Friday, April 29

Varanasi Ganga Aarti

Giving thanks to River Ganga by offering her all elements: earth, air, ...
Daily aarti at banks of River Ganga...

Sunday, April 24

Some inspiring quotes as I work

"Everything is possible. What brings you joy?"

"Fake it till you become it."

"Problems are not stop signs. They are guidelines."

Saturday, April 23

Joy


"Always find time for the things that make you feel happy to be alive."
1. Praying/Gratitude/Reading
2. Health
3. Love, family, ma, spouse,..........
4. Developing a software.
5. Laughing
6. Beach
7. Dance
8. Sunlight
9. Feeling beautiful

Fragment ----> Activity

Communication from Fragment to Activity:

A good way to communicate events from a fragment back to its hosting activity, is to define a callback interface inside the fragment, and then have the activity implement this interface.

Cousin, Friend

Yesterday, 22nd, Yashu & Swati were blessed with a baby girl. God bless them.

Yesterday, 22nd, my high school friend Anshuli got married in Rewa. God bless them.

Thursday, April 21

5 Phrases for Becoming Assertive : Vikki Carrel



Clear direct communication.
Answer a yes-no question with a yes-no answer.
Assertive Communication is the ability to honestly express your feelings or opinions without anxiety or anger.
Five phrases:

1. I am not prepared to support that idea.

2. When you interrupt me, I feel angry.
(its about being responsible yourself and your feelings, and using I statements.)

3. You've come home late the past few nights- I am concerned.
(sticking with facts, focusing on behaviour and not accusing.)

4. I see that you are frustrated and I understand your reaction- let's talk tomorrow.
(diffuse a situation that's going to be counter productive. its like putting your conversation on a time-out, so you can re-group and re-think. then come back to it.)

5. Repeating technique.
Avoid arguing or being manipulated.

Cultivate Quiet Time For Your Emotional Health: Julie Hanks



Cultivate Quiet Time For Your Emotional Health

Spending time alone is really important in order to tune in to your emotions.

1. Practice makes perfect.
Spend some time alone unplugged. Practice just taking a walk by yourself, going for a hike, doing yoga or meditation or prayer. Those are all ways of kind of tuning inward, instead of being so focused outward.

2. A peaceful, centred, emotional person is a gift to everybody around them.
It's important that we are settled and in-tune with our own emotions, so we can be in tune with other people and what their needs are.

3. Schedule some quiet time.

Tuesday, April 19

What Your Best Friend Isn't Telling You - Julie Hanks



1. Make Tentative Observations.

2. Stay on Your Side of the Court.

3. Ask a Question.

4. Toss it Back.

5. Go Where it Feels Safe.

Accepting Your Strengths - Julie Hanks



1. Listen To & Accept Compliments

2. Understand the Difference Between Confidence & Pride
*3:15
Your value is equal to others and you have different strengths.
We all have things we are good at, things we struggle with.

3. Recognize Your Unconditional Worth
We exist, that's where our value comes.
Those are nice things, but those are superficial ways to get confidence.

4. Use AND instead of OR.

5. Challenge your inner critic.
Ask, If I said this to someone else, how would they feel?

http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=56&sid=6763901

Saying No Without Guilt: Julie Hanks



'No' is not a moral issue.
It's just saying, "I can't do everything, and I get to pick and choose what that is".

'No' is actually ok, and it's honourable. It's honourable to say no and mean it, and to say yes and mean it.

Our time and our energy, is our stewardship. It's no one else's.

Ultimately it's our 'yes', or it's our 'no'. 

Reasons we shouldn't feel guilty about saying 'No':

1. 'No' sets Boundaries.
It's a really important word for setting any kind of boundary.
It's like the basic boundary.
Saying I'm not going to do it. I don't want to.
And that is our right, to set boundaries.
It's our job.

2. 'No' means you know your limits.
'No' is an acceptance of our humanity.
That we get tired. That we don't want to do everything. That we can't.
I have other things going on, and I know what my limitations are. And I'm ok with it.
Does it sound energising or does it sound draining?

