Each of us has the power to be creative. It’s part of our natural make-up as human beings. The trouble is that, too often, we block our natural creativity and so make errors in thinking and give ourselves more problems than we should. Here are 7 ways to open up your natural creativity and keep the channels unblocked.1. Don’t Make Assumptions. When we assume, we often make an “ass” out of “u” and “me”. Assumptions are examples of lazy thinking. We simply don’t wait to get all the information we need to come to the right conclusions. There is the story of the customer at the bank who after cashing a check and turning to leave, returns and says: “Excuse me, I think you made a mistake.” The cashier responds, “I’m sorry but there’s nothing I can do. You should have counted it. Once you walk away we are no longer responsible.” Whereupon the customer replies: “Well, okay. Thanks for the extra $20.”Tip: When you feel yourself wanting to draw conclusions, just wait until you have all the information.2. See Things From Other Points Of View. A truly open mind is willing to accept that, not only do other people have other just as valid points of view from theirs, but that these other points of view may be more valid. A story is told that the modernist painter Pablo Picasso was once traveling on a train across Spain when he got into conversation with a rich businessman who was dismissive of modern art. As evidence that modern art didn’t properly represent reality, he took out a photo of his wife from his wallet and said: “This is how my wife should look, not in some silly stylized representation.” Picasso took the photo, studied it for a few moments and asked: “This is your wife?” The businessman proudly nodded. “She’s very small,” observed Picasso wryly.Tip: Don’t have a monopoly on how things are. Things aren’t always what they seem. Be ready to consider other points of view.3. Avoid Yo-Yo Thinking. Some people tend to have a tendency to swing from a highly positive mood one minute to a highly negative one the next, all because of what they see in front of them. It’s like a yo-yo: up one minute, down the next. It’s far more healthy to stay neutral and not let emotions get the better of you.Tip: Remember that things are rarely as good – or as bad – as you think they are.4. Get Rid Of Lazy Thinking Habits. Habit can be a major stumbling block to clear thinking and another example of laziness. Try this experiment. Write down the Scottish surnames MacDonald, McPherson, and Macdougall and ask someone to pronounce them. Now follow these with the word Machinery and see what happens. Most people are likely to mispronounce it. This is because we tend to think in habitual ways and don’t like what doesn’t fit.Tip: Don’t think that, just because things happened in a certain way once before, that they will happen like that again.5. Don’t Think Like An Old Person, Think Like A Child. Research shows that the number of synapses, or connections, in the brain is greater in a child of two than in an average adult. The reason for this is that, while a child of two has no limiting world view, as adults we do. It’s like a sculptor who starts off with a large block of clay, more than he needs, and then gradually removes the clay as he moulds his sculpture. If we use our brain like a child, accepting everything without judgment, we can actually halt and reverse the brain ageing process.Tip: Don’t worry about the myth of age. With the right stimulus and a passion for learning, you can actually improve your brain’s powers.6. See The Detail As Well As The Big Picture. You may know the poem by John Godfrey Saxe called “The Blind Men and the Elephant”. This tells how six blind men of Indostan go to see an elephant and each try to work out what it is from touching it. One blind man touches the tusk, another the trunk, another the tail, and so on. Of course, not being able to see the whole elephant, they come to wildly different conclusions. Tip: Try to keep the big picture in front of you while looking at details. It will help to put everything in its proper place and context.7. Think For Yourself. Taking time out to think is still frowned on in many organizations that prize activity over creativity. People who work in creativity-constrained organizations are likely to think the way they are supposed to think, or as others think, or as has always been the way to think. It’s like the blinkered thinking that Hans Christian Anderson describes in his story of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. Everyone in the land refuses to see that the emperor is naked and has been duped into believing he is wearing a splendid costume for his coronation. Only a young boy who has been ill and not party to the cultural brainwashing can see the truth and cries out: “Look, everyone, the Emperor is wearing no clothes!”Tip: Don’t let others tell you how to think. When others ask your opinion, tell it to them straight.Once you make these 7 techniques part of your habitual thinking patterns, you will amaze yourself with how easy it is to come up with fresh, innovative and creative solutions to all of life’s problems.
We live in a hectic and uncertain world, with violence and chaos surrounding us every minute of the day. We are getting busier and busier and being bombarded with commercialism and adverts from every angle. Just like many of us I have been looking for a way to break the constant information overload to help give my mind a chance to relax and after many years of studying and test trying the art of meditation by many of the great religions like Buddhism I have found a simple six step formula that helps me to unleash the inner peace that really wishes to come out.
