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To have meaning our life requires both passion and purpose. A life without passion is a furnace without  fuel and without purpose like a ship with a rudder.

If you are not crazy enough for something, you are not passionate. Passion towards work, physical fitness, any sport, music, dance , any particular hobby.

When you start loving what you do that is passion. When you don’t love what you do , it creates stress. Success follows passion, be passionate to be sucessfull. People with the ‘chalta hey’ attitude will always be average.

What is common in people who excel in their fields is passion. They do not bound themselves with a fix 9 to 6 time for work , for them working is not an obligation but their works keeps them alive every moment.

All you need is the passion, faith and the willness to work hard and you will reach heights. No one is a born Einstein, Dhirubhai Ambani, Amitabh Bacchan or Arijit Singh , they shine like a sun today because they have burned in the fire of passion.

Life has become so busy these days that we cannot figure out our purpose in life. What we actually want to do in life? Figure out that one thing which make you forget the clock, keeps you happy. That is your passion make it your purpose for life. There is no greater thing you can do with your life and your work, than follow your passion in a way that serves the world and you.

Light yourself on the fire with passion and people will come for miles to watch you burn.

There can be days when you may face a set back or failure in career, family, social life, love life . Something that you really wanted but you could not achieve. You feel like everything is falling apart and all you do fails.

You might not feel like waking up , hitting the gym, going to work. You may have the urge to overeat, grabbing junk food and in turn spoiling your physique you once sweat for.

Remember life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it.

So how to tackle this hard time or difficulty you are facing?

A thought- positive mind and approach.  Nothing lasts forever. Take a deep breath, call up a friend and ask to accompany gym today. Remind yourself of the pain you underwent to get that physique during exercises , you left gorging over your favourite pizza and cake . This will save you from more regret later.

Only you can help yourself , when you are blaming god for where he is when you are going through difficult times , just remember the teacher is always silent during a test. Just one positive thought and you are the winner of the test.

Self talk can play an important role here. Talking to yourself as a third person, “Aishwarya, you have to get up , go to work , you have to fight through this bad day for the coming best days”.

Gratitude should be practiced, it may seem difficult to find something good around during such times. Be thankful for what you have since gratitude turns what we have into what is enough.  Thank your body parts for working well without any injury enabling you to function. It may sound foolish but where gratitude begins, troubles end.

Appreciate everything openly, whenever you feel jealous just appreciate. Appreciation can make a day and even change a life.

Set new short term goals for yourself .  Whenever you know there is a problem remember there has to be a solution work towards it. Remind yourself of the times you have been successful.

Just take control of your life never give up, never quit.

Here are ten things I did to help overcome my negative thoughts that you can also try:

1. Meditate or do yoga.

One of the first things I did was head to a yoga class. It took my focus away from my thoughts and brought my attention to my breath. Yoga is also very relaxing which helped ease my mind. Yoga helped me stay present to my experience so instead of jumping to what could happen, it brought me back to the now—the only moment, the most important moment.

2. Smile.

I didn’t do much of this during the weekend so I literally had to bring myself in front of a mirror and force myself to smile. It really does help change your mood and relieve stress. I also felt lighter because it takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown.

3. Surround yourself with positive people.

I called a friend who I knew could give me constructive, yet loving feedback. When you’re stuck in a negative spiral, talk to people who can put things into perspective and won’t feed your negative thinking.

4. Change the tone of your thoughts from negative to positive.

For example, instead of thinking, “We are going to have a hard time adjusting to our living situation,” think, “We will face some challenges in our living situation, but we will come up with solutions that we will both be happy with.”

5. Don’t play the victim. You create your life—take responsibility.

The way I was thinking and acting, you would think I was stuck. Even if our living situation becomes unbearable, there is always a way out. I will always have the choice to make change happen, if need be.

6. Help someone.

Take the focus away from you and do something nice for another person.I decided to make a tray of food and donate it to the Salvation Army. It took my mind off of things and I felt better for helping someone else.

7. Remember that no one is perfect and let yourself move forward.

It’s easy to dwell on your mistakes. I felt terrible that I acted this way and that I wasted our weekend. The only thing I can do now is learn from my mistakes and move forward. I definitely don’t want to have a weekend like that again.

8. Sing.

I don’t remember lyrics very well and it’s probably the reason that I don’t enjoy singing, but every time I do sing I always feel better . When we sing, we show our feelings and this provides an amazing stress relief.

9. List five things that you are grateful for right now.

Being grateful helps appreciate what you already have. Here’s my list: My cats, health, a six-week trip to Asia, a new yoga class that I’ll be teaching, and for my mom’s biopsy coming out clean.

10. Read positive quotes.

I like to place Post-It notes with positive quotes on my computer, fridge door, and mirror as reminders to stay positive.

