This means simplicity too !

January 29 2013

How To Be Adaptable - Rule8

Category:  Deepak Quotes

Stop attaching so much weight to being right. In the grand scheme of things, being right is insignificant compared with being happy. 

The 10 Most Important Things to Simplify in Your Life

by joshua becker

“Purity and simplicity are the two wings with which man soars above the earth and all temporary nature.” – Thomas Kempis
Simplicity brings balance, freedom, and joy. When we begin to live simply and experience these benefits, we begin to ask the next question, “Where else in my life can i remove distraction and simply focus on the essential?”
Based on our personal journey, our conversations, and our observations, here is a list of the 10 most important things to simplify in your life today to begin living a more balanced, joyful lifestyle:

1. Your Possessions - Too many material possessions complicate our lives to a greater degree than we ever give them credit. They drain our bank account, our energy, and our attention. They keep us from the ones we love and from living a life based on our values. If you will invest the time to remove nonessential possessions from your life, you will never regret it. For further reading on this, consider Simplify: 7 Guiding Principles to Help Anyone Declutter Their Home and Life.
2. Your Time Commitments – Most of us have filled our days full from beginning to end with time commitments: work, home, kid’s activities, community events, religious endeavors, hobbies… the list goes on. When possible, release yourself from the time commitments that are not in line with your greatest values.
3. Your Goals – Reduce the number of goals you are intentionally striving for in your life to one or two. By reducing the number of goals that you are striving to accomplish, you will improve your focus and your success rate. Make a list of the things that you want to accomplish in your life and choose the two most important. When you finish one, add another from your list.
4. Your Negative Thoughts – Most negative emotions are completely useless. Resentment, bitterness, hate, and jealousy have never improved the quality of life for a single human being. Take responsibility for your mind. Forgive past hurts and replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
5. Your Debt – If debt is holding you captive, reduce it. Start today. Do what you’ve got to do to get out from under its weight. Find the help that you need. Sacrifice luxury today to enjoy freedom tomorrow.
6. Your Words – Use fewer words. Keep your speech plain and honest. Mean what you say. Avoid gossip.
7. Your Artificial Ingredients – Avoid trans fats, refined grain (white bread), high-fructose corn syrup, and too much sodium. Minimizing these ingredients will improve your energy level in the short-term and your health in the long-term. Also, as much as possible, reduce your consumption of over-the-counter medicine – allow your body to heal itself naturally as opposed to building a dependency on substances.
8. Your Screen Time – Focusing your attention on television, movies, video games, and technology affects your life more than you think. Media rearranges your values. It begins to dominate your life. And it has a profound impact on your attitude and outlook. Unfortunately, when you live in that world on a consistent basis, you don’t even notice how it is impacting you. The only way to fully appreciate its influence in your life is to turn them off.
9. Your Connections to the World - Relationships with others are good, but constant streams of distraction are bad. Learn when to power off the blackberry, log off facebook, or not read a text. Focus on the important, not the urgent. A steady flow of distractions from other people may make us feel important, needed, or wanted, but feeling important and accomplishing importance are completely different things.
10. Your Multi-Tasking - Research indicates that multi-tasking increases stress and lowers productivity. while single-tasking is becoming a lost art, learn it. Handle one task at a time. Do it well. And when it is complete, move to the next.

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calm a cold

Seven Natural (and Cheap!) Ways to Calm a Cold

 Photo by Yeron Jeroen van Oostrom/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I've been planning on writing this post for a while, since we're headed into the heart of cold and flu season. Now that I've actually succumbed to a cold myself (after a crazy-busy week last week that pushed me a little further than I wanted to go) it seems appropriate that I get around to sharing my favourite low-cost ways to ease discomfort and promote healing when you've got a bad case of the sniffles.

1. Steam inhalation
A steam inhalation helps to loosen congestion. To prepare one, *carefully* pour boiling water into a heat-proof glass or ceramic bowl. Add 3-5 drops of peppermint or eucalyptus essential oil (or use a combination of both). Place a towel over your head to form a tent and lean over the bowl (be careful not to get too close or you could scald yourself) Remain under the tent for 5-10 minutes, breathing as deeply as possible.


