Get the winning attitude

Everyone desires success and has ample potential to make it big. Why then only a few make it to the top? And what is it that makes a weaker contestant or an underdog win over the more powerful opponent? The difference between those who are successful and those who aren’t is in their ATTITUDE.

Achieving success in life isn’t just about intelligence, competence or experience. The key to beating your competition and succeeding is the ‘winning attitude.’ Jennings rightly pointed out: “Success is not a matter of chance. It is a matter of choice.”

Success begins with adopting the RIGHT attitude. And positive attitude puts you in the right mindset for winning. No matter how difficult of a task you face, having a positive mental attitude will help you cope with challenges and prepare you to successfully accomplish your goals.

What holds most people back and prevents them from succeeding in life is their bad attitude. A person whose attitude has negative overtones is always cynical and jittery. He sees the bad in a situation and expects the final outcome as being negative.

Khalil Gibran’s words, “Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens,” still hold true today.

It’s all about the right attitude. When life presents its numerous challenges, you begin to lose faith in your abilities. It is then that positive attitude helps you navigate all the difficulties and face the challenges boldly. It makes you better equipped to overcome the odds and puts you back on the road to success.

History abounds with tales of successful people who cultivated a ‘winning attitude’ which helped them overcome all obstacles and ensure their success. They believed in their ideas and believed with conviction even when everyone around dismissed them.

What they achieved began with the right mental attitude and a positive mindset. Venus Williams, with three Olympic gold medals and 21 grand slam titles under her belt, is a living example of how far your drive and ‘can-do attitude’ take you in life.

The power of a positive attitude is within your reach. You simply have to make a choice and grab it. The attitude you choose to adopt will determine the course of your life. So make the most of yourself by getting yourself the right attitude.

As Robert Collier put it-

 

“There is little difference in people,
but that little difference makes a big difference.
That little difference is attitude.
The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.”

How to be happy in life

Sometimes you feel that your life has had too many negative hits in a row. You feel agitated by the difficulties and obstacles that come your way. Life seems to be too much of a burden for you and happiness seems elusive.

Living life can indeed be challenging; sometimes frustrating. But the wisdom lies in taking things easy. Adversity and hardships are an inevitable part of your life. You cannot escape them. So take everything that comes your way with patience and dignity. Never give in to misery and never crack under pressure. Do not take your life so seriously as to miss its charm. Happiness is always around you. Sensitize yourself to experience it.

Happiness is a feeling of sheer joy; the state of contentment. Everyone has their own perception of happiness. For some, it is wealth translating into happiness, for others it may be power, status or fame. But this kind of happiness is very superficial and transient. It is fallacious to think that material things can bring you happiness. Everlasting happiness does not have to do anything with material possessions. Real happiness does not lie in big achievements. It lies in small things that touch your heart.

Happiness can neither be demanded nor earned. It is a conscious choice that you make. You create your own happiness when you commit yourself to live a meaningful life doing things that you want to do. Your attitude determines how happy you would be. If you crib, complain, take offence to everything, you will always find happiness evading you. If on the other hand you take everything in your stride with a smile and accept life as a mixed bag of opportunities and difficulties, you will derive happiness in whatever you do.

Take life as it comes. Learn to enjoy the finer moments in life. Be willing to accept the intricacies with grace and consider them an opportunity to prove your worth. If you succeed in winning, you will rejoice; if you fail, you will be happy at least you dared to try. This will improve your self-confidence and boost your self-esteem. Also, you will end up getting richer and wiser in experience.
            
TIPS TO BE HAPPY

• Smile. Begin your day with a smile and with a promise that you will do your best to be happy.
• Be positive. When you face a difficult situation, brace yourself to face it boldly. Be patient and tell yourself ‘it is a passing phase’ which will soon be over.
• Never indulge in self-pity and never unduly blame yourself for anything that goes wrong. If you have committed a mistake, remain dignified and admit your folly.
• Be honest with yourself. Live by your values and principles.
• Have a clear heart. Do not harbor feelings of ill-will, jealously or hatred for anyone. But if someone has hurt you or done wrong to you, politely communicate it to him or her so that you get over those bitter feelings fast. ‘Forgive and forget’ works only when you make others realize their folly and they in turn resolve not to repeat it.
• Be in the company of ‘happy people’. If you allow yourself to be in happy surroundings, you will imbibe happiness from them.
• Do things that you enjoy doing. Take good care of yourself. Once in a while, pamper yourself.
• Create happiness around you. Use flowers, soothing music, pleasant fragrance or anything that appeals to your finer sensibilities.
• If you are not happy with the way you are, be happy to make changes and better yourself

The secret of true happiness is to live life each day, moment by moment. Always expect the best and be prepared for the best. But when the worst comes, face it boldly!

