“A Better You” Your 7 days program to self-improvement

I seem to lost count on how many times I’ve read and heard of celebrity marriages failing almost left and right. Not that I care (and personally I don’t), it seems strange that we often see movie and TV stars as flawless people, living the fairytale life of riches and glamour. I suppose we all have to stop sticking our heads in the clouds and face reality.

There are many ways to lose your sense of self-esteem despite of how trivial it could get. But whatever happens, we should all try not to lose our own sense of self.

So what does it take to be a cut above the rest? Here are some of the things you can think and improve on that should be enough for a week.

  1. Know your purpose
    Are you wandering through life with little direction – hoping that you’ll find happiness, health and prosperity? Identify your life purpose or mission statement and you will have your own unique compass that will lead you to your truth north every time.

This may seem tricky at first when you see yourself to be in a tight or even dead end. But there’s always that little loophole to turn things around and you can make a big difference to yourself.

  1. Know your values
    What do you value most? Make a list of your top 5 values. Some examples are security, freedom, family, spiritual development, learning. As you set your goals for 2005 – check your goals against your values. If the goal doesn’t align with any of your top five values – you may want to reconsider it or revise it.

The number shouldn’t discourage you, instead it should motivate you to do more than you can ever dreamed of.

  1. Know your needs
    Unmet needs can keep you from living authentically. Take care of yourself. Do you have a need to be acknowledged, to be right, to be in control, to be loved? There are so many people who lived their lives without realizing their dreams and most of them end up being stressed or even depressed for that matter. List your top four needs and get them met before it’s too late!
  2. Know your passions
    You know who you are and what you truly enjoy in life. Obstacles like doubt and lack of enthusiasm will only hinder you, but will not derail your chance to become the person you ought to be. Express yourself and honor the people who has inspired you to become the very person you wanted to be.
  3. Live from the inside out
    Increase your awareness of your inner wisdom by regularly reflecting in silence. Commune with nature. Breathe deeply to quiet your distracted mind. For most of us city slickers it’s hard to even find the peace and quiet we want even in our own home. In my case I often just sit in a dimly lit room and play some classical music. There’s sound, yes, but music does soothe the savage beast.
  4. Honor your strengths
    What are your positive traits? What special talents do you have? List three – if you get stuck, ask those closest to you to help identify these. Are you imaginative, witty, good with your hands? Find ways to express your authentic self through your strengths. You can increase your self-confidence when you can share what you know to others.
  5. Serve others
    When you live authentically, you may find that you develop an interconnected sense of being. When you are true to who you are, living your purpose and giving of your talents to the world around you, you give back in service what you came to share with others -your spirit – your essence. The rewards for sharing your gift with those close to you is indeed rewarding, much more if it were to be the eyes of a stranger who can appreciate what you have done to them.

Self-improvement is indeed one type of work that is worth it. It shouldn’t always be within the confines of an office building, or maybe in the four corners of your own room. The difference lies within ourselves and how much we want to change for the better.

“Have One Week, Will Relax” Your 7 days program to Stress management

They say there’s more than one way to skin a cat. The same goes when you start tearing your hair out with all the frustration, grief, anxiety, and yes, stress. It’s a state of mental conditioning that is like taking that bitter pill down your throat, causing you to lose your sense of self, and worse your sanity. Just thinking about it can drive anyone off the edge.

And they say that the proactive ones are already living off the edge.

As one stressed-out person to another, I know how it feels, and believe me there are many variants when it comes to stress. Coping with life, and carrying the problems that may or may not belong to you can scratch away the little joy and happiness that you can carry once you head out that door. You can’t blame them for being like that; they have their own reasons, so much like we have our reasons to allow stress to weigh us down. They say that stress is all in the mind, well, what’s bugging you anyway?

There are several ways to manage stress, and eventually remove it out of your life one of these days. So I’ll try to divide it into a seven-day course for you and I promise it’s not going to be too taxing on the body, as well as on the mind.

  1. Acknowledge stress is good
    Make stress your friend! Based on the body’s natural “fight or flight” response, that burst of energy will enhance your performance at the right moment. I’ve yet to see a top sportsman totally relaxed before a big competition. Use stress wisely to push yourself that little bit harder when it counts most.
  2. Avoid stress sneezers
    Stressed people sneeze stress germs indiscriminately and before you know it, you are infected too!

Protect yourself by recognizing stress in others and limiting your contact with them. Or if you’ve got the inclination, play stress doctor and teach them how to better manage themselves.

