As I entered the store I glanced down once more at my carefully prepared shopping list. This time I was determined to get only the items written on my list. I quickly walked right past the large shopping carts, rationalizing that it isn’t necessary for the few items I was getting. I purposely avoided eye contact with any of the products strategically displayed at the front of the store. After about 10 minutes, and with all of my items from the list in hand, I walked gleefully toward the checkout. Suddenly a small red sticker on a price tag caught my eye…..CLEARANCE. Not just any clearance either, this was 75-90% off. Next thing I knew I was practically sprinting to the front of the store. I grab a shopping cart and dumped all of my “listed” items in there without a second thought. I then found myself making a mad dash back to the clearance rack. Not only did I get 10 for me, I also got one in every color for my Mother, Grandmother, my sisters, my brother, my uncle, my cousins, my nieces and nephews. All of whom lived 2000 or more miles away and most likely would never even see the items I got for them. Then one day I stood back and took a long and hard look of my many belongings and my meager savings. I figured out that if I continued with this behavior, I was heading down a path of further financial ruin. While it is true that I acquired plenty of nice things fairly cheaply, I was getting myself into more and more debt. So I started listening to a radio talk show and television programs about controlling my spending, saving money and getting out of debt. I also read magazines and books about spending and impulse buying. As a result, I immediately stopped using credit cards. That was a hard first step. I took them out of my wallet, handed them to my husband and told him to hide them from me. I got a second job with the specific focus on paying off my debt. Every once in a while I see a good clearance sale and I start to feel my pulse racing and my adrenaline kicking in, then I take a deep breath decide if one would be a necessity and most of the time it isn’t, so I have to force myself to walk away. These encounters have become harder and harder as this economy gets worse and worse, many businesses have gone out of business which in turn causes lots of liquidation sales. If you have ever been to a liquidation sale then you would you know everything is sold at pennies on the dollar. From designer clothes and shoes to electronics and everything else not bolted down. That’s how I ended up with store fixtures I haven’t used and didn’t need (don’t ask). I took an assessment of the items I do have at home and realized that thanks to the clearance spending sprees I’ve had in the past, I now have plenty of items (with price tags still attached) to last a while. I have given lots away to family and friends as well as local charities. Instead of spending my time in malls and discount stores, I spend more time with my children at the park or playing games with them at home. This is far more rewarding, believe it or not, than finding a designer item on clearance. I have also taken a greater interest in our bills and family budget, I now allocate a small but reasonable amount of money just for extra items I would like to buy. Although it has been a challenge and I admit I have had a few weak moments, the rewards are worth it. I have noticed a significant reduction in my debt, more free space in my house, less stress in my life and most important of all is the example that I am setting for my children.

Written By Yvette J.

So here’s what I learned yesterday.

1. No one is going to pat you on the back in grad school. The professors are not your parents and you are not making art projects for them. Do not expect golden praise for everything you do – don’t expect praise at all.

2. Don’t take the criticism personally. It’ll eat you alive. You’re going to leave here with no ego and your sense of self must not be located within your work.

3. You are not going to do groundbreaking work in graduate school. Getting your degree is a series of hoops that you must jump through. Mediocrity is the game. Get through it. Assignments are not part of your opus. Do the work, get the grades, and move on. Don’t put your soul into this. You’ll do that after you get your degree.

4. Academia loves itself. It is snotty, self-inclusive, and loves rewarding itself. People get into academia to get the praise and admiration. It’s okay not to care about this; don’t let yourself get wrapped up in this game. You don’t have to be the overachiever; you just have to make sure you get your degree.

5. Your degree is the reason you’re doing this. Grad school is not fun, it’s awful. It’s horrible. But you’re doing it because of something you want very badly, and if you want that life badly enough, you’ll do it.

6. If you can survive the first year, you can survive the rest. It won’t get easier, but you’ll know that you can do it.

7. However, grad school is a game. Play by the rules, don’t get caught up personally, and get what you need to get done.

7. a) Don’t forget who you are. Protect yourself. Find yourself outside of your program. Do not let your entire life become the program, and do not locate your pride or confidence in your work. Be your own best friend, and support yourself.

8. There are overachievers. There are always overachievers. You don’t need to be one of them. The point is to get your degree. You don’t have to be perfect, you have to be enough.

9. Grad school is an endurance race. Not everybody gets their degree. But dropping out is something you will regret for the rest of your life.

When I’d like to just run away
From all the stress, the hardship, the unsurety..
Hop on a plane and not tell anybody where I’m going.
See if anybody cares enough to wonder where I’ve went.
And would you care enough to come after me?

© 2009 Kebba Buckley Button, M.S., O.M.  World Rights Reserved.

Perhaps you saw this gem among the short news items in late June this year: “Ex-wife accused of identity theft blames dog for leading her astray”.  In Arlington, Washington, an ex-husband found money was leaving his accounts without his direction.  Police investigators determined his ex-wife was paying her expenses with the unauthorized funds.  When asked about using her ex-husband’s bank account, the woman said her dog ate her personal checks and she had no choice but to use her ex-husband’s account.

Now let’s back up a moment.  Most people have another pad of checks, because checks typically come in batches of 160 or more. So maybe the dog ate all her checkpads, as well as her checks in her checkbook, which was lying within reach of the dog’s mouth (why?).  This woman probably has a debit card and can make online payments.   She didn’t choose to do that.  Debit cards and emergency replacement checks are available at all branches of her bank or credit union.  The woman didn’t choose to avail herself of those services.

So maybe there was a long holiday weekend involved and she couldn’t talk to staff at her bank.  But hello!  The banks all have 800 numbers with staff standing by to help customers around the clock.  Alright, so maybe there was a storm and all long-distance phone service was down.  In desperation, perhaps the ex-wife thought, well, maybe I can use my ex-husband’s account.  This leaves only 4 questions in my mind.  One: why did she choose not ask his permission?  Two: how did she still know or have a record of his bank account number?  Three: with her own checkpads all destroyed (we posit), where did she get checks from his account?  Four:  was she planning all this in advance, and is that how she had whatever she needed to access his account?  That sounds much like a group of choices.

According to the ex-wife’s version of events, implicitly, if she had fed the dog something tastier than checks, none of this fuss would ever have occurred.  Oh, but that must be wrong, because then she would have had some responsibility for what happened and for solving it.  Now she is being investigated for identity theft and forgery.  If she goes to jail, she will have many fewer choices.  I hope she will see the irony.

Excuses are the stories people offer, to keep from taking responsibility for their ineffective and “bad” choices.  Life is our greatest experiment, with hundreds of choices to make each day.  With the option to make many choices comes the responsibility of making those that will give us the strongest results.  Are you currently making any excuses for the way you are handling or not handling something? Why not exit your excuses and start experimenting, to build up your positive lifestyle more?  And please, will you keep your dog and your checks completely separated?

____________________________________________________________

Reach the author at Kebba@DiscoverTheSecretEnergizedYou.com.

I have just arrived at my London hotel, after a 6 hour trip from door to door, Munich door to London door, of which just 90 minutes was flying time and 3 hours was getting from London Gatwick airport to my London hotel….. the joys of land travel.

