Kilawing Kambing Recipe (Chopped Goatskin Kilawin)

Kilawing Kambing or Chopped Goatskin Kilawin is a Filipino appetizer dish wherein boiled and chopped goatskin is marinated in a mixture of vinegar, onion, ginger, spicy chili, and other spices. This dish is served along with the marinade, which eventually turns-out as the sauce of this dish.

Bistek Tagalog

How to Cook Bistek Tagalog

What Are Vitamins and Minerals?

Vitamins and minerals make people's bodies work properly. Although you get vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat every day, some foods have more vitamins and minerals than others.

Why Do People Become Vegetarians?

For much of the world, vegetarianism is largely a matter of economics: Meat costs a lot more than, say, beans or rice, so meat becomes a special-occasion dish (if it's eaten at all). 

Why Do People Diet?

People diet for many reasons. Some are at an unhealthy weight and need to pay closer attention to their eating and exercise habits. Some play sports and want to be in top physical condition. Others may think they would look and feel better if they lost a few pounds.

To Live a More Meaningful Life

Satisfaction and Meaning
Living a life that has some kind of meaning is one of the most widely held goals in existence — something by which we motivate and measure ourselves.Just how to do this is a conundrum that has challenged philosophers, scientists, and so many people throughout the ages.But perhaps the solution may not be as complex as it seems.While there is no single answer, research has shown that there are several factors that influence our ability to find satisfaction and meaning in life

Here then are a few pointers:

Develop a Sense of Purpose

If there is one factor that influences our ability to live a meaningful life it’s having a sense of purpose — a reason to get out of bed in the morning and to keep on going.

Not only does a sense of purpose fuel a sense of meaning in life, but it also brings with it more time in which to enjoy that meaning.

Research conducted at the University of Rochester has shown that having a sense of purpose in life not only increases the quality of our lives, but may also help us to live longer — regardless of our age. [1]

What’s more, the longevity benefits remained, even after other factors, such as relationships and positive emotions were factored in.

The take-away message is clear: having a sense of purpose is an important component in a long and meaningfully lived life.

Prioritize Connection With Others

Joint research conducted by psychologists from Stanford University, Florida State University, and the University of Minnesota shows that connection to others is necessary in order to bring meaning to our life. [2]

Being close to others, family or friends, results in a greater feeling of purpose, enhancing life’s meaning.

This doesn’t mean that we have to live in an ideal, perfectly harmonious family or social environment. The researchers clarify that connection to others should not be mistaken for “perfect” relationships. Quite the contrary, the process of conflict with relevant others, and the time invested in overcoming challenges and disagreements, can serve to deepen those relationships, so increasing life’s meaning.

Simply having those connections — even though stress may accompany them — is enough to give our lives a deeper sense of meaning.

Do For Others

It’s no great secret that giving to others improves our own feelings of purpose and meaning. Giving can take many forms, of course: donating our time, or our talents — or simply lending a friendly ear.

Helping others seems to be strongly correlated with increased life satisfaction. Lending a helping hand can provide a sense of purpose for us, young and old.

One fascinating aspect of working for the benefit of others is that helping others improves both physical and mental health. In fact, studies show that involvement in community service activities is linked to living longer. [3]

But volunteering once every now and then appears to be of little real use. If it is to have any meaningful impact, there is a threshold a person must meet when it comes to being of service to others.

Giving our time in order to help others on a more regular basis, will bring the greatest rewards in terms of enhancing life’s meaning, while maximizing our positive impact on the people with whom we come into contact.

In short, helping and doing good for others is an important component of any meaningfully lived life — it pays real dividends.

Express Yourself

Living a meaningful life is closely related to authenticity, to being who we truly are.

Many people struggle to be themselves for fear of criticism or rejection; as a result, they find themselves living a life that is far from satisfying or meaningful. When we are not allowed — for whatever reason — to be who we truly are, we greatly diminish the meaning we can derive from the life we live.

