Be Thankful

People with a strong sense of gratitude, love and appreciation don't necessarily have more than others; they aren't "luckier". They simply recognize and see more beauty in their lives. A 2003 study suggests that people who count their blessings are generally happier and healthier than people who don't. If you ever feel as if anything in your life isn't "enough", try practicing an attitude of thankfulness. You might realize how good you have it after all. courtesy:wikihow.com

Relax. It's hard to cultivate a sense of gratitude when you're angry, frustrated, or anxious. If these are issues that you struggle with, it's important to resolve them, as they're formidable barriers to thankfulness.

Live in the Moment. If you're too busy dwelling on the past or thinking about the future, you won't be able to fully notice how fantastic things are right now. Plus, thinking about the past and future opens the door to comparison, which is the only way you can perceive something as not good enough. What you have now is all that exists, and comparing that to something that doesn't exist anymore (or yet) is an easy way to foster dissatisfaction and torture yourself. Like the old saying goes "Past is History, Future is a Mystery and Today is Gift and hence it is called the Present". Enjoy today, this moment and don't postpone your enjoyment.

Start with your senses. The most basic pleasures in life are usually accessible to us all the time, but they slip out of our consciousness because we get so used to them. Learn to notice the little things, and deliberately appreciate them.

Cherish any kind of lightheartedness in your life. Things like laughter, affection, and playfulness are fleeting. Once a relationship has degraded so that those things don't spontaneously occur anymore, it's very hard to get them back. You might know that from experience. So treat those moments with care (especially with kids, who are at the peak of lightheartedness). Don't be the person who takes life too seriously, who doesn't have time to have fun, or who has no sense of humor.

Take a vacation. There's some truth to the saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder". Ideally, you shouldn't have to separate yourself from something (or someone) in order to appreciate it (that can lead to a vicious cycle). But it can be a good way to trigger your sense of gratitude just once in a while.

Keep a gratitude journal. Challenge yourself to write down five new things every day that you're grateful for. It'll be easy in the beginning, but soon you'll discover that you have to increase your awareness to keep on.

How to Stay Positive when You Know Your Life Sucks

Thinking negative? Here are some strategies for how to start thinking positively and accomplish what you want in life.courtesy:wikihow.com

Ground Yourself. The most common reason why people think their lives suck is that they aren't living their own lives. Look deeply into whether you are acting to please others - to please family, friends, and society. Realize that you need to get to know who you are and what your needs are, and make the choices to follow your own path. To know these things, a path of meditation and inner exploration is invaluable. This also comes to aid if you lose interest in things.

Look on the inside. What are some qualities you have that you like about yourself? Are you funny? Are you intelligent? Are you sincere? Are you generous? What do you have pride in? Try focusing on the positive things in your life. You may be having a positive influence on others even when you think you're useless.

Prove those negative thoughts wrong. When you find yourself in a bad mood, you could think of the negative things such as, "I'm dumb and annoying", "I'm better off dead", "I'm ugly, I wish I looked different", etc. Even though it's not true. Change your mind. Look for your good features, think about the ones that you know love you, look on your greater side. Realize that nobody's life is easy and that there will always be ups and downs, and moments of low self esteem. Don't automatically assume that nobody cares. Every person matters to someone. You're alive for a reason.

Appreciate what you see. Look in the mirror. Find some beautiful things about yourself.... Do you have nice skin? nice nails? beautiful eyes? full lips? Find stuff that appeals to you. When you can't change something, change your attitude towards it!

It's all how you look at it. Jealous of the people with 'amazing' lives? They chose to be that way! Remember, there are people living in mansions who are miserable and people living on the street who are perfectly happy. It's all on how you look at it.

Determine how your life could be better. What can you do to make your life better? What do you desire to do? How do you want to feel? Make a few reachable goals and your own strategies. The first step is usually the hardest - getting help or admitting you need it.

Get motivated. What motivates you? What gives you energy to go on everyday? Music? Love? Family? A 1km run? God? Your attitude? Your pet? Friends? School? Give yourself a boost by focusing on what is important to you personally.

Remember that some things can pass with time. There will be a tomorrow. There will be a next week. There will be a next month and perhaps by then, things will have changed for the better. If you are underage in a bad situation you have a definite release date after which your life is your own, all the things you could do to better it will come into reach even if they're difficult.

Reminisce. Whenever you feel like the future is 'hopeless', think about happy memories. It will help make you feel better and remind you that in the future, there will be good things, too. Think about all the good things you've experienced, felt, and achieved, and consider how many more good things could be waiting ahead. There will be many great moments in your life - don't let a few obstacles get in the way. If you don't have any happy memories, this is relative - don't judge them by things other people think of as "happy memories." Think of the moments it wasn't as bad, even if those were only in solitude.

Don't stop yourself from feeling the joy. It's okay to step back once in awhile and just enjoy the moment. Even in tough situations - it's important to smile and laugh here and there. Don't restrict yourself from doing things you love because they're "not important" or because you think you'll be criticized for doing them. Let yourself enjoy life even if you're not at the best place you could be. You only live once - make the best of it.

Develop a gratitude journal. It's pretty simple. At the end of every day, write down five things that have made you happy or appreciative that day -- not necessarily big things, even small ones count. For example: nice weather, being praised by my boss for getting an urgent errand done, my playful dog, kids and hubby kissing me goodbye before they went to school/work, a hilarious joke a mate shared, etc.

