tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85933417272755603512024-03-19T02:48:21.830+00:00Our Relationships in LifeExpress feelings and share experiences about different relationships throughout life.binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-24672919127082932042010-05-09T17:42:00.002+01:002010-05-09T17:46:59.533+01:00Time Management for Busy Dads: How to free up time for the family: By Roland Poitevin<div align="justify">With our unrelenting focus on work and getting the bills paid we can easily lose sight of the things that really matter in life. In a survey of terminally ill patients none of them wished they'd spent more time working and all of them regretted not spending enough time on their kids and partners. Here are some winning strategies that will help you free up time for the important things in life and still stay on top at work.<br /><br />Leave work on time. Commit to getting out the door on the dot. Choose one day a week to start with and then build on that success. You need to be assertive about this. Reduce meeting times by scheduling them into half our slots instead of 45 minutes. When you establish the time frame you will find the same amount gets accomplished anyway.<br /><br />Set yourself a timetable for the drudge work. Having a fixed time for house work pays dividends by giving focus and routine that creates a more efficient outcome and frees up heap of time for the important stuff. If you can, hire a cleaner.<br /><br />Plan your weekends well. Do not use them for the house hold chores or for work. Treat them as sacred family time.<br /><br />Use your commute time wisely. Get a voice recorder and use it to dictate ideas while you drive. It won't save you time but it will make you feel like it's time not wasted.<br /><br />In the work place develop a system to deal with the mountain of paper work. Categorize and separate the documents into different easy to access folders. Start your day by putting notes on each document that direct you quickly into taking the action necessary to deal with them in an efficient manner.<br /><br />With email set yourself an allotted time one hour after you start your day and limit yourself to logging on only 4 times during the day. Reply once to multiple mails. Finally don't reply to mail after dinner, this is your family time.<br /><br />Choose the two most important things that need to be accomplished that day and do them. Once these have been dealt with then you can move on to the next task. This will remove any feelings of being overwhelmed and increase your efficiency.<br /><br />These simple actions will lead naturally to better time management and also reduce stress which means when your family needs you you're going to be there for them in body and mind.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">By Roland Poitevin: Retrieved from "http://www.articlesbase.com/fathering-articles/time-management-for-busy-dads-how-to-free-up-time-for-the-family-2224934.html"<br />(ArticlesBase SC #2224934)</span></div>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-9309676850236420882010-04-15T11:54:00.003+01:002010-04-15T12:10:26.369+01:00Pop the Question With Creativity: by Julie Johnson<div align="justify">How did you say, “Will you marry me? to your sweetheart? Probably it was not as unique as some of these ways. But if you are waiting for the right moment and right way, maybe these will give you some creative ideas! Nearly all of these are within reach of the average couple.<br /><br />If you like extreme sports, sky’s the limit for ideas. A couple who liked skiing reached the mountain summit. Just as they were ready to begin, he proposed and she accepted. What a double rush they both experienced! A skydiving couple was engaged through a hidden sign and a nod as they sped toward the ground.<br /><br />A TV game show winner suddenly turned to the audience and proposed to his girlfriend. What could she do but accept under such circumstances. Another fellow arranged with a movie theater to help him. At the end of the movie the couple was attending, a message flashed across the scream, “Angela, will you marry me? –Bruce Everyone clapped and, of course, after recovering from the shock, she affirmed his wishes.<br /><br />One creative fellow got his neighbors to help. At a preset time, they flashed their lights off and on spelling out the proposal in code. A girl thought her sweetheart was busy miles away. She attended a preplanned scavenger hunt. The last item on her list led her to where he was hiding and, surprise, he proposed.<br /><br />Not afraid to reverse roles, one girl didn’t want to wait any longer. So when they were on a date, she said, “Darling, you know if you would ask me to marry you, I’d say yes in a minute!. If that’s not your feminine style, a few hints won’t hurt like, “If you need to borrow money for anything, like, maybe, an engagement ring, I’d be able to help you ou or “Let’s predict where we’ll be living next year as a married couple<br /><br />George took his honey out to eat at a plush restaurant. The environment was perfect for a proposal but he said nothing about it during the whole meal. Finally when they were ready to leave, he asked for the check. To her shock a beautiful ring was on the bill tray. He took it, slipped it on her finger and proposed.<br /><br />A creative man bought a book of love poems. After the few pages, he glued the rest together, then cut a heart shaped hole in the stack. She read the first poems, then turned the page only to find herself face to face with an engagement ring! Allowing time for shock to set in, he then took it and asked her the big question!<br /><br />Use of the media is particularly effective. How about taking out a full page ad in a paper you are sure she will read. When she turned the page and read it, he had the ring right there. The ad provides a very romantic souvenir of the day.<br /><br />Speaking of media, a man rented a billboard along a route he knew his girl would travel, and paid for the proposal to be displayed on it. If you can be in the car with her, have the ring handy; if not, try timing a call to her cell phone as she passes the display. You might even be standing by the road, pointing at it with a ring box in the other hand!<br /><br />Here are some ideas that include an airplane. Have a firm sky write your proposal in the sky over an area where she will be A more permanent version of this would be to hire a company to make and display a banner ad to fly over an event they are attending or beach where they are relaxing. If possible, as she reads it, be handy with the ring.<br /><br />Marriage is an important step in life and should be entered with much thought. But that doesn’t mean you cannot be creative in the way you ask her to join you for life. Why not do it in a memorable way? </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">About the Author: AirSign has been providing creative http://www.airsign.com/skywriting.php skywriting and http://www.airsign.com/blog/creative-marriage-proposals-with-aerial-banners/ aerial banner messages around special occasions since 1996. Call them at 888-645-3442 and ask them to fly your message. It will be unforgettable.<br /><br />Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com</span>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-15932481903148652732010-04-04T05:31:00.000+01:002010-04-04T05:32:52.349+01:00Seven Ways to Overcome Shyness Start Using Them Now!: by Moni Arora<div align="justify">Most shy people try to console themselves with words like “I’m not shy. I’m just a quiet person.” How funny, because those two concepts that of shyness and quietness though they may seem similar, are from two different worlds. A quiet person has no problem mixing with crowds, but will only speak if they have something worth saying. Otherwise, they just shut up and listen. The shy person on the other hand, is bursting with the desire to speak, but is unable to because of the throat clamping feeling of anxiety.<br /><br />It’s easy to overcome shyness! All you need to do is acknowledge that you are shy, and that you want to take steps to curing the defect. Here are seven tips for you to overcome shyness:<br /><br />* Learn to love yourself. Appreciate that you are shy, but not retarded. Do not let the feeling that you are socially redundant because you are shy permeate into your mind. Your shyness is not a disadvantage therefore you should come to terms with it. This is the first step to banishing shyness.<br /><br />* Seek out your discomfort. If you do not exercise your conversational activities, you might not lose of the feeling of shyness. Another step to overcome shyness is by deliberately seeking out social events to attend. The more you subject yourself to these events, the more you are forcing your hand it might be stressful, but eventually it would be worth it.<br /><br />* Don’t run away from the situation. If you felt your last social conversation was a disaster and you have sworn never to have anything with it again, then you are running away from reality. I advice you instead to look at things differently and stay on course, it will definitely be worth it!<br /><br />* Try to calm down. The thing with shy minds is that are constantly thinking: thinking up worst case scenarios in any discussion event. As a result, with a mind so filled up with bogeys and visions of conversation disasters, it is not surprising that you become tongue tied. Take breathing exercises and empty your mind of these thoughts instead.<br /><br />* Practice in mild settings: a family gathering may work the trick. Try to see how you can get along with members of the family with whom you are more amiable and by doing this you are building up for the grand scenario.<br /><br />* Imagine a situation, and imagine what you could possibly do to feel more at ease. I have discovered that mental visualization tends to work the trick.<br /><br />* Try to think more of others than all the ways you can mess up the situation. Listen to them and consider what they are saying. That way, you can get a hold on the conversation and you wont’ have to stutter to respond to them.<br /><br />These skills should be practiced, and you should bear in mind that it is not an overnight thing, as it will be slow, but surely you will snap out of your shyness.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">About the Author: Moni Arora is a personal development trainer and internet marketing consultant. Discover how you can overcome shyness quickly by visiting http://www.MasterShyness.com where you can sign up for free tips on how to overcome shyness<br /><br />Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com</span> </div>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-37025231174874218592010-03-16T15:55:00.002+00:002010-03-16T16:03:44.640+00:00Simple Ways to Teach Children the Value of Sportsmanship: by Dave Roth<p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>What is sportsmanship?<br /></strong></span><br />In our modern society, we tend to idolize the biggest and brightest professional athletes in the world. It’s not hard to do when they earn huge paychecks and endorse the products our children want cell phones, clothes, cereals, etc. While their accomplishments are often impressive, their sportsmanship, or lack thereof, leaves something to be desired. Sportsmanship is, at its core, the essence that partaking in competition is done solely for the enjoyment of the game or sport itself and not for the purpose of winning. It encompasses a sense of fairness, respect, and fellowship with one’s competition.</p><p align="justify">Yet when we turn to these professional ‘idols,’ far too often we don’t see the sense of sportsmanship that we would prefer to instill in our children. Instead, we are inundated with scandals, arrogance, and controversy. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, as the saying goes. And so it also goes that the more the media hones in on their failures , although they are not failures any one of us couldn’t fall into easily. So how can we teach our children the value of sportsmanship in our modern competitive culture?</p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>The essence of the game</strong></span><br /><br />Games for children are meant to teach them rules, competition, and sportsmanship. Far too often, pressure is placed on winning and the rewards for winning far outweigh those that come with finishing second. First and foremost in any competition for children should be the enjoyment of the game, not the score or the final result. Does this mean that all competition should be eliminated? No. What it means is that, for children, sportsmanship should come before competition. We’re hearing more and more that children’s sports aren’t declaring a winning side. While it’s good they want to spare the feelings of the children, kids need to learn about being a good winner and a good loser, because life will certainly teach them that later if not sooner.</p><p align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Teaching sportsmanship</span><br /></strong><br />Teaching children sportsmanship starts with setting an ideal example for them to emulate. If adults focus on the score, become aggravated or too intense when playing a game, then that is imprinted on children watching us. Some simple things to keep in mind to help teach sportsmanship include:</p><ol><li><p align="justify">Smile and laugh. Regardless of whether you’re winning or losing, keep a positive attitude about the game. Smiling is contagious and when it is associated with the activity and not the result, children will emulate this behavior more often than not.