Eat enough calories but not too many. Maintain a balance between your calorie intake and calorie expenditure—that is, don't eat more food than your body uses. The average recommended daily allowance is 2,000 calories, but this depends on your age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity.
Eat a wide variety of foods. Healthy eating is an opportunity to expand your range of choices by trying foods—especially vegetables, whole grains, or fruits—that you don't normally eat.
Keep portions moderate, especially high-calorie foods. In recent years serving sizes have ballooned, particularly in restaurants. Choose a starter instead of an entrée, split a dish with a friend, and don’t order supersized anything.
Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes—foods high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, low in fat, and free of cholesterol. Try to get fresh, local produce
Limit sugary foods, salt, and refined-grain products. Sugar is added to a vast array of foods. In a year, just one daily 12-ounce can of soda (160 calories) can increase your weight by 16 pounds. See suggestions below for limiting salt and substituting whole grains for refined grains.
Don’t be the food police. You can enjoy your favorite sweets and fried foods in moderation, as long as they are an occasional part of your overall healthy diet. Food is a great source of pleasure, and pleasure is good for the heart – even if those French fries aren’t!
Get moving. A healthy diet improves your energy and feelings of well-being while reducing your risk of many diseases. Adding regular physical activity and exercise will make any healthy eating plan work even better.
One step at a time. Establishing new food habits is much easier if you focus on and take action on one food group or food fact at a time
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
ANDHRA VANTALU
GONGURA PACHADI
Ingredients:
Gongura leaves- about 4 cups
a handfull of peanuts
dry red chilles- 5
tamarind juice - 1tsp (adjust depending upon how tangy the gongura is)
onion- 1/4th
Tempering/ Talimpu:
oil- 1tsp
mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
chanadal, urad dal, cumin seeds- 1/4th tsp each
few curry leaves
dry red chille-1
pinch of hing
In a pan put the oil, once hot add the mustard. Once the mustard starts to dance, add the other ingredients and fry till light brown.
Procedure:
In a pan put a teaspoon of oil and fry the peanuts till light brown. Remove and keep it on the side. In the same pan add the dry chille and fry. Remove, now add two teaspoons of oil and the gongura leaves with little bit of salt. cook in low heat till gongura becomes soft. Let cool.
In a mixer grind the peanuts and red chille coarsely. Now add the gongura, some salt, tamarind juice and very little water. Grind till its smooth. Now add some chopped onion and grind it just one more time. You should still be able to see some chunks of onion.
Finally add the tempering and enjoy the pachadi with hot rice and some ghee.
Ingredients:
Gongura leaves- about 4 cups
a handfull of peanuts
dry red chilles- 5
tamarind juice - 1tsp (adjust depending upon how tangy the gongura is)
onion- 1/4th
Tempering/ Talimpu:
oil- 1tsp
mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
chanadal, urad dal, cumin seeds- 1/4th tsp each
few curry leaves
dry red chille-1
pinch of hing
In a pan put the oil, once hot add the mustard. Once the mustard starts to dance, add the other ingredients and fry till light brown.
Procedure:
In a pan put a teaspoon of oil and fry the peanuts till light brown. Remove and keep it on the side. In the same pan add the dry chille and fry. Remove, now add two teaspoons of oil and the gongura leaves with little bit of salt. cook in low heat till gongura becomes soft. Let cool.
In a mixer grind the peanuts and red chille coarsely. Now add the gongura, some salt, tamarind juice and very little water. Grind till its smooth. Now add some chopped onion and grind it just one more time. You should still be able to see some chunks of onion.
Finally add the tempering and enjoy the pachadi with hot rice and some ghee.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Home remedies
To get immediate relief from an irritable cough, take a thin slice of freshly cut onion and pour two teaspoons of honey on it. Keep aside for 3- 4 hours and then remove the onion and lick the honey to get substantial relief from an irritable cough.
Chew raw guava leaves to get quick relief from diarrhea. Try it and enjoy relief the natural herbal way.
To cure acidity after meals, drink a glass of water with a piece of jaggery (raw brown unprocessed sugar) dissolved in it, after meals. Try this natural way, to get relief from a very common complaint in the modern world.
Hiccups Problem? Roast some peppercorns and breathe in deeply. This will stop hiccups promptly.
Another quick cure for a loose stomach… Try fenugreek seeds in a glass of semi warm water.
Improve the health of your liver by eating a refrigerated fresh pineapple piece dipped in honey, once a day. Experience a marked improvement within 15 days.
To get relief from chronic constipation, try eating half a cup of blanched spinach.
Chewing cloves is a good way to protect your teeth and get rid of bad breath.
Do you need relief from muscular pain? Try a mustard bath! Take 15- 20 grams of mustard powder, tie it in a piece of cloth, dip it into a bucket of hot water for 10- 15 minutes and then bathe with that water. Get relief from muscular pains and cramps.
Do you know raw cabbage and cabbage juice helps to regenerate the frayed mucosal, inner stomach and intestine linings.
To reduce the sting of a bee bite, apply one tsp of onion juice to the affected area. Then remove the stinger with a tweezers.
To cure bad breath, boil a few (4-6) fenugreek leaves in one glass of water and then gargle with this semi warm water. Try it for 7 days, twice a day, to see substantial improvement.
