Self Improvement International - January 2021

Self Improvement International January 2021 Issue How to Happily Work from Home?

The Power of Being Alone What is Philosophy? and many more !!!

Wealth of the Wise

Self Improvement International Wealth of the Wise January 2021 Issue

Copyright Š Thejendra Sreenivas. All Rights Reserved

Self Improvement International January 2021 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.

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In this issue From the Editor’s Desk

01

What my Lawyer makes me say

04

What Else?

07

How to Stop Negative Thoughts?

Personal Development

Self Confidence for Introverts Personal Development

Tips to Work from Home Workplace Management

10

19

31

In this issue (cont’d) What is Philosophy?

Personal Development

The Power of Being Alone Personal Development

Declutter your Home Stress Management

WRITING & PUBLISHING

Who is a Ghostwriter?

Writing and Publishing

38

48

57

70

72

In this issue (cont’d)

CHILDREN SECTION

Comics – The Lost Priceless Treasures Nostalgia

I am a Charming Cherry Children Health

A Few Questions FAQs

About the Editor

81

82

89

92

98

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 – January 2021 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 – January 2021 Issue

electronic personal coach who can make you superior to the rest of the crowd. Give it a try.

You may be pleasantly surprised.

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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 – January 2021 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 – January 2021 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 – January 2021 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 – January 2021 Issue

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

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9

How to Stop Negative Thoughts Personal Development

D

o you often think or activate negative thoughts? Do you constantly worry

about failing? Do you worry a lot for anything and everything? Do you expect bad things to happen to you or your family? Then you are not alone. Millions of people are in the same worry 10

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

boat constantly anxious about the future, careers, family, health, accidents, etc. This is unavoidable because such thoughts are natural, spontaneous, and unavoidable in this dog-eatdog world. But you can learn how to stop negative thoughts from engulfing and torturing you 24x7.

Constantly brooding about negativity spoils your health, stops the brain from working, ruins creativity, ruins everyone’s peace of mind, and makes you a coward unable and unwilling to take any major decisions in life. They are useless and just make you suffer and feel unhappy. Just like criminals becoming stronger and ruin a city if the police don’t control them, negative thoughts will also grow stronger and make you their prisoner.

Sometimes, even when things are good people 11

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

wait for things to get worse. They believe that the good thing will not stay for long. So why enjoy the temporary goodness? But, speaking from a spiritual perspective, if you always see trouble, expect difficulties, and believe that things will go wrong, you will somehow cause it to happen. In India, we believe in a concept called Asthu Devatas (invisible spiritual beings) who keep saying ‘Tathastu’ meaning ‘Let it happen’. Now if you keep thinking negatively you will be blessed with negativity. If you keep thinking positive thoughts you will be blessed accordingly.

Article continued after next page

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Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

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How to Stop Negative Thoughts Now you may ask, ‘How can I stop thinking negative thoughts? Is there some way to stop expecting the worst?’ Yes, there is a way to stop negative thinking. Here are some simple ways to banish negative thoughts from holding you hostage.

1. Start becoming aware of negative thoughts entering your mind and close the door.

Immediately replace them with some positive thoughts. In this way, you don’t let the negative squat and grow in your mind.

Basically, when they come you chase them away with the opposite thoughts (positive) just like chasing vagabonds from your house.

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Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

2. When you think of failure, start thinking of success. You do not have to accept every negative thought that enters your mind.

3. When faced with problems, immediately think about solutions even if they involve time, money, and effort.

4. When you expect bad things to happen, replace those thoughts with something good is going to happen. Cross the river when you get to the bridge. Why worry now? This means don’t worry about bad things that have not yet happened.

5. When you feel down, replace your thoughts with power and courage examples. Read real-life stories of people who have had more trouble than you and how they 15

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

overcome them.

6. Forget about the past. Don’t constantly rewind history tapes of your past failures, difficulties, or obstacles that you faced.

