How can I better use & apply knowledge?

Not applying what you learn, is the best way to
convert your time and effort you invested
in learning into waste 

Learning a lot and applying nothing, is as good as learning nothing. What works for me is a process that I have been following since a long time. A process that involves breaking down all my life's lessons into small parts and grouping them under relevant categories to which they belong, once all that is done, I associate them with a skill or quality or a personality trait, which allows me to move into the 'Action' part. Let me also add that these life's lessons can be taken from personal experiences, observation from surroundings, a small but inspiring talk with friend, a seminar or a book or even a movie.

Here is the process:

1. Make an immediate note of the thing that you have learnt. Do not do this for all small bits that you learn everyday but only when the learning is worth noting down. You can make a note of that on Google Keep, a clutter-free note taking app. I use it most of the times
2. The note should NOT exceed a line or two. Try following the twitter approach of keeping the note restricted to 10 characters
3. Pick a fixed date of a month and that day you can read all your notes and convert every lesson into a personality trait
4. Once you make the list of these personality traits or qualities or skills that you need to work on, you next step is to do a self-check to understand how many of those skills or qualities you have but need an improvement on, or you do not have them and need to cultivate them in yourself 
5. Once you know exactly what areas you need to work on, GET STARTED immediately. 

To make things more clear let me cite a quick example:

1. If in the month of July, when I sat down for simplifying my 'lessons learnt' and came up with a list of three skills, like Communication to myself and to others
2. Now I proceed with a self-check and felt that I need improvement in the communication that I do with myself (may be I talk with a negative tone inside my mind about myself and this leads to a lowered self-esteem) 
3. My next step to really apply that knowledge will be to catch myself the next time I indulge in talking negative inside my head, I can of course further do a quick R and D about how to get more in control of this self-talking habits and how can I improve it in order to achieve greater level of happiness and motivation in life

How to stay positive during tough times?

Probably some of the best things that have ever happened to
you in life, happened because you said yes to something

Although, failures and difficulties are not desired by anyone, on the contrary they are most disliked, but it would be wise to say that one learns the most during low times as compared to times of success, happiness and prosperity. The dark phases of my life are mainly responsible for strengthening me up and preparing for higher responsibilities. These times are fantastic teachers. But one needs to stay calm & composed & do not lose focus of his greater goals in life while experiencing nerve wracking turbulence on this rollercoaster. Here is a a list of things that have helped me in standing tall during difficult times.

1. Avoiding the company of the 'pessimist types' as much as possible: The kind of people you interact with determines the quality of your life, when you are facing tough times, you will tend to feel low and if you meet pessimists during such times, the pain you are experiences just gets further compounded. I have experienced that pessimistic people have a habit of looking at sad faces and showing temporary concern just to know what is wrong with you and once you share your problems with them they will invest their time and energy in making you feel from bad to worse. Better avoid such a company.
2. Being in the company of positive or at least neutral minded people: Taking forward the point discussed above, the best way to stay motivated during difficult times is to spend at least an hour or two (may be over a coffee or just over the phone or a chat over facebook/Whatsapp) with people who understand you and who are wise enough to listen to you without interrupting or judging and can give you the much needed space you deserve in order to de-stress yourself 
3. Awakening your Spiritual side: Spirituality works for me like magic. I do not intend to exaggerate this but I have always found my peace when I connect with God. I meditate, worship, chant his praises and spend time in having a dialogue with Him. Although this may or may not necessarily make my problems disappear, but it does charge me up with peace and hope within and that in turn toughens me up to triumph through tough times
4. Getting some 'feel good' kind of entertainment that should be strong enough to charge you up: Reading inspiring books, if reading is not your cup of tea, listening to songs or watching that are motivational (My fav one being 'Yes Man'). Entertainment works when people don't.
5. If you are in situation where you do not have positive people in your life, it is better to take a break and remain alone for some time: When I use to meet people who were experts in turning 'bad' to 'worse' and 'worse' to 'much worse' and sometimes turning even 'much worse' to outright 'pathetic', I realized how important it was to spend some time with myself. 
6. Exercise, preferably something that involves group activities like Zumba: According to a study done by Mayo Clinic, regular exercise can increase self-confidence, it can relax you, and it can lower the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety.