Self Improvement International - May 2019

Self Improvement International May 2019 Issue History - Telescopes to the Future How to be Really Really Different Earth is the Center of the Universe and many more !!!

Wealth of the Wise

Photo by Johannes Plenio from Pexels

Self Improvement International Wealth of the Wise May 2019 Issue

Copyright Š Thejendra Sreenivas. All Rights Reserved

Self Improvement International May 2019 Issue 82/1, Second Main Road, Sheshadripuram, Bangalore 560020, India. www.thejendra.com

Publishers - Thejendra Sreenivas & Karthik Thejendra Email - thejendra@yahoo.com & thejendrabs@gmail.com Single Issue: Rs 30 (India) & US$0.99 (Worldwide) Annual Subscription: Rs 360 (India) & US$9.99 (Worldwide)

Self Improvement International is a monthly electronic magazine edited and published by Thejendra Sreenivas on behalf of his private Seven Sages Consultancy, Bangalore, India.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by information storage and retrieval

systems, or in any language without the written permission of the editor.

For Subscription Visit

In this issue

From the Editor’s Desk

01

What my Lawyer makes me say

03

What Else?

05

History – Telescopes to the Future

07

Leadership

How to be Really Really Different Humor - Business Competition

22

In this issue (cont’d) Earth is the Center of the Universe Unconventional Thinking

Tips for Writing Correct Dialogue Writing & Publishing

The Power of Letting Go Self Improvement

The World’s Smartest Phone Technology Humor

Dealing with Fault Finders Self Improvement

28

35

50

60

65

In this issue (cont’d)

Children Section Writing & Publishing

Murder Mystery Maths Article by Junior Harsh

Comics – The Lost Priceless Treasures Nostalgia

A Few Questions FAQs

About the Editor

75

77

82

90

96

From the Editor’s Desk

H

ey, thanks for subscribing to my unique and delightful Self Improvement

International magazine. This is a magazine to be read, retained, remembered, and re-read from your electronic bookshelf. Each magazine carries a bunch of sparkling articles on Personal Development, Stress Management, Humor,

Frugality,

Leadership,

Resiliency,

Workplace Issues, Spirituality, Life Skills, Satire, Writing, Publishing, and an occasional Harsh Advice.

1

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

Simplicity is the hallmark of this treasure chest. Unlike the hordes of dazzling magazines that you see in the newsstands the contents here are eye and eReader friendly, and not crowded with complex cosmetics, awesome advertisements, and gorgeous graphics that can distract or irritate your eyes.

Like a basket of delicious fruits each issue can dramatically transform your personal and professional life. Think of this magazine as your electronic personal coach who can make you superior to the rest of the crowd. Give it a try. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Back to Contents

2

What my Lawyer makes me say

D

isclaimer: Although this magazine has been prepared with utmost care, neither

the author, publisher, seller, editor, or any other party associated with this magazine can accept any liability for any direct or indirect damages caused by following the advice given here. All opinions, ideas, and advice expressed here are largely my personal or the contributor opinions and don’t necessarily represent the opinion of any other organization or person, including my employer, my clients or their agents.

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

Any reference to any persons or businesses, whether living or dead, existing or defunct, is purely

unintentional.

Self

Improvement

International cannot vouch for or certify the claims made by advertisers and is not liable for any cause of action arising out of such claims.

All disputes are subject to the courts and competent forums in Bangalore, India only.

Images used in this magazine are from open image sources like Openclipart, Pexels, etc., that are free for personal and commercial use.

My full thanks and attribution to the respective artists.

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4

What Else?

W

ise men say that one should never have any desire for wealth and must

always be prepared to lead a life of virtuous poverty. Also, writing articles is viewed by many as a hobby that doesn’t deserve any compensation for the writer as they must write purely for the passion and not for money. But writing involves enormous effort and we don’t live

on

such

magnanimous

money-free

planets. By becoming a subscriber to this magazine you help me create valuable content 5

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

for writers and executives. Thank you for being so generous.