3. 'No' prevents Burnout.
Ironically, in trying to do everything, we end up not being able to do anything for anyone, because we get burned out.
It's crucial for setting priorities.
When I say 'No' to something, I am saying 'Yes' to something more important.
That's really important to remember.
We get to prioritize.

4. 'No' helps you identify your needs.
That's how we find out what we want, by eliminating the things that we don't want.
'No' can help us recognise what we really value, by saying definitely not.
We find what we really want, by the process of elimination.

http://www.drjuliehanks.com/2013/10/23/free-printable-helpful-ways-to-say-no/

Saturday, April 16

6 Things to Give Up for a Happier Life: Julie Hanks



1. Needing to be right.

Mantra: "I am willing to be wrong."

2. Placing blame.

Mantra: "I am responsible for my actions & responses."

3. Fear of failure.

Mantra: "I embrace imperfection in order to grow."

4. Living in the past.

Mantra: "I accept 'what is' & look forward to a joyful future."

5. Scarcity mentality.

Mantra: "There is enough love, joy & success for everyone."

6. Responsibility for other's feelings.

Mantra: "I allow others to experience their emotions in order to grow."

Passive-Aggressive Conversation Killers: Julie Hanks



Passive-Aggressive = Hostile Cooperation

Why is this so harmful for our relationships?
Because it is dishonest. Its a lie basically. If you're not willing to share what's going on in your emotional life with people you love, then that limits your intimacy.

3:18
What to say instead?

1. "I'm fine."

Sister: "I'm having a really hard day, honestly."
Neighbour: "I'm hanging in there. There's a lot going on. I'm hanging in there."

2. "You're right."

Spouse: "We're not really getting anywhere. I'm not feeling heard. So let's come back to this."
Spouse: "I'm afraid if we keep going, its gonna make the situation worse. Let's call a time-out and come back to this when we cool down."

3. "Whatever."
Neighbour: "I'm disappointed. (and then ask for what you want) Is there room for one more? I would like to be a part of it."

4. "Nothing"
(close) Friend: "We just got back from Disneyland."

Overcoming Insecurities: Dr Julie Hanks



Most common insecurities / Top shame triggers
-Appearance
-Mothering

Five Questions we can ask ourselves:

1. What is my core belief?
Write down the insecurity.

2. What is the source?
Where did I get that?
This isn't me.

3. What are the facts?
Getting information outside ourselves.

4. What do I want?
I want to be healthier.

5. What can I do?
Go for a run.

Are You Easily Offended? : Julie Hanks



5 Questions to ask yourself.

1. Is this an on-going pattern?
Its a place to learn and grow about yourself.

2. Is there more to the story?

3. What do I gain for remaining offended?

4. What do I gain for letting go of this offence?

5. What do I need to resolve this?

Friday, April 15

Common Relationship Phrases Better Left UNSaid: Julie Hanks



1. You are so lucky.

Instead: You work so hard.

2. I know how you feel...

3. Don't you think...

4. Didn't you realize...

5. If I were you...

6. It's not a big deal...

What's the emotional message that I'm sending when I'm saying these things just without thought?
And there are some better ways to comfort or validate or help calm people down or let them know that you care.

http://www.wasatchfamilytherapy.com/archives/19839

The Upside of Anger: Julie Hanks



Its a really important emotion. It is a sign.

1. Signals something is wrong.
Anger is just a signal that something is wrong or something needs to be attended to.
Its just information.
Its not a moral issue.

2. Motivates us to make a change.
It helps us set boundaries and take a stand for ourselves or the people that we love.
It is a huge distinction between feeling anger and expressing anger.
Angry feeling is an internal state, internal cues, angry behaviour is aggression, and those are separate things.
Having the feeling is not bad.
Only 10% of the time, aggression follows anger.

3. Empowers when expressed directly.
Express it directly.
I am 'angry' with you.
If you don't address it directly, you are gonna address it indirectly.