</p></li><li><p align="justify">Reward positive participation. Don’t focus on the result. Win or lose, congratulate the child. If the child has a poor attitude or doesn’t acknowledge their competition, then reward should not be granted.</p></li><li><p align="justify">Turn their attention to positive role models. Perhaps your child idolizes Terrell Owens. While talented, his behavior and attitude is the precise definition of poor sportsmanship. Point this out and then turn your child onto athletes who personify good sportsmanship.</p></li><p align="justify"></p></ol><p align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Choose simple games first</span><br /></strong><br />A great way to teach children good sportsmanship is to get them playing simple games, such as bean bags. In fun, relaxing environment, winning isn’t what matters; the moments spent with family and friends is.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><b>Author Resource:-></b> Dave Roth runs the SC Cornhole Game website, a store devoted to the game of Cornhole. They are suppliers of cornhole bags, corn hole boards, and cornhole sets.<br /><br /><b>Article From</b> </span><a href="http://www.activeauthors.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">ActiveAuthors.com</span></a></p>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-16343336046596797122010-02-26T08:45:00.003+00:002010-02-26T08:49:22.152+00:00What You Can Learn From President Obama’s Mother in Law: by Dr. Rosemary<div align="justify">Now that Michelle Obama’s mother is living in the White House, will the cruel jokes and snide remarks about mothers in law finally stop? Will Marian Robinson, as first mother in law, be able to pave the way for acceptance, even respect, for this much maligned branch of the family tree? Only time, and the nightly comedians, will tell.<br /><br />If you have a new son in law yourself, you can use Mrs. Robinson and other successful in laws as your guides. Let them teach you how to adjust to your new role. It’s not easy. Once you’ve made the final payment for your daughter’s dream wedding, you may find yourself relegated to the back burner.<br /><br />Instead of you, your daughter’s new husband is now the one who shares her confidences. After spending the past couple of decades as an active and involved mom, do you now feel like a Lame Duck? Even more important, how can you learn to relate to the guy who is now the center of your daughter’s universe? Here are a few tips to get you started with your own son in law:<br /><br />1. Move slowly into the role of mother in law, remembering that your daughter’s spouse arrives with his own issues, unique temperament and family rituals. Learn more about him and his family rather than expecting him to blend into yours. Remember that family loyalty goes both ways.<br /><br />2. Imagine the situation from your son in law’s perspective. Recognize that he wants to build and strengthen his new family unit. Doris is trying to let go of her need to continue such a tight relationship with her daughter. “I know she is bonding with her husband, so I don’t snoop or ask too many questions. As an only child I don’t like to go halves with anything, so it’s hard for me to share my precious daughter. But I know that her husband has to be the focus for her now.”<br /><br />3. Respect your daughter’s choice and learn to love her life partner. By focusing on how happy your daughter is and on your son in law’s positive qualities, you’ll be building on the mutual good feelings. This can serve as an emotional savings account you can draw on later when other situations lead to tension between you.<br /><br />4. Hold back on your opinions, advice and constructive criticism, at least until there is more trust in the relationship. This can be a challenge, as Nancy found: “I’m very careful about what I say, so I don’t think my son in law knows that I’m holding back. We get along fine on the surface but I hope that some day we can deal with deeper issues.”<br /><br />5. Avoid hot button issues like finances, religious observances, and work/home responsibilities. By taking sides, you make it harder for the newlyweds to sort out these issues for themselves. When you have expectations that are not shared by them, recognize that now it’s their turn to make this type of decision.<br /><br />6. Be available to help when asked but don’t intrude. As the new couple settles into their routine and lifestyle, they may ask for your help or support. Pitch in and be responsive to their needs when you can, but don’t overstep the boundaries.<br /><br />7. Find support from your spouse and friends. When you’re frustrated, share with others who will understand what you’re going through and use them as a sounding board. When all else fails, laugh together as inductees in the sisterhood of mothers in law.<br /><br />These tips can help you build the kind of relationship with your son in law that Marian Robinson has with President Obama. He and Michelle respect her and trust her to help with their children. Embrace your new role of mother in law. You, too, have the power to make this an enriching chapter for everyone in the family.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">© 2009, www.HerMentorCenter.com<br /><br />About the Author: Rosemary Lichtman, Ph.D. & Phyllis Goldberg, Ph.D. are co-founders of http://www.HerMentorCenter.com, a website for midlife women and http://www.NourishingRelationships.Blogspot.com, a Blog for the Sandwich Generation. They are authors of a forthcoming book about Baby Boomer's family relationships and publish a free newsletter, Stepping Stones, through their website.<br /><br />Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Visit <a href="http://www.giftstore.aspireservicesonline.com/">Aspire Personalised Gift Store UK</a> for great personalised gifts for your mom or mom in law for this Mothers Day, and for other occasions too.</span></div>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-58899892375993326672010-02-10T13:03:00.003+00:002010-02-10T13:10:48.478+00:00Love: Is This Romance Or Is This Friendship? by: Margaret Paul, Ph.D.<div align="justify">James, in his middle 30s, was ready to meet his life partner, get married and have children. After dating many women, he met Cindy.<br /><br />"She is really beautiful, although I'm not sure she's my type. But I think she is perfect for me. We have the same interests, the same values, we go to the same church, and we both want children. My friends who meet her think she's dynamite."<br /><br />"But...?” I could hear hesitation in his voice during our phone counseling session.<br /><br />"I don't know. There doesn't seem to be a spark, and I don't miss her when I'm not with her. In fact, I rarely think about her when I'm not with her. And our conversation doesn't seem to flow easily. We run out of things to talk about. Maybe the spark will grow. Does that ever happen?"<br /><br />"Why not spend a little more time with her and see how you feel?"<br /><br />It became apparent within a few months that the spark was not going to grow and the conversation was not going to flow. James still did not look forward to seeing Cindy.<br /><br />"James, it doesn't seem that this relationship is going to become what you want it to be. Perhaps it's time to move on."<br /><br />But James was afraid of ending up alone, afraid he would not meet anyone as sweet as Cindy. He ended up staying in the relationship with her for two years before finding the courage to leave.<br /><br />James and Cindy were wonderful friends, but not good life partners. Romance just wasn't there. He loved her, but he never fell in love with her.<br /><br />Abigail found herself in the same position as James, only she had stayed in the relationship with Andrew for 7 years, hoping that romance would grow. She knew at the beginning of the relationship that she was not sexually attracted to Andrew, but he was such a nice guy and he really loved her.<br /><br />The sad thing is that Abigail really wanted children, but by the time she finally left the relationship, it was very close to being too late to have children.<br /><br />Why didn't she leave sooner?<br /><br />"I hate being alone. I don't know that I can be alone, and I'm afraid that I won't find another partner. Besides, we are best friends."<br /><br />Both James and Abigail could have saved a lot of time if they had understood the difference between friendship and romance.<br /><br />It is my experience that, if the spark and the flow aren't there at the beginning, they generally won't develop. I won't say never, because I have seen a few relationships where the spark did develop over time, but this is generally not the case. If the spark does not develop within the first six months of the relationship, then it is time to move on - unless a companionship relationship is acceptable to you. But if spark, flow and romance are important to you, then accept that you and your partner have a wonderful friendship but not a romance.<br /><br />James soon met another woman, Val, with whom he had romance. He was very attracted to her and they could easily talk for hours. But he soon discovered that romance itself is also not enough. Val did not share his spiritual beliefs, his values, or his interests. Her rigid religious beliefs deeply conflicted with his deep spiritual beliefs, and he knew he could not raise children with her beliefs. He realized within the first few months of the relationship that none of this was going to change so he moved on, now open to finding a woman with whom he can have it all.<br /><br />"Am I too picky?" he asked me.<br /><br />"No!" Stay solid on what you want and you will find it!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">About The Author<br />Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is a best-selling author of 8 books and co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding® healing process. Are you are ready to discover real love and intimacy? Learn Inner Bonding now! Click here for a FREE Inner Bonding Course: http://www.innerbonding.com/welcome/relationship_help.html, and visit our website at http://www.innerbonding.com for more articles and help. Phone Sessions Available. Join the thousands we have already helped and visit us now!<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Great personalised gifts for your loved ones at</span> <a href="http://www.giftstore.aspireservicesonline.com/">Aspire Personalised Gift Store UK</a></div>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-67568856635760071612010-02-06T08:38:00.004+00:002010-02-06T08:46:30.406+00:00Myths & Truths about Romance & Marriage: By Garry Jacobs<strong><span style="color:#33cc00;">Myths about Romance & Marriage</span></strong><br /><br />>> Marriage makes romance permanent.<br />>> The intense longing I feel for my partner will become permanent sweet intensity if only we can always be together.<br />>> Romantic fulfillment is achieved by finding my perfect partner or soul mate.<br />>> Our relationship will be happy and harmonious if only my partner agrees to follow my advice. >> Most of our problems arise because I and my partner are so different from one another.<br />>> Our relationship will become harmonious if only my partner agrees to change.<br />>> Problems in our relationship prove that I have chosen the wrong partner.<br />>> My partner's attraction to others of the opposite sex proves he/she does not really love me.<br />>> Unless I react and protest what I find unacceptable, my partner will never change for the better.<br />>> I have lost the feeling of romance because my partner doesn't keep me happy.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#33cc00;">Truths about Romance & Marriage<br /></span></strong><br />>> My partner's attention and affection towards me is the measure of my attention and affection towards my partner.<br />>> Relationships are spoiled when the partners compete and try to dominate one another.<br />>> A partner's love and goodwill is a most powerful source of protection.<br />>> Romance doesn't last because partners stop trying to please one another and instead demand to be pleased.<br />>> Physical, sexual attraction to another is a misleading and unreliable index of love, romance or marital compatibility.<br />>> The qualities we dislike in our partner always represent corresponding qualities in ourself.<br />>> The best strategy for successful relationship is to always be positive, never react negatively to your partner.<br />>> Cheerfulness is the surest and strongest foundation for lasting love and romance.<br />>> Romance depends on your attitude toward your partner, not on you partner's attributes.<br />>> The formula for romantic compatibility is complementarity on a bedrock of similarity. Contrast generates the intensity, sameness generates the harmony.