2. Peppermint tea
Not only is mint tea my favourite herbal tea, it's purported to be one of the best herbs for treating a cold. Not only that, if you grow your own, it's also a totally free remedy! Using fresh mint is ideal (mine is still happily growing away in my garden even after repeated frosts); dried will do if that's all you have available. To make fresh mint tea, place several good sized sprigs of mint in your teapot and add boiling water to fill it. Let steep about 10 minutes before pouring.


3. Honey and Thyme Cough Syrup
This homemade cough syrup is simple to prepare and I've found it to be very effective. Pour 1/2 cup of boiling water over 1 tbsp dried thyme. Cover and steep for 20 minutes. Strain into a small saucepan and add 1/4 cup honey. Heat gently until the honey dissolves completely. Cool. Store in a glass jar in the fridge. Take 1 tbsp as often as needed. (Note: honey should NOT be given to children under age one due to the risk of infant botulism).

4. The "Cold Sock Treatment"
A friend turned me onto this a while ago. I know it sounds totally weird, but I have to say that it worked amazingly well for me one night when I was brutally congested and decided to give it a shot.! I had an incredibly restful sleep and was about 95% less congested in the morning. Also, it wasn't nearly as unpleasant as I expected it to be (the thought of putting on cold, wet socks when I felt like crap was not especially appealing). All you need is a pair of cotton socks and a pair of wool socks. The complete instructions can be found here, and you can read more about the theory behind it here. It's recommended that you do this treatment three nights in a row for maximum effectiveness.

5. The Thymus Thump
This is an energy medicine technique that stimulates the immune system. It's very simple and can be repeated multiple times per day.



6. Acupressure
Acupressure can be used both to relieve cold symptoms and to help stimulate the immune system. You can find instructions for acupressure techniques for cold and flu symptoms here.

7. Sleep!
Sleep is the most obvious, and often the most overlooked natural remedy for illnesses. When you get sick, your body's trying to tell you something - it's time to rest! Do everything you can to get as much sleep as possible (that means napping during the day plus a good sleep at night). If you have young children, find someone to watch them for you for an hour or two while you rest. You'll likely get over your cold much faster.

Do you have a favourite, thrifty cold treatment that I haven't mentioned? Please share it with us in the comments!

 

Fun and Creative Way to Cook

Memorize a generic recipe (p. 625) Basically, the idea is that if you memorize the framework of a very basic recipe, you can reuse it with variations forever. The sample here is a casserole recipe that has infinite variations:

1 cup main ingredient
1 cup second ingredient
1-2 cups starchy ingredient
1 1/2 cups binder
1/4 cup “goodie”
seasoning
topping
Main ingredient: tuna, cubed chicken, turkey, ham, seafood, etc.
Second ingredient: thinly sliced celery, mushrooms, peas, chopped hard-boiled eggs, etc.
Starchy ingredient: thinly sliced potatoes, cooked noodles, cooked rice, etc.
Binder: cream sauce, sour cream, can of soup, etc.
“Goodie”: pimiento, olives, almonds, water chestnuts, etc.
Topping: cheese, bread crumbs, etc.

Using this, you can just buy whatever’s on sale to fit each slot. I’ll say that the chicken + mushrooms + rice + cream of chicken soup + cheese combo (no goodie) is fantastic, for instance.

SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

This is also a way to start  appreciation  of  local community.