4. Improves Relationships.
I am 'angry' about this.
Angry doesn't equal bad.
You mean enough to me that I am gonna share with you this thing that's going on inside of me.

5. Uncovers Emotional Needs.
Anger is generally a secondary emotion.
Primary emotion is what you feel first (sadness, fear, loneliness, hurt, disappointment). Secondary is what you feel most.
Its so important to be able to say what's really underneath that because underneath the anger is usually a soft, vulnerable emotion that's really important information.
There's something underneath that that's driving it.

Harnessing the Power of Procrastination: Julie Hanks



Harnessing the Power of Procrastination:

1. Understand your procrastination patterns.
Its a way that you can gain self-awareness.
"I tend to procrastinate _______".
And you can explore that more about yourself. It can help you deal with what is underneath.

2. Start with just one bite.
I call it 'Chunking'. Breaking it into smaller chunks that it doesn't feel so overwhelming.
How do you eat a water-melon? One bite at a time.

3. Go for "Good Enough".
Perfectionism can drive procrastination. If you give yourself permission to do it OK or fail, you'll actually get more done.

4. Use Deadlines to help focus & motivate.
It’s not procrastination if you plan to do things last minute.
You don't have to feel bad about that, if that's the time you need.

Thursday, April 14

Cooking

Sudha Auntie (cook) was on leave today. Husband prepared pulao for lunch. I prepared khichdi for dinner. Thank u God.

Don't Be Afraid To Set Boundaries : Julie Hanks



Your job is to protect your own emotional energy, not to make everybody around you happy.
Its part of taking good care of yourself.

1: 55 In setting boundaries, there are three different stances:
1. Doormat
2. Sword
3. Lantern (the healthy one)

1:54 to 2:35 The Lantern Stance - hold up a lantern.

People are more resilient than we give them credit for.

No one can offend you without your permission.

Be the lantern.

Julie Hanks: How to Stop Overreacting

So important:



There are different kinds of overreacting:

1. External Overreaction
2. Internal Overreaction

Three questions to ask yourself:

1. Do you have to apologize to others for your actions and your words?
2. Are you often surprized by your seemingly uncontrollable response?
3. Do you assume the worst about people or situations?

Five Ways to Stop Ourselves from Overreacting:

1. Don't Neglect the Basics
In the name of taking care of other people we neglect ourselves, our sleep, our food, getting rest, ...
Taking care of your basic physical needs actually helps you keep your emotions in check.

2. Tune In & Name It
Notice the body sensation and name the emotion, defensive, sad, hurt...

3. Breathe Before Responding
Just taking a deep breath calms the fight or flight response, calms the nervous system.

4. Put a Positive Spin On It
If someone offends you consider the possibility that the insult is not about you.

5. Identify Emotional Leftovers
Notice patterns in your overreactions.

[Its important to note that not all intense emotional responses are overreactions. The distinction is whether your response matches the situation.]

Tuesday, April 12

Julie Hanks: Why You Should Ask For Help



I need help.

What Are We Afraid Of?

Why You Should Ask For Help

1. We all have limitations.

2. (complete) Independence is a myth.

3. Asking for Help Shows Trust and Builds Bonds.

4. Allowing friends to help is a gift to others.

5. "No" Isn't a Personal Rejection.

Julie Hanks: Four Ways to Appreciate Yourself Now

Important:



Appreciate Yourself Now:

1. Cultivate Self-Compassion.
Self-Kindness

2. Embrace Imperfection.
Everyone has imperfections.
I can appreciate myself and value myself, even though I am imperfect.

3. Be Where Your Feet Are.
Mindfulness

4. Add Drops of Awesome.

Benefits of Appreciating ourselves:

1. We'll feel good about ourselves.
2. Our mood will improve.
3. We'll be more available to other people.

Julie Hanks: Make Self-care Your Top Priority

Very important:



0:38 to 1:01

Self-Neglect is never a good long-term strategy for caring for others.
You get sick. You get emotionally sick.
It just doesn't work for a long term strategy.

