Stop giving me a hard time about being single

If you're single, chances are you've been asked the following three
questions:

1. Why aren't you married?

2. Why aren't you married?
and the very, very popular:

3. Why aren't you married?
...give or take another 999,999,997 more such questions.

Unfortunately, I can't fix you up with any cute guys or girls to help
you avoid these questions in the future. However, I can fix you up
with some good snappy comebacks to fling at anyone who dares to
question your single status.

So, next time somebody dares to ask you that "Why aren't you
married?" question, pause, smile sagaciously (I love that word; it
means "wisely"), and offer up one of the following. Or, just review
them for your own personal satisfaction.

1. In the beginning, there were no elliptical trainers or
low-fat/high-fiber muffins, and so people lived to only about
40-something. Maximum. Meaning, the pressure was on to get married
before age 25. However, today, thanks to medical advances, we can all
hope to live to 80.
Easy. Meaning? Even if we marry at age 40, that's still 35, 45, even
55 years to be with a mate. Plenty of time to be married. What's the
hurry?

2. Married people are not necessarily better catches simply because
they were caught. I mean, have you taken a look at some of the married
people out there? Seriously. Even Frankenstein got married.
Obviously married people are not superior people.

3. Meanwhile, look at some of our cool single role models:
Catwoman: Single.
Buddha: Single.
The Lone Ranger: Single.
Actually, virtually all superhero types are single: Superman, Wonder
Woman, Dudley Do-Right. And then there's The Ultimate Superhero:
God?also single.

4. Plus, when you think about it, there's no such thing as a Stepford
Single Woman.

5. Why limit myself to being dissatisfied by one relationship when I
can be dissatisfied by an infinite variety?

6. It's interesting how our culture has the __expression "happily
married," but no __expression "happily single." And those words are
100% certified by the US Census Bureau. Statistics show that although
married men are reported to be happier than single men (surprise,
surprise!)?single women are reported to be happier than married women
(also a big surprise, surprise!).
Meaning? This only furthers the irony that single women are branded as
"unhappy" and "lonely" and "loser-esque"? when single women are just
boldly holding out for the right situation, rather than getting
married just to get married.

7. It's easy to become married. Millions of people do it every year.
If you want to pressure me to become something, hey, why not pick
something a little more challenging? like an astrophysicist.

8. True love is rare. That's why it's called "love" and not "really
like" or "settling." And why we don't say: "I'm settling for you,
honey" over candlelit dinners. True love is worth waiting for? and
that's what I'm doing.

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From: hazelmarie@gmail.com

what is stress

O, bakit ka na naman na-i-istress? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?

Meron ka bang deadline na i-bi-beat ngayong araw na ito?

It's important to understand stress before we can effectively manage it kaya Stress ang pag-uusapan natin ngayon.

Ayon sa mga scientists mayroong dalawang uri ng stress.



Eustress and Distress.

Eustress is positive stress. Ito ang nararamdaman ng isang dalaga

kapag dumarating na ang kanyang manliligaw at may daladalang flowers.

Eustress din ang tawag sa stress na nararanasan ng mga nagwo- work-out when they are doing their exercises.

Ang mga athletes, pagkatapos na ma-stress ang kanilang muscles, they rest para ma-repair ang kanilang muscles.

Kapag hindi sila nagpahinga, the stressed muscles will be injured.

When injury happens, yan ang distress .



Distress is the negative side of stress.

Nakakaramdam ka na ng sakit ng ulo, pagsakit ng tiyan, hindi na makatulog, di pa makakain.

Distress ang uri ng stress na nagreresulta sa kung ano-anong sakit tulad ng hypertension , minsan nga ay emotional breakdown pa .

Ano ba ang pwede nating gawin para ang stress natin ay hindi maging distress? Famous author and inspirational speaker, Dr. John Maxwell has the following suggestions:



Don't be overly sensitive to criticism .

Tanggapin na natin ang katotohanang hindi natin kayang i-please ang lahat ng tao .

Talagang mayroong hindi aayon sa iyo kahit na napaka-noble ng iyong mga intentions and motives.

So when you receive criticisms , take it constructively kung sensible ang criticism.

If you think the criticism is not objective , huwag na lang pansinin at ng hindi ka ma-distress .

Don't take too much pride in your achievements .

Ang pride ay parang uling, ginagatungan niyan ang distress.

Ang taong proud ay mas lalong nadi-distress dahil masyado niyang iniingatan

ang kanyang achievement at accomplishment.

Minsan nga our achievements hinder us from growing and learning kasi sinasabi natin sa ating sarili, aba may na-accomplish na ko.

Mas mahusay ako kaysa sa iba, hindi na nila ko pwedeng turuan.

Ang lungkot ng buhay kapag naging ganyan ang attitude natin.



Don't harbor jealousy over the achievement of others .

Ang taong mainggitin madalas ding madistress, kasi nga totoo namang mayroong mas higit kaysa sa atin .

Natural ang iba ay maaaring magkaroon ng achievements na wala tayo di ba.

Instead of being jealous or envious, let's learn to rejoice in the successes of others.

Malay mo malibre ka pa bogchi dahil nakikigalak ka sa kanilang tagumpay, di ba?



Don't focus on your weaknesses and inadequacies .

Ang sugat kapag mas lalo mong ginalaw mas lalong lalala at baka maimpeksyon.

