Is there an area in your life you would like to develop, improve or enhance. Then you are at the right place. Our vision is bring out the best in you (for contentment, self actualisation and live a fulfilled life). We do this through personal development, self awareness programmes, counselling, training, lifeskills coaching, chats, group facilitation and Industrial/organisational consultancy by professionals. (A HOLISTIC APPROACH)
Admit it: any time you feel off or out of whack and have
no idea why, you probably chalk it up to hormones, right? The crazy
thing is, you’re probably right. These chemical messengers buzzing
around inside you pretty much rule your entire system, influencing your
appetite, weight, sex drive, cycle, and more. But hormonal weirdness
isn’t just a random occurrence over which you have no control. Certain
behaviors can cause them to surge or sink—and do a number on your body
in the process. Check out these nine habits that can screw them up and
alter your mental and physical health.
Your Candy Bar Addiction
Eating foods with too much added sugar is
directly linked to weight gain—and excess pounds can lead your body to
become resistant to insulin, the hormone that moves sugar into your
bloodstream so your cells can get the energy they need, says Holly
Phillips, M.D., a women’s health specialist in New York City and medical
correspondent for CBS News. The result: a precursor to diabetes called
metabolic syndrome or even full-blown type 2 diabetes.
Stressing Out Late at Night
Normally, levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop at
nighttime, which helps you wind down and sleep. But becoming anxious or
tense in the p.m. means your cortisol levels keep surging, so you’re too
wired to catch Zzz’s, says Phillips. Make sure one of these seven things that are secretly stressing you out aren’t putting you on edge, and be sure to try these anxiety-relieving tips.
Regular Bouts of Insomnia
It’s a vicious cycle: Lack of sleep raises cortisol
levels, and cortisol cranks up your blood sugar…which then plunges,
making you stressed and craving junk food, says Phillips. Start scoring
more snooze time, and your cortisol levels will even out. These 15 tricks to sleep better should help.
Or Just One Night of Sleep Deprivation
When you sleep, levels of a hunger-related hormone called
leptin surge, signaling to your body that you don’t need to eat. Toss
and turn all night, and your body won’t produce the right amount of
leptin—so you’ll feel extra hungry the next day and be more prone to weight gain.
Late-Afternoon Starbucks Runs
Cortisol is the culprit again here: Caffeine signals to
your body to boost production of cortisol, which can make you feel
anxious and definitely not in a sleep-well mindset. Limit yourself to no
more than two regular-size cups of joe a day, preferably before 3 or 4
p.m. Find out more about how caffeine affects your body.
Your Spotty Attendance at the Gym
Without regular exercise, your body won’t produce and
release the optimal amount of endorphins, says Phillips. You know
endorphins: They’re the feel-good chemicals in the brain that make you
feel positive and alert. They also keep your immune system functioning
well and increase levels of sex hormones so you score a libido lift. The
more you move (cardio, Pilates, hiking, any kind of activity), the more
endorphins your body will produce. If you need some inspiration, try
these immunity-boosting yoga poses.
Crash Diets
A plunge in body-fat levels due to either a super
low-calorie weight-loss regimen or intense exercise sessions lowers
estrogen levels, halting your cycle until your body fat returns to a
healthy level, says Phillips. Scary stuff. Watch out for these six signs your diet is too extreme to make sure you’re not going overboard.
Skimping on Cardio
You know how a heart-pumping workout can make you
temporarily forget about where to go for dinner? It has to do with the
way aerobic exercise prompts a drop in levels of a hormone called
ghrelin, which suppresses appetite, studies show. Start sweating with
one of our workout videos.
Easing PMS With a Sweet Treat
Besides leaving you wired, sugar also does a number on
brain chemicals that are already thrown for a loop during your PMS week.
If your premenstrual symptoms leave you cranky and moody, sugar will
just make you feel like more of a basket case, says Phillips. Instead of
reaching for something sweet, try one of these foods that ease PMS-related mood swings.
referencewww.womenhealth
I Can Relate
The joys and challenges of relating with others.
by Heidi Reeder, Ph.D.
3 Steps to Boosting Your Charisma
Anyone can command attention, if they know the secrets.
Published on August 26, 2014 by Heidi Reeder Ph.D. in I Can Relate
We often consider charisma
to be a rare quality, bestowed on only a few lucky souls, special
individuals who end up in highly-visible, highly-rewarding positions as
politicians, CEOs, actors, and talk show hosts.
But that’s a myth, according to Olivia Fox Cabane, author of The Charisma Myth. Cabane contends that charisma is not an innate trait,
reserved for A-listers. Instead, it’s a characteristic anyone can
develop. Charisma can be learned because it has everything to do with a
personal mindset, and the nonverbal behaviors associated with it.
Charisma
may seem like a superficial quality at first glance. But if you look
deeper, you’ll see that it is a more profound characteristic—a
combination of presence, power, and warmth—and one that can deeply connect us with the people around us.
Following
are key ideas from Cabane’s work that I find helpful when talking
specifically with clients who desire to become more engaged public
speakers. But charisma is for anyone who wants to increased
their personal magnetism—and opportunities for success. It’s for those
who want to have more meaningful and engaging interactions, and
positively impact the lives of others.
1. Presence
Believe it or not,
toddlers have charisma. These little creatures, wide-eyed and curious,
can capture the attention of a roomful of adults without saying a word.
Do you remember the last time one of these little guys captivated you?
Did you wonder why what was? Obviously they’re super cute, but a lot of
it has to do with presence. Toddlers are often fully in the
moment, and there’s something magnetic about anyone who’s giving 100
percent of their attention and effort to what’s happening here and now.