Soak one teaspoon of wheat in 150 ml of water over night. Drink this water in the morning after filtering out the wheat to get immediate relief from acidity and stomach problems. Try it for 3- 4 days to find substantial improvement.
Add a pinch of asafetida to semi hot water (warm water) and drink it to get relief from menstrual cramps. This is a safe natural remedy to an age old problem and works well with most women.
Chew five basil leaves first thing in the morning daily to keep away infection of the throat, mouth and gums. Make this a regular habit and avoid throat problems.
Indigestion any one? One teaspoon of mint juice mixed with an equal amount of honey and lemon juice is a good cure for this problem. Try it for three days after heavy meals and enjoy the difference.
To get rid of bruises quickly before an important engagement, dip cotton wool in undiluted vinegar and bandage the bruised area with same till dry. Find instant relief.
You can use the white of an egg as an emergency burn ointment.
Asthma patients can get some relief by drinking a teaspoon of honey mixed in a cup of boiled water daily.
To get rid of a persistent cough, eat a guava that has been baked in an oven or over charcoal. Try this home remedy for four to five days to obtain relief.
Rub an aspirin tablet on a bee sting to stop pain. The aspirin acts as a local anesthetic!
Tender coconut water applied on a skin regularly for six months reduces and removes small pox scars.
Drinking wheat grass juice is a health tonic. Drink a glass every alternate day to find an increase in vigor.
For immediate relief from aches in your legs or hands, immerse the affected limb in hot water mixed with salt.
One teaspoon castor oil taken with semi hot (warm) water early in the morning on an empty stomach is an excellent cure for indigestion. It also helps alleviate muscular pains.
To get relief from menstrual cramps, peel a few garlic flakes, fry them in clarified butter, cool add sugar and swallow a couple. Find relief in 15 minutes.
Chew raw guava leaves to get quick relief from diarrhea. Try it and enjoy relief the natural herbal way.
To cure acidity after meals, drink a glass of water with a piece of jaggery (raw brown unprocessed sugar) dissolved in it, after meals. Try this natural way, to get relief from a very common complaint in the modern world.
Hiccups Problem? Roast some peppercorns and breathe in deeply. This will stop hiccups promptly.
Another quick cure for a loose stomach… Try fenugreek seeds in a glass of semi warm water.
Improve the health of your liver by eating a refrigerated fresh pineapple piece dipped in honey, once a day. Experience a marked improvement within 15 days.
To get relief from chronic constipation, try eating half a cup of blanched spinach.
Chewing cloves is a good way to protect your teeth and get rid of bad breath.
Do you need relief from muscular pain? Try a mustard bath! Take 15- 20 grams of mustard powder, tie it in a piece of cloth, dip it into a bucket of hot water for 10- 15 minutes and then bathe with that water. Get relief from muscular pains and cramps.
Do you know raw cabbage and cabbage juice helps to regenerate the frayed mucosal, inner stomach and intestine linings.
To reduce the sting of a bee bite, apply one tsp of onion juice to the affected area. Then remove the stinger with a tweezers.
To cure bad breath, boil a few (4-6) fenugreek leaves in one glass of water and then gargle with this semi warm water. Try it for 7 days, twice a day, to see substantial improvement.
Soak one teaspoon of wheat in 150 ml of water over night. Drink this water in the morning after filtering out the wheat to get immediate relief from acidity and stomach problems. Try it for 3- 4 days to find substantial improvement.
Add a pinch of asafetida to semi hot water (warm water) and drink it to get relief from menstrual cramps. This is a safe natural remedy to an age old problem and works well with most women.
Chew five basil leaves first thing in the morning daily to keep away infection of the throat, mouth and gums. Make this a regular habit and avoid throat problems.
Indigestion any one? One teaspoon of mint juice mixed with an equal amount of honey and lemon juice is a good cure for this problem. Try it for three days after heavy meals and enjoy the difference.
To get rid of bruises quickly before an important engagement, dip cotton wool in undiluted vinegar and bandage the bruised area with same till dry. Find instant relief.
You can use the white of an egg as an emergency burn ointment.
Asthma patients can get some relief by drinking a teaspoon of honey mixed in a cup of boiled water daily.
To get rid of a persistent cough, eat a guava that has been baked in an oven or over charcoal. Try this home remedy for four to five days to obtain relief.
Rub an aspirin tablet on a bee sting to stop pain. The aspirin acts as a local anesthetic!
Tender coconut water applied on a skin regularly for six months reduces and removes small pox scars.
Drinking wheat grass juice is a health tonic. Drink a glass every alternate day to find an increase in vigor.
For immediate relief from aches in your legs or hands, immerse the affected limb in hot water mixed with salt.
One teaspoon castor oil taken with semi hot (warm) water early in the morning on an empty stomach is an excellent cure for indigestion. It also helps alleviate muscular pains.
To get relief from menstrual cramps, peel a few garlic flakes, fry them in clarified butter, cool add sugar and swallow a couple. Find relief in 15 minutes.
Super Foods for health
by Janice Kumar
In this short article I touch on some foods which are easily available but ignored by people as they do not find them maybe tasty / interesting or attractive to eat. However these everyday foods and fruits provide tremendous natural benefits and eaten right, can add to health and healthy living. It makes a lot of sense to include these foods in one's diet to enjoy their benefits over the long term. Not all of them can be eaten everyday, but try and include them in your diet pattern so as to enjoy their benefits over the long term, especially in your middle and old age.