If you feel persistently sad, unmotivated, anxious, hopeless or fearful, seek professional help. You may be suffering from a mood disorder or nutritional deficit which could be contributing to your situation. Chronic physical pain can cause these symptoms too, if an aspirin lifts your mood then go to a pain clinic. Remember there is always somebody there who wants to help you. You are valuable!

Have a Balanced Lifestyle

"Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony." - Thomas Merton. Happiness can only be achieved if there is a balance between the physical, the mental, the spiritual and the social/emotional. However, intensity does help on occasion. wikihow.com



Physical

Get sufficient exercise. Regular push ups, sit-ups, crunches, jogging or walking are examples. Unless you are disabled in which case you can learn a modified exercise regimen.

Get sufficient rest. About eight hours of sleep helps the body repair itself. You may personally need more or less, as sleep requirements vary between people.

Eat healthier. Look online and find the food pyramid, then try balancing your caloric intake with your exercise. There are several competing food pyramids, so pick one or two because following all of them would be too hard.

Find time to relax. Just lie down and think about what you did before you started relaxing. Think positive thoughts or take up a relaxing hobby like sitting or sleeping.

Pick a hobby that you enjoy. Hobbies can counter daily stress. Unless the hobby is stressful, like base-jumping or self-mutilation. You could try collecting model trains or postage stamps.

Mental

Plan out your day, and set goals. But don't stress out if you don't accomplish everything just the way you planned. Remain flexible and try different approaches to your goals. Remember, sometimes life happens, and you may not have time for everything. Just be productive in the time you have.

Write but keep it positive. No negative thoughts. If you have negative thoughts, do not write them down. Find someone you can vent negative thoughts to -- pretending to be happy all the time will do no good for you in the long run.

Find out and develop your talents. Go out and do activities to find what you like and then pursue the one or two that strike your fancy. If you do three of them that will be too stressful.

Keep a diary or journal. This would be a good place to write things. But remember, no negative thoughts.

Read. Try classics such as Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Montaigne, Proust, or Tolstoy. If you are not fond of those, try the newpaper, a fantasy novel, bibliography, or mystery. There's something for everyone- check out your local library to test the waters.

Try to set goals that are reasonable to achieve. Unreasonable goals are harder and will probably just lead to disappointment.

Spiritual

Pray effectively or meditate and learn different types of asana, such as: the lotus, the corpse, the tree, downward dog, the snake, etc.

Communicate with nature. Go outside, hike, go camping, or have fishing trip. You may find yourself doing most of the talking.

If you are religious, study the Bible, Qu'ran, Geeta, Ramayana, Guru Grant Sahib any Psalms, etc. Learn about Heaven and Mahavir, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Buddha, etc.

Social/Emotional

Do a good deed for other people.

Cooperate with other people that you meet.

Listen to other people. There is difference between just hearing the words and actually paying attention and listening to them.

Synergize mutually advantageous compatibility of elements, resources or efforts.

Material

Get a good education. To get a good self-supporting job, master the skills necessary for your advancement. That way you will not be dependent upon anyone else.

The job has to be the one you love. "Love it or leave it."

Money is not that important. Happiness is the most important thing. Remember people on Forbes 100 are no happier than average people.

Do Computer Yoga

How are your muscles feeling right now? Take a little break. Do computer yoga. It's very easy, and you'll be relaxed in just a few minutes. Computer yoga will help to resolve the tension felt in your body. It will calm your mind through meditation and self-questioning. Computer yoga is the office worker's and writer's answer to remaining positive through the day; ideally, practicing computer yoga daily will help you to remain positive throughout your daily routine. courtesy:wikihow.com
Move your head and think the mantra "Om" in your head. Turn your head left and right. Forward and backward.


Move your shoulders, so that all tensions resolve. Find the way that works best for you. Move forward, and then move another way round. Move with your elbows and think "Om, Om, Om..." And another way round. Think "Om".

Move your spine to the right and left side. The head also. Think "Om , Om, Om... " in your spine.


Move your feet on the ground. Say "Om" in your belly, in your legs, in your feet and in the earth. Concentrate on the whole earth and think the mantra "Earth".

Massage your body from head to feet. Hold your hands together over your head, rub the palms, visualize the sky above you and say the mantra "Heaven". Feel the light that comes down. Massage the light into your face, your eyes, your ears, your whole body and think "Light, Light..." Fill yourself with light. Move your feet, fill light into the earth and think, "Light...".

Move your hand and send light to your loved ones and to all people. Say "I send light to... May all people be happy. May all the world be happy."

Rub your palms together. Think on the enlightened masters and say, "Om, all enlightened masters, please help me on my way." Now you can ask a question. Think about your life. What are your goals? What is your way? Hear the answer within you. Feel the answer inside. What is the answer?

Put your hands on your legs or your belly. Make your mind calm and think the mantra "Om" in your head, your thorax, your belly, your legs, feet, in the earth and in the whole cosmos. "Om Om Om Shanti Om Peace Om Peace Om Shanti Om Peace..."

Stop your thinking for one minute. Simply sit there. Don't think.

> What do you have to take in your life? Take it. ?
> What is your positive sentence now? What helps you to stay positive through your day and your life? For example, "My positive sentence is: I am optimistic. I follow my way with optimism."

Have fun..!

