Apr 13
13
Simplicity for a Happier Life!
Over the last decade or so life has consistently been enriched because of more and more facilities, on-going gadgets inventions and day by day increment in luxuries. This is quite exciting however during the same period of time, people have increased their love for materialistic things abruptly which has directly or indirectly reduced their overall happiness index. Now a days, we have more luxuries but less delights and high stress levels. We have more sugar, blood and heart patients then it used to be a decade back. The reason for all the stress and anxiety is simple that we are not living a simple life.
Below are some tips which can simplify your life and may amplify the happiness scale of your life.
- Avoid getting influenced: You don’t have to follow every single trend in society. If your friend has purchased a new BMW, you don’t need to buy a Mercedes to impress. Live for yourself not for others. If you purchase a high-end luxury car today, your love for this will end soon and you will be selling it at considerable financial loss though I am not forbidding to purchase luxury things once in a considerable duration of time.
- Avoid impulse buying: You don’t need to buy every single gadget instantly which you like in this shop. Do your Needs Vs Wants analysis. Buy only if it is really increasing your peace of mind. Remember that now a days the standard life of every gadget (phone, tablet, laptop, jewelry etc) is more or less 6 months because of new and new products release by several companies.
- The 6 months Rule: Generally speaking, anything which has not been used in last 6 months will not be used in next 6 months most likely. Give such things (shoes, garments, toys, mobiles, house hold items) in charity. This will help spreading happiness in society and reducing your space at home.
- Avoid Credit Cards Usage: Avoid this as much as you can. Debt is a silent stress and eating up your mental health slowly. Your brain might get old while you are young at heart. You might develop high BP or sugar because of stress due to credit. Live a credit-free life.
- Learn to say No: Don’t accept every single attractive offer from the bank representative or a car loan company. Do your “Needs Vs Wants” analysis. Careful spending is always recommended.
- Reduce too much social gatherings: Stay at home. Spend quality time with your spouse and kids for empowered relationships. You don’t have to say yes every time to your friend who is coming to pick you from home to join another late night social get together.
- Reduce your love for money: Careful spending and saving is important but don’t allow your brain to keep doing the calculations all day long. You love for money is pulling your brain strings and damaging your peace of mind silently. Stay away from too much thoughts about your financials.
- Less TV more Books: It is proven that people who watch more movies generate high level of stress. Read quality books to learn wisdom and attain high degree of happiness.
- Spend time with Nature: Instead of going to cinemas and malls repeatedly, spend time in parks. This will relax your brain, body and soul.
- Change your eating habits: Why eat lavish foods by visiting costly restaurants again and again in a week. The purpose of food is to fill your belly for some hours. So the suggestion here is to go for simpler and healthier food. Remember, most of the food items in the market are fried which are increasing your cholesterol level silently hence making you a heart patient in the long run!
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Online shopping is catching up fast in India. Though a majority of online viewers is yet to be drawn in, the progress is quite impressive. The apprehensions about product quality, service, delivery and the reluctance in giving out credit card details while making payment are some of the most important factors that pull back browsers from buying online. Indian online stores are making headway by trying to address the concerns of the prospective buyers and some have earned a reputation for their performance. Among the leaders in Indian online scenario, let us have a look at how Flipkart and Indiatimes perform.
Flipkart And Indiatimes Shopping – Do They Need Intro?
Both Flipkart and Indiatimes Shopping have been in the field for quite sometime and hence they are well known names for online shoppers. Just for those who need an insight about the companies, Flipkart was launched in the year 2007 and it was initially dealing with books. Now, they have diversified into providing various categories that include apparels, electronic items, toys, cosmetics, stationery and a lot more.
Indiatimes was founded in the year 2005. The biggest advantage Indiatimes enjoys is that it already has its brand established, as it is a part of Times group. The products offered here are apparels, electronic and home appliances, music and many more.
