A Simple Tip to Create the Life you Desire

In this blog, I have discussed a lot about the Power of the Subconscious mind, Law of Attraction , different strategies for self-improvement etc. to change your life for the better. But what if still, you are having doubts about having a better life, you still can't believe that you can actually have what you really want?

I will give you a very easy technique. It's acting as if it's already done!

How would you talk and walk when you have got that job or started the new venture, pursued your passion, had all the money you want, married your Soulmate or whatever else that you want? Really would you not act differently from how you behave now? Just close your eyes and feel how it would be like to live the life of your dream. And then observe how you act or feel now! Next, start acting, talking and behaving just like you are already living your dream. For instance, if you were rich maybe you would have stood tall, communicated confidently and smiled more often. Start practising that now.

To make your intention even stronger start dressing like your ideal self. Start taking attention to your appearance. It doesn't have to be anything extravagant but you can be more attentive to how you look and how it makes you feel. Say you are doing an entry-level job but aspire to become a manager, then it's better to start dressing and grooming as you've already got the post! There's a saying, "dress like you are already famous."  It implies that your dress up and grooming can have an effect on your future!

Now you might be thinking how by pretending like someone else can actually benefit you. The reason being simple. What you think or feel and how you act or behave creates an impression on your Subconscious mind. The Subconscious cannot realise the difference between what's real and what you are faking! And it simply starts to draw resources, situations and people into your life that matches your current state of mind. (Read about the Power of the Subconscious Mind.) Eventually, your life becomes exactly as you have imagined for yourself! It's true that "Fake it till you make it" works. You can pretend to be successful to actually bring success in your life.


CONCLUSION: # Change your life by acting as if you are already experiencing your dream life.

# Your Subconscious mind can't identify the difference between reality and imitation. It being a powerful tool, starts to attract the stuff required to live the life you are just imitating.

# Fake it till you make it works! Anything that you continuously practice ultimately becomes your reality.

~Article written by Ishita Ganguly, M.Sc, B.Ed, MBA

How to Surround Yourself with Positivity

The people we surround ourselves with defines our lives. You must have heard the saying that we are the average of our five closest friends. It's true that your tribe will have an impact on your vibe. People influence you in lot more ways than you can imagine. For instance, suppose you are feeling low and you reach out to your closest pals who discourage you even more! How would that make you feel? Or if they are the supportive lot, then they would definitely lighten up your mood and make you feel better! Can you see the difference? There are some people who bring the best out of you and some bring out the worst! Search for people who are inspiring, encouraging and have a positive mindset. Avoid those who are just the opposite!

The people who bring out the best in you are :

* Those who inspire you by their words and actions.
* Those who can compliment you (as well as others) wholeheartedly.
*  They are interested in your wellbeing.
*  They will listen to you without interruption.
*  They encourage you when you feel low.
*  They never say things like - "I told you so!"; "It's not possible for you to achieve that!"; "I don't think you can!"; "I think you are setting an unrealistic goal"; "We are but mediocre people"; "You can't succeed without any connections" etc.
* They would be genuinely happy when you succeed.
* They would not judge you when you share your craziest dreams with them!
* They would not drag you towards addictions and time-wasting activities.
* They have a purpose in life.

What to do when you don't have such people in your life?

* Limit your interaction with naysayers. This is a great step towards the path of positivity.

* Spend time alone. We are constantly absorbing other people's ideas through the social media. It's wise to do a social media detox atleast once a week. Disconnect from your gadgets and reflect on your inner self. Do some meditation to connect to the source energy. Go for a walk in open nature or simply journal your incoming thoughts. Sit with yourself, be alone for some time every day. This quietens the mind and brings solace.

* Read biographies of successful people, motivational books and blogs. Positivity can be sought from books. A book written ages ago, a writer whom you'll never meet in your lifetime can give you the inspiration that no one around you might be able to provide!

* Listen to podcasts and videos that are informational or inspirational.

* Learn to say "no" to things that doesn't resonate with you!

* Learn to say "yes" to things that you are passionate about!

* Set bigger goals for yourself and act on them. Clarity and purpose brings a sense of contentment. This instils positivity in our mind.

* Practice affirmations and visualization. Repeating positive statements reinforces positive beliefs while visualizing positive outcomes reprograms the Subconscious into positive thinking and manifesting beneficial situations in our life.