The first food is a herb - Cinnamon. This herb is a must have for all. It helps control blood sugar levels, lowering the risk of diabetes and heart disease. The spice's active ingredients- especially thylhydroxychalcone polymers - increase the human cells' ability to metabolize sugar by up to twenty times. Increase usage of this herb, by adding it to your coffee, tea or breakfast cereal. Sprinkle this herb and add value to your foods. Cinnamon has been found to significantly reduce bad cholesterol levels and is a must add on for people with a penchant for eating out, eating fast foods and generally unable to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Enjoy the natural protection provided by mother nature and stay fit.
The second food is a fruit juice - Pomegranate Juice. This juice is a super health drink and helps fight blood pressure and health problems. Drinking just two ounces of this juice daily, helps decrease systolic blood pressure and improve blood flow to the heart. It also provides a significant portion of the daily vitamin C requirement. It makes sense, to drink a little everyday or if the bottled juice is not easily available, simply eat the fruit.
The third food is a vegetable - Cabbage. This not a much loved food in many households. But one cup of chopped cabbage has only 25 calories but enough valuable nutrients such as sulforaphane, which increases the body's production of enzymes, which disarm cell damaging free radicals and reduce cancer risk. It therefore makes eminent food sense to munch some cabbage salad along with your meals daily.
The fourth food is a root - Beetroot. This is one of the best sources of folate and betaine. They work together to lower the blood levels of homocysteine, which reduces damage to arteries and helps prolong life. Beetroot is also a natural cancer fighter and a little of this root taken every other day helps keep the body fit. The root can be taken as a salad or as a side dish, lightly sautéed and cooked.
The fifth food is a fruit- Guava. This is an excellent source of lycopene. Lycopene is an antioxidant that helps fight prostrate cancer. It also has a lot of potassium and vitamin C. Enjoy it whole along with the skin, which is where most of the vitamins are hidden.
These five foods help in keeping the heart healthy, fight cancer and also fight age related debilitation. Enjoy a healthy, long life with them. It makes sense to add them to your diet and cut out the red meat and heavy salt intake.
by Janice Kumar
In this short article I touch on some foods which are easily available but ignored by people as they do not find them maybe tasty / interesting or attractive to eat. However these everyday foods and fruits provide tremendous natural benefits and eaten right, can add to health and healthy living. It makes a lot of sense to include these foods in one's diet to enjoy their benefits over the long term. Not all of them can be eaten everyday, but try and include them in your diet pattern so as to enjoy their benefits over the long term, especially in your middle and old age.
The first food is a herb - Cinnamon. This herb is a must have for all. It helps control blood sugar levels, lowering the risk of diabetes and heart disease. The spice's active ingredients- especially thylhydroxychalcone polymers - increase the human cells' ability to metabolize sugar by up to twenty times. Increase usage of this herb, by adding it to your coffee, tea or breakfast cereal. Sprinkle this herb and add value to your foods. Cinnamon has been found to significantly reduce bad cholesterol levels and is a must add on for people with a penchant for eating out, eating fast foods and generally unable to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Enjoy the natural protection provided by mother nature and stay fit.
The second food is a fruit juice - Pomegranate Juice. This juice is a super health drink and helps fight blood pressure and health problems. Drinking just two ounces of this juice daily, helps decrease systolic blood pressure and improve blood flow to the heart. It also provides a significant portion of the daily vitamin C requirement. It makes sense, to drink a little everyday or if the bottled juice is not easily available, simply eat the fruit.
The third food is a vegetable - Cabbage. This not a much loved food in many households. But one cup of chopped cabbage has only 25 calories but enough valuable nutrients such as sulforaphane, which increases the body's production of enzymes, which disarm cell damaging free radicals and reduce cancer risk. It therefore makes eminent food sense to munch some cabbage salad along with your meals daily.
The fourth food is a root - Beetroot. This is one of the best sources of folate and betaine. They work together to lower the blood levels of homocysteine, which reduces damage to arteries and helps prolong life. Beetroot is also a natural cancer fighter and a little of this root taken every other day helps keep the body fit. The root can be taken as a salad or as a side dish, lightly sautéed and cooked.
The fifth food is a fruit- Guava. This is an excellent source of lycopene. Lycopene is an antioxidant that helps fight prostrate cancer. It also has a lot of potassium and vitamin C. Enjoy it whole along with the skin, which is where most of the vitamins are hidden.
These five foods help in keeping the heart healthy, fight cancer and also fight age related debilitation. Enjoy a healthy, long life with them. It makes sense to add them to your diet and cut out the red meat and heavy salt intake.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Making a Great First Impression!
It takes just a quick glance, maybe three seconds, for someone to evaluate you when you meet for the first time. In this short time, the other person forms an opinion about you based on your appearance, your body language, your demeanor, your mannerisms, and how you are dressed.
With every new encounter, you are evaluated and yet another person’s impression of you is formed. These first impression can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo, making those first encounters extremely important, for they set the tone for the all the relationships that follows.
So, whether they are in your career or social life, it’s important to know how to create a good first impression. This article provides some useful tips to help you do this.
