Minimalism - an effective way for better living

 Key words - minimalism, declutter, characteristics, elements

All human beings in this world require some basic necessities - food, shelter and clothing. The necessities will vary depending on the individual concerned – baby, student, house wife, employed family person or senior citizen. Minimalism  can be described as a particular life style  . It is the process of removing  all unnecessary things in life and living with what is actually necessary. It can also be described as  a paradigm and philosophy that can be used to achieve a goal to lead a congenial, happy and tension free life. It cuts down excess consumption and helps to reduce carbon footprint. Even though, minimalism was being practiced time immemorial, its importance has increased in the recent past. 

The advertisement in the print and visual media literally compels public to  consumerism which in turn leads to accumulation of unwanted and unnecessary things.

Buddha says “The less you have, the less you have to worry about.”

Japan is a country having less natural resources compared to its population. As such they practice a life style with simplicity.  People all over the world are now realizing that there is no need of more  material possession to be happy.

Decluttering

Decluttering is the process of throwing out the unwanted stuff  from the house or work place and then donating the extra things which one really do not need to the needy or otherwise dispose them. The best way to declutter the home, work space is to take few small steps at a time. Americans throwaway about 35 kg of clothing every year and on an average every American household has very large number of different items which actually they do not require.

Elements of Minimalism 

It involves using the bare essential things to create a simple and uncluttered space:

-        Limited furniture

-        Limited decorative objects

-        Natural light

-        Monochromatic or neutral color palettes

-        Wall storage provisions that keep the space uncluttered.

B Benefits of minimalism.

-- - Reduced expenses

E-  Easier to clean

-  - Good for the environment

- -  Own higher quality stuff

V- Visual appealing

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Root Cause Analysis - a management tool

                       Root Cause Analysis as a Management Tool

Tags - root cause, reasons, solutions, question/answer

Root cause analysis is a method of problem solving. Its purpose is to identify the basic reasons of the problems and then  take steps to solve it immediately. Also take  necessary steps  to prevent the recurrence of such problems in future. Of course it is very difficult to prevent completely such recurrences.

General Principles of Root Cause Analysis: ( RCA )

RCA is a method of identifying the causes and solving them. Analysis is done after an event has occurred.  RCA can also be used to forecast or predict probable events even before they occur.

General Principles of Root Cause Analysis:

-The purpose of identifying different solutions to a particular problem is to remove it and then to  prevent its recurrence. The solution should be simple and cost effective.

 -There can be more than one root cause for a problem.

 -RCA must be done systematically and in the investigation report the causes must be clearly identified with supporting documents.

 -The analysis should establish the sequence of events and their inter relationships.

-RCA can be done by different approaches: safety-based, production-based, process-based, failure-based, and systems-based.

Approaches

The analysis can be done in different ways. One method is a question-answer session.
Example: Washing machine is not working.

The probable question answer session can be:
When the machine stopped working?
Was there any unusual sound during the working?
Was there sufficient water inflow?
Was the front cover closed properly?
Was the soap powder of recommended quality?
Like that the questions can be increased and its answers found out. The solution may crop up in between.

Synopsis
In short, the root cause analysis comprises the following steps:-
What is the problem?
When it happened?
How the problem happened?
Analyze and find the solution.

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Laughter - the best medicine for all problems

One important feature that makes man different from animal is his ability to laugh.

Just like man, animal also eats, sleeps, quarrels/fights and so on and so forth, but unfortunately can't laugh.

It is being said that laughter is the best medicine. It unloads tension, creates a vibrant and healthy surroundings. Laughter strengthens immune system, boosts mood and helps in reducing  stress. But the laugh must be from the heart and should not serve as a cover up for the emotions.

Now a days there are laughter clubs in many cities. People come together under one umbrella ,laughs and enjoys. Yes, to a certain extent it may be helpful -only thing is that it should not be mechanical as a routine measure.

When we see the acting of a comedian in a movie, we laugh. But what is that which makes one laugh? Have you ever thought about it?

Laughter has the ability to change the moods of a person. His tensions and sorrows are eased.

So gentlemen, utilize every opportunity to laugh and make life happy and gay.

http://raamachandran.com

Mental Peace

 Every human being in this world will be under mental tension at one time or other. Troubles, sorrows, sufferings are part of human life; but how one overcomes these trials and tribulations is more important. Generally there is a tendency to put the blame on others or curse the fate.

The best way to overcome these difficulties is always to think positively. Do not worry about the future nor brood over the past. Pray to God and seek his blessings.

Engage your mind in some activities always. The old dictum 'Idle mind is devil's work shop" is perfectly apt.

Expel from your mind all ill feelings. Visualize only good things and nurture creative thoughts.

http://expertscolumn.com/content/sixtyone61-be-young-sixteen16

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Be young in old age

 

"Time and tide wait for no man” thus goes the old adage. Days roll into months and months to years. We can’t stop the clock ticking.

