Know When to Hit the Delete Button

Being a fan and a user of modern technology, my Dad has always had a certain attraction for tablets, smartphones, and computers of all sorts. What is interesting though, is that the first question my dad always asks when dealing with any new device is: “Where is the delete button?”

I always found that rather strange and off course, however, my dad always insist on learning how to delete software, e-mails, messages, applications, etc. It is like he has a passion for deleting things out of his devices. We have even created a family inside joke where each time my dad touches a new device we ask “Where is the delete button?”

At one point I couldn’t help but ask my dad why it was important for him to know how to delete things. My dad’s answer was: “Anything that is needless or useless only becomes an extra burden on the device, when more and more useless things accumulate, the device will slow down and eventually start malfunctioning”, then he added “Son, you need to do the same with life matters if you want to live happily”.

My dad’s words got engraved in my mind and for a long time I gave this some serious thinking; it is normally not easy for us to let go of things or people. We tend to hold on to memories of all sorts, dwell on annoying and negative matters and get emotionally attached places, belongings, and individuals, even if we know that this attachment is not a healthy one. Successful people know the trick to avoiding and getting read of such an overload of negative, useless factors, be it emotions, material things, or even people in our lives; they know when to press the Delete button.

 Below are what I call the I.F.D steps to identifying, filtering and deleting all the daily stress causers and negativity magnets that if undetected, will pile up in our subconscious and cause us to malfunction:

1.    Identify

Many times we feel annoyed, upset, or nervous but we can’t really put our fingers on the reason behind this feeling. All we know is that we are in a “Don’t touch” mode and are ready to backfire at anyone who talks to us.

It is extremely important that we isolate ourselves when such feelings are taking over and turn our identification meter on to verify the reason(s) behind this feeling. We can simply go over the events that happened with us for the day or earlier than that when needed and scan every moment until we identify the real reasons that caused us to feel this way.

2.    Filter

Now that you have put your fingers on a reason or a list of reasons that are causing the stress or the negative feeling, it is time to ask yourself and answer a set of questions that will help you filter and narrow down that list to the minimum that you need to focus on. I always find the following questions to be useful in guiding me to what I need to filter out:

·       Is this issue / person in the circle of control or no control?

·       Did I understand the issue / person correctly?

·       Is there anything that I can do now to change this situation?

·       Is this issue / person of any value or meaning to me?

·       Is this issue / person standing in the way of my growth and progress?

3.    Delete

Once you have answered the questions mentioned earlier you will be able to better decide what issues you can simply delete and not occupy yourself with.

My advice to you is not to sweat the small things. Life is wonderful and it gets even better when we know when to use the delete button.

Thank you dad for teaching me how and when to delete what I don’t need.

8 Ways to Unclog Your Brain

Our “modern” lifestyle of technology and state of the art communication tools and techniques comes with a hefty price that each one of us pays. Using the internet, cellphones, tablets, smart TVs, smart watches, etc. to get our day to day needs and businesses done has become an unquestionable part of the day to day life.

Recent studies show that the average person receives the data equivalent of 174 newspapers on daily basis. It is no wonder then that the majority of people suffer from data overload which leads to a syndrome that I like to call a Brain Clog.   A mental or brain clog can lead to very unhealthy outcomes that will reflect negatively on our lives. I would like to share with you 8 ways that can help you unclog your brain and reset it back to a fresh start.

1. Spend some time alone

Spending time alone can be of great health advantage when practiced moderately and appropriately. We all need a healthy dose of “me time” where we get to think clearly and away from any external distractions. Once we isolate all external data, take a few steps back and focus on the voice inside, we get to see the full picture in a clearer way.

          2.   Get on a speech fast

Yes, you read that right; a speech fast. All doctors recommend a food fast for a healthy body cleanse and a good detox process. What is interesting is that several studies in recent years have proven that staying silent for a period of time has beneficial effects on the human thinking ability and decision making process. Do not hesitate to do a speech fast for 24 hours and see how you will feel the day after.

    3.   Talk to yourself

No, talking to yourself is not a sign of insanity as many people may joke about it. When we speak our thoughts out loud we come to a better sense of the pattern of our thinking and a better understanding of our emotions. This might even – in many cases – help us find solutions for the different day to day challenges.

4.   Enjoy some silence

Silence reinstalls the state of balance in us, be it mentally, spiritually or physically. In addition, silence allows the different thoughts that are buried in the subconscious to surface and be released. With such a busy lifestyle we all need a moment of silence and peace to regroup and get back on track. Make a habit of setting a minimum of 10 – 15 minutes a day for a session of silence and peace and you will notice the difference for yourself.

5.   Rewind your day

After a long busy day it is very helpful to mentally go over the events of the day you just had and evaluate each part of it. Rewinding the day in our minds can also help us discover and / or remember certain details that we did not pay attention at the moment they happened.

6.   Perform a Mental Dump

This is one of my favorite and most helpful habits that I have developed along the years. With so much data input coming to us on constant basis, there are so many appointments, reminders, to do tasks, phone calls, choirs, etc. to remember on daily basis. Leaving the office with such amounts of data overload on your mind can result into a restless rest of the day.  Before you leave the office dump all of this data on a piece of paper in the form of organized points and leave your mind stress free for you will still keep track of all you needed to remember the day after. I do my mental dumps on daily basis to the extent where it has become a second nature for me to do them.

 7.   Take a mental break

Just like any other muscle or organ in our body, our brain needs rest as well. Daily short mental breaks can be of great benefits to the overall capacity and performance power of our brain. Find a few minutes every day we you simply sit by yourself and switch off. Try for a few minutes tp clear your thoughts and simply think of nothing. This can be practiced by imagining a cloudy sky clearing of clouds little by little until the sky becomes clear blue with bright sunshine. While practicing this short session of meditation, make sure that you take deep inhales and exhales.

  8.   Treat yourself

You have heard it said: “In life, you have to stop and smell the roses”, and I’m here to urge you to make a practice of it. Life is not all about e-mails, schedules, deadlines and other commitments. Treating yourself to a vacation or to something that you like or have been wanting, pays off. Our brains and bodies enjoy treats and reset themselves to fresh start after a good break or treat.