Negative Thinking and Health

Every religion advocates positive thinking and shuns negative thoughts. We should understand the essence of positive thinking to infer the meaning of negative thinking.

The web definition of positive thinking is, "Positive thinking is the act of thinking good or affirmative thoughts. Positive thinking is a way to use your mind to reverse the damaging effects of negative thinking."

Negative thinking is a kind of pessimism which is detrimental to one’s mental health.

How can negative thinking harm us?

This is evident from the above definition that by thinking positive one can get rid of depressing, unhealthy, negative thoughts.

It is a proven fact that negative emotions add to our stress levels. We are also aware of the fact that prolonged anxiety and stress can lead to heart diseases and many psychological problems. What we don't understand or perhaps are unaware of is the fact that negative emotions have physical manifestations on our health! Feelings like anger, insecurity, anxiety, jealousy, greed etc can not only trigger aches, pains, or illness in the body but can also hamper our recovery from diseases.

To understand how negative emotions affect our health, we need to be aware of the symbolism of our bodies.

- Our face symbolizes our outer appearance i.e. when we show any stifling of self- expression, our deep feelings can lead to problems like tonsillitis and sore throat. When a person is unable to express oneself due to incapacity or hesitation but with bottled up anger it can lead to even more serious throat problems like "laryngitis".

- Similarly hearts symbolize our ability to love; that is why heart problems arise if you restrain yourself back from expressing love, self-loathing, negative self-talk and thinking, the feeling developed in you that you do not deserve to love or to be loved, resentment and hatred.

- Our backs ‘support’ our bodies. Any problems with the back could lead to feeling shattered, fear of over-burden with problems or fear that life may not support you. And a problem with the upper back could be linked to stress or feeling that your loved ones are not supporting you and lower back problems could be related to financial worries.

- Our stomachs symbolize our ability to digest and assimilate. When you can't accept a new idea or experience, your stomach may show symptoms like indigestion etc. That is why it is seen that the problem of indigestion could have its roots from not accepting the change, new ideas, people or situations in your life.

- Similarly it is also seen that the people of adamant behaviour get the problem of jamming of Joints, arthritis etc. this is like a reflection of their non-flexible behaviour on their Body which restricts their movement.

- Those of jealous nature get acidity problem in their stomach etc. etc.

The above “symbol example” is a guideline which can help to understand the symbolic meaning of each and every part of our body. Once we understand this symbolism we can probe deeper into every illness and identify the root cause and help the person think positive.

Laughter is the best medicine. So folks, keep smiling. It is infective and spreads positive energy.

Hope the readers also enjoyed this article. Let the Power of Positive thinking spread all over and bring peace of mind to all, together with happiness and progress in Life.

Be blissful.Namaste.

S.SEKAR

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

FLIGHTS OF FANTASY

My childhood days were spent fantasizing about “how it would be if I could ........... Play in a chocolate fountain, visit the moon, watch those living abroad, and talk to people living at the other end of the earth. The wants were many and the means too distant then. It was just a dream – a fantasy, too good to be true.

Neil Armstrong, Yuri Gagarin and Rakesh Sharma were super heroes who were demi gods who had achieved the inconceivable. They stared at us from our G.K. (General knowledge) books and News papers, away from normal human reach.

Today as middle age confronts me, the fantasies and dreams bundled in the deep recesses of my mind, have translated themselves to reality in an objective form. I get to see chocolate fountains now. Trips to the moon – a vacation package. Computers have pervaded our homes and souls and webcams bring people closer and the world shrinks.

With so many happenings, I can now walk and talk to the end of this earth. I shake my head in wonder.

Is there any area that is beyond human power of achievement? My mind doesn’t agree. Yet, is there any dearth of new wants? No, not at all. Once achieved our insatiable desire spreads its vicious tentacles to reach out to new areas of wants.

And so here I am, coming up with yet another crazy wish of mine which I know will be fulfilled during my life. It’s only a matter of time. Human brain is smart enough to spring a solution under the guise of Science and Technology.

