Food For Thought

I'm 22 & Indian| Thoughts that attack during free time/ Poems |P.S. You're welcome to comment

[vomitingwords]

I keep on looking back to what I've done several years ago. I keep on re-reading every message I've sent to a lot of people. I keep on staring at every photo I have with different persons. I keep on reminiscing memories even those I can't fully remember at all. And believe me when I say, that I never regret everything that I've done. I had never wished not to meet those people, who weren't in my life—again if I ever had another chance. But I'll keep on wondering what will happen if I've done something different. What will happen to me, if only I chose—and walked on the other path? Because I guess I would never know. You see, if ever you have the chance to do even the slightest of the things you love, do it. I don't want you to keep on wondering. I don't want you to get stuck on the road you never wanted to pass through. Because all I ever want is for you to look up and say you finally did it. That nothing and no one can stop you from making yourself genuinely happy. Darling, that not even you, can hold yourself back from doing it.

Have you done it already? I truly hope so. //ma.c.a

[vomitingwords]

But suddenly,

I realized

that I’ve built

the strongest

wall.

That no one

can break it,

unless I let it

fall.

Am I invulnerable? //ma.c.a

[medievalistaa]

“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” - Ray Bradbury

The Bookworm, Carl Spitzweg, 1850.

[vomitingwords]

“I hope the universe will let you learn how to love yourself, completely.” he said. “Before it makes you fall deeply in love with someone else.”

Hey, Fate // ma.c.a

[psyphilenthusiast]

When in doubt, always stop (and think!)

Hey everyone!

As usual, I am here with something unusual! Something that is right there in front of us but something we forget to pay attention to.

"The oldest, shortest words - 'yes' and 'no' - are those that require the most thought."

~ Pythagoras

When others ask you for a favour or request to do something, even if it is something small? Do you respond immediately? Or do you take your sweet time to think about it and then respond?

There are times when you get the urge to respond immediately with a 'yes' or a 'no.' It may not happen always, but sometimes it does, doesn't it? And this urge makes us respond without actually thinking about our options and choices. This pressure to respond does the work for us and we may end up regreting saying anything, atleast sometimes.

I know some people who can never say no. I also know some who never say yes (at first). And a few who somehow know and maintain the balance of saying yes and no. We know that extreme of anything is bad. Saying yes or no all the time can be harmful too.

Do you know why there is a major confusion regarding what a yes or no actually means?

I'll tell you why.

A major reason I think is the habit of immediate responding. No, it isn't a bad thing (entirely!). However, we are evolved beings. We have the capability to think over things before doing it. This is what makes us cognitively superior. But do we? Do we actually stop to think, even if for a few seconds?

When we respond without thinking, we may not have considered what it is we actually wanted to do or say. This creates a discrepancy between what we said and what we actually wanted to say.

So, say, you said yes to a request when you actually wanted to say no because of the pressure and the habit of immediate responding. Either you will carry out the request because you value your words or you will do it half heartedly or you will act completely opposite or you will just not do anything and sit in denial and intentional forgetfulness.

Over time, such instances might pile up and start creating issues. Issues how, you ask?

1. Your words may loose value. And with words, comes credibility. And you really do not want to mess with your credibility!

2. Your 'yes' will be taken to mean everything other than a yes. (Or a 'no' will be taken to mean everything other than a no.)

3. It also creates inconsistency between your words and actions. Have you ever felt that pressing weight in your head when you have to do something you really do not want to do? Yes, that! That is because of this inconsistency. The more your words and actions match, the more harmonious you will feel.

4. At time when people call you out on your inconsistent behaviour, it may lead you to feel hurt, frustrated and irritated. This can, in turn, negatively effect your self concept. And when your confidence suffers, you may feel that initial pressure to respond more intensely and more frequently.

I do not want to overwhelm you, so I will stop here with the possible issues that can arise simply because we did not stop to think.

However, I do have a simple trick that you can use to deal with this invisible pressure to respond immediately (in extreme cases)😉

Instead of immediately saying 'yes' or 'no,' start getting into the habit of saying, 'Okay, let me think about it.' When you say this first, you move on from the zone of pressure and you also give your mind time to think out your options and choices. Saying this gives you some time even if it is a few minutes to stop and mull over it and then respond. In cases when you can or when decisions are difficult, discuss what's on your mind with the other person. In cases when you feel as if you have no choice, come to an understanding or middle point as to why you have to do or not do it.

