How to Live a Happier and Meaningful Life

Guest post by Amira Halilovic

Everyone who has faced or is facing any kind of problems, stress, disbelief, knows how hard it is to stay positive in certain situations and sometimes a way out isn't a clear point of view.  But, the ones who have gone through with it becomes stronger and that strength is something that will always keep them going.

Finding or creating your own strength isn't as easy as it sounds, but it's something we all have inside of us, we just have to pull it out.  Nowadays, we are surrounded by everyday stress because of work, personal problems or other and also very negative people.  All those factors contribute to having a depressed, sad life, negative thoughts and lack of self-confidence.  We worry about how we will go through certain problems, where is the solution, we don't know how we can achieve certain goals, because it seems impossible or we worry about speaking out and what others will think.  Does that sound like you?

Taking all of those things out and becoming a happy, positive person won't occur overnight, it takes time.  One has to stand for themselves and say enough – you have to speak out loudly, tell what you think and never be afraid to tell your own opinion, stand up for yourself and believe that everything is possible if you never stop working on it.  Nothing in life comes easy, if it was so easy, then everyone would do it or have it.  But, it all starts in our mind – we become what we believe.

How to Change?

1.  Stop Stressing and Overthinking

It is much harder to do than it sounds but just goes with the flow, don't overthink about it and you will go through it, always take one step at a time.

2.  Speak Out Your Thoughts

Never be afraid of telling your own opinion or sharing your ideas.  We all have the right to speak.

3.  Surround Yourself With Positive People and Communicate

Being around good people is important for our mental health as they bring good and positive energy, they're someone to talk to and spend time with.

4.  Think About the Things You Want to do and do them

We all have some wishes, dreams, goals we aim for and it's time to think about how we can do it and stop thinking about how impossible or hard it will be.

5.  Believe

Believe that everything is possible – as it is, we just have to keep working for it.

6.  Take Time for Yourself

Never forget to take time for yourself to completely relax and recharge your batteries.  It will help you with maintaining the happy, positive life and also your focus.

Everything starts and ends in our mindset.  Think about all those celebrities you know and look up to, they weren't always who they know, it took hard work and never giving up to achieve their goals.  Same goes for all of us.

It's important to keep in mind, that what kind of life we will have, mostly depends on us.  Keep working for that wish until it comes true.  It takes more than just short period of time to be completely reborn and turn from negative person to a positive person and to stop worrying about everything and letting it be solved all one step at a time.  What's really important and a key factor to a happier and meaningful life is to honestly believe in your capabilities – you can have it all you just have to put your but to work and believe everything will sort out with time.  Nothing lasts forever.

We all have to keep working, keep smiling and not worry about unimportant things or unimportant people, it all depends on what WE want.

What you want is what you need and nobody else.

About the Author

Amira Halilovic is a lifestyle blogger from Slovenia.  Based on her passions and interest, she is well known with all things beauty, fashion and also health from her different journeys.  She loves educating herself about those topics to be more known with them and to be able to help and inspire as many people as she can.  Apart from her blogging job, she loves to listen to others and motivate them.

Blog:  About Amira

How to Break a Bad Habit in 4 Steps

Guest post by Katie Rose

We all have those annoying habits that we can’t get out of.  Whether it’s biting your nails, smoking or overspending on clothes.  There are certain things that many of us do, sometimes without realizing, that have extremely negative impacts on our lives.

In order to break your bad habit, it’s predicted an individual needs between 18 to 254 days.  Of course, this is rather a wide time frame but with each individual having different strengths of willpower, it’s important to realize that accomplishment depends on the individual and the habit they have.

Even so, this post will teach you how to break a bad habit in four simple steps so you can achieve your goals.

Understand the Cause

For me, I have a tendency to pick at and rub the sides of my fingers.  This is due to having suffered from anxiety for a few years which has led to me constantly moving my fingers showcasing my “always on edge” behavior.

Knowing this, I understand that in order for me to stop, I must learn how to relax, cope with panic and give myself peace of mind.  To help with this I indulge in yoga, self-love through pampering and even painting my nails so that my fingers look beautiful and I become more inclined to look after them.

To find out why you started your bad habit, what triggers it and similar, ask yourself the following questions:

• When does it happen?
• What triggers it?
• Where are you?
• Who are you with?
• How many times do you do it each day?

