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9Jan

What are the benefits of living in a village instead of a city?

Village life is quite different from city life. Where city life is perfect for growing and stabilizing your career, the slower pace of life in a village can greatly benefit those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. In a village, there may be fewer distractions and fewer demands on one’s time, allowing people to focus on what is important to them and live a more fulfilling life. Here are the top 5 benefits of living in a village instead of a city:

Strong Sense of Community:

In a village, people often know their neighbors and are connected through shared experiences, activities, and events. If you’re a social person and love to inculcate social values for yourself and your family then the village lifestyle is for you. This can create a strong sense of community and a feeling of belonging. In a city, building these kinds of connections can be more difficult due to the larger population and more anonymous nature of city life.

Reduced Cost of living:

Villages tend to be cheaper places to live compared to cities, with lower housing costs, lower taxes, and lower cost of living expenses in general. This can make it easier for people to save money and afford a higher standard of living. For example, housing costs in a village may be lower due to the smaller demand for housing and lower property values. Similarly, the cost of living in a village may be lower due to the lower cost of goods and services, as there is often less competition and fewer high-priced options.

Natural beauty:

Village life is a boon for nature lovers. Due to lower pollution and natural habitat, villages are often surrounded by natural beauty and heritages. Villages are regularly located in rural areas, which means they have access to natural beauty, such as forests, mountains, and rivers. This can be a great source of recreation and can improve mental health and well-being. For example, people living in a village may enjoy hiking, fishing, or birdwatching in their local area.

Better Health:

The air in villages is often fresher and cleaner than in cities, which can benefit people with allergies or respiratory problems. The slower pace of life in villages can also be healthier, as it can reduce stress and help people to live a more balanced lifestyle. For example, people living in a village may have more time to engage in physical activity, relax, and pursue hobbies, which can improve overall health and well-being.

Sense of history:

Villages often have a long history and a rich cultural heritage, which can be interesting and enriching for those who live there. In a village, people can learn about and experience the traditions, customs, and way of life of their ancestors and community. This can give people a sense of connection to the past and the place where they live and can also be a source of pride and identity.

Conclusion

Overall, villages can be great places to raise families, as they often have a tight-knit community with strong family ties. This can provide children with a supportive environment in which to grow up, as they may have access to a network of relatives, friends, and neighbors who can offer guidance and support.

Of course, there are also benefits to living in a city, and the decision of whether to live in a village or a city will depend on an individual’s personal preferences and circumstances. However, for those who value a strong sense of community, a lower cost of living, a peaceful and quiet environment, easy access to nature, and more space, living in a village may be the ideal choice.

You can read this article Is Village Life Better Than City Life?

6Jan

Overcoming Depression

Are you feeling depressed, or do you know someone else who is? Read on to find about more about what it is it, and learn a number strategies to help prevent it, or reduce the severity of the symptoms if you have it.

INTRO

Depression is a common mental health problem, which can be really serious, and is prevalent throughout the world. Globally, more than 300 million people of all ages suffer from depression. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease.

Depression is usually assessed on a degree of severity, ranging from mild, to moderate, to severe. It should be treated quite seriously, because in the more severe cases it can lead to self-harm and even suicide.

SYMPTOMS

Depression can include a wide variety of symptoms which affect our mood, emotions and behaviours. Some of these include feeling sad, irritability, worthless, empty, hopeless, suicidal and numb.

Behavioural changes can include: avoiding social interaction, lack of interesting in hobbies, loss of sex drive, memory problems, lack of energy, sleeping trouble, no appetite, change in weight, use of drugs and alcohol etc.

CAUSE

Depression is believe to be caused by a complex interaction of social, psychological and biological factors.

Some of these known risk factors include: childhood adversity, bereavement, abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, neglect), bullying, unemployment, divorce, significant stress, medical diagnosis, prolonged isolation etc. Some studies show that biological factors, such as genetics, and hormones, may also contribute to the development of depression.