An excellent example of this is the recent transition, or gender affirmation, of Bruce Jenner to Caitlyn Jenner. Ms. Jenner lived her life for 65 years as someone whom she felt was not aligned with her true nature. Now that her gender affirmation is complete, she is at last able to express her authentic self, and in so doing, she is more able to live a life of greater meaning.

Here, then, is another important factor in our ability to live a meaningful life: We must be willing to live in an authentic way, one that allows us to express who we truly are — even if this takes courage.

Courage is Key

The simple fact is that sometimes it takes courage to live. And it can take even more courage to live a meaningful life. It can be all too easy to fall into the rut of habit, seldom reaching out, trying fresh, new things.

People who lead meaningful lives put themselves out there, they try new things, challenge the way they think, and doggedly seek out that which they want from life.

A good way to look at courage is to view it as a kind of tenacious willingness. An attitude of being willing to try something a little different — perhaps even something scary — in order to develop and maximize the meaning we derive from life.

Courage means being willing to make connections with others. Being willing to help our fellow travelers on life’s road. Being willing to care. As the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu put it: “From caring comes courage.”

When we have this kind of willingness then a deeper, more meaningful life will surely follow.

Meaning and Happiness Aren’t Always Interlinked

While we can be happy and find meaning in life, the two don’t always go hand in hand. [4] Living meaningfully means that we need to accept the fact that there will be bumps, bruises, and perhaps even unhappiness along the way.

Above all else, experiencing a meaningful life means living in the moment, while connecting the past, the present, and the future. Doing so gives us a clearer idea of where we need to go in light of where we have been.

Life itself is a process, and viewing things in their proper context — particularly our struggles and our sadnesses — is associated with greater meaning and a sense of purpose. [5]

Perhaps psychiatrist and Auschwitz survivor Viktor Frankl said it best:

“If there is meaning in life at all, then there must be meaning in suffering.”

A Final Word

Finding meaning in life is an ongoing journey, a process that takes time, patience, and resilience. It is not something that occurs magically and without effort. It is not necessarily something that happens at a given point in our lives and is then “done and dusted.”

Neither does our sense of meaning need to remain fixed: What we find meaningful today may be replaced by a different meaning tomorrow. As life itself changes, so may the meaning we give to it.

While there is no secret formula that will help every single person find meaning, taking the steps outlined above will at least set us on the right path; one that can fulfill our goals, develop a deeper sense of understanding, and live the meaningful, more satisfying life we were meant to live.

“Life is without meaning. You bring the meaning to it.” — Joseph Campbell

Peter Field is a U.K. registered psychotherapist and board certified hypnotherapist. His hypnotherapy Birmingham and London clinics provide hypno-psychotherapy services for a wide range of issues. His extensive range of self-hypnosis downloads are also available.

Reference : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-field/more-meaningful-life_b_8118754.html

10 Principles for Peace of Mind

Peace Of Mind

1. Do Not Interfere In Others’ Business Unless Asked:

Most of us create our own problems by interfering too often in others’ affairs. We do so because somehow we have convinced ourselves that our way is the best way, our logic is the perfect logic and those who do not conform to our thinking must be criticized and steered to the right direction, our direction. This thinking denies the existence of individuality and consequently the existence of God.. God has created each one of us in a unique way. No two human beings can think or act in exactly the same way. All men or women act the way they do because God within them prompts them that way. Mind your own business and you will keep your peace.

2. Forgive And Forget:

This is the most powerful aid to peace of mind. We often develop ill feelings inside our heart for the person who insults us or harms us. We nurture grievances. This in turn results in loss of sleep, development of stomach ulcers, and high blood pressure. This insult or injury was done once, but nourishing of grievance goes on forever by constantly remembering it. Get over this bad habit. Life is too short to waste in such trifles. Forgive,20 Forget, and march on. Love flourishes in giving and forgiving.

3. Do Not Crave For Recognition:

This world is full of selfish people. They seldom praise anybody without selfish motives. They may praise you today because you are in power, but no sooner than you are powerless, they will forget your achievement and will start finding faults in you. Why do you wish to kill yours lf in striving for their recognition? Their recognition is not worth the aggravation. Do your duties ethically and sincerely.