Set Rewards and Consequences

In order to stop yourself from doing something, you need to have some sort of consequence and reward system in place.  If you don’t punish yourself when you indulge in the bad habit, you’ll never feel as though you don’t want to do it.

As everyone’s bad habit will differ slightly, it’s important to set up rewards and consequences that are personal to you.  If you don’t like watching TV, setting a reward to watch an extra episode of your favorite programme to congratulate yourself, won’t work.

Make sure they’re related to your habit too.  That way the more you receive your reward, the more you’ll think about how far you’ve come and the more it’ll spur you on to continue breaking your bad habit.

    Related Post:  Forgiveness: A Deliberate Process and a Real Faith     

Of course, once you’ve got your reward system in place, you’ll want to ensure you stick to it.  There’s no point spending time thinking of the consequences and perhaps doing it for a week until you decide you’ve had enough.

Replace it with a Positive, Do-Able Habit

In order to stop picking my fingers, I’ve tried to adopt the habit of painting my fingernails instead. This means instead of doing habit that makes my fingers look ugly, I spend time making them look beautiful instead.  Though, as the cause of my habit is related to feeling anxious, it’s hard to quickly get out my nail varnish and focus on painting my nails on-the-go.

Instead, I could adopt for filing my nails, reshaping them or using one of those handy, travel size nail buffers.  This will help me keep my nails looking great and plus it’ll fit in my bag or purse for when I’m on the go.

Be creative with the habit that’ll replace your bad habit.  Give yourself lots of options just like I’ve mentioned above with mine so that you’re more likely to adopt them and you don’t limit yourself. Make your new habit do-able and not confined to a time or place.

Do it with Someone

You don’t have to have the same bad habits as someone else but instead, agree to quit at the same time.  This will make you more likely to stay on track as you can support one another through the struggles and temptations.

You can also pair up your reward and consequence system so that you can reward one another and make achieving your goal, easier.  If you have someone perhaps giving you say 10p, for every time you don’t do the bad habit, you can physically see the reward and over time, the small financial gain can become a bigger gain that you’ll feel you’ve really earnt.

Of course, this all depends on the person who you’re teaming up with and each other's finances and so on.  However, the idea is there.

Be creative and see what you can come up with together that’ll mutually benefit one another and ultimately, help you break your bad habit.

Summary:

Hopefully, you’ll have learned 4 simple steps in breaking a bad habit.  Even though this can take longer than expected for some and shorter for others, it’s important to take on board these fundamentals in order to give yourself a greater chance of quitting.

About the Author

Katie Rose is a Digital Marketer by day and lifestyle blogger by night.  "ok Kate" is her blog about herself figuring her life out, featuring posts on beauty, food, fashion, and travel.

Blog:  ok Kate

Little Things that Matter Most in Life

Guest post by Deeksha Tripathi

Life is a gift of God to all of us. Whatever be its challenges, we have to face them all. Life is not the same always. Happiness and sadness are inseparable parts of life. Nobody has got a perfect life. Everyone faces ups and downs. Now, what’s important here is how we take things that come in our life every day.  Big things whether good or bad don’t happen every day. So life is basically made up of "Little Things". These little things matter most for our general happiness.

So, let’s take a look at some of the little things which matter most in our life.

Be Thankful to God

The first thing that is of utmost importance is being thankful for everything we have got in our life. If we are getting food to eat every day, clothes to wear, a permanent roof on our head to protect us from all types of weather we are luckier than 50% of the world’s population! So, need I give you more reasons to feel yourself truly blessed? You are extremely lucky if you have friends and family to look after you. Just look around you there are so many people who sleep on the roadside, hungry and thirsty. There are kids who unlike our kids live unprotected lives earning their bread on their own; deprived of education. Be thankful to God for all His gifts. Stop taking things for granted which you have got without much pain.

Think Positively

Depression, stress, frustration are parts of today’s life. These ultimately lead to negative thinking. We often start feeling that we are the unlucky ones, born to suffer. To avoid this negative thinking, we must focus on the things that make us happy. For instance, spending time with our loved ones, pursuing a hobby, doing some social work whatever makes us feel our worth we must do that. Moreover, as I said earlier we are luckier than 50% of world population who are actually leading a miserable life. So, bring positivity in your life by seeing the brighter aspect of life.