See Life in a Beautiful Way

Life is very precious. It can be broken and built with the click of a button. That's how life is.... It's beautiful.... How rain can make a rainbow. How a smile can change a day. Life is important. Everyone will get a chance to live it. Dream, Dream, Dream Big... Life is Good!courtesy:wikihow



Take a nature walk. Do research on you town or cities trails and recreational parks and areas. Check online or your local listings. You can enjoy nature on foot or on bike or roller blade. It's not overly important how you travel, just as long as you can soak up the wonder of a peaceful journey. The world is out there you just have to see it.

Create a bucket list. This helps put all your dreams into sight. Things you may forget that you even want! Set time limits along with your goals to help motivate yourself. Find inspiration the best way you know how, from looking through magazines to talking with your friends.

Think of the positives. Even if you agree with the teachings of the book or not, you can agree that positive thinking encourages positive results. So look on the bright side. Become an optimist!

Spread the word about love. Love is one of the most important things in the world. Love is very passionate and very powerful and can can triumph even over the roughest days. Remind yourself whenever things get tough that their are things to love, yourself included. Have a special little dessert that you love, or look through old family photos and realize that you and your family wouldn't be here with out love.

Don't worry be happy! Engulf yourself in positive music! Music has an amazing physiological effect on a mind, and sad music fosters depression. Try to avoid depressing music, especially when your blue already.

Immerse Yourself in Beauty! Hang pictures of beautiful places. Decorate your house in a peaceful way. Google search small animals or things that make you go "Awww". Do whatever it takes to constantly have your eyes and mind pleasured.

Cope With Frustration

Frustration is a form of poorly expressed anger. Frustration is about expecting the world and its inhabitants to be a certain way. In reality, things are as they are and no amount of ranting and steaming is going to change that. What you do need to change is your perspective.courtesy:wikihow



Look for the triggers that cause you to feel frustration. Common ones include:

> Impatience at the speed of people, systems, or results (See How to Be Patient).

> Slow comprehension of facts or a situation by another person

> Lack of reliability of a person, item, or system

> General sense of unfairness or injustice about things that are occurring in your life

> Poor communications resulting in something not being done at all, or on time
Wanting things your own way without compromise

Think through your answers. Do any of the above situations apply to you? If so, note down why. Draw another column and suggest ways that you might address each frustration in a fruitful manner instead. For example:

> "I get frustrated when the traffic crawls to halt and I am sitting in it, sweating. Counter thought: "I do hate the traffic being slow but I can avoid it by leaving earlier or later; or I can ride a bike instead."

> "I cannot stand the way George is so slow at understanding the point of every exercise! I'm tearing out my hair!" Counter thought: "I know that George is a slow learner but my goodness, when he grasps the concepts finally, there is no stopping him and he is often the person who points out errors as we go along, helping us to avoid greater problems at the end of the project. I need to be patient with him and remember that he has this latent skill."

> "Jenny never turns up on time. It's as if she is deliberately trying to ruin every occasion I spend with her!" Counter-thought: "Jenny has a problem with punctuality. It's not my problem unless I make it one. Instead, I need to either make her arrive on time by suggesting she arrive at a time half an hour earlier than the real time set, or I just need to get on with enjoying myself until she does arrive, in the full knowledge that that is her way."

> "Everything is so unfair! Even the weather is against me making my hair all lank and horrible. The people on the street are deliberately bumping into me. The taxi was late and I was late going into the meeting as a result. The whole world is against me!" Counter thought: "It's just one of those days where things happen over which I have little control. All the same, next time I will book my taxi for half an hour earlier to make time for possible delays. And as for my hair, it is probably time to see the hair stylist anyway!"

Breathe deeply and count when you feel a bout of frustration coming on. This is a good opportunity to create your reaction rather than to react and create your frustration. One deep breath, followed by a slow count to ten, during which time you let your thoughts go. Return to reality and consider the situation before you carefully and with a reality check. Ask yourself:

> Are things really as I perceive them?

> What sort of reaction can I give that will properly express my concern, my annoyance, my wishes?

> What good and positive words can I use to express the need for seeing things my way too?

> Am I seeing things in other people's way too?

Remember that frustration is born of wanting things or people to be a certain way that is fixed in your head. Your expectations of others and of how the world works is formed over many years of experiences and sometimes your personal overlay is defective; it might have been a source of self-protection once but when it continues to advise you poorly for future experiences, then it is stuck in time, and generally plain wrong. When you cease to expect other people to act in a certain way, when you start to look at the world with fresh eyes again and expect nothing apart from the fact that you are a member of a community of individuals and a world of many happenings, then you start to realize that things happen, people are the way that they are, and most importantly of all, how you react matters. For example:

> Let's say that somebody yells at you for accidentally standing on the street, as you intend to cross the road at the same time that they're coming around. There is no real fault here. You thought the road was clear, the driver did too. Neither of you had malicious intent. To take offense at the driver's fear of running you over is to place an interpretation on this event that isn't there; instead, accept that the driver was scared they'd hurt you (and that's a good intent) and that your piece in the action was equal. Simply apologize, acknowledge your own scare in the situation, and move on.

Practice talking back to yourself every time that frustration arises. It takes a long time to overcome what has become essentially a very comforting but demoralizing habit. While it might feel justified to feel a sense of outrage, persecution, and insult, where do those types of self-pitying feelings ultimately lead you? They lead to personal stagnation and a victimhood type mentality that prevents you from growing as a human being and from experiencing what the whole world truly has to offer. Don't give up on letting go the grip of frustration; it will take time but it will happen if you put in a concerted effort to change your perspective.