Think
of Michael Jordan’s presence during playoff games as his Chicago Bulls
won consecutive NBA titles from 1991 through 1993. His focus on each
game and every play was so contagious that his teammates were able to
elevate their games as well. Millions wanted to see the Bulls win. It
probably explains why Jordan’s line of athletic clothing continues to
sell well for Nike almost 20 years later. Jordan is far from a toddler,
but the similarity is his fully engaged presence.
We can
quickly tell when someone is in the moment, and when they’re thinking
about other things. Adults are frequently in a state of continuous partial attention. We aren’t fully engaged with our employees or co-workers, our children or spouses, or the grocery clerk.
To master the first part of charisma, then, you have to practice being present.
There
are many practices to help you become more present and engaged in a
given moment. One is to focus on your breathing. Wherever you are, feel
the air entering through your nose and filtering into your lungs. Now
attend to the feeling as you exhale. As the last bit of air leaves your
lungs, note the sensation of your muscles relaxing all the way down to
your fingers and toes.
Another practice to become more present is to make eye contact with those you talk to. We often think
we’re looking our conversational partner in the eyes when really we’re
looking at them in the “general eye area.” Take the time to note the
color of their eyes. Are they deep brown or green-brown? Don’t give a
hard stare, of course—that would be creepy. But warm, friendly eye
contact lets your partner know you are present and interested in what
they have to say.
In many cases, our body language reveals an
apparent lack of interest. Our shoulders may be turned away, or we may
be distracted by a stream of texts. This instantly tells the other
person we aren’t fully present. So square up your body and shoulders to
those you are conversing with, and look them directly in the eyes.
You
don’t have to be fully present in each and every moment—that’s not
realistic (or possible). But when you can, and when it’s important, make
the most of your time with others, and let them know you’re present.
2. Power
Power is defined in many ways but when it comes to charisma, it refers to the perception by others that you have agency and influence—that you can make things happen.
Some
people are assigned power automatically as a result of their wealth,
physique, or position of authority. But you don’t have to possess any of
these things for people to see you as powerful. Perception of agency
and influence are determined in large part by body language and other
nonverbal cues, like posture, dress, and voice. Here are a few simple
cues that can help communicate personal power:
Widen your
stance a bit, open your arms, and own your space—not like a superhero,
but like you are comfortable with who you are.
Sit up straight like your mother told you. Stand tall and hold your head up.
Know
when to be quiet and listen. Dominating a conversation doesn’t
necessarily make a person more powerful. It can actually have the opposite effect when people begin to realize it’s become a one-sided discussion.
Nod your head selectively when something important is brought to light, rather than nodding constantly at every idea.
Drop
the pitch of your voice at the end of a sentence rather than increasing
it, which makes your comment sound like a question rather than a
statement.
You can probably think of other cues that
increase the perception of personal power. But be aware that power-grabs
through intimidation or deception
will be short-lived. (Think of ex-President Nixon) Charisma is
strongest when presence and power are combined with genuine warmth.
3. Warmth
If power is the perception that you can make things happen, warmth
is the perception that you will use that power for the good of others.
Warmth, like presence, is hard to fake. We can appear polite with
manners and a smile, but warmth comes from a deeper place than being
pleasant. Most of us notice when we are in the presence of someone who
has genuine affection for us.
Since we can’t really fake warmth, we must remove the barriers to feeling genuine warmth for others. The biggest barrier may be a lack of warmth toward ourselves.
This is typical when we attach more credibility to the negative
thoughts we have than the positive ones. A quick and helpful practice to
develop warmth, according to Cabane, is to close your eyes and envision
someone who would have great affection for you. This might be a
historical figure like Jesus or Gandhi, or someone closer to home, like a
grandparent or even a loving pet. Feeling their warmth and total
acceptance can help you share those feelings with those around you.
Do you have it?
Consider
the aspects of charisma you already possess: Do you have warmth for
others and display a certain degree of power, but find you’re rarely in
the moment? Do you have power in spades, but often let it overshadow
your feelings of warmth? All of us possess charismatic traits in varying
degrees. The secret to becoming more charismatic is to embrace the
things you already do well, and work to improve the areas that may be
limiting you.
Take a few minutes to note the behaviors and
attitudes you’re good at and those you could work on. Consider people
you believe are charismatic and note what they do that you find
appealing. Then consciously spend time practicing these traits as you go
through your workday and conversations with others. You’ll find that
over time, these habits are likely to manifest in a more charismatic
you.
www.psychology.com
13 Metabolism-Boosting Foods To Always Keep On Hand
Celebrity
trainer Michelle Lovitt hasn't counted calories since the '80s. What
she does instead? Fills her fridge with clean foods that make snacks and
meals fall together—even when she's crunched for time. Here's a peek at
her science-loaded shelves.
Published June 2014, Prevention | Updated August 2014
shared document
Memory Boosting Foods
By Marisa Moore, MB, RDN, LD
If you’re feeling forgetful, it could be due to a lack of sleep or a
number of other reasons including genetics, level of physical activity,
and lifestyle and environmental factors. However, there’s no doubt that
diet plays a major role in brain health.
The best menu for boosting memory and brain function encourages good
blood flow to the brain — much like what you’d eat to nourish and
protect your heart. A recent study found that the Mediterranean Diet
helps in keeping aging brains sharp, and a growing body of evidence
links foods like those in the Mediterranean Diet with better cognitive
function, memory and alertness.
Strengthen Recall by Adding These Foods to the Rotation
Eat your veggies. You’re not likely to forget this
message. Getting adequate vegetables, especially cruciferous ones like
broccoli, cabbage and dark leafy greens, may help improve memory. Try a
raw kale salad or substitute collard greens for the tortilla in your
next sandwich wrap. Broccoli stir-fry is also an excellent option for
lunch or dinner.