Product Range – Flipkart And Indiatimes Score Even
While it could be said that Indiatimes has an overwhelming collection on some categories, Flipkart does even better with more collections on other categories. If Indiatimes offers more options in toys section, Flipkart performs better in apparels. The products are better classified in Flipkart though one cannot undermine Indiatimes Shopping. It is indeed a tough round and it should be said that both have done well.
Price – Both Are Easy On Your Wallet
Both Flipkart and Indiatimes Shopping have been in the field for quite some time and they know what impresses the customers most. They have products ranged in various prices so that they could offer everyone the best shopping experience in terms of options and price. Apart from the regular discounts, the sites give you the opportunity to use flipkart coupon codes and Indiatimes shopping coupons to enjoy greater discounts.
Quality – Both Err At Times
Flipkart and Indiatimes had started off with a good name and now with years of experience, they should have ensured that they always provide the best. However, reviews present a different picture and even if you consider that some may be biased, it would be better to go by the majority and get things moving. As far as quality is concerned, both are good at certain areas and need improvement in other.
Customer Service – Indiatimes Scores
Indiatimes is ahead of Flipkart as it attempts to respond to reviews from customers. It is a positive sign and encouraging as well. Both have been complained about for delay in delivery and other services. However, Indiatimes seems to make obvious attempts to address customers’ grievances, at least the ones that come online.
Need To Act Their Age
Flipkart and Indiatimes have been in the field for quite some years. They have been performing well on certain aspects. However, they need to rise to the expectations of buyers in certain areas. Indiatimes scores better in terms of customer service and other than that there does not seem to be much difference between the two sites in spite of the fact that Indiatimes is two years Flipkart’s senior. We should also bear in mind that not all satisfied or dissatisfied customers come out online to give their reviews. We base our analysis on the websites’ content, offers, presentation, promotion and customers’ reviews available online. We can only conclude that in spite of the negative reviews, both Flipkart and Indiatimes are India’s favorites.
Author: Himanshu Agarwal (Guest Post)
Posted in Marketing Technology by .
An astonishing narration by the Chief Justice of the Fatimid Empire in Cairo or Qahera during the 3rd Century Hijri has written an astonishing narration of an event during the times of Rasulallah (SA). The narration has raised keeps me wondering about the purity of intent and heart of his revered companions.
Islam has always treated the souk or the souq as they call the market place as a sacred place of worship where cheating, swearing and all sort of trade misconduct is not only prohibited by the Shariah Law but also regarded as a sin in the eyes of Allah. Thus, the businessman, a trader or a laborer or any person working for the dignity of labor and to save himself and his family from the disgrace of begging for food, clothing and shelter is regarded as a warrior in the way of Allah. The Jihad-e-Akbar (The Greater Battle), which is far more loftier in the eyes of Islam than that which is the extremists or the radicals brainwash the youths about. The battle with one’s own self when given the choice to treason and disloyalty on one side and grace and dignity on the other with utmost loyalty and respect to not only fellow human beings but all that is there on the face of the earth is a hard one to fight.
The narration stated above goes into saying that once Rasulallah Mohammed (SA) was walking his way through the souk in his usual humbled way when he declared that, The businessman or the trader is a licentious libertine, a lecher, who is in hellfire. The next day as he passed by the same souk he found that there was no one there. Not a single trader. Upon inquiry about the situation he was informed about his declaration a day ago! He stated immediately that the same was true even today for all traders except for those who are rightful in their dealings. The narration is quite historical a master piece in itself. It show the discipline and obedience of the people of Madina during the time of the Prophet (SA), as well as the loyalty to the law and order of the state along with a sense of dignity and pride that Islam teaches Muslims in being law abiding citizens. The fact that a single sentence from the prophet (SA) would result in a voluntary shut down of the entire market place highlights the sense of pride the Muslims feel in being loyal.