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">About The Author<br />Jacobs is an American-born consultant on business management, economic and social development with extensive international experience in USA, Western and Eastern Europe, and India. Jacobs is author of several books on business management and development. He has a BA in psychology from the University of California. The author invites you to visit: <a href="http://www.romanceeternal.org/">http://www.romanceeternal.org/</a><br /></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Shower love on your dear ones this Valentines Day; give them special personalised gifts created just for them. Visit </span><a href="http://www.giftstore.aspireservicesonline.com/">Aspire Personalised Gift Store UK</a>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-62788597376127131012010-01-26T14:15:00.003+00:002010-01-26T14:24:28.297+00:00God Is Agape Love: by David Nelmes<div align="justify">A beautiful article about the different levels of love, including some great spiritual insights:</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Relationships are everything...simply because they are all that exist. Nothing has meaning until you decide how it relates to you or how you relate to it. It is the process of making these associations that will determine the outcome of our experiences in life.<br /><br />We are creatures of love that have thrust ourselves into what appears to be a world of hate. We once knew there was only one form of love, but now the influence of fear and separation has provided us with the perception that love can exist on several levels. The current levels of love are:<br /><br />EROS LOVE known as ’erotic love’, is based on strong romantic feelings towards another.<br /><br />PHILOS LOVE a love based on friendship between two people who share a mutual, ’give and take’ relationship.<br /><br />AGAPE LOVE unconditional love that is always giving and impossible to take or be a taker. It devotes total commitment to seek your highest best no matter how anyone may respond. This form of love is totally selfless and does not change whether the love given is returned or not. This is the original and only true form of love.<br /><br />The description of ’Agape Love’ that is accepted by most beliefs as the love that God provides, is identical to how his love is described throughout A Course in Miracles , which is founded upon the primary principle that God’s love for us has never allowed him to even begin to see us differently, regardless of what we may have done or believe we have done. The Course is repeatedly clear how God never takes and only gives, which is how creation works since God creates by extending himself...as he also extended himself into what has come to be known as us, the Son of God.<br /><br />God never takes...and since we are created in his likeness...with his same method of thinking and being, our true selves (not these ego shrouded human shells) also know this is true. We inherently know that it is never better to take or require that somebody give. Giving is natural and never includes loss of any kind. True giving is like creation in that you do not lose what you give, but you extend that thing and it grows larger as you give it, or share it...like sharing a story or experience.<br /><br />True giving is rarely experienced on a physical level since we perceive the thing as missing once it is given. On a physical level, you believe you have less after you give or that you have more when you receive. As you can see, this physical world has nothing to do with agape love since this world is based upon taking and having more or upon losing and having less. Agape love is based upon giving through sharing and knowing you already have everything and have nothing to lose. Agape love acknowledges that we are all connected and can only move that thing amongst ourselves, but never outside, so we never lose it. Everything is simply shared.<br /><br />In a spiritual reality, only thoughts of agape love exist. Nothing else can exist there since everything is in harmony. There is no thought of less or loss or sacrifice since all needs are met before they even exist. This is where the mind of our God exists and it is from here where he teaches us and speaks to us. Every thought or idea that has truly originated from the mind of God, originated from his center of Agape Love.<br /><br />Since we are no longer centered in agape love, the issue we have while forming relationships is that we tend to severely limit the capacity of the relationship to what we can get from the other or what we think the other wants to take from us. This form of relationship stems from philos love which indicates you share a like mindedness (eg. if you agree with me, I will love you). A philos love relationship is a mutual, give and take relationship which ends the moment one side either does not get what they want or is asked for something they do not wish to give.<br /><br />Our confusion on the purpose of love relationships is often then applied to how we think God relates to us, where we imagine that God only loves us when we please him, or that God will only walk with us if we acknowledge him, or that God will only extend his hand and carry us back to him in heaven if we agree with what we think he demands from us. In doing this, we have created a philos love relationship with God which is totally at odds with his agape love since agape love only gives and never takes and is void of any necessary condition. Agape love asks for nothing and gives everything....simply because we are the children of agape love.<br /><br />Having built walls between ourselves and our creator, we have distanced ourselves from sensing God’s love and the world we see around us is a reflection of living without real love. This environment breeds calamity and destruction since that is the result of life based upon fear instead of love. If accepting perfect love can cast out fear, then likewise, accepting fear removes our ability to sense perfect love.<br /><br />Fortunately, our creator views any problem or tragic moment as an opportunity to reach into our hearts and provide reason for change. No matter what loss appears to have occurred, he is not angry or upset at who we think is at fault because he knows nothing has been lost. Since material things have no eternal value, they do not matter at all to him. In addition, any person you believe has died, is still safe in spirit form, and since God exists spiritually, he does not sense the loss of this being and therefore has no reason to be upset at anyone. His only thought is to help us see that life can be happier... life can be fuller... it is better to be kind... it is better to be loving, and then our time down here will become a focus on preparing ourselves to return to our creator. Regardless of what happens here, He has not and never will lose one of us because we are created eternal spirits, just like him. Jesus proved when he rose again that you can kill the body, but the spirit remains, untouched and unaffected by anything that happens while here in this physical world.<br /><br />Agape love is seeing the answer and sharing that with whoever is seeing or experiencing the problem.<br /><br />Agape love is never judgmental and is eternally patient with any thing that must be learned.<br /><br />Agape love is totally without demands or requirements.<br /><br />Agape love is total truth in that it does not change, no matter what appears to change around it.<br /><br />Agape love knows not of time since time does not exist in heaven.<br /><br />Agape love is unconditional forgiveness for any event because agape love transcends the concept of needing forgiveness in that it knows we are simply misguided and therefore our actions are not held against us in the first place.<br /><br />Like frightened children running through a dark forest, we act irrationally and do things out of fear and panic. Agape love knows this and seeks only to help us resolve our fears so that we can see clearly once again and return to full communication with our creator.<br /><br />Nothing physical matters. Nothing can be lost. Nothing can be taken. Nothing needs to be given. In our true form, we know this, but right now we can only recite the words...but we don’t really believe them...and that’s why we are here. We are in a place where we believe we have been removed from agape love and have written books about a god who does not behave as though he is agape love, but this is not so. The closest our reality can be described here is to think of this as a collective dream on a universal scale. We, the Son of God, attempted to perform something separate from our creator and this is not possible, so instead, this action created a place... a dream, where Gods agape love does not seem to exist...and this is a horrific thought and thus our lives have been horrific.<br /><br />God has sent the Holy Spirit to help awaken us and to help us see that this world is upside down and totally backwards in thinking. This world teaches taking. God teaches giving. This world teaches sacrifice and guilt. God teaches you have nothing to lose so there is nothing to sacrifice and therefore nothing to make others feel guilty about. This world teaches that fear is necessary to survive, but God teaches that love casts out fear and that we will only truly live when we cast out our fear and embrace agape love once again.<br /><br />Every lesson, teaching or guideline that ever truly came from God, can only originate from the unchangeable spirit of his unconditional love and endless patience, and his truths, or love, can speak of nothing else. We do know the truth when we hear it because God created us in his image, therefore, we too are agape love. Once we learn to really embrace this, we will remember who we really are and then we’ll wake up to see our creator right where he always has been....everywhere...above us, beside us, below us, within us. Everywhere.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">About the Author: David Nelmes - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and invites you to join him. Web site: http://www.beingwilling.com<br />Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com</span> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">Show your loved ones you care:</span> <a href="http://www.giftstore.aspireservicesonline.com/">Aspire Personalised Gift Store UK</a></div>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-90475926379748884612010-01-19T06:21:00.003+00:002010-01-19T06:26:00.667+00:00How to Spice Up Valentines Day For Your Wife: by Tom Kranz<div align="justify">If you have been married for quite some time then you already know that it can be a challenge to give your wife a surprise on Valentines Day. You have already been through the dozens of roses and boxes of chocolates as well as the stuffed animals and taking her out to dinner. So just how do you surprise her with something fresh and exciting? Well the answer to that question is simple; you just need to be a bit creative and resourceful.<br /><br />Why not give your wife a gift that will last throughout the year. There are many gifts to choose from that she can enjoy throughout the year. There are unique gifts as the wine of the month gift where she will get a different bottle of fine wine each month for an entire year. Many chocolatiers will deliver a monthly tasting selection as part of a chocolate taster’s club, where an unusual or new variety of exclusive chocolate will be delivered in a special gift wrap once a month.<br /><br />You can really go all out and get her a coupon book or make one yourself. These make the best gifts as you can either get them preprinted from such places like Hallmark or you can sit down and make the entire coupon book yourself. This is a gift that she will enjoy over and over again and again. She will love the gift as it lets her know that you will take the time to do something just for her when she want or needs it.<br /><br />The pre printed ones come with a variety of coupons. Each coupon will say something like “good for a 30 minute back rub” or “good for one bubble bath, complete with back scrub”. Be sure that you read through the entire coupon book if you buy it already printed so you know what you will be getting yourself into.<br /><br />If you choose to make the coupon book yourself then you can tailor it to what she likes and for things that she needs. You can make coupons good for a free night of babysitting so she can have a girls night out or you can add something in there for a full night out, kid free, where you have a sitter for the entire night so you can go away for the night.<br /><br />You can even include the kids in on the coupons. You can have them make coupons for 1 day of no cooking or 1 day with no chores. Let the kids be creative. This is something she will love to cash in on as women love to take a break from the family once in awhile.<br /><br />No matter what you choose to do, try to make the gist something that will last her throughout the year. This will make her Valentines Day better then the others. It will add a bit of spice into each day for her and you as well. Personal, lasting Valentine’s Day gifts like this are the key to long term happiness in an established relationship. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">About the Author: Tom Kranz writes articles on Valentines Day, Valentines Day gift ideas, and Valentines Gift ideas. His articles regularly appear on http://www.valentines-giftideas.com<br />Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">Find some lovable and lasting personalised valentine gifts for your wife and loved ones at</span> <a href="http://www.giftstore.aspireservicesonline.com/">Aspire Personalised Gift Store</a>.</div>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-43323064893653510152010-01-06T12:26:00.002+00:002010-01-06T12:30:44.595+00:00Empower Your Broken New Year’s Resolution Any Time of Year: by Wendy N<div align="justify">Found this great article on new year resolutions. Though not related to relationships, makes for a great read, so added it to my blog. Here goes:</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">You had good intentions. But that resolution is broken, or on its way. Just like last year. This year you’ll learn what to do about it. Next year you’re a pro. Frankly, there are problems with traditional New Year’s resolutions:<br /><br />1. Why we make them: a yearly tradition. It a rare person who makes them only when aiming for something compelling. Making a New Year’s resolution is a tradition our country shares, not always meaningful to the individual. We create them haphazardly.