Self Improvement International - November 2020

Self Improvement International November 2020 Issue How to become a Freelancer?

Become a Peaceful Person Where is the Center of the Universe? and many more !!!

Wealth of the Wise

Self Improvement International Wealth of the Wise November 2020 Issue

Copyright Š Thejendra Sreenivas. All Rights Reserved

Self Improvement International November 2020 Issue Editor and Publisher - Thejendra Sreenivas Bangalore, India.

Website - www.thejendra.com Email - thejendra@yahoo.com & thejendrabs@gmail.com

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.

Image Sources - All Images used in this magazine for the articles are from sites like Pexels, Unsplash, Pixabay, etc., that are free for both personal and

commercial

use,

and

used

as

per

the

recommendations of fair use. My full thanks and credits to the respective artists.

Licensing - This digital magazine is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or gifted to other people. If you would like to share this with others, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with.

If you are reading this and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the publisher’s work.

For Subscription Please Visit

In this issue From the Editor’s Desk

01

What my Lawyer makes me say

04

What Else?

07

How to become a Freelancer?

Personal Development

Become a Peaceful Person Personal Development

The Healing Power of Sleep Personal Development

10

23

36

In this issue (cont’d) How to get Better Ideas?

Personal Development

Where is Center of the Universe?

Unconventional Thinking

Humor – The Ultimate Leadership Style Personal Development

WRITING & PUBLISHING

How to Write Non-Fiction Writing and Publishing

46

55

63

73

75

In this issue (cont’d) CHILDREN SECTION

Comics – The Lost Priceless Treasures Nostalgia

I am a Superb Strawberry Children Health

A Few Questions FAQs

About the Editor

91

92

99

103

109

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 1

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

Development, Stress Management, Humor, Frugality, Leadership, Resiliency, Workplace Issues, Spirituality, Life Skills, Satire, Writing, Publishing, and an occasional Harsh Advice.

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. The text font is also optimized to be easily read on all smartphones, tablets, and computer browsers so that you don’t have to pinch and zoom to read the contents.

Like a basket of delicious fruits each issue can dramatically transform your personal and professional life. Think of this magazine as your 2

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

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

3

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

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Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

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. 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.

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Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

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

My full thanks and credits to the respective artists.

Back to Contents

6

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 7

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

writing involves enormous effort and we don’t live on such magnanimous money-free planets.

By becoming a customer of this magazine and sharing information about this with all your friends you help me create valuable content for writers and executives. Thank you for being so generous.

Also, if you are a generously giving kind of person, then I am a happily accepting kind of person. 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 8

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

me to scribble more articles that could be of use to someone, somewhere on our lonely planet ď Š

Back to Contents

9

How to become a Freelancer?

Personal Development

A

Dictionary defines a freelancer as someone who works independently as a writer,

designer, or similar activities and selling his or her expertise to various clients rather than working on a regular salary basis for one employer. Ever since the internet and various 10

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

software became reliable, fast, and stable millions of people worldwide have jumped into the freelance bandwagon earning from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars a month working from home.

So, how does one become a freelancer? For this, first ask what useful skills and services you have that customers are willing to pay. Next ask if such work can be completely done from a computer sitting at home. For the sake of this article I will mention that customers are always looking for freelance expertise in the one or more of the following computer skills like Graphic

Design

(Photoshop,

CorelDraw),

Software Development, or Writing Articles and Books, File Formatting, and so on.

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Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

If you believe you have enough experience in the above and also have customer handling skills then you can ignite the idea of becoming a freelancer. For example, as a freelance graphic designer, software developer, or writer you can sit in your home and design logos, brochures, videos, create book interiors and covers, write eBooks, etc., and upload to customers in another country.

Here are a few steps and suggestions on how you can start your journey as a freelancer.

Don’t quit your job immediately. Instead, spend the first few months studying other professional freelancers who offer similar services. See how they price their projects, what services they offer and don’t offer, how they have described their services, where they have 12

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

listed their profiles, tax and payment issues, etc.

For example, you can visit sites like fiverr.com or upwork.com to study the profiles of thousands of low, medium, and top freelancers.

Collect the necessary info and start building your draft profile. But do not activate your profile immediately. Take time to create a good profile that will inform potential clients about your skills, expertise, and experience. Keep it short and sweet. Market your achievements and explain why you're the best person for the job.

Do not price your services too low or too high.