Be on Time
The person you are meeting for the first time is not interested in your “good excuse” for running late. Plan to arrive a few minutes early. And allow flexibility for possible delays in traffic or taking a wrong turn. Arriving early is much better that arriving late, hands down, and is the first step in creating a great first impression.
Be Yourself, Be at Ease
If you are feeling uncomfortable and on edge, this can make the other person ill at ease and that’s a sure way to create the wrong impression. If you are calm and confident, so the other person will feel more at ease, and so have a solid foundation for making that first impression a good one. See our section on relaxation techniques to find out how to calm that adrenaline!
Present Yourself Appropriately
Of course physical appearance matters. The person you are meeting for the first time does not know you and your appearance is usually the first clue he or she has to go on.
But it certainly does not mean you need to look like a model to create a strong and positive first impression. (Unless you are interviewing with your local model agency, of course!)
No. The key to a good impression is to present yourself appropriately.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and so the “picture” you first present says much about you to the person you are meeting. Is your appearance saying the right things to help create the right first impression?
Start with the way you dress. What is the appropriate dress for the meeting or occasion? In a business setting, what is the appropriate business attire? Suit, blazer, casual? And ask yourself what the person you'll be meeting is likely to wear - if your contact is in advertising or the music industry, a pinstripe business suit may not strike the right note!
For business and social meetings, appropriate dress also varies between countries and cultures, so it’s something that you should pay particular attention to when in an unfamiliar setting or country. Make sure you know the traditions and norms.
And what about your personal grooming? Clean and tidy appearance is appropriate for most business and social occasions. A good haircut or shave. Clean and tidy clothes. Neat and tidy make up. Make sure your grooming is appropriate and helps make you feel “the part”.
Appropriate dressing and grooming help make a good first impression and also help you feel “the part”, and so feel more calm and confident. Add all of this up and you are well on your way to creating a good first impression.
It takes just a quick glance, maybe three seconds, for someone to evaluate you when you meet for the first time. In this short time, the other person forms an opinion about you based on your appearance, your body language, your demeanor, your mannerisms, and how you are dressed.
With every new encounter, you are evaluated and yet another person’s impression of you is formed. These first impression can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo, making those first encounters extremely important, for they set the tone for the all the relationships that follows.
So, whether they are in your career or social life, it’s important to know how to create a good first impression. This article provides some useful tips to help you do this.
Be on Time
The person you are meeting for the first time is not interested in your “good excuse” for running late. Plan to arrive a few minutes early. And allow flexibility for possible delays in traffic or taking a wrong turn. Arriving early is much better that arriving late, hands down, and is the first step in creating a great first impression.
Be Yourself, Be at Ease
If you are feeling uncomfortable and on edge, this can make the other person ill at ease and that’s a sure way to create the wrong impression. If you are calm and confident, so the other person will feel more at ease, and so have a solid foundation for making that first impression a good one. See our section on relaxation techniques to find out how to calm that adrenaline!
Present Yourself Appropriately
Of course physical appearance matters. The person you are meeting for the first time does not know you and your appearance is usually the first clue he or she has to go on.
But it certainly does not mean you need to look like a model to create a strong and positive first impression. (Unless you are interviewing with your local model agency, of course!)
No. The key to a good impression is to present yourself appropriately.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and so the “picture” you first present says much about you to the person you are meeting. Is your appearance saying the right things to help create the right first impression?
Start with the way you dress. What is the appropriate dress for the meeting or occasion? In a business setting, what is the appropriate business attire? Suit, blazer, casual? And ask yourself what the person you'll be meeting is likely to wear - if your contact is in advertising or the music industry, a pinstripe business suit may not strike the right note!
For business and social meetings, appropriate dress also varies between countries and cultures, so it’s something that you should pay particular attention to when in an unfamiliar setting or country. Make sure you know the traditions and norms.
And what about your personal grooming? Clean and tidy appearance is appropriate for most business and social occasions. A good haircut or shave. Clean and tidy clothes. Neat and tidy make up. Make sure your grooming is appropriate and helps make you feel “the part”.
Appropriate dressing and grooming help make a good first impression and also help you feel “the part”, and so feel more calm and confident. Add all of this up and you are well on your way to creating a good first impression.
Things to do everyday
Follow these ten golden rules and enjoy every moment of living.
~ Greet your family members first thing in the morning. If you are not used to this, they will be surprised with your sudden and nice gesture.
~ Greet your peers, subordinates and boss once you enter the office. Smile at even the 'security' personnel standing at the gate, who takes care of your safety.
~ Greet your friends along the way and do not ignore them.
~ Continously reciprocate to breed communication. If you do not reciprocate at least with a 'thanks' when you get information or a source on your online network or your offline network, you will not be remembered for a long time. If you are not remembered, you are out of your network.
~ Be a proactive listener and empathise with others to command respect.
~ While talking to others, your voice, tone and tenor must be audible and soothing. It should not be aggressive or in a shouting mode.
~ Dress well to suit your profession and to create positive vibes in your workplace. If you are a sales representative, do not go out with printed shirts and jeans, which may turn down your customer.
~ Political and religious comments must be avoided at all costs in the workplace, when you are in a group.
~ Your communication should not provoke others.
~ Do not speak ill of others if you can help it.
Follow these ten golden rules and enjoy every moment of living.
