Success & Humility

Self-Discipline: 5 Reasons Why Self-Discipline Entitles You For A Great Life.

I'm fortunate to have parents who taught me self- discipline from an early age, which not only helped me learn to take responsibility for my actions but also face life's challenges head-on. In fact, self-discipline is one such trait which is commonly found amongst world leaders, entrepreneurs, CEOs, athletes, soldiers, or perhaps successful people from all walks of life. Let's face it this way,  we may have a vision, a plan or a course of action to achieve our goal, but what if we don't stick to that plan, or perhaps don't feel motivated anymore, to avoid situations like this one needs to be self-disciplined.  Yes, it all starts here, out of all the other important elements required to lead a successful and happy life, "Self-Discipline" is the mother of all. According to Merriam-Webster, Self-Discipline is, "A Correction or Regulation of oneself for the sake of Improvement", which in simple words mean self-control. To understand this better, let us first look at the important attributes of a self-disciplined person.

Traits of a self-disciplined person:

• Strong Will Power 
• Endurance
• Confidence
• Self Driven or Motivated
• Happy 

These qualities speak a lot about what actually starts to happen to us once we start practicing Self Discipline. Let's go a little deeper to understand the Benefits of Self-Discipline.


1) Health: Whether you are planning to go on a diet or want to hit the gym first thing in the morning, all that requires self-discipline. One of the major impacts a disciplined lifestyle has is upon our health. Mindful eating, weight management it all needs self-control. When we resist the temptation to have that extra serving of a piece of cake or a pizza slice, we slowly pave our way for a healthier version of us.

2) Success:  According to Napolean Hill, "Self Discipline is the Master Key to Riches". Self  Discipline is said to be one of the major contributing factors for success. Commitment and Accountability the two important components of success comes from self-discipline. Not just that, self -discipline helps in managing our finances better, leading to an increase in wealth and prosperity. In other words, self-discipline keeps us away from any distractions and therefore we remain focused towards our goal. 

3) Self Esteem:  Studies have shown that there is a direct relationship between self-discipline and self-esteem. Self-control increases our self-worth, it gives us a sense of self-respect and admiration and we learn to value ourselves. Our sincere attempts to meet our goals induce positivity and we feel more confident about ourselves.

4) Parenting:  Teaching discipline to our children is considered to be a part of positive parenting. As parents, we try to teach discipline to our children from an early age. However, children also learn by observing the behavior of adults. By being an adult who practices self-discipline, we set an example in front of them and they learn faster from what they see. This solidifies their foundation for turning into a responsible adult when they grow up.

5) Happier and Fulfilling life:  In an article by Maia Szalavitz self-disciplined people are happier (and not as deprived as you think). We laid a strong foundation for our lives by practicing self-discipline, which as a result gave the satisfaction of all of the factors discussed above. Discipline leads to sorted finances, the better quality of life, good health, enriched relationships thereby resulting into a happy life.

Self-discipline helps in creating a better version of ourselves. The process of self-control is tedious yet promising, it takes endurance and patience. The key is to hang in tight and don't let go, because it's worth the efforts and sacrifices. 

Hope you enjoyed reading this article, please let me know what you feel and leave your comment in the comment section below, and please don't forget to share and subscribe.

 

Pre-Ordained

Be Grateful.

Learn and Grow

Success

5 Day Meditation Challenge for Beginners.

I was introduced to meditation in my Yoga classes, and the more I realized it's benefits, the more I was inclined to bring it to my everyday practice. However, for a restless person like me, it was hard to sit in a certain posture for a considerable amount of time, which perhaps is the prerequisite of meditation. Therefore, after exploring and reading more about the science of meditation, I felt that I can begin with customizing it to my own mind and body needs, and can gradually pick up the pace. Therefore, I wanted to share my own little wisdom of how I started with my 5 Day Meditation Challenge which gave way to a slow yet progressive kickstart to my everyday meditation practice.

5 Easy Sittings for 5-7 Minutes for 5 Days.

Day 1 - Begin

1. Find a quiet space in your house and sit comfortably preferably cross-legged position, but if not sit on a comfortable chair or a couch, with the soles of your feet touching the ground and hands on your lap.
2. Now, slowly close your eyes.
3. Relax your shoulders, and then slowly turn your head up, down, right and left and then bring back to the center.
4. Now Inhale deeply and capture as much air as you can, filling your lungs. Then exhale slowly.
5. Repeat this process for 5-7 minutes (you can set a timer), and then slowly open your eyes, and smile with gratitude.

Tips: Try to focus on your breaths with fighting against your wandering mind. (let the thoughts come and go).

Day 2 - Count

1. Fix a time and place for meditation every day.
2. Try to sit on the ground or on your mat crosslegged if comfortable or else you can continue sitting on a chair with your palms facing downwards or your hands can be in meditation mudra on your lap.
3. Close your eyes, relax your shoulders and head.
4. Now slowly Inhale and count till 5 in your mind.
5. Then Exhale and count till 8.

