The 7 Keys to Changing Things Up

 

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.

Here’s one Mom who went from Tiger Mom to Helicopter Mom to Hippie Mom and never looked back.

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.

In an effort to explore where ideas come from, I wrote Election 2012 – Yes on Bath Crayons.

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.

You can read about this experience in my post Connected Minds.

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?

To tell you about my depression?

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. 3: Because thoughts are the horses that pull the carriage of our emotions and behaviors, we should focus on changing our thoughts to change things up.  In my post If I am a good and Faithful Wife, I Deserve To Be Loved, you can read about one of the best books of the last 2 decades to help you do that – Feeling Good by Stanford Researcher Dr. David Burns.

P.S. 4:  My guest posters have done a great job with the challenge of writing for Minoo Jha Life Strategies.  When you get a chance, read A Short Stint in Advertising and the Oh Bangalore series by Ajay Sachdev, Kushboo and A Facebook Face-off by Jacinta Correa, Flying Lessons and Laundry Day by Cindy Pinkston and A Fresh Perspective on Pets by Anita Saran.  These are just a few of the many guest posts from these and other guest-posters that I am grateful for. 

P.S. 5: If you are looking to improve in the public speaking arena, I have written a few different pieces including How to Zig Like Zig Ziglar. I have a board dedicated to speaking and presenting on Pinterest.

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.