101 Changes: Change 12- How To Find What Is Most Important Thing For You?

Source: http://bigcove.org

I am writing a series of 101 small changes that we can make to make the quality of our life better and build and lead a more happier life that is in tune with our heart and mind. These are small changes that I have made and am working on right now, so I know they are possible for anyone to do.

If you have not read previous posts, check out a few posts on the changes from the past:

101 changes: Change 11- How to find your artistic or creative side

101 changes series:

Most Important Thing

Do you know the most important thing in your life? I thought I did. I always knew that being financial independent, healthy, and having a love and care from my family and friends was the best thing for anyone.  I have written about finding core values before, and I am aware that many of us get often overwhelm with life’s chore and things we all must do that leaves little time for anything else.

Only thing was that I was not really following my own personal values. I thought I was doing okay and living the best life until recently. Often time we are too busy, or spend time in “perceived” important things that we may lose sight of what is truly important things in our life and how to make time for those most important things.

  1. A good old and “Tell like It is” friend told me, that I was so engrossed in my writing projects lately to ignore family and friends.
  2. I saw an accident where some stranger lost his life in blink of an eye. Life is too short.

These two events shook me up and made re-look at my priorities again to see truly what is important to me and I wanted to share.

While being financial independent is important to me, I want to make sure I have time for my loved ones and make money without losing my morals and ethics.

How to Make Sure You are Living the Best Life You can Live?

Many of us have many passions and hobbies. Many times we do things because we like it, other times, we do things because we have to; such as working at a job we do not like, so that we can pay bills. There are other things that we must do have no choice such as doing dishes, waking up at middle of night for sick child or sick friend and so on.

While both might be somewhat uncomfortable, second one has more value as it is about people you care about. Yet, many of us will say money is not important and it will not bring long term happiness yet we do things for these job or making money which is not aligned with our own personal core values.

Before we can get anywhere, we must look at within ourselves to see what ticks us, what makes us happy and what are our core personal values are. Once we understand that living and making living choices becomes much easier.

A while ago, I had gone through this exercise but it is important to follow up and see if they still hold true.

How to find out your True Personal Value?

While our priorities may change with time, our inner core personal values generally tend to stay constant. The best way I have found to find a personal core value is through following steps;

Step 1: Look through list of Values you think that describes you. If you need help with list of Values, here are some example.

  • Accomplishment
  • Success
  • Accountability
  • Adventure
  • Peace
  • Beauty
  • Commitment
  • Community
  • Connection
  • Improvement
  • Creativity
  • Decisiveness
  • Democracy
  • Justice
  • Peace
  • Happiness
  • Faithfulness
  • Equality
  • Diversity
  • Compassion
  • Family
  • Freedom
  • Friends
  • Financial
  • Honesty
  • Independent
  • Leadership
  • Loyalty
  • Love
  • Knowledge
  • Money
  • Personal Growth
  • Wealth
  • Resourceful
  • Respect
  • Quality
  • Security
  • Status
  • Trust
  • Wisdom
  • Unity
  • Legacy

There are more choices of personal values, if you need more personal value suggestions, but I have found this to be top best choices that work with most of the people.

Step 2:  Pick 10 Values that you think describes you well. This step is longest as it requires deep thinking from within. Take your time, there is no rush.

Step 3: Once you have narrowed it down to 10 values, select top 5 values. Why? Because it is easier to go from 10 to 5 choices compared to many to 5 choices. Once you have these 5 values, that is what your values are.

Step4: Before making any decision, on a new job or new change of any sort, go through your top 5 values to see if that aligns with your core values.

Try not to do things that are not in your core values, even if monetary rewards are high. Why? Have you seen some people they have money and things that money can buy but they do not seem to enjoy it and seem unhappy? I am guessing, it is most likely because of inner core value conflict.

Just imagine living the best life you can be, when you are living conscious, value driven life and career that is meaningful to your own personal values!

 Also see:

How to find personal Value : Part 1

How to find personal value : Part 2

101 changes: change 13: Reduce eating fast food and eat healthy

Zengirl

101 changes: Change 11 – Bring Out The Artist In You

Creative Paint Brushes

I am writing a series of 101 small changes that we can make to make the quality of our life better and build and lead a more happier life that is in tune with our heart and mind. These are small changes that I have made and am working on right now, so I know they are possible for anyone to do.

If you have not read previous posts, check out a few posts on the changes from the past:

101 changes: Change 1- Reduce Drinking Soda

101 changes: Change 2: Getting to email Zen

101 changes: Change 3: Slow down- Slow blogging movement

101 changes: Change 4 – Plant something

101 changes: Change 5 – Smile when you wake up

101 changes: Change 6:: Read a book – Benefits of reading

101 changes: Change 7 – Watch less Television and Be more productive

101 changes: Change 8 – Stretch your comfort zone

101 changes: Change 9:  Drink to your health- Benefits of Drinking Tea

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There is little artist in ALL of us, yes you too. Even if you think you simply can not draw, or write or tell poems, stories, tall tales or any other type of artist ability, think again as we all can be creative artist in our own ways! Let me show you how.