Be sweet on berries and cherries. Berries —
especially dark ones like blackberries, blueberries and cherries — are a
rich source of anthocyanins and other flavonoids that may boost memory
function. Enjoy a handful of berries for a snack, mixed into cereal or
baked into an antioxidant-rich dessert. You can reap these benefits from
fresh, frozen or dried berries and cherries.
Get adequate omega-3 fatty acids. Essential for good
brain health, omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in
particular, may help improve memory in healthy young adults. "DHA is the
most abundant fatty acid in the brain. It makes sense that if you have
higher levels of DHA in the blood, then the brain will operate more
efficiently," says Andrea Giancoli, RD, registered dietitian and Academy
of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson.
Seafood, algae and fatty fish — like salmon, bluefin tuna, sardines
and herring — are some of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
Substitute fish for meat a couple of times each week to get a healthy
dose. Grill, bake or broil fish for ultimate flavor and health. Try
salmon tacos with red cabbage slaw, snack on sardines or enjoy seared
tuna on salad greens for dinner. If you don’t eat fish, discuss
supplementation with your doctor or registered dietitian nutritionist.
You can get omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil, seaweed or microalgae
supplements.
Work in walnuts. Well known for a positive impact on
heart health, walnuts also may improve working memory. Snack on a
handful of walnuts to satisfy midday hunger, add them to oatmeal or
salad for crunch or mix them into a vegetable stir-fry for extra
protein.
These foods are not just good for the brain; they also sustain a
healthy heart and all parts of the body. While there’s no guarantee that
these foods will help you remember where you put your keys tomorrow,
over time they can support lifelong good health.
Reviewed August 2013
Marisa Moore, MBA, RDN, LD, is a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
“The quality of mercy is not strain'd . . . it is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.”
― William Shakespeare
Grace is an important aspect of expanding our happiness,
because it is through grace that we express love and blessings
completely and unconditionally. We are each a source and conduit of
grace.
Grace is a loving power and presence that elevates and brightens
whatever the challenge or situation might be. As we mature into our
authentic selves, we are more open, receptive, and expansive, and so we
naturally feel the influence of more grace in our lives. It is this same
expansiveness and openness that makes it easy for us to radiate that
grace along to others.
Radiating grace is not about adopting an attitude of sainthood, and
offering benedictions to family and friends. It happens naturally, in
moments as simple as passing along, or sharing, the fullness of heart
that you feel when you offer a helpful gesture or kind word. When we
share grace, our happiness increases many fold. Today’s meditation
facilitates this free flow of nature’s grace from your life to others.
Day 16 - Radiating Grace
Question 1 of 4
What does grace mean to you? Describe an experience from your past that felt like grace.
Day 16 - Radiating Grace
Question 2 of 4
Recall
a time, or event, where you were able to give someone the support or
advice they needed at just the right time. How did it feel to be the
channel for grace to bless them?
Day 16 - Radiating Grace
Question 3 of 4
How does meditation help to open you up to grace, and help you give grace to others?
Day 16 - Radiating Grace
Question 4 of 4
Use this space to reflect further on your experience today.
dey 16
Grace is a state of pure being availalbe and allow reality to enter to your being. Grace can be achieved by sitting queetyly or geing with woeone you love. Mandela radiated peace through humility, and forgiveness. - Oprah
Deepak:
Grace is a special quality. it means to be blessed. It is given freely by God. If you feel blessed you share with others eg thorugh generosity of spirity, accepting people inthe eyes of God. You radiate light it is the sensation of being in the light. Generosity os spirity means you radiate the hearts of others with love kindness, humour and appreication . (your spirit should be filled with). Renounce hatred and anger.
Centering thought:
"I share my devine blessings"
for 20 minutes...
when over, open your eyes...
Make yourself confortable and close your eyes and breath deeply and each breadth allow yoruslef to deeply relax.
“We can be serene even in the midst of calamities and, by our serenity, make others more tranquil.”
– Swami Satchidananda
In our meditation today, we bring our attention to the
peaceful and serene influence we can offer the world around us. For our
serenity to have a powerful transformative effect on others, it needs to
come from our inner being, not just our superficial mood or attitude.
We need to be that peace we want to see happen. We need to be serenity,
and when we access this peace we naturally radiate serenity.
Peace and serenity are born from a state of inner happiness – our
true self. As we live in alignment with our true self we naturally
radiate our serenity in the environment . . . we are simultaneously
expanding the happiness of ourselves and those around us. Today’s
meditation enlivens this state of serenity within our being so that it
lovingly influences each person and interaction we have throughout the
day.
Day 20 - Radiating Serenity
Question 1 of 4
Whenever
you access your silent self, you become a source of serenity. Describe
the last time you felt deeply serene and calm. It can even be the
experience from today’s meditation. Be specific about how this serenity
felt in mind, body and spirit.
Day 20 - Radiating Serenity
Question 2 of 4
What
steps can you take to deepen your experience of serenity? For instance
to deepen your meditations, you may want to ensure you won’t be
interrupted by turning off the ringer on your phone or by hanging your
“Silence please . . . I’m meditating” door hanger.
Day 20 - Radiating Serenity
Question 3 of 4
Who
do you know in your circle of acquaintances that is a model of serenity
and calmness? Who consistently radiates a calming presence? Consider
and write about ways that you can incorporate those qualities of
serenity into your own life and habits.
Day 20 - Radiating Serenity
Question 3 of 4
Who
do you know in your circle of acquaintances that is a model of serenity
and calmness? Who consistently radiates a calming presence? Consider
and write about ways that you can incorporate those qualities of
serenity into your own life and habits.
Day 20 - Radiating Serenity
Question 3 of 4
Who
do you know in your circle of acquaintances that is a model of serenity
and calmness? Who consistently radiates a calming presence? Consider
and write about ways that you can incorporate those qualities of
serenity into your own life and habits.
