Zen Balance

zen mind, calm mind, happy heart, peaceful, being content, religious, spiritual, yoga, meditation. compassion, kindness, charity

Help Fight Child Hunger: Make Others Happy

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Many will think hunger happens only in poor nations such as India, Africa or other small nations. They may not realize that in Country like US, the same problem exists but hidden from everyday life from people. People who American people in Television, Movies or any media may not realize that there are children and women going hungry in US currently.

Earlier, I used to feel that there was no hunger problem here in US, since I have grown up, I have come to realize that how misguided this picture was. While, people generally seemed richer here, Americans have problems just like any other country folks. There are many of us in US, constantly on diet program to lose weight from our unhealthy eating. While, we would hardly see any poor people or pan handlers in our daily life, there is hidden America that we do not see that often unless you are part of it. There are so many poor people in USA that they do not know where their next meal is coming from. Sad thing about it, many of them family with little kids who deserves to not go hungry and cared for as their parents probably would have go to low pay job just to survive. While there are churches, temple and other charitable organization helps but it is little and problem is too big and could use many hands from many people like us.

I hesitated to write about this topic before, as reality or truth is never pretty and quite harsh. However, I believe that if we truly want to be happy, we should want people around us to be happy.

  • Why? Happiness is contagious, more happy people in world, world would be happy.
  • Hungry people can not be happy, we all need our basic need met such as food, clean water, shelter, clothes, and caring and love in order to be happy and content.

We all know and may even help other kids (and we should) to Africa, Asia and Other poor to developing nations but do we know we have hungry kids in our own backyard?

Child Does not Have to Go Hungry

What does it like to feel hungry? Many of us are very lucky to have never find that harsh truth in life. Unfortunately many people in world adults, men and women are going hungry in Asia, Africa and other nation. Many of those who go hungry are children. The sad fact is many of them are in wealthy nation of ours in, USA.

There are many organizations are helping but it is not enough. Hunger and poverty are increasing at alarming rate in last 50 years compared to ever before.

According to bread.org site;

925 million people are hungry.

Every day, almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes. That’s one child every five seconds.

That fact alone will make you want to sit up and do something about it. No innocent child have to be hungry or unloved. Every little bit we can do can make a difference. It is like a ripple effect.

Hunger In America:

  • We live in the world’s wealthiest nation USA, yet 13% of us are living in poor condition and are going hungry.
  • One in four children live in homes that have problem having enough money to feed themselves. That is over 15 million American Children. That is shocking fact!
  • As we do not see these children in our daily life, we can not know the dire situation they must live in.

There are nutrition and other helpful programs to help but it is not enough and many children are going hungry.

Here are some Hunger Facts:

  • Nearly 14 million children are estimated to be served by Feeding America, over 3 million of which are ages 5 and under.
  • According to the USDA, over 17 million children lived in food insecure (low food security and very low food security) households in 2009.
  • 20% or more of the child population in 16 states and D.C. are living in food insecure households. The states of Arkansas (24.4 percent) and Texas (24.3 percent) have the highest rates of children in households without consistent access to food.(Cook, John, Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2006-2008.
  • 14.6% of U.S. households struggle to put enough food on the table. More than 49 million Americans—including 16.7 million children—live in these households.
    Source: Household Food Security in the United States, 2008 . U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, November 2009. (Table 1A, Table 1B)
  • Nearly one in four children is at risk of hunger. Among African-Americans and Latinos, one in three children is at risk of hunger.
    Source: Household Food Security in the United States, 2008 . U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, November 2009. (Table 1B, Table 6).

Food Spending

  • Low-income households already spend a greater share of their income on food. Food accounts for 17.1 percent of spending for households making less than $10,000 per year compared to the U.S. average of 12.6 percent.
    Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2006.

Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC)

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Check out this video below for more information:

Closing Thoughts:

We can get rid of poverty if we all helped and not wasted food. Many people can blame this crisis in growing population around the world and say that there is not enough food for everyone. But many experts do not think it is to be truth.  As Gandhiji  said, “There is enough food for everybody but not enough for everyone’s greed”.

We are wasting so much food here, places such as costco and some restaurant throw away food instead of donating it to homeless folks or shelters who could use it. We also waste lot of personal food at home or eat unhealthy. Most of farms are growing corn that is fed to cattle for making meat. We are sure not living sustainable living and draining our earth’s natural resources into profit and waste.

What can we do?

I think most people are kind hearted and would help this cause, only if they knew how and where to help. Here are a few ways we can start it off.