We live on planet earth. It forms a part of our Solar system which is called the “Milky way”.

When I look up at the star studded sky late in the evenings, seated on my couch in the open Terrace of my house, my mind goes to a tizzy. Every single Star above me has a separate Solar system, a new universe. This knowledge leaves me gaping at the sky. It is said that Aliens do exist. Why not, I feel.

If there was another earth somewhere in that vast expanse of star studded sky then there would definitely be life existing in some form. These extra terrestrial beings have been fantasised on big screen. Surely they could be a definite possibility.

Now my mind grows wings and tries exploring these ideas. Could we not befriend these aliens and co-exist together? May be it could be mutually beneficial to both of us. How interesting! Delving into their lifestyles and studying their habits and culture.

To go a step further, we could arrange exchange programmes for the children, exchange scientific ideas and try to ape them. We could learn the art of flying in those space ships similar to learning cycling and driving car. We would get licence to do so. The rich could plan weddings in the other planet. Employment opportunities could be available in plenty there. We could find out the source of entertainment of those aliens and try to implement them on earth.

If they were intellectually behind human race, we could be the Masters of their Universe and if otherwise we could learn a thing or two from them.

Oh! I could go on and on about my whims and fantasies. I also imagine us swapping planets to get rid of our everyday – enemy – the invincible Mosquito.

As the saying goes, all good things come to an end. I am just left to dream of it hoping beyond hope to see it happen in my life time.

Now, coming back to earth (Pun), I would like to share a few facts about our galaxy, with all to show them from where my imaginative flight took off.

S.SEKAR

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

Our Solar System's Location in the Milky Way Galaxy

From the Earth, our Milky Way Galaxy is visible as a milky band that stretches across the night sky. It is easier to see when you are far from bright city lights.

Our solar system is located in the outer reaches of the Milky Way Galaxy, which is a spiral galaxy. The Milky Way Galaxy contains roughly 200 billion stars. Most of these stars are not visible from Earth. Almost everything that we can see in the sky belongs to the Milky Way Galaxy.

The sun is about 26,000 light-years from the center of theMilky Way Galaxy, which is about 80,000 to 120,000 light-years across (and less than 7,000 light-years thick). We are located on on one of its spiral arms, out towards the edge. It takes the sun (and our solar system) roughly 200-250 million years to orbit once around the Milky Way. In this orbit, we (and the rest of the Solar System) are travelling at a velocity of about 155 miles/sec (250 km/sec).

To reach the center of the Milky Way Galaxy starting from the Earth, aim toward the constellation Sagittarius. If you were in a spacecraft, during the trip you would pass the stars in Sagittarius one by one (and many other stars!).

Since we're inside the Milky Way Galaxy and we've never sent a spacecraft outside our Galaxy, we have no photographs of the Milky Way Galaxy. Radio telescope data does, however, let us know a lot about it.

The arms of the Milky Way are named for the constellations that are seen in those directions. The major arms of the Milky Way galaxy are the Perseus Arm, Sagittarius Arm, Centaurus Arm, and Cygnus Arm; our Solar System is in a minor arm called the Orion Spur. The central hub (or central bulge) contains old stars and at least one black hole; younger stars are in the arms, along with dust and gas that form new stars.

The great rift is a series of dark, obscuring dust clouds in the Milky Way. These clouds stretch from the constellation Sagittarius to the constellation Cygnus.

The Milky way Galaxy is just one galaxy in a group of galaxies called the Local Group. Within the Local Group, the Milky Way Galaxy is moving about 300 km/sec (towards the constellation Virgo). The Milky Way Galaxy is moving in concert with the other galaxies in the Local Group (the Local Group is defined as those nearby galaxies that are moving in concert with each other, independent of the "Hubble flow" expansion).

Harlow Shapley (November 2, 1885- October 20, 1972), an American astronomer, was the first person to estimate the size of the Milky Way Galaxy, as well as our position in the galaxy (about 1918).

