Motivation: #Life

Life changes with each day, some days are; when we are very energetic and active and at times we all lack motivation and desire to do anything. We are easily distracted and fear failure. Ultimately, put off our tasks.

If we are not motivated we cannot do our work with interest. Motivation is result of both internal and external factors like; needs, goals and expectations that stimulate the desire to do something.


This word cloud is generated by using www.jasondavies.com

“We can say that motivation is a force that drives us to do something.”

There are so many theories in the world about motivation. But I think there is a lot of motivation in religion. When we worship our Lord without any material gain, I think this is also a powerful motivator in itself.  

As a Muslim I can write about few of sources of motivation in Islam.

• – Quran (Holy Book )
• – Hadith ( Way of Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H)
• – Nature
• – Life after Death.

Islam always teach us to do good and tells us about the rewards that are kept for us in this life and here after. If we think about the rewards then it keeps us going.

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts –­ Eleanor Roosevelt

How to be motivated?

Believe it or not, all of us have motivated our self many times in life. So, we do not need to go out to get it, but it is inside us, we have to find it or wake it up. At times you have to #PushYourself. As a human we love to start new things in our life. It gives us a sense of freshness, hope, courage, confidence and excitement depending upon the case. That is why we are always happy and excited about our new jobs, meeting new people and going to a new place.

You can have #inspiration and #motivation if you try to;

• –  do something new and different with every passing moment of life.
• –  to be one that can help society and humanity in every possible way.
• – work hard to raise the standards of your life and nation as a whole.
• – help your country grow.

These actions can help us to get some energy and #motivation when we feel down.

The secret of getting ahead is getting started – Mark Twain

Remember:

I believe that we feel down or less motivated or even not motivated at all when we cannot think about rewards and success. These are triggers that stimulate our motivation. If we remember that;

• – All the good deeds that we can do to benefit our; religion, country or nation can be key to success here and here after.
• – All the prayers in front of Allah can be source of peace, satisfaction and fulfillment.

These are the best rewards that we can have, when we will keep eye on these rewards our each new day will give us a new start and desire to do something new and amazing.

What to do?

With the passage of time and on the basis of experience we must ingrain gradually new attitude towards things in us. When we will keep on changing our way of looking at things. Every time we will find something new in everything. It will give us a feel of freshness like we are starting a new thing. We will be excited and motivated, with a strong will power to do something new and good to benefit us and others.

We must understand the value of discipline in our life, if we are disciplined it can bring a lot of success and motivation.

If we want something, we have to work for it. There is no short cut or magical way for it. We have to overcome our fear and use it to advantage us and give strength. If we see a snake, we get frightened, we have to run from there or kill it (in critical situation) to save our life.

Exercise to motivate :

• – Clear your mind from negative thoughts.

• – If you have put off a difficult task, it is like humans. All you need now, is to, try and complete all pending tasks that have lowered your energy level. Sometimes we put off task and later when we start, feel that easy and finally finish it. We think for a while about the delay and say, “ Why I was putting this off?”

• – We have challenges in life and try to avoid them, but today, try to challenge your challenge.

• – Always try to keep an eye on the end. No matter how you start, when you will finish the task, it will bring a lot of happiness as reward. To get that reward forget about the fears and get started.

• – Above all, in times of depression, when you feel you lack motivation, a silent prayer or time with God (Almighty Allah); a bow, can bring all the lost energy and motivation back within a second. He is the one who knows; all the feeling and causes of depression and is only one who can fix things and has solution of our every problem and can give peace and motivation to us.

Now it's your turn to tell what you do to keep yourself motivated?

Click here to read related posts;

CONCEPT AND METHODS OF MOTIVATION IN ISLAM

Human Motivation:Islamic Perspective.

17 Ways To Motivate Yourself To Do Great Things.

Images are taken from;

motivationgrid.com

quoteswords.com

http://bestcoverpix.com/

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Easy Potato Cutlet: #Recipe

Today I will tell you how I make easy potato cutlet. I hope you will enjoy this quick recipe.

