With an original bloodsucker, the leech, you know exactly what they look like and you can remove them! Banking institutions however, are target driven to prey remorselessly on the natural desires and greed of our ‘want it all now’ society. When they eventually pull up the drawbridge to further predatory lending (probably just when the client most NEEDS their help), the victim is often forced into the jaws of even worse loan sharks.
The ‘money business’ is actively allowed to wander from an ethical path, by successive governments who just don’t care. For them, ‘blind eye politics’ is mostly tax income advantageous. Many debtors, who bravely tried to climb on to the ladder of property ownership, now find their dreams in tatters as bankruptcy and repossession take their terrible toll.
Debt Related Anxiety is a ‘hidden from the world’ anxiety where you just do not know how you are going to physically and mentally survive another day, week or month. Minimal food is on the table; you cannot talk to anyone and fear answering the telephone. Creditors/debt collectors are knocking the door as Courts of Justice daily condone forced entry and repossessions.
We are not talking here about the victims always being financially ignorant clowns. The vast majority are decent and proud people, who made a decision to borrow money for one reason or another and then Life played them into the jaws of debt misery. Few debtors are real cowboys, (apologies to real cowboys y’all!); mostly they are people who do not (or cannot) think things through logically. They believe that their lives/income will always get better and they will not age, become ill or lose their job or a partner’s income. Am I cynical about the ruthlessness of the money machine? Not at all, because that is what it is, totally ruthless.
The totally unprincipled pursuit of lending vast amounts of money to people, who could not expect to pay it back in two lifetimes, beggars belief. The payback is from a captive customer base paying exorbitant interest rates and inevitable penalty fees when the ‘halo period’ is over.
The ‘I Want it Now’ society has been spawned and nurtured by successive governments who are suspiciously oblivious to the outcome for the debtors caught in the proverbial ‘debt trap’. (After all, the debtors deserved their problems did they not?) They had the money and must now pay the piper. These elected individuals’ mentality lives ‘on the hill’ either in actuality or in their selective conscience. The fact that the lesser fortunate are really suffering because of uncaring, deluded or even intentional fiscal policy is totally irrelevant, until election time that is, when their transparently false, caring sideshow is brought to the fore!
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Jogging has always been a great way to get in shape. It can be a very satisfying way to get going in an exercise program. You can run alone or with other people and it will help strengthen your cardiovascular system. You can burn more calories by jogging in a shorter period of time and best of all it does not cost a lot to get started. The rest of this article will take a closer look at the benefits of jogging.
One of the reasons I think jogging is a really good exercise is because you can run with other people. This almost always increases your odds of staying with it. When you have to explain to your running partner that you do not want to go jogging today it makes it a little harder to not go. Hanging out and jogging with a friend not only helps your health out it can also be a lot of fun.
Running on a regular schedule will help out your cardiovascular system. Getting your heart rate up to a healthy level will help improve your health in many different ways.
Because running is considered an exercise of high intensity you can burn more calories by jogging. It should not take as long to burn away the calories when you are jogging so you should be able to burn more calories in a shorter period of time. This is great news for you if you have a busy lifestyle or just do not want to spend a bunch of time exercising.
One of the best reasons to take up jogging is because it does not cost a lot of money to get started. You can get started for no more than a decent pair of running shoes. You can often jog in your neighborhood so there are no expensive gyms to join unless you choose to. Money does not need to be an issue when you decide to start jogging.
One of the reasons I think jogging is a really good exercise is because you can run with other people. This almost always increases your odds of staying with it. When you have to explain to your running partner that you do not want to go jogging today it makes it a little harder to not go. Hanging out and jogging with a friend not only helps your health out it can also be a lot of fun.
Running on a regular schedule will help out your cardiovascular system. Getting your heart rate up to a healthy level will help improve your health in many different ways.
Because running is considered an exercise of high intensity you can burn more calories by jogging. It should not take as long to burn away the calories when you are jogging so you should be able to burn more calories in a shorter period of time. This is great news for you if you have a busy lifestyle or just do not want to spend a bunch of time exercising.
One of the best reasons to take up jogging is because it does not cost a lot of money to get started. You can get started for no more than a decent pair of running shoes. You can often jog in your neighborhood so there are no expensive gyms to join unless you choose to. Money does not need to be an issue when you decide to start jogging.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Lung cancer is the leading type of cancer causing death among men and women of the world. It is only since the 1930s that cases of lung cancer started to increase. This is mainly due to tobacco consumption, and the much disputed pollution and smog around the globe. 90% of lung cancers are caused by smoking. Recently, governments and states around the globe have raised the price of tobacco dramatically, having some significant effect on societies in cutting down on tobacco smoking.
Some people mistakenly believe that pipe and cigar smoking do not have such a harmful effect on the lungs as cigarettes. Cigar and pipe smokers are at 5% higher risk to die of lung cancer than non-smokers. This ratio is 25% for people smoking cigarettes.
Passive smokers, i.e., smokers who do not smoke themselves but stay in an environment where others smoke, and inhale smoke, are at 24% higher risk of developing cancer (only 1% less than a cigarette smoker.)
Other danger factors in developing cancer are asbestos fibres, radon gas, familial predispositions (genetic), and other lung diseases, along with air pollution.
Lung cancers are categorized into two types. Small cell and non-small cell lung cancer. This distinction is based on the appearance of the cells under microscopic examination and the appearance of tumor cells. The two types of cancers spread and grow in different ways, thus the distinction.
Small cell cancer is the most aggressive and rapidly growing type of cancers, and it makes up 20% of related cancers. It tends to grow first in the larger breathing tubes and grows very fast spreading around a large area. In its initial stage, it is more sensitive to chemotherapy, but it often bears worse prognosis. This type of cancer is mainly related with smoking.
