Listen To Your Mom to Make the World a Better Place - 5 Simple Things That My Mom Taught Me

The best thing your parents can teach you is common sense and on Mother's Day, I am sharing with you a few simple things that I learnt from my parents, speically my mom.

1. Buy Only What You Need :
• When you decide to buy anything a simple common sense check will save you. Do you really need to buy it? 
2. Conserve Resources 
• Switch off lights, Don't keep water running beyond what you need. 
3. Practice Discretion
• As human beings we overshare and I am not sure I follow this advice but it is important to always "speak in such a way as to avoid causing offense or revealing private information"
4. Eat Fresh Food
• I appreciate this advice very much. Michael Pollan would be happy. A lot of us would like to go back to the times when food was freshly cooked and the family ate together.
5. Always Be Prepared
• When you are in India you have no option. You have to be street smart, master the art of negotiation ( Haggle), always be careful of your surroundings and safeguard your belongings specially while traveling.

The biggest lesson I learnt from from both our parents who left their native village in Andhra Pradesh, India to begin a life thousands of miles away in New Delhi, was never to shy away from challenges and explore new places beyond your comfort zone. I remember all the times that my mom took my brother and me thousands of miles from New Delhi to our ancestral village, traveling by train, bus and ultimately by bullock cart. As kids we enjoyed it but for mom, it must have been stressful. Thank you Mom and Dad.