Let’s Conserve Water

How many times do you feel the need to get up and quench your thirst with a glass of cold, water? Most of us don’t even note how many times we go about and do just that, as it comes to us instinctively. Now imagine the frustration and unease you would feel if it runs out and there was no way to take care of your parched throat?

It is true we are unable to imagine the lack of a necessity till that blessing is taken away and it’s absence is a realization.

We waste a lot of resources, for something as basic as water. Misusing it is asin. Its use cannot be substituted. So what have we done to make sure it’s distribution is effective and efficient…

Millions of homes are affected if the source of water is restricted. Political battles are fought over the rivers flowing from one demarcated territory to the other and thousands of children die every day due to its contamination, where the ratio to its fatalities is much more than HIV-AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

Due to lack of infrastructure a quarter of the population faces difficulties due to its shortage. Believe it or not but a huge part of it can be controlled if you and me could adopt a few steps to conserve water.

1.      While washing dishes, hands or clothes do not let the tap running while rinsing.

2.      Ensure there aren’t many leakages and no running tap is left open.

3.      Teach your children to close the water taps carefully

4.      To save time and water, consider washing up your face, hair and brushing your teeth in the shower.

5.      Take quick showers

6.      If your toilet flush doesn’t close after flushing, get it fixed!

7.      Notice no outer leaks are left open, as we pay more attention to indoor taps/faucets.

8.      Replace water with brooms if it is an available option

9.      Collect the water after rinsing fruits and vegetables and re-use it to water plants.

10.    Wash your edibles in a pan of water instead of running water.

11.    Soak pots and pans with tough greases over night, it helps with the rinsing and saves water and time.

All in all water is an essential resource; we ought to stay careful while using it. Let not the children of tomorrow look back in anger for our carelessness today.

Could I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?

Being unrecognized as the fourth most common mental disorders, some mild sufferers of OCD may go completely unnoticed. Obsessive Compulsive Disorders are characterized with an anxiety disorder where repetitive behaviors are displayed aimed to reduce anxiety.

The irrational behavior displayed by the people may include repetitive rituals of washing, cleaning, uncontrollable counting, repeated checking, nervous rituals and entering or leaving the room in a particular fashion, to name a few symptoms. The people who undergo this condition find themselves distressed through these uncontrollable fixations where they feel obliged to perform such acts with realizations of their irrational behavior causing them emotional and psychological distress.

Some of the people who are affected by this disorder may appear paranoid and could come across as meticulous or perfectionist, obsessing precision in their work, overly concerned with hygiene and display signs of panic attacks anxiety and depression. The people exhibiting such stress disorder are also known to have strong tendencies towards drug addiction as it may help alleviate their anxiety.

The compulsions may vary from counting steps, specific items, clearing throats, walking or keeping things in a straight line, constantly organizing things or may feel obliged to keep their doors closed, mostly following or observing a ritual or compulsions causing inconvenience to their lives.

The tests which rate the scales for the disorder are the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale where the severity of the symptoms can be assessed.

Help should be taken for the sufferers who display symptoms of this disorder before their condition gets to an untreatable state as results may cause a deep depression, self criticism that may inflict suicidal thoughts within a patients mind, where according to a study a notable 15% have been observed to commit suicide with feelings of hopelessness and weakening of their spirit.

Do you know someone who might be suffering from an anxiety that leaves them helpless with little or no self control over their obsessions, researching and awareness may  help relieve them of their miseries. Play your part and know about a certain disorder before you judge to conclusions as we may not always know what condition our acquaintances, friends, family or loved ones could be suffering from.

Sexploitation

WOMEN DESERVE RESPECT! I just had to shout that out of my system because people have gone numb to horrible and unacceptable portrayal of women turning them into objects, and no that is not the answer when the companies endorsing their product carelessly shrug their shoulders and answer by saying “…But , sex sells!”

What is wrong with people? Is there any limit to women being exposed and shamelessly flaunted be it related to the requirement of a product or not? Is packaging an ad and making it look and appear like soft porn the only strategy left to captivate audience? Even for those who don’t find the strategy appealing are hammered to think that women are but sex objects and serve only one purpose to have them admired or loved. Is this the message we are leaving for the young girls to follow, that in order to feel loved you must be barely clad and that should be enough to get all the desired attention, love and respect you seek for?

Has anybody noticed the rise of the formulaic success of women turning into item girls? More actresses are willing to bare more, appear like a complete tart and pull attention seeking vulgar stunts to gain popularity? Why is there so much abhorrent exposure of women coming in from everywhere?

A moisturizer ad would have a woman wearing next to nothing, coating herself with the lotion and showing triumph when she successfully seduces the man. Is all that touching and kissing really necessary for that ad? Is that the ultimate role of a woman?

There are more and more products being endorsed that shamelessly shout out “Go sleeveless on him” I mean since when does a product ultimately lead to seduction? Whatever happened to feel good slogans?

At least monitor the television when have your children being exposed to such horrible nuisance! This is not suitable for children or adults.

Why Is Humility So Under-Rated?

Many a times we come across people who keep an upturned nose, a snotty attitude bragging about their mediocre achievements. Why is it that we buy their self proclaimed greatness and fool ourselves into believing that they might be just all that?

It is most disturbing to see more and more mediocrity being celebrated as genius. Half hearted efforts are all marketed too well, bragged on for centuries knowing no end and are raised up to undeserved pedestal. Are we all lowering our standards and falsely believing that such over rated average standards are praiseworthy?

