tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55652869013234223702024-03-22T07:53:50.746+06:00Magical SeedlingsAreej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-4887923796543802802012-02-28T16:46:00.000+06:002012-02-28T16:47:50.483+06:007 BEAUTY INGREDIENTS TO AVOID<h2 style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 26px; text-transform: uppercase; line-height: 26px; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; "><br /></h2><div class="postinfo" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, serif; font-size: 11px; clear: both; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br /></div><div class="entry" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><div id="greet_block" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></div><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><a href="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/makeup3.jpg" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); "><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-101358" src="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/makeup3.jpg" alt="" width="455" height="303" style="border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; clear: left; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; " /></a></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><em>In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, we give you seven ingredients to self-police out of your life year-round.<br /></em></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">We’ve already <a href="http://ecosalon.com/breast-cancer-month-marketing-products-commercialism-237/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); ">established </a>that breast cancer awareness month perhaps may be a wee bit commercialized with tainted pink product. And by “wee bit,” we really mean as commercialized as a Kardashian wedding set in Vegas directed by Michael Bay. And that this over-commercialization, in fact, takes away from the message that being aware of breast cancer is a good and noble thing.</p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">What’s more, as a writer who covers green beauty, nothing steams my kale more than the giant beauty companies getting in on the “pinkwashing” game. Yes, I’m talking about the companies who promote breast cancer awareness via area run/walks and plaster their product with pink ribbons while doing very little to actually take cancer-causing ingredients out of their lipsticks, mascaras and more.</p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Green beauty expert Stacy Malkan addresses this in her call-to-arms <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Not-Just-Pretty-Face-Industry/dp/0865715742/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319480571&sr=1-1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); ">“Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry.”</a> Calling out Revlon, Estee Lauder, and Avon, she writes, “When new knowledge comes to you that your product contains problematic ingredients, if you were authentic in your support for breast cancer, you would be vigilant in addressing that.” She further points out that the “pink-ribbon companies” defend their use of bad ingredients and actively work to keep their industry unregulated and self-policed.</p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Where does this leave us? The easiest way to ensure you are purchasing a safe product is to become a vigilant reader of labels. How best to do it without the chemistry degree it seems to require deciphering such labels? Here are seven ingredients to avoid that will be plainly listed on your product.</p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><a href="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/perfume1.jpg" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); "><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-101359" src="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/perfume1.jpg" alt="" width="455" height="341" style="border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; clear: left; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; " /></a></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><strong>Fragrance</strong><br />Of all the ingredients, fragrance is perhaps the sneakiest. The beauty industry has enacted so-called “trade-secret laws” allowing manufacturers to create synthetic chemical mixtures to contain as many as five hundred chemicals at a time. And what do they call these chemicals? Fragrance. In other words, you’re not just getting a delightful whiff of pleasant smell; you’re also likely getting a ton of masked, potentially-dangerous chemicals. And these chemicals may expose you to allergens, neurotoxins, hormone disruptors and more.</p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Listed as fragrance, perfume or parfume, they are in (yes) perfume, makeup, deodorant, body lotions, shampoo, soap and basically any beauty product that has a scent. Fragrance can also stand in for natural essential oils, which can be irritating to the skin. Basically, you just don’t know what you’re getting unless it is from a reputable brand or you run it through the <a href="http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); ">Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep</a> database. (More on that later.)</p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><strong>Nanoparticles</strong><br />These tiny particles are 80 times thinner than a human hair. Nonetheless, they are big in the beauty industry just now because they can deliver a product’s benefits in an effective manner. Unfortunately, this means that they can also deliver the product’s dangerous chemicals straight through protective layers of your body, such as the ones surrounding your brain and your womb. This could potentially <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1083102/The-beauty-creams-nanoparticles-poison-body.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); ">cause</a> cell damage.</p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Until there are more studies done on nanoparticles, sideline them from your makeup and sunscreens.</p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><strong>Phthalates</strong><br />Phthalates as perhaps one of the best known criminals on the ingredients label, if only because no one seems to know how to properly pronounce them. (Some speculate that it is <em>thall-lates</em>.) Popular in just about everything, including makeup, hair spray, perfume, nail polish and more, they are suspected carcinogens and known hormone disruptors.</p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><strong>Parabens</strong><br />Like their phthalate cousins, parabens are also extremely common in beauty ingredients. These are the preservatives that keep your makeup, conditioner, shampoos, and lotions “fresh” on the shelves. Known hormone disruptors, they also may be a carcinogenic. They can<a href="http://health-report.co.uk/parabens_cause_excessive_aging.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); ">prematurely age</a> your skin. One study shows that they can contribute to a higher rate of wrinkling and sun spots on skin when exposed to the sun.</p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><strong>1,4-dioxane</strong><br />1,4-dioxane is not listed on labels; rather, it refers to a process called ethoxylation which occurs in the body from certain ingredients. These include PEG, polyethylene glycol, polyethylene, and polyoxyethylene, which have been used to reduce the risk of skin irritation for petroleum-based products. 1,4-dioxane is a known carcinogenic. Further, it was found in up to <a href="http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/726331/1%2C4-DIOXANE/#" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); ">48% of personal care products</a> tested by the Environmental Working Group in 2008.</p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><a href="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/shampoo.jpg" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); "><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-101360" src="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/shampoo.jpg" alt="" width="455" height="303" style="border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; clear: left; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; " /></a></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><strong>Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate</strong><br />These are surfactants used in our shampoo, soaps, toothpaste and more to make them suds up. However, they are possible hormone disruptors. And the worst thing? Our old enemy 1,4-dioxane may be found in sodium laureth sulfate. So sacrifice a little suds for a lot a health. Luckily, the conventional beauty industry is starting to catch on with this ingredient as more and more brands are sporting the “SLS-free” label. And that’s a great thing.</p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><strong>Triclosan</strong><br />This anti-bacterial agent and preservative is popular in body products from deodorant to soap to toothpaste and more. It’s a known skin irritant and does not have a conclusive positive effect on every day use. (Meaning, outside of a hospital where it is tackling a super bug.) Further, it may disrupt hormones and could be helping along a <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/07/AR2010040704621.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); ">bacteria</a> that is resistant to antibiotics. Instead, wash your hands with soap and water, and look for products that contain thyme, a natural and effective anti-bacterial agent.</p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Feeling a bit overwhelmed? You can always ease into green beauty by just pulling one or two ingredients from your products. Work your way up the list. Plus, there are several fantastic green beauty brands you can trust, as well as excellent purveyors of such product. <a href="http://ecosalon.com/15-fantastic-online-boutiques-for-eco-beauty/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); ">Here’s one of our vintage pieces</a> listing some great eco-beauty boutiques.</p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">If you want to learn more about green beauty, be sure to consult the<a href="http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); ">EWG’s Skin Deep database</a>. You can run many beauty products and individual ingredients through this database for a safety ranking. For your nightstand reading, check out Stacy Malkan’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Not-Just-Pretty-Face-Industry/dp/0865715742/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319480571&sr=1-1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); ">“Not Just a Pretty Face”</a> and Siobhan O’Conner and Alexandra Spunt’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/More-Dirty-Looks-Products---Cosmetics/dp/0738213969/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319480589&sr=1-1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); ">“No More Dirty Looks.”</a></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">And take heart – the first leap into healthy beauty products may seem daunting, but it gets easier with each positive step forward.</p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><strong>ALSO CHECK OUT</strong></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><a href="http://ecosalon.com/top-10-best-green-organic-beauty-blogs/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); ">Top 10 Best Organic Beauty Blogs</a></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><a href="http://ecosalon.com/organic-shampoos/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); ">Best Organic Shampoos</a></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><a href="http://ecosalon.com/best-tips-to-buy-organic-and-natural-makeup/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); ">Tips For Buying Natural and Organic Makeup</a></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><em>Images: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xshamethestrongx/6165304900/sizes/m/in/photostream/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); ">xshamethestrongx/Flickr</a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adforce1/303547344/sizes/m/in/photostream/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); ">adforce1/Flickr</a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vikingzippy/5655482139/sizes/m/in/photostream/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); ">vikingzippy/Flickr</a></em></p><div><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; ">by</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; "> </span><a href="http://ecosalon.com/author/katherine-butler/" title="Posts by Katherine Butler" rel="author" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); ">Katherine Butler</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; "> </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; ">on October 31, 2011 in</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; "> </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; text-transform: uppercase; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><a href="http://ecosalon.com/category/news-and-culture/" title="View all posts in News & Culture" rel="category tag" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(199, 31, 46); ">NEWS & CULTURE</a></span></div></div>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-82515464882727932182012-02-12T04:26:00.002+06:002012-02-12T04:32:15.965+06:00Pretty Side French Braid low Updo Hair Tutorial<div id="main-wrapper" style="line-height: normal; width: 753px; float: left; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-image: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><div class="main section" id="main"><div class="widget Blog" id="Blog1" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; "><div class="blog-posts hfeed"><div class="date-outer"><div class="date-posts"><div class="post-outer"><div class="post hentry" style="margin-top: 0em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border-top-width: 5px; border-right-width: 5px; border-bottom-width: 5px; border-left-width: 5px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-image: initial; padding-top: 41px; padding-right: 41px; padding-bottom: 41px; padding-left: 41px; "><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="margin-top: 0em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-family: 'Rock Salt'; font-weight: normal; font-size: 26px; text-align: center; line-height: 1.3em; "><br /></h3><div class="post-header-line-1"></div><div class="post-body entry-content"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "></p><div align="justify"><center><br /><a href="http://www.lovemaegan.com/2011/04/pretty-side-french-braid-low-updo-hair.html" style="color: gray; text-decoration: none; "><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5036/5887010998_306e2e5563_o.jpg" width="640" height="751" alt="side french braid updo" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-right-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-bottom-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-left-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-image: initial; " /></a></center><br /><br />I wore a more relaxed version of this hair style in an outfit post in <a href="http://www.lovemaegan.com/2009/06/completely-gratuitous-outfit-post_25.html" target="blank" style="color: gray; text-decoration: none; ">June of 2009</a> but for reasons unbeknownst to me, I never did a tutorial for it. Recently though, a few of my lovely readers have asked for it ...so here it is. Enjoy<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/g3ln1dyitFA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><br /><br /><center>* * * it would be so pretty with flowers pinned in * * * *<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5269/5886427261_f7b1bc0a72_o.jpg" width="640" height="617" alt="side french braid updo hair style" style="padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-right-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-bottom-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-left-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-image: initial; " /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5183/5886427207_aa131efda6_o.jpg" width="640" height="736" alt="full side french braid low updo" style="padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-right-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-bottom-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-left-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-image: initial; " /><br /><br /><br /><br />. . . wearing the braid out . . .<br /><br /><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5268/5612546902_6790948db8_o.jpg" width="640" height="615" alt="hair tutorial side french braid into regular side braid" style="padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-right-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-bottom-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-left-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-image: initial; " /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5304/5611966369_f7a8c7454d_o.jpg" width="640" height="633" alt="side french braid into a low side braid " style="padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-right-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-bottom-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-left-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-image: initial; " /><br /><br /><br /><br />. . . and a few days ago, I wore it more casually, with straight hair . . .<br /><br /><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5150/5612572072_f3993f441b_o.jpg" width="640" height="964" alt="hair" style="padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-right-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-bottom-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-left-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-image: initial; " /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5144/5612573172_d067751f24_z.jpg" width="640" height="483" alt="1 loose and low side french braid hair tutorial" style="padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-right-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-bottom-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-left-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-image: initial; " /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5110/5611991979_2fd4398694_o.jpg" width="640" height="730" alt="loose side french braid hair tutorial" style="padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-right-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-bottom-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-left-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-image: initial; " /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5148/5612573254_98fd884618_z.jpg" width="640" height="407" alt="braid hair tutorial + reflection in the mirror" style="padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-right-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-bottom-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-left-color: rgb(117, 98, 112); border-image: initial; " /></center><br /><br />My bro took these last four the other day ...the ones above these four, I took ...from the reflection in the mirror, which didn't turn out as fantastic, for obvious reasons.<br /><br /><br /><br />Source:http://www.lovemaegan.com/2011/04/pretty-side-french-braid-low-updo-hair.html#8989789</div></div></div><div class="comments" id="comments" style="clear: both; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0px; "></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><span ><span style="letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 5px;"><br /></span></span>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-45828391638554401262012-02-02T00:30:00.004+06:002012-02-04T13:47:30.723+06:00100 Ways You Can Start Loving Yourself Right Now<h1 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.4em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></h1><h3 style="padding-right: 10px; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.6em; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></h3><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4356641237_b3d16a0c8d_o.jpg" alt="100 Ways You Can Start Loving Yourself Right Now" title="100 Ways You Can Start Loving Yourself Right Now" border="2" /><br />Photo by the amazing <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielledynomite/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">Danielle Dynomite</a>!</div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Radical Self Love is a big topic. Kind of daunting, actually. If you want to delve into it, where do you begin? Here are some ideas. To you from me, Pinky Lee!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Make lists of reasons why you love yourself…</b><br />& write down (or keep mental lists) of the compliments other people give you. We’re so quick to believe people when they say nasty, unkind or “brutally honest” (ahem, cruel) things to or about us, & we discard all the times we’re told how amazing, beautiful or intelligent we are. Usually this is because our sense of self-doubt is stronger than our self-love. If you can build up the love side of things, this will begin to change.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Reach out to others…</b><br />...& do it regularly. When we don’t talk to people about how we’re feeling, or don’t have anyone to bounce ideas around with, it can be easy to feel lost, confused & out of touch. It also makes it easier for depression & sadness to nibble at our toes. Being reminded that the world is bigger than our bubble can inspire & uplift us.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Think of a way you could make your life easier — then do it.</b><br />This could be anything from hiring an assistant to buying a better computer or just learning to say “no” more often. Whatever it is, make it a priority. Do some research on how to make it happen, & then get going!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Change the way you think about food.