Once your profile content is ready and comparable to other professional profiles then activate it on sites like Fiverr or Upwork and offer your service to the world. Don’t go big bang and burnout or fail. Just take baby steps and provide 13

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

one service at a time. For example, even if you are very good at complex graphic design just offer only one service like a low cost logo design to test the freelancing waters. Let the customers start trickling in. Then you will get familiar with the process. Slowly add other services to your profile. But do not add too many services that may overwhelm you. Over time remove services that are troublesome or not working out.

Continuously learn customer handling and time management skills. Do not promise the moon or say yes to everything. Always under promise and over deliver. Learn to recognize and avoid shady and stupid customers who ask for mega services for low prices or endless revisions for free. Know when to put a brake on such requests. To avoid such situations your profile, 14

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

quote, and FAQs must contain complete details of what you will do and don’t do. When you get an order, put everything in writing is a simple language and also ask the customer to signoff to avoid disputes later.

Have a good reliable computer, an extra identical computer, data backup, internet, uninterrupted

power,

licensed

software,

communication tools, smartphone, apps, etc., to provide a reliable service. Store important data in multiple places and avoid any data loss or corruption.

Do not become too friendly or cozy with any customer. Maintain a professional distance. Don’t discuss any personal issues, or connect on social media, or ask for favors other than an honest testimonial for your services. Once the job is 15

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

done offer extra services that the customer may want. This will add value and also give you extra income. Also, have your own website where you can list all your services, pricing, testimonials, and contact information.

Learn realistic estimation skills. If some task is going to take 45 minutes then don’t commit that you will deliver the job within an hour. Think of ways you may hit roadblocks like software bugs, revisions, mistake corrections, etc. Also have templates to make your job easier. For example, if most customers need A4 sized posters then have a bunch of quality templates that you can cut and paste text or images. This will prevent you from starting every job from scratch.

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Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

Once you get expertise and speed in your job slowly add other services. For example, you can upgrade from providing only logos to making book covers, brochures, cartoon images, or even short videos. But don’t offer too many services as it will become difficult to multitask and you will make mistakes if you get multiple orders simultaneously.

Ensure you have enough money and other protection when you become like me.

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Quit your day job only if you are earning well from freelancing. Or continue in your day job and work as a freelancer only on weekends.

Remember you will not get orders every day and some months will be bleak. Some companies may not allow you to do such jobs while you are in their employment. In such cases you can start the freelance in your spouse name for legal protection. Increase your prices over time so that you get more money from fewer projects.

Keep upgrading your knowledge. Subscribe to useful newsletters, podcasts, videos, etc., of other freelancers. They will offer you excellent advice, tips, and pitfalls to avoid. Explore doing freelancing for top companies. You can easily charge hundreds and even thousands of dollars for many jobs and can get long term contracts.

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Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

Companies prefer freelance for activities that doesn’t require a full time employee.

Take care of your health, have proper insurance, save costs, reduce unwanted expenses, simplify your life, save money for a rainy day, and avoid any adventures that can cripple you.

As a freelancer you don’t have the luxury of a steady

paycheck,

insurance,

and

stock

other

options, employee

medical benefits.

Remember if you hurt your hands or eyes badly you will have to say goodbye to freelancing.

Keep in touch with your former colleagues, bosses, and others who can help if you fail at freelancing. Don’t hesitate to accept failure. You can always try again in a few years’ time. Finally, some nice quotes.

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Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

Why are you saying sorry? - Fifty years is the time when you have to separate yourself from what other people expect of you, and do what you love. Because if you find yourself 50 years old and you aren’t doing what you love, then what’s the point? - Jim Carrey I didn’t want an unsatisfying career. And I didn’t want to commit to one place – either one company or one location. I wanted to make my own decisions – Rocco Baldasarre Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can - Arthur Ashe

Back to Contents

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Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

It’s human nature to be liked, respected and valued. But you don’t need everyone to agree with you or even like you. And do not downgrade your integrity and happiness to be liked by everyone. Other people cannot give you the validation you seek. That has to come from inside.

Speak up, assert yourself when the need comes, demand respect, and stay true to your values.

22

Become a Peaceful Person Personal Development

H

ow can I find peace of mind is a question that many people ask. But the answer to

this question is not easy because there are several paths to peace. There are countless people who have good jobs, homes, cars, and all materialistic possessions, yet they don’t have any 23

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

peace of mind. Secondly, absolute peace of mind is not possible unless you renounce the world and all material and emotional desires, which is rarely possible for common people. Does this mean chasing peace of mind is a futile exercise for common people? No, you can achieve it even if you lead a hectic lifestyle provided you make some minor to medium changes in your life.

