Key No 1 – Give it Up
If we know certain things have become stumbling blocks
to a more fulfilling life and if we truly seek a change, we should give them
up.
The stumbling blocks could be our own thoughts.
Especially, if our thoughts and ideas separate us from the
people we care for and love, we should give them up.
When I gave up my thoughts and ideas about what my teen should wear and what music she should listen to and stuff like that, everything changed between us.
What habits, thoughts, ideas, attitudes do you need to give
up in order to change things up?
Key No 2 – Switch it up
If you are stuck in a rut and feel you are not going anywhere, you should switch things up.
Do you remember the Einstein quote from my post The V List - “if what you’re doing is not working, it’s insanity to keep doing the same thing
over and over again and to expect different results.”?
What Einstein is telling us is that we should switch it up.
This advice has been useful to me in so many areas of
my life – not the least of which my investments.
If you have read my post “Yoga for Investors”, you know the
approach I recommend for investing.
But before I learned to invest sensibly, did you know that
I chased every new idea that came along like a dog chases a cat and I burned some
big holes in my purse as a result of it. ("Oh that’s why she used to sport those tattered
purses", I can hear some of you say!).
Dogs of the Dow, Low PE investing, bottom fishing and a
disastrous attempt to imitate Warren Buffett recounted in my post How I Lost A Thousand Dollars on Donuts all came along before I switched tracks.
If we could wise up to the fact that we need to switch tracks
sooner, we could save ourselves a lot of time and grief in many areas of our
lives.
Key No 3: Accessorize
Sometimes changing it up may simply be a question of
accessorizing.
The kind of accessorizing that turns “blah” into “aha”. Or
even “viola“. Or “waareh wah“.
The next time you listen to the song Home by Phil Phillips,
observe the way the song has been accessorized - especially with all the
choruses and harmonies.
I am a big fan of observing and experimenting with
accessories (though none of it in the sartorial arena, as the tattered purses
and family and friends will testify).
But in other arenas, yes – I do look to add a little
something to oomph things up.
For instance, I recently made the kitchen discovery that adding
a handful of ground cashews to chayote avial makes it da bomb. Woo-hoo!
If you need to get your thought processes going on accessorizing,
read my posts Panning for Gold and Letter Dropping. They
could provide some grist about adding and subtracting (or what I would like to think of as accessorizing).
Key No. 4: Challenge Yourself
I know a friend who did the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. I know another
friend who started a business with a shoestring budget and with a little more than guts. I know a family member who is cultivating
grapes and making wine. My guest posters like Ajay and Cindy and Jacinta and
several others have responded to the challenge of guest posting for me. Reader
Aarathi always rises up to the challenge of posting an insightful comment about my posts (now
joined by Jess).
Whether it’s learning new software or a new language, learning
a new craft or learning to dance, there’s nothing like challenging yourself, or
responding to a challenge to change things up.
Recently, I took up the challenge of doing Amazon book reviews. It was a
new experience for me and in the beginning it was hard sledding. But I got the hang of it and was able to write
several reviews, starting with City of Victory and On Becoming a Vegetarian.
My post The Path To Change lists some of the challenges I have
taken on in different areas of my life since coming to America.
Like me, I'm sure you have lived through and conquered many challenges.
If you feel ready for your next one and need inspiration, my post
What’s Next for You about my cousin Vinitha who gave up being a professional
hotshot to pursue a personal dream might give you courage and hope.
And if you are a Madison avenue creative soul, you might enjoy the
challenges posed in my post The Carpinteria Times.
Key No. 5: Get inspired
The pursuit of ideas is a worthy pursuit.
The reason I love blogging is because it compels me to seek
out ideas.
How can one possibly change things up without new ideas?
We should actively seek out inspiration and new ideas.
We should read more, observe more, think more, discuss more
and write more.
I hope it inspires you to get creating.
Key No. 6: Collaborate
“One plus One is Equal to More Than Two”. This was the title
of one of my Toastmaster speeches. It
was about being mentored by Lorraine at Toastmasters and the impact the collaboration between her and I had on my speeches.
If you have read my post The Art of Conversation, you know that
Socrates was a great collaborator who spent all his time in conversation. One might argue that the genius of Socrates was
that he recognized the power of collaboration and sought out ideas from
everyone.
The reason collaboration can help us change things up dramatically
is because different people think so differently.
Plus experienced people can offer their insights to those who are new at something.
I am privileged to have enjoyed creative collaborations with many
different art directors, copywriters and account executives in my previous
career as a copywriter.
And in my current career, I am glad to have had opportunities
to find creative solutions to problems through collaboration.
Last week, I was huddled with Rodger, Kerry and Lisa to come
up with new commission statements for the sales force at the company at
which I am now contracting.
Outside of work, my friendships have become grand
collaborative adventures leading to miraculous coincidences as recounted in my
post Connected Minds.
So if you are a lone wolf, do consider changing things up by
collaborating.
Key No 7– Meditate
"God give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot
change. Courage to change the things I
can. And the wisdom to know the
difference"
This AA quote says it all.
For the things that can’t be changed in our lives, the answer
is acceptance.
And the shortest route to acceptance?
The legal, psychiatric and medical professions will say Anger
Management or Stress Management.
Whereas AA and the book How God Changes Your Brain (one of
the books I have reviewed on Amazon) will tell you it’s Prayer and Meditation.
My personal experience testifies that the shortest route to
acceptance is indeed the spiritual one.
Boy oh boy, did I sure change things up with meditation.
Also, no coincidence I started writing this blog a few months
after learning to meditate.
Before I learned to meditate, would I have had the courage to
share all the things I have on this blog?
I wonder.
So yes, indeed, meditation is my 7th and last key to changing things up.
P.S. The 7 keys listed in this post are not the only keys to
changing things up. I am sure you can think of other ones. But since these are
some of the keys that got me unstuck, I thought I would share them with you.
P.S. 2: In connection
with parent-teen problems, I highly recommend you read and apply the advice
given in the book The Available Parent. You won’t regret it.
P.S. 6: If you are wondering about chayote avial, it all
started with me being given a bag of chayote by my sister Rosie and having to figure out creative ways to use up all of it.
P.S. 7: As always, thanks for reading and have a great day.
