One Step at a Time can Change your Life

 “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” ~ Lao Tzu  

One Step at a time can change your life.  You don’t believe me? Try it. No matter what your problem is you can change the way you live by starting with one step at a time.

I have been working on some important projects and I unconsciously decided that it gave me the license to leave things as they are. This meant that my desk was full of clutter and so was my dump yard (the store room). The more I looked at it the more difficult it was to find time to clean up. Each time I thought of cleaning up arose my next thought would be, ‘this would take me hours I cannot afford to spend that kind of time right now.’ Nothing happened, except that dust and stuff piled up on my desk.

Then one morning I could bear the sight of the clutter anymore and I decided that I would give the clutter a few minutes of my time before I began work for that day. Guess what? My few minutes turned to an hour and my desk was clean. I decided that I would give a few minutes each day to whatever needed my attention. I should say that life isn't the same anymore. So much stuff has been cleared up and I am back to my saner, clutter free world.

This works with anything. I started on a raw diet, one item on my meal at a time. I have progressed to 75% raw vegetarian diet in the course of a year.

I have this habit of getting glued to my work desk throughout the day. I decided to walk a few steps at a time. Initially it was difficult to break my old habits. I would tell myself I’ll do this later, now, I’ll finish this article or this blog post.

However, once I got started on it my five minute walk progressed to an hour long walk. Now, I have built in hours of walk into my daily routine. When you do something in small manageable parts that doesn't seem overwhelming, you can change your life one step at a time.

Start small and keep at it until the thrill of success drives you to do reach your goals. 

If you found this post useful share the link today with someone who could use some help. Thank you. 

Resource 5 - for personal growth and development

Another important resource for personal development is your physical power. This by no means is the last, but is an important resource that has to be harnessed to get the desired results. When you have harnessed your mental resources all you need to do is back it with action. All planning and no action may mean no movement forward, leave alone self-growth or personal development.
We could put in our highest level of physical effort without employing the rest of the mental and emotional strengths or faculty that we possess and we could achieve nothing, because of a lack of integrity. It may even be possible that we could be fighting against ourselves at certain times. I remember a time when I worked so hard to promote something ( there was nothing wrong with the idea I was required to promote) that I could not personally stand at all, because that was paying me. I was more at peace when I quit and moved away from it.
Summoning your mental, emotional and physical energies to work in unison is the best way to have your mind body and soul collaborating together in the task that you are to accomplish.
My little son used to hate writing, we used to tell people he loves writing .. so much so be started believing it and now he truly and passionately loves to write. You can fool your mind and body into anything you want to accomplish, the only condition is that you have to get them to coordinate.
When you have all the cylinders firing you will have a brand new you who is able to accomplish anything that you set your mind to. Here is to a whole new you.. Reinvent yourself today.





Have a wonderful weekend :)

5 resources for personal Development

Your emotions an important resource for personal growth and self improvement

Resource No 1 for personal growth 

Resource no 2 for personal development
Emotions are like horses, they have so much force and power to pull your thoughts, attitudes and actions in any direction they please. Emotions have a will of their own and can drive you, it is important that you be a master of your emotions. Letting feelings of low envelop you could lead to you being unable to concentrate and function at your optimal levels.

Power in emotions can be channeled to become active change agents. You can convert negative emotions into positive driving forces, for instance anger towards people can be turned towards learning and change. If the critical views of others about your abilities make you angry or feel hurt you  can turn this emotion which is directed at the person or yourself towards learning a new skill or improving an existing skill and let your action speak for itself. This way you could avoid conflicts, feelings of sadness or feelings of depression and make positive use of your emotions.

Another very positive use of emotions is when you apply yourself to doing a particular task with passion. Psychology teaches us that the more we expose ourselves to a particular task we acquire a taste for it. For example if you are constantly exposed to some new kind of music though you do not like it initially, you slowly learn the lyrics due to constant exposure and later you start singing and enjoying that kind of music. Constantly expose yourself to those tasks that you need to master. It helps you develop familiarity with the task..Associating positive emotion and visualising positive outcomes and emotions from the task enables you to develop a great liking or even a passion  for the task at hand.

Pleasant emotions associated with tasks or learning processes help you achieve better result and  bring in more energy to handle the task. Make it a habit to be happy always. Channel your positive energy to the right direction to achieve your goal of personal development.