Also, if you are a giving kind of person, then I am an accepting kind. So, if you have any unused excess wealth stashed away in Swiss Banks, Spare Jewels, Precious Gems, Spanish Gold Bars, Priceless Paintings, Rare Dinosaur Bones, Asteroid Pieces, Unused Rolls-Royce, Private Jets, Luxury Ships, or even an Exotic Island or Kingdom somewhere, please feel free to donate them to me along with all applicable taxes. Such humble gifts can nudge me to scribble more articles that could be of use to someone, somewhere on our lonely planet ď Š

Back to Contents 6

History – Telescopes to the Future Leadership

Photo by Giammarco Boscaro on Unsplash

N

owadays, if you read the interviews of any top business folks in the media you

will invariably see a question that asks which book they have recently read or are currently reading. For this their obvious answers will be 7

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

the names of some newfangled management book like why the moon is still round while the earth is going flat, or the fifteenth leadership habit of a maverick, or some new cutting-edge book about managing people, or even some fancy novel. But you will rarely hear any businessman say that they are reading an ordinary book like a medieval or ancient history textbook.

Now you may ask how a boring textbook on history help a businessperson can run his or her business. Besides, who has the time to read history and who cares if some Attila the Hun plundered a village in the fourth century or why some king was beheaded by his courtiers?

Why bother with what has been over and 8

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

forgotten? What is the justification to study something that is unconnected with modern business issues? After all, every modern guru preaches the need to look into the future and not look at the past. Common convincing arguments but you may be surprised to know that reading and understanding history actually has immense business benefits.

Hidden inside history lies an immense wealth of advice and real case studies that can not

only

help

every

businessman

but

practically everyone whether connected with a business or not. But a history book will not help any businessman if it’s read in the traditional way of simply memorizing events, dates, names, etc., intended to just pass an 9

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

exam. In order to extract business gold from history you need to read it from a completely different angle. And that angle is to concentrate on what mistakes our forefathers did and how you can avoid them today. If you had thought that history was just a boring school subject that must be tolerated only until you pass that dreadful exam just look at the points in its favor.

Article continued after next page. Have a pleasant eye-break for a minute.

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

re is a common saying 11 that history repeats Photo by Brandon Montrone from Pexels

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

There is an age old saying that history repeats itself. This is proved by the fact that one of the biggest mistakes people do is constantly repeating the mistakes that others did. People suffer because they ignore and avoid history. They easily fall into the same black holes that others fell a short while ago.

Or they confidently predict the future while experimenting with a sugar-coated plan that our forefathers burnt their hands with. This is because people are unable or unwilling to read the warning signs of history readily visible all over the place.

However, if you ignore or avoid history you will end up repeating the exact mistakes that your forefathers or predecessors did along 12

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

with almost identical and disastrous results.

But if you read history it can give you hundreds of years of great wisdom and examples to learn from, especially what to avoid rather than what to experiment and repeat.

Abraham Lincoln once said, ‘Human action can be modified to some extent, but human nature cannot be changed.’ This has proved to be true for centuries and will prove to be true forever.

Except

in

obvious

areas

like

technology, medicine, scientific research, etc., there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to managing people. But most businessmen and B-school gurus think they have

discovered

a 13

revolutionary

new

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

management concept fresh out of the oven on how people can be managed. Unfortunately, they do not realize that a similar or identical one would have been experimented elsewhere because they did not bother to read history. The human behavioral patterns of what is going on right now would have definitely occurred somewhere in the past.

History is not some useless stuff as most people think. History prevents you from reinventing the wheel. Albert Einstein once said, ‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’

Throughout history, people have committed the same mistakes of trying to subdue people, wage wars, commit treachery, and various 14

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

forms of atrocities on each other leading to the same guaranteed disastrous results as experienced earlier.

Modern man is no different and even today you see dictators and cruel people ruling many countries and organizations. And similar crimes and follies occur inside workplaces with equivalent disastrous results. Hence, it’s highly necessary to read history as it teaches the current generation to understand things that don’t work or never worked in the past. If you can

understand

history

in

the

right

perspective, it can help the present business managements

and

executives

to

avoid

needless and futile experimentation with people management. By learning the patterns 15

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

of events in history, you can recognize the repeat of the same patterns in what is going on around you today.

Article continued after next page. Have a pleasant eye-break for a minute.

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

17 Photo by Zoë Reeve on Unsplash

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

History will not tell you where you are going, but it will tell you how you got there.

What you did in the past decided the present and what you do now will later decide the future. History offers a wealth of information about how people, societies, and even civilizations behave. History can teach you some great lessons in people management like the mistakes our ancestors did, the disastrous consequences, the fall from grace of mighty leaders and dictators, and many great ups and downs.

History is splattered with examples of bad people management and its disastrous results.