<br /><br />2. How we declare them: on New Year’s Eve or Day. We invest little thought or effort. We do it after imbibing champagne. Yet that little scribble is supposed to guide our year, inspire our lives? Who are we kidding?<br /><br />3. Lack of follow through. We have no plan. We think that by making a statement and jotting it down, we’ve done the work.<br /><br />4. Failure is expected. Perhaps required. We failed last year. The year before. Our friends failed. Our officemates. There’s a lot of joking about failed resolutions. It gets attention. Creates camaraderie. If you talk about success, however, you may become an outcast. Ouch!<br /><br />5. Resolutions are forgotten. Do you write yours down? If yes, where is it? If in your keepsake box, or at the bottom of the laundry bag, how often do you look at it? Remind yourself? Make adjustments? Is NEVER often enough for you? So should we just stop making New Year’s resolutions? Not so fast.<br /><br />Here are five ways to succeed with resolutions, if you dare:<br /><br />1. Make them meaningful, whether tied to the beginning of the year or not. Do better by distancing them from the tradition of New Year’s resolutions you don’t intend to keep. Try Feb 1 as resolution day. Add meaning and stick to it ivity to your resolutions, by committing to very few; Make those simple and meaningful.<br /><br />2. Enrich them with detail, but not too much: rite down the answers to these questions about the desired outcome of your resolution: What is it specifically that I want? (Usually an outcome or result: I will lose 15 lbs. this year.) Is it achievable—by a human being—and particularly, by me? How will I know I have achieved it? Be specific: what will I see, hear, feel that will provide evidence? Is this outcome within my personal control? (If other people and forces are involved significantly, it is not completely within your control. But if you can do your part and then work to enroll others in the mission, it may be quite do able.) What will it cost me: in time, resources, money, relationships? Is the outcome worth the costs? Do I have the necessary resources? Can I acquire them? To learn more about these powerful questions, search for info on the “well formed outcome” in articles about neuro linguistics.<br /><br />3. Make goals manageable: Break them down into bite sized pieces, and grow them as you go. A client initially resolved to lose weight, start a degree program and find a new job all at once as part of her whole soul makeover. But with coaching (and coaxing!) she agreed to explore first what she wanted her new career to be, and take only the first required course. By the end of the semester, she had learned enough about the field to be goal specific, and began losing weight when new confidence made nervous eating unnecessary. The job then came from the recommendation of one of her teachers.<br /><br />4. Flexibility trumps failure: Concreteness is helpful, but inflexibility is rarely helpful. Failure isn’t permanent or insurmountable. If you see the project as an experiment, whatever doesn’t go as expected is not failure but additional information. Become a good student and find the adjustments that are needed, then make them.<br /><br />5. Be open to other insights and perspectives. Actively seek assistance and coaching from friends, and opportunities to be accountable—but not commiseration. Remember to reward yourself for even the smallest successes. ©2009 by Wendy Lapidus Saltz. All rights reserved.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">About the Author: Wendy Lapidus-Saltz helps people break habits they don’t need, create possibilities they want, and remake themselves and their lives. To the question “It’s 2009, isn’t it time life got better?” she answers a resounding “Yup!” And she’s helping it happen. Find out more at </span><a title="http://www.hypno-attraction.com" href="http://www.hypno-attraction.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.hypno-attraction.com/</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> and </span><a title="http://www.nonsmoker4life.com" href="http://www.nonsmoker4life.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.nonsmoker4life.com/</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> . Article Source: </span><a href="http://www.activeauthors.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">ActiveAuthors.com</span></a> </div>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-81600087416330250882009-12-23T07:25:00.001+00:002009-12-23T07:28:48.673+00:00Top 40 'Things Said On Christmas Day' every year : by Martyn BrownTop 20 Statements, Comments & Questions At Christmas time<br /><br />1 This single cream seems to be thicker than the double cream<br />2 Who's gonna pull this cracker with me?<br />3 Put your Christmas party hat on, you miserable git.<br />4 Where did you buy your crackers?, they're really good.<br />5 Do you want stuffing, Grandma?<br />6 Calm down you kids, you're all over excited!<br />7 That was you, you filthy pig!<br />8 What's your joke, Brian, what did you get in your cracker?<br />9 It's a shame to throw the paper away, isn't it?<br />10 The Queen's on in a minute, Mum!<br />11 I would give it a few minutes before you go in there - phew!<br />12 You won't eat all that, put a small amount on…you can always come back for more.<br />13 Chocolate anyone?<br />14 Does your mum still take sugar?<br />15 The turkey's lovely, isn't it?<br />16 Can someone pass the sprouts?<br />17 Don't you like Christmas pudding? - how strange.<br />18 You don't like mince pies? - how strange.<br />19 Who's gonna eat the sixpence from the Christmas pud? - ha ha ha<br />20 Where did we go last year, love?.<br /><br />20 Comments, Statements & Questions At Christmas time -<br />From Children<br /><br />1 Daddy, can you build this for me.<br />2 Mummy, can YOU build this for me.<br />3 Daddy, have you got a screwdriver<br />4 Daddy, have you got any of this size battery<br />5 Mummy, Jenny's just done a poo and she didn't wash her hands.<br />6 Mummy, I want some more<br />7 Daddy, Jenny's just hit me<br />8 I DID hit her back, look, she's on the floor.<br />9 This is the best Christmas I've ever had<br />10 Can I open another present?<br />11 What time is Aunty Wilma coming up?<br />12 Have I got any more presents to open?<br />13 I didn't WANT clothes<br />14 Mummy, I've just kicked your drink over - again.<br />15 I spy with my little eye - um - I don't want to play anymore.<br />16 Can I have another drink?<br />17 Mummy, Jenny's just tipped a bowl of custard over the cat.<br />18 Mummy, Daddy's just swear'd.<br />19 Daddy, this just broke off<br />20 Mummy - I feel sick!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">About The Author<br /><br />©2006 Martyn Brown: Writes for many home business newsletters and magazines. To download your free copy of his current 'work from home' magazine, Visit: <a href="http://www.workinghoursmagazine.co.uk/">http://www.WorkingHoursMagazine.co.uk</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Amazing personalised gifts for Christmas and other occasions at</span> <a href="http://www.giftstore.aspireservicesonline.com/">Aspire Personalised Gift Store UK</a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-53107315148315036342009-12-23T07:15:00.002+00:002009-12-23T07:24:58.286+00:00Six Tell-Tale & Funny Signs That U're Addicted to Christmas: By Noel JamesonIn case you didn't know it -- it is possible to be addicted to Christmas. Certainly, some level of excitement over Christmas is normal, but at what point does it border on unhealthy (or even insane)?<br /><br />For many individuals, a Christmas addiction poses a greater threat than getting run over by a reindeer. If you want to know what the top six signs of being addicted to Christmas are, read on...<br /><br />#1 -- Boycotting Anti-Santa Malls<br /><br />If you refuse to shop at a mall that doesn't have a Santa on duty at all times, you're probably suffering from a Christmas addiction. (Reality check: Once you hit the age of 7 or 8, you probably don't need to get your photo taken sitting on Santa's lap!)<br /><br />#2 -- Spiking Your Eggnog?<br /><br />If you need spiked eggnog just to make it through your Christmas shopping marathon, it's a telltale sign that you're probably addicted to Christmas.<br /><br />#3 -- Desperately Seeking the North Pole<br /><br />If you've tried Googling directions from your house to the North Pole five times and still aren't sure how to get to Santa's house, you are probably addicted to Christmas.<br /><br />#4 -- Expecting Mail from Santa<br /><br />If you check your mail everyday hoping Santa sent you a letter, you should seek help to deal with your Christmas addiction.<br /><br />#5 -- Taking the Christmas Theme Too Far<br /><br />If you sleep on red and green plaid sheets and wear red and green pajamas with socks and underwear decorated with Santa every night beginning on December 1 until Christmas Eve, you are definitely addicted to Christmas (and you should really keep that secret to yourself).<br /><br />#6 -- Identity Issues<br /><br />Finally, if you've submitted a name-change application to legally change your last name to Clause (and you're getting all new monogrammed towels embroidered with a red and green ?S? and ?C?), you have some serious Christmas addiction issues.<br /><br />What Is the Solution for Christmas Addiction?<br /><br />Eat two Christmas wreath cookies each and every day until December 25th and call me in the morning. It has been documented that Christmas addiction rapidly subsides at 11:59 p.m. on December 25. Take your cookies, drink plenty of eggnog, and wait it out until then.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">About The Author<br /><br />Noel Jameson LOVES Christmas. Whether you need help finding Christmas gifts or you want tips about Christmas decorations, Christmas crafts, or even Christmas humor, check out her entertaining and impassioned blog at <a href="http://www.christmasrants.com/">http://www.christmasrants.com</a>. </span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Great personalised christmas gifts available at </span><a href="http://www.giftstore.aspireservicesonline.com/"><span style="color:#000099;">Aspire Personalised Gift Store UK</span></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-62493942280231529872009-12-19T08:28:00.003+00:002009-12-19T08:40:59.597+00:00Bringing Together Old And New Christmas Traditions: by Melanie Smith<div align="justify">Nowadays, you can see a cosmic mixture of the age old Christmas traditions, fresh, current spins on old customs, but regardless of your viewpoint, majority of people have a short breather from the regular day by day pound of daily life, and somewhere within, the spirit of the time of year that connects a lot of people around a distinctive matter of good will is a sentiment we find ourselves hoping we could maintain the whole time of the year.<br /><br />There is no better method to educate children the spirit of generosity than bringing to their awareness those less lucky ones, for whom Christmas isn’t a trouble free time. For this form of learning and generosity, little troops of children work finest. Let your children call one or two very close acquaintances to help.<br /><br />Call your local Department of Child Services if you want to ask inquiries about whom to get in touch with or someplace to go to adopt a kid (or family) for Christmas giving, however try to opt a foster child since they are likely to obtain plenty of presents, while further, less fortunate kids may not. Poor families you might identify as being poverty stricken are good option. Once you have chosen the kid or the family you want to take on, take your kids, and with a specific budget in mind let them to help you buy presents. If you can, it is also good to create some easy food presents, such as gingerbread cookies, Christmas chocolate chip cookies, and many others to offer to both your adopted, and the elderly in your neighborhood a unique present to let them recognize you are thinking of them this Christmas season.<br /><br />As soon as the shopping has been completed, gather all family members including your adopted kid or family to bake cookies, candies, and food presents. Allow the children to help, and even benefit from some hot chocolate and cookies, or try some hot spiced apple juice, a winter weather favorite. Here is a recipe on how to make a hot spiced apple juice.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Hot Spiced Apple Juice Recipe</span><br /><br />- Bottled apple juice or cider<br />- Red hot cinnamon candies<br /><br />In a nonstick pan, pour the apple juice and add plenty of red hot, cinnamon candies. Heat the pan, stirring constantly, until all candies are melted.<br />Serve straight away, or pour the mixture into thermal container to preserve heat.<br /><br />Cookies and candies can be placed into economical Christmas tins or Christmas loot bags. Make sure to keep a supply of snacks within reach, take all the kids in the center of the floor with a stack of gifts, papers, tapes, ribbons, and bows and let them wrap up the gifts. When you all go away to deliver the gifts, take the Christmas cookies and candies with you, and let the kids bring them in and wish the elderly in the area a Merry Christmas.