COMMON SENSE: THE SOULMATE OF WISDOM

Common Sense: One Step closer to wisdom

Common sense equates to wisdom, whereas an academic understanding of specific areas of life equates to knowledge.  In simpler terms, what common sense boils down to is a sound understanding of how life works.

Albert Einstein’s quote:

“Nothing happens until something moves”

Tens of millions of people seem to be waiting around for something good to happen in their lives, while expending enormous amounts of energy complaining about their “bad luck.” While in search of the magic formula for success, they mistakenly overlook the importance of something as simple as common sense.

Common sense is a practical view and approach to us, to other people, and to all aspects of living. It is how we deal with issues and problems, how we manage our own thoughts, our beliefs, our attitudes and how we cope with other people.

Common sense is much more than problem solving.  It also involves taking a sensible perspective, having functional attitudes and beliefs, being able to tackle a range of problems, getting on with people when it matters.

Common sense is natural ability to apply good sense in practical matters. Common sense is something you don’t must be told about. You should just figure out on your own. Wisdom comes with time and experience. It is incredible how much we complicate our lives just by
not taking a moment to think with simple common sense.

We are born with five senses- touch, taste, sight, smell and hearing. but successful people have sixth sense- common sense. common sense is the ability to see things as they are and do them as they are ought to be done. The application of education and knowledge without common sense is meaningless. Common-sense may not necessarily come because of education.
The best education without common sense is worthless.
An abundance of common sense is called wisdom.

Common sense is just one of wisdom’s messengers. The Buddha said, “we should test everything against our own reason and common sense.” This includes the current common sense. And if the current common sense feels all wrong to you, then you have a higher calling to wisdom that is often counter intuitive, counter cultural, and stubbornly free to change and question and stay open. For most of the problems there are simple solutions, but it is our “brilliant” minds that complicate every simple solution.
Common sense can solve the toughest complexities!

    Living a Better Life 

Ø  Keep promises - People with good sense aren’t flakes. They do what they say and by maintaining their integrity, they build trusting relationships. People with good sense are people you can count on.

Ø  Know when to say no - People with good sense understand this. They know what they can handle, and which behaviours are unacceptable in other people and are able to confidently and clearly state their

limits.

Ø  Don’t toxify your body - Common sense would tell you that smoking, eating junk food, getting high or binge drinking are stupid things to do, yet so many people ignore this logic and over-indulge. People with good sense seek healthier alternatives and honour their bodies.

Ø  Make goals and plans - People with good sense look forward to their futures. They have a plan, but they understand that being rigid isn’t useful. Unexpected opportunities can always arise as can sudden setbacks and it’s important to accept change and go with the flow as one works towards his or her goal.

Ø  The prioritization - To make sure important needs and great ideas make it all the way to Success. Your calendar never lies.

You can’t say one thing and schedule another. Do what’s important first. Focus on importance, not urgency. Make decisions, not excuses. 

Ø  Set goals for yourself - If you don't know where you want to go do you honestly think your lazy but is ever going to get there? Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality.

Ø Patience... Success is NOT overnight - Success is "progressive" with many avenues to it and as it's been stated before "Don't Rush" as that alone can kill the work and time that you've invested into it. Be patient and the fruits of your labour will come.

Ø Keep Active - Certain health conditions that can impair cognitive skills include diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnoea, depression, hypothyroidism, and high LDL (bad) cholesterol. A strong body and a healthy mind are vital to ensure you function at your best. Stretch, your muscles need it! Instead of sitting down in front of the TV each night, pick something different to entertain yourself

Ø Stay Social - Try to maintain your close personal relationships with family members, friends, church members, neighbours, and other important people in your life. Even if they’re not close by, you can keep in touch by e-mail or Facebook. you will find more joy and satisfaction in life — and there is a good chance you will stay healthier as you age.

Ø Pain is part of life - You should stand up for your right to feel pain – to endure it – to own your scars – to deal with the realities of life and love, as you grow into the strongest, wisest, truest version of yourself.

Ø Mindset is half the battle - Life isn’t perfect, but it sure is good.  Our goal shouldn’t be to create a perfect life, but to live an imperfect life in radical amazement. Everything is extraordinary.  Every day is a gift.  Never treat life casually.

