An Inspiring letter from Stephen Fry about finding yourself

Stephen Fry, the extremely talented actor and writer, knows depression first-hand. He received a letter from a fan — a teenage girl who asked him how he got over his troubles and managed to find peace in his soul. He answered this letter, telling the girl how to find her inner light when it seems that the dark times will never end.

Dear Crystal,

I’m so sorry to hear that life is getting you down at the moment. Goodness knows, it can be so tough when nothing seems to fit and little seems to be fulfilling. I’m not sure there’s any specific advice that I can give to you that will help all too much. Although they mean well, it’s sometimes quite annoying to be reminded how much people love you when you don’t love yourself that much.

I’ve found that it’s of some help to think of one’s moods and feelings about the world as being similar to weather.

Here are some obvious things about the weather:

• It’s real.

• You can’t change it by wishing it away.

• If it’s dark and rainy it really is dark and rainy and you can’t alter it.

• It might be dark and rainy for two weeks in a row.

• It will be sunny one day.

• It isn’t under one’s control as to when the sun comes out, but come out it will.

• One day.

BUT

It really is the same with one’s moods, I think. The wrong approach is to believe that they are illusions. They are real. Depression, anxiety, listlessness — these are as real as the weather — AND EQUALLY NOT UNDER ONE’S CONTROL. Not one’s fault.

BUT

They will pass: they really will.

In the same way that one has to accept the weather, one has to accept how they feel about life sometimes. ’’Today’s a crap day,’’ is a perfectly realistic approach. It’s all about finding a kind of mental umbrella. ’’Hey-ho, it’s raining inside: it isn’t my fault and there’s nothing I can do about it but sit it out. But the sun may well come out tomorrow and when it does, I shall take full advantage.’’

I don’t know if any of that is of any use: it may not seem like it, and if so, I’m sorry. I just thought I’d drop you a line to wish you well in your search to find a little more pleasure and purpose in life.

Very best wishes,

Stephen Fry

Thought of the Day

Thought of the Day

Just another Thought

Get Inspired by Madhavan

Ranganathan Madhavan or Maddy, born on 1 June 1970 in Jamshedpur, is an Indian actor, writer and film producer. He was invited to G R Damodaran Academy of Management in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. His speech became inspiration for many.

Check out the video to get inspired too.

Hyderabad Engineer's Amazing Tea Stall

Satyanarayan, ME and The Taste Buds

For an 18-year-old in Hyderabad, an attempt at serving tea in eco-friendly ways turned out to be a means to get a college education. And all thanks to thirty-seven-year-old mechanical engineer Satyanarayana of Hyderabadm who launched “Taste Buds”, a chain of tea stalls on December 11, 2015, across Hyderabad. Instead of using plastic or paper cups, he serves his customers in earthen cups shaped like glasses.

Sampriti Bhattacharya invented world's first underwater drone

At 28, Sampriti Bhattacharya,a PhD scholar from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has created an underwater drone that can map ocean floors and explore the deep sea, where even GPS doesn't work. 

Thought of the Day

Sir Ganga Ram. Father of Modern Lahore

 

Sir Ganga Ram (1851-1927) was a civil engineer and leading philanthropist of his times, who established the Renala Hydral Power Station in Renala Khurd in 1925.

Sir Ganga Ram, the great son of Punjab, was born in 1851 in Mangtanwala, a small town about 64 km from Lahore. From the beginning, he proved to be a brilliant student and in 1869, he joined the Government College in Lahore on a scholarship. In 1871, he obtained a scholarship to the Thompson Engineering College at Roorkee, India. He graduated in 1873 and was awarded with a gold medal.

Story of a Chaiwala Martial Arts Teacher

I am Raju Jadhav. 

I lost my parents very early on and came to Bombay at the age of 6 with a relative. I began begging at signals since that age and eventually became a ragpicker. I've had a tough time on the streets, where I couldn't defend myself on many occasions and had no food for days -- Bombay isn't friendly to us street rats. A few years later, when I was rag picking, a man came upto me and asked me if I wanted to work at a chai stall-- and I immediately agreed! I began selling tea, and making my own money after working for almost 12 hours a day.

Hemant Patel - Man who Feeds Hundreds daily

  

Hemant Patel has personally witnessed what hunger can do to people — not once but twice. That's why he understand the need to do something.