Boy is it cold and windy here in London and I arrived at my hotel exhausted, so I have been searching for some calming thoughts now, as I relax and get ready for bed. This is what I have found:

At every chance, put your feet up. This increases circulation but also has the amazing benefit of peacefulness. As Ovid wrote “Take rest – a field that is rested gives beautiful crop”

Be in the present as the flow of our lives is happening in the present moment. Stop what you are doing and embrace a deep sense of calm and peace. Then know you can let go, relax and even laugh.

Give yourself an eyebrow massage. By massaging the acupressure points around your eyes and forehead in an outward direction with your fingertips, a relaxing state of calm will soon arrive. It’s a natural stress reliever.

These have helped me – I hope they help you too.

Genetic causes:

Although listed in the DSM-IV-TR on Axis II, schizotypal personality disorder is widely understood to be a “schizophrenia spectrum” disorder. If you look at the relatives of individuals who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, rates of schizotypal PD will be much higher in those individuals than in the relatives of people with other mental illnesses or in the relatives of community controls with no mental illness. Technically speaking, schizotypal PD is an “extended phenotype” that helps geneticists track the familial or genetic transmission of the genes that are implicated in schizophrenia. There are dozens of studies showing that individuals with schizotypal PD look similar to individuals with schizophrenia on a very wide range of neuropsychological tests. Cognitive deficits in patients with schizotypal PD are very similar to, but somewhat milder than, those for patients with schizophrenia.

The DSM-IV™ indicates that StPD is more prevalent among the first-degree relatives of individuals with schizophrenia than among the general population (DSM-IV™, 1994, p. 643). Seiver also notes that many family members of schizophrenic patients are eccentric and socially isolated; he states that research supports the idea of familial transmission of schizotypal personality disorder similar to that of other schizophrenia-related disorders (Seiver, Livesley, ed., 1995, p. 77). StPD has a relatively stable course; only a small proportion of individuals with StPD go on to develop schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders (DSM-IV, 1994, p. 643).

Social / Environmental causes:

People with schizotypal PD, like patients with schizophrenia, may be quite sensitive to interpersonal criticism and hostility, and there is now evidence to suggest that parenting styles, early separation and early childhood neglect can lead to the development of schizotypal traits.

It has been speculated that the schizotypal individual develops a fear of, strong objection to, or incapacity for social interaction, due to the sum of their past social experiences being negative in nature. That as infants they do not learn how to interact with others, and as children and adults this inability quickly makes them a target for other people. Eventually, the individual learns (most often unconsciously) to see people as harmful and a source of negativity, suffering and ostracization. This leads to the development of “ideas of reference,” in which the schizotypal individual believes that events are of special relevance to them or that benign events are somehow related to them (e.g., sees two people laughing and believes that the people are laughing at them). The individual may realize that their ideas of reference are irrational, but maintains them nonetheless. This exacerbates the individual’s social anxiety, causing them to skew away from society and withdraw into their own world.

The exact reason or cause of this impairment is unknown. Some experts contend that childhood abuse, neglect or stress results in the brain dysfunction that gives rise to schizotypal symptoms. Both genetics and environmental circumstances appear to play a role in development of the disorder.

A family history — such as having a parent who has schizophrenia or schizotypal personality disorder — increases your chances of developing the condition. A number of environmental factors also may contribute, such as a neglectful or abusive childhood home.

Like most types of personality disorders, the cause of schizotypal personality disorder is unknown. Researchers have suggested that the personality disorder is closely related to schizophrenia, and schizotypal personality disorder is more common in families with a history of schizophrenia. This connection has suggested a genetic basis for schizotypal personality disorder, but definitive proof of a genetic cause has yet to be found.

Risk factors

Personality development is mostly affected by genetic tendencies. Environmental factors, such as stressful childhood experiences, also may play a role. Factors that increase the risk of developing the schizotypal personality disorder include:

• Having a relative who has schizophrenia
• Living in a childhood environment of deprivation or neglect
• Experiencing child abuse or mistreatment
• Undergoing a childhood trauma
• Having an emotionally detached parent

Ten tips on how to eat well and live healthy:

1.   Do not eat until you are genuinely hungry.  When you are hungry our stomach will tell us that it needs food.  This means the stomach is empty from the previous meal and is ready to digest a new meal.  If you eat when you are not hungry or continually eat and mix semi digested foods with new ones, it will cause the mixture to stay in the stomach pouch for a longer time.  This causes purification and fermentation of foods leading to health problems.

2.   Do not over eat.  The stomach has a limited capacity for food and needs some space for mixing and digestion.  If it is completely full, it cannot function properly.  The stomach is located beneath heart, and when the stomach is full it expands and applies pressure on the heart.  The process leaves very little space for the heart to beat at its proper pace.  Too much pressure can cause the heart to palpitate or to beat at irregular intervals.  Always stop eating before you feel full.  It takes approximately 20 minutes for the stomach to let your brains know you are in fact full and that it is best at that time to stop eating.

3.   Take liquids before solids.  Foods that are less difficult to digest and require less time should be eaten first.  After the easier swallow food has been consumed, start with harder to chew foods that need more time for digestion.  The food, which is more solid and has the lower water content, should be taken after the food, which has highest water content.  Soup and vegetables should be taken before the main meal.

4.   Do not drink while you are eating.  Water, juices or carbonated drinks should not be taken with a meal as they dilute the stomach juices and enzymes and interrupt digestion process.  This causes gas, bloating, pain, constipation and toxicity of the whole body.  Undigested food goes into the intestines and then into the colon where it putrefies and ferments to create more gas and acid, which is then re-absorbed, into the bloodstream.  Water and all kinds of drinks can be taken half an hour before and about two hours after the meal.

5.   It is best to chew each bite of food 20-30 times.  Chewing food is a very important process in proper digestion.  Dieticians recommended chewing solid food to the extent.  This ensures for proper breakdown and causes the food to change to the more liquid for before making for a more simple digestion process.  Many problems and diseases are caused by not chewing food adequately.

6.   Do not mix different food groups together and try to eat a single food group at one time.  There are different groups of food in nature, for instance fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.  Most of the food we consume is complex, but in order to have better digestion it is best not mix proteins with carbohydrates or fats with proteins.  For example, the traditional North American dish of steak   and potatoes in not a good mixture for healthy digestion and nutrients absorption.  If a potato, which is carbohydrate, gets served with vegetables it makes an ideal food combination.   Carbohydrates and vegetables also make a good combination.  A proper combination of the right foods makes for over all healthy digestion.

7.   Do not eat any processed or manufactured foods.  Any food that has been altered by the process using heat or the adding of chemicals to preserve or add flavor or is vitamin enriched is not healthy to eat.  For example, white bread does not have any food value left in it nor do cold cuts which are full of chemicals and coloring.  All added chemicals are hazardous to your health.

8.   Add lots of fiber to your meals.  The human digestive system is a long tube which should be filled with a large amount of fibrous foods.  Fiber absorbs water and cleans the digestive track.  A lack of fibers in your diet causes many kinds of disorders and diseases; from constipation to cancer.

