Improve your life

Mullah Nasrudin and the stars:

The Mullah was visiting the observatory and the astronomer explained about triangulation, luminosity, main series and other aspects of their science. The much impressed Nasrudin said, “I see. Now, I understand how you figure out the distance to the stars, their sizes and temperatures and all that. But what I still don’t quite get is how you find out what their names are.”

The following comes from the Wishpower workbook:
Action for today (actually next ten days or so)

Make a promise to yourself and keep it.

Make a promise that you will do something or avoid doing something for the next ten days and keep your promise to yourself. This will exercise your will power and strengthen your will power. It will increase your self confidence.

Select something useful for this exercise. Thus if you drink too much coffee and you know it is bad for you, you may wish to promise yourself to drink less for the next ten days. In fact your promise is a goal and should be precise, clear and measurable. Thus in the above example suppose you drink four cups of coffee each day, promise to yourself that you will drink three cups a day for the next ten days.

What you select should be challenging but not overwhelming. If a goal is too simple you do not exercise your will power and you will not feel good about yourself for having achieved your goal and keeping your self promise. However, if it is too difficult the chances are you will give up before the time is up.

When you select a task enter it in the spot bellow and then for each day write to see if you did your promises or not. If by chance you do not do your promise for a day just write why you did not do it. Remember there is no failure only feedback. Pat yourself on the back for each day’s success and forgive yourself if you miss a day. However, if you miss too many days, perhaps the task is too difficult and you should make the task easier.

So using the above example suppose your promise is that you will only drink two cups of coffee rather than you normal four and by fifth day you have missed three days, you know that the task was too difficult and so you can make it easier. In this case perhaps make your promise to drink three cups for ten days or two cups for the next three days. I know the original suggestion was for a ten day promise but you can be flexible and make it shorter or longer as needs be.

Some suggestions for useful promises:

1. Exercise (walk, go to the gym) four days a week for the next three weeks.
2. Do not gossip for next ten days.
3. Following the last one, only say positive things about people (including strangers like politicians) for next one day. You may need to keep silent all day and talk to no one to do this. It is a most wonderful exercise.
4. For one day only think positive thoughts about people, things, and institutions. You may need to sleep all day to do this.
5. Get up half hour earlier for next ten days and use the time to relax.
6. Limit yourself to one hour TV each day.
7. Keep your desk neat and orderly.

There are so many other things. The above was just some examples to start your mind working. The important thing is to do the exercise in writing. Think carefully about your self promise to make it challenging but not overwhelming.

Print the next section and use it for the exercise in your own handwriting with your signature:

Date:

I promise myself that for the next ____ days I will __________________________

Signed

How I did with my promise:

Kept it

Yes No Notes

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

Day 4:

Day 5:

Day 6:

Day 7:

Day 8:

Day 9:

Day 10:

Day 11:

Day 12:


Some useful Facts:

An apple a day does really keep the doctor away. Actually two a day is even better. Among other benefits is that the soluble fiber in apples will lower your cholesterol. Red delicious are ideal. However, a good mix of different varieties may be even better as they allow you to vary the taste. Another great way to lower your cholesterol is by eating oatmeal in the morning. Soy milk is preferable to cow’s milk. If you must have cow’s milk, no fat or low fat is better than whole milk. I suggest avoiding milk for two reasons: many adults have lactose intolerance which stops them from digesting milk and also most milk cows in the United States receive Bovine Growth Hormone and antibiotics which are not good for you.

To burn more calories fidget. It is better not to be a couch potato. However, if you must watch lots of TV, keep your remote away from you and get up and change the channel manually or walk to the remote, use it and then leave it there and go back to your chair.

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