“Your enjoyment of travel is inversely proportional to the size of your luggage” – Kevin Kelly

I had to unlearn the habit of packing stuff that I would never use during the travel. I now pack the minimum I require to travel. 

In life as in travel, knowing how much you “really” need is everything.

We go through life with excess baggage of unnecessary emotions, thoughts, anxieties and dreams that are not truly ours. Then we feel burdened as we travel through our days.

Pack only as much as you need. Then enjoy the sojourn.  

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Choices that work for others may not work for you. 

Someone opts to learn Biology. Someone chooses Arts. Someone drops out to start a business. 

These are just “different” choices, not “right or wrong” choices. 

If people are unique, how can their choices be similar? What works for others may simply not work for you. 

Understanding this is a sign of maturity. 

Only then, you can play your unique game. Only then, you can truluy differentiate yourself. 

Yes?

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The world we live in rewards the “appearance of success”.

You gain attention by driving a fancy car, even when the car is 100% financed. Appearance matters more, not the substance. Same is true for someone who has a fancy designation, even when he/she does not love the job. They pull on because that is what they think is valued by others. 

Living a life to simply “appear successful” is a treadmill that we need to get off. True wealth is simplicity.

N. R. Narayan Murthy, the founder of Infosys drove a Maruti 800 to office when many of his employees drove fancy and expensive cars. NRN once said that my job is to create wealth for others, not appear wealthy. Warren Buffet is known for being the richest man with a rather humble lifestyle. 

Real success and wealth are silent. 

But how do you find independence from such a sticky and invisible treadmill of living to other’s expectation?

Two things come to mind immediately:

1) Do the work you love for the cause that you care for. Sure, it takes time and experimentation to find the work you truly love but it’s worth the effort. Doing work that you don’t enjoy drains you. 

2) Live below your means: Real indepence from the treadmill of appearing successful is to live a modest life. People take expensive loans to buy things they don’t need to impress people who don’t care using money they don’t really have. What’s the point? Enjoy the fruits of your labor, but always be mindful that you save/invest enough before you spend. 

If you can do the work you love and learn to spend less than you make, you’ll be okay. You won’t appear successful, but who said success is about appearance?

Success is about balance, remember?

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Preserving your Mental Health

• Do not expect too much from others.
• Never say anything more than necessary.
• Be clear on what you are asking, or what is being asked from you.
• Never brag. Make your accomplishments visible and then let it do all the talking.
• NO is a complete sentence. Don’t be afraid to say it.
• Let go of your need to be perfect. Perfection is a journey, not an outcome.
• Different people will have different opinions. Sop trying to please everyone.
• Keep your emotions in check. They can overpower your intelligence and logic. 
• Know your boundaries in relationships. Don’t let others cross it.
• Don’t overthink things. It’s sometimes okay to let things be the way they are.
• “This too shall pass” is a powerful mantra. Works in good times to keep you humble. Works in bad times to kep you hopeful. 
• Accept criticism only from those people who you’d go to for seeking advice. 
• People don’t care as much as you think they do. That can be painful, but that can be equally liberating. 

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If you have read this blog so far, congratulations. You have gained INFORMATION.

If you have put even ONE idea from what you have read so far into PRACTICE, you will gain KNOWLEDGE about how it works. More importantly, KNOWLEDGE about your own self. 

When you start adapting your actions according to what you learned from doing, it makes your own life better. Now, you have acquired wisdom.

Therefore, here is my suggestion:

STOP READING THIS BLOG if you have not been able to put a single idea so far into practice. 

Real learning happens when you DO something about what you read and experience. 

Without DOING, all your reading is simply stuffing your mind with information. It is intellectual stimulation. 

That’s barely useful, right?

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Your words attract energy.

If you use toxic words, you will be surrounded with toxicity.

If you use kind words, you will attract kindness in your life. 

Before you speak, THINK: 

• T: Is it True
• H: Is it Helpful?
• I: Is it Inspiring?
• N: Is it Necessary?
• K: Is it Kind?

When what you speak isn’t any one of the above, the best expression is to choose silence. 

This does not mean you soften your language or be too submissive. This is not about being weak. 

Saying what is true requires firmness. Saying what is helpful may not always be platable. But you still say it with words that clarify your intent. Words that gets other person to think. Words that generate energy. 

When you consistently choose words using THINK acronym, you build trust of others. You solve problems. You build relationships. You become a better person yourself. 

Then, you attract the right energy. 

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Sometimes, we really want to do something but we cannot because we think we don’t have time. 

The rule of 90-90 comes in as a handy tool. 

Find out what you truly want to do or learn.

Spend first 90 minutes of the day doing it.

Do this without a break for 90 days.

You will see the change. 

P.S: For me, being creative is what I want to be. So I spend first 60-90 minutes of the day writing this blog, creating sketchnotes, reading a book and consuming ideas that are important to me. This habit has been a game changer for me. Give it a try!

P.P.S: 90 minutes may be too much if you are time constrained. Start with 20 minutes a day doing what you truly want to do. Increase it as you find momentum.

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You are what you attend to.

You are what you focus on.

If you don’t own your focus and attention you are a slave, a commodity, some ‘thing’ for others to use as they wish.

Make no mistake…

This is about your freedom and liberation to create your own life.

Own Yourself.

Own your ability to attend to your own life, to focus as you know you can.

Focus is freedom…

Source

At a time when most people spend hours on social media, they forget that they are the product being used by those companies. They hijack our most valuable resources – time and attention. 

Focus is freedom. Discipline is freedom.

You be mindful about your FOCUS, INPUT and PROCESS. OUTPUT takes care of itself eventually. 

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Stress at work doesn’t come from hard work.

Stress comes from complacence. It comes from not taking action on things that you can act on. 

It comes from ignoring things that we shouldn’t.

It comes from not investing in relationships. 

It comes from putting things off for some other day. 

So, next time you are stressed about something, take action. 

Discipline, action and consistency are an antidote to stress. 

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