</b><br />So many of us get trapped into thinking that food is “good” or “bad” & there is no in-between. Associating a word like “good” or “bad” with a type of food doesn’t help us, it doesn’t mean anything, it just makes us feel guilty or like we should be “doing better”. What has helped me is to think of food as pure fuel for my body, & considering how it will make me feel or how much energy it will give me. I know that my body (& my brain) work better when I feed myself with fresh raw vegetables & lots of water & fruit, & that I feel sluggish & useless when I eat heaping forkfuls of pasta. If you can think about food that way, there’s less guilt, & you feel more informed & aware.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Stretch in the mornings.</b><br />It gets the blood moving, it fires up your brain & it gives you a few moments to just be still & grounded before the day begins.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Really listen to people when they are speaking.</b><br />Look at them, make eye contact & be present. They’ll feel good that you care enough to properly engage them, & you’ll feel great in return.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Have media black-out days.</b><br />The concept of doing this terrifies me but I know it needs to happen. Stay away from your computer, phone & television for an entire day. Those of us are who technology addicts will<span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">FREAK</span> out at this idea but that’s an even bigger sign that we should try it. So many of us use technology to distract ourselves & keep our minds busy, when we would be far better served by just sitting still & learning to be comfortable alone.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Have that “awkward” conversation.</b><br />You’ve been holding it in too long. Bite the bullet, take a deep breath, & tell the truth. Be gentle but honest. No one can predict how they’ll react, but it doesn’t really matter. The time has come. Say it, & move on.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Read through the results <a href="http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/%22love+yourself%22" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">when you search Tumblr for “love yourself”</a>...</b><br />& be proud at the way this generation — <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">YOUR</span> <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">GENERATION</span> — is shaping up. You are part of this. This is your movement.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Ask for help.</b><br />Whatever you’re going through, someone else has been through before, & come out the other side. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel — don’t be afraid to ask someone for advice or help. It could make a huge difference.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Know that you are good enough <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">ALL</span> <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">THE</span> <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">TIME</span>.</b><br />Yes, you are.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Find a mantra & hold it close.</b><br />My new favourite is courtesy of <a href="http://emfry.wordpress.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">Emily</a>. <i>Om Namah Shivaya</i>, roughly translated, means “Greetings to She Who I am Becoming” &/or “With great respect, I honor my heart”. So beautiful!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Print out <a href="http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=8vom7l&s=6" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">Sark’s picture</a> & stick it in your Radical Self Love Bible.</b><br />No further explanation needed!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Do your very, very best to stop judging people.</b><br />Wayne Dyer said, “When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.” Those critical voices inside of you get a great work-out when you let them loose on someone else, & it’s like training for the grand event — that of judging <i>yourself</i>. If you don’t exercise those voices, they’ll eventually disappear altogether, making you a much happier person.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Explore your sexuality.</b><br />If you don’t know a lot about what makes you tick, decide that it’s time to <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">FIND</span> OUT! Then, once you know, <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">COMMUNICATE</span> IT! Don’t be afraid to tell your lover what you really want, what you wish they’d do or make suggestions. If they’re threatened by the fact that you are in tune with your sexuality, THEY’RE <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">NOT</span> <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">WORTH</span> IT! As Jay-Z would say, “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM1RChZk1EU" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">On to the next one!</a>“ Unlocking your real desires is powerful & potent & important. Don’t downplay it & don’t accept anything less.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Express love in as many ways as you can.</b><br />Tell your friends you <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">ADORE</span> them, say thank you & mean it, flash your biggest & most sincere smile at strangers on the street, hug people for longer than normal. The more love you give out, the more it builds inside of you & the more you’ll get back — I pinky promise.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Wear sequins.</b><br />They’re a wonderful mood booster. If you’re too conservative to wear them, buy sequinned knickers & wear them secretly!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Take a bubblebath wearing a tiara.</b></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Embrace the unknown.</b><br />Not everything needs to be planned to the last minute detail! Mystery is wonderful & invigorating. It is the zest of life.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Clean out your closet.</b><br />In addition to getting rid of old junk, cleaning out closets or cupboards is therapeutic because at the same time, you’re clearing space in your life for new, better things.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Increase the amount of spinach you eat.</b><br />It’s like a miracle food. It’s so good for you & makes you feel amazing! Throw it in a smoothie (you won’t even taste it), use it as the base instead of lettuce in a salad or just snack on baby spinach fresh out of the bag. Yum!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Forget about your “to do” list & just BE.</b><br />That’s when you’ll have the most fun, make the best breakthroughs & experience the most amazing adventures. Life is much more exciting & wonderful when you throw caution to the wind & do something ridiculous.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Make a little extra effort every day.</b><br />Your definition of “effort” could be wearing a bow on your head, brightly coloured socks or even just taking the time to sit down with a book every night before bed. Just pick something that you know will make you feel good, & then do it.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Listen to new types of music & dance!</b><br />Country? Bollywood? Rap? Seek it out & enjoy it with your whole body.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Treat yourself to new knickers.</b><br />It’s almost a sure-fire way of feeling sexier & more delighted. Getting 5 pairs of cute knickers for $25 at Victoria’s Secret is one of the great joys in life, I think!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Change your alarm clock to something which makes you smile.</b><br />For a long time, I had Flight Of The Conchords’ <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZG2Cb1I7oo" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">Foux De Fa Fa</a> as my wake-up call. It was a wonderful way to wake up. “...Boeuf!”</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Be good to your body.</b><br />You probably know what that means for you. So what are you waiting for?</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Know that you deserve love…</b><br />From yourself & from everyone else.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Throw away your scales.</b><br />Or, if they were expensive & maybe something you need around, hide them. Put them in the back of your closet, into storage or inside a suitcase. Just don’t look at them. I haven’t weighed myself since 2006 & it hasn’t impacted my life negatively at all — in fact, I feel more free than ever. I don’t care how much I weigh, I just go by how I feel & how my clothing fits. You might like to give it a shot!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Be vibrant & colourful.</b><br />If not in dress, then in word & deed. The world has enough grey! Be the antidote!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Do something you’ve been afraid to do.</b><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/ifyouneedtime" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">@ifyouneedtime</a> tweeted, “Happy Valentine’s Day to me: 10 canvases, new acrylics, and texture building mix for the paint! 5+ yrs since I’ve painted. #radicalselflove” It’s never too late to do what you really want to do. Don’t let other people’s opinions or fear or criticism stop you from being as wonderful as you can be.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Read <a href="http://whitehottruth.com/white-hot/self-hatred-beneath-sugar-coated-criticism/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">self hatred: beneath sugar-coated criticism + self improvement</a>.</b></p><blockquote style="background-image: none; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-width: 5px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; ">Self-criticism is not “love”, and it is certainly not indifferent. It’s a form of hatred. And when I name that, when I see it for what it is (raw and uncomfortable and saddening…) when I refuse to sugar-coat self criticism, judgment, agitation, and constantly trying to improve myself, then I’m one quantum leap closer to freedom. Out of the swamp. Grounded in love…</blockquote><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Start thinking of Valentine’s Day as a day for <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">YOU</span>.</b><br />A day to bask in the brilliance of you. A day to celebrate making it this far. A day to totally <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">GET</span><span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">OFF</span> on how rad you are. Treat yourself, luxuriate, have a bath which leaves you soft & wrinkly. Have a long nap & dream. Own it, make it yours. Then do the same next year, & the next, & the next…</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Recognise that you are a miracle.</b></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Eat dark chocolate.</b><br />As <a href="http://twitter.com/kitty_polaca" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">@kitty_polaca</a> would say, <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">FEED</span> <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">YOUR</span> CURVES! Plus, dark chocolate is one of the healthiest foods you can eat! Truth!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Stop worrying about other people’s opinions.</b><br />It doesn’t matter whether it is the opinion of a stranger or your husband, sometimes we let what other people think determine how we live our life… & it’s ridiculous. Ultimately, their thoughts on what we do & how we do it are irrelevant — all that matters is that it sits well with you.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Nourish yourself.</b><br />Get still & listen to what your body is telling you it really needs.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Play the drums.</b><br />If you don’t have a drum-kit (& few of us do) or know of a drumming circle near you, chopsticks & a couple of boxes will totally do the trick! Shut the door, close your eyes, & start drumming. It makes for great therapy.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Find amazing new icons & role models.</b><br />Read up & get inspired to live your life out loud.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Get more sunshine.</b><br />It really will make you feel so good. In addition to strengthening your immune system, muscles & bones, Vitamin D also stimulates the pineal gland, which is the part of the brain responsible for producing happy feelings. Yum!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Stop trying to “fit in”.</b><br />It’s just conformity, which is the most boring thing ever! So <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">WHAT</span> if people stare at you? So<span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">WHAT</span> if some people don’t get it? IT DOESN’T MATTER! Do your damn thing & be proud!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Recognise that life is only ever what you make it.</b><br />So why not make it magical, wonderful, beautiful & strange?</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Get out everything that you’ve been holding onto.</b><br />Record it to your voicemail, draw it, write it down, just get it out of you somehow. Then destroy it, & let it go.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Write a letter to yourself as a child.</b><br />This can be an amazing exercise in forgiveness & pure, unadultered self love.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Run away.</b><br />Spend some time by yourself or with a close friend. Escape the usual. Go somewhere you’ve never been, spend some time, soak it up. It will shake up your vision of what the world is like & give you a fresh new perspective on things.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Keep your Radical Self Love totem on you at all times & start telling people about it.</b><br />Scary? Maybe. Do it anyway. Tell people what it is, why you’re wearing it, what it means to you & why they should try Radical Self Love too… !</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Be brave.</b><br />Take a deep breath & just go for it.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Talk to strangers.</b><br />Even though your mother told you not to! You never know who you’ll meet or what genius they might impart.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Respect yourself 100%...</b><br />& don’t accept anything less from anyone else.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Make the most of every opportunity.</b><br />Even when you’re tired, afraid or nervous. If you hold back every time you don’t feel amazing, you’ll miss out on so much of life. Make the commitment to living boldly. Always remember:<i>Fortes fortuna adiuvat</i>. Fortune favours the brave.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Appreciate the people in your life.</b><br />Because everyone has a choice as to whether they want to be in your life or not! If you don’t show them how much they mean to you, they might not stick around, & it’s a hard lesson to learn. Be good to them. Let them know how much you value them all the time. You cannot be too loving!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Work on your Radical Self Love your Bible all the time.</b><br />Even after the month is over. Radical Self Love is not just a one-month project! It is a life-long adventure! In your Bible, you can chart your progress, dive deeper into your own weirdness, explore your contradictions & embrace your own unique form of madness. Put in anything that you think is relevant. Journal your thoughts, chart your moods, make dream sheets (also called vision boards, just on a smaller scale), write affirmations, take note of powerful sayings & compose love letters to yourself. Keep it with you at all times & work on it when you’re waiting for the bus. Ask yourself questions & take time answering them. Re-answer them every week. See how things change. Channel powerful women until you feel like you are one too. Nothing is forbidden, everything is allowed. BE YOU!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Dress up for yourself.</b><br />Wear things which make you happy! Don’t dress to “attract a mate” or to impress your peer group, wear things that you like. Make yourself happy!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Really take time for yourself.</b><br />If you’re constantly scrambling around, bouncing from work to social engagement & back again, it’s inevitable that you’re going to feel exhausted & worn out. Taking some time for yourself is so valuable & something that a lot of us forget about. Wake up half an hour earlier & do some yoga or sun salutations, even sit in a comfortable chair & do some deep breathing — anything to get you grounded & centred for the day. It makes a huge, huge difference to your quality of life.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Think about this every day: “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” (Ayn Rand)</b><br />Thanks, <a href="http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/how-to-be-awesome/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">Chris Guillebeau</a>.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Set yourself enormous goals.</b><br />Goals which scare you, goals which cause a lump in your throat. <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">AIM</span> HIGH! Most people aim for mediocrity, & that’s exactly what they get. Don’t you deserve better?</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Don’t allow yourself to rest on your laurels.</b><br />So you’ve made a name for yourself? Congratulations, that’s wonderful! Now try something new. Being the best is boring! Get into another industry, start something from the ground up. Don’t just do the same thing over & over again. Challenge yourself! It’s so much fun.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Be your own superhero.</b></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Make magic every day.</b><br />It’s worth the small amount of extra effort to cultivate a more beautiful life.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Don’t live your life online.</b><br />...‘Cause as much as we love our computers, it only represents such a small part of what life is all about! Getting out into the streets, parks, mountains or oceans is so healthy & so vital. Unplug, do something different. Surprise yourself!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Volunteer.</b><br />Pick something which is important to you & see what you can do to help. Can you offer time, money, your voice or influence? So many people would really, really, really appreciate your help & attention.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Dance in public.</b><br />It’s very liberating if you’ve never done it before! & even if you <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">HAVE</span>... Dance in the library or something! Cause a scene. Make people smile. Totally worth it.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Be your own best friend.</b><br />As opposed to your own worst enemy…</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Support other women.</b><br />No matter <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">WHAT</span> you may think of their choices or behaviour. It’s so easy to be jealous of one another or act like crazy people but ultimately it does no good. Seriously, swallow it down. We need each other, now more than ever!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Don’t patronise places that treat you poorly.</b><br />It only makes you feel bad about yourself! Give your money to the people who do a good job & who appreciate your business.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Don’t settle for things just because “it’s always been this way”.</b><br />Maybe it used to be that way, or maybe it is that way for other people, but <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">NOT</span> <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">FOR</span> YOU! Eff the status quo! Don’t compromise on things which are important to you!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Be good to your temple.</b><br />You only get one — might as well lavish it with love!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Be impeccable with your word.</b><br />This is from Don Miguel Ruiz’s book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1878424505?ie=UTF8&tag=icigalcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1878424505" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">The Four Agreements</a>. “Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean.” If you say you’ll do something, <i>do it</i>. Don’t speak badly of other people. Use your words to uplift & spread love. Be honest & kind with the things you say.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Do “the right thing”, even when you’d get away with it, even when no one is watching.</b><br />It’s all about integrity, baby!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Treat other people with respect at all times.</b><br />Everybody, no matter their situation, deserves it.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Be compassionate.</b><br />Sometimes it’s hard to understand other people, or see where they’re coming from, but if you make a commitment to being compassionate, you will start to get a deeper understanding of human nature. It will make you much more peaceful, ‘cause when you can see where people are coming from, it’s hard to be mad!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Watch Eve Ensler</b><b style="line-height: 1.6em; ">.</b></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><div align="center" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></div><div align="center" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span>http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/eve_ensler_on_happiness_in_body_and_soul.html</span></div><div align="center" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span><br /></span></div><div align="center" style="text-align: left;color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" style="line-height: 1.6em; text-align: -webkit-auto; " /><span style="line-height: 1.6em; text-align: -webkit-auto; "> </span><b style="line-height: 1.6em; text-align: -webkit-auto; ">...