So what is Artistic Ability?

Artistic ability to think and work creatively, that means, create something new out of ordinary. It simply could mean, drawing what you feel, writing or telling something you feel passionate about, something you abhor about. It could mean using something in unexpected way, such as broken chair in to plant stand, making new recipe from leftover and so on.

Not only I think that way but many experts also seems to feel that all of us some type of artistic ability in us, we just need to encourage it and see it in us, believe in it.

What is considered Art?

When thinking of art, many people think of Paintings and famous artist such as Van Gogh and Picasso. While painting is certainly art, but it is not ONLY art in life. Here are some other talent that may fall under “art” or “artistic ability”.

  • Painting
  • Sketching
  • Writing short stories, novels (fiction and non fiction)
  • Poetry
  • Music (playing, listening)
  • Telling stories, making speech (we all do that!)
  • Cooking, creating minor adjustment with ingredients to creating to new recipes
  • Photography
  • Landscaping ideas
  • Being frugal can be creative hence artistic (saving money sure takes creativity)
  • Making Money (also creativity certainly helps)
  • Making crafts design such as jewelry, pottery, clay, sand design and so on
  • Reading can be creative as well as it gives us new thoughts

As one can see being creative and being artist goes hand in hand. It is not only that we all do that, it also helps us cope with life’s up and down!

Creative Artistic are Born or Made?

Now many may ponder are we born creative or artistic or that is something we learn over our life time. Is that something you just do, or is it spiritual part of journey? If your parents were artistic does that mean, you will have higher chance of being artistic or creative?

While I am not sure about hereditary or spiritual part, I do know one thing for sure, all of us are born with creative ability or artistic ability in us. Some of us practiced it well and know how to use it, for rest of us, we need to tap and bring out the artistic side hidden behind our daily and busy persona.

Some people’s profession demands creativity and artistic expression such as musician for example, however if you are an accountant with desk job or busy housewife like myself, we can still use and believe in our artistic ability in our life.

How do you See Yourself?

We all human beings (and also other living beings) are mixture of our experience from childhood, friendship, books we have read, movies we have seen, music we listen to and people we see and hang out with. All these experience creates memories in our brain. Our brain’s memories and our perception of make us who we are; sometimes we have memories and experience of being creative, sometimes, one or both of parents, teacher have shown us that we have artistic side to us hence we tend to think “I am creative” or “I am artistic”. If our experience are different then we may think of ourselves to “I am not creative type” or “I can not do art”. But you see that is not who we might be as all of us some creative side inside us, if our parents, teacher, or friend’s memories did not show it, let’s show it our brain or mind that we are; because I am telling you that you are creative!

How to Increase your creative side or artistic ability?

So, how do we cultivate or bring about increasing our creativity or artistic ability? I consider these few tips will help bring out our hidden creative and artistic side out in open; Try it and let me know if it works for you or if you want to add suggestion of yours.

Simple Tips to Be Creative:

1. Listen to your Heart:

Oftentimes, we are bombarded with expert suggestions from Media such as Television, Radio, News Paper, Magazines and Advertisement. You may listen to expert advises, celebrity idols, friend or family’s opinions, but listen to your own gut feeling and go with what you feel is right. True friends and family will love you even when you do not choose what they said. Media and celebrities will not care, as they do not know us personally. Follow your heart or gut feelings.

2. Limit Choices:

In preschool and kindergarten, when kids were given more than 2 choices of snacks, they felt confused and unable to make choice easily. Same thing happens to us adults too, so limit the choice to choose from to minimum of 2 or most at 3. If you have many choices, cut down to 2 or 3 semi final choices to choose from.

3. Have routine but not schedule.

Having familiar routine to follow is re-assuring for kids and adults alike. For example, when I do not follow routine of writing on blog, it falls apart. Having schedule posts is sure ways to kill creativity, as it can not be forced.

Have routine and spontaneity in life no matter what you do, be it cooking, creating art, or music but do not have rigid schedule to kill your enthusiasm. Being creative works when we feel free and freedom to choose!

4. Do Not be Perfectionist

I know this very well, as I used to be one! my 6 year old is going through this, as he is taking piano class, he gets very upset when he does not play perfectly, even though he has learned the new song just 5 minutes ago! We are working on it. Being perfect kills creativity as goal of creativity is never to be perfect but to create something new out of ordinary. As I mentioned earlier, creativity works best when we are feeling free, and being perfect is not freeing!.

Just try to do your best, give your energy 100% to task which may or may not perfect, but it will be creative.

5. Forget Trends and Follow your passion:

Trends and fads are temporary! They maybe popular today and gone next day! When we try to follow other people’s success story, it simply does not work. When I left my six figure income to be home, it certainly was not popular in my friends and family and even I doubted my own heart occasionally thinking am I wrong? I might be bit poor compared to my working and making money from blog friends but I am certainly following my heart, if not my passion. This goes back to tip #1 that listen to our own gut feeling.