Yesterday is dead, tomorrow is still not born. So, why worry about the dead or the unknown future?

7. Stop or reduce watching negative movies, TV shows, bad news, etc. Constantly watching such news can drain your mental batteries and make you toxic.

8. Avoid complainers, grumblers, and other eternally negative people who can drain your energy and motivation. Treat your thoughts as visitors to your home. What kind of visitors do you like? Depressing and 16

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

unhappy guests, or positive and happy ones that uplift, motivate and inspire you?

9. Imagine how relieved and happy you will be if you learn how to stay calm and poised in stressful situations.

10. Always believe that you can be stronger than your thoughts. You who should control them, and not let it control you.

After practicing the above methods for a few weeks you will surely start to see its results.

Some Famous Quotes Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results Willie Nelson.

Negativity is cannibalistic. The more you feed it, 17

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

the bigger and stronger it grows - Bobby Darnell A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty - Winston S. Churchill Forget your sadness, anger, grudges, and hatred.

Let them pass like smoke caught in a breeze. Do not indulge yourself in such feelings - Masaaki Hatsumi

Back to Contents

Teacher: "Can you name one book that has helped you the most in your life?"

Student: "My father's bank check book!"

18

Self Confidence for Introverts Personal Development

S

omebody once said, “The problem with the world today is ignorant people are full of

self-confidence, while knowledgeable people are full of self-doubts.� As you may have observed nowadays people in the media, journalism, politicians, teenagers, youth, communists, etc., 19

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

with hardly any real-world experience or knowledge will be fully confident and talkative about everything under the sun. On the other side, most knowledgeable people will be shy, introverted, and often get subdued by hollow people. This is exactly the reason why talkative and ignorant goofballs enter politics or climb to senior

positions

in

the

workplace

while

knowledgeable people will be languishing at the bottom. This is why Mark Twain said long ago, “The less a man knows the bigger the noise he makes and the higher the salary he commands.�

However, this imbalance has to change and knowledgeable people have to take over the reins in all fields. To achieve this they must first shed their introverted behaviors and start developing the self-confidence they need to lead 20

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

successfully. This will ensure that no organization or leadership position is controlled by ignorant people.

Why is Self-Confidence Important?

Confidence is the most important feature in everyone’s life. But most people are not born with this quality. However, you can develop it slowly within a few weeks or months.

Self-confidence is important because it gives courage, self-esteem, and assertiveness. When you develop it you are not afraid to take risks or try new things.

Self-confidence is extremely essential for a happy and successful life. It is a quality that most people appreciate and you will not be anyone’s slave or doormat.

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Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

Knowledge and self-confidence are a powerful combination. When you possess both no ignorant dolts can overwhelm or subdue you. When you are confident you don’t take things too personally. This means you have a more peaceful life.

If you have low self-esteem then every trivial accusation will negatively impact your mind, body, and spirit. You will behave accordingly and people will also treat you accordingly. But if you have self-confidence it will radiate like the sun rays and people will also respect you.

You can build self-confidence by changing your mindset and your attitude toward life, even if various personal experiences in the past caused you to lose it.

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Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

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Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

How to Build Your Self-Confidence Think about what you have already achieved in your life. For example, if you have 20 years of knowledge and experience in the workplace then you should be in charge and not allow someone with one-third the experience or knowledge to boss over you.

Be proud of your knowledge and experience without sounding arrogant to others. Why a peacock proudly displays its feathers? Because it knows its brilliance. Similarly, you can exhibit your

capability

without appearing

to

be

obnoxious.

Remember

it’s

not

always

positive

achievements that develop your confidence.

Even failures in life will also develop your 24

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

confidence. Blows that don’t break your back strengthen it. A person who had undergone and overcome several troubles in life is easily more experienced and knowledgeable than someone who has hardly experienced troubles in life.