& write this down.</b></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">“You have to give to the world the thing that you want the most, in order to fix the broken parts inside you.” Eve Ensler, you are so good.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Operate on your own agenda.</b><br />Do you want to look a certain way, or does society want you to? Do you really want to have a social life that looks like this, or is it just what you think is expected? Don’t allow any industry or societal standard to bully you. You are who you are, & it’s worth hanging onto.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Innovate.</b><br />Try new things. Shake up your routine. See what works.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Evaluate y</b><b style="line-height: 1.6em; ">our life & ruthlessly cut out the things which aren’t working.</b></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>...While at the same time keeping this in mind:</b><br />“Simply put, you believe that things or people make you unhappy, but this is not accurate. You make yourself unhappy.” Thanks, Wayne Dyer.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Come up with your own definition of spirituality.</b><br />It doesn’t have to be religious or woo-woo in any way, it can just be a way of reconnecting yourself to the present moment. Some people do this by dancing, others by meditating. Whatever it is, make time for it in your life, & make it a priority.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Share your dreams.</b><br />Do not be afraid. When you share a dream with someone who loves you, you open yourself up to new ideas, new contacts & sometimes an extra pair of hands to pitch in! Be brave.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Reinvent yourself as an expression of pure love.</b></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Spend time with people who do good things.</b><br />It will reinstate your faith in the human race & remind you of the inherent goodness in people. Much more uplifting than hanging out with pessimists!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Take action.</b></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Channel Clint Eastwood.</b><br />& I quote: “Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that’s real power.”</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Incorporate meditative ritual into your life.</b><br />I think the word “meditation” puts a lot of people off, & it doesn’t need to. My idea of meditation is just focusing on nothing or clearing your mind. Walking meditation is rad — you walk out the door & keep going, letting all thoughts go as soon as they float into your consciousness. Don’t judge or beat yourself up if your mind is screaming for attention the first few times you do it, it’s totally normal. The pay-off — real clarity of mind — is amazing & worth going for.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Be inclusive.</b><br />Invite your friends places. Include everyone in the conversation. Ask people you don’t know so well about themselves. Make people feel like you want them there. The love & appreciation they’ll beam back at you will make you feel wonderful!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Think about what you want the theme of your life to be.</b><br />Is it an epic love story or a grand adventure? Or is the theme something more simple, & able to be summed up with a single word? “Discovery” or “freedom”? How can you bring that theme into your everyday life?</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Think about how you can encourage other people to love themselves too.</b><br />When we carry the torch of radical self love, we become ambassadors for it, & are infused with the energy & ability to pass it on to other people. We can do this just by being ourselves — a living example — but there are specific ways in which we can help other people love themselves too. Think about your unique talents & strengths. How can you carry out the self love buzz?</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Celebrate the ways in which you have grown & changed.</b><br />Growth is good, change is wonderful, evolution is fantastic. It’s proof that we’re on a path, that we’re going somewhere, that we’re living out our story to its full potential. Bake yourself a cake or somethin’!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Embrace your power.</b></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Start dressing in a way which makes you feel sexy & confident…</b><br />As opposed to just following what’s in style. Not all silhouettes suit all people. There are definitely styles that are best for individual body types. Once you know what works for you, make the most of it! Few things make you feel better than knowing that you look great.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Love everyone.</b><br />Even when they hurt you<span style="line-height: 1.6em; ">, even when they don’t get it, even when they don’t listen & even when they behave badly. When you love, miracles happen.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Listen to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zKk76YkF1U" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">Leonard Cohen</a>.</b><br />“Ring the bells that still can ring, forget your perfect offering, there’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” (Thank you, <a href="http://www.nadiabailey.com/2010/02/radical-self-love/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">Nadia</a>.)</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Get more sleep.</b><br />Most of us don’t get anywhere near enough hours of rest, & it can seriously impair our bodies & emotional states. Just go to bed a little bit earlier — you’ll feel so much better.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/26081807@N05/3326596665/sizes/o/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">Look at this photo of Madonna.</a> (NSFW!)</b><br />Be inspired. That is radical self love in action!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Apologise.</b><br />“While you’re carrying a grudge, they’re out dancing.” (Buddy Hackett) Don’t allow problems or misunderstandings to fester. Don’<span style="line-height: 1.6em; ">t walk around angry, stewing in your juices. Just apologise so everyone can move on.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Take yourself on dates.</b><br />Get dressed up & go to the library, eat a delicious l<span style="line-height: 1.6em; ">unch next to the river, ride your bike around the city & make the best dinner you possibly can. I’ve said it before & I will say it again, you deserve your love much more than anyone else does.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Don’t take yourself too seriously!</b><br />It never leads to anything good, haha. If you can laugh at yourself, you’re well on your way.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Forgive yourself.</b><br />It’s all in the past. Time to move on, babe.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Just love yourself.</b><br />No matter the circumstances. You are always good enough, you always deserve it & you are always beautiful, despite what you might think or believe. Just love yourself.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <b>Leave a comment with your best tip for <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">RADICAL</span> <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">SELF</span> <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">LOVE</span>.</b><br />Yes please!</p><div><br /></div><div><span>Originally posted on galadarling.com</span></div>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-6265534270505076512012-02-01T16:48:00.002+06:002012-02-02T00:17:56.889+06:00Dreams Are The Seedlings Of Reality!<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div><div id="container" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; width: 1000px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: medium; "><div id="content" style="float: left; display: inline; width: 650px; margin-left: 20px; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 10px; "><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "></p><div align="center"><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/12/01/magictime.jpg" alt="Magic is something you make..." title="Magic is something you make..." /></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "></p><br /><blockquote style="background-image: none; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(252, 234, 249); border-left-width: 5px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; "><span><span>“If the thing you wish to do is right, & you believe in it, go ahead & do it! Put your dream across, & never mind what “they” say if you meet with temporary defeat, for “they,” perhaps, do not know that <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">EVERY</span> <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">FAILURE</span> <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">BRINGS</span> <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">WITH</span> IT <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">THE</span> <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">SEED</span> OF AN <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">EQUIVALENT</span> <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">SUCCESS</span>.”</span></span></blockquote><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; ">...Jolly good stuff from Napoleon Hill’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1612930298/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=icigalcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1612930298" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; "><b>Think & Grow Rich</b></a>, written in 1937.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><br />Super-love & magic-making</p></div></div>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-59092956591088684362012-02-01T16:23:00.001+06:002012-02-01T16:26:39.539+06:00In Praise Of Calling It Quits: What To Do When You're Burned Out, & How To Get Your Spark Back<h3 style="padding-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /><span style="font-size: 22px;"><br /></span></h3><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/12/01/exhausted.jpg" alt="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" title="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" border="1" /></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><hr style="margin-top: 2em; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: auto; width: 370px; height: 1px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span ><span >Burned out. Exhausted. Empty. Apathetic.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Drained. Hopeless. Totally effing over it. Hit the wall. Sick of it. Breaking point. The last straw. Done & dusted.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b>Everyone has a limit.</b> What should you do when you reach yours?</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Some people will tell you that you need to <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">KEEP</span> <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">PUSHING</span> at all costs. They’ll trot out every cliché in the book: It’s better to burn out than fade away. Fake it ‘til you make it. Work your fingers to the bone. They’ll say that if you don’t do these things, then you might as well walk away. You’re a failure. How could you? We’re so disappointed in you. You could have been so much more.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span ><span >I call bullshit.</span></span> If you wanna get that spark back, try this instead…</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/12/01/match1.jpg" alt="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" title="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" border="1" /></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /><span ><span >1. Embrace your true feelings.</span></span> If you feel exhausted, <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">TAKE</span> A <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">REST</span>. If you’re sick of working on something, <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">TAKE</span> A <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">BREAK</span>. If you feel burned out, DO <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">SOMETHING</span> <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">ELSE</span>. This is not rocket science — it’s very obvious. When you’re tired, you go to sleep, right? Yet when it comes to work, projects & relationships, somehow we keep denying ourselves what we need. You can’t race around at 500mph all the time.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b>What we resist, persists.</b> The more you think about how much you despise something, the more of it you notice. You simply cannot rail against something & expect it to improve. If we keep telling ourselves we hate something, but we keep working away at it, we’re only going to attract more unpleasantness into our lives. How could things possibly get better from this point?</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">No heavenly being is waiting at the end of the line, giving out awards for sadomasochism. Give yourself a break.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/12/01/match7.jpg" alt="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" title="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" border="1" /></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /><span ><span >2. Continually plugging away</span></span> at something which doesn’t light your fire has never — & will never — inspire anything wonderful. It just creates mediocrity, & the world doesn’t need any more of that. Better to take a break & come back to things once you’ve filled your soul back up.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b>How to fill your soul up:</b> Get out of your house. Go somewhere else. Take a train. Spend some time in a library. Visit your friends. Get some sleep. Volunteer your time. Cancel all your so-called obligations. Use your hands. Redecorate. Clean out your closet. Plan a holiday. Read a huge stack of books. Take dancing classes. Call your mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, best friend. Spend hours in cafés, watching people. Do a juice cleanse. Go to the movies. Meditate. Go on a retreat. Wait it out.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/12/01/match5.jpg" alt="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" title="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" border="1" /></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /><span ><span >3. Put simply,</span></span> radical self love means not pushing yourself to the point of immune system failure.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Take care of yourself. This means fleeing an abusive relationship, leaving a soul-sucking job, & kissing your horrible friends <i>au revoir.</i> You are worth more.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/12/01/match4.jpg" alt="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" title="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" border="1" /></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /><span ><span >4. If you’re sick of something,</span></span> you have two choices. You can bury your head in the sand & keep pushing forward, or you can use this as a chance to investigate what isn’t working for you. Maybe the project isn’t in alignment with your values. Maybe it’s not interesting to you anymore. Or maybe you’ve just been doing it too long.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Either way, when we look at what <b>isn’t</b> working, we can learn so much about ourselves, our values & what is really important.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/12/01/match10.jpg" alt="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" title="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" border="1" /></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /><span ><span >5. Why are we so afraid to say no?</span></span> Why are we so scared to come back to something later? Do we think that in that short amount of time we’re gone, we’ll be forgotten about? (Baby, you are unforgettable.)</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Sometimes a break is just what you need. Maybe in that week, month, or year off, you’ll discover something which will totally reinvigorate you. Maybe it will inspire you to take it up again with a brilliant new spin.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">I quit a project last summer. I felt like I’d been kicked in the teeth; it was hard. I was so surprised by the outcome that I dropped the whole thing. It has taken me six months to want to get back on the horse again, & this time, I’m doing it with renewed vigor, an expanded vision of what it will be, & a badass attitude.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/12/01/match3.jpg" alt="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" title="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" border="1" /></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /><span ><span >6. Taking a break</span></span> from a project or a person or a piece of work doesn’t mean it’s over. It doesn’t make you a failure or a flake. Perhaps it’s just not the right time. Good things need to gestate properly. <b>Nothing is ever over until you say so.<br /></b></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/12/01/11.jpg" alt="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" title="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" border="1" /></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /><span ><span >7. Having said this,</span></span> maybe if you take a break, you’ll never go back to it. You know what? If this happens, that’s okay! In fact, that’s GREAT! It simply opens up more space for better opportunities, more magic, & even greater serendipity. It creates room for that thing you’ve been desiring with a burning passion.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/12/01/match2.jpg" alt="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" title="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" border="1" /></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /><span ><span >8. The world is gunning for you to succeed.</span></span> We want you to be brilliant! Don’t be paranoid or afraid. Don’t be scared that while you’re taking a break, someone else is going to jump up & take your place.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">In this world, there is no competition, no race; that’s just in your head. There is enough room for all of us to be happy, successful & utterly incredible. <a href="http://navigatecomplexity.net/life-not-rocket-science/?tag=scarcity-thinking" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; "><b>Scarcity thinking</b></a> is what got us into this mess in the first place!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/12/01/match9.jpg" alt="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" title="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" border="1" /></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /><span ><span >9. I think if we look at our lives honestly,</span></span> <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">ALL</span> of us have something we should quit. We all have things that we do because we feel like we “have to”, & this is nonsense.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Whether it’s a friendship, a part-time job or a series of obligations, life gets better when we commit <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">ONLY</span> to what we <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">TRULY</span> love & desire.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/12/01/12.jpg" alt="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" title="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" border="1" /></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /><span ><span >10. You have permission</span></span> to step back, let go, walk away. This is the yes you’ve been waiting for. Yes. It’s okay. You are allowed.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Sometimes we have to go to the other side of the world to find our spark again; sometimes, we simply have to cross the street. The point is this: you won’t discover your magic, your truth, by chaining yourself to your computer & stubbornly working away. You will only find it when you seek it.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><hr style="margin-top: 2em; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: auto; width: 370px; height: 1px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span ><span ><a href="http://www.facebook.com/xogaladarling/posts/289008001146987" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">What have you been inspired to quit,<br />& where have you found your spark?</a></span></span></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><hr style="margin-top: 2em; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: auto; width: 370px; height: 1px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Image sources: <a href="http://corset.com.ua/2009/05/retro-swimwear-1950/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">1</a> <a href="http://igirl.com.ua/2011/01/25/stilnye-oboi-dlya-ipad/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">2</a> <a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/1676401" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">3</a> <a href="http://neithersnow.squarespace.com/blog/2011/9/7/spark.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">4</a> <a href="http://theberry.com/2011/11/10/pink-domination-28-photos/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">5</a> <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/83704156/sparkler?ref=fp_treasury_7" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">6</a> <a href="http://weheartit.com/apenasonhos" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">7</a> <a href="http://www.dearjennifer.org/galleries/themes/classic/fashion.