Stop Thinking Too Much

Generally, we should think before we speak or act but sometimes we think so much that we fail to speak or act at all and allow that thinking to breed anxiety. This article will offer some advice to help you know when it is time to stop thinking and move on. courtesy:wikihow.com



Know when thinking becomes thinking too much. Thinking is something we need to do to survive, so it is hard sometimes to judge when we are doing too much of it (not unlike eating!). A good rule of thumb: you know you are thinking too much when you start thinking the same thoughts over and over again (ruminating).

Meditate. If you feel like you don't know how to stop thinking, you need to learn what it's like to "let go" of your thoughts, so that it's something you can do deliberately. Imagine that thinking is like breathing; you do it all the time, without even realizing it. But if you need to, you can hold your breath. Meditating will help you learn how to release your thoughts.

Put your thoughts down on paper. Thinking is a mental tool that is ideally used to analyze your options objectively. So on a piece of paper or on a computer, define a problem, write down your options, and list the pros and cons for each option. Seeing your thoughts in front of you like that will also help you stop cycling through them in your head. Once you can't think of anything more to write, your mind has done its job, and it's time to stop thinking.

Follow Your Intuition. If two or more options seem equally appealing, thinking more will not make things clearer. This is where you listen to something deeper.

Ask for advice. You may have exhausted your own thinking power, but someone else might be able to offer a different perspective that makes the decision clearer.

Act. At this point, you've used your mind, you've listened to your gut, and you've gotten a second opinion. Now you must be bold. Odds are, if you think too much, it's because your fears get the best of you, and you don't want to mess up. But there comes a point where you have to "fish or cut bait"!

Live in the Moment. Once you've resolved the thinking process, and taken action, focus your awareness on the here and now. Your mind will be tempted to pore over your decision, making you doubt yourself and worry, but what's done is done!

Enjoy a Relaxing Weekend

People always wonder what to do on an utterly boring and dull weekend with nothing to do and no money to spend. Here's a solution to your dreadful problem! courtesy:wikihow.com



Instructions

Eat a nice hot breakfast such as frozen waffles, pop tarts, pancakes, you name it! Along with that, a cup of hot tea or coffee is recommended. Also, orange juice is a great morning drink, because it will give you all the energy you need for the day of relaxation!

Take a long, hot shower or bath to get you up and awake, then either get in a clean pair of pajamas or a comfortable outfit such as sweatpants and a sweatshirt

Get on the computer, watch your favorite show, listen to music, etc.

Eat again then relax and do whatever suits your interests. Some interesting ideas are to meditate, read, do your hair, dress up for fun, whatever your heart desires!

If you're home alone, then let loose and be yourself completely. Do something silly or stupid, scream, release all the week's stress in some just plain dumb ways. You'll feel much better.

If it's raining outside and your parents or whoever agrees, go walk in the rain; or if you dare, dance in the rain! Just have fun.

Get something to look forward to. Think about that long assembly that gets you out of school/office on Monday or your favorite movie being aired on TV.

Train Your Mind to Positive Thought

Training your mind to practice positive thinking enables you to increase your self-esteem and perceived control in your life. Learning how your mind works and how to incorporate positive thoughts can help improve many areas, including work, family and social relationships. Improving your life through positive thinking, however, requires a proactive effort on your part to combat and change your current lifestyle and perceptual attitudes.



> Identify the internal negative thought patterns your mind uses. Types of negative thought patterns include: personalizing (blaming yourself), filtering (focusing only on the negative) and catastrophizing (anticipating the worst and blowing negative events out of proportion). Think of concrete examples in your own life in which you internalized problems and used these patterns to think negatively about situations.

> Practice positive self-talk. Think of a negative situation which you encountered over the past day or week. Turn the negative thoughts you had about the event into positive thoughts. For example, perhaps you experienced a flat tire on your way home from work. Instead of catastrophizing the event, find a way to spin it into a positive experience (e.g., you gained the important skill of changing a flat tire). Practice this positive self-talk for several negative situations or events that you've experienced to get into the habit of training your mind towards a different thinking pattern.

> Evaluate your thoughts throughout the days and weeks that follow. Periodically stop throughout the day to review your internal thoughts to determine if they have been mostly negative or positive. Think rationally about the negative thoughts which you do encounter. Find ways to spin those negative thoughts and train your mind to see them in a positive light.

> Create a positive thoughts journal. Spend time each evening or morning reflecting and writing down good things that have happened in your life or throughout the day. Acknowledging good events and positive experiences then writing them down helps improve your thinking habits and trains your mind to think positively.

> Find healthy ways to deal with stressful events and situations. Develop and keep an exercise routine several times a week. Exercise and regular physical activity stimulate brain chemicals that improve your mood and boost energy levels, according to the Mayo Clinic. Spend time each day in meditation, focusing on clearing your mind and on relaxation. Meditation decreases the negative effects of stress and rejuvenates the mind and body.

> Surround yourself with positive friends and family members. Negative people who continually focus on the bad and are unsupportive may only re-enforce negative thinking habits. Alternatively, making friends with and spending time with supportive individuals may help you achieve clarity when troubling situations arise.

The Secret for Perfect Health

Holistic health brings us great insight into the mind body connection. By focusing our minds and energy on positive thoughts, we are better able to foster healing in our bodies. Principles taught in Rhonda Byrne's book "The Secret" mirror this philosophy and are of great use when dealing with sickness. Follow the steps below and begin to attract health to your mind, body and soul.courtesy:ehow.com



> Use your imagination and believe you are in perfect health. Imagine how a healthy body would feel and hold onto such feelings. Recall a past time when you were in good health or picture yourself as strong, energetic and pain free.