Relish Your Life

There is a Chinese saying which goes- “We are so busy making a living that we forget to make a life”. How true!

We are so busy running around in life that we have lost the sense of direction and purpose.

The pleasure of living has given way to stress and strain of earning a livelihood and making both ends meet. Life has become one extended and tedious journey where only the end will bring respite.

Such a frenzied life is not a new development. Living life was never easy anyway. Only now it has become more intricate and perplexing. Living life to the fullest is not a new concept but of late it has acquired uncanny interpretations and bizarre connotations.

We all want so much from life that we end up getting bewildered by the puzzle of life itself. The depth and the gravity have gone missing from our life. We stress so much on quantity in life that it has almost become bereft of quality.

You need to look at life with a whiff of fresh air. Give meaning to your life only then will your life have a purpose.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson has put it- “It is not the length of life, but the depth of life that matters!”

You need to give your life a chance. Sense it, experience it and enjoy it! Life is much more striking and astonishing than you think it is. And your approach is what makes all the difference.

Many years ago, I read these thought-provoking words and ever since, they have been resounding in the corridors of my mind- Your life is not counted by the breaths that you take but by the things that you do to take others’ breathe away! How meaningful!

We need to reckon our life by the pleasant things that we have done for others, the enjoyable moments that we have lived, the fond memories that we can cherish.

Living life is no frivolous business. Life is precious. Respect it. Live it with a purpose. Don’t just exist- LIVE! And while you are living, make your presence felt.

Don’t make your life a series of coincidences and accidents. You didn’t come into this world to drift in the ocean of life. Adjust your sail and guide your way to success even if it means sailing upstream or against the wind. Lead your life worthwhile so that you leave your footprints on the sands of time.

Abraham Lincoln once pointed out- “It’s not the years in your life that count. It's the life in those years”.

Life is a journey with no destination. The destination is the end, the very end, when we shall all perish. So make your journey as pleasant and memorable as possible.

Enjoy it each day, each minute. Seize the moments and make them worthy of living and remembering.

“You can only live once, but if you live right, once is enough”- These words of Joe E. Lewis describe the essence of life very aptly. Enjoy your life for you have only one life.

Living a contented life is not a matter of chance. Living life to the fullest is a decisive choice that you make. The beautiful words of Cortia Kent have summed it appropriately- “Love the moment. Each moment is vital. Life is a succession of such moments and to live each, is to succeed.”

Live a purposeful life- seize every moment and live each day as if there is no tomorrow!

Power of perseverance

Accolades keep pouring in for Yani Tseng. The British B2B sporting magazine SportsPro Media recently declared her the most marketable female athlete in the world.

 

At 22, Yani became the youngest golfer, male or female, in modern golf history, to win five major championships beating Tiger Wood’s record of two years. As a tribute to her 11 tournament wins worldwide in 2011, Ladies Professional Golf Association declared November 11, 2011 (11/11/11) as “Yani Tseng day.”

 

And it’s not surprising then that the world’s top ranked woman golfer and Taiwan’s Golden girl, has also made it to the Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

 

However, success for Yani didn’t happen overnight. Born in 1989, Yani Tseng was only 6 years old when she started playing golf. Even at that tender age, she used to play golf for four to five hours every day after school.

 

Like any other sports person, she too experienced ups and downs over the course of her career but remained persistent throughout and kept telling herself- “I CAN do it.” Hers is a story of hard work, perseverance and self belief.

 

Yani is not alone. There are numerous inspiring stories of men and women whose astonishing success was the result of relentless hard work and dogged perseverance.

 

India’s own golden boy Abhinav Bindra, while chronicling his journey to the Olympic gold has stated that “it wasn’t talent but sheer perseverance” that helped him realize his dream.