S.SEKAR, Chennai, India.

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

THINKING "OUT OF THE BOX"

Many hundreds of years ago in a small Italian town, a merchant had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to the moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the merchant's beautiful daughter so he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the merchant's debt if he could marry the daughter. Both the merchant and his daughter were horrified by the proposal.The moneylender told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty bag. The girl would then have to pick one pebble from the bag. If she picked the black pebble, she would become the moneylender's wife and her father's debt would be forgiven. If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven. But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the merchant's garden. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick her pebble from the bag.

CASE STUDY:

What would you have done if you were the girl?

If you had to advise her, what would you have told her?

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.

2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the moneylender as a cheat.

3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking.

The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles. "Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked." Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the moneylender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an Impossible situation into an advantageous one.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Most complex problems do have a solution, sometimes we have to think about them in a different way. Winners don’t do different things. They do things differently.

We shall see how Logical thinking is different from Lateral thinking in the following paragraphs.
What is logic?
We can see a few examples.
Gold will Glitter. But all that Glitters is not gold.
Milk is white in colour but all that is White is not Milk.

What is Logical thinking? It is thinking “Out of the Box”. It helps Children to become ‘Smarter’. Logical thinking is an important foundation skill. Unfortunately its role in learning is grossly underestimated and its role in overcoming learning difficulties is neglected. Logical thinking is the process in which one uses reasoning consistently to come to a conclusion. Problems or situations that involve logical thinking call for structure, for relationships between facts, and for chains of reasoning that “make sense”.

Logical thinking is a very important skill that must be taught. Logical thinking is thinking in terms of causes and consequences, which in turn means that it is sequential thinking. Logical thinking means following a train of thought. It is like looking into and predicting the future: If this happens, then what will happen. However this has nothing to do with fortune telling. It is based on the interpretation of certain prevalent conditions and then predicting what will happen if the conditions continue to prevail.

Logical thinking is in a way the opposite of short term memory. Short-term memory is the skill that enables one to keep track of the immediate past. Logical thinking allows one to keep track of the immediate future. The two skills are closely connected. The person who has a poor short-term memory will therefore naturally have a weak ability to think logically because the one leads to another.

The ability to think logically is of immense importance in our daily lives. Day after day, from moment to moment, we are busy interpreting available evidence and making predictions on what will happen next.

Logical thinking is not only of great importance in our everyday lives, but also a skill that is indispensable for children in school. Very little of what happens in any learning situation is not dependant on logical thinking. It is therefore of the utmost importance that parents should as early in life as possible teach their children this very important skill.

Lateral thinking is specifically concerned with changing preconceived notions to bring out new ideas and can be acquired and practised as a skill. It is a special information handling process like Mathematics, logical analysis or computer simulation. Thinking techniques once mastered, can be used both individually and in a group, dispensing with brainstorming. Here unconventionality clearly comes to the fore.

Lateral thinking can save your life as illustrated in this story. Two men were on a jungle safari in Africa. Suddenly, they came across a tiger that started roaring. Both men were frightened and one of them started wearing his shoes. The other one said: How is this going to help?” We can’t outrun the tiger. The first man replied: “I don’t have to outrun the tiger; I only have to outrun you”.

Let all of us start teaching our children on Logical thinking right from their formative years. In this way we will reap benefits as the child grows up thinking “out of the box”.

Be Blissful.
S.SEKAR
Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com
Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did. ~Newt Gingrich
Focus on: Action not Intension; Result Not Effort; Outcomes Not Activities;

Think Economically-Act Environmentally.
Working together Works – Aligning Capabilities

INTERESTING FACTS IN TRADITIONAL HINDU MARRIAGE

Kasi Yatra - The Bride Groom Pretends to leave for Kashi but the Bride's Father stops him.

Malai Matral - Both the Bride and the Groom exchange Garlands to symbolise their unification.

Oonjal - They sit on a Swing which represents the ups and downs of life.