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">8</a> <a href="http://www.fivestripes.com/utility-home-Pink-Stripe-Tube-Matches-p/tu-pst.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">9</a> <a href="http://weheartit.com/raffaelka" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">10</a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tmacm12/6189009642/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">11</a> <a href="http://favim.com/image/250935/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">12</a></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><hr style="margin-top: 2em; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: auto; width: 370px; height: 1px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/12/01/spark.jpg" alt="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" title="In Praise Of Calling It Quits" /></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><hr style="margin-top: 2em; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: auto; width: 370px; height: 1px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><span >Source: galadarling.com</span><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-28419991943735730202012-02-01T16:21:00.001+06:002012-02-01T16:23:13.106+06:00100 Things To Do When You're Upset (The Sad Trombone List)<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span ><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div><div id="content" style="float: left; display: inline; width: 650px; margin-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><div class="hfeed"><h3 style="padding-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; font-weight: normal; "><span ><br /></span></h3><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "></p><div align="center" style="font-size: 13px; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/09-03/100.jpg" alt="100 Things To Do When You're Upset" title="100 Things To Do When You're Upset" /></div><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "></p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; ">Here are some ideas to help kick a rotten day to kingdom come…</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Do something good for someone else, even though you may not want to. Do a favour, help them find something, give them an item which will help them in some way. Start the flow of positive energy.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Eat the best chocolate you can get your hands on. In bed. Or in the bath.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Turn up music you really love. Play it so loudly that it soaks in through your skin. Dance in your pyjamas. Feel the pain lift.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Have a romance in your head.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Volunteer.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Buy a remote control for your camera & dip your toes into the pool of narcissism.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Call a friend & ask them if they want to have a slumber party.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Throw yourself head-first into a creative project. Something that you’re excited about but which feels a little too big for you. You’ll be so consumed by it that it will fuel you for ages.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Do the splits. Or at least try. (Be gentle though!)</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Sing. Loudly. Badly. Off-key. Whatever you like. It works. The last time I was on my way somewhere really nerve-wracking, I was in a cab. The radio was playing & I was so anxious that the only way I could distract myself was by singing along. Loudly. The driver probably thought I was a total nut but I didn’t care & it did the trick!</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Cover your entire body in cocoa butter & fall asleep.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Drink 2 litres of fizzy drink (pop, soda, you know) & stay up until sunrise.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Write a list of things that you appreciate right now, in the present moment. Focus on each of them & let the love inside you well up. Even when things appear to be going really, really badly, there are always things to be happy about. (That’s one of the reasons why we do Things I Love Thursday — to help bring your attention back to the positive.)</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Indulge in your “guilty pleasures”, whatever they are. (Old episodes of America’s Next Top Model, ginger ale, chocolate cake, romantic comedies, etc.)</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Send a text message to one of the most interesting people you know — maybe someone you don’t know that well, just to say hello.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Order delivery food, just to bask in the glory of the fact that if you pay people, they will come to your door. With food. Warm, good food. What an age we live in, huh?</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Look through old photos. With a friend if possible. If it’s an old friend, you can reminisce (“Oh my god, do you remember when we did <i>that</i>?!”), & if it’s a new friend, you can tell grand stories (“Well, let me tell you about <i>this</i> guy…”).</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Listen to old Motown hits. Come up with dance moves. Wear something sparkly & work it out. (<a href="http://djztrip.unknownvariable.com/audio/z-trip_-_motown_breakdown_part1.mp3" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">DJ Z-Trip’s Motown Breakdown</a> is an excellent time, too.)</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Write a gruellingly personal entry for your blog dissecting every aspect of the situation which has upset you so much. Post it, don’t post it, whatever, just get it out of your system.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Plan a holiday.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Write a ridiculous online dating profile & marvel at the people who come out of the woodwork. (“Oh, a threesome with you & your wife in New Jersey? Sign me up!”)</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Spend an hour in your variety store of choice, set yourself a budget ($20?) & buy some junk. Lip treatments, candy, maybe an exfoliating scrub… Then go home & play with your new purchases. There’s a reason it’s called retail therapy, you know (though of course, it doesn’t last).</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Wear a fake moustache all day.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Think up nicknames for all your friends, then send them each postcards to alert them.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Think back on the last really good sex you had. Think about it for an hour. Then do something else.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Go out for a milkshake.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Appreciate the dinosaur bones at your favourite museum.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Grab a friend, dress up like tourists & go & do all the really schlocky things on offer in your city. Take <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">LOTS</span> of photos, & be sure to flash the peace sign in 70% of them.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Stick little crystals on something you use every day. (Wallet, light-switch, key-ring, boots?)</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Buy a new pair of sunglasses or non-prescription frames. It’s a super-easy (& often relatively cheap) way to evolve your look. Plus sunglasses make for excellent on-the-fly disguises.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Go to a yoga class. Surrender & breathe deep.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Put on your favourite pair of high heels & walk up & down your bedroom/hallway doing your best Miss J impersonation. Have a friend or neighbour who is willing to humour you offer critique. “Girl, you walk like a busted-down freight-train.”</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Write multiple lists of everything you want. Material possessions, relationships, work, lifestyle, everything. Pin them up by your door so you see them all the time.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Go through Urban Dictionary & find some fun/ridiculous new words to add to your vocabulary.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Make yourself the biggest ice-cream sundae you’ve ever seen. Decorate it with hot fudge sauce, whipped cream, sprinkles, nonpareils, whatever you like. Take a photo. Give it a name (“Jane’s Orgasmatron Cardiac Arrest Sundae”). Devour. Maybe without using your hands. Take a photo of that too.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Get your eyebrows shaped.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Spend an hour in a department store sniffing perfume samples. When you find something you like, spray it on a card & drop it in your purse.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Try break-dancing.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Watch videos of flamboyant, successful people like Elton John or Michael Jackson & marvel.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Eat animal crackers.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Drink through a straw all day. If you get your hands on a straw which matches your outfit, so much the better.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Plan a party with a theme that makes you feel really, really happy.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Write a letter to yourself in the future. Then hide it. Maybe in the pocket of a coat you never, ever wear.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Leave the house wearing just fabulous lingerie underneath a coat. With heels. (Note: if you are a man you may get accused of being a flasher if you do this. The world is cruel sometimes.)</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Pull a Kid CuDi & announce your retirement from the world of something. Like cooking, or vocal communication. Announce your unretirement whenever you feel like it.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Buy a harmonica & annoy the hell out of everyone while you learn how to play it.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Go wig shopping.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Choose a festival (SXSW? Burning Man? Coachella? Wave-Gotik-Treffen?) to go to, invite some friends, & start making plans.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Add diamantes to your manicure.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Hula hoop.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Buy some really good art for your walls. Posters, prints, original artwork or other. If you’re feeling impoverished, go to the library, check out some art books, then take huge, great quality photocopies at a copy shop.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Listen to <i>Never Better</i> by P.O.S. from start to finish & revel in what a great album it really is.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Load up your ipod & go for a walk through your favourite park.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Visit a cool toy store & make your friend a surprise package.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Reach out to the people who inspire you but who don’t know you exist.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Write the birthdays of your personal heroes in your planner & work out a way to honour them on that day.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Pie.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Colour your hair. (You can always dye it back.)</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Notice where you hold tension in your body, & let it go.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Visit some kind of religious institution & observe a service.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Bake heart- or bunny-shaped cookies. Give them away.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Be graceful.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Be graceless.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Make a video diary.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Answer questions with questions.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Try on a pair of really, really expensive shoes & act like you’ll be back tomorrow, but you’re just going to go home & think about it. (Bonus points: take a photo of you in them. Often you will need to be stealthy about this but it’s worth doing.)</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Record yourself trying to recite the alphabet while vigorously brushing your teeth.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Flirt with entirely inappropriate people.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Sing into your friend’s answering machine. (If you’re in the <span class="caps" style="font-size: 0.9em; letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">USA</span> & use <a href="http://slydial.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">Slydial</a>, it will take you straight to their voicemail.)</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Pour pancakes in the shape of your initials. Eat them while watching aerobics on television.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Make friends with your neighbours.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Think about how great it would be to name a shaggy dog “Toupee”.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Go to an audition just for the experience.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Tell someone cute, “You’re cute”.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Sit in a sauna with a stack of fashion magazines & sweat it out.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Find a secret place with a great view. Like a tree, or a rooftop, or a hill.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Go & see a musical (or just rent one).</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Be optimistic.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Buy ridiculous slippers.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Make a list of the things you want to do to celebrate the upcoming season.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Lie down in the sunshine.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Pretend to be a dancer in a music video as you perform mundane tasks. Jiggle your way from the bathroom to the kitchen, shake it while you wait for your toast to pop, booty bump while you pick an outfit.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Go to an aquarium & take photos of the jellyfish.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Watch movies you used to love as a child.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Book a karaoke room with friends & sing your heart out.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Make a list of practical, actionable ways you can improve your situation.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Start keeping a dream journal & write down their <a href="http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">supposed meanings</a>, too.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> See if you can develop an appreciation for a band or a style of music you’ve never liked before.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Write a play.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Go to vintage stores looking for fabulous old typewriters.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Write the stuff you like about your body <i>on</i> your body with a marker.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Change your ring-tone to the sound of one of your friends laughing hysterically.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Watch videos of Robin Williams or Eddie Murphy.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Listen to Divine Harvest by The Mae Shi. <i>Don’t be worried, everything will turn out fine. Don’t be worried, friend just put your hand in mine.</i></p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Take a nap with your head at the other end of the bed.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Walk around a garden centre & buy a colourful plant. Give it a name.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Go somewhere that people walk their dogs & make friends with some fluffy creatures.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Hug your friends.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Tell someone everything.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Believe that everything is always getting better.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><br /></p><p style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; ">Source: Galadarling.com :) </p></div></div>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-62042770779265533942012-02-01T15:35:00.005+06:002012-02-01T15:54:25.920+06:00A Girl On A Mission: How To Write A Personal Mission Statement!<div style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/11/12/mission.jpg" alt="A Girl On A Mission" title="A Girl On A Mission" border="1" /></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span ><br /></span></div></div><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote style="background-image: none; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-width: 5px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; "><span ><span><span>“Now that it’s all over, what did you really do yesterday that’s worth mentioning?”</span></span> (Coleman Cox)</span></blockquote><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /><span><span>Put this in your diary:</span></span> “In 2012, I will write a personal mission statement.”</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">...But why would you want to do something like that?! Well, let me tell you a few reasons why writing a personal mission statement is important & useful. Firstly, it’s a fantastic way to figure out what your values are. This way, when you’re feeling bogged down with email, projects or meetings, you can quickly think back to your mission statement & be able to figure out whether what you’re doing <i>today</i> is relevant to what you want to achieve. The second reason why a mission statement is helpful is because it’s hard to make things happen when you don’t know what you really want! To get things done, you have to <b>start with the end in mind,</b> & a personal mission statement will help support your goals in a wonderful way.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">If a “personal mission statement” sounds too heavy, you have my — our — your own — permission to call it something else. A statement of intent. A manifesto. Your quest, on paper. A vision communiqué. A declaration of fabulousness!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">I know that the whole idea of this might sound incredibly serious & permanent. But it doesn’t have to be. In fact, the best mission statements change & evolve as you do. The things that were important to you five years ago may no longer be pertinent, & that’s wonderful! (It means you are progressing & growing!) So don’t feel like committing something to paper means you are bound to it forever. You’re not.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Another thing to keep in mind is that you don’t have to complete this in a day, or even a week. It might take you some time to put together your own mission statement. In fact, I’d be inclined to say that the more time it takes you, the better! Allow your brain lots of time to percolate & germinate the ideas! Start with a rough outline & fill it in over the rest of the month. Make this exercise something you create time for every day.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><hr style="margin-top: 2em; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: auto; width: 370px; height: 1px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><blockquote style="background-image: none; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-width: 5px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; "><span ><span><span><span>“A personal mission statement becomes the <span class="caps" style="letter-spacing: 0.1em; ">DNA</span> for every other decision we make.”</span></span></span><span> (Stephen Covey)</span></span></blockquote><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><hr style="margin-top: 2em; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: auto; width: 370px; height: 1px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span><span>How to begin:</span></span> Grab a piece of paper & your favourite pen. Get seated somewhere comfortable & write down some questions. I like these ones, but they’re just examples to get your juices flowing. There are no hard & fast rules with this!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> I am at my best when… <img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> I am at my worst when… <img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> What do I really love to do at work? <img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> What do I really love to do in my personal life? <img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> My natural talents & gifts are… <img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> If I had unlimited time & resources & knew I could not fail, what would I choose to do? <img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> My life’s journey is… <img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> What would people say about you on your 80th birthday? <img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> What do I consider to be my biggest future contribution to the most important people in my life? <img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Are there things I feel I should change or alter, even though I’ve dismissed these thoughts many times? What are they? <img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> Imagine you could invite to dinner three people who have influenced you the most. Write their names & the one quality or attribute you admire most in these people. <img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" />Let’s think of balance as a state of fulfillment & renewal in each of the four dimensions: physical, spiritual, mental, & social/emotional. What are the single most important things you can do in each of these areas that will have the greatest positive impact on your life & help you achieve a sense of balance? <img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> What are your values? What is most important to you? <img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" />What are some goals you’d like to achieve this year? <img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> What kind of image do you hope to project? Is it similar or dissimilar to the image you’re projecting right now? <img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> What are your roles in life? Are you happy with them? <img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Allow your mind to wander around these questions & scrawl down anything that comes to mind. It really helps if you can be open-minded about this, & not censor yourself. No one else has to see this, so please feel free to be completely honest!