Here are those minor to medium changes to achieve of peace of mind to a reasonable percentage.

Identify your troublemakers - Everyone on this planet will have someone who will ruin their peace of mind, either in the workplace or at home. Interacting with them is exhausting as they will drain your life out. For example, I have a few friends and relatives who I now consciously 24

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

avoid because their very presence drains my life out. They have the following qualities – They are constantly grumbling about everything, it’s impossible or risky to get any work done from them, they do dangerous mistakes, they are undependable, they blabber uncomfortable statements, and have many other irritating behaviors. Now you may also have such people around you. Slowly get rid of them or at least don’t involve or interact with them. There comes a time in your life when you have to decide who stays and who goes out of your life. Eliminating the troublemakers will increase your peace of mind to a great extent.

Evaluate your finances – Idealistic fools say money can’t bring happiness. But it’s lack of money that ruins your peace of mind and brings 25

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

misery. Maybe you don’t need truckloads of cash, but you definitely need enough money to cover all essential expenses, insurance, medicines, and so on. A steady income brings peace of mind. So, evaluate your income and expenses. Ask if you are capable of maintaining the same standard of living even after you retire and become old. If not, start cutting down on all unwanted expenses. Cultivate a lifestyle that you can afford to live with for the rest of your life without becoming bankrupt or depending on others for your basic needs.

Cut the clutter – Do you have too many things to manage? Are they costing you money every month? Do you really need all of them? Ask these questions and simplify your home. Less is more.

Make more space for essentials. Prepare a list of 26

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

must haves and nice to have. Start eliminating all the nice to haves and luxuries that are bleeding money gradually. Today you may think having three movie streaming services for just five dollars a day is peanuts. But when you retire and your income drops to one fifth of what you were earning, then even five dollars a day is a princely sum.

Learn some spirituality – This doesn’t mean you become a hermit and give up all desires.

Spirituality changes your mindset and gives you new ways to handle or look at problems that are eating your soul daily. Think of spirituality as a non-scientific or illogical way of dealing with pressing problems. For example, a popular Indian spiritual guru once suggested two amazing methods to solve our nagging worries.

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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 problems that are troubling you. This is called the technique or power of letting go of uncontrollable or 28

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

unchangeable things in your life. Letting go of something you desperately want is very 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.’

Should you solve everything? - Another way to increase your peace of mind is to stop believing you are the only person who can or should solve all the problems. Do not assume that others cannot do the job you are doing. Do not believe you are indispensable. Believe in the divine mischief that you may not be destined to 29

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

do many things or solve all the problems you are now facing. Maybe god has assigned someone else to solve your problems. So let go and let god take over. After all if he is throwing the spanner in your desires and plans again and again, then let him solve it for you.

The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas.

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Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

Stop forcing the Universe – When you try to force

an

outcome

that

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 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 its mischief and stop torturing you.

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 32

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

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.

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 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

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Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

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

No matter how hard you work or how carefully you plan somethings, sometimes things just don’t work out the way you want them to. But that’s okay. Everyone has these expectations and predetermined visions of what their ideal life will look like. But, often that’s not the reality we end up with. Sometimes our dreams fail and force us to change our minds mid-course. Sometimes we have to fail to find the right course and sometimes we

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just have to try a few things before we find the right direction. This is LIFE.

35

The Healing Power of Sleep Personal Development

A work

re you one of those persons who have gradually cut down on your sleep due to pressures,

either

knowingly

or

unknowingly? Are you sleeping less than eight hours a day? Do you believe you can be active and productive even with less sleep? Are you 36

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

really producing quality output or just working more to fill the entire duration that you are awake?

If the answer to the above questions is yes, then you need to pause right now and take immediate steps to sleep more. Lack of enough sleep can cause dangerous changes to your physical and psychological wellbeing, and may even contribute to early mortality.

Troubles caused by Less Sleep Cardiovascular Disorders - Medical studies in have shown a strong link between insufficient sleep and cardiovascular disorders, which is the number one cause of death worldwide.

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Diabetes - Studies have also shown links between sleep issues and type 2 diabetes, a degenerative condition that results in significant changes in glucose metabolism and insulin resistance.

Low quality work – You may think sleeping just six hours a day will give you more time to do productive work. But it is a wrong assumption.