Step 1 – Find a cool quiet place
The first step in unleashing your inner peace is to find somewhere that will allow you to feel safe whilst meditating and undisturbed. Some of the sorts of places you might consider are sitting on the ground in the garden, near a river, or if you are like me and bound to the city, simply sitting in your lounge room will suffice. There are though a few key things that you must consider -
There should be little traffic noise
There is Nothing worse than to just start meditating to hear the sound of the air brakes on a truck going off or an ambulance or police car going past.
Be Free From Distractions
When you first start meditating you will find it maybe difficult to get started but with a little practice, and that is the fun part, you will find over time that you will get better at it but in the early stages a little distraction from your children or noise can make it very difficult.
You Must Feel Safe
With today's society being the way that it is, you must have a sense of well being before starting your meditation. If you have a sense of insecurity you will find that it is very difficult to release your anxieties and most importantly your thoughts.
Be Comfortable
Most meditation periods usually will last around 20 minutes. When you first start off you may find that it takes a good 10 minutes to get to a point of being relaxed so make sure that you sit on a comfortable surface before starting the meditation process. I am a great believer in sitting on the floor however if you find it difficult to sit upright for any period of time, simply sit against the wall. Doing this can also help you with your sense of feeling safe. If you find it more comfortable sitting in a chair, try your meditation that way. I do not recommend sitting on a couch simply because you run the risk that you may fall asleep and whilst that is great before going to bed, it is not recommended as the outcome to the meditation process.
Step 2 – Use a Light Incense
Depending on where you are, you may find that a light incense will help you break through the barriers when you first start meditating. If you are like me and are constantly on the rush and stressed, when you first stop you might find that it is really difficult to focus on your meditation because of the buzz running through your blood so using a light incense like lavender can certainly help.
You can purchase incense from any number of stores like Chinese food stores, oriental food stores or even some of the mystics stores and there are certainly many places on the web where you can purchase a light incense. Be warned though that it is illegal in some countries to buy incense via mail order and more so only buy from a reputable dealer as you never know what you could be importing.
Step 3 – Put some quiet music on
The saying, “Music Soothes the Savage Beast” is never a more truer statement then when trying to find your inner world of peace. Playing some quiet music will certainly help soothe the buzz you have after a hard day but be very cautious on the type of music you choose. You need to ensure you choose music that will slow you down rather than increase your heart rate.
Many meditation gurus will recommend music like flowing water, a rushing stream or the sounds of the great outdoors, which will all certainly be suitable for this process but what I find the most useful is music from the Baroque period.
The music from this period has particular elements that make it suitable and more congruent to helping you find that inner peace. Baroque music is built on 60 beats per minute, which funnily enough is the same as what our hearts should be doing. What some research has shown is that listening to music that has 60 beats per minute actually increases the alpha waves that cause calmness on both the left and right side of the brain. The outcome of this is that you will become calm and relax, similar to if you whistled a tune. Research has also shown that this “alpha state” can help in your learning process, creativity and more importantly becoming more calm.
Step 4 – Focus on Your Breathing. Breath In and Out
Now that we have the elements we need to meditate, it is now time for you to try . My preferred way to sit when I meditate is to cross my legs and to place my hands on my knees with my open palms up. If you can not cross your legs simply sit with your legs laid out flat. If you are sitting in a chair, simply spread your leg apart a little and place your hands on your knees.
The next step in the path towards peaces is to close your eyes and to breath in deeply and then slowly exhale the air. You need to consistently repeat this process but whilst you are doing this, there are a few important things to remember. When you first start to meditate you will find that as you relax, the things that bothered you during the day will start to resurface and come to the forefront of your mind and we need to stop this during your meditation period because if you do not, you can end up being more stressed then when you started. Whilst you are breathing, simply look into the depths of the darkness and clear you mind.
If you are finding it difficult to let go, try this technique. Whilst breathing in slowly, concentrate in your minds eye on the number one and focus on the number as you exhale. Then as you take your second breath, change the number one to a number two and then focus on the number two and maintain that focus as you exhale. With each new breath, focus on the next number. However, if at any time your focus gets away from you and you start thinking about making dinner or what you are going to do tomorrow, then simply restart from the number one. You will find that after a while using this process will really help you to maintain that focus and start to bring out that inner peace a lot quicker.
If you are having difficulty sleeping I find that using the counting process and the breathing process really helps a lot. Once again it does take time to master the technique but the more you practice the better you will get at it.
Step 5 – Clear Your Mind
Once you have mastered the process of breathing and getting into a relaxed state, the next stage is to clear your mind. This can take a little bit of work and will take a while to conquer but when you do conquer it, you will really no what inner peace is. To clear your mind, you will simply not think of anything but just exist. The key to clearing your mind is to focus on the space around you (whilst your eyes are closed) without thinking about a thing.
