decaffeinated-musings

[decaffeinated-musings]

Civilization VS Nation?

Be a civilisationist, not a nationalist.

I believe that one should not be patriotic for a particular land-mass, that is/was created (as a tool) by the white colonialists in the past for fulfilling their purposes and breeds hatred towards other persons on the sole basis of a line on the land-mass which in the end is a part of only a great planet, Earth.

These are the random borders cut by the imperialists and collectively accepted by the whole world.

The civilization that each individual is a part of is much more diverse and bigger than a particular piece of a land-mass that we are patriotic towards, and feel pride in.

So, keeping this in mind, I will say that I am patriotic towards my culture, what my people stand for in the whole world, and what wonderful traditions, practices, and lifestyles we follow or used to follow (may it be Yoga, Spirituality, or Modern Day Subjects which can’t trace their roots without being talked in the context of Bharat-Varsha).

I am proud and patriotic in that sense, and urge the individuals to understand the difference.

~ Yashika Gupta (Decaffeinated Musings)

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Now, Commitment!

Many good opportunities are ruined for the dream of slightly better ones.

Would you have a more successful career if you had taken that other job or moved cities? Possibly.

But your actual career will definitely suffer if you don't commit to doing it to the best of your ability.

Would you be 10% happier in a different relationship? Maybe. Maybe not.

But you'll definitely be unhappy in the one you have if you spend all day thinking about what else is out there.

The surefire way to end up worse off is to agonize over unchosen options and fail to make the most of the one you selected.

Every minute spent yearning for your unlived lives is a moment you can't invest in the one you actually have.

Choices matter, but so does your Level of Commitment.

"Source: James Clear"

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“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.”

— Sam Levenson

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Figuring Out !

If you can't figure out what kind of work you like, pay attention to

What's easy to concentrate on and gives you energy?

VS

What makes you tune out and feel tired?

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The Feynman Technique

1. Set the Stage:

Identify the topic and everything you know about it.

2. Read & Research:

Go down the rabbit hole—leverage horizontal and vertical research to expand your knowledge base.

3. ELI5 (Explain It To Me Like I'm 5):

Distill the learnings into a simple, elegant “elevator pitch” on the topic and deliver it to someone.

4. Assess & Study:

Reflect on your performance, identify the gaps, and study to fill them in.

5. Organize, Convey & Review:

Organize your new knowledge into a tight, compelling narrative. Marvel at your new depth of understanding!

Conclusion:

It's easy to overcomplicate and intimidate—we all know people who try to do this. But don't be fooled—complexity and jargon are often used to mask a lack of deep understanding.

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Letting Go!

"I think of the trees and how simply they let go, let fall the riches of a season, how without grief (it seems) they can let go and go deep into their roots for renewal and sleep...

Imitate the trees. Learn to lose in order to recover, and remember that nothing stays the same for long, not even pain, psychic pain. Sit it out. Let it all pass. Let it go."

~ May Sarton

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Being Like Water !

Water does not resist. Water flows.

When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress.

Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you.

But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing, in the end, can stand against it.

Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone.

Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water.

If you can't go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.

~ Margaret Atwood

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A Story (Love & Anger)

A Hindu saint who was visiting river Ganges to take bath found a group of family members on the banks, shouting in anger at each other.

He turned to his disciples smiled ‘n asked.

‘Why do people shout in anger shout at each other?’

Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, ‘Because we lose our calm, we shout.’

‘But, why should you shout when the other person is just next to you? You can as well tell him what you have to say in a soft manner.’ asked the saint

Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the other disciples.

Finally the saint explained, .

‘When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other to cover that great distance.

What happens when two people fall in love? They don’t shout at each other but talk softly, Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is either nonexistent or very small…’

The saint continued, ‘When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper ‘n they get even closer to each other in their love.

Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other ‘n that’s all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.’

He looked at his disciples and said. ‘So when you argue do not let your hearts get distant, Do not say words that distance each other more, Or else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return.’

