Happy Days 365

Improving English - iDea 4: Find a Learning Partner

2010-02-07T17:02:00.006+05:30

This iDea is one of the keys to your success in improving English.

Before we dig this iDea, let's try to understand who this 'learning Partner' is. A learning partner is the one who shares your journey of learning. One who mingles with you frequently to share his new knowledge. One who listens to your new understandings. One who collaborates and cooperates with you until both of you achieve your common goal of learning English. This partner can be your classmate, colleague, a friend, relative or just an enthusiastic learner. If both of you share the same boat, then obviously this partnership propels both of you forward, without any doubt.

Let's get into the details...

Whether you like it or not you are influenced by the people around you. What they say, what they do, how they behave, how they respond, everything leaves an impression on you and in some way or the other they reflect in your behavior too. Then why not make this influence more positive and life changing. The rest of the article tells how to take this insight to our own advantage.

Our fourth innovative idea has the foundations on the above principle. Let me put it this way: if you are influenced by the people around you, then on the same token, you too can influence the people around you.
The logic is that simple. Now let’s first understand how we should behave, before finding a learning partner. If something we are hoping for isn’t happening, if something we are waiting for isn’t turning up, then only one thing should be changed: Our thinking.

The way we think effects everything we wish for. It is the ‘cause’ for all the effects we receive in our lives. The better your thinking, the richer your results;

How can the other person shall get ready to partner with us unless we are worthy of it. So let's understand how to prepare ourselves before hunting our learning partner.

Steps to increase our worthiness for a learning partnership:

Be enthusiastic about English; think, talk, and work on the improvement of the language.
Turn leisure time into learning time; this creates a positive vibration within you and sooner or later it spreads all around. Good things can’t be hidden too long.
Share the words you learned; the best way to learn is to share; the more you give, the more you receive.

Now as you continue with the above points for some time, say 2 weeks, then you can start hunting for a partner. Find a person who has enthusiasm and zeal to learn English.

You may wonder and may think 'Is all this really needed to learn English?' My answer is simply this: We are learning English not in a conventional way but in a new and creative way. This system makes you learn the language from the inside out. Once you implement these techniques, you will never forget the language. It leaves an impact beyond your imagination. In order to yield new results, we have to plant new methods.

The good thing about this system is if you follow the above 3 points to 100%, instead of you finding your partner, your partner will find you. Yes! I promise.
Now you have got a partner! What next?
What both of you should do?

Share each others' knowledge
Find new words
Teach a topic
Explore new insights in English
Experiment with speaking
Test each others' ability
Mingle in English conversations
Write one page articles in just 9 minutes
Test your progress once a week
Celebrate your small victories

Benefits of this partnership

Productivity speeds up
Synergy brings new energy
You will taste the joy of learning English becomes easy
Progress takes new heights

This system makes the best use of your togetherness. You will understand what ‘quality time’ is. As you progress you can (and surely will) invent new tactics of learning and you will feel elated in your new found knowledge.

Some tips to continue this relationship healthily:

Schedule your meeting time as per each other’s convenience
Never force the other person, if he is busy
If you are unable to turn up to a scheduled time, inform the same to your partner the day before
Not all the people will have same pace of catching the things, so allow your partner some breathing space so that he feels confident
Respect each others' abilities
Help each other to fill the weak spots

Moreover be super charged and encourage the progress.

let the hunt begin, it would be better if your potential partner too has the same level of enthusiasm and positiveness as you have. But it would even better if he is smarter than you. Finally, it would be great if he/she is an understanding friend!

Comment or Consult me if you have any doubts in the implementation of this idea. Happy Hunting! -ajaY vegeSna

Improving English - iDea 3: Use your Senses

2010-01-18T20:47:00.026+05:30

Learning is an art. Unfortunately our modern education system forces us to cram and mug up before the exams. This approach isn’t healthy in the long run. Our ancient wisdom never encouraged this kind of learning.

Learning is related to pleasure, not pain. Many people assume learning as a burden or a load to get rid of. But it isn’t. Learning –-when rightly taught-– is a pleasure.
We no longer need to go distant places to learn English. We no longer need to have high-tech tools to accompany our learning.
The problem with us is: In the process of getting what we want, we forget what we (already) have.

Yes! We have great potential within us which is waiting to be unfolded. Our body contains enough amount of organs and powers which can take us to new levels of progress. One such power which we often ignore or take it for granted is: The Power of our Senses.

"All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason." said Immanuel Kant, the great German philosopher.

May be in this 21st century our senses are often the most neglected parts of our lives. May be that is the reason why our knowledge is not as deep as our ancestors. If we can rightly utilize the power of our senses, we can do wonders.
Let us understand how we can use our senses to learn and improve English –especially the new words we often come across.
We can use our 5 senses – sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell – to enhance our English learning experience.

Sight:
When you encounter a new word while reading or watching TV, take a pause. Note the word on a paper. Check the spelling. Now see its meaning in a dictionary (preferably Oxford Advanced Learners).

Now our technique begins: Assume the new word is ‘epidemic’, the meaning of this word is ‘a fast-spreading disease which can infect many people at the same time.’ The best example of an epidemic is the recent swine flu. The other examples are dengue fever, plague etc.

You understood the meaning, now what?
‘See’ the epidemic. How?
As you know the picture is worth thousand words. Go to Google images and search for ‘swine flu’ or ‘epidemic’ you will see lot of images relevant to it. Close your eyes and connect that visual image to the word ‘epidemic’
Repeat this 3 times and for 3 continuous days. I promise, you will never forget the word.

Hearing:
The more you hear the new word the easier it is to remember.
The technique is – you should hear the word from your own voice.

A new word is often ignored. That is why we lack rich vocabulary. We receive what we focus. Hence pay more attention to the words you listen to.
You are watching TV and the news reporter said “In a stampede at the famous temple in south India many people have died.”

What’s the new word? Stampede.
Stampede means ‘a sudden uncontrolled rush of many people in a way to enter or escape an unexpected situation’

You are in a theater watching a movie. Someone shouted unexpectedly that there is a bomb in the theater. What happens next is called stampede. People rush to the exit in commotion; some may fall on the ground, some may run over them. Some may even die in this event. This mad rush is called stampede.

Speak out the word, stampede: Loud...Louder...Loudest. Hear the word from your own voice. Repeat it for 3 days. Every morning when you see your face in the mirror, say the word thrice loudly. Whenever you say it, recollect its meaning too. That’s it. You won’t forget it.

Touch:
How can you ‘touch’ the word? Here’s how.

There are certain words in English which are related to objects. This technique is more suited to them than any other words.For example, did you hear the word 'pendant'? A pendant is an ornament or a piece of jewelry that hangs from a necklace, bracelet, or earring. Typically it consists of a small piece of love symbol or a diamond symbol (it can be of any shape) which hangs from the actual ornament people wear. This small piece is called the pendant.

If you already have a pendant, please close your eyes, be cool and relaxed. Take a deep breath and now slowly ‘touch’ the pendant and f-e-e-l it. Now repeat the word, ‘pendant’ and register its meaning in the mind. Every time you see the pendant, memorize it once again, just for a second. Repeat it until you feel confident of remembering the word.

Taste:
I think the sense of taste lasts longer than any other sense. We get excited about a dinner party because our mind immediately triggers our past experiences of the things we have tasted earlier.

This technique is suitable for two kinds of vocabulary. One for the things that are edible meaning anything that we can eat and digest. Two for the words related to food in some way or the other.

Let's discuss about a word related to food: Dessert (it’s not desert; observe the double‘s’). A dessert is the last item of the meal. When you visit a restaurant, after having the starters and the main course, you order an ice cream or a milk shake etc. these are called desserts.

So next time you go for a treat or a party, when you ‘taste’ that melting yummy ice cream connect the word ‘dessert’ with the ice cream. Memorize the taste along with the meaning of the word. Do it for at least 3 parties and you will never forget the taste! I mean the word.

Smell:
Can you remember the addictive smell of a fragrant flower?
Recollect the aroma of the hot coffee, the moment you smell it, your mind pushes you to taste it. There is magic in the sense of smell.

Identify some words related to smell and connect them with a relevant experience.

For example the word ‘stinky’ means something which smells very unpleasant. We often experience this when a bus or a truck smokes out. The smell of its pollution is very unpleasant. Whenever you come across such a situation, repeat the word or even shout on the road ‘stinky.’ The more you repeat, the more you remember.

Apart from that there are many idioms related to smell.
Example, ‘smell a rat’ when somebody says ‘I smell a rat’ it means that they believe that there is something wrong with the situation. They suspect that someone is being dishonest or not telling the truth.

The investigator said “I don’t think this is a suicide. I smell a rat. Someone might have murdered him. ”
Have you ‘sensed’ it?

That’s how we can harness the power of senses.

The more you use them, the more they help you in remembering the words. Use your senses and identify the new words that are associated with them. Later connect them with these techniques. Ask me if you need clarification.
Keep in mind that everything is around you. The only thing is you have to identify and pay attention to them. Unless you have the zeal to learn new words, you will not find any. Once you are fired with such passion you can find new words anywhere --on the billboards, in the ads, on the TV, newspaper, from a co-worker. There is no limit.