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Another great thing to add to this piece of paper (or multiple pieces of paper!) is a selection of quotes or sayings that evoke strong feelings or fan passionate flames within you. From doing this, you can start to see patterns around what is really important to you.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">From here, you can pick key phrases as well as words that seem to keep coming up, & weave them together to make a first draft of your personal mission statement. There are no rules: simply put words together & see what appears in front of you.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><hr style="margin-top: 2em; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: auto; width: 370px; height: 1px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><blockquote style="background-image: none; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-width: 5px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; "><span ><span><span>“Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.”</span></span> (Rumi)</span></blockquote><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><hr style="margin-top: 2em; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: auto; width: 370px; height: 1px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span><span>Want more inspiration?</span></span> Your mission statement doesn’t have to be straight-forward or plainly-spoken. It could be in the style of a haiku if you like! <b><a href="http://www.franklincovey.com/msb/inspired/bombeck" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">Erma Bombeck’s mission statement</a></b> is written in the format of, “If I had my life to live over, I would have…”<a href="http://www.inspirational-sayings-in-action.com/example-of-a-personal-mission-statement.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; "><b>This site</b></a> has a bunch of examples to look over. <a href="http://www.debramoorhead.com/blog/?p=115" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; "><b>Debra Moorhead</b></a> provides some more questions you can ask yourself, as well as some short & sweet mission statements to inspire you. Here are some <a href="http://www.timethoughts.com/goalsetting/mission-statements.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; "><b>mission statement sentence templates</b></a> for fill-in-the-blank type fun!<a href="http://www.timethoughts.com/goalsetting/mission-statements.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; "><b>Work Awesome</b></a> has a great piece about the art of the personal mission statement, too.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><hr style="margin-top: 2em; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: auto; width: 370px; height: 1px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><blockquote style="background-image: none; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-width: 5px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; "><span ><span><span>“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart.”</span></span> (Carl Jung)</span></blockquote><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><hr style="margin-top: 2em; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: auto; width: 370px; height: 1px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span><span>Alternatively,</span></span> if you’d like to try an automatic personal mission statement generator (!!!), <a href="http://www.franklincovey.com/msb/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; "><b>FranklinCovey has a free one</b></a> you can try! (You have to give them your email address, but that’s no biggie.) It’s a fantastic way to get your thoughts going & investigate the truth of who you are, & who you want to be. I think the results are quite rad, too. Here’s what mine spat out:</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><i>“I am at my best when I am working on things which inspire, inform & excite others. I will try to prevent times when I feel confined or hedged-in. I will enjoy my work by continuing to create, dream big, connect with others, & share my vision. I will find enjoyment in my personal life through taking photos, travelling, having adventures & exploring. I will find opportunities to use my natural talents & gifts such as writing, creating, inspiring, uplifting others & speaking. <b>My life’s journey is to love myself, & to inspire other women to love themselves too.</b> I will be a person who has inspired countless others to take control of their lives, think big & live according to their own rules… My most important future contribution to others will be to show people that they can live however they want to, & that there are no rules. I will strive to incorporate confidence, creativity & chutzpah into my life.”</i></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">This was a great place to start from, but I wanted a shorter, simpler statement. Thankfully, I was able to whittle it down over the course of a few days!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/12/01/swirl.png" alt="..." title="..." /></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span><span ><b>Vision. Confidence. Chutzpah.<br />Wild dreams & radical self love.<br />Curiosity, wonder & spontaneous delight.<br />Seek magic; adore the moment.<br />Dare to be true; dare to be eager.<br />Emancipate, & above all,<br />be a love letter to the universe.</b></span></span></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/12/01/swirl.png" alt="..." title="..." /></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/12/01/kylie.jpg" alt="Kylie Minogue by Ellen Von Unwerth" title="Kylie Minogue by Ellen Von Unwerth" border="1" /></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /><span><span>I wrote my mission statement</span></span> in big gold letters & stuck it to my wall, above my desk, where I can see it every day. I’m going to use it to guide my goals for 2012, to help keep me on task & remind me of my purpose.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">It will help me navigate through the small day-to-day things, & give me perspective. A simple glance at my mission statement will help me decide whether to say “yes” or “no” to the opportunities that come my way. It’s the perfect way of distilling my ambitions & aspirations, of focussing my intentions, & manifesting my ideal future.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The fact that this piece of writing exists relaxes me. It reminds me that what I want is really quite simple, & to get there, all I need to do is be true to myself…</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">I hope you write a personal mission statement this year, too!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><hr style="margin-top: 2em; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: auto; width: 370px; height: 1px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><blockquote style="background-image: none; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-width: 5px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; "><span ><span><span><blockquote></blockquote>“To come to be you must have a vision of Being, a Dream, a Purpose, a Principle. You will become what your vision is.”</span></span> (Peter Nivio Zarlenga)</span></blockquote><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><hr style="margin-top: 2em; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: auto; width: 370px; height: 1px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><span>Post taken from: galadarling.com :) happy reading, learning, growing and loving your life !!</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span><br /></span></div>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-54491051271449266412012-02-01T15:25:00.000+06:002012-02-01T15:27:32.163+06:00Avoiding Creeps<h1 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.4em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></h1><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/07-03/creep.jpg" /><br />Photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/lost-moments/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">Danz In Tokyo</a>.</div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">“Hey baby!”, wolf whistles & lecherous looks are just something you have to deal with as a woman. Right?</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Nobody likes to be yelled at in the street, whistled at, or otherwise ogled. I know that a lot of women are nervous to leave the house wearing a short skirt, high heels, a low-cut top or anything that could be perceived as “slutty”. It really angers me that people aren’t able to dress however they like because of other people’s stunted social prowess.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">I have been on the receiving end of all this nonsense myself. It is awful. Really awful. Sometimes it can be quite terrifying — not the yelling itself so much, but more what it says about the people doing it, & the risk it poses to me as a girl.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">However, over the past few months I have become far more aware of myself & the impression I give to the world. (I wrote a little bit about this in my article <a href="http://galadarling.com/article/what-does-your-clothing-say-about-you%22" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">What Does Your Clothing Say About You?</a>) The more I learn, the less negative attention I receive on the street. It’s not because I’m getting ugly or I’m dressing in a more conservative fashion — in fact, these days I am far happier showing more of my body, because I’m actually happy with it for the first time in years. Also, a lot of women find that they get yelled at regardless of what they’re wearing.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The reason the number of incidents has declined is because of how I conduct myself.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">I walk in a very assertive, confident way. I have a fast walking pace (I always have; I can’t help it!). I stand up tall, my shoulders back. There is a spring in my step. I give off a very strong message: I’m happy, I’m not scared of you, & I’m not an easy target.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">It’s basic self-defence. If you were a predator, or just a generic toss-pot, & wanted someone to hurt, upset or get a rise out of, who would you go for? Someone who looks like they won’t fight back. Someone who looks unsure, nervous, someone who is hunched over, hiding from the world. If you project a strong image, more often than not, people will leave you alone.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">But how can you project a strong image when secretly you’re terrified that some guy is going to grab you or yell at you?</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Fake it.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Think of someone who walks like they own the pavement — then imitate them. After a while, it will change from imitation to real, actual confidence. I used to use this tactic when I was at a party & feeling introverted — I would think of my friend Jenno Soprano, who is always having a time to remember. I know it sounds overly simplistic, too easy to work. Trust me when I say that it works a charm.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The other thing you can try is a little bit kooky, but bear with me, because in my experience it is pretty much foolproof. Before you leave the house, take a deep breath & imagine there is a zipper running up your body, starting at your pubic bone & finishing just underneath your nose. Visualise yourself zipping it closed, working your way upwards. Then go out, & do whatever you feel like. I cannot begin to tell you how incredibly effective this is in terms of keeping away weirdos, creeps & other undesirable people. Even if this sounds a bit crazy to you, try it & see how you go. You can zip yourself up as often as you like, every minute if it makes you feel more secure.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">When I do either of these things (or especially if I do them in tandem), people still look at me; I can still feel their attention. But somehow, it’s like I’ve hit the mute button. They don’t make a peep. They are exceptionally well-behaved. It makes my world a better place. I hope it for works for you, too.</p><div><br /></div><div><span >The post has been taken from: galadarling.com.</span></div>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-45294415289157333072012-02-01T15:09:00.003+06:002012-02-01T15:14:45.925+06:00Negative People !<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73mWu9ncggSlnrOOgbsHSnbO5VtCvMwemYS9N46yMsRlo-1d6LlPyWgqjjp7W0PKWyLq3FNpvvfMyiQrOzsWcnavieykvuzXGN8Qjm93_i5_xvDgmolzjNbezY3fvn8lRb0jqRBFq_nY/s1600/ihateyou.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73mWu9ncggSlnrOOgbsHSnbO5VtCvMwemYS9N46yMsRlo-1d6LlPyWgqjjp7W0PKWyLq3FNpvvfMyiQrOzsWcnavieykvuzXGN8Qjm93_i5_xvDgmolzjNbezY3fvn8lRb0jqRBFq_nY/s320/ihateyou.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704093092109934258" /></a><div align="center" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/kayepants/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">Kayepants</a></div><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">In my most recent <a href="http://galadarling.com/article/style-tips-8th-march-2007" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">Style Tips</a> piece, one of the suggestions was “expunge one negative person from your life”. I have since had a couple of people ask me for help with doing this. It’s not my standard subject matter but it’s all about what you want, my darlings! Let me know if you enjoy this or want further information, okay?</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The supremely negative are obvious — they have a puckered-up mouth from years of scowling, they whine a lot, they complain, they are blind to anything good happening in the world, & they want to take you down with them. However, sometimes negative people are hard to spot, until you step back from the situation. They talk smack about everyone, including you, under the pretense of “being your friend” & “honesty”. “I’m only saying this because I care about you!” they protest, after sticking a carving knife in your back. (Honesty is one thing, but when people use “I’m just being honest” as an excuse to be tactless & cruel, I’d like to just put them over my knee.)</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">It’s really easy to end up with a lot of negative friends, especially when you’re in your teens or early twenties. Everyone is so insecure & unsure of themselves, it is easy to accept anyone into your life, & especially a negative person, since if they’re “on your side”, you (theoretically) will never be the person they tear into. The problem with this concept is that negative people are on no one’s side but their own. Nobody is safe.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Misery loooooves company, baby, & sad people exist solely to pull you down to their level. If you have ambitions & actually want to make something of your life, having the sad patrol around you is only going to make it more difficult. You don’t need that.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">It is important to remember is that everything around you influences you in one way or another. If all your friends have eating disorders, it is likely your eating will become disordered also. If your boyfriend gets angry in traffic, you will probably find yourself road raging along with him. If your best friend vocally hates on men, you will also learn disdain for them. The reason for this is that humans have what are called <a href="http://www.interdisciplines.org/mirror/papers/1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">mirror neurons</a>, the same as monkeys. What this means is that as a species, we learn from watching & imitating people. Mirror neurons have been an important part of our evolutionary survival, & because of this, they work unconsciously at all times.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">You know where I’m going with this, right?</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Though you may have no intention of becoming like the people around you, if your mother is miserable & your girlfriend is homicidal & your best friend is a misogynist, you will unconsciously begin to mimic & imitate all these behaviours. Unless you want to be miserable, the best thing you can do is extricate yourself from these types of people.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">I used to be part of the misery brigade. I thought that happy people were stupid, dumb, annoying. I thought that being sad, not eating & having constant drama in my life made me a more interesting person. I didn’t want to be “normal”, I wanted to be different goddamnit, & I was willing to suffer to be that way. Well, I have learned the error of my ways. Being happy doesn’t make you normal — in fact, happy people are in the minority. It is easy to throw your hands up in frustration & be tragic & defeatist. It is also incredibly boring. People are probably really sick of your whining & criticism. It’s not clever, it’s dull — which is the ultimate crime.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">So, how to deal with it?</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Say your friend’s primary interest is gossiping & being awful about other people. A typical exchange between the two of you would be something like this:<br />Your friend: “Ugh, look at that girl! She looks like a gorilla, how can she stand to look at herself?! If I was her I would beg someone to shoot me to put me out of my misery!”<br />You: “I know! Super-gross-tastic! Seriously she should be locked inside the house & sterilised so she can’t breed.”</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Keep in mind that you can’t change the way other people behave, the only thing you can change is how you react to them. If you stop encouraging them, they will stop being a turd. Instead of responding in kind, you could change the subject or you could just tell them that making remarks about other people is boring & a waste of time. They will soon learn that they can’t have the sort of conversation with you that they used to enjoy, & so they will drift away from you to other people who want to share in the hatred. It’s like having a child who throws tantrums — if you ignore it, they will stop, or try it on someone else.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Another thing you can do is establish strong boundaries. If you want to remain friends with whoever, keep in mind that they’re not going to change unless they want to. When they start being negative, tell them you’re not interested in putting up with their crap. Maybe they’ll respect the boundaries, maybe not. If they do, then that’s wonderful — if not, as above, they will move away from you. It’s a win-win situation.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">You can also use the zipping up technique which I wrote about at the end of my article on<a href="http://galadarling.com/article/avoiding-creeps" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">Avoiding Creeps</a> — it’s very effective. Or you could just cut contact entirely. Don’t read their emails, delete their telephone number, block them on any chat programs & stop checking their online journal. Cold turkey, baby!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">For those of you who love to bitch about other people, or with friends who do, I know that some of you will be thinking, ‘Oh, but making fun of other people is great sport! It’s entertaining & mostly harmless, & it gives me an opportunity to demonstrate my sharp wit & cutting insights.’ Maybe so, but if you were actually happy with yourself, you would find something more interesting to do with your time. What’s that old saying about how no one ever carved a statue of a critic?</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Maybe this sounds really cliched to you. That’s okay. You have the right to live your life however you want to, but here’s a secret tip which might make you change your mind: happiness is the best revenge!</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b>Extra For Experts:</b><br /><img src="http://galadarling.com/images/heart.gif" alt="<3" title="doki-doki!" border="0" width="12" height="10" /> <a href="http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2006/04/angrynegative_p.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(180, 69, 137); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2px; ">Angry/negative people can be bad for your brain.</a> This article is brilliant, you should definitely read it.</p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></p><p style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span>The material is taken from: Gala Darling; The radical self love project. </span></p>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-92211218851302250292012-01-21T22:09:00.003+06:002012-01-21T22:13:51.211+06:00How To Stop An Affair: Start Here<span style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); ">One of the biggest threats to a marriage is an affair. If you find yourself dealing with that, you need to listen to my new audio. This audio will give you some advice on </span><a href="http://www.savethemarriage.com/stop-an-affair.html" style="color: rgb(216, 93, 93); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); ">how to stop an affair</a><span style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); ">. Take a listen and take hope! Your marriage can be saved.