The "Master Keys" !!

Here I am, writing again, came back sooner than I expected.

Based on whatever little I have read & experienced, I would like to jot down 7 points that, in my opinion, are key to happiness. I call them the "master keys" -

• Be positive and optimistic. It is quite easy to blame anything & everything. Instead, look for positives in everything and you shall be happier.
• Work like there is no tomorrow. Take every assignment as a challenge. It is easy to say that your job is monotonous & boring but say that only after you have mastered every aspect of what you do and there is no one better than you out there. Someone rightly said "Attitude is a small thing that makes a big difference".
• Play harder. Take time out whenver you can. Have tons of fun and your definition of fun can be anything - going out for a movie, going out to shop, trekking, swimming, reading books, playing cricket, dancing, hanging out with friends .. anything! Make sure you plan a vacation with your family/friends at least once every six months. Don't ever miss out on fun!
• Exercise regularly. It is very important especially these days when stress levels are high and we hardly get any physical activity. You will feel fitter, stronger, healthier and energetic. You could hit a gym or play tennis every morning or go for a swim on evenings .. choose whatever suits you but please be regular! Apart from physical activity, I'd also recommend mental exercise .. the easiest would be to grab the morning newspaper and spend 10 minutes with a sudoko or a kakuro puzzle .. with time you will be good at it and you will feel good!
• Read good stuff. Rightly said, knowledge is power. Read whatever interests you .. it could be technical literature or autobiographies of great personalities or religious books or some international bestsellers. Remember, knowledge is a treasure that nobody can steal!
• Listen to music. As they say, it is food for the soul. And listen to whatever interests you .. ghazals, sufi, soft rock, hip-hop, latest bollywood offerings or even the golden oldies from Rafi, Kishore, Mukesh or Lata.
• Try to be good to others. Help the needy whenever you can, be polite to others and always smile :-)

The irony of this blog is that I personally don't follow all of this .. but as I am getting older I do sincerely plan to follow all of this and more ...

:PM