Join Amazon Prime and Unlock a World of Benefits

Amazon Prime offers an amazing bundle of services that deliver huge value for shoppers. If you haven't joined yet, you're missing out on convenience, entertainment, and savings that make life easier. Read on to see why Amazon Prime is worth every penny. 

Free Express Shipping

Prime members enjoy free two-day shipping on over 100 million items. You can order everything from daily essentials to birthday gifts, and have them delivered quickly without paying extra. For certain areas, Prime even offers same-day delivery on qualifying orders over $35. Prime transforms how you shop online with fast, reliable shipping.

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Access to Deals and Discounts 

As a Prime member, you have exclusive access to deals and discounts not available to regular Amazon customers. Examples include lightning deals with deep discounts on select items, Prime Day limited-time sales, and coupon savings on groceries and more through Whole Foods. Using these perks allows you to save substantially on purchases. 

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Prime Video and Music Streaming

A Prime subscription includes access to Amazon's video and music streaming libraries. Prime Video offers thousands of movies, TV shows, and Amazon Originals to enjoy. And Amazon Music gives you unlimited streaming of 2 million songs. These included entertainment perks keep you occupied and engaged without any additional subscription fees.

Photo Storage 

Store photos securely using Prime Photos, which provides unlimited full-resolution photo storage. Automatically back up pics from your phone, computer and social media to create a visual history safe from loss. Easily search for photos by date or people. Create personalized gifts like prints, canvases, and cards through the service. 

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 Kindle Owner's Lending Library

For bookworms, the Kindle Owner's Lending Library grants access to a rotating selection of ebooks, magazines, comics and more. You can borrow up to 10 titles per month from the library with no due dates. It's a book-lover's dream.

Simpler Grocery Shopping

The Prime membership unlocks easier grocery ordering and savings. Shop low prices at Whole Foods with extra Prime discounts. Schedule free, two-hour delivery windows from Amazon Fresh. Receive 5% back when using the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card. And set up automatic Subscribe & Save deliveries for household essentials. 

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With all these amazing benefits, an Amazon Prime membership more than pays for itself. The convenience and perks make everyday life simpler for just $14.99/INR 299 per month. Join today to enjoy all Prime has to offer and make the most of your Amazon experience.

Setting and Achieving Goals Effectively

Setting clearly defined goals and working diligently to accomplish them is critical for personal and professional development. With the right strategies and mindset, anyone can set effective goals and achieve them. This involves planning, tracking progress, building positive habits, reframing setbacks, sustaining motivation, and leveraging relationships for accountability and growth.

Define Goals Using S.M.A.R.T. Criteria  

The S.M.A.R.T. framework helps create focused, measurable goals. S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. Specific goals clearly define what you will accomplish. Measurable goals have quantifiable results to track progress. Achievable goals are realistic given your current abilities and resources. Relevant goals align with your values and aspirations. Time-bound goals have defined deadlines. Defining S.M.A.R.T. goals clarifies expectations and sets you up for success.

Make Vision Boards  

Vision boards visually represent your goals using images and affirmations. Cut out pictures, quotes, and phrases that resonate with you and what you want to achieve. Assemble them creatively on a board. Place your vision board where you will see it often. It will remind you of your goals and inspire you to work toward realizing them. Vision boards help crystallize vague aspirations into tangible objectives.  

Track Progress Consistently

Log your progress frequently to maintain motivation and hold yourself accountable. Use an app, bullet journal, spreadsheet or calendar to monitor your improvement on metrics tied to each goal. Record what activities you completed, such as tasks, reps, miles logged or pages written. Reviewing your progress helps you spot lags or gaps to refine your approach. Tracking also enables you to celebrate successes along the way.

Overcome Roadblocks 

Understand that roadblocks and obstacles are inevitable when pursuing challenging goals. Reframe roadblocks as opportunities for learning and growth. Analyze why the problem occurred and develop potential solutions. Perhaps you need to adjust your schedule, approach or resources. Seek help from others who can advise you to overcome hurdles. Stay focused on your end goal while adapting your process as needed. Each roadblock conquered brings you closer to ultimate success.  