~ Greet your family members first thing in the morning. If you are not used to this, they will be surprised with your sudden and nice gesture.
~ Greet your peers, subordinates and boss once you enter the office. Smile at even the 'security' personnel standing at the gate, who takes care of your safety.
~ Greet your friends along the way and do not ignore them.
~ Continously reciprocate to breed communication. If you do not reciprocate at least with a 'thanks' when you get information or a source on your online network or your offline network, you will not be remembered for a long time. If you are not remembered, you are out of your network.
~ Be a proactive listener and empathise with others to command respect.
~ While talking to others, your voice, tone and tenor must be audible and soothing. It should not be aggressive or in a shouting mode.
~ Dress well to suit your profession and to create positive vibes in your workplace. If you are a sales representative, do not go out with printed shirts and jeans, which may turn down your customer.
~ Political and religious comments must be avoided at all costs in the workplace, when you are in a group.
~ Your communication should not provoke others.
~ Do not speak ill of others if you can help it.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
"The proper function of man is to live - not to exist."
"The proper function of man is to live - not to exist." -- Jack London
Too often we go through life on autopilot, going through the motions and having each day pass like the one before it.That's fine, and comfortable, until you have gone through another year without having done anything, without having really lived life.
That's fine, until you have reached old age and look back on life with regrets.That's fine, until you see your kids go off to college and realize that you missed their childhoods.It's not fine. If you want to truly live life, to really experience it, to enjoy it to the fullest, instead of barely scraping by and only living a life of existence, then you need to find ways to break free from the mold and drink from life.
What follows is just a list of ideas, obvious ones mostly that you could have thought of yourself, but that I hope are useful reminders. We all need reminders sometimes. If you find this useful, print it out, and start using it. Today.
1. Love. Perhaps the most important. Fall in love, if you aren't already. If you have, fall in love with your partner all over again. Abandon caution and let your heart be broken. Or love family members, friends, anyone -- it doesn't have to be romantic love. Love all of humanity, one person at a time.
2. Get outside. Don't let yourself be shut indoors. Go out when it's raining. Walk on the beach. Hike through the woods. Swim in a freezing lake. Bask in the sun. Play sports, or walk barefoot through grass. Pay close attention to nature.
3. Savor food. Don't just eat your food, but really enjoy it. Feel the texture, the bursts of flavors. Savor every bite. If you limit your intake of sweets, it will make the small treats you give yourself (berries or dark chocolate are my favorites) even more enjoyable. And when you do have them, really, really savor them. Slowly.
4. Create a morning ritual. Wake early and greet the day. Watch the sun rise. Out loud, tell yourself that you will not waste this day, which is a gift. You will be compassionate to your fellow human beings, and live every moment to its fullest. Stretch or meditate or exercise as part of your ritual. Enjoy some coffee.
5. Take chances. We often live our lives too cautiously, worried about what might go wrong. Be bold, risk it all. Quit your job and go to business for yourself (plan it out first!), or go up to that girl you've liked for a long time and ask her out. What do you have to lose?
6. Follow excitement. Try to find the things in life that excite you, and then go after them. Make life one exciting adventure after another (with perhaps some quiet times in between).
7. Find your passion. Similar to the above tip, this one asks you to find your calling. Make your living by doing the thing you love to do. First, think about what you really love to do. There may be many things. Find out how you can make a living doing it. It may be difficult, but you only live once.
8. Get out of your cubicle. Do you sit all day in front of computer, shuffling papers and taking phone calls and chatting on the Internet? Don't waste your days like this. Break free from the cubicle environment, and do your work on a laptop, in a coffee shop, or on a boat, or in a log cabin. This may require a change of jobs, or becoming a freelancer. It's worth it.
9. Turn off the TV. How many hours will we waste away in front of the boob tube? How many hours do we have to live? Do the math, then unplug the TV. Only plug it back in when you have a DVD of a movie you love. Otherwise, keep it off and find other stuff to do. Don't know what to do? Read further.
10. Pull away from Internet. You're reading something on the Internet right now. And, with the exception of this article, it is just more wasting away of your precious time. You cannot get these minutes back. Unplug the Internet, then get out of your office or house. Right now! And go and do something.
11. Travel. Sure, you want to travel some day. When you have vacation time, or when you're older. Well, what are you waiting for? Find a way to take a trip, if not this month, then sometime soon. You may need to sell your car or stop your cable bill and stop eating out to do it, but make it happen. You are too young to not see the world. If need be, find a way to make a living by freelancing, then work while you travel. Only work an hour or two a day. Don't check email but once a week. Then use the rest of the time to see the world.
12. Rediscover what's important. Take an hour and make a list of everything that's important to you. Add to it everything that you want to do in life. Now cut that list down to 4-5 things. Just the most important things in your life. This is your core list. This is what matters. Focus your life on these things. Make time for them.
13. Eliminate everything else. What's going on in your life that's not on that short list? All that stuff is wasting your time, pulling your attention from what's important. As much as possible, simplify your life by eliminating the stuff that's not on your short list, or minimizing it.
14. Exercise. Get off the couch and go for a walk. Eventually try running. Or do some push ups and crunches. Or swim or bike or row. Or go for a hike. Whatever you do, get active, and you'll love it. And life will be more alive.
