Tag: #book

Reading is a very good habit that one needs to develop in life. Good books can inform you, enlighten you and lead you in the right direction. There is no better companion than a good book. Reading is important because it is good for your overall well-being. Once you start reading, you experience a whole new world. When you start loving the habit of reading you eventually get addicted to it. Reading develops language skills and vocabulary. Reading books is also a way to relax and reduce stress. It is important to read a good book at least for a few minutes each day to stretch the brain muscles for healthy functioning.

Books really are your best friends as you can rely on them when you are bored, upset, depressed, lonely or annoyed. They will accompany you anytime you want them and enhance your mood. They share with you information and knowledge any time you need. Good books always guide you to the correct path in life. Following are the benefits of reading –

Self Improvement: Reading helps you develop positive thinking. Reading is important because it develops your mind and gives you excessive knowledge and lessons of life. It helps you understand the world around you better. It keeps your mind active and enhances your creative ability.

Communication Skills: Reading improves your vocabulary and develops your communication skills. It helps you learn how to use your language creatively. Not only does it improve your communication but it also makes you a better writer. Good communication is important in every aspect of life.

Increases Knowledge: Books enable you to have a glimpse into cultures, traditions, arts, history, geography, health, psychology and several other subjects and aspects of life. You get an amazing amount of knowledge and information from books.

Reduces Stress: Reading a good book takes you in a new world and helps you relieve your day to day stress. It has several positive effects on your mind, body, and soul. It stimulates your brain muscles and keeps your brain healthy and strong.

Great Pleasure: When I read a book, I read it for pleasure. I just indulge myself in reading and experience a whole new world. Once I start reading a book I get so captivated I never want to leave it until I finish. It always gives a lot of pleasure to read a good book and cherish it for a lifetime.

Boosts your Imagination and Creativity: Reading takes you to the world of imagination and enhances your creativity. Reading helps you explore life from different perspectives. While you read books you are building new and creative thoughts, images and opinions in your mind. It makes you think creatively, fantasize and use your imagination.

Develops your Analytical Skills: By active reading, you explore several aspects of life. It involves questioning what you read. It helps you develop your thoughts and express your opinions. New ideas and thoughts pop up in your mind by active reading. It stimulates and develops your brain and gives you a new perspective.

Reduces Boredom: Journeys for long hours or a long vacation from work can be pretty boring in spite of all the social sites. Books come in handy and release you from boredom.

The habit of reading is one of the best qualities that a person can possess. Books are known to be your best friend for a reason. So it is very important to develop a good reading habit. We must all read on a daily basis for at least 30 minutes to enjoy the sweet fruits of reading. It is a great pleasure to sit in a quiet place and enjoy reading. Reading a good book is the most enjoyable experience one can have.

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Books are our best friends

We all need friends who would be there for us when needed and who would understand us without being judgemental. And books can be our best friends for life, for all the right reasons. Good books enrich our mind and broaden our perspective towards life. What’s more, one can never feel lonely in the company of books. 

They don’t question us

They don’t ask questions. They rather provide answer to the questions that keep troubling us.

They make us forget our troubles

They are the best refuge from the woes and troubles of life. Even as you may be battling the worse in life, reading a book can be a saviour as it will divert you from your troubles.

They make us smarter

They are our best teachers. A well-read person has not just answers to worldly questions but also has solution to queries of the soul. Besides, as add on you get a good vocabulary and a vast arena of knowledge.

They are always there for us

They are always there for us, no matter what. Even in the middle of the night, when everyone else is fast asleep, you can enjoy the company of books. They are a perfect cure for our loneliness.

They make us a better person

Reading fiction makes us empathise with others and also opens up our world view. Reading good books makes us a better person, that too without preaching too much.

They are non-judgemental

They don’t judge. “Great books help you understand, and they help you feel understood,” John Green once said.