On the other hand, for non-small cell lung cancer, the prognosis is poor. Patients treated with chemotherapy live generally only three months longer than those who do not get treatment. This type is divided into further two types, one starting from the larger breathing tubes but spreading around slower. This means that the size of these tumors varies when diagnosed. 50-60% of non-small cell cancer starts growing around the gas-exchanging surface of the lung. This form is most common for smokers, and along these there are female non-smokers who are mainly affected.
Some people mistakenly believe that pipe and cigar smoking do not have such a harmful effect on the lungs as cigarettes. Cigar and pipe smokers are at 5% higher risk to die of lung cancer than non-smokers. This ratio is 25% for people smoking cigarettes.
Passive smokers, i.e., smokers who do not smoke themselves but stay in an environment where others smoke, and inhale smoke, are at 24% higher risk of developing cancer (only 1% less than a cigarette smoker.)
Other danger factors in developing cancer are asbestos fibres, radon gas, familial predispositions (genetic), and other lung diseases, along with air pollution.
Lung cancers are categorized into two types. Small cell and non-small cell lung cancer. This distinction is based on the appearance of the cells under microscopic examination and the appearance of tumor cells. The two types of cancers spread and grow in different ways, thus the distinction.
Small cell cancer is the most aggressive and rapidly growing type of cancers, and it makes up 20% of related cancers. It tends to grow first in the larger breathing tubes and grows very fast spreading around a large area. In its initial stage, it is more sensitive to chemotherapy, but it often bears worse prognosis. This type of cancer is mainly related with smoking.
On the other hand, for non-small cell lung cancer, the prognosis is poor. Patients treated with chemotherapy live generally only three months longer than those who do not get treatment. This type is divided into further two types, one starting from the larger breathing tubes but spreading around slower. This means that the size of these tumors varies when diagnosed. 50-60% of non-small cell cancer starts growing around the gas-exchanging surface of the lung. This form is most common for smokers, and along these there are female non-smokers who are mainly affected.
Stress can and does impact the body physically, emotionally and even behaviorally. A few danger signs to look out for are:
Emotional Distress.
When you find your emotions running rampant, it may be time to evaluate the stressors in your life. Sudden mood changes, unreasonable anxiety, finding it difficult to get to sleep or staying asleep, trouble concentrating, and even excess worry and feeling tense all of the time, are sure signs of stress.
Behavioral indicators.
Do you notice that you tend to overreact? Do you act on impulse or withdraw from relationships with friends, family, or even your co-workers? Are you using drugs or alcohol more frequently than ever before? It may be these stresses in your life are having a negative effect on the manner in which you deal with the pressures around you.
Physical Symptoms.
Stress is known to have a negative effect on an individuals health. As stress builds up over time, with very little release, anxiety can turn inward, causing both annoying physical complaints like fatigue and headaches, to more grave problems like diabetes and strokes, among others. Too much stress has also been linked to some strains of cancer.
When somebody starts to show these signs, chances are stress has already begun to impact their lives in a negative way. They could be feeling overwhelmed or seriously tired, or have a list of more serious health complaints.
Depression too has been linked to chronic stress, especially for those with a family history of the disease. Special care should be taken when the stress factors in life start to impact you so greatly that intense feelings of melancholy ensue. Depression, like stress, can be treated with medication and therapy and must never be ignored.
Emotional Distress.
When you find your emotions running rampant, it may be time to evaluate the stressors in your life. Sudden mood changes, unreasonable anxiety, finding it difficult to get to sleep or staying asleep, trouble concentrating, and even excess worry and feeling tense all of the time, are sure signs of stress.
Behavioral indicators.
Do you notice that you tend to overreact? Do you act on impulse or withdraw from relationships with friends, family, or even your co-workers? Are you using drugs or alcohol more frequently than ever before? It may be these stresses in your life are having a negative effect on the manner in which you deal with the pressures around you.
Physical Symptoms.
Stress is known to have a negative effect on an individuals health. As stress builds up over time, with very little release, anxiety can turn inward, causing both annoying physical complaints like fatigue and headaches, to more grave problems like diabetes and strokes, among others. Too much stress has also been linked to some strains of cancer.
When somebody starts to show these signs, chances are stress has already begun to impact their lives in a negative way. They could be feeling overwhelmed or seriously tired, or have a list of more serious health complaints.
Depression too has been linked to chronic stress, especially for those with a family history of the disease. Special care should be taken when the stress factors in life start to impact you so greatly that intense feelings of melancholy ensue. Depression, like stress, can be treated with medication and therapy and must never be ignored.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
In addition to these staggering figures, stress takes its toll through the added costs of quality control, legal challenges, lost opportunities, poor performance, bad attitudes, and training.
We cannot do much about the skyrocketing costs of medical care and prescription drugs, but we can take immediate action to control the top ten causes of stress as identified by The Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health.
The countdown is:
10. "Workload" – Employees report that they are often stressed when they have too little or too much to do. Managers need to divide responsibilities and help employees prioritize work that must be done. Make sure you understand the impact before shifting responsibilities. Take into account the cost of stress before you increase anyone’s workload or hire more people.
9. "Random interruptions" - Telephones, pagers, walk-in visits, and spontaneous demands from supervisors all contribute to increased stress. Time management, delegation of responsibilities, and clarification of expectations can reduce these stressors. 8. "Pervasive uncertainty" – Stress levels increase rapidly when people are confronted by new requirements and procedures. Keeping people informed controls stress and increases productivity. Put details in a memo so they can review the facts following your explanations.
7. "Mistrust and unfairness" - These situations keep everyone on edge, create bad attitudes, and lower productivity. It is important to keep an open line of communication to avoid misunderstanding and know what people are thinking about your decisions. Managers must consistently build trust and give equal treatment - just do the right thing.
6. "Unclear policies and no sense of direction" - Lack of focus causes uncertainty and undermines confidence in management. You need more than a well-written policy manual. Enforcement of policies and clear communications are essential.