Write down a list of your achievements and successes for your personal admiration. Think about your talents and abilities. Sometimes when you are feeling down you can look at such a list and reenergize your mind. You need not go around with a drum showing off to others.

The more knowledge you have the better you can evaluate people, situations, and be in control. For example, in the workplace three kinds of knowledge are important – Subject Knowledge, Financial Knowledge, and People Management Knowledge. If you develop these 25

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

then you will become almost invincible.

Keep reading books, articles, and motivational quotes, speeches, videos, etc., to keep you energized. For example, reading life stories of people who went from rags to riches or from extreme difficulties to pinnacles of success can be great sources for developing your selfconfidence.

Avoid negative and toxic people. They are the ones who will demotivate you. Constant grumbling and fear-mongering can unnerve even the

toughest

of

people.

Establish

your

boundaries. Don’t allow them to walk all over you even if they are your close friends or family members. The company of such people will spoil your self-confidence.

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Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

Apart from knowledge, you must also take care of your health. If you fall sick often then your self-confidence will disappear fast. So eat healthy food, exercise, and keep yourself fit. A weak body creates a weak mind.

Set small and simple goals that are within your reach and achieve them. This will greatly boost your confidence. Learn to under promise and over deliver and not the reverse. This will earn appreciation from customers, clients, and others you deal with. But if you overpromise and under deliver you will get into trouble.

Wear comfortable and acceptable clothes.

Dressing shabbily will not help earn respect. Your body posture is also important. Keep your back straight while walking and sitting. Act confident and let your voice and knowledge be heard.

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Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

Speak or write clearly and don’t be afraid to express your opinions in a diplomatic manner without insulting others.

Prove your credentials. Write a book, start a blog, give coaching classes, give tips and suggestions on social media or podcasts, establish your authority on your subject. All these help in building your self-confidence and how people see you.

Seek advice and help from others who are better than you. Everybody needs a mentor and everyone is like a number. There is always someone better and higher than you. Gain from their knowledge, experience, and mistakes. You will not have time to learn everything on your own.

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Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

Famous Quotes on Self-Confidence When you have a lot of confidence and you feel like nobody can beat you, it is game over for everyone else - Jason Day Confidence comes from discipline and training Robert Kiyosaki Confidence is when you believe in yourself and your abilities, arrogance is when you think you are better than others and act accordingly - Stewart Stafford When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things - Joe Namath The most beautiful thing you can wear is confidence - Blake Lively

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Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

Back to Contents

A person went to a lawyer and told him, "My friend owes me $1000 but he won’t pay up. What should I do?"

The lawyer asked, "Do you have any proof he owes you the money?"

"No," replied the man.

"Okay, now write him a letter asking him to return the $5,000 he owes you," said the lawyer.

"But it's not $5000 but only $500," replied the man.

"I know. But that’s what your friend will reply and you will have your proof. Then come to me."

30

Tips to Work from Home Workplace Management

T

hough work from home is not a new concept people would still go to offices

and complete their tasks. But the Covid-19 horror has forced millions of employees to work from almost permanently. However, work from home is not as easy as most people dream of.

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Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

This is because you may be at home, but you still “at work at home”. This creates various headaches, issues, and compromises not only for you but all your family members. In order to successfully work from home, you need to make various physical and mindset changes like below.

Proper Dressing Just because you are at home doesn’t mean you can dress shabbily. If you do this you will not be in the right mood and attitude to be productive. Though you may not a suit and tie you still need a proper dress to begin your work.

Workspace Even if you have a laptop it doesn’t mean you can sit anywhere and do productive work. In order to be productive, you need a comfortable 32

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

and quiet place with a proper table, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and other office stationaries.

Educating Family You should also specify the do’s and don’ts for your family. For example, they should not barge into your room every few minutes to ask you something, assign some chores, or expect you to drive

them

somewhere.

Set

reasonable

boundaries and enforce them.