We can travel with them anywhere in the world

Stephen King once said, “Books are uniquely portable magic.” Reading a book transports us to a different place each time– they are your quickest bet to instantly travel to a new place.

Books help us escape

Whether we are stuck in a boring party or had a bad day at work, reading a book can take us on an exciting adventure. What’s better than having a great companion on such journeys?

They change our perspective towards life

They bring in so many perspectives and influence the way we see the world, broadening our worldview. Books offer us to live many different lives and enable us to empathise with others.

Books teach us to accept our emotions and that it’s okay to feel sad sometimes

Books are more patient than most people and they understand us. They allow us to feel our emotions and they teach us that it’s okay to feel sad sometimes; after all, we are humans. Also, just like our best friends, good books cheer-up our mood and soothe the soul, sometimes even making us laugh out loud.

The Concept of Ikigai

Ikigai is a Japanese concept which add meaning to life or finds purpose of this life. The book Ikigai was written by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles. They both bring out the secret of Japan’s centenarians to you and gives you a tool to find your own ikigai. People those who wants to find their Ikigai and if they discover, have everything they need for a long and joyful journey throughout their life.

You should know your own Ikigai

Japanese believing that everyone has their own Ikigai. Our Ikigai is hidden deep inside each of us to find out we need patience in us. In Okinawa (island) people with the most centenarians in the world hopes that Ikigai is their only reason for wake up in morning. People who knows their Ikigai will brings them satisfaction, happiness, and meaning to oru lives. People living Japan will remain active after they retire. In fact, many Japanese people never really retire they keep doing what they love for as long as their health allows.

The Blue Zones:

Okinawa (Japan) holds first place among the world’s Blue Zones. A research clearly says that the Okinawan’s focus on ikigai gives a sense of purpose to each and everyday and plays an important role in their health and longevity. Sardinia (Italy) this island as in Okinawa, the cohesive nature of this community is another factor directly related to longevity. Sardinia (Italy) this island consume plenty of vegetables and a glass of wine. Loma Linda (California) a group of seventh day Adventist who are among the longest – living people in the United States. Among these Blue Zones, paying special attention to Okinawa and its so-called Village of Longevity.

Key features of their longevity is their ikigai. Members of these communities manage their time well in order to reduce stress, consume little meat and they take alcohol in moderation. People always involves them in low-intensity movement, they all practice in common. Ikigai thought us life has some purpose do. It always awoke a question why are we doing this? what’s the reason? Answer is when you get to know your Ikigai. This book will get you to your purpose (Ikigai).

The struggle is real

Every person has it’s own philosophy

What suits you, belongs you

AS IT IS!!

Starting from Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest proves to be true even today, as everyone is striving to live. An individual tries to apply his consciousness to prepare plans for the future. One wants to move things as he wishes to regardless of the consequences. The never-ending desires keep adding up to the list and lead the being into the vicious cycle. While philosophy is an attempt to satisfy these reasonable desires. It is not an amenity but a necessity. In a broad sense, it means “love of knowledge “and tries to understand things that remotely concern man.

Several fields deal with different questions regarding the universe and man. The two broad branches were divided based on the belief of Vedas. Those who believed in it were termed as orthodox and the others as heterodox. Every book tried to solve the questions in their way. However, Bhagavad Gita made an effort to bring the direction towards an end of desire.

The meaning of Bhagavad Gita is 'Lord's song.' The words which were spoken by Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra later got written down in the form of this pious book. 

It begins with teaching  Arjuna regarding the duty of the Prince to fight against evil. It gives a synthesis of the three paths of knowledge, action, and devotion. The fundamental focus is on the path of Nishkaam karma.

A middle way between pravriti and nivriti proves to be the ethical doctrine. Pravriti refers to the actions which one does to get the fruits in return. While, nivriti is the giving up of all the materialistic things and responsibilities to achieve a life of sanyasi. Therefore, nishkaam karma avoids the extremes and accepts the necessities of both the karma. It depicts that one should do work without any expectation of getting the same in return. A sense of detachment and duty should arise.

