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Monday, May 31, 2010

Self Help Mantra - Remove That Foot Odor !


More than half of men (and their wives and lady friends) complain about foot odor. Yes, some people have difficulty with fungus or bacteria production, but usually, people just don't wash them well enough, reasoning that "I'm standing in the shower, with soapy water running over my feet, that's good enough." Clearly not. 

With all the nooks and crannies, you simply don't get rid of odor-causing bacteria - and that is what causes odor. You brush your teeth every day – wash your feet. Most of you don't need special deodorizers or powders. 

Here are a few simple steps :

Step 1 - First, scrubem in the shower, tops and bottoms, with a bath brush preferably, a washcloth at least. You can try a deodorant soap, but the trick is to get rid of the odor-causing bacteria.

Step 2 - Spend time on each foot, getting in between toes, hitting every surface. The rule of thumb for washing bacteria off hands is to wash for 30 seconds, or two verses of "Happy Birthday." Use three verses for your feet.

Step 3 - Wear cotton, silk or wool socks, as much as possible.. Synthetics don't breathe, and promote moisture and bacteria.

Step 4 - Put a dash of baby powder, or talcum, or maybe Gold Bond powder in your shoes when you take them off. The powder absorbs the moisture from the days wear, and from your feet the next time you wear them.

Step 5 - Lastly, if you still get odor – use a simple spray deodorant. Spray deodorant works by inhibiting bacteria growth in your armpits, it will do the same for your feet. The specialized foot deodorants arent usually necessary.

You ll be surprised and delighted how well this works. !!!


Friday, May 28, 2010

7 Steps to Positive Self Talk - Part 2



4. Replace Negative Influences with Positive Ones

It is important that you identify external negative factors in your life which may be holding your thoughts hostage. For instance, your mental state can become toxic by being around friends who are negative. If you are not vigilant enough, you will start to adopt their thoughts as your own. Hence, be alert to what your negative influences are. If they come from certain friends, limit your exposure to them as much as you can. Refrain from discussing your plans with people who will be unsupportive of your dreams and goals.

Instead surround yourself with thoughts and actions from people who will empower you.
From being uninspired and de-motivated, you will begin to feel uplifted and driven to greater self growth. The positive energy that they vibrate will start affecting the self talk that you engage in as well.

5. Present Tense Messages

You may find yourself daunted by the many things you need to do in order to reach your goals. It just seems overwhelming to become the success that you secretly desire for. Your mind gets caught up in an endless stream of worry.

What may be helpful is to concentrate on steps you can take in the present. If you find yourself becoming stuck, stop and say, “What can I do right now?” Change your internal talk from a future anxiety ridden one to one that is about the more manageable present. You cannot control what will happen in the future but you can take the necessary steps now that will build a better tomorrow. Taking the necessary steps require you to focus your thoughts and inner talk on Now.

6. Confront Fears

Fear is often what holds you back from your success. You are scared of taking chances because you fear losing the security that you enjoy now. You try to convince yourself that you are happy in your current state when in fact, you are not. Your self talk may sound positive in your attempt to lie to yourself. But somehow, there is an inner knowing that you are short changing yourself.

Ask yourself what you are afraid of. What can be the worst that can happen? Take a step-by-step approach in breaking down your fears and see if there is any way round to looking at things more positively. When you confront your fears, you will often realize that the worst case scenario is not as bad as you think. In fact, the benefits of change are worth the risk. Your inner talk begins to change at this point.

7. Focus on Enjoyable Moments

It is much easier to have a positive attitude if you focus on the enjoyable moments in life rather than the difficult ones. While there will inevitably be challenges, you need to remember that life consists of ups and downs and the good times are forged through the bad.

So choose to fill your mind with positive images and thoughts. Make it a conscious habit. Simply bring your mind back every time it goes astray in its thoughts. For a start, if you can be grateful for what you have presently, your self talk will also change to be in alignment with one of joy. A state of gratitude does wonders to your psyche.

Conclusion

Replacing self talk from a negative to a more positive one is not going to happen overnight. If your mind has ingrained habits of thinking negatively, it will take some work and time. However, if you find yourself often struggling, unable to achieve your goals and talking yourself down, then you should grit your teeth and commit to the process of change.

By following the above tips to positive self talk, you will experience an improvement in the quality of your life. The rewards are plentiful with greater happiness, peace and joy. Best of all, you feel empowered. With the change in energy, you are more likely to reach your highest potential and achieve success.

