Sharing Ideas Sharing Thoughts

"Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" is a book by Yuval Noah Harari that explores the history of the human species. The book covers a wide range of topics, including the evolution of human biology, the development of human societies, and the rise of various political and economic systems. The book begins by discussing the origins of Homo sapiens, the species to which all modern humans belong. It then goes on to explore the development of human societies, including the rise of agriculture, the development of language and communication, and the growth of complex political and economic systems. The book also looks at the impact of various historical events, such as the rise and fall of empires and the development of modern technologies. Overall, "Sapiens" is a sweeping and ambitious work that provides a broad overview of human history. It offers a unique perspective on the development of our species, and provides insights into how we came to be the dominant species

 We often find people sharing or asking about the best advice that they ever received. One may also ask older people about - what they think is the really important stuff in our lives? However, there is no universal answer to this. We all have unique life and each person who is asked this question will share the thoughts based on his / her experience. Even if we collated all these wise words we may still not be able to come to a common answer. I often struggled with this one question - "What is that one thing knowing which one will know everything else". The answer is - "God! We are here for self- realization". For years I tried to distill my thoughts on this and I'll admit that although, something in me tells me that this is true, I haven't yet realized this.  I also analyzed what great people have shared as an answer to the "best advice ever" question. I found that each person spoke about what they thought was important and they all shared some r

I love speaking with [or reading about] people who have had near death experience. Almost all of them say 2 things: 1. Life is short and uncertain. Don't postpone doing things that you always wanted to do. 2. Don't waste time on things that do not matter. It's the people in your life that matter. Love unconditionally.  If you were given a gift, in which you were able to see into the future and come back and live then what would you do differently?  1. What would you get done that you are waiting to get done, because you think you will be here forever. 2. How will you change your relationship and the negative energy in them? Related post - The 3 Things We All Want The 3 things we all want The 3 things we all want The 3 things we all want

We all want predictability and certainty in our lives. Whereas, all of us know from " our own " experience that life is full of chaos and complexity. The fact remains that life is non-linear and asynchronous. Wouldn't we be happier if we embrace transitions and willingly transform ourselves into our newer and better version. If we don't renew and update ourselves then we wouldn't grow. Perhaps the reason why we are here is to become a better human being. And to know who we truly are.   There is no destination. It's all about the journey and being present in every moment of our life. 

 I turned 50 last Sunday and a friend suggested that I should write a post - "50 things I learnt in 50 years of my life". However, we all have a unique outlook on life. And we have our own beliefs and convictions. These are shaped by our experiences. Hence, my ideas may not work for you. Further, it depends on what we'd like to get out of our lives. I'd therefore share some thoughts on success and happiness - knowing which most other things can be known. These are my life's work and the essence of my life's learning.  1. The first question we should ask ourselves is - Why are we(you) here? What are you living for? I don't think it's a great idea to live our life sub-consciously. Or be excessively influenced by the world around us. Or to live for sense pleasures. I think deep inside we all strive for "Purpose and Meaning" . And we'd do ourselves a big favour if we asked ourselves who we are and what we want. You'd be surprised, most pe

 Three things that are fairly straightforward and yet people miss them: 1. The importance of making good decisions 2. Keeping things simple 3. Common Sense I will touch upon decision making here.  We all make decisions daily. And we do well in them. But most of these decisions do not have a big impact on our lives (please read my post 10/10/10 Rule ). In our entire lifetime, we have to take just a few big decisions such as the one's below: 1. Our education - This one is perhaps the hardest because as kids or young adults most people are not sure about what they would like to do professionally. And therefore, our decision is influenced by the world around us.  Question for you - Were you very clear about what to study in college? 2. Choosing our work - For most of us, this is connected to the education part. But I think listening to our inner voice and doing the work that we are drawn towards is a better way to decide. It may take longer but we'd be happier doing the work that i

Today is a big day for me. Exactly 10 years back on this day, I started practicing meditation. I meditate twice a day (morning & evening) and I also do freehand exercises twice daily for 15 minutes. It gives me great pride to share that I have not missed a single practice of meditation or exercise (that is twice daily) since last 10 years. I consider this a great personal achievement. Were there days, when I wanted to skip? Yes of course, but honestly, not too many. However, there were circumstances that made this harder sometimes. For example, travel, uncertain schedules, social norms (dinners and meet ups) etc. The morning practice is easier. If one can wake up on time then the next couple of hours are absolutely yours. Evening practice can get tricky at times. That's when, one needs to adjust the schedule or meditate just before sleeping. In fact meditating just before sleeping and immediately on waking up is the best thing.   I also feel that it's important to 'will

30 minutes before going to sleep and the first 30 minutes on waking up is what I call the Golden Hour of the day. In these 60 minutes one can connect with one's true inner self. Setting aside this time for yourself at the beginning and at the end of the day can be transformative. One can practice three things during this period:  1. Review 2. Affirmations and, 3. Visualization. The combo of these three is force multiplier.  MORNING: It helps if you are a morning person and are all by yourself during the first hour or so after you wake up. This is your 'Me' time. Practicing affirmations immediately on waking up - while you are still in the bed - accelerates the changes one is seeking within. After this having a cup of tea or coffee helps most people get their day started.  Next comes Visualization. There are three things to remember when visualizing - See clearly whatever you want, Believe that you deserve it and Feel that it is already yours. Do not complicate this simple i

Introspection is extremely important for moving forward. Reviewing your day before going to bed can give you extraordinary results and set you on the path of self-mastery. When we judge our actions objectively, it is good to be critical. But there is also just as much or more value in being one's best friend.  If I have to choose between a harsh critic or being nice to myself then I'd completely avoid being harshly self-critical and go for being my best friend.  There is no doubt that we all have noise in our heads. But the internal dialogue we have with ourselves and the story we tell ourselves projects into the future. We become what we feel. If you ever see someone giving harsh feedback to someone then it's quite likely that he will give himself feedback in the same heartless tone. They brutally lash themselves and others when they get a chance. This is definitely counter-productive. However, if we can see our mistakes objectively and develop the following shooter's

Last night I had a dream in which I was in a train station in India. This was my destination station and after the train stopped, I and my family started unloading my luggage on the platform. Since, we had some extra luggage, I had to go back in to fetch the balance luggage. While I was inside, I saw from the window that someone on the platform was trying to steal one of my items. I jumped out and followed this guy. By the time I caught hold of this person, I had come quite far. I was in a small shopping area on the station. I have clear recollection of the shops in the area. On my way back, I was a bit lost and couldn't come to the place where I was originally getting off. I had to then ask someone for directions. I navigated per his direction and crossed a small old bridge and then some steps and a heavy door that I had to open to come on platform number 3 where my rain was supposed to be. But, I found out here that the train was on platform number 4. I had to then take an underg