Vernon Howard once said "Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn and you will."

Once you 'taste' this new experience you will 'see' the world differently. 'Smell' the new and shed the old. Continue 'hearing' such new vocabulary and soon you will 'touch' your dream of speaking great English.

All the best! - ajaY vegeSna.

Note: Remember that every word in the world may not fit into these ‘sensory’ techniques, but there are majority words which fall into this group. So be wise to choose the relevant words. As you practice, you can catch the difference.

Improving English - iDea 2: Forget the Grammar

2009-12-23T12:52:00.028+05:30

Sounds exciting? Yes, You have read it right. Forget the grammar. I mean it.

"I don't know grammar" (who knows?)

"I commit lot of mistakes in English" (who doesn't?)

These are the common dialogues I hear from English learners. People respond in this way because of ignorance. They are scared of grammar because they fear doing mistakes. Can you show me anyone who succeeded without doing mistakes? Mistakes bring a positive change. They move us forward. The mission of a mistake is your transformation. The background of learning good English is committing mistakes. The more mistakes you make, the faster you learn the language. These are the bricks upon which we cement our learning. Avoiding mistakes is avoiding your own growth. But with one golden rule: Do not repeat the same mistake.

Don't worry, initially the frequency of mistakes may be high but with your super consciousness their number decreases.

All this worry stems from the compulsion of the learner. People force themselves to remember the grammar. Trying to by-heart or memorize the grammar only adds fuel to the fire. The pressure of remembering these rules actually ruin the pleasure of learning the language. So what's the solution: Drop the grammar. When you want to speak, just speak. When you want to write, just write.

Follow the flow.

"How can I speak correct English by forgetting the grammar?" you might ask. Here's how.

Because people have fear of grammar, they focus more on it but forget the flow. I say reverse this attitude. Forget the grammar but focus the flow. When your attention changes to the flow, your fear disappears. When your fear disappears everything else will fall in place. Now you will be ready to make more mistakes, hence more learning takes place within short time. A new energy and freshness radiates through you. You will catch every opportunity that is present around you. If there aren't any, your enthusiasm of learning creates the opportunity even in the unexpected areas. Naturally...over a period of time you will speak good grammar.

How to do it?

Believe in this idea 100%
Practice English (write or speak) daily at least for 7 minutes
During the practice, focus on continuing and expanding the content
Do not worry about the correctness of the sentences you deliver
Speak from the heart
Speak in front of the people you are confident with, like a close friend for ex.
Join iDea 1 with iDea 2. (Break the walls and forget the grammar)

How this iDea works:

By forgetting grammar you will speak more. By speaking more you will gain confidence. By gaining confidence you will focus on the quality of your speech. Hence ultimately this enhances your English. It's a cycle. The only way to understand it better is to try it first hand. I guarantee you will observe a sea-change in you.

Benefits of this iDea:

You will gain huge confidence once you start
Fear disappears
You can learn English faster and better
Grammar improves dramatically

This sounds paradoxical, but it's true. Try rehearsing my secret idea. Forget the grammar but focus on the flow. You will find freshness and mistakes dwindle, naturally...(all the best) -ajaY vegeSna

Related Articles:

Improving English - iDea 1: Break the Walls

2009-12-10T01:32:00.023+05:30

Author's Note:This article is part of a sub-series called "Innovative Ideas to learn English faster and Better"

Everyone learns English between the four walls. It can be in the classroom or at home. I am not against this practice, we can gain wisdom from an expert faculty. But to learn English faster and better the four walls restrict you from the great potential which is waiting for you outside.

All the great learners and leaders are the observers of the things happening around them. True learning happens outside the classroom. Abdul Kalam conceived the idea of becoming an aeronautical engineer by observing a butterfly in the fields. The above incident happened when he was studying primary school. His teacher took the entire class into the fields to observe nature. If his teacher wasn't innovative we would have missed a great citizen like Kalam. Learning is always just a few steps away. Forget few steps, it is just a thought away. Close your eyes and a whole new world opens in your imagination.

Opportunities are always around, It is just that we ignore them in the rush of our busy lives. The traditional system of learning is all about listening to the lecture, taking notes, doing home work etc. But in our new system there is no lecturer, no classroom. We simply break the walls to breath new life awaiting us. There is no need of going to the classroom. In short, the classroom travels with you; wherever you move. So let us understand how to break the walls of worries.

There is an old Chinese proverb which says "When you are ready to learn, the teacher appears" This is absolutely true. The teacher here doesn't necessarily mean a human being. Whatever you seek, Whatever you observe, Whatever you focus everything under your keen observation becomes your teacher. If you want to study a tree, all the things related to it become your teachers. They provide all the material you need. Your surrounding environment becomes your university.

Two Live Examples:

When you wait for a bus, don't just wait; instead observe the things happening in front of you. A vendor selling guavas, employees hurrying after the buses, students running to board a bus..whatever your eyes can see. Now try to construct the sentences for the things you observe with whatever grammar you know.
For example, "A vendor is selling guavas. He is surrounded by a bunch of customers. They are bargaining. But the vendor is headstrong. He is unwilling to minimize the price....." Remember that all this happens only in your mind while waiting for a bus on the road.

Assume you went for shopping to a mall. It was crowded. Observe things around you. Describe them in English in your mind. For instance, "A boy is browsing the magazines in the bookstore. He is keenly engaged reading the 'stardust' magazine. A girl is looking around the mall. May be she is waiting for someone. A cute kid is playing with the toy. Now he saw another kid eating an ice cream. He started crying for it...." Did you get the picture?

Remember some pointers that help you in this process:

Small is Beautiful: Make short sentences. Observe the above examples again, you will understand how a short sentence looks like. Remember short is cute, either in written or spoken English.
Be Descriptive: Short, doesn't mean cutting out the details. Be as descriptive as possible in your imagination. After all, you are visualizing, which costs nothing. Be rich in your imagination. Start short, but as you progress, add more details to the drama. Instead of describing "A girl is waiting for the bus." Modify it as "A beautiful girl in orange dress is waiting curiously for her college bus." Or to cut it short and cute say "A beautiful girl is wearing an orange dress." "She is looking curiously towards the road." "May be she is waiting for her college bus."

Follow the Flow: While constructing sentences don't think of grammar. Forget the grammar and follow the flow. The sentence may not be correct, who cares. The point is you are practicing.

Think in English: The greatest advantage of this innovative idea is that you will start thinking in English. Be super cautious about this idea. Sometimes we distract, but be on track again. When we are conscious about ourselves, digression dilutes.
Mobile Classroom: Whenever you are on the move take advantage of it. It may be shopping, a movie, travel, daily commuting etc. Observe the scenes in front of you and construct sentences.
Imagine: Even if you are not going anywhere and just sitting at home, put your imagination to work. Dream a situation and talk in English in the mind.

Initially this may sound awkward, but you will see results within few days. Once you start, you will catch the rest easily. As you progress you will have lot of fun. In fact, you don't need any company, your mind becomes your closest friend.
Apart from learning English, this technique has huge benefits associated with it indirectly.

You will realize the power of imagination
Problem solving skills increase dramatically
Boredom will be erased from your dictionary
Creativity magnifies
You will see the world in a new perspective
Productivity and confidence increases

Believe in yourself. English is easy. It is yours, once you put these ideas into practice. Any doubts in the idea or about the implementation; Please do share with me in the comments. Feel free to mail me: myinterface@gmail.com -ajaY vegeSna

Related Posts:

Innovative iDeas to Learn English Faster and Better

2009-12-09T21:25:00.008+05:30

We are on an exciting journey of Learning English like never before. We cleared the ground, laid the foundation and uplifted the pillars. We have just tied our shoe lace. This article is special because it marks the beginning of a sub-series under the umbrella of Learning English theme.

It contains techniques and ideas which are unique. They are the product of years of teaching English to diverse learners. I devised them to suit the individuals of any regional background. I have seen students speaking good English within 3 months of implementing the ideas which I am about to share with you.

One individual even surprised me by learning English within a month by putting all his love and passion into progress. His entire schooling was in Telugu medium. I attribute most of the techniques to him because his passion made me devise new ideas of Learning English. I am happy to say that he was my childhood friend named Clax. I have seen no other individual until now with such incredible passion towards learning. I want you to have his kind of burning desire and zeal to learn the language.

Once you complete reading this entire sub-series, your views, perceptions and beliefs about learning English might change. You will find how easy English is, provided you know the right strategies to harness its power. So Let's dive into the new.

This sub-series is the heart of all our learning and stands as the backbone to our entire course.

All the innovative ideas need to be explained in detail to gain the insights of this new system. So I decided to have this sub-series, "Innovative ideas to learn English faster and better" I am providing you a brief list of ideas that are about to come in the upcoming sub-series.