Many kings have been assassinated due to their bad people management by the very 18

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

people they trusted. For example, Julius Caesar was stabbed by his trusted friend Brutus. Many have been beheaded for their follies. Wars have started due to abuse, criticism, and harassment. Applied to business, organizations make the same mistakes again and again but disguise it as newer or modern management theories and learning experiences. But by reading and understanding history you can avoid repeating the same mistakes again and again.

History helps you look at both the past and future at once. And you can constantly educate yourself from those who were born earlier than you and become like Janus, the Roman

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

god who had two heads back to back to look into the future and the past at the same time.

History helps create good businesspeople and professionals, though it may not exactly define a specific job profile in the corporate world. But by studying the global past it gives one the knowledge and flexibility required in many work situations. For example, you can develop good research skills and use historical examples to design modern business plans. For example, the wisdom of Aristotle or Socrates told centuries ago are still valid for many business success and failures.

Knowledge of history is an asset for a variety of work and professional situations in modern global context. History helps in identifying, 20

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

understanding

and

avoiding

cultural

sensitivities. It provides evidence about how nations have interacted with other countries and societies in the past, and how that longstanding enmity or friendship between the countries can affect business.

Finally, we can conclude this chapter with a great quote on history from Winston Churchill, ‘The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.’

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21

How to be Really Really Different Humor – Business Competition

Photo from Pexels

Amazing Differences between THEY and WE

They just sell their goods for money.

We give value for money.

They use pesky salesmen to harass and sell their wares.

We relentlessly push to become your business partner.

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

They don't answer their phone in person.

We have an answering machine that connects to other answering machines.

They don't work hard.

We are already stretched beyond limits.

They sell goods cheap by giving discounts to attract customers.

We ensure affordability and cost effectiveness.

They don't provide service on time.

We can't be everywhere at the same time.

They blatantly cheat customers by refusing refunds for defective products and services.

The terms and conditions in our fine print disallow refunds.

Their products are exorbitantly priced.

We believe quality costs money.

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

They started their business purely with a selfish ulterior motive of making heaps of money.

We started our business because we saw a great revenue growth opportunity.

They go belly up listening to advice from astrologers and conmen.

We experiment with several best practices from expensive consultants and B-School professors.

They cheat by using personal rapport to get business.

We use relationship management to retain customers.

They are always on leave or something.

We need a work life balance.

They use unfair methods to retain customers.

We retain customer loyalty by becoming the sole service provider.

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

They fire employees without mercy.

We adopt industry standard managed attrition practices to downsize swiftly and objectively.

Their salary structures are arbitrary.

Our salary structures are properly framed by evaluating a variance driven, confusion infected, market messed, component based, subjective driven, budget limited pay scales.

They are not consistent in their approach.

We experiment with various approaches for transforming change.

They are always complaining and grumbling.

We need to air our genuine grievances.

They are always thinking of money.

We get up in the morning with the sole intention of passionately serving customers to increase revenue.

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

They just talk and blabber.

We need to improve our communication skills.

They sell anything and everything.

We diversify our products and services to sustain our business.

They simply increase prices arbitrarily.

We constantly factor in our operating and overhead costs.

They don’t employ enough people to meet customer satisfaction.

We have budget and manpower constraints.

They are stingy.

We practice continuous cost saving.

They don't provide good service.

We are doing the best we can.

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

They harass their employees by constantly breathing down their necks.

We continuously monitor and control employees to achieve our business and financial goals.

They are not flexible.

We have rigid processes that cannot be deviated.

They don't know when and where to stop.

We strongly believe in "Sky is the limit."

They always have problems.

We have challenges.

They are not a go getter.

We don’t take unnecessary risks.

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Earth is the Center of the Universe Unconventional Thinking

Photo from Pexels

T

he question of what is at the centre of the universe has plagued scientists and non-

scientists from centuries. In the past people believed our earth was at the centre of the universe and everything, including the sun, 28

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

revolved around it. This concept was known as geo-centrism and various dictionaries define it as "a belief or theory that the earth was at the centre of the universe".

Milky Way Photo from Pexels

But this geocentric concept was disproved when it was scientifically discovered that the earth and other planets revolve around the sun. And it was also proved that it’s not 29

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

possible for our earth to be at the centre of the universe because it is just one tiny object located somewhere in the mighty Milky Way galaxy. Besides, the universe consists of millions of such mighty galaxies with each consisting of billions of planets and stars. For example, if you look at the picture of the Milky Way you can clearly see that it is impossible to precisely locate where the earth is. Also anyone can immediately conclude that the earth cannot be at the centre of such a shapeless milky way either. So case closed.

