How You can Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally

So your doctor told you that you have high cholesterol levels? Don’t worry! We are here for your help. But first it is important to understand why it is so bad for you.

LDL or “bad” cholesterol is a fatty substance. Too much accumulation of this substance in the blood can cause arteries to clog, which ultimately results in a stroke or a heart attack.

Cholesterol is produced by the body naturally. However, there are some other factors involved that can cause an increased production of bad cholesterol. It can be genetically inherited from parents and even grandparents. Also consuming foods rich in tans fats and saturated fats can increase cholesterol levels in the body.

LDL is considered very high if you get a reading of 190 mg/dL, even levels ranging from 160 to 189 are considered high, and the borderline levels are from 130 to 159. Cholesterol levels within the range of 100 to 129 are considered optimal. People with a family history of heart disease should maintain their LDL levels up to 70 mg/dL.

Just as too much LDL production is bad for the body in the same way low levels of HDL also known as “good” cholesterol is also not good for your body. Your aim should be to decrease the LDL levels and increase the HDL levels. It is also said that it is easier to push LDL levels down than to raise HDL levels up. HDL levels equal to 60 mg/dL or above are considered to be heart protecting.

By making some lifestyle and dietary modifications you can reduce bad cholesterol levels and at the same time you can increase your good cholesterol levels in the body. Here are some measures you can take.

Diet

A well-balanced diet containing lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and fish is essential for maintaining low cholesterol levels. Avoid meat and dairy products. You can also

follow the DASH diet plan also known as Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet. Dean Ornish, the founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California claims that diet, stress reduction and exercise can lower LDL by 40% and also helps to remove plaque from the arteries.

Here is a list of some foods that are particularly effective in lowering LDL levels. They are salmon, avocados, nuts, garlic, olive oil, spinach, green tea, dark chocolate, beans and oats.

Lose WeightBy losing your weight up to 10% or more you can get rid of high levels of LDL. You can achieve this goal by making some dietary changes and taking exercise regularly. Keep in mind, the trick is not only to lose the weight but also to maintain it.

Avoid Saturated fatsSaturated fats are one of the major diet-linked causes of high levels of LDL. These fats are usually obtained from pork, poultry, beef, lamb, milk, cream and butter. You can also find them in coconut oil, palm oil and cocoa butter. Limit the consumption of these foods to decrease the levels of bad cholesterol. The American Heart Association suggests that not more than 7% of calories should be taken from sources containing saturated fats. This is what a nutritionist has to say, “A reduction in saturated fats by a moderate amount will reduce LDL.”

Limit Trans FatsYour diet shouldn’t consist of calories from trans fats more than 1% in a day. You can find trans fats in processed foods, animal products, hydrogenated margarine, cooking oils and shortening. Trans fats lower HDL and increase LDL levels. According to American Heart Association, 75% of the trans fats in American diet comes from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Avoid consuming trans fats as much as possible. There are many restaurants that have switched to trans fat free menu, in California and New York. Always check the food labels before buying packaged food products. Barry Franklin, director of cardiac rehabilitation at the William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, says, “Look at the ingredients, and if ingredients say hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated, there are trans fats in there.”

Quit SmokingSmoking may stop you from reaching your healthful goals of low LDL. It is also known for decreasing HDL levels. So to reach your desired cholesterol goals quit smoking.

ExerciseTaking regular exercise can lower the levels of LDL and increase HDL levels. Taking aerobic exercise for 30 minutes, every 5 days a week can increase HDL levels by 5 to 10%.

SupplementsSupplements containing soluble fiber and plant sterols can prove to be effective for lowering the LDL levels. You may find these supplements at health food stores. Plant sterols are also found in fortified foods such as rice milk, orange juice and margarine and can reduce LDL levels by 15%. You can find soluble fibers in some natural foods such as nuts, flax seeds, oats and pshyllium husk or in dietary supplements like Metamucil.

These food supplements along with healthy diet and regular exercise can reduce bad cholesterol levels by 20 to 40%.

Three Options to Consider to Fight Stress

Stress is a state in which you do not accept a specific situation. The more you put in your mental energies in thinking about the circumstances, the more stressful you are and vice versa.Based on first sentence of this article you have three options to choose from when you are in stress.

1. Accept the situation:  You are not controlling the world. You cannot make everyone follow your thinking or your instructions. Every human is more or less independent in his/her decisions and responsible for the outcomes. So accept the situation and adopt the habit of 'Forgive and Forget'. Move on with your life and keep yourself busy to stay away from stress. Read my article on how to fight depression here.

2.  Fix the situation: If you can, fix it. However, please do consider the emotions of all stake holders. Do not fix the situation which is not a win-win. Do not fix it at the cost of someone's feelings. Consider the solution which suits everyone.   

3. Partially Fix and partially compromise :  Consider options which partially suit you and partially suit other parties. So that everyone can gain some thing at the cost of compromise. Again, be fair and devise the solution which can give benefit to all. Learn to bend, it is better than breaking. Article written by Junaid.Tahir

You can work out intelligently either to fix or reduce the stress. 

What You Should Know About Vitamin C

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble nutrient that is vital to all creatures. Foods that are especially rich in vitamin C are citrus fruits (such as oranges and grapefruit) and their juices, as well as red and green pepper, kiwi, broccoli, strawberries, baked potatoes, tomatoes, parsley, strawberries, papaya, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens and Brussels sprouts. Here are seven health benefits of vitamin C.

 

 

Antioxidant

Vitamin C is a powerful and effective antioxidant that protects our bodies from free radicals that cause oxidative stress. Excessive oxidative stress, or “cellular rust,” can lead to a host of severe medical conditions, such as atherosclerosis that can cause both heart disease and stroke, and is associated with many different types of cancer, including lung, mouth, throat, colon, stomach and esophagus. Vitamin C also helps to regenerate the body’s supply of vitamin E (another useful antioxidant).

 

Immunity

Not only is vitamin C a well-known component of the immune system, it is also necessary for collagen, the main structural protein found in connective tissue. A healthy dose of vitamin C will protect the body from infection and maintain healthy bones and teeth, as well as quicken the natural ability to repair wounds.

 

Hypertension

Vitamin C has been shown to lower blood pressure, and therefore lessen the probability of hypertension, as well as the serious health problems that follow, such as cardiovascular disease.

 

Blood Vessels

Along with lowering blood pressure, vitamin C ensures proper dilation of blood vessels, which can prevents such diseases as atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, congestive heart failure, and angina pectoris (an inadequate supply of blood to the heart that causes severe chest pains).

 

Lead Toxicity

Vitamin C dramatically lowers blood lead levels. This is especially important for children living in urban areas which aren’t renovated often and may have lead paint on the walls, as studies show that lead toxicity can lead to behavioral and developmental problems such as learning disabilities and lowered IQ. Adults, moreover, may suffer from kidney damage and high blood pressure.

Kidneys: Keys to Healthy Aging

All the time we hear about heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure, cancer and diabetes to be the leading causes of death and other health problems. What we fail to realize is that kidney disease can be equally fatal and can lead to other chronic diseases as well.

 

How kidney disorders can lead to other chronic diseases? To answer this question it is important to understand the function of the kidneys. The major role of the kidney is to filter waste and toxins from the blood.

 

However, if the kidneys fail to perform this function effectively it results in poor health conditions and even death. In conditions like kidney failure the chemical balance of the body is disrupted because there is too much accumulation of waste and toxins in the blood. This results in diabetes and hypertension, which later leads to stroke and heart disease. The poor quality of blood also weakens the immune system and the risk of cancer and other diseases is increased.

 

Other functions of kidneys include production of enzymes called rennin that help regulate blood pressure. They help keep the bones strong by helping with the absorption of calcium. They are also responsible for the production of protein erythropoietin that controls the production of red blood cells.

 

 

So for healthy aging, maintaining kidney health is a must. There are some measures you can take that can help you promote kidney health. It is important to take note of the factors that can trigger kidney disease, they are obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking.

 

How can Nutrients help Improve Kidney Health?

 

Kidney health is closely related with healthy eating habits. Poor diet and unhealthy eating habits can have a negative impact on our kidneys. Avoid consuming refined and processed foods, choose healthy options like fresh vegetables and fruits. Foods rich in antioxidants not only protect you against diseases like cancer but also promote kidney health.

 

Increasing your intake of potassium and limiting your consumption of alcohol can result in healthy kidneys. Also limit the intake of fats and high glycemic carbs found in pasta, sugar, white bread and sweets as these foods can cause inflammation. Quit smoking as it may also trigger kidney disease, also avoid secondhand smoke.

 

To promote kidney heath include nutrients like vitamin D3, anthocyanins (plant flavanoids found in blueberries, cranberries, eggplant, pomegranate and red wine), omega 3 fatty acids( found in fish) and resveratrol(found in red grapes).

 

You can also get these nutrients in the form of food supplements, other supplements that can promote kidney health are magnesium glycinate, GABA and melatonin.

 

However, it is suggested to consult your Nephrologist before taking any of these supplements.

 

Do not forget to keep yourself hydrated for efficient working of the kidneys. Adequate amount of water can also aid other biological functions.

 

Who is at a risk of developing kidney disease?

People with high blood pressure and diabetes are more at a risk of developing kidney disease. Heart disease can also contribute to the risk of kidney disease. Other factors that increase your

chances of developing the disease are family history, age and ethnicity. Hispanics, Native Americans and African American are more at a risk of developing kidney disease.

 

Are there any tests for detecting Kidney disease?

There are no symptoms that can indicate kidney disease. Usually kidney disease gets diagnosed at the time when they nearly stop functioning. There are two types of tests that can be performed to detect kidney disease, one is through blood test also called GFR and the other is through urine test in which albumin is tested. Earlier detection would enable you to start your treatment at an early stage as a result your kidneys will live healthier and longer.

 

Can exercise support kidney health?

Studies reveal that taking aerobic exercise such as walk for at least 30 minutes can help prevent kidney disease. Taking regular exercise can also lower the triggers causing kidney disease such as blood pressure; it can prevent diabetes, obesity, stroke and heart disease.

 

Observing health promoting activities not only help you to improve kidney health but also improve the quality of your life. So to optimize your kidney health, eat healthy foods, take regular exercise, drink adequate amount of water, quit smoking and stay away from stress.

Great Use of 200 Ruppees

While driving back home I found 200 rupees (~2 USD or ~ 8 AED) in my car's dashboard.  I thought that most of the time I don't really care how much money is in the dashboard or in my laptop bag or in my home drawer. The reason for this probably is that usually the amount is so less that it does not grab my attention at all. However very next moment I thought that this small cash can definitely make a BIG difference in someone's life. For example:

1-    Buying 3 times meals for a person or one time meal/flour for a small family remembering the fact that there are hundreds and thousands of families who cannot afford to have 3 meals a day. 

2-   Buying a small blanket/sheet or a pillow for a poor who can sleep properly or by buying a sweater for a poor to keep him warm in the winter season while we enjoy warm heaters inside our homes.

3-   Giving this amount to a hospital to support their free medical services.

4-   Giving this amount to cover half day electricity bill for an orphan house. 

5-   Taking responsibility for the monthly education fee for one orphan or poor kid.  

Well, we can think of many other genuine causes to spend such a minor amount in order to make BIG Difference in our society, especially considering the fact that millions of families are living below the poverty line around us or in this world. I personally think that if we don't ponder like this then we have quite a cruel attitude towards our society. So I urge all of you to find a good reason to spend your money instead of keeping the money in your car dashboards, home drawers or laptop bags. Never under estimate your little efforts. Remember that services to the society is the tax we must pay for living in this world and indeed this is one of the ways to thank God Almighty for the blessings He has showered upon you and your loved ones.

So in summary here is how you can be an effective member of humanity: a) by spending small amounts for social causes. b) by allocating 5% of your earning for feeding poor and supporting social causes c)Sharing this article on Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter and/or forwarding to your family, friends and colleagues to generate the ripple effect and spread awareness.  

5 Golden Rules of Goal Setting

Have you thought about what you want to be doing in five years' time?

Are you clear about what your main objective at work is at the moment?

Do you know what you want to have achieved by the end of today?

If you want to succeed, you need to set goals. Without goals you lack focus and direction.

Goal setting not only allows you to take control of your life's direction; it also provides you a benchmark for determining whether you are actually succeeding. Think about it: Having a million dollars in the bank is only proof of success if one of your goals is to amass riches. If your goal is to practice acts of charity, then keeping the money for yourself is suddenly contrary to how you would define success.

To accomplish your goals, however, you need to know how to set them. You can't simply say, "I want" and expect it to happen. Goal setting is a process that starts with careful consideration of what you want to achieve, and ends with a lot of hard work to actually do it. In between there are some very well defined steps that transcend the specifics of each goal. Knowing these steps will allow you to formulate goals that you can accomplish.

Here are our five golden rules of goal setting:

The Five Golden Rules

1. Set Goals that Motivate You

When you set goals for yourself, it is important that they motivate you: this means making sure that they are important to you, and that there is value in achieving them. If you have little interest in the outcome, or they are irrelevant given the larger picture, then the chances of you putting in the work to make them happen are slim. Motivation is key to achieving goals.

Set goals that relate to the high priorities in your life. Without this type of focus, you can end up with far too many goals, leaving you too little time to devote to each one. Goal achievement requires commitment, so to maximize the likelihood of success, you need to feel a sense of urgency and have an "I must do this" attitude. When you don't have this, you risk putting off what you need to do to make the goal a reality. This in turn leaves you feeling disappointed and frustrated with yourself, both of which are de-motivating. And you can end up in a very destructive "I can't do anything or be successful at anything" frame of mind.

Tip:

To make sure your goal is motivating, write down why it's valuable and important to you. Ask yourself, "If I were to share my goal with others, what

would I tell them to convince them it was a worthwhile goal?" You can use this motivating value statement to help you if you start to doubt yourself or lose confidence in your ability to actually make the goal happen.

2. Set SMART Goals

You have probably heard of "SMART goals" already. But do you always apply the rule? The simple fact is that for goals to be powerful, they should be designed to be SMART. There are many variations of what SMART stands for, but the essence is this – goals should be:

Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Relevant. Time Bound.

Set Specific Goals

Your goal must be clear and well defined. Vague or generalized goals are unhelpful because they don't provide sufficient direction. Remember, you need goals to show you the way. Make it as easy as you can to get where you want to go by defining precisely where you want to end up.

Set Measurable Goals

Include precise amounts, dates, and so on in your goals so you can measure your degree of success. If your goal is simply defined as "To reduce expenses" how will you know when you have been successful? In one month's time if you have a 1 percent reduction or in two years'

time when you have a 10 percent reduction? Without a way to measure your success you miss out on the celebration that comes with knowing you have actually achieved something.

Set Attainable Goals

Make sure that it's possible to achieve the goals you set. If you set a goal that you have no hope of achieving, you will only demoralize yourself and erode your confidence.

However, resist the urge to set goals that are too easy. Accomplishing a goal that you didn't have to work hard for can be anticlimactic at best, and can also make you fear setting future goals that carry a risk of non-achievement. By setting realistic yet challenging goals, you hit the balance you need. These are the types of goals that require you to "raise the bar" and they bring the greatest personal satisfaction.

Set Relevant Goals

Goals should be relevant to the direction you want your life and career to take. By keeping goals aligned with this, you'll develop the focus you need to get ahead and do what you want. Set widely scattered and inconsistent goals, and you'll fritter your time – and your life – away.

Set Time-Bound Goals

You goals must have a deadline. Again, this means that you know when you can celebrate success. When you are working on a deadline, your sense of urgency increases and achievement will come that much quicker.

3. Set Goals in Writing

The physical act of writing down a goal makes it real and tangible. You have no excuse for forgetting about it. As you write, use the word "will" instead of "would like to" or "might." For example, "I will reduce my operating expenses by 10 percent this year," not "I would like to reduce my operating expenses by 10 percent this year." The first goal statement has power and you can "see" yourself reducing expenses, the second lacks passion and gives you an excuse if you get sidetracked.

Tip 1:

Frame your goal statement positively. If you want to improve your retention rates say, "I will hold on to all existing employees for the next quarter" rather than "I will reduce employee turnover." The first one is motivating; the second one still has a get-out clause "allowing" you to succeed even if some employees leave.

Tip 2:

If you use a To-Do List  , make yourself a To-Do List template that has your goals at the top of it. If you use an Action Program  , then your goals should be at the top of your Project Catalog.

Post your goals in visible places to remind yourself every day of what it is you intend to do. Put them on your walls, desk, computer monitor, bathroom mirror or refrigerator as a constant reminder.

4. Make an Action Plan

This step is often missed in the process of goal setting. You get so focused on the outcome that you forget to plan all of the steps that are needed along the way. By writing out the individual steps, and then crossing each one off as you complete it, you'll realize that you are making progress towards your ultimate goal. This is especially important if your goal is big and demanding, or long-term. Read our article on Action Plans   for more on how to do this.

5. Stick With It!

Remember, goal setting is an ongoing activity not just a means to an end. Build in reminders to keep yourself on track, and make regular time-slots available to review your goals. Your end destination may remain quite similar over the long term, but the action plan you set for yourself along the way can change significantly. Make sure the relevance, value, and necessity remain high.

Key Points

Goal setting is much more than simply saying you want something to happen. Unless you clearly define exactly what you want and understand why you want it the first place, your odds of success are considerably reduced. By following the Five Golden Rules of Goal Setting you can set goals with confidence and enjoy the satisfaction that comes along with knowing you achieved what you set out to do.

Story: The Turtles Picnic

A family of tortoise went on a picnic. They packed food and set out to a place they had selected… behind the hills. When they reached the spot, they unpacked their picnic basket. They realized they had forgotten to bring salt. Food without salt is tasteless.They had a conference to decide who should go back and get salt. After a lot of discussion, the youngest tortoise was chosen, as he was faster than the others.The youngest objected on the ground that before he could come back the others might eat the snacks. But they assured him they would wait for him to come back with salt. 

Six months passed, but the youngest tortoise did not turn up. So the rest of the family decided to open the basket and eat the snacks. When they opened the snack basket, the little tortoise jumped out of the bushes and screamed,"Look, I knew you would not wait till I came back. For six months I have been hiding in these bushes to make sure you would not eat without me. Now my suspicion has been confirmed, and I am not going to get the salt."

Some of us are exactly like our suspicious tortoise: we waste our own time waiting for people to live up to our expectations. Instead of doing the right thing ourselves, we wait for others to act in ways we expect them to. We waste our time waiting for others to live according to our expectations 

How to   S top   C omputer   R adaition  

 

Do you constantly use the computer, whether it be for work, entertainment, or to manage finances? The truth is, computers give off harmful radiation that is bad for your health. Computers, along with any other electronic gadgets, emit certain electromagnetic rays and frequencies. It's similar to secondhand smoking. You end up absorbing all of the harmful computer radiation! Learn how you can prevent computer radiation!  Have a question? Get an answer from Online Tech Support now!

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_4995339_prevent-computer-

radiation.html#ixzz2hPHDxyhp 

 

 

Instructions

1.                              

o                                                        1

The first step in preventing and reducing computer radiation is to have a high intake in food rich in Vitamin A and C. These includes foods such as apples, tomatoes, carrots, and cherries. These vitamins can help reduce the harmful effects of computer radiation.

o                                                        2

It is known that computer screens emit certain types of carcinogenic substances that is extremely harmful to your health. A way to reduce these is by putting your computer near a ventilated cooler.

o                                                        3

Since computer radiation is emitted in all directions, computer placement is very important to reducing radiation. Make sure that the back of your computer screen is overlooking an area where people pass by. The second strongest radiation is behind your computer screen. You should have an ideal eye distance of about 80cm away from the screen to reduce computer radiation.

o                                                        4

If you can, purchase a new model computer. Most older modeled computers tend to release more radiation than the new ones. Old computers can release up to twice the amount of radiation compared to that of a new modeled and developed computer.

o                                                        5

One easy measure to reduce and prevent harmful computer radiation is by attaching a radiation filter plate in front of your computer screen. Make sure you do not have any metal substances near your computer, as these can reflect off electromagnetic radiation that can be harmful to your health.

o                                                        6

Since computer radiation can also affect and harm your skin, you can apply a layer of facial mask to prevent yourself from the rays. Once done using a computer, make sure to thoroughly wash your wash to brush off any electromagnetic particles that might have attached to the outer surface of your face and skin.

o                                                        7

Lastly, you can put some radiation absorbing plants near your computer to prevent computer radiation. For example, putting several potted cactus can help absorb some of the harmful radiation.

What are the White Dots on my Nails? How can I cure them?

Nails bless your hands with your beauty and also indicate good health. On average, your fingernails grow half an inch in a month. The color, texture and length of the nails determine the beauty of your nail.

The healthy nail beds should be pink in color because of the rich blood supply underneath them and should also be spotless. But this might have happened to you that you notice a white spot on your nails; you try to scrub it off but it wouldn’t come off and then you realize that it is not a spot, it is something that is a part of the nail.

Then someone tells you that you have calcium, zinc or some nutritional deficiency and you plan on seeing your doctor.

So wait! No need to see a doctor. Today we are going to tell you about the truth behind these white spots, so next time when you see one, you won’t panic.

 

 

Leukonychia or punctate leukonychia means “white spots” in medical terms

The white spots can appear on both, the fingernails as well as the toenails and they usually appear in the middle section of the nail. The condition responsible for causing these white spots is called punctate leukonychia. Though the name might sound dangerous but it is not a serious condition. In medical term “punctate leukonychia” means “white spots”.

You can compare these white spots to the bruises that appear on the skin due to some injury. Usually the bruise appears sometime after the injury.

Similarly whenever some injury takes place in the nails, white spots appear. These white spots may not show up right away after the injury. In fact, it takes several days or weeks for the marks to appear.

What can be the causes of the injury? These white spots may result from mild to moderate trauma. For example, if your fingernails get banged against the wall, you might get these spots within a few days and by that time you may have forgotten about the banging finger.

Could there be any other cause of these white spots? Besides bruising nail beds, another cause of these white spots could be some sort of infection or they may take place due to some allergic reaction caused by nail products such as hardener, nail polish or a nail polish remover. These marks may also appear because of a side effect which can result from the use of a certain medicine.

Sometimes the use of acrylic nails can also cause fungal infections, which may result in white spots. You can also pick them while having a manicure or at the gym.

Now if you have these spots on one or two fingers it is ok. If you find these spots on all of your fingers then it is time that you get concerned and see a doctor. White spots on all the nails may indicate serious conditions like diabetes, anemia, cirrhosis, cardiac disease or kidney disease.

The most commonly associated myth with these white spots is that it is caused by calcium deficiency or because of eating a lot of mayonnaise. However, mild deficiency of zinc may cause these spots to appear, the zinc deficiency may take place due to hormonal changes or viral infections. It is also believed that dehydration can also be the cause of these spots.

If you have these spots on your nails there is no other way you can get rid of them. Just leave them as they will go away within 8 weeks. For an instant cover you can apply nail color.

What can you do to avoid these white spots? To prevent these white spots you can avoid using nail polish removers containing too much of toluene or formaldehyde. Also do not wear acrylic

nails. If you believe that the spots appeared because of the side effects of a medicine consult your doctor. You can incorporate foods containing zinc to your diet such as beef, oysters, peanuts, dark chocolates and pumpkin seeds or you can use zinc supplements.

Don’t forget to keep yourself hydrated, therefore drink plenty of water. To promote overall health of your nails try to incorporate a lot of vitamins and minerals to your diet, especially vitamin A, B, C, D and E, iron, sulfur, calcium, zinc and fatty acids.

Health: Too Many Hours at Work Might Harm Heart

A new study has found that office workers in England significantly increased their chances of having a heart attack by working more hours than their peers.

The study, conducted by researchers at University College London, found that employees who regularly worked 11-hour days or longer were 67% more likely to develop heart disease than those who worked seven- or eight-hour days.

One U.S. expert said many factors could account for the rise in risk among those tied too long to the office.

"Those working long hours may have less time for exercise, healthy eating and physicians visits," said Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, associate chief of cardiology at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. "They may be exposed to more stress, get less sleep and engage in other behaviors which contribute to cardiovascular risk."

The study, published in the Tuesday issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, followed a low-risk population of almost 7,100 British civil servants from 1991 until 2004, screening out those with signs of heart disease.

About 70% of the workers were men, and most (91%) were white. Roughly 2.7% developed coronary heart disease by the end of the study, the researchers found.

Participants reported how many hours they spent on the job, including work they took home with them. More than half (54%) put in between seven and eight hours a day, while 21% worked a nine-hour day, and 15% spent 10 hours on the job daily, the study found. Slightly more than 10% labored 11 hours or more.

Besides bumping up the risk for heart disease by 67% compared to people working an eight-hour day, working 11-plus hours a day also put some people into a whole other risk category, the team found.

"Adding working hours to the Framingham risk score improved identification of persons who later developed heart disease," explained study co-author Mika Kivimaki. The Framingham risk score, aimed at gauging heart disease risk, is developed from data that includes age, sex, blood pressure level, cholesterol levels, and whether or not a patient smokes, said Kivimaki, a professor of social epidemiology at University College London.

Still, Kivimaki stressed that her team could not confirm a direct cause-and-effect relationship between putting in lots of overtime and getting heart disease.

Looking at "lifestyle factors," such as time spent working, is an increasing part of heart disease research, noted Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a preventive cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

"Incorporating long working hours into the (Framingham) model resulted in reclassifying low-risk patients about 4.7% of the time," said Steinbaum, who is also director of Women and Heart Disease at the hospital's Heart and Vascular Institute.

"This is important because patients in a higher-risk category would be treated more aggressively for prevention of coronary heart disease," she said.

Longer working hours are becoming more common in developed countries, the study authors noted, and that could possibly increase workers' odds for coronary heart disease. They added that prior research in Europe and Japan has shown similar links between long work hours and heart attacks, and Kivimaki said "the new information may improve decisions regarding lifestyle interventions and medication for heart disease."

While no changes should be made to patient care at this time, Kivimaki said that if findings were supported by further research, adding questions about working hours to physical exams would be "simple and cost-free."

The kind of work performed can also be important, said Steinbaum. Other research has shown that workers who have little decision-making power or sense of control over their work have a higher risk of getting heart disease, she said.

But this study is just the beginning of the story, said Steinbaum.

Considering new risk factors that are "adding stress to peoples' lives may be well worth contemplating," she said. In that sense, the study is "not the end of the conversation, it's the beginning of one."

25 Uses for Olive Oil!Olive oil is one of the most popular ingredients in the kitchen, but it can also be found in the medicine cabinet and even on a night stand. The fact that it is rich in vitamin E and essential antioxidants, makes it one of the most efficient measures to balance blood pressure levels and cholesterol, to prevent heart attacks, cancer and fight aging. And if you thought that's where its benefits end, you are sorely mistaken... 

 

Here are 25 more uses for this excellent material, the olive oil! 

1. To prevent snoring - Swallow a spoon of olive oil before bed. 

2. To reduce stretch marks - Massage olive oil on your skin. 

3. To treat acne - prepare a mix made of 3 table spoons of olive oil with 4 table spoons of sea salt, and put on your face for 1-2 minutes. The mix will clean the pores and keep the moisture of your skin. Wash with hot water and soap. 

4. To alleviate ear pain - Spill one drop of warm olive oil in your ear. 

5. To reduce stomach ulcers and pain - Mix one table spoon of olive oil with a 3/4 cup of citrus juice or vinegar and drink. 

6. Olive oil can serve as a substitute for shaving cream. 

7. To strengthen your fingernails - Soak them in a bowl with olive oil. 

8. To rehabilitate your skin - To treat dry skin of the hands, elbows and knees, warm a few table spoons of olive oil (until it's luke-warm) and smear on the relevant areas.  

9. To treat colds - Warm a mixture of 1/3 cup of olive oil, 1/3 cup of sesame oil, 4 drops of thyme, 2 drops of rosemary oil and massage the warm mixture on the chest area. 

10. To treat dandruff - Massage olive oil into your scalp and leave overnight. Wash your hair in the morning and wash with a regular shampoo. Try this treatment for a week. 

11. To treat dry hair with split ends - Warm olive oil and smear on the scalp for 45 minutes. 

12. To treat after hair coloring - Soak a soft cotton towel with olive oil and wipe the spotted skin, it may take some time but the color will come off the skin. 

13. To prevent hair loss - Mix 2 eggs with 2 table spoons of olive oil. Smear on the scalp and hair for 40 minutes and then wash with cool or luke-warm water. It's recommended to repeat this 3 times a week.  

14. To treat lice - Mix one table spoon of olive oil with 5 drops of the tea tree oil, and smear on the scalp for several minutes. Then comb your hair with a lice comb and wash with hot water. 

15. Relieve toothache - Mix drops of clove oil with drops of olive oil, in about a ratio of 3:1, and use a cotton ball to put on the aching area. Not recommended for children and pregnant or breastfeeding women. 