> Get a clear picture of what you want to look like. Cut out pictures of people with healthy bodies and put them in a place where you will see them each day. Such photographs carry positive energy that will increase your attraction to wellness.

> Write down several positive affirmations about your health. For example: "I am getting healthier everyday," or "My body is slender, strong and full of energy." Then spend 10 to 20 minutes each day meditating on these positive affirmations.

> Find the things that inspire you and experience them frequently. When you feel joy, the Law of Attraction will bring more joyful energy into your life. Go for long walks in nature or listen to inspiring music. Anything that makes you feel calm and at peace will do wonders for your body.

> Let go of negative emotions. Holding onto anger, resentment or fear will eventually manifest itself as sickness. If your emotions are deep seated, consult a counselor or psychiatrist to help you work through them.

Feel Fresh After a Long Trip

After a long day of traveling, you are bound to feel tired and dirty. There is no way to travel without getting fatigued, but there are ways to help you feel fresh after a long tip that are quick and easy.courtesy:ehow.com


Instructions

> Splash cold water on your face. A clean face always makes you feel clean and refreshed.

> Comb your hair. It's best to wear your hair up in a ponytail or bun if you can. Wearing your hair up will help minimize knots and that greasy hair feeling.

> Brush your teeth. It's amazing how fresh you feel after brushing your teeth and your breath smells good too.

> Keep the amount of makeup you are wearing to the bear minimum. Wearing lipstick, mascara, and eye shadows have a tendency to smear and will give your face a tired and dirty while on a long trip.

> Rub moisturizer on your face, arms, hands and legs to help you relax and feel refreshed.

> Eat mints or chew on chewing gum. Sometimes it's not handy to brush your teeth and eating mints or chewing gum will help freshen your breath. Drink something cold. There's nothing better than a cold lime water to help your relax and cool off.

> Remove your shoes and massage your feet. Putting baby powder on your feet will minimize sweating and help them smell good.

> Most important, keep a positive attitude. If you think fresh and positive, then chances are you will feel fresh.

Inspire Yourself for Action

You find yourself falling short of your desire or you don't even come one step closer to what you tried to achieve. You lose any inspirational thoughts you once had and sink back to where you came from. You will learn how to use fear to create action on any goal you want. courtesy:wikihow



Choose what goal you want. What do you want to achieve?

Ask yourself, what will happen if you don't achieve this. Are you sick of arguing with your partner or friends and you want to have more intimate relationships? Is it that you're tired of worrying about being able to put food on the table, provide clothing, and shelter? Are you embarrassed by how those additional pounds make you look?

Understand that reaching your goal is entirely dependent on your internal emotions. Reading self improvement information temporarily effects these emotions and puts you in the same situation after a short period of time.

Retrieve that internal fear and make it strong whenever you do not take action on your goal to fuel action. Using the financial example: you are struggling to create and provide the necessities. Use your fear that one day you will be unable to provide, or that for once in your life you want to give without worrying about the financial burden. This is the fear you use when you don't take action.

Tips

Every time you feel you don't want to do something, think of what bad results may happen if you don't take action.

Try getting a friend or relative to punish you in a way if you don't get your goal.

Prepare Disaster Emergency Supplies

Have your family prepared for an emergency that may last for a few days or up to 2 weeks. The electricity may go out due to a weather event (snow storm, tsunami, flood, tornado, hurricane, earthquake), or a health emergency such as pandemic flu may affect your community. As the Boy and Girl Scouts motto says: Be Prepared!courtesy:ehow.com



Instructions:

> Assemble the supplies in a box or bag in a convenient location in your home. Notify all family members of its location.

> Keep a 2-week supply of items.

> Keep your supply up to date (remove outdated items).

> Prepare a similar supply for relatives or neighbors living alone.

Things You'll Need:

> Extra supply of prescription drugs.

> Extra medical devices and supplies.

> Pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough and cold medicines.

> Read-to-eat canned meats, fish, fruits, vegetables and soups.

> Protein or fruit bars.

> Dry cereal or granola.

> Dried fruits such as raisins, dates, apricots and plums.

> Bottled water.

> Canned juices.

> Canned or jarred baby food and formula.

> Pet food.

> Soap and water or alcohol-based hand wash.

> Vitamins.

> Batteries.

> Flashlight.

> Candles and matches.

> Portable radio.

> Garbage bags.

> Tissues, toilet paper, diapers, tampons.

> Manual can opener.

Be Fearless

Everyone wants to live without fear, but the task is more psychologically challenging than physically. Fears can be overcome through interaction with them in a safe environment. Fear is what you make of it, it is learned, like speaking, and can be unlearned.
courtesy:ehow.com


Steps to follow:

> Acknowledge your fear and realize that fears are natural and different for each person

> Talk with friends and loved ones about your fear and walk through the pros and cons of living with this fear.

> Acknowledge that it may take a while to overcome your fears. Mental health is more intricate, and sometimes people take months, if not years, or a lifetime to realize the invalidity of such a fear.

> Obtain comfort with the fear. The best way to overcome it is to confront the fear in a safe controlled environment being overseen by trained professionals and loved ones.

> Recognize fears are psychologically based upon our life's history. We need rewrite our history and confront the fear head on to become fearless.

