Clean out the closets of your life?

Clean out the closets of your life. Have you ever looked at the clothes in your closet with a critical eye: the bargain shoes in the wrong colour; the expensive suit you got on sale that never fit; the "great" shirt that was a gift from someone you love?



I had all of those items in my closet. Then a wardrobe consultant friend came over and made me clean out the clothes that didn't fit or that no longer represented my self-image. It was an exhilarating feeling. Now the clothes I wear make me feel and look great, and project the image I like.



Your clothes closet isn't the only hiding place for negative things in your life. You have a self-image closet too. Take a serious look at what you find there. Try cleaning it out. Throw out ideas that no longer fit your lifestyle or your experiences.



Clean your closet of certain old friends as well -- the ones who have become acquaintances. Too often we spend our energies with people whose interests have grown apart from ours.



Clean the negative people out of your life's closet. Some folks cannot accept your achievements, insisting it's only a "fluke" when you finally attain a great goal. Their own insecurities require them to shoot other people down. It is time to let them know you are proud of your achievements, and then move on to someone who will support you in your endeavours.



Closets may be hiding places for our outmoded clothes and ideas, but they are also where we store the building blocks for our daily lives. Don't let them get cluttered with outdated ideas.

What is the lamp we should light today?

Deepavali has to be observed as a day for getting rid of all the bad qualities in us, symbolised by the demon Narakasura. The inner meaning underlying the festival should be rightly understood. A whole array of lamps is lit by the light from one lamp. That one lamp symbolises the Supreme Effulgent Lord. The others represent the light in individual selves. The truth of the Vedic saying, "The One willed to become the many" is exemplified by the lighting of many lamps by the flame of one. Deepavali festival thus bears out the profoundest spiritual truth.  The lamp also points to another significant fact. Wherever it may be placed, the flame rises only upwards and never moves down. Likewise, the flame of Jnana(Spiritual Wisdom) leads one to a sublime level through the path of Righteousness.

Young and reckless: How stroke affects YOU

A sedentary lifestyle and smoking are two of the many causes that are leading to stroke among young Indians. Abhishek Mande finds out how real this health threat is, how to identify and avoid it.

Dr. Prabhakar Shetty found himself examining a 31-year-old comatose patient at the Columbia Asia Hospital in Yeshwantpur, Bengaluru. The young man had suffered a stroke. "The main artery going to his brain had developed blood clots," says Dr Shetty. "He had a history of previous blood clot formation in the legs and was prone to it. But his smoking habit had compounded the problem."

Young people suffering from stroke is not uncommon in India any more, says Dr Sheety. "The threat is quite real," observes Dr Shyamal K Das from the Bangur Institute of Neurology in Kolkata. Dr Das has conducted an extensive community-based study of stroke patients in Kolkata. He points out that over 8 per cent of the total stroke cases he has studied affect the young --  "largely men below the age of 40 years."

Neurologist Dr Sunanda Anand, who practices in Mumbai, agrees. "It is safe to say that one in every four stroke patients I treat are under 40," she says, adding that stroke is the most common cause of morbidity today.

All of them point to the drastic lifestyle of today's youngsters --  high-pressure jobs, smoking, alcohol and a sedentary routine among other things -- as the causes.

What is a stroke?

Simply put, a stroke or a brain attack is a sudden impairment in the functioning of the brain.

A blockage in the arteries or veins or the rupturing of a blood vessel can cause such a condition.

Dr Das says, "Strokes can be ischemic, caused by the lack of blood flow to the brain due to clots, or hemorrhagic, caused by a ruptured blood vessel."

Between the two, the more common type of stroke is ischemic, when a clot can be formed in the main artery of the brain, or if a clot or an air bubble formed in another part of the body is carried through the bloodstream into the brain.

 a.. Permanent or temporary loss of speech and/or hearing ability is one of the fallouts of a stroke. Says Dr Anand, "In case of a heart attack, you can still return to normal life. But a stroke patient does not always return to normal. It can be traumatic not just for the patient but also her/his family."

 b.. In extreme cases, a stroke can lead to paralysis. This means the patient can be either entirely bed-ridden or then largely dependent on other people.

 c.. Stroke patients are also always at risk of suffering a second attack. In a way, life can never be the same after you have been hit.

So far, strokes have usually been associated with the elderly. However, it isn't unusual for youngsters to be affected.

The causes of a stroke are many. While some of them can be genetic, others are largely self-created.

