Ten No Cost Options

Ten No Cost Options

By Linda Hancock

At the beginning of each new year it is easy to set goals that have a big price-tag. But that doesn't have to be the case. In fact, planning expensive activities or shopping for material items can be the complete opposite of what is needed right now.

Here are some ideas that will help you to focus on things that will help bring more health and wealth into your life:
1. Vacation - A five star all-inclusive might not be your best choice. Perhaps taking a week off to stay at home and rest would be wiser! Many people book the big trip and come home exhausted and broke. If your home is comfortable, why not enjoy it? Or spend a couple of days making it more comfortable and then take the rest of the week to relax?
2. Exercise - History shows that gym memberships encourage commitment for January but by February participation drops significantly. Research also states that one of the very best forms of exercise you can do is to go for a walk three times a week. If you are worried about the slippery ground, why not head to a mall where you have lots of room to walk in an interesting environment. I was so impressed to watch my eighty year old aunt maintain her health by setting the clock on her stove and then walking briskly throughout her house during the dead of winter!
3. Food - Spending just $10.00 a day at a restaurant or drive through means that you are giving over $2000.00 a year away when you could have packed a nutritious lunch for far less. I find it interesting that parents will make lunches for the children to take to school but not make one for themselves. Investing a little extra time can provide you with a great saving and a better diet.
4. Clothing - If you sort and organize your closet and drawers, you likely will find things that you forgot you own. You probably don't need to go shopping! Just try on the items you have. If they don't fit or make you look dumpy, get rid of them. Make sure that everything else is clean, mended and visible so that you can save time getting dressed as well as money!
5. Family Activities - Rather than spending fifty to one hundred dollars for popcorn and a movie, set up a theatre night at home. Choose a day of skating at a community rink rather than an expensive ski holiday. A library card is less than the costs of one book and will give you access to newspapers, movies, music and programs as well as books for a whole year.
6. Social Interaction - Invite friends, family or neighbours to your house rather than only planning times to go out together. Board games, cards or a puzzle can provide lots of laughter at no cost.
7. Repairs - Over the past few years people have bought into the idea that things are disposable and need to be thrown away unless they are perfect. Sometimes a little mending will renew an outfit. Home renovations can be accomplished with a little know how. If you are willing to learn and invest some sweat equity, you can save a lot of money and enjoy a little healthy pride. Think like the teens of today who know that anything is possible with YouTube!
8. Personal Development - You don't need to enroll in Harvard University to become more knowledgeable. Start by reading a book or two. Learn a language from a neighbour. Build your resume by volunteering. Just decide what skills you would like to have and then consider the many options available.
9. Time Efficiency - Use your head not your feet. Never walk anywhere without having something in your hands. Use television commercials to do tasks and soon you will find that housework is done by the end of a movie. Organize your kitchen and your desk so that you can find things easily.
10. Rest - Bed should be for sleep and sex only - not for balancing your cheque book or worrying. Lunch and coffee breaks are important. Don't let anything steal them from you! Think about dogs and cats. They incorporate play and rest into every day.

If you are hoping that this year will bring you better health and increased wealth, just take a little time to consider the many little changes that will lead to success!

And now I would like to invite you to claim your Free Instant Access to a complimentary list of 10 Steps to Making Your Life an Adventure when you visit http://lindahancock.com

From Dr. Linda Hancock, Registered Psychologist and Registered Social Worker

Article Source: Ten No Cost Options

Where Do You Spend Your Time? Past, Present or Future?

Where Do You Spend Your Time? Past, Present or Future?

By Linda Hancock

There are three places where you can live your life:

1. In the past - People who have regrets and are "stuck" thinking about things that cannot be corrected often experience depression. Some therapists believe that anger turned inward becomes depression. So, when you combine past hurts with anger but pretend that everything is okay you are setting yourself up for trouble! It is like trying to hold a beach under water. You put all your energy into trying to hold it down but that won't last for very long. You can try to hold your emotions down but when they pop up everyone, including you will likely be surprised by their intensity.