> Acknowledge life is too short to live in fear, recognize, act, and live your life. Fears are internal, life is external, and it stops for no one.

> Most Important, keep a connection with the master!

Get Your Heart Young Again

Are you tired of having to deal with old age syndrome, feeling worn down, when you have plenty of years ahead of you? Wouldn't you like to let loose and enjoy life for a change? Being young at heart will allow you to live a spontaneous, carefree and exciting life.
courtesy:breezewriter, eHow.com



Follow these four simple steps and you will be on your way to having a younger heart:

> The first step to getting your heart young again is to forgive. Forgiveness is crucial in releasing those who have offended you. Holding on to past hurts keep you chained to a mental prison that you share alone, while your offender goes on happily with their life. Without opening your heart to forgiveness, you actually cultivate the root of bitterness to grow into a weed that will one day choke out what little love left you have in your heart. We all know that love makes the world go round.

> The second step to getting your heart young again is to not waste time meditating on the past. Why cry over spilt milk? You cannot go back and change the past, but you can appreciate the lessons learned from it. As Paul of Damascus once said, "this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before." The future always holds great things in store for those who dare to believe. Learn to be hopeful and anticipate good things to come your way.

> The third step to getting your heart young again is to laugh and laugh often. A merry heart makes one glad. Laughter is one of the best medicines around to cheer you up. The true young at heart enjoy life and find the humor in things. I once read a story about a man with a disease, who was determined to cure himself by watching comedies everyday for three months, and he laughed himself healed.

> The fourth and final step to getting your heart young again is to give thanks. Adopt an attitude of gratitude. Gratitude keeps you from sweating the small stuff and you will not be burdened down with the heavy stuff. Being grateful keeps the channels from heaven open for blessing to flow to you. Be appreciative of life and all it has to offer while incorporating Thanksgiving Day as a part of your everyday life.

The Health Benefits of Laughter

Research has shown that the health benefits of laughter are far-ranging. While more studies need to be done, studies so far have shown that laughter can help relieve pain, bring greater happiness, and even increase immunity. Positive psychology names the propensity for laughter and sense of humor as one of the 24 main signature strengths one can possess, and laughter yoga clubs are springing up across the country. Read on for more findings about the health benefits of laughter, and see how to incorporate more humor and fun into your life.courtesy:By Elizabeth Scott, M.S



Stress Management Benefits of Laughter:

Hormones: Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline), dopamine and growth hormone. It also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins, and neurotransmitters. Laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T cells. All this means a stronger immune system, as well as fewer physical effects of stress.

Physical Release: Have you ever felt like you "have to laugh or I'll cry"? Have you experienced the cleansed feeling after a good laugh? Laughter provides a physical and emotional release.

Internal Workout: A good belly laugh exercises the diaphragm, contracts the abs and even works out the shoulders, leaving muscles more relaxed afterward. It even provides a good workout for the heart.

Distraction: Laughter brings the focus away from anger, guilt, stress and negative emotions in a more beneficial way than other mere distractions.
Perspective: Studies show that our response to stressful events can be altered by whether we view something as a 'threat' or a 'challenge'. Humor can give us a more lighthearted perspective and help us view events as 'challenges', thereby making them less threatening and more positive. (For more on changing your perspective, see this article on cognitive reframing.)

Social Benefits of Laughter: Laughter connects us with others. Just as with smiling and kindness, most people find that laughter is contagious, so if you bring more laughter into your life, you can most likely help others around you to laugh more, and realize these benefits as well. By elevating the mood of those around you, you can reduce their stress levels, and perhaps improve the quality of social interaction you experience with them, reducing your stress level even more!

How To Use Laughter:

Laughter is one of my all-time favorite stress management strategies because it's free, convenient, and beneficial in so many ways. You can get more laughter in your life with the following strategies:

T.V. and Movies: There's no shortage of laughter opportunities from the entertainment, both at the theater and in the aisles of the video stores, as well as at home with T.V. comedies. While wasting your time watching something marginally funny may actually frustrate you, watching truly hilarious movies and shows is an easy way to get laughter into your life whenever you need it.

Laugh With Friends: Going to a movie or comedy club with friends is a great way to get more laughter in your life. The contagious effects of laughter may mean you'll laugh more than you otherwise would have during the show, plus you'll have jokes to reference at later times. Having friends over for a party or game night is also a great setup for laughter and other good feelings. (See this article on laughing more for additional tips on getting more fun and laughter into your life.)

Find Humor In Your Life: Instead of complaining about life's frustrations, try to laugh about them. If something is so frustrating or depressing it's ridiculous, realize that you could 'look back on it and laugh.' Think of how it will sound as a story you could tell to your friends, and then see if you can laugh about it now. With this attitude, you may also find yourself being more lighthearted and silly, giving yourself and those around you more to laugh about. Approach life in a more mirthful way and you'll find you're less stressed about negative events, and you'll achieve the health benefits of laughter. (See this article on maintaining a sense of humor.)

"Fake It Until You Make It": Just as studies show the positive effects of smiling occur whether the smile is fake or real, faked laughter also provides the benefits mentioned above. The body can't distinguish between 'fake' laughter that you just start doing on purpose, and 'real' laughter that comes from true humor--the physical benefits are exactly the same, and the former usually leads to the latter anyway. So smile more, and fake laughter; you'll still achieve positive effects, and the fake merriment may lead to real smiles and laughter.

More on Having Fun: See these additional suggestions on laughing more and having fun in your life.