  1. Check out for local homeless shelter or homeless hanging out area and donate some non-perishable food to them.
  2. We do not have wait until Christmas, charity begins at home, when we are ready.
  3. If you see anyone around you, who might have lost a job, or had major health issues, help them with food and other things as you provide.
  4. Just because we do not see poor people, does not mean they do not exist, seek them out and help.
  5. Before we judge any poor people for being lazy, dirty; give them compassion, care and help. I am sure there are a few people who might take advantage of the situation but 99% are hard working people if they only had a chance.
  6. Many people can use, freshly cooked meals, old blankets, old stuffed toys, donate cars and so on so they can try to get back to their feet.
  7. Donate to organization who are helping child hunger, shelter and also look for people to help directly as many organization have budget limit and they may have turn away few folks.
  8. Many churches or temple give out food to people or check it out and share with them.
  9. Donate little money you could afford to either people in need or organizations.
  10. Be kind and thankful for what we have and able to help. There are always people who have more than us and there are people who have less than us, let’s help who have less than us.

Organizations to check out:

Bread.org

Child Hunger in America

United Nations on Hunger

Find local Homeless Shelters in US:

Worldwide Child Hunger Issues

World Hunger Facts:

One.org (Thanks Adrian for the Link Suggestion)

If you still on fence about helping, take a look at some of the images of hungery children around the world, and help. I do not make anything from this except from feeling good for doing the right thing and following my heart.

Thank you for Taking time to read this and making small change to change world in to a happier place!

How To Find Peace in Your Life

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Many of our life can be chaotic and stressful at the time. There is a saying: “when it rains, it pours!” and “Misery Loves company”. I am having share of my life issues at the moment that I feel overwhelm despite trying to live calm and simple life. I am sure many of us, have been in situation like this once in our life, sometimes more. I have written about finding ways out of overwhelm and simplifying life before.

Today I want to share how to find peace, with noise and chaos around us and still function. While, I am going through this phase, these quotes have helped me and inspired me and I am sure it will inspire and motivate you as well. We can not change certain aspects of our life but we can change our attitude towards it for positive and upbeat outlook!

You may also like 5 peace books everyone should read once here.

Resource Books to Find Peace in Your Life:

Finding Peace By Jean Vanier: One of our deepest human desires and needs is to live in peace. We all yearn for peace, but what is it exactly? How do we find it, and how can we bring peace to our lives and our communities? Jean Vanier reflects on recent world events, identifying the sources of conflict and fear within and among individuals, communities, and nations that thwart us in our quest for peace.

21 Ways to Finding Peace and Happiness: Overcoming Anxiety, Fear, and Discontentment Every Day : In today’s world, peace is hard to come by. When personal desires are followed, serenity is forfeited. By submitting one’s life to God, a peace-filled life is ensured.

Famous Peace Quotes: Finding Peace

_________________________________________________________________________________


A smile is the beginning of peace.
– Mother Teresa

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Whenever you are sincerely pleased, you are nourished.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

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End each day with thoughts of peace.  Begin each day with
thoughts of peace.  Continue thinking thoughts of peace
throughout your precious day and happiness will be yours.

______________________________________________________________________

Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek but a means by
which we arrive at that goal.
– Martin Luther King, Jr.
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When we are present in each moment, the past gently rolls up
behind us and the future slowly unravels before us.
– Rev Richard Levy

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Everything you do can be done better from a place of relaxation.
– Stephen C. Paul

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Life is lived in the present.  Yesterday is gone.  Tomorrow is
yet to be.  Today is the miracle.

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The quieter you become the more you can hear.

___________________________________________________________________


He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with
the world.
 – Marcus Aurelius
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Love the moment and the energy of that moment will spread
beyond all boundaries into blissful, peaceful happiness.

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Nothing matters very much and few things matter at all.
 – Earl Balfour
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Our life is frittered away by detail . . . simplify, simplify.
 – Henry David Thoreau

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Seize every day as an adventure and your spirit will soar when
you discover the wonderful surprises life has to offer.

______________________________________________________________________

True peace is found in this moment. Acceptance is the 1st step
to inner calm.

_____________________________________________________________________


It isn’t enough to talk about peace, one must believe it.
And it isn’t enough to to believe in it, one must work for it.
 – Eleanor Roosevelt
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The poor long for riches, the rich long for heaven, but the
wise long for a state of tranquility.
– Swami Rama
______________________________________________________________________

There is no greatness where there is not simplicity.
– Leo Tolstoy
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Don’t fill your time with worry – fix what you can and let the
rest take care of itself.Those who are at war with others are not at peace with
themselves.
 – William Hazlett
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In acceptance, there is peace.

______________________________________________________________________

Satisfaction can be found in the simplest tasks.

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Make the most of every moment.

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Honor the past.
Live in the present.
Create the future.