To make sure everyone gets the message, you can repeat your explanation in a variety of ways – repetition and feedback are important. Reinforce policies through memos, articles, bulletin board postings, personal meetings, and small group discussions.
5. "Career and job ambiguity" - If people are uncertain about their jobs and careers, there is a feeling of helplessness and of being out of control. In addition to the trusted job descriptions and annual personnel reviews, people need to understand a broad range of issues that affect the company.
News of mergers, consolidations, plant closings, and restructuring contribute to a feeling of helplessness. Management must keep people informed about situations that will affect their jobs, or the rumor mill will add to an already stressful situation.
4. "No feedback - good or bad” – People want to know whether they are meeting expectations. Consistent, written and verbal, personalized feedback is required. Some people need more attention than others, but everyone’s performance is enhanced if leaders frequently affirm individual efforts.
3. "No appreciation” - Failure to show appreciation generates stress that endangers productivity throughout the company. There are many ways to demonstrate appreciation, but the most effective is a sincere comment about how much the person means to you and the company.
2. "Lack of communications" - Poor communication leads to decreased performance and increased stress. Management memos and announcements work well for distributing information, but two-way conversation improves communication and solicits ideas and suggestions while reducing stress and complaints.
1. “Lack of control” – Workplace stress is at its greatest when employees have no say regarding things that affect them. You can decrease sensitivity to all the other stressors and give a sense of being in control by involving employees in operating and administrative decisions and acting on their input. Frontline employees know what they are talking about. Listening to what they have to say reduces stress and increases productivity.
We cannot do much about the skyrocketing costs of medical care and prescription drugs, but we can take immediate action to control the top ten causes of stress as identified by The Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health.
The countdown is:
10. "Workload" – Employees report that they are often stressed when they have too little or too much to do. Managers need to divide responsibilities and help employees prioritize work that must be done. Make sure you understand the impact before shifting responsibilities. Take into account the cost of stress before you increase anyone’s workload or hire more people.
9. "Random interruptions" - Telephones, pagers, walk-in visits, and spontaneous demands from supervisors all contribute to increased stress. Time management, delegation of responsibilities, and clarification of expectations can reduce these stressors. 8. "Pervasive uncertainty" – Stress levels increase rapidly when people are confronted by new requirements and procedures. Keeping people informed controls stress and increases productivity. Put details in a memo so they can review the facts following your explanations.
7. "Mistrust and unfairness" - These situations keep everyone on edge, create bad attitudes, and lower productivity. It is important to keep an open line of communication to avoid misunderstanding and know what people are thinking about your decisions. Managers must consistently build trust and give equal treatment - just do the right thing.
6. "Unclear policies and no sense of direction" - Lack of focus causes uncertainty and undermines confidence in management. You need more than a well-written policy manual. Enforcement of policies and clear communications are essential.
To make sure everyone gets the message, you can repeat your explanation in a variety of ways – repetition and feedback are important. Reinforce policies through memos, articles, bulletin board postings, personal meetings, and small group discussions.
5. "Career and job ambiguity" - If people are uncertain about their jobs and careers, there is a feeling of helplessness and of being out of control. In addition to the trusted job descriptions and annual personnel reviews, people need to understand a broad range of issues that affect the company.
News of mergers, consolidations, plant closings, and restructuring contribute to a feeling of helplessness. Management must keep people informed about situations that will affect their jobs, or the rumor mill will add to an already stressful situation.
4. "No feedback - good or bad” – People want to know whether they are meeting expectations. Consistent, written and verbal, personalized feedback is required. Some people need more attention than others, but everyone’s performance is enhanced if leaders frequently affirm individual efforts.
3. "No appreciation” - Failure to show appreciation generates stress that endangers productivity throughout the company. There are many ways to demonstrate appreciation, but the most effective is a sincere comment about how much the person means to you and the company.
2. "Lack of communications" - Poor communication leads to decreased performance and increased stress. Management memos and announcements work well for distributing information, but two-way conversation improves communication and solicits ideas and suggestions while reducing stress and complaints.
1. “Lack of control” – Workplace stress is at its greatest when employees have no say regarding things that affect them. You can decrease sensitivity to all the other stressors and give a sense of being in control by involving employees in operating and administrative decisions and acting on their input. Frontline employees know what they are talking about. Listening to what they have to say reduces stress and increases productivity.
Often we hear people say, “boy he sure handles stress well” or “wow he doesn’t even look like he is under stress”. People often envy these traits in others and hope to emulate them. Those “lucky” individuals can be time bombs internally. Stress builds our blood pressure and over time we know from trends and factual data that prolonged stress harms our internal organs to the point of collapse if it’s chronic and untreated.
So, if we embrace the concepts of stress we can also manage stress and provide a balance to our lives that helps to reduce the impact of stressful situations and perform simple exercises and calming techniques that will help combat the side effects over time. Keeping our bodies physically fit and well balanced nutritionally is very important. Make sure we are getting our RDA across all the food groups and achieve daily success with our body’s daily vitamin intake. The basic food groups via the Food Pyramid are described in groups and quantity broken down on a daily basis. There are companies providing great nutritional juice products like the acai berry juice from Mona Vie International. These juice formations are essential in our daily nutritional requirements. MonaVie is but one example. Always consult your doctor or if possible enlist a nutritionist to assist you in planning a good meal plan depending on your unique health situation.
The last and most important area to review and plan for is fitness via exercise. From children to our grandparents we all need to get up and move. Movement via walking, stretching, and running lifting weights and managed yoga instruction are terrific means to establish a solid overall health and wellness program. Exercise will reduce your weight and help in providing the body with an outlet for stress related daily events. It’s important to note that stress will not go away. Thus by providing essential ways to manage our weight and our daily food intake we can achieve a nice balance to our fight against stress. A healthy heart via exercise will be able to manage fluctuations in blood pressure much better. In fact, if you walk 10,000 steps a day you will find your body fat reducing at fantastic rates and soon be losing weight even when you are not exercising because you have tuned your body and raised its metabolism. By increasing your metabolism you will burn calories more efficiently and thus reduce the body’s daily fat retention which is a key destabalizer when managing your health and wellness.