Be Generous

So, now we know that we are the lucky ones to have got whatever we possess! What we need to do after this realization is being generous in sharing what we have. Things which are useless to us can be of great value to others. So donate generously your old clothes, shoes, home furnishing, toys, edibles whatever you can. You can donate your things to anyone who is in need; your poor relatives, friends, servants or anyone around you.

    Related Post:  Forgiveness: A Deliberate Process and a Real Faith     

Be Honest to Yourself

Don’t ever lie to yourself. If you love something; admit and do it [provided it’s legal ;)] For example, if you love to listen to loud music or dance crazily do it whenever you can. Give due importance to your own space and enjoy it when you have it. When you are honest with yourself, you will be able to keep your promises to others too. It will increase your belief and esteem in yourself.

Have Pets

Having a pet is like having an unselfish and a loving friend by your side always. They don’t expect or complain about anything. They give you what you need the most- love! They bring happiness and positivity in your life by making you feel how important you are for them. Innocence and dedication of pets are incomparable. They make us smile even in the saddest days of our life.

Love Yourself

If you love yourself, only then you can love others. Self -respect and self-care are very essential. Look good, keep yourself fit, dress up well, put on a little make-up, carry right accessories and laugh a lot. These things gonna boost your self-confidence cheer you up always. Talk to your friends and family who bring positive vibes in your life. Have a positive self-image ’cause this same image gonna be reflected others. Enjoy going out and spending some time all alone.

Keep Your Surroundings Beautiful

If you live in a place which is messy, you start feeling low whether it’s your home or workplace. So, one very important though little, thing to feel good is keeping our place tidy and beautiful. Decorate your place the way you like, it surely gonna pep you up.

These little things definitely gonna bring some very positive changes in your life. So go ahead and enjoy all the shades of life and do make these little things a part of your life.

About the Author

Deeksha Tripathi is a blogger from India. She is a teacher, mom of a toddler and owner of "Wonderful Women" where she writes inspirational stories of real women who have made a difference to the world.

Blog:  Wonderful Women

5 Foods That Help Lower the Risk of Dementia

Guest post by Masooma Memon

Dementia is a disease of the brain that occurs due to a number of reasons depending on the type of the disorder. For instance, damaged blood vessels that transport blood to the brain are blamed as culprits behind vascular dementia.

Likewise, the most common type of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, occurs due to an accumulation of abnormal beta-amyloid protein in the disease-affected brain. Only a few cases of dementia can be treated, provided the damage to the brain cells is not permanent. The majority of the cases are, however, progressive and culminate in eventual loss of cognitive functioning.

Statistics paint a bleaker picture. According to the Global Voice on Dementia, as of 2015, there were roughly 46.8 million people living with the mental condition around the globe. This number is only forecasted to swell. The same source reveals that the number of dementia patients will climb to nearly 75 million and 131.5 million in 2030 and 2050, respectively. The graph presented below showcases the rise.

This leaves us with a sudden chill that runs down the spine while wondering about such a horrible neurodegenerative disorder. Scientists are still digging out a cure but to no avail. However, the good news is that you are not unarmed in this battle against the progressive brain disease.

You can always take some preventative measures to lower your odds of developing dementia. One effective preventative step is eating foods that protect your brain from damage.

In this regard, here is a look at five foods that help you reduce the risk of dementia:

1.  Omega-3 fatty acids

While omega-3s are not food items to be exact, they are essential nutrients to add to your diet. The nutrients are critical for healthy brain development. These also help curtail inflammation, which chips in the build-up of abnormal protein in the brain.

Some common sources of omega-3 fatty acids are white tuna, herring, and salmon. In addition to the seafood, you can also get your fill of omega-3s from olive oil, flaxseeds, and walnuts. You might recognize these staples from the Mediterranean diet that promotes good heart health. In fact, a study credits this meal plan for lowering the risk of dementia by as much as 35%.

2.  Blueberries

These little blue dynamos are rich in vitamins and are packed with a powerful dose of antioxidants, in particular, flavonoids. Antioxidants are applauded for their role in fighting inflammation that sits at the heart of brain damage. Not only do these berries lower the dementia risk but they also prevent memory impairment.

Researchers highlight that berries alter the way the brain cells communicate. In doing so, these prevent inflammation that culminates in neural damage. Another study found out that participants who consumed 30 milliliters of blueberry juice exhibited significant improvement in brain activity. The study also confirmed that drinking blueberry juice enhanced blood flow to the brain.