The five-time women’s World boxing champion and India’s best bet to win gold at the London Olympics, Mary Kom also attributes her success to “some talent and a lot of hard work and perseverance.”

 

However, in today’s fast paced world, perseverance is becoming a rare quality. We demand instant everything- instant coffee, instant microwave cooking, instant messaging.

 

But success doesn’t happen that way; it simply doesn’t come with the snapping of the fingers. To get to the top requires a lot of hard work, determination and above all perseverance.

 

Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States, known for his persuasive words and respected for his integrity, rightly said- “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan, ‘press on’ has solved, and always will solve, the problems of the human race.”

 

In the face of setbacks and obstacles, it is easy to get dejected and feel defeated. Many falter and give up. But successful are those who persevere through the hard times regardless of the roadblocks. Success depends upon, what Miller called, the “staying power” and the willingness to persist in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.

 

It is hard to find a better example of perseverance than Nelson Mandela who endured 27 years of prison for his opposition to racial discrimination. Even in prison, he kept hope alive against all odds and continued his fight against Apartheid.

 

After years of struggle, Mandela eventually succeeded in bringing about the end of the Apartheid system and in 1994, at the ripe age of 72 became the first democratically elected State President of South Africa.

 

Today Mandela is a global icon and his name has become synonymous with determination and perseverance. H. Jackson Brown’s words so very aptly sum up his strength and personality- “In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins- not through strength but by perseverance.”

 

Achieving anything worthwhile is never easy. “If you’re trying to achieve, Michael Jordan once remarked, “there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

 

The power of perseverance is truly amazing. It can help you pull through the rough patches, keep you afloat when the going gets tough and help you tide over temporary setbacks. The premise of the legendary story of the King of Scotland- Robert the Bruce and the spider that ‘perseverance eventually leads to success’ still holds true today.

 

Nothing is impossible in this world. Every goal is achievable. You just need to focus on your objectives, be persistent in your efforts and work hard to make it happen. There can be no hurdle uncrossable, no obstacle invincible and no stumbling block insurmountable.

 

As André A. Jackson puts it- “Difficult things take a long time, impossible things a little longer.”

Set your goals high

 

“Would you tell me which way I ought to go from here?” said Alice
“That depends a great deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

-Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

 

Most people dream about success and also work hard at it, yet find success too distant for them. A key reason why they fail in making the headway is that they haven’t set themselves formal goals. When it comes to planning their future, they float around aimlessly, without a direction or purpose. As Bill Copeland put it, “If you don’t have a goal in life, you are spending your life running around and not achieving anything for yourself.”

It is well known that ‘people who have goals succeed and people who succeed have goals.’ The one attribute that separates the highly successful from the rest is their ability to make concrete, measurable and time-bounded goals that they can work toward. The high achievers are always goal oriented; they visualize their goals, determine how they will achieve them and take action on a daily basis.

When you want to achieve something; you need to decide what you want. And that’s called goal setting. Goals represent your vision about you and your future. I am reminded of the Harvard study in which the students were asked if they had set clear, written goals for their future. Interestingly, only 3 percent of the graduates answered that they had written goals; 13 percent had goals, but not in writing; and almost 84 percent had no specific goals at all! Ten years later, those very students were interviewed again, and the findings were startling. The 13 percent of the students who had goals were earning about twice as much as the 84 percent who had no goals at all. And the most astonishing result of the study was- the three percent who had clear, written goals were earning about ten times as much as the other 97 percent put together!

Goal setting marks the first step towards success and puts your life into action mode. Goals give you a sense of direction and purpose in life. Thus, it is important that you define your goals clearly. Be precise in what you want. The more clearly defined your goal is, the easier it will be to attain and you will precisely know where to concentrate your efforts. Also, make sure that your goals are aligned with what you really want in life. Do not make the mistake of setting a goal that you do not want to accomplish. If you’re not driven by your goals, you’re unlikely to keep after them.

Once your goals and time lines are set, it’s time to act on them. As the famous saying goes, “To aim is not enough, you must hit.” You must chalk out a strategy and actively work towards your goal. Many of your goals will require hard work. It’s easy to procrastinate, get distracted or lose momentum. You may face many obstacles, hardships or setbacks. Sometimes, this can be overwhelming. The biggest challenge, then, is staying focused. Commit yourself to whatever it takes to achieve your goals. Remain determined and motivated. Continue to take small actions each day, and they will add up and make a big difference!

