The 3 "R"s and more ...

R educe, R euse & R ecycle

"3R" is a very famous term used to describe the three ways one can help produce less waste, and is often symbolized by three arrows, arranged in a triangle. We observed "Earth Hour" a couple of days ago and my thoughts go to the real mass movement that can make the difference.

Reduce? It simply means reducing our waste and/or consumption. I would include another "R" as part of this 'Refuse'. Reducing consumption would include simple things like reduced use of plastics. Like at a shop 'refusing' the extra plastic bag. Another step would be the use of long-lasting goods like a shopping bag thus reducing the use of plastic bags. Another is the use of products that come in minimal packaging. Reduce should apply to our power consumption too. Reduce emission. Since reduction prevents the production of waste in the first place, it comes as the first step in conservation.

Reuse? The reuse of things around us reduces consumption and waste. Old items can be reused either by yourself or someone else. Repairing items and/or donating them to charity or using them in a different way are methods of 'Reuse'. From the reuse of you 'out of fashion' clothes by lesser fortunate to reuse of plastic bags from shopping sprees for garbage disposal or storage or another shopping spree instead of buying new ones for the same purpose. Refilling bottles or use of old furniture after remodelling them. So new "R"s here are Reinvent, Refill, Reach out...

Recycling? Recycling is the newest 'R' of the basic 3 R's. It turns materials, that would otherwise become waste, into valuable materials. By recycling, we can conserve resources and at the same time reduce waste. Recycling involves the collection of recyclable materials, sorting and processing them into raw materials and manufacturing them into new products. A lot of products are now using recycled materials eg. newspapers, metal drink cans. Our role is to ensure recyclable waste is sent for recycling. Hence the need for sorting our waste. Another important role we have in recycling is in purchasing of products using recycled material. Ensuring growth and promotion of the practice.

I have one more "R" to add to the list R emind.

Remind? Ah! thats what I am doing right now ...Reminding you to play your part by following the "R"s. And following this R each one is called to remind themselves & the people in their lives to follow the "R"s for a better life.

Skeptics: I have heard this "what difference will it make if I do it?" time and again. The question has come to my mind too. But the answer comes too ...'Every Drop makes the ocean' . For example I am 30 and if i had to live another 30 yrs (30 yrs = 10,957 days)...If i were to use 1 plastic bag less each day that woud be 10,957 plastic bags less in the waste. If i can get 5 people close to me to do it (remind) too along with me that would be 65,742 plastic bags less. If this is a chain i.e. each influencing 5 more ...16,43,550...WOW!, the impact of reducing just one item ....by 31 individuals. Imagine more than one item per individual and with a larger group doing it.

Language- A Key to Happiness & Success

Did you know you can say almost every sentence in positives for the present?
What do I mean by that?!!
Ah, I mean we can make every moment of our lives a positive experience just by the way we talk, especially to ourselves. There are 2 aspects to the language :-
1) Is getting the context about the present correct and
2) Is utilising positive sentences to convey anything.

1) Context of the present: Yes I repeat myself (from previous post) "Past does not exist" What 'happened' happened. It does not have to be the present. For example, if 'in the past' you were never able to grasp maths does not mean you cannot understand it today/now. Every moment is new and the possibility exists to understand maths. So whether it made sense to you in the past or not it can make sense to you today.
So our sentences for the present should be in context of the present. eg. "For me, there was a time maths was difficult to comprehend. Lets see how i do now" instead of "I can never understand math" In the first sentence I have distinguished the past and the present and am giving myself the possibility of understanding math today. In the 2nd sentence I clearly am referring to the past as my present and almost certainly killing the possibility of understanding maths.