Day 20 - Radiating Serenity
Question 4 of 4
Use this space to reflect further on your experience today.
meditation
Oprah's Intro: (non-verbatim)
Whatever is happening to you today know that all will be well well. Serenity prayer. God let me accept the things I cannot change. ... add the prayer here. this prayer helps us undestand devine wisdom, and that peace is with us. The highest level of Serenity is the core of our well being. By trusting we allow serenity into our lives and to flow through us. Trust allows us to be in state of love and generosity.
Depak: (non-verbatim)
Jesus said - the peace makers will be called the sons of God. Peace is the way. You can walk into a room and feel the peaceful presence.
the presence of peace is healing. You can tell when one has peace as they radiate peace to others and the effect on othters is powerful. Thre is no violence inthe presence of true peace.
dedicate to be calm, and peaceful in any situation. Peace gathers from a deeper place.
Centering thought
I AM A CALMING PRESENCE
Prepare for meditation and close your eyes:
Breath slowly and deeply...
and allow yourself to deeply relax
intorduce the mantra:
"I AM A CALMING PRESENCE"
In each repetition feel your body, mind and spirit.
when destructed go back and repeat the mantra:
"I AM A CALMING PRESENCE"
Continue for about 20 minutes.....
when ready open your eyes.
Ways to Ask Your Kids 'So How Was School Today?' Without Asking Them 'So How Was School Today?'
Posted:
Updated:
This year, Simon is in fourth grade and Grace is in first
grade, and I find myself asking them every day after school, "So how was
school today?"
And every day I get an answer like "fine" or "good," which doesn't tell me a whole lot.
AND I WANT TO KNOW A WHOLE LOT!!!!
Or
at least get a full sentence. So the other night, I sat down and made a
list of more engaging questions to ask about school. They aren't
perfect, but I do at least get complete sentences, and some have led to
some interesting conversations... and hilarious answers... and some
insights into how my kids think and feel about school.
1. What was the best thing that happened at school today? (What was the worst thing that happened at school today?)
2. Tell me something that made you laugh today.
3. If you could choose, who would you like to sit by in class? (Who would you NOT want to sit by in class? Why?)
4. Where is the coolest place at the school?
5. Tell me a weird word that you heard today. (Or something weird that someone said.)
6. If I called your teacher tonight, what would she tell me about you?
7. How did you help somebody today?
8. How did somebody help you today?
9. Tell me one thing that you learned today.
10. When were you the happiest today?
11. When were you bored today?
12. If an alien spaceship came to your class and beamed someone up, who would you want them to take?
13. Who would you like to play with at recess that you've never played with before?
14. Tell me something good that happened today.
15. What word did your teacher say most today?
16. What do you think you should do/learn more of at school?
17. What do you think you should do/learn less of at school?
18. Who in your class do you think you could be nicer to?
19. Where do you play the most at recess?
20. Who is the funniest person in your class? Why is he/she so funny?
21. What was your favorite part of lunch?
22. If you got to be the teacher tomorrow, what would you do?
23. Is there anyone in your class who needs a time-out?
24. If you could switch seats with anyone in the class, who would you trade with? Why?
25. Tell me about three different times you used your pencil today at school.
*****
So
far, my favorite answers have come from questions 12, 15 and 21.
Questions like the "alien" one give kids a non-threatening way to say
who they would rather not have in their class, and open the door for you
to have a discussion to ask why, potentially uncovering issues you
didn't know about before.
And the answers we get are sometimes
really surprising. When I asked question 3, I discovered that one of my
children didn't want to sit by a best friend in class anymore -- not out
of a desire to be mean or bully, but in the hope they'd get the chance
to work with other people.
As my kids get older, I know I am
going to have to work harder and harder to stay engaged with them -- but
I know it's going to be worth the work.
This post originally appeared on Simple Simon and Company
Can't Buy Happiness?
Money, personality, and well-being
by Ryan T. Howell, Ph.D.
5 Things Happy People Do Every Day (and You Can, Too)
Money can't buy happiness, unless you spend it the right way.
Published on January 15, 2013 by Dr. Ryan T. Howell, Ph.D. in Can't Buy Happiness?
Carlos Horta/Shutterstock
My research team
and I just completed a study to examine the differences in how happy
people live their lives compared to people who are unhappy. Because we
were interested in several characteristics of happy people, including
the relationship between money and happiness, we examined the predictors of happiness from 30 different surveys. These surveys measured people’s spending habits, consumer choices, values, and personality traits.
The results indicated that happy people make 5 little decisions every day
that improve their well-being. What are these 5 importance differences
between happy and unhappy people, based on our recent consumer behavior
studies?
Happy people think about the past fondly. Perhaps
unique among all animals, humans have the capacity to travel backward
and forward in time—to use the “specious present” both to relive past
life events and to think about the future. Our data shows that happy
people appear to relive the ecstasy, but ignoring the agony, of days
gone by. When happy people think about their past they focus on their
good memories instead of dwelling on the negatives.
Happy people “catch” the emotions of others. Some
sensitive people are vulnerable to experiencing others’ emotions—they
can “catch” them during joyful (and sorrowful) experiences. Our data
shows that when someone smiles warmly at happy people, they smile back
and feel warm inside. Therefore, if you pay more attention to the
positive emotions of other people, you should be happier.
Happy people live in a great community. A
person is happiest when three basic psychological needs are satisfied:
autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Literally thousands of studies
demonstrate the positive effect of psychological need satisfaction on
happiness. Our data shows that these psychological needs can be met by
one’s community. Happy people say that they feel belongingness where they live and that they look forward to coming home when they have been away.