9.   Drink at least eight glasses of water a day.  Our body is made up of 65% to 70% of water.  Without an adequate amount of water, the body does not function optimally and there is a general lack of energy and concentration.  All nutrients and vitamins must be dissolved in water in order to be absorbed into the bloodstream.  The amount of water to be drink is based on the body weight of the individual; for each kilogram of weight, one ounce of water is needed.  Note that too much water is also not recommended as it flushes the nutrients out of your body. 

10.   Exercise.  Exercising makes the muscles strong and keeps the bones dense.  It stimulates the lymphatic system keeping the fluids moving so it works better at keeping us healthy.  Our lymphatic system is responsible for waste collection and immunity protection.  It does not have a pumping system like our bloodstream has to the heart; therefore, the speed of fluid movement is very low.  Regular exercise keeps the continual appellation of toxins through the lymphatic system removing them from the body.

Until next time… Stay healthy

Katarzyna

Our new Long Deep Breathing iPhone application is now available on the iTunes App store! 

This link will take you to the iTunes store where the App is described and can be purchased:

 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/long-deep-breathing/id337291691?mt=8

Of course you can experience the benefits of Long Deep Breathing without an iPhone or an iPhone App.  Many of you who are patients have already learned the technique and understand some of the benefits of Long Deep Breathing.  

Creating the App is a way to reach out to people far beyond our patient base.   We’re hoping that many people all over the world who  are experiencing stress can learn this simple Long Deep Breathing technique and derive many benefits from it.  Perhaps those who already know the Long Deep Breathing technique will be reminded to practice it more often.  The App does seem to make Long Deep Breathing  more fun, particularly as you work to slow down your breathing….it becomes quite easy to track and challenge yourself. 

We’ve already had sales in 14 countries!  For some reason, it seems to be selling well in Australia. In addition to the iPhone, the App will work on an iPod Touch.

Remember, our clinical experience is that people who practice Long Deep Breathing for 5 minutes, three times daily, will experience major health improvements!

It is sunday, dear readers, and I am in a blogging mood. I should literally be doing ANYTHING else right now. I’m behind on NaNoWriMo, I have annotations, biblical heritage and a paper to catch up on, MFA applications to fill out, 3 letters to write, I have three unread books sitting on my bookshelf, there is a pile of laundry about a tall as a small child on my closet…but no. I feel like blogging.

In the recent days I have decided to take my dad’s advice. Things have not been the most fun in Room 108 and its made things here a little edgy. My dad knows this, since he knows everything about my life, and told me that I have to stop letting outside forces ruin my day. Yeah, that is very basic advice and I could have worked that out for myself, but really, no one really realizes things like that until they are told to us by someone else. So it was difficult, but I have really let this advice sink into my life. And things have been pretty good. I mean, there are times when that isn’t going to work, but as a whole, these last few days haven’t been too bad. And I’m thankful for that because its the time of year when things start to pile up and if I was to let everything that happens effect my day, I would be one unhappy person. I don’t know if this new life method has let me stop caring a little about homework (I’d hope not) but its probably the reason I feel like blogging right now, versus doing homework or various other things. Plus, its really dark out already and I only get the urge to blog when its dark out now for some reason. *shrug* oh well. I don’t really care that I’ll have to stay up a little later.

Shane might arrive in Minnesota Tuesday night. Not many people grasp how excited this makes me. I think only my family really understands that when someone talks about thanksgiving I have to constantly fight the urge to scream. I doubt I will be sleeping at all tomorrow night because I’ll just want to get home and wait for shane. I have to sleep on an air mattress in the computer room instead of my queen bed which shane will be using, but I think it shows how excited I am when I saw that if it meant shane would stay forever, I would give up my bedroom and live in the computer room on a leaky air mattress. thanksgiving is actually fairly bittersweet for me now that I think about it. It is all fantastic until Shane has to leave. that part breaks my heart. I know that a cheesy overused statement, but there really isn’t another way to describe it. Its that way for the whole family really. I think it hurts all of us to see Shane leave. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it hurts me most, but I think because I even though was still a kid when we moved, but I was old enough to understand how close we all were to Shane and old enough to know that he was really important. I’d kind of latched on to that family and moving away from them was incredibly life changing for me. So every time Shane comes to visit its like before we moved away. We’re all together, joking around and just relaxing together. When he leaves its like we’re moving away all over again. We all stand in the driveway, hugging each other, saying our goodbyes and as he drives down the drive way we all go into the house and we all do different things. My mom starts to clean, my dad usually lays on the couch with the dog, and the kids all go off to our rooms. I have a room in the front of the house where the windows look out to the street, so I watch Shane’s car until its gone and then sit around in my room. Its incredibly sad to know that Shane is going to be gone for another year, but we all don’t seem to remember that when he’s with us. Its painful, but I wouldn’t give up thanksgiving week for anything in the world. It is probably the best week of the year for me and even though it ends on a sad note, its well worth it. I look forward to it every year, make the most out of it when it comes and when its gone, I start looking forward to it again next year. Years when Shane doesn’t come are years where my thanksgivings really stink. Last year what we did for thanksgiving was really great and important to do, but because Shane wasn’t there, my family tended to be more upset about that than understanding that we did what we needed to do. We called Shane after dinner and we all talked to him before doing our usual tradition of watching A White Christmas and it was obvious that he wasn’t having the greatest thanksgiving either and it made us all pretty sad. BUT this year will be different! This year shane is coming EARLY and we’re going to have the best time ever.

I cannot wait to watch A White Christmas also. That’s another high point. White Christmas with my family is something that you have to experience to understand. This is the one movie that all six members of the bertram family can sit through the entire thing and enjoy all of it (though none of us particularly like the Choreography dance). My dad sings along until we are all shouting at him to cut it out, we fake cry at the sappy parts that we all really enjoy and there is even a little bit of dancing. The kids and I are going to perform “The Old Man” when my dad retires as a joke. he’s told us not to many times, but we’re going to do it anyway and he will love it secretly.

Ok, its homework time. I’ve written more than I meant to. so if I don’t write before then, HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

love Emily

I knew this day was coming, but I didn’t think it’d happen so soon.

In fact, I’ve done a number of things to prepare for it. And now, even though I’m way ahead of schedule. Even though I have a handful of half-written songs that I could pull from right now. And even though I have some song ideas in the back of my mind that I really believe in.

Even with all that, I’ve hit that place in 2009 where the mere thought of writing (what will likely be a really crappy song) makes me want to cry.

(And, let’s just be honest, everything makes me want to cry right now.)

My heart pounds at the thought of typing this: I don’t want to write.

I don’t want to. I don’t don’t don’t don’t don’t.

I think it’s the swirling spinning stormy combination of all the excitement in my life. blah blah I’m not complaining. I genuinely AM excited about life and what’s before us. I just need a nap. A nap that’ll last about 4 days, because, well, there’s a lot going on. (This is the part where I remind myself that “negative stress affects us in the same way that positive stress does.”)

I’ve got 5 songs staring me in the face. FIVE. And the 95 behind me are doing nothing to contribute to any creative momentum I once had…

The pen feels heavy.