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The thief of the past and the thief of the future, rob us of the joy
of the peace of the present moment.

______________________________________________________________________

Peace of mind is attained not by ignoring problems, but by
solving them.
 – Raymond Hull
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Relaxation comes from letting go of tense thoughts.
 – Frances Wilshire

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There is time for everything.
 – Thomas Edison
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The past is history. The future is a mystery and this moment is
a gift. That is why this moment is called “the present”.

______________________________________________________________________

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today
of its strength.
 – Corrie Ten Boom
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Wherever we are, what we hear is mostly noise. When we ignore
it, it disturbs us. When we listen to it, we find it fascinating.
– John Cage
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A soft voice is the sound of peace.

Surround your home in Peace Symbols:

  • Mug Quotable Peace

  • Sleep in peace sign bedding

  • Have peace decor for your home

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Some Peaceful reading Resources:

Zengirl

Read more Peace Quotes

Image Source: mogadishuman.wordpress.com

How to Handle Life Setbacks : 7 Tips for Stress Free Living During Stressful Event

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Photo Source: Brittany Bush


It’s not true that life is one damn thing after another; it is one damn thing over and over.
Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892 – 1950)

Only thing predictable about life that it is unpredictable

We can plan for our lives, when to get married, when to have kids and when to retire. Planning is great and having back up planning is better, as life always does not go according to our plans. I am sure mine does not and I am sure it is true for all of you as well.

Last Friday (Jan 21st), something happened and my whole Heart and Mind content from hosting site and everything got deleted and I could not see anything when viewing my site. I still am not sure what caused the whole database for heart and mind to be deleted but we called Bluehost, my hosting company and they have complimentary data back up and my content and site were back up in about 2 hours.

I lost some of my comments, my replies and any changes and updates I made in last 5 days though. So, if you made any comments in last few days before Jan 22nd, it might be lost with my own replies and changes. I suppose at least most of the content is back up.

It is scary to lose everything you have written in 18 months, all of your hard work going nowhere. While I hope none of you have to go through thing like that but if you face life’s set back, here are a few lessons I learned might help you through it.

Tips to handle Life’s Setbacks

1. Have a realistic plan for life. That means setting goals that are reasonable and achievable. Small goals and short terms goals are as important as long term and bigger goals. Bigger goals can be broken down in chunks for easier plan.

2. It is good idea to have back up plan to fall back on. Let’s face it, life does not happen always as we plan and as we like. Having a realistic plan sure helps but having a back up plan is sure way to keep sanity and something to fall back on when need arises.

3. Take a break when something drastic happens, do not make a decision when your mind is in tension. When we are panicking, we are not going to make best decisions in life so wait until our mind is clear and we are thinking logically to make life changing decisions as we will bound to make choices out of emotions and not logic. Mind is like a parachute, it only works when it is open.

4. Take care of your self when things are down. Taking care of ourselves is last thing in our mind, when we are looking for solution quickly but unless we are well, we will not be able to help ourselves or anyone else in that matter. Like in plane emergency situation they say to put a oxygen mask on yourself before putting on your children, you can not save anyone unless you save your self first.

5. Have support of people and other hired expert when we do not know the answer. I am not tech savvy, so I had to ask Bluehost people to suggest what to do. You can do that with any situation when we are not sure about what to do. In other situation, such as plumbing or electric sparks in house is not the time to save money and fix it yourself (unless you already know how to do it).

6. When life give you a problem, think of what is the worse that can happen because of it? Then try to improve upon the situation. It is not all bad. In my case, I would have lost everything as I had not done back up, but I could always start again from zero again and thinking of that and improving the situation from it made it much easier for me.

7. There are always worse situation and people are in worst situation then you are, now that may not change the situation at the hand but it sure puts things in perspective. There are a few things that can happen to any of us, regardless of age, gender, nationality, race or how much or how little money or things you have, all of us are equal when disaster strikes. We all go through same things, it is how we perceive and act during the time that makes difference.

We all wish life can be rosy and peachy always for everyone, including ourselves. When things are going great enjoy it and when things are down, improve upon the situation slowly. Life is all about learning new things.

I hope using this 7 tips, your life during stressful event can be stress free as much as possible. Until we know and learn how to stop disasters in our life, next best thing we can do is to minimize the damage and still live the life we meant to live.

Zengirl

Note: I have lost all contents including readers comments in my database meltdown between Jan 17-Jan 21. I apologize for comments and content being lost, if you like you can please leave comments again. And be safe and please back up your data always.

