The Choices We Make!

”Daag achche hain,” (literally, stains are good) pronounces the detergent ad. The unusual value proposition has been hailed for its out-of-the-box thinking. 

In quite the same fashion, one finds leaders who think ‘stress is good’ or ‘hyperacidity is good’ and wear it as a badge of honour. Both stress and hyperacidity are good things to have, they seem to tell themselves, for aren't they signs that they are ‘working hard’?

Why do leaders, even when they are aware that both signs are detrimental to their health, persist in neglecting these body's warning signals?  Because the brain is our friend and supports our choices. This is what psychologists call a choice-supportive bias, a regret-minimizing process our brain uses - we chose the option, therefore it MUST be good.

‘Daag achche hain!’

Busting Productivity Myths

Popular productivity myths busted:
+ Long to-do lists change unconsciously to “what we haven't done lists,” creating stress and anxiety.  Switch to a positive ‘done list’. Makes you feel good about yourself

+ Focus on failure rather than success so that you can identify threats to your success in time.

+ When you have a problem, talk to a rubber duck. Stating the problem loud, organises and simplifies information & engages more parts of your brain. Besides, the duck won't interrupt, yawn or say he's too busy.
                                     -  in.askmen.com

Insight
Bust the myths, face reality!

Peace of Mind

#LivingStories
The governor's residence in Mumbai is a sprawling 47 acre ecosystem of rich biodiversity, filled with peacocks and other creatures. Two decades ago, to control the snake population, an officer released a pair of mongoose. Their progeny is now endangering the peacock population by breaking their eggs and eating their chicks.

#MyLearning
Our bodies ecosystem is  a self-regulated system operating in a state of perfect balance. Into this balanced system, we release the ‘mongoose’ of emotional stress, which uncontrolled, is often liable to endanger our peace of mind.

Image: Deviant art

The Downsides of The Digital Age

The control & nurturing of an ecosystem takes patience  care, contrasting sharply with the immediacy of messaging or tweeting of the smartphone generation. In order to encourage them to slow down & take time out to take care of their plants, Samuel Wilkinson has designed a terrarium that links to your IPad or IPhone & can control the climate, water level & nutrient from your device.

MyLearning
The ‘convenience’ of being online 24/7 & the compulsive call of the social media adds up to a state of constant urgency & stress. Take time out and tend to life?

Think
What's your sense of the story?

Time to Stand and Stare?

“Time is the new currency, “ says Pushkraj Shenai, CEO, Lakme Lever. Consumers are multitasking with buying groceries and hailing cabs on mobile phone apps, food is getting delivered in record time and household chores are being outsourced. ‘Busy’ consumers are even being offered express hair colouring along with manicure and pedicures in 10 minutes instead of 40 minutes earlier!

We are increasingly becoming a people in a hurry.

#MyLearning
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
                         - William Henry Davies