How Yoga Can Change Your Life Forever

“Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured. ”

While it's true that you'll get out of your practice only as much as you're willing or able to put into it, a committed approach to your practice can help you in ways that you've never expected. Indeed practicing yoga could be the platform and motivation you need to completely transform your life.


courtesy:ezinearticles.com

The basic benefits of yoga are widely documented and have been extensively researched. Research into the more controversial benefits of yoga continue - at the time of writing, pubmed.org (a Service of the National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of health) listed more than 900 research papers investigating the benefits of yoga. A search on the internet typically reveals benefits which include:

> Increased fitness
> Increased strength
> Fat reduction and weight loss
> Relief of back pain
> Better relaxation

Individually these benefits sound like compelling reasons to practice yoga and may be exactly what you are looking for. But yoga is an all encompassing approach to health and well-being - the word itself literally means union, and when we look at the impact practicing yoga can have on our lives, we should also take an all encompassing approach. While yoga alone cannot work miracles, it may be the foundation, along with some self belief, to help you:-

Earn more money: Practicing yoga increases your ability to relax and cope with your daily stresses. It also helps to develop a meditative ability allowing you to slow or clear your mind of constantly racing thoughts. After a hard days work, these are exactly the techniques you need so you can unwind, and recharge through longer and deeper sleep. If you can achieve that then you'll feel more refreshed, energised and motivated each day, improving your focus and concentration. You can channel this in what ever direction you want including working towards a promotion, searching for your ideal job or starting your own business.

Write a book, learn to dance: As outlined above, regular yoga practice can help you increase your energy, motivation and focus as well as improving your concentration - all of which can be used to develop your personal hobbies and interests, whatever they may be, mental activities or physical ones.

Spend more time with your friends and family: Promotion and money aren't your motivators? How about using your increased energy levels to bring greater balance between your work and personal lives, allowing you to spend more time with the people that matter.

A shot of self confidence: performing regular exercise, combined with the positive effects yoga has on metabolism and appetite, can help with weight (fat) loss. Combine that slimming with the toning effect yoga has on your muscles and you can start to develop the body you want in no time - and be feeling better about yourself just as quick. What better boost is there to your self confidence?

Depression relief: Yoga postures are designed to stretch, compress and massage your internal organs and glands. This stimulation is thought to help balance hormone levels in the body, which can help to achieve a more balanced emotional state.

Quit smoking: As well as strengthening your resolve to quit through the increased motivation, energy and focus, yoga breathing techniques (pranayama) are ideal to help you pass the cravings that at the biggest hurdle to quitting smoking.

As you can see, the benefits of yoga go far beyond simply improving your wellbeing - the benefits can be channeled to help you to make fundamental improvements to your whole life. When the rewards are so great, it's not difficult to understand why people become so enthusiastic about yoga.

Make Home Almost Like Heaven

Life is to be enjoyed, and you spend so much of it at home. Here are some tips to make it better.



Sound: Keep your voice down, as in, don't yell at the kids (this is a real challenge for me but I'm making up for it in other ways)--

Play music. This completely changes the mood in the house more than anything else. It adds joy, or melancholy, or whatever mood of the piece you're playing.

Dance in the livingroom, or wherever the tunes are. Enjoy your rhythm with your family and friends spontaneously, whenever you want.

Smells: Buy lilies, which are my personal favorite, because they will last at least a week and often more, and will fill your house with a beautiful smell. There are other options for other noses, but there is nothing like flowers.

Bake bread. Lest you keel over with this seemingly overwhelming idea, I guarantee you that if you read a couple of articles on easy breads like no-knead rustic or quick-rising white, & then experiment a couple of times, you'll be baking in no time. This will not only make your house smell wonderful, but you'll be able to eat it too.

Sight: You don't have to have fancy furniture, or hardly any furniture, to make a house nice. What you do have to have is light, color, air. Let your spirit inform you of what color a room needs to be and then paint it. Don't be afraid of white, or red, or any other color, since it's for you.

If you need something to sit on, an ugly piece covered with a cloth, in a white drape, will go with anything and it can be washed. Or a beanbag chair. It's not about the furniture. If your budget includes that Roche Bobois piece for $10,000 that I've been drooling over for the last 15 years, go for it. Can't hurt.

Remove heavy drapes or window blinds if you possibly can. Replace with obscured glass if you need privacy. Open the windows in the summer and let breezes waft through your rooms, if you have a breeze.

Paintings or art for your wall are personal choices and if they make you happy to look at them, they don't need to be expensive. You can make some yourself. You don't need frames.

Honor your kids by hanging their art in the livingroom.

Stuff: Organize. Okay I'll admit it: this is hard for me. But it really helps to create a wonderful atmosphere when you have a place to put things, and you do actually put things away. It's so much more pleasant when the coats are in the closet and not on the hall floor.

Adult bedrooms are really important. It's where you need the most tranquility. Don't trash it, don't let the kids trash it, don't let anyone trash it. Change the sheets at least once a week or more, make the bed every morning; it's not that hard and takes a second. Don't let the dog (at least my dog) sleep on the bed.

Self: It can be fun to dress up when you're cooking, a la June Cleaver. Pie-baking dresses look good and are funny. Apron collections are cool and practical if they have bib fronts. And there are lots of other costume options too, for other occasions. Glamor girl, for when you go out, perfect mom, for school meetings, etc. Use your imagination.courtesy:ehow.com

Colors Affect Your Heart Rate / Life

Most people love color and want to paint every room in their house. Others don't care for it at all. If you are thinking of repainting you need to keep one thing in mind. Colors can effect out mood and make us sad or happy; they affect our eating habits and even our heart rate. Most people don't put this much though into color and what is does to us. It is proven that several colors actually raise our heart rates while others can lower it. Take into mind which color to paint a room with what you will be doing in that room.