Are You Stuck? 21 Ways to Feel UnStuck and Change Your Life

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Have you ever felt stuck in life? No matter what you do, your life is not moving in right direction and it just feels stuck in a rut? Believe me I have been there often. You can read many self help books, find a career or life coach, but unless we are ready to make change within ourselves nothing will work out. Other books, coach can help only when we are ready to make change within ourselves.

I am going to share 100 simple and free ways to quickly change your life in from stuck to moving on right direction again. Only if you willing to take action on it, this free guide will change your life. It is okay to feel stuck or down, but we can pick ourselves again by doing simple and doable steps. Ready?

1. Do nothing for 5 minutes:; When you feel stuck or overwhelm, do not go in to productivity mode just yet. Recharge yourself first. Close your eyes, sit in Sun or drink your favorite cup of coffee, juice or tea. Leave worries on table for just five minutes, just try the best you can. Now you are ready for next steps.

2. No distractions: Shut off your cell phone, TV, and close your computer, emails. Tell everyone not to disturb for next 20-30 minutes. Go to quite place or room corner.

3. Sit down: Take a seat at table and chair and take a notebook, piece of paper and pen in front of you to note down ideas and issues.

4. Write down Issues: Write down whatever that is bothering you or making you feel stuck. Do not try to worry about solutions yet.

5. Write down Good things: Now that you have written things are are not good in your life or what is bothering you, next step is write down things are working for you and things that makes you happy. It could be kids, new bonus however small it is write it down in next page.

6. Write down on your passion, dreams: Do not worry about how crazy your dreams you may think they are, write it down in new page: all of your dreams, passions and what you envision your life would be if everything was going great for you and what you loved.

7. Just write: You have 30 minutes total to do this, so do not worry about grammar, your handwriting skills or copy writing skills. This list is for your eyes only, just write what you feel inside, without worrying about other things.

8. Leave writing and take a break: Generally it should take about 20-30 minutes to do this, if you need more or less time, that is okay too. After you write it all down, leave the list as it is. Do not make changes or correction. Take another 5 minutes break.

9.  Read the list: Read the list to see what are your dreams, what is bothering you and what is good in your life right now. You will notice that there might be a connection between your dreams, passions and what is bothering you. How? You are probably not living life according to your passion or dream or way you envisioned your life.

10. Analyze the List: I would suggest that you analyze the list next day as too much of critical thinking can take a toll at once. Do it slow. Come back to that list again next day when you are relaxed.  Do following;

11. Changing/updating: Is anything on list needs changing: adding or taking off? Do so, with light pencil, so you can still see the original writing.

12. Set realistic goals: What are realistic ways to achieve your dreams and what is bothering you? If you have one of the issue which might not be realistic then rethink. For example, you can only control what you can do not, if you want a raise by your boss, you can work hard, but you can not change your boss’s mind to give you raise.

13.Any Surprise?: Did anything on the list surprised you?  Is your life is not as bad as you thought? or worse than you had imagined it?

14. Plan: What are steps to take to reach your realistic dreams? What are the issues that making you feel stuck and are there any ways to simplify it?

15. Asking help: Can you ask for help from someone you know? Can your hire someone if you had budget? Do you have time to do that certain thing?

16. Lifestyle Changes: What are the things that you are willing to compromise to getting over what is bothering you? For example, if it is debt/money issues, you may choose to let go cable tv, newspaper subscriptions, or eating out less because being debt free is more important to you.

17. Daily Plan: Make a daily plan to do a small tasks towards it to achieve a little towards your goal and make sure you hold your self accountable for it. Reference to your notes that you did it first exercise again to see your progress daily. Some days it may feel slow and other days you may achieve a lot.

18. Be Consistent: Most important thing do not lose hope, even when you do not see the result, keep doing your work and keep focus on your goal. Be consistent.

19. Review goals: Change and update your list in 6 months of time to see what was bothering you 6 months ago is no longer an issue. You may have new issues to deal with, life is like that.

20. Focus on final result: Keep focus on your final goals, which may consist of short term, mid term and long term goals.

21. Reality: You will noticed that you may have still issues once in a while again in life, but if you worked and planned well, these issues will be smaller and less and less from before.

Conclusion:

No matter how successful, rich or beautiful/handsome we might be, all of us goes through overwhelm and stuck feelings where nothing is going right in our life. We can choose to blame our destiny or do little things to change our life for better by focusing and making small changes. If I can do it, anyone of you can.

Other Resources to help you:

Finding Focus Books

Focus: Simplicity Manifesto in Age of Distraction

This book is written by simplicity and minimalist guru, I love: Leo Babauta. This book has a free and paid version with lot of goodies. I am not an affiliate with it, I simply think Leo is great at sharing his views on finding focus in age of so many distraction: In Leo’s own words: “It’s about finding the focus you need to create, to work on what’s important, to reflect, to find peace.”