When you get into this habit,

1. You can think without the pressure to respond

2. You will make more thought-out choices

3. You actions will match your words

4. Your words will have value and lend you credibility

5. You also indirectly communicate to others that you will not be rushed in making any important decision and that they need to respect it

6. You will be happier because of more consistency in your words and actions

7. It will positively affect your self concept

And this list is not exhautive. Like my maybes, I can go on with the benefits too 😛 These are just to get you to understand how important it is to stop and think and how beneficial it can be.

Can you think of more issues or benefits? If you do, let me know in the comments or pm me 😊 and when try this out, let me know if it works for you 🌺

I hope this helps!

To thoughtful decisions and happier you 🍸

Smile 📸📸

Du bist schön!

[psyphilenthusiast]

Void and Confusion

This was written long back (I actually don't remember when 😅) but somehow, I just came across this piece of paper which had a piece of my heart on it..thought I'd share.

...

You know the place

Where feelings should be?

There's a void

Or maybe a bottomless pit

Climbing out is proving

Not-so-easy pursuit

You know, the times

When you are in the middle

And everything is falling apart around?

It's endless confusion

A grossly misinterpreted myth

That you can stay whole

Amidst the chaos.

Even when you win,

You lose.

Even when you come out of it

Some part of you remains

Even when you see clearly

And confusion is history

The void persists

However long you may allow

But, the only way to go

Is forward

Past was never a pretty place to be

And the only thing to do

Is

Feel.

D.// Dunno how

[bookmania]

The last few days have been remarkable. I don’t know how others see and interpret it, but we have our own.

This is how I see it.

Our minds have been wired to build our own thoughts, to mould several shattered pieces of memories into a certain big picture, which we can understand. This is a gift that we owe to our Creator, and it is inevitable to draw our own opinions from the current matters — or rather, those real things that matter most.

Einstein said: “Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.”

It’s been sweltering hot outside nowadays in the Metro, and it has felt incredibly different. Everyone has to keep safe in the afternoon, especially when walking under the direct sun. Without any protection from it, our skin will be endangered. Disease is imminent, so we need to keep safe. There may be no water flowing through the tubes in the evening because there’s shortage of it. This adds up to the burden. The heat that we feel, and the shortage of water — we couldn’t even take a shower sometimes after a long hot day, and it’s been dehydrating.

Last week, the Notre-Dame de Paris was burned for no specified reason. Reports did not disclose the cause of it, even if a week has already been passed. Just recently, 130+ were mercilessly killed in Sri Lanka in a bloody Easter, and nobody was discriminated by death. Imagine that?? 130+ souls were taken, and it was Easter. It didn’t stop there, we ourselves felt a post-Easter quake in Manila that has been the major content in the local social media, some even made memes and laughed at it, despite the fact that it could be understood as a sign, a certain warning.

It doesn’t make a statement, does it? I myself has become curious of what the heck has been happening.

I could only pray for everyone’s safety.

The house that we rent has withstood many earthquakes, typhoons which were even older than us, but it’s been different in the present time. I’m a grown up now. When I was young, this house was not as strong as it was ten years ago, and so I pray for this home, too… especially to the people inside it, to be safe…

…the same way that I pray for everyone’s safety.

x

[bookmania]

“It doesn’t matter. I have books, new books, and I can bear anything as long as there are books.”

— Among Others by Jo Walton (via bookaddict24-7)

[vomitingwords]

But you are brave enough to deal with heartaches and broken pieces. You are strong enough to take one little step forward. Even when nobody’s watching. Even when no one is there to lend a hand. So please don’t let other people tell you otherwise.

Once I was helpless // ma.c.a

[vomitingwords]

I hope we never run out of time. I hope we will never say it’s too late to chase our dreams and love ourselves in each passing moment. I hope we’ll choose what’s best for us, no matter how confusing it might become. I hope our soul lives fully, so we won’t regret not having so much time.

One Thousandth of a Second//ma.c.a

[fight4future]

LIVE: There’s a key vote on net neutrality and the whole Internet is watching

Starting at 10am ET today a key congressional committee will vote on the Save the Internet Act – the best bill we have to restore net neutrality.

Unfortunately Big Telecom shills on the House subcommittee voting today have already proposed dangerous amendments that could completely gut the bill or leave gaping loopholes for Internet providers to block, throttle, and charge Internet users new fees for access.

To get a clean bill that restores net neutrality passed need to show them the WHOLE INTERNET IS WATCHING.