4. Do Not Be Jealous:

We all have experienced how jealousy can disturb our peace of mind. You know that you work harder than your colleagues in the office, but sometimes they get promotions; you do not. You started a business several years ago, but you are not as successful as your neighbor whose business is only one year old. There are several examples like these in everyday life. Should you be jealous? No. Remember everybody’s life is shaped by his/her destiny, which has now become his/her reality. If you are destined to be rich, nothing in the world can stop you. If you are not so destined, no one can help you either. Nothing will be gained by blaming others for your misfortune. Jealousy will not get you anywhere; it will only take away your peace of mind.

5. Change Yourself According To The Environment:

If you try to change the environment single-handedly, the chances are you will fail. Instead, change yourself to suit your environment. As you do this, even the environment, which has been unfriendly to you, will mysteriously change and seem congenial and harmonious.

6. Endure What Cannot Be Cured:

This is the best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Every day we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations, and accidents that are beyond our control. If we cannot control them or change them, we must learn to put up with these things. We must learn to endure them cheerfully. Believe in yourself and you will gain in terms of patience, inner strength and will power.

7. Do Not Bite Off More Than You Can Chew:

This maxim needs to be remembered constantly. We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable of carrying out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. . Why take on additional loads that may create more worries? You cannot gain peace of mind by expanding your external activities. Reduce your material engagements and spend time in prayer, introspection and meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind that make you restless. Uncluttered mind will produce greater peace of mind.

8. Meditate Regularly:

Meditation calms the mind and gets rid of disturbing thoughts. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it yourself. If you meditate earnestly for half an hour everyday, your mind will tend to become peaceful during the remaining twenty-three and half-hours. Your mind will not be easily disturbed as it was before. You would benefit by gradually increasing the period of daily meditation. You may think that this will interfere with your daily work. On the contrary, this will increase your efficiency and you will be able to produce better results in less time.

9. Never Leave The Mind Vacant:

An empty mind is the devil’s workshop. All evil actions start in the vacant mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile. Actively follow a hobby. Do something that holds your interest. You must decide what you value more: money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social work or religious work, may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement. Even when you are resting physically, occupy yourself in healthy reading or mental chanting of God’s name.

10. Do Not Procrastinate And Never Regret:

Do not waste time in protracted wondering ” Should I or shouldn’t I?” Days, weeks, months, and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Value your time and do the things that need to be done. It does not matter if you fail the first time. You can learn from your mistakes and succeed the next time. Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes, but do not brood over the past. DO NOT REGRET. Whatever happened was destined to happen only that way. Why cry over spilt milk?

Positive Thinking Story : Always Have A Positive Mindset

Always Have A Positive Mindset : Positive Thinking Story

Two cockroaches lived in a house. Both of them were young and full of energy. Each day, they would run, jump and chase each other while playing. Though they were equally strong, there was a difference.One cockroach was optimistic and always lived in hope, while the other was pessimistic and lived in despair. One day, while playing, both cockroaches fell into a pot of milk. They swam around and tried to hop out, but, as there was no solid support under their feet, it was not possible for the cockroaches to hop out and escape from the pot.One day, while playing, both cockroaches fell into a pot of milk.After some struggle, the pessimistic cockroach said. to itself, “It is impossible to hop out. No doubt, I have strength but I can’t swim very long. I am already tired.” Thinking thus, the cockroach did become tired soon and could not swim any longer. It gave up its struggle and went down to the bottom of the pot.Finally, it was drowned. On the other hand, the optimistic cockroach kept on struggling, saying to itself, “No doubt, it seems difficult but who knows! Maybe some miracle will occur. If I try a little longer, something good might happen. It is a question of only a few minutes more and then I will be out of here.”Hoping for a miracle to happen, the second cockroach went on swimming. His constant leg movements churned the milk and turned it into a huge heap butter. Soon the cockroach was able to climb up the heap of butter and hopped out of the pot.