TIP 1: CBT

CBT stands for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, which is a commonly prescribed treatment for a variety of mental health problems including depression. CBT is based on the concept that our thoughts, feelings and behaviours are all related and can affect each other.

For example, we may experience negative feelings which we believe are objectively true, but on closer inspection they are partially caused by unhealthy and distorted thought patterns. Once we become aware of what these thought patterns are, we can label them, and try to change them into more healthy and positive and ones. This, in turn, may affect our behaviours.

You can do this be familiarising yourself with cognitive distortions, which are exaggerated or irrational thought patterns. Here are some of the most common ones:

All-or-Nothing Thinking: Evaluating the self, as well as events in life in extreme terms. It is either all good or all bad, either black or white, nothing in between
Overgeneralization: Making hasty generalizations from insufficient evidence. Drawing a very broad conclusion from a single incident or a single piece of evidence.
Mental Filter: Focusing entirely on negative elements of a situation to the exclusion of the positive. Also, the brain’s tendency to filter information that does not conform to already-held beliefs.
Disqualifying the Positive: Discounting positive events
Jumping to Conclusions: Reaching preliminary conclusions (usually negative) with little (if any) evidence.
Magnification and Minimization: Giving proportionally greater weight to a perceived failure, weakness or threat, or lesser weight to a perceived success, strength or opportunity, so that the weight differs from that assigned by others, such as “making a mountain out of a molehill”.
Emotional Reasoning: Presuming that negative feelings expose the true nature of things and experiencing reality as a reflection of emotionally linked thoughts. Thinking something is true, solely based on a feeling.
Should Statements: Expecting the world to be different than it is”. It can be seen as demanding particular achievements or behaviours regardless of the realistic circumstances of the situation.
Labeling and Mislabeling: A form of overgeneralization; attributing a person’s actions to his or her character instead of to an attribute. Rather than assuming the behaviour to be accidental or otherwise extrinsic, one assigns a label to someone or something that is based on the inferred character of that person or thing.
Personalization: Attributing personal responsibility, including the resulting praise or blame, to events over which the person has no control.

TIP 2: Exercise

Regular exercise has been shown to help lower the effects of depression. This is due to several reasons including:

Taking our mind off worries – Rather than ruminating about problems, being proactive can help to distract us from negative cycles of thinking.

Releasing endorphins – feel good chemicals in the brain which can enhance our sense of well-being.

Confidence – you are actively trying to improve yourself, and becoming fitter at the same time, so you are naturally going to feel better about yourself.

Social interaction – joining the gym, going for a run in the park, or joining a sports team may introduce you to other like minded people.

TIP 3: Self-esteem

A common problem associated with depression is low self-esteem. Whether low self-esteem is a cause or effect of depression, it doesn’t really matter, as long as we can identify it and begin to increase it.

Aside from reframing any negative beliefs and thought patterns, outlined in TIP #1, you can also raise self-esteem by trying to improve yourself and your life in a number of ways:

1) Skills and talents: Learn a new skill, take up a new hobby, and increase your repertoire of talents.

2) Achievements: Set goals and aim to accomplish them. A sense of achievement can do wonders for self-esteem.

3) Relationships: Healthy relationships are really important to our overall sense of well being, so minimise negative and toxic ones, grow existing positives ones, and even seek out new ones if necessary.

4) Self-compassion: If you ever feel low, practice having compassion for yourself, like you would for a close friend or family member.

5. Assertive communication: Make an effort to communicate more assertively rather than passively, aggressively, or passive-aggressively.

6) Challenge and growth: Growth is an important part of life, so every once in a while challenge yourself to come out of your comfort zone, and try something new.