  1. Learn from the best
    When people around are losing their head, who keeps calm? What are they doing differently? What is their attitude? What language do they use? Are they trained and experienced?
    Figure it out from afar or sit them down for a chat. Learn from the best stress managers and copy what they do.
  2. Practice socially acceptable heavy breathing
    This is something I’ve learned from a gym instructor: You can trick your body into relaxing by using heavy breathing. Breathe in slowly for a count of 7 then breathe out for a count of 11. Repeat the 7-11 breathing until your heart rate slows down, your sweaty palms dry off and things start to feel more normal.
  3. Give stressy thoughts the red light
    It is possible to tangle yourself up in a stress knot all by yourself. “If this happens, then that might happen and then we’re all up the creek!” Most of these things never happen, so why waste all that energy worrying needlessly?

Give stress thought-trains the red light and stop them in their tracks. Okay so it might go wrong – how likely is that, and what can you do to prevent it?

  1. Know your trigger points and hot spots
    Presentations, interviews, meetings, giving difficult feedback, tight deadlines…. My heart rate is cranking up just writing these down!

Make your own list of stress trigger points or hot spots. Be specific. Is it only presentations to a certain audience that get you worked up? Does one project cause more stress than another? Did you drink too much coffee?

Knowing what causes you stress is powerful information, as you can take action to make it less stressful. Do you need to learn some new skills? Do you need extra resources? Do you need to switch to decaf?

  1. Burn the candle at one end
    Lack of sleep, poor diet and no exercise wreaks havoc on our body and mind. Kind of obvious, but worth mentioning as it’s often ignored as a stress management technique. Listen to your mother and don’t burn the candle at both ends!

So having stress can be a total drag, but that should not hinder us to find the inner peace of mind that we have wanted for a long time. In any case, one could always go to the Bahamas and bask under the summer sun.

Life Mapping: A Vision of Success

Success is more than economic gains, titles, and degrees. Planning for success is about mapping out all the aspects of your life. Similar to a map, you need to define the following details: origin, destination, vehicle, backpack, landmarks, and route.

Origin: Who you are

A map has a starting point. Your origin is who you are right now. Most people when asked to introduce themselves would say, “Hi, I’m Jean and I am a 17-year old, senior highschool student.” It does not tell you about who Jean is; it only tells you her present preoccupation. To gain insights about yourself, you need to look closely at your beliefs, values, and principles aside from your economic, professional, cultural, and civil status. Moreover, you can also reflect on your experiences to give you insights on your good and not-so-good traits, skills, knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses. Upon introspection, Jean realized that she was highly motivated, generous, service-oriented, but impatient. Her inclination was in the biological-medical field. Furthermore, she believed that life must serve a purpose, and that wars were destructive to human dignity.

Destination: A vision of who you want to be

“Who do want to be?” this is your vision. Now it is important that you know yourself so that you would have a clearer idea of who you want to be; and the things you want to change whether they are attitudes, habits, or points of view. If you hardly know yourself, then your vision and targets for the future would also be unclear. Your destination should cover all the aspects of your being: the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Continuing Jean’s story, after she defined her beliefs, values, and principles in life, she decided that she wanted to have a life dedicated in serving her fellowmen.

Vehicle: Your Mission

A vehicle is the means by which you can reach your destination. It can be analogized to your mission or vocation in life. To a great extent, your mission would depend on what you know about yourself. Bases on Jean’s self-assessment, she decided that she was suited to become a doctor, and that she wanted to become one. Her chosen vocation was a medical doctor. Describing her vision-mission fully: it was to live a life dedicated to serving her fellowmen as a doctor in conflict-areas.

Travel Bag: Your knowledge, skills, and attitude

Food, drinks, medicines, and other travelling necessities are contained in a bag. Applying this concept to your life map, you also bring with you certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These determine your competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there is a need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you have at present and what you need to gain along the way. This two-fold assessment will give you insights on your landmarks or measures of success. Jean realized that she needed to gain professional knowledge and skills on medicine so that she could become a doctor. She knew that she was a bit impatient with people so she realized that this was something she wanted to change.

Landmarks and Route: S.M.A.R.T. objectives

Landmarks confirm if you are on the right track while the route determines the travel time. Thus, in planning out your life, you also need to have landmarks and a route. These landmarks are your measures of success. These measures must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. Thus you cannot set two major landmarks such as earning a master’s degree and a doctorate degree within a period of three years, since the minimum number of years to complete a master’s degree is two years. Going back to Jean as an example, she identified the following landmarks in her life map: completing a bachelor’s degree in biology by the age of 21; completing medicine by the age of 27; earning her specialization in infectious diseases by the age of 30; getting deployed in local public hospitals of their town by the age of 32; and serving as doctor in war-torn areas by the age of 35.