A person needs to have a mental state of equanimity. The actions should be done either for humanity or the devotion towards God.

Happiness is the only key to live a happy and healthy life. However, it is disrupted by the expectations raise due to the unfulfillment of desires. When a person starts following this journey of Nishkaam karma, it does not only benefit him but also the society. And in turn the struggle becomes saral.

To whom the pleasure and pain are the same, is fit for attaining immortality.

Book Review: Rich Dad Poor Dad

Name: Rich Dad Poor Dad

Author: Robert T. Kiyosaki

“Rich Dad, Poor Dad” is the tale of two fathers in which one has a set of degrees and diplomas and the other is a high school drop-out. When the overqualified father dies, he will leave next to nothing behind, and even a few unpaid invoices here and there. The school drop-out father will become one of the richest men in Hawaii and will pass on his domain to his son. During his life, the qualified dad would say things like “I don’t have money to treat myself to this or that”, while the uneducated would say: “How can I treat myself?”

The rich father in this book educates two small boys some priceless lessons about money through their own knowledge. The most important one is certainly to comprehend on how to best use your mind and your time to make your own prosperity through business and investments.

Get out of the rat race. Learn how to grab opportunities, find answers, take care of your commerce and investments and significantly, learn how to make money work for you and not be its slave!

The words “poor” and “rich” are used by the author in respect to clarify what type of conduct is better in order to have economical liberty. It is not about giving judgement yourself on the present state of your finances and your richness.

Some pearls of wisdom by the author:

  • You are the copy of your thoughts,
  • Being a worker is a short-term solution to a long-term problem,
  • A slave, even if he is paid a fortune, remains a slave,
  • What is the point of need to grow through the positions of a company when you can own a company?

Some of the important lessons from Rich Dad Poor Dad

1)    The Rich Don’t Work for Money

2) Why Teach Financial Literacy?

3) Mind Your Own Business!

Keep your current job but begin to think about your own business.

4)    The History of Taxes and the Power of Corporations

5)    The Rich Invent Money

6)    Work to Learn and don’t Work for Money

3 essential skills for management

  1. The cash flow management
  2. Management of systems (including time spent with family and friends!)
  3. People management

The initial step towards getting out of the rat race is to: understand the difference between an asset and a liability.

Types of Assets:

Here is why your main residence is NOT an asset:

  1. You will work your whole life to pay back the mortgage you took out.
  2. Your maintenance costs represent a significant amount.
  3. You must pay property tax.
  4. Your principal residence may depreciate if the real estate market drops or if you buy at the top of the cycle.
  5. Rather than investing in an asset that earns you money regularly, you repay your monthly credit to the bank. In other words, the real owner of your home is the bank!

If you really want to  your obtain residence, you must first make the income to finance your monthly settlements.

Book Review: The alchemist

Book Title: The Alchemist

Written By: Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist is written by Author Paulo Coelho. It is one of the best-selling books in entire history. It was first issued in 1988 in Portuguese and is now translated all over the world into many languages. The novel is a tale that follows a young Andalusian shepherd in his journey to the pyramids of Egypt, after having a frequent dream of finding a treasure there. Author wrote The Alchemist in only two weeks in 1987. He explained that he was able to write at this pace because the story was “already written in soul.”

The story is about Andalusian shepherd empowered to follow his dream. Santiago is an Andalusian shepherd boy who learns lessons through a dream of a treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. An old man, the king of Salem, the first of various spiritual guides, tells the boy that he has to discovered his destiny: “to realize one’s destiny is a person’s only real obligation.” So Santiago sells his sheep, sails to Tangier, is tricked out of his money, regains it through hard work, crosses the desert with a caravan, stops at an oasis long enough to fall in love, escapes from warring tribesmen by performing a miracle, reaches the pyramids, and finally gets both the gold and the girl. Along the way he meets an Englishman who describes the Soul of the World; the desert woman Fatima, who teaches him the Language of the World; and an alchemist who says, “Always listen to your heart” A message clings like ivy to every encounter (“concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man”).

