Having a child has made me so much more aware of all the elements, experiences and perceptions that will shape the mind of my little babyT. I am constantly looking out for and watching what I say and do to him and to others in front of him. Right now he is under my wing, but tomorrow he will step out into the big, bad world and meet a new battalion of people in the form of friends, teachers etc. I cannot really control these influencers. Just thinking about it sends my head into a tizzy and I am sure it would be just as confusing for young minds.
And it is not easy to get through a young mind. They don’t want to talk to their parents or family. I have memories of my angst filled teen years as if they were from yesterday. If there was a book which would be light and easy and at the same time would send some vital messages home to them, it would be so great, wouldn’t it? Well now there is a book that doesn’t come with just a few ideas, but 150 of them.
Neeraa Maini Srivastav talks about 150 Brilliant Ideas to keep young minds ft and fine. She categorizes her ideas into three vital areas
- Mind your Body
- Mind your Mind
- Mind your Spirit
Together these 3 areas make up a healthy and mindful person.
Neeraa’s writing is simple, succinct and relatable. Without sounding too preachy, it pushes the reader to think about their current (or own younger days) situation and how it can impact them. Some of my favourite points from the 150 are here.
About Neeraa Maini Srivastav:
Neeraa is a writer and advertising professional from Mumbai, India. She has been associated with creative giants like Mukta Arts and The Times of India. With 3 works of young adult fiction to her merit ‘The White Crow’, ‘The Adventures of the Bubblegum Boy’ and ‘1 Friend Request Sent from Hanuman’, Neeraa has captured the minds and hearts of young folk today.’
She says that “While adults have infinite choices and options to course-correct paths, young adults have increasing evidence of mental and physical health challenges, have litte or almot no aids to holistic health and wellness.” With this aim in mind she wrote “150 Brilliant Ideas to keep Young Minds fit & fine.”
Mind your Body
- Sun bathe with vitamin buddies – Vitamin D deficiency is a very real problem today. When I was working I got to the office around 9 and left at 8 or later even. I hardly spent time in the sun. There are many people like me and some of them suffer from the lack of vitamin D. I really do wish that more people understood the importance of it.
- Take a day to detox – Can we imagine our lives without technology? I have still managed to shun TV, the laptop, and Ipad from my life. But I cannot live without my phone. Should something happen to the wifi or my phone I am at a loss. I feel anxious and like I am disconnected from the world. This is not a good sign. I promise to spend one day per week in digital detox.
- Eat fruit, don’t drink it – Fruit juices, smoothies, and milkshakes are so commonplace today. But why aren’t people just munching on the fruit instead? Valuable fibres and nutrients from the fruits are lost if we process them in any way.
Mind your Mind
- There is only one you – This reminds me of the famous Dr. Seuss quote “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Nothing can take this away from you. Know that you are unique and special in your own way.
- You are not how you look – Most teens and young people spend these years worrying about being too fat/ thin, too dark/ fair, too curly/ straight. Media and advertising have convoluted the concept of body images so much that children as young as 10 want to get rid of body hair permanently and even have desires of getting plastic surgery to change a shape or get a tuck here or there. How sad it is that they don’t see how beautiful they truly are.
- Thirst for knowledge – My one advice for all young people is to take it all in. Read books. Read books which you wouldn’t dare to. Read biographies, manuals, study books, cook books, even the dictionary. Be like a sponge soaking up all the information you can lay your eyes on. It will hold you in good stead for all of life. Maybe write a journal. This Woman’s Journal I started writing in has helped me relax immensely. Read my review of the Matrika’s Woman’s Journal here.
Mind your Spirit
- Manifest your desires – I have personally seen the benefit of this. I was told by someone very wise once, Imagination and Visualization equal Realization. I only wish I remembered to do this more often. Most of it did come true for me when I did.
- Understand rituals before banning them – I see two sets of young people today. One that will blindly follow all that is told to them about God and religion and the other who will question everything, refute it and kick it down. A middle ground is best and I encourage young minds to think, question and most importantly understand and choose what they want to do with religion or rituals that come with. For instance, menstrual taboos. Are they still relevant today?
- Don’t dump yourself – If there is one thing that made a person fail it is their self-belief and faith. Questions like “What if I fail?” and “What will people say?” have killed many dreams and people than actually trying.
All in all, Neeraa manages to keep the reader engaged and eventually gets them thinking. One may not agree or find each of the 150 ideas relevant or applicable to your particular situation. The book will get the young minds thinking about ways to build their Body, Mind & Spirit with positivity. And each small step in that direction counts to making a better individual.
What I liked:
- Simple, lucid writing
- Good structure – small one paragraph points make it easy to follow and read without being too heavy on the eyes.
- Very real issues addressed
What could be better:
- Some of the points seem to be repeated but of course they have been explored from a different viewpoint
- More illustrations – young minds love visual appeal
- Real examples of young people and excerpts from their interviews could make it more interesting.
My ratings for this book: 4/ 5
<< This book was sent to me for review, however all the opinion expressed in here are my own.
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This looks like an interesting book for teens. I liked some of the points.
A well written post. Gives a very good idea about the book.
I am a mother of two grown up children. Reading the post I went back in time and relived their growing up years, their fears, apprehensions, doubts and dilemmas. As a mother I could sense it,feel it but could help them only up to a certain point, not beyond it.
In these matters of helping the children, I think parents have the limitation of being a parent. Children don’t feel free to talk however much close they are to you. Perhaps they fear being judged, reprimanded and ridiculed. Neither do they open up 100% with their friends.
Life nowadays has become very demanding, stressful and competitive for the children, right from the time they enter school. Self help books like 150 Brilliant Ideas…….. will come in handy for the children. I specially liked Ms.Srivastav’s idea of fitness of body,mind and spirit.
I feel all parents also need to read this book, so that they become aware of and understand the problems faced by the children and equip themselves to deal with it.
I loved the entire idea of the book and some of the points you elaborated here are really good. They are a good way to bring a change – both for me and my preteen. Will check out this book.
Looks like a wonderful book. Will try to get my hands on it.
The review is really well detailed. I am happy to know about this book now. As a Mother we always need ideas to keep ourself fit. Specially people like me who keep keys somewhere and search for them somewhere else. Thanks for sharing details about the book
This looks like a must read. I liked your honest view too.
I think it’s all the more important in today’s time to nourish kids with right energy from the very young age. And having a book that helps in nourishing the mind seems like a wonderful idea.
” I was told by someone very wise once, Imagination and Visualization equal Realization. I only wish I remembered to do this more often. Most of it did come true for me when I did. “- I’m going to hold those words close.
This looks like an interesting read. The topics discussed in this book are relevant and well-thought of. I would surely want to pick up this book for my kids once they grow up.
So Karan as recently started following mindfulness and some practices to help him achieve it. I think this would be a good book for us to read too since it seems to be along the same lines. The basic concepts are exactly the same and could help us in our attempts to be more mindful of our life, people and wants.
Wonderful read. I loved reading this. Specially those three key points: This reminds me a few of the things in MY life to get fixed ASAP. Great post, sharing it.
This looks like a good book to keep mind young. A mom also needs to stay ahead of times to keep her kids smart and active. Thanks for the review.
Awesome Blog, there are many things in this blog which every woman should keep in her mind. keep writing. All the best!
It is good to read such valuable information and thanks for sharing it.
Great Job!!
This is good to read these kinds of books and learn new things. After reading this post, I really want to buy this book.