Repeat this process for 5-7 minutes. Now fold your hands (in Namaste) and bow down with gratitude and then slowly open your eyes with a smile. 

Day 3 - Mindfulness

1. Sit comfortably in your easy meditation position and close your eyes.
2. Relax your shoulders and head.
3. Inhale deeply and Exhale for a few times until you return to your normal breathing.
4. Pay attention to any sound coming from your environment ( Wall clock ticking, Traffic on the street, birds chirping on the trees, etc.) Focus on your muscles in your body, even an aching body part or a little discomfort should be acknowledged.
5. Be observant of your breaths and let your chest expand as you inhale your stomach contract as you exhale.

Repeat this process for 5-7 minutes, then slowly open your eyes and bow down with gratitude.

Day 4 - Visualize

So you have come this far, Well Done!

1. Sit comfortably in your meditation position.
2. Relax your body and take a couple of deep cleansing breaths (Inhale and exhale to release all the stress and tension from your body) and then come back to your normal breathing.
3. Open your mind's eyes and imagine yourself sitting alone in a calm place. (A beach, a mountain peak or a forest with a stream of the river flowing, feel free to imagine a relaxing place your heart wants you to be.)
4. Now try to listen to the sounds coming from your choice of imaginary environment. (birds chirping, relaxing sound of the water stream, or the ocean waves).
5. Let go of all the worries or anxieties and consider yourself happy and full.

Slowly open your eyes and bow down with gratitude and smile.

Day 5 - Gratitude

1. Sit comfortably in your meditation position.
2. Close your eyes and take a few deep cleansing breaths before coming to your normal breathing.
3. Now say Thankyou to the Almighty or the Universe in your mind based upon your belief.
4. Express gratitude for every little thing you have in your life. Be grateful for your life, good health, family, friends, well-wishers, job, finances, good times, food to eat, fresh air to breath, clean water to drink, clothes to wear, etc.
5. Acknowledge yourself for the person you are, your inner wisdom, for the many talents you are gifted with, is grateful for the qualities you have which makes you unique.

Tips: If you are a religious person, you can always say a small prayer.

Conclusion: Hope you liked these 5 easy steps for your daily meditation practice. You can always repeat this until you are ready to explore a deeper and advanced mediation process. For better relaxation you can also play meditation music while you meditate. 

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post and the blogger does not intend to promote any business through this post.

Enough

Disney World, Florida - Best Christmas Vacation with Best Resort Experiences

While our eight year old was dreaming to experience the magical world of her favorite princesses and cartoon characters, we were longing for a break from the monotony of everyday life and something which also adds a dash of luxury in our vacation, and Voila! here comes The Disney World to the rescue.

The Walt Disney World or The Disney World, is an entertainment complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista in the state of Florida in United States of America. Disney World was made in addition to the original Disney Land in California in the year 1971. It is massively spread in the area of 25000 acres land covering it's four major theme parks in addition to the water parks, Disney Springs, Disney resorts and Hotel. We booked our hotels with Disney world's official website https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/hotel-reservations/travel-agent-reservation-confirmations/ . They are very convenient and can also answer queries related to Fast Pass, Magic bands, Hotel reservations etc.

As we landed at the Orlando airport just a day before Christmas, were delighted to see how everything started flowing right from the airport, where Disney's Buses were ready to pick up the passengers.

Resort 1 - All Star Sports

It was barely a 30 minutes ride from the airport to the Disney World where our bus started stopping over to drop off it's passengers at the various Disney hotels. We reached All Star Sports in a while and was welcomed by the giant lobby of the hotel. We were tired and soon retired to our room, only to wake up next day to a very vibrant sports arena like setting of the hotel. Perfect for sports lover, Disney's All Star Sports comes under the other five value based resorts by Disney including All Star Movies, All Star Music, Disney's Art of Animation, Pop Century Resort and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort. Having great recreational facilities like Swimming Pool, Movies Under the Star, Gaming Arcade, Play ground, Jogging Trail all were designed with fun Disney theme and were adorned by Disney characters. All Star Sports turned out to be a perfect choice to spend our initial two nights and three days of the trip. 

Inside All Star Sports Resort

The Magic Kingdom

We started our vacation with the legendary Magic Kingdom. The park was crowded with both cheerful visitors some frolicking while others dodging the crowd. The Christmas spirit could be felt in the air of Disney World. Various Disney Characters moving around while meeting and greeting their fans. Luckily, we could ditch some of the long waiting queues with the help of our Magic bands. With plethora of rides, attractions and shows you will never get enough of this piece of magical land and would always feel that you should have more time. With Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and the jubilant Christmas Day Parade we were soon taken over by the magic of the Magic Kingdom.

Christmas Parade at Magic Kingdom

Epcot 

Experience a Utopian society, a futurist world, outer space, different countries of the world and much more at Epcot.  I personally felt that this place is more appropriate for slightly older kids, but since it's Disney, Epcot had something for everyone. This park is one of a kind and should not to be missed. You need to be in comfy shoes all the time as almost all the parks require a lot of walking, and with a sizable distance between it's various pavilions, Epcot requires the most, nevertheless, worth the effort. With plenty of continental restaurants to choose from, we never ran out of choice for food. Our day ended with a spectacular firework "Illuminations - Reflections of the Earth" worth the wait.