You can be artistic in making wood furniture or renovating old furniture, one does not need to be Picasso to be creative or an artist.

6. Create your future, forget past

Many of us get lost in past, including myself. It may sound silly, but we let our past dictate our future. For example, I have not published any fiction since being rejected from publisher when I was teen. I have since then published a few non fiction in magazine and books but my fictions I am scared to share. I am blocking my own creativity and working on changing that. If you also want to bring out creativity, forget past, create new you based on what you feel today.

7. Practice artistic creativity:

If you think you are not artistic or want to improve your artistic ability, practice. Practice makes things better. Sometimes having support from family member, friend, teacher or co-worker can boost us further in creativity, in addition to those support, we can also practice and support our own brain memories to help us realize our own creativity. Here are a few simple ways to practice being artistic;

  1. Get inspired, see people and things around you in new ways.
  2. Visit art museum, look at the painting, sculpture. Tell a tale about painting to a friend who was not there, write down short paragraph on the art itself, or draw something based on what you saw.
  3. Write a letter (not an email) to a friend or uncle who lives far away. Tell them what you have been upto and what are you working on.
  4. Look at people, kids and imagine funny joke or story based on what you saw. Find humor, irony or heart touching thoughts from those moments.
  5. Think of dreaded question of “what is for dinner?” by thinking of creating something out of leftover or decide where to go to eat by thinking creatively.
  6. Write down or think about questions that can not be answered in “yes” or “no”, by asking open ended and thought provoking question to yourself such as: “what do I like to do when I am free”, “what is my passion”, “what was best moment in my life?” and so on to increase creative thinking process.
  7. Combine ideas, when you and other person have different thoughts you can sometimes combine thoughts or ideas to not only compromise but also create totally new solution that may work for both of you.
  8. Write daily journal. It does not have be fancy, or only for your eyes. Writing your thoughts down will help you formulate your own thoughts. Create little stories to share your day and read them later just to see how far you may have come along since early days.
  9. Look at clouds, trees and your own doodle when you were bored to find shapes, and images just for fun!
  10. When unable to make a choice, think out of box to see how many other ways solution or resolution can be made? how many will work in reality?
  11. Be around people who you think are creative, artistic and positive influence. If you can not find such people, you can read about creative people in books, biographies to learn from them.
  12. Believe in yourself. Our mind is very powerful, it will manifest future you think, so think positive.

All of us have creative side, by believing in ourselves and listening to our own heart, all of us can be an artist and creative genius in our own way, without being famous! So go today and explore your artistic side!

Zengirl

Image source: freelance folder.com

101 Changes: Change 10 – Eat like a Vegetarian: Benefits of Vegetarian Diet

101 changes is a series of articles for making a small changes in our life slowly to live and feel better.

I am writing a series of 101 small changes that we can make to make the quality of our life better and build and lead a more happier life that is in tune with our heart and mind. These are small changes that I have made and am working on right now, so I know they are possible for anyone to do.

If you have not read previous posts, check out a few posts on the changes from the past below:

Related 101 changes posts:

101 changes: Change 1- Reduce Drinking Soda

101 changes: Change 2: Getting to email Zen

101 changes: Change 3: Slow down- Slow blogging movement

101 changes: Change 4 – Plant something

101 changes: Change 5 – Smile when you wake up

101 changes: Change 6:: Read a book – Benefits of reading

101 changes: Change 7 – Watch less Television and Be more productive

101 changes: Change 8 – Stretch your comfort zone

101 changes: Change 9:  Drink to your health- Benefits of Drinking Tea

———————————————————————————————————————————————– Many people are turning vegetarian for various reasons now a days, such as health and ethical reasons. I have been vegetarian all my life, so it is easy for me to say but do not take my word for it.  If you have thought about vegetarian diet and was not sure, this may just help you make decision.  Being vegetarian or eat mostly vegetarian diet has many benefits.

Let’s see 25 reasons being vegetarian is good for you and environment around you. While all diets have its pros and cons. One can eat soda and chips all day and be a Vegetarian but that would not be healthy diet.