Having said that, the above incident and a small sentence from Rasulallah (SA) is worth pondering and sheds light on the fact that a person earning a livelihood with decency and diligence in a sacred place of worship, the souk, is a greater warrior than any other radical mujahid or whatever they might be called. Businesses and those involved in trade and industry from the owners to the laborer including all kinds of departments if seen in the light of the above narration are at fault with humanity or the entire planet itself. In the greed for higher profit margins and grains we can simply see the am9unt of waste, the threat to the environment and earthlings, the sabotage and manipulation of all sorts resources which to an extent are on the edges of depletion and what not. Conspiracy theories on several occasions have blamed huge industries for war and destruction throughout the world. The hunger for accumulation of wealth in whatever way possible, by hook or crook, has become the goal of corporates and corporate leaders throughout the economical sphere which has in turn lead to economic downturns and turmoils throughout the world. every other day we hear news about bribery, treachery, fraud and similar things going on throughout the world. The term social corporate responsibility has been hatched to satisfy the soul that we are giving back something to nature for the harm that we have caused. The waste of resources that is our daily neglected routine has been condemned by the Quran and the Prophet (SA) just as the above narration.
The above is not just about misconduct in dealings in the market place but in all aspects of life. Today the world has been treated as a place of competition where everyone wants to be successful and wealthy, whereas wealth is never the benchmark of success but since there is no material scale for success let it be assumed so. Cheating for position, material gains, positions and status quo has become a trend in people’s life. Life itself has become a trading floor where double standards is deemed to be wise not wicked. Vices are projected as talents gifted by the creator instead of facts it represent. The person who follows the right path of loyalty, virtue and good conduct can only survive the problems faced by our economies as well as our own selves. The correction begins from self awareness and from within only by each and every individual. The narration is applicable of all of us as individuals not just traders and businessmen by profession.
Posted in Marketing Personal Views by .
Apr 13
1
15 things to “Give up”
This is indeed a brilliant article and needs to be read again and again…!
Here is a list of 15 things, which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier and you’ll feel much, much happier. We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering and instead of letting them all go and allowing ourselves to be stress-free and happy, we cling on to them.
Well, not anymore. Starting today, we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go!
1. Give up your need to always be right.
There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong wanting to always be right even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question from Dr. Wayne Dyer: ‘Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?’ What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?
2. Give up your need for control.
Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, co-workers, or just strangers you meet on the street just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.
‘By letting it go, it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.‘ Lao Tzu
3. Give up on blame.
Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.
4. Give up your self-defeating self-talk.
Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you especially if it’s negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.
‘The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.‘ Eckhart Tolle
5. Give up your limiting beliefs about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible.
From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!
‘A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind.’ Elly Roselle
Minimize Your Fear
The Wooden Bowl
The Tao of Forgiveness
The Falcon
A HERO who deserves all respect
6. Give up complaining.
Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, maaany things people, situations and events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.
7. Give up the luxury of criticism.
Give up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved and we all want to be understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all.
8. Give up your need to impress others.
Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not just to make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take of all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.
9. Give up your resistance to change.
Change is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change don’t resist it.
‘Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.‘ Joseph Campbell
10. Give up labels.
Stop labeling the things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open.The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.’
11. Give up on your fears.
Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place.
‘The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.‘ Franklin D. Roosevelt
12. Give up your excuses.
A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck and lie to ourselves, using all kind of excuses excuses that 99.9% of the time, are not even real.
13. Give up the past.
I know, I know. This one’s hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening. But, you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for the past that you are now dreaming about was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all, life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.
14. Give up attachment.
This is a concept that, for most of us, is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too (it still is), but it’s not impossible. You get better and better at it with time and practice. The moment you detach yourself from all things (and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another. Attachment comes from a place of fear, while love well, real love is pure, kind, and selfless; where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot co-exist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.
15. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations.
Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them; they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them; to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need and eventually, they forget about themselves. You have one life this one right now you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path.
Source: Unknown
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Disclaimer
Not all posts on this blog are my own words. Nor are all articles written by me. The blog is intended serve as my journal and dairy of interesting reading I have enjoyed and want to share. Some write-ups do not have the name of its author, the reason behind it is that I do not know the original source nor the author. If someone knows it they can add it to the comment box.
