This week I am focusing on 3 small daily routines that will have a significant impact on our lives if we include them. We already covered Reading as a practice to grow our minds. Stillness allows our minds to rest and relax. In this overly wired world, we need to give our brain breaks so it has time to digest all the outside stimulation. Stillness can bring surprising new insights as all the information settles and organizes itself. Its in the quietness that we discover who we are and where we need to go.

Episode 428 – Lets read daily Welcome QFY friendsThank you for listening to my podcastTime flies by so fastWe are already in May – 5 months into the year and I always like to check in with youHow are you doing on your goals and resolutions – if you set any?If you didn’t – how is your year going otherwise?Are you happy with where you are ?Usually we aren’tWe always wish we would be further aheadMaybe we started on something we have been wanting to do, but we haven’t made the progress we would like to seeI have made tons of progress but there are a few small things that just haven’t started onI have taken big steps on big projectsBut I am not happy with the small things that are just as important to me and that I have neglectedI keep talking about them but I haven’t done anything with themThat is why this week I want to do something slightly differentFor our 3 episodes this week – I want to put a plan together on 3 goals that are on my mind every dayI consider them not just important to me but I strongly believe if we all do these 3 things regularly, ideally daily, our lives will improveYes – that is a bold claimThat is why I want to share them with youBecause at some point I did them all regularly and have seen the difference it made on my lifeI was more mindful, more present, overall felt more emotionally stable and relaxed about lifeAnd I want to share them because now I don’t practice them regularly but want to get back to themso what I want to this week is this:I’d like to set the challenge for all of us to start all or at least 1-2 of these goalsAs I cover them – I will share with you why they are so impactful for our lives that they are non-negotiable in my opinionEvery person should at least try to incorporate their version of these 3 activities in their lifeAnd I would not suggest all 3 in one week if a) I didn’t believe they are critical and b) if I believed they are something difficult that takes a lot of timeWe are all busyBut I realized this weekend – the big projects are importantThey get us far – bring huge resultsBut the little ones are just as importantAnd I have neglected them over the last many monthsYou have heard me mention them all because I don’t like that they are not part of my lifeThey areReadingMediation / time for stillnessDaily intentionsThe third one I may have not yet covered a lotBut its an important one and it takes secondsI started doing it last week and its powerfulIntentions ensure the other 2 goals get done and whatever eles you set out to do that dayBut today I want to start with ReadingReadingLet me just say it – I love readingI loved reading since I was able to readI would search the attic in my grandmothers house and find whatever books that seemed interesting and read them at nightThis is how I learned the story of the Wizard of OzIn fact – it wasn’t the Wizard of OzIt had a different title and the authors name was someone RussianBut it was almost the exact same storyIn prep for this episode I became curious about this and searched on Google Germany for the bookI learned that the author - Alexander Wolkov- basically rewrote the original story with a few modifications  and that it was distributed widely in the communist countriesDorothy’s name was Elli in my version and she lived in KansasI still remember when I came to the US to find that my beloved childhood story was also very popular here but wasn’t exactly the sameI don’t know how many times I read that bookAs a teenager I was an avid visitor to the libraryI was fascinated by Sherlock Holmes and I actually still like detective storiesI have read all my lifeIn college I had to curb my personal reading to focus on required readingBut as soon as I was done with college – I read voraciouslyThat was the internet age and suddenly I learned about so many good book that I didn’t know about beforeSo it has been really saddening for me to not being able to read regularly over the last 1-2 yearsI finish random book here and there while on a flight or on vacation but that’s not enoughThere are so many books I want to read – both fiction and non fictionI check them out form the library and I turn them back in unreadI am sad and I a frustrated that I am unable to find time to readReading is essential for everyone, not just for childrenReading is the primary way we gain new knowledgeYou may not realize you reading just because you don’t have books piling up on your nightstand like I doBut we all read onlineWe read emails, news, comments on social media, blog posts, recipes, and so much moreThanks to the internet – we all probably read more than we did beforeWhen I was growing up - Reading was considered more of a nerdy activityBut now, we all have our heads hanging over our devicesMost people probably read small bursts of information rather than entire booksThis is important to recognize in our quest to read moreFor example – instead of reading my book at night before falling asleep, I look through my IG accountStill reading – but not the reading I want to doIts easy reading, there are pictures and small text, its interesting but again – its not what is most important to meWhatever your reading goal might be –Books may not be your thingBut I would like to challenge you to use reading as a way to learn something newEvery word we read informs usAbout the weather, what our friends are up to our how many calories are in a Gram of fatWe don’t have to read  instructional manuals to learn somethingBut I would like to challenge you to read both regularly and something longer than twitter commentsAs a fan of book – I will always defend themBut I also believe that our short attention spans need to be trained to read something longer than just a paragraphThe interaction with words that form an idea that lasts 350 pages helps train our patience and challenge our brainsAnd I believe, it relaxes usI don’t have to explain how much I love crawling into the corner of couch with a blanket and a cup of tea and get lost in a bookThe reality of the situation is that I don’t have hours like that available to me anymoreSo my proposal – to get reading back into my day – will involve only short periods of timeHowever – my suggestion is to pick a book or a magazine with long-form contentSomething you can see through from beginning to endI feel a lot of the knowledge I Google I forget so quicklyBooks stay in my memory because I was art of the journey the book took me on for many daysSo againask yourself – what do you really want to learn?You might be googleing recipes because maybe want to change your overall dietBut ask yourself – how serious are you – and if it I important - it might be worth investing into a book to learn about a specific diet or approach to eatingIf you are reading only the news daily, ask yourself- what else interests you?Do you like to understand certain politics or history about a country in more detailMaybe you want to pick up a biography about a historical figureAsk yourselfWhats a problem you would like to solve in your life?Are you struggling with prioritizing your timeThere are tons of books about this topicThere are also lots of articles online, but consider this:People that write books are often more qualified to write them than the people who write online articlesI give you lots of content on many different topics that I am not an expert inThat may be enough for you on most topicsWe don’t need the details on everythingBut on those things that really interest you – you may want to dive deeperSome of the most Successful people are voracious readersReading conveys knowledge and knowledge is powerIt challenges the brain and keeps us youngAfter we are done with college, we often end our formal learningWe google what we need but we often don’t dive deep into subjects to really learn themBooks can help with thatEven novels are a great way to learnWell written fiction teaches us about the use of language and human emotions which in turn enriches our vocabulary, and helps increase our empathy with our fellow humanSome novels contain historical facts that are based on real eventsI love good novels and I have reviewed several on this podcastBiographies are a wonderful way to learn about the legacy of other peopleAuthors do a lot of work researching people and giving us n insight about their lifeSo how can we read more?How can I find the time to read?How can I start reading daily when I haven’t been able to do it for months?The answer of course – is nothing magicalI simply have to read every dayWe do what we always doWe set a goalWe make a planWe allocate the time when we execute the planWe move things if necessary to free up that timeAnd then we do itMy best time to read is bedtimeI have tried to read in the morning but I cant be consistentReading in the morning is not my favorite thing to doIn the morning I am energized and reading calms meSo its best for the eveningPick the time that works best for you and make it consistentNo devices in sightNo other commitmentsJust you and your bookThen pick an achievable goalFor me – at the moment – it’s as low as 2 pages per dayI can always increaseAnd I know I willOnce I am into a book is have a hard time putting it downI just need to get back into my routine and replace IG with my bookImagine how many books you can read if you read just 2 or 3 or 10 pages a day?So I’d sayLets get startedMy goal is to read carefully chosen content that satisfies me and enriches my lifeAnd I want to motivate you to do the sameTo get you started – I am going to add a list of books that have been on my radar for a while into the show notesThese are books from a variety of genres that many people that I admire have recommended and that I know will enrich my lifeYou can click on the title of the book and it will take you to the Goodreads website where you can read more about the bookI use Goodreads by the way to keep track of all my readingFeel free to connect with me thereLets do it my friendsLets read more and en