<br /><br />This is a brilliant moment to have a sleep over, letting other parents have some time to go shopping without their kids. It would also be an exceptional way to educate children that Christmas is a time for generosity.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">About the Author: Melanie Smith is a regular article writer at Merry Christmas 24 website, to read more of her articles please visit our website at http://www.merrychristmas24.com. Read more about Christmas traditions by clicking on this link http://www.merrychristmas24.com/traditions.aspx<br />Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">Here are some amazing personalised gifts for Christmas:</span> <a href="http://giftstore.aspireservicesonline.com/">Aspire Personalised Gift Store UK</a></div>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-58863142163995767802009-12-19T08:17:00.002+00:002009-12-19T08:20:04.211+00:00How Christmas Changed My Life: by Genevieve Dawid<div align="justify">How Christmas Changed My Life - By A Dyslexic<br /><br />When I look back, I was quite a privileged child in more ways than one. I had a wonderful family and friends, lived in a lovely house with a large garden to play in. We went on marvelous family holidays by the sea, and traveled abroad, something I adored. I didn't have a private education but went to a local school that was "state of the art". However, for all this idyllic childhood, and the wonderful new facilities the school had to offer, learning was a nightmare for me as a child; I just hated trying to learn and so school was a place where I didn't achieve. I had no idea how other children knew the answers to questions and understood figures and numbers. I kept the same school reading book for weeks on end; one of my worst struggles was with writing my name.<br /><br />Then one Christmas, my elder brother, who was a great artist, received a drawing set. He would do a drawing and then show Mum. When it came to my turn, instead of trying to create a picture, I took the note pad and drew each of the letters of my name over the whole page - but not in the right order nor in a straight line, as I didn't know how.<br /><br />When showed Mum what I had drawn, she looked closely at it. "Well look at that, you do know the letters of your name, don't you?"; she said, and then asked me if I could put the letters in the right order, and in a straight line. I shook my head.<br /><br />Mum took a ruler and wrote the letters in order, in a row. Instantly, I could now see each word. Using a ruler I copied the letters in order, again and again, until I got it. I had finally learnt to spell my name! Next Mum got my school reading book and used a card over the page, revealing one word at a time. I could now make sense of it. We progressed to me holding a card under each word to separate them so I only saw one word at a time. In this way, during the school holidays, Mum taught me to read.<br /><br />I returned to school thrilled that I could now read and write and was instantly taken out of the additional remedial class. However, the teachers were furious with my parents and accused them of interfering with my learning! Despite the fact that for the first two years at that school their methods hadn't worked for me, they didn't like it that my parents had found a way to help me.<br /><br />With practice at home, within weeks I could read any book for a child of my age. It was like a miracle. I continued to have some difficulty with spelling and grammar, my mathematics was poor and every new thing that I had to learn was incredibly difficult, but my parents had proved to me that there was always going to be a way. They just needed to help me identify the problem and together we would find the answer by finding an alternative way to learn. This was a revelation to me.<br /><br />That Christmas, a simple plain sheet of paper and pencil allowed me to transcend what was in my mind - to see a solution to something that I knew was a problem, but couldn't explain.<br /><br />From then on I always had an exercise book and pen nearby, and using the page like a mirror to reflect what was in my mind, the problem was copied as a visual image on a page. Seeing it on the page enabled my parents and me to identify and resolve the problem.<br /><br />You have to know your own mind to identify the problem, before you can go forward, and then you will go forward with speed.<br /><br />Gradually my mother found many ways of teaching me, and these things I included in my book, The Achiever's Journey. As I got older, I started interpreting my mind through writing and drawing. Interestingly, many other people found this useful, including those without any learning difficulties. I couldn't believe it, what a revelation to find out that others didn't really know their own minds either.<br /><br />As my education continued, I still found the school's teaching methods virtually impossible to learn and virtually gave up. I learned in secret at home and to cure my boredom whilst at school, I started to share the benefits of transcending the mind, and spontaneous words and drawings using paper and pencil, with my classmates.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">About The Author: Genevieve Dawid is a published author and highly successful consultant, mentor and lecturer for dyslexics, individuals and corporations. Her book "The Achievers Journey" is a partial biography and explains how she mastered her dyslexia and dyspraxia. http://www.theachieversjourney.com.</span> </div>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-8229263698348690742009-12-18T05:34:00.003+00:002009-12-19T08:41:26.842+00:00The Story of Santa Claus<div align="justify">Another Christmas Story for you..<br /><br />Santa Claus is the most important and precious symbol for the celebration of Christmas. There is no evidence to prove whether St.Nicholas ever existed as a human or not. There are however some facts which indicates that the life story of Saint Nicholas was simply taken form those of Pagan Gods. His legends seems to have been mainly created out of myths attributed to the Greek God Poseidon, the Roman God Neptune, and the Teutonic God Hold Nickar. The Christian church created a fictional life history for St. Nicholas.<br /><br />St. Nicholas became the subject of many legends. He loved children and threw gifts to make them happy from their windows. He also saved a sailor who fell overboard. The saint walked on water, retrieved the sailor and carried him back to the ship. He also gave away all of his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick. One of the ebst story about St. Nicholas is the one in which he saves three daughters of a poverty strickn family from being sold out in prostituion. To save them, he crept in the house and thre bags full of gold coins from their wondow. And for the third daughter he threw a bag of gold down the chimney into her stocking. Its from this that the tradition of putting stockins on the eve of christmas came over. He also rewarded children who studied catechism & behaved well.<br /><br />Over the course of many years, Nicholas's popularity spread and he became known as the protector of children and sailors. His kindness and reputation for generosity gave rise to claims he that he could perform miracles and devotion to him increased. St. Nicholas became the patron saint of Russia, where he was known by his red cape, flowing white beard, and bishop's mitre.<br /><br />It was basically in America, with the Dutch inspiration that St.Nicholas was transformed to SantaClaus. In the early days of Dutch New York, "Sinterklass" became known among the English-speaking as "Santa Claus. In 1809 Washington Irving, a member of the New York Historical Society (which promoted a Dutch Saint Nicholas as its patron saint), created a tale of a chubby, pipe-smoking little Saint Nicholas who rode a magic horse through the air visiting all houses in New York. The elfish figure was small enough to slide down chimneys with gifts for the good children and switches for the bad ones.<br /><br />Thus we got our Santa Claus, credit to which goes to the works of Clark Moore and the cartoons of Thomas Nast. In 1822, Dr. Moore from New York wrote a Christmas poem, "A visit from St. Nicholas" to read out to his children on X'mas Eve. The following year one Ms Harriet Butler read the poem and requested a copy from him. Later she sent it without Dr. Moore's consent for publishing to Troy, New York Sentinel. Consequently it was published and became popular. In 1938 Dr. Moore revealed that St. Nicholas was his creation. And since then it has appeared countless times.<br /><br />Last but not the least in response to the 8-year old Virginia O' Hanlon's query whether there really was a Santa Claus, editor of New York Sun replied "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus', and made Santa living for ever to the kids.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Source: Christmasbuzz.com</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Find great unique personalised Christmas gifts for your dear ones at<br /></span><a href="http://www.giftstore.aspireservicesonline.com/" target="_blank">Aspire Personalised Gift Store UK</a> </div>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-22307046856095398492009-12-18T05:27:00.005+00:002009-12-19T08:42:14.878+00:00The Story of Christmas Stockings<div align="justify">Since the Christmas season is upon us, I will be adding a few interesting stories about Christmas or stories related to this great occasion, in the coming days. Here is the first one..<br /><br />The stockings were hung by the chimney with careIn hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there"There was a kindly nobleman whose wife had died of an illness leaving the nobleman and his three daughters in despair. After losing all his money in useless and bad inventions the family had to move into a peasant's cottage, where the daughters did their own cooking, sewing and cleaning. When it came time for the daughters to marry, the father became even more depressed as his daughters could not marry without dowries, money and property given to the new husband's family. One night after the daughters had washed out their clothing they hung their stockings over the fireplace to dry. That night Saint Nicholas, knowing the despair of the father, stopped by the nobleman's house. Looking in the window Saint Nicholas saw that the family had gone to bed. He also noticed the daughters stockings. Inspiration struck Saint Nicholas and he took three small bags of gold from his pouch and threw them one by one down the chimney and they landed in the stockings. The next morning when the daughters awoke they found their stockings contained enough gold for them to get married. The nobleman was able to see his three daughters marry and he lived a long and happy life.<br /><br />Children all over the world continue the tradition of hanging Christmas stockings. In some countries children have similar customs, in France the children place their shoes by the fireplace, a tradition dating back to when children wore wooden peasant shoes. In Holland the children fill their shoes with hay and a carrot for the horse of Sintirklass. In Hungary children shine their shoes before putting them near the door or a window sill. Italian children leave their shoes out the night before Epiphany, January 5, for La Befana the good witch. And in Puerto Rico children put greens and flowers in small boxes and place them under their beds for the camels of the Three Kings.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Source: Christmasbuzz.com</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Find great unique personalised Christmas gifts for your dear ones at </span><br /><a href="http://www.giftstore.aspireservicesonline.com/" target="_blank">Aspire Personalised Gift Store UK</a></div>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-31561643716848439442009-12-14T15:18:00.003+00:002009-12-14T15:24:55.059+00:0010 Tips for Becoming a Great Boss: by Wally Bock<div align="justify">Here are ten tips that tell you what to do if you want to become a great boss.<br /><br />1. Manage behavior and performance. Behavior is what people say and do. Performance is the measurable result of work. Forget about managing attitude. Forget about motivating others. Instead, use what you say and do to influence the behavior and performance of the people who work for you.<br /><br />2. Set clear expectations. Your people can't do what you want if they're not clear about what you want. Learn to give good directions. Check for understanding. Set reasonable expectations. Ideally, you want to set goals that force people to stretch just a little bit, but that are still within their grasp. Try to help your people grow through a series of small wins.<br /><br />3. Check on performance regularly. That's the only way you'll know how people are doing. Check more frequently on people who are learning a task or who are doing it again after a long layoff. Check less frequently on people who have demonstrated their competence in a task.<br /><br />4. Give helpful feedback. Do this in four steps. Describe the behavior in non-judgmental terms. Describe the outcome of the behavior. Pause and allow for subordinate reaction and comment. Then determine how things will be different the next time.