So, if we embrace the concepts of stress we can also manage stress and provide a balance to our lives that helps to reduce the impact of stressful situations and perform simple exercises and calming techniques that will help combat the side effects over time. Keeping our bodies physically fit and well balanced nutritionally is very important. Make sure we are getting our RDA across all the food groups and achieve daily success with our body’s daily vitamin intake. The basic food groups via the Food Pyramid are described in groups and quantity broken down on a daily basis. There are companies providing great nutritional juice products like the acai berry juice from Mona Vie International. These juice formations are essential in our daily nutritional requirements. MonaVie is but one example. Always consult your doctor or if possible enlist a nutritionist to assist you in planning a good meal plan depending on your unique health situation.
The last and most important area to review and plan for is fitness via exercise. From children to our grandparents we all need to get up and move. Movement via walking, stretching, and running lifting weights and managed yoga instruction are terrific means to establish a solid overall health and wellness program. Exercise will reduce your weight and help in providing the body with an outlet for stress related daily events. It’s important to note that stress will not go away. Thus by providing essential ways to manage our weight and our daily food intake we can achieve a nice balance to our fight against stress. A healthy heart via exercise will be able to manage fluctuations in blood pressure much better. In fact, if you walk 10,000 steps a day you will find your body fat reducing at fantastic rates and soon be losing weight even when you are not exercising because you have tuned your body and raised its metabolism. By increasing your metabolism you will burn calories more efficiently and thus reduce the body’s daily fat retention which is a key destabalizer when managing your health and wellness.
When feeling overwhelmed and unable to focus, stop for a moment
If your mind is on "overload," that is your body's way of telling you that you need to stop and regroup for a moment. Take a few long, deep breaths. By doing this, you are slowing down your system, and attempting to tell your body to physically calm down. Close your eyes and do this for a few minutes, as you clear your mind temporarily of all thoughts.
Get moving, to help your body produce endorphins, or "feel good" chemicals
Another way to recharge your mind is to get up and do some sort of physical activity. Whether it's a brief walk, jog or ride on an exercise bicycle, do something to get your heart moving. Physical exercise will help your body to naturally produce chemicals called endorphins, that can help to improve your mood.
Be logical, not emotional
Instead of jumping to conclusions about the situation, be rational about it and calmly think of solutions to it. Be realistic in your assessment of the problem, and don't magnify or dramatize it in any way. Just take time to think it over without allowing emotions to take over. It takes practise to do this, but is well worth the work. You are re-training your mind to react more calmly instead of in the old, familiar ways such as panicking or becoming overly emotional. Write it down, and keep a diary of your progress.
Don't beat yourself up
Be kind to your mind. Let yourself make mistakes, because that's what learning is all about. Practise being understanding and supportive to yourself. Don't rely on others to do this for you, let it come from deep inside you, instead. If you grew up hearing negative things about yourself from those you love the most, you may be conditioned to think poorly of yourself. The only way out of it is through it. I know, because I've been there myself. The more I've practised countering self-criticisms with positive thoughts, the easier it got. I can slip into being hard on myself, but then I catch the problem and correct it. Remember, nobody is perfect, and mistakes are only human.
By battling stress and anxiety full-force, on a consistent basis, you can improve the quality of your life. Don't give up. Part of my success has come from being somewhat stubborn and tenacious about solving problems. I use all those fighting skills once needed for survival, now against the high emotion I no longer want or need. Most of my days are peaceful and calm. If a problem crops up, I deal with it. Before, panic would set in and I'd look to others to help me fix it. By believing in myself and my ability to overcome problems, my life has improved. If I can do it, so can you.
If your mind is on "overload," that is your body's way of telling you that you need to stop and regroup for a moment. Take a few long, deep breaths. By doing this, you are slowing down your system, and attempting to tell your body to physically calm down. Close your eyes and do this for a few minutes, as you clear your mind temporarily of all thoughts.
Get moving, to help your body produce endorphins, or "feel good" chemicals
Another way to recharge your mind is to get up and do some sort of physical activity. Whether it's a brief walk, jog or ride on an exercise bicycle, do something to get your heart moving. Physical exercise will help your body to naturally produce chemicals called endorphins, that can help to improve your mood.
Be logical, not emotional
Instead of jumping to conclusions about the situation, be rational about it and calmly think of solutions to it. Be realistic in your assessment of the problem, and don't magnify or dramatize it in any way. Just take time to think it over without allowing emotions to take over. It takes practise to do this, but is well worth the work. You are re-training your mind to react more calmly instead of in the old, familiar ways such as panicking or becoming overly emotional. Write it down, and keep a diary of your progress.
Don't beat yourself up
Be kind to your mind. Let yourself make mistakes, because that's what learning is all about. Practise being understanding and supportive to yourself. Don't rely on others to do this for you, let it come from deep inside you, instead. If you grew up hearing negative things about yourself from those you love the most, you may be conditioned to think poorly of yourself. The only way out of it is through it. I know, because I've been there myself. The more I've practised countering self-criticisms with positive thoughts, the easier it got. I can slip into being hard on myself, but then I catch the problem and correct it. Remember, nobody is perfect, and mistakes are only human.
By battling stress and anxiety full-force, on a consistent basis, you can improve the quality of your life. Don't give up. Part of my success has come from being somewhat stubborn and tenacious about solving problems. I use all those fighting skills once needed for survival, now against the high emotion I no longer want or need. Most of my days are peaceful and calm. If a problem crops up, I deal with it. Before, panic would set in and I'd look to others to help me fix it. By believing in myself and my ability to overcome problems, my life has improved. If I can do it, so can you.