Concluded

Thursday, May 27, 2010

7 Steps to Positive Self Talk


Most of us are in constant mental chatter. We talk to ourselves all day long and, unfortunately, this self talk is frequently negative. Often it is tainted with guilt about our past or anxiety about our future. This negativity can destroy any seed of hope that we may otherwise have in striving for our dreams.

Our actions are inspired by our thoughts. If we can change the way we think, we can begin to change the actions we take. It is human nature to seek personal growth; whether financially, emotionally, physically or spiritually. Practicing positive self talk can help us set in motion actions that will bring us greater rewards.

The following are seven steps to positive self talk. By following these steps you will begin to rid your inner conversations of negativity and instead have empowering thoughts.

1. Eliminate Internal Negative Chatter

The first step is one of awareness. It will be hard to make a change to positive thinking without being acutely intimate with the thoughts that run through your mind. Recently, I was amazed to discover deep buried emotions from negative thoughts that I had for fewer than 10 minutes. Without awareness, I would have carried the hurt and anger inside. Awareness helped me to bring them out to the open for me to deal with.

Undoubtedly it will not be easy to make a switch if you have a long history or negative self talk. Your talk became negative over the years due to various factors. For instance, if your first grade teacher repeatedly told you that you were “stupid”, you might believe it to be truly the case. You would find that your inner chatter would often be filled with talk of “I am so slow” and “it is so hard to learn”. If you constantly tell yourself such negative stories, your actions are going to reflect your low self esteem. It will be difficult to get very far if you are always putting yourself down.

A common negative talk involves telling yourself “I can’t”. When you say to yourself “I can’t” or “it is too difficult”, you are creating a resistance. Having such a mental block will prevent you from achieving a task you could otherwise succeed at.

Anytime you catch yourself saying “I can’t…”, turn around and challenge your own claim with, “Why can’t I?” Research shows that most geniuses became the people they are also because of the hard work they put in. So if you would like to be successful, you need to start saying “I can” a lot more.

A great method that I have also found useful is to say “Cancel Cancel” each time I find myself saying something negative, whether in the mind or verbally. The method works if you sincerely have the intent of becoming a positive thinker.

2. Positive Affirmations

Affirmations are positive statements of a desired outcome or goal. They are usually short, believable and focused. By repeating them over and over again, you build inroads into your subconscious mind, opening up the possibility of a new state of thoughts.

An important step when repeating affirmations is that you need to read your affirmations aloud with feeling. The mere reading of the words bears no consequence unless you put some emotions behind them. Of significant fact is that your subconscious mind takes any orders given in complete faith and after repeated self talk. So the daily practice of repeating affirmations is important.

Initially you may be skepticism toward the statement of your positive affirmation. However, if you follow this simple set of instructions your skepticism will soon give way to a new set of beliefs and then crystallized into absolute faith.

3. Positive Scripts

One thing that you may observe is on how easy it is for your mind to build negative thought upon negative thought. The chatter not only does not stop but it spins a drama that traps and limits you.

From now on, regularly do this exercise instead. Spin an uplifting story that runs like a movie script. Some visualization will be helpful. You build on a story with a positive outline. The longer you can tell this story to yourself the better. It is also best if you can make this story one about having all your goals achieved. When you do this, you start to internalize your goals and dreams, as if they are something that you have already achieved.

By Evelyn Lim


To Be Continued....

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Some Crazy Facts....



1.Penguins can jump as high as 6 feet in the air.


2. A chicken loses its feathers when it becomes stressed.


3. Most cows give more milk when they listen to music.


4. Snakes have no eyelids and are completely deaf.


5. Flamingoes are the some of the only creatures designed to survive in the caustic environment of a volcanic lake.

Ways to Build Your Daughter’s Self-Esteem - Part 2


5. Seize the power of organized sports. The earlier you can get and keep her involved the better. The opportunity to develop strong relationships with other girls while working toward a common goal and to develop confidence related to something she does rather than simply how she looks, talks, and acts is essential to building and maintaining self-esteem. In case that’s not enough, research shows a significant decrease in participation in risky sexual behavior among girls who play sports.