<br /><br />5. Keep things interesting. Workers won't stay engaged unless they find their work interesting. Sometimes the work itself has intrinsic interest. But, more often, the way to keep people interested is to help them keep learning and developing. Tell people why their work is important. People want to be part of something that is bigger than they are. Tell them how their work contributes to the team and to team success. Tell them how the performance of the team contributes to the success of the company or how it helps achieve a big goal.<br /><br />6. Describe and deliver the consequences of performance. Consequences are what happens to people because of their behavior or performance.<br /><br />Positive consequences (like praise) encourage people to continue something new or difficult. Most managers don't use positive consequences enough. Positive consequences should be delivered frequently, but inconsistently. In other words, look for opportunities to praise behavior or performance, but don't praise every good thing you see. Negative consequences (like punishment) encourage people to stop or avoid doing something. Negative consequences should be delivered consistently. In other words, if you tell a subordinate that a certain behavior or performance level will result in a negative consequence, make sure you deliver the consequence if it's justified.<br /><br />7. Be fair. People perceive a workplace to be fair when consequences and performance match up. A trainee of mine once put this is quasi-Biblical terms: "The just should be rewarded and the unjust should be punished in accordance with their deeds."<br /><br />8. Give your people the maximum control possible over their work life. Let them make as many basic decisions about their work life as is reasonable and possible. So, what's reasonable? A worker who has the skill to do the job and who regularly pitches in to help (what we call an engaged worker) can be trusted to make more work decisions than a less experienced or less engaged worker. Match your willingness to grant freedom to the worker's ability and willingness to do the job.<br /><br />9. Show up a lot. This is the single defining behavior of great supervisors. When you show up a lot you get to know your people and they get to know you. And every contact is an opportunity for you to coach, counsel, encourage, and correct.<br /><br />10. Play the odds. You can't win them all in management or in life. But you can follow this advice from the American writer Ring Lardner. "The race may not always be to the swift, nor victory to the strong, but that's the way to bet."<br /><br />There's good news and bad news here. Let's do the bad news first. You can't win them all. No matter how good a job you do, there will be people who won't do what they're supposed to. There will be situations that don't work out well. Now for the good news. If you do the basics consistently and well, over time you'll be the person with the greatest impact on a work team's productivity and morale. And that's something to feel really good about. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">About The Author<br />Wally Bock is an author, speaker, consultant and coach who helps leaders improve the performance and morale of their teams. This material is adapted from Wally's latest book, Performance Talk: The One-on-One Part of Leadership (</span><a class="hft-urls" href="http://www.performancetalk.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.performancetalk.com</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">). He also writes the Three Star Leadership Blog (</span><a class="hft-urls" href="http://blog.threestarleadership.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://blog.threestarleadership.com/</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">). You'll also find tips and resources about all aspects of leadership at the Three Star Leadership site (</span><a class="hft-urls" href="http://www.threestarleadership.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.threestarleadership.com/</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">).</span> </div>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-9864186087289065222009-12-07T12:32:00.001+00:002009-12-07T12:34:59.075+00:00When Parents Disagree: by Toni Schutta<div align="justify">You’re right in the middle of disciplining your child. Emotions are running hot. You give your child a consequence for the misbehavior and your spouse steps in and disagrees with how you’re handling the situation. You feel criticized, unsupported and upset. The whole thing goes downhill from there.<br /><br />It would be impossible for two parents to agree 100 of the time on how to handle misbehavior, so let’s just agree that you’re going to disagree sometimes. You may have different parenting styles, different hot buttons and different expectations than your spouse. That’s understandable. You were raised by different parents and have absorbed certain values and discipline methods that helped shape who you are.<br /><br />Yet, every day you’re called upon to make decisions regarding your children. So how can the two of you show a united front when it’s necessary, give each other the support that you need and prevent your child from playing you against one another?<br /><br />This will take a little work, but it’ll be worth the effort. Your children will be your children for many years to come, so taking the time to establish some guidelines now will result in better parenting, less frustration and clearer expectations for your child.<br /><br />Here are eight tips to guide you.<br /><br />Tip #1: Reach an agreement to support each other publicly (or at least remain neutral).<br /><br />You’ve heard about the importance of presenting a united front so your child can’t divide and conquer and it’s true. It’s confusing to your child when you argue about consequences in front of them. Children with a manipulative nature will use the situation to their advantage. Usually what happens is that you get embroiled in your own debate and the discipline action gets forgotten. It also undermines your spouse’s parental authority in front of your child, which is something you<br />don’t want to do.<br /><br />Tip #2: Develop a signal.<br /><br />Let’s say that you strongly disagree with the other parent’s choice of discipline. Agree ahead of time on a signal that you can give that means, “Take a break. Let’s talk about this.” Perhaps making a T sign with your hands to signal a time out would be a good choice.<br /><br />Tip #3: Talk privately about the child’s offense and how it should be handled.<br /><br />There are few discipline actions that can’t wait for a few minutes. Taking the time to leave the room and talk privately with your spouse about how to handle the situation is a respectful way of communicating to your spouse that there may be other options to consider. Regardless, you are setting a much needed boundary that this is an adult matter and that the two of you will handle it accordingly.<br /><br />Tip #4: Check in with the other parent to see if they’ve already made a decision.<br /><br />Many children will use the one liner, “Dad said that I could” to get what they want. When hearing this line from your child, a wise thing to do is to actually ask the other parent if s/he has already given approval to your child’s request. Again, this demonstrates to your child that as parents you are united and will support each other. Usually your child starts back peddling if s/he is trying to manipulate you.<br /><br />Tip #5: Develop 3 4 family rules that you can agree to follow up with consistently using the same discipline method.<br /><br />One of the best methods for two parents to be consistent is to develop a few family rules for behaviors that are most important in your family. For instance, all families should have a rule that “No one’s body will be hurt by hitting, kicking, biting, etc.” A consistent discipline action should be applied by both parents when physical aggression occurs. For complete details on creating family rules and consequences refer to this article:<br /><br />http://www.familiesfirstcoaching.com/newsletter_november2007.htm<br /><br />Parents will never agree on how to handle all offenses, but if parents respond consistently to the top three behaviors, it will make a significant impact.<br /><br />Tip #6: Agree that smaller offenses can be handled at the discretion of the parent in charge.<br /><br />Once you have your family rules in place, try not to sweat the small stuff. It can be beneficial for children to learn different methods of problem solving and communication, so if your spouse parents a little differently, it may actually benefit your child. For instance, some parents are better at using humor to move through tough situations and if you’re open to it, you can learn what works more<br />effectively with each child.<br /><br />Tip #7: Never say, “Wait ‘til your father (or mother) gets home!”<br /><br />When a statement like this is made it undermines the authority of the parent who says it and makes the other parent the “bad cop.”<br /><br />It’s important that you both share equally in disciplining your children.<br /><br />Tip #8: Use positive discipline methods that work.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Many parents use time outs, yell or take away privileges as their top three discipline options. If those methods aren’t working for you it can be frustrating and lead to more arguments if you’re not feeling successful. If you feel like you’ve tried everything and nothing seems to work, you can learn 10 positive discipline methods that work by checking our this resource:<br /><br />http://www.getparentinghelpnow.com/DisciplineAudio.htm<br /><br />About the Author: By Toni Schutta, Parent Coach, M.A., L.P. Visit http://www.getparentinghelpnow.com to receive a free copy of “The 7 Worst Mistakes that Parents Make (And How to Avoid Them!). Tune in to “Real Parents. Real Solutions” radio show here: http://www.tinyurl.com/realparentsrealsolutions.<br /><br />Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com</span> </div>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-40054393147926236052009-11-24T04:39:00.004+00:002009-11-24T04:45:40.659+00:0010 Romantic Thanksgiving Ideas For Couples: by Kathy Smith<div align="justify">Thanksgiving usually has been thought as this family event where large and abundant meals, families & football games were the main centerpiece during this Thanksgiving holiday season.<br /><br />There're are a lot of things that need to be done during this season that you'd probably end up busy and you might end up neglecting your partner/relationship because of this Thanksgiving season. It shouldn't be the case. You should have time to insert a bit of romance and also let your partner feel how special he/she is to you during Thanksgiving.<br /><br />Below are 10 ideas to give your partner and your love relationship that romantic spark that it needs:<br /><br />1) Have fun cooking together<br /><br />If both you & your partner enjoy the pleasures of cooking then do set a bit of time aside for both of you where you could try and cook for each other and enjoy the Thanksgiving treats that you'll each be preparing.<br /><br />2) Be a date to somebody else<br /><br />You could try and volunteer to be somebody else's date so you could probably help a person not be alone during this holiday season. This could make you more thankful with all your blessings and not focus on the many problems.<br /><br />3) Attending that service during Thanksgiving<br /><br />Be sure to attend at least 1 service then make this as the time for reflection.<br /><br />4) Watch that festive parade during Thanksgiving<br /><br />You and your partner could both watch the parade together before going on to having that Thanksgiving party dinner with either of your families. This ensures a bit of together time well before all of your families intrude in.<br /><br />5) Have an unusual date by exercising with your partner<br /><br />Do the unusual date by exercising together. Go biking around the neighborhood or you could also go to gym together. This will actually assist you in shedding off holiday fats as well as give both you and your partner some quality time as well.<br /><br />6) Go driving around the countryside<br /><br />You and your partner both should sneak out at sometime and just go for that leisurely drive in your car on the countryside. It will give lots of alone time with each other before you tackle Thanksgiving dinner with family.<br /><br />7) Play the "Twister" game<br /><br />You could both play this game when your day is about to close to ending just to really unwind a bit from all that chaotic but happy hustle & bustle that is Thanksgiving.<br /><br />8) Cozying with the fireplace<br /><br />Turn your fireplace on, make some really good cocoa, turn your lights down then play some really good and soothing music. These quiet moments are really the most sweet and romantic times.<br /><br />9) Watching/attending a game of football<br /><br />This can be made into a tradition or you could do this just once. You could either watch it on TV or you could attend it personally with your partner on the ball field. Either way, you'd be sure to have fun!<br /><br />10) Prepare that private celebration for you guys on Thanksgiving!<br /><br />Spend really quality time with your partner by having that romantic Thanksgiving dinner celebration for just the 2 of you. Make it really special and be sure to appreciate your partner and be really thankful because you have each other.