Benefits of Vegetarian Diet

  1. Plant base food does not contain cholesterol. Meat food are generally high in cholesterol.
  2. Except of vitamin B, plant food contains all vitamins.
  3. Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, improving digestion in body. High fiber diet is helpful in preventing certain type of cancer.
  4. Lower blood pressure: Plant based food have low sodium and low in fat, reducing low blood pressure and blood circulation.
  5. Meat based food tend of high in fat compared to plant based food. Less calories, less chance of being fat.
  6. Less chemical and hormones: Many animals are raised with antibiotics and growth hormones, generally plant based food have no hormones injected in to it.
  7. Plant based food have good energy booster carbohydrates, which is essential for energy. That is many carb free diet such as atkins required that one eat mostly meat to avoid carb. Good carb from rice is better, compared to carb from white bread or sugar.
  8. While animals and plants are both exposed to herbicides and pesticides, according to some experts, plant contains less of these agricultural chemical compared to animals who are exposed to it. Best case, choose organic plant food to be safe.
  9. More healthier to eat plant based diet such as colorful fruits and vegetables to prevent obesity, cancers, and type 2 diabetes.
  10. One of the reason many people eat meat is for getting protein. However, in western diet, people consume way more protein than daily requirement anyways. Plant based diet, one will have enough protein through beans, lentils and nuts.
  11. Healthy skin glow: eating tomatoes and certain vegetables gives healthy skin and healthy glow.
  12. Plant based diet tend to be cheaper compared to meat and seafood in grocery stores and restaurants. You will save money as well.
  13. Many forests are being destroyed to raise livestock as needing space to raise them until animals are ready to be slaughter.
  14. Efficient use of soybeans and other grains can be done as it has been said, 16 pounds of soybeans is being fed to cow to get 1 pound of beef. That is simply does not make sense.
  15. It takes about 80 calories of fossil fuel to create 1 pound of beef, versus 1 calorie fossil fuel to create 1 pound of corn. We can save lot of fossil fuel by demanding more grains.
  16. We can save much water as it takes up 5-10 times more water to produce meat compared to plant food.
  17. Ethically, animals are kept in small and inhumane condition. They are fed growth hormones, chemicals to make them grow big for profit. It simply does not work for some people. Even so called free range meat has its own issues as there are not strict standards for what is meant to be “free range” or “humane” meat.
  18. When plants based food going bad such as fruits or vegetables (uncooked), so one does not have to cook it. However, with frozen meat, you can never tell if animal was sick or had issue before consuming it.
  19. Meat is hardly fresh as it comes in frozen section, fruits, vegetable can be eaten frozen as well as fresh such as in salad.
  20. You can leave fresh vegetable out for day or two on counter and it will be still edible but leave hambuger patty out for 6 hours and see one you want to consume. Plants have longer shelf life outside of freezer.
  21. Plant based food tend to help with health issues such as heart attack, cancer, kidney stones and gallstones, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, gum disease and more.
  22. When you buy in factory farmed meat, we indirectly support these inhumane conditions that animals are raised and killed.
  23. Many plants can be eaten without killing the plants with exception of eating of root vegetables.
  24. More conscious and natural eating.
  25. Human does not have to eat meat to survive like many other living being. Many vegan and vegetarian are living proof of it.

We are what we eat, it has been said by many before myself. If that is true, why not eat healthy, nutritious food that gives us energy, life, ethical and sustainable to our environment. In this life time, we have only one body and one earth, let’s keep it simple and disease free. Only you can make choice what works for you and how you want to live. I am simply sharing what worked for me and many others who are vegan and vegetarian for many reasons. What are yours reasons?

Resources for Vegetarians (Potential, New and Current)

Becoming Vegetarian: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Vegetarian Diet

This 262 pages long book,  Becoming Vegetarian is a comprehensive and up-to-the minute guide to achieving a healthful vegetarian lifestyle. Written by three highly qualified dietitians, all of the key questions which arise for those who are beginning a dietary shift away from animal products are addressed, as well as those questions long term vegetarians have who want to ensure that their dietary pattern is nutritionally adequate.

 

Your Vegetarian Pregnancy : A Month-by-Month Guide to Health and Nutrition

I had two successful vegetarian pregnancy, so I know it is possible. Here is a perfect book for those who might be wondering about vegetarian pregnancy issues in 400 pages book. The author covers everything from protein requirements to labor pains and nursing positions, with a zeal for the vegetarian diet that canseem almost passionate. Must read for those who are pregnant and curious about being vegetarian, yes you can have successful vegetarian pregnancy.

For other Vegetarian information check out following sites;

Vegetarian Nutrtion from Wikipedia

Vegetarian Cuisine from Around the world.

7 Vegetarians share where they protein: Video

Holy Cow Vegan Recipes

 

101 Changes: Change 9 – Drink to your Health: Benefits of Drinking Tea

I am writing a series of 101 small changes that we can make to make the quality of our life better and build and lead a more happier life that is in tune with our heart and mind. These are small changes that I have made and am working on right now, so I know they are possible for anyone to do.

If you have not read previous posts, check out a few posts on the changes from the past:

101 changes: Change 4 – Plant something
101 changes: Change 5 – Smile when you wake up
101 changes: Change 6:: Read a book – Benefits of reading
101 changes: Change 7 – Watch less Television and Be more productive
101 changes: Change 8 – Stretch your comfort zone

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Tea has been around for many centuries around world and loved in countries like China, India, England and other places. Tea drinking has been always connected with well-being, restoration, and regeneration of cells. Many people are just starting the see and feel the benefits of drinking tea. Drinking tea has been linked to fighting cavities to Parkinson’s disease. After all, we all got only one body and one life and health is true wealth.

In India, where I am from, it is a custom to drink tea for breakfast and one in afternoon after nap (Yes, adults take naps too, although India is changing fast to become more like western world). Many of us in America, are drinking coffee and soda with meals. While there is nothing wrong with it, tea drinking has many more benefits, let’s explore more.