Happy people manage their money well. Something that any of us can do every day is to make a budget and track our financial transactions so we don’t make impulsive
purchases. Research suggests that individuals will manage their money
better when they have a clear goal—for example, paying off a credit
card, saving for a comfortable retirement, or starting an emergency
fund. Our data shows that if you manage your money better today, you
will be happier tomorrow.
Happy people spend their money on life experiences instead of material items. Almost
10 years of research has investigated the effects of investing money in
life experiences, as opposed to material items. There is now robust
evidence that when people spend their money on life experiences they are
happier than when they spend on material goods. However, our data
further shows that people who habitually spend their money on life experiences are happier than people who tend to buy material items.
Contact us for a :
Personality test
A big five traits personality test and
Attitude test
reference; psychology today
“. . . let joy be unconfined . . .” ― George Gordon Byron
Welcome to our third week in meditation together! In our
remaining days, we will begin to radiate our inner happiness out to the
world just as a fragrant rose or lilac bush shares its floral scent
freely and effortlessly . . . or in the way an illuminated bulb radiates
its light in all directions. In these first two weeks, our inner bliss
has become awakened and self-luminous, and now we are ready to spread
our light.
Today’s meditation is about letting this happiness radiate – letting
our joy shine everywhere. It doesn’t take effort or analysis or
strategy. Simply be who you are from your core self, and everything gets
taken care of automatically. A flower doesn’t try to be beautiful and
fragrant, it simply is what it is, and the rest follows in its natural
course.
Day 15 - Radiating Bliss
Question 1 of 4
Where
does your bliss flow in your life? How does happiness move through you
to others? Is it through family relationships? Your career? Your
artistic talents? List the ways you radiate bliss.
Day 15 - Radiating Bliss
Question 2 of 4
What
are three ways you can more fully connect to the source of bliss within
you? They can be simple lifestyle points like: getting more sleep each
night, exercising first thing in the morning, or reminding yourself that
your best effort is good enough.
Day 15 - Radiating Bliss
Question 3 of 4
What
three things can you do to facilitate your happiness shining forth
freely? Consider what self-limiting beliefs or judgments you might still
be holding. Are you ready to let them go?
Day 15 - Radiating Bliss
Question 4 of 4
Use this space to reflect further on your experience today.
Courtesy - Own & Deepak
The "meditation":
Radiating bliss - sounds so good. This week we experience the essense of happiness. You become a natural good of inspiration. Ripple effect - The very best of yourself brings the very best of others. When you give happiness it grows and expands, it elevates and expands. It is the miracle of being connected to yourself and all around you. Today Deepak will guide us through radiating bliss. put a smle on your face.
Deepak:
When you start to meditate you want your experience to affect others. The question is will you gain and benefit from it. When you have change inside the people around you are likely to notice the new you and benefit from it. We will avoid this week frustration and let others notice your level of happiness and they are likely to reciprocate. You must be willing to accept change. Give them the reason to.
What does it mean to radiate happiness? to do's - express your appreciation of others instead of keeping it to your self. Be open to others truth and their view point, wear a smile and share your laughter. You are turning happiness into enternity, your awareness keeps the doors open. Psychology shows that positive behavirour affects spirally into others around you. In time, you realise you are rediating a new life.
Dont - make others feel wrong. I f you judge so will you be judged. dont draw attention to your change. dont point how unhappy others are or you will be sensitive to this. Everone is doing their best according to their awareness.
This meditatin is to express your happines to others and eventually to the whole world. As we prepare to meditates consider our centering thought:
My happiness shines everywhereX2
prepared to meditation
be conformtable and close your eyes
be aware of your breath and breeth slowly and deeply and become more deeply relaxed
introduce the mantra:
"Ravaye Hum" - "My happiness shines everywhere"
REPEAT AND FEEL YOUR BODY MIND AND SPIRIT
WHEN DISTRACTED BY NOISE, SILENLY REPEAT THE MANTRA
Read how Eckhart Tolle’s teachings helped this high-achieving graduate
student find inner peace without tossing out her to-do list or
sacrificing her busy schedule. Believe it or not, it is possible to live
in the present moment while working to improve your life situation.
Find out how to "be" while you "do.”
"The Power of Now has been staring at me. "I've already read you," I assert, brushing it off. Yet, after about a week of feeling pulled towards Eckhart Tolle's book, I decide to revisit it.
I
blow dust off the cover and open to a page that I had enthusiastically
annotated a few years prior. What had my 20-year-old self found so
provocative about this particular passage? Is it really deserving of the
nauseating number of exclamation points in the margins? I read the
following:
"There
is nothing wrong with striving to improve your life situation... Your
life situation consists of your circumstances and your experiences.
There is nothing wrong with setting goals and striving to achieve
things. The mistake lies in using it as a substitute for the feeling of life, of Being. The only point of access for that is the Now."
"I shake my head, smiling. Now I know why it had appealed to me.
I've
always been an overachiever; that ridiculously type-A student whose
popularity would predictably rise during finals. Front row? That was me.
On a mission to succeed, my accomplishments manifested in the form of
college acceptances, academic achievements and prestigious internships;
yet, I was never totally satisfied. Once I'd get something, my mind
would immediately jump, "Okay, that's done. What now? How do I
accomplish the next thing? And the next thing?"
Until about a
year ago, my life itself had become a means to an end. Yet, to what end?
I didn't know. After graduating from Georgetown University, I was
accepted into the Georgetown University Law Center and deferred to take a
job as a teacher. However, I quickly worked myself into a deep
depression by spending nights and weekends at a job I wasn't certain
about. I completely neglected my well-being and, when I did attempt to
take care of myself, felt guilty about not working -- for the sake of my
students.