Finding Happiness

What is the secret to a happy life?

While we definitely use our mind each and every day, very few of us have taken time to cultivate a deep understanding of its nature and function. Chances are, unless we have studied and trained in Buddha’s teachings, we probably know very little about the different types of mind, how they are generated and what impact they have on our lives. It is quite difficult for most people to recognize states of mind as they arise, and especially to distinguish between those that are virtuous and those that are non-virtuous.

10 Clever Tricks to Trigger Positive Emotions

10 Clever Tricks to Trigger Positive Emotions

Try these positive-action exercises to lift your mood and boost your confidence, increase your willpower and deepen your relationships.

Richard Wiseman

People who see the glass half-full are certainly happier than the pessimists of the world, and learning to think positively is worthwhile. However, changing the way you think can be surprisingly tricky, especially when the going gets tough. What if there were a way—a shortcut or hack—that positively affected how you feel when you just can’t seem to shake the blues?

Quick and effective exercises can help you feel happier, avoid anxiety, increase your willpower, deepen relationships and boost confidence.

A few years ago, I came across a simple idea that has been validated in hundreds of experiments and has given rise to quick and effective exercises that can help you feel happier, avoid anxiety, increase your willpower, deepen relationships and boost confidence. Perhaps most surprising of all, it does not involve trying to change how you  think.

The idea dates back to the turn of the 20th century and to the work of Victorian philosopher William James. Working at Harvard University, James proposed a radical new theory about the link between thinking and behavior. According to conventional wisdom, your thoughts and feelings cause you to behave in certain ways. Feeling happy makes you smile, and feeling sad makes you frown. James wondered whether the exact opposite might also be true, namely that the way you behave can change how you feel.

According to James’s theory, forcing your face into a smile should make you feel happy, and frowning should make you feel sad. James realized that if his theory were true, people should be able to create any feeling they desired simply by acting “as if” they were experiencing that emotion. Although the potential power of his idea clearly energized James (he often referred to it as “bottled lightning”), it was years ahead of its time and received scant attention from his fellow academics.

In the late 1960s, psychologist James Laird from the University of Rochester stumbled across James’s theory and decided to test it. Laird knew that he couldn’t simply ask people to smile and then report how they felt, because they might guess what the experiment was about and play along.

To overcome the problem, Laird advertised for volunteers to take part in a study on the electrical activity of facial muscles. When the volunteers arrived at the laboratory, Laird placed electrodes between their eyebrows and at the corners of their mouths. The electrodes were fake, but the clever cover story enabled Laird to discreetly manipulate his volunteers’ faces into a smile or frown.

To create a frown, the volunteers were asked to pull together the two electrodes between their eyebrows. For the happy expression, they were asked to draw back the electrodes at the corners of their mouths. After they had contorted their faces into the required positions, participants were asked how they felt. The results were remarkable. Exactly as predicted by James, the volunteers felt happier when they forced their faces into smiles and sadder when they were frowning.

Curious about this remarkable finding, other scientists started to carry out their own versions of Laird’s groundbreaking experiment. Rather than repeatedly placing fake electrodes on people’s faces, each laboratory produced its own version of the study.

Inspired by photographers who encourage people to smile by getting them to say, “Cheese,” University of Michigan researchers asked volunteers repeatedly to make an “ee” sound (as in easy) to force their faces into smiles, or an “eu” sound (as in yule) to produce expressions nearer to disgust. Similarly, researchers in Germany were investigating how to teach people who were paralyzed below the neck to write, and asked volunteers either to support pencils horizontally between their teeth (thus forcing their faces into a smile) or hold pencils between their lips (thus pulling their faces into a frown).

Time and again, the results revealed that James’s theory was correct, with volunteers who repeatedly chanted “ee” or supported pencils between their teeth suddenly feeling much happier. In short, behaving “as if” you were experiencing a certain emotion triggers that same emotion.