Ø Your biggest fears don’t really exist - Although fear can feel overwhelming and defeats more people than any other force in the world, it’s not as powerful as it seems.  Fear is only as deep as your mind allows.  You are still in control.  So, take control!

Ø The present is all you really must deal with - Life is not lived in some distant, imagined land of someday where everything is perfect.  It is lived here and now, with the reality of the way things are.  Yes, you can work toward an idealized tomorrow.  Yet to do so, you must successfully deal with the world as it is today.

Ø Be thankful - Be thankful for all the small things in your life, because when you put them all together you will see just how significant they are.  At the end of the day, it’s not happiness that makes us thankful, but thankfulness that makes us happy.

Ø You are not alone - During hard times, it’s easy to look around and see a bunch of people who seem to be doing just fine.  But they’re not.  We’re all struggling in our own way.

Ø Cherish time - Your most valuable resource. You can never make up the time you lose. It’s the most important value for any productive happy individual. To waste time is to waste your life.

Ø Reset - Bad luck, bad circumstances, even bad people, are not in our lives permanently. There is very little that is permanent. RESETS are necessary in every area of our lives. They are relationships, emotions, finances, health and fitness, appearance and faith. Act and believe in your RESET. 

“Keep moving, eat healthily, obtain information, view life as an opportunity and share your feelings; are simple rules of life and common sense.”

So, let's seek common sense and apply it to everything, because knowledge plus common sense is wisdom, but knowledge minus common sense is nonsense.

All sense faculties together is wisdom. Common sense is something simple enough to be overlooked by some, sometimes and is also an essential part of the whole wisdom.

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An Aetiology of Anger

Anger is one letter short of danger.

How true the saying, "The anger of today is the REMORSE of tomorrow". How deeply we regret words spoken in angry impatience, words that we wish we had never said. Uncontrolled anger can be a vicious and terrible thing! Often our anger simply results from concern about ourselves, from selfishness. --We don't get our own way, our pride is wounded, or we somehow feel slighted or mistreated by others, so we become frustrated, upset and angry. Anger can be evoked by any number of personalised triggers, with everyone having their own individual “pet hates”, tolerances, and breaking points.

What is anger?

Anger is a natural response to perceived threats. It causes your body to release adrenaline, your muscles to tighten, and your heart rate and blood pressure to increase. Your senses might feel more acute and your face and hands flushed.

However, anger becomes a problem only when you don't manage it in a healthy way.

What triggers the anger

Anger triggers differ for everyone. They vary by age, gender, even culture. Triggers are often verbal or nonverbal behaviours that bring up feelings of abandonment or rejection. some common ones include situations in which we feel:

·         threatened or attacked    

·         frustrated or powerless    

·         like we're being invalidated or treated unfairly    

·         like people are not respecting our feelings or possessions    

How to Handle Anger

Whether your anger is about something that happened in the past or something that's going on right now, thinking about how and why we interpret and react to situations can help us learn how to cope with our emotions better. It can also help us find productive strategies to handle our anger. Anger itself isn't a problem — it's how you handle it. Uncontrolled anger can take a toll on both your health and your relationships.

·         Consciously determine to be calm. Don't react, think! Remember your goals and respond appropriately. Choose to remain calm!

·         Communicate. When someone upsets you, tell them. Calmly talk to them about how you feel about their words or actions. Learn to express yourself better -- clear and composed. Choose to!

·         Remove yourself. Get away from the scene until you can respond without anger. Your success will not happen overnight. Take it one step at a time, one day at a time. Remember to relax. Relaxation exercises or music can be helpful. Keep in mind you can reach out to someone you trust for help. Choose to!

·         Frequently take time for yourself. Do something you enjoy like walking in the park, swimming, reading the Bible, or seeing a feel-good movie. Do something nice for someone you admire. It's okay to feel good about yourself. Choose to!

·         Look for the positives. Don't dwell on the negatives. "Don't sweat the small stuff." Don't worry about things that are out of your personal control. This is difficult, but an attitude and behaviour that can be learned!

Learning to control anger is a challenge for everyone at times. Seek help for anger issues if your anger seems out of control, causes you to do things you regret or hurts those around you.