Says Dr Das: "Uncontrolled hypertension is the single most common cause for Hemorrhagic strokes. An Ischemic stroke, on the other hand, can be the result of a variety of factors:

Hypertension remains at the top of this list too.

Smoking comes a close second, because nicotine intake leads to hardening of the arteries and damages the lining of the blood vessels. This narrowing of the vessels and vessel walls leads to clots and results in a stroke.

Diabetes patients are also prone to ischemic strokes (since high blood sugar causes occlusions in small vessels), as are people with Dyslipidemia or high levels of fat or cholesterol.

According to Dr Sunanda Anand, "Strokes are not very common among young Indian women. However, this risk has increased with more of them taking to smoking or tobacco and consuming birth control pills. Young Indian women are more prone to venous strokes, or strokes that are caused by a clot in the veins, that drain the blood out of the brain (all other strokes are caused by a clot or a hemorrhage in the arteries that carry blood to the brain.) The oral contraceptive pill is one of the major contributors, as it causes blood clots in the veins," she points out.

Indians, with our apple-shaped bodies, are usually prone to obesity. Long work hours usually lead to a sedentary lifestyle. And an inactive life with little or no exercise and consumption of alcohol and smoking will only make things worse in the long run."

Add to this excessive intake of junk food and lack of fruits and veggies in the diet and you have a lethal combination.

According to some studies, sustained migraine attacks can also cause a stroke. A recent research in Iceland concludes that people suffering from a migraine problem are at a higher risk of dying from a heart or a brain attack.

As banal as it may sound, the only way you can avoid a stroke is by leading a healthy lifestyle.

Dr Puneet Saxena, an associate professor in the medicine department at the Sawai ManSingh Medical College, Jaipur, provides us with tips:

Watch your weight: High levels of fat and cholesterol are not good for your body.

Kick the butt: Smoking is one of the major reasons for stroke among young people. Besides, it isn't a healthy habit anyway.

Exercise regularly: Sedentary lifestyle can lead to multiple complications -- for stroke or otherwise.

Keep a check on your sleeping and eating habits: Adequate rest and a healthy diet are important.

Regular health check-ups: After a certain age, it is crucial that one goes in for regular medical check-ups. A routine check-up can sometimes throw up a shocker.

How we can lighten and brighten our lives from this holy day of Deepavali.

Do not get elated at the riches, status, authority, intelligence, etc., which you may possess. Consider that they have been given to you on trust, so that you may use it to benefit others. They are all signs of His Grace, opportunities for service, and symbols of responsibility. Never seek to exult over others' faults; deal sympathetically with the errors and mistakes of others. Seek the good in others; hear only good tidings about them; do not give ear to scandal. On this Deepavali day, resolve to light the lamp of Naamasmarana and place it at your doorstep, the lips. Feed it with the oil of devotion; have steadiness as the wick. Let the lamp illumine every minute of your life. The splendour of the Name will drive away darkness from outside you as well as from inside you. You will spread joy and peace among al l who come near yo

Principle of The One behind the diverse creation.

The One Divine Principle works through many forms in order to manipulate and complete the processSrishti (creation). All forms are fundamentally of the same essence. There is no higher or lower. All are equally divine. When God comes down assuming special form on special occasions for a specific purpose, He is known as Avatar. Each Avatar is born as a consequence of Divine Will and with the purpose of restoring Dharma and moral life.

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Credit cards can make money for you