Anticipate Turns, Detours, and Potholes

The purpose of your life map is to minimize hasty and spur-of-the-moment decisions that can make you lose your way. But oftentimes our plans are modified along the way due to some inconveniences, delays, and other situations beyond our control. Like in any path, there are turns, detours, and potholes thus; we must anticipate them and adjust accordingly.

Ideas for an 8th Grade Science fair Project

Coming up with 8th grade science fair project ideas can be pretty challenging especially if this subject isn’t your favorite. There are some ways to come up with plan for classroom experiments that suits your personal tastes and the requirements for the class. It may help to talk to your teacher about a few possible science projects that you can complete.

Remember that the idea for the assignment does not have to be completely original. Try looking for interesting projects for a science fair that are variations of ones done in the past. It helps if you completely know the subject really well. Studying past assignments is a great way to get inspiration.

These experiments for science shows shouldn’t be copied. They just serve as a source of inspiration. Imagine being the teacher when developing 8th grade science fair project ideas. He has probably seen the same thing year after year. Try to choose something that’s interesting enough to you that you will be willing to put your own spin on the endeavor.

Use your personal strengths when developing a plan for a science fair project. If you are a great artist, mix this into your science presentation. Computer knowledge is very valuable in this subject. Add graphs, charts and other visual aids using programs like Microsoft Excel. Work as many of your own talents into your 8th grade science fair project ideas.

Keep focused. It’s easy to fall into the temptation to try and communicate everything you know about the subject. However, your science fair assignment should be targeted on one specific theory, question or goal. Begin with a statement and refer back to it frequently. If the information doesn’t relate or doesn’t make any sense, get rid of it. Your teacher will thank you for it.

Be prepared to explain your science project ideas with other people. Some teachers like to conduct interviews. Worse yet, many teachers may require you to create a speech about the science fair assignment. This speech may be followed by questions that you have to answer on the spot. This is why choosing a topic that is focused is so important.

Don’t worry about getting too fancy. Look for concepts that you really like and understand well. Create something that explains your understanding in a creative way. 8th grade science fair project ideas may be difficult to find at first but if you use your strengths and interests you may find more than one that interests you.

Fun Activities in Hawaii

No matter if it’s your first visit or you’ve lost track of how many times you’ve been there, you’ll never run out of fun activities in Hawaii. It’s probably a good idea to plan ahead of time and book your outings online while you plan the rest of the trip to avoid long lines and price hikes. Find complete guides to all Hawaii activities and tours at a number of online travel services featuring the most popular packages. An underwater adventure is a breathtaking way to experience the world of the Pacific Ocean and view some of the beautiful sea life that resides there. The food throughout the Islands is fantastic, and no visit would be complete without a spectacular sunset dinner cruise or traditional luau to indulge our senses in the flavors of Hawaii.

Things to do in Hawaii are endless, and you’ll find yourself struggling to decide what you want to do first. First off, check into Hawaii vacation activities for kids, families, and honeymooners alike on Oahu, Maui, Big Island, Kauai, Molokai, and Lanai. You can also make reservations online for helicopter tours, sightseeing adventures, sunset dinner cruises, luaus, snorkeling, scuba diving, whale watching, surfing, sport fishing, volcanoes, Pearl Harbor, and more. To get started request free Hawaii travel guides, which are available from www.hawaiiactive.com, www.robertshawaii.com, www.hawaiifunplanner.com, and www.hawaiiactivities.com, where you’ll get instant access to a large selection of the best sightseeing tours and fun activities in Hawaii. Many sightseeing companies offer incentives like ‘buy one get two’ for one low price with combination activity packages that will stretch your vacation dollars.

Make the most of your stay and your budget with great travel packages and discounts available online to experience the best the Islands have to offer. You’re guaranteed to fall in love with Hawaii, so much that you’ll keep going back time after time. Visit Hawaii’s official tourism site, www.gohawaii.com, for six family activities in Hawaii. Visit the Kauai Children’s Discovery Museum in Kapaa for hands-on fun. Keiki (children) will love ‘Ohana (family) Adventure’ at the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu. And don’t forget Maui because Maui activities are some of the biggest activities in Hawaii like the Hawaii State Fair. Find lots of fun things to do, and the best part of it is, is that many don’t require advance reservations, and for special occasions assistance is available to make your celebration memorable.