Mangala Dharanam - The boy ties the mangala sutra around her neck.

Saptapadi - They take seven steps to promise the following:

You have become my companion, whereby I acquire your friendship. We shall remain together inseparable. Let us make a vow together, we shall share love, share the same food (In different plates), share the strengths (giving the synergy). We shall be of the same mind. We shall observe the vows together.

Reception - Spend an evening with him and her (Bride groom and the Bride).

Hope you enjoyed reading the above details on Hindu Traditional Marriage. It is really nice to follow the tradition which our forefathers have left us which treads us into the righteous path and also gives us peace, security and Happiness.

Call us. We care for you. We give advice on every detail for a smooth function. We go by the paradigm that “the customer is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it.”


Be Well. Be Blissful.

Good Day.
S.SEKAR
Email: sekrajc@yahoo.com
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/Sekar1
Blogsite: http://ssekar.blogspot.com/
Working together Works - Aligning Capabilities

SMILE! SMILE! SMILE! YOU WILL SUCCEED

A Smile costs you nothing and by putting up a smiling face you can enter into fruitful relationships with other people. A smiling person is welcomed by one and all in the society. A simple smile takes you from nowhere to anywhere.

A smile costs nothing but gives much. It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he cannot get along without it and none is so poor that he cannot be made rich by it. Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile as much as he who has no more to give.

Smiling is infectious,

You can catch it like the flu.

Someone smiled at me today,

And I started smiling too.

Smile. Have you ever noticed how easily puppies make human friends? Yet all they do is wag their tails and fall over.

Smile. It is a simple act, but sometimes takes a lot of effort. A smile can cause boundaries to melt, hearts to warm up, and distances to reduce. Why don't we smile more often? Is it too tough to smile? The answer lies in our attitude towards life. If we are more accepting of situations, we will be able to smile more easily. Here are some inspiring smile quotes. Always wear a smile. Remember, without your smile, your attire is incomplete.

Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles. You're never fully dressed without a smile. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks. Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug. If you see a friend without a smile; give him one of yours.

What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure, but scattered along the life’s pathway, the good they do is inconceivable. The shortest distance between two people is a smile. To receive a smile, give one away.

If you’re not using your smile, you’re like a man with a million dollars in the bank and no checkbook. Smile, don’t frown. Look up, don’t look down. Believe in yourself. Don’t let yourself go. Just be who you are and let your live flow.

Your relationship skills are much more important than your professional skills. A person who performs his duties happily always gets quick promotion than his other colleagues. A smile on your face while at work is a guarantee that you will get promotion out of turn as everyone will recommend your name and no one will oppose it.

A lively smile on your face is going to give others a positive impression of your personality as a friendly person. People will like to associate with you. Your circle of friends will grow fast without any effort on your part.

If you are feeling depressed due to any reason think of a past joyful event in your life and smile. Smile relieves tension and creates a positive mind frame enabling you to reach at the best solution of the problem without being swayed away by the false fears and unfounded doubts.

Smile attracts happiness and no doubt a happy person is a successful person. Keep on smiling to attract more happiness and success in your life.

If this article brings smile to your face then please refer it to your friends particularly to those who have forgotten to smile. Let there be smiling faces all over the world and happiness all around.

S.SEKAR
Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

TEACHER’S DAY

Today is Teachers Day. (5-09-2010). Let us appreciate a Teacher's contribution to the society.

Teachers make a great contribution to the Society by not just helping students achieve success in life, but also in terms of inculcating rational thought and good human values in the impressionable young minds.

A life of Joy and happiness is possible only on the basis of knowledge and science. This knowledge comes from the teacher to the student. Great teachers don't just teach, they are mentors, advisors, role models, guides, and above all, shapers of great human beings. To sum it up I wish to add a few words as under:-

"A Good Teacher Explains
A Great Teacher Inspires"

A Teacher is the third most important person to be worshipped after Mother and Father. The order of worship goes like this: Mother – Father – Teacher – God. Matha Pitha Guru Deva is the saying that goes. It is the Teacher who inculcates Good habits right from Childhood, imparts knowledge to the Child and fulfils the curiosity of the Child by Play way method of Teaching. This will be carried on by the Child from his formative years to adulthood. A teacher should be an Icon and an Idol for the child as he undergoes the learning process by listening and playing with the teacher in his formative years.