Nothing is impossible. You can achieve whatever you want in life. The secret is to determine what exactly you want, take heart and set your goals and then go after them. As Benjamin Mays put it-“The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.” So, don’t just wait for life to happen. Make it happen the way you want it to be. There’s no better time than now, to get started!

“Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.”

-Bo Jackson

Make your New Year resolutions count this time

“Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning

but a going on, with all the wisdom

that experience can instill in us.”

-Hal Borland

Thomas Mann, the famous German novelist and Nobel Prize laureate said, “Time has no divisions to mark its passage; there is never a thunder-storm or blare of trumpets to announce the beginning of a new month or year. Even when a new century begins it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols.” Yet, the New Year’s time is special for most of us.

It’s a time to reflect and renew, a time to look back at what you did in the past year and look forward to what you can do in the coming year. Yes, it’s that time of the year again.

New Year’s Day is a great opportunity to reinvent yourself, unfold new horizons, gear up for new challenges and realize new dreams. As Oprah Winfrey rightly said, “Cheers to a new year; it’s another chance for us to get it right.” That is why so many people make New Year's resolutions.

A New Year's resolution is a commitment that you make of improving yourself or a personal goal that you set out to accomplish in the coming year. It is easy to make a New Year’s resolution. Everyone can do that. At the start of a new year, most people are motivated to make resolutions to do all sorts of things. But by January end, the initial spark of enthusiasm goes out and the motivation to keep the New Year's resolution starts to dwindle.

Anyone who has ever broken a New Year’s resolution will tell that keeping resolutions and sustaining the momentum can indeed be tricky. It takes steely nerves to live by what you resolve.

We all have made New Year resolutions, struggled to keep up with them, abandoned our resolve, and remade those resolutions year after year. But this year, it doesn’t have to be that way. Whatever your resolutions for the New Year are, here are a few steps that will help you be successful in making and keeping them.

The key to making New Year’s resolutions stick is choosing the right resolution in the first place. Don’t let the New Year resolutions be a ‘to-do list’ for the first week of January. Set realistic goals for yourself and take them seriously.

How to set realistic New Year resolutions-

•Reality-check your goals. Make only those Resolutions that you are deeply passionate about

•Aim for the things that are truly important to you and will make a positive difference in your life

•Make sure your goals are achievable. Be wary of making extreme resolutions

•Visualize yourself achieving the goal and how it would change your life. Imagine how your achievement feels like. If you can’t wait to get started, it’s time to go after them NOW

Once you have given yourself realistic New Year’s resolutions, the next step is to make efforts to live up to them. Most resolutions fail because people stop once they have made the resolution.

Here are 7 ways to keep your New Year resolutions:

1. Begin with a positive mindset - Believe that you can achieve your goals

2. Define your goals - Many people make the mistake of setting general goals and never end up keeping them. Make your goals clear, precise and unambiguous. Write them down. This makes your goals a formal commitment

3. Don’t make too many goals - While you may have a long list of New Year's Resolutions, you should pick only a few worthwhile goals and focus your energies on it rather than trying to change or attain too many things at the same time

4. Break it down - Break your resolution into a few smaller, more tangible goals. Spread them out throughout the year.

5. Set intermediate milestones - For each goal that is big enough, set some intermediate milestones to track your progress.

6. Periodically re-evaluate your goals - Over a period of time, your priorities might change or unexpected problems might crop in. So be flexible and let your goals evolve. Go through your plan; look for strategies that are not working. Adjust your plan, modify your approach and continue onwards.

7. Reward yourself: Along the way, when you reach your milestones, celebrate your small successes. It’s a great way to build up your confidence and keep the enthusiasm alive. Acknowledging your efforts not only keeps you motivated but also serves as glue that makes those New Year’s Resolutions stick.

Experiencing a setback is one of the most common reasons why people give up on their New Year's Resolutions. Remember, changing yourself or achieving something takes time and patience. There will be ups and downs; you will encounter hurdles along the way.

When you face such moments, remind yourself of exactly why you are pursuing these goals. Remain focused, keep yourself motivated and keep taking small steps forward. You will surely reach your goal.

