At the cost of sounding esoteric, I would go ahead and say that the purpose of each of our lives is to be ‘happy’. Happiness per se is very individualistic and therefore very difficult to generalise. However, it’s safe to say that a huge amount of it depends on the equilibrium we can maintain between our inner peace and the conflicts we have with ourselves day in and day out. As we get ready to bid adieu to 2015, here are the 7 life skill lessons that the year brought to the fore for me personally. So, I thought of converting my learnings to a blog entry hoping that it might add some value to your life.
1. Speak your mind:
There are times when we don’t vocalise what we really feel; at times to save others from getting hurt, at times to protect ourselves, other times because we think it’s not worth the effort and sometimes because we presume it’s not going to make any difference. Whatever the reason might be, if what you are going to say makes sense and is within the realm of sound logic, always voice your opinion. Take time to think and word it in the nicest or smartest way possible if that is what you are worried about but do not resort to silence as a choice. The world is selfish place, if you don’t speak up for yourself no one will care about what you want. Also, lets face it – no one is a mindreader really. Makes perfect sense to not leave your thoughts and feelings to other’s interpretations or misinterpretations.
2. Think about yourself:
This is related to the concept of ‘love thy self‘ that you would see as a pronounced theme in most of my posts everywhere. I am not asking you to be selfish and mean and ignore other’s wellbeing. However, you ought to think about your own interests because ‘you’ are the only person who can do this 100%. People or organisations do not and will never put your interests before their own. So you need to lookout for yourself.
3. Use food and exercise to your advantage:
Food is the most abused medication and the exercise is the least used anti-depressant. I know you must have read this before, but I vouch by this one out of personal experience. It doesn’t even need to be anything complex and time consuming. Mild exercise and sensible eating is all it takes to combat stress and does wonders for your mood and concentration levels. As much as possible, try mindful eating and put in at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. You will only thank yourself.
4. Take out time for things you love to do:
Again this has been doing the rounds because it is a tried and tested path for a happier and fulfilling life. In todays’s fast paced world with work, family, friends, and everything in between, the one person you tend to neglect is ‘You’. By setting aside some ‘me time’ every now and then to do things you love, you get to connect with yourself. The happiness you get out of it will manifest itself in other aspects of your life – personal and professional.
5. Take it easy:
It’s ok to ‘not’ tick off every item in the to-do list on some days. You can’t always fulfil all expectations and tasks that some unusual days throw at you. Yes, practice time management and prioritise tasks to take them to conclusions. Use your time and energy in the most efficient way. However, take it easy if you can’t achieve everything what you put on that list. Go easy on yourself, accept that someone somewhere will always be unhappy no matter how hard you try. It’s ok, really.
6. Spend on building memories:
Build memories, take vacations, travel. Experiences are the best teachers. Travelling doesn’t just expand the horizons of your mind, it also nurtures your soul. Seeing new places, meeting new people, learning about a different culture is really enriching. A popular quote by Annette Gulick says “When you’re young you have time and energy but no money. When you get older you have money and energy but no time. And later when you finally have time and money, you no longer have energy”. So, make use of the time and energy to travel and see the world while you still have the energy. Do the crazy things you want to do, that’s what youth is for! Don’t wait till all you have left is regret. It’s your story, you get to write it.
7. Reconnect with friends:
Social media is great, one possibly can’t stop listing the advantages it has brought to us, but it has also made heart-to-heart conversations rare and texting more popular. Talk to your friends more often, use social media calling facilities or the good ol’ phone – it doesn’t matter. Sometimes all you need is a chat with a friend to feel good. Schedule a call with at least one such good friend each week, if you and your friends are hard pressed for time. Reconnecting with good old friends brings about fond memories of the time spent together and can add a reason to make you smile. Try it.
Cheers!
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