There is a saying that what you cannot inculcate by the age of Five will not be cultivated even when you turn Fifty. This is true and should be remembered by all. The passion for teaching helps the teacher contribute more and more for the students and create future leaders in our society. For this to happen we should respect all the teachers and give them credit for their services. This will be a Win-Win situation where the teacher and the taught will benefit mutually. Thus the Teaching fraternity should be regarded and not discarded.

A teacher imparts Knowledge to the child. As you may be aware, Knowledge is Power, Knowledge is Strength and Knowledge is Wealth. We should have great regard towards our teachers and keep them in high esteem which in turn makes the teacher give more and more and stretch himself that extra mile by way of passing the knowledge to the student. Come on all teachers. Lets us be an Inspiration to others.

Wishing every teacher A Very Happy Teacher’s Day.

S.SEKAR
Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

UNEASY STATE OF MIND

“Delusion arises from anger. The mind is bewildered by delusion. Reasoning is destroyed when the mind is bewildered. One falls down when reasoning is destroyed.”
“One who has control over the mind is tranquil in heat and cold, in pleasure and pain, and in honor and dishonor; and is ever steadfast with the Supreme Self.”
……………………… BHAGAVAD GITA

In the Udoya Parva of Mahabharata, Vidhura tries to comfort an anxious and disturbed Dhritarashtra with words of Wisdom that encapsulate the code of ethics – applicable to rulers and individuals alike. Dhritarashtra had sent Sanjaya to Yudhistra to seek peace without giving back Indraprastha to the Pandavas.

Destiny is difficult to cross. It is said that when destiny wishes to protect, there will dawn good sense on the person who will then choose to adhere to the path of Dharma. Conversely, when an individual is destined to suffer, the good sense abdicates and he chooses to tread the unrighteous path. This was the situation of Dhritarashtra who was now a victim of a greater handicap, inner blindness that deprived him of the sense of Dharma.

When Sanjaya returned, he did not mince words to convey his disapproval of the unrighteous and selfish attitude of the king. He said he would convey Yudhishtra’s message the next day as he was exhausted after the mission. Dhritarashtra’s uneasy state of mind at that juncture typifies that of any individual who is still reactive though not responsive to the instinct for righteousness.

Vidhura points out to Dhritarashtra that Yudhishtra has always regarded the king as his own father and respected him. But the king’s attachment to Duryodhana and the kingdom was stronger and deluded him to abandon the path of Dharma. Dhritarashtra cannot hope to get Success if he did not have the heart to view the Pandavas also as his progeny and stopped discriminating. Dhritarashtra is an escapist. If he had adhered to Dharma he would have been able to avert the war. His sleeplessness was caused because he covets another’s wealth or kingdom. If he gave back the Pandavas their due, he could sleep well.

The wise always pray for the ability to use the intellect/ good sense at all times, and especially when crucial decisions have to be taken. Arjuna, who was confused about the war, pleaded with Lord Krishna (Bagavad Gita, Chapter 2) to advise him and lead him through the right path that would be beneficial. Lord Krishna, during the course of his most interesting and instructive talk with Arjuna, revealed the profound, sublime and soul-stirring spiritual truths, and expounded to him the rare secrets of Yoga, Vedanta, Bhakti and Karma. All the teachings of Lord Krishna were subsequently recorded as Bhagavad Gita by Bhagavan Vyasa for the benefit of Humanity at large.

It should be borne in mind that only those who are self-controlled and are endowed with faith can reap the full benefit of the Gita, which is the Science of the Soul.

S.SEKAR
Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com