How do you get your message to the outside world?
A good question.
The first thing is to consider just how you communicate to the outside world.
You communicate with other people through your words, your body language and your tone of voice. A study of the effectiveness of these different means of communication showed that the content of the words you use is the least important, tone of voice is next while body language accounts for more than half of the communication.
When we look at these three things, the least important, your words, is the one is the one that communicates complicated ideas while the most important one, your body language, is most effective at communicating emotions and feelings. The first mental self help tip is to realise that human communications are a blunt instruments.
The exaggerated communications you see in television commercials are a result of the nature of human communication.
The final means of communication you need to think about for longer term relationships is your actions. These will enable people to build up a picture over time of how you respond in certain circumstances.
What’s In Your Mind?
One of the challenges of human communication is that we are all very complex psychological beings. You have a rich inner life. You have a complex system of beliefs, values, and deeper levels of identity and spirituality.
You have accumulated a lifetime of experiences. These experiences have been absorbed into your subconscious nature and they have produced deeply ingrained mental habits - as you get older this just gets worse!
You have also learnt from your parents, your teachers, your society… your life experiences in general a whole complex set of rules for simplifying and processing all the information that your senses take in.
One of the common sources of frustration with communication is that what you are experiencing is so complex and unique to you, you simply can’t express it!
Consider the other person
We’ve seen how complex your mind is and how the instrument of communication cannot convey enough data for use to communicate precisely. Everyone you try to communicate with is facing the same problems.
Looking at the process of communication in detail – you start with an idea which is a complex of emotions, thoughts and memories that are in your mind. First you have to simplify it and turn it in to actions and words. Which you can transmit.
The other person receives it through their senses which work a bit differently to yours, they process it through the filter of their own mind and finally they end up reconstructing a message that makes sense to them.
It’s a miracle we ever communicate at all!
However humans are miraculous creatures and we do manage to communicate quite effectively.
Mental Self Help - Enhancing your communications
The tools you have for communication are unsophisticated, to give yourself the best chance of communicating well, you need to make sure they are all saying the same thing. Your body language and your tone of voice, which tend to respond to subconscious information, and your words, which respond to rational thoughts most strongly should all transmit the same message.
In long term relationships, you need to make sure that your messages are clear and consistent over time.
The good news is that consistency in both communicating one on one and in your long term relationships happens when you are in touch with your core self and understand where you are going. In other words “when you are true to yourself”.
Mental self help note - take the time to evaluate your life and understand where you can be more consistent.
A good question.
The first thing is to consider just how you communicate to the outside world.
You communicate with other people through your words, your body language and your tone of voice. A study of the effectiveness of these different means of communication showed that the content of the words you use is the least important, tone of voice is next while body language accounts for more than half of the communication.
When we look at these three things, the least important, your words, is the one is the one that communicates complicated ideas while the most important one, your body language, is most effective at communicating emotions and feelings. The first mental self help tip is to realise that human communications are a blunt instruments.
The exaggerated communications you see in television commercials are a result of the nature of human communication.
The final means of communication you need to think about for longer term relationships is your actions. These will enable people to build up a picture over time of how you respond in certain circumstances.
What’s In Your Mind?
One of the challenges of human communication is that we are all very complex psychological beings. You have a rich inner life. You have a complex system of beliefs, values, and deeper levels of identity and spirituality.
You have accumulated a lifetime of experiences. These experiences have been absorbed into your subconscious nature and they have produced deeply ingrained mental habits - as you get older this just gets worse!
You have also learnt from your parents, your teachers, your society… your life experiences in general a whole complex set of rules for simplifying and processing all the information that your senses take in.
One of the common sources of frustration with communication is that what you are experiencing is so complex and unique to you, you simply can’t express it!
Consider the other person
We’ve seen how complex your mind is and how the instrument of communication cannot convey enough data for use to communicate precisely. Everyone you try to communicate with is facing the same problems.
Looking at the process of communication in detail – you start with an idea which is a complex of emotions, thoughts and memories that are in your mind. First you have to simplify it and turn it in to actions and words. Which you can transmit.
The other person receives it through their senses which work a bit differently to yours, they process it through the filter of their own mind and finally they end up reconstructing a message that makes sense to them.
It’s a miracle we ever communicate at all!
However humans are miraculous creatures and we do manage to communicate quite effectively.
Mental Self Help - Enhancing your communications
The tools you have for communication are unsophisticated, to give yourself the best chance of communicating well, you need to make sure they are all saying the same thing. Your body language and your tone of voice, which tend to respond to subconscious information, and your words, which respond to rational thoughts most strongly should all transmit the same message.
In long term relationships, you need to make sure that your messages are clear and consistent over time.
The good news is that consistency in both communicating one on one and in your long term relationships happens when you are in touch with your core self and understand where you are going. In other words “when you are true to yourself”.
Mental self help note - take the time to evaluate your life and understand where you can be more consistent.
However, later studies have verified the existence of the condition. The fact of the matter is it was only 14 years ago when the American College of Rheumatology recognized fibromyalgia and legitimized it as a human disorder.
Recent statistics indicate that fibromyalgia affects between 3 – 5 million of the U.S. population. Diagnosing the condition is now a formalized process. People who exhibit a history of widespread pain on both sides of the body in the upper and lower areas of the waist for at least three months, as well as pain in at least 11 of 18 specified tender-point areas are most likely suffering from fibromyalgia.
Modern medicine has already found ways of treating fibromyalgia, although there is currently no specific FDA approved fibromyalgia medication. However, there are drugs that are prescribed to relieve the pain. Such drugs include aspirin, ibuprofen and other pain relievers. Antidepressants are also commonly prescribed to help relieve depression and may also help with sleep disorders that often come with having fibromyalgia. Doctors also recommend muscle relaxants such as cyclobenzaprine among others.