15. Be positive. Learn to recognize the negative thoughts you have. These are the self-doubts, the criticisms of others, the complaints, the reasons you can't do something. Then stop yourself when you have these thoughts, and replace them with positive thoughts. Solutions. You can do this!
16. Open your heart. Is your heart a closed bundle of scar tissue? Learn to open it, have it ready to receive love, to give love unconditionally. If you have a problem with this, talk to someone about it. And practice makes perfect.
17. Kiss in the rain. Seize the moment and be romantic. Raining outside? Grab your lover and give her a passionate kiss. Driving home? Stop the car and pick some wildflowers. Send her a love note. Dress sexy for him.
18. Face your fears. What are you most afraid of? What is holding you back? Whatever it is, recognize it, and face it. Do what you are most afraid of. Afraid of heights? Go to the tallest building, and look down over the edge. Only by facing our fears can we be free of them.
19. When you suffer, suffer. Life isn't all about fun and games. Suffering is an inevitable part of life. We lose our jobs. We lose our lovers. We lose our pets. We get physically injured or sick. A loved one becomes sick. A parent dies. Learn to feel the pain intensely, and really grieve. This is a part of life -- really feel the pain. And when you're done, move on, and find joy.
20. Slow down. Life moves along at such a rapid pace these days. It's not healthy, and it's not conducive to living. Practice doing everything slowly -- everything, from eating to walking to driving to working to reading. Enjoy what you do. Learn to move at a snail's pace.
21. Touch humanity. Get out of your house and manicured neighborhoods, and find those who live in worse conditions. Meet them, talk to them, understand them. Live among them. Be one of them. Give up your materialistic lifestyle.
22. Volunteer. Help at homeless soup kitchens. Learn compassion, and learn to help ease the suffering of others. Help the sick, those with disabilities, those who are dying.
23. Play with children. Children, more than anyone else, know how to live. They experience everything in the moment, fully. When they get hurt, they really cry. When they play, they really have fun. Learn from them, instead of thinking you know so much more than them. Play with them, and learn to be joyful like them.
24. Talk to old people. There is no one wiser, more experienced, more learned, than those who have lived through life. They can tell you amazing stories. Give you advice on making a marriage last or staying out of debt. Tell you about their regrets, so you can learn from them and avoid the same mistakes. They are the wisdom of our society -- take advantage of their existence while they're still around.
25. Learn new skills. Constantly improve yourself instead of standing still -- not because you're so imperfect now, but because it is gratifying and satisfying. You should accept yourself as you are, and learn to love who you are, but still try to improve -- if only because the process of improvement is life itself.
26. Find spirituality. For some, this means finding God or Jesus or Allah or Buddha. For others, this means becoming in tune with the spirits of our ancestors, or with nature. For still others, this just means an inner energy. Whatever spirituality means for you, rediscover it, and its power.
27. Take mini-retirements. Don't leave the joy of retirement until you are too old to enjoy it. Do it now, while you're young. It makes working that much more worth it. Find ways to take a year off every few years. Save up, sell your home, your possessions, and travel. Live simply, but live, without having to work. Enjoy life, then go back to work and save up enough money to do it again in a couple of years.
28. Do nothing. Despite the tip above that we should find excitement, there is value in doing nothing as well. Not doing nothing as in reading, or taking a nap, or watching TV, or meditating. Doing nothing as in sitting there, doing nothing. Just learning to be still, in silence, to hear our inner voice, to be in tune with life. Do this daily if possible.
29. Stop playing video games. They might be fun, but they can take up way too much time. If you spend a lot of time playing online games, or computer solitaire, or Wii or Gameboy or whatever, consider going a week without it. Then find something else to do, outside.
30. Watch sunsets, daily. One of the most beautiful times of day. Make it a daily ritual to find a good spot to watch the sunset, perhaps having a light dinner while you do so.
31. Stop reading magazines. They're basically crap. And they waste your time and money. Cancel your subscriptions and walk past them at the news stands. If you have to read something, read a trashy novel or even better, read Dumb Little Man once a day and be done.
32. Break out from ruts. Do you do things the same way every day? Change it up. Try something new. Take a different route to work. Start your day out differently. Approach work from a new angle. Look at things from new perspectives.
33. Stop watching the news. It's depressing and useless. If you're a news junky, this may be difficult. I haven't watch TV news or read a newspaper regularly in about two years. It hasn't hurt me a bit. Anything important, my mom tells me about.
34. Laugh till you cry. Laughing is one of the best ways to live. Tell jokes and laugh your head off. Watch an awesome comedy. Learn to laugh at anything. Roll on the ground laughing. You'll love it.
35. Lose control. Not only control over yourself, but control over others. It's a bad habit to try to control others -- it will only lead to stress and unhappiness for yourself and those you try to control. Let others live, and live for yourself. And lose control of yourself now and then too.
36. Cry. Men, especially, tend to hold in our tears, but crying is an amazing release. Cry at sad movies. Cry at a funeral. Cry when you are hurt, or when somebody you love is hurt. It releases these emotions and allows us to cleanse ourselves.
37. Make an awesome dessert. I like to make warm, soft chocolate cake. But even berries dipped in chocolate, or crepes with ice cream and fruit, or fresh apple pie, or homemade chocolate chip cookies or brownies, are great. This isn't an every day thing, but an occasional treat thing. But it's wonderful.