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Five Things That Keep People from Getting Ahead Posted: 07 Jan 2013 12:00 PM PST I’ve kept in touch with many of my friends from high school and college. All of us are roughly the same age (almost everyone in that group is in their thirties), so our experiences in terms of societal changes in our lives is roughly the same, as is the time spent since we’ve become adults and entered the workforce. With very few exceptions, almost all of us have struggled with finances at one point or another in our adult lives. Many of my friends are still struggling mightily to just get a strong foothold in the world – even the simple act of owning one’s own home can be challenging. Why have so many of us faced deep financial struggles? I’ve pinned it down to five big factors that really drain people today as they grow up, move out, enter the workforce, and try to live their dreams, along with some tactics on how to avoid it. 1. Automobiles The United States is a large nation with relatively poor train services and families and friends that are often widely distributed. People often work surprising distances from their homes and live surprising distances from the people they care about. The “fix” for these problems is the automobile. The freedom that owning your own automobile offers is alluring. The problem is that cars are total money hogs. Not only do you have to pay a wad of cash for something that depreciates rapidly, you also have to pay for insurance, for gas, for maintenance, for licenses, and for registration – and that’s if you’re lucky and don’t have a car catastrophe. How do you avoid this problem? The simple answer is to avoid owning a car as long as possible. Use public transportation for your commute. Use planes, trains, and buses for long trips. Use a bicycle to get around your neighborhood. You avoid an incredible amount of expense if you do this. If you must own a car, get a junker. Focus on the idea that, unless you have a mint in the bank, a car’s purpose is solely to convey you from point A to point B. Reliability and fuel effiency matter, while leather seats and iPod connectivity don’t. 2. Student loans There’s a strong connection between postsecondary education and one’s lifetime earning potential. A college degree drastically increases what you can earn, and post-graduate education bumps it even more. The problem here is that college is expensive and it’s getting more expensive by the year. If you take on loans to complete your education, you walk out the door with a degree, but also a crushing debt load. When you have that debt around your neck, you are somewhat restricted in your career options. Your ability to take a low-paying job that builds great experience for you over the long run isn’t really available, because you need funds to start paying back those loans. It also can force you into walking a career tightrope, where you are more concerned about playing it ultrasafe than taking professional risks to build an impressive career. How do you avoid this problem? There are a lot of avenues. For one, take as many classes as you can at the community college level. For another, look at trade schools. For another, don’t be ashamed to complete your degree as a part-time student while working. 3. Incredibly easy consumer credit Almost every store I walk into offers me a credit card if I want it. It’s usually as easy as filling out a two minute application, then I can walk out the door without paying a dime – right now, at least. Even with the changes in consumer credit over the last few years, it is still ludicrously easy to get credit to buy pretty much anything you want. When things are tight, it can seem like a godsend to get some breathing room for the time being, but then those bills start rolling in and you find yourself more compressed than ever. How do you avoid this problem? Keep one general-purpose credit card open and avoid the rest. Make sure that you pay off the balance of that one card in full every single month. If you can’t do that, stop using that credit card entirely until you can get that balance paid off in full. You are far better off going cash-only than digging a debt hole. 4. Narcissism, envy, and marketing There’s a strong sense, particularly in early adulthood, that you “deserve” to have nice things – it’s youthful narcissism at work. There’s also a sense of envy – if that guy over there has something amazing, then I should be able to have it too, right? Marketers are fully aware of these emotions and find countless ways to trigger them. Advertisements are just one of many, many ways for marketers to tap these emotions (and others) to convince you to buy things you don’t really need. How can you avoid this problem? The most effective tactic I’ve seen for this is the “ten second rule” and the “one month rule.” Whenever you pick up an item of any kind in a store, wait ten seconds before putting it in your cart. During those ten seconds, ask yourself if you really need this item or if there isn’t something else you already have that works just as well or if there isn’t a better bargain elsewhere. Similarly, if you pick up an item with the intent to buy it, it costs more than $20, and it’s not an absolute need, put it down and wait a month. Chances are you’ll either forget about the item or you’ll decide it’s not really important after all, and in either of those outcomes, you’ll be better off having never spent the money. 5. Low community awareness The community around you is loaded with things to do. There are parks, trails, community theaters, open concerts, civic groups, volunteer opportunities, library activities, book clubs … the list goes on and on and on and on. Your neighbor next door is an incredibly valuable resource, for starters. They can provide tools in a pinch, provide neighborhood advice, and keep an eye on your property when you’re away. Yet an awful lot of people either are completely unaware of these opportunities or never think of them when they’ve got downtime. They fill their free time with overpriced restaurants and entertainment instead of seeking out the amazing things they already have available to them. They connect with people in other towns instead of connecting to the people on their block. How can you avoid this problem? Get to know your neighbors. Offer them help when you see them, and don’t be afraid to ask for help in a pinch if you need it (though things go better if you make the first step here). Ask for their perspectives and what they’ve found in the community. At the same time, seek out a list of community groups and the community calendar for your area. Use them. Try out different civic groups and volunteer groups in your town. Engage in activities available in your community just to see if they click for you. The cost is usually free and even if the activity turns out not to click for you, at least you know about it now and have tried something new. The more of these traps you can avoid in your life, the better off you’ll be, whether you’re just starting out or you find yourself far along life’s journey.

