Wednesday 31 March 2010

How Not to Get Offended?

We human beings offend each other very easily and often but most of the time we don't even know it ourselves.

We get offended by other people's words and deeds and we offend others by our words and deeds automatically whether we are aware of it or not.

Offence Subject?

Offence Environment?

Offence Level?

Effects on the Person Who is Offended?

Effects on the Person Who has Caused the Offence?

How to Handle Offence?

How to Reduce Offending Others?

Sunday 21 March 2010

International Day of Nowruz


  • Nowruz is the beginning of Persian New Year.
  • Nowruz marks the first day of spring, usually 21st March.
  • Nowruz is a traditional ancient festival which is believed was invented by Zoroaster in about 3000 years ago.
  • Nowruz is a celebration of change and renewal. As it is the first day of spring, it indicates a strong bond between human being and natural world around us.
  • Nowruz is thought to be a holy day and those who celebrate it are not supposed to work on that day.
  • The festival usually continues for 13 days.
What do you usually do in Nowruz Festival?
  • Visiting - A time to visit family and friends
  • Peace with the World - To make peace with people around us and friends; if you have annoyed someone or someone has annoyed you, it's the best time to make peace. So it is why Nowruz has been considered a global peace symbol.
  • Respect to Elderly - A time to pay respect to senior family members.
  • Giving and Receiving Gifts - Whoever is older than others would give gifts to those who are younger than them e.g. parents to their children.
  • Harmony with Nature - A time for harmony with the natural world and appreciating the nature - a time for travelling and leaving home
  • Home Cleanness - A time to clean everywhere in the home. Repainting, renewing, etc. People usually start cleaning their home from 1 week in advance so that on the first day of spring they have a totally clean home.
  • Haft Sin - almost every single family would provide haft sin as pictured above. Haft Sin means 7 S. Each S symbolizes something.
Why Nowruz has Survived This Long?

Because people have loved it, do love it now and will love it forever.

Thursday 18 March 2010

How to Forgive Your Own Mistakes?

Realizing the Problem of Not Forgiving Our Own Mistakes:

Imagine you have made a mistake and you don't forgive yourself, how would you feel? What are its impact? What is the problem?
  • Constant self-blame
  • Horrible feelings
  • Anger
  • Lower Self-Esteem
  • Lower Self-Confidence
  • Fear
  • Offended
  • Sadness
As you see, it is extremely unhealthy not to forgive ourselves.

Moreover, if you don't go through this suggested process to forgive yourself as explained below there is a high possibility that
  • That mistake is misunderstood because no specific time allocated to think about that situation
  • That mistake is repeated because its lessons were not learnt properly and as a result that person will stay in a loop of uncertainty and self-blame.
Why Should We Forgive Ourselves?

Obviously, to get rid of those negative impacts of not forgiving ourselves. Also forgiving ourselves has many positive impacts on us that will be explained.

Another important matter is that it is God's will. Bible says that God's will for your life is that you be joyful always, therefore if you don't forgive yourself you can't be joyful either and that's against God's will for your life :)

How to Forgive Your Own Mistakes?

It is important to go through this process and understanding each step.

1) Acknowledge (5min)

Be honest with yourself. Define, acknowledge and accept your mistake for yourself.
  • What was my mistake exactly?
  • Where did it go wrong?
2) Learn from the experience (10m)

Ask yourself the following questions:
  • What did I learn from this mistake?
  • How could I behave differently that could have a better result?
3) Share your mistake with someone else (10m).

This helps yourself remembering the lessons and also it might help the other people who are already in the same situation. So this experience becomes a very positive one.

4) Forgive Yourself (5m)

Forgive yourself. we are only human beings and everyone makes mistake. No one is perfect. Mistakes are inevitable sometimes. Don't blame yourself. You're worth much more. Don't let the mistakes define you. You're worth much more.

For this step, you need to say with your mouth that you forgive yourself. Spoken words have enormous power.

5) Think about Compensation

This step is sometimes optional and depends on the type of mistake which has been made.

Sometimes our mistake has hurt other people or things. In these situations, it would be wiser if we think what we can do to compensate that damage. E.g. money, time, love, service, help, smile, apology depending on the type of damage.

Sometimes just showing sympathy and understanding for their hurt or simply an apology is sufficient.

Ask yourself:
  • How would I compensate my mistake?
6) Move On

The past belongs to the past and no one can change the past. Let it go and move forward.

Tips:
  • If you believe in God, prayer would help directing this process more properly
  • The timing specific above is obviously dependent on the type of mistake. Some mistakes take shorter or longer to be processed properly.
Benefits Of Going through This Process of Forgiving Yourself?
  • Higher Self-Esteem
  • Higher Self-Confidence
  • Higher Self-Love
  • Learning Lessons and gaining experience
  • Staying Happy and Joyful
  • Helping others by sharing the experience
Challenging Thoughts?
  • Where is the limit? I mean are all types of mistakes forgiveable really?
Next:
  • Best is to go through this process daily or at least weekly even for small mistakes e.g. on the train, before bed, etc.

Wednesday 17 March 2010

Develop Sense of Humor

What is it?

Humour and Creativity?

People with sense of humour are more creative and people who are more creative have a higher sense of humour and can enjoy their lives more.

Humour and Intelligence?

People with sense of humour are more intelligent and people who are more intelligent have a higher sense of humour.

Benefits?
  • Humour means thinking differently
  • Humour brings smile and happiness
  • Humour and creativity are inseparable
  • Humour reduces life stress
  • Humour helps us let it go
  • Humour prevents us to take things too seriously specially in difficult times such as recession/depression
  • Humour improves communication
  • Humour boosts sales
  • Humour is a management tool
  • Humour brings more profitability
How to develop?

Talking about what appears to be impossible and unrealistic but it is desirable and funny.
Associating what happens to what might happen in another context.
Talking about what is not

Humorous Quotations

www.LaughterRemedy.com