6. Remember that knowledge is power. This is particularly true as it applies to your daughter knowing and understanding her own body. It is especially important that she have a solid understanding of the powerful and changing cyclical role hormones play in the female body every month and the impact they have physically, emotionally, and psychologically on a daily basis. She cannot value or protect a body that is foreign to her.


7. Make no subject taboo. From sex to drugs, making any subject off limits to your daughter (whether stated or implied) will only ensure her journey down a path of shame, ignorance, and ultimately, danger. If she cannot get open, honest, and accurate information from her parents,  she will get it from less-educated sources that may leave her misinformed and far less able to protect herself.


8. Dad, be aware of the power of your words and actions. The way a father expresses his value and respect for women directly impacts the way his daughter sees herself and the degree of respect and overall value she will expect to receive from boys and men.


9. Mom, never forget that you are her most important role model. More than half of girls recently surveyed as part of a national report on self-esteem said their mothers criticize their own appearance. It is imperative that we do whatever is necessary to get ourselves to a place of knowing and understanding our value as women, if we have any hope that our daughters
will do the same.


Concluded


Source : DSDG Email Group

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Ways to Build Your Daughter’s Self-Esteem - Part 1


Here’s the thing: the impact of low self-esteem in girls often leads to behaviors that can be life altering well beyond the teen years. The recent Real Girls, Real Pressure report, sponsored by Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty, indicates that 75 percent of girls with low self-esteem reported engaging in negative activities such as disordered eating, cutting, bullying, smoking, drinking and using drugs when feeling badly about themselves. Of course, as girls become sexually active, low self-esteem also becomes a catalyst for risky sexual behavior that often results in STDs, pregnancy, and deep emotional scars. Yes, as parents of daughters,  we have our work cut out for us. Societal messages that work against every girl’s self-esteem are powerful and pervasive, creating a daily uphill climb.


That said, there are many steps we can take to build and protect their self-esteem and, in turn, their future.

1. Build a strong foundation. From her first breath, remind your daughter on a daily basis, through words and action, that she is strong, smart, and beautiful. Research confirms that girls with low self-esteem most commonly receive less praise and more criticism from either parent.


2. Limit her access to media early. The messages you work diligently to provide will quickly be challenged if you don’t filter media that blatantly contradicts them. A great deal of television and print media set unrealistic physical standards and portray over-sexualized, disempowered girls and women. Unchecked, it will shape your daughter’s sense of reality, self, and the standard she is expected to meet for acceptance, desirability, and success. Additionally, it’s essential that you help her to achieve media literacy so even when she’s engaged with it, she’ll have a more discerning mind. An easy place to start is the Dove Real Beauty Campaign Web site where, in addition to taking quizzes on self-esteem, she can take one on image manipulation so she realizes how unreal print media images frequently tend to be.


3. Create open lines of communication. Hormonal shifts that begin the transition into adolescence can begin as early as eight or nine years old. The further down the adolescent path she is, the more difficult it will become to establish lines of communication that will essentially become lifelines in your efforts to guide and protect her throughout her teen years. The best place to start, if you haven’t already, is by talking with her about her day on the way to school and at the dinner table every day.


4. Encourage her to find and use her voice. I always tell the girls I work with to think of their voice as a muscle—the more they use it, the stronger it will be. Speaking on behalf of your daughter most or all of the time limits her workout time.


To Be Continued...


Source : DSDG Email Group

Monday, May 24, 2010

Self Help Mantras - Weight Loss Tips

WEIGHT LOSS TIPS

1) Drink 8-10 glasses of water each day - this helps flush your body of impurities and fat. You 
can also substitute a few glasses of water for green or herbal tea. 


2) Break up your meals into 5 or 6 smaller ones - this will help speed up your metabolism and keep you from getting too hungry in between meals. 


3) Increase your fruit and vegetable intake - these are packed with vitamins. 


4) Decrease your fat intake - try for no more than 20 grams per day. 


5) Exercise for 30 minutes each day - take a walk, or play a game with your kids. Just get 
moving. 


6) Find a hobby - take up knitting or painting to keep your hands busy. 


7) Don't eat that late night snack - Try not to eat for at least 2 hours before going to bed. 


8) Listen to your body - your body will tell you when it is full, hungry, stressed, tired. Learn 
the signs and obey what your body is telling you. 


9) Increase your fiber - choose whole grain pasta and bread. 


10) Cleanse and detoxify - this may be the most important. Rid your body of harmful toxins and chemicals, while allowing it to function normally.