Here are the best things you can do to help:

1. Reblog this post to spread the word. 📣

2. Embed our livestream widget into your Tumblr blog using the code here.

3. Call your lawmakers to demand they vote for a clean bill to restore net neutrality.

If we get the bill out of committee without any bad amendments, then we have a solid shot of winning the next big vote on the House floor in the week of April 8. Take a second to help out!

[vomitingwords]

Had anyone ever asked you, “Was it difficult to be who you are?”. Then suddenly, you tried to remember how does it feel to try knowing oneself. How does it feel to try swimming in an unknown vast sea. Being aware that you might drown once you lose your own bearing—your own rhythm. That you might witness either a wonderful paradise or the darkest remnants of a lone ship, once you try to dive and look for what’s underneath.

Beneath your mind//ma.c.a

[onlinecounsellingcollege]

What to do When You Feel Overwhelmed

1. Unplug from social media and, if possible, switch off your phone.

2. Try to drop all non-essential commitments.

3. Make sure you get out of the house. Deliberately change your environment each day.

4. Make a list of the things you CAN do, and begin by changing at least one of them.

5. Get a grip of the negative thought patterns. Try to focus on something positive.

6. Ask for help from someone who is safe, either a professional or someone you know cares.

[psyphilenthusiast]

Consciously is how it is done 😊

Hey everyone!

Happy Sunday! ☺️ This is the third post in a series of blogs on self talk.

I want to begin by asking: Did you observe even a tiny change in the way you talk to yourself now that you are a little bit more aware of your self talk style? If yes, that’s wonderful! If no, then it’s okay 🙂 Change will happen, you just need to put in a little bit more effort in the form of being more aware. 

Stop and think about it.

Do not tell yourself or allow others to say that this is impossible or pointless or a wastage of time. We humans have somethiing that no other species have: evolved brain structures that allow us to think, plan, coordinate, speak and execute plans. If we do not stop and think about our own thoughts and actions, then what are we really doing? We are wasting the resources evolution gave us. So why not use what we have? (It’s not like we have to pay a fee 😛)

Coming back to self talk, I hope that by now you know whether you engage in positive self talk or negative self talk or lie somewhere in the middle. This was our first experiment : Observing our self talk patterns. Were you able to do it? Were you able to figure out your pattern? What are the topic(s) that make you doubt your self and your capabilities? What are the topic(s) that make you feel proud and good about yourself? Yes, we not only need to know our weaknesses, but also our strengths. And please trust me when I say that we all have strengths and weaknesses and that no one is perfect!

After this, as a part of our second experiment, we had to consciously change any negative or seemingly negative self talk by substituting it with a positive statement(s). It may seem silly or hard or next to impossible to find the inner strength to correct yourself everytime, but it will be worth it! There is so much strength inside of you, it’s like a magic box that you just have to open bit by bit, feel it and then use to your advantage. In case you find substituting to be difficult, then let’s add a step before it. Everytime you are about to say something that is negative about you, demeans you, or shows you to be weak or unworthy, shout 'STOP' in your mind. Consciously stop yourself from saying it and imagine any event in your life that makes you smile.

For Example: After I refused my friend for an outing, she replied, “Nobody loves or listens to me!” This was spoken out loud. I am sure that for the next 15 minutes that she was quiet, knowing her, she was having a negative internal dialogue! 

This is an example of one situation where you need to stop yourself from saying such things out loud because a) they are negative; b) they tell a lot about you, none of which is positive and c) this is how patterns are formed so that everytime something like this happens, you’ll say such statements like a parrot, i.e. without understanding their actual meaning or long term implications! Here you also need to kick shut that internal dialogue by thinking about anything that makes or made you smile, chocolate? a text? a movie? an actor? a picture? Those positive sentences I told you about in the previous post? Basically anything! This is only possible when you are aware. 

Saying ‘Thank you!’ our third experiment. What is the status on that? Are you saying and feeling it, even for anything small another person did for you? How does expressing gratitude feel? Once you get into the habit, it will feel liberating. Yes, liberating. That about sums it up 😉 I promise we’ll reach to that point where words will have value. But for now, forget about others and focus on the value of your own words. How reliable are they?

Let’s do this folks!! Let’s work together and help each other realise the tremendous potential that we all have. Let's discover!

I hope you smiled today 😊

If you want to, let me know how your journey is going. I hope it is full of amazing discoveries! Smile📸📸

[psyphilenthusiast]

If nothing else,

Books make you believe again.

