The Power of Positive Thinking

Have you ever wondered why some people are more successful than others and why some people are happier than others?

Are they all more capable than us or Do they have all that they want in their lives? No, None of these. There is only simple answer to this question is: Positive thinking.

Positive Thoughts

So what are positive thoughts? As you may all know that our brain is made up of innumerable neurons and our body contains a lot of hormones to perform each day to day functionality. You may be thinking that I am heading towards an answer saying it has to do with your genetic makeup. But No, thoughts have nothing to do with your body/brain. They are “self cultivated”. Remember happiness is a state of mind.

From my own personal experience, I have seen a lot of people who have everything in life but are never happy. They do not seem to smile or bring smile to someone else face. They are always engrossed in criticism, depression, comparison with others and are generally introverted and shy.

Before I get into further details, I read a very good article and this is something I recall every time I am in a difficult situation. And here goes the gist. [If you would like to read more, check the site http://www.netscientia.com/perspective.html]

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness...you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend an idealogical meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death...you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If your parents are still alive and still married ... you are very rare, even in the United States and Canada. If you can read this article of perspective, you are more fortunate than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all. Of course, as I see the world today, perhaps that's not such a bad thing.

Now let me get into positive thoughts. According to me positive thoughts are

·         Optimism towards everything in life

·         To see happiness in everything

·         A clear and kind speech and activity

Why are some not positive?

I would blame it on the person and the environment.

·    If you grow up in an environment where optimism, happiness does not prevail, then you are expected to catch some of it. Your parents are your first teacher and you learn the most in your life from them. If even one of them is not a positive thinker then you are expected to have some traits.

·    Or there could be some who inspite of repeated attempts would have never tasted success, which I call in God’s hand. For example, you cannot control some body’s death or illness. But I believe that apart from that all other stress can be handled by human beings.

·     But there are also who are never happy. This is what I called Self Cultivation. They would seem to have everything in life but would compare with others and bring themselves down. These people are also depressed, which they never agree or never get treated for. Can you believe this? A person who has everything in life but still complaining? Why would he/she do so? Clearly a case of depression.

·     Maturity plays an important part. The older you grow, you would have been through a lot of ups and downs. You would be able to separate milk from water. You would be able to accept things that were unacceptable to you at one point of time in life. You thinking process should be much clearer.

·     Fear for everything is equally fatal. Some people fear almost everything. It is still unclear if fear causes negative thoughts or vice versa but it should be understandable that you need be bold enough to survive in this competitive world

How to cultivate positive thoughts?

Being a big advocate of positive thinking and having implemented these in difficult times, here goes to my how-tos.

·     Remember first, it is all in your hands. Your brain processes what you think. There are a lot of things in life to be happy about. As T T Rangarajan of Alma Mater says in his 52 thoughts “start a fresh morning”. If you see that one of your family members had left an emptied cup of coffee on the table without placing the cup in the sink. From today, do not shout. Understand that you gain nothing by shouting. It has been proven again and again, that shouting can never solve anything. A person may develop temporary fear after your shout but it would become invaluable the next time. The only thing left would be your health in shambles. Try to place the cup in the sink and gently tell the family member that you have done it today and from the next time, he/she should be careful. You may still not see any change tomorrow, but believe me, your love for your family member will definitely bring about a change very soon.

·     God and prayers solve everything. Why do we go to a temple, is not God everywhere? Is he not in your home? Again as T T Rangarajan of Alma Mater has said in 52 thoughts that, Temple is a place where positive thoughts are collected. There is a big difference between praying at home and at temple. A temple is supposed to contain positive vibrations and as you may know that all particles in this world are made of vibrations. It is a place where positive vibrations get transferred to you. The more you become spiritual, the more you will understand others and the more happy you will be with little things in life. I am a big example myself. With so many hardships in life, I am today a proud mother of two beautiful children. I still find it hard to believe that with the little I had and with the grace of God, I have brought them up successfully. I have induced some of my values in my children and I hope this will be a weapon which will help them succeed in future.

·     Comparison – Needless to say, when you are happy you feel on the top of the world. But when things do not go per your wish, it is not right to compare with others and complain. Remember no two people in this world are same and no two people grow in the same environment. Your brain and physical body is made in the 6^th week of pregnancy. The neurons at that stage develop around 100 per minute and your brain is made up of millions and millions of neurons. The entire structure is made and done before you are born. Though only 75% of your brain development is complete, the rest 25% of the brain develops during your early years. Accept your life and near and dear ones as they are. Start liking them from your heart, then you will see the real people. Sometimes you are so engrossed in others that you do not find anything about your family members fascinating at all. Everything about them irritates. Believe me, there is only Yes or No. If you keep complaining about something, it only and only means that you do not like that thing. It can never be the case that you complain and still like something. As I said before, there is only a Yes or a No.

·     Yoga has proven to be a major stress reliever and the Art of living classes rejuvenate your entire thought process. 30 minutes of yoga a day keeps your body and mind clean.