A brief view of upcoming ideas:

Idea 1: Break the walls
Idea 2: Forget the Grammar
Idea 3: Use your Senses
Idea 4: Catch the Words
Idea 5: keep a Notebook
Idea 6: Find a Learning Partner
Idea 7: Share your Knowledge
Idea 8: Play Games

and many more....

So let's buckle up for the bonanza.

PS: This list might expand in the coming days.

4 Pillars of Learning English

2009-12-07T14:06:00.009+05:30

In the last two articles of Learning English series, we understood the myths about learning English and prepared the ground to learn it. Now the wait is over. We are entering the mainstream learning experience like never before. Let us understand the 'four pillars of learning' not only for English but any other language.

Any language in the world is all about shapes and sounds. The shapes are identified as alphabets and the sounds are heard as words. When you hear a new word you are actually listening to a new sound. That's it no big deal.

The four pillars of learning English are
listening, reading, speaking and writing. The four pillars are the four fundamentals on which the whole learning is based upon. The first two are the inputs to the mind and the last two are the outputs of the learner. Each one has its own importance and contribution to the language. Our outputs are directly depended on the amount of inputs we take. So the more your inputs, the more your outputs. That's as simple as that. Now let's understand the concepts in detail

The Inputs:

1. Listening: How did we learn our mother tongue? Of course, by listening. We heard our family speaking it, hence we got it naturally without much effort. Did anyone taught us grammar before entering the primary school? No, we got it unknowingly because we kept listening to the people around us and gradually speaking our mother tongue became a cake walk for us.
The same is true for any new language. Just keep on listening to English. When you listen intently for long, you no need to understand the grammar of a language. It comes as a flow. When you speak wrong, it doesn't sound harmonious to your ear and you will understand it easily if you become a great listener. In short, if you practice this art of listening completely, you no need to read the rest of this article. English is yours, forever. Here are some pointers to cultivate this habit of listening

Be surrounded by the people who speak good English.
Watch TV or Listen to radio at least 42 minutes per day (21 minutes in the morning and 21 min in the evening). The more the better. Prefer CNN, BBC, CNBC and NDTV
Watch a movie a day in HBO or Star Movies. Follow the English subtitles.
Read an article aloud and listen to your own voice everyday

2. Reading: Reading refines our language. It helps us gain new understanding. It introduces us to new words and phrases. Whenever you are reading you are expanding your language.

Read diverse material like a newspaper, a business magazine, a book, a blog etc
Prefer 'Times of India' news paper in the beginning and gradually shift to 'The Hindu'
Try to read small articles and slowly graduate to the bigger ones and editorials
When you find a new word capture it and use it (more on this in the upcoming articles)

The Outputs:

3. Speaking: As I said earlier remember that all your outputs depend on your inputs. Once you are done with enough inputs for one month, slowly begin mastering the outputs. The more you speak the more confidence you gain. Speaking doesn't mean a public speech, it includes conversations and discussions with friends and associates too.

Speak at every given opportunity
If you don't have the opportunity to speak, create one
Converse with a learner like you daily
Reward yourself for speaking in English daily
Focus on speaking not on mistakes
Discuss your doubts with a good speaker or a faculty

4. Writing: Writing is the ultimate of all your efforts in learning a language. It is the destination and a proof that you have got a firm grip on the language. All the above three rivers (listening, reading and speaking) end up in the sea of writing. I have seen many co-workers who have great command in speaking great English but failed in writing even a simple email. Writing is an art unto itself.

Write an article/essay a day
Correct your mistakes in the article with a faculty or a friend who has command in the language
Write about the topics you like
Check your own articles and try to reduce the number of mistakes

That's all about the fundamental pillars of learning a language. So be honest to yourself and implement them as soon as possible.
In the upcoming article I will share incredible insights and innovative strategies in learning English. I promise, you will be surprised to know how fun it is to learn English. In brief, you will never think of English the same way again.

Until then keep speaking in English, join you in the comments -ajaY vegeSna

How to Prepare the Ground before Learning English

2009-12-06T16:10:00.007+05:30

This is the second article in the 'Learning English' series. In the first article we discussed about the seven myths people have regarding English. Here I focus on doing the ground work before diving deep into the ocean of the language.

Let me make it clear that learning a new language is more about 'giving' rather than taking. Be an enthusiastic learner. I believe strongly that 'what you give is what you get' On that positive note let's explore the ground-breaking insights of learning English...

1. Love the Language: Unless you love the language from the heart, it's difficult to venture into learning the craft of English. Embrace the language. Befriend the words. Hug the hurdles. Love is the only emotion in the world that evaporates all the hardships. When you love something deeply, focus and clarity spring naturally. Love transforms you. Everything around you becomes your teacher. You will see the world in a new perspective. So the best way to learn English is to first love it to the core.

2. Believe Yourself: Nothing in the world is ever achieved unless it has its foundations in strength of the beliefs. Believing brings us closer to achieving. It bridges the barriers and connects you to the contentment. When you believe that you can speak great English, it shows. Forget what ever environment you are in, neglect what ever background you are raised in, just believe strongly that 'I can do it', the rest follows.

3. Fight Fear: Fear is the opposite of love. Love connects, fear disconnects. Love brings you solutions. Fear generates problems. Fear clouds your thoughts and clogs your clarity. I have a personal technique to overcome the fear. I experimented it many times and I am successful every time with my approach.
The solution is simple 'focus on your fear'. Most of our fears come from our ignorance, when you shed some light of awareness, the fear disappears. The more you understand it, the less it troubles you. Shower the darkness of fear with the enlightenment of awareness. Soon everything will fall in place. Surangama Sutra says "To untie the knot, first understand how it was tied". This applies to fear as well. Go to its source, the solution follows.

4. Avoid Negative People: You are the average of the five people you spend your time with. Your association effects your destination. Be wise in choosing your roommates and friends. So many people start learning English with a good initiative. But few steps further they face lot of ridicule, negative criticism, sarcasm and even in some cases they encounter bullying from their roommates or friends or associates.
The negative people are those who failed to learn good English or who fear your success. A learned person always encourages you to learn and also shares his knowledge. But these negative people drain your energy and leave you hopeless with their constant remarks.
So if you are associated with such negative people, you have three wise options: Make your intentions clear or reduce your discussion time with them or finally if nothing works out, vacate the place immediately before it's too late. I can say with 100% assurance that in the long run, you will appreciate the decision you make now.

5. Have Enthusiasm: Enthusiasm is contagious. It spreads easily to others. So when you are curious about your craft, it radiates to your teacher, co-students, colleagues and your family. Now your teacher takes more interest in you, your co-students love to interact with you, your colleagues help you to get more information on the subject and finally your family encourages you to succeed. All this has its roots in your enthusiasm. The more you have it, the faster the results.

6. Fix a Target Date: Having a target to reach within a specific time period speeds up your efforts. Otherwise, life would be mundane and lacks excitement. More importantly, we forget what we are after. Have a target of three months to speak good English. By hook or crook try 100%. Divide that period into three parts focusing on each section of English per month respectively. (you will get more clarity on how to schedule your learning period in further articles)

So far so good. Hope you got an idea of preparing your ground. In the next article I will shed light on the four fundamentals of learning English. Once you are done with the above steps, fasten your seat belts and get ready to taste the basics on which the rest of your learning stays strong. See you in the next article.

By the way, share your thoughts in the comments - ajaY vegeSna

7 Myths about Learning English

2009-12-05T18:53:00.005+05:30

I love English. During my teens (as far as I remember) I used to spend most of my time searching for new words in the dictionary. The root of this habit stemmed from my nonstop reading. I used to read a lot. Of course, I still continue to do so, old habits die hard. Another reason why I love the language is I received my first salary for teaching English. While studying my graduation I worked part time as an English faculty in an institute in my hometown.

Apart from all this I have incredible passion to share my knowledge. I draw lot of contentment in making an ignorant person awakened. So people approach me whenever they got a doubt in the language or when they need clarification in the word usage or even to know the meaning of an unknown word. This helped me to gain deeper understanding of the English language, while they used to gain insights about their doubts. It's a perfect win-win scenario.

This article is the beginning of a series that teaches you secrets of learning the English language. All the techniques I share here are designed by me during the process of teaching English to my friends and students. In fact, the techniques came out of the curiosity I had seen in my students. They contributed more, than what I have taught them. In a nut shell my students (and friends) are my biggest teachers.

In this first article I focus on myths people have in learning the language. So what is a 'myth' in the first place. A myth is a 'false belief'. A belief which is not true. It is based on wrong assumptions people accumulate over a period of time.

Myth 1: "Telugu medium students can never learn good English"

Reality: I have seen many regional people claiming that they cannot speak good English even after trying their hand at various opportunities. In reality this is just a myth, they believe it’s true because they lay all their assumptions on the base of their regional background. In fact, coming from a Telugu or any non-English background has a dual advantage. You know your mother tongue well, and now you can learn English too.

Myth 2: "It's difficult to learn English now at this age"

Reality: Age is never a barrier to learn new things. In reality the more you learn the more life you add to your existence.