However, the best treatment plan doesn’t involve drugs alone. It is actually a combination of exercise, medicine, physical therapy and relaxation that helps individuals with fibromyalgia to overcome the condition.
A study that was carried out on 84 fibromyalgia sufferers, where half the group where given normal medications and the other half followed a self-help program instead. This involved swimming, exercise, relaxation techniques and small modifications in diet.
The self-help group reported the most positive benefits, feeling less fatigue, depression and anxiety alone with added boost of more energy. The first group who followed the medical treatments reported no difference in their condition at the end of the trial.
So, to introduce self-help methods to your treatment plan try low-impact aerobic exercises such as walking and swimming. Interestingly, strength training has also shown to be helpful in treating fibromyalgia patients.
These types of exercises increase muscle and overall body flexibility and strength. These also help relieve pain and can help patients sleep. Plus, doctors have successfully tested that heat and massage offer short-term relief from pain and muscle stiffness. The key, however, is moderation. Just like normal exercises, the body cannot take too much of something. With this in mind, it is important to work closely with your doctor to determine the type of exercises and how much you should do.
Aside from regular exercises, there are a number of natural and self-care techniques that patients with fibromyalgia can observe for faster recovery. For more natural methods of treating Fibromyalgia and other self-care tips sign up for the free Fibromyalgia newsletter below.
Patients with fibromyalgia should learn to reduce stress in their everyday life. This stress can be either overexertion from day to day activities, or emotional stress from family or personal life. It is vital that patients learn to relax and take it easy. The more stressed they become, the more their condition will worsen. Deep-breathing exercises or meditation can be very effective means to manage or control your stress.
Another option you might consider is to avoid fatigue. Rest whenever you feel fatigued and make sure that you get sufficient sleep everyday. However, you should limit your daytime naps, and set up a regular go-to-sleep ritual that relaxes you and helps you prepare for a good night’s sleep.
The study also included dietary changes and you’ve no doubt heard often about the importance of a healthy diet, and it has never been truer than with fibromyalgia. Be sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and other nutritious foods. Drink plenty of water and stay away from processed, fast or fried foods. Also now is the time to give up smoking and possibly also alcohol. Live a healthy life and go out and play and feel happy, satisfied and fulfilled. Having a positive predisposition in life also has an effect on your health.
Recent statistics indicate that fibromyalgia affects between 3 – 5 million of the U.S. population. Diagnosing the condition is now a formalized process. People who exhibit a history of widespread pain on both sides of the body in the upper and lower areas of the waist for at least three months, as well as pain in at least 11 of 18 specified tender-point areas are most likely suffering from fibromyalgia.
Modern medicine has already found ways of treating fibromyalgia, although there is currently no specific FDA approved fibromyalgia medication. However, there are drugs that are prescribed to relieve the pain. Such drugs include aspirin, ibuprofen and other pain relievers. Antidepressants are also commonly prescribed to help relieve depression and may also help with sleep disorders that often come with having fibromyalgia. Doctors also recommend muscle relaxants such as cyclobenzaprine among others.
However, the best treatment plan doesn’t involve drugs alone. It is actually a combination of exercise, medicine, physical therapy and relaxation that helps individuals with fibromyalgia to overcome the condition.
A study that was carried out on 84 fibromyalgia sufferers, where half the group where given normal medications and the other half followed a self-help program instead. This involved swimming, exercise, relaxation techniques and small modifications in diet.
The self-help group reported the most positive benefits, feeling less fatigue, depression and anxiety alone with added boost of more energy. The first group who followed the medical treatments reported no difference in their condition at the end of the trial.
So, to introduce self-help methods to your treatment plan try low-impact aerobic exercises such as walking and swimming. Interestingly, strength training has also shown to be helpful in treating fibromyalgia patients.
These types of exercises increase muscle and overall body flexibility and strength. These also help relieve pain and can help patients sleep. Plus, doctors have successfully tested that heat and massage offer short-term relief from pain and muscle stiffness. The key, however, is moderation. Just like normal exercises, the body cannot take too much of something. With this in mind, it is important to work closely with your doctor to determine the type of exercises and how much you should do.
Aside from regular exercises, there are a number of natural and self-care techniques that patients with fibromyalgia can observe for faster recovery. For more natural methods of treating Fibromyalgia and other self-care tips sign up for the free Fibromyalgia newsletter below.
Patients with fibromyalgia should learn to reduce stress in their everyday life. This stress can be either overexertion from day to day activities, or emotional stress from family or personal life. It is vital that patients learn to relax and take it easy. The more stressed they become, the more their condition will worsen. Deep-breathing exercises or meditation can be very effective means to manage or control your stress.
Another option you might consider is to avoid fatigue. Rest whenever you feel fatigued and make sure that you get sufficient sleep everyday. However, you should limit your daytime naps, and set up a regular go-to-sleep ritual that relaxes you and helps you prepare for a good night’s sleep.
The study also included dietary changes and you’ve no doubt heard often about the importance of a healthy diet, and it has never been truer than with fibromyalgia. Be sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and other nutritious foods. Drink plenty of water and stay away from processed, fast or fried foods. Also now is the time to give up smoking and possibly also alcohol. Live a healthy life and go out and play and feel happy, satisfied and fulfilled. Having a positive predisposition in life also has an effect on your health.
Regardless of which camp you personally fall into, it is imperative that you stop and turn around every now and then to see if you are even headed in the right direction!
If 5 years ago you said that you wanted to lose some weight and start enjoying the many benefits of living a healthier and more confident lifestyle, it should go without saying that no matter how overweight you used to be, in 5 years time you should have been able to accomplish that goal.
Use the same time period to measure your financial success. Even if you were working at a minimum wage job 5 years ago and you could barely afford to eat, plenty of time has elapsed since then during which you should have made some significant improvements.