I am always fascinated by the topic of detachment. But I only notice and think about it when I find myself attaching - when I notice those gripping feelings of fear, anxiety and jealousy that leave me feeling powerless and drained. And that is exactly when we need to learn to let go. Letting go is not an easy process because we hold on for a reason - it gives us a sense of safety. Letting go is like jumping off a cliff. I learned that the simple fact of becoming aware of our attachment is the most part of letting go. When we notice we are attaching, quite often, the attachment has nothing to control us with anymore and dissolves us. Its when we are not conscious that our thoughts reign free and cause those negative feelings.

I recently attended a workshop at my office on authentic leadership. It came timely as I had just recorded an episode on why we cannot be our authentic selves. We learned that authentic leadership is just what I had argued its not - a process of becoming your best self. Authentic means that we write our own authentic story as we go. Its not fixed; its not who we are and who we will always be. Rather, its the sum of our experiences that we use to create our own story.

Everyone tells us that we need to say No more often if we want to become more focused and get stuff done. I think we know how how to say no. But I doubt we know WHEN we should say no. Lets dig in to find out WHEN saying no is best.

I spent Easter Sunday alone in a beautiful house with a blooming garden. And this made me feel grateful for all the wonderful people I have in my life and everything they teach me. This episode is a list of appreciations. Maybe you find them applicable to the people in your life. Sometimes its just a good idea to bring to our mind what each and everyone contributes to our lives.

Being productive feels good. Getting things checked off can almost be addicting. Constant hits of dopamine provide us with motivation to get more done. But with all the checking-off frenzy - are we still focused on our big goals? I found that even those get broken down into small tasks and I get caught up getting those done day in and day out - without thinking bigger. Being productive feels best when I go after the things that matter - not just the daily grind. The things that matter may up some of the grind, but as long as I stay focused on the big objective, I don't have to get caught up in menial little things, such as posting every milestone on social media.

Celebrating others can be challenging. We often feel we deserve the praise more. Or, we just don't see what they have done that deserves celebrating. Yet, this is a wonderful way to connect with another person. Not only does it make them feel great, but you also feel good padding others on the back. People remember how we make them feel and I have seen over and over again that they will cheer us on when its our turn.

Flying spurs my creativity and changes my perspective. Every time I am on a plane, my dreams seem so much more achievable than when I am with both feet on the ground. I wrote this poem on a recent trip, with my nose pressed against the cabin window, looking at snow-covered mountain ranges and dreaming of climbing them all. Allow yourself to be inspired by something that gives you a similar joy - music can do it, spending time in nature, reading. It feels great to "fly high" from time to time and then to take a piece of that dream with us into our "grounded life" and implement it.

Finding our passion can be daunting and frustrating journey, especially when we just don't know what we are passionate about, while others are clear about it since they were children. For most of my life I didn't think there was anything in particular I was passionate about. But when I look back, I see that I didn't even look. When I started engaging with life, taking chances, trying out new things, thats when I discovered many things I am passionate about.We don't find our passion - it finds us once we are open to it.