Intellectual Property Behave as if you are in the office. This means you should not show or discuss office matters with your family or friends. For example, you should not show your office emails or work related documents to your family members even if they are curious to know what you do. Doing so 33

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

may be against your HR and Risk policies.

Disable distractions Disable notifications on your smartphone.

Don’t play loud music or watch TV while working as they will make you lose focus, waste time, and ruin productivity.

Big Monitor In most office staffs use big monitors, keyboard, and mouse. This improves productivity and is less strain on your eyes and back. But if don’t have them at home and work directly on your laptop with a small screen you will feel its discomfort within a few minutes. So, buy a big monitor,

keyboard,

and

mouse

to

work

comfortably. This way you will not strain your eyes or back.

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Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

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Take Breaks Avoid burn out. Take regular breaks, coffee, tea, and maintain a healthy diet. Also do some small exercises every couple of hours. Drink plenty of water and don’t work long hours just because you are at home.

Conclusion As you can see from the above working from home doesn’t have to be a hassle. With proper planning and organizing, you can make work from home productive and enjoyable.

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Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

A child and his father were visiting an elderly neighbor.

The child had not really seen the elderly neighbor and this was the first time he was visiting him. The child suddenly asked how old he was. The father was stunned by his child's question and apologized to the neighbor, but he laughed and said that was ok as the child was curious. But when the elderly neighbor told the child he was 85 years old the child was shocked and asked him, "Did you start at the number one?"

37

What is Philosophy Personal Development

A

proper definition of philosophy is difficult. But in general terms, the word

"philosophy"

means,

"love

of

wisdom."

Philosophy is an activity where people (or seekers) seek to understand fundamental truths about themselves, the world in which we live, 38

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

and the relationships to the world and to each other. Students who take up philosophy are trained to read critically, analyze and assess arguments, detect hidden assumptions, construct logically

tight

arguments,

and

express

themselves clearly and precisely in both speech and writing. They are continuously engaged in asking, answering, and arguing for their answers to life’s most basic questions like,

Typical Questions of Philosophy Does God exist? Are there other worlds and dimensions? What is the relationship between the physical and the mental? Does God exist? Do we act freely? Where do moral obligations come from? What is justice and how do we construct a just political state? What is it to know something 39

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

rather than merely believe it? Does our knowledge come from sensory experience? Are there any limits to our knowledge? What is a scientific explanation? What sort of knowledge of the world does science provide? What makes an object a work of art? And so on.

To make the pursuit more systematic academic philosophy is traditionally divided into major areas of study like,

Metaphysics Metaphysics is the study of the nature of reality, of what exists in the world, what it is like, and

how

it

is

ordered.

In

philosophers ask questions like, Is there a God? What is truth?

40

metaphysics

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

Is the world strictly composed of matter?

What is a person?

What makes a person the same through time?

Do people have minds? How is the mind related to the body?

Do people have free wills?

What is it for one event to cause another?

Epistemology Epistemology is the study of knowledge. It’s concerned with what we can know about the world and how we can know it. Typical questions in epistemology are, What is knowledge?

Do we know anything at all?

How do we know what we know?

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Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

Are we justified in claiming to know certain things?

Ethics The study of ethics concerns what we ought to do and what would be best to do. In this branch, larger questions about what is good and right arise. An ethicist attempts to answer such questions like, What is good? What makes people or their actions?

What is right? What makes actions right?

Is morality objective or subjective?

How should I treat others?

Logic This branch is the arguments or reasons given 42

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

for people’s answers to these questions.

Philosophers employ logic to study the nature and structure of arguments. Logicians ask such questions as, What constitutes "good" or "bad" reasoning?

How to determine whether a given piece of reasoning is good or bad?

History of Philosophy Philosophy involves forming one’s own answers to such questions but also understand the way in which famous people in the past have answered such questions. It’s important to explore the ideas of such historical figures as, Plato, Locke, Marx, Aristotle, Hume, Mill, Aquinas, Kant, Wittgenstein, Descartes, Nietzsche, etc.