Yoga & Life Lessons from Yoga Practice

What is yoga?

Yoga is said to have originated in India during the Golden Age, nearly 26,000 years ago. The actual Sanskrit word, when broken down, means "to control", "to yoke" or "to unite". The word has also been translated to mean "joining", "uniting" and "union". The union is made between the mind and the body. Yoga is a spiritual science of self-realisation.

Yoga has become popular as a form of physical exercise based upon asanas (physical poses) to promote improved control of mind and body and to enhance well-being.

Yoga methods encompass the entire field of our existence, from the physical, emotional and mental to the spiritual. Its methods include ethical disciplines, physical postures, breath control, as well as meditation. The regular practice of asanas, and breathing exercises (pranayama), makes the body strong, supple and healthy.

Thus, Yoga is a systematic process to accelerate the evolution of the individual by culturing the mind and bringing out an all-round personality development culminating in experience of higher states of consciousness. Since the individual experience of Yoga is quite personal and may differ for each practitioner, there are a wide variety of approaches to its practice. All approaches to Yoga, however, are intended to promote some aspect(s) of wellbeing.

Yoga is defined as having eight branches or limbs: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi.

Yoga Benefits

Yoga can do a lot for the human body, although it won't cure every ailment. Yoga can be worked into virtually any lifestyle or schedule. Yoga has been proven to increase health and body awareness allowing yoga participants to better control their bodies. From flexibility increases to better body alignment, Yoga can help with a variety of ailments.

Physical Benefits of Yoga

·         Increased Flexibility

·         Increased Strength

·         Improved Balance

·         Increased Stamina

·         Improved Body Alignment (reduces joint pain)

Mental Benefits of Yoga

·         Stress Reduction

·         Body Awareness

·         Better Sleep

·         Improve self-confidence

·         Relaxation

Life Lessons We Can Learn from Yoga Practice

The teachings of Yoga are based on many different philosophies and religions, but, Yoga is NOT a religion, rather it is a discipline, one that leads to ultimate freedom. Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind, or the restraint of the modifications of the “mind-stuff “. In clearer terms, when you can control the rising of the mind, you will experience Yoga or Union.

The journey is more important than the destination.

Do you have the right attitude to stay the course? You would have heard the saying ‘your attitude determines your altitude’ and it is so true. When inevitable challenges are thrown at you, they will test your attitude & your resolve. With a fierce attitude to remain focussed, this will keep you on the journey. “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.”

The concept of this is simple — enjoy the process. You enjoy the sensation of the sequence of poses and the associated presence of mind, the unity of mind and body. You have found the path of yoga has enough to offer whether you reach the end. Yoga is a lifelong adventure. It is more about the journey than the destination.

Follow the rules, you'll do great.

Yoga is more about what you do off the mat than on the mat. If you haven’t realized that yet, you’re not yet a yogi. Yoga is not about how flexible your body is. It’s about obtaining a flexible mind. Make your practice priority. You know you’re a better human with a regular practice. Almost invariably, the best people are the ones who had the most difficulty learning. You must learn the rules of the game. And then you must play better than anyone else in your life.

Starve the ego, feed the soul.

How can our lives be so much different at times and what can we do to tap into our infinite potential and experience peace and stillness in most of our lives?

you should be seeking out knowledge to get better at anything and everything that you do. And you should be seeking out that which feeds the very essence of your soul to keep the burning fire of your passion aglow.

Our ego is that voice within us that demands everything and pulls us along a path that is difficult and filled with obstacles. The ego robs us of the peace that we deserve. Our soul is the deep, profound, and infinitely tranquil place within us that knows nothing but empathy, love, compassion and truth. The soul is who we truly are. Every human being truly desires to live the best they possibly can. However, the ego interrupts this process with endless mind

games. It’s time to take back what is ours and quiet the ego.

Choose purpose over perfection.

It’s so important to understand that you don’t have to be perfect. If you always strive to learn and become better than you were yesterday, you can accomplish so much more. Purpose diminishes distraction & Purpose pushes you through pain. That is the beauty of yoga – it doesn’t care about perfection – only intention and effort. Yoga is for everyone. Life is for everyone.

Rule your mind or it will rule you.

