Thomas Edison’s Top 5 Tips for Success

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

One of the problems in life is that people just give up too soon. I think quite a big bit of this because of social programming and the expectations set by society. It’s seen as pretty normal to try once or maybe a few times and then give up.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Now, how do you reframe failure? How do you look at it so you don’t feel overwhelmed and give up? Well, you can look at failure as a part of a process. You look at it as ways that won’t work. You draw lessons from those ways. Then you let that go, focus on the present and try again (this time perhaps in a different way).

“The value of an idea lies in the using of it.”

Useful information is good. But you have to put it to use sometime or you’ll never reap any benefits or success. This is a pretty common problem when you for instance get interested in personal development. You get a lot of books, programs etc. and you study them. And then you get more.

“Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.”

But just going for it, taking action and doing something isn’t enough. You have to ask yourself if what you are doing is useful? Or is it just another way to keep yourself busy, to keep yourself from doing what you really want to do?

“Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

There is a myth that geniuses mostly just are geniuses and can do great things pretty much as easily as you and I tie our shoelaces. But what is seldom mentioned or seen is how much the really successful people work. And how far the people that just practise, practise, practise can go.

5 Tips for Achieving Success

Some say that success is just luck. “Luck? Nonsense. The harder I work, the luckier I get” said multi-millionaire Ralph Engelstad. Hard work? Forget about that! Success is about laziness, says The Lazy Way to Success. So who is right?

Can we distill all the success literature into 5 simple pieces of advice that all the “success experts” can agree upon? I think you will find the Top 5 list below in all but the most radical personal development and success thinking out there:

1. Do What You Love

It is hard to argue with this one. Have you ever found anyone that is successful doing something they hate? I guess you can take the definition of success to any extreme, but I have a hard time accepting that anyone living in misery doing something they hate can be called successful. Naturally, doing what you love gets you the motivation and the excitement required to achieve success. In fact, for many, doing what you love is success in and of itself.

2. Perfect Your Game

If your definition of success is being great at something, then studies have shown that the secret to success is to practice to perfect your game. These studies even argue that natural talent is irrelevant, and that it is all about the practice. Regarless of which side of the nature versus nurture argument you simpathyse with, most people will agree that in order to be successful you have to perfect your game.

3. Be Unique

It is hard to imagine a clone being a symbol of success. Success is about bringing your own unique ways to the world, adding diversity and value. Most experts will agree that if you want to be successful you have to find you niche, you have to find ways to leverage your own unique gifts. Success, even in its very definition, is about your own unique perspective in our vast universe.

4. Believe in Yourself

I am yet to find a successful person that does not believe in himself. If you don’t believe in yourself, who will? Studies have shown that success is influenced by your mindset. Successful people believe that they can get better through their own efforts. If you want to be successful, start believing in yourself.

5. Never Give Up

Last but not least, every success guru will tell you that you must never give up. To be successful you must persist through failures, criticisms, rejections, and all the other negative things in life. You must have heard the old cliché that success is a journey, not a destination. In the success journey, the only time you can say for sure that you are not a success is when you give up on the journey.

Ayurveda Health Tips

Drinking Hot Water

Drinking hot water regularly is a classical Ayurvedic recommendation for balancing Vata and Kapha dosha, strengthening digestive power, and reducing metabolic waste (Ama) that may have accumulated. Boil a sufficient amount of unchlorinated tap water or (still) mineral water in an open saucepan, for at least ten minutes. Keep this water in a thermos flask and take a few sips (or more, if you are thirsty) every half-hour throughout the day. It is the frequency rather than the quantity that is important here. To increase the positive effect you can add 1-2 slices of fresh ginger (or a pinch of ginger powder) to the water when boiling it.

Exercising for Good Health

Exercise is an important part of Maharishi Ayurveda but as with many good things in life, there is a limit to the amount of exercise that should be taken, and if one goes beyond this, the results will be negative rather than positive.

1. Do not strain the body in your daily exercise. Remain within 50% of your capacity When you begin to breathe heavily or perspire a lot, then you should stop or slow down.
2. Regularity is the key to success. A quarter of an hour each day is better than five hours once a week.
3. Do your exercise preferably in the mornings between 6 and 10 o'clock.
4. Follow a healthy diet, and support mind and body with Ayurvedic food supplements.
5. Observe the important relaxation and regeneration phase after exercise.
6. Practise Yoga Asanas regularly.

Daily Oil Massage

One of the most enjoyable things you can do for your body and health is to have a full-body oil massage in the morning before your bath or shower. An oil massage has a soothing effect on the nervous system (Vata), strengthens the circulation, and helps to remove toxins from the body. The Ayurvedic texts explain that the use of oil massage brings about a soft, flexible, strong and attractive body. It is extremely beneficial for the skin and should therefore be done regularly.