Its really really important to identify, what do I need, what am I feeling and let people know what those needs are.
Taking responsibility and identifying and expressing that, is self-care.
3:20
We are talking emotional self-care too.

If we are overwhelmed, depressed, not feeling like ourselves, that's a signal that we need to take a step back and look at what we need and take care of something.

*7:04 to 7:59
Race cars have pit-crews.
Assemble a pit crew. Who's on your pit crew. We all need a support system.
The higher the stress, the faster you're moving through life, the more critical self-care is.

Julie Hanks: Setting Boundaries with People



Boundary = Relationship Rule

0:46 to 1:18

Five Tips for setting healthy boundaries:

1. Value Yourself
because when we value something we protect it.
its really important to go, "I matter".
"what I want, how I feel, what I think matters".
frame it as you would if you are making a decision for your husband, or your children, because we're often more protective of those we love.

2. Tune Into Your Emotions & Thoughts
our emotions and our thoughts are like a compass to guide us.
who we want to spend more time with, who we want to stay away from.
we need to really tune into that to guide us in our relationships.
its important to tune into that and use that as clues.
if i am really uncomfortable i might need to set a stronger boundary here.
you could say 'i know u care about me but i'd love your advice when i ask for it. that would be really appreciated.'
i know you care about me, but this is my boundary. 
its ok to stand up for urself.

3. Be Specific.
don't generalise.
i'd rather have specific feedback if i hurt someone or i overstepped a boundary.
i wanna know.

4. Be Firm & Kind.
we can be firm & kind at the same time.
u can be firm without attacking them.
its ok to be intense.

5. Back Up Verbal Requests With Behaviour.
sometimes u need to really back it up consistently with behaviour.
**7:22... its because we're not taking a stand.
like saying 'stop' and lets go into the other room or walk away from a situation, sometimes silence actually is the best, we don't always have to have the words.

Monday, April 11

Julie Hanks: Find The Voice To Say "No"

So Important:



Find Your Voice To Say "No"

Its important for us to accept that we have limitations and that's ok.
Everyone has limitations.
We have limited time and energy. And it's our responsibility to decide where we're going to invest our time and energy.
And it's ok. We don't have to feel guilty about it.

1. 'No' is an important boundary.
It separates them from us. Its a way we establish a sense of ourself as different from other people. That's actually a healthy part of development.
'No' says, "I'm the boss of me". 'No' is an important way to say, "I am in charge of me".
It is sort of an empowerment word.

2. Saying 'No' prevents burnout.
Being able to say no limits your commitments so you can take care of yourself and feel happy and healthy and take care of what matters most.

3. Saying 'No' helps you get what you want.
When we get overwhelmed and over-committed the first things to go are the most important. 
Saying 'no' is important so we can say 'yes' to more important things.

Tips for saying 'No':

1. Knowing and accepting that everybody has limitations and we don't have to feel bad about that.
2. 'No' is an honourable response.
3. 'That just doesn't work for me.' Thanks for asking. That just doesn't work for me.

You are incharge of your own life.

That just doesn't work for me.
No one ever died from being disappointed.

Helpful phrases for saying 'No':
http://www.drjuliehanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/SayingNo1-printable.pdf

Julie Hanks: Boost Your Emotional Energy

Very important:



June Theme "Find Energy".

Emotional Energy: An aliveness of the mind, happiness of the heart, and a spirit filled with hope.

E'motion = Energy in motion

Ways we can boost our emotional energy:

1. Pursue your Passions.
Passions and what we feel strongly about are information about why we are on the planet.

2. Live on Purpose.
Taking your passion and taking it beyond yourself.
Having a bigger purpose for why you're on the planet.

3. Just Say "No".
to things you don't wanna do.
What do I want?
What you want really really matters, and its important to tune into that, and if you said no to things you don't wanna do, you'd have more emotional energy.