My brain moves like molasses.

These 5 feel as impossible as the 100 I started with.

5 to go.

Piece of cake, right?

Tiffany Yang

I attended the Student Advocates for Nutrition (SAN) Thanksgiving dinner last week and was told that when several of them helped out at the SPH prospective student day, many of the prospective students expressed worry about transitioning into graduate school life. Now, I know that the posts on this blog from all the various students may seem like all we do are attend seminars and events and sit around and talk about public health issues (tangent: it is really weird how this can happen. I never sat around as an undergrad and chatted with classmates about peroxisomes or gap junctions. Now, I find myself in conversations about dietary guidelines and the pros and cons of vitamin supplements) but we also spend time doing other stuff.

One of my classmates, a Master’s student in Human Nutrition, does ballroom dancing and she’s in Ohio this weekend for a competition. Me, I spend a lot of time cooking and preserving. I know other people who still have time to read, travel, play sports, go to gallery openings or pursue other diversions. Still others do amazing things with their time and volunteer, work, or be a parent. One of my classmates is taking 18 credits and is a parent. Parents in school are just amazing. If she can do it, you can too.

Yeah, you may be tempted to say that it’s going to be harder just because it is graduate school but this isn’t necessarily the case. Things are a bit more intense in terms of how much you need to know, but you will be surprised at how much the grades are adjusted on exams. At this point, you are making the choice to go to graduate school to learn more, not to get more A’s. Don’t get me wrong, I still want A’s, but I’m not as concerned about spending the exponentially greater amount of time needed to get the A although I usually panic a day or two before the exam and study like mad. But those hours still don’t add up to the insane amount of studying I did as an undergrad in order to “qualify” for graduate school. Glad those crazy days are behind me. However, I have classmates who are still crazy about studying and grades. They obsess over little details in lecture notes and amp-up for exams weeks before they are slated to occur. Is this normal? Only if you think it is. It’s different for everyone.

In terms of class, classes are classes. I didn’t know anything about public health or nutrition before I started and I’m learning everything right now. It’s definitely a bit scary to jump into something that I know nothing about, but that’s what classes are for! And, incidentally, I hear that the transition from 1st year to 2nd year is much more abrupt and crazy than the transition from undergrad to grad school.

Basically, things are not going to change that much except you get to say “graduate” in front of “student” when people ask you what you’re doing with your life and you get to learn lots of really cool stuff.

President Obama and his party and supporters all talk about living in peace with various countries and philosophies.  And they start with the proposition that the US can be peaceful, and everyone else will just come along.

This is a beautiful ideal. However, here is the difference between peace and violence: Peace is a relationship. Violence is an act. I can be as peaceful as I want toward someone else, but if they are violent back, then there is no peace. Likewise, if I am violent toward someone, they can love and be peaceful back to me – and that just makes my violence all the easier.

The key is to either convert the violent person to a peaceful person (which is his or her internal conversion, and cannot be done by you or by 1,000,000 of your peaceful companions) or neutralize the violent person’s actions. This is the only route to peace.

Don’t believe me? How many peaceful women have resisted a rape or a beating by projecting an attitude of love and compassion? How successful were the peaceful thoughts of the people on the planes on 9/11?

The only reason Jesus could be non-violent is because He knew He was going to be resurrected. I believe I will be resurrected – but I am not going to be non-violent in the presence of someone attacking my daughter or wife. The only reason Ghandhi and MLK were non-violent is because they knew the societies that supported the governments that enforced the laws they were seeking to enforce would be sickened by the violence shown on them. had they been in another country or society, they would have been a couple of dead guys.

This is a nice idea. But please don’t be deluded that living in peace means letting down your guard against violence.

Rick Carter

STRESS JUDO

Turning stress into OPPORTUNITIES

Presiunea arteriala  creste datorita stresului si supararii

In cartea sa de Managementul  Stressului (publicat de Jones şi Bartlett, 2006), Brian Luca Seaward citat Bernie Siegal, MD ca spunând: “Gânduri sunt substanţe chimice. Ele pot ucide, fie sau vindeca.” Diferite cercetătorii au demonstrat că gândurile sunt într-adevăr produse chimice. Numerosi autori,  Carnegie, Canfield, şi Dispenza, au evidentiat efectele acestor substanţe chimice  asupra organismului uman.

În cartea sa, emană Your Brain: Stiinta de a schimba  Gandul, (publicat de Health Communications, Inc, 2007), Dr. Joe Dispenza explică faptul că gândurile şi emoţiile nu sunt altceva decât produse chimice, precum şi faptul că oamenii pot deveni dependenti de ele.

În mod evident, produsele chimice  ale creierului, cum ar fi neurotransmitatori sunt lucruri reale. Certeste ca gandirea si sentimentele   genereaza  neurotransmiţători  în organism. Aceste substanţe chimice suntmediatori intre  creier şi   organism    afectand  fiecare celula din organism. Este atat de socant,  să spunem că gândirea şi sentimentul afecteaza    sănătatea ?

Cercetatorii din medicina si psihologie deja ştiu că hormonii şi anumite alte substanţe chimice din corp pot  exacerba condiţiile care sunt cauzate de infecţii sau alte boli organice. Ar putea acesti mediatori chimici sa duca la  boală?Exista tipare de gandire care sa duca la   cancer sau boli de inima?

Supararea  ar  putea provoca hipertensiune arterială  , atacuri de cord şi accidente vasculare cerebrale? Se pare că acest lucru este real

Atunci întrebarea rămâne,    ce putem face in acest domeniu Cum pot oamenii sa si pazeasca sanatatea  sănătatea lor prin emoţiile lor?

Biblia poate deţine unele chei de la sănătate şi bunăstarea emoţională

Biblia nu poate părea o resursă probabil pentru sănătate şi bunăstare, pentru că este privit ca o sursă de predare spiritual sau religioase. Cărţi spirituale nu sunt de multe ori asimilate cu informaţii medicale. În acest caz, ceva cuprinse în care se aplică mentale, emoţionale şi chiar sănătatea fizică.

Recomandarile  Bibliei reprezinta o cale  pentru sanatatea dumneavosatra. Nerespectarea aceasta poate duce la multe probleme de sanatate.

Biblia este  bază de prescripţie medicală?

Iertare şi eliberare de furie. Poate că oamenii ar trebui să ierte pe alţii şi sa fe eliberati de frustrarea maniei , nu numai pentru sănătatea lor spiritual emoţională, dar şi pentru sănătatea lor fizică.  Toate acestea sunt toate interconectate.

After a hectic week, I was looking forward to sleeping in a bit (7 maybe?) yesterday, but unfortunately we found ourselves scrambling to get to the vet as soon as it opened.  Our little monster was having stomach… issues (I promise to spare you the details), so we rushed to the vet just as soon as they opened.  This is where we discovered our dog is stressed out.