5 Important resources for Personal development

Personal development or self growth is easy to achieve if you garner the resources that you have and focus on them. The power to change yourself lies within you. Most often we are searching high and low for the things that are right under our nose. The things that we see often become unattractive and seem unimportant to us. Similarly we seek the resources outside of us to bring the changes within us. Today I would like to draw your attention to the things that are in you. There is tremendous power within you that is truly underutilized.

The 5 important resources for personal development are within your absolute control, so do not hesitate. They are your thoughts, will, emotions, your attitude and physical energy. With these resources you need to look no further. The power of your mind is the power within you, to achieve the unachievable.
We shall discuss each of these in detail. The first resource that we shall discuss is your thoughts.

Resource # 1 Your Thoughts.  Your thoughts determine the direction your life takes. The thoughts that you think define your destination. If your thoughts are positive then there is no stopping you. You would be able to see opportunities at every roadblock.

If you waste your precious resources whining and cursing your fate, you not only get left behind but you also dig a pit for yourself that gets deeper, the longer you stay there. Instead if you can see this hindrance that you face, as extra time  to develop your skills, or find alternative ways to approach your goal, you are harnessing your potential for growth. Day after day I see people whine and have pity parties and I happen to see those people in the same place many years later.

How you perceive your situation or the people in your environment determines how you will react to them. If you see people as smart, intelligent, resourceful or faithful, you will have so many qualities to imbibe and a huge resource to benefit from. You would learn from each person what they are good at. Instead if you look at them as threats, or adversaries, or usurpers or even as competition then you need to look into yourself. This may come from deep seated feelings of inadequacy and insecurity.

Negative thoughts do not allow you to grow or progress further, instead you get caught in a mire of bitter or negative emotions like fear, jealousy, anger etc. that cripple you. Right thinking directs the rest of your resources in the right direction and allows your mind to be focused on your goals.

Get over such negative thoughts today. Change your thoughts and your life will change in the right direction.

How to change my life - Be the change

How to change my life - Be the change, become the change.

Your future is decided by the changes that you make today. What kind of changes are you willing  to make? Are you ready for your future?
M. K. Gandhi said “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” These words are pearls of wisdom. You need not only be the change you want to see, but also become the change you want to see.
We often waste time, energy and feel defeated waiting for changes to happen. We feel cheated and victimised because we are expecting others to change instead of changing ourselves.

Have you considered this - Why would the world change for you/me?

How often have you wished that your boss would change, or the people around you would change or maybe even your circumstances would change? I have been there and done that, I can tell you nothing ever happens. I had a pity party in which I was the hostess and the only guest, can it get any bleaker than this?

How can I change my life?
Change always starts with ‘You’. Yes, you are the center of your world, not this wide world.
You cannot change the world, that is beyond you. You can change yourself, that is well within your limits.
Instead of living in a fantasy land, an idealistic world, touch base with reality and bring about the changes that you want to see, first, in yourself and your little world will follow suit.
Unless you realize this truth there is no scope for personal development or self growth, or self Improvement.
Being shy by nature and given in to a certain amount of introversion, I found it slightly difficult to approach people.  I wanted to be with people, I loved being with people, but for this internal issue. I expected people to approach me, speak to me or invite me to places. The days were long and cold, no one ever did.
It was then I learned this truth that changed my life - Be the change, become the change you want to see.
I started with small things, I came up with bright sparks and one liners when I was with people. I was noticed.
Encouraged I forged ahead with approaching people, sharing my happiness with others. It was difficult at first.
Gone are those days when I waited - now I am sought after by my friends, who think I am the most bubbly, cheerful person around :) ( if they only knew.- LOL)
Take those small steps. Face your enemy, become the change.
Don’t worry about what you cannot change - there is much you can change to make your life better. Focus on that and go about it.
“Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they are yours” - Richard Bach, Illusions
I also learned another principle of life and change. - What you admire you become. Yes, that is very true, I have admired certain qualities in people that I have imbibed them and have made them my own.
What are you waiting for?  You can be the change.
If I could, you have a greater chance of doing it. Go on change your life, become the change. Become someone’s inspiration today!!

Self-awareness and self-development

Self awareness as a progression towards self-development- ( self awareness  Part 2)

Self-awareness is to know yourself. Self-awareness helps you take your life in the right direction. It is an ongoing process, which helps you enrich your life by bringing your actions closer to your values and beliefs. It helps you to be true to yourself and takes you in the upward spiral of self-development.