QUOTES

To end this post, here’s a few of my favourite quotes related to depression:

“Release of shame is an antidepressant.” ~ Johann Hari

“Only in the darkness can you see the stars.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr

“You’re not a bad person for the ways you tried to kill your sadness.” ~ Unknown

“Depression is your body saying ‘fuck you, I don’t want to be this character anymore’. I don’t want to hold up this avatar that you’ve created in a world that’s too much for me.” ~ Jim Carrey

“That’s the thing about depression: A human being can survive almost anything, as long as she sees the end in sight. But depression is so insidious, and it compounds daily, that it’s impossible to ever see the end.” ~ Elizabeth Wurtzel
Source Reddit

6Jan

How to stay strong while helping someone with depression

Depression not only affects the person, but also everyone around them, too.

Unless you have a moral obligation to save this person, for example being a mother, sister, brother, etc… You need to let go. He is bringing you down with him. You will suffer the same fate. Save yourself.

You need to understand that you can’t save people who don’t want to be saved. I’ve tried and it’s taken a toll on me. It sucks but there’s really nothing you can do. Broken people have the mindset to keep themselves broken. ONLY THEMSELVES can pull themself out of depression.

I admire your empathy, and I believe you’re a good person. I would hate to see a good person like yourself get pulled into the same darkness as your friend. You need to let go and find peace that you can’t save him.

I hope your friend saves himself. Don’t get sucked into his darkness. Let go before it’s too late for you.

Some advice on helping someone with depression here: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/depression/for-friends-and-family/

And if it’s affecting you, then this post might help too: Overcoming Depression

2Jan

6 Easy Ways To Stop Overthinking Everything

Notice When You’re Stuck in

Your Head Overthinking can become such a habit that you don’t even recognize when you’re doing it.

• When you’re replaying events in your mind over and over, or worrying about things you can’t control, acknowledge that this isn’t productive.

Thinking is only helpful when it leads to positive action.

2. Keep the Focus on Problem-Solving

Dwelling on your problems isn’t helpful but looking for solutions is.

• If it’s something you have some control over, consider how you can prevent the problem, or challenge yourself to identify the potential solutions.

• Focus on the things you can control, like your attitude and effort.

Challenge Your Thoughts

It’s easy to get carried away with negative thoughts.

• Remember that your emotions will interfere with your ability to look at situations objectively.

• Take a step back and look at the evidence. What evidence do you have that your thought is true? What evidence do you have that your thought isn’t true?

Let Go of The Past

• Overthinkers often focus on the past, expending energy on “what ifs” and “should haves.”

• Past can’t be changed. The only thing you can change is the meaning you give to it.

Letting go of the past means you don’t let your mistakes control your future decisions. It’s one of the most significant ways you can change your story.

Distract yourself

Telling yourself to stop thinking about something will backfire.

• The more you try to prevent a thought from entering your brain, the more likely it is to keep popping up. Change the channel in your brain by changing your activity.

• Exercise, engage in conversation on a completely different subject, or work on a project that distracts you.

Live In The Moment

Living in the moment is key to learning how to stop overthinking.

• You can take control of your mind and stop negative emotions in their tracks. Identify overthinking before spirals out of control and take a minute to reset.

Daily rituals like meditation and priming can help you retrain your brain to live in the moment. Soon you’ll find it comes naturally.

30Dec

How to maintain well-being amidst multiple life stressors?

Sorry to hear about your situation. As they say, when it rains it pours and you have been flooded.

Meditation (Dr Ainslie Meares method) is one of my favorite methods for reducing tension, anxiety, and fear. It is very effective. However, there are many different factors that can support his type of meditation as it were. I often mention his books, like Ainslie Meares on Meditation, as a cheap way to start learning it but, in your situation a book would be yet another cost to your budget. So, some thoughts on some other supports that might help.

There are some charities and similar organizations that provide free, reliable financial and legal advice. A good source might be able to help. For example, they might be able to suggest which costs are likely. Or, to suggest strategies to minimise the losses. Not perfect but better than things may seem at present.

In relation to the knee injury, in some countries\states if work contributes or aggravates a pre-existing injury then this counts from a legal compensation perspective. You should at least find out what the situation is in your jurisdiction. Good free legal advice should explain the facts, your options and the downsides as well as upsides of each of them.