New Year is the perfect time to turn over a new leaf and kick start a new phase in your life. “The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul,” as G. K. Chesterton put it. My new year’s resolution is to lead a more meaningful life. What’s yours?

“We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room,

drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.

Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through

the rooms of our lives, not looking for flaws, but for potential.”

- Ellen Goodman

Speech at the official book release at Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai

Good evening ladies and gentlemen! It’s a great honor to be here today. Thank you Dr Badrinath sir for accepting my humble request to release this book. It’s a dream come true for me to get the book released from none other than my role model and my guiding spirit. Thank you Dr JB for all the help. Dr JB is not only my mentor but also a father figure who has always been there for me whenever I have needed his help and guidance.


I will start with Sankara Nethralaya. This institute is very special to me because here I grew not only as an Ophthalmologist but also as a person. I had the opportunity of learning from so many masters under one roof. Also, this is the place where I learnt the 'essence of living a meaningful life.' Sankara Nethralaya has given me fond memories that I shall always cherish.


Coming to my writing- you all must be wondering how this book happened. Well, I have always aspired to be in a role where I can serve people and be able to make a difference. So while my medical profession has given me a platform where I can serve people and help them at a physical level, motivational counseling has given me a medium through which I can reach people and help them at mental and emotional level as well. In this regard, writing gives me an even wider canvas to paint on. So whether I am in the role of an Ophthalmologist, a motivational counselor or a writer, the basic idea remains the same- to be able to reach people far and wide, serve them and be able to make a difference in their life.

The book ‘Principles of success made easy’ has had a long journey. The pages of this book had been flashing through my mind for years and I kept jotting down the snippets of creativity here, there and everywhere. However, I took up the challenging task of organizing these snippets of creativity and materializing them in the form of a book during my training in Sankara Nethralaya which incidentally was the most intricate part of my life as an Ophthalmologist. I was hard hit for time and leisure time was a rare happening. New challenges and nerve racking situations mushroomed every day. It was nothing short of a race against time and a grueling combat with stress. This book is thus very close to my heart for the reason that it stands as a testimony to my conviction in life- “if you think of something deep in your heart, you can make it happen.” It’s just a matter of-  believing in yourself, being consistent in your efforts and having enormous amount of determination and patience.


What made me write this book is the fact that if there is one ambition that is common to all and which unites everyone across the board, it is the ambition to be successful- in whatever one is doing. So everyone wants to be successful but not everyone is able to figure out how to go about achieving it. Why is it that some people are successful and others find success elusive? What is it that the successful have and others don’t have?

After spending years, trying to find the answers to these questions I came to the conclusion that success neither comes accidently nor by wishful thinking. It also cannot be attributed to the good genes, luck and the like. There are certain universal and time tested principles that govern the game of success. The reason why some people are successful and others are not is that those who are, have grasped and mastered these principles and are using them to achieve success in their day to day life.
‘Principles of success made easy’ is a pragmatic account of these fundamental principles of achieving success and is the distilled essence of my years of research and understanding of the dynamics of success. It is a step by step guide to climb the ladder of success which gives both an in depth view and a time tested approach to succeed. It chronicles 14 golden principles of achieving success. These principles are wide ranging and apply to success in all spheres of life. Thus, this book is for everyone across the board who aspire to climb the ladder of success. It is especially tailored for all those who are bored and bogged down by the cliché lines, phrases and quotes on how to be successful. Here is something practical, handy, easy to grasp and gets straight to the point.


This book is not only a guidebook for success but also a storehouse of strength and motivation. I’m sure all my readers will be able to relate to it. I request all of you to read this book once and I promise you that you will be tempted to read it over and over again in order to assimilate its contents and incorporate the principles in your life. Afterall, as is said, ‘a good book becomes a part of you.’


Thank you so much for your time and patient listening!

Philosophical Quotes By Dr Roopleen

Make this year your best year!

It’s another New Year! Time has come to look back to the past, and more importantly, look forward into the New Year. It's a time to reflect on the changes you want or rather ought to make and promise yourself to follow through on those changes.

A New Year's resolution is your commitment to a personal goal that you make- to the reforming of a habit, a lifestyle change or a life goal.