4. Distance From Draining People.
Setting boundaries in relationships is really important.

5. Invest in Important Relationships.
This is the most important thing you can do to energise your emotional life.
We are born to connect with each other.

http://studio5.ksl.com/index.php?nid=56&sid=11001739

Julie Hanks: Emotional Vampires: How To Deal With Emotionally Draining People



Emotional Vampires: How To Deal With Emotionally Draining People

In her book, Dr. Orloff identified these 5 signs that you’ve encountered an emotional vampire:
1) Your eyelids are heavy and you’re ready for a nap.
2) Your mood takes a nosedive.
3) You want to binge on carbs or comfort foods.
4) You feel anxious, depressed, or negative.
5) You feel put down, sniped at, or “slimed”.

How do you manage them?

1. The Narcissist
Have a "Me first" attitude.
They are not able to empathise.

How to Protect Yourself
a. Keep your expectations realistic and don’t expect reciprocity.
b. Don’t depend on their approval for your self-worth.
c. Lead with how they will benefit from something. (They are asking you for something, and you don't wanna do it, say, you know what, I'm not able to help you right now. Give me a week, and then I'll be able to give you what you want.)

2. The Victim
"Poor me".
Their pain is everyone else's fault.

How to Protect Yourself
a. Don’t take on their baggage. (You don't pick up their bags, when they try to say, hey carry this.)
b. Set kind yet firm limits in conversation length and topic. (Oh, you know what, I only have five minutes to talk to you right now, or you know what we've had this conversation 12 times and so lets talk about something else.)
c. Reinforce your limits with body language and action.

3. The Controller
They tell you how to feel, and what to do.
You feel invalidated. What you're doing, or how you're feeling, is not right.
Never tell a controller what to do. That'll backfire.

How to Protect Yourself
a. Confidently assert yourself. ('Thank you for your suggestion. I'll consider it.' And then do whatever you want.)
b. Focus on important issues. (Stick to the important issues only. Don't get in little power struggles. Just pick out the important issues and you're gonna set boundaries with those.)
c. Don’t try to tell them what to do.

4. The Splitter
They'll flip on you.
They feed off of anger, other people's and their own.
There's this back and forth between idealising and rage.

How to Protect Yourself
a. Remain emotionally neutral.
b. Set limits and stick to them.
c. Avoid taking sides.

(4:55) Boundaries will be offensive sometimes. Your job is to protect your own emotional energy, not to make everybody around you happy.

http://www.drjuliehanks.com/2011/10/25/emotional-vampires-tips-for-managing-emotionally-draining-people-studio-5/

Julie Hanks: Stop Pretending You're 'Fine'

Really important:



1. Assess the Relationship.

2. Tune in to Your Feelings.
We can't share with other people, if we don't know, what's going on inside of us.
Asking yourself everyday, how am I doing, how am I feeling.
What's going on & be able to share that.
You have to know, before you share with someone else.
There are 6 basic emotions: happy, mad, sad, scared, surprised, disgusted.
Start with those 6 and go which one am I?

3. Embrace Your Truth.
Once we figure out how we're feeling, we accept it & not judge it.
What's my next step to get through that?

4. Practice Authenticity.
You can practice being more authentic.
Its a practice like meditation.
Its a choice to show up and be real everyday.

5. Be Brave.

http://studio5.ksl.com/index.php?nid=133&sid=24055397&s_cid=storymlt

Julie Hanks: Simplify Your Day: The Art of Leaving Things Undone

3:30 to 4:15



"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is a nobler art of leaving things undone."
-Lin Yutang

1. Accept Your Limitations

2. Break Your Own Rules

3. Choose People Over Tasks
important, close relationships.
A great question is, will this be mentioned at my funeral?

4. Decide Your Priorities
Ask yourself, what is my life about?
What are the most important things?

5. Engage Your Passions
what energizes us?
ofcourse our relationships do but what are those other things?

Julie Hanks: Self-Compassion matters more than Self-Esteem

So important:



0:47 to 2:12
How we treat ourselves is always in our control. Its so so powerful.

3 Steps to Practicing Self-Compassion:

1. Tuning in, recognising our own suffering.
Mindfulness.
Recognizing your own pain.

2. Show kindness toward suffering. Self-Kindness.
Its more than saying kind things to yourself.
Its actually how you treat yourself.
We can learn how to do that.
5:18 to 5:47
6:38 We can always be there for ourselves.

3. Suffering is a shared human experience.
Everybody has times of success and failure.
*7:14 to 7:50

Julie Hanks: 6 Signs that You're Emotionally Grown Up

Hugely Important:



It's not about how you act but, it's how do you manage your emotions.

Six signs that you have emotionally grown up:

1. You Have the Final Say.
I am the boss of me. Ultimately, I get to choose.
This is what I want to do. Its really important to me.

Tip: Start small.
You take other people's opinions into consideration, but ultimately, you make the decision for your life.

2. You Know What You Think.
You know what's bothering you. You know what you like, don't like.
You know what it is and you can convey it directly.

Tip: Journal. Thoughts/Feelings. How am I feeling?

3. You Can Empathise Without Being Overwhelmed.

Tip: Imagine an invisible bubble.

4. You Enjoy Alone Time & Time with Others.
Its a sign of emotional health.

5. You are flexible and have a broad range of reactions.

6. You balance your needs with the needs of others.

http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=54&sid=25743203

Julie Hanks: Stronger Self-esteem When You Don't Look Your Best



1:33 to 1:51
"You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body."
-C. S. Lewis

4:06 to 5:14
Time has been my friend it seems.
So let him write on me.
I choose to call it God's signature.
I've lived. I've smiled. I've cried.
And that's proof.

5:38
Accepting ourselves where-ever we are.
No one's inspired by being criticised, including ourselves.
Life rewards action. Take little steps.
Take some action to take good care of your physical body and health.
My value comes from my soul, not my body.
Own it. Move on.
A phrase that has stuck with me for a long time is, "It's none of my business what anyone else thinks of me".

Julie Hanks: Worry Less About What Others Think

Important:



Worry Less About What Others Think:

2:10 to 3:10

1. You Never Really Know.
Even if someone tells you what they think of you, you don't know if they are telling the truth.
So, its kind of this thing we can never really know, so that's a great reason to give it up, because we're not gonna know the truth, we can't mind read.
You're not gonna know, so you've gotta let it go.
Be who you are and let that be enough.

2. It's None of Your Business.
The phrase, "It's none of my business what other people think of me".
What do I think, what do I want, that needs to be more important than being motivated by other people's approval.
There are 3 kinds of business in life, our business, other people's business, and God's business, and we create pain for ourselves when we get into other people's business and into God's business. -Byron Katie
We can't control those things. We can control our business.

3. You Can Be Happy Without Approval.
We're emotionally grown up.
Its ok to consider other people's opinions, but that can't be the driving force especially in those big life decisions.

4. More Energy For What You Can Control.
When you let go of what other people think, it frees up energy for things that we can actually control.
Invest in something that actually makes a difference.

5. Stable Sense of Worth.
When you link your self-worth to someone else's approval, you lose control of your self-worth.

Shubh Navratri!!!

Chaitra Navratri started on 8th April...
Today is the 4th day... Goddess Durga bless me, my family members, friends, everyone...
I need you... We need you...
Jai Mata Di!!!

Monday, April 4

Kati Morton - What do you value?



Kati Morton's values:
1. Honesty
2. Loyalty
3. Reliability
4. Mutual Respect

Kati Morton - Neediness, Dependency & Boundaries



What do you think a healthy relationship is?

think about it, journal about it, vlog about it, do whatever it is that's best for you. What is a healthy relationship?

What is it that you find to be the most important?

When is it that you find yourself upset or irritated, because chances are, that when that's happening, a boundary has been stepped on.

What can I do to help create some healthy boundaries for me?

5:58
How would I say this to them?

What does a healthy relationship mean?

Summer : Cantaloupe

Ate the 2nd kharbooja of this summer season :) The first one was 2 days back.

Sunday, April 3