Suffering From Adult Asthma Symptoms?

cialist for lung function tests and prescribed antibiotics and corticosteroids to get the excessive mucous and inflammation under control. A common cold can become a full blown respiratory infection in an asthmatic, which is why it’s important to recognize symptoms early and get treatment started right away. Understanding the underlying causes of allergies and allergy-related asthma is another important intervention that has been proven to reduce the number and severity of asthma attacks in a significant number of patients. Allergies are a common underlying factor, and once the allergies are addressed, the frequency of asthma attacks decreases as well.

Long-term relief medications for adult asthma sufferers are widely available, and usually consist of an inhaled corticosteroid taken twice daily and a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. Lots of information for treatment of adult asthma symptoms is available from local medical professionals including asthma and immunology specialists, so don’t hesitate to seek a professional evaluation and consultation. Over-the-counter medications are not recommended for the long term treatment of chronic asthma, and can have dangerous consequences for someone in a life threatening situation. With proper treatment, asthmatics take brisk walks, and take up running and other vigorous aerobic activity without asthma symptoms. Do you homework and learn more about asthma symptoms, treatment and underlying causes online at a number of sites dedicated to keeping asthma under control and to you living a healthy symptom-free life.

DON’T KNOW THE ADVANTAGES OF EMAIL?

Many people shy away from computers and all computer-related issues, thinking it’s all part of some complicated world they can’t possibly master. Older people are especially prone to this misinformation, because they didn’t grow up with all of the modern technology the younger set is absolutely immersed in today. You hear about text-messaging, instant messaging and email attachments. Soon it becomes a blur and you don’t know the difference between a blackberry and a portable drive. Oh my, no, it’s all too complicated for me! Does this sound like you? Well, take heart. Let’s start you off with one of the best and easiest technologies in computers, email. You’ll soon be convinced of the many advantages of email. Before long, you’ll wonder how you did without it!

Email is the acronym used for Electronic Mail. Although there are many email programs, the basic presentation is the same. You start with a blank page, in which there are spaces, called fields, to type in your addressee and the subject of your message. The main part of the page is used to type your message. Use the tab key to move from one field to another. So the first advantage of email is that using it is simplicity itself.

When you’ve finished typing your message, there’s no addressing an envelope or looking for a stamp. No trip to the post office. You simply point the arrow cursor on the ‘send’ button, and off it goes.Your message is usually received within minutes!

Unlike an ordinary paper letter, with email a copy of everything you send is automatically stored in your email box. Look at the left hand menu, where categories of message items are listed. Click on the ‘sent’ button in this menu to see a copy of every message you’ve sent, with date and time-stamps. Record-keeping and archiving are another important advantage of email you don’t get with paper letter writing.

So, the advantages to using email don’t stop here. Along with your letter, you can electronically attach digital photos and documents. Send pictures from your 30th anniversary party to friends across the country. Send a copy of a legal agreement you’d like your lawyer son to review before you sign.

Did you forget to buy a card for your niece’s graduation? There are hundreds of greeting card websites with thousands of choices for any occasion and theme. Most are free! Off they go with a simple click. You can personalize your greeting with your own message and even insert special effects and animations!

Surely you’re itching to try this wonderful technology. Believe me, once you start using email, you’ll be hooked. The final kicker: if you’re plagued with arthritis, your hands will not be hurting after a single letter – you’ll keep going and going, painlessly!

What Are Aggressive Behaviors?

People with passive-aggressive behaviors show hostility and aggression in passive ways. Their aim is to resist job and social demands, using the common excuse that they “forgot” while demonstrating a negative attitude as to why they were late. Criticizing authority figures and failing to do their share of the work or not doing it at all are common behaviors of this disorder. This person isn’t aware of their own self-defeating behaviors because they are simply a part of their personality. He or she often feels others make unreasonable demands of them, but believes that they are doing a much better job than the credit they are given. Aggressive behavior or passive-aggressive behavior is displayed in varying degrees, and there are common signs of the personality disorder that help identify the behaviors.

The most common signs of passive-aggressive personality disorder occur repeatedly, such as ambiguity, blaming others, chronic dilatory nature, forgetfulness, complaining, making excuses, lying, procrastination, resentment, sarcasm, and stubbornness, and inability to express anger or hostility openly. These are only the most identifiable behaviors, and all of them may not be present, just as other traits may be, such as avoiding responsibility or fear of intimacy. How aggressive behaviors change over time is influenced by the stability of the home and the strength of or conversely the lack of cohesiveness throughout the interpersonal relationships within the family unit. According to the famous child psychologist, Dr. Spock, infants are born with instincts for self-preservation that show up as what we label as aggressive behaviors. The may cry angrily when they are hungry or uncomfortable, and as they grow and mature they learn to channel these feelings constructively; it’s when children don’t learn to manage their emotions well that passive-aggressive behaviors can emerge.