</span><div><span style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); "><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); ">Link: </span><span>http://www.marriagemoment.com/stop-an-affair.mp3</span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><em style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); ">Originally posted by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D</em></div>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-17828965360156323522012-01-21T21:58:00.001+06:002012-01-21T22:09:27.336+06:00Podcast: "I'm Sorry" Is The Starting Point -- Not The End<span style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); ">Too many people think "I'm sorry" is the end of a conversation. Here, I tell you why it is the beginning! Let me know what you think.</span><div><span style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); "><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); ">Link: </span><span ><span style="font-size: 12px;">http://marriagemoment.com/sorry_starts_process.mp3</span></span></div><div><span ><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><em style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); ">Originally posted by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.</em></div>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-91726388093757000722012-01-21T21:44:00.002+06:002012-01-21T21:58:22.277+06:00Podcast: "Thankfulness Can Save Your Marriage"<span style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); ">Here we are at Thanksgiving. So I decided to bring back a classic podcast. I've received lots of great comments about it.</span><br style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); "><br style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); "><span style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); ">How thankful are you for your marriage? Perhaps a key to happiness in marriage is nurturing the gratitude for the other person. We explore this in the podcast, </span><a href="http://www.marriagemoment.com/thanksgiving_podcast.mp3" style="color: rgb(216, 93, 93); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); ">Bringing Thanksgiving To Marriage</a><span style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); ">.</span><div><span style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); "><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); ">Link: </span><span><span style="font-size: 12px;">http://</span><span >www.marriagemoment.com/thanksgiving_podcast.mp3</span></span></div><div><span><span ><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span >Happy listening, save your marriage ! =) </span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><em style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); ">Originally Posted by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D</em></div>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-77451001979760508122012-01-21T21:30:00.007+06:002012-01-21T21:43:49.276+06:00Change Your Attitude & Change Your Marriage<span style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); ">Wow! Time really flies! I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted. But I am trying to get "back in the swing."</span><br style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); "><br style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); "><span style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); ">My latest recording is about how to affect your marriage by focusing and changing your attitude. You can actually change the balance of a relationship by attending to your own attitude, and I will even tell you 4 you might adopt!</span><div><span style="color: rgb(48, 48, 48); font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-size: 12px; "><span >http://www.marriagemoment.com/changeattitudechangemarriage.mp3</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-size: 12px; "><span ><br /></span></b></div><div><span >Copy and paste the above link; enjoy learning ! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><i><span style="text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); "><br /></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><i><span style="text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); "><span >It was originally </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); " >posted by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D</span></i></span></div>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-66922068785492074832009-02-21T06:06:00.005+06:002009-02-21T07:23:22.068+06:00Conflict: Why Do You Argue, Why Do You Fight in Conflict?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMl1AVY84QHDLToV_4tYgEafK_tYipW2UoN7H6lQy39of5z2rGhSBiWUgzpe-pcF5mPFWzK-NDx4C8vlUM8AMwA-jMyQBlPBHa7TWn1hAo23yC7FRNELMwUXHVHHQfWOIJgOssPb2Txyc/s1600-h/first+pic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 113px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMl1AVY84QHDLToV_4tYgEafK_tYipW2UoN7H6lQy39of5z2rGhSBiWUgzpe-pcF5mPFWzK-NDx4C8vlUM8AMwA-jMyQBlPBHa7TWn1hAo23yC7FRNELMwUXHVHHQfWOIJgOssPb2Txyc/s320/first+pic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305052819217356114" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="mainfont">Think about the last time you had a conflict with someone and you argued either with your partner, your friend, your parent, your child, or someone else in your life. </p> <p class="mainfont">What did you argue about, and why did you spend your energy arguing or fighting?</p> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 204, 204);" class="mainfont" align="center"><span class="heading">REASONS FOR ARGUING AND FIGHTING</span> </p> <p class="mainfont">Here are some of the reasons you might argue and fight in conflict situations:</p> <p class="mainfont">* You believe that you can get the other person to see things your way - that if you say the right thing, be very convincing, be very logical and rational, be right, be parental, talk very loudly, yell, threaten, blame, attack, call names, or even hit - you can have control over getting the other person to think and feel the way you want. You believe that not only can you win, but that you can somehow have control over the other's thoughts and feelings.</p> <p class="mainfont">The problem is that, while you might be able to get control over another's behavior, you cannot control their thought and feelings. No matter how right you are, another thoughts and feelings are not yours to control.</p><p class="mainfont">* Dumping anger on another person may be a way of not dealing with your own feelings. Perhaps you are projecting your own self-abandonment onto the other person, i.e. you are not listening to or hearing yourself so you attack the other person for not listening to you or hearing. Or you are judging yourself so you attack the other person for judging you. If you are judging yourself or not listening to yourself and not taking responsibility for your own feelings, then you may be blaming the other person for the guilt, shame and aloneness you feel within.</p> <p class="mainfont">* Perhaps you are terrified that if you are open with the other person, especially your partner, that your partner will see things about you that he or she doesn't like. You might be using fighting as a way to avoid true intimacy, while at the same time creating a connection through the fighting. The connection you feel through fighting might feel safer than creating true intimacy.</p><p class="mainfont">* Perhaps you are afraid that if you get really close to someone, you will lose yourself or be taken advantage of. If this is the case, fighting might be a way to feel safe from engulfment. Once again, you can feel some connection through the fighting without actually having to feel close enough to lose yourself to the other person.</p> <p class="mainfont">* Perhaps arguing and fighting is the only way you know to assuage your fears of rejection. Fighting might give you a sense of control over not losing the other person.</p> <p class="mainfont">* Perhaps you feel frustrated and helpless in a job situation or a situation with someone else, and fighting with the person you are fighting with is a way to release the frustration and gain back a feeling of control.</p> <p class="mainfont">* Anger and arguing can be an addictive way of avoiding your feelings of aloneness and loneliness. All addictive behavior cover up painful feelings, and anger and arguing are no exceptions.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" class="heading"> THE WAY OUT OF ARGUING</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRa-_rjLSRPsUbZnXe5xeNbTXOtgdxQ7hkWPl2eKTtz9m7BO7vBuC56jk5FoumAt7NJhWrd-6Gd7vQz0Q6lOrdzylTz0sUkn2oS5DLwkZ1caY_aFGTD_OKKku3IN9gFSvXafnRUxW004/s1600-h/touching+the+nose.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 123px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRa-_rjLSRPsUbZnXe5xeNbTXOtgdxQ7hkWPl2eKTtz9m7BO7vBuC56jk5FoumAt7NJhWrd-6Gd7vQz0Q6lOrdzylTz0sUkn2oS5DLwkZ1caY_aFGTD_OKKku3IN9gFSvXafnRUxW004/s320/touching+the+nose.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305053751176155042" border="0" /></a></div><p class="mainfont" align="center"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;" class="mainfont">Until you want 100% responsibility for all of your own feelings - your feelings of anger, frustration, guilt, shame, anxiety, depression, fear, hurt, loneliness, aloneness, helplessness over others and outcomes, and so on - you may continue to use arguing and fighting as ways to avoid this responsibility. Until you are ready to lovingly attend to your own feelings with a deep and compassionate desire to learn about your own thoughts, beliefs and behavior that create your feelings, you may be stuck trying to control others into making you feel better. And until you fully accept your lack of control over others thoughts and feelings, you might continue to attempt have control through arguing and fighting.</p> <span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span class="footerfont"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span class="footerfont"></span></span></span></span></span></span>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-36525448431692152652009-02-20T16:06:00.005+06:002009-06-04T04:44:32.003+06:00We Don't Have Friends, We Have Mirrors<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQuBmpQLjg4MU_be9zbJ9W5mQl7qoHZlZPWJWPpV87CGRrEwrB0yUAu88Dte49oLoOFzOqYOYHKg2ak_4PDkcBcjan-uw6KSahgq3EtGMNjeS80BrO9Ahgf4ohXEcVzpdCzQh7qdi7fs/s1600-h/join+the+club.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQuBmpQLjg4MU_be9zbJ9W5mQl7qoHZlZPWJWPpV87CGRrEwrB0yUAu88Dte49oLoOFzOqYOYHKg2ak_4PDkcBcjan-uw6KSahgq3EtGMNjeS80BrO9Ahgf4ohXEcVzpdCzQh7qdi7fs/s320/join+the+club.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304834870319364738" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="mainfont">Tonight I was in a coaching class and the instructor made the statement, “<span style="font-style: italic;">We don’t have friends, we have mirrors.</span>” I thought that was so interesting because it is describing the law of attraction, that what we are, we attract. What we reap, we sow, etc. We develop friendships with people who have similar interests, backgrounds, or other commonalities such as location, career choice or even mental outlook.</p><p class="mainfont">The friends as mirrors concept is really great. If you’re anything like me, you’ll have lots of different friends that reflect different sides of your personalities, or your different moods. I admire my friends for different reasons and have different types of conversations with them when I’m with them.</p><p class="mainfont">I have my old friends from high school. With a couple of my friends, we can’t go 10 minutes without reverting back to talking about people from high school or talking about the “old days”. My husband just LOVES to hang out and listen to us rant and rave about all of these people who he doesn’t know! But even though I know how bored he is, I cant’ help but laugh and whoop it up with these friends even when the stories we’ve told have grown so old that my husband could recite them from memory. Then, I have friends that I talk “kids” with on a regular basis. We share our secrets for motivating our kids or swap stories back and forth of how the kids are doing at school. Several of these friends I see at school so we also have that in common. I find it comforting to connect with these friends a few times a week for short minutes at a time. I know they’re living their personal or work life in between the hours of 8-3:00PM like I am and many of us are doing kid stuff in the afternoons like Taekwando.</p><p class="mainfont">I have my “<span style="font-style: italic;">beautiful friends</span>” who I talk to about staying in shape and working out. I want to spend even more time with these friends as this is an important part of my life right now. But truth be known, I sometimes avoid these friends if I’m feeling particularly sluggish, fat, or the feeling I’m having a bad hair day. And if I’m going to see any of them, I usually work out hard for several days in a row to drop a few lbs before I have to go out with them. It’s always great motivation having friends like these. I know they’re not judging me, but they genuinely know my desire to be in shape so they come armed with lots of ideas and motivation.</p><p class="mainfont">I have my “TV” or “PR” friends who have creative minds and are constantly in the “Know.” I find them intriguing and exciting and when I’m around them, I want to appear brilliant, creative and witty. Of course this doesn’t always happen and so I sometimes have to get back with them about something I’ve found out that they might like. I always want to feel like I’m bringing them as much value as they bring me. These folks are similar to my work associates or friends. These are people I’ve worked with or for through the years, and we catch up a few times a year. I enjoy hearing about their lives and their triumphs as well as their struggles. I knew them for a “season” in my life when we were close and although we’ll never be that close again, we’ll still remain friends, just at a distance.</p><p class="mainfont">Then I have a few of those, “<span style="font-style: italic;">just come as you are</span>” type of friends. We have no masks, no <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-mQ2EmwOeMGUh3NSHDi_6xEuri1VHcsAzKi5P4MmcFuoflqkO8ioj215wPgFDMnTkWB6To0cIQmi4n0kO4o-bO2H3Jao-W8YypbmtyO4EOLFbUPo1zQeIV7jMuzOTJfsK9y_6-Qxfkrk/s1600-h/babies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-mQ2EmwOeMGUh3NSHDi_6xEuri1VHcsAzKi5P4MmcFuoflqkO8ioj215wPgFDMnTkWB6To0cIQmi4n0kO4o-bO2H3Jao-W8YypbmtyO4EOLFbUPo1zQeIV7jMuzOTJfsK9y_6-Qxfkrk/s320/babies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304830626468156386" border="0" /></a>games, and no agenda. We can pour out our hearts to one another without the risk of rejection and no fear of losing the friendship. These are the friends whose calls I’ll take any time of the day or night, and will return their call promptly as soon as I see it on the screen. These friends include my mom and my sister, and a few others who will always be some of my best friends. We can go months without talking, or talk every day, but the intimacy and realness is always there.</p><p class="mainfont">I’ve had to let a few friends go here and there. The ones who had unreal expectations of the amount of time I was able to offer in friendship, were told the truth. Others had other agendas in their lives that made it hard to relate. Still others, didn’t understand my role as a mom and the choices I made separated us by our own individual beliefs. Some new friends have had to be told that I’m just not able to get together now due to some additional responsibilities, and that in a few months, my personal situation will probably be a bit different. I’ve found that honesty is the best policy, because even new friends can tend to get their feelings hurt when you don’t respond to their invitations.</p><p style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" class="mainfont">Some friends I’m surprised are still with me. I’ve been through so many personal ups and downs that I can’t believe they’re still around to cheer me on. Other friends, I wish I could connect with more, but for one reason or another their lives have taken them on a completely different journey. Many of them I miss, and will always think of them often.</p><p style="text-align: center;" class="mainfont">If our friends are our mirrors, I’m feeling pretty good right about now. Even though my life isn’t full of socializing, I still feel the closeness of a few very dear friends and blessed to enjoy the personalities of many interesting individuals who I enjoy wholeheartedly. Lives become rich because of the friends we keep and the relationships we nurture.</p><p class="mainfont">We don’t have friends, we have mirrors. What is in your mirror today? =)<br /></p><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span class="footerfont"> <span class="footerfont"></span></span></span></span>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-61935584214036266182009-02-20T14:55:00.005+06:002009-06-04T04:45:06.165+06:009 Ways That Humor Heals<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhay6yWfDnEDZVFMz0ch12s3eyVTGvn1J0GJZ0ZxMUvC1Ji16cGonZKgy2wLD3EtyHZYR6AjcsXpvHRnYlqhsVcuqUaeyxY-Z1vUteYuGZR8-9qJLjX4tpKlwwexPnVeo7Oi6Gh2XBnYw4/s1600-h/happygrandma.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhay6yWfDnEDZVFMz0ch12s3eyVTGvn1J0GJZ0ZxMUvC1Ji16cGonZKgy2wLD3EtyHZYR6AjcsXpvHRnYlqhsVcuqUaeyxY-Z1vUteYuGZR8-9qJLjX4tpKlwwexPnVeo7Oi6Gh2XBnYw4/s320/happygrandma.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304803029643483730" border="0" /></a><br />Of all my tools to combat depression and negativity, <a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/beyondblue/2008/05/video-humor-heals.html">humor is by far the most fun</a>. And just like mastering the craft of writing, I’m finding that the longer I practice laughing at life—and especially its frustrations–the better I become at it, and the more situations and conversations and complications I can place into that category named “silly.” <p>G. K. Chesterton once wrote: “Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.” And Proverbs 17:22 says that “a happy heart is good medicine.” I’d add that human beings can heal (at least partially!) from a host of different illnesses if they learn how to laugh. Here are just a few ways our bodies, minds, and spirits begin to mend with a dose of humor.</p><h3>1. Humor combats fear.</h3> <p>I know this first hand,<a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/beyondblue/2008/05/video-humor-heals.html"> </a><a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/beyondblue/2008/05/video-humor-heals.html">having sat in a community room of a psych ward watching a video of a comedian poke fun at depression</a>. Like everyone else occupying a chair in that room, I was scared to death. Of many things … That I would never smile again. Or love again. Or even WANT to love again. I was fearful of life, and everything it involved.</p> <p>That panic didn’t instantly transform into a hearty chuckle once the psych nurse popped in the funny video. But the climate of the room was noticeably different. Patients began to open up more, to share some of the details they had left out in the prior group therapy session.</p> <p>Humor disengages fear because it changes your perspective: of the past and of the present. The traumatic childhood episode loses its tight grip on your heart if you can place it into the “ridiculous” category of other stories from the past. With a playful perspective, you can remove yourself from the marital problem that has you debilitated with anxiety. Laughter forces a few steps–some much-needed distance– between a situation and our reaction. We all would do well to follow the advice of Leo Buscaglia: “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. And swing!”</p><h3>2. Humor comforts.</h3> <p>Charlie Chaplin once said, “To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain and play with it.” I suppose that’s why some of the funniest people out there—<a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/beyondblue/2008/03/stephen-colberts-exodus-moment.html">Stephen Colbert</a>, Robin Williams, Ben Stiller, <a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/beyondblue/2007/01/art-buchwald-blues-brother.html">Art Buchwald</a>—have journeyed through periods of torment.</p> <p>There is an unspoken message hidden within a chuckle–even the slightest cackle– that says this: “I promise, you’ll get through this.” Just like the comforting hug of your mom when you were three. In fact, New York City’s Big Apple Circus has used humor to console sick children since 1986, when they started sending teams of clowns into hospital rooms with “rubber chicken soup” and other fun surprises. “It’s for the children, yes,” explains Jane Englebardt, deputy director of the circus, in an “American Fitness” article. “But it’s also for the parents who, when they hear their children laugh for the first time in days or weeks, know everything’s going to be O.K.”</p><h3>3. Humor relaxes.</h3> <p>Like any exercise, laughing relaxes you, and works against chronic stress that most Americans wear on the shoulder. Mehmet C. Oz, M.D., a heart surgeon at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, explains why this is so in a 2005 “Reader’s Digest” article:</p><p style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;">When you push any engine, including your body, to its maximum, every once in a while it slips a gear. The ways the body manifests that are: irregular heartbeats, high blood pressure, and increased sensitivity to pain. When people use humor, the autonomic nervous system just tones down a bit to take it off high gear, and that allows the heart to relax.</p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">4. Humor reduces pain.