Even without getting any formal education, a person with a high work ethic and a decent understanding of responsibility could have been promoted to a job with decent pay. Even if they worked at a fast food restaurant, a department store, or in a factory or other industrial profession that some would consider to not have much growth potential - there is always growth potential.
What about relationships? Do you think over the course of 5 years that it would be possible for you to at least become confident and secure about who you are as an individual, even if you didn't actually find someone else to share your time with?
You could not have a relationship for 5 years, yet still retain the ability - indeed, the responsibility - of making promises to yourself about who you are, and what type of experiences you are willing or not willing to have in your life.
In each of the examples that were given above, no consideration was given to any "strokes of luck" or other points in the favor of the people in those hypothetical situations. Over the course of the imaginary 5 years, each of those individuals needed to do nothing more specific or more heroic than consistently applying themselves to the same course of action day after day, week after week, and year after year.
If you have had occasion while reading this article to consider where you are right now as opposed to where you were 5 years ago, have you accomplished everything that was on your goal list? If not, that is okay. However, if you have not accomplished everything that you had wanted to, ask yourself this question:
"Have I honestly made any significant progress towards any of my goals in the last 5 years?"
Be sure to remember the "honestly" part, because no one wants to come to terms with the fact that they may have squandered 5 years worth of learning opportunities and personal growth experiences.
Make note of the "significant progress" part of that question as well. If you set out to lose 50 pounds 5 years ago and you've only lost 5, is that significant progress?
If you were complaining about your minimum wage job 5 years ago, yet to date you are only marginally better off financially (cost of living factored in) than you were then, do you really consider that significant progress?
If 5 years ago you were heart-broken, lonely, and your self-esteem was at an all-time low, do you really think the fact that you have grown a thick skin when it comes to dealing with relationships is a significant step in the right direction?
These examples are not meant to deflate your ego or your self-confidence in any way, but rather to make you realize the fact that taking a good, hard look at the progress of your life over the course of time is the only way to determine if your life is headed in the direction that you want it to go!
If you have spent the last 5 years accomplishing less than what you are capable of, now is not the time to start drowning in self-pity, and lamenting about your less-then stellar progress. If you do that, where do you think you will be 5 years from now?
Every single day of your life is a brand-new opportunity for you to start all over again. You can make honest and consistent efforts when it comes to your weight loss goals. You can work ethically and honestly at your job, no matter what kind of job you have, and even if your hard work entails leaving that job behind. You can practice personal development and become confident and happy with who you are as an individual, rather than allowing what happens with others to dictate your level of happiness.
If 5 years ago you said that you wanted to lose some weight and start enjoying the many benefits of living a healthier and more confident lifestyle, it should go without saying that no matter how overweight you used to be, in 5 years time you should have been able to accomplish that goal.
Use the same time period to measure your financial success. Even if you were working at a minimum wage job 5 years ago and you could barely afford to eat, plenty of time has elapsed since then during which you should have made some significant improvements.
Even without getting any formal education, a person with a high work ethic and a decent understanding of responsibility could have been promoted to a job with decent pay. Even if they worked at a fast food restaurant, a department store, or in a factory or other industrial profession that some would consider to not have much growth potential - there is always growth potential.
What about relationships? Do you think over the course of 5 years that it would be possible for you to at least become confident and secure about who you are as an individual, even if you didn't actually find someone else to share your time with?
You could not have a relationship for 5 years, yet still retain the ability - indeed, the responsibility - of making promises to yourself about who you are, and what type of experiences you are willing or not willing to have in your life.
In each of the examples that were given above, no consideration was given to any "strokes of luck" or other points in the favor of the people in those hypothetical situations. Over the course of the imaginary 5 years, each of those individuals needed to do nothing more specific or more heroic than consistently applying themselves to the same course of action day after day, week after week, and year after year.
If you have had occasion while reading this article to consider where you are right now as opposed to where you were 5 years ago, have you accomplished everything that was on your goal list? If not, that is okay. However, if you have not accomplished everything that you had wanted to, ask yourself this question:
"Have I honestly made any significant progress towards any of my goals in the last 5 years?"
Be sure to remember the "honestly" part, because no one wants to come to terms with the fact that they may have squandered 5 years worth of learning opportunities and personal growth experiences.
Make note of the "significant progress" part of that question as well. If you set out to lose 50 pounds 5 years ago and you've only lost 5, is that significant progress?
If you were complaining about your minimum wage job 5 years ago, yet to date you are only marginally better off financially (cost of living factored in) than you were then, do you really consider that significant progress?
If 5 years ago you were heart-broken, lonely, and your self-esteem was at an all-time low, do you really think the fact that you have grown a thick skin when it comes to dealing with relationships is a significant step in the right direction?
These examples are not meant to deflate your ego or your self-confidence in any way, but rather to make you realize the fact that taking a good, hard look at the progress of your life over the course of time is the only way to determine if your life is headed in the direction that you want it to go!
If you have spent the last 5 years accomplishing less than what you are capable of, now is not the time to start drowning in self-pity, and lamenting about your less-then stellar progress. If you do that, where do you think you will be 5 years from now?
Every single day of your life is a brand-new opportunity for you to start all over again. You can make honest and consistent efforts when it comes to your weight loss goals. You can work ethically and honestly at your job, no matter what kind of job you have, and even if your hard work entails leaving that job behind. You can practice personal development and become confident and happy with who you are as an individual, rather than allowing what happens with others to dictate your level of happiness.
What it means is that everything in your life – your health, your wealth, your relationships, your happiness in fact every part of your life is a direct reflection of the way that you think. You have attracted everything that you have in your life into your life as a result of the person you are.
The good news is that “all” you have to do is to change who you are and your life will start to change immediately!
The bad news is that no other way of changing your external results has been discovered. If you want to change your external results, there is only one thing you can do and that is to change your mind!
Personal development tip – how do I know what changes to make
There is no universal answer for what everyone has to do to be successful, what you need to do will depend on you, where you want to go, what you have learnt so far in your life… You can find out what changes you make by following these suggestions.