Myth 3: "I tried many institutes, but failed. English is not my cup of tea"

Reality: One surprising thing for people who try English institutes one after the other. Any institute will and can teach you only 30% of the craft. The rest solely depends on you. Unless you practice, nothing ever changes. You are changing an institute but are you changing yourself?

Myth 4: "There is no best teacher available to teach the craft"

Reality: The only best teacher available in the world is you. Any great teacher’s duty is to make you understand this truth. Once you understand this, the teacher disappears. The purpose of a teacher is to reduce his purpose to the student.

Myth 5: "I bought so many books, but I didn't get the right one"

Reality: Many people have this notion of buying new stuff. They are curious not to learn but to buy and to keep the book safely in the shelf. Before practicing the exercises given in the book they exercise to buy another book.

Myth 6: "English comes as a gift to only a few people"

Reality: After trying various things they come to a conclusion and give the above statement, which is not true. The gift of learning is present in every one of us. We need to tap into that incredible potential which is lying asleep inside us.

Myth 7: "I don't have time to learn"

Reality: Time is just a matter of priority. As long as learning English is not our priority, we don’t have a single minute for it.

PS: If you have any myths, doubts or difficulties in learning English, please do share with me in the comments or mail me: myinterface@gmail.com

- ajaY vegeSna

How to Make your 'Waiting Time' Productive?

2009-10-29T09:10:00.003+05:30

A couple of days back I happened to attend an interview for a content reviewer position. Typically, as in most interview proceedings, the situation demanded me to wait. Along with other candidates I too started waiting...for hours.

For few minutes I observed the body language of other job seekers. Some were just sitting patiently to hear their beautiful name to be called by the HR. Some were browsing through the 'same' news paper again and again, just to keep themselves busy. Some were getting increasingly impatient and pestering the counselor about the delay.

Now all these variations made me to think of how best we can utilize our waiting time for our own betterment. Waiting is part of our daily lives. We wait for the bus, train etc. If commuting we have plenty of waiting time. Hospitals, theaters, traffic, meeting a higher official, marketing etc there are so many areas in our lives that force us to wait.

Coming back to my interview scene, I thought of writing some key points for this article instead of wasting my time waiting for my call.

Note: I have written these tips keeping in mind the typical interview situation. But most of the tips are applicable to other areas and waiting situations of our lives as well.

Here are the 'waiting' tips:

1. Observe: Waiting is a great opportunity for us to observe people. No other situation provides such a rare offering to know the patience level of the person involved. In fact, we can know different shades of the person if you let him/her wait for more time than usual.

2. Connect with the new: You can meet new people and can understand different perspectives. Only when we allow ourselves to greet the unknown, we can taste the beauty of life.

3. Visualize a funny incident: To sharpen your imagination, use this time to think of a funny incident that happened in your life or a movie. If you don't remember, just create a funny incident in front of you, with the people around you as the characters...but all in the imagination

4. Take a break: If you get bored, take a break and have a coffee

5. Breathe: I am not talking about normal involuntary breathing. Just breathe in and breathe out ...slowly and consciously. This will reduce the nervousness and eases you from the boredom or tension, if any

6. Write something: You can take a paper and write something about your current state of mind, a poem on yourself, or just an essay describing 'you'

7. Play a game: Design a mind game and play it all in your imagination. This is the best way to exercise your brain.

8. Call: We often get caught in our busy lives and forget the old friends who have made a difference in our life. Just make a call and share your happiness. Or call someone you haven't called in for years and give them a surprise. Share your experiences

9. Think: Think of an idea that would change your life or your current position. We often neglect or ignore many important things in our life. If only they get considerable attention they will get done. So think of some ideas to implement them

10. Find Solutions: Imagine and create solutions for future waiting situations like these so that you can be more productive. If you anticipate a waiting situation, carry a small book with you, it will help you to get rid of the boredom and you can also gain some wisdom too.

11. Think like a CEO: If you were the CEO of the company what measures would you take to vanish this waiting time, like placing some indoor games, providing books or any interesting literature like joke books and funny magazines just to make them feel light, or providing a meditation hall. Just think.

12. Sort out a Common Problem: Devise a plan for a common problem faced by all...like traffic-jams for example. You may not get a solution immediately but as you think over the raw idea can be refined until it forms a life-changing concept.

13. Rehearse: You can rehearse your answers for the interview in the mind. This boosts your confidence level.

14. Play a Dual role: Imagine yourself as the interviewer and ask questions, now reverse the role and just play the interviewee and answer them.

So that's all from my side...I want you to provide your ideas for the same. Did you 'wait' for something recently? Please do share your experiences...

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21 Resolutions for a New Year and How to Stick to Them?

2008-12-31T23:48:00.006+05:30

“The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul” - G. K. Chesterton

A resolution is a firm decision to do something. A decision which makes your life richer than yesterday. Here I am enlisting 21 resolutions that can help you see a better you in the New Year. Pick up the one that interests you and know how to stick to it.

1. Practice Pranayama

2. Wake up early

3. Get fit

4. Create a part time job in your area of interest

5. Plan your finances and cut costs

6. Register for annual health check-up

7. Create short term goals to reach an annual goal

8. Be in the present

9. Try simple living

10. Quit a bad habit

11. Plan a vacation. A new destination every year

12. Listen to your heart

13. Stop postponing

14. Sleep early and at a fixed time

15. Enjoy each moment

16. Think different in every situation

17. Try alternative source of income

18. Get a pet

19. Take health seriously and create a new health habit

20. Avoid usage of plastic

21. Meditate

How to stick to a resolution?

Though many people try different resolutions each year, by the end of a week or two they fade away. Here I am giving you some time tested rules that help you to stick to it.

1. One resolution at a time: Don’t over indulge yourself by making more resolutions. This is one of the major causes of failure. So stick to one resolution. Start another one only when you finished the first.

2. Begin Small: Don’t make BIG changes. Small incremental changes are more effective than drastic changes. Spend 10 min each day for your resolution.

3. Commit publicly: Declare your new resolution to the family and friends; this will add some positive public pressure. Accountability matters.

4. Be consistent: The more you repeat, the more consistent you can become. Do not miss a day.

5. Enjoy the change: As you progress, keep enjoying the new change in you. It acts as a great motivator.

As Charles Lamb quotes “New Year’s Day is every man’s birthday.” Have a great year ahead …Happy Birthday -ajaY vegeSna

5 Secrets for a Flat Stomach

2008-12-23T22:31:00.009+05:30

“Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness.” -Earl of Derby

I am curiously waiting to write this post for quite some time. Because earlier when I thought of writing on this article I questioned myself “Am I eligible to write on losing weight, if I am overweight myself?”, but now I became slim by applying different techniques. So I feel more confident and comfortable to write especially on flat stomach. Here I am going to share with you my health secrets. The techniques I implemented, which got me results.

I have done this experiment for 3 months and I am successful. If you ask me why I have done this experiment, there is only one reason: I love myself a lot.

Reflect on what Buddha said “Every human being is the author of his own health or disease”

If you feel that these techniques are difficult for you, at least begin with 1^st and 2^nd techniques which are much easy for your implementation.

1. Water: The best things in life are free. Water is one of them. We ignore its benefits and lose our health. Water is called the elixir of life, which means it increases your life span and enhances your health. Drink 3 to 4 liters of water daily. This will drain all your toxins and fat from the body. It will eliminate most of the diseases. Your skin starts glowing and your body feels so light. Try it for 3 days and you can feel the difference.

Points to remember while drinking water

a. Always drink on empty stomach.

b. Don’t drink while having meals.

c. If you finished meals at 1 pm do not drink water until 3pm(2 hours gap is necessary for digestion)

d. Early morning you can drink 1 liter at a time. But for the rest of the day drink only one glass at a time and give 20 minutes gap to have another glass.

e. Don’t drink after sunset.

f. If you finished drinking, give 30 minutes gap to take any solid food.

2. Yoga: No need to do all poses in Yoga. Just two poses are enough to get that flat stomach you dream of. These two postures (asanas) have changed my belly completely. You can understand the power of yoga only when you do it.

a. Naukasan: (The picture shown in the beginning of this article.) This pose will reduce the fat just above the navel. You can see the difference within a week. Try to be in this position as long as you feel comfortable. But don’t force yourself too hard. Increase the amount of time day by day. For example I used to be only for 3 seconds, later increased on practice. Now I can remain in this pose for 30 seconds. This took me 3 months of rigorous practice. Three rounds of Naukasan are sufficient in one sitting. Once a day is enough. Don’t overdo.

b. Uthanupadasan: This pose will reduce the fat just below the navel. Same as Naukasan but no need to raise upperbody and hands. Till hips just lie down flat on the ground. Only legs should be raised as in Naukasan. You can place the two hands under your neck if you want. All the rules mentioned above for Naukasan also apply to this pose as well. Don’t overdo

The rest of the points are related to my FOOD intake. So I divided them as Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

3. Breakfast:

a. Vegetable Juice- A rich source of essential nutrition. Cut few cubes of Snake gourd (Potlakai), Bottle gourd (Sorakai), Ridge gourd (Beerakai), Cucumber, Carrot and Beetroot. Make them as juice, filter all the pulp. Do not use sugar. Add honey and lemon as per your taste. 7 am is the best time to drink.

b. Sprouts- I eat them daily as breakfast especially Green gram (Pesalu in Telugu), Cowpea (Bobbarlu), Horse gram (Ulavalu), Bengal gram (Senagalu) etc. Remember that sprouts are the most nutritious food on earth. Only after one hour of having vegetable juice, you need to eat sprouts.

c. Vegetable Salad –If you are still hungry after having sprouts you can have this salad. Cut some cubes of carrots, tomato, cucumber (kheera or Dosakaya). Eat until your stomach is full.

