Life's Like that

7 Life Lessons to stay Happy from a Doctor (Remember #4)

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on July 5, 2019 16

Life lessons are tough. At least when you are going through the process. But all lessons have a price and you have to be ready to pay for it. July is a time to look back and see how the first half of the year went by. It’s also a time when we think about what you planned, hoped, what went wrong, what went better than expected, and the plan thereafter.

Today I will tell you about somethings I learned in the first half of 2019, which changed how I looked at life, blogging and the rest.

#1 Do you even know this person?

I learned you hardly know anyone in the online space. It’s easy to create a fictitious persona, make-believe qualifications, and make believe relations. While some fiction is noteworthy signs of creativity others border on the grey verging on black. With cyber laws and cybersecurity what they are in India, you still have limited options of being safe.

Facebook group and whats app group admins, especially need to be careful. If someone is a co-admin and does something against the policy of these platforms, you as a co-admin may face action, depending on how severe the issue is. The minimum being, losing your accounts. For that matter, you hardly know anyone for real. But online it’s even easier to fake it. Trust is often misused.

I have started checking LinkedIn and other professional networking sites ,for more understanding about the person who I work with.I hope you have added your qualifications and professional details in LinkedIn.

Instagram, Facebook, and Whatsapp all facing outages, with the news trending on Twitter. Funny memes showing how Twitter surviving flooded my timeline. The many people who have built up their business and workplace on borrowed land of Instagram stress about whether it was them or everyone.

A Tweeter friend, talked about how she had switched on and off the wifi, the phone, logged in and out of Insta and lost her cool, till she found Instagram outage, a trending topic on Twitter! This, we have all faced at some point or other.

#2 Continue learning: Online courses and adult education

I managed to finish one course on Cousera, complete the basic blogging course by Blogchatter’s Credibility program and doing my homework for Creative writing course. July brings the Videoblogging course from Blogchatter. This year is turning out to be full of fun education. I am also doing a course by Pat Flynn(he gifted me this SPI pro theme).

Adult education is important. Keep learning. Thats the best way to do your best always.
Dr.Amrita basu

#3 Reading makes you Smart:Books, Books, and More books

Reading makes you smarter and there’s scientific research to back that.I am reading the book Blog by numbers.I finished Write edit Promote, Geethica’s book on Delhi’s cafes and conversation, Dare eat that .I am reading a lot of medical books and missing out on fiction. But that’s going to change this month. I have plans. I finally finished, the This is marketing by Seth Godin and still deciding whether I should do a blog post review, video review, or both. I wish I could clone myself.

#4 Don’t shave the Yak is something Seth Godin said and remembering it, prevented a very expensive mistake

I am getting my sixth book Nutrition secrets ready for its kindle avatar, and I am glad I could do this with the help of Blogchatter ebook festival, for the third year in a row. If you are blogging anywhere check out this platform which understands your pains as few do.

My new book busting some popular Nutrition myths, coming up soon!

#5 Working is serving God:On the work front

I am now a self-employed professional, I talked about it during my June half-yearly review post. I love the flexibility it has given me. As a woman, I have always been looking for financial freedom, and I started earning by giving tuitions early in life. My sister helped find students for me who were mostly her friends. I even worked as a shop assistant briefly during the summer holidays, after class twelves, while I awaited my results. Didn’t have a smartphone, computer, or the money to buy one. Blogging on the phone or otherwise was not known. Neither was digital entrepreneurship even in the vocabulary. You had to be physically present everywhere, and that made things difficult. But now once I have discovered it, I realized, the internet is powerful. It opens up opportunities not present in the location. It allows transactions previously not possible.

#6 Writing is therapy: From the Blogging, writing editing world

I reviewed the PDFELEMENT, and this video will tell you about my favorite feature. I am exploring more vlogging options, platforms hacks, and of course podcasting. Just needed to calm down before going full throttle. Google is making everyone crazy with their updates, and I stopped checking.

I am doing some Medical content editing and it’s good work. It meets my skill sets, qualifications and passions perfectly. Never knew there was a requirement for this kind of academic writing in India, till I was approached. Good that there are many ways, to work and earn online. The secret is to keep working and persisting.

#7 Nature imparts wisdom: Wisdom from under the Mango tree

Nothing is definite. Someone you thought was gold, had chipped golden paint. Someone who thought beyond redemption was forgiven. There’s a way of going forward, without allotting blame, without knowing and confirming who is right and wrong, as long as it’s not illegal or criminal.