It is a realistic evaluation of your potential and other aspects of your life, such as:

Strengths and weaknesses

Thoughts, emotions, and the way they direct your life

Areas where there is scope for your improvement and change

Value and belief system

Self-esteem or self-worth

How to become self-aware

The first step to becoming self-aware is to start looking into your thoughts, actions and emotions. It is important to analyse the source and quality of your thoughts and how they impact your actions and emotions.

Studies have proven that more than 80% of our thoughts or self-talk is negative.  Most of us spend time looking at the achievements of others and thinking that they are the experts and that we do not have it in us to get that far in life. These thoughts not only undermine our potential but also de-motivate us to such an extent that we don’t even want to try learning new tasks. Such negative thoughts give rise to negative emotions and negative behaviour arising out of frustration. This is why it is so important to understand and be aware of who we really are.

The second step to increase your level of self-awareness is to journal or write down thoughts, emotions and behaviour so that we do not have to depend on memory but have facts and figures to analyse. The good thing about writing down your thoughts or emotions is that even as you start writing them you analyse them and become more objective about them even as you go about it. There is more clarity that comes out of writing as not many of us are not used to systematic thinking.

The next step to being self-aware is to record some of your speech. When you analyse the way you speak, it would be easy to figure out how much of your talk is negative and how much is positive. Unless you correct what is negative about your approach, there is little or no scope for self-improvement or self-development.

Negative thinking processes cause you to under estimate your strengths and overwhelm you with unrealistic perception of your weaknesses.  Sometimes it is good to take the inputs of more mature and experienced people whom you work with, regarding your strengths and weaknesses. Another good way to estimate and develop your potential would be to write down your achievements so far.

Now you have a platform from where you can launch yourself and draw up your personal development plan. Likewise, recording your emotional states over a period could indicate to you how much control you have over your emotions. It would be your springboard to understand how much control you need to exercise self-discipline over your emotions and take the reins in your hands.

Any self-development strategy would be meaningless if it is not in synch with your values and your beliefs. No matter what you do, you will come across as a person who lacks integrity, so it is important to evaluate every one of these areas against your value and belief systems. At the end of the day, self-awareness is all about an enriched, meaningful life of comfort from within. 

Self awareness is the path to self-development and  personal excellence. 

The comfort zone - step out of your comfort zone (self improvement)

The comfort zone


All of us have our comfort zones. Our comfort zone is that familiar place or, job, or routine that we are happy going through everyday, but are unwilling to go beyond what is comfortable.  When we are comfortable we do not want to leave that nest that we have built, it is our zone of emotional security. Most of us are creatures of routine and familiarity breeds comfort and a feeling or warmth and fuzziness around us. We are comfortable doing things the same way all the time. The same route to the office, shop at the same places, mix with the same people and living in the same well. We are so comfortable in our comfort zone that  even to deviate a little from it ruffles our feathers too much. We are stuck in the mud of stagnation and can get left behind by a society that is dynamic and changing fast.

Step out of your comfort zone

Before you get out of your comfort zone you need to know what is stopping you from getting out
Are you afraid of facing new situations and new people?
Are you afraid of what people will think if you stumble?
Are you afraid of becoming uncomfortable and lonely?
Are you worried about your lack of familiarity?

You can be happy doing the same things and being stuck to the same place, but remember you are not growing. You are the person that you allow yourself to become. You are cramped by fears. Your life is stilted by lack of courage and boldness. Your knowledge is limited by your lack of new experiences. It is time you left your comfort zone.

Getting out of my comfort zone..

I was a creature of routine many years ago. Happy in my own warm, familiar world. My comfort zone did not permit me to gain new experiences and widen my horizons, I was happy but stagnant in certain ways. I was cramped by fear of facing the new and the unknown. When my circumstances changed I was forced to make a decision, I decided to move forward despite the fact that I would be uncomfortable. I learnt a few things  when I stepped out of my comfort zone..

Getting stuck in your comfort zone in a way means rejecting change.

Getting out of your comfort zone is so vital to your personal growth. It is what helps you widen your horizons and motivates you to learn new things.

New experiences may seem  threatening to some. They push you out of your comfort zone, but they are what define your limits and your life. If not for new experiences our lives would be boring and without change.