Zenguy makes a best chai, if you like to know how to make best chai at home you can click here : How to make best chai tea at home post.

  1. Less Caffeine than Coffee: While I love my coffee occasionally, tea has far less caffeine in it. Coffee has usually two or three times more caffeine than tea. Little caffeine is okay and might be beneficial but too much caffeine can harm our heart and body organs. Drinking too much coffee can give you jittery feeling, headaches and sleeplessness compared to drinking tea.
  2. Tea has Antioxidant benefits: Many of us are aware of antioxidants can help us in slowing down the aging process, and regenerate and repair our body cells. Some studies shows that antioxidants can prevent cancer as well. Well, give me a cup right now!
  3. Can be great for dehydration: While I think water is always the best for dehydration, tea drinking comes close to it. Compare to sugary juices and soda, tea can be a great thirst quencher and can keep you hydrated as long as you do not load it with too much sugar.
  4. Tea can reduce your stomach cramps: Some property of tea can act as an anti-spasmodic agent and allowing it to aid in the relief of stomach cramps. I have seen it used to calm a colic infant in some culture.
  5. Tea can help with heart disease and cholesterol: More and more studies in recent times have shown that black tea and green tea can be helpful preventing blood clots to help you with heart disease and stroke reduction as well as cholesterol.
  6. Tea helps your teeth: Too many jokes of British drinking tea with bad teeth may make you think otherwise (I personally think in US, we are way obsessed over whiten teeth), but actually tea contains fluoride and tannin which helps teeth decay and reduces plaque in teeth.
  7. Tea is Calorie Free: If you see thin Japanese and Chinese people you can see why, because plain tea is calorie free. Many Indians do not come in this category (Myself included) as we Indians like our tea with Milk, Sugar and spices which adds some calories. If you drink plain black Jasmine and green tea, it is calorie free and can help you with weight maintenance.
  8. Tea can keep your skin Acne-Free: Antioxidants in tea seems to help people with acne problems and keep skin smooth. Tea is also much more natural compared to benzoyl peroxide to treat acne, which is harsher chemical. I did not know about this benefit until I did research to write this article.
  9. Tea can flight flu and Infections: Studies have shown that people who gargled with black tea extract twice a day, were much more immune to flu virus compared who did not. Tea contains chemicals called alkylamine antigens which act similarly to some tumor cells and bacteria, boosting the body’s immune response.
  10. Tea can help bad breath. A study at the University of Chicago has suggested that the polyphenols in tea can help to keep the bacteria that causes bad breath in check. Sounds good to me.

In addition to these benefits, many studies have shown many medicinal effect of drinking black or green tea. Some studies have shown tea reduces or helps with HIV, metabolic rate, lowering blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, cancer, arthritis, diabetes and much more. You do not have to take my word for it, you can find it out for yourself.

Health effect of tea: Wikipedia You can read more about health benefits of tea drinking here.

A few Chai to try out:

  • ORGANIC INDIA ORGANIC CHAI MASALA TULSI TEA. Tulsi black tea and chai spices make the perfect exotic chai that stimulates your senses and soothes your soul. Add milk or nondairy milk and a touch of sweetener for a delicious authentic India experience:.
  • NUMI TEA 18 BAG ORGANIC GOLDEN CHAI BLACK TEA. This chai delight blends Assam tea with worldly spices. This rich infusion has a complex hearty flavor evoking a warm balance between the spices.

 

Special Chai Mug:  Enjoy your flavor tea bag with our double wall insulated Connoisseur Chai Mug. Highpolished stainless steel exterior has a contemporary look. Insulated lid keeps your favorite Chai hot or cold longer. Tea leaves strainer is designed for the Chai connoisseur. 18/8 stainless steel Double Wall Insulation Insulated Lid Tea Leaves Strainer

If you already a tea drinker then you already know how beneficial it is. If you have not tried it yet, get out of your comfort zone a little and taste tea today!

Also check out 10 ways to simplify your health and Health and Wealth Connection

Your turn: What type of tea do you usually drink? Do you like Chai-tea?

101 changes: Change 1- Reduce Drinking Soda

101 changes: Change 2: Getting to email Zen

101 changes: Change 3: Slow down- Slow blogging movement

101 changes: Change 4 – Plant something

101 changes: Change 5 – Smile when you wake up

101 changes: Change 6:: Read a book – Benefits of reading

101 changes: Change 7 – Watch less Television and Be more productive

101 changes: Change 8 – Stretch your comfort zone

101 changes: Change 9:  Drink to your health- Benefits of Drinking Tea

101 changes: Change 10: Bring out the artist in You AKA be creative

101 changes: Change 8 – Stretch Your Comfort Zone

I am writing a series of 101 small changes that we can make to make the quality of our life better and build and lead a more happier life that is in tune with our heart and mind. These are small changes that I have made and am working on right now, so I know they are possible for anyone to do.