2. In the future - Fear, control, perfectionism, worry and anxiety are all cousins. Sometimes people focus all their energy on what hasn't even happened yet. Their fear causes them to want to control things and often leads to perfectionism, worry and anxiety. "What if... ?" is a frequent phrase used by individuals who tend to focus on the future.

3. In the present - Sometimes today is filled with boredom and loneliness. Sometimes it seems stressful and challenging. The best way to deal with the present, is to have all your wits about you so that you can choose interesting ways to address what is in front of you. When your thoughts, feelings and behaviours are devoted to the past or the future, you are robbing today! You cannot reach your potential and make good choices if you are trying to resolve issues from the past or predict the future.

Over the years I have watched people who get into trouble and realize that it is frequently because they have difficulty living in the present. Some focus on what "should" have happened or what "should" happen instead of on what "is" happening. They blame others for slights that occurred decades ago and unfortunately, they are usually the only one who remembers this. They have difficulty forgiving others or themselves and this prevents them from letting go and moving forward in a healthy manner.

Others think so much about all the things that "might" happen in the future that they are unable to enjoy what is going on right now. They expect the worst from relatives, the weather, government and a myriad of things that they not only cannot control but might actually never happen.

So how can you live in the present when you mind reverts to past injustices or future threats?
1. Create a peaceful environment. Organize your life in a way that incorporates positive blessings such as calm music, pleasant activities and healthy food.
2. Protect yourself from toxic triggers. Turn the television off so that you aren't inundated with negative news. Maintain good boundaries with people who are always draining you. Don't let their crisis become your crisis. Take breaks from the outside world by not always answering your phone or having your door open.
3. Say what you want (not what you don't want). Write and practice using affirmations.
4. Seek professional help to get you on the right track!

And now I would like to invite you to claim your Free Instant Access to a complimentary list of 10 Steps to Making Your Life an Adventure when you visit http://lindahancock.com

From Dr. Linda Hancock, Registered Psychologist and Registered Social Worker

Article Source: Where Do You Spend Your Time? Past, Present or Future?

Grey Hair Is Elegant

Grey Hair Is Elegant

By Tajamul Hussain

People betray themselves into dyeing their grays. They however, don't realize that it makes them look much older than they really are. God in His kindness and wisdom causes the hair to keep pace with the declining freshness of the face. The physiognomy always looks fresher and younger when the dark hair of youth begins to be sprinkled with white. An aged face wrinkled and pallid or one that has lost the delicate red and white of youth and become fat and coarse are both softened and refined by gray on white hair. The cosmetic advantage of this color of hair is apparent to anyone who makes the experiment of putting a dark or black wig upon the head of a person from whose complexion the colors and freshness of youth have departed. The greatest secret of the toiletries is to make the face seem more youthful than the surroundings. This cannot be done by any head gears and caps, too juvenile, or by the use of youthful-colored hair. On the contrary just the opposite is produced by juvenile head-gear. It tells people, you're not twenty years younger than you are. But then, who is fooled by hair-dye, really? What about hands, neck, your children's age, and the things you talk about, the words you use.

Dyeing on certain scalps can cause things such as bladder cancer and other types of cancers. Stinging, burning, itching on the scalp or hair loss is reported even after the hair color has been removed. Once the hair has been colored, it must continue being colored and touched up every two to six weeks so as to maintain the illusion. It's like some terrifying vicious cycle. To make certain that roots don't show continual dyeing wreaks utter havoc on the health and shine factor of our hair. The cost/time burden on account of upkeep at the rate we're undergoing today, keeping our color treated hair as healthy, can end us up costing equal to purchasing a new used car.