The more you focus on your weaknesses and inadequacies, the bigger the tendency of wallowing in self-pity .

While it is important to acknowledge your inadequacies, it is helpful to focus on your strengths and capabilities .



One effective way of fighting distress is by counting our blessings - the good things which life brings.

When we have grateful hearts, we will always be reminded that we are too blessed to be stressed!



Someone wrote that

"The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor.

The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything ."

 

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From:  jgc73s@yahoo.com

How to Succeed in Business: Listen!

ASK ANNNIE
How to Succeed in Business: Listen!
Sounds simple enough, yet most of us don't do a very good job at it. Here
are 10 tactics to make sure you're paying attention to what others are
saying.

Sep 20 2005
By Anne Fisher
Fortune.com


Dear Annie: I'm starting my first job out of college, and it is in sales.
A friend sent me your column on what makes a great salesperson ("Great
Salespeople Aren't Born—They Work At It"), and I notice that a big part of
succeeding in sales these days is being a good listener. I am very
outgoing and love to talk, and my friends have told me that there are
times when it seems I'm not really hearing what other people are trying to
say. I don't want this to become a problem with clients. Can you suggest
ways to improve my listening skills? — Chatterbox

Dear Chatterbox: There's an old saying, attributed to Calvin Coolidge:
"Nobody ever listened his way out of a job." You're smart to focus on
listening as a vital skill—not just in sales, but in any field. Jacqueline
Whitmore, who runs a coaching firm called the Protocol School of Palm
Beach (http://www.etiquetteexpert.com), has written a new book called
Business Class: Etiquette Essentials for Success at Work (St. Martin's
Press, $19.95). In it, she suggests 10 steps to better listening. See if
these help:


Ask pertinent questions. "When you want to understand what someone is
trying to say, ask clarifying questions like, 'If I hear you correctly,
you are saying (fill in the blank)...Is that right?' " says Whitmore.
Don't hesitate to ask for specific details and examples if the person's
point is still not clear. Says Whitmore, "Questions are the hallmark of a
good listener."


Practice empathic listening. Quoting Stephen Covey's observation that
"most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with
the intent to reply," Whitmore adds: "The highest form of listening is
when you strive to understand how the speaker feels. You don't have to
agree or even sympathize, but you can better identify with what's being
said if you use your emotions as well as your intellect."


Listen with more than just your ears. "Nodding occasionally, making eye
contact, taking notes, and being fully engaged all demonstrate genuine
concern for the person you're speaking with," notes Whitmore. "Watch his
or her facial expressions, eye contact, and hand gestures" to pick up on
unspoken messages.


Share personal stories. Telling a short anecdote about something from your
own life that's relevant to the discussion helps to break the ice, and
makes you seem "more approachable and down-to-earth," Whitmore says.
"Perhaps that's why our society is so fascinated by reality television
shows that feature celebrities. We want to know that they're real people
too."


Paint a visual picture. Creating a visual image of what the other person
is saying, Whitmore says, "will help you follow what's being said and
remember it later on."


Don't interrupt. Whitmore notes that many bright, talented businesspeople
interrupt or finish other people's sentences without realizing it. Unless
the building is on fire or some other urgent need arises, let people
finish what they're saying before you pipe up.


Pause before you reply. "Silence, the white space of communication, has a
commanding impact. It makes people wonder what you're going to say next,"
notes Whitmore. So don't be afraid to leave some "white spaces" in the
conversation. As my dad always told me, "Nobody ever learns anything while
they're talking." And of course, a couple of beats of quiet also give you
time to consider carefully what you're going to say before you come out
with it, which is never a bad thing.


Eliminate distractions. Don't try to discuss an important subject while
either you or the other person is distracted by other tasks. Suggest
setting another time to talk, when both of you can concentrate on the
topic at hand.


Speak with a purpose. "Have you noticed that some of the world's most
brilliant people speak only when they have something important or profound
to say?" asks Whitmore. "When these people talk, we all listen. It's often
what we don't say that makes a greater impression on others than what we
do say."


Don't give unsolicited advice. "Some people may appreciate your words of
wisdom, but others will get defensive and think you're trying to change
them," says Whitmore. "One day a colleague told me about some of her
career frustrations and, after hearing just a few sentences, I started
giving her my advice. Later, I learned that she was upset with me because
I had missed the fact that she really just wanted me to be a sounding
board." Whitmore's wise conclusion? "Sometimes it's better to give advice
only when you're being paid for it." Or at least, only when someone has
specifically asked for your opinion. I'd bet most of us, at one time or
another, have been on the receiving end of well-meaning advice that we
then proceeded to ignore—thus ticking off the person who gave it to us,
which is even more irritating if the advice was unsolicited in the first
place. Who needs that?

Send questions to askannie@fortunemail.com.

From: annieadm@TIMEINC.NET
 

10 Biggest Brain Damaging Habits

1. No Breakfast
People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.

2. Overeating
It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.

3. Smoking
It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.

4. High Sugar consumption
Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing alnutrition and may interfere with brain development .

5. Air Pollution
The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.

6. Sleep Deprivation

Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.

7. Head covered while sleeping
Sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.

8. Working your brain during illness
Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.

9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts
Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.

10. Talking Rarely

Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain

====================
From: brevityverb@yahoo.com