.:: Arctos' Corner ::.

Picture by Robbert van der Steeg I had recently started learning Android programming in a bid to refresh my programming skills as well as to stay relevant. Vogella provides some very good Android tutorials for free or you can opt for their professional Android development course . One of the components I started with was to program a simple ListFragment. Learning and programming in my spare time at the end of the day, I encountered a NullPointerException during the course of development which I could not figure out after a week of troubleshooting. (This was before I learnt to use the debugger.) So one fine evening, I decided to look at the code again before dinner and television got in the way. Lo and behold there it was - my logic error staring at me right in the face. What I missed after a week of troubleshooting was finally found, in 10 short minutes. On hindsight, it was probably because I had prioritized coding over other distractions such as television and Facebook surfing that ...

How does it feel when you are left alone with your own thoughts? In this increasingly connected world where we are constantly bombarded with updates from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. comes the saying "disconnect to connect". With all the 'friends' and 'followers' constantly vying for our attention, much has been said about the lack of attention we are giving to the ones physically with us as we respond to those online. However there is one closer to home whom we have neglected during all the time spent 'connecting' online - ourselves. When was the last time you spent time on your own, doing something you enjoy by yourself? When you are by yourself, it is an enjoyable process or do you long to get away from yourself so much that you crave the company of others, virtual or otherwise? True happiness arises, in the first place, from the enjoyment of one's self ~ Joseph Addison ~ Came across the above quote some time ago and it really hits home. We...

I will be the first to admit - I have not had much happiness since my last post on exercising those happiness muscles . Was I too stressed out to notice those little pockets of happiness life has thrown my way? Probably. Was I too grumpy to remember to keep that smile on? Most likely. Have I forgotten to live in the moment and enjoy it? Absolutely. So I had been cruising through the week grumpier than Oscar the grouch , snapping at others and complaining every chance I got. Thankfully the wake up call came in the form of this story which I had saved to my Pocket . When the boss gave a task, I got bitter at why it can't be done my way since my way was 'better'. When friends did something out of my norm, I got irritated why they do not see that it is just 'common sense' not to do so. When the little ones tried to play with me, I got angry at why they are so needy and cannot just give me some alone time. The common thread throughout is that it is about ME . It was al...

“It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is happiness? From Dictionary.com , happiness is defined as happiness noun the quality or state of being happy. good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy. It is an elusive thing which everyone is looking for. Some think they have got it, others think they will never have it, and many are searching for it. I have started coming around to the idea that happiness is like a muscle - the more you exercise it the stronger it gets. In terms of happiness, this means that the more you experience it, the more joy you have. Let's try a little exercise. Smile and hold it there for 15 seconds. Recall some happy memories - the last time you went fishing, chilling out at the beach, etc.. Feel that twinkle in your eye and the joy spreading through your body. How did it feel? Feels great? Feels good? Well in case that felt crappy, at least that little exercise helped lower your body's stress response according to this study . Now practice looking for little pockets of happiness everyday. Wi...