If you have not read previous posts, check out a few posts on the changes from the past:

101 changes: Change 4 – Plant something
101 changes: Change 5 – Smile when you wake up
101 changes: Change 6:: Read a book – Benefits of reading
101 changes: Change 7 – Watch less Television and Be more productive

What is Comfort Zone? According to Wikipedia, The comfort zone is a behavioral state within which a person operates in an anxiety free condition, using a limited set of behaviors to deliver a steady level of performance, without risk.

We all have our comfort zone, where we excel, where do things that we know perfectly. It gives us confidence, it boosts our ego. There is nothing wrong with it, but with time our comfort zone may start to grow smaller and smaller. Some of us are afraid to try out new things, new experience out of fear; fear of failing, fear of unknown. It keeps us from achieving our best. You may know the feeling? I know as I have been there before and I occasionally have to work on my out of boundary thinking to get me going. I want to share a small impromptu poem that I wrote about Comfort zone. Hope you like it.

My Comfort Zone: Poem by Zengirl

I once was happy in my small comfort zone cloud

Where I was happy and knew things inside out.

Where I had no fear of failing

as I kept doing things over and over almost got tiring

I felt master of routine but felt torn inside

I wanted to push the boundary to be outside

Try new things, new experience

Without anyone’s interference

As my Small comfort zone felt like jail

Instead of place of no-fail

I leaped and stretched my comfort zone

I left six figure job to be home

Be home with my family and kids chatter

Where success or money did not matter

If you are stuck in comfort zone

Where you are good at what you do

But feel stuck and unhappy a bit

Try Stretching a boundary bit

If you will be glad you did.

Take my word and just do it.

It will make your heart and mind more lit.


Some of the great quotes on Comfort Zone by Wise People

If you remain in your comfort zone you will not go any further.
-Catherine Pulsifer

Comfort zones are most often expanded through discomfort.
-Peter McWilliams

We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are.
-Max DePree

A scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar.
– Lao-Tzu

We shall have no better conditions in the future if we are satisfied with all those which we have at present. -Thomas Edison

One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.
-Abraham Maslow

It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.
-Seneca

A ship in a harbor is safe, but that’s not what a ship is built for.
-Unknown

Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.
-Brian Tracy

Comfort zones are most often expanded through discomfort.
-Peter McWilliams

A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.
-Denis Waitley

Every moment of one’s existence one is growing into more or retreating into less.
-Norman Mailer

Progress always involves risk; you can’t progress to second base and also keep your foot on first.
-Christie Mason

We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are.
-Max DePree

If you put yourself in a position where you have to stretch outside your comfort zone, then you are forced to expand your consciousness.
-Les Brown

10 ways to Stretch your Comfort Zone

  1. Travel to new country and hang out where locals hang out.
  2. Eat new ethnic food you have never tried before: For example, try Ethiopian Cuisine
  3. Try Ballet Dancing, or watch a Ballet Dance performance
  4. If you are a guy, watch a chick Flick like Pride and Prejudice
  5. If you are girl, try changing a tire (Note to self: do it)
  6. Volunteer at Food Pantry or Shelter
  7. Try smiling even when you are having a bad day
  8. Jump in Rain like kids, even when someone is watching
  9. Try sitting alone in peace for 15 minutes doing nothing
  10. Give your to-do list a off day! Do nothing day but enjoy.

Your turn: How do you stretch your comfort zone? Are you happy with one you have? Why?

What is the Personal Development Campfire?
This post is also my contribution to Comfortzone Campfire. Imagine all your favorite personal development bloggers gathered around a campfire. Campfires are great center pieces of relaxed and free flowing conversations. Think of all the wonderful conversations and the wealth of topics that might arise. That’s the idea behind the Personal Development Campfire. Your favorite bloggers all gathered together discussing a new topic every month. (Bloggers click here for details on participating in the Personal Development Campfire.)

3 entries so far… you’re next!


  1. Eden Journal
  2. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone (Video)
  3. Heart and Mind: Comfort Zone
    You are next…

Click here to enter

Image Source:

Image: Filomena Scalise / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

101 changes: Change 1- Reduce Drinking Soda

101 changes: Change 2: Getting to email Zen

101 changes: Change 3: Slow down- Slow blogging movement

101 changes: Change 4 – Plant something

101 changes: Change 5 – Smile when you wake up

101 changes: Change 6:: Read a book – Benefits of reading

101 changes: Change 7 – Watch less Television and Be more productive

101 changes: Change 8 – Stretch your comfort zone

101 changes: Change 9:  Drink to your health- Benefits of Drinking Tea

101 changes: Change 10: Bring out the artist in You AKA be creative

101 Changes: Change 7: Watch Less Television

I am writing a series of 101 small changes that we can make to make the quality of our life better and build and lead a more happier life that is in tune with our heart and mind. These are small changes that I have made and am working on right now, so I know they are possible for anyone to do.

If you have not read previous posts, check out a few posts on the changes from the past:

101 changes: Change 4 – Plant something
101 changes: Change 5 – Smile when you wake up
101 changes: Change 6:: Read a book – Benefits of reading
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“I wasn’t worried about freedom. I was worried about people being turned into morons by TV.”
— Ray Bradbury in 2001 talking about his book Fahrenheit 451

According to Reuters (September 22, 2006)The total average time per household in 2005-06 was eight hours and 14 minutes per day. I am sure that has increased much more in year 2010. We as a nation watch a lot of Television and that is nothing to be proud of.

