Anu Nair

UNDERSTANDING LGBTQ+

Since it is pride month I feel like I should talk about this because it is really important.

I’m going to be honest, I didn’t really know much about the LGBTQ+ community until a few years ago. Well, I did know a little, but not the most positive things.

I come from a place where the whole idea of gender was not discussed openly, not that it is not discussed right now, at present, it is, but I want to take you back a few years ago.

To me, the whole topic of gender was limited to only ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’. I didn’t know about anything else until age 10 or 11. And I don’t blame my family for that, they’ve always been loving, kind, supportive and understanding. Even to my parents, the whole topic of LGBTQ+ is one big blur.

I think the reason for this has a lot to do with society, but I think tradition is the bigger evil here.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all here for tradition. I love my heritage, my culture and my traditions. Just in this case, I feel like traditions have pulled back the society that I live in.

You see, where I come from, any gender other than masculine or feminine was not heard of. If anyone felt any different from what was considered ‘normal’, they were just pushed off, or taken to priests who could ‘heal’ them.

In today’s day and age, the topic of LGBTQ+ is openly discussed in many places, and I’m really proud of that. Yet, so many people are scared to come out of the closet and be their real authentic selves.

Over the past few years, I’ve read and learned so much about this topic and I’ve seen so many people coming out and being their true selves. And I’m proud to see this change. But the problem is, this topic is yet whispered and often times hidden. And it really hurts me to see that such an amazing, wonderful and colorful side of the world was hidden from me for such a long time.

I’m still learning and understanding and figuring everything out, and I really need to thank the internet for that, if it wasn’t for the internet I would still be looking at the LGBTQ+ community from a negative light.

There is one thought that constantly runs at the back of my head, that is, there might be a little girl like me somewhere, who doesn’t know about the wonderful, amazing and inspiring side of the world, and that really hurts me.

From this blog the thing that I want to put out is this:

No matter what any society or tradition says, everyone has the right to be their truly authentic self and everyone should know everything there is to know about the colorful world that is out there. No one should have to live in a state of confusion or in way which makes them feel ‘abnormal’. We should bring this conversation to the front lines.

This topic or for that matter any topic which affects everyone should not be whispered, it should not remain hidden.

With that, I conclude.

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!!!💜💙💚💛❤

HOW TO STOP OVERTHIKING

Are you an overthinker? Do you constantly worry about things that are a complete waste of your time? Are you constantly stressed and/or anxious?

I have always been the person that overthinks everything! But recently I’ve been able to control my thoughts, so I want to share some tips with you.

First of all you need to understand that overthinking and overanalyzing things is not good for you! You need to take the decision to control your thoughts.

Be aware of what’s happening

You need to be aware of all the different thoughts consuming your mind, then only will you be able to control these thoughts.

Recognize negative thoughts and acknowledge them, stop pretending like everything is okay, in doing so you’ll be able to calmly process them and work through them.

Writing down thoughts can help you declutter your mind.

Tip- whenever a stressful situation comes up and/or negative thoughts start crossing your mind, take a step back, think about your reaction to the situation, be aware of the thoughts crossing your mind.

Be focused

While doing something, be focused on that task, don’t let your mind wander. Stay focused, it will be difficult keeping your thoughts in one place, but with time and practice you will be able to control your mind.

Meditation can help you stay focused and clear your head of unnecessary thoughts.

Try new things/get a hobby

Free time can be an excuse for too many thoughts to wander into your head.

Sometimes our minds get so used to our daily routine that many thoughts end up in our head even while doing different tasks.

Trying new things will occupy your mind and free time and prevent you from overthinking about things.

Tip- while selecting a hobby, look for something that you enjoy and makes you happy.

Control your thoughts

A very important thing to remember is that you are in control of your thoughts. Do not let the voices in your head get in control of you. Remember that they are only voices and they get control only when you give them the control.

Redirect your thoughts, whenever a negative thought occupies your mind, turn it into something positive.

That’s all for this time. Tell me in the comments- what have you been overthinking about?

DREAMING BIG

“Dream big, then grow into it”

Have you ever had a dream? I know it’s a silly question, let me rephrase, have you ever had a big dream? One which you were really passionate about, one which you wanted to achieve no matter what. If the answer is yes, then this blog is for you.

If the answer is no, then I’m assuming that you’re not quite sure what dreams are, or more importantly, what dreaming big is.

What are dreams?

“Dreams are not those which you see when you’re asleep, dreams are those which don’t let you sleep”– A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Dreams are something that truly inspire you and give you a reason to live.

Now that we’re clear with that, let’s start with another important question

Why should you dream big?