    Related Post:  Enhancing The Nutritional Value Of Foods     

3.  Oats

Oats are a healthy source of wholegrain foods that work to maintain consistent blood sugar and insulin levels. On the flip side, processed or highly refined foods enriched with carbs contribute to rapid fluctuations in the glucose markers.

Pairing these blood sugar level spikes with inflammation is the recipe for injuring neurons and their communication. This is why Alzheimer’s disease is referred to as, “diabetes of the brain.” Oats help beat both these culprits, so you get to kill two birds with one stone.

4.  Curry powder

Curry powder is commonly used in India and other Eastern countries. It not only adds flavor to the dishes but also diminishes the risk of dementia. The number one reason for the effectiveness of curry powder in this regard is the presence of turmeric in it. This golden spice boasts a high content of antioxidants that curtail inflammation.

Studies reveal that this super spice helps in the breakdown of amyloid-beta plaques that are the villain in the dementia tale. These also view turmeric as a potential ingredient that has the ability to treat Alzheimer’s. The researchers write, "Curcumin as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and lipophilic action improves the cognitive functions in patients with Alzheimer's Disease.”

5.  Vitamin C and E enriched foods

The by-product of the chemical reactions going on in our brain is free radicals. These are unstable molecules that generously contribute to inflammation and damage that results in mental decline. Antioxidants are, however, the antidotes that mop up the harmful free radicals. You can get rid of this free radical pollution in your brain by including food items that are rich in vitamin C and E.

Red peppers, broccoli, and strawberries are some rich sources of vitamin C. On the other hand, you can get your share of vitamin E via almonds and olive oil. All these food items assist in minimizing the risk of the degenerative disorder. A study unveiled that folks who took vitamin E from food sources lowered their risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 67%. Research also links the intake of vitamin C with enhanced cognitive functioning.

Key takeaway:

Healthy eating is a crucial measure for reducing the risk of developing dementia. You need to include foods that are rich in flavonoids, vitamin C, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids. If you are looking to follow a straightforward diet plan, then you can try the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet. It is a cross between the DASH diet and Mediterranean diet that helps cut back the odds of dementia by 34%.

About the Author

Masooma is a freelance writer by day and a novel nerd by night. She is a multi-niche writer who crafts content on everything ranging from marketing to mindfulness and health.  You can learn more about Masooma’s work and read her blog at Masooma's Portfolio

Dealing with Chronic Pain

Guest post by Sara Russell, Ph.D., NTP

I have a hereditary connective tissue disorder which causes chronic pain across the body. Musculoskeletal pain due to tight muscles and unstable joints, joints which partially dislocate during sleep when my body is relaxed, and which partially dislocate at times during the day when I do things as simple as taking a step, putting on my backpack, carrying food to the table, typing at the computer, sneezing, turning my neck ever so slightly. Head pain due to excessive vasodilation. Gastrointestinal pain at times just from eating. Excruciating foot pain when I walk. (Do you remember fairy tale of the Little Mermaid, who feels pain with every step she takes once she is transformed into a human?)

I am used to a baseline level of pain that is probably much higher than what the average person. At the same time, I know what it means to feel pushed over the edge with pain, once you cross the threshold of your ultimate pain tolerance. It is definitely not fun.

Before I go on, I want to say that I’m sharing my experience in the hopes that it will help others with chronic pain, and help those without chronic pain understand and support us more. I also understand that what helps me may not be the same as what helps you, so please don’t feel in any way judged if you're doing something different!

I don’t take pain medication on a regular basis. I would hate to become addicted to pain medication. I do keep some prescription anti-inflammatory medication on hand to use in those situations when the pain is beyond unbearable.

But for the most part, I have come to appreciate the importance of addressing my pain through rest, an adaptation of daily activities, regular physical therapy, careful exercise, and mindfulness. I have come to accept and understand that while I have come a long way in reducing some sources of pain by adapting my nutrition and lifestyle, there is some pain that I can’t erase.

Indeed, in today’s world, we are conditioned to fear pain, to hate pain and to seek to erase and eradicate it at all costs. In addition to the known risks of addiction, I would hesitate to medicate my pain with narcotic medications because they may increase my risk of injury making me less alert and less aware of my body. Additionally, narcotic pain medication can impair digestive motility, which in my case is already slow due to poor connective tissue function.