People that choose to color their grey hair are all eyes to increase their youthful years. In the denial mode about their age, these 'worriers' make all attempts to try to prevent it from taking over. They use dyes and other hair products to create a younger image as if there was so much you couldn't prevent in a time of uncertainty that they want to control everything. These fellows are afraid of aging because they're afraid of facing the idea of dying. It's difficult to give up on those golden ringlets, that shiny dark mane or those sweet strawberry tresses, but then somewhere down the line it has to be done. When you spend at least forty years of your life looking one way, and then suddenly it changes, it's bound to take some time getting used to. Something that bothers these people about gray and white is that they might feel it detracts them from their identity. Having seen oneself as a black-haired they may feel, gray and white takes them into some homogenized "realm of the graying people", where we're all alike, and where white hair becomes some sort of identity-sucking leveler of some kind.

To 'Acceptors' grey hair looks like it is 100% natural and 100% theirs. As the look would exude the feeling of success, maturity and sophistication, the men with graying or salt-and-pepper hair seem to look forward to as they mature. They put a positive spin on getting older and create a different mind setting from others. Even in their 20's these fellows have no hesitation in accepting their first gray hair rather than plucking or dyeing them as a sign of maturity. They embrace their first taste of sophistication, as they understand there is nothing that anyone can do to prevent the changes of Nature. They aim at staying fit and live longer and healthy. Living younger doesn't mean same as appearing younger. They're not self-conscious about their looks. If they feel better by staying fit, they act younger rather than appearing younger through hair dyes. 'Gray is the new black'. Not only have these guys accepted that they're entering their golden years, but they're embracing their silver locks. For them gray hair represents experience, sophistication, education, power, and wealth, rather than frailty.

Grey hair isn't at all gray as its name would seem to denote, but the grey effect is produced by the intermingling off-white hairs with the darker original shade of the hair, and the grey appearance is present until all or most of the hair has changed color when it appears as pure white. The hair doesn't generally commence to turn grey until the nervous power has begun to decline. The hair of many persons who have received shocks has turned grey or white in a short time and sometimes in a single night. Gray hair forms as a result of a gradual decrease of melanin in our hair follicles throughout our lives. As we grow older the melanin runs out and our hair turns into anything from whiskey white to silver. Not only can't you prevent from going gray, you can't stop the onset. Going gray can begin at any time throughout our lives and is based primarily on genetics.

Men generally aren't interested in spending too much time getting things like their hair just right. Attitudes towards beauty constantly changing, today, it is self-respect, assurance, and confidence that need to accept maturity and embrace your gray hair. It's no longer to be questioned if your gray hair makes you look older. Gray hair is elegant, shiny if kept well, can be worn with confidence. Remember, if human beings were born with white hair which darkened as we grew older, most people would be crazy about dying their hair gray or white. It isn't about the color; it's about what it stands for.

Article Source: Grey Hair Is Elegant

My Political PRAYER For 2018

My Political PRAYER For 2018

By Richard Brody

Many individuals make year - end, New Year's resolutions, which, while generally being sincere, and well - intentioned, when made, end up, being, abandoned, shortly thereafter! When it comes to our society, and world affairs, there are often, many challenges and obstacles, as well as some great qualities, and occurrences. However, we recently witnessed, a year (2017), which appeared, to be, like few others, in recent memory, and while some, seemed enthusiastic, and encouraged, many of us, believe, it challenged the so - called, norms, as well as attacked, certain freedoms, and protections, that many Americans, have held dear. With, both, what happened, in the past, as well as last year, as well as my hopes and aspirations, towards the future, this article will attempt to briefly examine, and review, using the mnemonic approach, my political PRAYER, for 2018.

1. People over politics; policy; peace; priorities: I am sick - and - tired, of the increased degree of partisan politics, and yearn, for a time, when we place, the best interests of our people, over political considerations! Wouldn't it be wonderful, if our national policy, emphasised, the best set of priorities, and we did, everything possible, to bring forth, world peace, and security?