* Have an attitude of gratitude. The more you will be grateful, the more you would attract positive circumstances in your life. It's because our subconscious mind brings more of what we believe! So if we are grateful for the things we have, more extraordinary events would be brought in our experience that matches the vibration.

* Be of service. Most people think that it is all about them! They are engrossed in their joy and grief, pleasure and pain. But the truest satisfaction comes from service to others! When you contribute on a bigger objective, you start realizing that life has a greater significance than just acquisitions and accomplishments.


CONCLUSIONS: • The people around you shapes your life.

• Choose people who inspire and motivate you.

• Avoid the naysayers.

• You can find positivity from books, podcasts, by developing a positive attitude and practising techniques such as affirmations, visualization, gratitude etc.

• Spend time alone to bring peace to your mind.

• Set goals for yourself.

• Serve others and you will always find happiness and positivity in life.

~Article written by Ishita Ganguly, M.Sc, B.Ed, MBA

How to Motivate Yourself in Difficult Times | 7 Simple Ways of Self Motivation

Life compels us to go through tough times, the days when we doubt ourselves and we want to give up! However, we must continue our journey courageously and confidently. Moments of anguish should not distract us from our goals and desires. We must be willing to get up and get going.

Motivation is the fire that ignites our spirit. I am going to give you some easy steps to refuel your mind during difficult times by motivating yourself.

The 7 Simple ways of motivating yourself are:

1. HAVE A MORNING RITUAL - The easiest way to stay motivated even in hard times is by having a daily morning ritual. If you do one or a few inspiring things every morning it becomes your habit.

So, whether it's a normal day or a tough one you can set the tone of the day in a positive manner by following a morning routine.

Your morning ritual can include one or more of these:

# Reading a few pages from a personal-development book
# Going for a walk/ Spending time in nature
# Meditation
# Any form of physical exercise
# Reading inspirational quotes
# Listening to a podcast
# Watching a motivational video
# Reviewing your list of goals
# Affirmations
# Visualization

2. BELIEVE IN THE BEST - If you develop your mindset such that you are always hoping and believing in the best, guess what, most of the time great things will happen to you!

So even if you are in a rough patch now or feeling miserable for something that had happened, quickly return to your optimistic self. The more you think positively and expect good things to happen to you, the more such things will appear in your life!

3. POSITIVE SELF TALK - Make a habit of talking positively to yourself. In reality, we are always talking to ourselves but most of these self-communications are detrimental for us.

So when you are feeling frustrated and motivated talk to yourself in an encouraging tone. Become a mentor to yourself and give a morale boost! You can look into your eye in front of a mirror and speak aloud or just close your eyes and do the talk in your mind.

4. AFFIRM TO YOURSELF - Whenever you feel discouraged, affirm positive statements repeatedly.

A few effective motivating affirmations are:

 • I am confident.
 • I have what it takes to do it!
 • I believe in myself.
 • I love and approve of myself.
 • I am a success.
 • I am always in the right place at the right time.
 • I am the best and I deserve the best!


5. COMMUNICATE WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE - There must be some people in your life who are motivating and supportive! Talk about your worries with such people.

You would definitely get an instant shift in your mood. In case you don't have any such people in your life, you can still get in touch with inspiring persons through their books, videos, podcasts, blogs etc. For instance, you can follow this blog, " Better Life Ideas" as I have created this blog to communicate with you and provide you with motivation and positivity!

6. TAKE ACTION - The more you sit idle and think about your problems, the longer you would feel helpless and miserable.

So get up and work on your goals. Take a small step towards your big goals! It would not only help you to reach your goal but in taking action you would move from being lethargic to supercharged.

7. GET SOME SLEEP - If you are feeling extremely low, get some sleep to break the current pace of things.

As you take a nap your body and mind rejuvenate, eliminating your worries. Sleep helps to reduce your anxiety and you can take a fresh start after that!

Know that you are not alone facing challenges in life. Each person has to go through tough times in their life. Sometimes it's a short phase but it could also be a long span where life might seem like a dark tunnel. You might want to give up your hopes and become heartbroken. Nevertheless, you have to be strong and get going. Following the above-mentioned steps, you can easily cope with any challenges that life might throw on your way. Remember failure or suffering can never dampen the spirit of those who do not accept defeat!