Philosophy is not merely the answers or 43

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

arguments

themselves

but

whether

the

arguments are good and the answers are true.

Also, many of the questions and issues in the various areas of philosophy overlap. This is why philosophy also encompasses such areas as, Philosophy of Law, Philosophy of Feminism, Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Literature, Political Philosophy, Philosophy of the Arts, Philosophy of History, Philosophy of Language, etc.

Why Study Philosophy?

One may ask how philosophy helps in their job or career. A study of philosophy may not help one get a senior job in a top technology or finance, but it does have various personal benefits.

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Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

It helps in sharpening thinking skills and is well suited for the analysis of concepts, the critique of ideas, conduct sound reasoning and arguments, and so on. It also helps in developing creativity, new concepts, or new approaches to old problems, identifying new problems, and so on.

It also helps in sharpening writing skills. This is because it is rigorous as it demands a high level of clarity and precision of thoughts.

It initiates interest in cultural and intellectual history. And studying history is important because it helps us gain wisdom of the past and avoid the mistakes of our forefathers.

Philosophy can also help in getting teaching and research jobs in universities, publish books, articles, give speeches, etc. It is a life well spent 45

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

in intellectual curiosity for those who don’t want a stressful career.

Famous Quotes on Philosophy The unexamined life is not worth living - Socrates One cannot step twice in the same river Heraclitus If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him - Voltaire What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you - Ralph Waldo Emerson It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light – Aristotle Wise men speak because they have something to 46

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

say; Fools because they have to say something Plato

Back to Contents

47

The Power of Being Alone Personal Development

S

ome people think being alone is a bad thing. The common assumption is you are

antisocial, criminal, or have some other problem dealing with people. This is because we have been taught that humans are social animals and always need other humans by our side. But it’s 48

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

not always possible. Not everyone has the luxury of having other compatible humans to live with.

For example, many become orphans early in life, or find it difficult to marry, or make friends, etc.

Or they lose their parents and close relatives by the time they cross 30 years.

However, being alone isn’t always a bad thing.

Here are a bunch of benefits that materialize once you learn to embrace solitude.

You can recharge – When we spend all our time with others we are expending a lot of energy. Interacting with people involves making them happy, make them laugh, soothe their egos, read their minds, avoid conflicts, and all of the other hassles that come along with regular interaction. But if you are alone then you can 49

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

direct that energy for your self-improvement.

Creativity – Without distractions from other people your creative mind crawls out. It’s like colourful birds coming out when you are bird watching quietly in a forest. Being alone also allows you to be immersed with your own thoughts and discover your own voice. It’s in these solitude times when you discover your true identity and means of expression. You are free from any interruptions or outside opinions. It is just your own voice.

You learn self-reflection - When life is always moving at a crazy fast pace people have no time for self-reflection. But being alone and quiet gives you the perfect opportunity for a little selfreflection and focus inwards. This will also enable 50

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

your spiritual and philosophical side.

You will become productive - Being in the company of other people can be entertaining, but it can also affect your productivity. Constant company of other people is a distraction from getting your work done. For example, you cannot sit and read a book, write an article, or enjoy your hobbies peacefully when you are in the company of others. But when you are alone you have the freedom to do what you want without others breathing down your neck. Time spent alone can enhance your productivity because there are fewer distractions and you can concentrate fully on your work.

You will become independent – When you are in the company of others you are not fully 51

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

independent. Also, they may be handling many tasks and responsibilities that you may never bother to learn. But if you are alone you will have to do everything yourself. Remember, one day your parents and relatives will be gone and you may become alone. So you must learn every task necessary in advance to survive alone.

Restore your health - Solitude also gives you a chance to relax and recover from stress. People don’t realize the toll our hectic day may take on them. For example, our daily commute, sleep routines, distractions, irritating people, and so on all have an invisible impact on our lives. Over time, this can cause serious mental health issues.