16. Remove Mascara - Drip a bit of olive oil on a cotton ball and wipe the makeup from your eyes. 

17. Relieve Coughing - Swallow a spoon of olive oil mixed with a spoon of honey. Another option is to massage the upper back and chest with olive oil at body temperature. 

18. Treating swollen / red gums - Wash your mouth with a mix of olive oil and water.  

19. Prevent diaper rash - Mix 2 spoons of olive oil with a spoon of water and smear on the baby's rear. 

20. To polish furniture - Mix olive oil and lemon juice at a ratio of 2:1. Use a gentle towel soaked in the mix to polish the furniture. 

21.To maintain garden tools - Smear a bit of olive oil on garden tools to keep them from accumulating filth and corrosion.  

22. To prevent squeaks - Smear some olive oil on screaming hinges to make them silet. 

23. For digestive problems - Swallow a spoon of olive oil every morning on an empty stomach. Another option is to drink a glass of water with a spoon of olive oil and a spoon of lemon juice. 

24. To maintain knives - After washing thoroughly with water and soap, wipe the blades well and then use a small amount of olive oil and gentle rub it on the blades with a towel. 

25. Prevent wax from building up in the candlesticks - just drip a bit of olive oil and it won't stick.

Being Proactive

In simple words, Proactive Approach is to plan and align things in advance by foreseeing future risks, problems or challenges.Having said that, there are three kind of people on earth. Category-1 is those who strategize things as they have the visualization to portray the future. So they organize things in advance in order to avoid any possible set back. I call these people as'Organizers'. Category-2 is those people who have the reactive methodology to handle things. That means whenever a situation arises they react accordingly. I call these people as 'Reactors'. Although there can be good Reactors but the majority of them are bad Reactors since most of the situations do not give them the luxury of taking a U-Turn for going back to neutral to start again. Category-3 is Commoners. These people do not have control on their lives. They are the product of their circumstances. They automatically flow with the wind; no matter where the wind takes them to. Of course, the first category is the best one as they have a proactive approach to life. So coming back to the track to understand the concept of pro-activeness in more details. Here are some points:

1.     Proactiveness is the vision and ability to align the tasks well in advance to avoid mishaps.2.    Proactiveness is to foresee the possible problems and work on the contingencies in parallel with the master plan. It is strongly recommended to execute your contingencies before they execute themselves at the required time, because you never know whether your contingency plan is going to be successful or not. Hence be sure about it by testing the contingency in advance specially when the risk factor is high.3.    Proactive people have the analytical skills to understand any situation in detail so that they can see low level risks and plan accordingly. (You may want to review my article on analytical skills here.

Considering a Tree analogy, I would refer 'The Organizers' as 'The Roots', 'The Reactors' as 'The Branches' and 'The Commoners' as 'The leaves'. Always remember the fact that when the wind blows, its leaves which are impacted at first place. So its Leaf's responsibility to stick to the Tree if they need to live. For Tree, it does not matter if any of the leaf is broken due to strong wind (circumstances).  Which category you belong to? Please share your thoughts.

Story: The Mother, the daughter and the map :)

A Mother was reading a magazine and her cute little daughter every now and then distracted her.To keep her busy, she tore one page on which was printed the map of the world. She tore it into pieces and asked her to go to her room and put them together to make the map again.

She was sure her daughter would take a lot more time and probably whole of day to get it done.But the little one came back within minutes with a perfect map.

When she asked how she could do it so quickly, she said,

"Oh Mom, there is a man's face on the other side of the paper. I made the face perfect to get the map right." she ran outside to play leaving the mother surprised.

Moral : Perhaps there is always the other side to whatever you experience in this world.

This story indirectly teaches a lesson.That is:

Whenever we come across a challenge or a puzzling situation, Look at the other side...

Will be surprised to see an easy way to tackle the problem or an acute difficulty.

Attention to Attitud

Our attitude impacts everything.  It sits at the heart of everything we do and will most likely become our reality.

However, it's not always easy to hold a positive attitude.  And that's why we need to pay attention to cultivate our attitude each day, at each moment, and in each thought.

This is easier when there's a deep awareness that a positive attitude is really good for me, it's good for my wellbeing, my relationship with myself, others and the world around me

Lesson from Frog

Human Beings and frogs are the two creatures in nature who have tremendous power to adjust. Put a frog in a vessel of water and start heating the water. As the temperature of the water rises, the frog is able to adjust its body temperature accordingly. The frog keeps on adjusting with increase in temperature. Just when the water is about to reach boiling point, the frog is not able to adjust anymore. At that point the frog decides to jump out. The frog tries to jump but is unable to do so, because it lost all its strength in adjusting with the water temperature. Very soon the frog dies.

What killed the frog? Many of us would say the boiling water.

But the truth is what killed the frog was its own inability to decide when it had to jump out.

We all need to adjust with people and situations, but we need to be sure when we need to adjust and when we need to face. There are times when we need to face the situation and take the appropriate action.

If we allow people to exploit us physically, emotionally or financially, they will continue to do so. We have to decide when to jump. Let us jump while we still have the strength!

The Importance of Open Communication

Open communication is vital in every relationship. Having an open communication between parents and children is one of the best thing in life. Sharing feelings, thoughts and ideas binds them more, strengthens their love and widens understanding though they are apart. It is not too late yet if you are not used to it, you could start practicing good communication with your loved ones today. And, if you are consistent to it definitely everything will follow.

Parents plans and do everything that is best for their children. So, even if they do not ask their children to return the favor for all their cares, their children usually thinks what is best for their parents especially by the time that they are no longer staying with their parents and cannot immediately respond to their parents needs as much as they love to. Elderly care topics like finding the right nursing home or in-home health care and other relevant topics for elderly needs could easily be tackled to parents though they are still on their productive and active age if there is an open communication between parents and children.

Having a great relationship and good communication with your parents with the assurance of your care though you will be miles apart in the future and opening the elderly care topics with them as early as possible will open their minds and let them understand better of their future needs. They could even help you choose of the right facilities for their future needs like nursing homes that offers great nursing home services.  To find a nursing home or a great facility that they could feel at home with while all their needs are being catered is a great achievement not just to children but to the seniors as well. If your parents sense that you care and love them and your plans is for their best, for them to live a healthy, happy and longer lives, these will act as their motivators to be on state that you want them to be and, will love and understand you more. Open communication between children and parents especially when parents are on their senior years is much more needed than any other stages in life, hope everyone will understand its importance.

Story - The coffee

He met her at someone's wedding. He requested her to have coffee with him, she was surprised but due to being polite, she promised. They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable, and she thought to herself, "Please, let me go home..." 

Suddenly he asked the waiter, "Would you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee." Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously, "Why you have this hobby?" He replied, "When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown, I miss my hometown so much, I miss my parents who are still living there." While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. That's his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart. A man who can tell out his homesickness, he must be a man who loves home, cares about home, has responsibility of home... Then she also started to speak, spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family. 

That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story. They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who meets all her demands; he had tolerance, was kind hearted, warm, careful. He was such a good person but she almost missed him! Thanks to his salty coffee! Then the story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married to the prince, and then they were living the happy life... And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that's the way he liked it. 

After 40 years, he passed away, left her a letter which said, "My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life's lie. This was the only lie I said to you---the salty coffee. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead. I never thought that could be the start of our communication! I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you for anything... Now I'm dying, I afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth, I don't like the salty coffee, what a strange bad taste... But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life! Since I knew you, I never feel sorry for anything I do for you. Having you with me is my biggest happiness for my whole life. If I can live for the second time, still want to know you and have you for my whole life, even though I have to drink the salty coffee again." Her tears made the letter totally wet. Someday, someone asked her, "What's the taste of salty coffee?" She replied, "It's sweet." Its a lil bit unrealistic story but the moral and the message of the story is wonderful :)

Story of Gold Coins - The 99 Club

Once upon a time, there lived a King who, despite his luxurious lifestyle, was neither happy nor content. One day, he came upon a servant who was singing happily while he worked. This fascinated the King; why was he, the Supreme Ruler of the Kingdom, unhappy and gloomy, while a lowly servant was so joyous. The King asked the servant, 'Why are you so happy?' The man replied, 'Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but my family and I don't need too much -- just a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies.'

The king was not satisfied with that reply. Later in the day, he sought the advice of his most trusted advisor. After hearing the King's woes and the servant's story, the advisor said, 'Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not been made part of The 99 Club.' 'The 99 Club? And what exactly is that?' the King inquired.  The advisor replied, 'Your Majesty, to truly know what The 99 Club is, let's place 99 Gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant's doorstep.'

Next day when the servant saw the bag, he picked it up and took it in. When he opened the bag, he let out a great shout of joy... So many gold coins! He began to count them. After several counts, he was at last convinced that there were 99 coins. 'What could've happened to that last gold coin? Surely, no one would leave 99 coins!' he wondered.  He looked everywhere he could, but that final coin was elusive. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he would have to work harder than ever to earn that gold coin and complete his collection.  And from that day, the servant's life was changed. He was overworked, horribly grumpy, and castigated his family for not helping him make  that 100th coin. He stopped singing while he worked. Witnessing this drastic transformation, the King was puzzled. When he sought his advisor's help, the advisor said, 'Your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined The 99 Club...' He continued, 'The 99 Club is a name given to those people who have enough to be happy but are never contented, because they're always yearning and striving for that extra one, telling themselves: 'Let me  get that one final thing and then I will be happy for life.'

We can be happy, even with very little in our lives, but the minute we're given something bigger and better, we want even more! We lose our sleep, our happiness, we hurt the people around us; all these as a price for our growing greed and desires. That's what joining The 99 Club is all about

21 Business Skills Needed To Succeed

The greatest people in business have certain attributes in common. Several personal qualities are important, like a thirst for continuous education, personal drive and motivation, strong goals and ambition, clear vision, and always a great deal of passion.

Beyond those personal qualities though, what makes a successful business person stand out from the crowd? Here are 21 business skills you need if you want to get ahead:

Communication

1. Written - Most people in business spend a lot of time communicating in writing. While the inter-office memo and the fax are old hat, you will spend a good few hours a day fighting your inbox. Add to this reports, white papers, proposals and resumes, it’s certain you will need to sharpen your word power to succeed.

2. Social Networking – We are not all social gadflys, some of us struggle to make small talk. It is a key skill to learn though, it is true what they say, sometimes it is more who you know than  what!

3. Speaking – Public speaking ranks high amongst the worlds most popular fears. You must overcome it and the best way is to practice. It might feel more comfortable working from the safety of your desk but at some point you are going to have to present. Better to have some experience under your belt before being forced to perform unprepared when it really counts.

4. Sales – You might think you do not need to sell but we all sell every day. From even before your first day you will be selling, starting at your interview all the way to asking the boss for a raise. In  normal life we sell, persuading your partner that you really need that new purchase, getting out of that parking ticket … persuasion skills can come in very handy indeed.

5. Negotiation – If you can’t sell perhaps you can negotiate. A lot of the skills are the same but you will find people who have been in business for a while can drive a hard bargain. If you do not have the skills you will lose out each and every time.

Planning

1. Strategic – A business that lurches from one crisis to another is not going to stay around very long. Obviously if you are in charge then you have to set the marching orders. Can you clearly see the road ahead?

2. Project – I know many people in business who see their role as the hot headed maverick that shoots from the hip and flies from the seat of their pants. Unfortunately most of them eventually crash and burn. Project management makes your life and that of your team less stressful and gets things done on time and on budget. It might not be the white knuckle ride that some enjoy but at least you will be able to clock off at a reasonable hour!

3. Financial – The top reason why businesses go out of business is bad financial planning. All the cash flows in the wrong direction. Having worked through the dotcom boom and bust I have seen first hand what too big a budget in the wrong hands can do. Someone needs a firm grip on the numbers and it had better be you otherwise someone might just take a trip to a tropical island at your expense.

4. Risk – I’m a natural worrier which though it annoys my wife, does have the advantage in business that I tend to see the potential potholes and bear traps in any plan. If you can imagine a risk you can set about to mitigate it.

5. Logistics – Money is just one resource you need. Any business has inputs and outputs. You need to have the right people in the right jobs with what they need when they need it to get their work done. Logistics might not put you on the cover of Time magazine but it could make you a hero in your office.

Productivity

1. Time management – I once had a boss who could never get to a single meeting on time. He would always turn up ten minutes late, red-faced, unprepared, looking like he had slept in a bush. He had a growing collection of speeding tickets and a bigger collection of excuses and apologies. Time management reduces stress and increases your respect.

2. Meeting management - Most of us hate meeting but they are a fact of business life. There are always the few who love them as a way to avoid real work. There are many tricks from firmly sticking to the agenda through to holding meetings standing up just before lunch. Whatever works for you if you can get meetings to be productive and under control you will get ahead.

3. Leadership – In the Dilbert universe leadership might be something you step in, but in business it really helps to be able to take the lead. Can you get people to follow you? Are you able to get people to do things they don’t want to do for the good of the team?

4. Systems – If you are repeatedly re-inventing the wheel there is something seriously wrong. Effective systems bring consistency, efficiency

and reduced costs. Learning how to create and implement both human and automated systems can go a long way to being more competitive.

5. Personal Productivity – What are your rhythms, when are you more sociable, detail-oriented, creative or lacking energy? Where do you excel and which areas are a struggle? Before you can lead anyone else you need to work out how to get the best out of yourself.

Creativity

1. Imagination – Many people neglect their creative side feeling that it is better to be all about the logic, but in fact some of the most successful business people are also the most imaginative.

2. Inventiveness – If you can imagine it you can create it, and if you create it then you can sell it! Look around you, think of the things you buy and use, someone had to have the idea before it was built and sold to you. You might be surprised how few mad inventors there are, more products are invented in a marketing office than a garage.

3. Problem Solving – A big part of surviving in business is about solving problems fast and effectively. An employee who is good at keeping their head in a crisis while fighting fires is a worthwhile asset to any business.

4. Brainstorming – Some people think brainstorming is all about having stupid ideas while ridiculing the contributions of everyone else while drinking coffee, eating cookies and flirting with the secretary from floor 2. Perhaps this is why brainstorms get a bad name? If you can brainstorm great ideas, fast then you will be one step ahead.

5. Making connections - Some of the best ideas have simply been about connecting two otherwise unconnected ideas together. Could you invent the next iPhone?

I am sure the sharp-eyed amongst you have noticed there are only 20 points in this list. What is number 21? Perhaps the most important skill of all; the ability to switch off! It is so easy for the stresses and strains of business life to burn people out so you must develop the ability to relax and unwind.

7 Unbelievable Things Chocolate Can Do For You

Chocolate is usually liked by all age groups and genders. People and kids love chocolate to help keep fit and for its delicious taste.

 

Chocolate can satisfy your sugar cravings and helps improve your overall health. Chocolate, especially dark, has many health benefits and it’s something that can help you maintain your fitness without extra effort. Here is what a chocolate can do for you:

 

1. Decreased stroke risk

A study in Sweden found that eating about 45 grams (2 bars) of dark chocolate per week can reduce the risk of stroke in women by almost 20%. Chocolate contains flavonoids which contain anti-oxidants that reduce stroke risk.

 

2. Improved mental function

A study in the UK found that 90 minutes after consuming dark chocolate or hot cocoa the mental function of participants improved. Scientists asked participants to count by skipping 3’s and 7’s. Participants who had cocoa showed better performance than those who did not. People in their 70′s often showed improvement in cognitive tests using chocolate.

                  

3. Muscle Improvement

Chocolate syrup may help you recover broken muscle tissue after an intense workout. A study at Indiana University found that chocolates help reduce fatigue and increase endurance. The study was conducted on cyclists and those who had chocolate milk performed better in endurance and fatigue tests than those who did not.

 

4. Eradicate negative feelings

One study found that after two weeks of eating 1.5 ounce of chocolate daily there was a significant reduction in the stress hormones of participants. People who feel highly anxious also benefit from the chocolate and experience a drastic shift in their feelings. It was also found that the bacteria present in the gut became better at processing.

 

5. Improved good cholesterol

After one month of eating chocolate daily the ration of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol improves significantly. Studies have also found that chocolate makes the blood thinner which improves its flow inside the body.

Tips and Tricks for Improving Your Memory

Your memory is one of the most valuable assets you have. Recalling the best events of your life, remembering the most important tasks and memorizing important dates are all possible because of sharp memory.

Often we hear people complaining that they fail to remember or recall certain events or some other important things. Usually people associate memory deterioration to aging. The truth is that our brain has the capability to produce new cells regardless of the age, so memory loss is not always the result of aging. Your memory is similar to your muscle strength, either you “use it or lose it”.

There are a lot of factors that determine your mental health such as your health habits, your lifestyle and daily activities you engage in. Good news is that you can improve your cognitive skills, protect the gray matter and save yourself from memory loss at any age.

Do not neglect your brain fitness

Tips to Improve Your MemoryHere are some tips you can make use of to boost your memory and use this powerful tool more effectively.

Use Your Brain more frequentlyKeep your neurons firing, if you want to have a sharp brain. Just like your body needs physical exercise to stay fit, in the same way reading can serve as your brain’s workout. Develop a reading habit, the best thing you can do is read 2 to 3 books a week.

Keep Your Brain Active

Mind twisting games allow your brain to stay active, such as games requiring logical thinking, memory tests, quizzes and crossword puzzles. Games like Sudoku also help keep your brain sharp and active.

Sleep WellLack of proper sleep can impair your cognitive functions. Both, the quantity and quality matters for proper processing and remembering information. If you are planning to change your lifestyle for enhancing your brain health, do focus on taking a sound sleep.

Stay Away from StressIncreased levels of stress can cause lack of concentration and also affect your ability to process information. Instead of worrying your brain with future thoughts it’s better to focus on your present. Trust us, this will help you a great deal in relieving stress.

Eat the Right FoodsEat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, walnuts, soy products, beans and flax seeds. You can also use fish oil. Studies reveal that fatty acids are beneficial for memory, cognition and mood. One such study revealed the positive effects of fish oil on school performance of children in Britain.

Stay away from drugs and smoking as they can have harmful effects on your brain.

Effective Tricks to Boost Your MemoryHere are some tricks you can use to enhance your memory:

Focus on PatternsSometimes large numbers are hard to remember, so here is a way you can remember such numbers:

3810151722242931363843

Now this number might seem random to you until you will realize that a pattern is being followed. Add 5 to the first number, then add 2 and keep on repeating the process until you get

the 22 digit number. So avoid memorizing blindly, instead you can use spatial awareness for memorizing the numbers.

AssociationsAnother way you can memorize the numbers is by associating them with certain things or events. For example if your number is 74736500736052, this is how you will memorize the number, Jumbo Jet 747, days in a year 365, James Bond 007, Xbox 360 and Deck of Cards 52.

AlphabetizeThe system of alphabetization can also be very helpful for memorizing a long list of words. For instance you need to memorize the name of states in the US, put them in an alphabetical order and learn them one by one. You will be surprised to see how quickly you will be able to learn the list.

Categorize

Categorizing is quite similar to alphabetizing. If you have to memorize a long list of things, such as your grocery list the simpler way to do that is: put all the things under various categories.

For example, if this is your list:Shampoo, milk, bananas, flour, butter, soap, coconut, sugar, cheese, apples, detergent, oats

You can assort all the items like this:

Dried Goods: flour, oats, sugarFruits: apple, banana, coconutDairy products: butter, cheese, milkWashing products: Soap, shampoo, detergents

If you will memorize your grocery items in this way we bet you would not need those shopping lists again.

ImagesAn effective way to remember something is by creating images in the mind. For instance, if you need to remember a person’s name, you can associate it with some object.

Example: If you meet someone by the name of Johnny Key, create an image of a key lying in the center of his face.

Story MethodStory method is yet another effective way of remembering incidences, lists of things and dates. You can make up a story related to a certain event or important information that you need to memorize.

MnemonicsThink of mnemonics as a key to the rest of the information you want to memorize. It can be a word or a short phrase. Remember “some people have curly brown hair through proper brushing” for learning trigonometry formulae? This is how you can use mnemonics to learn other information.

Story of a Bus Driver - A Management Lesson

One fine day, a bus driver went to the bus garage, started his bus, and drove off along the route. No problems for the first few stops-a few people got on, a few got off, and things went generally well. At the next stop, however, a big hulk of a guy got on. Six feet eight, built like a wrestler, arms hanging down to the ground. He glared at the driver and said, "Big John doesn't need to pay!" and sat down at the back.

Did I mention that the driver was five feet three, thin, and basically meek? Well, he was. Naturally, he didn't argue with Big John, but he wasn't happy about it. The next day the same thing happened-Big John got on again, made a show of refusing to pay, and sat down. And the next day, and the one after that and so forth.

This grated on the bus driver, who started losing sleep over the way Big John was taking advantage of him. Finally he could stand it no longer. He signed up for body building courses, karate, judo, and all that good stuff.

By the end of the summer, he had become quite strong; what's more, he felt really good about himself. So on the next Monday, when Big John once Again got on the bus and said, "Big John doesn't pay!," The driver stood up, glared back at the passenger, and screamed, "And why not?" With a surprised look on his face, Big John replied, "Big John has a bus pass."

Management Lesson:" Be sure! What is a problem in the first place before working hard to solve one?"

The Way to Feel Good is to Do Good

The way to feel good is to do good. The way to feel successful is to take the actions that bring about success.

You cannot truly feel what you do not truly live. Be honest and authentic with yourself, with others, and with life, because anything less is just cheating yourself.

Spend this day being a unique and enthusiastic expression of life's goodness. See how much of a positive difference you can make, and experience what a genuine, positive feeling you get from doing so.

Seek to add richness to the lives of others and be delighted at how much richness it brings into your own life. Do something good and useful just because it is the right thing to do, and discover how right it feels.

Let go of the tiresome fight to gain advantage, and direct your energy toward appreciating and creating goodness. Move beyond the need to prove yourself and focus instead on improving all of life.

Give more and more of your own unique goodness to those around you, to the world, and to life. And feel the outstanding richness as it grows increasingly abundant for you.

Top 10 Mysterious Diseases

There are millions of known diseases, most of them are treatable by science through discovering possible cures. Many years of research and hard work has found causes and cures for many, however there are still some diseases that can’t be explained by science. Here is a list of 10 of them:

 

1. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

MCS is a modern disease characterized by abnormal reactions to low levels of modern chemicals. Scientists believe that substances like synthetic fibers and petroleum products are possible causes for this disease. Tests show that people do not react to actual chemicals, they react when they believe the triggering substance is around them.

 

2. Sweating Sickness

Many people die from excessive bleeding, however excessive sweating can also lead to death. This disease has struck Europe 6 times in the past. This disease has symptoms like a sense of apprehension followed by cold shivers, severe neck pain, and headache. Once these symptoms arise excessive sweating starts, which lasts for about 30 minutes before death.

 

3. Sleeping sickness

With this disease people complain of sore throat which escalates and can turn into madness, the body ultimately locks up, the sufferers appear to be asleep but are not. Many died in the frozen body state, those who survive suffer from behavioral problems for the rest of their life.

4. Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML)

PML is a brain disorder which leads to destruction of myelin (an oily substance that protects nerve cells from damaged). Its caused by JC virus, named for the initials of the first person to suffer from this disease.

5. Morgellons Disease

Morgellons disease is a skin disease characterized by symptoms of biting, crawling, and stinging sensations, it includes rashes and lesions on the skin. Most doctors and dermatologists believe this disease will have an explanation in the future but right now is an unknown medical mystery.

6. Dercum’s Disease

This is a rare disorder characterized by symptoms of multiple and painful growth of fatty tissues (lipomas). The tissue growth usually happens in the upper arms and legs. This disease is painful and the cause is still unknown.

7. Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity

EH is a condition in which sufferers feel as if they are exposed to high intensity electromagnetic fields. Though the effects of Electromagnetic fields on human body have been established by medical science, people with this disorder report response to electromagnetic fields at low intensities that are not harmful to humans.

 

8. Neuromyelitis Optica

Also known as Devic’s disease, NMO is a chronic nerve tissue disorder associated with inflammation in the optic nerve and spinal cord. In its early stages this disease may look like multiple sclerosis, however in later stages it is much more dangerous. Scientists have not been able to figure out the exact cause of this disease.

 

9. Exploding Head Syndrome

This is an uncommon disorder in which the sufferer feels as if loud noises are coming from within the person’s head. This can happen in complete silence. It can make the person experience noises like explosions, roar of a lion, or loud ringing voices. These noises usually start after the person sleeps for a few hours.

 

10. Landau-Kleffner Syndrome

This is a chronic syndrome associated with loss of comprehension ability and lack of ability to express themselves verbally. In the early stages people often confuse this disease with ADHD, however its much more dangerous. Studies find this disease is associated with unusual electro-encephalic findings that in most cases lead to seizures.

30 Lessons I Learned in 30 Years

It was a warm night outside Caffe Dante, my favorite Gelato spot in New York’s Greenwich Village. I usually go there alone. I walk through Washington Square Park, people watch and get my two scoops of gelato: one scoop of stracciatella, one of tiramisu. This particular time I sat outside at a table next to an older Italian woman and her little French Bull dog. I struck up a conversation.

We chatted about things like Italian culture, her grandkids and how her husband is an artist who has a gallery in the city. I was 29, about to turn 30, so I asked the woman if she could go back in time and tell her 30-year-old self anything, what would it be? Her response: “Don’t worry so much. We create drama from nothing so often, but the things we think are major issues always pass, and we forget about them usually within a few months at most.”

It’s good advice. As I look back at my 30 years of life so far, I’ve come up with 30 simple yet important lessons I’ve learned — about being a better entrepreneur and a better person in general.

1.  Don’t worry so much

She was right, there’s been so much stress and drama I’ve allowed in the past that really doesn’t matter.  There are ways to handle situations and instances in your life, but worrying about them never does much.

2. Be extremely grateful for what you have

I was a pain in the !@#$%^&* most of my childhood, always mad at the things I didn’t have. Things shifted drastically in my 20′s where I started putting an emphasis in gratitude. Focus on the good you do have, not the things you lack.

3. Strive to be a better version of yourself every day

Each day we have the opportunity to learn something new, apologize for our mistakes, and become better.

4. Drop your ego

It’s something I continue to work on because having an ego never did anything positive for me and it usually crushes people.

5. Eat clean

I used to eat whatever I wanted and it didn’t matter as much when I worked out 6 hours a day.  I still love my gelato from time to time, but I’m all about eating as much organic foods, experimenting with cleanses, and drinking green juice as possible.  Focus on what works for you, but educate yourself on what you put in your body.

6. Sweat daily

Movement is important especially when so many sit at a desk for 10+ hours a day. This causes serious aging, illness, and physical pain when you don’t move.  CrossFit, playing team handball for the USA national team, and street basketball are my weekly activities.  Do something you’ll have fun with and focus on moving every day.

7. Give back

I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help of countless people.  The support I’ve received from family, friends, teachers, coaches, mentors and so on are overwhelming. Find a way to help others and give back as it’s the best form of gratitude.

8. Frame your goals

I started writing my goals down and framing the goal as if it already was achieved in my early 20′s.  I was amazed when I started reaching these goals by the date I had listed on them.  It was a daily visualization exercise, and it almost always works.  I believe the things you put your energy towards the most, will most likely come true over everything else.  Frame your goals.

9. Don’t let others dictate your life

If you don’t want to live a normal life where you go to a job you hate just so you can enjoy your weekends and get two weeks to vacation every year… then don’t do it.  It’s as simple as that.  Read The Four Hour Work Week  byTim Ferriss or other inspirational blogs about creating a lifestyle around a business you want to live.  No excuses, just do it already.

10. Follow your passion.

We only have one chance in this life.  If you aren’t following what you love, then what are you doing?  Why show up everyday to live a life someone else wants for you?  Let them live theirs and you live yours.

11. Be enthusiastic about what you do

Vince Lombardi said, “If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you’ll be fired with enthusiasm”

12. Focus on relationships

You can accomplish anything with the right relationships both personally and professionally.  People don’t care as much about what you know as they do on how much you care about them.

13. Be open to trying new things

I’ve been an extremely picky eater my entire life, but the more I try if life, the more I learn and become a better version of myself.

14. Feel your fears and do them anyways

My friend and sports psychologist Dr. Jeff Spencer told me this once and it stuck with me.  Elite athletes feel fear just like everyone else, but they channel that fear to fuel their spirit and passion for competition.

15. Your childhood matters, but don’t let it control your adulthood.

Don’t let the things that happened to you as a kid control the rest of your life. !@#$%^&* happens to all of us.  Use it to your advantage, learn from it, and focus on gratitude and giving.

16. Be nice to your siblings and love your family.

I used to fight a lot with one of my sisters.  It was stupid.  My family has given me so much for a majority of my life and I wouldn’t be here without them.

17. Invest in yourself

Grant Cardone once told me to spend all of my money on investing in myself. Learn why this is important and why it’s a major focus for me now in this interview.