If you are repainting a room that you are going to use to relax in you will want to use a color that will lower your heart rate.

If you are painting your home gym you will want one that will raise your heart rate. The color red.

The color yellow can actually raise your heart rate.

The color blue and purple lower it.



While yellow can raise your heart rate it can also improve your concentration which is why legal note pads are yellow. Yellow would be a very good color choice for a home office or a hobby room.

The color red is a tricky color; it can raise your heart rate and evoke passion and energy or is can make you frustrated or angry. This color is a popular choice in bedrooms or accent walls. If you use this as an accent wall you will be able to have a more muted reaction to it.

If you are looking to repaint a living room or dining room think about what you want the mood to be in there.

If you want an energetic and vibrant living room go with a bolder color like yellow.

But if you want a more relaxed casual living room to kick back in then think blues and greens and purples. It is very important to think about what mood you want for a room and what you do in that room before you repaint.

Keep in mind that colors can really change how you feel especially if you are looking at them on a daily basis.

Whichever you choose make sure to have a variety of rooms. You will want a relaxing room every once in a while and you will want a high energy room as well.
author:Jenny Dixie

Make Your Heart and Your Mind Work Together

The same voice in your mind that told you to act, is the same voice that ridicules you later for making that choice.



Am I the only one that thinks this is ridiculous?

I want to show you how I’ve learned to make my heart and mind get along.

Because unfortunately…

It’s typical in our society to feel a conflict between what we want to do (our heart) and what we feel is practical (our mind).

We end up living 1/3 of our lives in a cubicle for the “benefits.” We stay friends with people we only kind of like. We do and say things to fit in and seem cool that really go against what we feel is right in our hearts.

Because it’s caused so much heartache in my life, I’ve spend a lot of time trying to diagnose the source of this problem.

Is my heart at fault? Are my feelings just silly and frivolous? Or maybe it’s my mind that’s to blame. It seems like it’s always coming up with conflicting messages anyway.

And on it goes and we never really seem to get to it. There’s a lot of social conditioning that covers up and obscures things too. Even if you really feel like that’s the right choice, how do you know for sure? How do you know it’s not just what you think you should do?

All of this might sound a little over the top, but it’s a real problem. It ruins lives because people can’t make up their minds about whether or not the path of their heart is valid or not. They end up living a shadow of the possibility that they could. All because they couldn’t make up their mind.

There’s a simple answer to this problem. It might seem even a little too simple. But most things are. Bruce Lee once said “The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity.” I believe this.

First… let’s take a look at where this problem starts.

Confusing the purpose of the heart and mind

The main reason we suffer from this illness of indecision, is that we’ve mistaken the purpose of heart and mind. The heart is like a compass, it’s purpose is to guide the direction our lives should take. Our heart takes a birds eye view on our life and says “this is where you’re at and this is the direction you need to go.”

Our mind on the other hand isn’t made for making purpose driven decisions. The nature of the mind is that it conceptualizes, organizes and compares information. It does this as best it can and says “here are the facts, here’s both sides of the story.”

If we compare our mind and heart to a courtroom, our mind would be the defendant and the plaintiff (both stories) and our heart would be justice or the judge (the right direction).

The reason we’re so troubled by this conflict of head vs heart is that the mind is not only playing the prosecutor and the defense, but has take over the role of the judge as well.

The mind should never be the judge. The minds job is to compare and contrast. To sort things out and say “this is what I’ve got, do what you want with it.”

But more often than not, our mind isn’t doing that. Our mind is making our choices. What’s worse, is even when we don’t need our mind to be at work, it’s still going. Comparing and contrasting everything. Brooding, mostly.

Have you ever noticed that even when it’s completely unnecessary to think about anything, your mind is still going? Have noticed that when this is happening, your mind is getting in the way of your experience? Just a few examples of this that come to mind for me are; sex, watching a sunset, or taking a shower. My mind really doesn’t need to be thinking while doing these things. There’s no point. At all.

Taming the mind

Before we can get the mind to take a break when we don’t need to be incessantly thinking, we have to make friends with it first. If we try to tell our mind to go away, or that we don’t need it, we’ll just encourage it all the more. Instead of a retreat we’ll get a resurgence. We don’t want that.

So if we want to end the conflict of head and heart, we’ve got to figure out a way to marry this disparate pair.

Remember when I told you the answer to this problem is simple? Well, it is. But it won’t be easy at first, because we’ve been doing it all wrong for so long.

What we have to do is only use our mind to go with ourselves. The Latin root for sin means “to go against.” So we have to learn to be without sin.

We have to learn to constantly realigning our decisions to be “with ourselves.”

Have you ever wondered how to tell whether a decision is right? It seems so difficult, doesn’t it? But it becomes so easy when you think “Is this choice going with me, or against me?” You’ll find that the right choice is immediately evident.

If you can learn to practice this every time you make a choice, you’ll start to regain your personal power.

You’ll create a marriage of your heart and mind. Maybe then their child (you) won’t have permanent emotional damage from the divorce it’s been suffering from for so long.

Make the choice today. Just try it out. I think you’ll like it.
courtesy:zenhabits.net