The next time you feel like you can’t control your thoughts and you feel as if you are losing confidence in your abilities to be an awesome yoga teacher, remember that you oversee your life.
You are the writer of your own story. Don’t doubt yourself or your teaching abilities! Stay strong and know that you are unique and worthy.

I am flexible and open to change.

There is no doubt that, as a yogi, you will experience a significant amount of change in your life. Not just in your personal life, but also in your professional life.
There will be times when you will have to change the way you teach and even where you teach. Remember, to be flexible and open to any change that comes your way. This will allow you to grow and expand your light in every direction!

I am learning, growing, evolving, and expanding.

It’s so important as in yoga always want to become a better person as well as a better teacher. You should feel the need to learn, grow, and expand your own mind and practice.

By doing this, you can easily inspire others who, in return, will inspire the world around them. This domino effect is all because of your work as a Yogi.

Go at your own pace.

To apply this concept of going at your own pace off the mat – if you want to take a “gap year” after college to travel and see the world, then do it! If you want to spend your 20’s immersed in work, climbing up the corporate ladder to “coast” into your 30’s, do that. If you want to get married and start a family as soon as possible, go for it.

Let this serve as an important reminder – you are in control; you can change your path or speed at your own will. You do not need to be in any rush. You are in competition with no one. You are doing what feels right for you. You’ll get there when you get there, and until then, you’ll continue to focus on being present in each moment and making the most out of your current experience.

Learn how to breathe.

The most important thing to do in yoga is to breathe, especially when holding the postures. Learn the basic Dirgha pranayama breath to use during yoga. Most importantly, breathe in and out through the nose into the belly. 

We cover the subjects of pranayama and how “mastering our breath is harder than taming a lion.” We learn about Purusha (the idea, the soul, the consciousness) and Prakriti (the material, the physical, the creation) and how going from purusha to prakriti means manifestation and going the opposite way is liberation.

Balance And Focus Are Necessary To Move Forward Successfully

The things you are most successful at are the things that you devote your full attention to. It is also good to remember that you must do all things in moderation, balance is necessary to develop your life skills.

Mindfulness.

Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t). When I step onto my mat, my strengths and weaknesses are exposed, not for everyone to view, but for me to privately evaluate.

And that is exactly what yoga has taught me, and eventually, you, too.

It’s time to become the best version of yourself.

Powerful Ways to Calm Your Anxious Mind

There are so many thoughts swimming around in our heads all day long. In fact, we receive a staggering 50,000-70,0000 a day, which equates to between 35-48 thoughts per minute per person.

Is it any wonder then that sometimes our heads feel like they are going to explode? On top of this we receive information from our phones, social media, radios, and the buzz from people around us.

“Rumination is when you go over the same—usually negative—thought again and again,”

You can break the cycle of rumination by noticing your thoughts, then shifting your attention to something physical instead.

Anxious thoughts can overwhelm you, making it difficult to make decisions and act to deal with whatever issue bothers you. Anxiety can also lead to overthinking, which makes you more anxious, which leads to more overthinking, and so on. How can you get out of this vicious cycle? Repressing anxious thoughts won’t work; they will just pop up again, sometimes with more intensity. Sometimes we’re so busy focusing on ourselves that we forget to enjoy the moments as they come. We become trapped in the confines of the day-to-day and the span of our own goals, and we forget to enjoy the beauty of life and the little things.

Calming the mind has two basic elements: mental stillness and attention to the present moment. A settled mind is relaxed but simultaneously alert. As long as you’re consciously bringing your awareness repeatedly back into the current moment, you’re getting brain benefits.

By strengthening your non-judgemental awareness of your own mental patterns, you weaken any control your thoughts have over you.

A Calm Mind Is Helpful in Many Situations

·        Do you get easily nervous and irritated?

·        Do you have fears and doubts that cause you to suffer?

·        Do you have difficulties falling asleep at night?

·        Do certain thoughts keep obsessing your mind, giving you no rest?

·        Do you get agitated in every situation?

·        Do you have difficulties focusing your mind?

If you experience any of the above situations, then you certainly need to learn how to calm your mind

Overthinking, restless thoughts, impatience, fears and worries cause lack of inner peace, lack of concentration and the inability to think clearly. This leads to making errors, confusion, the inability to make decisions and to failure.