When you do this, an overwhelming sense of peace will come over your. You will find that the endorphins will give you a tingling feeling through out your body and you will be extremely calm. You will find as time goes on that you can in fact turn the tingling on at your own will but that comes with practice.
Step 6 – Feel the Rush of Peace
The Buddhists talk of meditating to reach enlightenment and whilst it can take a life time or two to achieve that, I can certainly say that when you do get to that point where you have let go of your surroundings and you are at peace its certainly feels like a whole new world. At the very least, not being stressed and feeling that constant buzz caused by the pressures of our day-to-day lives, will certainly give you a new definition of normal.
When you feel that your time for meditation is over, slowly allow your mind to start to think. You will find that its actually a lot easier than you think. Then slowly open your eyes and become more aware of your surroundings. Give yourself a good five minutes before you rush to get up but when you do, you should feel a sense of calm and peace around your body, mind and soul.
Wines as we know them are generally distinguished as either red or white wine. However, this distinction is much too simplified considering the various types of wine depending on the grapes they were made of and the location of the vineyard where they were grown.
Having invested possibly hundreds of dollars in your latest bottle of vintage wine (ah well, we can but dream), the next important decision is where to store this prized possession?
The knowledge that wine can come in hundreds, perhaps thousands of flavors, can leave you with a feeling of dread especially when you have to order wine in restaurants. The basic rule is that there is no one perfect wine because it really depends on your own taste buds. An expensive wine that may taste perfect for one can taste horrible to another.
When ordering wine in restaurant, ask for the wine you personally prefer or have gotten familiar to the taste of. If you are the adventurous type or you really don’t have an idea which wines are good, then it is always practical to ask the help of the waiter or the restaurant staff taking your order. It is proper to surmise that the staff or waiter should have been given instructions and the basic training in wine selection by the restaurant owner or manager. But what if the waiter is just as ignorant as their customers about their wine list? What if the big decision as to which wine to order is left in your hands? Art of Wine Tasting.
If no one on the staff is knowledgeable about wines or can’t make suggestions, ask the waiter to just come back and then ask your companions about their preferences. Ask your dining companions whether they prefer red or white wine. The most common choices would be chardonnay for white wine as this is the king of white wine, or cabernet sauvignon for red wine as this is known as the king of red wine. No other choice could be much safer.
Wines benefit from being kept in dark conditions. Although this is not always practical, wine should certainly be stored in an area that is not exposed it to direct sunlight.
If you are eating white meat life fish or chicken, it would be best to order white wine. If you have chosen red meat like pork or beef roast, then red wine lie Pinot Noir would be an ideal wine to order. Ordering wine by the bottle is sometimes cheaper than ordering wine by glass. There are restaurants that offer discounts to customers who order two or more bottles of wine.
Whether or not you have a limited budget, it is always wise to ask for the price of wine per bottle or per glass, if only to have a stock knowledge of their prices the next time you are tasked with the same decision to order wine for the group. If money isn’t a problem for you, then Dom Perignon would be a good choice although this wine is higher priced than the others. There are equally good wine sparklers like Iron Horse or Domaine Chandon which are priced reasonably, depending on where you are eating.
There are wines that are better when they are less than three years old. You can try ordering white wines like Pinot Blanc or French Macon are dry white wines that command good prices and can be eaten well with appetizers. Wines are best drunk when they have been properly chilled.
Many modern wines do not need to be aged over a great period of time; therefore extensive cellars are often unnecessary. Having said this, if you have the time, space and resource to excavate a cellar, your wine will surely benefit. A purpose built cellar is not normally an option for most households and so suitable alternatives must be explored.
Creativity is a quality that we all have buried inside of us, one way or the other. It involves the invention of something new or the re-invention of something already existing to make it useful of interesting.
Some people’s creative abilities are closer to the surface and one can easily see the manifestations of them. People say that their creativity is “inborn”. For others, expressing creativity takes more time and cultivation. The important thing to note is that we can all be creative. You just have to take steps to extract it from within you. Try the following:
1. Change your perspective.
You might have heard the phrase ‘Think outside the box’. You should try looking at the situation from a different point of view. Change your perspective. Consider all factors that are affected by your problem or your concern. Try to breakdown the problem into several elements then shuffle them. Think of what would happen if an idea is replaced. This aspect is important in enhancing creativity because it helps you remove possible fixations that may hinder creativity.
2. Mentally move away from your current location.
Imagine how another person would react if subjected in the same situation. Picture how different situations would continue when dealing with the same problem. Application in different settings can be also be done; and then from there, adapt a solution to the current setting.
