46 posts tagged with "self-awareness"

There are certain childhood songs that hold a special place in our hearts and continue to resonate with us throughout our lives. One such song that embodies timeless wisdom and meaning is Humko Mann Ki Shakti Dena. This beautiful Hindi prayer song, often sung during times of struggle or seeking inner strength, carries profound significance in our daily lives.

The Essence of Humko Mann Ki Shakti Dena​

Humko Mann Ki Shakti Dena is a prayer for inner strength, courage, and determination. It acknowledges that life can present challenges and hurdles, but with the power of a resilient mind, we can overcome them and find solace.

Meaning in Daily Life​

1. Resilience in Difficult Times: The song reminds us that difficulties are a part of life's journey. In times of adversity, we can draw upon the power of our minds to remain steadfast and resilient. It encourages us to face challenges head-on and find the strength within to persevere.

2. Seeking Inner Peace: "Humko Mann Ki Shakti Dena" acknowledges the importance of finding inner peace and tranquility amidst the chaos of daily life. It serves as a reminder to nurture our minds, cultivating positivity, and seeking solace within ourselves.

3. Overcoming Fear and Doubt: The song encourages us to conquer our fears and doubts. It instills the belief that our minds have the power to dispel negativity, bolstering our confidence and enabling us to navigate uncertain situations with clarity and conviction.

4. Cultivating Self-belief: "Humko Mann Ki Shakti Dena" emphasizes the significance of self-belief. It urges us to trust in our abilities and embrace the power within us. By harnessing our inner strength, we can overcome self-doubt, embrace our potential, and accomplish great things.

5. Connecting with Spirituality: The song carries a spiritual undertone, reminding us of our connection to a higher power. It serves as a reminder to seek guidance, strength, and clarity from within and from the divine source.

मुश्किलें पड़े तो हम पे इतना करम कर

साथ दे तो धरम का चले तो धरम कर

खुद पे हौसला रहे बड़ी से ना डरे

दूसरों की जय से पहले खुद को जय करे

हम को मन की शाक्त देना मन विजय करे

YouTube Quicklinks

1. Humko Mann Ki Shakti Dena (Oringal)
2. Humko Mann Ki Shakti Dena (A.R. Rahman Version)

Health insurance​

In our daily lives, we often set rules and boundaries for ourselves to maintain structure and discipline. While these rules can be beneficial, there are instances when breaking them can lead to unexpected growth and personal development. Today, I broke a self-imposed rule and did not feel guilty about it. I relised it.

It is important to enjoy the freedom that comes with breaking a rule while finding a way to return to our established norms.​

Embracing growth through rule-breaking​

Self-imposed rules are often established to create routines, maintain discipline, or uphold certain standards. However, occasionally challenging these rules can open doors to new opportunities and personal growth. By stepping out of our comfort zones and questioning the validity of our rules, we create room for exploration and self-discovery. Breaking rules can lead to fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and a greater understanding of ourselves.

When we intentionally break a rule, we often experience a sense of liberation and excitement. The feeling of freedom can be invigorating and empower us to embrace new experiences and perspectives. By breaking a rule, we challenge the status quo, allowing ourselves to think outside the box and pursue paths we might have previously considered off-limits. It is essential to savor this joy and appreciate the sense of freedom that comes with rule-breaking.

Back to discipline​

While breaking rules can be enlightening, it is equally important to recognize the value of structure and discipline. After enjoying the benefits of breaking a rule, finding a way to reintegrate back into established norms is essential for maintaining balance. Returning to the norm with a fresh perspective and a renewed sense of purpose can help foster growth while preserving the benefits of structure.

Breaking rules does teach us the importance of flexibility and adaptability in life. It reminds us that rules should serve as guidelines rather than rigid boundaries. By being open to change and allowing ourselves to challenge existing norms, we become more resilient and adaptable to new situations.

The key to reaping the benefits of breaking rules lies in finding balance. It is important to strike a harmonious equilibrium between structure and exploration. This can be achieved by identifying the rules that truly align with our values and goals while also recognizing when it is appropriate to break them for personal growth. By consciously balancing rule-breaking experiences with a return to established norms, we create a healthy and sustainable approach to personal development.

Conflict ridden day​

Conflict are a natural phenomena of human interaction, and some days can feel particularly fraught with tension and disagreement. A conflict-ridden day can be emotionally exhausting, leaving individuals feeling drained and overwhelmed.

Today was one such day, with friction and arguments. It can be summarized as a day which was the polar opposite of path of least resistance. Keeping a calm mind and balanced attitude is difficult on such days. Another day. Another step.

Are you listening?​

Effective communication is the foundation of any successful relationship, be it personal or professional. And one of the most crucial components of communication is listening. However, merely hearing what someone says is not enough; to truly understand and connect with others, I must practice active listening.

Active listening involves not only hearing the words someone is saying but also understanding their message, emotions, and body language. It requires focus, attention, and an open mind.

Listening with body scan​

Body scanning involves paying attention to the speaker's nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice. The benefits of active listening are numerous. Firstly, it helps build stronger relationships by fostering trust and understanding. When I feel heard and understood, I am more likely to open up and share my thoughts and feelings.

Listening and devices​

Use of devices has made it increasingly difficult for me to practice active listening. With iPhone, laptop and TV always turned on, I am easily distracted and disengaged during conversations. Not only do these devices divert my attention, but they also send a message to the speaker that I am not fully invested in the conversation Additionally, in the past, practicing mindfulness has helped me improve my ability to focus and be present during conversations.

