Does it ever happen to you that a movie you have seen keeps occupying your mind long after you have watched it? It happened to me last week after I watched Water, a movie about widows in India. It was such a hard movie to watch. Hard but real. So real it was painful. In […]
What Choice Do I Have?
I had a chat with one of my clients, who was going through a very rough time. I was trying to help her choose a path and asked her, “What are you going to do?”
She was quiet on the phone for a while and then she said to me, “Ronit, you make it sound like I have a choice”.
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Food for Thought: Fighting Obesity with Happiness
Obesity in the world is increasing and numbers are a real worry. Statistics from around the world puts USA as the leading country with 30% of its population being obese, followed by Mexico with 24%, UK with 23% and Australia with 21%. Closing the list with 3% obesity are Korea and Japan.
These numbers increase every year and if, many years ago, we talked about “the overweight issue”, now we are talking about something that it is much bigger – obesity.
Many overweight people are shocked when the doctor tells them they are obese. Overweight? Yes, we are used to it, but obese?! That is a whole new game. Houston, we have a problem!
Teen(r)age: In Search of Love and Uniqueness
Many parents report frustration and doubt regarding their parenting when their wonderful children reach teen age. They dread this period and express tension and even fear. Instead of getting closer to their growing children, their child’s first teen birthday marks the formation of “the generation gap”. Teens become emotional, irrational and mysterious. Parents ask themselves “Why do teens behave the way they do? Is it hormonal? Why are they so emotional? Is it normal?”
To Teach Is To Touch a Life Forever
Many of my clients tell me I need to work for the Department of Education to encourage people to become teachers. Since I am so passionate about my teaching and I think it is the best job ever, they think I can convince any person, even those who do not like children, to shift to education.
I have my doubts about convincing any person, but I am sure that being an educator is the best job ever.
Travelling with Kids – Expanding the Horizon
Traveling, I think, is a wonderful experience for us all. Children can benefit from travelling even more than grownups, because travelling expands their knowledge, ideas, beliefs and boundaries. Many people ask me, “Why take kids on expensive trips if they cannot remember all the details?”
So I ask them, “Do you remember all the things that made you who you are today?”
We live in a very special era. We are exposed to things today that 100 years ago we could only dream of. Think for example, 100 years ago, only lucky people living next to the ocean knew how a whale sounded. Today, every 3-year-old can tell you how a whale sounds and looks.
Technology has helped a lot to bring the world to our homes. In the beginning, there were photos, then moving picture and now live telecasts, showing things as they happen. We heave reached a point where we do not leave home and we think we can experience life through the screens of our TV and our computer.
But we cannot!
I’m OK, You’re OK!
A very common human expression is “I wish I could go back in time and change something. Then, my life would be different. I wish I could have a second chance”. Let’s explore this a bit, shall we?
Pick an event in your life, which you would give anything to go back to and change. Being unfair to someone close, breaking a leg because you weren’t careful enough, getting caught doing something you shouldn’t have done or anything else you wish hadn’t happened. Think of what this event caused in your life – pain, embarrassment, failure, etc, and make sure you’ve chosen an event you feel very strongly about.
Now, roll back your life to the point in time just before that event. But here’s the catch: you can’t take with you any of the knowledge and skills you’ve accumulated since the event. You must go back to being exactly the same you from before the event took place.
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Hugs: The Ultimate Antidepressant
For a while, I’ve been thinking of ways to motivate my readers to live an inspiring life that will make a difference. Many people think that the way we can make a difference is by doing big things and I think we need to re-define the meaning of “big”.
I think we can make a difference, a big difference, by changing the depression statistics in the world. One person at a time, we can teach how to put happiness in our hearts and chase away the darkness. And you are probably asking yourself, “And how do we do that with no budget, without the support of the government and without organizing ourselves in a formal way?”
Happiness!
During the holiday season, when people sum up the last year and get ready for the new year, we wish them a special wish of happiness. A simple, but the ultimate wish.
During the holidays, when the shops are full of people buying presents to each other, with much love and care, it is the best time to ask why.
Why do we buy things for each other? Why do we pay an expensive flight ticket to celebrate with the family? Why do we diet before a get together?
Deep inside, we all know that the reason we buy things, get together with family, diet or clean the carpet is our desire for good, happy feelings.
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Action!
The first step to getting your goal is to start moving. “Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there”, said Will Rogers. You see, in the fast-paced world of expanding knowledge and amazing technology, if you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backward. The world does not wait for us in sympathy, to just stop feeling sorry for ourselves, or sort out our excuses. Every day we procrastinate increases the gap, and tomorrow we’ll have to run faster in order to catch up.
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