A torn knee cartilage needs to be treated carefully and you should not attempt anything that might make the knee worse. The Egoscue method has various gentle exercises that does help with things like knee pain. for example, my own left knee and those of others helped make this clear. One practices these gentle exercises provided they do not increase pain. Increasing pain might mean further damage is occurring. You should also show the exercises to your doctor, before you try them out.

https://youtu.be/HHuts-sH_d8

The third exercise involves laying down on the ground and you would need to figure out how to get down to the ground and back up again without causing pain in the knee. A chair,box AND a human partner might all be needed to do this safely. That being said, if any of these exercises caused pain in the injured area you will need to cease them immediately as your injury is being made worse.

Good luck with things.

29Dec

Good anti-aging cream for men/ women recommendations?

Men tend to produce more sebum so they have an oilier complexion which niacinamide would help with, and they also shave their faces far more often which damages the skin barrier. To keep from getting folliculitis, use a cleanser in the evening and just water in the morning, a gentle exfoliator with aha/bha such as lactic acid or salicylic acid two/three days after shaving is good. Some moisturizer with ceramides and hyaluronic acid to add moisture and protect the skin barrier. Top off with an SPF to prevent sun spots and aging.

I recommend: the ordinary niacinamide 2/3 times per week, the ordinary – lactic acid 48-72 hrs after shaving, Dr. Jart vital hydra solution+ no7 hydraluminous water concentrate twice daily, cerave SA cleanser/hydrating cleanser once daily, and cerave moisturizing lotion twice daily

Retinol and Vitamin c are powerful anti-aging products too with consistent usage. They will give the best results but you HAVE to use SPF with them as they make you photosensitive

A retinol or anti-oxidant (like vitamin c) could be a good place to start, but I recommend checking out r/skincareaddicts for more in depth information about skincare and anti-aging.

26Dec

Here’s how to increase self-esteem and build confidence

A little backstory which you can skip: I was a complete loser, I’d lie about the person I wanted to be, I’d be so insecure of taking a single picture that after taking one I’d edit the fuck out of it making myself look even more weird matching those gross beauty standards, I couldn’t talk in social situations due to my social anxiety and was always awkward and didn’t get exposed to much social situations, it’d overwhelm me when ppl would display talents and have so much personality and zest in them and I’d always compare myself and fall flat. I came from a super small house and we had tons of financial issues, I couldn’t afford to have a decent diet, no clothes which would look good on me cuz I was so fucking fat, self harming, no good relations w family, barely any in real life friends, etc like, you can imagine how fucked up it was and it’s not even the end of the things I was facing but I mentioned these cuz they’d seem relatable. Now, I hit gym 6 days a week, lost weight from 85 kgs to 68 kgs, kickboxing, learning flute, quit porn and all social media except reddit, reading books, meditating, socialising and speaking my mind often, forcing myself to get out of my comfort zones, making helpful notes as I journal, learning shuffle dance, more about investing, doing well w studies, I’m so much liked and respected by my friends, developed a good bond w my family right from the scratch, I’m a lot more patient too, having amazing convos w ppl and I’m speaking my mind out, who’re genuinely so nice and kind at the gym, clg and at the kickboxing gym, getting some really nice attention from the girls around, my mental health is getting better and better and I’m so grateful for all the good and bad things which happened to me, basically I’m doing well w every aspect of life!

Here’s how to increase confidence and self-esteem:

Confidence is boosted when you expose yourself to difficult situations and come over them. You have to leave many things behind like how you’ll look in front of the camera or what others think of you, try not to care about it or even if you’re feeling afraid, do it anyway, cuz no matter what, you’ll live, you’ll survive this social situation. Ppl are only concerned about themselves, they won’t remember how stupid you looked. The more you expose yourself, the more confident and stronger you’ll come out to be. Cold approach that woman you found pretty, ask your tailor how did his day go, have deep and personal conversations w your friends like just show that you’re interested and ask more about them, pick up a new hobby which might scare you or try to break that gym PR by a small limit (pls be safe and no ego lifting.) GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE! And don’t ever lie to yourself, STOP LYING! TO OTHERS AND TO YOURSELF! Show your real self, I’ve started to upload more pictures of myself on stories too and it’s so freeing, to show your real self without editing and scraping it cuz you look so weird. TAKE THAT RISK!