“I know what hunger is,” says Hemant, with deep sorrow. He remembers the time when his daughter fell ill and was admitted to VS Government Hospital, Ahmedabad. She asked Hemant to get her some food from outside because she could not stomach the hospital food.  

Pakistan-born scientist played part in discovery of gravitational waves

Pakistani-born astrophysicist Dr Nergis Mavalvala was among the team of eagled-eyed scientists who, for the first time, observed ripples in the fabric of spacetime called gravitational waves.

Mansi Prakash - Taking an Initiative for a BRIGHTER TODAY

“I often think about a girl I met while installing bulbs,” she told the Glamour magazine. “She longed to go to school, but her parents couldn’t afford it. Once they started saving on their energy bill, they could. She is why I do this. It’s her life I want to change.”

The Power of Writing Down Your Goals

Every time I meet with a new client, I have them do one thing before anything else: Write down their personal goals, their professional goals and their physical goals.

I’ve been writing down what I want since the beginning of my career, and honestly, it’s so amazing because everything I’ve written down has happened. I started this habit in college because I loved Oprah, Deepak Chopra, The Power of Now.

Story of Neerja Bhanot – Indian Flight Attendant Who Saved 360 Lives

Courage. Commitment.Compassion.

Three simple words that best personify Neerja Bhanot. 

Three simple words that explain why this young and vibrant girl earned world-wide acclaim for her courage and gallant actions.

Three simple words that show how at the tender age of 23 and just 2 days before her birthday, Neerja laid down her life, while saving hundreds of others. 

Sabrina Pasterski: Meet the world's next Einstein

“Physics itself is exciting enough. It’s not like a 9-to-5 thing. When you’re tired you sleep, and when you’re not, you do physics.” – Sabrina Pasterski

 

Common mistakes First time Entrepreneurs make

 

First time entrepreneur or aspire to be one. I'm not going to tell you what to do. You know what you are good at  Prevent yourself from making these mistakes to be successful.

Animals need care too. See how Kelsey's life changed

Stray animals are always heart breaking to see. Whether they were born of other strays or left out in the streets from a previous owner it is devastating to see the conditions that many homeless animals live in. Unable to care for themselves, they often end up with parasites and illnesses that will take their life without intervention. This dog, despite living a very difficult life abandoned by society and struggling on the streets, remained sweet and trusting and was given a second chance at a happy, healthy life thanks to a kind stranger. You won't believe this transformation. 

7 Signs You Should Leave Your Job (Sooner Rather Than Later)

We all get content at times, especially at a job that pays decently well and comes with a good group of co-workers. Maybe your job isn’t what you really want to do for the rest of your life, but you start convincing yourself, “This is fine—it’s not my dream job, but it’ll do for now.”

And there’s nothing wrong with feeling content or comfortable at your job.

Six Things the Most Productive People Do Every Day

Ever feel like you’re just not getting enough done?

Know how many days per week you’re actually productive?

About 3:

People work an average of 45 hours a week; they consider about 17 of those hours to be unproductive (U.S.: 45 hours a week; 16 hours are considered unproductive).

Function on Less Than 6 Hours of Sleep

Answer by Alexandra Damskeron Quora.

I don’t have a multi-million dollar company (yet), but I’m one of those CEOs who function on 3-5 hours of sleep.

No, there aren’t any drugs involved, nor is there poor management (as far as I know). It’s a variety of things.

Motivate Yourself Now

It’s 2:00 p.m. Your lunch sits snugly in your stomach causing fog to settle over your brain. Your energy is low. Thought processes stop mid-stream. You know what needs to get done, but your body is resisting it.

We can all relate to this feeling, but the similarities stop there.

Some people fall prey to chronic procrastination and fail to turn their intentions into actions. Others consistently power through low-energy moments and lead more impactful lives.

What separates these two groups?

You are always Stronger than you think

Why do anyone choose suicide

Start by considering this statement:

Suicide is not chosen; it happens when pain exceeds resources for coping with pain.

Mansukhbhai - The modern potter who created MittiCool

Mansukhbhai had a traditional business of pottery making, but he wasn’t interested in it, because the business was declining. His mind diverted to rooftop tile manufacturing. Being a potter himself an idea hit his mind one day when he thought, if tiles could be made out of clay, then why not other products?

Giving children a fair moment of life

Kochi's well-known pediatrician  Dr PC Alexander took four street kids to a restaurant, Saravana Bhawan on Janpath, New Delhi, to buy them a hearty meal. 