<br /><br />There are lots of things which you can do with your partner on Thanksgiving holidays to keep that fire burning even during this holiday season where family is the priority. Enjoy !<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">About The Author: Kathy is a food Lover! You can check out her very popular Thanksgiving Recipes website where she shares some of her Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes and Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes on http://www.quickthanksgivingrecipes.com<br />Article Source: <a href="http://www.articlecity.com/articles/relationships/article_3352.shtml">http://www.articlecity.com/articles/relationships/article_3352.shtml</a></span> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><br><div align="justify"><strong>Here are some amazing personalised gifts for all occasions: </strong><a href="http://giftstore.aspireservicesonline.com/">Aspire Personalised Gift Store UK</a></div>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-65142195922220927622009-11-22T15:40:00.003+00:002009-11-22T15:46:59.696+00:00Baby’s First Overnight Visit With Grandma: by Maria Cummings<div align="justify">Letting grandma care for my baby for an overnight visit was intended to provide me rest. I had never been away from my daughter for any length of time in her short four month old lifetime. Since my mother had been asking for over a month to keep my baby for an overnight visit, I could not put it off any longer. Preparing everything to get her to grandma’s house made me feel like I needed a vacation. Add to all that the stress of being away from my baby for the first time.<br /><br />Mother had already purchased some baby items to keep are her home, but she did not have everything necessary for an overnight stay. My mind started going over the possibilities. If she needed to go anywhere, the baby travel system with the car seat and the seat base was a necessity. To be useful, it would need to be installed in her car. I knew that she was not planning to go anywhere, but you never know what might come up. The stroller, car seat and base made their way into my vehicle.<br /><br />My baby rarely falls asleep in he crib, so even though my mom has a play pen which could be used as a crib we did not need it. I usually have to put her in one of my ring slings and wear her around the house until she falls asleep. After she has fallen asleep, I carefully move her to her crib. I brought along one of my ring slings and planned on showing my mother how to use it.<br /><br />It was our plan to use cloth diapers for our little one. Cloth diapers were used with my older siblings but I was a disposable diaper baby. She thought my decision was like going backwards. my mother had a hard time understanding how much cloth diapers had improved since her days of diapering me. To show her how simple they were to use, I was going to bring along my Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers. So, in addition to everything else I packed a few cloth diapers and a wet bag and planned to show my mom how to use them.<br /><br />By the time I was done packing my mini van I needed a rest, but it was time to leave. My mother and I spent over two hours going over everything after heading to her home. When she asked me if I thought she had ever taken care of a baby, I realized it was time to leave. I had taken everything I could to make the overnight visit easy on my daughter and on my mom. I then went back home to prepare for my dinner date with my husband. The dinner was stressful, as I could not stop thinking about my little girl and I called my mom about ten times in just the first two hours. All the worry was for nothing; the visit went very well. My mother had a wonderful time taking care of a little one once again while my daughter slept through the entire night for the first time.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">About the Author: Maria Cummings is a mom that has devoted herself to helping kids and families in the community. As Manager of Bustling Baby, Maria enjoys sharing her experience of natural parenting with new parents and supports parents in finding the best natural baby products at ==> http://www.BustlingBaby.com Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com</span> </div><div align="justify"> </div><br><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Unique personalised gifts for your parents and your children and other family members for Christmas and other occasions are available at <a href="http://www.giftstore.aspireservicesonline.com/">Aspire Personalised Gift Store UK</a>. Some more unique minature gifts for family can be found at <a href="http://www.uniqueminiaturegiftsuk.blogspot.com/">Unique Miniature Gifts UK</a>. Do have a look!</div>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-1884715616815505372009-11-22T15:24:00.007+00:002009-11-22T15:36:25.358+00:00The Silent Treatment: by Margaret Paul<div align="justify">Research indicates that children would rather be yelled at than ignored.<br /><br />When prisoners are being punished, they are put in isolation, because being isolated is one of the harshest punishments there is other than physical abuse.<br /><br />The silent treatment is a form of punishment, a way to attempt to control children and partners into doing what you want them to do. It is a withdrawal of approval, and can cause much fear in people who are vulnerable to this.<br /><br />You are giving people the silent treatment when you shut down to them, closing your heart and refusing to interact with them or acknowledge their presence. You act as if they are invisible, not responding to them at all or giving them a very minimal and withheld response. Your hope in treating them this way is that they will get the message that they have displeased you. They have done something wrong in your eyes and deserve to be punished, deserve to have your love taken away.<br /><br />Of course, what you are taking away is not love at all, since love is unconditional. What you are taking away is your approval, and for children and approval dependent adults, it is a powerful form of control.<br /><br />THE CONSEQUENCES<br />While it may seem to you to work for the moment, there are huge negative consequences following the silent treatment. Children feel unloved and unlovable, developing deep beliefs about their inadequacy. While they may comply to avoid your withdrawal of approval, inwardly they are likely to feel lonely and heartbroken feelings that they can’t handle so they become angry and resistant to manage the feelings. Their anger and resistance may show up in others areas that cause problems for them and for you.<br /><br />While your partner may scurry around to try to please you and get you to reconnect with him or her, the fact that you have so deeply disconnected creates feelings of heartache in your partner that may eventually lead to the end of the relationship. What seems to work for the moment may lead to exactly what you don’t want in the long run.<br /><br />WHEN YOUR PARTNER IS PUNISHING YOU WITH THE SILENT TREATMENT<br />What goes on inside you when your partner shuts down to you?<br /><br />* Do you tell yourself you must have done something wrong?<br />* Do you feel a sense of loneliness and heartache that feels unbearable?<br />* Do you feel alone and abandoned inside?<br />* Do you feel anxious and scared?<br /><br />If you feel any of these, it is really because you are abandoning yourself and making your partner responsible for you. It is you doing this that is allowing the silent treatment to work to control you.<br /><br />If you were taking loving care of yourself and taking 100 responsibility for your own feelings, here is what would be going on inside:<br /><br />* You would be telling yourself: My partner is choosing to punish me rather than take responsibility for his or her feelings. Whatever I may or may not have done that he or she doesn’t like, I am not responsible for how he or she is dealing with it, and I have no control over him or her.<br /><br />* You would be bringing love inside, letting yourself know that you are a good person and deserving of love.<br /><br />* You would get out of range of your partner’s energy taking a walk, reading a book, calling a friend, or doing something else to make yourself happy.<br /><br />* You would keep your own heart open, not going into anger or judgment toward your partner, so that when your partner decides to open again, there is no residue for you. You would not punish your partner for trying to punish you. You would just make sure that their punishment doesn’t work for them.<br /><br />* You would embrace your loneliness and heartache with deep compassion for yourself, sitting with these feelings for a few minutes and then releasing them to Spirit.<br /><br />Eventually, when you are truly taking loving care of yourself, others will stop using the silent treatment, since it will no longer work for them.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">About the Author: Margaret Paul, Ph.D., best-selling author of 8 books, co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding® healing process. Join thousands who have discovered real love and intimacy! Learn Inner Bonding now! FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com/welcome/relationship_help.html. Phone Sessions. Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com</span></div><div align="justify"> </div><br><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="justify">How about some great personalised Christmas gifts for your family or friends? Visit <a href="http://www.giftstore.aspireservicesonline.com/">Aspire Personalised Gift Store UK</a> . More unique miniature gift ideas available at <a href="http://www.uniqueminiaturegiftsuk.blogspot.com/">Unique Miniature Gifts UK</a>. Go ahead and shop!</div>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-41444460102498269852009-11-14T09:23:00.003+00:002009-11-14T09:31:11.828+00:00Proposing Marriage at Christmas is Old Hat – What About Thanksgiving?: by Lawrence Reaves<div align="justify">One man related the tale of how he proposed on Christmas Day and arranged the marriage for New Years Day – “How romantic!”, you hear people claim, but the real reason was because he had a terrible memory for dates and was already in annual trouble for forgetting his other half’s birthday. Not wishing to forget their wedding anniversary, he made sure it was held on a memorable date so he’d never forget!<br><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Perhaps this is one reason why Christmas and New Year proposals and wedding dates are so popular today. The romanticism of New Year’s is obvious with the clock winding down for midnight and emotions and expectations running so high for the New Year. Christmas is just as bad with all that mistletoe hanging around just waiting for opportunists to launch a romantic ambush.<br><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">This said, using your imagination is vitally important in any relationship and especially marriage! It pays to exercise some creativity when you are considering a proposal because not only do you want it to be memorable for both of you, but you also want to stand out from the crowd. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br>If everyone else is getting swept away with Yuletide spirits, that leaves the rest of the year open for something much more unique and therefore, more special. Using other dates to propose, wed or celebrate also makes life much less expensive; it stands to plain reason that you will be able to hire a venue at much reduced rates outside of December when company and family parties are booking everything hotel, restaurant and club in sight which raises the price. The same can be said for any other marriage related activity as it is one of the most busy times of the year all round.<br><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Thanksgiving is soon to be upon us and is a time when most American families get together; indeed, many families only get together in such an intimate fashion at this time of year with other, extended family commitments pulling many people away from their own blood relations. If you want to make your proposal or celebrate nuptials in front of the entire family, this is one of the best dates to get down on one knee or walk down the aisle.<br><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Catering and venue availability is also going to be much more likely to be available giving you a wider choice and a reduced cost. As you are booking outside of the busy December period you can expect to get much more for your wedding budget. Thanksgiving is a popular American holiday but it does not dominate the year the way Christmas and New Years does. Planning your wedding or engagement celebration at this time of the year means it is unlikely to get lost in the whirl of social calendar events that are marked in all over December for most people.<br><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">There is also the simple reality that for many people, Christmas and New Years is a time when they want to be with their family, especially if they have children. Putting a major event, such as a wedding, onto already busy and committed friends and family members may actually mean that your Christmas nuptials are not attended by as many of your close friends and family as you may have hoped for. Thanksgiving gives as many people as possible the opportunity for them to attend without the sacrifice but with the cost savings you are likely to benefit from, you will have the budget to cater for them too.