Tolerating nonsense to avoid confrontation, is always a bad choice. Because even if no one else knows, you know. If you don’t have an opportunity to correct a wrong, breathe and leave cold or appear to do so. Don’t rant, rave and threaten. Do what you have to do.

You can only try your best and pray for the rest.

So what’s next in July?Plenty.I am cleaning up the balcony garden and deciding what I want to do next. I am thinking a lot, and that needs to be streamlined with more action.

The little one is learning a lot of difficult to spell Bengali words. I am enjoying being a mother. It’s fun and a chance of making a difference in the future, where I may not be present

What you teach as a mother, stays!

A half Yearly Review (Life’s Like that series)

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on June 19, 2019 25

Six months into 2019 and I am shocked at the changes happening in my life. I have resigned from my job as a medical teacher and now self-employed as a private practitioner, less juggling and simpler life. This series of life’s like that (inspired by Reader’s Digest), will bring you up to date with what’s happening on my work and play life.

Professional life

While growing up, I had plans of forever being a medical teacher. Its the coolest profession. You treat patients and also train future doctors. But God always has plans for you. If not for that job, I would never have understood, how people live and work in small towns and villages in India. Some things we take for granted, like a movie night at the cinema hall is not possible. But you can have a calmer life.

Writing and Blogging

But then life gives you a curve ball, and you can enjoy the game or feel frustrated. I am just glad I can still do everything I wanted, and my writing goes on. With all the upheavals, writing and blogging, are cool stabilizers. Just like your BFF, my blog is a friend with an easy familiarity, wherever I relocate. Something about a virtual home agrees with me. I like the location-independent nature of digital work.

While I love writing and blogging, the economics of it is always something I enjoy researching. I am picky about the work I do, online and offline. Picky about quantity and quality. Anything I do needs to keep me at peace with myself. That’s the research which is going on even now.

If you want to keep up with what’s happening in the health scene worldwide, click the green button below quickly!

Featured post

How is the Health of the Nation: The report is an eye-opener!

Health of the Nation Report — Apollo Pro Health

The best part about self-employment is, you can adjust how much to work and can adjust your holidays according to school vacations. You also can plan your life better, or that’s what I am hoping. The next update will have more understanding of how this is working out.

Politics, Violence and Social Health

With Indian election drama, keeping us entertained, this half of the year seems a little empty of scheduled drama, but that’s okay. I am sure things will come up to entertain us.

The Doctor’s protest last week which was withdrawn yesterday has given all of us in the medical fraternity a lot of insight. Maybe we can all work together as a society, to make health and healthcare better for all, rather than a blame game.

Exercise and Wellness

The intense sweaty West Bengal summers, make keeping up exercise schedules crazy. Walking and yoga with my daughter is the only thing I can manage. This we started together some time back to help her concentrate more, and it seems to be working. Good thing schools are doing their part, to make yoga and meditation a part of the activity.

Relaxation and Travel

After coming back from our holidays at a tea resort in Darjeeling hills, the summers of the plains seem suffocating. But, its mango season and living in a district with plenty of mango orchards, ripe mangoes are a daily treat. I am just trying to avoid bingeing and enjoy a few slices without obsessing about how yum they are. Something about fruits fresh from the garden, that tastes different. They are firmer, juicier, more flavorsome and tastes so much better than any supermarket cling film wrapped fruit.

We visited an organic farm last Sunday. The farmer is an ex-cop who decided to explore organic farming to bring wholesome nutrition possible for his family and friends. We got organic red rice and black rice from the farm. The red rice took some time to cook, but tasted amazing with an interesting nutty flavor. He has plans of making this big and we have become permanent customers!

There’s a local handicrafts and farmers market type, fair going on, where I go for two reasons every year.

1)To stock up on pickles. They are high on salt and sugar and is not healthy. But do have a good dose of probiotics. Not recommended for everyone.

2)I also go to buy beautifully handmade crochetted table covers, cushion covers.

Books, Gardening and Plans

I published my sixth book with Blogchatter ebook and doing the creative writing course with them. It’s a learning experience.

In the next part of the year,I want to garden more and exercise more.

Travel to relaxing gateways is making us happy. But we want quick flight destinations. That’s a problem from Kolkata sometimes. But my wishing chair is getting ready, and one day we hope to travel as fast as we wish. I received this tag fro Damyanti and passing on the baton to Mahathi. What are you doing, this side of 2019? Let me know in the comments below.