Friday, May 21, 2010

How to Fit Exercise Into Your Busy Schedule !


Make a commitment - even a small one - to exercise seven days a week. Begin with 20 minutes of activity every day; this can be broken down any way you need it throughout the day.

# Step 1
Try walking, biking or skating to work. If this takes longer than your usual commute, plan ahead: Pack your briefcase and lay out your clothes the night before. Remember to have an extra set of clothes at work for a quick after-commute change, if necessary.

# Step 2
If an alternate commute is impossible, get off the bus a little earlier and walk the rest of the way, park at the far end of the lot or take the stairs instead of the elevator.

# Step 3
Make use of your lunch break. Play a quick game of racquetball, make a speedy gym visit, go for
a jog or take a brisk walk (use some light hand weights for a bonus workout).

# Step 4
Stretch at your desk. This reduces muscle tension, gets your circulation moving and prepares
you for more strenuous activity later.

# Step 5
Do some chores. Mow the lawn or rake the leaves for 20 minutes. Housework burns calories, and
you have to get the work done anyway.

# Step 6
Play games with your kids. Shoot some hoops, play some hopscotch or toss a ball.

Tips & Warnings

* New moms can join an aerobics class specially designed for moms and their babies. You can
network with other moms, stay fit and keep an eye on the baby.

* Enlist the company of a buddy - you can support and motivate one another.

* Carry around a notebook and keep a record of your activities and their duration. As time goes on, increase the amount of exercise per day.


Source : DSDG Group

Thursday, May 20, 2010

VARIOUS WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS - Part 4



30.    Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can). 

31.    Be kind to unkind people! (They probably need it the most). 

32.    Sit on your ego. 

33.    Talk less; listen more. 

34.    Slow down.  

35.   Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe 

36.   Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. 


Concuded

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

VARIOUS WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS - Part 3


21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God within you on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until its time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you GOD."

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.


To Be Continued...

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

VARIOUS WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS - Part 2


11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have; you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden;extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

16. Carry a Holy BOOK with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19. Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.


To Be Continued ...

Monday, May 17, 2010

VARIOUS WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS - Part 1


The wise says, "Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice."

1. Pray

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule or
     that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable people.

6. Simplify and uncluttered your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time;
    don't lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.



To Be Continued ...

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

ILL-EFFECTS OF COMPUTER


Maintaining good posture while working on a computer

Many of the ill-effects of computer use can be lessened or avoided altogether by utilising correct typing technique and posture, ensuring correct set up of equipment and good work habits.

Place computer monitor and keyboard directly in front of you so as to avoid twisting your neck.

Monitor should be 20-24 inches away from eyes and the height of the monitor should be 5-15 inches below horizontal line of sight.

The mouse and keyboard should be at the same height.

Shoulders should be relaxed with elbows forming a right angle and wrists extending straight and unbent from the arms. Hold wrists in neutral position, not upward or downward.

Use an adjustable chair that provides firm, comfortable support.
Adjust chair height so that thighs are horizontal, and feet are flat on the floor (use a footrest if necessary). Chair should be with a backrest for lumbar support.

Do not slouch.

Ensure that frequently used materials are within easy reach.

Get up and move around as often as possible - at least once every 20 to 30 minutes.

Block excessive sunlight with drapes or blinds and use indirect room lighting.

Give your eyes a rest every 15 to 20 minutes by focusing on a distant object for 10 to 15 seconds and blink often to prevent dry eyes.

Use holder to hold paper.


Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Dealing With A Difficult Coworker - Part 2


Keep an open mind

You should keep an open mind when dealing with a difficult coworker, as there is a chance that you are failing to understand his point of view and that is what is causing the trouble. If you have particular trouble while communicating with a specific colleague, try bringing in a third party to make sure that you do no misinterpret anything that is said by him or you.

Imagine yourself in his shoes

Before you take any major step that could alter the fate of the fellow employee, imagine yourself in his shoes at least once. There might be some personal problems that are leading the coworker to behave in a difficult manner. Try to be reasonable and do not take any action that might end up permanently damaging his career.

Keep it to yourself

If you are having trouble with a coworker it is best to keep it to yourself. If you whine about it to any of your other colleagues, there is a high probability that it will be circulated throughout the office and sooner or later the person you are having trouble with will hear what you have said about him.