</span><br /></p><p>Apparently the psych nurses at Laurel Regional Hospital weren’t the only ones gathering patients around the TV to watch funny flicks or videos. Dr. Elias Shaya, chief of psychiatry at Good Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore also tries to instill the importance of laughter in his patients. Says Dr. Shaya: “I advocate finding ways to laugh by watching comedy or engaging in looking up jokes and sharing them.”</p> <p>“Humor rooms,” which encourage people to use humor in their recovery from any kind of illness, are now available in some hospitals. And science backs these efforts. In a study published in the Journal of Holistic Nursing, humor very definitely seemed to diminish pain. Says Dave Traynor, M.Ed, director of health education at Natchaug Hospital in Mansfield Center, Connecticut in “American Fitness”: “After surgery, patients were told one-liners prior to administration of potentially painful medication. The patients exposed to humor perceived less pain as compared to patients who didn’t receive humor stimuli.”</p><br /><h3>5. Humor boosts the immune system.</h3> <p>Whenever I prick myself accidentally, I tell a joke, and my finger doesn’t bleed! Well, not exactly. But if you are laid up in bed with a terrible strain of the flu that your four-year-old brought home from her play date yesterday, try to find an itsy-bitsy thread of humor in your situation, and you’ll be back to work in no time. Or, better yet, dwell in the misery and stay away from the cubicle longer.</p> <p>In 2006 researchers led by Lee Berk and Stanley A. Tan at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, Califormia, found that two hormones—beta-endorphins (which alleviate depression) and human growth hormone (HGH, which helps with immunity) increased by 27 and 87 percent respectively when volunteers anticipated watching a humorous video. Simply anticipating laughter boosted health-protecting hormones and chemicals.</p> <p>In his “American Fitness” article, Dave Traynor explains a separate study at Arkansas Tech University, in which concentrations of immunoglobulin A were increased after 21 fifth graders participated in a humor program. (I’m nervous to hear about the details of that fifth-grade humor program, because my kids roar whenever you throw out a bathroom term.) Laughter was once again found to increase the ability to fight viruses and foreign cells.</p> <h3>6. Humor reduces stress.</h3> <p>The same research team at Loma Linda, California, conducted a similar study recently to see if the anticipation of laughter that was shown to boost immune systems could also reduce the levels of three stress hormones: cortisol (”the stress hormone”), epinephrine (adrenaline), and dopac, a dopamine catabolite (brain chemical which helps produce epinephrine).</p> <p>They studied 16 fasting males, who were assigned to either the control group or the experiment group (those anticipating a humorous event). Blood levels showed that the stress hormones were reduced 39, 70, and 38 percent respectively. Therefore, researchers suggest that anticipating a positive event can reduce detrimental stress hormones.</p> <h3>7. Humor spreads happiness.</h3> <p>I remember playing the game of “Ha” as a young girl at my third-grade slumber party. I would lay my head on my friend’s tummy, and she would lay her head on another friend’s tummy, and so on. The first person would start the chain of laughs with a simple, “Ha!” The second person, “Ha Ha!” The third, “Ha Ha Ha,” at which point everyone would break into hysterics. About absolutely nothing. The way a person’s abdomen tightens and moves when she says “ha” makes you want to giggle.</p> <p>My point: laughter is contagious. That’s why there are 5,000 laughter clubs around the world—where people laugh for no reason at all. Say what? According to Dr. Shaya of Good Samaritan Hospital, “These clubs have exercises that teach how to move your face, how to laugh more intensely to involve the shoulders, then the belly.” Laughing yoga classes are also popular today.</p> <h3>8. Humor cultivates optimism.</h3> <p>Humor is like gratitude in that it nurtures optimism, and Dan Baker writes this in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312321597/beliefnet">“What Happy People Know”</a>:</p> <blockquote><p>[Appreciation] is the first and most fundamental happiness tool. … Research now shows it is physiologically impossible to be in a state of appreciation and a state of fear at the same time. Thus, appreciation is the antidote to fear.</p></blockquote> <p>So if humor can change a perspective on a painful memory of the past or a gnawing issue of the present into opportunities to laugh at the inherent craziness of life at times, then a person can better facilitate his own healing.</p> <h3>9. Humor helps communication.</h3> <p>This is good marriage advice for anyone. But especially for the person prone to anxiety and depression. Most of Eric’s and my fights end with one of us making a sarcastic remark that is met with a snicker, and then a yuk, and then a roar. Voila! The quarrel is magically resolved! Sort of.</p> <p>Humor is a way to articulate those truths that are so difficult to express otherwise. It’s handy language for someone like myself that doesn’t like to use big words, who is still fretting about her low verbal SAT scores because the college administrators didn’t think they were funny. If only they had read this article!</p> <div style="text-align: center;"><blockquote><p><br /></p></blockquote></div>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-37857565720418453252008-12-28T23:58:00.001+06:002009-06-04T04:45:33.078+06:00Does Rejection Exist ?<div id="body"><p class="mainfont">Rejection is an illusion. There's no such thing as failure or rejection. </p></div> <p class="mainfont">Let me ask you when you wiped out on your bike, did you feel rejected? Did you take it personally? No! It was simply a result. And it was simply a result you didn't like. So, you got back on the bike and committed yourself to obtaining a better result. You weren't offended that the bike "rejected" you or you experience "failure." You didn't feel "bad" because it was an "experience" and you probably learned from that experience.</p> <div id="body"><p class="mainfont" align="center"><i>"Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything<br />except what you're going to do now and do it." - William James Duran</i></p><p class="mainfont">If someone "rejects" you, and it's seldom personal, just a person making a decision. It could even be a poor decision on their part. If you "fail," it's just a matter of not doing something the way you'd like or the way someone else might like. Most opinions - even your own - are subjective. So, don't let the opinions of others dictate how you think about yourself. Compare yourself only to yourself, and set goals for you and your own fulfillment, not to impress others.</p><p class="mainfont" align="center"><i>"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure<br />is trying to please everybody." - Bill Cosby</i></p><p class="mainfont">A man named Spencer Silver was working to create a super glue or adhesive. After many attempts Mr. Silver developed a new adhesive, but it was really weak instead of super strong. Many of us would have labeled this experience as a "failure" or "rejection" Mr. Silver classified it as a result and stored the data. Then one Sunday four years later, another scientist named Mr. Arthur Fry was singing in the church's choir. He used markers to keep his place in the hymnals, but they kept falling out of the book. Remembering Mr. Silver's, "result" Mr. Fry used some of the super weak adhesive to coat his markers. Success! With the weak adhesive, the markers stayed in place, yet lifted off without damaging the pages. If Mr. Silver had thrown away his "failure" - Post It Notes would not be here today.</p><p class="mainfont">If you believe you've failed you may want to ask yourself some questions. What can I learn from this? How does this result help me? Remember each result is just another experience to learn and adjust the bike path. If you don't like your results, change your approach and try for a different result. You might need to fine-tune your skills. Maybe you need to scoot your bike up to the curb when you climb on in order to prevent yourself from falling. Maybe what you need is some help, like a mentor or additional training. Maybe joining a professional organization will give you the contacts and information you need to take that step further. Explore, discover, and research! Find out what you need to do, and repeat, repeat, repeat!</p><p class="mainfont" align="center"><i>"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Thomas A. Edison</i></p><p class="mainfont">What is your definition for rejection? Most people define rejection as not obtaining a goal, examples: "She turned me down for a date." But have you ever decided what your definition of rejection is or how did you develop your term for rejection?</p><p class="mainfont">Take a moment and define rejection in a way that supports your life and instantly your life will change. A student of mine, defined rejection has: "I need to start negotiating." Yes, he is in sales.</p><p class="mainfont">Once you have created your new definition practice, practice, practice. Remember repetition is the mother of skill.</p><p class="mainfont">You were created to succeed. =)<br /></p></div> <p align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span class="footerfont"><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span class="footerfont"></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-9555167662814808492008-11-02T06:47:00.004+06:002009-06-04T04:45:56.943+06:00<strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >Six Ways of Thinking "Rich"</span> </strong><br /><br />Rich people have a way of thinking that is different from poor and middle class people. They think differently about money, wealth, themselves, other people, and life. Let’s examine six crucial differences between how rich people think and how poor or middle class people think.By doing so, you will have some alternative beliefs in the files of your mind from which to choose. In this way, you can catch yourself thinking as poor people do and quickly switch over to how rich people think.<br /><br /><br />Remember, beliefs are not right, wrong, true or false, they're just past opinions which can be changed on your command. The fact is, you can CHOOSE to think in ways that will support you instead of ways that don't.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"><strong>1. RICH PEOPLE BELIEVE "I CREATE MY LIFE.</strong></span><br /><br /><br /><br />"Poor people believe "Life happens to me."If you want to create wealth, it is imperative that you believe that you are at the steering wheel of your life; that you create every moment of your life, especially your financial life. If you don't believe this, then you must believe you have little control over your life and that financial success has nothing to do with you. That is not a very rich attitude.Instead of taking responsibility for what's going on in their lives, poor people choose to play the role of victim. Of course, any "victim's" predominant thought process is "poor me." And presto, through the law of intention that's literally what they get; "poor," as in money, me.Here's some homework I promise will change your life. For the next seven days, I challenge you not to complain at all. Not just out loud, but in your head too. I've given this little challenge to thousands of people and several hundred have personally told me that this exercise completely transformed their lives. I invite you to email me with the results of this experiment. I guarantee you'll be astonished as to how amazing your life will become when you stop focusing on the "crap."It's time to decide. You can be a victim OR you can be rich, but you can't be both. It's time to take back your power and acknowledge the fact that you create every moment of your life. That you create everything that is in your life and everything that is not in it. That you create your wealth and you create your non-wealth and everything in between.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"><strong>2. RICH PEOPLE PLAY THE MONEY GAME TO WIN</strong></span><br /><br /><br /><br />Poor people play the money game not to lose.Poor people play the money game on defense rather than offense. Let me ask you, if you were to play any sport or any game strictly on defense, what are the chances of you winning that game? Most people agree; slim and none.<br />Yet, that's exactly how most people play the money game. Their primary concern is survival and security, not wealth and abundance. So, what is your goal? What is your real objective? What is your true intention?Rich people's big goal is to have massive wealth and abundance. Poor people's big goal is to have "enough to pay the bills..." on time would be a miracle! Again, let me remind you of the power of intention. When your objective is to have enough to pay the bills, that's exactly how much you'll get; just enough to pay the bills and usually not a cent more. You get what you truly intend to get. If you want to get rich, your goal has to be "rich." Not just enough to pay the bills and not just enough to be comfortable. Rich, darn it, rich!<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">3. RICH PEOPLE ARE COMMITTED TO BEING RICH</span></strong><br /><br /><br /><br />Poor people are uncommitted to being rich.Most of us have good reasons as to why it would be wonderful to be rich, but what about the other side of the coin? Are there reasons why it might not be so great to be rich or go through the process of trying to get rich?Each of us has a file on wealth in our mind. This file contains our personal beliefs that include why being wealthy would be great. But for many people, their file also includes information as to why being rich might not be so great. These people have mixed internal messages around money and especially wealth.One part of them says, "Having more money will make life a lot more fun." But then another part screams, "Yeah, but "I'm going to have to work like a dog! What kind of fun is that?" One part says, "I'll be able to travel the world." then the other part responds, "Yeah, and everyone in the world will want something from me." These mixed messages are one of the biggest reasons that most people never become rich.In fact, the #1 reason most people don't get what they want is they don't know what they want. Rich people are totally clear they want wealth. They are unwavering in their desire. They are fully committed to creating wealth. They will do "whatever it takes" to have wealth as long as it's moral, legal and ethical. Rich people do not send mixed messages to the universe. Poor people do.I hate to break the news to you, but getting rich is not a "stroll in the park." It's takes focus, expertise, 100% effort, and "never say die" perseverance. You have to really commit to it, both consciously and subconsciously. You have to believe in your heart you can do it and you deserve it. If you are not fully committed to creating wealth, chances are you won't.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">4. RICH PEOPLE THINK BIG</span></strong><br /><br /><br /><br />Poor people think small.We once had a trainer teaching at one of our seminars who went from a net worth of $250 thousand to over $600 million in only 3 years. When asked his secret he said, "Everything changed the day I began to think big." In my book, SpeedWealth, I discuss the "Law of Income" which states that "you will be paid in direct proportion to the value you deliver according to the market place."Another way of understanding this is to answer the following question: How many people do you actually serve or affect?For instance in my business, some trainers enjoy speaking to groups of 20, others are comfortable with 100, others like an audience of 500, still others want 5000 people or more in attendance. Is there is a difference in income between these trainers? You bet there is.Who are you? How do you want to live your life? How do you want to play the game?Do you want to play in the big leagues or in little league, in the majors or the minors?Will you play big or play small? It's your choice.But hear this. It's not about you. It's about living your mission. It's about living true to your purpose. It's about adding your piece of the puzzle to the world. It's about serving others.Most of us are so stuck in our egos that everything revolves around "me, me and more me." But again, it's not about you, it's about adding value to other people's lives. It's your choice. One road leads to being broke and miserable, the other leads to money, meaning, and fulfillment.It's time to stop hiding out and start stepping out. It's time to stop needing and start leading. It's time to start being the star that you are. It's time to share your gifts and value in a BIG way. There could be thousands or even millions of people counting on you. Are you up to the challenge for our society and our children's sake? Let's hope so.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><strong>5. RICH PEOPLE ARE BIGGER THAN THEIR PROBLEMS</strong></span><br /><br /><br /><br />Poor people are smaller than their problems.Getting rich is not a stroll in the park. It's a journey that is full of obstacles, twists, and detours. The simple fact is, success is messy. The road is fraught with pitfalls and that's why most people don't take it. They don't want the hassles, the headaches and the responsibilities. In short, they don't want the problems.Therein lies one of the biggest differences between rich people and poor people. Rich and successful people are bigger than their problems while poor and unsuccessful people are smaller than their problems.Poor people will do almost anything to avoid anything that looks like it could be a problem. They back away from challenges. The irony is that in their quest to make sure they don't have problems, they have the biggest problem of all... they're broke and miserable.<br /><br /><br />The secret to success is not to try to avoid or shrink your problems; it's to grow yourself so you're bigger than any problem.Imagine a "level 2" character person looking at a "level 5" problem. Would this problem appear to be big or small? The answer is that from a "level 2" perspective, a "level 5" problem would seem BIG.Now imagine a "level 8" person looking at the same "level 5" problem. From this person's perspective, is this problem big or small? Magically the identical problem is now a SMALL problem.And for a "level 10" person, it's NO problem at all. It's just an everyday occurrence, like getting dressed or brushing your teeth. Whether you are rich or poor, playing big or playing small, problems do not go away. If you're breathing, you will always have so-called "problems." What's important to realize is that the size of the problem is never the real issue. What matters is the size of you!Remember, your wealth can only grow to the extent that you do! The idea is to grow yourself to a place where you can overcome any problems that get in your way of creating wealth and keeping it once you have it.Rich people do not back away from problems, do not avoid problems and do not complain about problems. Rich people are financial warriors and when a warrior is confronted with a challenge they shout: BRING IT ON!<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><strong>6. RICH PEOPLE FOCUS ON OPPORTUNITIES</strong></span><br /><br /><br /><br />Poor people focus on problems.Rich people see potential growth. Poor people see potential loss.Rich people focus on the rewards. Poor people focus on the risks.It's the age-old question, is the glass half empty or half full? We're not merely talking about "positive thinking" here, we're talking about a habitual way of seeing the world. Poor people come from fear. Their minds are constantly scanning for what's wrong or what could go wrong in any situation. Their primary mindset is "What if it doesn't work?" or, more bluntly, "It won't work." Rich people, as we discussed earlier, take responsibility for creating their life and come from the mindset, "It will work because I'll make it work."In the financial world, as in most other arenas, risk is directly proportionate to reward; generally, the higher the reward, the higher the risk. People with rich mentalities are willing to take that risk.Rich people expect to succeed. They have confidence in their abilities, they have confidence in their creativity and they believe that should the "doo-doo hit the fan", they can always make their money back or succeed in another way.On the other hand, poor people expect to fail. They lack confidence in themselves and in their abilities, and should things not work out, they believe it would be catastrophic.<br /><br /><br />You have to do something, buy something, or start something in order to succeed financially. You have to see opportunities for profit all around you instead of focusing on ways of losing money.Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-61758899774798595972008-08-21T16:43:00.002+06:002008-11-02T07:00:25.832+06:003 Things Your Mom Didn't Teach You About Becoming a Confident Woman<span style="color:red;"><b><span class="quoteheading">Things Your Mom Didn't Teach You About Becoming a Confident Woman</span></b></span><br /><p class="mainfont">Wouldn't it have been great to grow up knowing you are <strong>wonderful </strong>and<strong> powerful </strong>and <em>can</em><strong><em> be </em></strong>or<strong><em> do </em></strong>or<strong><em> have anything you want?</em> </strong></p><p class="mainfont">It took me years of self-assessment, deep inner personal work and reflection to figure these things out for myself.</p><p class="mainfont">Don't let it take you years... take my word for it instead. <strong>These 3 Things Your Mom Didn't Teach You About Becoming a Confident Woman</strong> will go a long way towards your expanding self esteem development and your abundance of life.</p><p class="mainfont"> <strong><em>Did your Mom tell you?</em></strong></p><p class="mainfont"><strong> 1. Accept your body, love it, treat it with respect</strong></p><ul><li class="mainfont">You are a living legacy to your ancestors. Your Aunt Elizabeth's dimples, your Great Grandmas thick curly hair, your Mom's beautiful eyes. Respect that. Be proud of who you are and what you have been given as a body/temple.</li><li class="mainfont">Your wellness and physical health will follow naturally when you cultivate an attitude of body/self respect. Your nutrition, activity and lifestyle choices are indicators of your level of self-respect.