Did you make your New Year resolutions on the eve of the New Year? If yes, Great! Stick to them!  If not, that's okay! It’s never too late. Make your resolutions...set your goals for the New Year. Begin now! Set your goal and work to turn your dreams into reality. Make 2011 your most successful year ever!
Start by writing down a list of resolutions–things you always wanted to do or wished you changed about yourself. Now is the time to deal with them. Here are 10 things that you can resolve to do in the New Year and make it a special and memorable year-

1. Spend more time, doing things you always wanted to do

2. Remain fit and eat healthy

3. Get more organized

4. De-clutter your life

5. Go on a dream holiday

6. Reduce stress

7. Get out of debt

8. Learn something new

9. Quit a bad habit

10. Help others

Your list of resolutionsfor the New Year may be long but choose only those that you really, really need to do. Don't overburden yourself; many more years to come! The important thing is to have a small set of resolutions and sticking with them throughout the Year. make sure you motivate yourself to follow those resolutions till the year end and do not abandon them mid-way.

Customize your life

There are neither any universal laws governing how to live your life nor a perfect recipe for living life that suits all. Customize your life and live it the way you want it to be.

Live your life to the full. Follow your heart. Do things that you want to do. Set your own  goals, decide your ambition level and control the pace of your life. Keep the remote control of your life in best hands- your own!

Make the best use of your life. Look at life through your eyes and interprete it your own way. Paint the canvas of your life in colors that personify you.

You might not be endowed with the best assets but can develop the skill to nurture yourself in a way that brings out the best in you. Rely on your abilities and bank on your strong points to outshine others. After all, they say- “Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing those you hold well!”

Driving force

Everyone has dreams...dreams of being happy and successful, dreams of being rich and famous, dreams to reach the stars, dreams to rule the world. It is not a crime to dream but it is definitely sinful not to try hard enough to materialize them. Dreams do not materialize by wishful thinking. Dreams without action can become nightmares!

If you want to realize your dreams and make them your reality, you need to wake up and get going. Lack of motivational drive proves to be the Achilles heel for most people. The missing link here is the push, the driving force that will gear you up to go in pursuit of your goals. This push has to come from within. Do not wait for a genie to emerge from the magic lamp to come and motivate you.

Self help is the best help that you can ever get. Believe in yourself. There is nothing unachievable and unfathomable. Courage, hard work and determination can open all locks for you. They can get you where you want to be. Nothing is difficult in life- "If you dare to think You Can, You certainly CAN!"

Follow your instincts and pursue the goals that are close to your heart. You would see the driving force flowing spontaneously into your life and propelling you from within!

Believe in yourself

"Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstance"

Trust yourself, love yourself. Have faith in your abilities. It is not who you are that holds you back, It is who you think you are not. There is nothing that you cannot do. If anyone else can do it, you can do it- maybe you can do it better! Just believe in yourself and believe with conviction. Set your goals and follow them passionately with utmost level of dedication, determination and perseverence. Success will certainly be yours.

Focus on your goals

To hit the bull's eye, you have to concentrate on the target. Similarly, to be an achiever in life, you need to focus on your goals.

En route the journey of success, many distractions will come. They would be entice you, tempt you to deviate from your path.

Be firm, be focussed. Do not lose your focus. Do not stop. Ignore the distractions and steer past them.

Your progress might be slow, but if you are focussed on your goal and are consistent in your efforts, each step would take you closer towards your cherished goal!

Always keep a joyful Mood

Many a times you feel life has had too many negative hits in a row. You lament there are too many rainy days and not enough sunshine days. You find it difficult to keep yourself afloat against harsh currents of pessimism that agitate your mind.

Feeling low and depressed never helps in finding solutions to the complexities of life. In fact, it further adds on to the magnitude of the crisis and leads to disastrous consequences. Life gets stuck up in a loop where each crisis unfolds a new disaster. It becomes a hard-to-break vicious circle.

Have patience. Do not lose heart. Confront negative thoughts and make evry possible effort to overpower them. When life feels overwhelming, take a break. Make conscious efforts to keep your mood upbeat by treating yourself to a liberal dose of optimism. “Switch off” your system and distract your mind from cynical thoughts. Unleash your true self, do what you want. Find time to relax. Go on a vacation, spend time with your family, catch up with a friend over coffee, pick up a hobby that you have been planning for a long time, find a quiet corner and read your favorite book. Do whatever suits you to keep your motivational sails billowing. Remind yourself of your achievements and successful ventures. Relive the moments of glory that you have had and the rewards that you have got. These thoughts would inspire you and motivate you to get on with your life and start a new journey towards success! This buoyancy will not only fill you with confidence but also gear you up to march towards your goals.