When you sleep lees you will not be able to concentrate on your work properly. For example, if you have slept well then preparing/reviewing a complex report or learning something will become faster. You may also notice an increased efficiency and speed in your tasks. But if you have slept less then the same activities will take more time. For example, you may have to read and re-read the reports again and again to grasp 38

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

the contents because your brain is fatigued. In short, you will be wasting time and energy. So, the extra time you get by less sleep is wasted by doing such repetitive tasks.

Better ideas – If you are in a creative job like writing or design you will get better ideas if you have slept well. But forcing yourself to do creative tasks when you have had insufficient sleep will only produce lousy output. For example, if you are writing an article or editing a book, you may think that you have done a great job. But if you sleep for a few hours and return to revise it with fresh eyes you will suddenly discover many ways of improving it further.

Efficiency - A New York tour operator once proudly said, ‘New York is a city that never sleeps.’

For this an elderly tourist calmly replied, ‘And it 39

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

definitely looks like it’. Those who sleep less are not necessarily the most efficient people even if they stubbornly work 18 hours a day. In fact, they are the least efficient of people. They may appear to be working, but internally their brain would have turned off. The output they produce or the ideas they generate when the brain and essential body systems turn off is nothing but trash and mediocre stuff.

Sleeping less is perhaps the lousiest of work habits and work-life balance. It’s also the perfect road to ruining your health and those of others.

Poor health and lack of a solid family life leads to poor performance and relationships at work.

Workaholics not only ruin their health but also of their subordinates and their family members. Of course, they may earn more money than ordinary 40

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

workers and access to more materialistic pleasures. But when they get a heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, and other nervous disorders it’s their family and dependents that will be bear the brunt of looking after a human vegetable.

He who smiles in a crisis has found someone to blame.

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So what’s the solution?

The solution is simple. Start sleeping more. It’s not mandatory to be awake till 11 or 12 pm everyday just because you have been doing that for years. Go to sleep at 10. Switch off the lights and listen to some relaxing music that will put you to sleep.

If it is a holiday take an afternoon nap. Give your body and brain some rest. There is nothing embarrassing if you take it easy or even branded as a lazy person. Besides, the great advantage of a good sleep is you will be superefficient when you wake up.

Listen to stop signals from your mind and body. Stop the moment it tells you it is tired. If you accept and respect your body’s limitations it 43

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

will reward you with efficiency. But if you force it to do work beyond its capacity then it will punish you by making you produce lousy output.

Some Famous Quotes One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important - Bertrand Russell.

No one on their death bed ever says - ‘I wish I could have worked more.

Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together - Thomas Dekker It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it - John Steinbeck 44

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

Without enough sleep, we all become tall twoyear-olds - JoJo Jensen

Back to Contents

Many people have some kind of stigma or shame in admitting their limitations or knowledge. But there’s no shame in saying “I don’t know.” No one has everything figured out and has all the answers. Pretending to be perfect doesn’t make you perfect. It just makes you look like a fool when you try to win every argument. So accept your mistakes and learn as you go. Earlier opinions may no longer relevant over time and that’s life.

45

How to get Better Ideas Personal Development

I

t is a common belief that great ideas can only come from highly educated people like

scientists,

professors,

etc.

But

this

is

a

misconception. Everyone has the capacity to give some good to great ideas based on the knowledge, common sense, and wisdom they 46

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

have gained over the years. Let me give you a small joke.

A country’s astronauts wanted a pen that could write upside down while they float in space. So their scientists spent tons of money and manufactured a fancy pen that could write in any position. The astronauts were thrilled at this fancy gadget. Later the pen was displayed to some high school students in a science exhibition. While most students were amazed at the pen one student asked why didn’t they simply use a pencil that can write in any direction? Now you can imagine the rest.

As you can see from the above joke it was not necessary for spending tons of money to manufacture such a pen when an ordinary pencil would have done the job. So an ordinary high 47

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

school student was able to give a better cost effective idea than all the scientists in this case.

In a similar way everyone can give good ideas for many areas even if they don’t have experience in that field like that high school did.

Here are a few way to generate good ideas.

First get rid of the misconception that great ideas need an advanced education, master’s degree, etc. Start believing that you can also give ideas if you are involved. But this doesn’t mean you can simply blurt out silly, cynical, and wacky ideas for the sake of giving ideas. Your idea must be a positive and useful contribution like saving costs, safety, simpler alternatives, etc.

Don’t think you can give an instant great or alternate idea for everything. To give ideas you 48

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must first brainstorm it within yourself and think in multiple directions before suggesting it to people who have experience in that field.