Credit cards can make money for you

Use the bonus points that have accumulated on buying necessities (house hold appliances, clothes, groceries etc.) rather than using it on things (luxuries) that aren’t really important to you. Only if the bonus points are used practically, you are actually saving cash because had to now have the bonus points, you would have to anyways spend cash on buying the same. Credit cards of late have a negative connotation, and are pronounced as complete no-no by many, because of the high interest rates that are charged on late payments/defaults. Don’t let this negativity cloud perception of the product. You would be surprised to know that, if you are judicious in using this product, you stand to benefit monetarily, and of course it eliminates the need for you to carry cash everywhere. More often than not the problem is that people do not understand the product well and hence are not able to use it to their advantage. The credit card company offers you a ‘free credit period’ of around 50-55 days. The misconception most people have is that this free credit period is from the date of purchase. It is actually from the date of billing. E.g. Mr. Anand billing cycle date is 28th of December to 27th of Jan and his credit free period is 50 days. If his purchase was on 22nd Jan, he would enjoy credit for 25 days. However if he made the same purchase on say 01st Jan, he would enjoy credit free period of 47 days. So if you plan properly, you can enjoy maximum credit every month, which will help you manage your cash flows effectively, and will also help you earn the extra bit of interest on the cash that you have currently not spent on making the purchase. In addition to the free credit period, every purchase made on your credit card, earns you reward points which when accumulated to a big amount can be exchanged for a range of items such as electrical appliances, flight tickets, home ware etc. These rewards will differ from company to company. Also credit card companies offer discounts, promotional offers with respect to shopping, entertainment etc. E.g If you buy petrol from a particular brand of petrol pumps, you get a small percentage of money credited back to your account after a certain number of days. For the credit card to make money for you, two key things you need to keep in mind Cost of Default: The interest rate on defaults ranges from anywhere between 2%-3.5% per month. So in effect it is a whopping 24%-42% p.a. Also, the interest starts from the date of purchase and not the billing date i.e. you do not get any interest-free credit period and all future purchases also start attracting the interest charges from the date of purchase. So use the credit card if and only if you’re sure of having the means to pay the bills in time. Also, don’t forget that your credit score will get impacted too which will impact your future borrowing. Credit Limit: Keep a tab on your credit limit. Overshooting your credit limit will also have dire consequences for you with respect to the interest charged and your credit score. How do you ensure that your credit card makes money for you?  Widen the usage of your credit card (small and big purchases): You might as well earn bonus points and interest on the cash that you have not currently used, to make the purchase. You can use the credit card to pay monthly rentals, grocery bills, utility bills, gift expenses, subscription expenses etc. So the cash that you have not used to make the purchase will earn interest for you or will be used for fulfilling other immediate needs. E.g. Maitali purchased an electrical appliance for Rs. 28,000 using the credit card she possessed. The purchase was made such that she could enjoy a credit free period of 45 days. The cash that she would have used to purchase this appliance is now lying in her savings account which is earning her an interest of 3.5% p.a. So if she decides to pay the bill after enjoying 40 days of free credit, she earns an interest of Rs. 107 in her savings bank account. Not only that, she has also earned some reward points on the purchase. The other advantage of using the credit card is your payments are recorded which makes it easier for you to keep track of your expenses. Appropriate use of bonus points: Use the bonus points that have accumulated on buying necessities (house hold appliances, clothes, groceries etc.) rather than using it on using it on things (luxuries) that aren’t really important to you. Only if the bonus points are used practically, you are actually saving cash because had to now have the bonus points, you would have to anyways spend cash on buying the same. Conclusion Credit cards if used prudently will help you in managing your cash flow better, and at the same time, will provide you monetary benefits. That’s because you get interest free money for some period of time and you also earn reward/bonus points on the same. But if you use it without deliberation, it can prove to be disastrous as interest rates charged on payment delays are very high. Also, your credit rating will take a beating, as banks report these things to the credit rating agencies, which in turn will include it as part of your credit report. Don’t forget that credit score will not only determine whether you will get a loan but will also determine at what interest. Let not easy availability of credit and attractive rewards offered fool you into making impulsive purchases. It will prove to be rather costly.

The Two Choices We Face

The Two Choices We Face 

 

Each of us has two distinct choices to make about what we will do with our lives. The first choice we can make is to be less than we have the capacity to be. To earn less. To have less. To read less and think less. To try less and discipline ourselves less. These are the choices that lead to an empty life. These are the choices that, once made, lead to a life of constant apprehension instead of a life of wondrous anticipation. And the second choice? To do it all! To become all that we can possibly be. To read every book that we possibly can. To earn as much as we possibly can. To give and share as much as we possibly can. To strive and produce and accomplish as much as we possibly can. All of us have the choice. To do or not to do. To be or not to be. To be all or to be less or to be nothing at all. Like the tree, it would be a worthy challenge for us all to stretch upward and outward to the full measure of our capabilities. Why not do all that we can, every moment that we can, the best that we can, for as long as we can? Our ultimate life objective should be to create as much as our talent and ability and desire will permit. To settle for doing less than we could do is to fail in this worthiest of undertakings. Results are the best measurement of human progress. Not conversation. Not explanation. Not justification. Results! And if our results are less than our potential suggests that they should be, then we must strive to become more today than we were the day before. The greatest rewards are always reserved for those who bring great value to themselves and the world around them as a result of who and what they have become.