18. Attract great coaches

I’d be an angry, messed up kid still if I didn’t have amazing coaches and mentors. They knew how to get the most out of me and teach me about letting go of ego, working with a team, sacrifice, and so much more.  The world is a better place because of great coaches.  Find one for every aspect of your life and ask them to push you to get better every day.

19. Build a supportive team around you

I have a personal advisory board that I reach out to frequently.  These are people I admire, trust, and believe in.  I ask them to call me out on my !@#$%^&* and give me feedback when I need it.  No one achieves greatness alone, find the support you need.

20. Follow your dreams no matter what

It doesn’t matter what age you are or how little experience you have with something. It’s never too late to follow your dreams.  It will be the most fulfilling feeling once you do and you’ll never regret going after them.

21. Forgive yourself and others

Man, have I made A LOT of mistakes and done some stupid things throughout my life. It’s OK.  Don’t worry so much.  Forgive yourself, and forgive others for making mistakes.  Focus on learning from it and not doing them again.

22. Don’t let failure hold you back

“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed”.  -Michael Jordan

23. Stay true to your word

Don’t say you’ll do something unless you follow through.  Learn to say “no” more often if you have too much on your plate and aren’t able to follow through on everything.

24.  Pay off your debts

Some debt is good for building credit, minimizing risk, and so on, but there are some debts that weigh most people down from truly following their passion and living an amazing life.  Pay off the debts that weigh you down as it’s an amazing feeling once you do. Read this book by Ramit for help on this.

25.  Learn outside the classroom

There isn’t much I remember from textbooks in school.  The best part about school for me was learning people skills and building relationships. Everything I know about business, marketing, and making a living has come from mentors and learning outside of the classroom.  Find the right teacher and take action.

26.  Surround yourself with people smarter than you

The only way to grow is to play against harder competition in sports, or hang out with smarter people than you.  I’m always the dumbest person in the room, and I intend to keep it that way.

27.  Be happy with nothing

It’s not a fun feeling when you have no place to live, and can’t afford your own food.  I don’t recommend doing it on purpose as an experiment.  But having lived that way before makes me very happy living my life when everything can fit in a few suitcases.  I like luxurious things and experiences as much as the next person, but some of the happiest people in the world are minimalists.

28.  Learn from your relationships

People come and go, and so do intimate relationships.  Learn from the good and bad ones and stay true to yourself through each relationship.  Don’t allow them to make you into someone you don’t want to be.

29.  Do something great

You’ve got an opportunity to leave a legacy with your life.  What do you want to leave? Each day is an opportunity to do something great.

There you have it.

You’re probably wondering what my 30th lesson is, right?

Well, since I always try to be the dumbest person in the room, I’ve learned to ask the right questions. The right questions ignite  innovation, solve problems, create marriages and powerful partnerships, and help us live a better life.

Since I learn from everyone, especially my readers, I’d love to hear your answer to my question.  It doesn’t matter how old are you, what’s one thing you’d tell your younger version of yourself?  You better believe I’ll be getting some gelato on my 30th, but your answer in the comments section below would be the cherry on top.

Story: Know your Value

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a Rupee 500 note. In the room of 200, He asked, "Who would like this Rupee 500 note?"

Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give this note to one of you but first let me do this."

He proceeded to crumple the note up.

He then asked, "Who still wants it?"

Still the hands were up in the air.

"Well," he replied, "What if I do this?"

And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty.

"Now who still wants it?"

Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson.

No matter what I did to the money.

You still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth Rupee 500/-.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt

by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless.

But no matter what has happened or what will happen. 

Never lose your value.

You are special. Don't ever forget it! Never let yesterday's disappointments overshadow tomorrow's dreams.

"VALUE HAS A VALUE ONLY IF ITS VALUE IS VALUED"

Importance of Breakfast

Your brain is constantly developing, in your sleep it processes your memories and creates paths to information. While you are awake it absorbs everything around you, through all of your senses, and emotions. How do we keep our brain energized and functioning at the highest potential?

Breakfast! Since we were kids it has been preached that breakfast is most important meal of the day. Well there are numerous reasons why this has been drilled into your head your entire life.

As a child your brain needs constant level of nutrients to grow and develop properly. There are proven negative side effects to skipping breakfast as a child and as an adult. First of all there is a reason it is called breakfast. After sleeping and your brain complete proper maintenance you need to break –fast. You do not eat while you are sleeping therefore you are fasting, break that fast and reenergize your brain. Refill the nutrients it did not receive while you were sleeping. You will be more efficient in everything you do therefore getting you further ahead in your day to day routine. If you are skipping breakfast to skip the calories you are doing yourself an injustice.

 

Eight Choices You Can Make Today

Eight Choices You Can Make Today that Will Change Your Life Forever

by Chris Widener

The direction of our lives is determined by the choices we make every day. They accumulate and add up to our ultimate destiny. Here are eight choices you can make - choices that will create for you a life of abundance and prosperity in all areas of your life.

1. Choose to grow personally. This sounds simple but many people only wish to grow personally. They never choose to grow by taking action, such as actually exercising, saving more money etc. Make a decision today to be a person who is on the never ending journey of personal growth.

2. Choose to always treat others right. We come across all sorts of people, many of whom will treat us poorly. We can choose to treat them right, no matter how they treat us. When they lie, we will tell the truth. When they cheat, we will play by the rules. We may get the short end of the stick some times, but in the long-run we will win. And most importantly, we will be able to sleep at night.

3. Choose to break a bad habit. Take the biggie first. Tackle it head on. If you don't know what it is, ask a friend. Then spend every effort you can to break that habit. Forget about the others, as you will get to them later. Stop smoking, get out of debt, lose your excess weight. Exercise the power to choose!

4. Choose to work smarter. Many people I work with feel like they are out of balance. One of the first things I do is try to find out how much time they are wasting at work, which makes them work longer, which throws the rest of their life into chaos. Getting your work done by diligently working in the time you have will free your life up extraordinarily.

5. Choose to see your work as a way to help others, and not a way to make money. If you put your heart into helping others, the money will most assuredly come. Spend time helping others grow and your finances will grow with it.

6. Choose to become balanced spiritually, emotionally and physically. Our lives are best when we have these three major areas in balance. Spend some time cultivating your spirituality, becoming emotionally healthy, and physically fit.

7. Choose to sow more than you reap. There are many takers in this world, but our lives will be better as we become givers. The world will become better as we become givers. Give away your time, give away your money, give away your love.

8. Choose to get home for dinner more often. The family is the most important group of people you will ever belong to. Make a decision today to

grow in your relationship with your parents, siblings, spouse and children. This one choice you will never regret.

One of my favorite quotes: �The history of free men is never written by chance, but by choice; their choice.�� Dwight D. Eisenhower

Story: The Two Falcons

Once there was a king who received a gift of two magnificent falcons from Arabia. They were peregrine falcons, the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave the precious birds to his head falconer to be trained.

Months passed and one day the head falconer informed the king that though one of the falcons was flying majestically, soaring high in the sky, the other bird had not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived.

The king summoned healers and sorcerers from all the land to tend to the falcon, but no one could make the bird fly. He presented the task to the member of his court, but the next day, the king saw through the palace window that the bird had still not moved from its perch. Having tried everything else, the king thought to himself, "May be I need someone more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this problem." So he cried out to his court, "Go and get a farmer."

In the morning, the king was thrilled to see the falcon soaring high above the palace gardens. He said to his court, "Bring me the doer of this miracle."

The court quickly located the farmer, who came and stood before the king. The king asked him, "How did you make the falcon fly?"

With head bowed, the farmer said to the king, " It was very easy, your highness. I simply cut the branch of the tree where the bird was sitting."

Moral :-We are all made to fly - to realize our incredible potential as human beings. But instead of doing that, we sit on our branches, clinging to the things that are familiar to us. The possibilities are endless, but for most of us, they remain undiscovered. We conform to the familiar, the comfortable, the mundane. So for the most part, our lives are mediocre instead of exciting, thrilling and fulfilling. So let us learn to destroy the branch of fear we cling to and free ourselves to the glory of flight..

10 Signs Someone Is Smarter Than You

Unless you think you’re the smartest, who doesn’t want to be smarter? Of course I want to be smarter too, so I try to find out who’s the real smart guy that maybe I can learn from. James Gardner has got me an answer on Quoraabout whether someone’s smart or not.

Here are the signs of smart people:

1. They don’t talk as much as you do, because they know they got smart by listening.2. They know lots of things other than what they’re specialised in. Theirs is the gift of a

broad mind, constantly fed with the stimulant of being interested in what everyone else is doing.

3. They juggle home, work and personal interests with dexterity and never fall back on the tired old refrain about “work life balance”. And when they’re juggling, they somehow manage to seem 100% engaged with what they’re doing, on all fronts simultaneously, even though you know they’re taking appropriate steps behind the scenes to make sure their lives are perfectly, serenely balanced.

4. They probably do social media. Not always, but probably. It is not only another chance to listen, but one they use to ensure they can feed their brains with things they otherwise won’t have come across.

5. Even when things go very badly wrong, they’ll be smiling. Smart people never get ruffled because their smart brains present them with alternatives faster than the bad stuff can happen.

6. They know they are usually the smartest person in the room, but they don’t spend their time dwelling on that. Instead, they take it as a personal challenge to see if they can make everyone else the smartest person in the room too.

7. If they are managers, they will make every effort to get people smarter, more connected and more popular than them in their teams. They’re not threatened because they know that smartness is synergistic. They also make sure that their smart people get to look smarter than them for the same reason.

8. They have hidden skills that never get rolled out until they’re needed. They don’t have any need to show their full capabilities for reasons of proving they’re better than others.

9. They may or may not have expensive educations. You’d never know just by being with them unless you had their CV in front of you.

10. They never, ever, under any circumstances, make you look stupid, even though it would be easy to do so. They’ve learned through bitter experience that the only thing that happens when you make someone look bad is you look bad yourself.

Now you should know who the smart people are. If you want to be the smart one, let me give you this extra advice from Steve Jobs “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”

Things you can do help move on with your life

When you’re feeling overwhelmed with your sadness and loss, it’s hard to believe that your life will ever change, or you’ll ever be able to smile or laugh again. But the truth is you will – it won’t always be this bad – and there are things you can do help move on with your life:

Face your life, its pain, its pleasure, leave no path untaken.

 

1-Decide to face your pain.

An unresolved past never really goes away. You may think you have buried your anger and pain but the hurt is still there and it will surface later on. If you don’t face what happened, and the feelings it unleashed, you will end up being ruled by your subconscious mind. So try and find the courage to revisit all the pain.

 

2- Accept there’s nothing you can do to change the past.

What’s happened has happened, and what’s done is done. There’s nothing you can do to turn back the hands of time, or to rewrite the story so the ending’s happier. But you can change how you think, and you can start over again, and build a different future that’s not poisoned by the past.

 

3- Be grateful for the good times.

There’s usually something good that you can be thankful for. You don’t have to pretend that everything was bad – or write off any good times and happy memories.

 

4- Consciously let go and set your focus on the future –

Don’t let the baggage, or the failures of the past, affect your identity or self esteem. You are NOT what you did, or how you acted previously. You’re not just a product of what happened to you. You are valuable, unique and you have so much to give. You’re the author of your future;

you control your destiny.

 

5. Remove your past from your future.

We all have a tendency to think that the past will morph into our future – and become our lot in life. But that doesn’t have to happen. The future’s a blank page. You can change your expectations – and work towards those goals. Instead, look hard for the exceptions – the times when things went right – and notice what you did that resulted in success. You still have those same strengths, skills and great qualities.

 

 

 

6- Be realistic and take small steps at first.

You can’t snap your fingers - and find that life has changed. Accept it will take time, and you will still have some bad days – but if you keep on going then the past will lose its grip.

The 10 Commandments Of Salary Negotiations

While exploring new career options, I asked two neighbors who had made recent job changes what percentage pay increase they received. I was surprised when one told me 39%. When the second said his new salary was 46% higher, I realized that increases in job changing weren't limited to the 5% to 10% usually given for internal promotions and cost-of-living raises.

My neighbors did me a great favor. They opened my eyes to the truth in this statement: You can negotiate anything. Here are my 10 commandments for negotiating a new salary.

1. Research your profession's salary range. Check with recruiters in your field (even if you don't pursue their leads), competitors, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook, the Internet, your local chamber of commerce and trade publications.

2. Select a target salary or total pay. You may not get the amount you want, but having a specific objective can help you get close.

3. Don't initiate salary discussions. Wait for the interviewer to bring the subject up, even if it's postponed to a second interview.

4. When asked for your salary requirements, say that they're "negotiable." Do the same on applications by writing "negotiable" in any box asking about salary details. If the form asks you to provide current salary, write, "to be covered during interview." This isn't being evasive, because without knowing details about benefits, how could you select a salary figure?

5. When asked for your salary requirements, reply by asking the interviewer to share the position's salary range. If your request isn't granted, excuse yourself politely and leave. (Would you want to work for a firm that won't respond to this legitimate request?)

6. Discuss benefits separately from salary. Your list of benefits can include insurance, tuition reimbursement, relocation payments, stock options, bonuses and outplacement upon termination.

7. Analyze all benefit packages with a family member or friend, or with an insurance, investment or bank professional. They'll provide you with an invaluable second opinion and may look at the offer more objectively.

8. Consider the cost of living if you're moving to a new area, and if it's higher, suggest that you be paid a differential.

9. In discussing why you deserve a substantial increase, use examples of your accomplishments that prove your value, not merely your experience. Comparisons to your current salary are irrelevant and should be avoided; you're talking about the benefits you'll bring, not your past salary, which you may have had no control over.

10. Always assume a firm's first offer is negotiable and never accept an offer at the interview. Express your strong interest, but state you always discuss decisions of this magnitude with advisers whose judgment you have relied upon for years. Tell your interviewer when you'll contact him or her with your decision.

By following these commandments, you'll increase your chances of receiving a pay increase well into the double-digits.

Mr. Keller is a consultant with CareerPro, a career consulting firm based in Willow Grove, Pa 

Do You Judge People Fairly?

Once upon a time, three blind kids who have never heard of an elephant, were taken near to the elephant. First kid who touched the elephant from the tail commented that elephant is hairy and thin. Second kid who touched the elephant from legs concluded that elephant is very fat and  unmovable thing. Third kid who touched the elephant from the trunk said that elephant is a curvy moving object. Do you think any of the kid said the right thing? Do you think that instant comments by any kid was a right approach? Do you think you behave just like blind kids, that is, giving instantaneous conclusive comments about people instead of judging them properly. In fact, sometimes you behave worst than that. You associate things with people which are never supposed to be concluded in that way. Sometimes you do character assassination of people and put their respect on stake. Isn't it unfair? So how to judge people? Here are some points to be considered:

1-    Be positive. Even if you notice any negative thing about someone. Don't conclude about it. There is a chance your brain is thinking against the reality. Don't let your brain cook bad curry. Explore the negative observation extensively but avoid spying on someone. Be straight and be upfront.2-   Physical appearance is not everything. Don't judge people by their looks. A person in normal clothes and in a normal vehicle might be better than a person in brand new Mercedes or BMW. On the contrary, a rich man can also be equally a great person.3-   When judging people look for the Ethical richness  such as honesty, truthfulness, simplicity, behavior, friendliness, down-to-earth attitude etc. 4-    A fly will always sit on the dirty and rotten part of the tomato. Never do this in your life. Every person has good and bad habits. Look at the positive side of things. If you feel something wrong, talk about it but don't spread negative info about someone. Hate the bad habit, not the person.

Judging a person does not define who they are… it defines who you are !!!

Story - Secret of success

A young man asked Socrates the secret to success. Socrates told the young man to meet him near the river the next morning. They met. Socrates asked the young man to walk with him towards the river. When the water got up to their neck, Socrates took the young man by surprise and ducked him into the water. The boy struggled to get out but Socrates was strong and kept him there until the boy started turning blue. Socrates pulled his head out of the water and the first thing the young man did was to gasp and take a deep breath of air. Socrates asked, 'What did you want the most when you were there?" The boy replied, "Air." Socrates said, "That is the secret to success. When you want success as badly as you wanted the air, then you will get it." There is no other secret. 

Moral of the Story 

A burning desire is the starting point of all accomplishment. Just like a small fire cannot give much heat, a weak desire cannot produce great results. The motivation to succeed comes from the burning desire to achieve a purpose.

i hope everyone like it.

Soursop Fruit – Natural Cancer Killer

Every other day we hear someone close to us suffering from the lethal disease called, Cancer. Though many medicines have been introduced so far, the disease is still responsible for many deaths worldwide. Almost 20,000 people die of cancer everyday across the globe, out of which 70% of deaths are caused in underdeveloped countries, according to World Health Organization.

Chemotherapy is one of the most widely used treatments for curing cancer. It effectively destroys the cancer cells and inhibits their growth. Unfortunately, Chemotherapy comes with several side effects such as hair loss, anemia, nausea and vomiting. Chemo helps destroy the cancer cells but meanwhile it also damages the healthy cells of the body.

 

You can find tremendous amount of valuable nutrients in Graviola tree fruit such as carbohydrates, proteins, vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, iron, calcium, magnesium,

phosphorus, potassium and zinc

What we have to offer you today is a fruit that may help you fight cancer without any adverse reactions. The fruit is called “Soursop” or “Graviola tree fruit”. Some preliminary findings have helped researchers to conclude that the fruit is a natural cure for cancer (especially colon cancer) and it is, “10,000 times stronger than chemo”. One of the studies conducted by Cancer Centre, published in the “Journal of Medicinal Chemistry”, in 1997, says that compounds found in soursop proved to treat breast cancer 250 times more effectively than chemo.

Soursop is a fruit of an evergreen flowering tree known as Annona Muricata and commonly found in the tropical areas of Cuba, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Uganda, Somalia and the Caribbean. The fruit belongs to the family of Pawpaw.

The fruit is called by other names as well such as graviola (Brazilian Portuguese), guanábana (Spanish), anona (European Portuguese), corossol (French), Brazilian pawpaw and in some cultures it is also known as Thorny Mango.

It is a spiny green colored fruit which is white from the inside. It tastes like a combination of pineapple and strawberry with an underlying creamy flavor of banana or coconut. The fruit is commonly used in making exotic drinks and sherbets.

You can find tremendous amount of valuable nutrients in it such as carbohydrates, proteins, vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.

The fruit is beneficial for curing fungal and bacterial infections, stress, depression, nervous disorders, blood pressure and sleeping disorders. According to a study published in the Journal of Dietary Supplement in 2008, graviola extracts are effective in the treatment of parasitic and microbial agents.

Researchers claim that the fruit can bring a revolution in the field of medicine, especially for treating cancer. Following are some of the claims made by researchers about this miraculous fruit:

It can naturally treat cancer by destroying the cancer cells, without any side effects such as nausea, vomiting, hair loss and weight loss

During the treatment it does not cause any harm to your immune system, it rather boosts your immunity and protects you from deadly infections

It provides you with extra strength to fight with the disease and you may feel healthier during the course of treatment

It also keeps away from depression that most of the cancer patients develop during the treatment

The graviola tree extracts have been tested in almost 20 laboratories by America’s largest drug manufacturers, since 1970s and has proven to be beneficial in the following ways:

It effectively targets and destroys malignant cells in almost 12 types of cancer such as breast, lung, pancreas, prostate and colon

The commonly used drug that helps combat cancer, as a part of chemotherapy is Adriamycin. The Annona muricata tree contains compounds that have 10,000 times more strength to combat cancer than Adriamycin

Unlike chemotherapy the graviola extracts only targets the cancer cells and destroys them. It does not do any damage to the healthy cells

Now you must be wondering that why the properties of this amazing cancer fighting fruit has been hidden until now? Though extensive researches have been undertaken regarding this fruit, it has still not been publicized. Some proponents say that there is a huge conspiracy regarding the findings about soursop. The reason this natural remedy is being kept away from the public eye is

because soursop has the potential to be substituted for chemo. If it happens, it will lower down the profits of the pharmaceutical companies producing synthetic cancer drugs.

The fruit is beneficial but still there are some side-effects associated with the consumption of this fruit. There are high levels if annonacin found in this fruit that may cause Parkinson’s disease if consumed in large quantities. This finding has been published in the journal, “Movement Disorders”, in the year 2002.In some cases it may even prove harmful for the body’s cells by stopping it from producing ATP (ATP is also known as Adenosine triphosphate and it is responsible for transferring chemical energy within the cells).

You may find soursop in grocery stores or health food stores. The graviola extracts are found in the form of herbal medicine sold under the brand name Triamazon, according to Cancer Research UK.

Need Success and Happiness? Work on your thoughts

There is a famous saying that we are the product of our thoughts. Hence this article is written to understand the importance of thoughts, their contributing factors, thought analysis and purification techniques.

During all day we keep thinking about things, events, families, issues, future, money, office and several other stuff. Our thoughts drive us to take some actions and hence we are moving towards our destiny by each and every action. That means our thought is the strongest part of our destiny as it is the root cause of every action. In my opinion, our Thoughts Process primarily consists of following five contributing factors. I will include some of the details of each factor and summarize the Thought Purification tips under each category below:

1.     Education: Education broadens the horizon of our minds. More education means that the mind is exposed to more knowledge and possibilities. Education when combined with experience result in more mental growth as compared to a less educated person. Hence the quality of thoughts are directly linked with the education. So to keep our 'thoughts seeds' healthy we must seek for Good knowledge, the knowledge which freshen up our brain cells, which gives us positive energy and boosts up our mental power. So we must keep learning new things throughout our life in order to synergize.    Article written by Junaid Tahir. Feel free to feedback at mjunaidtahir at gmail dot com

2.    Desires: This is sometimes a killing factor. For example, If we let our brain running behind our desires blindly, we will end up with considering short-cuts in our life for achievements. These short cuts basically kill the purity of thoughts and consequently bound us doing social evils such as back-biting, lying, deceiving, stealing, fraud, bribery and other forms of corruption. Hence, we have to have sold control on our desires to control this phenomenon. But this does not mean, we should drop our genuine desires. Remember, Positive desires combined with Positive Thoughts and Actions will result in success.  However Positive Desires combined with Negative Thoughts and Action will result in crimes which I just mentioned above. Article written by Junaid Tahir. Feel free to feedback at mjunaidtahir at gmail dot com

3.    Brought up: Each one of us has been brought up in a unique way by our parents. Some of us have been grown in very healthy physical and mental family environment. Some have mixed kind of situations both positive and negative in terms of finance, family bonding and social lives. Our mental growth has been based on all the events which have been taking place in our childhood, teenage and even our current day to day life. We can't go back to past to change our brought-up but what we can do is to drop the negative part of our past and tightly hold on to the positive one. It's pretty much straight forward. If we wish to keep the Negative things in mind, that means we are polluting your brain and your 'Thinking System'. So the choice is ours!

4.    Company (family friends): This is something we can really work on to make our life happy. A mature 'human environment' is an indication of healthy mental growth. We must always try to surround yourself with positive, fun-loving, friendly, optimistic, constructive,  cheerful and bright people so the brain is free from stress consequently brain will automatically start working on positive thoughts.  When with family, we should always endeavour for creating a happy environment by meeting the logical desires of family members, cracking jokes, listening empathically. This helps divert the brain towards positive feelings and hence our upcoming thoughts would be mature, positive and stress-free. Article written by Junaid Tahir. Feel free to feedback at mjunaidtahir at gmail dot com

5.    Circumstances: Good and bad things happen to everyone but we must not throw ourselves totally on our circumstances. It is said that life is 20% what happens to us and 80% how we react to it. So consider every challenge as a new adventure and try to adopt a positive approach for a safe exit. Control your circumstance by surrounding yourself with positive people, behaving good with others, taking corrective and preventive measures for any mishaps. There are situations when we don't have control on the events happened to us. In this case, we don't have much choice but to live with the

situation. However we shouldn't let such things steal our peace of mind. So we need to seek help from others and try to find solution. It is advised not to get involved too much for any situation. It is wisely said by someone that if you can't laugh on the same joke again and again so why worrying on the same trouble again and again! Article written by Junaid Tahir. Feel free to feedback at mjunaidtahir at gmail dot com

Conclusion: You are the product of your thoughts. Quality of your thoughts determines the level of peace of mind. Good thoughts result in good fruit, bad thoughts bad fruit. So every seed of thought matters. Always remember: Small minds think and discuss about people, average minds think and discuss about events, higher minds think and discuss about ideas and great mind actually execute innovate in silence

5 Good and Bad Things That Will Make Your Acne Better or Worse

We all mess up sometimes. That’s life. But since your skin is the largest organ of your body, and a vulnerable one at that, it’s best to know what good things you can do to it, and what skincare no-no’s may eventually turn into bad habits that take a mighty toll on your skin.

 

Before we start, did you know that acne breakouts do not come from what you put on your skin and therefore cannot be treated by topical products? Most acne may be traced to fluctuations in hormone levels, especially androgens (male hormones, also known as testosterone), and their power to over stimulate sebaceous glands. As acne results from inflammation caused by sebum-clogged hair follicles (pores) and bacteria, ruling out the factors that cause overproduction of sebum is very important. If you want to break the acne cycle, you need to help the body to balance itself and stop over stimulating the sebaceous glands.

 

So, curious whether that new exercise routine you just started could make your acne worse? Or whether your moisturizer really measures up? Take a look at these 5 good and bad things that will make your acne-prone skin better or worse.

 THE GOOD

1. Using your Acne Treatment as IndicatedThe weather has changed, and so has your everyday routine. Chances are you’ve got new activities and responsibilities on your plate, whether you’re a teen balancing fall sports and schoolwork, or an adult preparing for the holiday season. During the excitement of these busy times, you must keep your acne treatment routine going. It is, hands down, the most important

step in breaking the cycle of acne because consistent use of your acne treatments is crucial for improvement. Make it a commitment to your skin to use your treatments, every day, as directed. No skipping days! When life gets hectic, try simple reminders, like placing treatments next to your cell phone or even setting an alarm on your phone.

 

2. Moisturizing ProperlyIt’s a myth that acne-prone skin doesn’t need to be moisturized. Since many acne sufferers overuse drying topical agents such as salicylic acid, properly moisturizing the skin on a regular basis is essential and may actually help in getting rid of acne by limiting the number of dead skin cells that clog pores when mixed with sebum. Use non-comedogenic, water-based moisturizers and foundation, avoiding oil-based products and products containing parabens, petroleum by-products and alcohol.

 

3. Eating the Good StuffThink you’ve heard all the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids (aka “good fats”)? Well, here’s one more for you: Omega-3s have been shown to control the production of leukotriene B4, a molecule that can increase sebum and cause inflammatory acne. To take advantage of this good fat, add foods like walnuts, avocados, flaxseed oil and salmon into your diet. To get that face of yours looking even better, eat berries and leafy green veggies all year round. Remember–you are what you eat!

 

4. Watering Your SkinWater helps to remove internal toxins and hydrate your skin from the inside out. Though there is no definitive research that shows toxins lead to breakouts, researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia found that having about 2 cups of water per day significantly boosted blood flow throughout the body and skin. Your body needs to get rid of waste materials produced during metabolism, so if you cannot do it efficiently it may compromise your internal balance and even your immune system, leading to more breakouts. So drink up!

 

5. Exercising RightYou can get more than a rockin’ body from exercising. Exercise also helps to regulate your hormone levels (including insulin), reduce stress (which has been found to contribute to the production of acne lesions), improve circulation that delivers more oxygen to skin cells, carries cellular waste away and boosts your immune system. But, there’s a fine line–sweat from exercise can also lead to breakouts via skin irritation, and too much exercise may lead to higher levels of androgens, which are the single most potent stimulators of the sebaceous glands. So, it is very important that you show moderation and also make sure that perspiration-trapping clothes like sports bras, t-shirts, shorts, etc. are removed promptly. And don’t forget to take off makeup prior to working out and shower immediately after working out.

 

 

THE BAD

 

1. Sleeping with a Dirty FaceHave you ever noticed how people in the movies wake up in the morning looking flawless without having to wash their face the night before? It may be okay in the fictional world, but not in ours! A few minutes are all it takes to remove makeup, sweat, oil and dirt from your skin, which may help to control and even prevent inflammation. But remember–you don’t want to strip your skin of its essential oils by intense scrubbing and harsh cleansers. A mild cleanser is essential. Use of astringents or specialty oils such as chamomile astringent or coconut oil may be beneficial for you too. Then you can climb into bed looking ten times fresher than all those movie stars.

 

2. Popping Those ZitsOne time–that’s right, just one time–may result in creating an acne scar. And many times may lead to many scars. Scars are irreversible. You can minimize the look of them (and in some instances, they can end up looking almost invisible after certain treatments), but they don’t go away. So don’t risk it!