A highly distinguished pediatrician Dr Alexander works as a Senior Consultant Aster Medcity at Kochi.

The kids had stopped Dr Alexander in front of Saravana Bhawan for money. Instead of coins he marched inside along with them and gave them a sumptuous treat. 

Are You a Tinkerer!

tinkerer by Aki Yun

n. (Especially in former times) a person who makes a living by travelling from place to place mending pans and other metal utensils.
The tinkers live by mending pots and pans, telling fortunes and selling horses and ponies at the various fairs throughout the country.

Or

The Free Dictionary says that a tinkerer is “one who enjoys experimenting with and repairing machine parts.”

Being Yourself

There's a treasure inside you

You are not just a shade of colour colour, you contain all the hue

You can destroy yourself in the crowd or p;ace yourself upon history's shelf,

Be aware of your potential, knowurself.

Just a Thought

Control Your Mind and Thoughts

Want to change your inner world? Better control your mind, as well as your thoughts? Here's the only way possible.

BY: Dr. Steve McSwain

Maybe you don't have any trouble with your thoughts, but I do. Thoughts pop into my mind without my permission faster than a mosquito bites my skin on a sweltering summer afternoon. And, equally without my permission.

Descartes, father of modern philosophy, pointed to both the distinguishing characteristic of human beings and to the biggest curse of human beings when he made his famous statement, "I think. Therefore, I am."

Productive ways to spend time on the Internet

Here is the incredible list of valuable websites for you to check out to be productive.

Jagdish Lal Ahuja - Man who sold his Property to feed the Needy

The first step toward change is awareness.

For 80-year-old, Jagdish Lal Ahuja feeding the poor and needy in Chandigarh is the utmost priority routine of his life.

What Rich CEOs advice to Do In Your 20s

Turning 30 can be a turning point in a person’s life, and career. It’s the point where career goals start setting in and the hunger to land a spot in the corner office increases.

Let's see some CEOs as to what they would want their employees to have done before they turn the big 3-0. From saving-money to travelling the world, starting your own business and taking risks, here’s some advice from CEOs who have done it all before.

Aaron Smith, CEO and founder of KX Group

  

Amazing Brain Hacks

Turns out, your brain cannot really tell the difference between completely imagining something, and actually experiencing it.

That means, that if you don't have time to practice throwing baskets into the hoop one day, but you usually practice, you can imagine throwing basket after basket, and your brain will actually improve your skills when you get back to the court.

It means, that if you can picture yourself doing something that you are afraid of, you will become less afraid, as if you actually did it for real.

Become a Morning Person

It’s early and dark. The alarm sounds, and you reach over to switch it off. After a short pause, you sit up. 

You swing your legs off the bed, touch the floor with your feet, and reach for your phone. You sit quietly while your phone’s screen illuminates the dark bedroom. There are a few notifications waiting—new emails, a Twitter reply, a prediction of rain. You look at your messages, the news, and the weather. “I’m half asleep,” you think. “I’ll just look at Twitter while I wake up.” Ten minutes pass, then another five. You’re not asleep, but you’re not really awake either.

10 Small Things You Can Do Every Day to Get Smarter

  

You might be under the impression that intelligence is a fixed quantity set when you are young and unchanging thereafter. But research shows that you’re wrong. How we approach situations and the things we do to feed our brains can significantly improve our mental horsepower.

That could mean going back to school or filling your bookshelves (or e-reader) with thick tomes on deep subjects, but getting smarter doesn’t necessarily mean a huge commitment of time and energy, according to a recent thread on question-and-answer site Quora.

When a questioner keen on self-improvement asked the community, “What would you do to be a little smarter every single day?” lots of readers–including dedicated meditators, techies, and entrepreneurs–weighed in with useful suggestions. Which of these 10 ideas can you fit into your daily routine?

8 Ways To Resist Smoking

Fact:

The average person who smokes may die 10 years earlier than a similar non-smoker

More than 5 million people die across the world every year due to consumption of tobacco in some form or the other, especially cigarettes or bidis and India accounts for nearly one-fifth of this huge number. Although, people are aware of the adverse effects of smoking, the number isn't reducing much due to the inability to control the urge for smoking in most of the cases.