    Related Post:  Silver Lining On The Dark Clouds     

I live in a world where others around me can’t see or imagine my pain, and where my pain sometimes stops me from functioning properly. I am also good at masking my pain in order to function as well as possible.

It’s not my fault that my body struggles with a disorder that causes injury and pain. But it is my responsibility to do what I can to live as well as possible with the body I have.

This means working constantly on four main areas:

Doing what I can to improve the areas that are improvable.

For me, a nutrient-dense diet that focuses on properly prepared real food is really important. I have difficulty assimilating nutrients, so quality and digestibility is definitely more important than quantity!

I also am careful to stay well-hydrated and maintain good electrolyte balance.

I have regular physical therapy sessions with a good physical therapist and do my physical therapy exercises daily. The regularity is so incredibly important!

Staying physically active while avoiding/limiting situations that put me at unnecessary risk of injury

This is a difficult balance to strike because over-limiting activities from fear of getting hurt comes with its own set of problems! The challenge is staying active while staying reasonably safe at the same time. For me, this means choosing daily physical activities that I enjoy, adjusting the duration, frequency, and intensity of the activity depending on what I have going on.

The more I like and look forward to a specific type of physical activity, the more motivated I am to stay active in spite of fatigue and accidental injuries. For example, I love walking in the woods and observing nature’s beauty far more than I do going to the gym. The more conditioned I am, the better my overall quality of life. So exercise is definitely a priority for me!

I avoid contact sports and high-impact sports, after experiencing injuries in martial arts classes and the high hurdles. But I do enjoy doing gentle yoga and riding my bike on non-strenuous trails.

Using medications sparingly for beyond-unbearable situations

This point is fairly self-explanatory, keeping in mind that what constitutes unbearable levels of pain is pretty subjective. I don’t take pain medication to turn off the pain, but do take it on those occasions when I experience pain so severe that I can’t think or move.

Accepting the rest and really appreciating everything in my life that is positive!

Does it annoy you when you’re having a bad day or struggling through a complex problem, and a loved one tells you that it could be worse or that everything happens for a reason? Me too! But as silly as it may sound when I make it a point of noticing what I am able to do, or days when my pain level is low and I don’t wake up feeling disjointed, that gives me something to celebrate. And I leverage every little celebration in my quest to have the best day I can, one day at a time!

About the Author

Sara is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner who frequently blogs about nutrition and health in addition to running a nutritional therapy practice where she specializes in supporting clients with complex health cases. You can learn more about Sara’s work and read her blog at http://buildnurturerestore.com.

Blog:  Build Nurture Restore

Microneedling: An Immense Contribution to the Beauty World!

Guest post by Vanessa Bywater

Have you ever wished for those pesky acne scars to go away?  And what about those stretch marks?  Everyone has something they wish would go away.  Thankfully, there is actually something that can get rid of most blemishes and scars.  The wonder solution is Microneedling, which sounds a lot worse than it really is.  Also known as Dermarolling, it is the procedure of using a device that literally rolls tiny needles across your face.  Or if you are using the Derma Pen which stamps the needles into your skin, which is not my preferred method because if not used right it will pose a greater risk of injury.  Microneedling feels more poky and scratchy, rather than that sharp pain person associates with needles.

It should be noted that due to this potential risk of injury if the device is used wrong, dermatologists recommend having the procedure done in their offices.  However, the average price of one procedure is around $150 which is not exactly cheap.  Thus, many choose to dermaroll at home which is not bad as long as it is done correctly and safely.  So, you are doing this is at your own risk.  Dermatologists also advise that if you want to do this at home then use a shorter needle to minimize the risk of injury and infection.  Cleanliness and safety are the keys here.

Since all of these sounds pretty scary, what are the benefits here?  Well, the benefits are actually pretty great which are as follows:

• Microneedling stimulates the collagen and elastin production of your skin.
• It improves the firmness and texture of the skin.
• It can help in fading the appearance of stretch marks.
• It's also proven to improve or even fade most scars except for keloid scars.
• It helps in reducing hyperpigmentation by shedding the top layer of skin.
• It will improve the appearance of rosacea by upping the production of collagen.
• It can also minimize hair loss such as that caused by Alopecia.
• Microneedling decreases pore size, fine lines, and wrinkles; and increases the skin absorption of serums, essences, and other treatments.