Now this is where everyone who opposes geo-centrism is wrong and I still say that the Earth is definitely at the centre of the universe.

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

To understand my unscientific statement look at the way I see the universe. For a brief moment forget about what is revolving around what. That is, don't bother if the earth and other planets are revolving around the sun, or if the sun is somehow revolving around something else, etc. Let anything revolve around anything. Now look at the picture below to understand the meaning of the word centre.

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

Geometrically, the black dot is said to be at the centre because the radius r is radiating equally on all sides around the dot. Now assume our earth is that black dot and forget about the existence of all the other planets, stars, suns, galaxies, etc., around it. Let them become invisible. That is, imagine that the earth is all alone in the universe for a moment.

Now as we all know the universe has no end as it extends to infinity in all directions. And no scientist has yet proved that the universe has an

end

geometrically.

So

with

this

mathematical information on hand, let us come back to the circle and start extending its radius indefinitely into infinity. When the radius starts expanding does this not mean 32

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

that the earth is standing at the centre of the universe when the space around it is radiating in all directions into infinity equally? So doesn't this prove that earth is really at the centre of the infinite universe?

Now let me tell you one more cosmic secret.

It is not only the earth that is at the centre of the universe. Every cosmic object like the sun, planets, stars, moons, asteroids, etc., are also at the centre of the universe because space radiates equally around those objects also into infinity. Just apply the same circle analogy to these objects also and the conclusion will be the same. Hence, all cosmic objects in the universe are always at the centre of an infinite universe. Isn't the universe amazing?

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

Happy to be disproved. Please send your views to thejendra@yahoo.com Finally, we shall end this article with a quote

by Blaise Pascal who said - Nature is an infinite sphere of which the centre is everywhere and the circumference nowhere.

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34

Tips for Writing Correct Dialogue Writing & Publishing

Image from Openclipart

M

ost newspapers, academic papers and textbooks

don't

use

dialogue

(conversation) in them. This is why most of us don't learn proper punctuation and grammar for writing conversations. As an author trying 35

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

to write a novel it's very important to write dialogues correctly. If your dialogue structure or punctuation isn't right then regardless of how great your book is you will be considered as an amateur. Punctuation is a mechanism for the reader to separate spoken words from other parts of the sentence.

What if your English teacher reads your amateurish book someday? Wouldn't she be shocked? This is why I have collected a bunch of basic tips on how to punctuate dialogues.

Though I am no grammar expert the below tips will immensely help you in framing dialogues. Pay attention to my yellow highlights.

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

What is a DIALOGUE and a TAG LINE? Example: "I would like to go to the library tomorrow," she told him as they left the building.

Dialogue is the words spoken by the speaker - I would like to go to the library tomorrow.

Tag Line are words that identify the speaker like he told/she told - she told him as they left the building

Type of sentence: A single line of dialogue that has ONE tag line.

Example: “I would like to go to the library tomorrow,” she told him as they left the building.

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

Punctuation Method: Put a comma after the dialogue ends and before the closing quotation mark. End the sentence with a period. Also, the tag line (she told him as they left the building) doesn’t begin with a capital letter since it is part of the same sentence. This is why the letter s in she is not in capitals.

Type of sentence: A single line of dialogue that has NO tag line.

Example: “He hated you like hell."

Punctuation Method: The entire sentence, including the period, is within the quotation marks. Similarly, even question mark or exclamation point has to be within the

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

quotation marks like the examples below.

“Who is he?”

“That's stupid!"

Type of sentence: Two dialogues interrupted or joined by a tag line.

Example-1: "I have made up my mind," she said nodding, "I don’t want to go there."

Punctuation method: A dialogue can be interrupted by a tag and again resume in the same sentence. In such cases, put a comma inside the first set of quotation marks and put another comma after the tag line. This is done because the entire sentence is spoken by one speaker. Separating the above into two sentences also works. The first sentence will 39

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

end with a period and the second will begin with a capital letter like example below.

Example-2: "I have made my decision," she said, nodding. "I don’t want to go there."

Type of sentence: Identifying two speakers talking.

“How are you?” said John.

“I am fine,” replied Nancy.