There are quite a few reasons to it. I’m going to list some of the most important ones:

It will help you figure out what it is that you really want

-If you’re currently employed but you’re not satisfied with your job, or more importantly, you don’t think that you’re reaching your true potential, then you need to start dreaming big.

-Even if you’re not currently employed, it will help you understand who you are and what you want from your life.

Motivation and energy

-When you have a dream, it’s like you have your purpose

-Like I said earlier, it gives you a reason to live.

-It inspires you and motivates you to deal with the hardships in your life and work harder and harder to reach the ultimate goal.

Upgrades you into the best version of you

-Having a dream forces you to make changes in yourself, changes that make you a better person and ultimately, the best version of yourself.

Now comes the biggest question:

How to achieve this big dream?

To make a dream come true, no matter how big or small, you need to work on it, you need to work really hard and face many difficulties, but don’t let that stop you, focus on your dream.

”Dreaming big is the first step, but if you want to achieve that dream, it requires each and every ounce of your energy”- Muniba Mazari

Create a vision for your future, down to the last detail. The type of car you want, the type of house, the amount of money you want to make, etc. The clearer your vision will be , the faster it will reach you.

Now that you’ve made the vision, write it all down, write down what you want and what you’re going to do/have to do to make it come to life. Then take up one of these things and start working on it.

The reason why people’s dreams don’t come true is not because they dream too big, it’s because they don’t plan and execute for that dream.

You can have a million dollar idea in your head, the idea can be a complete success, but only if you start working on it. If you don’t put it down on pen and paper and start working on it, it’s going to remain a dream forever!

So start dreaming and start working

Before you go, I have a question for you.

What is your biggest dream and what are you doing to make it come to life?

WHY SHOULD YOU FORGIVE?

This blog is for those who feel like they’ve been hurt/wronged /deceived/betrayed by someone. Do you feel extreme hatred and/or anger towards someone who has wronged you in any way?

Then I’m here to tell you that you need to forgive that person. Why? Allow me to explain.

If you want to grow, you need to leave some things behind.

“You need to forgive and forget in order to grow, to become bigger and better.”

Forgiving someone, especially if they’ve wronged you and hurt you, is not easy. You need to work on it. You need to do it, not for them, but for yourself.

Forgiveness is not just for the person that you forgive, you also deserve to forgive that person.

Forgiveness is the only way that you can finally cut off that person completely from your life.

Holding a grudge and not forgiving someone for the wrong that they have done is like letting that person consume your mind. You’re giving them the power to control your mind, to keep you away from your real goal. You’re allowing them to hold you back! Take back the control, don’t keep the hate in you. You deserve to be happy, you deserve a life of positivity, do not let hatred consume your mind just because someone wronged you. There is so much good in you, do not let that fade away just because someone else is a horrible person.

It is never easy to forgive and forget. But if you can forgive someone, someone who has caused you a lot of pain, someone who hurt you so much that everything around you seemed dark, if you can forgive a person like that, if you can move on from that, make a better life for yourself and be happy, then Nothing and No one can break you.

Forgive them for yourself. Because

YOU DESERVE BETTER ❤

ALL ABOUT LUCK -PART 2

If you’ve not read part 1 I suggest you read it, that will help you understand this blog better. If you’ve already read part 1 then please enjoy part 2. 🙂

Be A Sponge (not literally!)

Being a sponge means being attentive and absorbing things happening around you. Keeping an eye out for opportunities is a classic trait of lucky people. Lucky people are attentive and curious about things around them. They absorb as many opportunities as possible and make the best out of these.

Be Nice

Being nice increases the probability of making a good impression in front of people you meet for the first time. Being nice to people not just creates a great impression in front of said people but also results in positive word of mouth to even more people.

A big thing to keep in mind while being nice to someone is: don’t expect everyone to return the favor. Be nice and then forget about it. Karma will do its job on you.

Recognizing, Realizing And Giving Back

Ashwin Sanghi says in his book

“Lucky people are those who are able to see how lucky they are”

A person who recognizes and realizes the good happening in their life will always be willing to do good to others, such a person will always help people around them get as many opportunities as possible.

With that I conclude everything I have to say about luck. If you have not read the part 1 of this series then check it out here :

ALL ABOUT LUCK- PART 1

If you want to read more about luck and how to become lucky then check out Ashwin Sanghi’s book ’13 steps to bloody good luck’.

https://sanghi.in/13-steps-to-bloody-good-luck.html

If you’ve already read the book then please tell me, were my analysis and thoughts correct? If you’ve not read the book I highly suggest that you read it. 😉

ALL ABOUT LUCK- PART 1

A few days ago I read a very interesting book, ’13 steps to bloody good luck’ by Ashwin Sanghi (to the people who have already read the book; I know I’m extremely late, please don’t hate me 🙂 ). After reading the book and doing a lot of thinking and analyzing, I’ve come up with the following conclusions.