What I learned from the Great Indian Election Result Frenzy (Life’s like that series)

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on May 26, 2019 4

There’s a good reason your voting rights are private. It should remain so. But in this maha election season, one can’t but write about elections in India. In all the years I have voted, I can’t remember one time when there was as much drama, Movies made, interviews were given and unproven accusations thrown left right and everywhere.

The Election this year has loads of rhetorics and even more suspense. Who is paying taxes and where?

Who took money from whom?

Who made China ban a known terrorist?

Who is a Britsh citizen (Alia Bhatt and her mom ) and who is an Indian citizen seems all in the potpourri of election entertainment.

International and national stars and starlettes providing the much-needed glamour this election season.

The country has voted and the Indian rich or poor, in big cities or small towns, young or old have given their verdict. This year I am breaking my rule about no politics on the Blog.

After all, Bengalis love chai, adda, and politics and I can’t but help write about it. I am really happy, that this year a record number of women MPs will enter parliament. Without representation, there’s little scope for equal rights.

I voted and spent the weekend glued to the exit poll predictions. Time spent with zero work done! But I understood why televisions obsessively followed the Prime minister to Kedarnath.

What I learned from the Great Indian Election Frenzy

Social media especially Twitter is a favorite amongst many politicians. Their rants and rudeness, give a good idea about their thought process.

The entire world is watching you every second of your day if you are online. Its a great thing and the stuff horror films are made of.

You need courage, even to tweet, in some parts of the country.

The social media fake news attack can be dangerous for law and order. So everyone needs to be responsible.

Whatsapp groups do their own campaigning in the privacy of their groups.

Strong opposition and dissent, are important in a democracy. Poor opposition is no fun!

Politeness and good behavior are important from the top down, at all levels.

Violence in any form should be strongly dealt with.

The only language people will respond to, in the new India is that of development and going forward together!

The Indian election commission should take a bow!

There is no need to look at history, with rose-tinted glasses. Then we risk repeating our mistakes. Partition happened and it broke everyone’s heart. Anyone who wants to divide India is only looking after their own interest. A house divided is weak.

What bloggers can learn from the Indian Election Result.

Focus on your own message and not on oppositions.
Stay true to your own brand message.
Don’t try to please everyone. You can’t.
Use social media like a ninja. Twitter works!
Be responsible while making your promises and rhetorics.
Always dream big and stay humble.
Read a lot.
Keep your ears close to the ground. Keep a watch on trends.
Remember your roots. Write what you know.
When you are creating content you are helping someone, somewhere in this world. It’s after all about a service. Keep serving and never stop writing.
Remember the people you step on while climbing up. Rest assured they will remember on your way down.
Keep your friends close and always thank your enemies when you win. Everyone helped make you a winner!

[bctt tweet=”Keep your friends close and always thank your enemies when you win. Everyone helped make you a winner! #Healthwealthbridge” username=”misra_amrita”]

What I want from the leaders

Democracy is precious. We the people need to have our rights. We also need to remember our duties.

In Indian elections, all parties have a shipload of money. It’s a mega-budget festival. Can we make it online for those who can do so and skip the expenses to some extent?

Can we demand each of the candidates to email their work done for the constituency, with the proof before they ask for votes?

Can we ask the new entrants, to give us a glimpse into their work for social, community causes and charity if any?

Can we know on what basis, each deserves the tickets they get? Can there be a fair chance of receiving a ticket to be an MP for all deserving citizen?

Can we ask for a competitive exam, to check whether they are eligible?

Can we please have accountability in all sectors?

Will, someone talk about India’s uncontrolled population and why that will collapse all economic measures if not addressed?

A small blog and an even smaller ability to make a difference. But I can try. So can you. Why not tell your leaders what you want from them? They just might listen!

Something more for you to read!

Parmanu movie:My Thoughts on Pokhran

Prayers for our soldiers & duties we have

Phulwama:Speak the language they understand

Mission Shakti

RAAZI

URI

How to Build Good habits: Quick,Easy & Painless (Psychology hacks)

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on January 21, 2019 22

When I was small my parents subscribed to the Readers’ Digest magazine. That was a close second to the favorite monthly subscription. Sandesh a Bengali monthly for children and young adults was my favorite.