Punctuation method: Always start a new paragraph for a new speaker.

Type of sentence: Multi paragraph quotation or a long dialogue that spans two paragraphs.

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

Punctuation method: Begin first paragraph with open quote marks but do not close this paragraph with ending quotation marks. The second paragraph should have both open and ending quotation marks.

The reason for this method is to indicate the original speaker is still talking. The lack of ending quotation marks is a convenient clue for the reader that the quotation goes on beyond the end of the paragraph. If you closed the quotes at the end of every paragraph, then you would need to re-identify the speaker with every subsequent paragraph.

Example: “The usual way of punctuating dialogue is to start the speech with quotation marks and to 41

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

close the marks when the character finally stops speaking his long sentences that span multiple paragraphs.

“Note there is no ending quotation marks at the end of the previous paragraph, but it is put at the start of this new one. It’s only when you reach the end of this final paragraph that you close the quotation marks.”

Article continued after next page.

Have a pleasant eye-break for a minute.

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Photo by Jimmy Chan from Pexels

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

What is First, Second and Third Person?

First Person: means I, We, Me, Us, My, Mine, Our, Ours.

Second Person: means You, Your, Yours.

Third Person: means He, Him, His, She, Her, Hers, They, Them, Their, Theirs, It, Its. Depending on the type of book choose the first, second, or third person method for your writing.

First person: The category ‘first person’ refers to the writer himself. When you write your sentences using words like I, we, me, us, my, mine, our, ours, then you are using the first person method. Some examples of sentences using first person are, 44

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

"I am going home to eat my dinner. Our maid is going to cook my favorite dish."

"We were walking down the street when we noticed a tiger coming towards our house and both of us screamed."

The first person method is mainly used for autobiographies, personal essays, memoirs, etc.

Second person: Writing in the second person uses words like you, your, and yours. Here the author will be directly addressing the reader.

Some examples of sentences using second person are, "You should never write when your brain is tired."

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

"You should improve your style of writing."

Non-fiction and advice types of books should be written in the second person to make the book resonate with the reader. Sentences written in second person will appear as if your book is advising or speaking to the reader. For example, reading a sentence like, "You should take two large glasses of water when you are stressed," sounds much better to the reader than "I take two large glasses of water when I am stressed."

Third person: The third person refers to others. Writing in the third person uses words like he, she, they, them, it, him, her, etc. Some examples of sentences using third person are,

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

"He hit her with a brick and she started screaming. When the neighbors noticed this they started chasing him."

"As soon as they started running the police started chasing them."

Novels are usually written using third person method. However, a book may use all the three types depending on the story or what you are trying to explain.

Avoid beginning every sentence with letter I Starting every sentence with the letter I looks childish. Rearrange the sentences so that it looks better like the examples below.

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

Bad way: I ran down the stairs with my heart pounding. I could hear the monster running after me. I reached for the door. I could not open it. I got frightened.

Good way: My heart pounded as I ran down the stairs with the monster galloping behind me. A few feet ahead was the escape door, but to my horror it was locked.

Bad way: I looked at the clock. I thought it was 4 but it was already 5.

Good way: My eyes glanced at the clock and it was already 5 and not 4 as I had thought.

Avoiding BUT and AND in starting a sentence Bad way: Watching TV is popular at our house.

And we never miss any evening episodes.

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

Good way: Watching TV is popular at our house and we never miss any evening episodes.

Bad Way: No job is perfect. But often young people grumble about the working conditions.

Good way: No job is perfect, but people often complain about the working conditions.

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49

The Power of Letting Go Self improvement

Photo from Pexels

A

popular Indian spiritual guru once suggested two amazing methods to solve

our nagging worries.

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

Method-1 “Do you have a problem?”

“Yes.” “Do you have a solution?”

“Yes” “Then why worry?”

Method-2 “Do you have a problem?”

“Yes.” “Do you have a solution?”

“No” “Then why worry?”

If you read the above methods a couple of times you will realize how amazing his suggestions are for ejecting that invisible monkey called worry from your shoulders. On our planet no human being is immune to problems and worries in life. But sometimes 51

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

you will be hit with raging worries that no amount of money, power, prestige, or influence can solve. Call it bad luck, black magic, or a supernatural force preventing you from doing something. Nothing will seem to work the way you want and even the simplest of tasks will seem insurmountable.