If there is anything what one finds lacking in today’s time and age is modesty and humility. No role model of a male or female flaunted across our TV channels portray this trait as appreciable. Whatever happened to the story of the humble tree that bowed all so low for the abundant fruit it bore?

Why is it that we all have to toot our horn for our mediocre achievements to have our presence felt or get noticed? You cannot miss a thing of beauty or a skilled piece of work. However, it is extremely pleasant to come across a humble character that takes you by surprise when their abilities shine on their own, needless of any shallow superfluous announcements.

Do you think it is important to keep a high and mighty stance to have your presence felt or it is just a cheap shot from those who don’t have anything to back them up? What are your opinions on being humble? Do you think one needs to carry an attitude to be feared or admired or it’s just a turn off?

Can you keep a secret?

Keeping a secret can be difficult. It gets even more difficult when we know the piece of information is absolutely scandalous. How many of us make solemn promises to not tell a soul and casually forget when a gossiping session gains momentum at a friend’s meet up?

We all know the consequences of leaking out a story can be nasty , there would be heartbreak, anger and ultimately loss of trust. Then why do we feel it uncontrollable to disclose someone’s deepest secrets? Is it always out of negligence or do we conveniently omit out the consequences? Thinking, it won’t harm us then why not tell?!

Sometimes when a secret revolves around someone’s private life, we often feel it our birth right to pass judgments. Is it because it places us on a higher moral ground? Or are we too desperate for attention that we can cross any boundaries to get those 15 minutes of limelight?

Are we all addicted to sensationalism and are secretly looking for drama in others life? Why is it that the only means of happiness left in some people’s life is to secretly wish others would goof up in some way or the other? Why can’t we focus in just our own lives?

Keeping a secret is a tough responsibility. It takes great self control, will power and a sense of responsibility to listen and to stay silent, which is why we must not expect just anybody to take upon it sincerely and behave responsibly with our private affairs.

If you are a private person and you like keeping to yourself it is best that personal matters are best to share with that certain someone who you truly trust.

For those who are trusted with, should understand that a shared problem is like someone’s possession that is asked to be taken care of. Being careless with it is like stealing from someone. If you think you lack the will to keep a secret it is best to not involve yourself in matters you feel you won’t be able to keep.

Be responsible, feel privileged you are trusted with some one’s matter and try to keep up to promises as this can help someone greatly!

Why Do I Feel Guilty All the Time?

Are you often taunted or made to feel guilty for things you aren't responsible for? Are people controlling you by inducing feelings of rotten remorse?  Do others make you un sure of yourself with nagging feelings that leave you confused? Yes you are a classic victim of being manipulated by a guilt monger.

There are times when there is a lot of unnecessary time wasted on things which weren't caused by you. When you are in an emotionally abusive relationship, it may take years to understand that the real problem may lie with the other person, rather than yourself. The realization comes through keeping a log of behavior patterns. The person who is causing you all the distress for nothing, usually is an expert in fabricating lies. 

They make broken promises as a ritual, deny even making them and when they goof up and questioned about it react with confusing and hurtful responses like “It breaks my heart to see, you could actually think like that about me!”

Watch out for such energy draining parasites as they consume half your energy by talking in circles. They will never own up to their mistake, would beat about the bush, and address an entire different topic to dodge an obvious problem. They would care next to nothing for your feelings and would do all it takes for you to go do all their dirty work, while making you feel how careless you are with them!

There is no winning with an emotional abuser, the only way out is to spot what tactic they are using against you and talk about it openly on their face. They may give horrific expressions on how twisted the whole idea sounds, but by keeping your ground with a self assured steady stance makes them realize they can’t play around anymore.

While addressing a topic of concern make sure, other blame shifting tactics do not come into play. Be watchful and soon enough with your calm yet assertive stance, all the abuse will melt away into nothingness.

Banish away your fears!

How many of us are afraid to try out new things in life? Whether testing a new dish off a menu card, adopting a new hobby, trying a new course or pursuing a new career? Undoubtedly things come with a risk factor but are your fears standing in your way to new experiences and an unexplored world?

Sometimes it may just be us standing in our way for a new experience. There really might not be an actual out worldly force trying to stop us as much as the barriers we build in our minds, be it making new friends, opening up to people, exploring places or picking up a new hobby. Mostly thinking it will all go wrong. What a sad and fearful state that must be, which inhibits people to try out new stuff in life!

Life is to be lived in all of its phases. Those who remain in perpetual fear only stop themselves to live it freely. So what is it that holds you back from improving your life? If you are worried that things will go wrong, chances are you have already told yourself so and chances are high that you begin to believe it that way.

A few ideas to banish away negative thinking is to try and shift your focus to how a certain situation can turn out to be life altering. How maybe opening up to new people or giving the existing people a second chance may only end up in freeing your own self. At times we enforce a few negative ideas repeatedly in a loop that ends up with a self perceived false reality. Thus it is important that you re-evaluate your thoughts and assert positive ones in your mind.

Taking a small step towards your goals may also eliminate those fears gradually and steadily. If you have a new idea that demands your time, taking a few steps towards it daily might help. Certain fears need to be addressed with full force but some may require more time to test waters before u take the plunge, in any case not being able to pursue your goals with a perpetual state of fear is a life wasted.

So chuck away the no’s and think there is every reason why things will work. What’s the worst that could happen anyway? Remember, by not plunging ahead towards your idea of living would mean you are preciously holding onto your fears and nothing else. Banish them all today!