simplicity offer: freedom, opportunity, meaning

When old patterns are broken, new worlds emerge.” – Tuli Kupferberg
I am still amazed at the fullness of life that minimalism and simplicity offer: freedom, opportunity, meaning. I wish I had found it sooner. Unfortunately, for most of my life, I had been told something different. I had been told that joy could be found in material success—that the more I owned, the happier I would be. But they were wrong. I’m far happier today owning less than I ever was pursuing more.
Which got me wondering… what if some of the other messages I have been told are also wrong? What if some of the other views of the world promoted by our culture and society don’t actually lead to joy and fulfillment? What if true meaning and passion is found in the opposite?
What if there is unspeakable opportunity in beginning to see the world differently?
What if there is more opportunity in “desiring less” than “acquiring more?” The trouble with acquiring more is that we can never have enough. There is always more to acquire and always someone else who has already acquired it. The philosophy renders contentment unattainable. The surest pathway to true contentment is to desire less. Less brings freedom, more doesn’t.
What if there is more opportunity in “seeking justice” than “getting rich?” Cultural and individual greed have ruined friendships, exploited billions, and destroyed our planet. The desire for power, control, and resources have left many without adequate supply. But when justice is fully realized, everyone becomes more empowered—including us. Unfortunately, we can’t desire more for ourselves and justice for others at the same time.
What if there is more opportunity in “building others up” than “tearing others down?” Too often we think of life as a zero-sum game. We believe someone else must be brought down to make more room for us at the top. But it’s not true. The pie is not finite. You don’t have to blow out someone else’s candle to make yours shine brighter. In fact, some of the people who rise to the top the quickest are the very ones who helped others get there first.
What if there is more opportunity in “serving others” than “reaching for the top?” Learning to serve others flips our world upside down. Rather than striving to be the one served (and becoming frustrated when we aren’t), find freedom in learning to serve others. The quickest path to joy in life is to help someone else discover it in theirs. Their lives will be improved. And so will yours.
What if there is more opportunity in “showing mercy” than “acquiring power?” From playgrounds to boardrooms, most people are looking for any angle to lord power over others and subsequently, stepping on anyone to get there. Yet, the most fulfilled people I know live exactly the opposite. They show compassion, forgiveness, and grace toward others… even when it is within their power to punish or harm them.
What if there is more opportunity in “developing humility” than “having pride?” Humility allows us to be ourselves—we no longer need to prove to everyone that we’ve got it all together. Humility allows us to learn and grow—when we admit our weaknesses, we have taken the first step in learning to address them. And humility allows people into our lives—true, authentic friendships are not possible without the ability to be humble and completely transparent with one other.
What if there is more opportunity in “giving” than “receiving?” The bumper stickers have always said, “Whoever dies with the most toys wins.” But all scientific research indicates that generous people are happier, healthier, and live more fulfilled lives. In other words, whoever gives away the most is the real winner, not the one who stored the most.
What if this world doesn’t revolve around me after all? What if the world isn’t here to make me happier, but I am here to make this world happier for someone else? Now that, would change some things.

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