Or in some cases, you become so obsessed with the desire to solve everything on your own

that

you

become

physically

and

emotionally exhausted. In such situations the correct method advised by our wise gurus is to simply give up and bravely let it go. This is called the technique or power of letting go of uncontrollable or unchangeable things in your life. It’s an essential and mysterious skill 52

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

discovered by our wise ancestors to prevent burnout, depression, and move on in life.

Letting go of something you desire is difficult but it’s not impossible. The power of letting go is often greater than the power of holding on. Letting go is actually healthy, can reduce your burnout, and can also make you a brave person. As the great Kenny Rogers sings in his magnificent song, ‘You got to know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away, and know when to run.’

Article continued after next page.

Have a pleasant eye-break for a minute.

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

For example, take the interesting story about a Buddhist lady traveling through a forest carrying a water gourd and a paper fan.

While passing through the dangerous forest she was suddenly confronted by an armed bandit who was bigger and stronger than her.

But before he could attack her she rushed at him with a blood-curdling scream, brandishing and waving her paper fan.

The bandit was shocked by her ferocious charge and fled into the woods believing the paper fan was indeed some dangerous weapon. Obviously, the frail lady could not have subdued an armed bandit with a simple paper fan. So, what was the source of her power? The answer lies in the power of letting 55

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

go. The lady lets go of her fears and risked her life to initiate this surprise attack. In her willingness to die if necessary she let go of her fears and saved her own life.

Another way to look at this is to stop believing in the misconception that only you can solve or have a solution to every problem.

Do not assume that others cannot do the job you are doing. Do not believe you are indispensable. Obsession with control is like a slippery eel and the more you try to grab it the farther it slips away. Believe in the possibility that many things are probably not destined to be done by you. Do not worry about you being seen as a failure if you fail at something.

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Not everything you attempt can be always successful. Life is an unpredictable game and you got to lose sometime. Motivational slogans like Never Give Up and Never Stop Trying doesn’t always work for everyone. If you are unable or unwilling to let go, then it can cause severe stress and pain, both physically and mentally. So, the next time you are faced with some nagging problem that has no solution just let it go regardless of the consequences.

Basically, when you attempt to force an outcome you desire the mischievous universe will resist. This is similar to not finding a taxi when you desperately need one but they mysteriously start appearing when you give up 57

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

and decide to walk home. So, if something doesn’t succeed even after several attempts then stop for some time. Stop throwing more effort at dead ends, the unviable, ineffective, or simply not working out. Suddenly, the universe will lose interest in mischief and stop torturing you. Finally, we shall end this article with a few interesting quotes.

If you want something very badly first set it free. If it comes back to you, it is yours forever.

If it doesn’t, then it was never yours to begin with - Blake Lively I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the 58

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter into one of the most creative periods of my life - Steve Jobs Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go - Herman Hesse Never love something so much that you can’t let go of it - Ginni Rometty We must be willing to let go of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us - Joseph Campbell Pain will leave you when you let go - Jeremy Aldana

Back to Contents 59

The World’s Smartest Phone Technology Humor

Photo by Tim Gouw from Pexels

Hey, kids. You are all familiar with the features of all smartphones. But have you met the world’s smartest phone? No? Want to know its specs? Here they are.

No Touchscreen No Contact List 60

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

No Internet No Camera No Charger No Volume Buttons No Batteries No Apps No ON/OFF Switch No Reboot No Hacking No Screen Lock No Heating No Factory Restore No Notifications No Ringtones No Social Media 61

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

No Filthy Images and Videos No Music No Video No 2G/3G/4G No Wi-Fi No USB No Upgrades No Headset No Games No Flash Sale No Passwords No Phone Lost Horror No Fingerprint Reader No Back and Neck Pain No Posture Disorder 62

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

No Wrist Pain No Bumping into Someone No Phone Addiction No Social Isolation No Texting or Talking while Driving No Sleep Disorders No Dry Eyes No Screen Fatigue Want to know how that amazing phone looked like? Just flip the page.

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Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

Photo from Pexels

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64

Dealing with Fault Finders Self Improvement

L

Image from Pexels

ong ago I recall seeing a cartoon in a magazine where a grumpy old customer in

a restaurant is telling the waiter - If that is tea then I want coffee. On the other hand, if that is coffee then I want tea. We have all seen such 65

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

folks in our life who will always find a fault or don’t accept what others do. They are the chronic grumblers who are always complaining about anything and everything -This is too big or too small, the color is too bright or too dull, it’s too heavy or too light, it’s too cold or hot, this is too tight or too loose, etc, etc. Such people are impossible to please and are never satisfied with anything. They are always seeking perfection of their definition from everyone

without

knowing

the

ground

realities.