I believe getting “snipped” would be cause for stress.  I’m feeling a bit frazzled myself, and I closed out the week with no missing parts and no sign of the flu (Nick is feeling much better, by the way.  Thanks!).  So I suppose Clark is entitled to his stress-induced colitis.  Sorry, I think I just broke my earlier promise.  After a week of little sleep and lots of worry, I am happy to be enjoying a lazy, laaaazy Sunday.  It started with a little jaunt to Home Despot (just a few more moving boxes for tomorrow’s long awaited office move, a major source of annoyance this week), and Target (cake mix for Thanksgiving!), and a bit of laundry and cleaning.  With almost everything in order, I plopped down with a stack of magazines and a cup of tea and have barely budged since.

The x-ray film is a nice touch.

Nothing beats a good book, but when my pea brain is a bit scattered, I love nothing more than the pick-up, put down, read what you want of a magazine.  SJP as Carrie Bradshaw said, “When I first moved to New York and I was totally broke, sometimes I bought Vogue instead of dinner. I found it fed me more.”  And Madonna wrote a whole song about the magazine… or was that about actually voguing?  Either way,  I don’t have any Vogues in my stack today (because Carrie ate all of them).  Nothing fashionable.  Just a few Shapes and Body + Souls.  Here’s what I absorbed this morning.

From Body and Soul/November issue:

• Cinnamon can help lower cholesterol levels and regular blood sugar.  The cinnamon we use in the US is usually actually cassia, a relative of Ceylon (actual cinnamon).  Both come from the bark of tropical evergreens typically found in Asia.  Speaking of cinnamon, I still haven’t gotten around to baking that apple crisp.

These apples are patiently waiting to be crisped.

• Want to boost your immunity and up your defenses against a cold or the flu?  Brew a pot of Immunity Tea.  On page 49, the recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of astragalus, 1 tablespoon of dried ginger, 1/8 teaspoon of dried lemon peel and 1 tablespoon of lemon balm.  Simmer the first three ingredients in a covered quart of water for twenty minutes.  Turn off the heat and add the lemon balm; re-cover and steep for another 20 minutes, discard the herbs.  Add honey, if you please.   Tea will keep in the fridge for a day and can be re-heated.
• From page 79, raw or lightly cooked garlic appears to have antiviral and antibacterial properties and are thought to boost immunity.  Gnaw on some garlic while your Immunity Tea is brewing.
• And from the last page, “See physical fitness as a practice, not a goal.”

From Real Simple/December issue:

• From page 136, fight free radicals (sources include irritants, pollution, smoke, UVA/UVB rays and cell processes like metabolism) with these 10 foods: unpeeled apples, pomegranates, dark chocolate, dried plums, red wine, artichokes, pecans, blueberries, strawberries and spinach.
• According to the Money Guide on page 223, the Twelve Days of Christmas in 2009 would cost $21,080.10.  The lords-a-leapin’ alone would cost you $4,413.61.  I’ll take the french hens for $30; seems like a bargain.
• I love the Sesame letterpress coasters from Cursive New York, featured on page 308’s Discounts & Deals.  Click here to buy, enter REAL SIMPLE at checkout to receive the readers’ discount.

From Shape Magazine/November issue:

• Once I get through this little pile of mags, and finish the three books I’m in the middle of reading, I will surely be looking for my next read.  Shape recommends www.bookseer.com, a website that will offer recommended reads, based on books and authors you favor.  I just entered a few books and the site recommended Good Evening, Mrs. Craven.  I’m intrigued.
• Three pages worth of sneakers, including two pairs of trainers I might consider for Zumba and other dance/cardio classes (running shoes just don’t cut it).
• From the back page, 5 simple “stay-fit strategies,” which include cooking your own meals (and controlling both ingredients and portion sizes), having fitness DVDs on hand for those days you could’ve/should’ve/would’ve hit the gym, avoid temptation by bring your own healthy snacks to work, exercise in the morning (how many times have we heard that.. and then hit snooze?), and make time to meditate.

Also On Tap for Today:

• Catch up with Kristine (unless she’s on her way to Hawaii already, which I think she might be.  Aloha, friend!)
• Get moderately organized for the week
• Re-watch a few of the segments from CBS’ Sunday Morning (I especially loved the ones about cooking teacher Wilma Stephenson and Julia Child’s book editor, Judith Jones and pleasures of cooking for one.)

How do you unwind and become less prickly?  And what are you currently reading?

I think I’m about ready to crack under the stress of realizing my home may be infested with mice. How? Literally in a heartbeat. One day everything was great – no more signs of mice since finding evidence under my sink a month ago.

Then Zippy the House Mouse showed up, performing daring acrobatics through my apartment. Zippy is dead. A direct result of my lack of forethought.

And now this: the tortured screams of a second and third mouse stuck in live traps that I used to replace the bait traps. The sad reality though is that they’re all still pooping blue poison, which means they’re all as good as dead anyway.

It seems, for the near future at least, freezing poisoned mice to save them the torment of a slow, painful death over the course of a week will become part of my daily routine.

That, and crawling around armed with a can of expanding foam – staring intently off into dark corners looking for holes no bigger than the size of a dime.

Brain meltdown may be imminent.

So ist es mir guten Vorsätzen – man startet motiviert, überlistet sich dann selbst und fängt sinnvolle Vorhaben an aufzuschieben, bis man tatsächlich vergessen hat, was man sich denn überhaupt vorgenommen hatte.

Tja – knapp 3 Monate muss ich mir eingestehen: Ich bin nicht vorangekommen sondern im Gegenteil zurückgefallen!

Blöder Job, nette Kollegen. Blöder Druck, nette Herausforderung. Nette Projekte, blöde Deadlines…

Nach viel Autosuggestion, Herausforderungsmantras und Hoffnungsparolen muss ich mir leider eingestehen:
Ich habe mich wahnsinnig auf einen neuen Job gefreut, der dank Firmenkultur (Mobbing), Struktur (non existing) und Inhalten (Reporting, Listen, Aktionismus vorweisen statt Ergebnis – und Leistungsorientierung) leider eher eine Katastrophe ist.

Das habe ich aber nicht nur festgestellt, sondern mich dadurch auch herunterziehen, stressen, persönlich verunsichern lassen.

Also Kommando zurück: Nicht besser werden, sondern erst einmal ein gesundes, aushaltbares Gleichgewicht finden. An gute Zeiten, die bald kommen, denken. Und daran glauben. Aktivität auf mich statt wahnsinngie Projekte, Chef, Firma refokussieren. Neue – gute! – Pläne schmieden. Unsicherheit zulassen. Neubeginn wagen. Und dann..

..wird sicher wirklich alles besser. Der Spruch das Tages (Nov 22nd):

22. Stop Self Sabotage

You’ll be surprised by how much of a burden you can be to yourself. You are literally self sabotaging. Most of the time, unconsciously. If you have a long history of failure behind, that could mean you’ve become your worst enemy. Stop it.

WIE PASSEND!!!

O que é Stress?

O Stress é uma parte natural da vida. É um sinal do nosso corpo de uma ameaça iminente. Stress é a resposta do nosso corpo para responder a as questões físicas, exigências emocionais ou mentais.

O Stress serve a uma série de efeitos positivos, mas muito stress pode ter conseqüências negativas sobre a nossa saúde global.

Quando o Stress é demais? O que pode ser feito para lidar quando estamos oprimidos ou fora de equilíbrio?