I was used to expending myself. Being fresh out of
school, I believed I was merely "paying my dues" for a seemingly
impressive career plan. Yet, I got to a point where I could no longer
function. This led to a miraculous break down; one that morphed my prior
perspective into something soulful, authentic and clear.
Before
this experience, I had never asked myself when the cycle would stop,
when I would get "there;" wherever there was supposed to be. This event
forced me to pause and genuinely reflect for the first time in, well, I
can't remember.
As I re-read the above paragraph from Tolle's
book, a question comes to mind: How can I embody this seemingly elusive
"Being;" how can I be in the "Now," while still moving forward to
improve my life situation? Doesn't being in the present moment consist
of, like, doing nothing? I slap my hand against my forehead in
frustration.
Then it hit me. In looking for satisfaction,
validation and self-worth through my accomplishments, I'd missed the
whole point. I'd been anticipating the end result of my endeavors as
opposed to immersing myself in the process, in each step along the way.
What I'd failed to realize is that the purpose of life is Life. That's Being.
Being isn't an action. It's what we embody when we're so engulfed in,
and invigorated by, a project, activity or even doing "nothing," that
time ceases to exist.
We can use goals and plans that we're
excited about as a way to express Being. We run into problems, however,
when we allow our plans to dominate us; when we drive ourselves crazy to
"get somewhere" in order to fill a void. This often results in more
stress, lack of self-care and an underlying dissatisfaction with our
situation and ourselves.
We believe that the "next"
accomplishment (for real this time) will be the one that satisfies us.
Yet, when we do this, we only delude ourselves. The initial feeling
doesn't last because we're chasing an illusion. In reality, there is nowhere to go. The journey itself is the destination.
According to Tolle, "Life is your deepest inner Being. It is already whole, complete, perfect." By honoring and embodying Being, our outward accomplishments merely become the inspired results of a life fully lived.
Every
action, whether it be writing an article, applying for a job or
snacking on an apple, is worthy of being embraced, enjoyed and savored
for what it is. When we choose to live life this way, each moment
becomes saturated with meaning. We feel juicy, creative and free. We're
not struggling in our attempt to strive towards goals. We're just living
-- fully present in our lives.
Now I understand why I picked up The Power of Now.
I needed this reminder. I click away at the keyboard, smiling as
sentences spill onto the page. The time catches my eye and I can't help
but laugh. It's been a while. As it turns out, I'm living this piece. Every. Single. Word."
Article from; Eckarte Tolle's website.
Video: (Voice quality of video slightly poor)
Link to Eckhart Tolles TV website:
9 Ways Stress Messes With Your Body
9 Ways Stress Messes With Your Body
Stress really sucks. It sucks up your energy, your desire
to get to the gym, and even your libido. And while some stress can help
you kick butt when your body goes into fight-or-flight mode, daily
stress can mess with your mind and body in serious ways. Check out these
freaky symptoms of stress, and follow our pointers for how to mitigate
these nasty side effects.
It Makes You Exhausted
Aside from the fact that your anxiety might be keeping
you up at night, freaking out triggers your brain to release the hormone
cortisol into your bloodstream. This helpful chemical quickens your
heartbeat, gives your brain more oxygen, and releases extra energy to
help your body deal with that stress. But frequent stress can cause your brain to limit the amount of cortisol it sends into your bloodstream, which can make you feel like you’re dragging butt all day, every day. The good news is that about three hours a week of working out should keep those hormone levels in check. So what are you waiting for? Get moving!
It Messes With Your Libido
It’s not a secret that when your mind is some place else,
it can be hard to get in the mood to get busy. But that’s not the only
way stress impacts what's going down (or not) between the sheets. Chronic stress can impact your body's production of estrogen, which keeps your reproductive system in working order. When that happens you could feel a dip in your sex drive. Womp womp all around. In times of stress, concentrate on eating a healthy diet and cutting back on processed foods to help ease this symptom.
It Makes It Hard for You To Poop
Those knots in your stomach could me more than just an
uneasy feeling. Chronic stress can impact the hormones released by your
thyroid glands, which regulate your metabolism among other things. If
these hormones get off track, it can lead to constipation. When you're feeling this symptom, head to the gym, drink lots of fluids, increase your fiber intake, or take a laxative if you need to.
It Makes You Break Out
When you're really freaking out, the level of sex hormones called androgens in your body spike, causing acne to flare up.
You can try using birth control to keep breakouts in check or using
topical treatments when they occur. In addition to zits on your face,
stress can also show up on other parts of your skin in the form of
rashes. That's because anxiety wreaks havoc on your immune system, which can make eczema act up or cause skin infections like staph.
Visit the drug store for topical treatments to help with those issues
or speak with your doctor if those don't help or symptoms get worse.
You Can't Remember Anything
Traumatic stress, meaning stress that occurs when you
feel a threat to your life or a loved one's life and feels like intense
fear or helplessness, seriously impacts your hipoocampus, the area of your brain where your memories are stored.
This kind of stress causes the hippocampus to actually shrink, making
it tough to remember facts, lists, the entirety of an event, or long
gaps of time (from minutes to days). Plus, damage from stress can make it hard to create new memories.
It Screws With Your Manicure
If you have a nasty habit of picking or biting your cuticles, it might be how your anxiety is rearing its ugly head. And
besides ruining your perfectly manicured tips, picking at your fingers
can lead to a nasty infection since you use your hands for pretty much
everything. To keep this anxious habit from affecting your nails, make
sure you're moisturizing frequently and wearing bandages on your fingers to minimize the damage.
It Makes You Gain Weight
A University of Kentucky study found that dieters who learned stress-management tactics were more successful at losing weight than dieters who didn't.
The connection between reducing stress and losing weight could be that
it helps cut back on stress-related binge eating. Plus, another study
published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology found that women who were constantly stressed out metabolized fat and sugar differently than those who weren't anxiety-ridden.