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“Inside of all of us there is the need and the desire to be heard, to have our innermost thoughts, feelings and desires expressed for others to hear, to see and to understand. We all want to matter to someone.”

— Vicktor Alexander

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We all need to do the following exercise regularly:

1. Make a list of all the things you’re trying to juggle.

2. Pare it down to just a few.

3. Commit to making A’s in those few things, instead of B’s and C’s in a lot of things.

4. Decommit from what you never should have committed to in the first place.

5. Dedicate yourself to what’s actually essential.

Those five steps are a pathway to true balance and success.

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Can We Handle This?

You did the right thing. You said what you thought. You produced something valuable. Yet here you are, a day, a month, a decade later, somehow having it all flipped against you. You’re being criticized. You’re being attacked. You’re being made to look like something you’re not. It’s painful. It’s unfair.

It’s also life. Can you handle it? They'll try to kill you, cut you, berate you with curses. They won’t fight fair. They’ll argue in bad faith. They’ll go after your livelihood. They’ll come for your reputation.

And?

“And that somehow cuts your mind off from clearness, and sanity, and self-control, and justice?"

No, it doesn’t.

You can handle it. Keep doing you. Stay focused on what you can control. Keep doing the right thing. Let the fools chatter as they will.

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Common Phrases and Their Not-So-Common Endings

1. The phrase “curiosity killed the cat” is actually not the full phrase it actually is “curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back”.  2. “Great minds think alike” ends with “but fools rarely differ”

It goes to show that conformity isn’t always a good thing. And that just because more than one person has the same idea, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good idea. 3. “Birds of a feather flock together” ends with “until the cat comes.” It’s actually a warning about fair-weather friends, not an assessment of how complementary people are. 4. "The early bird catches the worm," ends with "but the second mouse gets the cheese." 5. Blood is thicker than water The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.

Meaning that relationships formed by choice are stronger than those formed by birth.

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Kindness, Be good to others and Do good to others !

The thing about stress and struggle is that it hardens us. It makes us turn inward. With more than expected on our plate, we have less time, less patience, less sympathy for others. We’re dealing with our own problems, trying to keep those closest to us safe, just trying to get through it ourselves.

While this makes sense from a self-preservation standpoint, it’s also a bit self-defeating. Because the more we focus on our own problems, the larger they become. The more we think about ourselves, the more pain and anger, and despair we can feel.

So one of the things you can do today is thinking about how you can be of use, how you can be of service.

Wherever there is a person, there is an opportunity for kindness. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, there is an opportunity to do good, to help others. It is also a wonderful way to help yourself.

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Theories About The Universe !

I am trying to see things in perspective. My dog wants a bite of my peanut butter chocolate chip bagel. I know she cannot have this, because chocolate makes dogs very sick.

My dog does not understand this. She pouts and wraps herself around my leg like a scarf and purrs and tries to convince me to give her just a tiny bit.

When I do not give in, she eventually gives up and lays in the corner, under the piano, drooping and sad.

I hope the universe has my best interest in mind like I have of my dogs.

When I want something with my whole being, and the universe withholds it from me, I hope the universe thinks to herself: “Silly girl. She thinks this is what she wants, but she does not understand how it will hurt.

Source: "THEORIES ABOUT THE UNIVERSE by Blythe Baird"

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TIMEKEEPING !

Try to imagine a life without timekeeping. You probably can’t.

You know the month, the year, the day of the week.

There is a clock on your wall or the dashboard of your car.

You have a schedule, a calendar, a time for dinner or a movie.

Yet all around you, timekeeping is ignored.

Birds are not late. A dog does not check its watch. Deer do not fret over passing birthdays.

Man alone measures time. Man alone chimes the hour.

And, because of this, man alone suffers a paralyzing fear that no other creature endures.

A fear of time running out.

Source: The Time Keeper​ by Mitch Albom

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