But if you can be alone you can discharge that stress, sleep more, have less noise, etc., and regain your health.

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No apology or validation - When you enjoy being alone you don’t have to apologize for what you’ve done. When you are in the company of other people you have to constantly watch what you say or do to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. But when you are alone you don’t have to apologize for anything. And that takes a lot of pressure out of most situations. You can stop second-guessing everything you say or do because someone is going to be offended or angered.

Another issue is validation. Often, we feel the need to get acceptance from our friends and family before we take many actions. We constantly look to other people for advice on what we should do next. But when you are alone you will stop looking for validation.

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Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

Some Famous Quotes Be alone. That is the secret of invention: be alone, that is when ideas are born - Nikola Tesla Without great solitude, no serious work is possible - Pablo Picasso The best thinking has been done in solitude Thomas A. Edison Be a loner. That gives you time to wonder, to search for the truth. Have holy curiosity. Make your life worth living - Albert Einstein Solitude isn’t loneliness. Solitude is when the entire serene universe seems to surround and hold you quietly - Victoria Erickson Solitude is a great teacher, and to learn its 55

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

lessons you must pay attention to it. Deepak Chopra Solitude is the attribute of the strong. The weak are always found in the crowd. Unknown

Back to Contents

How dogs think - The people I live with feed me, love me, provide me with a nice warm, dry house, pet me and take good care of me. So, they must be gods.

How cats think - The people I live with feed me, love me, provide me with a nice warm, dry house, pet me and take good care of me. So, I must be a god.

56

Declutter your Home Stress Management

M

ost people think that stress is usually caused by workplace headaches, traffic,

or toxic people. But did you know that one of the major causes of stress and wasting time is actually the mess that you have at home? An unkempt home with smelly odor, improper 57

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

lighting, and useless stuff lying all around can also ruin your peace of mind and be exhausting for all the people who live in it. But many people postpone the task of decluttering the house due to various reasons. However, a well-maintained house can rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul.

It can also improve your health. So, how and where do you start?

Start with the closets - The task of decluttering your closets and reducing your wardrobe can be overwhelming. But who said everything has to be done in one day? Start with one closet and a couple of drawers. Evaluate everything dumped in it and throw out all the unwanted stuff. Even if you spend just half an hour every day to clean your closets within a week it will become more organized and 58

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

pleasing. It can also improve your overall sense of well-being.

Toss the trash - Most people toss out the usual trash that is generated in the kitchen. But did you know that this is not the only trash in your home? Just have a close look at every bathroom, living room, cupboards, etc. You will find plenty of useless stuff room like old medicines, toothbrushes, broken items, electrical items, papers, cosmetics, bottles, etc. If you have not used them for ages and have no plans of using them just throw them out. If there is anything you can donate or recycle, keep that in a separate pile.

Donate what you don’t wear - Go through all your clothes, shoes, socks, and accessories. If anything doesn’t fit or hasn’t been worn in many 59

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

months (except seasonal items like winter clothes) it’s time to donate or toss it out.

Separate by seasons – When you organize your wardrobe it is also a good idea to separate your clothes by seasons. This way you can go one step higher in organizing your clothes.

Get rid of expired items – Many people buy medicines, use them till they get cured, and then store the remaining tablets, syrups, etc. Over time all these medicines get expired and even become poisonous. So, go through your medicine cabinet, cosmetics, toiletries, fridge, freezer, etc., and get rid of anything that has expired or unsafe to use. For example, if you have bought a cough syrup last year and used only 50% of it don’t assume you can safely use the remaining next year. Buy a new one if you need one next 60

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year but don’t use any medicines that are lying around unused for months.