Human body becomes weak in old age, black hair turns to white, joints become stiff, memory weakens … like that so many problems of old age.

Death is inevitable; that is a fact of life.

However, we can delay the process of ageing and the problems associated with old age can be mitigated to a certain extent. We will be able to lead a healthy, happy and energetic life even after crossing the barrier at 60.

But how? That is a big question. Let us try to get an answer to that.

In brief the answer is - Balanced food, minimum physical exercise, calm and quiet mental disposition. 

Try to  utilize the spare time to serve the society.

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Expectations - the need to have limitations

 

key words- expectations,  dejected, reasonable limits

Every body in this world have their own expectations. A student would like to get maximum marks and pass the examination, he may expect to get a an attractive  job, a senior citizen may be expecting to lead a happy, peaceful retired life,  a politician may be expecting to win the election and get a ministerial berth .... like that never ending expectations.   

But quite often it so happens that, the expectations  get shattered.  One may feel disheartened, dejected and sometimes angry. 

What is the solution? 

Follow this dictum: " Do not have over expectations but keep your expectations with in reasonable limit and try your level best to get  your  expectations fulfilled. 

Also remember that others may not always rise to your expectations. Face the situation boldly with a calm and  cool mental disposition. 

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Onam - the national festival of kerala

 

Onam is the most  important festival of Kerala. This year it falls on 29  August. The festival is being celebrated with full vigor by all sections of the society irrespective of cast, creed or religion. The celebrations last for ten days culminating on thiruvonam day. All family members normally assemble in their ancestral homes and have a grand feast. Ladies enact  special dance program called kaikottikali and youngsters play pulikkali, tug of war, onathallu etc.

The legend behind the onam festival is as follows-

In ancient times, Kerala it was told was ruled by a  king called Mahabali. People were very happy with the rule of the king. There was no theft, cheating  or any type of quarrel among the people. As  per legend, every year King Mahabali visits his kingdom (kerala) in the month of Chingam (August - September) to find out  the wellbeing of his people. Onam is also known as  harvest festival and symbolizes the home coming of king Mahabali.

                                                             King Mahabali

As part of the celebrations,  flowers are  laid in front of houses in  different style and formats(pookkalam) . Children in villages go out early in the morning and pluck the flowers.

 

      Flower arrangement(pookkalam)

                             

                                            Kaikottikali

                                                                                                           Ona sadhya

                                                                                                              

Boat races are generally conducted during the onam period. Nehru trophy boat race is the most popular one. This is usually held in the second week of August at the Punnamada lake in Alappuzha district. Large number of foreign tourists generally come to witness the boat race.

                                                       Nehru trophy boat race

Onakkodi

                                   

Onakkodi (new dresses) is an important part of festival. It is the custom to gift new dresses to all the family members and they are expected to wear these to welcome erstwhile king Mahabali.

Now a days onam is being  celebrated in a grand scale abroad also -  USA , UK, Middle East etc.

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Design and decoration of the interior of a house

 

In good olden days emphasis was given to the exterior of a building whether it is a residential, commercial or a temple/mosque/church building. The construction was carried out using mud, stone or brick. The advent of cement concrete practically brought a revolution in the construction industry. It is now possible to construct a small structure to a multistorey building. In the modern times, the change  in the living style  has given an impetus to the interior decoration of a house. Interior design is an art of enhancing the interior of a building for an aesthetically pleasing environment for the people who are using the space.

Parameters of interior design and decoration

For a family home, functionality and style are the two important parameters.

The family members should get a harmonious and pleasant living environment.

The design in the minimalism parameter involves functional furniture, good natural light and a pleasing color combination. Generally in an ordinary family house, there should be a sit out (portico), sitting, dining, kitchen, bedrooms and toilets. The modern concept is to combine the sitting and dining rooms.

Principles of decoration

Interior design as mentioned earlier is a process  that provides the customers pleasant pleasing, friendly and harmonious environment and also enables a better use of the space. The parameters considered are:

1.    Balance – It is to achieve equilibrium that pleases the eye.

2.    Scale-It deals with the proportions of a room to its decorative fixtures.

3.    Rhythm-Good rhythm can improve interior design spaces.

4.    Contrast-Here contrasting colors are used such as black  and white

5.  Unity – It can be achieved through material choices, furniture size or by creating harmony with the shape selected.

AA sample of furnishing different rooms are given below;

                                                                    

                                                            Sit out

       Living room

                                  

     Dining room

                                       

                                                                 Kitchen

       

 
                                                                     Bed room

Bath cum toilet
                                                                                                              

   

     

                                                               Balcony

Two bed room house

                                             

                                          Plan of 2 bed room house

(composite living, dining, kitchen)

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Happiness - what is it and how it can be attained?