2) Positive language: Its about framing the sentence conveying what you have to say but saying it differently i.e. positively. We could compare it to something in English Grammar; Changing the Voice "The cat chased the mouse" to "The mouse was chased by the cat". What I see in this sentence is the focus shifts from cat in the 1st sentence to the mouse in the 2nd sentence. Similarly we can take the spot light off the negative from our sentences and shine it on the positive. A couple of simple examples :
i) "I will not be unhappy" --> to --> "I will be happy"
Here in the 1st part I am focussing on "not" being something, (in this case being unhappy).
In the 2nd part I am focussing on being something (in this case happy)
In 1st part, I remind myself unhappy exists
In 2nd part, I am talkin only about happiness
In 1st part, I imply that 'unhappy' is the normal way and have to not be it (conflict with normal)
In 2nd part, I imply that 'happy' is the normal way and set my self to be it i.e. goal (join the flow)
I compare this to 'I want to be a doctor' and 'I dont want to be an engineer '. Doctor is specific, 'not an Engineer' is vague and does not imply you want to be a Doctor. No directions mean likelihood of getting lost.

ii) "I am not sure what to do" --> to --> "I need to decide what to do"
Here again the difference is in the two sentences is about giving direction. Both sentences mean 'i have not decided what is the next step' But the effective difference in the 2nd sentence is I am positively saying what needs to be done instead of leaving oneself in the "not sure" zone.

This initially needs concious effort ...but soon it will be your language ...your attitude ...life is beautiful see it that light . These 2 steps in speaking the Language of positivity has made life positive and progressive for me. I recommend it. You can only gain. (instead of you have nothing to lose) :-)

Faith can move mountains!

Have you heard that before? I have and can say i have experienced it too. There is truth to it either literally or figuratively.
All motivational speakers refer to faith in some context or the other. The Bible too has several references highlighting the power of 'Faith'

'I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, "Move from here to there" and it will move.' -Matthew 17:20

'If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believeth.' -Mark 9:23

Definition : Faith is the confident belief in the truth of or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing. It is also used for a belief, characteristically without proof.

My View: Faith to me is a deep belief ...could be in my abilities, could be in the outcomes i seek, or it could be in the supreme power of God...

Looking at it practically: People may say "Move a mountain??!! Not a chance". I decided to look it from a simplistic form for now i.e. Lookin at it as a metaphor ..mountains representing our problems. If i do not believe i can resolve them then there is almost no chance whatsoever of a resolution coming forth. My efforts in 'moving those mountains" will either be non existent and/or meaningless. Mentally am also likely to be unaware even if a resolution presents itself in front of me. So with the resolution staring in our face we never notice it as a possible solution. This is because we do not believe that a resolution can be found. If nothing else, going in with Faith exponentially increases your possibility of success.
Faith garners potential and forces within you that you most probably have no clue exists and puts them into action to resolve the "mountain". You begin to do things positively and achieve positive results.
Faith helps loosen the constraints and chains within ourselfs. Imagine yourself jumping over a ditch whose width is about the maximum distance you have ever jumped in your life ....and the ditch is deep, let say life threatening, ..you need obviously need a good run up to clear it and you probably will i.e. only if you believe. Because if your belief is waning you are in all probability going to falter in the run up itself or at the take off, as, part of u wants to stay back down on this side and you are likely to be swallowed by the ditch by that half attempt. Run in faith and you are likely to clear the ditch by a margin to spare too.

I have faith that the rule of Faith applies to bigger things including making a mountain move.

Thus Keep the Faith ...forces of nature work in conjunction with Faith and so does everything around you. Keep believing in all that is good and progressive .

Life - Time

11,111 + days since i was born...Thats a lot of days!!

I reflect back and wonder .."how many of those days have i really 'lived'?"

Then i return to the present and ask myself .."what is real living?"

A question that can be answered lightly- nonchalantly or with deep thought
I'll go with the simple , its ...(and am now struck by the profoundness of the question)....
(am only measuring time in days ...each day is made of 24 hours and each hour by 60 mins and each min by 60 secs )
...a day (not necessarily the whole day) at the end of which i can say i took definitive steps as an individual to :-
a)grow personally (intellectually, physically, socially or spiritually),
b)make someone smile,
c)contributed to the betterment of society,
d)towards the progress of the nation and the world as a whole,

A fuller life will constitute the 'really' living in smaller 'time portions' like hour and minutes

The human body (and mind) is full of potential to achieve anything it decides to. I have begun to realize the value of living every minute though i need to be reminded of it occasionally. And when am conscious of this fact I see myself living more moments of my life....

This step back to counting days passed ....and asking this thought provoking question is to help one see the present in the light of living it fully

Mulling over lost time(years, months, days, hours & moments ) is not living the now.
Remember the following quote ...I will refer to it very often
Neither the Past or the Future Exist ...what does is the Present ...Live It!!