4. Lunch: White rice is the major cause of obesity and diabetes. So stop it. Instead eat pulka (chapaathi without oil) with Zero-salt and Zero-oil curries. It may sound surprising for you but salt is the major culprit in getting many diseases. Oil will not contain cholesterol but once it enters your body, it is transformed to cholesterol. So quit both oil and salt. One doubt which may haunt you now is “I think body requires salt” Yes it requires. Every item you eat in this universe contains sodium except rain drops. This sodium in its natural form is enough for the body.

5. Dinner: Have dinner before 7pm. I eat only fruits as dinner. A combination of 3 or 4 varieties is enough. Eat till you feel satisfied. I finish my dinner at 6pm. Do not take any other solid food after dinner. If hungry at 10pm you can have 4 spoons of honey with a slice of lemon in one glass of water.

Follow the above 5 secrets at least on weekdays. Do fasting on Saturdays and enjoy your Sundays. Continue this for two months. You will see a new You. If you have any doubts or need any clarification, drop me a mail (myinterface@gmail.com)

That’s all what you need to do. Do you feel this is difficult? Remember, nothing comes easy in life, so roll up your sleeves and start working.

If you think you can’t do it now, observe what V.L. Allineare has to say “When it comes to eating right and exercising, there is no "I'll start tomorrow." Because Tomorrow is disease”

PS: I am still continuing the above routine because I loved the transformation of myself. I hope you will welcome the change too.

See you in comments.

How to Wake Up Early...and Why?

2008-12-15T10:43:00.008+05:30

"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise" -Benjamin Franklin

How many times do you hit the snooze button on the alarm clock when it wakes you in the early morning? Just pause and think for few seconds…

We set the alarm before sleeping, only to stop it in the morning; not to wake up, but to sleep again. What a pity? I am not an early riser by birth. But I have experimented on it to a certain level and came up with fresh ideas. Some techniques really helped me to rejuvenate, especially the breathing exercise Pranayama. I loved my experiments and continuing them just for the joy of finding another new idea.

I want to share with you two things: First, How to wake up early? Second, why it enriches your life?

How to wake up early?

1. Search for a sense of purpose: When we try to wake up in the morning some mysterious voice inside us whispers…

a. “What miracles you need to do by waking up early?”

b. “It’s so warm and cozy in the bed, let us enjoy this moment”

This inner chatter stems because we are missing a sense of purpose in our life. When you find your true purpose by digging your dreams you don’t need an alarm to wake you up. You will rise by yourself unconsciously. All the achievers have a vision, first they create their vision later their vision creates them. They are lead by the sense of purpose.

2. Never make drastic changes: If you usually wake up at 7 am don’t try to change it to 4 am. Wake up just 5 to 10 min earlier than usual time. Now day by day increase that time until you reach one hour.

3. Eat dinner before 7 pm: Early dinner gives you better sleep and also increases your body’s healing power. When you sleep well you can wake up easily. Remember not to have spicy food for the dinner.

4. Wake up at the same time: Once you reach your ideal waking time (5 am is the best) stick to it. Whether you sleep at 10 pm or 12 pm you should always be ready at the same waking time. Thomas Jefferson once said “Whether I retire to bed early or late, I rise with the sun.” He continued with this habit for 50 years.

5. Keep the clock far from your bed: I know that you know the reason behind this. Because we shut the alarm if it’s reachable and return to sleep. Never keep the alarm handy. Keep it in a place where you can hear it and also where you need to walk few steps away from your bed to shut it off.

6. Get out of bed as soon as the alarm bangs: This really helped me. Because the more you stay on the bed (even after alarm went off) the more you will sleep again. Jump out like a thunder bolt. Once you stay, you need to listen to that lazy inner voice which misleads you. Never surrender to the devil inside you. Be a king; win the battle of the bed…the greatest battle of all.

7. Join hands: DO you have a friend (or a family member) who is an early riser. Seek their help until it becomes a habit. If this does not appeal to you try these

a. Ask someone who is famous for their strict discipline, to wake you up daily or

b. Join the ‘early risers’ community in your colony

8. Give a reward to yourself: When you can’t appreciate yourself, how can you expect the world to do the same. Each day when you accomplish your desired time, give a little treat to yourself. An ice cream will do (or try your favorite things)

9. Pranayama: This is my secret mantra. Some things in life are better to be experienced than to be explained. Pranayama precisely fits into this category. Typically we need to wake up our body at alarm time. But when you do this breathing exercise your body will wake you up.

How to do it > just take deep breaths (deep inhaling and deep exhaling) 3 times and give few seconds rest and repeat this for 5 rounds. Do this in a sitting posture, comfortably on your bed and closing your eyes. Now just lie down and do not open your eyes, just observe inhaling and exhaling in normal breathing and gradually you will fall asleep and you can wake up early.

Warning: Don’t overdo. Increase the rounds depending on your comfort ability. It takes practice to reach the desired level for optimum results. Drop me a mail (myinterface@gmail.com) if you have any doubts in implementing Pranayama

Note: What I explained above is just one unit of Pranayama. Try to implement it first, if you are interested to learn the full version of it; you can contact me.

But …Why to wake up early?

Benjamin Franklin answered it wisely "Early morning has gold in its mouth."

Many people ask this question and since they don’t get a believable answer, they find excuses to avoid it. I have enlisted 16 reasons why to do it and how your life gets enriched by embracing it.

1. You can welcome the Sun

2. It’s a Great start (because great beginnings will have great endings)

3. Enjoy the calmness

4. You can create a new habit

5. Use the new found time to attain progress in your chosen area

6. Meditate

7. Just walk into the beauty of nature

8. Read or write

9. Exercise

10. Reflect on yesterday or Plan your today

11. Understand yourself

12. Do yoga

13. Identify your strength

14. Work on your weakness

15. Simply do whatever that helps you grow

16. You can increase your life-span by 4 years

Wonder how? 2 hours a day of your new found time will accumulate to 4 additional years (40 years from now)

…and once it becomes a habit

o You will receive lot of appreciation from the people around you

o Your confidence just boosts up

o You will find a new you and… finally

o You will see clarity in your thoughts and can feel inner peace

All the best.. Welcome to the 5’ O clock club

Do have some cool ideas to wake up in the morning? Please share them in the comments below.

Feedback: I value your opinions; let me know what you feel about the article. Leave a comment below.

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How to Install a New Habit

2008-12-07T00:01:00.008+05:30

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” –Aristotle

If you want to know about a person just spend few days with him; you will get to know his habits. We can judge a person by his habits. We are nothing but a bunch of habits moving together. Of course they can be good or bad. How can we identify the difference; simple if it moves you towards progress, it’s a good one. If it draws you backwards it’s a bad habit.

Most of us assume that a habit can be broken easily, we try different methods; but fail. I hear many people saying “I can quit (this habit) whenever I want ” but the very same people cannot break the habit when the time really comes. Remember what Samuel Johnson said, “The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.”

Note: The successful installation of a habit takes place only when you do it for 21 days, consistently and consecutively.

Here I am providing you some time-tested methods that will help you to install a new habit:

1. One Habit at a time: Many of us chain ourselves by over promising to do so many things at a time. But this leads to failure and finally ends up in frustration. Instead of that try to achieve only one habit at a time. Find the habits that are bothering you and replace them with good ones. Ex. Replace junk food with healthy diet, replace procrastination (postponement) with punctuality

2. Put it on Paper: Writing has such a tremendous power that connects to your deepest emotions. When you write, it radiates a kind of commitment. List the rewards you want to give yourself when you reach your desired habit. Promise yourself that you will be sticking to it for 21 days. Write in a diary or a personal pocket book

3. Blow this issue: When you want to quit smoking or junk food etc, announce it to everyone you know. Pubic commitment brings accountability. The fear of being embarrassed in front of others propels you to stick to it. So tell the world. Do not promise to a close friend because many times we take them for granted. Instead promise to your children or to an elderly person whom you admire and respect

4. Join the community: Like attracts like. A smoker always seeks the company of another smoker. The opposite is also true. The non-smoker seeks a non-smoker. When you are surrounded by the people of high performance, naturally you will be inclined towards it. When you want to start jogging, join the ‘early risers community’ rather than sitting with the same bunch of people who wake up along with you.