Aprenda a identificar o Stress e como você reagir a ele. Descubra maneiras de gerir a vida de forma mais eficaz.

Prestar atenção ao Stress: Cada um de nós experimenta o stress de forma diferente. O que é perturbador para você, pode não ser perturbador para outra pessoa.

Gestão do Stress varia dependendo da personalidade e necessidades individuais. Não há uma maneira melhor de lidar com o Stress, mas existem maneiras de se tornar mais consciente das respostas ao Stress. Você pode aprender a lidar com o Stress de forma mais eficaz.

Tipos de Stress e suas reações:

* Reações emocionais: mau humor, tristeza, raiva, irritabilidade, nervosismo, depressão, solidão, dormência ou sensação oprimido;
* Os sintomas físicos: perda da libido, cansaço, diarréia, constipação, náuseas, tonturas, dores e dores somáticas (dores de estômago, dores de cabeça), batimento cardíaco rápido ou dores musculares. Resfriados freqüentes e as doenças também são sintomas de Stress;
* Sintomas comportamentais: incapacidade de dormir, dormir muito, a dependência de álcool, drogas, cigarros, hábitos nervosos (roer as unhas e os lábios, mastigação), evitar responsabilidades, isolamento. Má higiene pessoal, perda de apetite ou comer demais;
* Reações cognitivas: a incapacidade de se concentrar, problemas de memória, negatividade, julgamento pobre, preocupação, ansiedade e corridas e pensamentos intrusivos.

Sintomas de Stress podem sobrepor-se e variar em diferentes momentos da vida. Estes sintomas podem também ser sintomas de problemas mais sérios.

Como criar uma vida que você pode viver?

Você pode gerenciar o Stress e ter uma ótima saúde.

Prestar atenção às reações do seu próprio corpo é uma ótima forma para começar. Comece hoje a criar novos hábitos, atitudes e comportamento para ajudar você a viver em maior harmonia.

* Faça uma auto-avaliação. O que você faz com que o stress?

Como você costuma lidar com o Stress?

O que faz você perder a energia ou experiência de outros sintomas do stress?

Entender as fontes de Stress é útil no combate das causas do Stress.

* Meditar, orar ou simplesmente ficar quietos e prestar atenção ao que o seu corpo, mente e emoções.
Sentir dor, Stress, tensão ou ansiedade. Observe os seus pensamentos. Observe os seus sentimentos. Identificar a origem de seu Stress ajuda a aprender como administrá-la.

* Programar o tempo para si mesmo. Como agendar reuniões, compromissos ou outras tarefas, horário de tempo para si mesmo.

* Desenvolver uma rotina de exercícios que você pode fazer  todos os dias. Caminhar, nadar, correr, assistir a uma aula de exercícios. Apenas 20 minutos por dia fazem a diferença. Variar sua rotina e apreciar as novas descobertas.

* Faça trabalho voluntário. Uma das melhores maneiras de parar de se preocupar com seus próprios problemas é ajudar alguém a resolver os seus. Um sorriso, uma carta, uma mão amiga, um tempo para a biblioteca, casa de saúde, hospital, escola ou local. Faça o que fizer, faça-o com intenção. Ser gentil libera energia positiva em seu mundo.

* Divirta-se. Encontrar maneiras de se divertir. Faça algo que você goste (um hobby, ouvir música, sair para dançar) ou apenas de umas boas risadas com um amigo. Sorrir e rir faz bem demais.

* Escreva o que quer de mudança. Pegue um papel e escreva suas metas e objetivos.

* Concentre-se em organizar a sua vida. Livrar-se da desordem em sua vida.

* Seja mais exigentes em seus relacionamentos. Olhe para o seu relacionamento, e se pergunte: “Quais são as relações de boas para mim? Que relações me promovem Stress? ” Em seguida, perguntar: “O que nutri meus relacionamentos? Quais são os relacionamentos saudáveis?”.

* Mude a sua atitude e mude sua vida. Ouça como você fala para si mesmo. Observe sua atitude como você fala com outras pessoas. Desenvolva uma atitude positiva, e mude as coisas que você pode e aprenda a viver com o resto.

* Permitir o inesperado. Nem tudo é previsível, nem tudo correr conforme o planejado. Limpe seus pensamentos, atitudes, casa, relacionamentos e vida, e depois siga em frente. Permitir que a vida se desenvolva sem o seu controle completo. Você pode ser agradavelmente surpreendido. Mesmo algumas das piores experiências, poderão abrir portas para novas e surpreendentemente emoções positivas.

* Dê-se permissão para dizer “não” mais vezes. Preciso dizer mais?

Confie em si mesmo para criar maneiras de construir a harmonia e equilíbrio em sua vida.

Porque não fazer sua própria lista de como você está e efetivamente controlar o Stress na sua vida?

Viver a sua própria verdade e ser feliz.

Por Sandra Iozzelli

Quizás piensas que tienes un “problema real” que te estresa, preocupa o molesta y que para poder sentirte feliz esta situación tiene que cambiar. ¿Pero que pensarías si te dijera que no existen problemas “reales” y que el único problema con el que tienes que lidiar son tus pensamientos acerca de lo que estás viviendo?

Veamos esta situación. Alguien pierde su trabajo y piensa que es un grave problema, sufre por ello y se imagina los peores escenarios. Otra persona pierde su trabajo y piensa que es una buena oportunidad para hacer lo que en realidad le gusta, para descansar e incluso para cambiar de rumbo. Las dos personas están viviendo exactamente la misma situación, han perdido el trabajo, una la ve como un problema, la otra como una oportunidad…

¿Entonces cómo puede ser que perder el trabajo sea el “problema real”? Si lo fuera, todas las personas que pierden el trabajo deberían de sentirse igual de estresadas y no es así. En realidad el único problema está en tu mente, en todas esas historias de horror que te cuentas, de lo que perder el trabajo significa. Estas historias no son reales y te impiden pensar claramente y ver las posibilidades que se presentan delante de ti.

Es una muy buena noticia saber (o por lo menos abrirte a la posibilidad) de que nada externo tiene la capacidad real de afectarte, ya que como habrás podido comprobar no está en tus manos cambiar el mundo exterior. Recién cuando descubres que la causa real de tu sufrimiento son tus pensamientos puedes poner tu energía en la dirección correcta y trabajar en lo único que puedes controlar, tu mundo interior.

Cuestiona tus pensamientos, y libérate del estrés

Y ahora que ya sabes que la fuente de tus problemas son tus pensamientos, te preguntarás ¿cómo puedo hacer para lidiar con ellos?.

Byron Katie, autora del best seller “Amar lo Que Es” nos dice que cuando creemos nuestros pensamientos sufrimos y cuando los cuestionamos dejamos de sufrir. Y nos presenta 4 preguntas que puedes empezar a utilizar de manera inmediata para cuestionar cualquier concepto estresante en tu vida. Un proceso muy simple que ha ayudado ya a miles de personas.

Hazte las siguientes preguntas

Ubica el pensamiento que más te está estresando en estos momentos y responde a estas preguntas como si de una meditación se tratara, tómate tu tiempo, deja que las respuestas surjan del corazón.