Sandesh was as interesting as the name. Its a word for a type of famous cottage cheese Bengali sweets and the magazine was stuffed with goodies. It was first founded by Upendrakishore Ray and has since then been in the family. If you have grown up in the nineties Kolkata, you will know all about it.

I have fond memories of finishing my homework, before settling down with Sandesh post lunch on Sundays. Sandesh had all things dreamy. Stories, mysteries, poems, contests, everything which inspired creative thinking. That’s when my storytelling skills started germinating.

I used to doodle a lot too. But before my daughter started drawing, I had stopped doodling 20 years back. The fun of making a cute doodle is not something which can be expressed in words. We do landscapes, watercolors paint pots and planters. The best part of all this is the smile of innocence and extreme joy I see on her face when we share our colors. She understands the joy of creating.

She is six but she understands. I think that’s one work as a parent you and me and all of strive to do. To make them understand what makes happiness.

Is it things?

Is it the people?

Or is it a balance of everything?

When I read the Readers Digest magazine, I learned about people all over the world. Those who overcame obstacles.The power of the mind.The power of trying. The never giving up mantra! Try, try and try again, till you succeed.

[bctt tweet=”If the story needs a different ending, rewrite it.But get it done .#Healthwealthbridge” username=”misra_amrita”]

Life doesn’t happen the way we plan, but it’s the fun you have living, that’s important. Have fun living, learning, growing, because once you stop learning, it’s over! This life you have, is for a reason, make it count.

5 Steps to make Good Habits the way Successful people do

Focus on something simple, like drinking one extra glass of water in the morning.
Choose when you do it every day.7 am every morning, one extra glass. of water.
Every day when you get up if it’s not 7 am, do it when you get up. Just one glass.
Then you gradually change the cue. When you get up from a sitting or lying down position, you drink water.
After ten weeks it will become automatic and you should able to do it without thinking

You did it. You made one new habit. Do everything to make one healthy habit every day! A healthy life is a blessed life.

Want to start including Probiotic food in your diet?

Start easy and small. Check whether natural sources are available locally. If not, learn to make homemade yogurt or safe fermented food. But that can be like shaving the yak for some. So focus on small steps.
Include it daily in your diet, by planning one meal or snack with a helping of probiotic food.
Remember to take it daily.
If you are a supplement person. Choose a good brand. Check the best before date and the kind of organisms present and take it with your lunch every day.

Are you creating powerful habits which make you grow? Get my Ebook. It’s free on #Kindle unlimited and free for download on 23^rd January 12 am PST to 12 pm PST!

Want to read more?

Read one page every day at 6 pm.
Wherever you are, read a book. A paperback or an ebook.Just one page.
Do it for ten weeks you will be reading more.

Are you a student? Want to revise more before exams?

Every day at 9 pm revise one chapter of a subject you studied the day before. This way not only will you recall better, but revision is also effortless. Read my study tips for more help.

If you want to make an effort to start and make good habits effortless. Just get this Google sheet Habit tracker to make creating good habits easy. No sign up needed. Click and save a copy. Use it to build your power habits. Let me know in the comments below what habit you want to build first?

Read: 7 Habits for Success

Lessons Children Learn :#ThankfulThursday

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on January 17, 2019 6

If you remember your childhood, you will remember the time you were scolded and the times you had fun.

The in-between parts get lost.Memories are funny things. You recollect the ones which are special or terrifying. But what if you could bookmark or pin your memories?Like the pinned tweet or Fb post?

Would it help to have a bookmarking or pinning option in the brain?

Do you have one? Do you have a way to recall and enjoy those summer holiday memories?

What about the winter picnic and visit to the zoo? Do you take those memories out, dust them and cherish them like the jewels in your locker? Few of us do. But when I spend a lazy afternoon with my daughter creating a colorful chart or decorating the cake I hope she will bookmark this memory.

When she spends time making hundreds of cards for her friends, I hope she will remember this joy of making your own cards to gift. Children learn all the good things and the bad things from you first. As the adult in the relationship, you will need to know what’s right and what’s not. As an adult, you need to recall the good things you learn, the frameworks that worked and do the right thing.

But is it that simple?

A few days back my daughter woke up scared.It was a nightmare. The next night she was apprehensive while going to sleep.

I told her.

Plan the dream you want to see in your brain and pin it inside your head. Then go to sleep.

My six year old understands this language and didn’t complain of another nightmare after that.