Click here for Free version: Focus: Free Version

Click here to check out Premium version : Full Version Of Focus

Now Discover Your Strength

This book is one of the best selling book written by Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton. This book describes 34 different types of strengths that a person may have. Based on measurement of these strengths.  The book makes the interesting point that it is most effective trying to build on these strengths rather trying to identify and improve upon weaknesses.

 

Inspirational Videos About feeling stuck and finding Focus:

1. When life is pulling you down, watch this short video (5 minutes) to read these words, in addition to these 21 steps.

2. 20 Words to encourage you when you are feeling stuck:


Other Great Reading

7 Ways to stop feeling stuck: Pick the Brain

Feeling Stuck: Try This: Chris G.

7 Ways to overcoming overwhelm

Your Turn

How do you find focus in your life? What works for you?
Zengirl/Preeti Bhatt

Car-Free or Car Owner? : Finding A Happy Middle Ground

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There has been lot of discussion about going car free and its benefits. Many of people are interested in being minimalist and saving environment are saying that going car free is one of the best way to do it. I agree, being car free is good thing for saving money, saving environment and also getting healthier (be able to walk more). However, It may not be possible for many of us, to go car free for various reasons as follows:

Possible Reasons for not being Car-Free

  1. Lack of near by public transportation
  2. There might be public transit, but it may take 2-3 connection to go to your destination.
  3. It might take an hour or longer to commute one way
  4. Public transit is not available at times you want to travel
  5. You have kids and mega stuff that kids seems to be having
  6. You want the freedom of coming and going at time you please, aka not waiting
  7. It might not be safe to travel in some area alone at certain times.
  8. It is inconvenient

While above seem like an excuses the some, it could be as real issues to others. I know I have been there and I am not car free myself right now. So why I am writing about being car-free?

I am actually want to share that there are more than Black and White in every issues, there are lot of Grey areas and being car-free or owning car has Grey areas too and simply we do not have to pick sides. We can still save money and our environment at the same time, weather you own a car or are car-free.

My college Life Experience

I used to take bus and local train to my college, even though I had to make 1 connection and it took 1.15 minutes one way to get to college it was helpful. My younger brother and I shared one car so we had one but we rarely used it and mostly for urgent trips.

Some benefits of using public Transportation:

  1. You do not have to worry about traffic or getting stuck.
  2. You can read, listen to music while sitting in bus/train
  3. You can do your homework/ check balancing / knit
  4. Some of us can take a good hour nap (if your trip lasted long)
  5. You can chat up with fellow travelers and make friendship (I know someone who got married this way)
  6. You can relax without worrying about direction finding
  7. You will always have fixed time to go and come
  8. You can always leave boring gathering, saying you have go as bus times are fixed
  9. You can save money on car buying, insurance and gas filling prices
  10. You might be more relaxed and be not part of road rage that some people go through.

I enjoyed using public transportation during my high school and college years and some times I actually walked to my destination (if the place was within a few miles). I actually got some fresh air and got some exercise at the same time.

During my single phase and working phase I had a car but I still shared rides with friends and occasionally rode public transportation.

Life as a family with 2 young kids

Right now, I find almost hard to be car free with 2 kids. I actually heard and know of moms in similar situation using bus just fine. They have their stroller, kids and small bag and off they go. I have tried it once, I was so exhausted and almost in tears. My kindergartner was super excited and asking question and my 1 year old was running around to the being dangerous. I guess I am one of these mom, who is not so organized or my kids are bit active.

And as a homeschooler, we often have park days, co-op classes and various field trips planned, some are close by, some are bit far. So it is not so practical for us to be car free right now. I am going to try again after a few years when kids are bit older to see if we can do it. Only time will tell.

How to have Middle ground and happy Compromise to car-free or car owning

While we are not car free right now and not going to be in near future, we still can do a few things to find a middle ground. Middle ground to save our earth and our money as well. Maybe many of you are in similar situation as me and are wondering if you can do this? Sure, here are some ways I have found that might be helpful.

  1. Combine errands together and drive a few times
  2. Instead of bigger car, drive smaller car
  3. Drive Hybrid, if possible
  4. If you have grocery store near by walk to it, instead of driving
  5. Share rides with other people, go in group
  6. Drive to local things and only occasionally to far places
  7. Do oil change and services to your car, prevention is always better then costly repair
  8. Buy used (good and certified) car/van
  9. Share a car between spouses/family if possible
  10. Maintain your car, air pressure, tire change (see 7)
  11. Walk to near by park, instead of driving
  12. Drive at normal and steady speed to improve your milege and less gas filling
  13. Fill gas early in morning See reason
  14. Be careful and safe driver
  15. Combine your insurance with other car and rental/home insurance to get best price.