Journal your insecurities, write down how to get over them as well, you know the answer deep down. If you don’t, there’s YouTube to help you out but yes, you’ll have to put in the time to map out a schedule which you can execute. Set up goals, literally sit down and write what kind of person you want to be and how you could be that, then slowly start incorporating things and habits to become who you want to be. Start gratitude journalling, it’s 100% effective way to become happier.
Go on a dopamine detox, slowly start incorporating healthier habits (Cuz tons of things would overwhelm you), start w personal and basic hygiene, beard cut/hair cut every 2-3 weeks, start wearing stainless steel accessories which are cheap, get clothes which fit or alter them accordingly, take care of your skin (Wake up early and at the same time everyday, wash your face w face wash, then apply moisturizer and then sunscreen before stepping out in the sun, basic skincare is that easy and it’ll do wonders to your skin), eat healthy food like 225g of spinach, 4 eggs and 2 carrots everyday along w high protein diet, these should be a non compromising thing cuz it improves your skin so much and makes you look better w tons of nutrients, looking better makes you feel better and appear more confident! Looks matter! Join a gym, lose that extra fat, get dream body, eat in a calorie deficit and w high protein! Gym is so so SO IMPORTANT!
Tell yourself you’re grateful for how much you’re putting in efforts for yourself, gratitude journal daily, find out the things which you love about yourself, NSDR daily for 15 mins, it’s like easy meditation for beginners and helps you feel rejuvenated, incorporate skills and be good at them, it takes time, but you’ll be good at them someday and progress makes one so happy, take baby steps to achieve the realistic goals which you’ve set up for yourself, your respect for yourself will start slowly increasing cuz you’re slowly becoming the person you want to be, upgrade your self image, cuz you’ll keep falling back into the patterns of the person you think you’re, tell yourself you’re a work in progress or you’re an athlete or an artist or anything which uplifts your self image, then things will start to become easier to stick to cuz they’ll become the new norm of what your self image is, you need to absolutely earn your own respect!
Talk to people, man, please talk to people, get to know about them and their interest of things or the random things they talk about, you get to learn so much. Go out there, find good ppl who have a growth mindset and are working on themselves, loneliness and all that lone wolf bs sucks, I was there, all my life but being w nice ppl is just so amazing, to increase your social skills I strongly recommend reading How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie, then read The Rudest Book Ever by Shwetabh Gangwar, then I recommend Compound effect, these books are perfect cuz each focuses on different aspects, first for social skills, second for self image and self respect, last one for healthier habits/for success, if you have some issues to read them in a physical copy then audiobooks or PDFs are available too online. YOU GOT THIS!!! DON’T GIVE UP, DON’T LOSE HOPE! Tell yourself everyday it’s only about to get better and no matter what, you’ll be okay. Adopt an abundance mindset!