·     Remember that anything negative you say or do affects your family members. Some people would have crossed all levels that they wouldn’t be able to see that at all. If you are one of those who does not see your negative thoughts affecting family members, you need immediate medical attention. Your family members should make proper efforts to take you the right physician. More importantly if you are in place with children be more careful. Children learn the most from elders between the age 2-15. In fact they learn what ever they see. You need to set an example.

·     Any other form of exercise helps. Sometimes keeping one busy also helps. Your brain produces hormones when you are practicing yoga or doing exercise. These hormones have scientifically proven to keep a person happy.

·     Move out of negative environment. Is this is the best way? Sometimes Yes and sometimes No. Older people affected with depression and pessimism are much more difficult to treat than younger ones. My daughter tells me that positive thinking and a good environment has completely changed her life. Why I say sometimes ‘No’ is, you can change some of them.

·       And most important of all, you are your own judge. Self assess. If you have uttered negative words or fought with someone. Now is the time to take control. Try this, count the number of instances in a day when a negative thought passed by your mind or you did/said something that is not actually supposed to be done. If you count is more than one per day, you need help. Either start with Yoga/Meditation and take a spiritual path.

Benefits of positive thinking

·         A happier you and your family

·         Increased life span

·         Lower rates of depression

·         Better well being – physical and physiological

·         Better capacity to cope up with stress

·         Reduced heart diseases.

·         A better life for you and your loved ones.

·             And most important of all, better judgment of a situation or a person.

Aama Vadai/Masala Vadai

Again this is another famous South Indian delicacy made especially during festivals. Here is the recipe.

1. Soak 1 cup Kadalai Paruppu(Chana Daal) and 1 cup Tuvaram paruppu(Toor Daal) for 2 hours in water. If you are running short of time, you could soak them in hot water for about an hour.
2. In a mixie container, first add Red Chillies(about 3), Green Chillies(about 2 or 3), Curry leaves, Salt and Perungayam(Asafoedita/Hing) and grind. Some prefer to add Mint leaves and Coriander leaves while grinding. I have tried them myself too and it tasted very good. The reason why these should be ground first is, when you add the daal mixture to grind and add the chillies on the top, the chillies do not get ground properly.
3. Make sure that you have drained all water from Daal. The daal should contain as little water as possible.
4. You could leave some 10-15 pieces of Daal outside.
5. In the same mixie container, which consist of ground chillies, add the daal. Do not run the mixie for long. Turn on the mixie for only a few seconds. The mixture should be coarse. 
6. Now add the left out 10-15 pieces of Daal to the mixture. [ You could add finely chopped onion at this stage]
7. Heat oil in medium flame
8. Take a thick polythene cover. I usually prefer Aavin cover to make any delicacy. Apply little oil on the cover. Take a small quantity of the mixture, spread it over the cover, make it into a round shape and drop in the oil with care. You could also make the round in hand and then drop in oil with care.
9. Make sure that both the sides turn brown. Spread out in a piece of paper or cloth to drain excess oil from the Vadai.

Now hot Vadai is ready to be served !!

Medu Vadai/Ulundu Vadai

Medu Vadai/Ulundu Vadai



Medu Vadai is famous south indian item that is cooked often during festivals. The Vadai can be eaten directly or soaked in Curd / Sambar to produce two more variations such as Curd Vadai and Sambar Vadai. I will first go through the recipe for Medu Vadai.

1. Soak 2 cups of Ulundu(Urad) in water for 2 hours. If you are running short of time, you could soak them in hot water for about an hour.
2. Finely chop Green Chillies ( About 3), Ginger and Onion(if you are not making this for a festival)
3. Drain all water from Ulundu and grind to a fine paste. Add salt while grinding(about 1-1.5 spoons). You may be required to add little water to ensure that the paste is fine.
4. Mix Green Chillies, Ginger, Onion and Asafoedita(Hing) to the paste and set aside for 10 minutes.
5. Heat Oil in medium flame.
6. To make Vadai, keep a bowl of water near you. Dip your hands in water and take little Ulundu paste, make a hole with one of your fingers and drop them with care in oil. [The real difficulty comes while making the Vadai with a hole especially for beginners. ]
7. Make sure that both the sides turn brown. Spread out in a piece of paper or cloth to drain excess oil from the Vadai.

Sambar Vadai and Curd Vadai
If you are planning to make Sambar or Curd Vadai, you should keep a bowl of hot water near you. As soon as you take the Vadai from oil, drop them in hot water for a minute. The water need not be too hot. This is to ensure that the excess oil is removed and also hot water make fine pores, so that Sambar or Curd can easily seep through the pores. Remember not to keep the Vadai for long in hot water, not more than a minute.

• Sambar Vadai - follow the above procedure and drop the Vadai in Sambar after taking out from hot water.
• Curd Vadai -  Grind Yogurt, Coconut, green chillies, Coriander and Salt. Drop the Vadai in this Yogurt mixture after taking out from hot water.

Let the Vadai soak in for a few hours and tasty Sambar/Curd Vadai is ready.