Organize your paperwork – Housekeeping also involves organizing your financial and other paperwork. Did you know that you could be having more than 30% unwanted financial papers in your house? This is because you would have accumulated countless papers over the years and storing them for record purposes. For example, when I did a clean-up once I found plenty of expired insurance papers of the scooters and cars that I had owned and sold over the years. This means I was having their unwanted paperwork even though I did not even own them anymore. In a similar way, you could also be having dozens of such bills, agreement copies,

insurance

papers, 61

brochures,

etc.,

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accumulated over the years. So, examine all those papers, retain only the necessary ones, and dispose of the rest. Also, organize and label all papers so that you don’t have to turn the house upside down to search for some small paper. In all probability, you will discover that nearly 30% or more of the papers you have are useless.

There is no use in storing outdated receipts or bills if they’re just sitting around collecting dust.

Article continued after next page

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Digital Clean-up Declutter your Smartphone - Smartphones have become indispensable in our lives. But just like vehicles and other gadgets smartphones and tablets need maintenance or a tech cleansing to keep them in good working condition. So, do the following. Take a full backup of your phone data, contacts,

etc.,

using

the

inbuilt

backup

mechanism or some third party tool. Make two copies. Then start deleting all unwanted apps installed over the months and years. Next, review your contacts and delete all unwanted numbers and retain only the necessary ones. You will be amazed to know how many unwanted numbers you will find. Next delete all useless photos, videos, screenshots, and other endless social media stuff that you never had time to remove.

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Also, see if the phone manufacturer has a firmware update. Do the same actions for all the smartphones in your house. And all your phones will become healthy and vibrant.

Declutter your Computer - Just like a smartphone your computer will also need a tech cleansing. But too many people don’t spend time to do this housekeeping to fine-tune their computer and will use them endlessly. Similar to a smartphone, first take two backups of all your data. Then uninstall all unwanted applications, tools, and other tiny stuff like browser add-ons installed over the years. Next, search your hard disk for large unwanted files and delete all of them. Install a disk defragging tool and a registry cleaning tool to do an internal cleaning. For example, you can install software like Wise Disk 65

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

Cleaner and Registry Cleaner tool. With these tools you will see how much junk will clear from your system. Reboot your system after such scanning and cleaning.

Next, check your essential updates and patches by the software manufacturer and install all of them. For example, Microsoft releases patches periodically to update your operating system.

Also check your hardware manufacturer for updates to your system model’s bios, firmware, drivers,

etc.,

and

install

all

critical

and

recommended updates. Once you do all these activities your computer will become more efficient and faster than before.

Declutter your Email - Just like your computer and smartphone you can also do housekeeping on your email. As you know, your email will be 66

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constantly flooded with useful and useless emails that you never have time to organize. This is now a good time to scan and delete all unwanted email and unsubscribe from any newsletters that you don’t read. Sort your email by sender and delete all unwanted mails by bulk. You can also organize your email into separate folders and move them there so that your inbox is clean and neat.

An organized email is also good for finding old information fast. For example, if you are searching for some earlier information using some keywords and if the search result shows 1000 emails it’s impossible to go through them.

Instead, a well-organized email will have no unwanted emails and hence will have a lower number of search results to find information 67

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faster. So, go ahead and clean up your email to make it lighter and faster.

As you can see from the above examples there are so many things you can get rid of and declutter your physical and digital world. Once you declutter them you will feel more refreshed and calmer than before. A messy house creates a messy mind. But an elegant house gives your happiness and peace of mind.

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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 works 70

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

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What is a Ghostwriter?

Writing and Publishing

G

hostwriting is the practice of writing an article, book, or some other writing

project that will be credited to someone else.

They adapt their writing skills to fit a client's need and write it in the way the client sees fit. In addition, they also give advice on content and style as required for the topic. A lot of busy and 72

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famous people will hire ghostwriters to write their books like autobiographies or business books. The reasons for hiring a ghostwriter are many and will be described later.

Basically, they're less of a ghost and more of a guardian angel. And if you've been struggling to write a book, a blog post, or anything else involving prose, a ghostwriter might be able to help you get it done!