Other researchers have set out to discover whether the “as if” principle also worked in other areas of everyday life. Results have shown that very small changes in your actions can have a fast and long-lasting effect on your happiness, motivation, willpower, creativity and personality. So why not adopt more positive actions in your life?

Here are 10 positive-action exercises to try:

1. Feeling Happy

There is more to lifting your mood than forcing your face into a brief, unfelt smile that finishes in the blink of an eye. Instead:

• Relax the muscles in your forehead and cheeks, and let your mouth drop slightly open.
• Contract the muscles near the corners of your mouth, drawing them back toward your ears. Make the smile as wide as possible and extend your eyebrow muscles slightly upward. Hold the resulting expression for about 20 seconds.

Try to incorporate this mood-brightening exercise into your daily routine by, for example, smiling just before you answer the telephone or setting a reminder on your computer.

2. Moving On

Struggling to get over an upsetting choice you had to make? Researcher Xiuping Li from the National University of Singapore Business School asked each participant in a study to write down a recent decision he or she regretted. Li then asked some of the participants to seal their regrets in an envelope. Those who did so then reported feeling significantly better about their past decisions. Although they were just acting on a physically symbolic closure, their actions helped them reach psychological closure.

Next time you want some help getting over the loss of a client or a bad business decision, write a brief description of what happened on a piece of paper, put the paper in an envelope, and kiss the past goodbye. And if you really want to have fun, reach for the matches and convert your envelope into a pile of ashes.

3. The Power of Secrets

The more couples get to know one another, the more they disclose personal information. Psychologist Arthur Aron with the State University of New York at Stony Brook wondered whether asking two people to disclose personal information (and so acting “as if” they were more intimate) would make them feel especially close. Aron paired strangers, gave them a set of 36 questions that allowed them to open up about increasingly private aspects of their lives and then had them rate how they felt about each other. As predicted, the questions promoted a sense of intimacy and attraction. When using this technique to deepen your relationship with a colleague, family member or friend, take things one step at a time and make sure you’re both comfortable with the conversation.

Here are 10 sample questions from Aron’s experiment:

• Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?
• Would you like to be famous? In what way?
• Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?
• What would constitute a perfect day for you?
• When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?
• If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?
• What is your most treasured memory?
• What is your most terrible memory?
• For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
• If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?

4. Pull Me–Push You

If you are dieting, try behaving as if you don’t like unhealthy food. Research shows that pushing an object away from you (and so behaving as if you didn’t like it) makes you dislike the object. Whereas, pulling it toward you (behaving as if you liked it) makes you feel far more positively about it. Next time you are confronted with a plate of sugary or fried snacks, simply push the plate away from you and feel the temptation fade.

Conversely, if you are in sales and want to make prospective clients feel more positive about a product, try placing it on a table in front of them and encouraging them to slide it closer.

5. Muscle Magic

People who are highly motivated often tense their muscles as they prepare to spring into action. But research from Iris Hung, an associate professor of marketing at the National University of Singapore, has shown that the opposite is also true—you can boost your willpower simply by tensing your muscles. Next time you feel your willpower draining away, try, for example, making a fist, contracting your biceps, pressing your thumb and first finger together, or gripping a pen in your hand.

Similarly, if you want to persevere with something, try crossing your arms. Ron Friedman, social psychologist and founder of ignite80, asked people to tackle difficult anagrams with their arms either crossed or resting on their thighs. By folding their arms, people were acting as if they were persistent, and they continued trying to solve the puzzle for nearly twice as long as those with their hands on their thighs.

6. Breaking Habits

You can help crack unwanted habits by behaving as if you are someone who never gets stuck in a routine. Psychologists Ben Fletcher and Karen Pine from the University of Hertfordshire in the U.K. carried out research in which people trying to lose weight were asked to adopt a more flexible approach to life (by, for example, being asked to stop watching television for a day or traveling to work using different routes). These small changes helped people break their bad patterns. Try to undo unwanted habits by behaving as if you are a flexible person and carrying out one of the following every few days:

• Try an unusual form of food.
• Visit a new art gallery or museum.
• Go to a shop that you have never visited before.
• Make time to see a film that you don’t think you will enjoy.