Getting out of your comfort zone may naturally mean discomfort and that you would be ill at ease in your new environment. It also means that you are forced to do things that you are not accustomed to do. This is the only way to learn new skills, like doing a particular task or interacting with people which you have been putting away for a long time because you are not comfortable doing it - I say ‘not comfortable doing it’ and not not capable of doing it.

Stepping out of your comfort zone helps you develop your potential, that has been neglected because you had been happy doing what you do.

Getting out of your comfort zone helps you face your fears of what will people think about you, or the fear of the unknown or maybe fear of failure

How can I step out of my comfort zone

Great question. Decide. Yes, you first need to decide to get out of the well you live in and explore the larger world.

Face your fears. Take a few small steps at a time. Do that thing that you have a problem with or that very thing that you have been putting off because of your fear. Take note of the finer details, familiarize yourself with the setup, take help if you need but make sure that you do it alone soon enough.

Fill your mind with positive thoughts and feeling about the place or the task that you have to accomplish.

Educate yourself. Observe how things are done. Read up, talk to people, get information from every source you can. This makes you mentally familiar with your environment and you know what to expect. This will put you at ease to a certain extent.

Rope in some help, if you are afraid to go it alone take a friend. Someone who is sociable and open to new interactions. This will help you make new acquaintances, which in turn gives you a familiar feeling about the task at hand.

Pep yourself up and keep track of all your achievements however small they might be, celebrate your every victory.

Team up with your new acquaintances but never neglect to form newer ones. Have fun while doing so and you will soon overcome the unfamiliar and your fears.

Take small risks as you feel comfortable. This is what keeps you learning and moving forward. Because it is easy to settle back into your comfort zone once again.

Go on, get out and learn. Don’t stop learning.. Getting stuck in your comfort zone is the death of learning. As you learn and widen your horizons your self-confidence grows by leaps and bounds.

There is a lovely, big world out there.. don’t get comfortable with your small well...

Here are more titles that might interest you..

http://mindspacearena.blogspot.com/2010/11/fear-of-unknown-reaction-to-change.html

http://mindspacearena.blogspot.com/2010/11/reinvent-yourself.html

http://mindspacearena.blogspot.com/2011/05/thinking-positively-in-negative-world.html

Thank you for reading my blog(s) and if you did like something here, please do add your comment to this space.. I would love to hear from you..........

Living in the now

Live In The Now

Living in the past or dreaming about the future relaxes your grip on this moment called 'now'. Once this moment is lost it is in the past and you have lost the opportunity to live in the now.

The Glories of the past is past. The future depends on what you do today. If we do not live our today’s meaningfully then we have lost our tomorrows and our past would not be something worth remembering.  

Living In The Now

The decision to make each day meaningful, happy and worthwhile, is the first the first step to living in the now.
Approaching each person or situation with a positive attitude and making the best of it, is what makes the now valuable.
If I cannot enjoy the present what is the guarantee that I will enjoy the future.
Make what is good better and what is not so good, meaningful.
The past is really behind you, it cannot be changed but somehow our memories always make it appear brighter and better.
This is because we are looking at things that have been accomplished and not the finer details that make our now.
Without the minute details our accomplishments of the past would have never been possible.

Live In The Present Like You Love It

Live in the present and enjoy it, face the challenges life brings.
When you facet the present accepting very challenge accepted that comes your way and overcome it, you are ready for the future, you are strong and ready for every challenge.
That way we have an illustrious past to remember and relish.
Our accomplishments may be more than we even thought possible.

Living in the Dreams of the Future

Living in the future is an idealistic paradise consisting of 'if’s and when’s' and nothing solid or firm to hold on to.

Dreams have their place but they cannot become life itself.  

Without action and facing the challenges of life today, dreams will remain dreams alone.  
Dreams of the future need to give direction to our present moments, our thoughts and actions need to be directed towards achieving those dreams.
Every choice we make needs to be directed towards our goals, if not we are truly lost.

Living in the Past

The past is what gives us the strength to look forward tour present and our future.
Living in the past means that we have a great disregard for the present and we are not investing enough into living in the now to make it count.
When we boast of great exploits in the past but have nothing to show for the present, it could also mean we have stopped living the life we were meant to live and we are becoming stagnant.
It could also tell us that our coping skills have also become obsolete and we do not belong to the present times, in which we live.  
We are merely existing in the now while we are actually living in memories and fantasies of the past . Yes, I mean fantasies because our memories are not always perfect so we fill in the gaps with fantasies of what would have been.