3. Let your imagination run wild.
Exercise your imagination. Modification can trigger creativity because you see things in a different light. You can also try to exaggerate or think of the extremes, be it magnification or minimization of something. Thinking of the possible differences between these two situations could produce ideas. This is the ultimate brain exercise.
4. Your comfort spot.
The environment has to be right. You should have somewhere you can focus without being unnecessarily disturbed so you can give a problem your full attention. This should extend to the people you are with. You tend to do better at something when you are with like-minded people. To put it simply, hang out with creative people to help enhance your creative abilities.
Most of the time, people tend to be more creative when they are with people who are doing the same thing. It was also found that if you wish to be more creative, you should try hanging out with creative people.
5. Time, time, time.
You can’t rush creativity. Hurrying does not help in the outflow of ideas. Your mind tends to go into a state of slight disarray when you are trying to force things. Studies show that results produced in this state are generally lacking. If you are low on time, then keep a list of activities like this one close to you. Go over each of the activities and exercise each one. Give it time.
6. Get help…communicate your ideas to others.
A different view of the problem could help. Better yet, many different views! Never be shy to ask. Diversity is very helpful in relation with creativity. Organize a brainstorming session. The spontaneous generation of new ideas helps in formulation of more ideas. The products of brainstorming can be the raw material in the construction of the idea.
Remember that in brainstorming, 4 rules are followed for it to be successful:
- There should be no criticisms. Criticism hinders the free flow of ideas. This can be postponed until the session has ended.
- Combining and/or modifying ideas are encouraged.
- Quantity is preferred over quality in brainstorming.
- Weird or strange ideas are encouraged.
These are just some ideas to get your creative juices going. They can be adapted to suit each individual. A large amount of it is down to you. How inventive can you be? How open are you? Remove the boundaries from your mind and you will find your creativity will increase.
As good as modern medical technology is, it can never save you from the problems caused by a life style that is unhealthy. Instead of getting a modern medical fix for every problem, it is far better to live in such a way that you will hardly ever fall ill.
An ounce of prevention is certainly better than a pound of cure. Here are seven tips on how to live a long and healthy life. In addition, the same life style that helps you to avoid illness also helps you to lose weight.
1. Get Enough Exercise
In the past people had to use their physical bodies in the course of their normal work. But today someone may get up, go to work in a car, then sit down, get up to go home in the car and when arriving at home, sit down again for the rest of the day. In such a life there is no physical labor. This physical inactivity is one of the main reasons for a host of diseases. Sport, running. walking and other things must be added to our life if our normal work does not require us to exert ourselves physically. I
2. Go to sleep when you feel sleepy
This may sound simple, but many people stay up late even when their body is telling them that it is time to sleep. Yoga and Ayurveda doctors also say that it is better to sleep in the night and be active during the day. However, people such as students will take coffee and stimulants to study late into the night. Others develop the habit of remaining active at night and sleeping during the day. While we can do this, it eventually takes a toll on health. Alternative health doctors say that this kind of unnatural living is one of the contributing factors in the causation of cancer and other diseases
3. Eat when you feel hungry
This is also a simple idea, but once again we often go against the messages of the body. If you eat out of habit or due to social pressure at certain time of the day, even when you have no real appetite, then you will not digest your food properly. Acidity and indigestion begin, and this contributes to the likelihood of other more complex diseases taking root. Having an appetite is actually a sign of good health, but if you have no appetite you should wait a bit and then eat. (If you have no appetite even after awaiting a reasonable amount of time, then you should consult a doctor because something is wrong.)
4.Fast on a Regular, Systematic Basis
If you would ask any person to work 365 days per year without any rest, they would complain and say that they must have some rest or else they will break down. But we have never bothered to ask or to think about our digestive organs which we compel to work day after day without a rest. They cannot protest the way a person would to his boss, but they do give us signals that they cannot work non-stop. When we ignore those signals and still compel them to work, those organs break down. That is why periodic fasting is necessary. Refrain from eating for one complete day. This gives a rest to your digestive organs and also helps in the elimination of wastes from your body. Regular fasting allows a person to gain extra time for intellectual or spiritual pursuits. Fasting is not for hermits in a cave, but is a sensible practice that anyone can practice.
5. Wash with cool water before going to bed
As mentioned above, proper sleep is essential for the maintenance of health. If you wash your important motor and sensory organs (hands, arms, eyes, legs, mouth, genitals) before sleep using cool water, this will relax you and prepare you for deep sleep.