24Dec

Tips to build resilience

Get Together: Talk with your friends and, yes, even with your parents.
Understand that your parents may have more life experience than you do,
even if it seems they never were your age. They may be afraid for you if you’re
going through really tough times and it may be harder for them to talk about
it than it is for you! Don’t be afraid to express your opinion, even if your
parent or friend takes the opposite view. Ask questions and listen to the
answers. Get connected to your community, whether it’s as part of a church
group or a high school group.
Cut Yourself Some Slack: When something bad happens in your life,
the stresses of whatever you’re going through may heighten daily stresses.
Your emotions might already be all over the map because of hormones and
physical changes; the uncertainty during a tragedy or trauma can make these
shifts seem more extreme. Be prepared for this and go a little easy on your-
self, and on your friends.
Create A Hassle-Free Zone: Make your room or apartment a “hassle-
free zone”—not that you keep everyone out, but home should be a haven
free from stress and anxieties. But understand that your parents and siblings
may have their own stresses if something serious has just happened in your
life and may want to spend a little more time than usual with you.
Stick To The Program: Spending time in high school or on a college cam-
pus means more choices; so let home be your constant. During a time of major
stress, map out a routine and stick to it. You may be doing all kinds of new
things, but don’t forget the routines that give you comfort, whether it’s the things
you do before class, going out to lunch, or have a nightly phone call with a friend.
Take Care Of Yourself: Be sure to take care of yourself—physically,
mentally, and spiritually. And get sleep. If you don’t, you may be more grouchy
and nervous at a time when you have to stay sharp. There’s a lot going on,
and it’s going to be tough to face if you’re falling asleep on your feet.
Take Control: Even in the midst of tragedy, you can move toward
goals one small step at a time. During a really hard time, just getting out of
bed and going to school may be all you can handle, but even accomplishing
Resilience For Teens: Got Bounce? 21
that can help. Bad times make us feel out of control—grab some of that
control back by taking decisive action.
Express Yourself: Tragedy can bring up a bunch of conflicting emo-
tions, but sometimes, it’s just too hard to talk to someone about what you’re
feeling. If talking isn’t working, do something else to capture your emotions
like start a journal, or create art.
Help Somebody: Nothing gets your mind off your own problems like
solving someone else’s. Try volunteering in your community or at your school,
cleaning up around the house or apartment, or helping a friend with his or
her homework.
Put Things In Perspective: The very thing that has you stressed out may
be all anyone is talking about now. But eventually, things change and bad times
end. If you’re worried about whether you’ve got what it takes to get through
this, think back on a time when you faced up to your fears, whether it was
asking someone on a date or applying for a job. Learn some relaxation tech-
niques, whether it’s thinking of a particular song in times of stress, or just
taking a deep breath to calm down. Think about the important things that
have stayed the same, even while the outside world is changing. When you
talk about bad times, make sure you talk about good times as well.
Turn It Off: You want to stay informed—you may even have home-
work that requires you to watch the news. But sometimes, the news, with its
focus on the sensational, can add to the feeling that nothing is going right.
Try to limit the amount of news you take in, whether it’s from television,
newspapers or magazines, or the internet. Watching a news report once in-
forms you; watching it over and over again just adds to the stress and con-
tributes no new knowledge.
You can learn resilience. But just because you learn resilience doesn’t mean
you won’t feel stressed or anxious. You might have times when you aren’t
happy—and that’s OK. Resilience is a journey, and each person will take his
or her own time along the way. You may benefit from some of the resilience
tips above, while some of your friends may benefit from others. The skills of
resilience you learn during really bad times will be useful even after the bad
times end, and they are good skills to have every day. Resilience can help you
be one of the people who’ve “got bounce.”

Credit Source: TEEN HEALTH SERIES Mental Health Information for Teens Health Tips about Mental Wellness and Mental Illness book

23Dec

How to Create the Life That You Want in 1 Year

DO A LIFE AUDIT.

Doing a life audit is crucial for pinpointing where to make adjustments and jumpstarting your new journey.

Start by figuring out where you stand in the 8 areas of life-health, finances, personal development, career, relationship, self-care, home life, and free time.

MAKE A MINDSET SHIFT.

Your mindset is what sets the tone for everything in your life. Changing your mindset is what will change your life. What we think and believe is what we act upon.

Change your perspective- from now on anytime negative happens, instead of feeling like a victim, ask yourself what you can control or change.

CREATE A VISION.

Having a vision means we have a clear sense of purpose. It means we have much large picture of our business, or our life, then simply setting and reaching short term goals and tackling problems as they come along.

Visions are driven by passion and dreams, and they are reflected through real efforts to create real results.