Aren't these benefits incredible?  I am still fascinated that such a small device can have such a tremendous beauty impact.  So, let's talk needle sizes because the size and amount of needles make a difference in what outcome you are hoping for.  For instance:

• To combat hyperpigmentation, the ideal needle size is 0.25-1.0mm.
• For fine lines, creases and wrinkles, you are looking for a 1.0-2.0mm size needle.
• Scars and burns would require a 1.5-2.0mm needle.
• Hair loss would greatly benefit from a 0.25-0.50mm needle.
• And since the skin around the eyes is so delicate, you would want to stick to a needle in the range of 0.25-1.0mm.

Again, it should be reiterated that extreme caution needs to be practiced since with dermarolling you are essentially creating little injuries across your face which can turn into a larger injury if not done right.  And with a derma-pen, there is a higher chance for pinpoint bleeding since it is stamping onto the skin.

Let's discuss just what steps are involved to use a derma-roller/derma-pen:

1. Soak all tools in an alcohol and water mixture, and be sure to rinse them under water before using them.
2. Wash skin with your regular cleanser and pat dry with a towel.
3. Apply a numbing cream across your face; there are several good ones such as this one with lidocaine in it from Amazon.  You are very brave if you skip this step.
4. Leave the numbing cream on for about 20 min.
5. Prep face by using astringent or another alcohol and water mixture to remove the numbing cream and ensure the face is 100% clean. Also, make sure that your hands are equally as clean.
6. Starting on your cheek, if using a roller, run the derma-roller across in several strokes upwards and then in strokes across the skin.
7. Then continue with upwards and across passes on the forehead, nose, and chin.
8. Important:  Do not apply pressure to the skin with the device.
9. After the procedure, soothe the micro-injuries on your skin with a sheet mask of your choosing. Leave this on for about 20 min.

It is easy to include in your Sunday night skincare routine since you only need to dermaroll every 4-6 weeks. It really shouldn't be done any sooner than that since you need to give your skin some time to heal and recover.

I hope you will find your best skin yet with microneedling!

About the Author

She is Vanessa Bywater from the "Mommy Needs Lattes" blog.  It is a website that represents the beauty addicts, the coffee enthusiasts, the fabulous, the adventure seekers and anyone who wants to be the best version of themselves.  There you will find posts about lifestyle, travel, recipes, parenting, beauty and so much more.
Blog: Mommy Needs Lattes

Warfare of Emotions

Guest post by Lauren Najar.

I lost my mom in 2008 - complications from Colon Cancer and my dad passed away in 2010 from a massive heart attack.

Neither deaths we saw coming.  Both were very sudden.  Both of my parents were very young.  My mom had colon cancer on and off from the time I was 14 until she passed away.  She had a strong prognosis to survive cancer but died of a blood clot entering her heart and her heart immediately stopped.  She collapsed at home where my family was (I was at work and didn't witness anything).

My mom was our glue.  She was mostly a stay at home mom and was always driving us everywhere and made dinner every night.  She was everywhere with the three of us kids.  After she passed, my dad quickly tried to replace her by learning how to make meals.  My dad was always the authority figure in the house but he quickly changed into a softer side of himself and I felt this made my dad and me a lot closer.

My dad passed away from a heart attack.  He was a type 2 diabetic and was on a lot of medications for high blood pressure but he had recently lost weight and was living a little healthier. 

    Related Post:  Silver Lining On The Dark Clouds     

For me, being the oldest - I felt that his death was the hardest in the sense that I felt everything was on me.  I felt everyone was looking to me.  Even though my sister and I are only 14 months apart, I got a lot of comments about how I am the woman of the house now, and I am the oldest and I am the caretaker.  With both of their deaths, I reacted in two very different ways.

As life has gone on, not a day passes by where I don't think of them.  My husband and I live in the house I grew up in where five people used to live so I am constantly reminded of them.  Through them, they have taught me life is way too short.  My mom, who had cancer and was linked to an oxygen tank before she passed away, was still going outside and going for walks with my dad and still TRYING to force herself to get better.  She would wheel around the house in a rolling computer chair to do chores in the house.