Ghostwriting vs. Co-Authoring Note, ghostwriting is not the same as coauthoring a book. Co-authors are two or more authors who collaborate and write a book. Their names get printed on the book covers and inside.

But a ghostwriter remains anonymous. They just get paid to do the writing, research, and editing 73

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with no obligation for any credit. Ghostwriting is basically a business like a civil contractor who will design and build a house for a property owner but does not put his name on the building.

Now let us explore the different types of ghostwriting.

Types of Ghostwriting Non-Fiction Books – Nonfiction category is the category most associated with ghostwriters. This is because it is easy for the ghostwriter to research and write the entire project based on inputs and ideas given by the author. For example, a busy CEO may want to write a book on leadership but may not have the writing skills or time to write a book. So he may hire a ghostwriter and give an outline for the book 74

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along with examples of leadership and case studies. The ghostwriter will then organize the ideas into a neat little book that the CEO can review and either accept or ask for modifications.

Memoirs and Autobiographies – This is another example where popular people like celebrities may want to pen their life story but don’t know how to make the book interesting.

Most popular celebrities and sportspersons hire ghostwriters to write their books.

Business and Technical Books – The best way to be seen as an expert in a subject is to write a book. But too many business and technical experts lack writing abilities. This is another area where the ghostwriter can collaborate with such experts and write a book.

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Fiction Books – There are some authors who hire ghostwriters to write fiction. But this may not be an easy task for a ghostwriter as he or she cannot research the topic. They have to depend on the author to narrate the story, ideas, plots, etc., and then write it in a way that the author is satisfied. Writing fiction requires extensive involvement of the author.

Short-form content - Ghostwriters are also hired to write speeches, blog posts, company documents, proposals, etc.

Now that we’ve covered the reasons why authors hire a ghostwriter, let us now see how much it costs to work with one.

How much do Ghostwriters Cost?

The cost of hiring a ghostwriter varies widely in 76

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the industry. Freelance ghostwriters on services like Fiverr often put their charges as 5 to 7 cents a word, while newbies charge even less. Topnotch

ghostwriters

who

write

for

CEOs,

celebrities, and popular personalities may even charge 50 cents or higher per word. So if their book has 50,000 words the ghostwriter will get $25,000 for the writing project. There may also be several additional costs. For example, if the ghostwriter has to travel every few days to the author’s place for a detailed discussion or have long phone calls he or she may charge extra fees for such activities.

Is Ghostwriting Ethical?

This has been a subject of intense debate over the years. For example, if you have bought a 77

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book of your favorite sportsperson believing he wrote the entire book but later find out it was written by a ghostwriter does this mean the public was misled? Some readers may become angry thinking they have been fooled. But they should not think that way. Your sportsperson may be great at his sport but he may not be an expert writer. So it’s okay if he hires a ghostwriter to write a professional book and share his wisdom rather than write a crappy book himself with full of mistakes and amateur writing.

How to Become a Ghostwriter?

Becoming a professional ghostwriter takes a lot of writing experience, dedication, and strong communication skills. Ghostwriting certainly isn't 78

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

for everyone. But it can be an exciting and rewarding career if you have the time to invest in it and don't mind not getting credit for your work as long as you get paid.

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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.

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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 Charming Cherry Children Health

I

am a cherry and look like a small apple. I am a tiny red delight and lots of fun to eat. I can

help you fight body pains, heart disease and reduce headache. I can also make you sleep well at night and improve your blood pressure. I am also known as brain food and help you quickly finish all your homework and other boring stuff.

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My juice can also help in reducing weight. This is because I am also very light in weight. Tell your mom to buy a bagful of me whenever she goes to the supermarket.

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 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 90

Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

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?

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

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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 93

Self Improvement International – January 2021 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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Self Improvement International – January 2021 Issue

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.

Check out his other unique books.

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