Epcot

Animal Kingdom

Day 3, we visited Animal Kingdom.  Disney's Animal Kingdom is everything but your regular Zoo. With it's various nature based safari, rides, shows and attractions along with some of the exotic and endangered species of birds and animals, Animal Kingdom simply amazing. We spent our day enjoying almost everything it had to offer. The signature nighttime attraction Tree of Life was a mesmerizing experience.

The Lion King Show at The Animal Kingdom

Hollywood Studios: 

Day 4 was kept to visit the Hollywood Studios. So as the name suggests, Disney's fourth park the Hollywood Studios is everything Hollywood you can imagine. From Toy Story to Star Wars, and from Hollywood Tower of Terror to Fantasmic, the Hollywood studios is filled with attractions, rides and shows to keep you busy the whole day.

Hollywood Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios

Resort 2 - Port Orleans Riverside

We had promised our little princess to give her an experience of a princess themed hotel room and since Disney has plenty of options to choose from, we went ahead with Port Orleans Riverside. Disney resorts offer the facility to transfer your luggage to another Disney Hotel while you without wasting your precious time can continue exploring the Disney World. The same day, when our luggage was transferred to Port Orleans Riverside resort, we planned to visit Disney Springs. If you want to Shop or purely want some good food and entertainment, Disney Springs is your place to be. We took the Sassagoula River Cruise, from Disney Springs to our resort which was a breathtaking experience, we passed through exquisite golf courses and resorts while we reached our next hotel.

Vintage Amphicar Tours at Disney Springs

A beautifully landscaped themed as an old styled Mississippi river community in Louisiana. The first impression of Port Orleans Riverside resort was awe inspiring. They have rooms facing garden, pool or have standard room options. Their Ol' man island swimming pool has water slides and hot tub. With various recreational activities like poolside Yoga, Horse carriage rentals, bike rides, Surrey bike rides etc. one can never get bored even if they are not visiting any of the parks. My suggestion is, keep a day off to relax in a resort like this. 

Water Taxi at Port Orleans resort

Our beautiful room was everything we could ever dream of, we got princess Tiana's themed room and our little princess super thrilled and happy.

Room in Port Orleans Riverside.

We visited Disney's Magic Kingdom for one last time to see their firework extravaganza in order to bring a glorious ending to our trip and to welcome the New Year.  To stay in Disney World,  based upon our needs and budget, they have plenty of options to choose from, like their value based, moderate, Deluxe resorts or Villas. Not to mention, the Disney buses work round the clock to pick and drop visitors from parks, hotels and the airport. So, forget about your worries and become a child for a few days. Plan your trip soon, as Disney World is truly a place where imaginations come to life. Keep Traveling, Keep exploring.

Fireworks at Disney World

Overthinking

Mindful Eating - Vegan Recipes - Vegetable Tofu Stir Fry

Vegan Recipes - Vegetable Tofu Stir Fry!

Hi everyone! since I am a huge fan of Chinese food, inspired by their famous recipe known as "Buddha's delight" or "Buddha's Feast", I've tried my own version of "Tofu Stir Fry". As i am a lazy cook, the good news is, this recipe doesn't take too long to prepare. A good source of Vitamin C, Tofu stir fry can be prepared in more than just one way and therefore has many variations to it, it can be prepared with or without fried Tofu, so lets start with the recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Extra Firm Tofu
2. Cornstarch 2 tbsp. (mixed in water)
3. Broccoli Florets (steam cooked) 1/2 cup
4. Mushrooms 1/2 cup
5. Carrots ( any other vegetable of your choice)
6. Peanuts (optional) - split into half or coarsely ground.
7. Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp.
8. Sriracha or Chili Sauce - 1 to 1-1/2 tsp.
9. Vinegar (1 tsp)
10. Ginger Garlic Paste (1 tsp.)
11. Salt (to taste)
12. Freshly ground black pepper corns - 1 tsp.
13. Oil for frying 

Method :

1. Cut the tofu in cubes.
2. Prepare a solution of cornstarch, water, salt, pepper powder, a tsp. of ginger garlic paste, 1/2 tsp soy sauce and 1/2 tsp. of chili sauce.
3. Dip the tofu into the solution and shallow fry them on a pan.
4. In a pan, heat oil, then add ginger garlic paste.
5. Add all the vegetables and let it cook on a medium heat for 5-7 minutes. (Do not overcook the vegetables)
6. Add peanuts.
7. Add all the sauces, vinegar, remaining pepper powder with some salt and let it sit for 2-3 minutes with the vegetables.
8. Finally add the Tofu and mix well.

Serving suggestions - Serve hot with fried rice, plain rice or noodles.

Nutrition Chart

Hope you try this easy and nutritious recipe and do let me know if you like it.