Take pleasure in what you do. Pack life in your day and your day will be well-lived. Be passionate about whatever you do. One way you can gain pleasure is by making sound choices in life. Get totally involved and absorbed in what you are doing - be it your profession or pastime. Do things that you enjoy doing. Maintaining a cheerful disposition enables you to keep your morale high and makes you look more friendly.

Maintain a bubbly personality and a pleasant nature. Smile a lot and smile often. It not only evaporates stress but is the quintessence of confidence. It signifies optimism and dissolves negativity. Nothing is so delightful as a smile. The enchanting look of a smiling face can captivate the hearts of many! A smiling face reflects a joyful mood. If you have a positive attitude and courage to face the challenges, there can be no crisis critical enough to wipe off that smile from your face!

Cultivate Divinity In You

Nurture an angel in you! Make your behavior towards others unconditional, irrespective of what they think about you. You would always be surrounded by rivals and competitors no matter where you are. Be alert and vigilant without feeling intimidated. Do not hate them because they are jealous of you. Hate the hatred in them. Michel de Montaigne very aptly commented-

“Of all our infirmities, the most
Savage is to despise our being”

Your attitude towards others should be that of categorical support and unreserved stance. Express your human character and instincts but at the same time, do not restrict yourself to a single wavelength. Develop a whole gamut of frequencies within you. You should decide when you want to be a human being and when you want to express Divinity. In your chosen moments of divinity, let you be the forgiver and the healer, the nurturer and the provider! Let your character epitomize forgiveness, compassion, generosity, kindness and affection. Mother Teresa once said- “If you judge people, you have no time to love them”.

Deal with others’ faults as gently as you would with your own. Forgive them for the wrongs they have done to you. Do not harbor ill feelings for anyone. Do not carry the burden of bitterness and enmity on your tender heart. Forgive and forget. Though it is easier said than done but it is well worth a try. As Henry Wheeler Shaw, a humorist has described- “There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.”
Never hold a grudge against anyone who has hurt you or cheated you. I find the words of Jane Rubietta very apt-

“Someone may have stolen your dream when
it was young and fresh and you were innocent.
Anger is natural. Grief is appropriate.
Healing is mandatory. Restoration is possible”

Whatever harm has been done to you cannot be undone. Revenge cannot heal your wounds. Do not leave your wounds open or they will end up becoming painful, non-healing ulcers. The best way to deal with it is to forget and forgive. It takes a large heart to forgive someone who has hurt you. But if you do not forgive, you will be the one who will suffer the most. Those wounds might leave occasional scars but at least they will not be painful. But the ulcers will ooze and bleed repeatedly and worst, you will be forced to remember them forever. The recurring thoughts of someone having caused injury or harm to you will perpetuate more bitterness in you. You will then experience a strong urge to give back the bitterness to the one who hurt you. It will become a vicious cycle and prove to be destructive for both sides.

Erase bad memories from your mind and engrave the fond ones on your heart- practice this theory of selectivity and you will make your life very pleasant. Neutralize the poison that you have for others and spread the nectar of kindness and affection.

Take Refuge Within

In your moments of despair and misery, when there is no hand to comfort, no shoulder to cry on, seek a safe haven within and let yourself to the solitary confinement. Retreat! Contain! Create a comfort zone within and a firewall around you. Insulate yourself from the world for a while.

Many a times you feel that people you thought you could count on, are not there for you when you need them the most. Everyone seems to be too busy with their own problems; they have no time to tend to you. Do not feel disgusted or disheartened. You cannot take other people for granted. They have their priorities in life and you may not always feature in their top priority list. Their help would come only when they have time for you and on their terms and conditions!