Do not retaliate

If a difficult coworker is badmouthing you, do not retaliate under any circumstances. This will get you involved in petty politics and lead the managers to believe that you are unprofessional who cannot deal with a little criticism. So keep in mind, whatever your colleagues might be saying about you must keep your cool at all times.

Talk to the boss

After you have tried everything else, talk to your boss about the difficult coworker as a last resort. Make sure that it does not appear as if you are making baseless accusations or just whining about petty things. Articulate the things that are creating difficulties for you and suggest how they can be minimized. Do not badmouth your colleague as it will lead the boss to conclude that you have some personal vendetta against the coworker. Never under any circumstances suggest to the boss that he should lay off the coworker as it can be the worst thing that you do not only for the colleague but also for yourself. By doing so, you will end up losing respectability in the eyes of the boss.

Final

Having a healthy and positive attitude at work is essential if you wish to be productive and give the maximum possible output. If you have a colleague who disrupts the smooth flow of work and is creating unnecessary problems for you, then it is best that you tackle the problem rather than letting your work suffer. however, if the difficult coworker is not interfering with your work then it is best to simply avoid and ignore him as much as possible and focus all your energies at work.


Concluded

Monday, May 10, 2010

Dealing With A Difficult Coworker - Part 1


During the course of professional life, one often comes across coworkers who are not so easy to get along with. Some of them can be avoided easily, yet others make it impossible for you to simply ignore them and continue your work. Most of us choose to ignore a difficult employee, even if he is directly interfering with our work, rather than confronting him. While this might be the easier solution, having a difficult coworker affects your work productivity tremendously and makes it hard for you to perform at your maximum potential in the long run.

Is he really being difficult?

The most important thing that you have to figure out is whether the coworkers is actually being difficult on purpose or is it just your perception. It might be that you are having problems with a coworker just because the two of you have different personality types that clash too often. There are a lot of people who just fail to get along well as they have very different personalities. It does not mean that any one of them is being difficult rather the problem is that both of them are failing to find a common ground. If this is what is causing trouble between you and a colleague then it can be easily resolved. The best way is to talk it out with the coworker. Ask him which of your habits are causing him inconvenience and listen to him patiently, as there is no point in being offended by what he has to say. Try to remain objective and figure out what you can do to resolve the situation. Make sure that you also communicate your problems to the coworker, but do it tactfully. It should not appear that you are criticizing the colleague just to spite him. Vocalize your concerns in a friendly and amiable manner so that the other person reacts positively as well.

However, if you are sure that there is nothing untoward in your attitude and the coworker is being difficult on purpose, then you have to take some steps to set the situation right.

There are many ways to deal with a difficult coworker without making a big deal and creating a bad impression on the boss.

Confront or avoid?

The first thing you have to decide when dealing with a coworker is how you want to go about it. Many people choose to avoid conflict and try to mind their own business as much as possible so that they can avoid any sort of confrontation. This approach may do the trick for a short time, but sooner or later you will have to deal with a difficult coworker who makes it impossible for you to avoid him. In such a case there are several options for you regarding how to successfully deal with a troublesome coworker.

Avoid petty arguments

The most important thing that you have to keep in mind is that whatever the situation might be; try to avoid getting into petty arguments with a difficult colleague. Arguments seldom solve anything and whenever you argue with a person who is bent on being difficult, the end result is bound to be frustrating for you. You will end up gaining nothing and will have given the other person the satisfaction of an argument. It is likely that by avoiding getting into petty arguments you will be able to make the difficult coworker follow your example.


To Be Continued ...

Friday, May 7, 2010

Career Tips | What To Say In A Job Interview - Part 2


5. Relevancy
It is important to share only the information that is relevant to your career, or the job profile in general. If the job for which you are giving the interview requires certain abilities that you possess, make sure that your interview concentrates on those.

6. A team player
Try to give the interviewers an impression of being a team player. A team player is very successful in today’s corporate world.

7. Motivation
By showing your interest in the company, you can show the interviewer that you are interested in the job and are motivated to add value to the company.

8. Future plans
Tell the interviewer about any concrete ambition that you have so that the interviewer knows about your future plans and how motivated you are.

9. Honest answers
Always remember that an interview is just the start of the job and hiring process. If you make any false statements here, you might have to face humiliation in the future. If you get the job, it is possible that your profile may be checked and crosschecked any time. Therefore make sure that you are completely honest about your answers.


Concluded