Do you know how to inspire yourself by saying the right things? Yes, that’s auto- suggestion – harness its power to stay happy I f you have told yourself to relax, focus, breathe, take it easy – you are using auto-suggestion. Auto- suggestion is the easiest way to re- programme our subconscious mind. In fact, each of us has used auto-sugges- tion at some point in our lives. The prob- lem is most of us use it to focus on neg- ative things rather than positive ones. For e.g. we say, “I am tired”, “I am use- less”, and then wonder why we actual- ly feel that way. It has been said in ancient texts that, “The power of life and death lies in the tongue”. This means, words are so powerful that they can either build or destroy you. So, we’d rather use words to focus on positives instead of negatives. Energy flows where atten- tion does. If you think you are ugly, that is how you will be and if you think you are smart, confident and beautiful, that is how you will appear and your body language will show it. The simplest way to harness the power of auto-suggestion is positive affirmations. These are powerful and positive sentences that we constantly repeat in our mind and heart till they get embedded in our subconscious mind. The power of auto-suggestion is enormous and it can be used in health, healing, prevention, relation- ships or career in a huge way. Make it a part of your life and it will help you live better. Times Life “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” LEO TOLSTOY, AUTHOR 03 B etween living an “insta-wor- thy life” and sharing thoughtful words, the in- ternet is no longer the same space it was some years ago. Trolls, bullies and negativity spread- ers are all over the online world. We have all faced them many times when we are online. Cyber bullying is some- thing which has impacted celebrities in a big way too. What’s the anti-bullying tool? Now, in a move to fight the negativity and re-establish itself as a space that pro- motes positivity, the pop- ular photo-sharing space recently launched new guidelines to tackle the problem of trolling for its users. By launching its ‘anti-bullying tool’, Insta- gram aims to make people reconsider what they want to comment before ac- tually hitting the comment button, thereby curbing online abuse. Insta has most likely decided to add this feature as it has been facing flak for the lack of privacy and the rise in cases of bullying reported online – con- sidering a large population, especially teens and people in their 20s spend a lot of time online. The new feature does not stop people from making negative comments, but it gives them the opportuni- ty to “undo” the message before it is posted. Earlier too, the site rolled out a feature to curb bullying but it didn’t help much. TNN POLISH YOUR SKILLS POSITIVE PLAY Q What are the questions that we should steer clear of in a conver- sation even if it is with our relatives and close friends? – A Curious Learner A. Hi, that’s a pertinent question and people need to know what they shouldn’t ask people. Check these points. “ARE THEY REAL (NAILS, TEETH, HAIR, ETC)?”: It can be totally embarassing for the person at the receiving end to hear this. In case you need the information for health rea- sons, phrase it like this, “I’m consider- ing getting my tooth gap filled and won- dered if you knew a good cosmetic den- tist?”. However, when the information is volunteered by the person concerned, it’s alright for you to ask questions. “CAN YOU AFFORD IT?”: Unless you are the one paying, it’s not your place to know how others spend their money. Asking someone if they can afford something can make the other person think that they are not affluent enough to buy a particular thing. The comment is offensive, so don’t say it. By Sunaiinaa A Hak, etiquette guide Expert SPEAK LIFE SKILLS THE POWER OF ‘auto-suggestion’ Instagram has a new anti-bullying feature! ■ DEADLY BITES, ANIMAL PLANET, 3.00 PM: Wildlife cameraman Brad Bestelink plans to dive into the crocodile-infested waters of the Okavango Delta to study the wild creature’s behaviour. ■ MAN VS. WILD, DISCOVERY CHAN- NEL, 5.00 PM: Bear is marooned on a desert island south of Papua New Guinea. To make his escape, he wades across a shark-infested tidal channel and constructs a bamboo windsurfer. ■ DEADLY SUMMER, NAT GEO WILD, 7.00 PM: A zebra and her foal risk their lives crossing the crocodile- infested Mara river. ■ WILDLIFE: BORN IN AFRICA, NA- TIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL, 8.00 PM: The film-maker explores the African wild in extreme detail. ■ JACK THE GIANT SLAYER, SONY PIX SD, 3.35 PM: A young lad uninten- tionally rekindles an ancient war between the humans and a race of giants. In the midst of all this, he continues to pursue his lady-love as he tackles the giants. ■ PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE, MOVIES NOW, 5.50 PM: Dusty Crophopper is a celebrity racer with a fantastic career. He trains to become a cer- tified firefighter too. MOVIES ON TV TELEVISION MUST DO MUST SEE JULY 23, 2019 ■ 2012, HBO, 8.00 PM: Jackson Curtis, a discontented writer bat- tles against all odds to keep his family secure when a series of apocalyptic calamities threatens to decimate humankind. How he manages to get going despite all the challenges is the crux of the story. 1555: Humayun reconquered Delhi after defeating Sikandar Suri. 1829: William Burt patented typographer, which was the first typewriter. 1872: African American inventor Elijah McCoy was granted a patent for lubricators for steam-engines. 1904: The Great Indian Peninsula Railway started first class restaurant cars on its trains. 1904: The ice cream cone was invented by Charles E Menches. 