Naren Raykar - Design Happy Life

Being out of comfort zone is the exciting phase of learning. So 'raising the bar' is not only for setting the bigger goal, but to spend good amount of life outside comfort zone and keep the exciting phase alive.

Things I didn't learn after the first half marathon , but learnt 11 years later.

1. It gets easier than it appears. Stay at it
2. It is more enjoyable if you learn to love it.
3. You may be alone for the majority of the time but not being lonely is a choice all along.
4. You can continue to improve at any stage .
5. What you let your body and mind consume determines the result.
6. Don't get tied to a goal, but you must have one.
7. Enjoy other people's success
8. A smile, a cheer, few words, friendly gesture is enough to connect someone's journey with yours, even if it lasts a few moments
9. Dreams don't let you sleep, even when it is the same dream you are reliving
10. Time gives the best returns possible on any investment.

Here are interesting points from "The Joy Diet" by Martha Beck. She presents these as 10 "menu items" to be practiced daily for increasing joy and zest:

1. Nothing (15 minutes daily)
- Practice absolute stillness and mental quietude
- Start each day with mindful presence
- Observe thoughts without engaging them
- Foundation for all other practices

2. Truth-Telling
- Practice radical honesty with yourself first
- Notice when you're telling yourself lies/stories
- Ask "Is this absolutely true?" about negative thoughts
- Journal your true feelings without censorship

3. Desire
- Identify what you truly want, not what you "should" want
- Pay attention to physical and emotional responses
- Follow your genuine interests and attractions
- Ask "What do I really want right now?"

4. Creativity
- Take one small step toward a desire each day
- Brainstorm multiple ways to achieve your goals
- Try new approaches to old problems
- Break out of routine regularly

5. Risk
- Take one small risk daily
- Step outside comfort zone incrementally
- Face one fear in a manageable way
- Celebrate attempts regardless of outcome

6. Treats
- Give yourself three genuine treats daily
- Must be healthy and conscious choices
- Can be small but should feel special
- No guilt or "earning" required

7. Play
- Engage in one purposeless activity daily
- Do something just for fun
- Let go of productive/achievement focus
- Reconnect with childlike wonder

8. Laughter
- Seek opportunities for genuine laughter
- Share humor with others
- Don't take yourself too seriously
- Keep a humor journal

9. Connection
- Make meaningful contact with others daily
- Share authentic feelings
- Listen deeply to others
- Express appreciation

10. Feasting
- Savor one thing fully each day
- Could be food, experience, or moment
- Use all your senses
- Practice complete presence

Beck recommends adding these practices gradually, starting with "Nothing" and adding a new one each week. The key is consistency rather than perfection

Enjoy trying!

Nothing is 'Absolute" when it comes to our brain's understanding of the world and the reality

You will discover how happy you are only when you meet more unhappy people
& you will discover how unhappy you are when you meet happier people.

You will know how poor you are when you meet richer people and how rich you are when you meet poorer people.

Our brain can not judge anything external in absolute terms be it anything.

But when it turns inward and looks for the reality of existence within, there is only one absolute reality; it experiences all-pervasive awareness or consciousness.

just experience it.

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It is good to look for hope from the future than trying to tie joy from the past

Honesty in its purest form is brutal.

However beyond the brutality lies some opportunity to free ourselves from suffering. The suffering which is caused by having fake or dishonest elements in our behaviour .

I wish this Deepavali , the diyas we light, will help all of us see life in more honest light and inspire us to be less hypocritical while being compassionate and selfless as much as possible

With a hope that it will bring peace and calmness to enhance mental and physical health.

Pursuing happiness

When it comes to complex situation in relationships or situations where we face expectations & demands.
3 simple guidelines have helped me manage myself and the situation/relationships a little bit better.

1. I like it and I am happy about it – Pursue, Actively Support, Fulfill
2. I don’t like it, and it makes me unhappy - Actively Reject, No Compromise, Propose alternate
3. I dislike it, but it does not make me unhappy – Let it Go. If needed accept , and move on.

As I started applying, I realised that most situations that brought unnecessary negative emotions and suffering actually fall in category 3 and not in category 2 !

I am experiencing the journey of the slow but frequent disappearance of the ego’ with increased daily happiness and mental peace.

And one interesting revelation !

"Most things that we dislike, don't make us unhappy!"

If you ever need inspiration for doing anything, simply open your eyes and pay attention to people around.

A daily routine of 3-4 km walk, an hour of lawn tennis and then table tennis for another hour.

At 81, he enjoys the park bench alone...and in groups

All this with an enthusiastic smile on his face and contentment in the heart.

Nice meeting parasuram uncle ,

If you ever need inspiration for doing anything, simply open your eyes and pay attention to people around.

A daily routine of 3-4 km walk, an hour of lawn tennis and then table tennis for another hour.

At 81, he enjoys the park bench alone...and in groups

All this with an enthusiastic smile on his face and contentment in the heart.

Nice meeting parasuram uncle ,

Tools and goals are different and not the same,
Knowing the difference helps win life's game!

Happiness is a completely mouldable imagined invention of human beings.

Trying to discover it, is a futile endeavor.

Just invent it!