A modo de ejemplo utilizaremos el pensamiento “Él no me presta atención”.

1. ¿Es eso verdad?

¿Es verdad que “él no te presta atención”? La respuesta ha de ser un simple si o no. Si la respuesta es no, pasa a la pregunta 3 directamente.

1. ¿Puedes saber que es verdad con absoluta certeza?

¿Puedes saber que es verdad con absoluta certeza que el no te presta atención? ¿Que aunque no te mire no te está escuchando? ¿Que no te presta atención porque no lo demuestra?. Otra vez la respuesta, a de ser simplemente si o no.

1. ¿Cómo reaccionas, qué sucede, cuando crees ese pensamiento?

¿Cómo te hace sentir pensar que él no te presta atención? ¿Cómo lo tratas a él cuando piensas que no te presta atención? ¿Cómo te hace sentir este pensamiento tanto física como emocionalmente?

1. ¿Quién serías sin el pensamiento? No tienes que luchar con el pensamiento, simplemente percibe como vivirías tu vida si no creyeras ese pensamiento. Cómo lo tratarías a él si no tuvieras este pensamiento.

La siguiente parte del proceso es invertir los pensamientos de la siguiente manera:

J Inviértelo a lo opuesto (inversión de 180°): “Él sí me presta atención”. Quédate quieta y nota todos los sentimientos que aparecen al respecto. La sola idea de confrontar esto y mirarlo directamente muchas veces requiere de valor, pero los resultados valen la pena. Cuando la mente se abre, empiezas a encontrar ejemplos donde el sí te presta atención, te permite ver a los demás con otros ojos, a reconocer cosas que a veces no vemos. Es abrirnos a la posibilidad de que las cosas no son como las veníamos pensando.

J Inviértelo hacia el otro: “Yo no le presto atención a él”. Encuentra ejemplos donde tú no le prestas atención a él. Fíjate cómo a veces eso que queremos que los demás hagan, no nos es fácil hacer a nosotros.

J Inviértelo hacia ti mismo: “Yo no me presto atención”. Y esta es quizás la inversión más profunda de todas, la que te ayudará a ver cómo no te has estado prestando atención a ti misma en muchos aspectos de tu vida. Y cuando ves esto, podrás ver ¿cómo esperar que él te preste atención, si tú misma no lo haces? Y gracias a esto podrás empezar a hacer las enmiendas necesarias contigo.

Finalmente aquello que te molestaba en la otra persona te lleva a descubrir cosas sobre ti que de otra manera no hubieras visto. La otra persona se convierte en tu espejo y en un gran regalo.

Sandra Iozzelli se especializa en ayudar a otros a reducir las emociones negativas, el estrés, el miedo y las creencias limitadoras en sus vidas. Si quieres conocer los simples pasos que puedes aplicar para conseguirlo, solicita el Reporte Gratuito “4 preguntas que pueden liberarte del estrés” en la webwww.sandraiozzelli.weebly.com

Extraído de http://www.senderoespiritual.com

Feeling a little stressed out yet?  The holidays are here and about to get in to full swing which means more demands on your already limited available time.  Holidays can also lead to increased stress including anxiety, tension even depression as we all try to do too much in a short amount of time.

Stress is a serious problem and we all have a certain amount of stress that just is a part of life from our everyday events.  Everyday stresses most of us can cope with.  Add holidays, increased demands of family, friends and business and it can easily become a recipe for full-blown panic attacks.  And stress can lead to more health problems like high blood pressure and a lowered immune system.  Severe stress can be so debilitating that you lapse into full blown depression. 

The ideal solution is of course to try to eliminate the underlying cause of stress.  Sometimes that is easier said than done, however there are a few things we can do to help restore balance and calm brought on by temporary increased stresses like the holidays.  Take a deep breath and  relax.  Aromatherapy offers great natural stress relief and you can experiment with different essential oils until you find the one that is right for you.  Once you experiment with one or two oils, you may find that blending oils can provide an enhanced synergistic effect.

Roman chamomile, clary sage, everlasting, fennel, frankincense, geranium, lavender, marjoram, melissa, neroli, orange, rose, sandalwood, tangerine, vanilla, vetiver and ylang-ylang are oils that are known for their abilities to counteract the effects of daily stress. 

Try diluting your oils with a carrier oil like Sweet Almond or Jojoba and use in a massage.   Massage offers one of the most effective ways to alleviate symptoms brought on by stress.  Massage promotes relaxation and it actually causes your body to release endorphins.  Endorphins are both natural painkillers and increase your sense of pleasure. You can also diffuse your oils into the environment to release tension and anxiety or try adding a few drops of your favorite oils to your bath to create a soothing aromatic experience.   You can add one or two drops to a cool light bulb (never hot as this could cause the bulb to explode) or to warm candle wax (not while candle is burning).  Personally, I like to add a few drops of oil to a tissue and simply inhale.  It’s completely portable, discreet and easy to use.  Plus many essential oils also provide anti-viral and anti-bacterial support.

Remember, essential oils are generally not recommended for internal use unless you are working directly with a certified medical professional.  Essential oils are highly concentrated and although organic in nature, can be toxic if misused.   There are certain conditions that should avoid the use of essential oils.  If you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, have high blood pressure or suffer from epilepsy, consult your physician or medical care provider before using any essential oils. Do not use essential oils direct on skin without first testing for sensitivity as some oils like clove, cinnamon and peppermint to name just a few, can cause itching and skin irritations. Some oils like neroli, or orange (and there are quite a few essential oils that can cause photo sensitivity) can also cause increased sensitivity to sunburn.  Try to limit your sun exposure when working with these and other photo sensitive essential oils to prevent  damage to your skin.

So when you are out shopping for your family or business associates don’t forget to add a few things to your shopping list for yourself.  In fact, you may want to share!  Essential oils are wonderful and offer natural stress relief.  Essential oils range in price from just a few dollars to well, a bit more depending on the oil like neroli, rose and sandalwood. For example, it takes over 2000 pounds of rose petals to make one pound of rose oil and sandalwood trees must be 30 years old before the wood is sufficiently matured to yield essential oils. 

The finest essential oils are natural, organic essential oils.  If possible, try to limit your oils to certified organic.  Synthetic or adulterated oils can not duplicate the therapeutic abilities of pure extracts gathered from plants, trees and flowers.  If you are on a budget (and just about everyone I know is these days) start with just one or two oils and build your aromatherapy cabinet.  You can buy essential oils from reputable health food stores and also from on-line ecommerce retailers.  Personally, I like to buy direct from local sources when possible but I have also found a few vendors online that are good sources and have money back guarantees.  Do your homework and check prices.  Essential oils, when stored properly (away from direct sunlight in a cool dark area, in a tightly closed bottle – amber glass is the best) will last for years.

To your health and a stress free holiday season!