Treatment of this disorder can be difficult because of the patient’s reluctance to comply with recommendations, and the presence of passive resistance in general. People with passive-aggressive behaviors often are not aware of the impact their behavior has on others, and when confronted with it, they become dismayed and fail to see how they could have provoked such a negative response from their friends or family members. The goal of individual therapy is convince the patient that their unconscious feelings of negativity are being expressed passively onto everyone around us. The level of success reached through treatment varies for each individual because it’s greatly dependent on the effectiveness of the therapies used. For more information on personality disorders visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness at www.nami.org.

Pet Carriers for Air Travel

Airline approved pet carriers are a must for getting precious cargo from one place to another in safety. There are many different choices to consider in pet transportation systems. It is important to make sure that the unit you choose meets the standards of air travel regulations for animals.

Different airlines may have individual requirements that vary from one air travel organization to another. Make some considerations when investing in a pet carrier approved for airline flight. It is wise to adopt a unit that is standard for a number of different travel companies.

Size is a crucial factor in choosing pet carriers that are airline approved. You definitely want your pet to travel in comfort. The ideal animal transporter should be nice and cozy while providing adequate space for your pet to travel comfortably.

Some airline approved pet carriers can be checked in as carry-on items. This is the ideal situation for most animal lovers who don’t like the idea of having to be separated from their travel companions. These pet transporters are typically designed for the smaller dogs and cats.

The standard pet shipper that can be used as a carry on item will be able to fit comfortably under the seat right in front of you. Of course, sizes will vary according to the size of the dog and the size of airline approved pet carriers for carry on travel. Check out the details before packing.

Style and design is another factor to consider in portable carriers for pets. There are a number of different looks that you may want to consider for your furry travel companion. The ideal unit is designed to keep the animal comfortable and safe while on the move. It should suit the airline requirements for carry on pet transporters. It should suit the size of the animal and it should suit your taste.

The types of airlines approved pet carriers include everything from totes to kennel-style designs. Personal preference is the deciding factor with many of these items. If they are approved for flight travel then they are probably safe and well-tested. The freedom to choose from different varieties of pet transportation devices is very appealing.

One design that stands out offers a softer alternative to the plastic-and-metal versions. These airline approved pet carriers are soft and have a lot of movement. They resemble duffle bags and they are made of mesh material that allows the pet to see well.

Travel with a furry companion doesn’t have to be a burden. If you have the right airline approved pet carriers at your disposal you will have a great experience.

Cheap Airline Tickets

The prospect of finding an airline ticket for under 100 dollars seems bleak but there are some innovative ways that savvy shoppers can find great deals on cheap flights. The low-cost airline fares can be found online, or in rare cases, through travel agents. The online shopping venture commonly yields better results in less time.

Discount travel organizations seek to find the best rates on airfare, providing customers the convenience of one-stop shopping. Some even have very generous change-of-plan policies that won’t wreck the bank. They also have some airline tickets for less than 100 bucks.

Check with the airlines first. You would be surprised how much money you can save on air travel by going directly to the airlines. Some airlines offer cheap airfare alerts sent directly to your computer and all airlines offer weekly specials that boast drastically discounted flight tickets.

Other benefits of going directly to the airlines’ websites are that they will certainly allow you to count your flight for airline miles and they won’t have any inconvenient blackout dates in most instances. Of course, there are third party sites that offer outstanding deals like an airline ticket for under 100 dollars.

There are some strategies that you can use to ensure that you get the best deals on cheap flights. First and foremost, make sure that you plan well in advance. If you plan to go on a Disney World vacation in the next year, you might as well snag some discount airline tickets as soon as possible. This is a great way to save big on flight trips.

Don’t think that you have to skimp on your last minute plans in order to find an airline ticket for under 100 bucks. You can still find plenty of places that offer discount air fare even at the last minute. It just requires good timing and some patience.

Part of the trick to finding great deals on flights is to know when to shop for cheap airfare. Some airlines feature sales beginning on Friday night. Saturday morning is a great time to find airline tickets for less than 100 bucks. Other things to consider is what time of year you want to travel and what day of the week you want to leave.

There are many considerations to be made. Whether you are going on a last minute weekend getaway or are planning a holiday well in advance, it helps to take time to shop around and explore your options. That elusive airline ticket for under 100 dollars may be in reach.