Read Books - Books are great sources for creating new ideas. Books will expand your way of thinking as authors would have spent a lot of time and effort in writing a book. For example, if you read books like spy thrillers, fantasy, space wars, legal thrillers, etc., your subconscious brain will be continuously storing many good ideas from those books. Years later, during some situation, your brain will surprise you by recalling some of those ideas even though you would have forgotten about the story.

Take a long walk – Sometimes you will not get any ideas if you sit in one place and think. Then you need to take a long walk. This was a habit 49

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

practiced even by Steve Jobs for getting ideas.

When you walk in a park or some open space your brain will get more oxygen and get refreshed. Suddenly, it will start generating good ideas far superior than the ones you were getting when you were sitting.

Let it go - We often believe ideas will appear if we keep attacking a problem relentlessly.

Unfortunately, that is not the right way as solving many problems is similar to chasing a beautiful butterfly. The harder you try to catch it the farther it flies away. But, surprisingly, if you stand still that butterfly will start flying very close to you or may even sit on your shoulder. In a similar way as a popular quote tells, ‘If you want something very badly, first set it free,’ you

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may have to first let go of a nagging problem for some time.

Forcefully eject it from your mind and give it some time to clear the mental fog. When you do that suddenly you can discover new ways and obvious solutions dropping in that can seem vastly superior to your previous thoughts. This is the paradox of letting go where the solution pops up only when you let go and give up instead of clinging on desperately.

Sleep over it - Each one of use is a mysterious and magnificent machine. Behind our normal physical existence there lies a vast untapped world that we are not fully aware. There are countless incredible skills and powers that we have, but never know or don’t know how it works.

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Even today one never knows why solutions evade us when we are vigorously trying to solve, but pop in mysteriously when we least expect it or when we are asleep. In many cases, it’s intuition and dreams that give us an answer to a problem that is impossible to get when we are awake.

For example, one of the most revolutionary findings in organic chemistry was the discovery of the structure of benzene molecule. The scientist, Friedrich Kekule worked for years to discover its atomic structure without success. But one night, he dreamt of many snakes circling together and forming a ring of six snakes chasing each other’s tails. When he awoke he got the answer, which was the shape hexagon as the elusive structure of the benzene ring.

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Wait for the destined hour - Sometimes you have to think philosophically. Many a time you may think, ‘Why was I racking my brain when the solution was so simple, or why couldn’t I think of it before?’ But, as Ovid, a Roman poet once said, ‘Everything comes gradually at its appointed hour.’ Similarly, many solutions arrive only at the appointed hour and not before, no matter how hard you try.

Finally, we can conclude this article with a great quote from Albert Einstein who said, ‘The intellect has little to do on the road to discovery.

There comes a leap in consciousness, call it intuition or what you will, and the solution comes to you, and you don’t know how or why.’

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Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

Back to Contents

54

Where is the Center of the Universe?

Unconventional Thinking

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, revolved around it. This concept was known as 55

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

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

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 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

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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 geocentrism is wrong and I still say that the Earth is definitely at the centre of the universe.

By the time a man realizes that his father was right, he has a son who thinks he’s wrong.

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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.

Geometrically, the black dot is said to be at the centre because the radius r is radiating equally 59

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

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 that the earth is standing at the centre of the universe when the space around it is radiating in all directions into infinity

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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?

Happy to be disproved. Please send your views to thejendra@yahoo.com

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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.

Back to Contents

We often don’t appreciate what we have until it’s gone.

And that includes your health, family, friends, job, money etc. When you are young, you think that your parents will always be there, but they won’t. You may think you have plenty of time to get in touch with your old friends but you don’t. Nothing in your life is guaranteed to be there tomorrow. This is a hard life lesson to learn and the most important of all - Life can change in an instant.

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Humor – The Ultimate Leadership Style Personal Development

I

n

today’s

workplace

the

number

of

problem-related words like ‘stress-related-

illness’, ‘burnout’, and ‘work-life balance’ have become quite common. What this simply means is organizations are at last recognizing the importance of such things. If you have noticed, 63

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

today’s

hectic

workplaces

have

become

extremely humorless sapping the energy of everyone right from the janitor to the CEO. For example, when was the last time you had some continuous weeks or months of fun and humor in the office?

However, I am not talking about those occasional and rare humorous situations of exchanging some silly jokes or laughing at a Dilbert cartoon, but a continuous period of workplace enjoyment when you did not dread that Monday morning alarm. A period when you used to go home relaxed and contented instead of planning to update your resume. Probably never. But, do you remember the amount of fun you used to have as kids?