7. How to Negotiate

The chairs that you sit in affect your behavior, which in turn affects how you think. In a study by Joshua Ackerman, an assistant professor of marketing at the MIT Sloan School of Management, volunteers sat on either hard chairs or soft-cushioned chairs while paired with strangers to role-play the negotiation of selling a new car. Those in the hard chairs sat rigidly, while those sitting in the soft chairs felt comfortable—and sure enough, their behavior was significantly different. Those in the hard chairs were more inflexible in their negotiations and demanded a higher price for the car.

Hard furniture creates hard behavior, which underlines the importance of having soft furnishings in your home and office (except for when you need to be the bad cop).

8. The Power of Warm

The “as if” principle predicts that warming people up should make them feel far more friendly.

From an early age, we associate the feeling of warmth with safety and security (think hugs and open fires), and coldness with unfriendliness (think “getting the cold shoulder” and “icy stare”). The “as if” principle predicts that warming people up should make them feel far more friendly. Research conducted by University of Colorado psychologist Lawrence Williams suggests that this is indeed the case. Williams handed volunteers either a hot cup of coffee or a cold drink, asked them to read a short description of a stranger, and then asked them to rate the stranger’s personality. The volunteers who had been warmed up by the coffee thought that the stranger seemed much friendlier than those who had been clutching iced drinks.

If you are trying to befriend someone, skip the frozen cocktails in an air-conditioned bar and instead opt for a steaming mug of tea in front of a roaring fire.

9. All Together Now

Want to get a group to bond together quickly and believe in a single cause? Get them to act in unison. Assistant professor Scott Wiltermuth from the University of Southern California gathered groups of three volunteers. Some of the groups were asked to walk around the university campus normally, while others were formed into a small army and asked to march around the same route in step. In another part of the study, groups were asked to listen to a national anthem, and others were asked to sing along and move in time to the music. The people in each of the groups were then asked to play a board game in which they could choose to help or hinder one another. Those who had been walking in sync and singing in unison quickly bonded, and they were significantly more likely to help one another during the  game.

People who have bonded together often act in unison. Similarly, acting in unison helps people bond together.

10. Power Posing

A study done at Columbia University discovered that when people are put into “power poses,” they feel more confident, have higher levels of testosterone (a chemical associated with dominance) and lower levels of cortisol (a chemical associated with stress).

So if you are sitting down, lean back, look up and interlock your fingers behind your head. If you are standing up, then place your feet flat on the floor and push your shoulders back and your chest  forward.

Or, if you haven’t got time to strike a powerful pose, just make a fist. Psychologist Thomas Schubert from the University of Oslo asked a group of men to rate how confident they felt, then to form their hand into a fist for a few seconds, and then to re-rate their confidence. The volunteers’ bodies influenced their brains, with the men enjoying a significant boost in confidence because they had spent a few moments forming a fist.

Ang Sining ng Pagiging Positibo Sa Buhay

“It makes a big difference in your life when you stay positive.” Ellen DeGeneres

7 Ways to Practice Positivity and Optimism Every Day

By now the benefits of positive thinking are well established. Sages, psychologists, neuroscientists, researchers and doctors all have been espousing the benefits of positive thinking for hundreds of years. Positive thinking helps us to be healthier, more productive and ultimately happier. Yet for most of us it is hard to practice optimism on a regular basis.

1. Relieving the states that make life miserable... has made building the states that make life worth living less of a priority. The time has finally arrived for a science that seeks to understand positive emotion, build strength and virtue, and provide guideposts for finding what Aristotle called the ‘good life.’ — Dr. Martin SeligmanI am fascinated by the human quest to understand the underpinnings of positive thinking. From Epictetus to Ralph Waldo Emerson to Buddha to Dr. Martin Seligman to Oprah, I seek every bit of inspiring wisdom I can to practice optimism.Here are my seven essential mantras that I find helpful to keep myself on a positive track:

2. Connect with OurselvesLife is a process of ongoing transformation spurred by the interlinked qualities of curiosity, purpose, and courage. When you know yourself, you can act with a confidence that is your own.The better we understand the nature of the world, the better we can move in the world. The better we understand the nature of ourselves, the better we can move within ourselves.