Dealing with such irritating people is unbearable unless you have no choice or have a tremendous amount of patience. Such people waste time, reduce productivity, 66

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discourage people, bring your mood down, and prevent you from doing your work, etc.

They complain, complain, and complain until your enthusiasm (or the team’s) is vaporized.

However, it’s not necessary to tolerate such miserable people as it’s important to educate them that everyone is not there to make them happy. So, here are a few suggestions on how to deal with such chronic grumblers.

The stony silence option - Sometimes silence is the best grumbling nullifier. Don’t try to agree, debate, or try to convince them as that will be like adding fuel to fire. Just ignore them. If you try to engage with them you will be bombarded with more complaining and endless questions. Or use a classic technique 67

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for dealing with them and say - I wish I could talk about this further, but I have important work to do. They should get the hint that you don’t care anymore or won’t tolerate them beyond a reasonable point.

Article continued after next page.

Have a pleasant eye-break for a minute.

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69 Photo by Orest Sv from Pexels

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Subtle take it or leave it option - This is a trick used by many shoe salesmen on customers who waste too much time looking for the perfect pair of shoes. Haven’t you seen such pesky customers who after trying out every pair in the racks will ask the salesman to bring more boxes from their stores and still can’t make up their mind? After a reasonable amount of time such salesmen will quietly stop bringing newer pairs from their stores and pretend they have no more stock.

Avoiding them - This suggestion is for grumblers who you can’t easily get rid of like those horrid relatives and friends. Like climbing a tree or hiding when you see a wild animal in a forest, you must immediately get 70

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out of sight when you see such people.

Otherwise, they will hold you hostage and subject you to an avalanche of complaining, moaning, and whimpering.

Do it yourself - This method is for those who are never satisfied with any job done by others. For such whiners you need to give answers like, “do it yourself if you are unable or unwilling to accept work done by others”.

Ask if they can afford it? - There are some grumblers who expect business and first class service on an economy class ticket. For such grumblers, ask if they can afford the quality or exemplary service they are demanding. If they are unable or unwilling to pay, then they have

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to accept the quality possible for the price they are paying.

Curbing it - Some amount of letting steam out is normal for everyone but if it becomes non-stop, then you must curb it without hesitation. For example, if you are a manager in a workplace and have team members who are eternal wailers make it clear that you will not tolerate such incessant negativity. It’s important that you manage such people carefully as there is a risk that their negative attitude could become contagious and the rest of the workforce inherits their misery.

Finally, we shall end this article with a quote from Maya Angelou who said, - “If you don’t

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like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain”.

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Children Section

T

his section is dedicated to articles for children and also their own contributions.

You can also submit articles, drawings, and paintings done by your kids for consideration.

This is to encourage them to cultivate the awesome habit of writing and reading books and magazines, instead of thinking that their computers, smartphones, and tablets are only for playing games and chatting.

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Murder Mystery Math

By Junior Harsh

Hello readers, I am presenting you guys a story which includes my favorite Mathematics’ topic- Algebra Let’s beginCharacters

Detective Solution x



Madam x



Butler x



Maid x



Edward x, who was very famous and rich

and is Detective’s Solution’s best friend.

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Important NoteEveryone in this town is cursed of being in the state of x-2. Their x keeps changing everyday but becomes 2 only when they have did

something

wrong.

And

now

that

everyone’s name ends with x, they don’t normally say x while daily conversation.

StoryJust like every day, famous Detective Solution woke up early in the morning but this time gets a call. He picks it up and answers, “Detective Solution here, how can I help you?“.

The Gardener replies,” Hello, I am the gardener who works at Mr Edward’s house. But Mr Edward has been found dead this morning. Can you hurry up and get here as soon as possible?“.

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The detective in shock replied,” What? I am coming there in 1 minute. “ After the detective reaches there, he was very upset after seeing his friend dead. He started investigating and took the Butler as the suspect. He took the Butler with him but found the Butler as innocent.

THE NEXT DAYDetective was thinking about who could be the murderer then gets another call from the Gardener. He picks it up and the gardener says,” There has been another murder in our house. But this time, the maid has been murdered.”

The

Detective

replies,” What!