5. Do research on yourself: When you understand yourself completely the advantage is twofold - First, you can identify your strengths and weaknesses and second, you can work on them. Just simply think about these questions related to your habits and write your responses on a paper

a. What drives you towards that habit?

b. What’s stopping you from taking the right action?

c. What do you lose if you continue the habit?

d. What do you gain if you quit?

6. Know your Triggers: What happens when you see a Gulab Jamun (Indian sweet). Your mind associates to your earlier experience of eating that sweet. It recollects the feeling and your tongue salivates. The same way our habits are associated with triggers, we need to identify such triggers. The more consistent the link to the trigger, the stronger the habit. After having meals, many people smoke. One task reminds them the other. Here meal is the trigger. When a smoker meets another smoker, this triggers them to smoke. So here the other smoker acts as a trigger. Identify such triggers in your habits and associate a negative trigger to a positive one.

Ex. Now when you finish a meal, instead of reaching for a cigarette, start to read a book or sleep (sleeping is better than a cigarette). Gradually your mind associates reading (or sleeping) as a post-meal activity.

7. Record your Progress: What cannot be measured cannot be improved. When you know the progress it allows you to continue. There is no other motivator in this world other than your own progress.

8. Consistency is the Key: It is not just action but the consistency of it that separates the best from the rest. Repeat, until winning becomes your habit

9. Celebrate: When you acquire a new good habit or if you quit an old bad habit, celebrate. Throw a BIG party to your closest people. Share your success story.

Few habits of the Great achievers

v Wise people Learn (till their last breath)

v They take Risks

v Go-getters Face their fears

v They Surround themselves with other achievers

v They are ‘On Time’, every time

So act NOW………

“Kill the habit before it kills you

Of course.. One at a time”……ajaY vegeSna

Feedback: Your response gives me an ability, which becomes my responsibility. So please respond in comments.

71 iDeas to Enjoy Your Weekend

2008-11-29T12:47:00.021+05:30

“What are you doing on the weekends?” I asked this question to myself. Later I thought about what other people are doing on Saturdays and Sundays. I am working on a project to fulfill a long cherished dream. I dedicate 70% of my weekend to this project. What about you? I prepared this list to be a reference for anyone who wants to spend their weekends(or holidays) joyfully, productively or differently

If you feel bored on a weekend or if you are feeling empty and don’t have an idea what to do on such days…here’s the list for you:

1. Make someone happy

2. Try new dishes on your own

3. Watch an old movie on DVD with popcorn and samosa

4. Pick up an old friend from orkut(or myspace etc). call him and meet

5. View your photo albums and go back in time

6. Run or race with your partner or friend

7. Rent a cycle and just roam all around your colony

8. Have a soothing massage

9. De clutter-throw away all the unnecessary items from your home and clean

10. Visit a distant relative

11. Write a story

12. See or explore a new place in your area or city

13. Visit a church if you are a Hindu, temple if Christian, mosque if Jain..

14. Try to research on topic that interests you

15. Meet new people

16. Get fit by creating a weekend workout

17. Work in small amounts each week to finish a dream project(realize the Power of Small)

18. Try Gardening.. weed out the waste

19. Engage in social work

20. Plant a seed

21. Teach alphabets to an illiterate

22. Give a speech to your roommates or family on ‘How to reduce plastic usage?’

23. Create a weekend business (if you have a great idea or just think)

24. Read an inspiring book

25. Go to a movie which stars an actor whom you dislike

26. Draw a picture of yours by seeing in mirror

27. Team up with a close friend to work out on a joint project

28. Dance.. and go crazy

29. Go through a kids magazine

30. Visit an orphanage near you and show your kids the sacredness of serving

31. Make new friends

32. Go for a long drive

33. Create a new hobby

34. Listen to different genres of music

35. Walk in the nature with your friend or partner

36. Arrange an high school reunion to meet all old friends in your area

37. Play street cricket (or some other game) with kids at your place

38. Write a letter to a loved one, friend, mom or dad and post it(Not an email)

39. Go through your slam books

40. Learn a musical instrument (There are institutes to teach on weekends, enquire)

41. Call grandparents

42. Wash your bike or car (instead of giving it for water servicing center)

43. Go through all the unread mails in your inbox

44. Heal a wounded relationship

45. Fast and drink 5 liters of water throughout the day (if you are health conscious)

46. Eat raw food whole day.. for a change

47. Spend in silence for three hours

48. Learn a new language

49. Watch cartoon network (or any other channel which you ignore often)

50. Learn to cook

51. Go to a restaurant, but order an item which you haven’t tasted in life

52. Meditate for an hour

53. Prepare a list of silly mistakes you have done ..and laugh at them

54. Have dinner in the moonlight (at your own upstairs, if possible)

55. Pick a magazine that you haven’t read till now

56. Go window shopping

57. Rearrange your furniture in different style and get a new look to your home

58. Meet your new neighbor

59. Take a long, relaxing shower

60. Walk on the beach (lucky ! if you have a sea shore)

61. Swim

62. Have a picnic indoors

63. Record your speech and just listen

64. Awaken the ‘bathroom singer’ in you

65. Take kids to your office and show your cubicle

66. Sleep like a baby (Read this article “How to sleep like a baby” )

67. Revise your past week and plan ahead

68. Go on hiking

69. Think of new ideas

70. Write a letter to yourself

71. Surprise someone

How do you spend your weekends? Write your routine and also add some new ideas in the comments below . This list needs your contribution.. let the ideas flow –ajaY vegeSna

How to Sleep...Like a Baby

2008-11-28T15:00:00.010+05:30

“Every closed eye is not sleeping, and every open eye is not seeing.” -Bill Cosby

There is no other element in the world that gives us such a refreshment and strength like a good night’s sleep. That’s why Dalai Lama says, “Sleep is the best meditation.” When it comes to sleep, babies are the luckiest ones. When I see them asleep, I feel a bit of jealous cause Nature gave them a boon that adults can just dream of. In today’s hectic world can we get such a sleep; I pondered on this point a while and came up with some ideas that can help you…to sleep like a baby.

Note: When I say sleeping like a baby, my intention is on the quality of sleep but not on the amount of sleep (FYI- Babies sleep 18 hours a day)

A brief look at the science of sleep: A neurotransmitter called adenosine is associated with our sleep and wakefulness. The circadian clock (an inner time-keeping device) works in tandem with this chemical. Adenosine is created over the course of the day; high levels of adenosine lead to sleepiness. Caffeine acts opposite this chemical, that is why we drink tea or coffee to avoid sleep as these beverages contain caffeine.

First, let us understand what are the consequences of sleeplessness.

Typically lack of sleep may result in:

· Headache

· Irritability

· Dark circles under the eyes

· Loss of appetite

· Decreased concentration

· Weight loss or Weight gain

· Constipation

· Memory lapses or loss

· Slowed wound healing

· Can lead to Diabetes or Depression

· Mental, emotional or physical fatigue

· Road accidents

If you have sufficient sleep, the advantages are enormous.

Let’s see the benefits of a better sleep:

ü You can think clear

ü Can be more active

ü Increases creative problem solving

ü Can avoid accidents

ü Promotes good mood and good health too

ü Repairs the body

ü Replaces aging or dead cells

ü Brain gets organized

ü Recharges the entire system

ü Reduces stress

ü Improves memory

8 Keys for a Happy Sleep:

1. Pranayama: I tried Pranayama (a breathing exercise) which worked wonders for me, I observed that it not only helped me to get a better sleep, but also it woke me up automatically in the early morning. I am amazed by its impact on various areas of life

a. It enhanced the quality of my sleep.

b. It made my body feel light- like a feather in the air.

c. Enriched my health

Try this :> if you are not getting sleep, just take deep breaths(deep inhaling and deep exhaling) 3 times and give few seconds rest and repeat this for 5 rounds. All this in a sitting posture, comfortably on your bed and closing your eyes. Now just lie down and do not open your eyes, just observe your inhaling and exhaling in normal breathing and gradually you will fall asleep.

2. Conquer stress: Stress is the major cause of insomnia (sleeplessness), some pointers to help you:

a. Know your priorities.

b. Do not over promise to your boss (or anybody)

c. Don’t expect anything from others(yes, anything)

d. Have good relationships

e. Do not depend too much on others

3. Eat light to sleep tight: Your food will have a direct affect on your mental state. Just reflect on your past-How many times have you faced disturbed sleep when you ate non-vegetarian or spicy junk for dinner. Always have light food (fruits, pulkas with vegetable curry etc). Avoid caffeine sources like tea, coffee, soft drinks, chocolates four hours before sleep. One golden rule for a sound sleep- EAT BEFORE 7 PM

4. Ambience: All these points are in vain, if you do not have cozy atmosphere in the bedroom. Make sure that your room is noise-proof and comfortable to sleep.

5. Avoid alcohol: Alcohol can get you to sleep fast, but it gives restlessness and will not let you to a deep sleep.

6. Physical activity: When we have done lot of shopping we feel tired and our body demands rest through sleep. We are very much familiar with this pattern. If you are unable to sleep it means you are not fulfilling your body’s physical need. Benjamin Franklin observed, “Fatigue is the best pillow ” valid point, even in present times.