 

3. Ignoring (or Avoiding) the TruthDo you know exactly what your acne treatments are doing to your skin? Or the difference between that first thing you put on your face and that other thing you use after? We know you’re busy, but with today’s technology it’s easier than ever to be an educated consumer. Spend some time researching your products through trusted sources, and know this: Many treatments will only temporarily decrease symptoms. What acne sufferer doesn’t want that? But sometimes, things are too good to be true. Meaning if you don’t break the acne cycle by both treating existing acne and preventing it from coming, you will never really get rid of your acne.

 

4. Letting Money Hold You BackThink about it: can you really put a price on your self-perception and confidence? Next time you think you’re experiencing sticker-shock, break the price down and figure out what it will cost you per day — in most cases, it could be less than that cup of coffee you can’t live without.

 

5. Going Bare-SkinnedContrary to popular belief, acne will not improve when exposed to the sun. Exposure to UVA rays is the primary culprit behind aging and may even cause inflammation. Think you’re safe in the winter? Think again. UVA rays are around all year long. And because UVA rays can penetrate glass, you’re susceptible even when you’re indoors. Scary right? But you can easily protect yourself. Use the right sunscreen for acne-prone skin (those with zinc oxide will be particularly beneficial to your skin) and remember to choose a sunscreen of at least 20-30 SPF

and labeled broad-spectrum. Make it part of your acne treatment regimen, and use it every day. If you want to also use a good makeup that contains the sun protection, that’s even better.Bad habits and repeated slip-ups will only set you back on your journey to get rid of your acne, so make it a point to be GOOD to your skin! Dr. Agnes Olszewski, CEO of Herborium, natural medicine expert“My work in China in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector, and my personal experience while growing up in Europe, inspired me to develop Herborium®, a novel Botanical Therapeutics® company, based on a new, innovative healthcare concept that combines science and nature. Our approach has already been proven up to 98% effective in our acne treatment, AcnEase®.”

Ten habits of Highly Effective Brains

Today in our busy lives we might focus on our physical health but totally neglect our brain fitness. Our brain is responsible for not only undertaking our mental tasks but also helps us carry out physical functions and for that a healthy brain is a prerequisite. Approximately there are 1.1 trillion cells and 100 billion neurons in an average human brain. The slowest information processing speed of a brain is 260 mph.

A brain thinks 70,000 thoughts in a day out of which most of them are repeated over and over again, so when the next time you think something take some time to think about your brain as well. Researchers today suggest a healthy lifestyle that benefits in maintaining effective and vibrant brains. Following is the list of ten essential habits necessary for a healthy brain, let’s review them and try to apply them in our daily lives.

1. Learn about your brain and use it

Each of us should have an understanding of what are brains made up of and what are the elements involved in its functionality. This will help us to appreciate the beauty of our brain and would enhance its working ability. The brain comprises of 3 main sub-systems, Neocortex, Limbic System and Cerebellum. Neocortex performs high level thinking and helps undertake integrative tasks such as conceptualizing, planning and controls movements and senses. The limbic system is in charge of emotions and memory. Cerebellum regulates breathing, heartbeat and maintains motor coordination. When we use our brains the neurons interact with each other which results in maintaining an active brain. The more we will put our brains to work the more efficient it will get, as they say “Use it or lose it”.

2. Healthy Diet means Healthy Brain

The more we will put our brains to work the more efficient it will get

Yet another amazing fact is that the brain weighs only 3lbs but consumes 20%-25% of the body’s energy supplies. Brain requires a lot of glucose and it is evident that the major cause of dementia is the lack of brains ability to consume glucose efficiently.

Stuff your brain with some fats, we mean the good fats such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, these fat aid the flexibility of neurons.

The antioxidant foods are also beneficial for the brain as it is prone to oxidative damage. Antioxidant foods include spinach, potatoes, nuts, green leafy vegetables and citrus fruits.

The trick is to have a healthy diet in order to maintain a healthy brain. Choose natural source of these food rather than taking supplements. Dr. Larry Mc Cleary recommends fatty fish, vegetables, fruits like berries and nuts as a part of the daily diet.

3. Fitter bodies will get you fitter brains

Recent studies have helped to conclude that regular physical exercise may result in developing fitter brains.  A study by Kramer and colleagues in 2010 revealed that children who had high levels of physical activities were more mentally efficient. It was also analyzed that such children had a larger hippocampus that is responsible for developing new memories. The research is also applicable to adults and it has been proved that physically fit adults have higher cognitive performance. Aerobic exercise for 30-60 minutes three times a week is also very beneficial for enhancing memory and improving brain health.

4. Be Optimistic

Ever wondered how dangerous stress and anxiety could be for your brain?  It can damage the neurons in the brain and prevents building up of new ones as well. The key to a healthy brain is to develop future-oriented, positive thoughts. Guide your brain towards positive thinking and make it your habit for a life time. Meditation and yoga can be very helpful to develop positivity.

5. Challenge your Brain

Once neurons are developed in our brain, for how long will they survive depends on the way we make use of them. Mental challenges such as new activities and brain games enhance cognitive fitness. Computer based programs, puzzle games, meditation or music notes, each one of them act as a tool that may improve a specific cognitive function. Researches show that a simple game like Sudoku can help improve brain functionality.

6. Don’t let your brain retire

There are no age limits involved as far as learning is concerned. The brain development never stops no matter how old you grow, so it doesn’t mean that if you have graduated from college it’s your time to say goodbye to learning. A study published in the Journal of Economic Perspectives proved that people taking early retirements reflected a quick decline in their memory. A working environment comes with multiple cognitive challenges thus resulting in healthier and sharper brains. Therefore, it is better to “retire the word retirement”.

7. Travel and Explore

Traveling would enable your brain to adapt to new environment, experience unknown challenges and make explorations. Undertaking daily routine work does not help develop the brain.  To increase brain activity new experiences and learning environment is a must and traveling can provide such opportunities to the brain.

8. Avoid taking suggestions

Don’t let anyone spoon feed your brain, solve your problems yourself. You might find your friends and neighbors very smart but when it comes to decision making let your brain do its own work. When you outsource your brain you are actually depriving it from developing its problem solving skills.

9. Socialization- a healthy brain developing tool

Man is a “social animal” and this aspect has also been proven to be beneficial for maintaining a well developed brain. Though physical and mental exercises are important but if these activities involve social interactions they can prove to be more fruitful. Therefore, pondering over a problem by yourself may result in brain exercise but discussing it with a group would further boost brain activity. Why social interactions are more helpful in brain development? The reason is that when we are involved in a group activity our brain focuses on memory, control and attention processes and help us develop our problem solving skills.

10. Laughter is the best medicine even for the Brain

A good humor helps brain in two ways, one it manages stress level and two it boosts the immune system. Studies reveal that people who laugh quiet often do not get ill. So whenever you feel low call up one of your friends with whom you enjoy a good laugh, it will work miracles for your brain.

Remember, this article is only helpful if you try to introduce these habits to your daily life until they become your mind’s default set up. You can pick each habit one at a time, bring it to practice and then see for yourself what wonders it can do for you.

Lovely & Inspiring story

THE PREGNANT DEER

In a forest, a pregnant deer is about to give birth. She finds aremote grass field near a strong-flowing river. This seems a safeplace.Suddenly labour pains begin.

At the same moment, dark clouds gather around above and lightningstarts a forest fire. She looks to her left and sees a hunter with hisbow extended pointing at her. To her right, she spots a hungry lion

approaching her.

What can the pregnant deer do? She is in labour! What will happen?Will the deer survive? Will she give birth to a fawn? Will the fawnsurvive? Or will everything be burnt by the forest fire? Will sheperish to the hunters' arrow? Will she die a horrible death at thehands of the hungry male lion approaching her? She is constrained bythe fire on the one side and the flowing river on the other and boxedin by her natural predators.

What does she do? She focuses on giving birth to a new life.

The sequence of events that follows are:- Lightning strikes and blinds the hunter.- He releases the arrow which zips past the deer and strikes the hungry lion.- It starts to rain heavily, and the forest fire is slowly doused by the rain.- The deer gives birth to a healthy fawn.

In our life too, there are moments of choice when we are confronted onall sides with negative thoughts and possibilities. Some thoughts areso powerful they overcome us and overwhelm us. Maybe we can learn fromthe deer. The priority of the deer, in that given moment, was simplyto give birth to a baby.The rest was not in her hands and any action or reaction that changedher focus would have likely resulted in death or disaster.

Where is your focus? In the midst of the storm keep it on The Lord!

Tricks to Set Your Mindset for Success

Want to reach your goals more quickly? Set your mindset for success with these tricks.

We all want a successful happy life. You are probably like me and have many goals you want to achieve. Whether these goals are for business, home, family, or self-improvement, setting your mindset for success is key.

Without a proper mindset you may find yourself distracted by daily life or experiencing shiny object syndrome. Shiny object syndrome is when you are always distracted by the latest and greatest idea, so you rarely follow one path through to the end.

You may have decided you have all the time in the world to reach these goals. Will you feel the same way in 5 years if you haven’t reached them yet?  If you look back 5 years, what did you plan to achieve at that time? Have you achieved those goals? Why or why not?

If you set your mindset for success, you will reach your goals more quickly and will then find yourself with the opportunity to create new, and possibly even bigger, goals.

Develop Success Habits

1. Create systems to keep yourself on track.2. Make a small step toward each of your goals each day.3. Capture all of the information that could help you.4.5. Take a quick note on your phone while you are out for a walk so you don’t forget.6. Clip all articles and inspiring ideas for later reference.7.8. Create the to-do list for the next day the night before.9. Prioritize your to do list.10. Tackle the most dreaded task first, as everything else will feel like a piece of cake after.

Once you’ve implemented one or more of the above success habits for over 21 days, it will become much easier and a part of your routine. At that time, you can add in another mindset for success. Feel free to try implementing them all at once, but for most people, that much change to their routine is overwhelming and they are dooming themselves to failure.

Make Better Decisions

1. Start making executive decisions — you are the CEO of your own life, so begin taking charge and making decisions as if you were being paid for those decisions.

2. Apply mental filters.3. Run decisions through an “if this, then that” scenario in your mind.4. Consider the worst case scenario.5. Keep your end goal in mind. Does the choice fit with your goal or take you in a different

direction?6. Distance your emotions if they are really strong. A gut reaction is great, but take a step

back if one of the choices really engages an emotional response in you. Come back to make the decision when you can be a bit more objective.

7. Learn from your failures by asking yourself what you learned from the experience.8. Stop the negative talk in your mind.9. Know your strengths and weaknesses.10. Ask for feedback from colleagues.11. Be able to process both positive and negative feedback in a constructive manner.12. Learn how to “correct yourself” when you find yourself going too far or not keeping in

line with your goal.13. Develop core competencies that will help you reach your goal.14. Be results-focused.15. When you experience a setback, don’t dwell on it. After doing an assessment, move on to

the next thing.16. Don’t be afraid to make a course correction when necessary

17. Stick with your decisions in most cases; constant course correction makes the road 10 times as long.

Decision-making is a huge key to success. We make many decisions each day, and they either take us closer or farther away from our goals. Do you know what effects your decisions are having on your goals? Spend a few minutes thinking about the last few decisions you’ve made and decide whether they are in line with your goals or taking you farther away from them.

Which mindset for success tricks can you put in practice today? Share your best success habits with us in the comments below.source; LifeHack

5 Simple Ways to Overcome Procrastination

Procrastination is the practice of carrying out less urgent tasks in preference to more urgent ones, or doing more pleasurable things in place of less pleasurable ones, and thus putting off impending tasks to a later time. According to Freud, the pleasure principle may be responsible for procrastination; humans prefer to avoid negative emotions, and to delay stressful tasks. Procrastination may result in stress, a sense of guilt and crisis, severe loss of personal productivity, as well as social disapproval for not meeting responsibilities or commitments.    

"How soon 'not now' becomes 'never'."Martin Luther "A year from now you may wish you had started today."Karen Lamb Procrastination is probably one of the most common problems people have in their day to day life. So find a procrastination solution that works for you. Here are five of them. Try them out and see which one or ones that fit you the best. 1. Do the hardest thing first. What this means is simply to do the hardest and most important task of the day first thing in the morning. A good start in the morning lifts your spirits and creates a positive momentum for the rest of the day. That often creates a pretty productive day. 2. How do you eat an elephant? 

Don't try to take it all in one big bite. It becomes overwhelming which leads to procrastination. Split a task into small actionable steps. Then just focus on the first step and nothing else. Just do that one until it's done. Then move on to the next step. 3. Recognize that there is more pain in procrastinating than not. If you have procrastinated a lot you might have discovered that you procrastinate to avoid doing something that is boring, hard etc. You want to avoid that pain. But after having some experience with procrastination you'll probably realise that procrastination itself causes your more pain than actually just doing what you were supposed to. Realising the true amount of pain in the two choices will make it easier to get things done. 4. Make a small deal with yourself. Promise yourself that you'll work on something for just 5 minutes. After those 5 minutes you can do something else if you want to. But make a note in your schedule for when you will come back to the task and work another 5 minutes on it. No matter how unpleasant a task may be, you can often talk yourself into working 5 minutes on it. I've found this one to be effective to make a dent in those tasks you have put off for a longer while. Because many times you will just continue working after those 5 minutes have passed. It is the first few minutes of getting started that is the hardest part. 5. Use my three step method for doing something even when you don't feel like it. Mundane or routine tasks can be a bit boring. Maybe you have a lot or emails to reply to or phone calls to make. Batch them - do them all in row - to get them done quicker. If you feel inner resistance and just can't get started try this three step method to be able to reduce that resistance, up your motivation and get going. Step 1: Accept it. When you feel resistance within towards doing something the natural instinct may be to try to push that feeling away. To brush it off. I have found that doing the opposite and just accepting that it is there can do wonders.  Tell yourself: "This is how I feel right now and I accept it". 

This sounds counterintuitive and perhaps like you're giving up. However by accepting how you feel instead of resisting it you reduce the emotional energy that you are feeding into this problem. It then tends to just kinda lose speed like a car that runs out of fuel. And oftentimes it becomes so weak after while that it moves out of your inner focus and disappears. This step may be all you need to reduce the negative feelings enough to be able to start taking action. If not, move on to the next step. Step 2: List the positives. After you have accepted how you feel list the positives of getting this thing done. Do it on paper, on your computer or just in your head. When you don't feel like doing something it's very easy to get stuck and just focus on the negative aspects such as it being hard work or the risk of pain or failure.So you need to change what you are focusing on to motivate yourself to take action. Making a list of positives like benefits and possible opportunities can be very effective for turning your focus around. If you have problems getting started ask yourself questions that will empower you. Questions like: - What is awesome about this situation?- What is the hidden opportunity in this situation? You can pretty much always find positives about anything. There are lessons to be learned about yourself and your world and opportunities to be found if you look at things the right way. Step 3: Just do it. You should now have reduced much of the resistance within and feel more motivated to start taking action and getting your thing done It is at this point tempting to start thinking again. To reconsider and ponder. But I have found that if you do that then it easy to fall back into the same place where you began. You start to question doing this. Your focus starts to turn back to the negative aspects again. So when I am at this point I usually just stop thinking and get my butt out of the chair. I get moving and I just do it. 

What to Learn to Become a Great Manager?

Delegating : Learn how to choose what to delegate, match employee and delegated assignment, and set the stage for success by both developing your employees and freeing up your time for critical managerial tasks.

Goal Setting : Learn how to set realistic goals, prioritize tasks, and track milestones to improve performance and morale.

Managing Upward : Learn insight into developing a mutually rewarding relationship, with skills for communicating and negotiating with your manager, presenting problems or opportunities to your supervisor and accepting responsibility for your proposed actions.

Meeting Management : Learn about planning and conducting meetings from start to finish; preparation, keeping the meeting on track, and follow-up and dealing with problem behaviors exhibited by meeting participants. 

New Manager Transitions : Learn what it means to be a manager, as well as how to navigate the complex and often stressful transition from individual contributor to a new manager.

Presentation Skills : Learn about preparing and delivering presentations that command attention, persuade, and inspire, rehearsal techniques, creating and using more effective visuals, understanding your objectives and your audience to create a presentation with impact.

Stress Management : Learn the difference between positive stress that enhances productivity and negative stress that breeds tension, lowers productivity, and undercuts job satisfaction, strategies for dealing with underlying causes of worry and stress, tactical coping mechanisms for immediate problem management.

Time Management : Learn how to analyze how you currently spend your time and pinpoint opportunities for improvement, set goals, prioritize tasks, plan your time efficiently using scheduling tools, control time-wasters, and evaluate your schedule once it is underway.

Writing Skills : Learn how to accomplish your business objectives and extends your influence as a manager, create clearer, more effective written communications, guidelines for preparing memos, letters, emails, and other common business documents.

Career Management : Learn how to manage your career--including how to identify your business interests, professional values, and skills in order to target your most exciting career possibilities.

Change Management : Learn how to manage change constructively and navigate the ups and downs that inevitably accompany a change effort.

Coaching : Learn how to strengthen your coaching skills to facilitate the professional growth of the employees you coach.

Developing Employees : Learn how to encourage your employees to learn and grow, while maximizing the return on the management time you invest in employee development.

Difficult Interactions : Learn how to discuss and resolve difficult interactions in the workplace--whether with employees, peers, bosses, or even suppliers and customers.

Feedback Essentials : Learn when and how to give effective positive or corrective feedback, how to offer feedback upward, and how to receive feedback.

Global Collaboration : Learn critical skills required to manage a cross-cultural collaboration, including negotiating, building trust, overcoming language barriers, and navigating the geographical and technological challenges of working across continents.

Hiring : Learn how to identify the particular skill set needed for a job, and then how to research and interview leading candidates until you find the one who best fills your need.

Leading and Motivating : Learn about the essential tasks of leadership: setting direction, aligning people, and motivating others. Learn how to recognize the skills and characteristics of effective leaders, create an inspiring vision, and energize people to support and work toward your goals.

Performance Appraisal : Learn how to prepare for, conduct, and follow up on performance evaluations--in ways that link employee performance to your company's and group's goals.

Retaining Employees : Learn strategies for attracting and keeping top performers, how to handle common obstacles to retention such as burnout and work/life imbalance, and how to develop programs that address the diverse needs and interests of your workforce.

Team Leadership : Learn how to establish a team with the right mix of skills and personalities and create a culture that promotes collaborative work, steps to leading an effective team and includes innovative, easy-to-implement self-evaluation tools.

Team Management : Learn how to diagnose and overcome common problems - such as poor communication and interpersonal conflict - that can impede team progress, learn to take corrective measures to remove team problems and improve team performance.

Virtual Teams : Learn how to create concrete suggestions for forming virtual teams, including assessing their technology and communication needs, structuring the team to build trust, and keeping the team on track

Budgeting : Learn about the budget process, different types of budgets, and common budgeting problems--so you can allocate resources wisely to meet your goals.

Business Case Development : Learn how to create an effective business case, from defining the opportunity and analyzing alternatives to presenting your final recommendations.

Business Plan Development : Learn the process of preparing an effective plan for a business proposal, applicable to launching a new internal product as well as seeking funding for a new start-up business.

Crisis Management : Learn a practical, hands-on method for looking at crises--from developing a crises audit to avoid and prepare for crises, to managing an actual crisis, to learning from past events.

Customer Focus : Learn how to target the right customers and build their long-term loyalty by developing systems for learning about--and responding to--their needs.

Decision Making : Learn how to identify underlying issues related to a decision, generate and evaluate multiple alternatives, and then communicate and implement your decision.

Diversity : Learn how to manage diversity to extract maximum value from your employees' differences -- including how to recruit diverse talent, resolve diversity-related conflicts, and communicate with employees and customers from other cultures. 

Ethics At Work : Learn how to identify and execute sound choices based on ethical standards and how building a culture of integrity and cultivating an environment of trust among employees, customers, and other stakeholders lays a foundation for sustained success.

Finance Essentials : Learn the essential concepts of finance--budgeting, forecasting, and planning, for managers who are not financial managers.

Innovation and Creativity : Learn how to manage an intellectually diverse work group and their environment to produce more--and better--ideas that encourage innovation when developing products and work processes.

Innovation Implementation : Learn how to implement an innovation--from crafting a vision statement to gaining support and managing resistance--and turn an idea into reality.

Marketing Essentials : Learn the fundamentals that will help you better understand the importance of marketing and how it relates to you, especially for non-marketing managers.

Negotiating : Learn how to become an effective negotiator, the negotiation process: assessing your interests as well as those of the other party, developing opportunities that create value, avoiding common barriers to agreement, and implementing strategies to make the negotiation process run smoothly.

Performance Measurement : Learn how to review financial and non-financial measures used in all areas of organizational performance, addresses both standalone measures (including ROI, EVA, and BET) and measurement frameworks such as dashboards, quality models, and the Balanced Scorecard, systematic processes for tracking performance of initiatives.

Persuading Others : Learn the art and science behind successful persuasion -- changing others' attitudes, beliefs, or behavior to create win-win solutions, -- accomplishing work through others -- rather than simply issue orders.

Process Improvement : Learn what business processes are; why improving them is essential; and how to carry out a business process improvement (BPI) initiative.

Project Management : Learn the nuts and bolts of project management, including project planning, budgeting, team-building, execution, and risk analysis, useful tools and techniques such as GANTT and PERT charts, Work Breakdown Structure, and variance analysis.

Strategic Thinking : Learn how to shape and execute organizational strategy, analyzing opportunities, challenges, and the potential consequences of high-level action plans, addresses identification of broad patterns and trends, creative thinking, analysis of complex information, and prioritization of actions

Top 10 Healthiest Vitamins

1. Vitamin A : Vitamin A can be found in most dairy products. It helps to keep your vision healthy, as well as your skin and mucous membranes. It also serves as an important antioxidant.

2. Vitamin D : Vitamin D comes from milk, and from the sun. It is essential for strong bones and teeth.

3. Vitamin E : Vitamin E comes from most vegetables and whole grains. It is an antioxidant that aids in forming healthy blood cells, and it is essential for the immune system, the skin, and the lungs.

4. Vitamin K : Dark green leafy vegetables are full of Vitamin K. Vitamin K is especially helpful in blood clotting when you have a cut or when you have surgery.

5. Vitamin C : Vitamin C is found in most fruits and fruit juices. It is an antioxidant and is essential for a strong immune system.

6. Vitamin B1 : B1 comes from grains, and is important for the conversion of food to energy.

7. Vitamin B6 : Found in whole wheat, B6 helps to convert food to energy.

8. Vitamin B12 : Vitamin B12 is found in dairy products. It helps to produce healthy cells, and turns carbohydrates to energy.

9. Vitamin B2 : B2 can be found in meats and fish, and it aids the chemical processes in the body.

10. Vitamin B3 : B3 is found in dairy products. It not only converts food to energy, but is also important for a healthy brain

Story: Two Brothers

This is a story of two brothers. One was a drug addict and a drunkard who frequently beat up his family. The other one was a very successful businessman who was respected in society and had a wonderful family. Some people wanted to find out why two brothers from the same parents, brought up in the same environment, could be so different. 

The first one was asked, "How come you do what you do? You are a drug addict, a drunk, and you beat your family. What motivates you?" He said, "My father." They asked, "What about your father?" The reply was, "My father was a drug addict, a drunk and he beat his family. What do you expect me to be? That is what I am."

They went to the brother who was doing everything right and asked him the same question. "How come you are doing everything right ? What is your source of motivation?" And guess what he said? "My father. When I was a little boy, I used to see my dad drunk and doing all the wrong things. I made up my mind, that is not what I wanted to be."

Both were deriving their strength and motivation from the same source, but one was using it negatively and the other positively....

Health: 5 easy steps to keep your heart healthy

Want to keep your heart healthy? Then you need to know the following:

Holly Andersen, director of education and outreach at the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has offered some easy steps to improve heart health and overall well-being throughout the year.

Step 1: Know your numbers. Your blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels are the most important numbers you will need to know before you begin on the path to good heart health.Step 2: Start walking. Exercise is the fountain of youth. A simple 20- to 30-minute walk a few days a week can actually reduce the risk of premature death by more than 50 percent.

Step 3: Laugh out:. Laughter really is the best medicine. Just 15 minutes of laughter is about equivalent to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise with respect to our cardiovascular health. Laughter has also been linked to the healthy function of blood vessels, an increase of the brain hormones that improve mood, and reduction of pain and anxiety.

Step 4: Focus on your waistline, not your weight. Your waistline is a better measurement of your overall health than your weight because the amount of fat around your waistline is directly linked to high blood pressure and high cholesterol and can place you at increased risk for diabetes.

Step 5: Get a good night's sleep. Sleep is one of the most undervalued elements of our daily routines, but it is absolutely vital to good health. Lack of sleep increases your blood pressure, induces stress, increases your appetite and slows down your metabolism, dampens your mood and decreases your cognition

5 Public Speaking Tips That'll Prepare You for Any Interview

Landing a job interview is incredibly exciting –- and often terrifying. But fear not. There are clever ways to transform your angst into nerves of steel. After all, a good interview should feel like a conversation, not an interrogation. Here are five essential key tips from the world of public speaking that’ll help you look just as awesome in person as you do on paper.

1. Know Yourself

Most people dread the moment when their interviewer utters the words - “So, tell me about yourself.” But it’s actually the simplest question to navigate once you get down to the root of what’s being asked. "Tell me about yourself" really translates to: “What can you tell me about how your personality, interests, work habits and background will help you rock this position?”

Before you answer, rewind back to when you applied for the job -– the moment you decided that you and the position would be a solid match. Usually, the reasons that ran through your mind before you chose to apply are the answers the interviewer is looking for. Since you’re the most well-versed on the subject of you, this is your moment to paint the picture of what you bring to the table and why you’re the most dynamic and capable person for the job.

2. Bridge the Gap Between Confidence and Enthusiasm (Then Marry the Two)

How many times have you been confident in your ability to perform a task but not necessarily enthused about doing it (or vice versa)? Confidence speaks to the way you perceive you, while enthusiasm is more indicative of your feelings about something or someone other than yourself — in this case, the gig.

To make sure there’s a healthy balance between the two, draft a list of reasons you’re confident about your ability to perform the job, and pair each one with a reason why you’re enthusiastic about showing up. You should be able to clearly communicate these reasons during your interview.

Example: "In over 15 years as a graphic designer, I’ve mastered a number of software programs and techniques. Those skills have helped me contribute to some great work, but the best part of the experience, for me, is collaborating with a team to build something that clients can fall in love with."

3. Use Your LinkedIn Profile to Practice

The last thing you want to do in an interview is regurgitate your resume or Linkedin profile. Instead, take a look at how you described your role at previous jobs and practice how you might integrate these into an actual conversation. In other words: if your resume bullet points were complete sentences describing how your experience is relevant to the new job, what would they sound like?

To prepare like the pros, do a mock interview with a friend and video record your answers. Ask yourself, “Can I really see myself saying this?" to gauge the authenticity of your delivery.

4. Know When to Wrap It Up

Big audiences don’t like a Chatty Cathy -– and neither do busy interviewers. To avoid coming across as a rambler or bad listener, always be mindful of the length of your answers. Even if the interviewer doesn’t give you validation in the form of a nod, smile or laugh, don’t be afraid to simply stop talking once you’ve answered the question.

If you can effectively communicate a point in five words, don’t use 25. Trust that if they want to know more, they’ll ask.

Need a little practice on this? Do a search for the “most asked interview questions” relevant to the position you’re applying for, jot down the ones you struggle with and practice answering them. Open-ended questions sometimes require lengthier responses, but typically, you should be able to provide a thoughtful answer to most interview questions in under 60 seconds.

5. Be a Team Player

The letter "I" stands alone. Unless you’re applying for a position that requires you to work independently, the reality is that stellar results (no matter the industry) require team effort. Be sure to incorporate "we" language to show your ability to work well with others. This doesn’t mean refrain from sharing your individual responsibilities and accomplishments, but be clear about how those things benefitted your team.

When in doubt, stick to this equation: What my team does + How I do my part to make sure we get to the finish line = Victory

Of course, no two interviews are the same, but if you apply these tips, you’re guaranteed to boost your odds of getting a call back. Knock ‘em dead!

Story: Stop being Judgmental

A doctor entered the hospital in hurry after being called in for an urgent surgery. He answered the call ASAP, changed his clothes and went directly to the surgery block.He found the boy's father going and coming in the hall waiting for the doctor. Once seeing him, the dad yelled:"Why did you take all this time to come? Don't you know that my son's life is in danger? Don't you have the sense of responsibility?"

The doctor smiled and said:"I am sorry, I wasn't in the hospital and I came the fastest I could after receiving the call…… And now, I wish you'd calm down so that I can do my work"

"Calm down?! What if your son was in this room right now, would you calm down? If your own son dies now what will you do??" said the father angrily

The doctor smiled again and replied: "I will say what Job said in the Holy Bible "From dust we came and to dust we return, blessed be the name of God". Doctors cannot prolong lives. Go and intercede for your son, we will do our best by God's grace"

"Giving advice when we're not concerned is so easy" Murmured the father.