38. Try something new, every week. Ask yourself: "What new thing shall I try this week?" Then be sure to do it. You don't have to learn a new language in one week, but seek new experiences. Give it a try. You might decide you want to keep it in your life.
39. Be in the moment. Instead of thinking about things you need to do, or things that have happened to you, or worrying or planning or regretting, think about what you are doing, right now. What is around you? What smells and sounds and sights and feelings are you experiencing? Learn to do this as much as possible through meditation, but also through bringing your focus back to the present as much as you can in everything you do.
- Leo Babauta
Too often we go through life on autopilot, going through the motions and having each day pass like the one before it.That's fine, and comfortable, until you have gone through another year without having done anything, without having really lived life.
That's fine, until you have reached old age and look back on life with regrets.That's fine, until you see your kids go off to college and realize that you missed their childhoods.It's not fine. If you want to truly live life, to really experience it, to enjoy it to the fullest, instead of barely scraping by and only living a life of existence, then you need to find ways to break free from the mold and drink from life.
What follows is just a list of ideas, obvious ones mostly that you could have thought of yourself, but that I hope are useful reminders. We all need reminders sometimes. If you find this useful, print it out, and start using it. Today.
1. Love. Perhaps the most important. Fall in love, if you aren't already. If you have, fall in love with your partner all over again. Abandon caution and let your heart be broken. Or love family members, friends, anyone -- it doesn't have to be romantic love. Love all of humanity, one person at a time.
2. Get outside. Don't let yourself be shut indoors. Go out when it's raining. Walk on the beach. Hike through the woods. Swim in a freezing lake. Bask in the sun. Play sports, or walk barefoot through grass. Pay close attention to nature.
3. Savor food. Don't just eat your food, but really enjoy it. Feel the texture, the bursts of flavors. Savor every bite. If you limit your intake of sweets, it will make the small treats you give yourself (berries or dark chocolate are my favorites) even more enjoyable. And when you do have them, really, really savor them. Slowly.
4. Create a morning ritual. Wake early and greet the day. Watch the sun rise. Out loud, tell yourself that you will not waste this day, which is a gift. You will be compassionate to your fellow human beings, and live every moment to its fullest. Stretch or meditate or exercise as part of your ritual. Enjoy some coffee.
5. Take chances. We often live our lives too cautiously, worried about what might go wrong. Be bold, risk it all. Quit your job and go to business for yourself (plan it out first!), or go up to that girl you've liked for a long time and ask her out. What do you have to lose?
6. Follow excitement. Try to find the things in life that excite you, and then go after them. Make life one exciting adventure after another (with perhaps some quiet times in between).
7. Find your passion. Similar to the above tip, this one asks you to find your calling. Make your living by doing the thing you love to do. First, think about what you really love to do. There may be many things. Find out how you can make a living doing it. It may be difficult, but you only live once.
8. Get out of your cubicle. Do you sit all day in front of computer, shuffling papers and taking phone calls and chatting on the Internet? Don't waste your days like this. Break free from the cubicle environment, and do your work on a laptop, in a coffee shop, or on a boat, or in a log cabin. This may require a change of jobs, or becoming a freelancer. It's worth it.
9. Turn off the TV. How many hours will we waste away in front of the boob tube? How many hours do we have to live? Do the math, then unplug the TV. Only plug it back in when you have a DVD of a movie you love. Otherwise, keep it off and find other stuff to do. Don't know what to do? Read further.
10. Pull away from Internet. You're reading something on the Internet right now. And, with the exception of this article, it is just more wasting away of your precious time. You cannot get these minutes back. Unplug the Internet, then get out of your office or house. Right now! And go and do something.
11. Travel. Sure, you want to travel some day. When you have vacation time, or when you're older. Well, what are you waiting for? Find a way to take a trip, if not this month, then sometime soon. You may need to sell your car or stop your cable bill and stop eating out to do it, but make it happen. You are too young to not see the world. If need be, find a way to make a living by freelancing, then work while you travel. Only work an hour or two a day. Don't check email but once a week. Then use the rest of the time to see the world.
12. Rediscover what's important. Take an hour and make a list of everything that's important to you. Add to it everything that you want to do in life. Now cut that list down to 4-5 things. Just the most important things in your life. This is your core list. This is what matters. Focus your life on these things. Make time for them.
13. Eliminate everything else. What's going on in your life that's not on that short list? All that stuff is wasting your time, pulling your attention from what's important. As much as possible, simplify your life by eliminating the stuff that's not on your short list, or minimizing it.
14. Exercise. Get off the couch and go for a walk. Eventually try running. Or do some push ups and crunches. Or swim or bike or row. Or go for a hike. Whatever you do, get active, and you'll love it. And life will be more alive.
15. Be positive. Learn to recognize the negative thoughts you have. These are the self-doubts, the criticisms of others, the complaints, the reasons you can't do something. Then stop yourself when you have these thoughts, and replace them with positive thoughts. Solutions. You can do this!
16. Open your heart. Is your heart a closed bundle of scar tissue? Learn to open it, have it ready to receive love, to give love unconditionally. If you have a problem with this, talk to someone about it. And practice makes perfect.
17. Kiss in the rain. Seize the moment and be romantic. Raining outside? Grab your lover and give her a passionate kiss. Driving home? Stop the car and pick some wildflowers. Send her a love note. Dress sexy for him.