All you need for this recipe;

• Mashed potatoes ( 3 medium size)
• Onion bulb ( small)
• Coriander
• 1 Egg medium size, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 Teaspoons chopped green Chili ( or according to taste- optional)
• Cumin seeds ( optional)
• Coriander powder or seeds ( optional)
• ½ cup all purpose Flour or bread crumbs
• Salt ( according to taste)
• Black pepper ( according to taste)
• Vegetable oil, for pan-frying

These(in picture on the right) are some optional ingredients that you can add. 

Directions:

The best thing that I like is, main ingredient is potato little salt and pepper, rest whatever you want to add to enhance the taste is up to you.

 The way, that I normally use is;

You can use leftover potatoes or boil them until soft. Peel them and mash them in a large bowl, add salt and all other spices you want. Then combine them well with hands.

After mixing leave the mixture for an hour in fridge and then divide whole mixture in 6 equal parts. For each portion roll a compact ball and then flatten and make any shape that you like. Beat one egg and then dip the cutlet in this and after wards roll in all purpose flour or bread crumbs.

Now they are ready to fry. Normally I do not deep fry I just add few tablespoons (3-4) of vegetable oil on platter or sauté pan over medium heat.

Fry the cutlet, in batches of 2 or 4, until golden brown and crispy. They are ready and you can serve them hot with ketchup or chili or hot sauce and tea. 

Note:

You can add boiled and drained chicken, vegetables like, peas, carrot, corn etc. to enhance the taste. You can prepare this mixture or cutlet and keep in fridge in air tight container and fry them when you need. You can use in sandwich too. 

Let’s Practice Patience.

When we are waiting; for someone to come, something to happen, to see someone, to be called for something or we are waiting for results.
Someone is sick in hospital, all the efforts do not seem working. Or if we cannot prepare ourselves within limited time for some important meeting or event.
When we want something to happen quickly and it takes time.
When prayers and efforts seems not to be rewarding—We become depressed, anxious and impatient.

We start getting; angry so quickly, unhappy about situations happening or become  upset. We just want to take control of situation and do best for us.  If we think for a moment we can realize that these responses or reactions towards the situations that we cannot control—make our condition and the situation stressful and even worse for us to act precisely and react effectively.

Let's think for a while, if we cannot control a situation, better is; to tolerate it or let it go. If we start practicing this trait, we will be comfortable over the time to accept —  the delay, and consider problems as part of our lives. So in all such moments of pain, helplessness, delay, trouble, depression, suffering or anxiety — we have to learn to be patient — to be peaceful, happy and mindful and fulfill our life. 

What is Patience?

I will start with the definition from dictionary. The word Patience means;

  the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.

Now a days when everything works so quickly and a lot of things are just a click away. We are all impatient.  We cannot wait for anything to happen. We just wish and want it to be a reality all at once. Same is the situation when we are looking towards Almighty Allah to help us and guide us through problems and we get no response in return and think that our prayers are not accepted.

Patience and Islam: 

Patience is considered as one of the best virtues of Islam and Allah has mentioned many times in Quran(The Holy Book) that He will test humans with fear, loss etc. and He will be with those who are patient and will help them and reward them. The Arabic word for patience is SABR. That means stop or refrain. 

Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere; who say, when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return"—Quran 002.155.

"Patience is the companion of wisdom." — St. Augustine 

As I have mentioned earlier that we feel that it is hard to practice patience but I feel that demand of time is to must-have it. If we are patient we will be calm, we will not blow up over anyone. We will be mentally and physically relaxed. I feel when we are impatient we are frustrated and have a lot of negative effects on our body mentally and physically.

"And Allah loves the steadfast." —Holy Quran.

Sadness, depression, impatience, happiness all make up our life. We live in two extremes of ; happiness when we want to jump and touch the sky and sadness when we think everything has ended. The happiness in our lives actually depends on patience. The more patient we are, more happy we will be. 

