LIFE LESSONS AND MUSINGS

A few years ago , I  read a book by napoleon hill.  It had 365 quotes for each day. I wrote down the quotes that I liked or that applied to my life. Gradually I had a big collection of advices , sayings and quotes. My friend suggested that I keep a record of my inspirational quotes. So here goes.......
FAITH

• Faith does not come easily in any age. It is a gift from God , as basic as life , as necessary as the air we breathe. Faith gives us access to God(can specify the name accordingly) and his healing powers.

SELF DISCIPLINE

• A person has to go through either of the two types of pains, the pain of self discipline or the pain of regret. The pain of self discipline weighs a few ounces and the pain of regret weighs in pounds.  ~  RIM JOHN
  
  
• Self discipline is doing the things that you have to do even if you don't feel like doing it. ~ BRIAN TRACY
• Discipline + Consistency + Hardwork = Result!
  
  

DECISIONS

• I have learnt that certain decisions taken in haste gives a heartache forever.

MARRIAGE

• A wife with a good attitude is better than a wife with a good physique.

KIDS

• Toddlers and preschoolers have to learn to hold the pencil properly before they start to write .Coloring pictures helps them a lot.They learn to hold the pencil or crayon and also its fun. It becomes more fun when parents sit along with them and color another picture. They will be coloring their own picture but will also notice and learn how we do it.

• Saying "NO" and being consistent with kids is very difficult but it pays off in the long run.

MUSINGS

• Never fear to try out new things or ventures. You never know what you are good at unless you try it.
• God has sent us with  survival instincts . It is on us to keep it and gradually build it up.
• Don't be afraid to accept challlenges. It prepares us to face  the big challenges without fear. For me one small challenge was going to the self - checkout counter and checking out.

COOKING 

• I don't cook because I have to, I cook because I want to and because it's the most intimate, nourishing pleasure I can give to my family and myself ~Maria Rodale from the book SCRATCH
• Treating food as a medicine and simply by eating well you can prevent and even reverse disease, increase vitality and strength, improve mental clarity, and reach an ideal weight. ~ from the book Forks over Knives family
• Cooking connects me to my grandmother, who did this for so many years. While I cook, I can picture my mom, grandmy, and aunts doing this in our ancestral house(my grandpa's house)

HAPPINESS

• The smile on my face doesn't mean my life is perfect. It means I appreciate what I have and what I have been blessed with. I choose to be happy.

PRAYER

• No matter what the religion, pray. Prayer can move mountains !!!!
• Pray with humility.
• Teach your kids to pray . Let them see you pray.

LIFE

• Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find , knock and it shall be opened to you. I use to say this only in my prayers. Recently I realized that it applies to our daily life too. There are people around us , that god has given ,whom we can ask ,seek and knock . There have been times when asking could have helped me avoid a lot of mistakes , but I refrained from asking ,sometimes because of my pride and often times because of the fear of what they might think of me.
• Life is "always" ( I repeat" always" ) greener on the other side . And no matter how many times you have heard this saying , you will never realize that until you have gone to the other side.
• Take chances. No pain, no gain.
• You can accomplish anything , if you are not in a hurry.~ Captain Sullenberger (Sully).
• Life is a struggle and the potential for failure is ever present, but those who live in fear of failure , or hardship, or embarrassment will never achieve their potential. Without pushing your limits, without occasionally sliding down the rope headfirst, without daring greatly, you will never know what is truly possible in your life.~ Admiral William H. McRaven in his book , MAKE YOUR BED
• Recognize the value in the word "No". Learning to say no to less important opens your life to pursue the most important.(From the book: The more of less by Joshua Becker)
• Those who work hard and never give up in life are always rewarded with success in the end.~ From the film Gunjan Saxena in the scene where dad talks to Gunjan about Rekha

THINGS I WISHED I NEW EARLIER

• Setting the alarm and telling the kids that they have to turn the TV off when the alrm rings , is an effective way to get the kids stop watching the TV . It is applicable for other activities too , like for leaving the park when its time , starting the bedtime routines etc.
• We as kids are so used to drinking milk first thing in the morning. But drinking milk , kind of steals away the appetite leaving no space in the stomach to eat or appreciate the things we eat. Drink milk after the meal . I find it very effective in getting kids to eat when its this way. Eat the meal first and after at least 20 minutes  , they drink milk. The stomach is full and mommy and kids both are happy!!!!!!.
• Kids are born with  very good survival instincts. It is on the parents to break it or build it . As a first time mother I played a great role in the breaking it part. I would get stressed out when my son got sick. I lost confidence , and would panic a lot . That was not how I would behave when I got sick . I was confident that I would easily overcome it. Over the years , I learnt to pass on this confidence to my kids. I learnt that its ok for kids to get sick and nothing to feel guilty about as a  mother. When they get sick and better again , they learn that they are worthy of healing.
• "You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
• "What's easy to you is amazing to others. " ~ Derek Sivers

FEAR

• "Do something that scares you , everyday.": Live by this quote and enforce this idea into our children . For young children , this could mean asking for a table of four at a restaurant . For adults  - this means anything that is challenging ourselves to go out of our comfort zone and learn something new. Weave this quote into our everyday life and also write this on your kitchen chalkboard to emphasize its importance.
• Do one thing every day that scares you. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

PURSUIT

• Discontent is the first necessity of progress. ~ Thomas A. Edison 
• Unhappiness can lead to new beginnings.
• Those who work hard and never give up in life are always rewarded with success in the end ~ Dialogue from the movie : Gunjan Saxena - The Kargil Girl, acted by Jhanvi Kapoor