</li></ul><br /><p class="mainfont"><strong>2. Your thoughts/opinions have value, share them with the world</strong></p><ul><li class="mainfont">Many of us were told that children were to be seen and not heard, that is ok to a point; but someone needed to get around to asking for our thoughts, encouraging our critical thinking skills and congratulating us on our unique opinions. </li><li class="mainfont">You are unique and unrepeatable. No one else in the whole world can assimilate information exactly the way you can. Your opinions do matter, the universe will benefit when you share the best of yourself. Have courage, share who you are.</li></ul><p class="mainfont"><strong>3. Dream big and spend lots of time talking about it</strong></p><ul><li class="mainfont">The Law of Attraction states that you get what you focus on whether you want it or not. If you are focused on problems, complaints, lack, you will attract more of that.... it follows that if you focus on your dreams and what makes you happy you will attract more of that. </li><li class="mainfont">Talking about issues whether positive or negative is an invitation to the universe to send more of the same. Be careful what you are talking about. Stop complaining about anything and start fantasizing about your dreams.</li></ul><p class="mainfont"><br /><strong>You can spot a confident woman just by the way she walks into a room. She exudes personal power and self-respect. </strong></p><ul><li class="mainfont">Whether she is <em>'pretty'</em> or not is irrelevant, she knows she is a beautiful woman because all women are beautiful when they affirm they are.</li><li class="mainfont">She is proud of her ancestry, she represents all those who walked before her.</li><li class="mainfont">She knows what she knows and has the courage to stand up and be counted for what she believes in.</li><li class="mainfont">She radiates self-assurance. People are attracted to this woman. </li></ul><p class="mainfont">This woman can be and should be you. Don't let it take you years to claim and own your power. Start today to share the gift of who you are with the world.</p><p class="mainfont"><em><strong>Unleash the power within. Become the woman you were created to be.</strong></em></p>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-84901270514596978882008-07-21T06:36:00.003+06:002012-01-21T22:16:47.711+06:00Are Men More Romantic ??<h1 style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);" class="bigpurple_header" align="left">Men Are More Romantic ??<br /></h1> <p class="newsletter_text"><em></em><br /></p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify"><strong>Men are the more romantic of the sexes. </strong>Don't believe me? According to Leil Lowndes, author of <em>How to Make Anyone Fall in Love with You, </em>men fall in love faster (20 percent by the fourth date), are more idealistic about love, are less likely to initiate a breakup, and are three times more likely to commit suicide after a traumatic breakup. </p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">Men may be less likely to remember anniversaries and Valentine's Day, more reticent when it comes to saying "I love you," and stingier when it comes to splashing out on expensive gifts, but they're as soft and mushy inside as anyone when it comes to the importance of love in their lives. It's just that they're less likely to talk about it and more embarrassed to show it!</p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">Here's what some ordinary men have to say about what love means to them (source: <em>Men, Love & Sex, </em>David Zinczenko, New York: Rosdale, 2006, p.101).</p> <blockquote> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify"><em>"We like presents and backrubs, too." --Shaun, 29</em></p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify"><em>"Love is great and men feel it as much as women, but we might be embarrassed to admit it." --Garrett, 27</em></p> <p class="newsletter_text"><em>"Love doesn't need to be talked about in order to be present." --Dom, 38 </em></p> </blockquote> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">You can help men along when it comes to commitment and declarations of love with these three Top Tips for helping him recognize how crazy he is for you.</p><br /><h2 class="purple_header" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">Tip #1. Make It Easy for Him to Declare His Love</span> </h2> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">I hope that you never get into the situation that my friend Emily found herself in. She dated a fantastic man for three months. They'd set the ground rules up front: this was about having fun. She wasn't sure if she was going to stay in the city, and he wasn't sure if he really wanted a serious relationship. Yet they were so happy together that all their friends remarked on it.</p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">Then one of his former lovers came back into his life and was willing to say the words that Emily wasn't: "I love you and want a life with you." When the dust settled, he chose to return to his former flame. The night they split up, Emily finally confessed that she had loved him and just never found the courage to say it. Worst of all, he'd felt exactly the same way.</p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">If they had been able to say, "I love you," back when it mattered, would it have made any difference? I think so. <strong>Men need reassurance before they do something as drastic as declare their love</strong> for someone. They don't want to frighten you off, either.</p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">Some men are naturally quiet and will happily let you do all the talking in the relationship. It takes skill and patience to create an environment in which he feels comfortable confessing his innermost thoughts. He has to know that you'll listen, not interrupt, and not take anything he says the wrong way.</p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">To help you create that perfect romantic environment, here are 6 of my Top Male Communication Tips:</p> <ol><li class="newsletter_text"> <div align="justify"><strong>Allow the silence to stretch. </strong>It can take some time before the thoughts in his head find their way to his tongue. Allow him time to get the words out.</div> </li><li class="newsletter_text"> <div align="justify"><strong>Don't jump to conclusions. </strong>A confession of love is not a promise of commitment. If you've been pressuring him to commit, he may not want to tell you he loves you, because he'll worry that you'll take that as a sign that you're virtually engaged.</div> </li><li class="newsletter_text"> <div align="justify"><strong>Be careful when you tease</strong>. Although men usually enjoy a woman who will bandy words with him, there is a time and a place to be playful. You don't want to wound him inadvertently and discourage him from sharing intimate parts of himself with you again.</div> </li><li class="newsletter_text"> <div align="justify"><strong>When in doubt, make eye contact and smile</strong>. Your body communicates more than words. Encourage him with positive, affirming body language.</div> </li><li class="newsletter_text"> <div align="justify"><strong>Share your feelings about his favorite topic: him</strong>. Compliments open the door for more compliments. While you're on the topic of how great he makes you feel, he might just return the favor. (Just don't start talking about your future, as that will make him nervous. Keep your compliments specific to concrete things he did or said that made you feel great.)</div> </li><li class="newsletter_text"> <div align="justify"><strong>Keep what he says to you in confidence</strong>. Most men are naturally private people. They'd prefer it if you didn't share everything they said with your best female friend, your mother, and your hairdresser. If he tells you that he loves you, keep it to yourself for a while. The best person to tell the world how he feels is <em>him.</em></div> </li></ol> <p> </p> <h2 class="purple_header" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">Tip #2. Do Your Best </span><em style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">All </em><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">the Time</span> </h2> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify"><strong>One thing that men (and women) <em>hate </em>is being taken for granted. </strong>Show him that you appreciate him. Don't take his presence in your life for granted. If you find yourself being critical or short with him, then take a step back and ask yourself whether it really matters in the big pictures. If you find yourself no longer making an effort to dress up for him or do the little things that please him, then you may have just given him an unfortunate glimpse of what a life married to you would be like. </p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">One reason that many men give for their reluctance to get married is that <strong>they believe that their girlfriends will change when they become wives.</strong> They'll stop wearing lingerie to bed, lose interest in sex, and replace spontaneous, wild nights out with boring and predictable evenings in front of the television.</p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">Moving a relationship from the casual stage into marriage takes effort, no doubt. But, sadly, most men and women give up when they're halfway there. They stop making an effort. They get locked into a routine. They stop praising each other in front of strangers. In other words, they start acting like a couple that's been together too long.</p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">You don't have to be lovey-dovey all the time, but you do have to respect, admire, and make an effort for your partner. Even if you don't feel well, avoid the temptation to take it out on him. Our partners all-too-often become convenient punching bags when things go wrong.</p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">When you show him that you are going to be the same woman whether or not you're married or just dating, he can confidently make the decision that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you. </p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">In fact, David Zinczenko has a great one-sentence formula to explain what men want in a long-term relationship:</p> <blockquote> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify"><strong>"Love us like you've known us for years; surprise us like you've known us for days." </strong>(<em>Men, Love & Sex </em>p.172) </p> </blockquote> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify"> </p> <h2 style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);" class="purple_header" align="justify">Tip #3. Excite Him with the Possibilities of the Future</h2> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify"><strong>One thing that couples in love do <em>all </em>the time is fantasize about what they will do together someday. </strong>Perhaps they'll go on a vacation to some exotic location. Maybe they'll give up their jobs and start up a business of their own. Maybe they'll win the lottery, build their dream house, or simply get every single season of <em>Friends </em>on DVD.</p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">Whatever it is, it doesn't matter. What's important is the sense of a created future.</p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify"><strong>If a man can imagine being with you in five, ten, or twenty years, then he's training his brain to associate his future with you.</strong> I've often heard men say that they realized that they wanted to get married when they couldn't imagine their future without their then-girlfriend.</p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">Help the process along by sharing your goals and dreams with your partner and encouraging him with his. If you've been content with simply going to work each day, coming home, eating dinner and watching television, then make a change starting today. Maybe you'll want to start a fund to buy a house. Maybe you'll want to sign up for salsa dancing classes. Maybe you'll want to sit down with pen and paper and list your goals for your life and concrete steps you can take <em>now </em>to achieve them.</p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">Your own future should be an exciting place that's entirely within the realm of possibility and compatible with what your partner has told you <em>he </em>wants in <em>his </em>life.</p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">Although you can be as specific as you like with your future, avoid planning out <em>his </em>future or <em> both of your </em>futures. If you make plans for the both of you too far in advance, he may feel pressured into a commitment that he's not ready for. Even worse, if you talk about how important it is that he study for that high-paying position to finance your dream home, or where you want to send your unborn children to school, you may scare him off before your hopes have a chance to come true.</p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">Instead, keep any plans for the two of you in the immediate future (such as next week), or allow your imagination free rein to paint a picture of a future that's clearly a dream rather than an expectation. </p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify"> </p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">When your man has the chance to speak his love, knowing that the woman he loves today will still be the same woman ten years after they've married, confident that your futures are going in the same direction, then you may very well discover the softer, mushier, romantic side of your man that he's been trying to keep from the world. </p> <p class="newsletter_text" align="justify">All the best in life and love!<br /></p><p class="newsletter_text" align="justify"><br /></p>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565286901323422370.post-62264345944386852582008-07-19T21:33:00.001+06:002012-01-21T22:29:00.529+06:003 Tips to Removing the "No Longer Acceptables"<p class="mainfont">Many of us say we're going to make changes to eliminate the things we don't like about our life, but few us actually commit to improving the quality of our life. We stay in a job we don't like and in a relationship that does not serve us, and blame our circumstances on the "hand" we've been dealt in life. If you have ever felt like this - it's time to get a dose of reality. Whether you're sick of your financial situation, your health or destructive relationships, you have the power to eliminate the "no longer acceptables" in your life and create the life you want and deserve.</p><p class="mainfont">Give up the excuses because they are just plain cop-outs. Creating the life you want simply begins with a choice - you choose to eliminate the "no longer acceptables" in your life. Changing your life circumstances is that easy. You choose your desired reality instead of your current reality, and commit to doing whatever it takes in order to create it.</p><p class="mainfont">While some people will live their entire life believing they are bound by their current circumstances, it does not have to be that way for you. There is no written law that says you have to live in fear, unhappiness or depression - in fact, it's quite the opposite. We are created with unlimited potential, but can be falsely led to believe that we are not good enough to have what we really want. Whether you were told you deserved exactly what you got, or picked up bad habits that sabotaged your success - none of that matters. Your life can change the very instant you change your thoughts - right here, right now.</p><br /><p class="mainfont" align="left">Before you continue reading this, grab a pen and a piece of paper. Make a list of 10 things you want to change in your life. Your list can consist of anything you are unhappy with or downright sick of. Here are some examples: </p> <ul><ul><p class="mainfont">-<span style="font-style: italic;">Find a nicer apartment </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-End an emotionally destructive relationship </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-Go back to school and obtain a bachelor, master or PhD degree </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-Get a better paying job </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-Lose weight </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-Be more confident </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-Stand up to an abusive boss or manager </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-Cut up credit cards and eliminate debt </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-Be a better example for my kids </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-Spend less time at work and more time with family</span></p><br /></ul></ul><div id="body"><p class="mainfont">Again, these are just examples. Your list can consist of any aspect you find yourself consistently complaining about or cause you pain or hurt. When you have your completed list, take a few moments to think about what you've written. What you wrote down should be from the heart and of raw emotion - because those are the best motivators. How would you feel if you had everything you wrote on the list? Visualize your list as if you have already achieved them. Imagine how good it feels to be in your new apartment, have that better paying job, or end a destructive relationship that causes you pain.</p><p class="mainfont">Eliminating those things you find yourself being most unhappy with will allow so much more peace and emotional space. You will feel like a new person when you finally eliminate the things that have been holding you back from what you really want.</p><p class="mainfont">Visualization exercises deliver powerful motivation and set the wheels in motion for you -to begin attracting what you really want. It's true that we get exactly what we expect - good and bad. The minute you tell yourself you deserve better, you will start attracting better opportunities and people. What used to be acceptable in your old life will become a "no longer acceptable" in your new life. You will have the confidence to stand up for what you deserve - and that will only be the best.</p><p class="mainfont">Instead of settling for an acceptable job, you will only take a great job. Instead of settling for an acceptable relationship, you will demand a great relationship. Instead of settling for an unhealthy lifestyle, you will accept only a healthy lifestyle. What I'm trying to convey here, is that you deserve so much more than you currently have, but it's up to you to do something about it. You can't make improvements until you eliminate the "no longer acceptables" from your life. And you can't improve your quality of life until you demand it.</p><p class="mainfont">Here are some practical steps you can take to start eliminating the "no longer acceptables" from your life: </p></div> <p class="mainfont" align="center"><b><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">1. Use the Pareto Principle</span> </b></p> <p class="mainfont" align="left">The Pareto Principle states that 80% of your return should be based on 20% effort. In other words, when correctly applied, 20% of your efforts can produce 80% of the results. Correctly applying this rule saves you time and energy while producing optimal results. What you want to avoid (and this is what most people are trapped in) is apply 80% effort for only a 20% return. This means you are essentially spinning your wheels for very little return or benefit.</p> <div id="body"><p class="mainfont">Apply this principle to every aspect of your life to evaluate how you're spending your time and energy. You might be surprised to learn how counter-productive your habits have been. If you find that you've been spending 80% effort for only 20% return, make some changes to flip the stats in your favor.</p><p style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);" class="mainfont" align="center"><b>2. Learn to say <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">"No"</span></b></p></div> <p class="mainfont">You don't have to take every opportunity that comes along, especially if it doesn't serve you. Which would you prefer - an acceptable job or a great job? How about an acceptable relationship or a dream-come-true relationship? Learn to say No to the acceptable opportunities that only deliver a fraction of what you really want and Yes to only the great opportunities that best put you in a position to achieve all of your goals. Remember, you attract only to the level of what you think you deserve. You deserve the best, so start thinking that way!</p> <div style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);" id="body"><p class="mainfont" align="center"><b>3. Stay Focused on Your Goals</b></p></div> <p class="mainfont">Always and only think about where you want to be - even if it's not your current reality. The mind is a goal-achieving machine and will create a reality to match your vision - so envision a good one. You have unlimited potential and were created for success - you only have to commit<br />to staying focused on your goals. There is no law that says you are bound to a reality that makes<br />you feel unhappy or depressed, but you have to decide and commit to accepting nothing less than your vision in order to create it.</p> <p class="mainfont">Change isn't always easy, but everything starts with choice. Once you make the choice to improve your quality of life, everything after that is just a series of choices that lead you to the reality you really want. Failure is impossible when you learn that the only difference between your current reality and desired reality is an absence of excuses.</p><p class="mainfont">Eliminating the 'no longer acceptables' in your life is incredibly freeing and liberating. Once you create the life you want, you'll wonder how you used to even live the way you did. Choose to let go of those things that are holding you back from achieving true success and make a list of the "no longer acceptables" and start eliminating them one at a time. Once you begin, you'll find it easier to continue because you will finally feel free to create the life you truly want.</p><ul><ul><br /></ul></ul><p class="mainfont"><br /></p><p class="mainfont"><br /></p>Areej Riazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847543355014565964noreply@blogger.com3