My dad lost the love of his life where he had been with my mom for 30 years before she passed.  But he lived on for us and didn't give up on us.  He tried to be "dad and mom".  He taught us that we still need to live our lives where we are so young and we need to keep going on with our goals.

The last almost ten years now without them, I feel I have this zest for life burning now that I can't shake and I need to keep "living" life.  You can't waste life.  I am 30 now, my mom died when she was 46 and my dad 52.  These are YOUNG people.  I have so much I want to do that life now has taught me to go out and live it.  We can't sit and wait around for tomorrow.  We have to live now.

About the Author

Lauren Najar is the founder of Laugh Always.  She is a two-time cancer survivor and she created Laugh Always as a way to help lift people up in times of difficult journeys.  This is a group of people who come together to help one another get through and share stories of motivation.  Laugh Always was a term she created during her first round of cancer and to her, it describes the attitude of how one should approach life in general.
Blog:  Laugh Always

The 5-day study plan!

Guest post by Mohit Gour

Hello Everyone,

Hope your Diwali week is going super.

“It’s the fifth day of Diwali today i.e. Bhai Dooj (a day dedicated to brothers and sisters), and I am really honored to write this post on my sister's blog on this day for the very first time.  My name is Mohit Gour.  I am pursuing Engineering and in final year now.”

This article is an overview of information and contains helpful pointers for study planning.  I would like to share my personal experience here.  My 5-day study plan before exam includes a proportional amount of study along with music, selfies, Youtube, Facebook and other social media platform, khana pina, chilling at the park etc.  I don’t believe in “Rattaficatiion” (rote learning).  I believe in studying 70-80 hours per subject.  Soch samajh ke, chill maar ke padhai karo.  I don’t run to complete my 100% syllabus, but still, I manage to complete almost my 85-95% syllabus.  And this strategy always helps me to solve 70-80 out of 80 marks paper.  So, let’s take a look at the amount of effort required to plan your studying schedule.

1.  Analyze Your Syllabus

Before you start your studies, you should analyze your syllabus which will make sure what you have to study about, what are the easy units/topics for you and what is difficult once that will act as a barrier.  Also, when you analyze your syllabus, it becomes easy to manage your time properly which will save your precious time.

2.  Where and how to start

After analyzing your syllabus, you know what you have to study.  Now, the question arises where and how to start study for a particular subject.  So before proceeding with any subject, first refer to the previous years/semesters question papers of your university.  Check and examine it.  Old question papers provide you an insight into how question papers are prepared.  In old questions papers, you can see that few questions are constantly repeated.   Now, you might think that these questions are constantly repeated so this question will come in the forthcoming exam too and you will start learning it by heart whether you understand it or not.  But, this is not the case always.  So don't do that.  If any question is being repeated again and again, it doesn't mean that question is important.   It means that the portion from which that question is taken that is important.  So prepare that whole portion properly because that has the possibility to come in the forthcoming exam.  Give such portions first priority and later go for other topics.  One more thing to keep in mind is that try to solve the previous years' question papers.  It will help you to understand the question paper pattern.

3.  Don’t be a rote learner

Remember one thing always.  Don’t learn by heart all the provided notes.  Though, you can use your provided notes, books, or internet for reference.  Go through the topic, understand it and then make your own notes.  In this way, you will have a better understanding of the topic.  Don’t panic if you don't understand anything.  Stay calm and take help from someone, use Google or YouTube for better understanding.  You must write and practice what you are studying as much as possible.  Do meaningful learning instead of rote learning.

4.  Group studies

Studying in a group helps in spending time on studies for a longer time.  Also, it is useful, that if your friend has doubt about any topic, you can explain the topic to him and hence can help you be attentive with the subject too and vice versa.  So give your preference to group studies (if you are comfortable with it).

5.  Concentration

The "secret" to studying efficiently and effectively is not putting in long hours a day.  It's the use and application of a slew of smart study strategies, including test/exam preparation, as proven by peak-performing students in Singapore.  You need to allot more or less time depending on the difficulty of the topic.  Change your routine every day as much as possible; by doing that you feel refreshed and thus can concentrate.  You can take help of music too to cope up with concentration.  Since everyone is different, different music can work for different people.  Make your mind stable and then start with your study again.

Drink proper amount of water!

So this is all about my strategies of study.  Feel free to share your opinions and you can share your study plans too. 

Happy learning and all the best with your studies.

Mohit Gour