Pam Tirado, Organic Skin Care Tips, Luminoso Salon & Spa

Follow me on Twitter: “SkinCarePam” for daily tips

I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.  ~Jennifer Yane

it was a rough work week.  i’m finding it hard to keep a work / life balance lately.  thank god for the hubby-man for not only keeping the house, but for also helping me keep my sanity.  and thankful too, for the upcoming holiday break & the upcoming visit of some good friends of our’s to remind me what’s real & what’s important in this life.  sometimes it moves too quickly.  i need to stop & just be for a bit.

it’s sunday afternoon, and i feel like i’m still not recovered from last week.  add to that a busy social life this coming week.  i’ll gladly welcome a 3-day weekend (saturday – monday for me).  i think i’ll need it to keep my head from exploding.  sometimes being a grown-up is *so* over-rated!

There’s so much going on I feel sick. A walking bag of contradictions, I’m potentially homeless as of the 14^th of December. Fortunately if it comes to that a kind friend has offered me a temporary stay at his digs. I am proud that for 6 months I have abstained from retaliating at my verbally abusive housemate, who has made my life almost unbearable. There was a time when I would have thought little about reducing her to a quaking mess by outdoing her on the malicious attacks of character, but I didn’t. I rationalised as the Dalai Lama suggests and identify that it is her faults that make her that way and I am fortunate to be strong enough in character to know that in time she’ll be one of the many who will be overshadowed by my success. Now that she is finally moving out she has caused a vacume of chaos as without a replacement soon myself and my other housemate cannot afford to live here.  All I can do, which I always do, is quietly take note of all the people that have hurt me greatly and are selfish and rather than take revenge, I intend to make them issue it to themselves in the form of envy of me. Exactly the same way all those who bullied me at school calling me ‘ugly’, ‘geeky’ etc are the ones now sending essentially fan mail to my facebook inbox because of the pretty pictures. At the same time I intend to show the people that envy me that I deserve the good things in my life and have paid a high price to be alive, so that they might be happy for me instead. I really don’t like how society works right now and wonder if has always been this way?

Whenever I’m unavailable, too busy etc I have dozens of invites to hang out with different people doing different things ‘being cool’ in ‘cool’ places. Though when I’m at a loose end, pottering about on my own and in need of some ‘one on one’ with the few people I’m open with, they’re too busy or don’t want to know. It’s like everyone expects the best of us but they don’t want to help you with it. If you’re awesome the party animal laughing at anything and cracking funny jokes you get rewarded with being popular, in demand, favoured and ‘loved’. Its not love though is it? When I’m down and unhappy people treat me like I’m disfigured, like they don’t want to look at me because I’m not aesthetically pleasing. Where’s the love in that?

So many people I hang out with are essentially famous within their social circles. Lapping up the admiration from their followers, but like fame, what’s the real point?

Quantity is an alternative to quality. The people who need an abundance of people liking them to make them feel complete are mainly because they lack a small number of good people around them. As someone who likes to write if I ever get a book published I would rather be Mary B .Anderson successful than Katie Price successful! The same as preferring to be Tom Waits than Britney Spears, one word of approval from someone one respects is worth more than approval from ten morons.

This is all a tangent as I amble words down the page, I just want to stay where I am. I find the Christmas season hard without a proper family and just want to stay in what has become my home. I don’t want to move into a strange house with strange people when I have a fireplace right here. These hindrances to my happiness seem a little unfair, I know very well that life is unfair, but it gets ever harder to tolerate. I just want to buy a house of my own and move friends in for free, eat together and create nice things. I have been dating a hedge fund tycoon and Laurie (my amusing friend) makes fun of me (with suggestions that I’m a gold digger) and thinks it amazing that I have a deca-millionaire trying to seduce me.

Laurie and I

Bertrandt (the man) could whisk me away and remedy so many things, but it would be a quick fix. I don’t want to be taken away from my lifestyle. I like being bohemian and free. Summers at his other house in St Tropez and spontaneous trips to Rome have been fantastic offers, but I turned him down on each occasion. I don’t want more than I already have. I just want to have it consistent. My level of contentment is much lower than other peoples, hence my great frustration. How much more do i have to bare? It’s like the universe is playing a sadistic game of buckaroo with my tolerance.

Todos nós lidamos com o stress na sociedade de hoje, um fato simples e perceptível. Todos sabem que o stress pode provocar muitas doença e até mesmo a morte, se os níveis de stress não forem mantidos sob controle.

Os sintomas mais comuns de stress são indigestão, azia, dor de estômago, hiperventilação, insônia, dores de cabeça, fadiga, diminuição do apetite, raiva, diminuiu a paciência, e de tristeza. Estes sintomas podem também ser sinais de depressão.

Se você tem vários destes sintomas por mais de alguns dias, você deve consultar um profissional de Saúde.

A forma geral de lidar com o stress é permanecer ativo: praticar esportes, fazer uma caminhada.

O ideal é dormir oito horas de sono por dia e beber muita água.

Fazer uma dieta equilibrada regular e um programa de exercícios regulares é outra maneira de diminuir o seu nível de stress e também ajuda a mantê-lo saudável.

Raleigh, 11.21.2009

AP

A North Carolina state trooper who said he was fired because he lied about the fate of his $45 hat is fighting his dismissal.

Thomas C. Wetherington, 22, told The News Observer of Raleigh that losing his job in a misunderstanding about his hat is especially galling considering the kind of misconduct other troopers have committed without getting fired.

“Look, we’ve got guys having sex in patrol cars just about every day,” said Wetherington, a trooper since 2007. “Why did I get dismissed when other guys get slaps on the wrist?”

A review committee ruled in September that Wetherington should be reinstated and the conduct of the supervisor who pushed for his removal be reviewed. But the Highway Patrol hasn’t put Wetherington back on the highway and he is awaiting a hearing before a judge who can make the patrol put him back on the force.

Patrol spokesman Capt. Everett Clendenin wouldn’t talk to the newspaper about the case, citing the pending legal action.

Wetherington’s saga began an a blustery night in March when he pulled over a vehicle towing a boat on U.S. 70 in Craven County. While seizing guns and alcohol, he set his hat on his patrol car, then heard it tumble down the asphalt in the dark. He returned later and looked for it for two hours without success.

Wetherington had to file a form to get a new hat, and he wrote that it blew off his head and was likely run over. But another trooper pulled over the same driver two weeks later, and the man had Wetherington’s hat, which he said he picked up after the trooper left. Wetherington’s name and phone number were in the hatband, but the driver never called.

A supervisor questioned Wetherington about the initial report, and he said he didn’t tell the truth about how he lost the hat because he was intimidated by his boss.

The Highway Patrol ruled Wetherington violated its code of conduct, which requires troopers to always tell the truth.

The agency has had plenty of trouble with troopers following the conduct code. Since 1998, the patrol has dealt with at least 27 cases of sexual misconduct by troopers either on or off duty. In several cases, those involved were not fired, including a trooper who received a five-day suspension in 2002 after he was caught repeatedly having sex on duty in and on his parked patrol car. On one occasion, the trooper inadvertently left his handgun behind, where children later found it, the newspaper reported.

Those stories frustrate Wetherington, who said he just wants to get back out on the road, serving the people.

“I bleed black and silver,” said Wetherington, noting the colors on his hat and the patrol’s uniform. “This was my life, and they took it away from me. All I want is to get it back.”