Celebrate Small Wins

Recognize that major goals are achieved through many incremental wins. Make sure to celebrate small accomplishments, like completing a workout or sticking to your budget for a week. Enjoy little rewards like a decadent coffee or bubble bath. Celebrating keeps you motivated to push forward. Appreciate each step that moves you closer, rather than only focusing on the finish line. The journey itself brings invaluable growth.

Reframe Setbacks Positively  

Understand that setbacks are part of the journey, rather than signs you should give up. View setbacks as feedback to tweak your strategy going forward. Avoid self-blame. Remind yourself that with consistent effort, you will get better each time. Reflect on what you have already accomplished, rather than letting one roadblock derail your morale. Setbacks provide important experience to enable your ultimate success.

Cultivate Intrinsic Motivation

While external rewards have a place, tying goals to internal motivators often leads to greater commitment and satisfaction. Reflect on how achieving each goal will make you feel - such as proud, accomplished or fulfilled. Connect your goals to personal aspirations that provide a sense of meaning and purpose. Pursuing intrinsically rewarding goals builds sustainable momentum through ups and downs.

Build Habits and Discipline 

Achieving ambitious goals requires consistency in small daily actions. Break each goal down into manageable habits like reading before bed, journaling daily or hitting 10,000 steps. Schedule time for habit-building and gradually increase frequency. Routinizing behaviors makes them easier over time. Discipline yourself to stick with habits despite moods or whims. Habits developed in pursuit of goals often become lifelong practices.

Leverage Accountability Partners

Sharing your goals and journey with others helps bolster motivation and perseverance. Accountability partners or groups hold you responsible for progress. Tell supportive friends and get regular check-ins. Join networking or professional associations aligned with your goals. Share on social media. Accountability partnerships provide comradery as well as pressure to work diligently and overcome excuses.

Keep Growing Your Abilities

Achieving your current goals is just one step in lifelong growth. Once you accomplish a goal, reassess and set new ones to continue expanding your skills and experience. Keep learning through books, courses and experimentation. Observe those further ahead and model their work ethic and practices. Aim not just to accomplish individual goals, but also to maximize your potential. The journey of progress never truly ends.

Setting and achieving ambitious yet reachable goals requires planning, sustained effort and resilience. But with the right strategies, self-knowledge and support network, anyone can effectively set and accomplish their goals. Keep pushing yourself to grow and the results will amaze you.

Developing Resilience During Challenging Times

Life can throw us curveballs and present us with difficult circumstances. However, by adopting a resilient mindset, we can learn to power through obstacles and bounce back from adversities. Here are tips for building resilience during challenging times.

What is Resilience?

Resilience refers to the ability to recover from setbacks, adapt to change and persist in the face of adversity. It means having the mental strength to withstand hardship and the flexibility to adapt when faced with unfavorable situations. Resilience is an essential skill for overcoming challenges and leading a fulfilling life. 

Adopt a Resilient Mindset

Developing resilience starts with cultivating a resilient mindset. Focus on areas within your control rather than ruminating over things you can't change. Aim to maintain positivity in your inner dialogue and emphasize progress over perfection. View failures and mistakes as opportunities to grow. Believe in your ability to bounce back and overcome challenges. This mental framework will help you deal with difficulties in a proactive, solutions-focused manner.

Manage Change Positively 

Change can be uncomfortable, but learning to embrace it is key for resilience. Recognize that change is inevitable and adopt a flexible, open-minded attitude. Break down large transitions into small, manageable steps. Reframe how you view the situation and look for potential upsides or benefits. Maintain optimism about the future, while accepting the reality of your present circumstances. This balanced mentality will help you adapt to change with greater ease.  

Learn from Failures

Resilient people don't let failures or mistakes defeat them. They extract the lessons and use them as opportunities for growth. Reflect on what went wrong and identify factors within your control. Figure out what you could do differently next time. View setbacks as experiences to learn from rather than self-defeating disasters. Maintain your self-confidence and resolve to try again. This constructive attitude turns failure into useful data for future improvement.