Focus during illness​

The body during routine illness like flu is under stress. Usual symptoms like sneezing, cough or body ache - though routine - lead to a dip in focus. The ability to focus on a complex topics reduces and deep work is difficult. A lot it can be attributed to the medication which induces drowsiness and lack of quality sleep.

Hacks that work for me​

If working from office, the following helps:

• Cut short your work day by 50% i.e. take a half day and focus only on urgent and important work.
• Start after breakfast and delay the lunch a bit. Avoid coffee is you can.
• Take break every 30 minutes and reorient towards urgent and important work.

If working from home, the following helps:

• Do not work from the bed, only work from a table and chair.
• Keep a clip pad or notebook and strike off things that you complete.
• Put on some music and ensure adequate sunlight.
• Work in a one burst of 6 hours and then do not open laptop unless the world is falling apart
• Be gentle and kind, enjoy the sick leave.

Body and symptoms​

Our body is a really complex system and is at times ahead of our mind. It warns us of upcoming downtimes and issues. It is an art to listen to your body and respect its limitations.

Today morning at 5:30 am, I woke up with a sore throat - most likely flu with the changing weather. I heated some water with salt and gargled. I had a similar feeling on Sunday after exercise and exertion.

Enjoying a sick day​

In the last few years, I have started enjoying sick days. I differentiate the day by reading something new on Kindle, ordering a bit of junk food and mostly making it a point to satisfy my sweet tooth. Looks like today is one of those days where the second half is all about resting and shutting the body down.

We have more faith in what we imitate than in what we originate - Bruce Lee​

Self actualization​

Self actualization - the realization or fulfillment of one's talents and potentialities, especially considered as a drive or need present in everyone.

Characteristics of Self Actualized People​

• Self accepting
• Enjoy solitude and privacy
• Autonomous
• Open and spontaneous
• Realistic
• Responsible
• Enjoy the journey, and not just the destination

Self-Image actualization​

Bruce Lee adds:

Many people dedicate their lives to actualizing a concept of what they should be like, rather than actualizing themselves. This difference between self-actualizing and self-image actualizing is very important. Most people only live for their image.

Where some people have a self, most people have a void, because they are so busy projecting themselves as this or that. This again is the curse of the ideal. The curse is that you should not be what you are. Every external control, even internalized external control - "you should" - interferes with the healthy working of the organism. There is only one thing that should control the situation. If you understand the situation that you are in, and let the situation that you are in control your actions, then you learn how to cope with life.

Carl Rogers believed that for a person to achieve self-actualization they must be in a state of congruence. This means that self-actualization occurs when a person's “ideal self” (i.e., who they would like to be) is congruent with their actual behavior (self-image).

Alone is state of being or body, whereas loneliness is state of mind.

Celebrating your time alone​

I have many Sundays when I do not have a conversations with more than 5 people face to face. A conversation is something meaningful and more than just exchange of instructions or tasks. Many a times, I only have conversations virtually, i.e. not face to face.

In the last 2 years, I have learnt to celebrate my time alone. It is liberating and empowering - calms you down and you can get a lot done with focus.

Today, I ended up spending my time with 2 km swimming, catching up on sleep, reading a book cover to cover, 10k steps and listening to an audio book.

Netwon's First Law of Motion states that - An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at constant speed and in a straight line unless acted on by an unbalanced force.

Creatures of inertia​

We are all creatures of inertia - in our daily lives, work, relationships and goals. Typically, a sudden change will lead to a loss of balance. Let me elaborate:

• Rain in summer with a drop of temperature from 30 degrees to 15 degrees will affect your health. While you will be able to balance out 5 degrees ove a gradual change in temperature.
• A sudden spike in caffeine, eg. coffee in the evening will lead to loss of sleep in the night. But make it a daily habit and your body will adjust.

Inertia works in both directions​

Inertia works similarly in both directions - upwards and downwards. Ofcourse there are boundary conditions i.e. rock bottom and plateau after gains.

Gradual changes in status quo happen on a daily basis. Slow changes are usually irreversible and hard to break. They usually happen because of identity shift and a change in how we view ourselves.

Choose when to break the inertia​

We should change the momentum and change it consciously when we either hit a plateau in positive momentum or when we realize that it is a negative momentum. It takes a while for the negative habits to reveal themselves.

Friendship in humans​

Friendship has been an integral part of human society for thousands of years. The concept of friendship can be traced back to ancient civilizations such as Egypt, Greece, and Rome, where close bonds were formed between individuals based on shared interests, values, and experiences. In these early societies, friendship often played a crucial role in political and social life, with friendships between rulers and advisors providing the foundation for many powerful dynasties. Over time, the nature of friendship has evolved, with the rise of individualism and modernity giving rise to new forms of friendship that are more egalitarian and based on mutual respect and support. Despite these changes, the basic human desire for connection and companionship has remained constant, and friendship continues to be one of the most important aspects of our lives.

Friendship for me​

I have a lot of acquaintances and a few friends. A naive view that I had while growing up was that friends are those who are accessible, available and enthusiastic.

An ideal friend is someone who is trustworthy and supportive. They are there for you in good times and bad, and they accept you for who you are. They listen without judgment and offer advice when needed. An ideal friend is someone who respects your boundaries and does not pressure you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. They are honest with you, but they do so in a kind and respectful way. An ideal friend is also someone who is fun to be around and shares similar interests and values. They make you laugh, lift you up when you're feeling down, and celebrate your successes with you. Overall, an ideal friend is someone who makes your life better just by being a part of it.