5MB #3: The Tea Cup And Other Reflections

Ideas for transformation!

5 IDEAS FOR A BETTER YOU

Productivity

We never have all the right answers. We figure them out on the way.

There is no point in waiting to get all the answers.

Start as soon as you have sufficient information, not all the answers!

Fitness

Movement and flexibility are the key drivers of fitness.

Move more! Stretch more!

Mental Health

You often hear people advising you to make someone smile every day.

This is good advice.

But did you make yourself smile today?

This is also important.

You can be cheerful to others when you are cheerful to yourself.

Self-love is equally essential.

Personal Finance

Never think that any saving is small.

Small savings can also become big over the years through the magic of compounding.

Just save whatever you can!

Habit Building

In habit-building, if you can clearly articulate "why" you want to build a habit, you will figure out a sustainable "how" to do it.

1 INSPIRATION TO CHARGE YOU UP

There was a famous Zen master.

Once, one arrogant person visited him to learn the Zen philosophy.

The master sensed his arrogance from the way he was talking.

He invited him to his house and offered him tea.

He started pouring tea into the visitor’s cup.

He kept pouring till the cup was full.

And then he continued pouring even when tea was spilling on the table.

The visiting man became exasperated seeing this.

“Stop. You are spilling the tea,” the visiting man said in anger.

“Exactly. How can I teach you anything if your mind is full of your own ideas? I can teach only when you empty it to make space for new learning,” the master said calmly.

That’s the lesson.

To learn something new, we need to make space for it by discarding irrelevant and outdated knowledge. We cannot learn anything new if we are not ready to discard some of our existing ideas and opinions.

1 THING YOU MUST TRY NEXT WEEK

Decide one new habit you want to develop. Resolve to do it every day the next week.

Keep it small so that you can manage to do it even if you have only 5 minutes for it.

Just stick to it for a week. And if it makes you feel good, repeat it for another week.