~Article written by Ishita Ganguly, M.Sc, B.Ed, MBA

How To Stay Positive Everyday // 10 Tips to Achieve a Positive Mindset

"The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude." - Oprah Winfrey 

The way we think and feel is the way we create our world. Positivity is a mindset. If you train your mind to stay positive it would gradually adapt to remain in that manner. The more you stay positive, the more you attract positive experiences in your life! You must have a positive mindset to create an amazing life.

Here I am giving you 10 tips to achieve a positive mindset:

1. PRACTICE SELF LOVE - Loving and accepting yourself is the first step to achieving a positive mindset.

You have to understand that all humans are flawed and you are no exception! Accept your faults and be compassionate to yourself. Criticism is fine as long as you seek a solution to improve yourself. Being overly critical is not only harsh but it's detrimental for your personal growth. Updating yourself is good but continuously finding faults on your appearance or actions will make you a negative person. So start practising self-love to stay positive every moment.

2. BE GRATEFUL - You must have an attitude for gratitude. Express heartfelt gratitude for the things and people in your life.

Humbly utter the words "Thank You" as many times as possible throughout the day. If you observe carefully you will surely find several reasons in life to be grateful for. The more you stay thankful, life would provide you with more reasons to be gratified. Practice gratitude every day to improve your mindset.

3. CHANGE YOUR MINDSET - What are your dominant thoughts? Do you feel this world is a safe place? Do you feel most people are trustworthy or you feel nobody could be trusted?

 Our thoughts determine our actions and our actions shape our lives. Your mind is like a magnet. If you think and feel in a positive manner several positive people and experiences would be drawn to you. The opposite is also true. Focus on positive ideas. Think positive to stay positive.

4. STOP CRITICISING OTHERS - The problem with criticism is that it never changes the person and they never admit their faults!

So stop draining energy in criticising others. Criticising and complaining are negative actions that will keep on filling the mind with grudge and resentment. Accept people as they are. If you don't like someone avoid or ignore them. But don't become a critic. You would waste your time and become negative minded.

5. FOCUS ON THE PRESENT MOMENT - Most of the time our mind stays in past memories or future worries. How often are you focused on the present moment? Do you eat while watching Netflix? Do you plan your upcoming meeting while taking a shower? Did you observe the flowers on your way to the office today? Did you smell the morning coffee? This present moment is all you have.

The past however good or bad is gone! The future how much you plan is beyond your control. But this precise moment is all yours! You can decide to do whatever you want right now. You can make that important phone call, meet your family, join that class, start your dream project, forgive those people right now! You can also waste your time in watching TV shows, argue with people, complain about your boss, feel unhappy in this hour. This moment you can choose to enjoy life or waste it. The more you focus on the "now" the more you appreciate life. You become calm and optimistic.

6. LET GO OF THINGS YOU CANNOT CONTROL - In life you will face certain situations which are beyond your control.

An accident, sudden demise of a loved one, betrayal from a friend, abuse or an insult, your partner cheating on you, losing your job are some of the many situations where you have absolutely no control. It's normal to feel sad and heartbroken but learn to accept reality and move on. If there's a lesson, learn it but get up and move forward.

7. LEARN TO FORGIVE - If you want to keep your peace of mind start practising forgiveness. It's often a tough thing to do but if you really want a positive and happy life there's no other way!

Holding grudges and resentments are like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. The longer you hold your disapproval the longer you stay bitter and unhappy. You must be willing to forgive your wrongdoers as well as yourself. Years of resentment will not fade away in a couple of days or weeks. Practice forgiveness every night before going to sleep.

8. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVITY - Our environment has a huge impact on us. We absorb the ideas and attitude of people with whom we spend the most time with.

The shows you watch, the magazines you read, the events you attend influences your life. If you want to stay positive and happy, surround yourself with such people. Instead of watching TV read books, rather than playing games listen to podcasts. Create a positive environment for yourself.

9. SET GOALS - Positive minded people know what they want in life.

They continuously set goals and work on them. Your life is your chance to shine brightly. Make time to set goals and chase them. As your mind becomes goal-oriented, it would stop wandering around aimlessly. Our brain is a goal-seeking organ, stay focused to stay positive.

