23. Shedding Vices for Zealouszestyliving Part 2

Hello Friends,
A very good day/night to you all. In the previous post on this topic I mentioned the reasons and the futility of embracing vices. Here let us go over the possible ways to overcome vices. Difficult but we have to try because if we fail to try, we try to fail. 

9 Tips for Overcoming (Shedding) Vices.

• Accept that you have a vice or addiction and resolve to get rid of it (the easiest step).
• Jot down all the possible negative outcomes like health deterioration, embarrassment, financial loss, loss of loved ones, loss of mental peace,  etc, which you will have to accept if you continue on the same track.
• Now just do the opposite, list the gains which will be a part of your life without this addiction. Visualize with a positive mind and enlist the benefits. Even if you think it impossible at this stage no harm in listing it.
• Now commit that you will get rid of it and find an excuse for it. We easily find excuses to do wrong things!  for once, we can find at least one excuse to do a good thing.
• Give yourself a time frame and take the help of family and friends. If you have declared that you will be quitting your vice before and not stuck to it chances are that they may ridicule you. In this case you have to work a bit harder, if you are angry and hurt about the lack of support or ''I don't care'' attitude of friends convert and direct those feelings towards eliminating the vice. Believe me sometimes this works more than encouragement and kind words as we are on our own.
• For some people deadline method does not help, in which case do it step by step. If it is drinking or smoking decide that you will have a fixed quantity daily , then reduce the quantity. You may also decide that you will not have drinks or smoke say in the mornings. Stick to it and you will see the difference. This is easier as we know we can have it in the evening. After this move on to reducing what you have in the evening to half and so on till you achieve the desired result. 
• Get professional help if you feel so. Support groups, institutions are present everywhere. Confide in your family members and convince them that you really want to give up your bad habit so that they will also be by your side when you seek professional help.
• Before giving up note when and why you go towards your addictions, is it when you are stressed about work or finance or you just lose control when you sight it e.g. alcohol . Address your problems chances are the vices will remain at bay. Keep away from the situations and things which trigger off your addiction as far as possible.
• Audio visual impact is long lasting and can be made to work on you without your knowledge. If a friend is lecturing you about leaving the vices however boring it may sound give a patient hearing, watch things which are conducive to your leaving the vice like this anti smoking video. 

                                                                 Watch this anti smoking video 

There was one more film which I used to see years ago and am trying to find it to share. Even  if you do not have any vices no harm in sharing public service broadcast messages isn't it? Someone or the other is sure to benefit from seeing it.

So do you have any serious addictions? I hope not ! Having read the above tips try to help any friend or acquaintance who is going through a difficult phase.  Thank you for reading this blog do drop a hello. Bye for now until the next post I leave you with this quote. 

"Vices are their own punishment."---Aesop 

Regards,

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22. Shedding Vices for Zealouszestyliving Part 1

Hello friends, 

A very good day/night to you all.  I will categorize Vices 
into harmful ones and the not so harmful ones which I will deal with in yet another post. 

Vices like  substance abuse (alcohol, tobacco, drugs etc.) , morally wrong acts, bad habits like gambling or any other sinful act are the most harmful ones as they lead to addiction and doom after which coming back to normalcy is difficult. Vices cannot be justified by the excuse of a mod living style or necessity. And it still remains a VICE even if you do it away from the public eye in the confines of your home.

Top 5 reasons why a person embraces vices.

• Lack of confidence.
• Failure and not being able to accept it.
• Escape from reality mostly harsh.
• Boredom.
• Peer pressure and the desire to show that you are no less than them. 

(Have I missed anything please do add).


The outcomes of embracing Vices.

• Further lack of confidence and desire to do it repeatedly to escape from reality.
• Depression.
• Suicidal Tendencies.
• Desire to remain in the same state hence Addiction.
• Deterioration in health and wealth!
• Emotional torture for well wisher friends and family members. 
• A steady pathway which will lead to doom.