The surgery took some hours after which the doctor went out happy, "Thank God! Your son is saved!"

And without waiting for the father's reply he carried on his way running. "If you have any question, ask the nurse!!"

"Why is he so arrogant? He couldn't wait some minutes so that I ask about my son's state" Commented the father when seeing the nurse minutes after the doctor left.

The nurse answered, tears coming down her face: "His son died yesterday in a road accident, he was in the burial when we called him for your son's surgery. And now that he saved your son's life, he left running to finish his son's burial."

NEVER JUDGE ANYONE because you never know how their life is and as to what is happening or what they're going through.

Health: What Is Heartburn And How Can I Avoid It

What is heartburn?

Despite its name, heartburn doesn't affect the heart. Heartburn is a burning feeling in the lower chest, along with a sour or bitter taste in the throat and mouth. It usually occurs after eating a big meal or while lying down. The feeling can last for a few minutes or a few hours.

What causes heartburn?

When you eat, food passes from your mouth down a tube (about 10 inches long in most people) called the esophagus. To enter the stomach, the food must pass through an opening between the esophagus and stomach. This opening acts like a gate to allow food to pass into the stomach.

Usually, this opening closes as soon as food passes through. But if it doesn't close all the way, acid from your stomach can get through the opening and into your esophagus. This is called reflux. Stomach acid can irritate the esophagus and cause heartburn.

Hiatal hernia can also cause heartburn. Hiatal hernia is a condition in which part of the stomach is pushed up through the diaphragm (the muscle wall between the stomach and chest) and into the chest. Sometimes this causes heartburn.

What factors add to heartburn?

Many things can make heartburn worse. Heartburn is most common after overeating, when bending over or when lying down. Pregnancy, stress and certain foods can also make heartburn worse. The box below lists other things that can aggravate heartburn symptoms.

Things that can make heartburn worse

Cigarette smoking Coffee (both regular and decaffeinated) and other drinks that contain

caffeine Alcohol Carbonated drinks Citrus fruits Tomato products Chocolate, mints or peppermints Fatty foods or spicy foods (such as pizza, chili and curry) Onions Lying down too soon after eating Being overweight or obese Aspirin or ibuprofen (one brand name: Motrin) Certain medicines (such as sedatives and some medicines for high

blood pressure)

Can heartburn be serious?

If you only have heartburn now and then, it's probably not serious. However, if you have heartburn frequently, it can lead to esophagitis (an inflamed lining of the esophagus). If esophagitis becomes severe, your esophagus might narrow and you might have bleeding or trouble swallowing.

If you get more than occasional heartburn, it may be a symptom of acid reflux disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), an inflamed stomach lining (gastritis), hiatal hernia or peptic ulcer.

What can I do to feel better?

You might be able to avoid heartburn by making some changes in your lifestyle. The box below lists some tips on how to prevent heartburn.

Tips on preventing heartburn

Place 6- to 9-inch blocks under the legs at the head of your bed to raise it.

Try to eat at least 2 to 3 hours before lying down. If you take naps, try sleeping in a chair.

If you smoke, quit. Lose weight if you're overweight. Don't overeat. Eat high-protein, low-fat meals. Avoid tight clothes and tight belts. Avoid foods and other things that give you heartburn.

What if my symptoms get worse?

If lifestyle changes and antacids don't help your symptoms, talk with your doctor. Your doctor may want you to take prescription medicine or schedule you for some tests.

Tests might include X-rays to check for ulcers, a pH test to check for acid in the esophagus, or an endoscopy to check for other conditions. During an endoscopy, your doctor looks into your stomach through a long, thin tube

which is inserted down your esophagus. Your doctor may also check for H. pylori, bacteria that can cause ulcers.

What about medicines for heartburn?

Several kinds of medicine can be used to treat heartburn. Antacids neutralize the acid that your stomach makes. For most people, antacids that you can get without a prescription (over-the-counter) give fast, short-term relief. However, if you use antacids too much, they can cause diarrhea or constipation. Look for antacids that contain both magnesium hydroxide and aluminum hydroxide. (One causes constipation while the other causes diarrhea so they counteract each other.) Some brands of antacids include Maalox, Mylanta and Riopan. Follow the directions on the package.

H2 blockers (some brand names: Pepcid, Tagamet, Zantac) reduce the amount of acid your stomach makes. Several are available without a prescription.

Other medicines, such as omeprazole (brand name: Prilosec) and lansoprazole (brand name: Prevacid), also reduce how much acid the stomach makes. Metoclopramide (brand name: Reglan) reduces acid reflux. To find out what medicine is right for you, talk with your doctor.

Is heartburn associated with heart attacks?

No. But sometimes pain in the chest may be mistaken for heartburn when it's really a sign of heart disease. If you have any of the symptoms in the box below, call your doctor.

Call your doctor if:

You have trouble swallowing or pain when swallowing. You're vomiting blood. Your stools are bloody or black. You're short of breath. You're dizzy or lightheaded. You have pain going into your neck and shoulder. You break out in a sweat when you have pain in your chest.

You have heartburn often (more than 3 times a week) for more than 2 weeks.

Old Story with Good Lesson

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package... "What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap. 

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning.  "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" 

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said,  "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."The mouse turned to the goat and told him "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"  The goat sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it. "

The mouse turned to the cow and said, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"  The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse.  I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose. But wish you well; be assured you are in my prayers "

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap-- alone.That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound  of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was  caught.   In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.  The snake bit the farmer's wife. 

The farmer rushed her to the hospital  and she returned home with a fever. Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard  for the soup's main ingredient.  But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her  around the clock. To feed them, the farmer  butchered the goat.  The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat  for all of them. The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness. 

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, Remember that when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.  We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out

for one another  and make an extra effort to encourage one another because directly or indirectly we might have to suffer!!!

Story: Wedding with Farmer's Beautiful Daughter

A Young man wished to marry the Farmer’s Beautiful Daughter.

He went to the Farmer to ask his permission. The Farmer looked him over and said, “Son, Go stand out in that field. I’m going to release three bulls, one at a time. If you can catch the tail of any one of the three bulls, you can marry my daughter.”

The young man stood in the pasture awaiting the first bull. The barn door opened and out ran the biggest, meanest-looking bull he had ever seen. He decided that one of the next bulls had to be a better choice than this one, so he ran over to the side and let t he bull pass through the pasture out the back gate. The barn door opened again.

Unbelievable. He had never seen anything so big and fierce in his life. It stood pawing the ground, grunting, slinging slobber as it eyed him.

Whatever the next bull was like, it had to be a better choice than this one. He ran to the fence and let the bull pass through the pasture, out the back gate. The door opened a third time. a smile came a cross his face. This was the Weakest, scrawniest little bull he had ever seen. This one was his bull. As the bull came running by, he positioned himself just right and jumped at just the exact moment.

He Grabbed… But The Bull Had No Tail!

Moral Of the story:

Life Is Full Of Opportunities. Some Will Be Easy To Take Advantage Of, Some Will Be Difficult. But Once We Let Them Pass (Often In Hopes Of Something Better), Those Opportunities May Never Again Be Available. So Always Grab The First Opportunity.

Story: The Man At The Mexican Beach

A man was walking down a deserted Mexican beach at sunset. As he walked along he began to see another man in the distance.

As he grew nearer he noticed that the local native kept leaning down, picking something up, and throwing it out into the water. Time and again he kept hurling things out into the ocean.

As our friend approached even closer he noticed that the man was picking up starfish that had washed up onto the beach, and one at a time, he was throwing them back into the ocean.

The first man was puzzled. He approached the man and said, "Good Evening Friend, I was wondering what are you doing?" And he replied, "I'm throwing these starfish back into the ocean. You see, it's low tide right now and all these starfish have been washed up onto the shore. If I don't throw them back into the sea, they will die from the lack of oxygen.""I understand," my friend replied "but there must be thousands of starfish on this beach and you couldn't possibly get to all of them. There are simply too many and don't you realize that this is happening on hundreds of beaches up and down this coast ... can't you see that that you can't possibly make a difference?The local native smiled, bent down, picked up yet another starfish ... and as he threw it back out into the sea, he replied, "It made a difference to that one!" label: Short storyYou may feel like you cannot make a difference in the world today, but you CAN make a difference in one life at a time.

10 Biggest Mistakes People Make Managing Organisational Performance

Mistake #1: rely just on financial statementsProfit and loss, revenue and expenses these are measures of important things to a business. But they are information that is too little and too late. Too little in the sense that other results matter too, such as customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, customer advocacy. Too late in the sense that by the time you see bad results, the damage is already done. Wouldn't it be better to know that profit was likely to fall before it actually did fall, and in time to prevent it from falling?

Mistake #2: look only at this month, last month, year to dateMost financial performance reports summarise your financial results in four values: 1) actual this month; 2) actual last month; 3) % variance between them; and 4) year to date. Even if you are measuring and monitoring non-financial results, you may still be using this format. It encourages you to react to % variances (differences between this month and last month) which suggest performance has declined such as any % variation greater than 5 or 10 percent (usually arbitrarily set). Do you honestly expect the % variance to always show improvement? And if it doesn't, does that really mean things have gotten bad and you have to fix them? What about the natural and unavoidable variation that affects everything, the fact that no two things are ever exactly alike? Relying on % variations runs a great risk that you are reacting to problems that aren't really there, or not reacting to problems which are really there that you didn't see. Wouldn't you rather have your reports reliably tell you when there really was a problem that needed your attention, instead of wasting your time and effort chasing every single variation?

Mistake #3: set goals without ways to measure and monitor themBusiness planning is a process that is well established in most organisations, which means they generally have a set of goals or objectives (sometimes cascaded down through the different management levels of the organisation) . What is interesting though, is that the majority of these goals or objectives are not measured well. Where measures have been nominated for them, they are usually something like this: Implement a customer relationship management system into the organisation by June 20

14

 

(for a goal of improving customer loyalty) This is not a measure at all it is an activity. Measures are ongoing feedback of the degree to which something is happening. If this goal were measured well, the measure would be evidence of how much customer loyalty the organisation had, such as tracking repeat business from customers. How will you know if your goals, the changes you want to make in your organisation, are really happening, and that you are not wasting your valuable effort and money, without real feedback?

Mistake #4: use brainstorming (or other poor methods) to select measuresBrainstorming, looking at available data, or adopting other organisations' measures are many of the reasons why we end up with measures that aren't useful and usable. Brainstorming produces too much information and therefore too many measures, it rarely encourages a strong enough focus on the specific goal to be measured, everyone's understanding of the goal is not sufficiently tested, and the bigger picture is not taken into account (such as unintended consequences, relationships to other objectives/goals) . Looking at available data means that important and valuable new data will never be identified and collected, and organisational improvement is constrained by the knowledge you already have. Adopting other organisations' measures, or industry accepted measures, is like adopting their goals, and ignoring the unique strategic direction that sets your organisation apart from the pack. Wouldn't you rather know that the measures you select are the most useful and feasible evidence of your organisation's goals?

  Mistake #5: rely on scorecard technology as the performance measure fix You can (and maybe you did) spend millions of dollars on technology to solve your performance measurement problems. The business intelligence, data mining and 'scorecarding' software available today promises many things like comprehensive business intelligence reporting, award-winning data visualization, and balanced scorecard and score

 - carding and an information flow that transcends organizational silos, diverse computing platforms and niche tools .. and delivers access to the insights that drive shareholder value. Wow! But there's a problem lurking in the shadows of these promises. You still need to be able to clearly articulate what you want to know, what you want to measure and what kinds of signals you need those measures to flag for you. The software is amazing at automating the reporting of the measures to you, but it just won't do the thinking about what it should report to you.

Mistake   #6: use tables, instead of graphs, to report performance Tables are a very common way to present performance measures, no doubt in part a legacy from the original financial reports that management accountants provided (and still provide today) to decision makers. They are familiar, but they are ineffective. Tables encourage you to focus on the points of data, which is the same as not seeing the forest for the trees. As a manager, you aren't just managing performance today or this month. You are managing performance over the medium to long term. And the power to do that well comes from focusing on the patterns in your data, not the points of data themselves. Patterns like gradual changes over time, sudden shifts or abrupt changes through time, events that stand apart from the normal pattern of variation in performance. And graphs are the best way to display patterns.

Mistake #7: fail to identify how performance measures relate to one otherA group of decision makers sit around the meeting room table and one by one they go over the performance measure results. They look at the result, decide if it is good or bad, agree on an action to take, then move on to the next measure. They might as well be having a series of independent discussions, one for each measure. Performance measures might track different parts of the organisation, but because organisations are systems made up of lots of different but very inter-related parts, the measures must be inter-related too. One measure cannot be improved without affecting or changing another area of the organisation. Without knowing how measures relate to one another and using this knowledge to interpret measure results, decision makers will fail to find the real, fundamental causes of performance results.

Mistake #8: exclude staff from performance analysis and improvementOne of the main reasons that staff get cynical about collecting performance data is that they never see any value come from that data. Managers more often than not will sit in their meeting rooms and come up with measures they want and then delegate the job of bringing those measures to life to staff. Staff who weren't involved in the discussion to design those measures, weren't able to get a deeper understanding of why those measures matter, what they really mean, how they will be used, weren't able to contribute their knowledge about the best types of data to use or the availability and integrity of the data required. And usually the same staff producing the measures don't ever get to see how the managers use those measures and what decisions come from them. When people aren't part of the design process of measures, they find it near impossible to feel a sense of ownership of the process to bring those measures to life. When people don't get feedback about how the measures are used, they can do little more than believe they wasted their time and energy.

Mistake #9: collect too much useless data, and not enough relevant dataData collection is certainly a cost. If it isn't consuming the time of people employed to get the work done, then it is some kind of technological system consuming money. And data is also an asset, part of the structural foundation of organisational knowledge. But too many organisations haven't made the link between the knowledge they need to have and the data they actually collect. They collect data because it has always been collected, or because other organisations collect the same data, or because it is easy to collect, of because someone once needed it for a one-off analysis and so they might as well keep collecting it in case it is needed again. They are overloaded with data, they don't have the data they really need and they are exhausted and cannot cope with the idea of collecting any more data. Performance measures that are well designed are an essential part of streamlining the scope of data collected by your organisation, by linking the knowledge your organisation needs with the data it ought to be collecting.mistake

  Mistake #10: use performance measures to reward and punish people One practice that a lot of organisations are still doing is using performance measures as the basis for rewarding and punishing people. They are failing to support culture of learning by not

tolerating mistakes and focusing on failure. It is very rare that a single person can have complete control over any single area of performance. In organisations of more than 5 or 6 people, the results are undeniably a team's product, not an individual's product. When people are judged by performance measures, they will do what they can to reduce the risk to them of embarrassment, missing a promotion, being disciplined or even given the sack. They will modify or distort the data, they will report the measures in a way that shows a more favourable result (yes - you can lie with statistics), they will not learn about what really drives organisational performance and they will not know how to best invest the organisation's resources to get the best improvements in performance.

6 Ways to Say Goodbye to the Yellow Smile

Have you noticed that smiles have gotten whiter and whiter? No matter how white you want your teeth, there are plenty of natural teeth-whitening home remedies for a beautiful smile.

There are things you can do to avoid stains and embarrassing discoloration and fortunately, these natural teeth whitening home remedies solutions don’t require hundred dollar bleaching trays, dentist visits, or unknown chemical solutions. All you need is probably in your kitchen right now, it is funny how the solutions are simpler than what we imagine, try the following ideas for a perfect homemade smile:

1. Eat StrawberriesThe astringent found in strawberries helps to remove surface stains, while vitamin C washes away plaque. Mashing a few strawberries and brushing with the mixture once or twice a week can have positive results, or make sure you chew really well. Strawberries can also help whiten teeth due to containing an enzyme called malic acid and vitamin C.

2. Floss Your TeethFlossing is more important than brushing; it can easily remove the staining between your teeth, helping them to look whiter.

 

3. Baking Soda and LemonThe chemical reaction of baking soda with the citrus of lemon juice has a smile-brightening effect. Brush with this solution up to once per week.

4. Eat Crunchy Fruits and VeggiesCrunchy fruit or vegetables act like nature’s toothbrush just chewing those removes excess food and bacteria from your mouth and they also help to scrub away surface stains, and the acid in the fruits and vegetables actually keep the teeth whiter.

5. Food Grade Hydrogen PeroxideHydrogen peroxide prevents the growth of bacteria, can help to  prevent infections, and prevents bad breath, which often results from bacteria.

6. Use a StrawThere are many drinks that can cause serious damage to the enamel of your teeth such as coffee; tea, soda, and wine, whenever you can try to use a straw to reduce direct exposure to teeth, its not very common to drink wine or coffee through a straw, if not possible just make sure to brush after drinking these beverages

18 Ways to Make Your Parents Feel Great

The parents now a days are quite worred about the behavioral changes in thier childern due to several socio-economical reasons. The gap between parents and us, the youth, is increasing day by day due to which the family bonding is getting weaker and weaker. We, the youth, want liberty in every deed we do. We want our parents not to be disturb us in what-ever we do in what-so-ever manner. We have forgotten the amount of time our parnets have invested in for our brought up. We have forgotten the countless efforts and sacrifices by our parents throughtout our lives. Starting from our birth they have taken care of our food (22years * 365 days * 3 times = 24000 times!), our clothes (daily washing, ironing, new purchasing), our education (daily home works, uniform, school/tution fee), religious moral teaching every day (THE REAL GREAT JOB), computer toys purchasing and God knows how many other countless efforts they have put in to make us a complete human being to survive in this world. Indeed, all those efforts cannot be covered in this article but the overall emphesis is that its our moral and religious mandatory responsibility to take care of them now.Below are some small acts of kindness which I request you to consider to show your affection with them and to take care of them:

1. Give them enough money so that they don't have to ask you.2. Share funny and entertaining things with them to make them laugh or

smile.3. Don't speak loudly. Speak slowly, nicely and softly.4. Do not walk in front of them in market or anywhere. They might walk

slow being old; stay behind them. Give them respect.5. Ask for small tasks again and again. For example, "Abou Jee, do you

need water? Should i bring tea for you? Are you hungry, baba" etc 6. Closely monitor thier health. visit doctor if required. Have them

thorougly checked time to time.7. Take care of their medicines. Set reminders on your phone for their

medicines and serve them on time.

8. Take them to the mosque. Walk slowly. Follow their pace.9. Take them to the park for walk. If not possible daily, then take them on

weekend.10. Do not call them by their name. Call them with respect.11. Open the door for them with respect12. Adapt yourself according to their schedule not vise versa.13. Do shopping for them (buy their clothes, shoes, small items like tooth

paste).  Buy your mother a nice coffee cup. Take them to market and buy them according to their likings. Buy your parents some nice books; usually people love to read books in old age.

14. When you come back to home, visit them first in their room.15. Respect thier social circle and let them enjoy with their friends.  Article

written by Junaid.Tahir16. In case of conflict on any issue, try to follow them as much as possible.

Remember, they have been sacrificing their money and time in raising you for years and years. Its time to pay back. They have been showing all the patience during your childhood. Its time for you to be patient.

17. Keep them with you instead of sending them to old houses etc. This will be a big act of ignorance if you do.

18. When starting the food, serve them first.

In the end, I would recommend making a check list of this email and and paste it on any wall in your room or kitchen and read it often to rememberPlease do share if you are doing any other good thing in making your parents feel great :)

10 Tips for Better Business Writing

Writing in a business environment is an activity with associated norms, challenges, and opportunities. Keep the following points in mind as you craft communication in the context of a company or an organization.

1. ClarityBe clear. Clarity is the primary goal of all communication, and in business writing, the degree of transparency in one's message can determine whether one succeeds or fails in a venture, whether you're transmitting a report or closing a deal. State the intention of your message, provide the necessary details, and request the precise response you need or want.

2. Active VoiceEmploy active construction (subject-verb-object). "This report was sent to me by John Smith" is not wrong, and it's probably the best choice if you want to distinguish one report from another, but consider whether "John Smith" should be the subject of the sentence; the active syntax is more vigorous, and usually more appropriate.

3. Direct LanguageConstruct concise, declarative statements. Your goal is to provide or invite information, or to persuade or be persuaded. Your time is valuable to you, but the recipient or recipients of your communication also have constraints and deadlines, so take the time to express yourself with economy and directness.

4. Simple WordsFavor plain, clear words and phrases over technical terms, jargon, or buzzwords. Take care not to complicate your vocabulary or stiffen your tone in an attempt to seem more businesslike or expert. By all means, use proper terminology to enhance clarity and demonstrate your knowledge and skills, but imagine how you would speak to your intended audience, and write with a conversational glossary in mind.

5. ToneStrike a balance in tone that depends on the particular context of the communication. Even within categories (memos, whether in print or in email form, or marketing content), the feel of the correspondence will depend on many factors. Consult with management and colleagues, study precedents, and consider the audience when settling on the voice of a particular message.

6. RoleConsider the role of a particular piece of communication. If it's summarizing a report, don't go into so much detail that the report itself is unnecessary (unless, of course, you're providing an executive summary for a company leader who doesn't have time to read it). If it's part of a larger project, match your writing style to the approach of the overall suite of materials.

7. GoalFocus on the expected or hoped-for outcome. Whether you're writing to a superior or a subordinate, or to a colleague or someone outside your company or organization, be clear but courteous about the goal of your correspondence.

8. CandorAvoid euphemisms or generic references; name topics outright. Diplomacy is a foundation of successful business transactions, but you can undermine success by seeming too solicitous or vague about sensitive matters. Be forthright in your discussion.

9. FormalityStandards for business correspondence have become more relaxed, but maintain a professional tone, avoiding slang or text-speak, exclamation points, and overly informal salutations and sign-offs.

10. Words with FriendsBe cautious about making exceptions about formality when corresponding with coworkers or associates you consider friends or confidants. Just because you dish or swear when the two of you chat in person doesn't mean you should do so in email messages or other electronic communications located on a company network. Drop the formality a notch, certainly, but don't document your lapses in professional behavior.

Convert Your Irritations into a Positive Energy

A psychiatrist was consulted by a man whose marriage and career were both in serious trouble. His problem was his constant irritability and bad temper. He was concerned about this himself, but if any one tried to discuss it with him, he exploded in anger. He constantly told himself that everyone was picking on him and that he had to defend himself against them. To counter the negative auto suggestion, he advised him to use positive auto suggestion. Several times a day in the morning, noon, and at night prior to sleep he was to repeat to himself.

 From now on,I shall grow more humor, joy, happiness,and cheerfulness are now becoming my natural states of mind. Every day I am becoming more and more lovable and understanding. I will be center of cheer and goodwill to all those around me, infecting them with my good spirits. This happy, joyous, and cheerful mood is now becoming my normal, natural state of mind. I am grateful. After a month, his wife and his coworkers remarked on how much easier he was to get along with. The things that drive you crazy are actually giant opportunities. The people who press your buttons are actually your greatest teachers. The issues that make you angry are actually your biggest gifts. Be grateful to them. Love them. The people or circumstances that take you out of your power have extraordinary value: they reveal your limiting beliefs, fears and false assumptions. The celebrated psychologist Carl Jung once said: "Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." Powerful point. The things that irritate, annoy and anger you are entry points into your evolution and elevation as a human being. They are signposts for what you need to work on and the fears you need to face. They are gifts of growth. You can blame the people who trigger you and make it all about them. Or you can do the wise thing and look deeply into yourself to discover the reason for your negative reaction. Use the challenges to grow self-awareness. Because how can you overcome a fear you are not even aware of? And how can you transcend an insecurity you don't even know you have? As you begin to shed light on your personal weaknesses and take responsibility for them, you actually begin the very process of shedding them. You become stronger. More powerful. You begin to see the world through a different set of eyes.

 Khalil Gibran, one of the greatest thinkers, once wrote: "I have learned silence from the talkative, tolerance from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am grateful to those teachers who taught me all the wrong things.

The More You Eat, The Sooner You Die

Don't over eat and don't encourage your family members and friends toover

eat - unless you wish to shorten their healthy living and perhaps die younger!

An interesting article about eating too full....

"What's wrong with eating too full?"

"The more you eat, the sooner you die. The lesser you eat, the longer you live." This is what Dr Lee always says in his health talk. He also mentions, "Eating too full causes all sort of health problems such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke, etc."

Why eating too full is so harmful to your health? What can you do about it?

Mice experiment

To see how eating habit affects life span, a professor from University of Texas did an experiment on mice.

For the first group of 100 mice, he let them eat without any restriction, just like a buffet meal.

The second group was fed only 60% full. And the third group was given food without restriction too. But this time, he reduced protein content to half. After 2.5 years, guess how many mice were still alive out of 100?

* First group (eat without restriction) - only 13 mice was alive. Opsss...

* Second group (eat 60% full) - 97 mice was still alive. Only 3 mice died.

* Third group (eat without restriction with protein cut half) - 50 mice still alive.

What can we learn from these results?

Firstly, eating too full is really harmful to your body. Secondly, eat 60% full if you want to live longer and healthier. Thirdly, taking too muchprotein is harmful to your body too. We don't need so much protein after all.

Overworking body

Imagine having a small family car. Instead of using it for short travel between home and office, you use it for long distance travel betweendifferent cities every day. Instead of using it 1 hour a day, you use it for 10 hours a day. Instead of driving at 70 km/h, you always speed up to 170 km/h, hitting engine's red line.

Can you estimate your car life span? Do you expect having various problems with your car after a short time? Driving your car at high speed for a long time is like always eating too full. You force your body to always work at its red line.                  

Do you know digestion is the most demanding work for your body? Think about the organs involved such as your mouth, stomach, liver, pancreas, duodenum and intestine. Think about the length of digestive tract from your mouth to intestine. By eating too full, your body zaps up much of your energy for digestion. Otherwise, this energy may be used for other purpose such as enhancing your immune system.

Do you realize you become very tired easily after a big meal? That is the sign of your body working hard to digest all the food you take in.        

If you eat an extra bowl of noodle, your pancreas has to produce extrainsulin hormone to process the extra carbohydrates you take.

Your liver, stomach and intestine also have to produce extra enzymes to digest and process specific nutrients from that bowl of noodle.            

Therefore the more you eat, the harder your body has to work to process it. Of course, we must eat to survive. But we don't have to eat that much!  

If you drive your car slowly and handle it gently, you can use it for along time. But if you always floor the accelerator and drive like a rallydriver, you know the consequence on your car life span.

Side effect of eating

Your car engine burns fuel to move your car and bring you to anywhere you like to go. As a result, the engine produces exhaust smoke which is toxic. It must be dispersed out from your car.

Similarly, your body cell burns nutrient for energy to survive. In the process, it produces free radicals. Since free radical is toxic to yourbody, it has to be neutralized and expelled.

"Just metabolizing food especially fatty and carbohydrate-rich fare causes the body to produce free radicals, which attack cells and can promote the development of chronic conditions including heart disease, diabetes and cancer," says Ronald L. Prior, Ph.D.

Of course, your body can control free radicals in small quantity. But the more you eat the more free radicals your body produces. Without adequate control, these free radicals easily attack your body cells and eventually cause all sort of diseases.

Good eating habit

After knowing the harmful effect of eating too full, what's your choice? Do you want to live longer, just like the second group mice in the experiment? Or do you want to risk ending your life earlier, just like the first group mice? If you wish to live longer, here are some tips you can follow:

1. Always eat until 70% full. Do not exceed 80% full. You may want to stop eating when you

feel slightly full.                                      

2. Avoid having buffet style meal which makes it harder to control how much you eat. Instead, prepare the food you want to eat in a plate. After finishing it, don't add anymore food.                  

                                3. Leaving the dining table earlier may prevent you from picking some extra food to eat.

4. It is always a good idea to prepare lesser food in the first place. Some people are afraid of having not enough food for everyone. Actually, lesser food is beneficial for everyone..          

In a restaurant, order in small amount first. You can always add in some extra order if necessary. But if you can get by with the original smaller order, that's great.

Remember this: You have higher chance of overeating if you serve more food on the table.

You have better chance of not overeating if you serve less food.

5. Avoid stuffing your fridge with ice cream, chocolate or other dessert. You cannot eat what you do not have.

6. When someone prepares a big plate of food for you, look at it first. Ask yourself, "Do I want to stuff it all into my stomach?"

If your answer is no, just put aside some food to another empty plate first. After finishing your food, look back at the extra food on that new plate. Say to yourself, "Phew! Luckily I didn't stuff that portion into my stomach."                                                             7. When you get too hungry before your meal time, just take some fruit instead of heavy meal.The tendency to overeat is very high for modern people.

9 Tips To Make Effective Decisions

Its true that you are the product of your own thoughts and decisions. Whatever you decide on daily basis, whatever you do in your routine life is directly or indirectly linked to your future. That means you are making the foundation of your destiny with your decision and actions in your routine life. So by looking at the bigger picture, it is right to conclude that decision making is critically important for your success and achievements of lifetime goals. Given below is the list of insightful factors which you need to considere while making decisions. Article written by Junaid.Tahir

1. Consider the short term and long term consequences: Whether the decision is materialistic or a sensitive family matter. You have to consider short terms and long terms benefits.