You Could Lose Some Hair
Just as a spike in androgens can cause your skin to break out, it can also cause your hair to shed more than usual, usually three to six months after a super stressful situation. The
good news is that this unfortunate side effect should only be
temporary, and a balanced diet can help the cells in your hair follicles
heal back to normal.
It Makes Your Back Ache
When you're stressing, your heart rate and blood pressure
rise and your body pumps out hormones to help with your fight-or-flight
response. This combo can cause your muscles to tighten up and amplify the aches you get from sitting at a desk all day. You can combat stress-related back pain by standing up every hour and stretching.
Starting
next summer, every smartphone sold in California must have an anti-theft
device. Here's what you can do to safeguard yours right now.
Smartphone theft just got a whole lot less lucrative. Yesterday, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill
requiring that all smartphones sold in the state include a “kill
switch,” software that makes it impossible for thieves to use stolen
phones.
Here’s something you may not know: Your phone could already have such a
switch. Both iPhones and Samsung phones have new software that “locks”
the device so that unauthorized users are unable to activate it.
According to the San Francisco Police Department, the city saw a 38% drop in iPhone thefts
in the six months after Apple released its kill switch. In June, Google
and Microsoft promised to offer kill switch technology in their next
operating systems, and for now, both offer other apps to help you
protect a lost phone.
The California bill requires that tech companies make the kill switch
feature standard on all phones starting July 1, 2015. In the meantime,
you can enable your phone’s available security features by turning on
the right settings. Here’s how.
iPhones
Do this right now: Make sure you have iOS7 software
(if you haven’t already, you can download the upgrade on iTunes). Go to
Settings, then iCloud, and then flip on “Find My iPhone.” If your phone
gets lost, you’ll be able to track it on icloud.com.
Do this if your phone gets stolen: Go to icloud.com/find
and sign in using your Apple ID and password. There, a button lets you
play a sound on your iPhone to help you locate the device. You can also
put the phone in “lost mode,” which gives you the option to display an
alternate phone number and a message explaining that the phone has been
lost, so Good Samaritans will be able to find you.
If you’re sure your phone has been stolen, erase the data. Remember
that this is a last resort: Once you’ve erased your phone, you won’t be
able to track it. But that way, the only way someone will be able to
activate it is by entering your Apple ID and password. (And in the event that you find your phone again, you can restore the data using iCloud backup.)
Android
Do this right now: Android doesn’t have a kill switch yet, but it has still some helpful anti-theft features. Start by downloading the free “Android Device Manager.” Do this if your phone gets stolen: Sign in to the Android Device Manager
using your Google account and password. Again, you’ll be able to play a
sound, track your phone, reset the screen lock PIN, and erase the data.
(Remember, once you erase the data, you won’t be able to track the
phone anymore.)
However, hackers may still be able to reset and reactivate the device. Expect a tougher kill switch feature in Google’s next software upgrade.
Samsung
Do this right now: If you’ve got a Samsung Android phone, you’re in luck. Go to Apps, then Settings, and then Security. Check the box next to “reactivation lock.” You’ll be prompted to either sign in to your Samsung account or create one.
Do this if your phone gets stolen: Go to findmymobile.samsung.com
and log in with your Samsung account. Like “Find My iPhone,” Samsung
lets you track your phone, play a sound to help you find it, and lock
your device remotely.
If your phone has been jacked, the reactivation lock renders it
useless. Once you’ve turned the feature on, no one can reset the device
without your Samsung account and password.
Windows Phone
Do this right now: Windows phones don’t have kill switches yet either, but they do have a device tracking feature. Go to Start, then App, then Settings, and then “Find My Phone.”
You can opt to save your phone’s location every few hours, which could
give you a more accurate reading of its last known location if the
battery dies. Do this if your phone gets stolen: Go to windowsphone.com
and sign in with your Windows Live ID. You’ll be able to track your
phone, play a sound, lock your phone with a message, and erase your
data.
Windows also plans to add a kill switch in the future.
The Procrastination Doom Loop—and How to Break It
Why the science of delaying hard work is all about your mood
Derek Thompson
timojneumann/Flickr
When I woke up this morning, I had one goal: Finish this article by 11 a.m.
So, predictably, by the time it was 10 a.m., I had made and consumed
two cups of coffee, taken out the trash, cleaned my room while taking
a deliberately slow approach to folding my shirts, gone on a walk
outside to clear my head, had a thing of yogurt and fruit to reward the
physical exertion, sent an email to my aunt and sister, read about 100
Tweets (favorited three; written and deleted one), despaired at my lack
of progress, comforted myself by eating a second breakfast,
opened several tabs from ESPN.com on my browser ... and written
absolutely nothing.
What's the matter with me?* Nothing, according to research that conveniently justifies this sort of behavior to my editors. Or, at least, nothing out of the ordinary for writers, as Megan McArdle has explained on this site. I'm just a terrible procrastinator.
Productive people sometimes confuse the difference between
reasonable delay and true procrastination. The former can be useful
("I’ll respond to this email when I have more time to write it"). The
latter is, by definition, self-defeating (“I should respond to this
email right now, and I have time, and my fingers are on the keys, and
the Internet connection is perfectly strong, and nobody is asking me to
do anything else, but I just … don’t … feel like it.”).
When scientists have studied procrastination, they've
typically focused on how people are miserable at weighing costs
and benefits across time. For example, everybody recognizes, in the
abstract, that it's important to go to the dentist every few months.
The pain is upfront and obvious—dental work is torture—and the rewards
of cleaner teeth are often remote, so we allow the appointment to slip
through our minds and off our calendars. Across several categories
including dieting, saving money, and sending important emails, we
constantly choose short and small rewards (whose benefits are dubious,
but immediate) over longer and larger payouts (whose benefits are
obvious, but distant).