So as you can clearly see the reasons for which one embraces vices do not remain valid and justifiable because vices lead to worsening the situation beyond control, hence  I think you will agree with me that vices can be struck off permanently from our list of ways to a zealous and zesty living.  But how do we do that is the question. Wait for the next post  which will tell you about  ways to shed vices for a zealouszestyliving.

I leave you with this quote, thanking you for reading this blog and hoping that you and everyone around you leads a wonderful life free of vices. 

“Vice knows its ugly', so it puts on it's mask”---Benjamin Franklin.

Regards,


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21. Using Sounds for Zealouszestyliving

             
                                     
Hello friends, 

A very good day/night to you all.

The realization and awareness of sound from the immediate environment can be perceived from the moment an infant starts looking into the direction of sound and reacts to it (in terms of a positive response say cooing or a smile or a negative response say crying )  We use rattles and other toys to cheer up a small child, so I think sounds can be used to alter the physical and mental state of grown ups too! Do you agree with me?

Our Sound Relation!

(not always! sound can be a nuisance at times).
Sound is something by which you are surrounded always. Of course it is not possible to use a noise dosimeter to measure our exposure to sound. But in a public place it is slightly more decibels than what is safe for the human ear. Firecrackers, firearms and jets make louder sounds. In addition some sounds are perceived within us (the tune you keep hearing in your mind ,  the sound of someone's voice which plays in the mind unconsciously etc.) I would call these, sounds from the internal environment. 

Some Sounds :(will include the actual sounds shortly)

• Sound (OMG the word sound also has a lovely sound.) 
• A rippling sound.                                                               

• The Sound of rain.

• Birds chirping and waves lashing as you can hear in the background music of this blog.
• Man made melodious sounds like music , vocal or instrumental.

• Religious rituals,prayers and auspicious occasions are incomplete without sounds created by bells, cymbals and also different musical instruments. 
• The sound of OM or any other chant or prayer from any faith.  

Using Sounds for Zealouszestyliving.

• As I mentioned about nurturing your favorite aromas in the post about aromas , sounds which we like and which help us to create a happy and positive mindset  should be noted and recreated for a zealouzestyliving. Be it your favorite music album or instrumental music. You can hear it while doing household chores. There is sure to be a spring in your steps as you go about mundane jobs while listening to music. Do try it out.
• Not only music but other sounds too can be used for healing.

(Dr. Peter Guy Manners, a British osteopath invented a machine called the Cymatic Instrument which uses the direct application of sound into the body for healing (harmonically related tones that resonate imbalanced part of the body restoring their natural frequency) you may read more about him  here.)

• Did you know that harmonics can be used to stimulate the Vortex of our body?.
• Sound can be used to alter our brain waves.(So you know what to do when someone is chewing at your brains)
• Controlling sounds which we do not desire to hear is also possible. Outer sounds are difficult to control , so are the inner sounds because we do not detect there presence well in time but it is possible.

When I sat for yoga and meditation early morning, initially sounds from the external immediate environment disturbed me a lot more so as my previous houses had a peaceful environment. The refrigerator, fan, birds and other sounds merrily contributed to the noise. And as if that was not enough the sound from within sometimes my own voice telling me that its not possible to concentrate lets give up or have  tea before meditating,  used to disturb me. I did take some time to focus properly,  but with practice it is possible to control the inner sounds  too which are created by your mind. 

Has it ever happened to you that you keep humming a tune or a song which you hate (yes I mean hate) in your mind. Imagine hearing a hateful sound constantly from which there is no escape ! Don't worry simply replace it with your favorite song tune and keep saying it aloud, you yourself will not realize when you have got rid of the unwanted sound.

• After a certain time you will learn to go up a bit further and concentrate only on the idea of using sounds for a zealouszestyliving.

Hope that happens soon. With the hope that your life is always harmonious with the sounds around I thank you for reading and leave you with this quote. 

  “Reality is a sound, you have to tune in to it not just keep yelling.”― Anne Carson

Regards,


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20. Living in the Present Moment Part 2 (Advantages)

Hello Friends,
A very good day/night to you all. You may read the previous post on Living in the Present Moment Here or else continue to read this as it can be treated as an independent one. So here we go.