In friendship

When in reality,

Your trust has been broken

Too many times to count

Books help restore

The feeling

Of peaceful acceptance

Even detached anticipation

Of finding the one

Someday

If nothing else

Books help you trust again

In the goodness of people

Not everyone takes advantage

Of that blind faith you put on them

Or the admiration you din't hide

If nothing else

Book make you believe

In the true power of love

Isn't that right?

Only when you fall, you rise?

Books are life

Of hundreds of people

That you get to experience

The emotions you otherwise won't

Concede to having

Books are everything and more...

Give them a chance

To open your soul

To feel and to believe :) <3

[psyphilenthusiast]

Self-Talk (Experiment on... 😉)

Hey everyone!

How are you all doing? I hope you are tuned into the music that is inside you 😊

Although no one asked me to do it 😂 I am still going to continue with the previous line of thought 😛 i.e. Self Talk. By now, I hope you have figured out what self talk means and what it entails. Self-talk is about YOU, to YOU and for YOU. Despite the fact that we were never taught to talk to ourselves in the first place, we learned to do it. Didn’t we? I remember, during my teens, I would be reading a book in my room sometimes laughing and talking to myself about the characters, you know, why did they do this and that and what not (I still do it! 😄). Although my amazements and advices (to the characters) went unheard by them, my mom sure heard them. She would call out to me from outside and ask, “Are you okay? Have you gone crazy yet? Talking to yourself like that?” 😄😄

Thank God she was amused rather than overly concerned about my behaviour and left me to my devices. Oh, the lovely childhood days and endless stories. No wonder they impact us so much 😊

So, think about it. We were not taught to do it, but we still learned to engage in self talk. Just wonder how. It also means that self talk is a part of our evolution and very important for us. We have something so powerful within our reach, infact within us, that we can utilize to be happy, to be successful, to learn to cherish things and what not. How exciting is that?!! 😃

Coming back to the previous post, our first experiment was to observe how we talk to our own lovely self. Did you observe how you talk to yourself? Did you notice any pattern? Now, a pattern can mean anything here. It can be a particular topic that makes you doubt your self and your capabiities, that begins that downward spiral of negative self-talk. It can be a group of small topics surrounding one or a few broad topics. Figure out that pattern. We cannot begin to work on something when we don’t even know what that work is about. The foundation is important. So I urge you to observe your self talk more deeply this time. Write them down if need be.

Our second experiment was to consciously change any negative self talk by substituting it with a positive affirmation(s). Were you able to do it? Were you able to substitute them immediately? Did you find it hard? That is completely fine! We’ll take baby steps. No need for high jumps. I am also not an athlete 😛

But be motivated to change them. The reward here is that lovely smile of yours. Just imagine yourself smiling uninhibited by things that bring you down anyhow. Yes, that smile! That is going to be your reward 😊😊

Teach yourself to be aware when you begin to have negative thoughts and consciously change them with positive one there and then. We do not have to give our brain enough time to chew and spit out those negative thoughts at us. 

(Bonus) If this seems somewhat impossible, write positive sentences (not QUOTES) and carry them in your pocket or purse or anywhere immediately accessible or stick them around your house where they are visible. Don’t look at your screen with distrust now 😆. Experiment it for yourself. 

Our third experiment was to say ‘Thank you!’ and mean it. So, what is the status on it? Do you think that you now value your words and others’ when they show gratitude? Or do you think that they are just words we rote learned?

Your answer to these two questions is enough for you to know whether words equate value now or not. Think about it. And please continue doing it. Eventually, we’ll reach the point where words will have weight and we won’t just throw them around 🙂 If it’ll take time, then let it. I promise we’ll reach there. ☺️  

It is important that we work together and help each other realise the tremendous potential that we all have. I hope you smiled today 😊

Experiment on and do let me know how your journey is going. I just know it is going to be amazing and full of discoveries. (Care to share a little 😝)

Show some self love and Smile 📸📸

Follow me for more off the track things☺️

[vomitingwords]

“I hope love finds you.” she said. “I hope it looks for you at 3am when you’ve had enough. I hope it whispers at you every time sadness creeps up in your ears. I hope it hugs you, every time fear tries to surround your whole being. I hope it kisses your tears away, not only those from your eyes, but also those cries from your heart.” she looked at him and smiled, then finally uttered, “I hope love won’t give up on you, even if you fall back on your knees, with bleeding hands refusing to hold onto.”

I hope you accept it, when it finally meets you. //ma.c.a

[psyphilenthusiast]

Your heart breaks even as it begins to move towards healing...

Scars remain even if you fill the hollow...