2. Cost Vs quality if applicable. If you intend to purchase something, consider cost, quality, warranty perspectives. Usually cheep products have less life and bad quality but is not the case always. To cope up with this, define your budget and then carefully analyze all the options which are falling within your budget.

3. Need Vs wants analysis: Are you purchasing for pleasure or it is your long term need. Remember this is a difference between pleasure and happiness. Sometimes pleasure dost not last long so you don't want to spend a lot for the sake of short time pleasure. If you are in Need of something then consider point-1 and point-2. Article written by Junaid.Tahir

4. Consider emotions: This is quite sensitive aspect. You have to put yourself in everyone's shoes to understand his/her emotions. You don't want to hurt someone with your decision, instead you want to keep your stake holders emotionally satisfied. Emotional Intelligence is an art; learn it by reading on internet. To understand people you have to have true sense of judging people

5. Consider Win-Win: A balanced approach in which everyone gains is always recommended.

6. Consider all options: Don't stop your brain on one idea or approach. Think about more options. Seek advice from others on different possible solutions of the given situation/problem. to the problems which need decisions.

7. Ask for criticism: If possible ask for criticism before implementing the decision. Although it's never too late to ask for criticism even after your decision. Feedback always helps in your future.

8. Learn to differentiate between Urgent and Important tasks. Read my article Urgent and Important.

9. Closely observe others: Think about what your friend/colleague/acquaintance did under a specific condition. A wise man always learns from the mistakes of others. Article written by Junaid.Tahir

Good decisions require good analytical skills. Read some tips here to improve your analytical skills.

Story: Better to Give

A young man, a student in one of the universities, was one day taking a walk with a Professor, who was commonly called the student's friend, from his kindness to those who waited on his instructions.As they went along,they saw lying in the path a pair of old shoes, which they supposed to belong to a poor man who was employed in a field close by,and who had nearly finished his day's work.

The student turned to the professor, saying: "Let us play the man a trick: we will hide his shoes, and conceal ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his perplexity when he cannot find them.""My young friend," answered the professor, "we should never amuse ourselves at the expense of

the poor. But you are rich, and may give yourself a much greater pleasure by means of this poor man. Put a coin in each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch how this affects him."

The student did so and they both placed themselves behind the bushes close by. The poor man soon finished his work, and came across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes.While putting on his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes, but feeling something hard, he stooped down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his countenance. He gazed upon the coin, turned it around, and looked at it again and again.

He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket, and proceeded to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin.His feelings overcame him; he fell upon his knees, looked up to the heavens and uttered aloud a fervent thanksgiving in which he spoke of his wife who was sick and helpless, and his children without bread, whom this timely bounty, from some unknown hand,would save from perishing.

The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears. "Now," said the professor, are you not much better pleased than if you had played your intended trick?"

The youth replied, "You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget. I feel now the truth of these words, which I never understood before: "It's more blessed to give than to receive."

Story: Competing with Others

I was jogging one day and i noticed a person in front of me, about 1/4 of mile. I could tell he was running a little slower than me and I thought, good, i shall try to catch him. I had about a mile to go my path before i needed to turn off.So i started running faster and faster. Every block, i was gaining on him just a little bit. After just a few minutes i was only about 100 yards behind him, so i really picked up the pace and push myself. You would have thought i was running in the last leg of London Olympic competition. I was determined to catch him. Finally, i did it! I caught and passed him by. On the inside i felt so good.

"I beat him" of course, he didn't even know we were racing. After i passed him, i realized i had been so focused on competing against him that i had missed my turn. I had gone nearly six blocks past it. I had to turn around and go all back. Isn't that what happens in life when we focus on competing with co-workers, neighbors, friends, family, trying to outdo them or trying to prove that we are more successful or more important? We spend our time and energy running after them and we miss out on our own paths to our God given destinies.

The problem with unhealthy competition is that its a never ending cycle.There will always be somebody ahead of you, someone with better job, nicer car, more money in the bank, more education, better behaved children, etc. But realize that "You can be the best that you can be, you are not competing with no one." Some people are insecure because they pay too much attention 2 what others are doing, where others are going, wearing driving.Take what God has given you, the height, weight personality. Dress well wear it proudly! You'll be blessed by it.Stay focused and live a healthy life.There's no competition in DESTINY, run your own RACE and wish others WELL!!!

How to get Rid of the Dark Circles under the Eyes?

Dark circles under the eye make a beautiful face look unattractive. They make your face look dull and also indicate tiredness and poor health. Women face more of this problem than men.

Why do they appear? The skin around the eyes, also known as periorbital area, is thin and is webbed with very tiny blood vessels or capillaries. When red blood cells pass through these capillaries, sometimes leakage of blood occurs. The transparency of the periorbital area makes the loose blood visible in the form of dark circular patches around the eyes, known as dark circles.

There are many factors that contribute to the formation of dark circles. Sometimes they are hereditary; people having bony structure may also face this problem. Diseases like eczema, hay fever, asthma and anemia may also play a part in their formation, use of certain type of medicines can also cause dark circles to appear. Other factors are lack of sleep, lack of essential nutrients like vitamin K, malfunctioning of the liver, direct exposure to the sunlight and loss of collagen.

Usually women hide their dark circles by applying a layer of concealer. But now you can throw that away because you won’t need it again. After using these simple and effective home remedies for treating dark circles, you will get rid of them once and for all.

Stay HydratedTo keep the dark circles away it is essential to keep yourself hydrated. You should take at least 10 glasses of water in a day. Water removes the toxins from the body that contribute to the formation of dark circles.

Tea bagsDip two chamomile tea bags in hot water and then rinse them with cold water to make an eye-pack. Place both the teabags on your eyes for 15 to 20 minutes. Chamomile tea bags help to reduce the dark circles and puffiness under the eyes.

Cucumber

Take help from the cool cucumbers. It is one of the best known remedies for treating dark circles and puffiness. You can slice a cucumber and put it on the eyes or crush some cucumber, wrap it in a clean cloth and put it on the eyes. It also tones and tightens the area under the eye.

Rose waterRose water effectively soaks up the toxins causing dark circles and also soothes tired eyes. Take a cotton pad and dip it in rose water, place it on your eyes for 10 minutes.

Mint LeavesThe cool, tingling sensation by the mint leaves can increase blood circulation under the eye area as a result dark circles fade away. Crush some mint leaves and make a paste by adding a little water, apply it to the area under the eyes for 15 to 20 minutes.

PotatoPeople in China, Hong Kong and South America use potatoes for removing dark circles. The enzymes contained in potatoes are effective for skin lightening and also for soaking up the toxins responsible for dark circles. Just take two slices of potato and place them on your eyes for 15 minutes.

AcupressureAnother Chinese remedy for dark circles is Acupressure. Use your index finger to apply pressure on the bones beneath your eyes for 3 seconds. Repeat this step 10 times, every morning.

Sleep wellAs mentioned earlier, dark circles are often caused because of lack of sleep. Sleep for at least 6 to 8 hours every night, to get rid of dark circles. To treat dark circles over night you can put a piece of wet wash cloth on your eyes while you sleep.

Almond oilAlmond oil is also a very useful remedy for dark circles. Message the area under eye with almond oil every night. Do it before going to bed for 2 weeks. Vitamin C

Make sure you get enough vitamin C from your diet as it is essential for keeping dark circles away and it also supports the collagen present in the area under the eyes. Take fruits like grapefruit or oranges every day.

Use SunscreenWhenever you step out in the sun, use a sunscreen, preferably SPF 15. It will prevent dark circles, wrinkling and sagging of the under eye area.

Vitamin K and RetinolVitamin K deficiency can cause dark circles, so try to incorporate it to your diet. Studies reveal the vitamin K is effective for removing dark circles by lightening the under eye area. You can use creams containing vitamin K and retinol to get rid of dark circles.

The above mentioned remedies can be of great help. If you want long term benefits make sure that you take a healthy diet, rich in vitamins. Also keep the skin under the eye moisturized.

Active Listening

Listening is one of the most important skills you can have. How well you listen has a major impact on your job effectiveness, and on the quality of your relationships with others.

We listen to obtain information. We listen to understand. We listen for enjoyment. We listen to learn.

Given all this listening we do, you would think we'd be good at it!

In fact most of us are not, and research suggests that we remember between 25 percent and 50 percent of what we hear. That means that when you talk to your boss, colleagues, customers or spouse for 10 minutes, they pay attention to less than half of the conversation. This is dismal!

Turn it around and it reveals that when you are receiving directions or being presented with information, you aren't hearing the whole message either. You hope the important parts are captured in your 25-50 percent, but what if they're not?

Clearly, listening is a skill that we can all benefit from improving. By becoming a better listener, you will improve your productivity, as well as your ability to influence, persuade and negotiate. What's more, you'll avoid conflict and misunderstandings. All of these are necessary for workplace success!

Tip:Good communication skills require a high level of self-awareness. By understanding your personal style of communicating, you will go a long way towards creating good and lasting impressions with others.

About Active Listening

The way to become a better listener is to practice "active listening." This is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, try to understand the complete message being sent.

In order to do this you must pay attention to the other person very carefully.

You cannot allow yourself to become distracted by whatever else may be going on around you, or by forming counter arguments that you'll make when the other person stops speaking. Nor can you allow yourself to get bored, and lose focus on what the other person is saying. All of these contribute to a lack of listening and understanding.

Tip: If you're finding it particularly difficult to concentrate on what someone is saying, try repeating their words mentally as they say them – this will reinforce their message and help you stay focused.

To enhance your listening skills, you need to let the other person know that you are listening to what he or she is saying. To understand the importance of this, ask yourself if you've ever been engaged in a conversation when you wondered if the other person was listening to what you were saying. You wonder if your message is getting across, or if it's even worthwhile continuing to speak. It feels like talking to a brick wall and it's something you want to avoid.

Acknowledgement can be something as simple as a nod of the head or a simple "uh huh." You aren't necessarily agreeing with the person, you are simply indicating that you are listening. Using body language and other signs to acknowledge you are listening also reminds you to pay attention and not let your mind wander.

You should also try to respond to the speaker in a way that will both encourage him or her to continue speaking, so that you can get the information if you need. While nodding and "uh huhing" says you're interested, an occasional question or comment to recap what has been said communicates that you understand the message as well.

Becoming an Active Listener

There are five key elements of active listening. They all help you ensure that you hear the other person, and that the other person knows you are hearing what they say.

1. Pay Attention

Give the speaker your undivided attention, and acknowledge the message. Recognize that non-verbal communication also "speaks" loudly.

Look at the speaker directly. Put aside distracting thoughts. Don't mentally prepare a rebuttal! Avoid being distracted by environmental factors. For example, side

conversations. "Listen" to the speaker's body language.

2. Show That You're Listening

Use your own body language and gestures to convey your attention.

Nod occasionally. Smile and use other facial expressions. Note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting. Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like yes, and

uh huh.

3. Provide Feedback

Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and beliefs can distort what we hear. As a listener, your role is to understand what is being said. This may require you to reflect what is being said and ask questions.

Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. "What I'm hearing is," and "Sounds like you are saying," are great ways to reflect back.

Ask questions to clarify certain points. "What do you mean when you say." "Is this what you mean?"

Summarize the speaker's comments periodically.

Tip: If you find yourself responding emotionally to what someone said, say so, and ask for more information: "I may not be understanding you correctly, and I find myself taking what you said personally. What I thought you just said is XXX; is that what you meant?"

4. Defer Judgment

Interrupting is a waste of time. It frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message.

Allow the speaker to finish each point before asking questions. Don't interrupt with counter arguments.

5. Respond Appropriately

Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise putting him or her down.

Be candid, open, and honest in your response. Assert your opinions respectfully. Treat the other person in a way that you think he or she would want to be

treated.

Key Points

It takes a lot of concentration and determination to be an active listener. Old habits are hard to break, and if your listening habits are as bad as many people's are, then there's a lot of habit-breaking to do!

Be deliberate with your listening and remind yourself frequently that your goal is to truly hear what the other person is saying. Set aside all other thoughts and behaviors and concentrate on the message. Ask questions, reflect, and paraphrase to ensure you understand the message. If you don't, then you'll find that what someone says to you and what you hear can be amazingly different!

Start using active listening today to become a better communicator, improve your workplace productivity, and develop better relationships.

Foods That Kill Cancer & Help The Body Destroy Tumors Without Any Drugs

There are certain proteins present within our immune system that hold some specific instructions to destroy the cancerous tumors. This ability is always present in a healthy, well functioning body and does not require your body to use drugs. Sometimes, an uncontrolled growth of the cells or DNA mutations makes these proteins become ineffective. Food toxins and chemical pollution can also override the natural functions of the immune system, again making these proteins ineffective.

A research conducted at the Pennsylvania State University, has revealed some foods that inhibit the production of tumors and at the same time supports your immune system to combat the cancer cells.

The researchers involved in the study state that, people who subscribe to cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiations, underestimate their body’s healing powers and the devices it can use on its own along with the right choice of nutritious foods.

They also claim that chemotherapy damages the healthy cells along with the powerful proteins that are actually beneficial for fighting cancer. Scientists have discovered a molecule that helps to activate a cancer fighting protein in the body, known as TIC 10. TRAIL or tumor-necrosis-factor-related apoptosis-including ligand, is a specific type of protein that can suppress the development of the tumors. It also has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, a barrier separating the brain and main circulatory system.

Our body is blessed with infinite wisdom, the brain can detect poisons and foreign invaders like chemotherapy. The blood-brain barrier blocks many cancer drugs, considering them harmful for the brain. However, TRAIL can pass through the blood-brain barrier because it is considered beneficial for the immune system, by the brain.

TRAIL works in two ways. Firstly, it kills the cancer cells and also the nearby damaged cells. Secondly, it boosts the nearby healthy cells and activates their TRAIL receptors that are effective for killing cancer cells.

Remember, “Food is the body’s medicine, not drugs”. So here they are, the 5 foods that can help you destroy tumors naturally, without any drugs involved.

Turmeric

One of the most powerful antioxidants called curcumin is found in Turmeric. It is a spice found abundantly in South East Asia. Curcumin is an effective anti-inflammatory. It inhibits TNF-alpha or tumor necrosis factor-alpha with the help of its anti-oxidative powers.

A study conducted by James A. Duke, Phd, who reviewed more than 700 studies conducted on the use of turmeric as a natural medicine, revealed that turmeric can outperform many drugs by effectively treating several chronic, debilitating diseases, without any side effects.

Red GrapesThe phenolic compound, Resveratrol, found specifically in red grapes is not only a powerful antioxidant but also antimutagen. It also saves the cells from oxidant- caused death. The overproduction of TNF-A and nitric oxide because of some chronic infections can severely damage the liver. Resveratol can be of great help by inhibiting the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha and nitric oxide, by stimulating the kuppfer cells found in the liver.

Another important property of this compound is that it can inhibit the growth of CoX-2, also known as cyclooxgenase-2, cancer cells abnormally growing in the intestinal tract. Pharmaceutical companies are trying to find some complex agents to inhibit CoX-2, but you can find the CoX-2 inhibiting agent in grapes and also in organic grape juice.

Green TeaThere is a group of plant flavonoids present in the green tea, called catechins. Out of these catechins, epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG) holds primary importance. A research conducted in South Korea found that, “EGCG blocks TNF naturally by interfering with the ability of certain pro-inflammatory chemicals to bind to cells of smooth muscle tissue of the vascular system.”

Another study conducted in 2009 at the Chonbuk National University Medical School, revealed that EGCG blocks TNF, and at the same time it also suppresses fractalkine. Fractalkine is an inflammatory agent that causes arteriosclerosis.

TomatoesConsuming tomatoes on regular basis help lower the risk of various types of cancer and also coronary heart disease. The active components found in tomatoes are carotenoids and lycopene.

Raw tomatoes juice can lower down the production of TNF-alpha up to 30%, if consumed regularly for a month.

Raw Vegetables and FruitsRaw vegetables and fruits are abundant in natural antioxidants that provide our body with anti-inflammatory benefits. High consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits can lower down the production of interleukin-6 or IL-6, C-reactive protein and TNF- alpha.

Fruits and vegetables, particularly dark ones, contain high amount of indole-3-carbinol, it is a chemical that repairs cells by boosting DNA and also inhibits the growth of malignant cells. Anthocyanins, the compounds present in purple cabbage (also responsible for its color) can inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells, without damaging the surrounding cells.

Try to incorporate these foods to your diet as they can boost the power of your body to fight cancer naturally.

The Ant & the Contact Lens

Brenda was a young woman who was invited to go rock climbing. Although she was scared to death, she went with her group to a tremendous granite cliff. In spite of her fear, she put on the gear, took hold on the rope and started up the face of that rock. Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against Brenda's eye and knocked out her contact lens.

Well, here she is on a rock ledge, with hundreds of feet Below her and hundreds of feet above her. Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge, but it just wasn't there. Here she was, far from home, her sight now blurry. She was desperate and began to get upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to find it.

When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but there was no contact lens to be found. She sat down, despondent, with the rest of the party, waiting for the rest of them to make it up the face of the cliff.

She looked out across range after range of mountains She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me."

Finally, they walked down the trail to the bottom. At the bottom there was a new party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?" Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it. 

Brenda told me that her father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a picture of an ant lugging that contact lens with the words, "Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me do, I'll carry it for You." I think it would probably do some of us good to occasionally say, "God, I don't know why you want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if you want Me to carry it, I will." 

5 Techniques to Recharge Your Employees

I have realized that I can relate any employee with a re-chargeable battery. To elaborate it more, lets consider the analogy of smart phones. In most of the smart phones the battery consumption is displayed on the top right corner of mobile screen. When the consumption percentage falls below 25%, the color of battery icon turns orange and when it is less than 10% the color goes alarmingly red. So it is responsibility of the owner to ensure timely charging to keep it functional. Just like that, it is responsibility of each manager to closely observe the discharge level of each member of his/her team and take appropriate measures to ensure high efficiency of the employee consequently getting maximum throughput. The good news is that when employees are charged more and more, they produce the results in the same high proportion!

So below are some techniques which can be considered to boost the charge level:

1-    Trainings: Needless to emphasize the importance of training, this is one of the critically important aspect of professional growth and ultimately for

the business enhancement. It's a genuine Win-Win approach. I highly recommend studying the concept of "Sharpen The Saw" from Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly effective people ®. The trainings can either be online, or in-house or at international level. Further, podcasts can also be considered. 

2-   Professional Membership: Encourage employee to join professional groups. Even if the company has to pay some amount for the membership, it should be done. Employee will get satisfaction for being the member and will learn new ideas and trends in the industry which will eventually help business growth.

3-   Get together: If possible, Employee's families to be invited as well. This will give extra boost to employee's satisfaction index. Outdoor activities including Lunch, games and fun activities can be considered.

4-   Financial benefits: This is the most attractive part from employee's perspective. This can either be on annual or project basis. Specific targets can be set in terms of sale (or any applicable Key Performance Indicator). High KPI should result in high bonus. This will ensure employee go extra mile to achieve high and high. Also Employee of the month is another technique which should be used. A certificate along with optimal amount of cash will feed extra energy.

5-   Knowledge based sessions: Technical and motivational lectures/events should be arranged on weekly or monthly basis. You may find a gem within your team who loves to speak on a specific subject. Find such people and give them the opportunity to share their knowledge and skills with other colleagues.

What you Need to Know about Asthma

Over 7 million children and 18 million adults suffered from asthma in the year 2010. The number of asthma patients increased by 15%, over a period of ten years. It is the number one reason of children missing school, accounting for almost 10 million missed days from school in a year. Boys are more likely to suffer from asthma compare to girls, in children. In adults it’s the opposite, where women are more likely to develop this disease than men. People with ages 18 to 24 are more at a risk of developing this disease.

 

Every year a cost of more than $50 billion is incurred on the healthcare services for treating this disease.

 

 

Asthma is the number one reason of children missing school

 

What Is Asthma?

Asthma is one of the world’s most common chronic diseases. The word asthma has been derived from Greek language, meaning panting or breathless. Asthma is a disease of the airways of the lungs. Due to the inflammation of the respiratory tract, the air ways temporarily become narrow as a result wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath occurs.

 

What happens during an asthma attack?

The air that we inhale reaches our lung through trachea or windpipe, this windpipe is divided into two tubes called bronchi, a single tube is called bronchus. The bronchi are further divided into several tiny tubes called bronchioles. Each bronchiole ends in an air sac also known as alveoli, here the exchange of gasses takes place i.e. oxygen from the fresh air is taken up and exchanged with the carbon dioxide from the blood. This is the process of normal respiration. There are 3 main features of asthma.

 

There are three features of asthma:

 

1.      Airway ObstructionIn normal respiration the muscles that surround the airways are relaxed, therefore enabling the air to move freely. During an asthma attack these muscles tighten and do not allow the air to pass freely. The air passing through the tightened track produce a whistling sound, also called wheezing. The person having such a condition feels short of breath.

 

2.      InflammationSometimes inflammation of the bronchi takes place causing them to swell, as a result of some allergen. The inflamed tissues of the bronchi produce excessive amount of mucus, as a result airways are blocked and irritation and coughing takes place.

 

 

3.      Airway IrritabilityPeople having asthma have extremely sensitive airways and are more susceptible to asthma triggers such as animal dander, dust fumes and pollen.

 

What are asthma triggers?

There are a lot of factors that can trigger asthma. Following are their categories:

 

Airborne Irritants: Substances present in the air such as dust, mold, traffic and industrial fumes, animal danger, scented flowers, perfumed cosmetics, etc. can all act as allergens.

 

Respiratory Infections: Sometimes viral and bacterial infection in the respiratory tracts such as cold, flu, sinus infections and bronchitis can trigger asthma. In children it is one of the major triggering factors.

 

Foods: Allergy causing foods such as cow’s milk, soy, wheat, eggs, fish, shrimps, peanuts etc. can trigger asthmatic attack. Also there are some food preservatives that can cause asthmatic attack such as potassium bisulfate, sodium bisulfate, potassium metabisulfide, sodium sulfite and sodium metabisulfite.

 

Smoking: Smoking cigarette can cause severe irritation in the lungs as a result asthma attack is triggered. Smoking put you more at a risk of developing asthma. According to some recent statistics 20% of the asthma patients are reported smoking.

 

Heartburn: A condition of severe heartburn called gartoesophageal reflux disease can also trigger asthmatic attacks.

 

Drugs: There are certain drugs that can cause asthma attacks such as aspirin and anti-inflammatory drugs (non-steroidal).

 

Hormones: In women the rise in the levels of progesterone and decline in the levels of estrogen may result in asthmatic attacks. In men, low levels of testosterone can cause asthma to trigger.

 

Alcohol: The reason why alcohol can cause asthma attacks is because it causes acid reflux, also the presence of sulfites may also trigger asthma attacks in some people.

 

Other factors that contribute in triggering asthma are emotional stress, anxiety, physical exertion, humid weather, genetic tendency and history of allergies.

 

What are the asthma symptoms?

Here are some of the common symptoms of asthma:

 

Cough

Chest tightness

Breathlessness

Wheezing

Bluish color of the lips and face

Severe drowsiness or confusion

Rapid pulse

Severe anxiety due to shortness of breath

Sweating

Abnormal breathing pattern

Chest pain

 

If you have the above mentioned symptoms it is better that you consult your doctor.

  Three Differences Between Managers and Leaders

A young manager accosted me the other day. "I've been reading all about leadership, have implemented several ideas, and think I'm doing a good job at leading my team. How will I know when I've crossed over from being a manager to a leader?" he wanted to know.

I didn't have a ready answer and it's a complicated issue, so we decided to talk the next day. I thought long and hard, and came up with three tests that will help you decide if you've made the shift from managing people to leading them.

Counting value vs Creating value. You're probably counting value, not adding it, if you're managing people.Only managers count value; some even reduce value by disabling those who add value. If a diamond cutter is asked to report every 15 minutes how many stones he has cut, by distracting him, his boss is subtracting value.

By contrast, leaders focuses on creating value, saying: "I'd like you to handle A while I deal with B." He or she generates value over and above that which the team creates, and is as much a value-creator as his or her followers are. Leading by example and leading by enabling people are the hallmarks of action-based leadership.

Circles of influence vs Circles of power.�Just as managers have subordinates and leaders have followers, managers create circles of power while leaders create circles of influence.

The quickest way to figure out which of the two you're doing is to count the number of people outside your reporting hierarchy who come to you for advice. The more that do, the more likely it is that you are perceived to be a leader.

Leading people vs Managing work. Management consists of controlling a group or a set of entities to accomplish a goal. Leadership refers to an individual's ability to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute

toward organizational success. Influence and inspiration separate leaders from managers, not power and control.

In India, M.K. Gandhi inspired millions of people to fight for their rights, and he walked shoulder to shoulder with them so India could achieve independence in 1947. His vision became everyone's dream and ensured that the country's push for independence was unstoppable. The world needs leaders like him who can think beyond problems, have a vision, and inspire people to convert challenges into opportunities, a step at a time.

I encouraged my colleague to put this theory to the test by inviting his team-mates for chats. When they stop discussing the tasks at hand � and talk about vision, purpose, and aspirations instead, that's when you will know you have become a leader.

Agree?

Top 10 Health Benefits of Dark Chocolat

Indulge yourself in the goodness of dark chocolate. This amazing food can provide you with countless health benefits, while leaving a sweet taste in your mouth.

 

The origin of chocolate dates back to 1500 BC. The cocoa beans were used in Aztec and Mayan civilizations. Christopher Columbus brought these cocoa beans to Spain and later they spread all over Europe while the first chocolate bar was introduced in 1874.

 

Chocolates are produced from the seeds of Theobroma cacao, commonly known as cacao tree. The tree is native to tropical rain forests of South America and holds significant importance for its beans or seeds that are used for cocoa powder, and cocoa butter. The cocoa beans are then crushed and grounded to get cocoa liquor. Then this cocoa liquor is processed further by mixing sugar and fat and finally you get your favorite chocolate.

 

There are different types of chocolate available, the taste of chocolate depends on the proportion of cocoa and other ingredients that are used in its mixture. The three main varieties of chocolate are milk chocolate, white chocolate and dark chocolate. Out of these three varieties dark chocolate has the highest amount of antioxidants which makes it the most beneficial variety for your health.

 

 

The healthy nutrients you can get from dark chocolate are Potassium, Copper, Magnesium and Iron. You also get flavonoids from chocolate, an important antioxidant for preventing many diseases. In fact, it has 5 times more flavonoids than an apple. These nutrients serve your body with the following health benefits:

 

Promote Heart HealthA research was conducted in Sweden, over a time period of 9 years to find about the heart promoting benefits of chocolate. In this study more than 31,000 women participated, who consumed one to two servings of dark chocolate per week. A reduced risk of heart failure was observed in these participants.

 

Another research conducted in Germany proved that consuming a square of dark chocolate everyday can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke up to 39%. Thanks to the flavonoids that help with the flexibility of arteries and veins.

It also promotes good circulation because of its blood thinning and anti-clotting properties.

 

Control Blood SugarGood news for diabetics! Dark chocolate ranks low on Glycemic index, which means it won’t spike your sugar levels. The flavonoids present in dark chocolate reduce insulin resistance and helps your body to efficiently use the insulin. Claudio Ferri, M.D., a professor at the University of L’Aquila in Italy says, “Flavonoids increase nitric oxide production, and that helps control insulin sensitivity.”

 

Weight LossDid you know that dark chocolate can actually help you to lose weight? A research conducted at the University of Copenhagen, revealed that dark chocolate gives you a more filling effect and lessens your cravings for fatty, sweet and salty foods. So if you incorporate a little portion to your diet you can get optimum health benefits without a weight gain. A cup of hot chocolate is also beneficial for reducing appetite.

 

Happier BabiesA Finnish study revealed that babies born to mothers, who consumed dark chocolates during their pregnancies, were happier and they smiled a lot. So, it is better to use chocolate during pregnancy rather than giving pacifiers to your crying babies after birth. It also relieves stress in mothers-to-be.

 

Good Mood Food!An important chemical called phenylethylamine or PEA is present in chocolates, it is the same chemical that the brain creates when you experience the feeling of love. Phenylethylamine also encourages the release of endorphins by your brain, a chemical essential for putting you in a good mood.

 

Dark chocolates can also relieve stress by reducing the level of stress hormones. It contains serotonin, which acts as a natural anti-depressant.

 

Prevents sunburnsDark chocolates contain high levels of flavanols. A research conducted in London proved that flavanols found in chocolates can provide protection against harmful effects of the sun.

 

Boosts Brain PowersResearchers at the Oxford University studied long term effects of chocolate consumption on human brain. 2000 participants were included in the study, with age above 70. It was concluded that participants consuming chocolates high in flavanol contents scored high on cognitive tests.

