Public Spark

1. Attempt and accept challenges

   I have always avoided chess up to now because I thought it was too challenging and I didn’t want to put much effort into playing a game. After I watched people play, I realized that I should take up the challenge. I knew that it was difficult, but at the same time you can miss great experiences by making excuses.

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Thank you to all of my loyal Public Spark readers. With your support, Public Spark reached the 1st benchmark of 100 posts! This journey has been an incredible one and I hope you have enjoyed the blogs so far.

Here are the top 8 most popular blogs:

• What everyone ought to know about making mistakes

• Qualities in a Healthy Relationship

• Top 10 things I do to be stress free

• How to manage your time effectively in just 5 steps

• Why do people commit suicide?

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Have you ever had the feeling that a decision felt like the right one, despite the facts? Have you had a hunch that you knew that things were going turn out to be good? Have people told you that no matter how much you know, it’s listening to the gut instincts that can ultimately make you successful? It happens whether it be in relationships, career choices, or in everyday life. You can’t quite put a finger on it and you just know, but can’t explain it. It’s all intuition.

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Reading is one of my favorite past times. It seems like my enthusiasm for reading grew exponentially after I graduated college. I now have more time to read books that I want to read, instead of those assigned to me. These are some of the books on my bookshelf:

BIOGRAPHIES

• Sacred Hoopsby Phil Jackson

BUSINESS

• If you want to be rich, don’t go to school by Robert Kiyosaki

• Complete Idiot’s Guide to Personal Finance in your 20’s and 30’s by Sarah Young Fisher

• Rich Women by Kim Kiyosaki

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• Ask yourself important questions

  What do you want to do with your life? What experience do you hope to gain? Where do you want to live? What is your desired salary to live your idea of a quality life? What is your salary in your field? Part-time or full-time? Benefits? Want to travel? Promotional opportunity? What special skills do you have? Credentials? Special perks?

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• Less to social pressure, yes to shopping procrastination

  There are so many choices of merchandise to choose from and so many ads/ marketing schemes that sellers use to get people to buy. New products are reaching the market at immeasurable speeds. It is easy to want the next latest thing that everyone has. In the tech world, it’s the MacBook Air Lap top, or the iPhone, for example. It’s great to want these things, but understand that the price will drop once the initial fad is over. It’s also worth the wait, even though you don’t get the Ooh’s and Aahh’s of people around you, you’ll have more money in your pocket.

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My parents, along with some of our family friends are avid orchid enthusiasts. After watching their beautiful orchids grow each year, I became more and more interested. Last year, I attended the Orchid Show in Santa Barbara, which displayed a myriad of unique orchid species. There was one that stood out called Oncidium Sharry Baby that actually smelled like chocolate. I also fell in love with the cattaleya’s and bought a few to raise on my own. It is exciting to see them grow and I am looking forward to the flowers blossoming. It is amazing what growing an orchid can teach you. These are a few things that I have learned:

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photo of when I visited Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto, Japan

1. Traveling will broaden your horizons

   Traveling is one of my favorite hobbies because it is always a fun learning experience. You can read about places in books and watch television, but there is something to be said about experiencing any place first hand. One of my most memorable experiences is when I traveled to Japan. My cousins and I visited Kyoto, which is one of the most beautiful places in Japan. It is where modern Japan co-exists with traditional culture. On one street, you will find the bustling city filled with modern stores, electronics and office buildings. When you turn into another street, there are wooden doors, geisha’s walking elegantly and a UNESCO world heritage listed site called the Kiyomizu-dera . It is noted for the vast veranda, supported by multiple pillars that is held together by precision architecture and no nails.

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Sometimes I want energy, but I don’t want to have to go to a gym or go get energy bars. These are the 4 ways that have worked for me.

1. Walking

   I usually like to walk in the morning for about 15 minutes and also after dinner. I enjoy different paths to disrupt monotony and also stay away from busy streets. Sometimes I feel particularly lazy so it helps to have my walking partners for motivational support. AARP and Medicine Net both have information related to the benefits of walking.

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It is so difficult to get away from the internet these days, especially because for some it is their livelihood. But sometimes one can be so absorbed in the “virtual” world that the “real world” can be far away. I, myself am somewhat addicted to the internet. I write blogs, check emails, play games, but I know that I have to take breaks or not be continuously on the internet because it can wear me down.

Here are some techniques that have worked for me:

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