I am sure there are many ways, we can own car and still be green and environment friendly. Even if we use a car, we can have days in a month or year when we can go car-free and be kind to our mother earth. Try it. Check out the videos around the world about car free day below.

Car Free Day: London

Car Free Day: 2001 Canada

Bicycle Mass Day: San Francisco

Other Resources to learn more about Car Free Life Style

1. How to Live Well Without Owning a Car.

How to Live without a Car book is Written by Chris Balish and sells for about $9.90 at Amazon. According its publisher, this is what they had to say:”The first practical, accessible, and sensible guide to living in North America without owning a car. • Exposes the true costs of car ownership and shows how getting rid of your car can simplify your life and put you on the road to financial freedom. • Packed with realistic, economical alternatives to owning a car, including chapters on carsharing, carpooling, and even car-free dating. • Includes more than 100 real-world tips, strategies, and success stories from people who are happily car-free or “car-lite,” from cities to suburbs. • According to a 2004 American Automobile Association study, the average American spends $8,410 per year (roughly $700 per month) to own a vehicle.”

2. Pedestrian Zone: By Beta Publishing

This book is called “Pedestrian Zone” and edited by Lambert M. Surhone ,Miriam T. Timpledon and Susan F. Marseken by Beta Publishing. Here is what they have from publisher:

“High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Pedestrian zones (also known as auto-free zones and car-free zones) are areas of a city or town in which automobile traffic is prohibited. They are instituted by communities who feel that it is desirable to have areas not dominated by the automobile. Converting a street or an area to car-free use is called pedestrianisation. Auto-free zones have a great variety of attitudes or rules towards human powered vehicles such as bicycles, inline skates, skateboards and kick scooters. Some have a total ban on anything with wheels, others ban certain categories, others segregate the human-powered wheels from foot traffic, and others still have no rules at all. Many of the Middle Eastern examples have no wheeled traffic, but use donkeys for freight transport.”

More resource:

Tammy Strobel from Rowdy Kittens has a good collection and ebook selection on being car free.

You can check outCarFree USA’s blog about living car free lifestyle.

There is another blog called On the level, which has a good information about being Car Free.

Your turn: I would like to hear your suggestions and tips. What works for you and why?

Image: Paul / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Meaningful Happy Holidays From Heart, Not Wallet

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Black Friday 2009: Source: blackfriday09.livejournal.com

If you ask anyone out of USA about “Black Friday Shopping” and most people will not know this phenomenon or understand its frenzy. Black Friday is day after US Thanksgiving as one of the biggest shopping day. Now, they are starting similar trend in Canada, Australia and UK with little success so far. Black Friday usually means that shops which were in “red” (negative profit) will turn accounting from red to black (meaning profit).

Usually Friday after Thanksgiving is one of the big shopping day, where people actually get up really early like 4AM to stand in line to buy things at supposedly huge discount. You can find out more about history of Black Friday in Wikipedia . As this was not enough, many stores are now getting open on 12 midnight on Thursday night, so people can shop earlier. Some stores actually have been open on Thursday Thanksgiving Holiday afternoon. I think the original meaning of Thanksgiving is lost and now it has became a shopping day instead. True meaning of holiday should be friends and family came together to share a meals and harvest together, now many people come together with newspapers Ads and plan how to tackle and make most out of the shopping rush.

About 5-6 years ago, we decided to not give usual Christmas gifts for adults in traditional sense, we still share meals, experience and homemade gifts. We still give present to kids thing they NEED , and some they Want, such as jackets, socks, books and one toy! I am not sure how others in our family members feel still about it, as they still occasionally do traditional gift giving which is noble thought. However, the huge pressure has been off my mind, not having to shop and buy things from everyone in your list to spouse, kids, uncle, aunts, grandparents, neighbors, co-workers, boss, mailman and so on.

See: How to Simplify Giving During Holidays

10 Things to Do Instead of Shopping on Black Friday

While, I am not saying not to appreciate the people in our life someway, but there are better ways to appreciate them. Gifts from heart are always much sweeter than some cheap electronics things that people will not even remember after 4 months after Christmas season.

Check out some out articles from Heart and Mind to make your heart filled instead of stuff;

10 ways to help someone during bad economy

20 ways to be Romantic for Free (or cheap)

How to have Stress Free Thanksgiving

White Friday No shopping day

Gifts from heart during Holidays

So what we did during this Holiday?