"Indeed, I have rewarded them this Day for their patient endurance - that they are the attainers [of success]."— Holy Quran  

What patience teach us?

It teach us to keep moving towards our goal with a peaceful and calm mind without being frustrated or tensed that normally arise because of impatience— because of uncertainty of the future, results or outcomes.

It teach us to accept what is happening around us—anything that we cannot control is coming from a supernatural power and He has His plans and knows best.  

It teach us to have  peace of mind and brings calmness and gives courage to face the situation. It teach us to have respect, success and independence. It teach us to get what we want. 

How patience help us??

Ultimately, patience helps us to react wisely. With patience we become relax and ready to face challenges. It also helps to bring positive change in our behaviors and relationships  — it makes them better and strong. As we will not be angry on small mistakes and openly accept them and realize that no one is perfect.

How to be patient?

Try to know about the triggers of impatience and try to reduce the intensity of impatience. Try to give you, some time. Focus on good things and times, remind yourself that everything needs time to happen. Remind yourself that the one sitting above the skies and is even closer to your Jugular vein can see things that are not in our focus. Take deep breaths once you realize that you are impatient.  If we think then traffic signals teach us a big lesson to deal with impatience.

Red Light—stop,

Yellow Light — think how you will start again and where you have to go,

Green Light— time for action… Move on.

When you are really triggered, take yourself  off the situation or place. As staying on the scene can lose patience. Leave for moment, change scene, look somewhere else, find the beauty in sight and admire it, it will help you forget about the cause you got anxious and angry.

Patience with ourselves:

"Do not give way to impatience. It is not good for you. It's not good for anyone." — Sylvia Boorstein

We need a lot of patience! The more patience and compassion we have for ourselves, the more peaceful we will be and have high-functioning relationships. As a Muslim we believe that hardships and ease are tests for us in this world. What ever Allah gives us, happiness or sadness it has some reward at the end. So do not be impatient in times of difficulties, but trust Allah that He will reward you and try to be patient as He is with those who practice patience. 

The moment you become impatience, what you do to calm down yourself & get your mindfulness or consciousness back???

I want to take this opportunity to thank Jeri Walker for her wonderful post about Word Clouds, with the help of which I created my first word cloud. Thank you Jeri for such a wonderful post. You can check her post HERE. 

Check this site to learn; How to be patient?

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Things To Remember in New Year

  Happy New Year Everyone!

I hope this will be one of the best years of your life. I am so excited to make this new year my best.

Sorry for being little late. I was busy with few assignments.

Everyone wants to make every year successful, so do I. This year I thought to make a list of few things that I feel worth remembering in new year. I want to share my list with you.

·         Be courageous.

·         Never be afraid to take the initiative.

·         Live simple but think high.

·         Patience is key to success. Try to find this key.

·         Life is not bed of roses, do not try to make it one.

·         Do not stop dreaming. Dream and work hard to make it a reality.

·         No one is perfect and I do not think anyone can be. So stop pretending.

·         Success is not a ripened fruit that will fall on you. It’s like a diamond you have to dig for it. Get ready to dig, start digging until you get diamond.

·         Life is name of continuous struggle, get ready for it.

·         Do not stop questioning.

·         No matter what keep going.

·         Find new paths.

·         Do not forget to enjoy life.

·         Value your relations.

·         Do not wait. Start Today.

·         Exercise Daily, it will bring health and happiness.

·      Emotions like;  happiness, sadness, depression etc.  are part of life. Just do not Lose Hope in hard times.

    I think that if we remember all these things and practice them every month then we will be able to see a remarkable progress in our new year. We will feel the difference when the year will close its doors.

   I have written a lot of posts related to New Year  I will try to upload them soon. I have posted one before, you can check that  here. 

     All the best with New Year. I wish you all have peace in new year. 

What's on your list to remember and practice in new year? How you will start new year?

First image from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/CopenhagenNYE.jpg

How to Learn & Remember for #Exam Success?

I prepared test very well, I knew everything. When I got test, my mind became blank.”