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;"><br>About the Author: Lawrence Reaves, writing about wedding ring sets, engagement rings and fine jewelry. Danforth Diamond provides wisdom and advice to help you choose the right ring at the right price. Visit </span><a title="http://www.DanforthDiamond.com" href="http://www.danforthdiamond.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.DanforthDiamond.com</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> or call 877.404.RING </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Article Source: </span><a href="http://www.activeauthors.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">ActiveAuthors.com</span></a></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Great personalised wedding and christmas gifts are available at <a href="http://www.giftstore.aspireservicesonline.com/">http://www.giftstore.aspireservicesonline.com/</a></div><div align="justify"></div>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-39106307588091129242009-10-28T08:41:00.006+00:002009-10-28T09:15:00.902+00:00What You Need to Teach Your Kids About Money: by Stephanie Hale<div align="justify">Most of us make sure our children learn how to read, write and make good life decisions to prepare them to become responsible adults. What most parents and most schools don’t do, is teach kids about money.<br /><br />In many families, finances are a personal, private matter not to be discussed. As a result, children leave the nest without the essential skills they need to be financially secure and successful. Whether it’s out of ignorance or fear, this lack of communication perpetuates the cycle of ignorance when it comes to money skills.<br /><br />You don’t need a degree in economics to teach the basics of money management. A few simple but valuable principles can go a long way in helping your child learn about financial responsibility. The information can help ensure they become self confident, economically independent adults.<br /><br />What should you do?<br /><br />Start Early–<br /><br />Children can grasp basic money concepts by the age of 3 or 4. Once your kids are old enough to count you can begin talking to them about earning, spending and saving. Young children learn early on that money buys them things they want. Teach them that money is what’s valuable, not the toys it buys.<br /><br />Teach Saving–<br /><br />You can start by keeping coins in a jar or piggy bank where your child can visually watch their money grow. As they get older, take them to the bank and open a savings account in their name. Having kids set a goal of saving for something specific gives them the opportunity to learn delayed gratification and experience the satisfaction of reaching their goal.<br /><br />Give an Allowance–<br /><br />How much depends on the age of the child and what you feel comfortable with. You can assign household chores as part of the allowance to show how money is earned. Some families require a percentage of the allowance go toward savings and charity, and let the child decide what to do with the rest. Regardless of how you set it up, an allowance gives your kids practice handling and making decisions about money.<br /><br />Share the Household Budget–<br /><br />Routine things like grocery shopping and bill paying are great opportunities to teach children money concepts. Have them compare prices in the grocery store and show them the receipt. Let them see the bill for your mobile phone and talk about monthly expenses like car insurance and petrol. Sharing your budget will help illustrate the differences between wants and needs and how you make choices about money. When your kids are about to go out on their own for the first time they’ll better understand the expenses involved and what they can afford.<br /><br />Encourage Older Kids to Get a Job–<br /><br />An allowance doesn’t have to be the only way for kids to earn money. Start with a lemonade stand or let them sell toys they’ve outgrown at a yard sale. Depending on age, your kids might do yard work for neighbours or offer babysitting services. By holding down such jobs, kids learn about working, earning, saving, and investing money. It also gives them a sense of pride and self confidence.<br /><br />Teaching your children to manage money is a parental responsibility that will safeguard their future. By starting early, your efforts will bring them lifelong benefits.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">About the Author: Get the free ebook 'Millionaire Tips for Women' and other bonus gifts (value over £350 / $575) at http://www.MillionaireWomenMillionaireYou.com. Stephanie J. Hale was once a struggling single mother. Today, she's a successful entrepreneur and speaker, teaching other women how to achieve financial freedom.<br />Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="justify">Visit <a href="http://www.giftstore.aspireservicesonline.com/">Aspire Personalised Gift Store UK</a> for some great personalised gifts for your kids. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Some amazing unique miniature gifts are available at <a href="http://www.uniqueminiaturegiftsuk.blogspot.com/">Unique Miniature Gifts UK Store</a>.</div><div align="justify"></div>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-13122370724414128072009-10-16T11:56:00.003+01:002009-10-16T12:05:00.323+01:00Relationships and Communication: by Brenda Williams<div align="justify">Relationships are hard work. In fact, there are many people who would argue that maintaining a relationship with another person is the most difficult thing one can endure. Human beings have been building relationships with one another since the beginning of time. Even in modern days, failed relationships can be linked to much of the undue stress and tragedy that humans face in the world.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br>Think about all of the people who use drugs illegally. Now, think of all the people who commit crimes. At the heart of it all, it seems like relationships play an extremely important role. There’s a saying that a lot of young couples hear when they are first married, which is that you shouldn’t go to bed mad at each other. This is true. People who get married today have over a 50 chance of getting divorced. So, now the question becomes “why?” Why is it that we can’t seem to stay together? Has the view on marriage changed? Perhaps. It seems as if a lot of young people today get married for the wrong reasons. Many people marry for financial reasons, and the the financial strain develops into the cause of the couple breaking up. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br>The number one reason that people fail at relationships with one another is due to a lapse or lack of communication. It takes two people to communicate effectively to the other. If one person is constantly doing all of the work in trying to convey feelings or ideas to the other person, then it is only a matter of time before problems arise. We are not mind readers. No one person is the same as the next, therefore we aren’t expected to get along. However, good relationships require good communication which requires compromise from either party involved. For example, if your husband is slovenly and leaves things out around the house, rather than reprimand him, let him know how you are feeling without nagging him to death. “Usually, you are so good about not leaving things out, honey would you mind just picking that up and putting it away?” sounds ten times better than: “I’m sick and tired of having to clean up after you!”<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br>When it comes to communicating well, you have to be innovative. Everyone has something that makes him or her tick. Figure out what that thing is and use it to communicate more effectively. When you are first starting out in a relationship, you need to make sure that you’re getting involved for the right reasons. Simply recognizing someone for the physical attributes that they possess is not going to be enough to sustain you through the long term because as time goes on, people’s physical appearances tend to change. Similarly, you shouldn’t just get involved with someone based on material items or because of how much money they make because that, too, can change. Instead, look at the person’s character. How do they make you feel? How do their actions affect you? How do they treat other people? What sorts of things do others have to say about them? </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">About the Author: </span><a title="http://www.markhoustonrecovery.com/drug-rehab-program-san-francisco-ca.php" href="http://www.markhoustonrecovery.com/drug-rehab-program-san-francisco-ca.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.markhoustonrecovery.com/drug-rehab-program-san-francisco-ca.php</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> San Francisco Addiction </span><a title="http://www.markhoustonrecovery.com/drug-rehab-program-san-francisco-ca.php" href="http://www.markhoustonrecovery.com/drug-rehab-program-san-francisco-ca.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.markhoustonrecovery.com/drug-rehab-program-san-francisco-ca.php</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> San Francisco Rehab </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:78%;">Article Source: </span><a href="http://www.activeauthors.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">ActiveAuthors.com</span></a></div>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8593341727275560351.post-15421963521215270532009-10-02T07:05:00.005+01:002010-03-08T08:40:07.366+00:00The Beauty of Motherhood: by Sara Ryan<div align="justify">Being a mother is both a beautiful and challenging life long event. Once you become a mother it never stops, it is eternal. Motherhood can help you find humor out of anything whether is being pooped and peed on, your 5 year old saying his stomach hurts because he has “massage stones” like his grandpa or realizing you haven’t did your hair in a week. Embrace it. They can be the happiest days of your life. You don’t get money from being a mother but you do actually get watch as someone that was once inside of you blossom into an adult. There is no other feeling like that of the maternal urge. So all you mommies to be, get ready. You are in for an experience of a lifetime! </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">You learn on a daily basis, you make mistakes and you may laugh or cry. Don’t be nervous about having to raise a extension of yourself, some believe that having a child is the end of their life but actually it is a new beginning. You don’t have to completely say good bye to your social life rather you might find the old and the new integrating created a healthy balance for both. Keep in mind that this whole world is new for Baby and you are his/her guide and protector. Don’t be afraid to act silly, make noises or funny faces. Reminisce on how your maternal figure probably made you feel loved and focus on that. Don’t be afraid to nurture or discipline. </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Motherhood is your time to find new and innovative ways to raise a healthy, sound minded person. Read up on motherhood issues like potty training, appropriate discipline and developmental techniques. Follow your first mind if it doesn’t sound right for you then don’t force it. Only you will know what you are comfortable with for your child. As time goes on, you will have a routine and then have to change it. It can be frustrating at first but being a mommy teaches versatility and patience. Keep in mind that you are the best mother you can be and practice saying that over and over in your head. It will be needed for those times of insecurity that sometimes come along with parenthood. If you don’t know the answer to some question you may have, ask your own mommy or someone you can get advice that you can trust. Some things re learned by experience, others by asking and some you just stumble upon. </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">One of the best parts of being “Mommy” is knowing you are giving them the best at all times. The best has nothing to do with materialistic items but more to do with what you are contributing to them as a person. So when the terrible twos, threes and fours hit, be conscious of the fact that you were once a child too. We go through a lot of stages in life but once you are a mother, you will always be one. Enjoy your new path of motherhood. </div><p><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">About the Author: Sara Ryan regularly writes for </span><a title="http://www.tirmassagestone.com" href="http://www.tirmassagestone.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.tirmassagestone.com</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, the leading hot stone massage supplies provider. They provide massage stones and many other accessories in the massage industry. Article Source: </span><a href="http://www.activeauthors.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">ActiveAuthors.com</span></a> </p><p>Visit <a href="http://www.giftstore.aspireservicesonline.com/">Aspire Personalised Gift Store UK</a> for some great personalised gifts for your mother on this Mothers Day, 14 March 2010 in UK.<br />Some amazing unique miniature gifts are available at <a href="http://www.uniqueminiaturegiftsuk.blogspot.com/">Unique Miniature Gifts UK Store</a>.</p>binzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208466692496576636noreply@blogger.com0