Once upon a time Zenguy and I not only used to watch Prime time TV but also had cable in addition to Indian ethnic channels as well. Whatever we could not see, we used to record it to watch it later. We used to come home after work and crash in front of TV to eat dinner and watch late night show with Jay Leno or David Letterman.

We have cut down on TV watching to almost none. We occasionally watch PBS shows for kids and some times a rare selected programs for adults on PBS such as cooking show, documentary or master piece theater program or occasional DVD movie watching (without ads). Many people says that TV has a many benefits including educational and entertainment value. But, let us look at a few benefits of not watching TV.

Instead of watching TV for 4 hours, you can do following;

  1. You can start a blog or part time business
  2. Play with friends, children
  3. Have a date with your significant other
  4. Learn to play piano
  5. Read your favorite novel
  6. Cook delicious meal for loved ones
  7. Exercise, get in shape
  8. Clean up clutter, organize
  9. Spend quality time with your family and friends
  10. Catch up on sleep, nap
  11. Relax, enjoy
  12. Go out in nature, enjoy sunset, sunrise etc.
  13. Garden and grow veggies, fruits, and flowers
  14. Paint and create a master piece artwork
  15. Learn new skills

TV watching and internet are two of time wasters in our modern lives. We have fast food, fast cars, fast services only to use up that time for watching Idiot box called Television.

Here are some of the quotes by famous people about influence of TV and Media on us.

“Do you know we are ruled by TV?”
— from the poem An American Prayer by Jim Morrison

“American children and adolescents spend 22 to 28 hours per week viewing television, more than any other activity except sleeping. By the age of 70 they will have spent 7 to 10 years of their lives watching TV.”
— The Kaiser Family Foundation

“You watch television to turn your brain off and you work on your computer when you want to turn your brain on.”
— Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computer and Pixar, in Macworld Magazine, February 2004

According toTurn off your TV Website , The CDC notes that “one-fourth of children in America spend four hours or more watching television daily and only 27 percent of students in grades 9 through 12 engage in moderate physical activity at least 30 minutes a day on five or more days of the week.”

According to the CDC, lifestyle behaviors is one of the major factors contributing to obesity in children and adults. Genetics does play a role, however, many health risks have been proved to significantly diminish when physical activity increases and diet improves. One major suggestion by health officials is a reduction in “screen time.” The VERB campaign promotes a decrease in time spent in a sedentary-TV-watching position and replace it with positive physical and pro social activities.

“The average tween spends four and a half hours each day in front of a screen. This includes watching television, video-tapes or DVDs, playing video games, using a computer or browsing the Internet. Television is the medium with which children spend the most time — two and a half hours each day.

* 26 percent of U.S. children watch four or more hours of television per day.
* 67 percent of U.S. children watch two or more hours per day.
* Almost half (48 percent) of all families with tweens have all four of the latest media staples: TV, VCR, video game equipment and a computer.
* The bedroom of the 21st century child is a multimedia environment. Of children 9 – 13 years old, more than half (57 percent) have a TV in the bedroom; 39 percent have video game equipment; 30 percent have a VCR; 20 percent a computer and 11 percent Internet access.” (VERB Fact Sheet)

As we can TV can be entertaining but if you watch too much, it is not good for children or adults alike. If you can not kill off your Television completely, at least watch less or selected shows without violence or advertisements. Watching selected shows fromPBS , or watching selected DVDs of movies and shows will fill the need for entertainment for many.

That is way, many of us can get benefits of educational and entertainment without the disadvantages of too much Television or Media viewing.

Check out following sites for more information;

TV Turn off week Information
TV Ratings for Family If you watch any TV, do check this out

Image Source: NewYorker Cover, Thanksgiving 2006

Check out next in series101 changes: change 8 – Stretch your comfort Zone .

101 changes: Change 1- Reduce Drinking Soda

101 changes: Change 2: Getting to email Zen

101 changes: Change 3: Slow down- Slow blogging movement

101 changes: Change 4 – Plant something

101 changes: Change 5 – Smile when you wake up

101 changes: Change 6:: Read a book – Benefits of reading

101 changes: Change 7 – Watch less Television and Be more productive

101 changes: Change 8 – Stretch your comfort zone

101 changes: Change 9:  Drink to your health- Benefits of Drinking Tea

101 changes: Change 10: Bring out the artist in You AKA be creative

101 changes: Change 6 – Read a book (Benefits of reading)

I am writing a series of 101 small changes that we can make to make the quality of our life better and build and lead a more happier life that is in tune with our heart and mind. These are small changes that I have made and am working on right now, so I know they are possible for anyone to do.