This is very common sentence that many teachers hear in their career. Most of the student complain about forgetting large part of information during tests and exams.

Humans have two types of memories like calculators.

• Short term
• Long Term

— The things that you put in short term memory just stay with you for a short time and then they are over written by something else after some time like short term memory of your calculator.

— Anything that you send in your long term memory can be recalled when you need it.

In my previous post I have written some tips to prepare for exam. Today I will suggest you some keys to send information related to your test in long term memory.

How information can be send to long term memory?

There are many methods but normally it is done by two basic methods;

• Rote Learning
• Learning by understanding

— By rote learning you can send information to your long term memory. You have to repeat the information several times. With little understanding or no understanding. Like you remember the tables of numbers or dates of events.

— In learning by understanding; you try to understand the concepts and remember them. When you understand then you can remember for a long time.

According to Edward Bolles -

"We remember what we understand; we understand only what we pay attention to; we pay attention to what we want."

Today I want to share some tips with you that can help you remember test in a way that you will not go blank.

The Keys to Remembering:

These tips will help you to learn and remember more effectively. You can enter information into your long term memory by following these methods. 

— You have to make up your mind first. #Motive yourself that what you have to remember; you really want to learn, understand and know it. You have to pay full attention to the topic and try to create interest in subject what you are learning. You may have experienced anything in which you are interested in, you learn very quickly and remember for a long time.

— When you want to prepare for e.g; final exam you know all your topics. First of all organize information in a sequence. Put all related information in one sequence and learn it all together.

— Try to relate the ideas. When you will be able to relate the ideas with each other. You will understand and remember effectively. When you will move on to next topic try to relate it with previous information, in such a way you will create a chain on information in your mind. So grouping of ideas and relation of information helps to remember quickly and for a long time.

— Try to create an image or picture or any sequence of information. When you will create a picture  related to anything it will easy for you to interpret and remember it.

— Try to visualize what you are learning. When you will be able to create an image in your mind for the information, try to visualize it for some time with closed eyes. When you will be able to see the data you have put together in your format it will help you remember and recall it anytime when you need it.

— You have to repeat the information over and over again. Until you are confident enough that you know it properly. Explain to yourself or friends in your own words. As much time you will spend to learn any information it will be easy for you to recall quickly and completely.

— Try to avoid stress. #Stress will damage your performance and learning ability. In my last post about fear of math, I have mentioned about a research that tells that stress effects our ability to learn. Any exam is not the end of world or life. Few years from now, you won’t remember why you were stressed. Instead try to #relax. It will help you remembering quickly.

— Try to study in groups and explain the concepts to your friends or class fellows. It will help you in many ways. It will clear some concepts in a better way. May be you are good in one topic and your friend knows a better explanation or method about next topic. So you will develop a mutual understanding and you can compare many ways and come up with best idea about any topic. Try that you avoid distractions and don’t waste time while talking to friends about unnecessary things. Try not to study with any friend or group that is stressed out. It will drive you crazy and add to your stress and affect your ability to learn. As many fellows will be talking about same concepts again and again so any particular information in going in your mind by repetition by different people. Such information will stay in your memory for long time. 

— Try to test yourself. When you will be done with one topic or chapter. Take your test. Remember test yourself with honesty. As in exams and tests, no clues and help is allowed. If you forgot any point or concept during your own test do not open the book. First finish your test and then check for the mistakes or forgotten concepts. Try to understand them again and remember. Write them many times so you can recall late in exam.

— If possible try to write the information in your hand writing. Writing with your own hands is very important. Always try to write important points in your writing and prepare a review, you will understand your own hand writing in a better way. Highlight all hard concepts to repeat them many times.

I have written some tips to improve mathematics solving skills and you can also visit to learn how to solve your exams properly to avoid mistakes. 

These are few tips that will help you to store information in your long term memory. Try them I hope they will experience a remarkable change in your learning process and ability.

TIP: Do not think that #notyetdone. You have done as much as you could. When there will be exam-time  #staystrong get up your #confidence and believe in yourself. 