 

Happiness is a state of well being. It  is considered that happiness is more important than acquiring wealth. The basic requirements of any human being are – food, house and dress. All other items are a luxury. The requirements of a person will vary depending on his/her living status as a baby, student, grown up person or a senior citizen. Health plays an important factor in the well being of a person. The old adage “Health is wealth, if health is lost, everything is lost” is perfectly apt. Religious people are observed to be more happy  than non-religious people. It has also been found from a study conducted few years back that happy people live longer than unhappy and discontent people.

Happiness index

Happiness index measures the subjective well being based meeting the basic needs of an individual. Factors contributing to happiness can vary from person to person. However happiness is a term of vague and subjective experience. In July 2011 , The  UN General Assembly adopted a resolution inviting member countries to measure the happiness of their  people and to use the data to guide a public policy.

The factors taken into consideration for calculating Happiness Index are:

-        GDP/capita

-        Social assistance

-        Life expectancy

-        Level of corruption

-        Charity among people

For calculating Happiness Index, people are asked to rate their  own current life style on a scale of 0 to 10.

The happiness is calculated ever year and  the values of 2023 are:

Country               Rank

Finland                   1

Denmark                2

Iceland                   3

USA                      15

U K                       19

China                    64

India                     126

Afghanistan         146

On the basis of observing and studying the habits and traits of happy people, the following rules are formulated to lead a happy life.

1.    Concentrate more on the present rather than the past or future

2.    Cultivate happy thoughts and have a pleasant smiling face

3.    Be satisfied and content with what you have and express your gratitude

4.    Utilize your spare time to do some social work and serve the society

5.    Take balanced food and have sufficient  exercise

6.    Surround yourself with happy people

Citizens of each country differ on various factors like culture, language, religion, political arena, living standard etc. The world happiness day is being celebrated every year on March 20.

Greek philosopher Socrates says

“ The secret of happiness is not found in seeking but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.”

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Lead a happy life with minimum requirements

 

Key words - minimalism, declutter, characteristics, elements

All human beings in this world require some basic necessities - food, shelter and clothing. The necessities will vary depending on the individual concerned – baby, school going child, house wife, student, employed family person or senior citizen. Minimalism  can be described as a particular life style  . It is the process of removing  all unnecessary things in life and living with what is actually necessary. It cuts down excess consumption and helps to reduce carbon footprint. Even though minimalism was being practised in the very early stages,  its importance has increased in the recent past. 

Buddha says “The less you have, the less you have to worry about.”

Japan is a country having less natural resources compared to its population. As such they practice a life style with simplicity. People all over the world are now realizing that there is no need of lots of material possession to be happy.

Decluttering

Decluttering is the process of throwing out the unwanted stuff  from the house or donating the extra things which one really do not need to the needy. The best way to declutter the home, work space and life is to take few small steps at a time. Adult Americans throwaway about 35 kg of clothing every year and on an average every American household has very large number of different items which actually they do not require.

 Minimalism in interior design

( Elements and characteristics)

It involves using the bare essential things to create a simple and uncluttered space:

-        Limited furniture

-        Limited decorative objects

-        Natural light

-        Monochromatic or neutral color palettes

-        Wall storage provisions that keep the space uncluttered.

BBenefits of materialism

-- - Reduced expenses

E-  Easier to clean

-  - Good for the environment

- - Own higher quality stuff

V- Visual appealing

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Effective communication - very essential in the present day world

 

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         Key words: effective communication, language, signs, clarity

A baby cries; mother understands the meaning of the baby’s  cry and then feeds her. A child asks for  food  when he is hungry. A deaf and dumb boy demands food through his gesticulations. A professor teaches the students by explaining the subject matter. It can be seen that basically there is a communication between two or more individuals. So communication can be defined as the process of conveying information through speaking, writing or gesticulation .It can be seen that the medium of communication is the language  - Hindi, Tamil, English, French … In other words, it means that  the speaker and the listener both get the same message from the conversation.

But in the modern world, the means of communication are  News paper, Television, Radio, Social media, Email etc.

 Skill for effective communication

-          Knowledge  of the subject/topic

-          Command over the language

-          Tone of voice

-          Friendliness

Levels of communication

-Intrapersonal

-Group

-Public

-Mass

Essentials of communication

Clarity

Correctness

Courtesy

Conciseness

Communication Tools

Letters, Email, Fax, Telephone, Teleconference

Communication strategies:

Forms of Communication

As mentioned earlier, language is the, medium through which communication is passed. There are a large number of languages like English, Hindi, French, German , Telugu etc. Language is a set of symbols.  It has two forms:

(a)Verbal Communication: In this spoken or written words are used.

 (b) Non-verbal Communication: Sign language and body language are the tools used for this. Charts, photos, symbols – sign language. Hand and leg movements, posture, eye contact- body language.

Effective communication

It is the process of sending the right message   through right channel at the right time.  It is a communication between two or more persons- the sender and  the receiver.  It is a two-way process. The communication will be effective only if the message is understood correctly and the task is accomplished in the desired way.

Link;

https://businessandfinance.expertscolumn.com/how-demonstrate-your-communication-skills-work

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