Firstly, I’d like to quote a few lines from the book that rightly describe ‘luck’

“Luck is not entirely about chance, it’s about the human ability to spot opportunities and make the most out of them.”

In simple words, to be lucky you need to spot the opportunities coming your way and work with it!

So, what’s the best ways to increase the opportunities coming your way or more importantly, how to make full use of every opportunity?

Here’s what I learnt from the book:

Make Your Circle Bigger

One of the best ways to increase the opportunities coming your way is by increasing your social circle. It is important to increase the network of family, friends, acquaintances and colleagues. Tips and opportunities come to you via your social circle.

Investing in relationships is a main characteristic of lucky people. Doing new things, traveling to new places and working outside your comfort zone can help you meet new people and increase the flow of opportunities coming your way.

Persistence And Positive Attitude

Having a positive attitude really helps. Ashwin says in his book “if we are positive and patient the universe seems to send good luck our way.”

Persistence is as important as being positive. Being persistent is a great quality in lucky people.

Being Confident

Being confident and overcoming fear allows to open up the flow of opportunities.

“To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom” –Bertrand Russel

A very important point which Ashwin makes in his book is, one of the results of conquering fear and gaining confidence is improved communication skills. This allows you to improve your network. Being confident also makes a great first impression in front of new people.

This concludes part 1 of all about luck, if you want to read part 2 then stay tuned and till then, tell me – do you think you’re lucky? Why? Why not?

GRATITUDE – BEING THANKFUL

I believe that asking good questions can get you better answers and better answers can help you be the best version of yourself.

So, let’s start with the most basic questions.

What is gratitude?

In the words of Gaur Gopal Das

“Gratitude is not a feeling, it is a state of mind that can be developed, it allows us to tap into a reservoir of unlimited positive energy…”

In simple words, it is ‘being thankful’.

This brings up another question, which is

What is ingratitude?

“Ingratitude means to forget the blessings in our life, to ignore the kind things people have done for us.”

(Forgive me for quoting Gaur Gopal Das again.)

Now that we know the most basic things, here’s another great question

How to be grateful?

The most important thing to keep in mind is that being positive does not mean we neglect the negative, we must constructively deal with negative situations whilst simultaneously focusing on the positive.

In simpler terms- focus on the good that is happening in your life and deal with the bad happening in your life.

One of the most basic ways to practice gratitude is by writing down the things that you’re grateful for (or the good things in your life).

Loving parents, amazing teachers and role models, supportive friends, caring partners, even internet is something to be grateful for! The list of things to be grateful for is endless, we just need to take time out of our busy lives to acknowledge these things.

Once you understand what gratitude is and how to be grateful, another very important thing which you need to learn is

Giving back

A very important aspect of gratitude is doing something good for all those who have done something for us.

If you can’t give back to someone then at least be someone else’s ‘positive thing’. Do good to people irrespective of who they are to you. Be kind to everyone no matter what.

“Gratitude is so much about giving, sharing and living.” – Gaur Gopal Das

Now that you know everything about gratitude, start being grateful! Thank and appreciate the important people in your life. Also tell me what are you grateful for today.

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

‘Your actions should be such that when you leave, the world is a better place than when you arrived’

KINDNESS. According to Google, kindness is ‘the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate.’ I agree to this. But I’d like to add something more to it. A kind person is loving and gives out positive energy to everyone around them. Kindness is about being selfless, compassionate, caring and merciful.

‘In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit.’ -Anne Frank

Never hesitate to be kind to someone, no matter who they are what they’ve done to you. You never know how much that person might need the support. Treat everyone with the same level of kindness and love that you would like for yourself.

Take the first step, be the reason why people around you believe in humanity. You don’t need to do really big things to make change. Just one kind word can change someone’s day, they will then change someone else’s day, and thus, create a chain reaction.

Simple words like ‘thank you’ ‘I’m proud of you’ and ‘you’re important’ can make someone’s day. Even a genuine smile can be the reason for someone’s happiness. Give out the type of energy you want to see everywhere.

Set an example for those around you. Be the image of kindness and love. Do things today so that on your deathbed, you look back and see a life not full of regrets, but full of happiness and joy, joy of others.

Spread love. Be kind. Be grateful.