WORK ON YOURSELF DAILY.

Once you have your vision, the fog lifts and your road map start to become clear again.

But nobody is going to drive the car for you. You’ve got to put in the work to achieve your goals and change your life.

Consistently, daily practice is how you make that happen. If you watered the plants just a little each day, over time you garden always grew.

DESIGN YOUR ENVIRONMENT FOR SUCCESS.

If you want to change your life, YOU aren’t the only thing that has to change- your environment has to change too. For example, if you always hang out with negative-thinking friends, you’ll tend to believe that limitations they’re setting for you.

However, if you hang out with other “do’ers” and people who want to see you succeed, there’s a much higher chance that you will.

LEARN NEW SKILLS AND IMPROVE UPON YOUR EXISTING ONES.

Nothing will change your life faster than building new skills. Whatever the case, imagine a year where you start out having a limited skill set.

The delicate time during your day to build your skills.

Learn them via books, videos, and podcasts, but don’t forget to physically practice your skills too.

7) LASTLY, ENJOY THE PROCESS.

The whole point of this exercise is to CHANGE. That what you initially sought isn’t what you want anymore.

Don’t get so focused on the process that you lose sight of what you want and most importantly…. have fun.

21Dec

The 20 things I wish I’d known in my 20s

THERE IS ONE key factor that can either damage your relationship or deepen them: your attitude. If you’re hoping to grow and maintain positive relationships in your life, read on. Below you will find a twenty-step attitude adjustment guaranteed to help you do just that.

1. Stop holding grudges.

Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness.

2. Stop complaining.

Instead, use your time and energy to do something about it.

3. Stop meaning what you don’t say

People can’t read minds. Communicate regularly and effectively.

4. Stop making it all about you.

The world revolves around the sun, not you. Take a moment to acknowledge this truth on a regular basis

5. Stop lying.

In the long run, the truth always reveals itself. Either you own up to your actions or your actions will ultimately own you.

6. Stop blaming.

When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility-you give up your power over that part of your life, and you annoy everyone around you in the process.

7. Stop doubting.

Don’t let your self-doubt interfere with other people’s dreams. Be supportive, or stay out of the way.

8. Stop interrupting.

Correcting someone when they’re blatantly wrong is one thing, but always interjecting your opinions out of turn gets old fast.

9. Stop being selfish.

You get what you put into a relationship. Nothing less, nothing more.

10. Stop judging.

Everyone is fighting their own unique war. You have no clue what they are going through, just like they have no clue what you’re going through.

11. Stop gossiping.

Gossiping about others is always a lose-lose. It hurts them, and then it hurts your reputation.

12. Stop making promises you can’t keep.
Don’t over-promise. Instead, overdeliver- to others and yourself.

13. Stop being defensive.

Just because someone sees something differently then you doesn’t mean either one of you is wrong. Keep an open 5mind. Otherwise, you’ll never discover anything new.

14. Stop comparing people to others.

No two people are like. Everyone has their own strengths. We are only ever competing against ourselves.

15. Stop expecting people to be perfect.

Perfect is the enemy of good and genuine goodness is hard to find in this world. Don’t overlook it.

16. Stop trying to be everything to everyone.

It’s impossible. But making one person smile can change their world. So narrow your focus.

17. Stop cheating others just because you can get away with it.

Just because you can get away with something doesn’t mean you should do it. Think bigger. Do what you know in your heart is right.

18. Stop making mountains out of molehills.

People make mistakes. There’s no reason to stress out yourself and everyone around you because of it. Ask yourself, “Will this matter in one year’s time?” If not, let it go.

19. Stop being dramatic.

Stay out of other people’s drama and don’t needlessly create your own.

20. Stop giving out advice, and just listen

Less advice is often the best advice. People don’t need lots of advice, they need a listening ear and some positive reinforcement. What they want to know is already somewhere inside of them. They just need time to think, be, and breathe, and continue to explore the undirected journeys that will eventually help them find their direction.