What methods you normally use to remember any information for a long period of time?

What #NewYear Reminds Me?

“See you next year.” 

Yesterday when I heard this sentence from my friend, I got shocked, quickly turned to her and asked, 

” What! Where are you going?” 

At that time, I was just busy helping my daughter get out of taxi and was not into this world. She started laughing and reminded me,

’’ Today is 31^st December 2014. What happened Andleeb? Seems you are tired,” 

Oh!!! I just giggled and thought, “ Yes, maybe I am tired. I was waiting for new year but when it approached me I completely forgot about it. How come!”

I was honestly surprised, and also pleased to hear about start of new year. Deep inside I was wondering how quickly the years are passing and now we are in 2015. 

This was yesterday but today. When I left main door of my building in morning and went out, cold air caught me. I remembered that it’s winter. I checked the temperature and it was 10 degree Centigrade.  In some parts of the world still it is snowing. On right side this is a picture of winter from Paradise Kashmir. 

For me snow symbolizes;

• Coldness
• Stillness
• Scariness
• Darkness

But it also gives a sense of calmness, peace. It gives a choice of hope and new start. 

Snow marks the arrival of new year and today we have entered into another year 2015. 

It's the time when we throw our old calendars and take out new calendar. Thousands of people gather around the world in different places and celebrate the arrival and beginning of new calendar. We plan to make our day special with family and friends. Try to enjoy the arrival and wish each other #goodluck. We make resolutions each year and try to complete plans with success. Today many people from across the world may have prepared lists of resolutions. Some will be successful and some of them,, may be; change their resolution and have some new resolution for them. Some will not be so successful. 

I never had any resolution for any year ever. This time after reading a post about resolutions. I had my first resolution. I hope that I will be successful. 

Like everyone else in the world, I am always happy to have a new year. But this new start brings lots of thoughts, emotions, ambitions with it. I am sitting in my room and trying to think about everything that I can relate with new year. Today is January 1st, 2015. 

What January 1st reminds me?

First day of the year always reminds me;

— about all the loved ones who have left in last year.

— about the goals not finished yet.

— to review my past year and its progress and failures. 

— there is nothing permanent like change.

— to leave my past behind and move forward.  

—forget about helplessness, depression and look for fulfillment of life.

— to muster up courage and fight. 

— to love and respect others and remember them in happiness and sadness.

— to get together with family and friends.

— to be myself.

— about the choice that I have and I can make. 

— that this year will also run swiftly, try to make out of it as much as possible. 

Above all it reminds me; about the celebration, party, family, fun and happiness. 

What New Year Gives Me?

It gives me;

— a hope to run and win. 

— courage to cross all the barriers that create hurdles in my way to victory. 

— a sense that happiness and celebration is not complete if I am not with my family or friends. 

— strength to fight.

— passion to attain my goals.

What Should I do in New Year?

I know, there is no guarantee that I will get chance to celebrate another year or not. 

So why not; 

— thank our Creator for every blessing? 

— Love our family and friends? 

— return the love, the time, the passion, the encouragement our loved ones gave us last year?

— have high ambitions, forget about each hard memory of past and move on?

— make this year as that we do not need to sigh when this will depart? 

— try to reach our goals?

Every year we try to learn from our mistakes of old year and decide not to repeat any mistake again. We write everything in our mind and save it for coming year. This new year is truly linked to our old year but we can have a new horizon. We can bring a better change. We can not only make resolutions but act to attain them and be successful. 

Our life is passing with a speed and many goals are not reached but do not lose hope as Creator always have better plans for us.

What I wish in New Year?

I wish for Peace in new year. I hope that all the problems will reduce and within coming few years they will be minimized. I wish that world enjoy peace and learn to accept each others' differences and live in harmony. 

I hope we will not hear, ”Failure, Alas!” at last but, “ Success, Yeah!”

What January 1st reminds you? What new year gives you and what you have decided to complete in 2015?

All the pictures are downloaded from Facebook.