There are so many good things in the world. Be the reason for someone’s happiness. Trust me, at the end of the day when you go to bed and think of all the people that smiled because of you, everything will seem a thousand times better.

Lots of love ❤

HOW TO WORK EFFICIENTLY

Let me ask you a question – are you supposed to be doing something else right now? A project? An assignment? Maybe even household chores? If your answer is yes then, like me you procrastinate a lot. So I am here to give you some tips and tricks on how to procrastinate less and work more.

MAKE REALISTIC TO-DO LISTS

All of us might be familiar with the concept of to-do lists, if not then let me explain, it is a list of things/goals you wish to accomplish within a particular time period and when you do it you check/cross it out of your list.

For example

~~Finish chapter 6~~
~~Complete notes of chapter 10~~
~~Write notes to chapter 8 & 9~~
~~Finish reading the library books~~

I hope this gives you a basic idea of to-do lists.

But here’s a mistake that people often make with their to-do lists – they fill their lists with unrealistic expectations and often times their list is so full that it makes situations very stressful. If you see things on your list that are impossible to finish within the time period then you need to either recheck your list or give yourself more time. Keep the most important tasks on your list and work on those before adding more things to your list. Make sure to keep your list in such a place where it is visible to you at all times, that way you can keep track of all the things you’ve done and the things you need to do.

MAKING TARGETS/SETTING GOALS OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE

This one might be a little opposite to what I said previously, but just hear me out. When you set targets that are within your comfort zone, you will slack, this is because you subconsciously know that you can do it and you won’t work hard on that task. Set targets that are a little out of your comfort zone while keeping realistic goals.

CLEAN/ORGANIZED WORKSPACE

This is something that is so small yet so important! Having a clean workspace gives you a stress free environment. It doesn’t have to be extremely clean or extremely organized, it just needs to be clean enough so that you don’t get a heart attack everytime you look at it.

REMOVING DISTRACTIONS

A really big reason/common excuse that we’ve all used at some point is – I get distracted easily! Well, it is time for you to control that distraction instead of letting it control you. Turn off all the distractions while working, get to a quiet place and try not to have music while working , especially if it is your favorite song (you will get distracted, trust me!)

VISION BOARDS/INSPIRTIONAL QUOTES

Let’s be honest – there are moments when we don’t feel like working/feel demotivated and that’s completely okay! We all have such moments. But the thing is – the world will not stop and you need to keep hustling to get to your dreams and goals. Having a vision board and/or inspirational quotes in/around your workspace will motivate you to work harder. Make sure that these are kept in a place where you can see them all the time, especially while working.

Here’s a guide to making a vision board –

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVITY AND LIKE MINDED PEOPLE

People can be a make or break for your work. If you surround yourself with positive, hardworking, like-minded people you will be motivated to work harder. On the other hand if you surround yourself with people who are more focused on other things and not really interested in working, then you’ll most probably get distracted and/or lose interest in work.

TAKING A BREAK

Doing one thing for a long period of time will numb your brain and it won’t let you be productive.

Fun fact – worker ants take anywhere from 8 minutes of rest every 12 hours to over 250 1 minute naps in 1 day at irregular intervals.

Although I don’t suggest you follow the ant routine I do suggest that you take a 10 minute break every 30 minutes or 15-20 minute break every hour. DO NOT use this time on social media or on your phone, you won’t know how fast time goes if you get on social media. Instead walk around or stretch your body or just close your eyes and meditate. This will energize you to get back to work.

BRIGHT LIGHT/GOOD LIGHTING

Another really small yet important thing. When you work in places that are not well lit your mind automatically gets demotivated or distracted on doing the work. Just like a photo or video doesn’t come out well without proper lighting, same way your true potential cannot come out properly without proper lighting. Make sure that your workspace is properly lit, preferably with natural lighting.

P.S.: These are just some things that work for me, they don’t necessarily need to work for you. Don’t be disheartened by that, just look for what works best for you and go for it.

GET TO KNOW ME…

Hiii… In case you don’t know me, let me introduce myself. I’m Anu, a 15 year old girl with big hopes and dreams. I love music and reading and also am a huge fan of stand up comedy. I believe in spreading love, happiness and kindness. Some of my biggest dream in life are to write a book and to travel the world. Through this blog I want to write my thoughts and opinions and bring the voice of young people to the world. I believe that many times young people are put down or not taken seriously just because of their age when in reality we hold really great thoughts and world changing ideas. I hope you will be interested in reading and supporting my ideas. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions and would love to know your suggestions. Thank you for taking the time to read this and supporting me. Lots of love to you ❤️

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