If you want to achieve more in life, you must know how to calm your mind, so that you stay focused and think clearly.

Learn how to stop getting stressed and tense and allowing negative thoughts and worries to harass you. Discover how to remain calm and poised in everyday life and in stressful situations.

Ways to Calm Your Mind

Your mind is simply getting ahead of itself and placing excess importance on things that don’t really matter. Once you realize this, every other step in this list becomes easier.

Meditation and prayer are two of the biggest ways to calm a restless mind, but they aren’t the only things you can do.

There are many other choices to help you feel better and live a stress-free life.

You might also consider: calm your mind instantly

·         Helping others.

·         Exercising.

·         Listening to music.

·         Deep Breathing.

·         Drink a glass of water.

Everyone has different things they enjoy in life, and you should find yours.

Make sure that you practice them when you start to feel stressed or your thoughts try to run away from you.

Easy Ways To Calm Your Mind And Improve Your Brain

Spend time doing something you love doing.
Find the time each day, to do something you love doing, such as a hobby, reading, listening to your favourite music, etc.

Spend quiet time alone
Find the time to be alone, to relax your body and mind, even only for a few minutes if you cannot afford more. Give yourself some time for reflection, meditation or any activity that relaxes, such as yoga, Tai Chi, or walking on the beach or in the forest.

Use positive words or language
Your words affect your subconscious mind, your behaviour and how think and feel.

Develop the habit of using positive words and positive language when talking to people, and in your inner conversations.

Using positive words and language would help your get rid of feelings of discontent, unhappiness and negative attitude, which lead to lack of inner peace.

Positive words and language would increase your self-confidence, self-esteem, and decisiveness, and drive away thoughts and attitude that lead to lack of inner peace.

Try to be more aware of the words you say, and work at replacing negative words and language with positive words and language.

Change the DVD in your mind
What kind of pictures and images occupy your mind?

Do you visualize pictures of problems, difficulties, failure or disaster? These pictures deprive you of inner peace.

You can change the negative pictures with just a little effort. It is like ejecting the DVD that runs in your mind and putting there a new one.

Every time negative pictures and mental images appear in your mind, replace them with pictures and images of success, happiness and joy. Be patient, as this might take some time and effort.

Avoid mental pictures and images that are upsetting, and which cause apprehensiveness, worry fear and negative feelings.

Be gentle with yourself. 

When we sit quietly, it can force a lot of feelings, unprocessed issues and thoughts to the surface. See if you can offer the same kindness you would extend to someone you care about deeply.

Resting

Resting the mind is exactly what you think it is. Resting means to cease all mental work or activity to relax. It’s a skill and not that easy to do – at first. To rest your mind all you do is sit down, relax, and do nothing. Tan suggests that you “imagine your mind resting on your breath the same way a butterfly rests gently on a flower” and using the mantra, “There is nowhere to go and nothing to do for this one moment, except to rest.” He conveys that resting is an instinct you already know how to do. The idea here is to make it a conscious skill.

Breathe deeply

Breathe deeply a few times when in stress. 

Deep breath exercise can be done almost by anyone, anywhere and anytime. Deep breath technique can be repeated with several times repetition during the day or whenever you feel tired, stress or depressed.

Exercise your body
Exercising your body improves your health and mental attitude, making you more positive, focused and relaxed.

Meditation
One of the best ways to calm your mind is meditation. Even a few minutes a day would help, if you meditate regularly. Any sort of meditation would do. You can try the watching thoughts meditation.

Enjoy nature
Being out in nature has a great relaxing effect. Trees, lakes, streams, the sea, sunrise and sunset are naturally relaxing and calming. Watching them can make you feel calm, happy and serene.

We All Have Time To Be Mindful

Mindfulness doesn’t have to be time-consuming or all-encompassing. You can easily use any of these techniques throughout your day to calm your mind and keep yourself fixed in the present moment and free from your worries.

Just don’t forget to stop occasionally and breathe it all in.

No one lives in a perfect state of constant happiness. In fact, some of the happiest people still get sad from time to time. They just know how to bounce back from it quickly so they don’t stay in that state for a long time.