 

Another study conducted by the researchers at the University of Nottingham, found that drinking flavanol rich cocoa can regulate the flow of blood to the key parts of the brain, as a result its performance is improved.

 

Provides Cough ReliefDark chocolates contain theobromine, a chemical that is effective for treating cough. It is as effective as codeine, but unlike codeine it does not cause dullness and tastes far better than it. Maria Belviai, a professor at the National Heart and Lung Institute, in London, says about chocolate that, “It had none of the negative side effects.”

 

Treats DiarrheaThe use of cocoa for treating diarrhea can be traced back to the 16th Century in European and South American cultures. Researchers at the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute found that the flavonoids present in the cocoa help to bind the protein, responsible for regulating fluid secretion in the intestine, this results in a relief from diarrhea.

 

Fights CancerDark chocolate is considered among “one of the best cancer-fighting foods” along with other foods like garlic, blueberries, red wine and green tea. Chocolate works in two ways to fight against cancer. It inhibits the cancer cell division and also reduces inflammation.

 

While choosing chocolate make sure it contains at least 70% of cocoa. Remember! Chocolates are high in fats and sugar, so it is better to consume them in moderate amounts. Mary Engler, Ph.D., a professor of physiological nursing at the University of California at San Francisco, suggests taking no more than 200 grams or 7 ounces of dark chocolate in a week. Also look for labels saying sugar contents less than 10 grams.

How to Negotiate a Higher Salary

Negotiating a higher salary is the last but trickiest part of securing a new job or keeping yourself happy in your current one. By negotiating a higher salary, you and your employer are letting each other know what the expectations are in terms of workload and compensation. With information and preparation, you will be able to negotiate for the higher salary you want and achieve positive results. Step 1Research what the market rate is for your position. Then you will know how much you should expect to negotiate. Step 2Look over your job description. Whether you are a new employee or a current one, it is important to consider what's expected of you and whether the salary your company is offering adequately covers those expectations. Step 3Round up your accomplishments. How much money have you saved the company or past companies? How much money have you made for them? Your hiring manager, recruiter or boss may ask you these questions when salary negotiations commence. Have the answers. 

Step 4Plan what you want to say before you meet with human resources or the boss. Do not try to negotiate a higher salary over email or telephone; salary negotiations should take place in a scheduled meeting. Step 5Listen carefully to the counteroffer. Carefully consider the comments or feedback he or she is providing. Ask questions if you need clarification or elaboration. Step 6Get the final offer in writing after salary negotiations end. If the company doesn't record the terms of your agreement, it is almost certainly subject to change.

Exercises for Losing Belly Fat

Let us start by reminding you that you don’t owe exercise or your appearance to anyone but yourself. If you’re unhappy with how you look, analyze why. If it’s not for you, re-evaluate your priorities. Your appearance isn’t dictated by people, it’s about you. Losing weight, putting on make-up, wearing “nice clothes” should be for your own pleasure and health. If it turns you on, that’s fine, but this is for me and you’re not invited. If you accept this as your own mantra, you’ll be happier for it.

 

Diet goes hand in hand with exercise to help you lose body fat. Depending on the type of definition you want in your stomach and how much overall fat you want to lose, you probably need to make some changes to your diet. While it may be difficult at first, the health benefits will pay off and your body will look its best. Incorporate lots of fresh vegetables and salads into your meal plans. Stick with lean meats, such as chicken and fish, rather than fatty cuts of beef. Choose healthy options, such as baking instead of frying. If you drink soda, it’s time to put that habit to an end if you want dramatic results. Try to satisfy your sweet tooth with fruits instead of sugary snacks. Enjoy fresh fruit, or frozen if that’s not possible. If you like to eat canned fruits, buy the ones that are packed in juice (NOT syrup).

 

 

It is important to understand that spot fat reduction is not possible. For many people, the stomach is the first place to gain fat, but also one of the last places you see results when losing weight. Remember this for any time you want to “cheat” in your workout routine or diet plan.

 

The key to successful fat reduction is to choose a cardio workout that you enjoy. Running is optimal. This is one of the best exercises: It shows results quickly because your heart is pumping and working the muscles of the body the entire time you’re in motion.

 

However, there are less intense methods to boost metabolism and lose inches. Brisk walking several times a week is a great way to lose weight and is easier on the body than running.

 

Another excellent cardio exercise is swimming. Swimming laps burns calories and is great for stretching out the muscles of the body all at the same time. This is especially healthy exercise and is possible for every body type, regardless of ability, and age. Oftentimes, pools will have family discounts, which is excellent for getting the kids away from a screen and into being active. It really is never too late or too early to start enjoying swimming or just walking around in water.

 

If you prefer the traditional aerobics class, pick one that keeps your heart pumping for 45 minutes to an hour. A very popular aerobics class that burns a ton of calories is Zumba, which combines Latin dance steps along with movements that sculpt the body.

 

Material Love

Rich or poor, makes no difference in finding ways to avoid or dumb down to insufficient love in your life. One of the ways, regardless of wealth, is to be addicted to getting ‘things’, or the denial thereof. What do they REALLY do for you that more love in your life doesn’t have? The answer is that they are a substitute for more love. Deep love for most doesn’t come easy, and not that the ‘goodies you want’ always come easier either, and without sacrifices including seeing them disappear. The material, and usually it’s thrill of obtaining, always disappears or fades in importance. 

Love on the other hand, only disappears in your mind that chooses to recognize that it’s always there in your heart or not. People have infinite love within, but due to the mind in conjunction with the heart, most of it will lay as dormant, not used energy! Abracadabra, and the heart opens spilling the glistening feelings of joy and bliss, but only if you are in tune with the

relaxing harmonious positioning to life. 

It’s easy to avoid the emotional, spiritual, conscious meanings of life by chasing and/or acquiring other things, including of course more wealth. While working in Manhattan (NYC) for 20 years, and keeping open to seeking spiritual riches as well as the material ones, I began to enjoy the material quest, and maybe more. Then, the next day after Christmas, I sat on my 40th floor balcony over looking Central Park and the thousands of tall buildings when an epiphany came to me. Time to walk away! I could see that everyone I knew were getting wealthier too, and often moving to upscale homes in the ‘bedroom’ class communities. That takes years more of support to pay for the toys which are wonderful, but leaving no time for evolving the inner aspects. 

Most around my circle were continuing to march in similar step to a life dedicated to making more, buying more, and avoiding the journey to the deeper things in life. Likely they had little idea beyond having to work, and buy more to lead the ‘American dream’ that they couldn’t see it’s called a ‘dream’ because that’s what it is! ‘New things’ are nice, but when they are life’s priority, there will always be a ‘gap’ between them and your inner spiritual, conscious self. That attitude multiplied by the many, rich or poor, contributes to a world of sheeple who are controlled by their material desires. Those who choose the path of ‘love’ with the accompanying awareness raise not only their light but the light of humanity which has been in the dark blindness of all history. Time to stop sidestepping love be it loneliness or fear.

It’s a new world that repeats being new faster and faster, and mostly through technological marvels. The technological growth is growing at such a fast pace while humanity is evolving at the pace of a turtle. Inevitably, human inner growth will suffer more and more as barriers or distractions continue to de-elevate or dumb down humans to lower sheeple, zombies, or robots. Be a light to yourself, love, and the evolving consciousness of the world. Call it ‘giving back’ for the blessing of being here at this moment. 

Story: Competing with Others

I was jogging one day and i noticed a person in front of me, about 1/4 of mile. I could tell he was running a little slower than me and I thought, good, i shall try to catch him. I had about a mile to go my path before i needed to turn off.So i started running faster and faster. Every block, i was gaining on him just a little bit. After just a few minutes i was only about 100 yards behind him, so i really picked up the pace and push myself. You would have thought i was running in the last leg of London Olympic competition. I was determined to catch him. Finally, i did it! I caught and passed him by. On the inside i felt so good.

"I beat him" of course, he didn't even know we were racing. After i passed him, i realized i had been so focused on competing against him that i had missed my turn. I had gone nearly six blocks past it. I had to turn around and go all back. Isn't that what happens in life when we focus on competing with co-workers, neighbors, friends, family, trying to outdo them or trying to prove that we are more successful or more important? We spend our time and energy running after them and we miss out on our own paths to our God given destinies.The problem with unhealthy competition is that its a never ending cycle.There will always be somebody ahead of you, someone with better job, nicer car, more money in the bank, more education, better behaved children, etc. But realize that "You can be the best that you can be, you are not competing with no one." Some people are insecure because they pay too much attention 2 what others are doing, where others are going, wearing driving.Take what God has given you, the height, weight personality. Dress well wear it proudly! You'll be blessed by it.Stay focused and live a healthy life.There's no competition in DESTINY, run your own RACE and wish others WELL!!!

11 Simple Concepts to Become a Better Leader

Being likeable will help you in your job, business, relationships, and life. I interviewed dozens of successful business leaders for my last book, to determine what made them so likeable and their companies so successful. All of the concepts are simple, and yet, perhaps in the name of revenues or the bottom line, we often lose sight of the simple things - things that not only make us human, but can actually help us become more successful. Below are the eleven most important principles to integrate to become a better leader:

1. Listening

"When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen." - Ernest Hemingway

Listening is the foundation of any good relationship. Great leaders listen to what their customers and prospects want and need, and they listen to the challenges those customers face. They listen to colleagues and are open to new ideas. They listen to shareholders, investors, and competitors. Here's why the best CEO's listen more.

2. Storytelling

"Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today." -Robert McAfee Brown

After listening, leaders need to tell great stories in order to sell their products, but more important, in order to sell their ideas. Storytelling is what captivates people and drives them to take action. Whether you're telling a story to one prospect over lunch, a boardroom full of people, or thousands of people through an online video - storytelling wins customers.

3. Authenticity

"I had no idea that being your authentic self could make me as rich as I've become. If I had, I'd have done it a lot earlier." -Oprah Winfrey

Great leaders are who they say they are, and they have integrity beyond compare. Vulnerability and humility are hallmarks of the authentic leader and create a positive, attractive energy. Customers, employees, and media all want to help an authentic person to succeed. There used to be a divide between one's public self and private self, but the social internet has blurred that line. Tomorrow's leaders are transparent about who they are online, merging their personal and professional lives together.

4. Transparency

"As a small businessperson, you have no greater leverage than the truth." -John Whittier

There is nowhere to hide anymore, and businesspeople who attempt to keep secrets will eventually be exposed. Openness and honesty lead to happier staff and customers and colleagues. More important, transparency makes it a lot easier to sleep at night - unworried about what you said to whom, a happier leader is a more productive one.

5. Team Playing

"Individuals play the game, but teams beat the odds." -SEAL Team Saying

No matter how small your organization, you interact with others every day. Letting others shine, encouraging innovative ideas, practicing humility, and following other rules for working in teams will help you become a more likeable leader. You'll need a culture of success within your organization, one that includes out-of-the-box thinking.

6. Responsiveness

"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." -Charles Swindoll

The best leaders are responsive to their customers, staff, investors, and prospects. Every stakeholder today is a potential viral sparkplug, for better or for worse, and the winning leader is one who recognizes this and insists upon a culture of responsiveness. Whether the communication is email, voice mail, a note or a a tweet, responding shows you care and gives your customers and colleagues a say, allowing them to make a positive impact on the organization.

7. Adaptability

"When you're finished changing, you're finished." -Ben Franklin

There has never been a faster-changing marketplace than the one we live in today. Leaders must be flexible in managing changing opportunities and challenges and nimble enough to pivot at the right moment. Stubbornness is no longer desirable to most organizations. Instead, humility and the willingness to adapt mark a great leader.

8. Passion

"The only way to do great work is to love the work you do." -Steve Jobs

Those who love what they do don't have to work a day in their lives. People who are able to bring passion to their business have a remarkable advantage, as that passion is contagious to customers and colleagues alike. Finding and increasing your passion will absolutely affect your bottom line.

9. Surprise and Delight

"A true leader always keeps an element of surprise up his sleeve, which others cannot grasp but which keeps his public excited and breathless." -Charles de Gaulle

Most people like surprises in their day-to-day lives. Likeable leaders underpromise and overdeliver, assuring that customers and staff are surprised in a positive way. There are a plethora of ways to surprise without spending extra money - a smile, We all like to be delighted — surprise and delight create incredible word-of-mouth marketing opportunities.

10. Simplicity

"Less isn't more; just enough is more." -Milton Glaser

The world is more complex than ever before, and yet what customers often respond to best is simplicity — in design, form, and function. Taking complex projects, challenges, and ideas and distilling them to their simplest components allows customers, staff, and other stakeholders to better understand and buy into your vision. We humans all crave simplicity, and so today's leader must be focused and deliver simplicity.

11. Gratefulness

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." -Gilbert Chesterton

Likeable leaders are ever grateful for the people who contribute to their opportunities and success. Being appreciative and saying thank you to mentors, customers, colleagues, and other stakeholders keeps leaders humble, appreciated, and well received. It also makes you feel great! Donor's Choose studied the value of a hand-written thank-you note, and actually found donors were 38% more likely to give a 2nd time if they got a hand-written note!

The Golden Rule: Above all else, treat others as you'd like to be treated

By showing others the same courtesy you expect from them, you will gain more respect from coworkers, customers, and business partners. Holding others in high regard demonstrates your company's likeability and motivates others to work with you. This seems so simple, as do so many of these principles — and yet many people, too concerned with making money or getting by, fail to truly adopt these key concepts.

Which of these principles are most important to you — what makes you likeable?

What does Your Tongue Say about Your Health?

So you always thought that your tongue is for tasting and talking? How about we tell you that it can reveal a lot of secrets about your health? Yes! It’s true. Your tongue can tell about your body’s health condition. In the Traditional Chinese Medicine, the tongue is used to predict physical health. In other words it is considered as a map that tells about the condition of various organs. For example the sides are connected with the liver health. The tip reveals the heart health. Kidney health can be detected from the back of the tongue.

 

Your tongue can detect digestive disorders, allergies, dehydration, vitamin deficiency, high cholesterol levels, poor circulation and signs of anemia.

 

Now go in front of a mirror and stick out your tongue, you should be looking at a pinkish colored tongue having a light coating and should also be moist. If this is not the case then there might be some problems going on, inside your body.

 

The Chinese herbalists look for three things in a tongue i.e. color, texture and coating. This is what they say about these three things:

 

Color

Check the color of your tongue, if it matches any  of the following colors then serious measures should be taken by you

.

Bright RedA bright red tongue indicates that your body lacks essential nutrients like vitamin B complex and Iron. Some herbalists suggest that it indicates heat in specific organs.  It can also take place as a reaction to a certain type of toothpaste, medicine, mouthwash or acidic foods.

 

The deficiency of vitamin B3 also known as pellagra, causing this problem of redness can be cured by consuming shellfish, dried apricots, lean meat and nuts.

 

Iron deficiency or anemia can be cured by consuming spinach, red meat and liver.

 

You can get rid of excess heat of the body by consuming foods like watermelon, mint and cucumber.

 

PurpleA purple tongue indicates that you might be having chronic bronchitis. In such a situation oxygen is not supplied to the body efficiently. Purple tongue may also indicate high cholesterol levels. Poor circulation may also be the cause of this color. Consuming too much of cold foods can also cause the tongue to turn purple. Consuming foods like garlic and ginger may turn the color back to pink, otherwise consult your doctor.

 

Pale or Yellow Pale tongue indicates that you might be having low hemoglobin. It may also indicate fatigue and weakness. Pale tongue is also associated with problems in the lungs and colon. You can take herbs like garlic, cinnamon and ginger to resolve the problem. To increase your hemoglobin take spinach, beetroots, red meat, kidney beans, raisins, apples, mangoes, apricots and nuts.

 

Texture

As mentioned earlier your tongue should appear smooth and it should be slightly moist. If that is not the case then it might have the following texture and problems:

 

UlcersUlcers may appear on the tongue and mouth if your body is stressed out. If the problem persists for more than 10 days then consult your medical specialist.

 

Red SpotsRed spots on the tongue could indicate several problems. It may indicate that you have a deficiency of bioflavonoids, a compound present in vitamin C. You can get bioflavonoids from berries, kiwis and citrus fruits.

 

 

Consuming hot beverages may also cause red spots on the tongue.

 

According to some Chinese herbalists red spots show signs of asthma, eczema or some other allergic reactions.

 

DrynessDry tongue tells that your body is producing too much mucus. To avoid this situation cut down on dairy and sugary products.

 

Another factor is stress, which can cause the salivary glands to swell and therefore your tongue becomes dry. This condition can be easily resolved by consuming a glass of lemon water. You can also treat it by reducing your stress levels. Seek help from yoga and meditation.

 

SwellingIf you feel that your tongue has swollen then there are chances that you might be having some sort of allergy or infection. Deficiency of vitamin B12 may also cause this problem.

 

HairyYour tongue comprises of tiny projections also known as filiform papillae, in conditions like bacterial infections these projections become visible and give your tongue a hairy texture.  Use of antibiotics may also cause this problem.

 

CoatingIf the tongue coating is slightly white and thin then it is completely normal. Otherwise:

 

Thick CoatingIf the coating of the tongue is thick and white then you might be facing the problem of oral thrush or candidiasis. It is a fungal infection that occurs on moist and warm parts of the body. Oral thrush can damage the taste buds and also make your mouth smell bad. Use of antibiotics may cause this problem. Oral thrush can be treated with the help of anti-fungal drugs.

 

No Coating

If your tongue does not have any coating, it means that your digestive system is not working properly.

It is advised that you ensure good oral hygiene, brush twice daily and also clean your tongue when you brush your teeth.

__._,_.___

8 Ps of Vision and Strategy

The young boy asked the old man, "why a fast running horse is better than the slow running horse"? The old man said, "it has developed the habit to produce more power so that it can run up to ten times faster than the slow horse" The youngster said, "and what if the horse is running in the wrong direction"? The old man smiled and said, "then definitely it has th

e proportionate factor for wasting the efforts ten times quicker than the slower horse" The young man said, " and what if other horses are following him too" The older man said, "off course it will mislead all those horses too!" "Then why all other horses follow the faster horse" "Because that attracts them but all that glitters is not gold sometimes"

 

Vision is one of the most critical traits of current and emerging leaders because strong vision results establishing better strategy to ensure success.

In its basic definition, the vision is to see (visualize) the future at present moment and then aligning the strategies including but not limited to policies, procedures and action plans in order to ensure success without any setbacks.

  

Below 8 Ps elaborate the concept of Vision and Strategy altogether:  

 

1.     Picking the Right Battle: Effective leaders ponder well enough to chose the right course of direction (the mission) which can lead them towards success with higher success probability and greater efficiency. This does not means that they select easy targets instead sometimes they select more challenging grounds with their gut feeling of success. However they are careful in making their choices because of being the captain of the boat. If the leader succeeds, the boat sails; if leader drowns the whole boat gets collapsed. 

 

2.    Perspective: How a leader sees the future is very sensitive matter. No matter how genius team members he/she possesses; his own vision is highly important. It is said that an army of dears lead by a lion is far better than any army of lions lead by a dear. The leader's vision depends on the level of mental comprehension of industry, current statistics, near future and long term forecasts/trends, overall knowledge and experience of associated domains, a lot of study and observation about market and expectation of stake holders.

 

3.    Present Position: The leader must define the baseline because this will be the reference to be compared when measuring performance and progress at later stage. The visionary leader must clearly define the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs); the current values of KPIs, bench marking in line with industry standards, the measurement criteria and measurement frequency.

 

4.    Policies and Procedures: The review of current and finalization of policies for concrete results should be done prior to kick off the execution phase. Yet a leader should be smart enough to closely monitor and tweak the policies and procedures in case something is putting the projects/programs in jeopardy. The market dynamics demands consistent focus and a lot of iterations in companies' strategies.

 

5.    Plans: Failing to plan is planning to fail. The leader would define high level goals; the goals which are SMART (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic, Time bound)  Once defined, the leader assigns these to the team of managers which in turn use the RACI model for further low level implementation. (RACI tool is used for defining Responsibility Matrix; RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed respectively)

 

6.    Pattern: Although Low level micro tasks is not a specific leaders' responsibility but it becomes very effective if leaders take active part few times during the life cycle of the project; especially when WBS (work breakdown structures) are prepared by the associated Project Managers. Sometimes his/her vision and experience can make big difference when reviewing WBS with the PM.

 

7.    Progress Performance: Consistent progress and performance measurement against the baseline must be ensured by the leaders. This also requires risk identification, risk analysis and risk mitigation. The project becomes orphans if the leader does not review its performance periodically.

 

8.    Power Plug: Last but not the least, he becomes the consistent source of inspiration, fuel and energy for his team members. By this act he ensure that the 'batteries' (employee's working potential) are charged throughout the life cycle of the project.

Story: The Black Telephone

When I was a young boy, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood. I remember the polished, old case fastened to the Wall. The shiny receiver hung on the side of the box. I was too little to reach the telephone, but used to listen with fascination when my mother talked to it.

Then I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an amazing person. Her name was "Information Please" and there was nothing she did not know. Information Please could supply anyone's number and the correct time.

My personal experience with the genie-in-a-bottle came one day while my mother was visiting a neighbor. Amusing myself at the tool bench in the basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer, the pain was terrible, but there seemed no point in crying because there was no one home to give sympathy.

I walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally arriving at the

stairway. The telephone! Quickly, I ran for the footstool in the parlor and dragged it to the landing. Climbing up, I unhooked the receiver in the parlor and held it to my ear.

"Information, please," I said into the mouthpiece just above my head.

A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear.

"Information."

"I hurt my finger..." I wailed into the phone, the tears came readily enough now that I had an audience.

"Isn't your mother home?" came the question.

"Nobody's home but me," I blubbered.

"Are you bleeding?" the voice asked.

"No,"I replied. "I hit my finger with the hammer and it hurts."

"Can you open the icebox?" she asked.

I said I could.

"Then chip off a little bit of ice and hold it to your finger," said the voice..

After that, I called "Information Please" for everything. I asked her for help with my geography, and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me with my maths.

She told me my pet chipmunk that I had caught in the park just the day before, would eat fruit and nuts.

Then, there was the time Petey, our pet canary, died. I called, "Information Please," and told her the sad story. She listened, and then said things grown-ups say to soothe a child. But I was not consoled. I asked her, "Why is it that birds should sing so beautifully and bring joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of feathers on the bottom of a cage?"

She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, "Wayne, always remember that there are other worlds to sing in."

Somehow I felt better.

Another day I was on the telephone, "Information Please."

"Information," said in the now familiar voice.

"How do I spell fix?" I asked.

All this took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. When I was nine years old, we moved across the country to Boston. I missed my friend very much.

"Information Please" belonged in that old wooden box back home and I somehow never thought of trying the shiny new phone that sat on the table in the hall. As I grew into my teens, the memories of those childhood conversations never really left me.

Often, in moments of doubt and perplexity I would recall the serene sense of security I had then. I appreciated now how patient, understanding, and kind she was to have spent her time on a little boy.

A few years later, on my way west to college, my plane put down in Seattle. I had about a half-hour or so between planes. I spent 15 minutes or so on the phone with my sister, who lived there now. Then without thinking what I was doing, I dialed my hometown operator and said, "Information Please."

Miraculously, I heard the small, clear voice I knew so well.

"Information."

I hadn't planned this, but I heard myself saying,

"Could you please tell me how to spell fix?"

There was a long pause. Then came the soft spoken answer, "I guess your finger must have healed by now."

I laughed, "So it's really you," I said. "I wonder if you have any idea how much you meant to me during that time?"

"I wonder," she said, "if you know how much your call meant to me.  I never had any children and I used to look forward to your calls."

I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and I asked if I could call her again when I came back to visit my sister.

"Please do," she said. "Just ask for Sally."

Three months later I was back in Seattle.

A different voice answered, "Information."

I asked for Sally.

"Are you a friend?" she said.

"Yes, a very old friend," I answered.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this," She said. "Sally had been working part time the last few years because she was sick. She died five weeks ago."

Before I could hang up, she said,

"Wait a minute, did you say your name was Wayne ?" "

"Yes." I answered.

Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote it down in case you called. "Let me read it to you."

The note said, "Tell him there are other worlds to sing in. He'll know what I mean."

I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant.

Never underestimate the impression you may make on others.

Whose life have you touched today?

Why not pass this on? I just did....

Lifting you on eagle's wings.

May you find the joy and peace you long for.

Life is a journey... NOT a guided tour.

The Six Keys to Success" - ADVICE

Don't confuse how much money one has as to his or her success!These keys will not unlock any opportunities of success without first having a strong and unfailing faith in God or that Being which is greater than you.

I encourage you to memorize these six keysby using the word ADVICE to do so.

1.    AttitudeBloom where you are planted. You have a choice to get back up after temporary set backs. Attitude is a small thing that makes a big difference!2.    DirectionIf you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there. Write your short term goals down on paper. I have discovered and continue to discover that putting your dreams and goals down on paper lock in or focus your belief that they can be achieved--even if you have to take a course correction in achieving your goals. Success comes in cans, failure comes in can'ts.3.    ValuesExplore what is important to you. Maybe it is family, friends, your spirituality or working hard at any given task. I can assure you that your priorities will change as you grow older. Very important that you value yourself and treat yourself like the valuable gift from God that you are.4.    InterestsBirds of a feather flock together. This is to say that if you are hanging around winners or others with a "can do" mind-set, you'll likely adapt to this same kind of thinking. Remember--"SUCCESS LEAVES CLUES!5.    CommitmentFeelings may change, commitments do not. "Success is getting up one more time than you fall." I have often wanted to give up, and then I must think to myself about what the consequences of giving up will be. Generally, this is more than enough of a motivation to make us stick to the task at hand even if we don't feel like it. When the task is achieved, Whow!--IT FEELS GREAT!

6. EncouragementBe an encourager and comforter to friends that are feeling discouraged. I promise that you will not regret this as you will be encouraged by one, if not many, when you are feeling down. Encouragement and love are contagious qualities that can change the minds of the most stubborn and "hard-to-get-along-with" people you know. I have seen it happen over and over again.

Optimizing Business Costs

Business costs are sub-classified into two categories; Fixed Costs and Variable Costs.

Fixed costs are defined as the expenses which do not change as a function of business such as salaries of employees, rents of the office, facilities and equipment costs. However, please don't get confused that Fixed Costs cannot be changed. Indeed they can be changed but their prime definition remains the same that these costs are stable for longer duration of time and do not usually get impacted due to on-going business volume. On the contrary, the Variable Costs are the ones which keep changing due to multiple factors.

Below is the list of several domains and recommendations (minor tweak for SMEs and major ones for large scale companies) in the form of questions in order to give you a personalized experience and to invoke the thought process for the business cost reduction:

 

1-  Marketing, Advertising and Business Development:

i-             How much budget was utilized for marketing  in last 6 months? How much the marketing has been effective? Is there any need to re-evaluate the marketing strategy?

ii-            How much investment is done on customer's entertainment?

iii-          Do you do a monthly expense analysis audit? Do you know specific techniques to optimize your marketing budget such as AdSense, affiliate marketing etc?

iv-           Do you consider B2B marketing, email marketing, banner advertisement, pay per click, video marketing or SEO optimization?  

 

2-  Leasing and Rental Management:

i-             Does the company's office and warehouse at different locations? Why not having both at same location to reduce renting and transportation costs?

ii-            Any recent audit done to determine if the current rented space for office or warehouse is worth its expenses? Is the size and cost in sync with the requirements of business? Can this be moved to a less costly area?

iii-          Is there any tools, machinery or other resources which can be leased to earn some extra cash? Any marketing plans to do this?

 

3-  Staff Management and Optimization

i-             Are there any underutilized employees? Can some extra tasks given to these employees to make them more productive or 'earning' resources?

ii-            Can some of the permanent staff be converted to contract based? This will save extra benefit and reduce your long term liabilities.

iii-          Can some of the tasks/ resources be outsourced? (HR services, Visa, documentation, maintenance etc.)

iv-           Did any re-evaluation of resource responsibilities happened in last one years? Are there any employees with duplicate roles?

v-            Company sponsored mobile phone packages are fairly used? The packages are carefully selected based on the role of each employee? Any audit happened for the utilization of mobile and other resources given to employees?

vi-           Are the employees trained enough to perform their duties so that they make less errors and mistakes?

vii-         Right policies are in place so as to reduce the reworks? What is the accountability mechanism?

viii-        Mature and error free databases are in place for efficient and accurate reports generation and to avoid errors in data entry?

ix-          Is there any scheme available through which employees are given suggestions for the improvement of organizations and get rewarded if their suggestions are implemented?

x-           Any specialised use of tracking employee online activities such as Manic Time?

xi-          Employee lay off should be last thing to do as it impacts your organization in many ways such as loss of sincerity, productivity and efficiency of the rest of the employees.