1906: Indian revolutionary Chandra Shekhar Azad was born. 1927: Daily radio transmission broadcast- ing in India started the first commer- cial radio station – the Bombay Radio Station. 1972: US launched Landsat 1 (ERTS- 1) - first Earth-resources satellite. 2015: NASA's Kepler mission announced the discovery of Earth-like planet Kepler-452b. 2018: First graphic novel to be nominated for a major literary prize was "Sabrina" by Nick Drnaso for the Booker long list. I n a world where we wake up to dozens of reminders that begin buzzing even before we snooze our alarms, making sure that work doesn’t spill over to the following week seems like a feat. But sailing through the many dis- tractions and getting more done in a day is a craft that one can be trained in. Planning guru David Allen gives us pointers on how to maximise time and keep life running smoothly. Allen’s mantra “People think I am very organised,” says David Allen, the best-selling au- thor of ‘Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity.’ He adds, “But that’s not true, I am very lazy. If I have to make the effort to leave this room, I would have already figured out the shortest way possi- ble. How I eventually go about it, is a different story.” This candid con- fession from a professional time management guru would seem sur- prising, but Allen has a theory. “Be- ing busy and being productive are two separate things.” Surprised? He has the right tips to make you un- derstand and follow his philosophy. One thing at a time “In American football, there is only one underlying principle – where’s the goal, and what’s the next play,” quips Allen. “Similarly, once you have that to-do list in front of you, you narrow down your goals or the things that you wish to accomplish by the end of the day. Then you come with the best possi- ble plan or play, that will help you achieve that goal,” adds Allen. For in- stance, if you need to do a holiday project, break it into simple steps – firstly, get your points in order, then, plan a de- sign scheme and then get going. This way you are following a plan and not wasting time mulling over it. There is usually an inverse re- lationship between how much something occu- pies your mind and how much work gets done. Prioritise to organise When you have figured out your to-do list, you need to set your priorities. “I am a people pleaser. I want people to like me. Saying no is something that’s tough for me. But maybe if you practice saying no for about 150 times – the 151st time may not be as hard,” says Allen.This policy to priortise and eliminate distrac- tions will help you clear your mind and you will be able to fo- cus on achieving your goals in a set time. TAKE STOCK OF THE WEEK Every week or fortnight, allocate some time to review your to-do list. Many diligently maintain their daily calendar – be it making a phone call to a distant cousin, or buying stationery. Then, there are some who believe in the bigger picture – where they plan their annual holidays, or their work goals for a year. But, there is a lot of time that lies in between the daily list and the larger goal one. This is where taking stock on a weekly basis helps. Time is the biggest assest of life as time gone is gone forever. Checks these tips to manage it efficiently Get it out of your head It’s simple, write it down – any- where. It can be a sticky note, notepad or your daily planner. “That’s the most common mis- take that people make and it hampers their productivity. They keep everything in their head. Our brain is not equipped to deal with the 450 things that we need to accomplish. It can barely hold on to four-five things,” shares Allen. Jot down everything, from daily chores to important events. Time management tips you didn’t know Single-minded engagement After eliminating dis- tractions and review- ing your goals, you have placed your tasks in categories: immediate, later or never, you can now channel your efforts in stay- ing 100 per cent focused on what you’ve set for yourself. “The idea is to keep your mind completely clutter-free and focus on the task at hand. You are the one in absolute control of what you want to accomplish.” SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS IT’S PRETTY ‘RESTRICTING’ Instagam’s new fea- ture, called “restrict” will work by analysing the comment which people leave and then issuing them a warn- ing. The social media site’s Artifical Intelligence will work to recognise the texts and posts which are most often reported by users. Example: If a person types “you are dis- gusting”, he/she will be interrupted with a notice saying: “Are you sure you want to post this?” It gives you a chance to rethink! TECHNIQUES FOR AUTO-SUGGESTION 1. DELETE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS: Start paying atten- tion to your self-talk. Whenever you catch yourself in negative self-talk, especially internal dia- logue that expresses fear, doubt, or self-loathing, delete or erase it. Then replace it with more encouraging positive words. 2. USE AFFIRMATION: Positive affirmations are so much more than just feel-good quotes and positive statements. 3. USE REPETITION: Use repeti- tive tasks as an opportunity for programming self with auto-sug- gestion. For instance, people can use time in the shower, while eat- ing, or commuting for affirmations. 4. USE EMOTIONS: In order to make auto-suggestion work, it must trigger feelings. The more meaningful auto-suggestion is to you, the more effective it is. 5. STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH: Sit comfortably in a quiet space – your home, garden, etc. Pick a goal to focus on. Relax your body and take long deep breaths. Tune into your inner voice, and con- nect to the feeling that you truly believe this goal or intention. Adapted from Mumbai Mirror THIS DAY THAT YEAR