Exercise, jog, do Yoga, play etc if these are not possible-

Try these :> Do activities that engage your body

a. Use stairs(steps) instead of lift in the office or in the apartment

b. If you commute on bus, drop one stop before the destination and walk to the office.

c. If you commute on bike or car, park your vehicle far away, so that you can put your feet to work

d. Avoid using bike for small chores like buying that milk packet, or condiments from the nearby market. Instead walk.

Note: These things may sound pretty silly to you. But the point is not in the activity but in its repetition. The more you repeat the more benefits you can reap. They not only get you good sleep but also keeps you healthy. Remember ‘small is BIG’ when it is repeated.

7. Sleep when sleepy: Don’t force yourself to bed until you are sleepy. If you are not sleepy, try to engage yourself in an activity like reading a book(many of us do this), observing your breath etc.

8. Routine: Get your body habituated to specific timings for sleeping and waking up. So when the clock ticks that hour the body demands sleep and wakes you up at right time. Adults need 7-8 hours of sleep.

Happy Zzzz..

If you have any technique to get a better sleep, please share it in the comments below.

‘Feed me with your feedback’ –ajaY vegeSna (myinterface@gmail.com)

4 Questions that Can Change Your Life

2008-11-23T12:11:00.013+05:30

“The key to wisdom is knowing all the right questions.” -Anonymous

We tend to ask lot of questions when we were kids but as we grew our curiosity was killed.

Questioning is the ability of the intelligent mind. Right questions produce right results. We stopped questioning and we stopped our own growth. As Voltaire says “Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.”

But my point is “Are we questioning ourselves?”

Most of the time we are so shy or lazy to ask… Let’s explore 4 questions that we should ask ourselves to gain more self-knowledge. Because the only person that can answer these questions is: You.

I am not saying that these questions are final or absolute, but these are very fundamental queries that would help you gain insights about your current state of living.

The Questions:

Question 1: Do you know yourself completely?

Once a curious seeker asked Socrates “Can you explain the secret of success in just two words which should contain the entire worlds wisdom.” Socrates replied “ Know thyself. ” Brilliantly brief answer. When you understand yourself you begin to understand the world. A person may be known as a walking encyclopedia, another may have read entire library by heart but all this is of no value when he is not aware of himself.

Pointers that can help you to understand yourself better:

a. Think : Whenever we got some leisure time we try to fill it with some activity just by calling somebody, watching TV, going for a movie, chatting, gossips etc. We have office time, business time, lunch time etc but do not have ‘thinking time.’ The only human-factor that keeps us superior to other species(at least in our sense) is our ability to think. Spend some time at least 21 minutes a day to think about yourself. (Yes, Twenty One minutes)

Note: Many people worry about a problem and assume it as thinking. Worrying is not thinking. Worry brings in fatigue, thinking brings in clarity.

b. Meditate : As we are spending a lot of time with others except ourselves, we are unable to find clarity in our thoughts and wisdom in our actions. Meditation introduces you to yourself. It cuts all the barriers and shuts all the unwanted stuff. It allows you to think in crystal clear. It soothes you and brings calmness.

c. Ask Friends : when you have close friends you can rely on, ask them your strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes you will be amazed by the insights they provide because they have seen you with their eyes.

d. Observe Your Past : we are here because of the decisions we took in the past. Our past definitely gives us clues to understand our moves.

Question 2: Are you moving towards the right direction?

Whatever the life brings in, which ever situation you are stuck in, We should always move in only one direction: FORWARD

Once a wise guy observed “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” Brilliant idea. Isn’t it.

Many of us are stuck in the wrong jobs, we feel that something is missing but can’t understand that elusive part of our lives. Before we wake up and realize our hidden potential, our precious time passes just like grains of sand from our hand. To avoid this situation constantly ask yourself “am I moving in the right direction?”

Winston Churchill said ““There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction”

Is your conscience giving you hints like the following:

“I shouldn’t have done this…”

“If I could have paid more attention to the details…”

“if I am more conscious… ”

“I’m stuck…”

If you frequently feel like this, you might need to think again.

Some pointers that may help you if you are headed in the wrong direction:

a. Take action: It’s never too late to do something that moves you ahead

b. Confess: often we feel relaxed when we express our confessions to the people who are close to our heart.

c. Be guided: if you know a person who can help you out in this situation, take their help

d. Find a role model: search for a person who already achieved what you want to achieve and seek their suggestions. Ask how he turned his path to the right direction. If we are wise enough, we can learn from others mistakes too.

e. Have vision: if we do not visualize the future prospects, often we shall be trapped in our self-woven paths. So make visualization a part of your every decision.

Question 3: Do you love change?

If our life seems like a routine without much adventures and advancements, it’s definitely lacking change. The great achievers are the people who accepted and embraced change. The people who create the change are known as pioneers.

If we observe our own life, we shall find many instances where we lost opportunities just because we are against change.

Reflect on these situations:

We don’t want to move to a new job because we fear we may lose our comfort zone. We don’t want to take that first step to build our own business because we fear it might end up in losses. We don’t want to make adventures and risks in life because we feel nervous about the outcome. We don’t want to make that career shift which we always wished for, because we lack the drive to make that move. Many of us end up our lives doing mundane jobs which does not ignite our hearts. The hidden reason that’s stopping us in all the above scenarios is: CHANGE.

We do not love change that propels us to a new level. All the change-lovers may not be achievers, but all achievers are definitely change-lovers.

To handle this:

a. Be the change: Instead of waiting for it to come, you drive the change so that others can follow. Start with small changes in your life gradually intensify and expand it to other areas.

Ex. If you are not punctual to your office or any appointments, try to bring that change into your life from today. See the compliments you will be receiving once you accomplished this for one week. Slowly expand this change to other relationships as well i.e. don’t miss the scheduled time even with close friends or relatives. Don’t take them for granted.

Once you feel the fulfillment of achieving one task, that will drive you through the rest of the things. In the beginning you should drive the change, later the change drives you.

b. Seek opportunities: Many times we get chances to embrace change but we ignore or neglect. Seize the opportunities that beckon you in different areas of life. May be sometimes you were asked to speak on an occasion, may be someone invited you to a new place. Identify the opportunities

c. Meet new people: Often in life we are stuck with same kind of people, this is not wrong but we should not stop meeting new people. When you make acquaintance with new people we get to know new thoughts, new way of thinking. The diverse inputs result in diverse outputs.

Note: New people does not mean only strangers. They can also be your colleagues but may be you have not spoken to them often, they can be your neighbors, they can be someone in your vicinity.

d. Learn a new skill: Research proved many times that you can postpone aging if you feed your brain with new abilities. Scientists observed that people who constantly learn are also leading happy lives without any tensions. Learning is a change for the mind which boosts all your brain cells. Peter F Drucker, father of modern management, used to learn a new subject every three months. Not in his retirement, but when he was a busy Writer, Professor and a Management Consultant.

Busy people have more time to learn new things because they know the value of a new skill. Lazy people don’t have time because they are busy planning…an escape. What a paradox !

Try to pick up a new skill that helps you grow. Example

i. learn a new language(English, French, Italian)

ii. Understand the art of graphology or body language

iii. Try a new game or sport

iv. Create a new hobby like playing guitar etc

v. Explore new things like- How stock markets work, How do cell phones work etc

The bottom line is expose your mind to different inputs. If you want to have change in your life ask this question frequently: “When did the last time you did something for the first time?”

Question 4: Do you take care of your body?

We give our vehicle for servicing regularly, we check, if it is in good condition but often we forget the importance of the life vehicle: Our body

Just like our car and bike our body needs quality fuel (food) and proper attention otherwise it can’t move us to the desired destination.

We usually make our body a dumping ground for the junk and ruin its power. The body has the stamina to get rid of diseases provided you give it a chance.

Here I am giving you simple techniques to boost your body

a. Fast: Fasting rejuvenates your body and strengthens the resistance. It generates healing power and cleanses the system. What meditation is to the mind, fasting is to the body. Fast once a week

b. Drink water: The best things in life are free.... like oxygen, mother’s love and water. We neglect what we have and seek what we lack. Research has proven that water increases your creativity. It eliminates toxins from your body and prevents dehydration.

c. Go natural: Eat lot of fruits and vegetable salads. Sprouts are best sources of nutrition. Plant-based diet is always a great option compared to animal-based food.

d. Move your body: lack of physical activity springs many diseases. Swim, jog, play, exercise…do whatever that gives you pleasure.

Note: For more details on how to stay healthy, go through my article “Your temple is on fire”

Feedback is the fuel:

If you want to add more questions to the above list or want to have your say, write in the comments below. I love your feedback –ajaY vegeSna (myinterface@gmail.com)

Your Temple is on Fire

2008-11-12T22:29:00.019+05:30

We take a head bath and dress up neatly before entering into a temple. We leave our footwear while heading to the Gods blessings. We consider shrine as sacred location and do not lie or speak slang at the holy place. We try to follow most of the laid customs at temples(or mosque or church)

But why do we fill our belly’s with all junk and crap. Our ancient wisdom says “The body is our temple” [dhehamey devalayam], why do we take it for granted and ruin our health by ‘digging our graves with our own teeth’.