According to The New York Times, The Alchemist is “more self-help than literature.” The advice that was given to Santiago (“when you really want something to happen, the whole universe will conspire so that your wish comes true”) is the fundamental lesson of the novel’s philosophy and a motif that plays throughout it. Another interesting theme in the novel and that one can relate to is those related to the harmful consequences of fear. If people let fear control their lives, they will live miserably. Had Santiago let the fear from following his dream dominate his life, he wouldn’t have discovered the treasure and most importantly the meaning of his life.

Hardship is a important in the journey of every successful individual who followed his dream. What separates these great human beings from the rest is that they are never afraid of hardships. While a painter running from gallery to gallery requesting them to display his masterpiece is a hardship, but so is sitting on a desk in front of a screen, following orders, travelling in the same local train each day, and meeting the same or same kind of people for your entire life.

The difference is that the painter gone towards hardship, tackled it, and killed it. While the ones running away from them ultimately get caught and pinned down by it. It’s better to die fighting than being a prisoner, isn’t it? Paulo Coelho wants people to be fighters, not prisoners. And he conveys his message in a phenomenal way!

The Alchemist is a must read.

A Wondrous Tale by R.J Palacio

“My name is August.

I won’t describe what I look like.

Whatever you’re thinking,

it’s probably worse.”

 

This is what is written on the back of the book named ‘Wonder’ by R.J Palacio. It’s a powerful book about a simple boy, with a family going to school watching movies, playing games just like all the other kids. The only difference is how he looks.

“His eyes are about an inch below where they should be on his face, almost to halfway down his cheeks. He doesn’t have eyebrows, and the top of his eyelids are always closed. He doesn’t have cheekbones. Sometimes, people assume he’s been burnt in a fire.” – Via, Part two.

August Pullman is a ten year old buy who has certain facial anomalies since birth. He is an ordinary boy who loves playing XBox and is a die hard fan of Star Wars. He even sports a Padawan braid, inspired by the movies. But despite the 27 operations done on his face, he will never look normal. This story is a breathtaking and emotional journey of how August survives high school and faces the ups and downs during the year, owing to his face, and many people overlooking his intelligence and funny personality just because of his external features.

If you read the book, you will be hooked from the very start. It explores the different habits and pet peeves of August and how his family always cheers his up and makes him burst into fits of laughter. Initially, August was scared to go to school, afraid of how people would react. He had been homeschooled since birth and this would be a new change for him.

This book is a story about a boy who is judged at, stared at, mocked at by society. At first, I thought it would be a sad book, describing the mental and physical challenges this boy faced in every day things. But, it’s much much more than that. The book is infused with humor and kindness and it leaves you feeling inspired.

August us bullied in school by a bunch of guys, but his true friends stick to him till the end. It shows that true bonds can make all the bad go away. This story also has different point of views. One important aspect of this story was Via, August’s older sister. She has always been protective of August, and get’s angry whenever people start pointing and staring at him. But at the same time, she also feels like a child not receiving any attention from her parents because they are so busy looking after August. It shows the bittersweet relationship between sibling and despite all the fights and arguments, this bond stays stronger than ever.

This book clearly states that there are no good guys or bad guys. There are just people, and the way they are shaped. Everyone’s conscious always says the right thing, the difference is what voice they listen to. The bully in this story makes fun of August and mocks him due to his face and his braid, but this stems from his own feelings of resentment and anger. August was just a medium to get it all out. In the end, he is just a kid trying to figure out life.

I would recommend this book to all people. This book traverses all boundaries of age, gender, religion and makes us believe in humanity again. An intriguing book about loyalty and friendship, this book is will always be my favorite. Hope it creates an impact of anyone who reads it.

“You can’t blend in

when you were born to stand out” -R.J Palacio