[5-Bullet Tuesday] Ask So You’ll Know

Hi All,

Here’s your weekly dose of “5-Bullet Tuesday”, list of things I’m enjoying or pondering.

Quote I’m pondering —

Behind every problem, there’s a person you need to connect with.

Behind every possible solution, there is a person you need to connect with.

Behind every business, there is a group of people you need to connect with. 

― unknown

Acronym I loved—

You won’t ever find a solution until you get out and meet the people. But aren’t we all just too shy to ask sometimes? When you’re shy next time, that’s when this acronym would come in handy. I bet you didn’t know ASK was an acronym, did you? It says: Ask So you’ll Know. When you’re afraid, shy or unsure, think of that feeling as a nudge to ASK… Ask So you’ll Know! 

App I’m loving — 

This is that dream app I’ve always wanted. If you’re preparing for an exam or teaching your children, this is the app you need. It’s called Study Blue. We’ve all used and know the power of flash cards in learning something new, right? This app lets you do just that, and more. It lets you create your own set of online flash cards to memorise any topic or term. You can even add pictures and then test your memory and focus only on areas you’re weak at, by using the list as a quiz too. 

Not only that, it also lets you use the lists that others have created (crowd-sourcing at its best). You can even gamify learning by sharing your flash cards among friends and trying to beat one another’s scores.

Here are the AppStore and Android links.

What I’m reading – 

I’m reading The Self-Aware Parent by Cathy Adams. Cathy is the lady who runs the Zen Parenting podcast along with her husband. My wife and I’m hooked to this show, the tagline of which says, the best predictor of a child’s well-being is a parent’s self understanding. It’s a thin book with 19 lessons for growing with your children. 

I have just read one chapter so far, which was about helping your children deal with grief. It’s titled ‘A letter about grief: taking children to a wake or funeral’. And I’m glad I did. Death is always a hard topic to discuss. I’ve grown up where talking about death (just like sex) was a taboo topic and therefore I ended up forming my own notions. I followed the advise in the book recently when my wife’s grandmother passed away this week. It helped us and our children process their emotions better. We now know that it’s okay to cry and that we have the tools to take care of ourselves. Here is an extract from the book:

Unfortunately, all families have to deal with a loss at some point. If it is a death, a diagnosis, or a job loss, parents are often unsure how to talk to their children about grief and emotions. Honour this challenging time by feeling it and processing it so you can truly move towards clarity. ASK for help when you need it – people around you will search for ways to show you how much they care. 

Movie I loved watching — 

It may have been the most predictable story line and some slapstick comedy, but this was one movie that gave me the opportunity to tell my 6 year old daughter and 11 year old son about ‘how a baby is made’, what a test tube baby is and basically all the good stuff. The stuff I’ve been wanting to tell them but couldn’t find good enough reason or even words to share. Not until we sat in the car to head to the theatre. I elucidated what I thought they needed to know based on their curiosity and ages.

Some people are not letting their children watch Good Newwz, they’re even calling it an adults only movie. In my view, this is a movie you should rather watch with your kids. Take the responsibility. If you won’t tell them, who do you think will?                               


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Five Minute Journal – Which Are The Two Most Powerful Words?


Quote of the day: If not you, then who? If not now, then when?

Short and sweet. But if your heart desires for more (like mine), then here’s my all time favorite chinese proverb on similar lines:

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now!”


(START OF THE DAY)

I am grateful for…

  1. ..having food on my table, clothing on my back and a roof over my head. Did you know: that if you have all of the above, then you are richer than 75% population in the world!
  2. ..having the realization dawn on me relatively early that one can always, (yes always!), look at life as incomplete or complete regardless of ones position – be it in terms of your position in the organizational hierarchy, financial success or even spiritual growth! While there is nothing wrong in desiring more, this realization helps one accept oneself fully and surrender, which leads to a more natural growth.
  3. ..having read The 4-Hour Workweek many years ago! This book had a profound impact on me. I have been following the author, Tim Ferriss, ever since. It opens you to a whole new world and it’s surprising how the author thought much ahead of his time (book was released in 2007). If you’re struggling with a morning routine, here’s Tim’s morning routine that you can use as reference.

What would make today great?

  1. Review the week that went, bring it to the a logical close, and write down the top three goals for next week.
  2. Writing 750words. If you haven’t already explored the idea of 750words.com, do visit the site and subscribe for a month for free and see how this seemingly small change when done consistently changes your life.
  3. Go for a morning nature walk to unclutter the mind, and open it to fresh new ideas.
Daily affirmations. I am …radiating grace!
 
Amazing things that happened today…
  1. Eating new/ good food ends up being in this section quite often for me. That is surprising (for me, yes!) because until not so long ago I didn’t tread the path not taken as far as food is concerned. Happy for that change in me. Live Wok, the chinese food chain served good Hakka noodles with chicken gravy. Although the wait was long but as they say all’s well that ends well.
  2. Getting a few really good opportunities to write good writing and getting positive recognition for it. Every one often needs a nudge to create something worthwhile.
  3. Glad to have reached home in decent time (8:40 PM, I target 8 PM but given that I had to do the weekly roundup, 8:40 is not bad!) Besides, the traffic was not all that bad and I could have a drink and have a meal with family. Precious.

Family that eats together stays together!

How could I have made today better?
  1. There were times during the day where I felt I lacked clarity. Perhaps, it is clutter that has accumulated over time, or it is worrying over something that’s out of my control. Solution: me time and good use of it. Emptying the BS in the head must be our top priority. Next on the priority list: have  a goal to accomplist for the day that’s coming. Of course planning ahead is important but after having done that, all one needs is faith and daily action.
  2. Having an extra drink or perhaps the brand causes me a slight headache. Now that I know this, why don’t I change brand or stop having one for the go. Some people, won’t learn. Remember Einstein’s definition of stupidity

    [bctt tweet=”Stupidity: Doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results!” username=”mohitsawhney”]