest philosophers Ralph Waldo Emerson used to finalize his talks during his morning walks.
Henry David Thoreau in his much acclaimed essay titled ‘Walking’ (1862) says that walking only comes by the grace of God. It requires a direct dispensation from heaven to become a walker. T o support his assertion, Thoreau says that he can not preserve his health and spirits unless he spends four hours a day at least—and often more than that—sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements.
While pitying non-walkers, Thoreau says that “When sometimes I am reminded that the mechanics and shopkeepers stay in their shops not only all the forenoon, but all the afternoon too, sitting with crossed legs, so many of them —as if the legs were made to sit upon, and not to stand or walk upon—I think that they deserve some credit for not having all committed suicide long ago.”
On the mechanics of walking, Thoreau says that you must walk like a camel which is said to be the only beast that ruminates when walking. Health experts say that the best way to walk is to swing your arms while at it. Bend your arms at right angles to the elbows and swing them while you walk. This will increase the speed of your walk and keep the body in the aerobic zone (the maximum fat-burning zone).
Research reveals that walking increases the level of endorphins – naturally secreted hormones working in brain which increase the sense of wellbeing. A regular walk boosts the immune system, improves mood, reduces blood pressure apart from controlling weight. It is the best stress buster and keeps the head cool.
When it comes to right gear, wear apparel made of breathable fabric. Also invest in good shoes – a flexible, roomy toe to accommodate foot’s forward thrust; and a smooth sole.
Walking has both physical and psychological benefits. Unless a conscious decision is taken at individual level, fitness will remain as a dream. Experts say that knowledge is of no avail to you if you don't act upon. So all you need in the first place is, walk the talk!
STOMACH WISDOM
FASTING AS A TOOL FOR SELF-AWARENESS
It is said in Ayurveda that you should take food as medicine, otherwise you are perforce take medicine as food.
In my childhood days, my mother put us on fasting every Monday in Kartik maas (November - as per Indian calendar ) and myself and sisters used to take circles around the kitchen during those hungry hours when sumptuous food is served after evening puja. To endure the pangs of hunger, she used to advise us to immerse in our regular activity rather thinking food every moment. It is a tradition laced with potential health benefits.
Now after three decades, I am back to fasting with rekindled enthusiasm after I was convinced enough of its immense health benefits.
In fact, fasting is a cleansing process which takes out the toxic substances from your body. Spiritual luminary Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev says Once in every 11 to 14 days, you may not feel like eating. On that day, you should not eat. You know, even dogs and cats have this awareness? At least every 14 days, you could go without food. If you are unable to go without food, if your activity levels are such and you don’t have the necessary sadhana to support you, then you could go on a fruit diet. Just observe your own system, and you may notice that on certain days, you do not really need to eat. Forcing food on those days is not a good thing to do.
Fitness guru Rujuta Diwekar in her best seller " Don't lose your mind, Lose your weight' says Fasting is a powerful tool as a spiritual practice, but nowadays it is used mainly as a weight loss tool by 'experts'.
All most all religions have fasting embedded in their cultures. If you remain on fasting, your decision-making faculties would excel and it helps you gain more self-control.