6. Perform meditation on a regular basis
Your body is linked to your mind. Many of the diseases of this era are psychosomatic. Stress and anxiety take their toll on our physical health. Meditation is a mental exercise which, among other things, allows you to detach yourself from the worries of life. Learn a simple technique and do it regularly.
7. Get up early every day
Once again the old proverb, “Early to bed, early to rise makes a person healthy, wealthy and wise.” I don’t know if it will make you wealthy, but it will certainly make you healthy. Your body needs just enough sleep, not too much and not too little.
Follow these tips and you can’t go wrong.
The secret of the youth has been searched since long time ago. Many researchers have done some experiments to find ways to slow down the aging process.
There are some techniques which have been implemented, but the most important things for us to do are being consistent in implementing healthy lifestyle and eating habits.
We can’t stop the natural change, but we can still look younger if we want to work hard to slow down the aging process.
Therefore, I’m going to help you with 10 easy steps to make you look younger:
Detox – It’s important to start detoxification, getting rid of toxin from our body. Our body metabolism has done that process, but in everyday life we are exposed to so many chemical hazards from air, food and environment. Fasting or just consuming fruits and vegetables are ways to detoxify our body.
Sleep – Having enough sleep at least 6-8 hours a day will make our skin healthier. Having a good sleep is also important because growth hormone is working during that time. It renews the old cell of our body, include the skin cell. Our skin will look fresh and young if we have enough sleep.
Food – Eating healthy and safe food everyday will make our body fit, slim and also look younger. Try to eat more fish instead of red meat. Fiber food, vegetables, fruits, and supplements are important food to consume. Drink less coffee and other caffeine beverages.
Exercise – Through routine exercise, we will feel happier, energetic, and confident. It also increases our bone density and muscle which can make our body look 15-20 years younger. Beside aerobic, walking, and swimming, goes also to the gym to do lifting exercise.
Relax – By trying to be relaxed, our face will look younger. Stress and worries appear on our face. If we can manage our stress and feel at peace, our face will look younger and attractive.
Be Positive – A positive mind and affirmation we said can bring positive life to us. Negative thought tend to bring failure and make us look older and unattractive. Meditation is one way to make positive thoughts.
Medical Check-up – Just like a car, our body also needs attention and care so it can work well everyday. Having routine medical checkups during our healthy time is important to recognize diseases as soon as possible.
Active Life – Always try to be active during your life. Activities can increase health; and if you are in your elder age, your memory will increase too.
Social Life – Happy social life can increases our spirit, bring peaceful mind, and make us feel and look younger. Communication with our friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, and others can bring happiness to us.
Performance – Start to look at our performance. Is our body weight ideal for us? If not, try to fix that to the best ideal weight. Also look to the skin, hair, nail and teeth. Those are important as they will show our age. Looks good and feels good will increase our performance.
Want a fun way to tune up your brain? Why not use some classic mind games to help you increase your brainpower and get you out of your thinking “ruts.” Good mind games habituate you to using creative problem solving as a normal part of thinking about things.
One lateral thinking puzzle you can try right now involves nine dots, layed out three by three. You have to connect them all with four straight lines, and without lifting the pen or pencil from the paper. Figure this one out and you’ll appreciate the expression “thinking outside of the box.”
Mind Games For Groups
Some group mind games are especially good for long trips in a car. For example, someone looks out the window and randomly chooses an object. Everyone in the car then tries to imagine a new way to make money with it. Street signs become places to advertise, trees are sold with names, and a truck becomes a traveling grocery store.
The “change of perspective” technique can be used as a problem-solving game. Pick any topic, and see who can come up with the most unique new perspective. Could there be a world where jobs weren’t necessary? How would a virus define morality if it was conscious?
Another creative game for a group uses a specific technique, called “concept combination.” Simply combine random concepts or things in interesting ways, and see who has the best idea. A chair and a microwave? Maybe an easy-chair with a built-in cooler, microwave and television, or microwavable “couch potatoes” – a potato snack in the shape of a couch.
More Mind Games
Some lateral-thinking puzzles use a scenario, real or imagined, with a selection of things you have to use to accomplish something. Imagine a ping-pong ball in an iron pipe that’s set in cement. The pipe sticks up two-feet high, and has almost the same diameter as the ball. With only a box of frosted-flakes, and a t-shirt, how many ways can you find to get the ball out of the pipe? You could also set this up for real, to know if a proposed solution will really work.
Riddles are just mind games or lateral-thinking puzzles. You move laterally in your mind, away from your usual line of thought, to solve a riddle. What did his friends do when the cannibal was late for dinner? Gave him the cold shoulder. Keeping your brain in shape doesn’t have to be a matter of serious study, does it?