Bank on your inner strength and motivation in times of need. Derive your motivation and mental strength from within. Fred Dehner once said- “The best helping hand that you will ever receive is the one at the end of your own arm.” When it is agonizing to look back, and you are skeptical to look ahead, look inside you and find solace. Reassure yourself that it is just a passing phase and would be over soon. Quickly run back on what happened and how it could have been done in a better way. Sometimes, it pays to be your own critic and your own admirer.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us
are tiny matters compared to what lies within us”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

In your times of misery and sorrow, count your blessings. Remind yourself of how blessed you have been in the past. Remember your good times and the finer moments when you were rather lucky in life. When the Lord showered His choicest blessings on you- you had so much of success and happiness that your joy knew no bounds. It will make you realize how blessed and lucky you have been. You would appreciate the abundance in your life, which in turn would greatly boost your confidence and pep you up during your difficult times.

Take It Easy

Reject the cynical approach in life and abandon being a misanthropist. Stop looking at everyone with suspicious eyes. Learn to trust people and have faith in them. Life is not a game of chess where you need to be wary of your opponent’s moves every second and plan yours accordingly. Do make strategies in life but don’t be obsessed with the game plans 24x7. Avoid thinking on the line of attack all the time. Live your life like a civilian in a peaceful country not like a soldier on the front facing a hostile nation’s bitter army!

Give “benefit of doubt” to others- accept them with an assumption that they all have good intentions. However, keep your eyes and ears open and be on the vigil. Do not blindly trust anyone. This might sound contradictory but this is what life is- a juxtaposition of two extremes!

Surviving in today’s world might not be simple but it is not all that complicated either. All the complexities and intricacies can be broken down into smaller fractions and tackled one by one. The key word is patience and persistence.

Enjoy your work and make it your passion. Be practical in your approach. Shun outright perfectionism because it disturbs the balance of life by swaying things to one extreme. It is wise to follow the ninety-five percent rule- aspire to meet the ninety-five percent target in whatever you do. That way, the psychological pressure of touching hundred percent is circumvented and you can do considerably well in life!

Whatever you choose to do, follow your heart. Do not get caught in the rat race and don’t do things because others are doing them. Do what appeals to your sensibilities and do it at your pace. It is your life, handle it your own way. Strike a balance in your life so that there is perfect harmony.

You don’t need to renounce the world, relinquish the worldly pleasures and go to the Himalayas in search of happiness. Nor can any amount of money bring you peace of mind. Tranquility cannot be searched for in the outside world. It has to be attained and realized from within. Doing things that are close to your heart will give you satisfaction and help you ward off turbulence from your life.

“Serenity isn't freedom from the storm,

But peace within the storm”

Make the most of your life. Although you cannot increase the quantity, but you can certainly improve the quality of the life that you live. Spend a pleasant, quiet moment with your inner self once in a while. Take time out from your hectic schedule to listen to your inner voice. Learn to take it easy especially when stress levels are soaring high. Unwind and relax yourself. Do whatever suits you. Meditate, do yoga, carry on breathing exercises, tend to your garden or go for a walk. Spend some moments in solitude. Give yourself time for introspection. Unfurl the human side of yours. Rejuvenate your mind, body and soul. Celebrate the fact that you are alive and kicking. Slowly your life will be filled with happiness and you would take delight in living your life to the fullest!

Take Yourself To A Higher Level

No matter where you are, you can still rise higher in life. Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams. Leave no stone unturned to materialize those dreams. If you are ambitious, hard working and determined to rise, there is nothing that can possibly stop you. There is enough room at the top. Do not procrastinate. Now is the time for you to put in the best of all that you have. Rise up and get going. Do not stop till your goal is achieved.

Rise Above Mediocrity

Do not let yourself get drowned in the sea of mediocrity. Whatever you do, give it your best shot. Let excellence be your middle name and superlative performance be the hallmark of your personality.
You don't need to do something out of the world to prove your calibre. Whatever you do, put your heart and soul into it and do it to the best of your ability.

Make your life pleasant

Everyone wants to live a perfect life-full of happiness and contentment. Perfect life is not inherited or gifted. It is developed. Life will never be the way you want it. But you can choose to live it the best way you can. No one will grant you a perfect life, but you can fill it with perfect moments!

Purpose Of Life

Do not keep drifting in the ocean of life. Develop a sense of direction and purpose.
Give meaning to your life. Figure out what you want to do only then can you devise ways and means to achieve it. If you do not know where you want to go, no road can possibly take you to your destination.
You might not be good in everything but there must be something in you that is 'exceptional'. Explore yourself, find out that 'special asset' in you and tap your potential.