2. Rational; rationale; relevant: We must examine the rationale, of those, we elect to represent our needs, and best interests, and ensure, their mindsets, are rational, and relevant! I pray, for our politics, to be inclusive, and caring, rather than merely, serving any specific political agenda, and/ or self - interest!

3. Attitude; attention; articulate: Wouldn't we be, better served, and represented, if our elected officials, would articulate, an inclusive, caring, cooperative message, rather than a polarizing one? If these individuals possessed a positive, can - do, attitude, and paid keen attention, to all Americans, and providing, the necessary commitment to life, liberty, and the pursuit of justice, my prayers would be answered!

4. Yes; you: Shouldn't leaders focus on saying, "Yes," to the possibilities, rather than proceeding, to blame and complain? 2017 showed us, political leadership, which focused on stirring the pot, and avoiding any sort of personal responsibility. President Donald Trump has created an environment, which has pitted, one segment of society, against another, and perpetuated an emphasis on polarizing, rather than uniting! I pray for politicians and elected officials, who put you, and your interests first, rather than their personal agenda, and/ or self - interest!

5. Environment; economy: While 2017, indicated, the environment, and environmental protections, appear, to be less, than priorities, for President Trump, and his administration, based on his taking the United States, out of the Paris Accords, and weakening certain regulations, and protections. I fear for the health, and future generations, because, without clean air, and water, etc, the quality of life, could be threatened! While the majority party considers the enactment of their tax reform legislation, to be their finest moment, I feel, it unfairly favors certain areas of others, and the wealthiest Americans, over the rest of our society! My prayer for our nation, would be better protecting our environment, and making the economy, work better, for average citizens!

6. Reasoning; responsive; reduce rhetoric: If there would be a reduction in empty, often - provocative rhetoric, and greater, far more responsive political leadership, we would truly, be making America greater! Political leaders must enhance their commitment, to reasoning, which is both relevant, and truly, sustainable, and considers, potential ramifications, and prepares for possible contingencies!

Wouldn't we all be better off, if this PRAYER, was answered? Let's work together, to make our nation, the best, it can be!

Richard has owned businesses, been a COO, CEO, Director of Development, consultant, professionally run events, consulted to thousands, conducted personal development seminars, and worked on political campaigns, for 4 decades. Rich has written three books and thousands of articles. Website: http://plan2lead.net and LIKE the Facebook page for common sense politics: http://facebook.com/commonsense4all

Article Source: My Political PRAYER For 2018

Jungle Laws of Indian Bureaucrats

Jungle Laws of Indian Bureaucrats

By Tajamul Hussain

In any other country, can you imagine hordes of youngsters passing out of I.I.T and I.I.M and then forsaking million rupees salary packages to become a bureaucrat with a starting salary of just about Rs 35,000-40000 a month? If someone says he or she's doing all this to 'serve' society/country, remember, the statement is as hollow as the one made by a crooked politician who claims to serve his people. Bureaucrats are the real 'power' behind the throne. And unlike politicians who do have to face the electorate every now and then, bureaucrats are completely and totally unaccountable. They know it. That they'd stand upright and do a decent job, the young idealists soon come to the realization how difficult is it to survive in the civil service. Within a few months, they turn into skeptics. In about two years they learn to become obedient government servants cloned by the hundreds of various service academics even though exceptions are always there.

Politicians cannot make a killing unless an obedient government servant is around there to come to help and abet them. The lure of money increases the loyalty to powerful authorities and strengthens the command hierarchy. People love a guy who does extra-work, is extra-courteous, always loyal and extra-subservient to power centers. He'll be known for throwing lavish parties and giving expensive gifts. A bureaucrat that believes in throwing parties is most certainly capable than an honest one who may or may not be capable. The former has a friend circle and knowhow to keep powerful authorities in good humor. He basks under the sunshine of his masters, for remember, nobody bows to another person for nothing.