Guidelines for oil massage

Allow about 15 minutes, in the morning. The massage can be done either standing up or sitting down, in a comfortably warm room. Ideally the oil should be heated beforehand to a little above body temperature. Massage slowly and evenly, using the whole hand. By the end of the massage, a thin film of oil should cover the whole body.

Start by massaging the head region, with small circular movements. Then do the neck, throat, shoulders, arms and hands. Massage the limbs with long straight strokes up and down; for the joints use circular movements. The chest and stomach area should be massaged very gently. Use circular strokes on the chest, straight up-and-down strokes over the breastbone and solar plexus. For the abdomen use a slow, circular, clockwise movement. Massage the back and the base of spine up and down with the flat of the hands - as far as you can comfortably reach. The legs are done in the same manner as the arms: circular movements on the joints, straight strokes on the limbs. Finally, massage the feet and the soles of the feet. Best results are achieved if you leave the oil on for 15 minutes at least, before taking a bath or a shower, so that the body has time to absorb the oil. If you are short of time, then massage only the head, ears and soles of the feet.

Soothing Sleep

Nowadays many people find it difficult to switch off in the evening and enjoy a good, deep sleep. The Ayurvedic texts give the following recommendations for people who have difficulty in sleeping: Regular oil massages; occupying oneself with pleasant and uplifting things; warm baths; light food in the evening (e.g. soups) and not taken too late; use of aroma oils; listening to relaxing and pleasingmusic; a comfortable bed and a pleasant atmosphere in the bedroom. Ayurveda recommends going to bed before ten o'clock: Each time of day has a different "quality". From 6 to 10 in the evening Kapha dosha is predominant, which facilitates failing asleep. From 10 o'clock onwards is Pitta time, when mental experiences should be being processed during sleep. If instead one remains awake, it is a common experience that the tiredness gradually disappears and one is then unable to fall asleep till well past midnight.

Relaxed Meals for Good Health

The following tips on healthy eating are simple and yet very effective. If your eating and dietary habits are substantially different from these, introduce the Ayurvedic guidelines gradually. These tips are for educational purposes only and should not be used to treat, diagnose or mitigate a disease. If you are under the care of a doctor check with her/him the suitability for you of these suggestions.

• Eat only when genuinely hungry and when your last meal is fully digested (about 3-6 hours after a main meal).
• Eat in a quiet and relaxed atmosphere. While eating you should not read, work or watch television. Always sit down to eat.
• Do not over eat. After eating, the stomach should be only up to 3/4 full.
• Sit quietly for 5-10 minutes at the end of each meal
• Lunch should be the main meal of the day. Breakfast and evening meals should be light. The evening meal should not be taken too late.
• In the evening avoid heavy foods such as meat, fish, yoghurt, cheese, buttermilk and fromage frais.
• Try to be regular in your meal times. Eat at the same times each day.
• Avoid eating between meals. Instead drink hot water, or if necessary eat ripe sweet fruit.
• Food should be freshly prepared; it should be wholesome and should taste good. Avoid reheated or stale food.
• Most of one's food should be cooked, as the body can more easily absorb cooked food. Raw food should be eaten only as a side dish (e. g. salad).
• Make use of culinary spices. They not only make the food tasty, but support the digestive processes as well.
• Include all 6 tastes in each meal: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. The tastes also have their own influence on the subtle inner balance of the physiology.
• During meals you may sip liquids such as water, juice or lassi. Do not drink a lot and avoid ice-cold drinks - they dampen down the digestive processes.
• Milk should not be drunk with the main meal. It can be taken alone or with a light meal of sweet tasting foods (e.g. toast, cereals etc). Minimise food of other tastes.
• Honey should not be heated above body temperature (40 degrees C) and therefore should not be used in cooking or baking.
• Take appropriate food supplements as required.

Ghee or Clarified Butter

Ghee has many fine qualities according to ayurveda. Used in cooking it enhances the sattva or pure quality in food. Also it acts as a digestive. It is good for both Vata and Pitta. Take 250g or more unsalted butter and melt slowly in a large pan. Gently simmer for 30-40 minutes. When the frothing has stopped and the ghee is clear and golden brown, remove from the heat and strain through muslin into glass jars. Ghee does not need to be refrigerated.

15 health tips for the new year

1. Wear a pedometer
2. Don't forget strength training
3. Don't pop too many vitamins.
4. Eat at least two fish meals per week.
5. Talk to your doctor about taking aspirin
6. Drink water.
7. Sleep 8 hours a night.
8. Keep sugar and caffeine -- the "legal evils" -- to a minimum.
9. Consider acupuncture and massage.
10. If you smoke, quit.
11. Don't focus on dieting. Focus on eating.
12. Budget your food as you do your money.
13. Eat three different foods at every meal.
14. Eating won't solve emotional problems.
15. Don't drink too many calories.