In the last few years, however, scientists have begun to
think that procrastination might have less to do with time than emotion.
Procrastination "really has nothing to do with time-management,” Joseph
Ferrari, a professor of psychology at DePaul University, told Psychological Science. “To tell the chronic procrastinator to just do it would be like saying to a clinically depressed person, cheer up.”
Instead, Ferrari and others think procrastination happens
for two basic reasons: (1) We delay action because we feel like we're in
the wrong mood to complete a task, and (2) We assume that our mood will
change in the near future. See if you recognize any of these excuses...
If I take a nap now, I’ll have more focus later.
If I eat this cake now, that’ll be my cheat for the month, and I’ll have more willpower.
If I send a few Tweets now, my fingers will be used to typing sentences, which will make this article easier to write.
If I watch TV now, I’ll feel relaxed and more likely to call the doctor’s office tomorrow morning.
This approach isn’t merely self-defeating. It
also creates a procrastination doom loop. Putting off an important task
makes us feel anxious, guilty, and even ashamed, Eric Jaffe wrote.
Anxiety, guilt, and shame make us less likely to have the emotional and
cognitive energy to be productive. That makes us even less likely to
begin the task, in the first place. Which makes us feel guilty. Which
makes us less productive. And around we go.
The Procrastination Doom Loop
The Atlantic
One
thing that can cut through the doom loop is the inescapable pressure of
an impending deadline. So what's the best way to design deadlines to
make us more productive?
People often schedule reminders to complete a project
significantly before the deadline, so they have time to complete it. But
this strategy often backfires. Some practiced procrastinators are both
“present-biased” (they choose ESPN.com or BuzzFeed over work every time) and overconfident about their ability to remember important tasks, according to a new paper by Keith M. Marzilli Ericson. As
a result, they often put off assignments, only to forget about it until
long after the deadline. Procrastination and forgetfulness are bad,
independently. Together, they're a double-headed meteor hammer smashing your productivity to tiny little bits.
To hack your way to productivity, you could schedule one-shot reminders as late as possible—even slightly after
you were supposed to start the project. Not only will the
last-second reminder and looming deadline break the doom loop and shock
you into action, but also it won’t give you time to put off—and,
potentially, forget about—the task.
For pathological procrastinators, recognizing that we need
deadlines to bind ourselves to our responsibilities is the first step.
The second step is recognizing that our own deadlines are less effective
than other people's deadlines.
In one famous experiment, Dan Ariely hired
60 students to proofread three passages. One group got a weekly
deadline for each passage, a second group got one deadline for all
three readings, and the third group chose their own deadlines. Readers
were rewarded for the errors they found and penalized a dollar for each
day they were late. Group II performed the worst. The group
with external deadlines performed the best. "People strategically try to
curb [procrastination] by using costly self-imposed deadlines,” Ariely
and his co-author Klaus Wertenbroch concluded, "and [they] are not always as effective as some external deadlines."
A more theoretical approach, from Yanping Tu and Dilip Soman writing in the new Journal of Consumer Research, aims
to change "the way consumers think about the future." Tu and Soman
point out that people have a habit of managing goals and tasks in
specific time categories—we plan activities by the day, expenses by the
month, and resolutions by the year. This way of thinking can separate us
from future selves. When we say “I’ll start that project next week,” or
“I’m starting my diet next month," what we're really saying is "I hope
that after an arbitrary amount of time, I will be in a better mood to
bind myself to this task."
One study in their paper asked consumers to open a savings
account within six months. One group was given a December deadline in
June and a second group was given a January deadline in July. Although
each group presumably contained a similar number of procrastinators,
significantly more people in the first group chose to open their account
immediately. When the deadline was a calendar year away, people were
more likely to rationalize that they could put it off.
Finally, procrastinators are more likely to complete a
piece of work if they’re persuaded that it’s not actually work. In one
study reviewed by Jaffe,
students were asked to complete a puzzle, but first they were given a
few minutes to play Tetris. "Chronic procrastinators only delayed
practice on the puzzle when it was described as a cognitive evaluation,"
he wrote. When scientists described the puzzle as a game, they were
just as likely to practice as anybody else.
Sharing His Love...
And The Great Mysteries Of Salvation
Every time we pray the Our Father we are reminded that Jesus’ Father is
the initiator of salvation. Praying the Hail Mary reminds us that we are
joining with Mary in contemplating these mysteries. In addition, they
help to make us aware that Mary was and is still intimately joined with
her son, Jesus, in all the mysteries of earthly and heavenly existence.
The constant repetition of prayer creates an atmosphere of
contemplation.
What can save a marriage from going downhill without any hope of coming back up again is mercy, understood in the biblical sense, that is, not just reciprocal forgiveness but spouses acting with “compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness and patience” (Col 3:12). Mercy adds agape to eros, it adds the love that gives of oneself and has compassion to the love of need and desire. God “takes pity” on human beings (see Ps 102:13). Shouldn’t a husband and wife, then, take pity on each other? And those of us who live in community, shouldn’t we take pity on one another instead of judging one another?, Homily, Good Friday, St Peters Basillica, 24/3/16
MERCY;Understood in scripture as not just reciprocal forgiveness but spouses acting with compassion, kindness, meekness & patience
"Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with Good. Fr . Raniero,
Your Candy Bar Addiction
Stressing Out Late at Night
Regular Bouts of Insomnia
Or Just One Night of Sleep Deprivation
Late-Afternoon Starbucks Runs
Your Spotty Attendance at the Gym
Crash Diets
Skimping on Cardio
Easing PMS With a Sweet Treat
By Marisa Moore, MB, RDN, LD