Sportsmanship at its best

Australian tennis player Lleyton Hewitt may have won Tuesday night’s Hopman Cup match in Perth, Australia, but the real winner — in terms of sportsmanship — was his American opponent, Jack Sock, who encouraged him to challenge a serve declared “out” that was actually in.

Secret to Communicating With Irrational, Angry or Crazy People

We all have to deal with our share of hotheads and crazies. What does research say works with them?

First off, you can’t get angry too. Because then there are two crazy people arguing. While very entertaining to onlookers, this doesn't accomplish much.

Tell yourself they are having a bad day and that it’s not about you:

Telling yourself that an angry person is just having a bad day and that it’s not about you can help take the sting out of their ire, a new study suggests… the researchers monitored participants’ brain activity and found that reappraising another person’s anger eliminated the electrical signals associated with negative emotions when seeing angry faces.

How to Fall Asleep in Under a Minute

  

The simple method takes hardly any time, and can be done pretty much anywhere

These are all words and phrases that have come to be associated with the “Milliennial Generation,” which is also sometimes referred to as Generation Y. Recently, however, two additional adjectives have worked their way into the Millennial description pool: stressed and sleepless.

5 Techniques That Will Make You a More Assertive Communicator

Five strategies to employ if you want your communication style to be more assertive, and less passive, aggressive, or passive-aggressive.

1. Identify the belief that’s holding you back. You probably have one major belief that is holding you back from being an assertive communicator. Most of the reactions we have when faced with uncomfortable situations are reactions to our interpretation of the event, not to the event itself. There are (at least) two sides to every story. You may have been raised to believe that it’s not polite to disagree or that being assertive means being selfish. You may think that in order to get your way, you have to be aggressive, or that you’re being honest when, in fact, you’re just being a bully. Once you identify that belief, acknowledge its presence and your ability to change it. Think of it this way: I do not have to be aggressive in my interaction with Tom. I’ve always believed that aggressive people get what they want. In fact, it is up to Tom whether he does or doesn’t accept my request. All I can do is to ask politely.

8 Things Positive People Do Differently

Some people go through life carried forward on the wings of good vibrations. These people are the chipper, resilient, Leslie Knopes of the world. But not all of us are born with the superpower to be naturally positive. Luckily, you can acquire positivity. Being positive is a skill that can be developed over time by tweaking small habits. If you build some of these traits into your daily life, things will become brighter day by day. And it’s not because things are any better–it’s because your perspective will be. Here are a few things positive people do differently, and ways you can add a little sunshine to your daily routine:

1. They find something every day to look forward to. Whether it’s catching up on a favourite TV show, trying out a new dessert recipe, or having a phone conversation with a friend in another town, these things don’t have to be big. Having concrete activities to look forward to will make your days unique, distinct, and hopefully give each one a sheen of happiness.

2. They celebrate the small stuff. Don’t prolong happiness. Find joy in even the tiniest things–your favourite song coming up on shuffle, a funny text from a friend, a beautiful sunny day–because it adds up. Soon, you won’t have to stop and smell the roses because you’ll be smelling them all the time.

3. They’re kind. When in doubt, choose kindness. Positive people look on the bright side, sure, but they also tend to pay it forward by passing on their positive energy to others. Giving is generous, but it also makes the giver feel even better. Now that’s a win-win.

4. They stay busy. “Busy” isn't code for “stressed out of your mind.” Instead, being busy means filling your life with fulfilling activities. It relates back to having something every day to look forward to. Start a hobby. Structure your weekends with fun things to look forward to. Most of all, be proactive about keeping busy, because living your life to the fullest is up to you.

5. They accept responsibility for their actions. Being positive doesn’t mean being delusional. By owning up to where you trip up or make mistakes, you’re being honest with yourself. So, since you’re not hiding from yourself, you can then…

6. They forgive themselves. As much as you want to treat others with kindness, you deserve the same treatment. Okay, so we all make mistakes, and we all have regrets. Learn from them. Forgiving yourself will make it infinitely easier to…

7. They know when to move on, and not dwell on defeat. You gotta pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and valiantly forge ahead. A positive person knows that a defeat isn’t the end of the journey, but part of the journey.

8. They resist comparisons. Being positive is far simpler when you do not set yourself against others, as we all have separate strengths and struggles. Instead, work on achieving your own fulfilment, which you can only find by searching inwards–and, of course, by staying positive.

This article originally appeared on Avelist