5 Advantages of Living in the Present Moment:

1. Less time is wasted and lost as you are busy managing tasks at hand. You can move on to the next thing on your agenda quickly. 
2. If it is leisure time you are enjoying that too. So one experiences an increased sense of enjoyment even in ordinary things.
3. More focus and concentration is gained if you are in the present moment. 
4. Even in things which you don't consider top priority being in the present moment helps.e.g. My group dance class is just for fitness and enjoyment but when I mindfully do each and every move even the unimportant ones I find myself being better and better. This also increases my confidence in my physical abilities(nothing to boast about here    ) and fitness level .
5. You are at peace when you are in the present moment. According to Lao Tzu , If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present. (I presume vice verse is also true). 

So let us try our level best to start living in the present moment Zealously and make our life Zesty. What do you feel about the present moment are your opinions different from mine? Please do write and share your feelings. Before I bid adieu here is a quote from the master just for you.

"Life can be found only in the present moment. The past is gone, the future is not here and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life."----Thich Nhat Hanh

Thank you for reading this blog.
Regards,


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19. Living in the Present Moment Part 1

Hello Friends,

A very good day/night to you all. A few years ago I started living in and for the present moment. This was not always the case. There were times when I thought of the past or dreamt about the future neglecting the simple joys which were existing at the moment. Be it watching the setting sun which I could see from my house or the suns rays lining the clouds as they skimmed over the sea surface. (My previous house atop a hill overlooking the sea. Oh, how I miss it!). 

Then I happened to read some books in the self help categories specially spiritual ones which advised living in the present moment. Somehow the magazines and even the newspaper seemed to have articles related to this topic.(Or was it the reflection of my own mind which felt the need subconsciously? ) So I thought a lot about it and tried my level best to practice it in life. However, I do admit that I have not been able to achieve this to the level of spiritual leaders even now (kudos to them).

But I was not even anywhere near it because:

• I think it's good to remind yourself of your past mistakes once a while to prevent repeating them(excuse for brooding)
• I also think it is good to dream, visualize and thereby envisage a better future in order to fulfill future aspirations(excuse for day dreaming). 
• Should we not worry about the future? asked my rebelling mind. Having grown up studying "The Ant and the Grasshopper" (Aesop Fables) and the likes  left me with a desire(unfulfilled) to be as industrious as the ants catering for future though by no way can I be called a grasshopper ! 

I relented because:

• All these great masters and preachers who emphasize the importance of the present moment and whom I revere cannot be wrong. 
• Why think of past mistakes only when you can think of the good happenings of the past too?(Nudges of my positive mind). 
• Failing to enjoy the present moment in the process of thinking of the past or future is foolhardy.

 I took a path midways. As far as possible I began to live in the present moment. Living in the present moment does not mean you are oblivious of your past or the future it simply means concentrating on the job and also the acts at hand. It is really very easy but you got to practice it deliberately for some time only then it becomes second nature to you. 

I started by concentrating on eating(the easiest), chewing food etc. mindfully,  even when I drank water I started being mindful of the act of filling my glass, sitting down etc. The same concept is to be applied for every act. When you are reading a book enjoy what you are reading and do not worry of some unfinished work(I always did, but at the same time I could not put away the book) a better way which I have learnt to follow is either put down the book, finish the work and get back to reading or else take breaks after a chapter, finish a part of the work and continue reading. Do each bit of work with concentration.

Thich Nhat Hanh’s (You may read about him Here) key teaching is that, through mindfulness, we can learn to live happily in the present moment—the only way to truly develop peace, both in one’s self and in the world.

So friends that's all for today, I hope you too feel that living in the present moment to the best of our abilities makes life zealous. As usual I leave you with a thought  by a thinker until the next post with the hope that you always enjoy and utilize each and every present moment to the fullest. 

"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And Today? Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present."---B. Olatunji.

Thank you for reading.
Regards,

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