3. Practice Visualization“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.”— BuddhaVisualization is perhaps one of many attributes that assures one’s future. In the psychology community, creative visualization refers to the practice of seeking to affect the outer world by changing one’s thoughts and expectations.Visualization is a technique used by winners in all walks of life. Our minds have an enormous capacity to connect the invisible dots to guide us to strive for the impossible.

4. Slow Down To Move Forward“Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves — slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment.” — Thich Nhat HanhSometimes we need to slow down in order to move forward. Slowing down is a deliberate choice that can lead to greater appreciation for life and a greater level of happiness, which yields better results in one’s endeavors.Being truly in the moment allows us to escape from adversity and conserve our inner energy. Living in the moment doesn’t mean we don’t care about the future. It means that when we make a choice to do something, we focus on solely doing it, rather than letting our mind wander into the future (or the past).

5. Read, Write, WatchInspiration can come from anywhere and anyone. Mine often comes from books and movies — books and movies that combine life stories with a spiritual journey.Writing allows us to consciously put these positive reaffirmations on paper to visualize our destiny. I have also found writing is therapeutic for coping with my adversities. It allows me to turn my anger, fear, and disappointments into inspiration for myself and my readers. It serves as stress relief when you try to turn negative into positive by finally expressing what you feel down deep inside.

6. Be Kind To YourselfIn his book, The Art of Happiness, His Holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama wrote, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”It is particularly difficult to stay positive in the face of adversity and failure. For many, even though it may be easy to show compassion to others, it may be hard to accept, embrace, and be compassionate toward ourselves. Some of us blame others for all our miseries and some blame ourselves. Often it’s easy to blame oneself, feel sorry, and/or put oneself down. It is only through being able to let go, have compassion for oneself, and self-encouragement that we can pursue a path of positivity.It is our trials and tribulations that make us who we are. Without compassion for ourselves we never find the awareness that allows us to nurture our true self.

7. Develop Resiliency“In the end, if you are lucky, you see that our trials are what improve us. 

And if you are very lucky and somewhat insightful, you see that whatever your trial has been, it is exactly what you needed. Our trials make us who we are.” — Michael MortonPositive people develop a mental capacity that allows them to adapt with ease during adversity. They develop a set of powerful mental traits.Resiliency begins with adaptability, acceptance, and gratitude. Success and happiness does not always come from blasting through rocks and impediments, rather from having the faith, courage and ‘letting it happen’ attitude to cope with harsh realities of life.Above all, positive and optimistic people lead themselves by constantly finding encouragement within their soul. They surround themselves with other positive people. And they inspire others despite their own personal adversity.The more you give out positively, the more you get back.Serial entrepreneur and author Faisal Hoque is the founder of SHADOKA and other companies. Shadoka’s portfolio of companies (R&D driven products, services, and thought leadership) accelerates individual and organizational sustainable growth. Author of several books, his newest book is “Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability“ (McGraw Hill, Spring 2014).

1. Guide Your Energy“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.” — Muhammad AliAccording to quantum physics, our thoughts have a frequency and a corresponding unique vibration that attracts similar frequencies into our lives. So negative thinking attracts negative energy; positive thinking attracts positive energy.Buddha, Aristotle and many others have suggested the same, how we think creates the energy that ultimately manifests our realities. If we go into a situation with a negative thought process then we are almost destined to have a negative outcome.This also applies to group thinking or collective consciousness. When a collection of people together guides their mental energy for a positive outcome, the likelihood of their success is usually lot higher and than otherwise. Their collective energy attracts positivity or negativity.