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As children, you would laugh or giggle dozens of times an hour. But, as you grew up the laughter reduced dramatically. By the time you became 30 years good laughter and fun disappeared totally. You started avoiding humor and fun as childish stuff. Soon the fun is totally gone from your life, and all you think about is becoming more and more serious to an extent that a frown can result in a lawsuit.

Everyone knows modern work is often associated with excessive stress and is one of the main causes of illness, absenteeism, and burnout of employees. But until a few years ago, things like sickness, boredom, stress, fatigue, etc., were always considered as an employee’s personal problem, and the organization was quick to distance itself from the employee’s sufferings.

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In other words, organizations were covering up their lousy leadership skills by blaming their employees for being bad workers. But that thinking has now gradually changed, and professional organizations now accept blame for their employee’s stress and are taking active steps to self-correct by introducing fun and laughter at work. However, many ordinary and mediocre organizations still consider humor at work as abominable and a distraction from getting the ‘real’ job done. They do not see the importance of fun in the overall success of their organizations.

But, unknown to many employees and managers, humor is a fantastic stress reliever. In fact, humor is one of the sixty-four qualities of a king. Most people are unaware of the positive 66

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

effects of humor in the workplace, offices, and homes. People often tend to think humor and laughter are unproductive or unprofessional, and being serious is the only way to live. This is exactly why you have too many serious managers, serious meetings, work under the high-pressure atmosphere, etc., and finally achieve burnout, ulcers, toxicity, lawsuits, etc.

Actually, humor is not about taking your work, job, and responsibilities lightly, but to see the fun in everything you do. It is the ability to laugh and make fun of yourself. It is about creating a pleasant atmosphere where you work and allow others to work to give their best with the fear of being reprimanded or punished. And people who work with humorous bosses and managers tend to become highly efficient and productive 67

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

employees. They are able to share good news and bad news without fear, and it builds trust both ways. The most successful CEOs are the ones who have discovered the power of clean humor in their day to day life, inside and outside the workplace. It’s comparable to children who enjoy and learn their studies better when they have a jolly teacher, instead of a teacher who is strict and suffocating.

Bruce Baum, a professor at Buffalo State University who specializes in applied and therapeutic humor says, ‘The more fun you have, the more you can get done.’ Humor makes everyone feel good and humane. A sense of humor sees the fun in everyday experiences and appropriate

humor

can

lighten

up

even

extremely difficult situations many times.

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Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

Managements often associate humor with circus jokers. But a humorous person is neither a joker nor a clown. Humor is different from practical jokes, wearing a funny hat, having a red nose, mimicry or making fun of someone’s physical appearance, height, weight, religion or color.

The humor that I am talking about is your pleasantness quotient. In other words, how approachable are you? How do you take bad news? Do you shoot the messenger? Do people avoid approaching you for help? Are you a fault inventor? Do you know how to ask beautiful questions? Do people consider you pleasant or toxic? Do you know how to laugh at yourself?

And so on. However, it’s important to realize that some things like practical jokes are inappropriate and not funny. For example, deleting somebody’s 69

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

important computer files or teasing about their height or skin color is not funny or called humor.

Humor is medicine with good taste, but practical jokes are poison and sour. Having fun on the job has can stimulate your creative thinking, prevent burnout, and increase productivity.

Various studies have shown that employees who are humorous are more productive and efficient than workers who work in a stifled, serious atmosphere. Today, many corporations are hiring corporate humorists to bring fun to workplaces. Humor helps one think in different ways and one should get into the habit of looking for humor in everyday situations. Finally, clean

humor

is

eco-friendly,

non-toxic,

childproof, and recyclable. Start spreading it. And we can conclude this chapter with a quote that 70

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

says, ‘If you don’t have a sense of humor, you probably don't have any sense at all.’.

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Writing and Publishing

T

his section is dedicated to the wonderful world of Writing & Publishing and covers topics on self and traditional publishing,

art of writing, formatting your print and eBooks, how and where to publish, marketing your book, and so on. Learn how the publishing industry 73

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

works and how to get your books published in Paperback and all eBook formats on all international sites.

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How to Write Non-Fiction Writing and Publishing

A

general dictionary defines non-fiction as writing about real events and facts. When

you read nonfiction, you're reading about something that really happened and not a story that somebody made up. This type of writing requires facts and research checking. Writing a non-fiction book can be a wonderful experience 75

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as it will show you as an expert in some subject.

This article will give you a bunch of tips on how to write a non-fiction book.