The key to success in making changes, in achieving anything in your life is clarity. You have to be absolutely clear about where you are going, so that you can be crystal clear about what you need to do to get there. Remember this: one of the key secrets of success for successful people is clarity.
Another perspective is to ask yourself am I really in balance across all the important areas of my life – knowledge, your mental skills, your relationships, your health and your spiritual life. If you are significantly out of balance in any of these areas it will show in your external results.
Accept ownership for your own circumstances – it is far easier to blame the outside world for what it happening to you rather than accepting that it is what you are doing inside that is driving your results. You just have to accept that you are responsible for everything that has happened to you.
You may need to take this as an act of faith at first, but go with it and watch how your thoughts and actions create your external results on a day to day basis and over time you will begin to seem that you are causing your results.
Be prepared to change. You may feel that you have spent your entire life struggling to learn, you’re educated, you’ve worked hard, now it’s time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your hard work. Wrong – you live in a world of constant change, you are constantly changing. You have to accept that you will need to learn and adapt continually.
Development tips summarized
You internal state is reflected directly in your external results. You must take charge of developing your internal state to achieve the results you want.
The good news is that “all” you have to do is to change who you are and your life will start to change immediately!
The bad news is that no other way of changing your external results has been discovered. If you want to change your external results, there is only one thing you can do and that is to change your mind!
Personal development tip – how do I know what changes to make
There is no universal answer for what everyone has to do to be successful, what you need to do will depend on you, where you want to go, what you have learnt so far in your life… You can find out what changes you make by following these suggestions.
The key to success in making changes, in achieving anything in your life is clarity. You have to be absolutely clear about where you are going, so that you can be crystal clear about what you need to do to get there. Remember this: one of the key secrets of success for successful people is clarity.
Another perspective is to ask yourself am I really in balance across all the important areas of my life – knowledge, your mental skills, your relationships, your health and your spiritual life. If you are significantly out of balance in any of these areas it will show in your external results.
Accept ownership for your own circumstances – it is far easier to blame the outside world for what it happening to you rather than accepting that it is what you are doing inside that is driving your results. You just have to accept that you are responsible for everything that has happened to you.
You may need to take this as an act of faith at first, but go with it and watch how your thoughts and actions create your external results on a day to day basis and over time you will begin to seem that you are causing your results.
Be prepared to change. You may feel that you have spent your entire life struggling to learn, you’re educated, you’ve worked hard, now it’s time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your hard work. Wrong – you live in a world of constant change, you are constantly changing. You have to accept that you will need to learn and adapt continually.
Development tips summarized
You internal state is reflected directly in your external results. You must take charge of developing your internal state to achieve the results you want.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
You may be trying to move too fast. Everyone has their own learning style which includes different ways and different speeds of learning.
Some of the marketing for personal growth and development material suggests that you can get instant benefits from the material. The techniques may be good, but you might be a person who needs a bit more time for what you are learning to truly sink in a take route.
You might also be trying to achieve too much – perhaps you’re cramming in so much stuff that you’re mind is on overload.
Either way, a little patience may produce great rewards.
Focus is the key
Another problem I come across from time to time is that people skip from one course to the next, trying out meditation one day, affirmations the next, some mind programming tapes the next…
Any good personal growth expert will tell you that focus is one of the keys to success. That’s true in the area of personal development as well. You need to carefully pick the area you are going to work on and the way you’re going to work on it. Stick with your chosen tool until you’ve achieved your objective.
Have a plan
… and you’ll find it hard to have focus without a plan! A plan will help you to understand where you’re going, how you’re going to get there and how long it’s going to take. Not having a plan means you’re wandering aimlessly hoping to get there somehow, sometime.
Help Other people to Help you
The other three ideas are all interrelated. This final tip is one that I particularly like and which can work very effectively on it’s own: Use other people to accelerate your personal growth by teaching them what you’re learning.
If you want to truly learn something, the best way to understand it and internalize it at the deepest level is to teach it to someone else. This could be a family member, a work colleague a friend, an audience… My personal favourite is writing articles:-)
If you don’t take advantage of this opportunity, you’ll miss out on the chance to make sure that you’ve really understood what you’ve been studying and you’ll miss out on a chance to add value to the lives of others. Remember: adding value to peoples’ lives is one of the fastest routes to success.
Some of the marketing for personal growth and development material suggests that you can get instant benefits from the material. The techniques may be good, but you might be a person who needs a bit more time for what you are learning to truly sink in a take route.
You might also be trying to achieve too much – perhaps you’re cramming in so much stuff that you’re mind is on overload.
Either way, a little patience may produce great rewards.
Focus is the key
Another problem I come across from time to time is that people skip from one course to the next, trying out meditation one day, affirmations the next, some mind programming tapes the next…
Any good personal growth expert will tell you that focus is one of the keys to success. That’s true in the area of personal development as well. You need to carefully pick the area you are going to work on and the way you’re going to work on it. Stick with your chosen tool until you’ve achieved your objective.
Have a plan
… and you’ll find it hard to have focus without a plan! A plan will help you to understand where you’re going, how you’re going to get there and how long it’s going to take. Not having a plan means you’re wandering aimlessly hoping to get there somehow, sometime.
Help Other people to Help you
The other three ideas are all interrelated. This final tip is one that I particularly like and which can work very effectively on it’s own: Use other people to accelerate your personal growth by teaching them what you’re learning.
If you want to truly learn something, the best way to understand it and internalize it at the deepest level is to teach it to someone else. This could be a family member, a work colleague a friend, an audience… My personal favourite is writing articles:-)
If you don’t take advantage of this opportunity, you’ll miss out on the chance to make sure that you’ve really understood what you’ve been studying and you’ll miss out on a chance to add value to the lives of others. Remember: adding value to peoples’ lives is one of the fastest routes to success.
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