18. Face your fears. What are you most afraid of? What is holding you back? Whatever it is, recognize it, and face it. Do what you are most afraid of. Afraid of heights? Go to the tallest building, and look down over the edge. Only by facing our fears can we be free of them.
19. When you suffer, suffer. Life isn't all about fun and games. Suffering is an inevitable part of life. We lose our jobs. We lose our lovers. We lose our pets. We get physically injured or sick. A loved one becomes sick. A parent dies. Learn to feel the pain intensely, and really grieve. This is a part of life -- really feel the pain. And when you're done, move on, and find joy.
20. Slow down. Life moves along at such a rapid pace these days. It's not healthy, and it's not conducive to living. Practice doing everything slowly -- everything, from eating to walking to driving to working to reading. Enjoy what you do. Learn to move at a snail's pace.
21. Touch humanity. Get out of your house and manicured neighborhoods, and find those who live in worse conditions. Meet them, talk to them, understand them. Live among them. Be one of them. Give up your materialistic lifestyle.
22. Volunteer. Help at homeless soup kitchens. Learn compassion, and learn to help ease the suffering of others. Help the sick, those with disabilities, those who are dying.
23. Play with children. Children, more than anyone else, know how to live. They experience everything in the moment, fully. When they get hurt, they really cry. When they play, they really have fun. Learn from them, instead of thinking you know so much more than them. Play with them, and learn to be joyful like them.
24. Talk to old people. There is no one wiser, more experienced, more learned, than those who have lived through life. They can tell you amazing stories. Give you advice on making a marriage last or staying out of debt. Tell you about their regrets, so you can learn from them and avoid the same mistakes. They are the wisdom of our society -- take advantage of their existence while they're still around.
25. Learn new skills. Constantly improve yourself instead of standing still -- not because you're so imperfect now, but because it is gratifying and satisfying. You should accept yourself as you are, and learn to love who you are, but still try to improve -- if only because the process of improvement is life itself.
26. Find spirituality. For some, this means finding God or Jesus or Allah or Buddha. For others, this means becoming in tune with the spirits of our ancestors, or with nature. For still others, this just means an inner energy. Whatever spirituality means for you, rediscover it, and its power.
27. Take mini-retirements. Don't leave the joy of retirement until you are too old to enjoy it. Do it now, while you're young. It makes working that much more worth it. Find ways to take a year off every few years. Save up, sell your home, your possessions, and travel. Live simply, but live, without having to work. Enjoy life, then go back to work and save up enough money to do it again in a couple of years.
28. Do nothing. Despite the tip above that we should find excitement, there is value in doing nothing as well. Not doing nothing as in reading, or taking a nap, or watching TV, or meditating. Doing nothing as in sitting there, doing nothing. Just learning to be still, in silence, to hear our inner voice, to be in tune with life. Do this daily if possible.
29. Stop playing video games. They might be fun, but they can take up way too much time. If you spend a lot of time playing online games, or computer solitaire, or Wii or Gameboy or whatever, consider going a week without it. Then find something else to do, outside.
30. Watch sunsets, daily. One of the most beautiful times of day. Make it a daily ritual to find a good spot to watch the sunset, perhaps having a light dinner while you do so.
31. Stop reading magazines. They're basically crap. And they waste your time and money. Cancel your subscriptions and walk past them at the news stands. If you have to read something, read a trashy novel or even better, read Dumb Little Man once a day and be done.
32. Break out from ruts. Do you do things the same way every day? Change it up. Try something new. Take a different route to work. Start your day out differently. Approach work from a new angle. Look at things from new perspectives.
33. Stop watching the news. It's depressing and useless. If you're a news junky, this may be difficult. I haven't watch TV news or read a newspaper regularly in about two years. It hasn't hurt me a bit. Anything important, my mom tells me about.
34. Laugh till you cry. Laughing is one of the best ways to live. Tell jokes and laugh your head off. Watch an awesome comedy. Learn to laugh at anything. Roll on the ground laughing. You'll love it.
35. Lose control. Not only control over yourself, but control over others. It's a bad habit to try to control others -- it will only lead to stress and unhappiness for yourself and those you try to control. Let others live, and live for yourself. And lose control of yourself now and then too.
36. Cry. Men, especially, tend to hold in our tears, but crying is an amazing release. Cry at sad movies. Cry at a funeral. Cry when you are hurt, or when somebody you love is hurt. It releases these emotions and allows us to cleanse ourselves.
37. Make an awesome dessert. I like to make warm, soft chocolate cake. But even berries dipped in chocolate, or crepes with ice cream and fruit, or fresh apple pie, or homemade chocolate chip cookies or brownies, are great. This isn't an every day thing, but an occasional treat thing. But it's wonderful.
38. Try something new, every week. Ask yourself: "What new thing shall I try this week?" Then be sure to do it. You don't have to learn a new language in one week, but seek new experiences. Give it a try. You might decide you want to keep it in your life.
39. Be in the moment. Instead of thinking about things you need to do, or things that have happened to you, or worrying or planning or regretting, think about what you are doing, right now. What is around you? What smells and sounds and sights and feelings are you experiencing? Learn to do this as much as possible through meditation, but also through bringing your focus back to the present as much as you can in everything you do.
- Leo Babauta
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