A vision board is a tool used to help clarify, concentrate and maintain focus on a specific life goal. Literally, a vision board is any sort of board on which you display images that represent whatever you want to be, do or have in your life.

What is the point? Simply put, we humans tend to be a very busy species and constantly bombarded by distractions. Making use of vision boards serves several purposes, some of which include helping you to:

• Identify your vision and give it clarity.
• Reinforce your daily affirmations.
• Keep your attention on your intentions.

The purpose of a vision board is to be a visual representation of what you are creating in your life. Research has shown that if you can see an outcome clearly, you are much more likely to achieve it. In addition, many spiritual practices believe that if you look at your vision and bring up the emotions and feelings associated with having already achieved it, especially gratitude, then you activate the universal Law of Attraction and can essentially call that vision into your life.

Personally, I have found vision boards to be very powerful. They have worked 100% of the time in my life – I used vision boards (in combination with intention and prayer) to manifest my dream home, my perfect soul mate, my education and my career. I tend to save them for “big” things but I have many friends who use them for everything and are regularly working on their boards.

CREATE YOUR OWN VISION BOARD:

Step 1: Get a piece of paper and write down what you want. Hand write specific goals that you envision for your career, love life, marriage, school, health and wealth – all aspects of your life.

Step 2: Prepare all the materials you need to make your Vision Board/s. Scissors, magazines, photos, glue, cork/card board or what ever you want to use as a surface.  Remember, you can use the internet to find pictures to print and use.

Step 3: Paste/pin all the pictures, sayings, quotes, or what ever you have prepared. Put them in order of importance, or any other way you want to see them on your board. At the center you might even place a picture of yourself with a big smile so you will remember to smile when you see your board. Remember that you are not just putting up pictures, you are finding ways to create a different emotional state!

Step 4: Place your board/s in places that you will be able to see them everyday. Give yourself at least a minute (five minutes is better) each day to look at your board and find your attitude of gratitude. Imagine you have already acquired everything on your board. Close your eyes and visualize yourself clearly as the happy, grateful person that you want to be.

At HappyMinds Leadership Academy last weekend Smart Leaders made their very own vision board. Their creation depicted very clear picture of how to want their life to be. They covered every aspect of life from Work to Education to Personal life. No doubt they have a very bright future as they express Gratitude, Visualize and Focus for success.

Ways to develop an Attitude of Gratitude:

‘Gratitude’ simply means the quality of being Thankful. As I write this I feel nothing but Calm, Happy and Peaceful. You are probably thinking why? Well it’s because I am grateful for all the beautiful things in life.

Since many years researchers in the field of positive psychology have been studying the effect of gratitude on health and well being. They describe Gratitude as personality strength – the ability to be keenly aware of the good things that happen to you and never take them for granted. Grateful people express their thanks & appreciation to others in a heartfelt way, not just to be polite. If you possess a high level of Gratitude, you often feel an emotional sense of wonder, thankfulness & appreciation for life itself. Individuals who exhibit & express Gratitude are happier, healthier and more energetic. The more a person is inclined towards Gratitude the less lonely, anxious and depressed he or she will be.

It appears that counting our blessings on a regular basis can improve our moods & overall level of Happiness & health but at the same time expressing that appreciation to others will do even more. Noticing, appreciating and expressing our feelings for life’s little blessings can produce unimaginable benefits.

So, it certainly seems that developing a higher level of Gratitude is emotionally, physically & mentally rewarding. Question is, how do you increase your feelings of Gratitude when nothing seems to be going right or life presents great challenges?  It easier said than done. But wait, it is actually possible to express Gratitude when you are not feeling you have anything to be grateful for.  Although we acknowledge Gratitude’s benefits, it can still feel difficult to feel Gratitude. That’s why it makes sense to practice Gratitude in good and the bad times. It is Human nature to notice all  the wrong things, but if we give ourselves the chance on a regular basis to notice all of lives gifts & blessings we can increase our sense of well-being & create hope and Optimism for the future – no matter what is going on.

Here are some ways to start Practicing Gratitude to improve your well-being:

1)      KEEP A GRATITUDE JOURNAL: 

Keeping a gratitude journal and noting down five things you are grateful for everyday will help you focus on the little good things that happen to you daily. Gradually, it will eliminate the negativity and generate a feeling of Gratitude.

2)      EXPRESS YOUR GRATITUDE:

Appreciating people around you helps build relationships. It helps spreading Happiness and attracting great things. Express gratitude and sense the change emotionally, physically & mentally.

3)      LOOK FOR WHAT IS RIGHT ABOUT A SITUATION, NOT WHAT’S WORNG:

Every situation or action will have something right and something wrong. Analyzing the right and the wrong we judge the situation. In this process focus more on the good and eliminate the wrong. Notice and appreciate all the good things in a wrong situation.