10. CELEBRATE LIFE - Life is beautiful but it's too short. Enjoy every moment, celebrate life till it lasts!

Congratulate yourself for even the tiniest bit of achievement, smile a lot and stay pleased. Appreciate yourself and everyone around you. Chase your wildest dreams. Do good to yourself and others. Do things that you love. Spread happiness everywhere you go! As you start celebrating every moment your life would change for the better.

~Article written by Ishita Ganguly, M.Sc, B.Ed, MBA

10 Lessons I have learned in Life

Life is the best school and experience is the best teacher. Following are the 10 Lessons I have learned in a hard way -

1. If you are passionate about something, it's worth pursuing. Take action towards your desires. Life is too short and all you have is "now". So make time for your passion, chase your wildest dreams.

2. Thoughts become things literally. Our thoughts and beliefs create our world. Positive thinking will assist you in more ways than you can imagine. A positive mindset is a must to achieve great things in life.

3. Some people will say mean things about you. Don't give up on your plans because others are criticising your ideas. It really does not matter what others think about you.

4. Choose your friends wisely. Some friends can enrich your life while some others can abuse you. Also, we become like our close friends so pick your pals carefully. It's better to be alone than in the wrong company.

5. Be prepared. There isn't really a shortcut to success. You must be willing to consistently work on your goals. Hone your skills, read and learn a lot. Outwork everyone around you. As they say, preparation beats talent every single time!

6. No one is coming to save you! This is your life and you should take the full charge. Don't expect others would come to make things easier for you. You have to make decisions and you have to take full responsibility for that.

7. Set high standards. It's absolutely foolish to say " yes" for things you know are a "no" for you. Be firm with your non-negotiables and never compromise on that.

8. Difficult times show the real character of people. In your bad days, you'll painfully observe the true colours of many people including some friends and loved ones. Learn the lessons and move on.

9. Time is the most precious thing in life. Our lifespan is comprised of packets of time. The time you give to people and things are portions from your own life! So use your time well. Stop spending time on useless stuffs and worthless people.

10. Money is the most powerful tool on earth. A penniless person is useless however kind and loving they are. Money gives you freedom and money does buy happiness. So it's better to start earning and investing money as young as possible.

~Article written by Ishita Ganguly, M.Sc, B.Ed, MBA

Affirmations: Why Positive Affirmations Work & How To Use Them

Most of you have heard about the term affirmation. Many of you might also be using it to channel your way towards success. But do you know why affirmations work? Also, are you using them in the correct way to get the best results?

In this article, I am going to dig deep into the technique of affirmation.

What is an affirmation?

Firstly, we must know what an affirmation is practical. An affirmation is a positive statement, uttered repeatedly with a strong belief, to make positive changes in life.

An affirmation could be a declaration of a specific goal in it's completed state or it could be a positive, empowering statement to replace any limiting belief and reprogram your Subconscious mind. [Recommended How to become Successful in Life using the Power of the Subconscious mind ]

Successful people, from entrepreneurs to award-winning actors, champion sportsmen to best-selling authors practice daily affirmations to achieve their goals!

Recommended Famous people who succeeded using Affirmations

Why Positive Affirmations Work?

● Affirmations are one of the best tools to use the Law of attraction in your favour. The more you repeat positive affirmations, the more you start attracting resources, situations and people in your favour.

● Affirmations also help you to develop a positive mindset. It helps to eliminate the negative thoughts and beliefs from our mind and cultivate a winning mindset.

● Affirmation is an excellent technique to reprogram your Subconscious mind. The limiting and disempowering beliefs imprinted in our Subconscious could be easily replaced with positive affirmations repeated on a continuous and consistent manner.

How to use Positive Affirmations? 

■ Firstly, choose your affirmations from the suggestions from renowned Life Coaches and Personal Development books. Or you create your own affirmations.

■ State your affirmation in a language you are comfortable. Ideally, it should be stated in your mother-tongue or in a language you prefer.

■ Form your affirmation in the present tense and start with the words " I am" or it's equivalent in your language.

■ State it in the positive sense. It should be about what you want, not something you don't want.
For example:
I am in good health. (correct)
I am not ill. (incorrect)

■ Keep it brief and specific.