What to write? There are plenty of subjects on which non-fiction books can be written, but that does not mean you can write on any subject under the sun. To write non-fiction must have some knowledge and clarity about what you are writing. So, choose your subject or topic carefully. Also, think whether you can really write 100 to 200 pages on the topic you choose because many topics are only suitable for long articles and not full-length books. Many topics cannot be stretched beyond a few pages or a couple of dozen pages.

Also, visit bookstores to see what kind of new books are getting published and what genres are 76

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popular. Talk to booksellers to get ideas and suggestions of what readers ask for. What is the latest fad? What genres of books are selling like hotcakes? What subjects do readers find interesting? Then explore writing books on those subjects.

For example, some of the popular types of books that help people are, motivational, selfhelp, inspirational, memoirs, history, cookbooks, biographies, how to books, textbooks, true stories, scientific books, reference guides, travel guides, manuals, religion, philosophy, spirituality, politics, etc. Such books can be read again and again. You can also write books from your own experience or profession. For example, if you have worked in a chemical industry for many years, then you would have gained enormous 77

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

knowledge that you can pass on to newcomers with your book.

Read like an author: Even if you have extensive knowledge of some subject or topic, it is not easy to quickly write a book on it. To be a good author you must also be a good reader.

When you choose to write a book on some subject, first read three to five books that are similar to the topic you have chosen. Also, read many articles on the same subject.

But your reading should be more intense and focused than a casual reading. By intense I mean you should carefully focus on how the information and chapters are formed. For example, some books will be all fluff, or too difficult for the intended audience, or not explained properly, or may use a dozen 78

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

sentences to explain something that could have been explained in just five sentences, or may even contain many useless chapters just to fill pages, etc.

Also brainstorm on what is missing or difficult for the average reader to get in those books.

That is, find out what the author has not explained in his book but perhaps should have been included. Make a note of all such gaps and then start writing your book.

Audience: Every non-fiction book must be aimed at a specific type or category of readers.

Next think of the age group for your book like busy executives, novices, CEOs, employees, students, etc., so that your book will help or appeal to those readers. Ask whether your book topic has a local, national or international 79

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audience? For example, if your book solves or tackles a widespread problem, then it will probably sell more because such books have the potential to help thousands or even millions of readers. That is, you should know exactly who you are writing for in order to decide on what to write and how much to write.

How to begin? Then begin by asking questions to yourself about the topic you are writing. For example, if you want to write a book on stress management then start jotting down several questions like what is stress, why is it caused, who gets affected, what harm does it cause, how to eliminate or reduce stress, etc. These are the basic questions that any ordinary reader or a layman will want to be answered. Then start answering each question.

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The first draft: When you start writing simply jot down all of your ideas and thoughts, and start filling the pages. What I mean by this is you can just start scribbling and don’t worry about the chapter names, preface, acknowledgments, etc., initially. They can be framed and improved once you have about 60-70 pages of useful info.

Besides, no one can write the final version of a book in one shot.

Use famous quotes: It is always a good idea to use interesting quotes from famous people in your book wherever possible. For example, if you are writing a book on leadership make generous use of quotes from famous people like Gandhi, Churchill, Lincoln, etc. Such quotes are like sprinkling diamonds and can greatly enhance your book. But remember to mention the names 82

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

of the people who stated those quotes. Secondly, you can also try to write funny and interesting quotes

of

your

own.

Sometimes,

entire

paragraphs and examples can be written based on a great quote.

Simplicity: Choose simplicity over complexity.

When writing a book there will always be a temptation to write in a pompous manner using complicated words and sentences. For example, if you see many college textbooks you will quickly notice such books would have been written in a complicated way that only top professors can understand and not by ordinary mortals. Now ask yourself, do you want your book to be read by a large number of people or only by a few brainy college professors? Unless

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you are a megalomaniac, the answer will obviously be a large number of readers.

Hence, bring yourself down to the level of an average reader. Think in their terms. Use the words and sentences that they can understand.

Eliminate all complicated words that ordinary people don’t understand. Also, avoid writing long awkward sentences. Instead, split them into two or three sentences. The book you write must be easy and useful for a large number of readers.

Remember you are writing a book for others to read and not to read it yourself. See an example below.

Example of a useless book: When I was in college there was a physics textbook written by an extremely intelligent professor. The theory explained in this book was quick and short. Each 84

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

chapter also had a few easy and simple solved problems. But at the end of each chapter there were heaps of awfully complicated problems that no student could solve by reading the theory and examples provided in the same chapter.