We had family over for meal, we saw some DVDs and played with kids, met visiting relatives, talked to family who are in other part of countries, relaxed. We stayed away from walmart and any shopping area. We went to bookstore and read books! We shared a meal with a neighbor!
We looked at the newspapers filled with bargains and decided we did not NEED any of these things. Maybe not very traditional but it was very meaningful to me.

So, what is wrong with saving money and giving gifts to loved ones?

No, there is nothing wrong. Actually I truly think people who are shopping at 3 AM and 4 AM to buy things for themselves and other are actually have best interest at heart and are well meaning people. I know as my best friend and my younger brother is pro at black Friday shopping and gets many great deals for everyone he knows. I am sure if you are shopping you do that too. Average American spends about $689 on Christmas gifts, that is huge. One does not have to go broke while giving gifts!

However, there is secret I want to share with you all, that is your loved ones will be happy with simplest things, like spending time, listening to them, giving things they truly need, such as groceries, clothes, educational books, jackets. Most of all many of us need simple appreciation from heart more than anything. Not a flattery but heartfelt appreciation.

People may like shiny things like diamonds, electronic gadgets, toys and other shiny objects but that joy is not as long lasting as things we get it from heart. I can see my 5 year old, who gets so excited when he gets Super hero toys (things he is into right now) but he simply as happy drawing super heroes and talking about them and creating stories with us.

I want to share a new video for Story of Electronics! by the creator of Story of Stuff. It is little over 7 minutes and worth watching once! Check it out.

Having meaningful and happy living

Regardless of where you live, how you choose to shop or not, how you celebrate any holidays regardless of your religion, enjoy and cherish the time spent with your friends and family. Share meals, give experience gifts and spend time with each other, listening to each other.

Further reading;

Reconnect with people and community around you

Irony of recession

Story of Stuff

8 ways to live happy and content life

Zengirl

How To Be Happy? : Quotes By Wise People

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All of us want to be happy and many times are looking for happiness in wrong place, including myself. Here at Happy Heart and Mind , I am always looking for ways to make heart and mind happy by finding a balance between our heart and mind. I am sure you do that too.

Here are some quotes by wise and famous people to make you feel great and inspired to have a better day TODAY!
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“The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be”
-Marcel Pagnol (French Writer, Producer and Film Director, 1895-1974)

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“When we are happy we are always good, but when we are good we are not always happy.”
– Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist and Critic, 1854-1900)

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“Just think how happy you would be if you lost everything you have right now, and then got it back again.”
-Frances Rodman

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“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”
– Albert Einstein (German born American Physicist who developed the special and general theories of relativity. Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. 1879-1955)

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“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.”
– Tom Bodett

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“Happiness is what happens to us when we try to make someone else happy.”
-Unknown

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“A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.”
– Hugh Downs
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“It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.”
– Dale Carnegie (American lecturer, author, 1888-1955)

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“You don’t develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.”
– Epicurus (Greek philosopher, BC 341-270)

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“Don’t wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get you’ve got to make yourself.”
– Alice Walker (American writer, b.1944)

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“The secret of being miserable is to have the leisure to bother about whether you are happy or not. The cure is occupation.”
– George Bernard Shaw (Irish literary Critic, Playwright and Essayist. 1925 Nobel Prize for Literature, 1856-1950)

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“You must try to generate happiness within yourself. If you aren’t happy in one place, chances are you won’t be happy anyplace.”
– Ernie Banks

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“Most people would rather be certain they’re miserable, than risk being happy.”
– Dr. Robert Anthony (Self-help author)

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“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking”
– Marcus Aurelius quotes (Roman emperor, best known for his Meditations on Stoic philosophy, AD 121-180)

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“Money doesn’t make you happy. I now have $50 million but I was just as happy when I had $48 million.”
-Arnold Schwarzenegger (Austrian born American Actor and Governor)

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“Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be.”
– Abraham Lincoln (American 16th US President (1861-65), who brought about the emancipation of the slaves. 1809-1865)

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“The greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion. The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being.”
– Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama

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“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.”
– Andrew Carnegie

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“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
– Gautam Buddha

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“Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better take things as they come along with patience and equanimity.”
-Carl Jung

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“Satisfaction of one’s curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life.”
– Linus Pauling

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“Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy — because we will always want to have something else or something more.”
– David Steindl-Rast

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“The truest greatness lies in being kind, the truest wisdom in a happy mind.”
– Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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Hope you enjoyed it ant inspired!

Your turn: What is your happiness Quote?

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Image: dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Enlightment: An Awareness and Understanding

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Knowing others is wisdom;
Knowing the self is enlightenment;
Mastering others requires force;
Mastering the self needs strength.

– Lao Tzu

What does Enlightenment mean to you? One of the Enlightenment is well known philosophical movement of the 18th century that emphasized the use of reason to scrutinize previously accepted doctrines and traditions and that brought about many humanitarian reforms. See here, Age of Enlightenment for more details.