People are busy defending their positions, fending for themselves, protecting their interests and furthering their objectives. They're busy passing the buck, passing the buck back again, or firing from someone else's shoulder. As everyone is guided by the 'what-is-in-it-for-me' factor none may support an individual when he's vulnerable. In times of need, he's always alone. One isn't conscripted into bureaucracy but does voluntarily join it for livelihood to earn better pay and enjoy better service benefit. He isn't expected to join to further his personal beliefs or even to serve the people. Once he feels it's to his benefit to violate the norm he may violate the norm. He may side with the forces he's supposed to fight against. The easier way of refurbishing one's image may not be by doing good works, but by tarnishing other's image by spreading rumors, planting canards, and creating suspicions. In the 'Atlas syndrome' the mythical Atlas supports the weight of the earth on his shoulders. A civil servant brags as if he were holding the bureaucracy on his shoulders and if he ever stumbles the whole setup will collapse. He makes incessant remarks about himself and incessantly disparaging remarks about everyone else. A successful person blows trumpet the loudest, drowning all murmurs against him.

The curious crab-like attitude calls for dawdling over the simplest of decisions, vacillating when it comes to taking the big initiative and displaying a keen sense of self-preservation. At the first sense of danger, the bureaucrat would dive into his shell and shirk all responsibility. His dithering is born out of fear that he'll face suspension or transfer or receive bad A.P.Rs for taking some action that annoys the people who wield influence. As a result of the heightened sense of insecurity/frustration, he's unable to go out of his way to clear someone's files that are stuck in the bureaucratic labyrinth. If he goes strictly by the rules he's accused of harassing the public and is labeled a heartless bureaucrat. As you take a decision that affects the lives of many people for every friend the bureaucrat makes with a favorite decision he may end up making many enemies baying for his blood. Remember, for every strict bureaucrat who will not violate rules at some one's bidding, the system encourages another bureaucrat who is willing to risk violating the rules.

If one doesn't belong to any group none will be ones friend. One will be everyone's enemy. One should be careful of one's current friend. They're ones potential enemies in future. They may be only fair-weather friends. Two bureaucrats aren't friends indeed. As such they may not be friends in need. If a bureaucrat is successfully convicted on corruption charges, the credit goes more to the efficiency of his enemies rather than to the vigilance organization or the disciplinary authority. But for his enemies, none would have smelt even a whiff of his corrupt practices. Bureaucracy is about the power struggle, not the truth, and therefore looks for ammunition to use in the power struggle. He who has fewer weaknesses is difficult to control. A rule-abiding honest bureaucrat has no reason to pitch an extra work than that is required of him. He's no reason to be extra subservient to anybody. He's no motivation to go beyond the brief, to ingratiate himself with the boss by being his yes-man. He's dry and difficult to be handled. He's a thorn in the flesh, relatively unreliable, disobedient and a hard nut to crack. His demeanor brings him a tag of misfit, finicky, stubborn, negative, inflexible, pusillanimous etcetera. Most hated person, he's sort of innocent child who often lands parents in big trouble with his childlike sincerity, fruitfulness, and innocence. If his good action harms vested interests he'll be chastised for it, let alone rewarded. Life grows hell for him. The shunted officer is an outcast, contemptible and sympathized with as someone who has been wronged.

People don't get posted unless they lobby for it. He's seldom lucky to get off own because someone was lobbying for the superior post once the fellow is shunted to the inferior post it means something is amiss. The poor fellow will only vegetate, lose sheen to the detriment of his career. In the absence of perks the honest bureaucrat may not hanker after any post of responsibility and may be perpetually on compulsory waiting for posting (i.e. not being given any post of responsibility at all). Others see only an opportunity in it for own advancement. The latter hanker after postings, curry favor and try to be in good books of higher-ups and not to the person as propounded by Webber. Sincerity and speaking the truth land people in serious trouble. The peaceful existence calls for refraining from meddling or blowing whistle.

Article Source:  Jungle Laws of Indian Bureaucrats