 

4-  Vehicle Utilization and Fuel Management:

i)             How vehicles are utilized in a day to day work? How much company is flexible for the utilization for personal use?

ii)            How vehicles are maintained?  Is this task given to any agency to avoid corruption and in order to enjoy free benefits  such as car replacements ,free wash, oil, and tuning services?

iii)          How vehicles are tracked for the daily utilization (how many kilo meters travelled, how could multiple visits or same kind of visits be reduced?

iv)           Pick and drop of employee is happening on bulk basis or at individual level?

v)            Restriction of some of the travel (local and abroad) possible?

 

5-  Energy Conservation  

i)             Motion detection Sensors installed for turning lights off during off hours?

ii)            Sleep mode enabled on laptop computers?

iii)          Older bulbs/fans/computers are still being utilized which are poor when it comes to energy efficient devices selection?

 

6-  Hard Resources Utilization and Audit

i-             How many printers Scanners are in place? Can we reduce some of them?

ii-            How many pages are printed per day? Any mechanism to control it?

iii-          Is there any over utilization of pantry products? Employees are encouraged to use non-recyclable things?

iv-           Which of the policies and processes can be converted to paperless by avoiding photocopying/ printing/ reproducing ? Can you run a paperless company altogether?

v-            Is there any strong mechanism of inventory management? Any products lost because of poor control on hardware resources ?

 

With these recommendations, I believe any company can optimize their business costs consequently improve their profit margins.

How to you optimize the costs in your organization?

Start moving

There's a way forward. To find it, start moving.

To make some progress, you must make some effort. Get going, make the effort, persist at it, and the progress you seek will come.

If you're concerned about making mistakes, your concerns are very well founded. But holding yourself back because you fear you'll make a mistake is the biggest mistake of all.

The positive possibilities are out there. The way to discover them, and to make the most of them, is to get yourself out there too.

A positive change requires positive action. This is the moment you have, and this is the time to take that action.

Though it may feel very comfortable where you are, it can also feel great to get yourself in motion. Get moving, and

get more of life's best treasures coming your way.

How much Running is Good for You

“Running is bad for your health” is not a true statement anymore. So what’s true? Is running good for you? The right question is “how much running is good for you”? There are three variables that need to be considered; one, how often should you run? Second, how far should you run? And third how fast should you run?

When setting the running schedule you should keep in your mind that it “does not have to beat up your body”. Your focus should be to strengthen your bones, the tissues and the tendons, not to stress them.

Running can be beneficial for improving the blood circulation, boosting energy, increasing bone density, improving mental health and for keeping the depression away. A study conducted at the Stanford University revealed that runners had 39% lower mortality rate as compared to non-runners and also runners had less physical disability.

Studies reveal that to get the progressive benefits from running a person should run a couple of times in a week. A number of elite runners usually run for at least 14 times in a week. So how often should you run?

“Running is bad for your health” is not a true statement anymore

There could be a lot of answers for this one particular question. Just as every individual is different, similarly every individual’s need for running also varies. You can set your running frequency according to your personal preferences, your body’s need and also according to your desired results. While setting your running frequency also take into consideration factors like your daily schedule, your running experience and your goals.

The MinimumFor optimizing your health it is important to take regular exercise. Whether you are a man or a woman, a runner or a non-runner, your focus should be on the health promoting activities.  Taking regular exercise keeps you away from chronic diseases; it makes you physically fit and improves the quality of your life. You get beneficial results even if you exercise for a few days of the week.

When we talk about exercise or physical activity, even running can be a smart choice. Now here we are not asking you to run every day, the least you can do is run three times a week and you can get the beneficial results. However, if you choose to run three times a week then you can add other physical activities to your routine as well, such as yoga, swimming, weight lifting and aerobics.

For beginners, running three times a week is the most suitable option as it will help you develop your stamina and running speed. Another reason why running 3 times per week is suggested for the beginners is that it minimizes the risk of injuries. Running involves high risk of injury and the more we increase the running volume the more will be the rate of injury. There are some runners who are at a risk of getting injured more frequently; such people should opt for running 3 times a week plus cross-training workouts.

This would keep them satisfied and they will presume that they can run daily without any injury.

The maximum frequency for non-elite runners is 6 to 7 times a week. Researches prove that some people are better off running every day and for such people cross-training is not a good option. The factors that determine how much you should run are durability and personal preference. Here the word “durability” means how much frequency of running you can handle.

Running Two Times a DayMost of the serious, habitual runners would choose a running routine, twice a day. You can try this trick: divide the extra mileage that you usually try to squeeze into one run, into two. For example, if you decide to run 70 miles or more in a week, you can double your running routine once or twice in a week. This will help you achieve your goal and at the same time make those “runs” easy.

You can perform short runs in the morning and longer ones in the evening or you can do the opposite. It depends on your personal preference.

You can also divide the number of miles on number of runs you can perform, e.g. if 100 miles is your target then you can run for at least 10 times a week, performing double runs on alternate days.

Cross- TrainingIf you run 9 times a week and lifting weights or doing polymetrics 2 to 3 times a week then you

can consider your every workout as a “run”. The maximum amount of training suitable for elite runner is two runs per day along with 3 strengths or plyo workouts in a week.

Be practical and set realistic goals to reap the maximum benefits from running.

Personal Goal Setting

Planning to Live Your Life Your Way

Many people feel as if they're adrift in the world. They work hard, but they don't seem to get anywhere worthwhile A key reason that they feel this way is that they haven't spent enough time thinking about what they want from life, and haven't set themselves formal goals. After all, would you set out on a major journey with no real idea of your destination? Probably not!.

Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality.

The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that can, so easily, lead you astray.

Why Set Goals?

Goal setting is used by top-level athletes, successful business-people and achievers in all fields. Setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation  . It focuses your acquisition of knowledge, and helps you to organize your time and your resources so that you can make the very most of your life.

By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals, and you'll see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind. You will also raise your self-confidence  , as you recognize your own ability and competence in achieving the goals that you've set.

Starting to Set Personal Goals

You set your goals on a number of levels:

First you create your "big picture" of what you want to do with your life (or over, say, the next 10 years), and identify the large-scale goals that you want to achieve.

Then, you break these down into the smaller and smaller targets that you must hit to reach your lifetime goals.

Finally, once you have your plan, you start working on it to achieve these goals.

This is why we start the process of goal setting by looking at your lifetime goals. Then, we work down to the things that you can do in, say, the next five years, then next year, next month, next week, and today, to start moving towards them.

Step 1: Setting Lifetime Goals

The first step in setting personal goals is to consider what you want to achieve in your lifetime (or at least, by a significant and distant age in the future). Setting lifetime goals gives you the overall perspective that shapes all other aspects of your decision making.

To give a broad, balanced coverage of all important areas in your life, try to set goals in some of the following categories (or in other categories of your own, where these are important to you):

Career – What level do you want to reach in your career, or what do you want to achieve?

Financial – How much do you want to earn, by what stage? How is this related to your career goals?

Education – Is there any knowledge you want to acquire in particular? What information and skills will you need to have in order to achieve other goals?

Family – Do you want to be a parent? If so, how are you going to be a good parent? How do you want to be seen by a partner or by members of your extended family?

Artistic – Do you want to achieve any artistic goals? Attitude – Is any part of your mindset holding you back? Is there any part of

the way that you behave that upsets you? (If so, set a goal to improve your behavior or find a solution to the problem.)

Physical – Are there any athletic goals that you want to achieve, or do you want good health deep into old age? What steps are you going to take to achieve this?

Pleasure – How do you want to enjoy yourself? (You should ensure that some of your life is for you!)

Public Service – Do you want to make the world a better place? If so, how?

Spend some time brainstorming   these things, and then select one or more goals in each category that best reflect what you want to do. Then consider trimming again so that you have a small number of really significant goals that you can focus on.

As you do this, make sure that the goals that you have set are ones that you genuinely want to achieve, not ones that your parents, family, or employers might want. (If you have a partner, you probably want to consider what he or she wants – however, make sure that you also remain true to yourself!)

Tip:

You may also want to read our article on Personal Mission Statements  . Crafting a personal mission statement can help bring your most important goals into sharp focus.

Step 2: Setting Smaller Goals

Once you have set your lifetime goals, set a five-year plan of smaller goals that you need to complete if you are to reach your lifetime plan.

Then create a one-year plan, six-month plan, and a one-month plan of progressively smaller goals that you should reach to achieve your lifetime goals. Each of these should be based on the previous plan.

Then create a daily To-Do List   of things that you should do today to work towards your lifetime goals.

At an early stage, your smaller goals might be to read books and gather information on the achievement of your higher level goals. This will help you to improve the quality and realism of your goal setting.

Finally review your plans, and make sure that they fit the way in which you want to live your life.

Tip:

If you feel that you're not paying enough attention to certain areas of your life, you'll find our articles on The Wheel of Life   and the Life/Career Rainbow   useful.

Staying on Course

Once you've decided on your first set of goals, keep the process going by reviewing and updating your To-Do List on a daily basis.

Periodically review the longer term plans, and modify them to reflect your changing priorities and experience. (A good way of doing this is to schedule regular, repeating reviews using a computer-based diary.)

SMART Goals

A useful way of making goals more powerful is to use the SMART mnemonic. While there are plenty of variants (some of which we've included in parenthesis), SMART usually stands for:

S – Specific (or Significant). M – Measurable (or Meaningful). A – Attainable (or Action-Oriented). R – Relevant (or Rewarding). T – Time-bound (or Trackable).

For example, instead of having "to sail around the world" as a goal, it's more powerful to say "To have completed my trip around the world by December 31, 2015." Obviously, this will only be attainable if a lot of preparation has been completed beforehand!

Further Goal Setting Tips

The following broad guidelines will help you to set effective, achievable goals:

State each goal as a positive statement – Express your goals positively – "Execute this technique well" is a much better goal than "Don't make this stupid mistake."

Be precise: Set precise goals, putting in dates, times and amounts so that you can measure achievement. If you do this, you'll know exactly when you have achieved the goal, and can take complete satisfaction from having achieved it.

Set priorities – When you have several goals, give each a priority. This helps you to avoid feeling overwhelmed by having too many goals, and helps to direct your attention to the most important ones.

Write goals down – This crystallizes them and gives them more force. Keep operational goals small – Keep the low-level goals that you're

working towards small and achievable. If a goal is too large, then it can seem that you are not making progress towards it. Keeping goals small and incremental gives more opportunities for reward.

Set performance goals, not outcome goals – You should take care to set goals over which you have as much control as possible. It can be quite dispiriting to fail to achieve a personal goal for reasons beyond your control!

In business, these reasons could be bad business environments or unexpected effects of government policy. In sport, they could include poor judging, bad weather, injury, or just plain bad luck.

If you base your goals on personal performance, then you can keep control over the achievement of your goals, and draw satisfaction from them.

Set realistic goals – It's important to set goals that you can achieve. All sorts of people (for example, employers, parents, media, or society) can set unrealistic goals for you. They will often do this in ignorance of your own desires and ambitions.

It's also possible to set goals that are too difficult because you might not appreciate either the obstacles in the way, or understand quite how much skill you need to develop to achieve a particular level of performance.

Achieving Goals

When you've achieved a goal, take the time to enjoy the satisfaction of having done so. Absorb the implications of the goal achievement, and observe the progress that you've made towards other goals.

If the goal was a significant one, reward yourself appropriately. All of this helps you build the self-confidence you deserve.

With the experience of having achieved this goal, review the rest of your goal plans:

If you achieved the goal too easily, make your next goal harder. If the goal took a dispiriting length of time to achieve, make the next goal a

little easier. If you learned something that would lead you to change other goals, do so. If you noticed a deficit in your skills despite achieving the goal, decide

whether to set goals to fix this.

Tip 1:

Our article, Golden Rules of Goal Setting  , will show you how to set yourself up for success when it comes to your goals. If you're still having trouble, you might also want to try Backward Goal Setting  .

Tip 2:

It's important to remember that failing to meet goals does not matter much, just as long as you learn from the experience.

Feed lessons learned back into your goal setting. Remember too that your goals will change as time goes on. Adjust them regularly to reflect growth in

your knowledge and experience, and if goals do not hold any attraction any longer, consider letting them go.

Goal Setting Example

For her New Year's Resolution, Susan has decided to think about what she really wants to do with her life.

Her lifetime goals are as follows:

Career – "To be managing editor of the magazine that I work for." Artistic – "To keep working on my illustration skills. Ultimately I want to have

my own show in our downtown gallery." Physical – "To run a marathon."

Now that Susan has listed her lifetime goals, she then breaks down each one into smaller, more manageable goals.

Let's take a closer look at how she might break down her lifetime career goal – becoming managing editor of her magazine:

Five-year goal: "Become deputy editor." One-year goal: "Volunteer for projects that the current Managing Editor is

heading up." Six-month goal: "Go back to school and finish my journalism degree." One-month goal: "Talk to the current managing editor to determine what

skills are needed to do the job." One-week goal: "Book the meeting with the Managing Editor."

As you can see from this example, breaking big goals down into smaller, more manageable goals makes it far easier to see how the goal will get accomplished.

Tip:

A good way of getting going with this is to use the Mind Tools Life Plan Workbook. Supported by worksheets and advice, this guides you through a simple 5-step process for setting your life goals, and for organizing yourself for success.

Key Points

Goal setting is an important method of:

Deciding what you want to achieve in your life. Separating what's important from what's irrelevant, or a distraction.

Motivating yourself. Building your self-confidence, based on successful achievement of goals.

Set your lifetime goals first. Then, set a five-year plan of smaller goals that you need to complete if you are to reach your lifetime plan. Keep the process going by regularly reviewing and updating your goals. And remember to take time to enjoy the satisfaction of achieving your goals when you do so.

If you don't already set goals, do so, starting now. As you make this technique part of your life, you'll find your career accelerating, and you'll wonder how you did without it!

Energy of intention

Life can often leave you feeling stuck or trapped in an undesirable position. Yet no matter how confining your situation may be, there is always a positive way forward. 

Even though your options may be very limited, you do still have some powerful choices. Even in a difficult, highly challenging situation, there are real and present possibilities for great improvement. 

The first thing to do is to refuse to see yourself as a victim. By taking full responsibility for your situation, you give yourself the power to change it for the better. 

Next, instead of fretting about the way things are, develop a clear and compelling vision of how you want your life to be. Somewhere within the realm of possibility is a realistic goal that will make things much better for you. 

Find that goal, focus on it, refine it, and make it so desirable that you cannot help but move toward it. Fill your awareness with your vision of a positive outcome, working enthusiastically and relentlessly to find and follow the way.

You've spent your entire life making things happen. Take control of the energy of your intention, and get yourself where you choose to be.

10 Common Habits That Damage the Kidneys

Kidney disease is one of the costliest illnesses in the world and managing kidney disease is very expensive. 

Each year, lots of people die of kidney disease all over the world, and the number of people suffering from chronic renal failure, and need dialysis or kidney transplantation to stay alive keep increasing. Statistics have it that, worldwide, more than millions patients are waiting for kidney transplants, but only a few thousands will receive transplants because of shortage of suitable organ donors. Patients usually felt surprised when they are diagnosed of Kidney Failure. Experts have found the explanation from your daily life habits. Here are the top habits which lead to your kidney failure: 1. Not emptying your bladder early: Maintaining a full bladder for a long time is a quick way of causing bladder damage. That the urine stays in the bladder for a long time can cause the bacteria breeding in urine to multiply quickly. Once the urine refluxes back to ureter and kidneys, the bacteria can result in kidney infections, then urinary tract infection, and then nephritis, even Uremia.So, no matter how busy you are, remember to drink a lot of water and urinate regularly. Once you form the habit of holding back urine, it will ultimately damage your kidneys. 2. Not drinking enough water: The main functions of the kidneys are to regulate erythrocyte balances and eliminate metabolic wastes in urine. If we do not drink enough water, the blood will be concentrated and the blood flow to the kidney will not be adequate, thus the function of eliminating toxins in from blood will be impaired. 3. Taking too much salt: 95% sodium we consume through food is metabolized by the kidneys. Exceeding the salt intake will make the kidneys work harder to excrete the excess salt and can lead to decreased kidney function. This excess sodium will cause water retention, causing edema. Edema usually elevates blood pressure and increases the risk of developing kidney disease. The daily salt intake should be controlled within 6g per day. 4. Not treating common infections quickly and properly: Common infections, such as pharyngitis, tonsillitis, common cold etc, usually triggers or aggravates kidney damage. They do this by causing an acute attack of acute glomerulonephritis or chronic nephritis. So, you will see that people who get kidney disease for the first time or whose illness condition becomes worse usually present in hospitals with a history of cold or sore throat.If after having cold, symptoms like blood in urine, swelling, headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, poor appetite appear, you should consult your doctor immediately, to assess your kidney functions, and start treatment if compromised. 5. Eating too much meat: Eating too much meat and protein can increase the metabolic load of the kidney. For those suffering from proteinuria, meat consumption too may aggravate protein leakage, worsening renal pathological lesion.It is suggested that protein intake should be 0.8g/kg per day. This means that a person with 50 kg

should consume 40g of protein per day. Meat consumption per day should be limited within 300g. 6. Not eating enough: This is equally as dangerous as eating too much, both of them will lead damages to your digestive organs where is full of mucosal tissues. Mucosal tissues relates closely to your immune system. This is why many kidney failure patients are diagnosed with "autoimmune kidney damages". 7. Painkiller abuse: The use of analgesics for a prolonged duration may reduce the flow blood and greatly affect kidney function. In addition, patients with analgesic-induced renal failure are more likely to suffer from bladder cancer.Use analgesics only when it's absolutely necessary, learn to rest instead of taking to the bottles. If you have been on pain killers for a long term, it's about time you had a test to access you renal function done. 8. Missing your drugs: Hypertension and diabetes have been shown to precipitate or accelerate kidney damage, so if you are diagnosed as having any of these disease don't live your life in denial, USE YOUR DRUGS.This will ultimately help control your condition while also helping to preserve your kidneys. 9. Drinking too much alcohol: Drinking alcohol without limitation may cause the deposition of uric acid in renal tubules, causing tubular obstruction and increasing risks of kidney failure. 10. Not resting enough: In our society, hypertension as a severe threat to life is largely due to stress. A common symptom of stress is insomnia. Blood pressure may increase by an average of 2-5mg/Hg because of insomnia. Chronically elevated blood pressure can cause damage to kidney capillaries giving rise to kidney problems. Thus, we need to develop a good attitude to life and strike a good balance between work and rest to protect your kidneys and live a healthy life. At the early stage of kidney diseases, there are usually no the special symptoms, so lots of patients are not diagnosed until the acute attack appears or the illness condition develops into the late stage. So you should endeavor to do kidney function test from time to time to assess how healthy your kidneys are. Never ignore the soreness of waist, swelling of the feet, changes in urine color or volume, increase in night urination, palor, high blood pressure and other such symptoms. Once found, you should go and see your doctor immediately.

Story: Giving Comments About Others

Once an old man spread rumors that his neighbor was a thief. As a result, the young man was arrested. Days later the young man was proven innocent.

After being released he sued the old man for wrongly accusing him. In the court, the old man told the Judge: "They were just comments, didn't harm anyone."The judge told the old man: "Write all the things you said about him on a piece of paper. Cut them up and on the way home, throw the pieces of paper out. Tomorrow, come back to hear the sentence."

 Next day, the judge told the old man: "Before the hearing starts, go out and gather all the pieces of paper that you threw out yesterday."The old man said: "I can't do that! The wind spread them and I won't know where to find them."The judge then replied: "The same way, simple comments may destroy the honor of a man to such an extent that one is not able to fix it. If you can't speak well of someone, rather don't say anything."

Giving comments about others have several disadvantages:1-     we become slaves of our words what we have uttered.2-    We lose our own respect in society/colleagues because of doing consistent character assassination.3-    Most of time, we are not sure whether we are right or wrong because being human our judgment can be wrong so we fall in the category of liars.4-    Negative trait of our personality becomes prominent which becomes of character in the long run

This to every one

25 ULTIMATE TIPS FOR A BETTER LIFE!!!

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day while you walk, SMILE. It is the ultimate antidepressant.

2. Sit in silence for atleast 10 minutes each day.

3. When you wake up in the morning, Pray to ask God's guidance for your purpose today.

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants, and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, broccoli, and almonds.

6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control.

Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Forgive them for everything.

11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

12.You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

14. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

17. Help the needy, Be Generous ! Be a 'Giver' not a 'Taker'

18. What other people think of you is none of your business.

19. Time heals everything.

20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

21. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.

Your friends will. Stay in touch.

22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

23. Each night before you go to bed ,Pray to God and Be thankful for what you've accomplished today.

24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

25. Forward this to everyone on your list to help them lead a happier life.

Story: Judging Others Based On Their Looks

Once upon a time a wealthy old man lived alone in a very big house. He was growing weak day by day and was unable to take care of himself and the big house, so he thought of hiring servants who could help with all the work of the house and also take care of him.

The old man appointed two servants Salim and Ahmed. Salim happened to be a handsome young man and Ahmed was an ugly looking chap. The old man asked Salim to go to the kitchen and make tea for him. After Salim had left, the old man turned to Ahmed and told, “Salim has given a very bad account of you. He says you are very bad guy and untrustworthy. Is this correct?”

Ahmed thought for a moment and told, “Salim is a very handsome guy. He has a beautiful outward appearance so this must be reflected by his inward beauty too”. Ahmed had the belief that such a handsome man could never tell a lie. He therefore told the old man, “If Salim has bad opinion about me, then there must be something wrong with me. I am afraid he must be correct”

The old man was very much impressed by the character of ugly looking Ahmed. Meanwhile, Salim returned with a cup of tea for his master.

The old man sent Ahmed to make breakfast for him and then turned to Salim and told, “Ahmed has given a bad account of you. What do you say about it?” On hearing this Salim became angry and started uttering bad remarks. He said that Ahmed was a liar and a scoundrel.

The Old man thus concluded that the man with a beautiful face had no inner beauty while the man looking ugly outward had tremendous inner beauty.

Moral of The Story

“Real beauty is not what the eyes can behold but what the heart can hold. What we see with our eyes will vanish someday, but what we store in our heart will forever stay…” – Unknown

50 Brainstorming Questions to Generate A Bright Idea!

When you have a bright idea there is always someone who takes the wind out of your sails by asking "What about …?" Why not preempt them by doing a little homework first? Below are 50 questions, variations on the usual who, what, why, when, where. Think your idea through using these as prompts and see if you can improve your idea.

Who

1. Who is affected by the problem?2. Who else has it?3. Who says it is a problem?4. Who would like a solution?5. Who would not like a solution?6. Who could prevent a solution?7. Who needs it solved more than you?

When

8. When does it occur?9. When doesn't it occur?10. When did it appear?11. When will it disappear?12. When do other people see your problem as a problem?13. When don't other people see your problem as a problem?14. When is the solution needed?15. When might it occur again?

16. When will it get worse?17. When will it get better?

Why

18. Why is this situation a problem?19. Why do you want to solve it?20. Why don't you want to solve it?21. Why doesn't it go away?22. Why would someone else want to solve it?23. Why wouldn't someone else want to solve it?24. Why is it easy to solve?25. Why is it hard to solve?

What

26. What might change about it?27. What are its main weaknesses?28. What do you like about it?29. What do you dislike about it?30. What can be changed about it?31. What can't be changed?32. What do you know about it?33. What don't you know about it?34. What will it be like if it is solved?35. What will it be like if it isn't solved?36. What have you done in the past with similar problems?37. What principles underlie it?38. What values underlie it?39. What problem elements are related to one another?40. What assumptions are you making about it?41. What seems to be most important about it?42. What seems to be least important about it?43. What are the sub-problems?44. What are your major objectives in solving it?45. What else do you need to know?

Where

46. Where is it most noticeable?47. Where is it least noticeable?48. Where else does it exist?49. Where is the best place to begin looking for solutions?50. Where does it fit in the larger scheme of things?

Story: The Missing Watch

There once was a farmer who discovered that he had lost his watch in thebarn. It was no ordinary watch because it had sentimental value for him.After searching high and low among the hay for a long while; he gave up andenlisted the help of a group of children playing outside the barn.

He promised them that the person who found it would be rewarded.

Hearing this, the children hurried inside the barn, went through and aroundthe entire stack of hay but still could not find the watch. Just when thefarmer was about to give up looking for his watch, a little boy went up tohim and asked to be given another chance.

The farmer looked at him and thought, "Why not? After all, this kid lookssincere enough."

So the farmer sent the little boy back in the barn. After a while the littleboy came out with the watch in his hand! The farmer was both happy andsurprised and so he asked the boy how he succeeded where the rest hadfailed.

The boy replied, "I did nothing but sit on the ground and listen. In thesilence, I heard the ticking of the watch and just looked for it in thatdirection."Moral: A peaceful mind can think better than a worked up mind.Allow a few minutes of silence to your mind every day, and see, how sharplyit helps you to set your life the way you expect it to be...!

Health Benefits of Mint

Green, refreshing and aromatic are the three words that come to our mind when we think of Mint. But this “super herb” is not just restricted to these three words, once you will finish reading this article you will find some other amazing words to describe it.

 

Since ages mint has been used in cooking and for making refreshing drinks. It has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years, which is evident from the Egyptian pyramids radiocarbon dating. From Asia to Europe, mint takes place as the key ingredients in many soups, salads, curries and juices.

 

What’s so sensational about this herb is that once you put a fresh leaf in your mouth it will leave a refreshing aftertaste, for a long time. This is one of the reasons why it is used in products like toothpaste, chewing gums, mouthwash and breath fresheners.

 

It is also believed that the mint found in Asian countries has a far much stronger taste than the ones grown in Europe. Mint is abundantly available in all parts of the world, all year round.

 

Mint leaves

 

Let’s take a look at its nutritional facts. Its leaves are blessed with some powerful antioxidants in the form of some essential vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin B-6, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, beta carotene, folate and riboflavin. The beneficial minerals contained in it are calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium and manganese.

 

Besides being the power source of these essential nutrients this is what its magical leaves can do:

 

Promotes Digestion:

One of the most important functions mint leaves can perform is that it supports the digestive system by activating the salivary glands and digestive enzymes. For best results, use mint tea. Moreover, the leaves are also beneficial for soothing colic pain and for gastrointestinal problems.

 

Irritable Bowel Syndrome:Studies reveal that it can effectively treat problem of irritable bowel syndrome, in both children and adults and also it is helpful in relieving pain caused by this problem.

 

Asthma and other Respiratory Disorders:Mint leaves have decongestant properties, the aroma of these wonderful leaves is helpful in relieving congestion of the respiratory tract. For asthma patients mint works as a medicine and provides relaxed breathing; this is one of the reasons why it is used extensively for making inhalers. Some studies have also revealed its benefits for the tuberculosis patients.

 

For an instant relief from congestion, add 4 to 5 mint leaves to the boiling water and inhale the steam.

 

Lower Blood Pressure:The potassium contents present in the mint leaves help to lower down blood pressure and also regulate the pulse rate.

 

There are many ways mint has proven beneficial for the skin. Number 1 on the list is its effectiveness for treating acne. It also soothes the itching and irritation caused by insect bites. Mint juice also serves as a perfect cleanser for the skin. To make that dull skin look fresh, pour some rose water in a spray bottle and add a few mint leaves to it, spray this mixture on your face to freshen up!

 

Promote Oral Health:Mint not only cures bad breath but it also fights bacteria responsible for causing cavities. This is the reason why it is used in products like toothpaste, mouthwash and tongue spray. The dried, powdered mint leaves have been used as a teeth whitener since middle ages.

 

Relieve Pain:The magical mint leaves can soothe all kinds of pain such as muscular pain, headache and even stomachache.

 

To relax the muscles of your legs take a cup of sea salt, add olive oil about 1/3 cup and 6 to 8 drops of peppermint essential oil, now massage your feet with this mixture for 5 to 10 minutes and rinse off. This mixture is very effective for relieving muscular pain.

 

Treat Nausea:Feeling nausea? Just smell the aroma of peppermint essential oil or fresh mint leaves, it can also work well for people having nausea because of chemotherapy. If you usually feel nausea while traveling you can keep some fresh mint leaves with you to avoid this problem.

 

Effective for Depression:A cup of tea prepared with fresh green leaves of mint is all you need to keep the stress away. In fact, it is an effective cure for depression.

 

Improve Memory:You can enhance your memory by just sniffing mint leaves. Yes! It is true; studies reveal that the aroma of fresh mint can help increase alertness and improve memory.

 

Prevent Cancer:The compound called menthol present in mint leaves has the power to treat various types of cancer, especially prostate cancer.

 

How To make Mint Tea?We have already told you the amazing benefits of the mint tea. You can easily prepare it at your home. All you need is a cup of water, add 5 to 6 mint leaves to it and boil it for 5 minutes. Enjoy your refreshing cup of mint tea and get rid of harmful toxins that can cause you health problems. This tea is also beneficial for purifying the blood.