Practice Self-Care

Managing stress is critical for resilience. Carve out time for relaxation and prioritize self-care. Get adequate sleep, eat healthy foods and exercise regularly. Participate in calming activities like yoga, meditation or deep breathing. Take breaks from work to recharge. Set boundaries and don't take on too much. Focus on maintaining balance and inner peace. Proper self-care will provide you with the energy and focus needed to persevere. 

Power Through Obstacles 

When faced with obstacles, summon your mental strength. Remind yourself that you are capable of overcoming challenges. Break large problems into smaller pieces. Create a step-by-step plan to tackle each piece systematically. Celebrate small wins and milestones along the way. Stay focused on solutions rather than dwelling on frustrations. Draw inspiration from others who have conquered similar struggles. Maintain self-motivation and determination to power through until you succeed.

Ignore Criticism  

Dealing with criticism is part of building resilience. Refuse to let others' judgments or negativity drag you down. Consider the source - does their opinion truly matter? For constructive feedback, reflect on what you can learn from it. For abusive or mean-spirited criticism, simply ignore it. Remember that you define your own self-worth. Criticism may sting in the moment, but it doesn't have to impact your confidence or esteem. Maintain thick skin and stay focused on your goals.

Persist Through Setbacks

Setbacks are inevitable, but they don't have to stop your progress. When you experience a disappointment or reversal, allow yourself to feel the emotions and process them. Then regroup, refocus and make a plan for moving forward. Celebrate small achievements to rebuild positive momentum. Stay focused on your end goal while adjusting your timeline or approach as needed. View setbacks as signals to try something different rather than reasons to quit. By persisting through challenges, you build greater resilience over time.

Have Courage During Crises 

Resilience is most needed when navigating major crises. Summon your courage when facing emergencies or critical events. Take a moment to calm your mind and emotions through deep breathing. Tackle challenges head-on with determination and grit. Break down problems into small, manageable bits. Call on your support system for strength and help when needed. Look for silver linings and positive aspects when you can. Living through crisis requires bravery - embrace your inner hero.

On the path to resilience, be patient with yourself. Building this skill takes time and commitment. With consistent practice utilizing these approaches, you can develop greater resilience to face life's inevitable challenges. Be proud of small wins, learn from mistakes and maintain positivity. By embracing a resilient mindset, you can overcome adversity and thrive.

Mahasweta - inspiring story showing grim realities of our society by Sudha Murthy

As usual, Sudha Murthy has nicely narrated the story of a young woman who fights the odds and challenges posed by society for a condition that was not at all her fault. The novel highlights the difficulties which are faced by people suffering from Leukoderma. 

Even with so much advancement in the medical field and efforts by govt and NGOs to educate people that leukoderma is not contagious and can be healed with proper medical care, leukoderma is considered a Taboo in most parts of India and people with this condition are forced to leave the society they grew up. Mahasweta takes you through the journey of one such protagonist "Anupama". Being brought up in a modest and traditional family, Anupama was an ideal daughter for any father. She never complained about her stepmother even when she was deprived of basic needs. 

Her stepmother was always jealous of the good looks of Anupama as her own daughter was not so blessed. Anupama was always full of energy and has a special inclination to help people in need. On the other side, there is Dr.Anand who hails from a well-established and respectable family. Anand falls in love with Anupama after looking at her simplicity and enthusiasm for everything. Just when Anupama thought her life will be a fairy tale after marrying Anand, life had a different plan for her.

  

 Anupama was diagnosed with Leukoderma and instead of supporting her to go through this, Anand's family sends her out. 

Anand, even after being a Doctor doesn't show his support and sides with his orthodox parents. After feeling the same reception at her parent's place, she decides to carve a life of her own by being independent. She gets support from her friends and she successfully fights the social stigma. What happens next? Will Anand come back? If yes will Anupama accepts him in her life? If not will Anupama find another soulmate? I will definitely not spoil the plot and urge everyone to read the book. 

As with other books, Sudhamurthy succeeds to keep readers awestruck and guessing on every page. She narrates all her stories in a simple yet classy language. Read the book to experience the journey of Anupama and I am sure you will be mesmerized by the narration and encouraged by Anupama's girt and strength. Share your experiences in the comment section.

You can order your copy on Amazon from here

 #books #goodreads #sudhamurthy #mahashweta #novel #mustread