4)      PRACTICE GRATITUDE WITH YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS:

Practicing this concept on daily basis will help you master it. Your friends and family are the people you spend most of the time with. You experience number of feelings around them. Practicing gratitude with them will help you in the best way.

HappyMinds Leadership Academy Session:

We instill these skills in children of HappyMinds Leadership Academy as we understand the development process they go through. This week we conducted a session on Gratitude where in Smart Scholars made a Gratitude Garland mentioning five things they are Grateful for in their life. We also discussed with them 21 acts of Kindness and their benefits. These acts were discussed keeping in mind the situations they are generally in. It is fascinating how they understand Gratitude, Kindness and Respect but forget it in the process of growing up.

A Human Wellness is measured not only from outside but also from within. Wellness is a full integration of States of Physical, Mental & Spiritual well being. There are seven dimensions that act and interact in a way that contributes to our own quality of life:  Social, Emotional, Spiritual, Environmental, Occupational, Intellectual and Physical wellness. To improve our quality of life, we need to understand the importance of lifelong learning. But are we aware of it? Are we giving enough time to learn and improve  quality of our thoughts and skills?

Humans are born learners.  We spend 20 good years educating at school, college, university etc. Generally speaking it is true that a formal education and the resulting qualifications are important. But knowledge can be acquired and skill-sets developed anywhere and at any age –learning is unavoidable and happens all the time. Lifelong learning is about creating and maintaining a positive attitude to learning both for personal and professional development. Lifelong learners are the people who are motivated to learn and develop because they want to: it is a deliberate and voluntary act. Lifelong learning can enhance our understanding of the world and provide us with more and better opportunities and improve our quality of life.

There are two main aspects of a person’s development: Personal development and Professional development. These two aspects may not necessarily be distinct as personal development can improve your employment opportunities and professional development enables personal growth.

Learning for its own sake brings its own advantages. For example, learning in whatever context:

–           Boosts  confidence and self-esteem

–           Makes you Interesting and Charismatic

–           Makes you Independent and handy

–           Makes us less risk averse and more adaptable to change when it happens

–           Keeps your brain healthy

–           Helps us achieve a more satisfying personal life

–           Challenges our ideas and beliefs

–           Is fun

There does not need to be a specific reason for learning since learning for the sake of learning can in itself be a rewarding experience.  We live in the Knowledge Age, which means that the ability to apply the right knowledge effectively is an important skill and the cornerstone of our success. If you ever doubt the strength of knowledge and learning, just ask someone who hasn’t used a computer in 10 years to find an article on the Internet.

Learning makes us more interesting. Knowledge enables a different perspective, fascinating conversation and a deeper understanding. It makes us better people; allows us to make better informed decisions; and assists us in becoming more successful in all aspects of life. The advancement of technology has boosted the pace of our lives, and requires us to learn something new each day just to stay current.

The lack of knowledge prevents personal and professional growth, so it’s important to commit to lifelong learning as a practice for   eternal self-improvement. It is important for our wellness to be aware of our own self and to work each day towards perfection.

“Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.” – Anthony D’Angelo

HappyMinds Leadership Academy emphasizes on developing the Cognitive, Social & Emotional, Speech & Language, Fine Motor and Gross Motor skills in children through creative activities. The intent is to develop skills which are required by children other than their Academics. Understanding this need our team designs and plans the modules using different ways of learning.

This week at HappyMinds Leadership academy we learnt about the Importance and Benefits of Reading as our hobby. All our session were designed to focus on developing the habit of reading in today’s tech-savvy children.

On the weekend we celebrated “Read a Novel Day” at Crosswords book store with our Students. They were thrilled about the session being conducted at such a renowned Book Store. This visit was to expose them to the benefits of Reading. They came forth and discussed various benefits, such as:

1. Academic excellence
2. Pool of Knowledge
3. Basic speech skills
4. Better communication skills
5. Mastery in Language
6. Logical thinking
7. Acclamation to new experiences

After the Discussion on the benefits of Reading the students teamed up and performed tasks such as:

–          Listing down best seller books from each section

–          Skimming a few books and giving a brief of the book to other students.

These activities were designed to give them knowledge about various types of books available and to help them find books of their interest. This sure developed their interest in Reading Book, Magazines and Articles. Lastly in this session we discussed about the benefits of Reading and about their experience at Crossword. By the end of the session all the children were keen on taking up Reading as their hobby. “Read a Novel Day” was a hit amongst the Smart Leaders and Scholars making them realize the knowledge and fun reading can bring to them.

In the second session we decided to organize a Mock-Courtroom and gave a real feel of Courts by dressing the children like Lawyers. It is a very new and innovative concept brought to this city. The children presented their case on “What is more important – Literacy or Education?” .It was then followed by a debate round on “Are girls outsmarting Boys these days?” The Young, Dashing and Dynamic lawyers were nothing but the most impressive bunch of kids working hard to become the Leaders of Tomorrow.