Why this was important is, I was having disturbed sleep for a few days. While giving her this dose of mommy wisdom, I recalled exactly how I used to sleep well even during stressful exams. I am sleeping better now.

It’s in the mommy wisdom mode that some of my favorite posts have bloomed. Like the Superwoman post and writing a letter to the universe. They were fun topics to write about and things I believed in. That’s why your brain needs a thought processer, a bookmarking system. Till then I am writing it down on the blog. What children learn has a lot to do with you. Give yourself loads of love.

Have a wonderful middle of the week. Comment below to let me know whether you would like to bookmark your brain?

This is what I learned in 2018: Life’s like that in Review

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on January 1, 2019 10

A year in review is enlightening. I like writing more about positive stuff than negatives.ButTim Ferris wrote something which struck a chord. In his newsletter, he mentions about reviewing the hits and misses in the year gone. Your experiences all teach a lesson. The lessons you learn from your experience will help you chart a clearer course. That’s called wisdom.

That’s why even the negatives I write about are not negative. They are lessons in disguise.For me and maybe for you.

This is what I did in 2018

I hosted the Super Blogger Challenge with the super hardworking Dr.Bushra.We started supersocialbiz with a plan.

I published 3 Books this year. From Nutrition Secrets series; Probiotic and Life: Probiotic Food (Nutrition Secrets part 3).
With the Blogchatter Ebook challenge, I started my Blogging in India book series.I published a book on Starting a Successful Blog and 7 Blogging Challenges for a successful Blog You will read a lot of how to, shortcuts from bloggers who write only on blogging. But what I share is for regular people who want to start blogging the no-nonsense way. Absolutely no one tells you how it is 90% times and the ten percent who do tell you are the people who have tried, tested and decided to share their stories. How do you know whether what they are claiming is true?
Check their blog. Look at their site traffic and you will know what I am talking about. If you are already a blogger, you obviously know this. If not, this is a heads up.

Favorites in 2018

My top 5 picks for most helpful blogs are:

Amylynnandrews.com
Smart Passive income blog Tim Ferris’s Blog
Blogaid.net
Seth’s Blog

My Favorite Podcasts

Amy Porterfield
Tim Ferris
Semrush

I also started my own Podcast on Anchor and started working on my Youtube Channel.

My Favourite platforms who helped

Blogchatter
Indiblogger
Write Tribe

I grew as a blogger with their help.

Favourite Book

Big Magic

Life’s lessons from 2018

People are what they are. You are not going to change their nature.I made mistakes while choosing whom to work with. By God’s grace chaos was prevented peacefully. Sometimes work ethics don’t match, and that’s okay. What’s not okay is getting bulldozed. Try to find common ground if that doesn’t work, make a clean break.

You must ignore FOMO(fear of missing out) if you want things to make sense. I may have missed out on a few things. But that’s part of the plan.No one can do everything all the time. You need to see what makes you happy. For me, writing makes me happy. Being faithful to my vocation makes me happy. Sharing my professional knowledge (I am a medical doctor with an MBBS and MS in ENT-Head Neck surgery) to help promote everyday healthy living.

It’s not okay to promote controversial unproven healthcare, nutrition, or financial articles.
As a blogger, you are a potential celebrity. You have a real responsibility of keeping this profession authentic, the rest, as they say, is your choice. Just remember you may one day be reading an article, just like that. If you still want to do, please give proper disclosure and disclaimers.

Keep writing no matter what. I wrote at the New Delhi airport while waiting for a connecting plane. I wrote at a small hotel at Chota Mangwa while drinking cups of fragrant Darjeeling tea. I wrote when I was happy, sad, busy, tired, overwhelmed. I just wrote. It helped me, and I always hope it helps you. That’s still the number one goal of my blog
Helping people.

When you think you know people, they surprise you with something unexpected. Then you would want to hug them or run from them. I got both types this year.

When you want something it’s easier to do something about it, than crib about how no one is helping you.

Opposites attract and birds of a feather both are true. I still haven’t found the best explanation for this.

The only way to exercise the brain is to challenge it. That’s what I do every time I try something new.

I realized why editing is so difficult. As humans, we don’t like looking at our own mistakes. We like it even less when others point it out.

My hubby is my best friend for the last eighteen years and because of him, life’s easier. More news soon. This review post is going crazy. How can you review hours of work into a few words? Life’s lessons I hope I learn better and not repeat the same.

My word of the year: Productive.

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