Another murder! I am coming there”.

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When he reaches there and starts his investigation, he saw that Madam X’s x-2 had been changed to 2-2. He said right there that Madam X was the murderer. Detective says, “You did the murder“. Madam X says” Who? little old me?” . ” Yes, little old you.“, the Detective replies. Madam x asks for the proof and the detective shows Madam x her 2-2. And takes her to jail for the 2 murders.

I hope you all enjoyed this blog. Keep reading my blogs and see ya:) About the Author Harsh, a 12 year old boy who is crazy about football and has hilarious mind. Using his awesome witty thoughts, he is as quick as a spin in writing blogs under any topic. He is currently writing a series of blogs on

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football , analyzing and understand the origin of the sport, the players etc.

To read his blogs, https://logicalsportyharsh.wordpress And to enroll in the blogging workshops, connect with YOUNGBLOGGERSRULE page on Facebook.

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Comics – The Lost Priceless Treasures Nostalgia

T

his section is dedicated to remembering the golden era of comics that lasted from

the 1930s till the late 1980s. When we were kids we didn’t have dozens of TV channels, Smartphones, Apps, Internet, Social Media, etc.

Our main sources of entertainment were

movies in theaters, a radio set, books, magazines, playgrounds, and the wonderful world of comics.

Dozens and dozens of brilliant graphic comics would hit our magazine newsstands every month ranging from as low as 10 cents to 50 cents. The arrival of our favorite comic 82

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every month was always a gala affair that would send a thrilling chill down our spine. We even had awesome libraries that would lend us comics for a small fee. Practically, every child on our planet grew up as diehard fans of various comic book heroes, heroines, and villains. Collecting and protecting our comics was a thrilling exercise, and we had to guard our precious comics from our mischievous friends, cousins, relatives, etc., who would vanish with our priceless treasures.

Each comic book’s hero, heroine, and villain would take us deep into their imaginary wonderland and make us laugh, cry, giggle, angry, and even get furious. The stories used to so great that countless comics could have 83

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been easily been made in super movies. Did you know that each comic were meticulously hand drawn and colored by those great comic artists as there were no graphic softwares like today?

Want to know how those golden comics looked? See the next few pages for some awesome covers. Some lucky grown up child will be having these lovely treasures stored in their attics or cupboards somewhere on our planet (sigh!).

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Watch out for more awesome covers in next month’s issue.

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A Few Questions FAQs

How do we contact you?

Via

email

on

thejendra@yahoo.com

or

thejendrabs@gmail.com.

I am a writer and want to submit articles to your magazine. Will you accept it?

Yes, but with some conditions like you must have your own website, blog, and preferably be a self-published author with your books available on amazon and other sites. If you want to contribute regularly, then I would prefer you become my magazine subscriber.

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This link contains the submission details and template.

Do you pay for articles?

Not yet. This is still a new magazine and to pay you my circulation must improve. But I will provide a PDF copy of the magazine if I include your article in this magazine.

What kind of articles do you accept?

Your articles must be related to selfimprovement, stress management, leadership, management, writing, publishing, and so on. It must help the reader learn something useful for their life skills. Also, your article must be your own and not copied from anywhere. All 91

Self Improvement International – May 2019 Issue

images used must cite sources and must be free for personal and commercial usage. I can also consider publishing articles, drawings, and paintings done by your kids to push them towards the habit of reading books and magazines.

Do you accept advertisements in your magazine?

Yes, you can have a half-page or a full-page advertisement. Half page is US$10 and fullpage is US$20 (see samples next page).

Authors can also advertise their books and its short summary for just US$5/-. For half page send a JPG or PNG file of size 5 inch x 3.75 inch and for full-page send a 5 inch x 7.5 inch size file.

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I have some other questions.

Just send me an email.

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About the Editor

Thejendra Sreenivas is an Author and Life Skills Coach and offers personalized coaching in Book Publishing and Personal Development. He has also written 20+ mild & wild books on a number of subjects. His inspiration for writing unique books comes from Toni Morrison who said, “If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”

Please visit his web cave - www.thejendra.com for details of his books, magazine, and coaching information.

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Books by the Editor

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Books by the Editor

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Books by the Editor

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Books by the Editor

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Past Issues of this Magazine

I hope you enjoyed the ride. If you liked this magazine please coax all your friends to subscribe.

For Subscription Visit

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Wealth of the Wise