■ While affirming feel your emotions. At first, it would be mechanical and rehearsed, but as you progress, try to add some positive emotions with it, even if it's fake.

Your subconscious mind cannot distinguish the difference between real and fake emotions!

The affirmations get impressed in your mind easily when an emotion or feeling is involved.

■ Repetition is the key. Repeat your affirmations again and again. Speak each affirmation for at last 20 times every single day. If you want faster results, repeat each affirmation at the last 200 times at one go!

■ Practice affirmations several times a day. Take one affirmation, repeat it continuously before moving to a second one.

■ For even better results, visualise while affirming.

■ You can meditate before or after affirming, to achieve your goals sooner.

■ Speak, read, write and listen to  (recorded) affirmations to reprogram your Subconscious quickly and create your dream life.

A few of my favourite affirmations are:

▪ I am happy.
▪ I am blessed.
▪ I am loved.
▪ I am grateful for all that is.
▪ I am in good health.
▪ I am successful.
▪ I am confident.
▪ I am beautiful.
▪ I am prosperous.
▪ I love and approve of myself.
▪ Every day in every way I am getting better and better.
▪ Everything I need is coming to me easily and effortlessly.
▪ Money comes to me easily and effortlessly.
▪ I attract love wherever I go.
▪ I am always in the right place at the right time.
▪ I am surrounded by happy, positive-minded, successful, prosperous, kind and helpful people in my life.

Recommended: 101 Best Affirmations of All Time

~Article written by Ishita Ganguly, M.Sc, B.Ed, MBA

7 Amazing Benefits of Laughter

A good laugh with friends makes us feel relaxed and happy. But did you know that laughter can actually improve your health?
They say "laughter is the best medicine" for good reason!

"Always laugh when you can, it is cheap medicine. " - George Gordon Byron

I am going to share with you 10 amazing benefits of laughter.

1. REDUCES STRESS HORMONE LEVELS - Recent research shows that laughter decreases the level of stress hormones, cortisol and epinephrine.

It also releases the neurotransmitter Dopamine that creates a sense of euphoria and instils motivation.
From scientific studies, it has been proved that watching comedy movies decreases levels of stress hormones!

2. IMPROVES YOUR CARDIAC HEALTH - Laughter can actually improve the health of your heart.

It improves the functioning of blood vessels by increasing the blood flow. This improves your circulation of blood that can actually reduce the risk of heart disease!

3. BOOSTS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM  - A good laugh can boost your immune system with disease resisting powers that will help you to stay healthy!

Stress reduces immunity and laughter reduces stress. Naturally, laughter reduces your chances of falling ill.

4. ACT AS A NATURAL ANTI-DEPRESSANT- As we laugh, certain feel-good chemicals called "endorphins" are released in our body. Endorphins act as a pain reliever and happiness booster.

 As a result, it instantly lifts our mood and creates a sense of happy feeling. Laughter reduces negative emotions and makes you feel better.

5. REDUCES BLOOD PRESSURE - One of the dangerous side-effects of stress is high blood pressure or hypertension.

However, it's not possible to stay stressed when you are laughing! A few scientific studies show that laughter can actually lower blood pressure!

6. IT BURNS YOUR CALORIES -  Now laughter cannot replace workouts for sure! But a good, hearty laugh can burn some of your calories.

As laughter raises our heart rate and calorific expenditure, it has been scientifically studied that 15 minutes of laughter actually burned 10 - 40 calories.

7. INCREASES CONNECTION WITH OTHERS - "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." - Victor Borge
It's only normal that people would approach you if you are smiling and cheerful.

Our emotions are reflected on our face and this is directly related to how others would perceive us. Emotions can change body language. So if you are always irritated or angry, that will get expressed in your body language and personality! To make more friends or get more dates, it's better than to have a smiling face.

ONE FINAL TIP: After reading this, if you feel that it's not possible for you to be this cheerful all the time. That you have stress and complicacies in life. Let me remind you that we all have some difficulties in life. It's always better to focus on what's good and what's working in life rather than what's bad and what's beyond our control. Shift your mindset to a positive one! If you are still having difficulty just fake it till you make it! Try and see. It's that easy!

~Article written by Ishita Ganguly, M.Sc, B.Ed, MBA

Also, Read How to be Happy | 12 Simple steps to happiness