To make matters worse, only the oddnumbered problems had the answers (without the solution steps) printed at the end of the book. To make matters even worse that professor would not solve those tough problems even in the classroom and expected the students to brainstorm and solve on their own. So, the professor’s method was to help students to solve simple and easy problems, but let the students tackle the tough ones without any clue on how to solve them. Secondly, due to his ferocious short temper, no student would approach him 85

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

for any assistance. To summarize the story it was a bad textbook written by an intelligent professor who was unable and unwilling to realize that he was a bad author as he was not interested in helping his readers. Soon every student realized they could pass no exam if they studied only that tough textbook.

Fortunately, there was another textbook written by some other professor containing detailed theory and fully solved problems explained beautifully, which every student would quietly buy to pass exams and the earlier tough textbook would just remain as an ornamental piece.

Edit-Edit-Edit: -After having written some sentences or paragraphs revisit them after a few hours or days. When you give it some time and 86

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

return to revise it with fresh eyes you will suddenly discover many ways of improving it further. Writing a book involves plenty of editing, polishing, deleting, rearranging, moving, revising, etc., without hesitation. So, do not hesitate to chop entire paragraphs, or change the story entirely if necessary to make your book better.

Don’t overwrite: Often while writing nonfiction you will not realize that you could be saying the same thing over and over again using different sentences. Learn to recognize this writing mistake. Saying the same thing in different ways will only frustrate the reader and will also add unnecessary fluff to your book.

So, read every paragraph carefully to see if you have

repeated

something

multiple

times.

Practice condensing paragraphs and retain only 87

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

the simplest and best possible sentences. Also don’t be afraid to ruthlessly cut unwanted lines or paragraphs or sometimes entire chapters if you feel they are repeated even if you have slogged earlier to write them.

Write slowly: Take your time and don’t hurry.

Even if you write just half a page a day, then in about three to five months’ time you will have a 75-85 page book that you can be proud of. Then, you can add items like a table of contents, preface, copyright, acknowledgments, etc.

Finally, we can end this article with a quote by Ellen Hopkins - Nonfiction speaks to the head.

Fiction speaks to the heart. Poetry speaks to the soul. It's the essence of beauty. The essence of pain. It pleases the eye and the ear.

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Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

Back to Contents

89

90

Children Section

T

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

You can 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.

Back to Contents

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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.

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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 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

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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 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

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attics or cupboards somewhere on our planet (sigh!).

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I am a Superb Strawberry Children Health

I

am a strawberry, but I don’t have any straws inside me. I am a soft, red, and heart-

shaped fruit. I am also called the queen of the fruits and I am a bundle of vitamins. I also have many small seeds inside me. And they are a good source of fiber, which helps you in digestion. I can also make your hair strong so that your nasty 99

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

friends cannot pull it out of your head or call you baldy. I can also make your nails strong like a tiger nails. And I can make your heart strong so that you will not feel tired even if you walk long distances. I can improve your bone and eye strength, and also prevent your skin from sagging. I also help in preventing cataract, those nasty clouds over your eye lens that can make you blind when you grow old. Anyway, don’t leave me alone in your refrigerator. It is very cold, and I feel very lonely and sad inside.

By the way, I also have plenty of other delicious friends who can help you in many ways.

Together we control the world of health. We are the jewels of your dining table. We come in all shapes, sizes and colors. We exist to make you humans happy. We help you avoid doctors and 100

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

their expensive treatments like painful injections and bitter medicines. We can also make you run faster, jump higher and help you do great things in your school and college.

Do you want to know how we do all that magic? I will tell you how. We can do such wonderful things because some of us are good for your brain, some for your heart, some for your skin, and some for your bones, and so on.

We are like warriors and can easily fight with all those nasty troublemakers hiding in your body.

Aren’t we fellows’ great? But if you don’t eat us then those horrible troublemakers will always make you sick, tired, and weak. Then you will not be able to play sports or climb a hill. Now I am sure you don’t want to be such a weakling, do you?

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Okay, next month I will introduce another mighty friend of mine. Don’t run away!

Back to Contents

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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, as long as the article is related to personal development topics. It would also be good if you have your own website, blog, etc., for readers to contact you. If you want to contribute regularly, then I would prefer you become my magazine

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subscriber. 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 images 104

Self Improvement International – November 2020 Issue

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 full-page 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.

I have some other questions.

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Just send me an email.

Back to Contents

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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.

Check out his other unique books.

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Wealth of the Wise