It is time to stop dreaming and start living in the now.   
Life is not a series of pleasant happenings, it is a mix of ups and downs and high and lows.
How we face the highs and the lows of life decides our futures.
It is living in the now that counts.

Live the moment!! Decide to enjoy every bit of your life :) Have a great day!!

Moving forward - you don't have to please people to move forward

Moving forward in life is something all of us desire to do. No one wants to be stuck in a rut. Somehow there are people who fall into the trap of thinking, that to move forward they need to please people. Yes, we need to ensure that people around us are happy and are cared for, but going out of the way to please people, just so that you can move forward reeks of lack of self-confidence and self-esteem. Moving forward in your career or in life is a primary need, but not at the cost of your self-esteem. It is as if you are being pressured to massaging the ego of others, because you do not believe enough in yourself and your abilities. 

This seems to be more of a habit, an addiction and a wrong way of thinking. When your energies are diverted to pleasing others with an ulterior motive you are doing yourself a great disservice.  

You are wasting time and effort that can be channeled towards improving your potential. 

Remember if you thought pleasing someone is easier than developing your potentials, think again. Though developing your potential  may seem harder and maybe even impossible if you do not believe in yourself sufficiently bear in mind, that it is an investment that is going to pay you all through life. Instead if you devote your life to pleasing someone remember that the demands are going to keep increasing as time goes by. 

People are going to take you for granted and start expecting you to behave the same way forever and this may cause a few problems when you decide to move forward. 

Pleasing others not because you want to make them happy, but because  you expect favors shows you in poor light. It makes people wonder why you suck up to them and they become  wary of your intentions. 

As an individual it also speaks of you as a person who needs approval from others all the time.  

It may also show you as a person with insecurities and with a fear of rejection. 

It may also mean that you value the opinions of others more than your own thoughts and opinions. 

The worst of all, that you do not take responsibility for your own life and are a social parasite. 

Whatever be the truth none of them are flattering to you as a person and none of these promote personal growth. 

Moving forward in life can be achieved with some self improvement techniques that are tailored to your needs. It calls for dedicated hard work, persistence and commitment.  The benefits that one can reap out of devoting time for self improvement can never be substituted by any number of favors received from others. I would strongly encourage you to be a your own person and be your own master.

The freedom to be you is priceless! Go ahead and be your best self! Move forward ... forge ahead :)

Self improvement - Make no excuses

Self improvement is the very essence of a well adjusted life.  All of us desire to improve or make changes for the better in our lives, we aspire to reach higher, dream big, work better and add meaning to our lives. The biggest barrier to self improvement is making excuses. Making excuses is a way of legitimizing that particular flaw or lack in you. When you make excuses you send clear information to your brain that the very issue that you are trying to plug in has a right to stay there because of the excuse you come up with. 

• Making excuses hinders growth and personal development. It causes you to live in the same rut longer until you become accustomed to it and the issue becomes a part of your personality.
•  Making excuses kills the motivation or the zeal that impels you to change certain behaviors or ways of doing things.
• Making excuses is another way of shirking responsibility. Most often it is responsibility for your own decisions and actions.
• Making excuses shows you in poor light, causing people to believe that you are not serious about yourself. It also gives people the impression that you do not walk the talk.
• Making excuses sets you up for failure.

Make no Excuses


When an individual refuses to make excuses he/she takes responsibility for every one of his/her actions. 
It speaks very highly of the person's character, integrity and intent.
It makes the individual move forward and close all the gaps or lacunae in personality.
It makes the person trustworthy and credible.
It causes people, especially people in authority over you, to look at you as potential for greater responsibilities.
Most importantly, it helps you to become a better person, work more efficiently and achiever higher goals.


Make it a habit today to kick the need to come up with excuses. Make sure you refuse to give in to the habit of making excuses when you are assessing yourself or you are questioned about your responsibilities. This is negative thinking in its subtlest but most potent form. 
The next time you come up with an excuse, do not fear to correct yourself even if it means having to let down yourself. Do not hesitate to go back and tell someone that what you said was only the partial truth and you have no excuse.This is the best way to inculcate the value of responsible living in you. Self discipline is the first step to self improvement.
Instead, spend time writing out why you should make the change, what do you stand to benefit personally, socially and professionally. Motivate yourself to achieve the goal and you would have moved a notch higher in the way you live, in your attitude towards life and in your self esteem.


Have a great day... thank you for taking the time to think through with me....... :)