Nature is the supreme force in this universe. No other phenomenon can conquer it. It is absolute in itself. We are ought to live along with the nature. We are designed by the nature itself to follow its path. In fact we are part of it.

Lets us explore the natures secrets that help us in nourishing our body and mind. This can be achieved through living a natural life style.

What is Natural Lifestyle ?

Leading ‘Natural Life Style’ means following your body’s true basic instincts. Aligning your habits along with the original needs but not against it. If we observe the Lion, by natures design it’s a carnivorous, the Cow is herbivorous . If a cow starts eating non vegetarian it will end up its life in unexpected problems especially it will catch up diseases and may begin the aging process soon compared to the rest of its species. Why? Because the nature created the living beings(including human beings) with certain structure ,a specific system, relative capabilities to help the creature to live the life happily . The same is true for the lion if it starts eating the grass.

This awesome system provides the ‘balance’ in the nature to survive and expand the families of each species. But when it comes to current system of living , are we doing what exactly we are intended to do? Of course not! Hence the human being is suffering from many ailments. New diseases are being produced just because of the ‘unhealthy life style’ .

As we are living ‘off the track’ by stepping outside our original way of living, we are laying foundations to the diseases but not to our growth. So to get rid of all this mess we need ‘Natural Lifestyle’

Why we need it?

Any normal human being is exhausted nowadays even when he has done little work. Let’s examine today’s typical human.

ü We are unable to handle even the daily chores

ü We are frequented by the diseases so often compared to the older generation

ü Fatigue is killing us even when we walk the upstairs

ü Chronic diseases are becoming common in the young people

ü Aging is becoming faster than the usual expected rate

and the list goes on and on…

One good news: we can overcome all the above problems just by changing our habits. Hence changing our life style.

How can we do it?

In a nutshell:

Eat more and more natural foods- fruits, sprouts, vegetable salads etc (60% of the daily intake should include this kind of food)
Drink more water (4 to 5 liters’ per day)
Cutting the salt and oil consumption and eventually reaching no-salt and no-oil state
Doing regular physical activity - Exercise/Yoga/swimming/playing a sport

Anyone can start this style, but never go cold turkey (making sudden drastic changes in the habits or life style). It is not advisable because there is a chance for many people to slip back into the old habits. The gradual incremental steps are always better compared to immediate changes. Slow is strong.

If you are a beginner:

Follow the below 9 steps for a superb life

Note: Remember these are steps i.e. only when you finished step 1 for few weeks then only start step 2 and after continuing it for few weeks then enter step 3…and so on. Do not skip some of the steps or don’t be in a hurry to jump

Start with water, by drinking 3 liters a day and gradually increase the intake to 4 or 5 liters.

Remember:

a. Drink water with empty stomach only

b. Do not drink while having meals or any other solid food

c. start drinking after 2 hours of solid intake

(if you finish lunch at 1pm start water at 3pm)

d. Eat solid food only after 30 min of water intake

After water becomes a habit for 2 weeks , Now slowly replace tea, coffee with vegetable juice.
Gradually after 2 weeks start eating sprouts as a breakfast replacing the idli, dosa, wada, upma or any normal tiffin’s

Remember:

a. If still hungry after having sprouts eat vegetable salad(slices or cubes of carrot, kheera, tomato, cucumber) fruits or dates

Start ‘whole’ grains instead of polished ones, meaning replace white rice with brown rice(aka hand pounded rice)
Once habituated with this new breakfast for 2 weeks , Then begin early dinner. Finish dinner before 7pm. Preferably have fruits as dinner.

Remember:

If you are hungry around 10pm just have one glass of water mixed up with one lemon and four spoons of honey

Prepare yourself mentally that you are starting this lifestyle for healthy living. Get as much awareness as possible before plunging into the paradise. Promise yourself.

And finally cut back on salt and oil completely in the curries or in any prepared food

Begin one or two of the following activities for one hour especially in the early morning (one activity is mandatory)

a. Yoga

b. Praanaayaama (a kind of breathing exercise which is a proven relief for stress)

c. Physical exercise

d. Play - a sport you love (shuttle, swimming, volleyball, football etc)

Start meditation and say good bye to medication for the rest of your life

Warning: Do not STOP salt usage immediately, you may experience fatigue. Follow the above order of activities one by one to ensure optimum results.

Why people are unwilling to follow this lifestyle?

We are the creatures of habit. A habit is a an action repeated until it forms a pattern in your life. The more it is repeated the stronger it becomes. Once we acquire a habit it’s hard to break because it already formed a rhythm.

To unlearn the habits we need

Conviction
Understanding and
Consistency to practice

People are unwilling to install a new habit because

ü Most of us do not love change(especially if it forces us to move away from our comfort zone)

ü We have a feeling (of course a false one)that we are healthy with the current state of living

ü We lack awareness of the benefits that can be reaped with new habits

ü We feel it’s difficult (because many of us are unwilling to lose the laziness)

ü Most of the time we are stuck with people who are having unhealthy habits. This drags us to an opinion that since everyone is fine with current life style, we can be fine too.

ü Few ‘People around us’ stop us through their negative insights through their inexperience (unintentionally they don’t want to miss you from their community)

Advantages

“Ok dude !! we agree…what you said is true but how can I benefit from this lifestyle?” that’s the question on your mind am I right ?

So let’s dive deep into ocean :

Good health – what is one thing in this world which is ‘easy to lose but hard to get?’, the answer is anybody’s guess-Our health.

We can’t walk even a bit if we fell sick. How can we reach our distant dreams if laid on the bed frequented by diseases. No other wealth in this universe replaces health. If we fail in business we can recover losses. If fired we can try another job. But if we lose our precious health, hard to get back to the normal.

By fueling our body with more natural food we can remain healthy.

More productivity - If we are healthy naturally our productivity increases. This leads us to produce more results within less time.
More leisure time - Typical humans spend much time suffering with ailments due to unhealthy habits. Since we change, we can now have more time for leisure or to learn a new hobby or to set a new goal.
Inspire - We can be an inspiration to the society and also to the next generation. Our influence can bring a massive change in the society ultimately building an healthy nation.
Feel good about yourself - When we eat the junk food , we mostly repent later because we know that it’s not good for health. But in the natural life style we feel so proud about ourselves.
Confidence - Following this method boosts your morale because you will see a new you.
Side-benefits - May be you heard a lot about side-effects but in this method we get side-benefits. If your intention is to lose weight, by the time you reach your ideal weight, you will also get-rid of Asthma, Diabetes, BP, Skin diseases etc. If a diabetic patient follows his pre-defined routine he can also be cured of any other ailments during the process. Got it!
Good in-Bad out - The more intake of natural good food you consume the more toxins are drained from your body. Eventually making your body highly resistant and strong.
Look smart – You become more beautiful as your body is getting what it really needs. It rewards you with good looks. Remember “To change the way you look, just change the way you cook.”
Spread enthusiasm– less fatigue equals more enthusiasm. Now wherever you go your youthfulness spreads an invisible circle of radiance around you which ignites a spark in others. You are just like a walking magnet attracting more people and more opportunities into your life.
Fulfill your dreams- This lifestyle propels clarity in your thoughts and wisdom in your actions. whatever you dream will manifest, whatever you wish will be at your hands. Sounds like exaggeration, but it’s true.
Evolve- You start flowering from within. You will see the same old stuff, with new eyes. You evolve day by day through your new thoughts, new dimensions and this results in new insights.

The Future

“ The future belongs to those who will love chAngE ” – Osho

The current system of living is being proved wrong again and again as we are suffering from numerous diseases. At present there are 22,000 diseases spread around the world. But definitely the number is not this large in olden days.

This gives raise to few questions

Why the number of diseases are growing rapidly?

If this continues what are the consequences?

What is the root cause and how to eliminate it?

The diseases are intensifying because we are laying foundations to them through our bad habits. Our new sedentary jobs are becoming feeding grounds for the ailments. knowingly or unknowingly we are paying the price for our past mistakes through the diseases.

Same action leads to same result. So if we change the action, definitely it will change the result. Once we start acquiring a new ‘good’ habit one at a time the bad habits will soon vanish.

Remember your temple is already on fire , watch your daily intake and avoid the junk.

Are we eating to live or living to eat? So many of us will think in former but end up in latter. Just observe.

The greatest gift we can give to our children is a ‘disease-free body’ and a ‘medicine-free home.’ All this can be possible once we take that little first step towards the chAngE.

Are you addicted to any kind of food? How frequently you feel guilty of having eaten such stuff?

Please answer the above two questions and provide feedback in the comments. -ajaY veGesna

Humble Beginnings

2008-07-25T16:43:00.002+05:30

Hi all,

just started blogging.
a new kid on the block

Hope the future is filled with happiness....forever