If you have not read previous posts, check out a few posts on the changes from the past:

101 changes: Change 1- Reduce Drinking Soda

101 changes: Change 2: Getting to email Zen

101 changes: Change 3: Slow down- Slow blogging movement

101 changes: Change 4 – Plant something

101 changes: Change 5 – Smile when you wake up

101 changes: Change 6:: Read a book – Benefits of reading

101 changes: Change 7 – Watch less Television and Be more productive

101 changes: Change 8 – Stretch your comfort zone

101 changes: Change 9:  Drink to your health- Benefits of Drinking Tea

101 changes: Change 10: Bring out the artist in You AKA be creative
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Many of us are readers without us knowing it, we read emails, news, blogs, other information sites, magazines, work related and school related books and magazines, novels and other type of reading activities such as reading to your child and so on. Reading a book enhances our imagination and our mind.

With the popularity of internet, video games, movies, TV and other online social, media has put traditional reading in the back seat. There are so many benefits to reading the traditional way and I will show why you should read more books, both fictional and non-fictional, technical and for fun.

Click here to know about my list of classic books that everyone should read at least once and 8 kids books that everyone should read in our life.

Some of the top bestselling books are great way to start reading, exploring and learning at the same time.

I have been a book worm since I was a kid and love reading all types of books. There are many aspects of reading that provide many benefits to us. It does not matter what type of a book you read, there is a book for all of our interests. From

  • comic books,
  • picture books,
  • drama,
  • humorous books,
  • romance novels,
  • historical books,
  • cook books,
  • how to books,
  • self improvement books,
  • technical books,
  • science fictions books,
  • famous biographies,
  • poems,
  • haiku,
  • Joke books,
  • ebooks,
  • travel books and much more. There is something for every stage of readers;

A few of benefits for reading:

  1. It improves your thinking: By reading in general, people tend to improve their analytical thinking and exercise the muscles in their mind. There have been studies done to show that reading improves your mind.
  2. Improves your speech and vocabulary: There is no doubt, the more diverse and varied books that you read, you will improve your vocabulary with words that we may not generally use or hear in our daily life.
  3. It improves your writing: It may seem like a surprise to hear that reading can improve your writing but it is true. If it can improve your mind by thinking more analytically, and improve your vocabulary, it is bound to improve your writing as well.  That maybe why most Language classes made us read books. Great writers are amazing, they can show moving pictures to words that are floating around, making us visualize the characters, feel their feelings and emotions and all that will pass on to you, the reader, especially when you write after reading a master piece book.
  4. Glimpse in to Past: By reading great classic, we can go back in to the past. For example, when we read Pride and Prejudice we can see Austen’s world and culture around that time, how people lived and talked and what was normal, while living in the present.
  5. Glimpse in to a possible future: When we read books like Nineteen Eighty-Four we can foresee a possible future and hopefully we can take steps to avoid some of the worse situations by correcting the way we do things now.
  6. It improves focus and memory: I am very bad with people’s name and driving directions and yet, I find I remember things from my favorite books, the characters all so well. One of the reason being is that unlike the small fragments of issues, a book gives a COMPLETE story which makes focusing easy and improve your memory, especially if the book is engaging.
  7. You can travel around the world from your couch: No need to pack or get a plane ticket, by reading books that are set in different countries, cities, we can learn and virtually visit other places we may not otherwise get a chance to.
  8. Learning is portable: You can take your book or e-reader anywhere as it is portable, be it doctor or dentist’s office, beach or in plane ride. Learning continues.
  9. Can change your life: Have you ever read a book, that completely change the way you look at the world and those who are around you? It can make you a better person, learn a new skill, or give you hope. Not all books are created equal, but there are a few gems that just might change your life for better.
  10. Most time books are better than Movies: As an avid reader and an avid movie watcher, I know 99% of the times books are always better than the movies. Take the example of the Harry Potter book series, movies leave so many things out as it is hard to put everything in 3 hours. Sometimes so much is omitted that it makes it confusing to watch a movie based on a book. Some movies are well made though such as North & South TV series by Elizabeth Gaskell So, next time if you find some free time, pick up a good book to read and go on a time travel journey and learn something you always wanted to.

Some great books to start reading this year, if you have not already done it:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

Outliers: The Story of Success

The Help : Novel

Do you love reading? What benefits do you think book reading gives you? Please share. Image source: Guardian.co.uk

101 changes: Change 5 – Smile when you wake up

I am writing a series of 101 small changes that we can make to our life quality better and build and lead more happier life that is in attune with our heart and mind. If you have not read previous posts, check it out my previous post101 changes: Change 4- Plant something and other 101 changes articles so far.

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A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.  ~Phyllis Diller

The world always looks brighter from behind a smile.  ~Author Unknown

When was the last time you smiled as you were waking up in the morning? I am sure if there any, there a far and few in between them.At least it was like that for me not too long ago, I woke up grouchy with weight of world on my shoulder every day.

I know this very well, even now as when I wake up, I am still sleepy and woken by either my 1 year old or preschooler, smile is last thing on my mind. Many times, I want to sleep still 10 more minutes or remember how much work I have to do today and other never ending to-do list of things to do today.

Continue reading →