When we say “enlightenment” most of us means, enlightenment as in being aware or understand the subject. It is just like light bulb switching on, but in our mind and soul. In Hinduism and Buddhism, enlightenment means – A blessed state in which the individual transcends desire and suffering and attains Nirvana.

This article is my contribution to Eric’s Personal Development Campfire and my version of enlightenment in spiritual and religious sense and what it is to be enlightened and how we may achieve the enlightenment in our life.

I decided to write a small poem, haiku or whatever you may want to call it, here is an Ode to enlightenment!

Everyone of us united together some ways
Not surprisingly as we are same species
Loving and learning as we move along
Intuitions and gut feelings from within our heart
Guiding light that lead us in our path
Heart and mind being in harmony
Tomorrow will be better than today
Engaging us to better ourselves
New discoveries to find contentment
Meditating and calming our inner overwhelm
Enlightening our spiritual soul
Now to alleviate our mind from pain and suffering
Today is the best day to start!

In simple words, The enlightenment is the condition of being informed spiritually: edification, illumination. Enlightenment has its roots in various religions and spiritual sense as well.

Siddhattha Gautam was a prince who became a spiritual teacher from ancient India who founded Buddhism. He gave up all wealth, kingdom, his wife and child to find enlightenment to end pain and suffering he saw around him. After many years of searching for answers, he tried to find enlightenment through near total deprivation of worldly goods, including food, practicing self-mortification at point of near starving himself to death.

Once he was sitting under a pipal tree, now known as the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India, Gautam Buddha vowed never to arise until he had found the Truth. After 49 days meditating, at the age of 35, he attained Enlightenment; Gautama, from then on, was known as the Buddha or “Awakened One.” Buddha is also sometimes translated as “The Enlightened One.”

Siddharth Gautam, commonly known as the Buddha, is said to have achieved full enlightenment, known as perfect Buddhahood. You can find more about Buddhahood click here . In many Buddhist traditions, reaching full enlightenment is equivalent in meaning to reaching Nirvana.

According to Wikipedia, In Theravada Buddhism, enlightenment refers to a unique experience which wholly transforms the enlightened individual from their previous condition in life. The Buddha, is said to have achieved enlightenment, as are others reputed to have attained Buddhahood.

In the Zen Buddhist tradition, anyone is capable of achieving enlightenment. In Japanese, kensho is the name for an enlightenment experience where one realizes the non-duality of the observer and the observed, while satori is the term for a flash of sudden understanding or awareness. These are experiences along the path to full enlightenment.

Mahayana Buddhists equate enlightenment with discovery of one’s Buddha nature. It is a state of complete emptiness, a passage beyond the material world into a thought-transcending realm of non-duality and unconditioned-ness. It is a state where the ego and self have been transcended.

In Hinduism the word moksha is similar to enlightenment and Nirvana. Moksha means “release” or the liberation from life and suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and rebirth (reincarnation). Hindus believe that many of us are reborn as a various animals, humans and insects until we gain moksha, the final stage after being enlightened.

The word ‘enlightenment’ also has parallels in the Abrahamic religions: in the Kabbalah tradition in Judaism, in Christian mysticism, particularly in Gnosticism, and in the Sufi tradition of Islam.

How do we find enlightenment in our own life right now?

While there are no simple and clear cut ways to attain the enlightenment, here are a few ways that will help us guide in the right direction to  be enlightened in our lives.

  • You can not look for enlightenment, it comes to you when you are ready.
  • There are no specific ways that works for everyone, there are many ways.
  • Meditation, Breathing rituals can sure help start in right direction.
  • Practice being in conscious state or being aware of our surrounding and lives.
  • Try to be free from material world as much as possible.
  • One does not need to suffer in order to find enlightenment but for a few pain and suffering has made them more conscious.
  • Give love unconditionally, when your heart and mind are in harmony.
  • Let go of fear and possessions in your life.
  • Relax and achieve cosmic awareness of mind at your speed, when you are ready. Enlightenment will come you.

Check out other related articles:
Giving Thanks: How Gratitude can Improve your life
101 changes: Change 8: Stretch you comfort Zone
Preeti AKA Zengirl

What is the Personal Development Campfire?
Imagine all your favorite personal development bloggers gathered around a campfire. Campfires are great center pieces of relaxed and free flowing conversations. Think of all the wonderful conversations and the wealth of topics that might arise. That’s the idea behind the Personal Development Campfire. Your favorite bloggers all gathered together discussing a new topic every month. (Bloggers click here for details on participating in the Personal Development Campfire.)


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