Striving towards Excellence

-Karthik Gurumurthy

• Endeavor to change the way you look at things. Always look at the bright side. The mind may drag you to think about negativity and difficulties. Don't let it. Look at the good side of every situation.
• Think of solutions, not problems.
• Each day devote about half-an hour and 1 hour reading some self improvement book which changes your default setting in your mind.
• Watch your thoughts. Whenever you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts, stop them, and try to think of pleasant things.
• Always look at what you have done and not at what you haven't. Sometimes you start a day planning to do several things.  At the end of the day you feel frustrated that you haven't been able to do all of those things, and you become unhappy.Instead do something about how can prioritize things in such a way that you become more efficient in finishing things that are most important for you.
• Look at what you have done, not at what you have not been able to do. You may have accomplished a lot during the day, and yet you let yourself become frustrated because of some small things that you did not do. You have spent all day carrying out successfully many plans, and instead of being happy and satisfied you look at what was not done and you feel unhappy. It is unfair towards yourself.
• Each day do at least one thing to make others happy. This can be a kind word, helping your colleagues, stopping your car at the crossroad to let people cross, giving your seat in a bus to someone else, or giving a small present to someone you love. The possibilities are infinite. When you make someone happy, you become happy.
• Always make a decision to be happy throughout.
•  Do not envy people who are happy. On the contrary, be happy for their happiness. Be where happy people are and try to learn from them to be happy. Remember, happiness is contagious.
• When things do not proceed as intended and desired, do your best to stay detached. Detachment will help you to stay calm and control your moods and reactions. Detachment is not indifference. It is a completely different thing. Detachment has much to do with inner peace, and inner peace is conductive to happiness.
• Smile more often.