Medicinal properties of Fenugreek Seeds/Vendayam(Tamil)/Methi(Hindi)

Fenugreek has excellent medical properties and regular use keeps the body clean and healthy. The leaves and the seed both are used as herbs and for cooking.

Benefits

Hair & Skin

1.     Research has shown that Fenugreek is very effective in treating skin inflammation. Soak overnight and grind into a paste. Wash the affect skin area and apply the paste. Fenugreek has a cooling and soothing effect on the skin. It clears the skin of blemishes, boils and dark spots and leaves a smooth young looking skin. It also helps in improving the skin complexion.

2.     Fenugreek is often the home remedy to treat dandruff. Follow the same procedure as above and apply the paste on the scalp and wait for half an hour to one hour. Then rinse thoroughly with Shikakai (rita nut). This leaves a shiny and smooth hair free of dandruff.

General Health

1.     Fenugreek is rich in protein, Vitamin C, Vitamin B12 and potassium. It also consists of a compound which is similar to the hormone estrogen.

2.     For cold and treat arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, sore throat – Boil water with Fenugreek seeds, and drink for cold/fever. The seeds have excellent properties to clear mucus. As it may be difficult to drink this boiled water directly, to add flavor you could add lemon or little sugar/honey. This liquid can be taken multiples times a day but not more than 5 cups a day. A small cup at regular intervals is advisable. Once the condition improves, the intake should also be adjusted accordingly.

3.     To treat Ulcers - Mouth Ulcers - Regular gargling with the Fenugreek seeds/leaves cures mouth ulcers. Boil seeds/leaves in water for few minutes. Filter out the seeds/leaves and use the boiled water for gargling.

4.     Fenugreek boiled in water/taken in any other form helps improve digestion and maintain a healthy metabolism. It also helps in preventing ulcers in the stomach area.

5.     The seeds are a good source of Iron and hence can be used to treat Anemia. It is advised that all women make sure a regular intake of Fenugreek seeds/leaves to increase blood circulation and production.           

6.     Fenugreek leaves and seeds have a cooking effect on our body. It helps relieve pain during periods. Soak 1-2 spoons of Fenugreek seeds in buttermilk overnight and drink next day morning during periods. Care should be taken not to take too much Fenugreek as that may result in cold. As the seeds are rich in iron, the help produce blood during these times.

7.     For years, Fenugreek seeds are used for women after delivery. It helps the body to get back to normal with ease. The seeds are ground to powder and mixed with sugar/jaggery and mixed with flour to make it in the form of a sweetened paste. Research has shown that the seeds help increase milk production in lactating mother. This is found to double or triple in a day’s time. The seeds can be taken in any form – boiled with water/soaked overnight.

8.     The seeds are known to induce labor and ease childbirth when taken in high quantities. They should not be taken during early pregnancy and should be properly consulted with doctor before use.

Diabetes

Research has shown that Fenugreek seeds have significant effect in lowering blood glucose levels. Few tablespoons of the seeds can be soaked overnight in water/buttermilk and consumed next day morning. The seeds can also be ground directly or eaten raw. The seeds are helpful in treating both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

Cholesterol

When taken daily with food or in other forms, the seeds have shown to be effective in reducing cholesterol levels and maintaining a healthy heart. 500mg of seeds should be taken daily to see significant results after 4-6 months. If the dosage is increased, the results appear much faster. The quantity should be increased gradually as for some people it may result in over cooling of the body and result in cold/fever.

Beetroot Halwa

Ingredients

Beetroot      -  1/4kg

Sugar         -   200gms

Milk            -  1/2litre

Elaichi powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Ghee              -  50gms

Cashewnut      -  10 pieces

Dry grapes      -  10 pieces

Preparation

1. Clean the beetroots in water and remove the outerskin and grate it coarsely.

2. Boil the 1/2 litre milk and it should become thick and reduce in volume.

3. Add the grated beetroots to the milk and the should get boiled in the milk.

4. When the beetroots are boiled add the sugar and mix it thoroughly.

5. When it does beetroots do not stick to container add the elaichi powder, balance ghee and fried cashewwnuts and dry grapes.

Remove it from the heat and halwa is ready decorate it.

Carrot Milk Halwa

Ingredients

Carrot        -1/4kg

Milk           -1/2 litre

Sugar        -200gms

Ghee         -3 tablespoons

Elaichi powder- 1/2 teaspoon

Cashew     - 6 pieces

Dry grapes - 6pieces

Preparation

1. Clean the carrots with water and grate it into smaller pieces.

2. Boil the milk and it should reduce in volume.

3. Take a separate kadai and fry the cashewnuts and dry grapes and keep it separately.

4. Mix the gratedcarrots with the milk which is boiling in the container. Mix it thoroughly. Cook the carrots till it is completely cooked.

5. When the carrots are cooked add 1 tablespoon of ghee in a separate pain, add elaichi powder and add the cashewwnuts and dry grapes.

6. When the carrot-milk mixture does not stick to the container remove it from the flame and decorate it.

And Tasty Carrot Halwa is ready.