In Africa, a step backward on human rights
Mar/100
Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people are part of so many families. They are part of the human family. They are part of God’s family. And of course they are part of the African family. But a wave of hate is spreading across my beloved continent. People are again being denied their fundamental rights and freedoms.
Hate has no place in the house of God. No one should be excluded from our love, our compassion or our concern because of race or gender, faith or ethnicity – or because of their sexual orientation. Nor should anyone be excluded from health care on any of these grounds. In my country of South Africa, we struggled for years against the evil system of apartheid that divided human beings, children of the same God, by racial classification and then denied many of them fundamental human rights. We knew this was wrong. Thankfully, the world supported us in our struggle for freedom and dignity.
Do You React Consciously and Responsibly?
Feb/100
Carnage in the Toy Store
This morning I went to a local shopping centre (mall) to buy a birthday present for my two year-old pseudo-niece (my business partner’s daughter. Happy Birthday little Jessie!) It proved to be quite the eye-opening experience for the childless (and somewhat clueless) alpha-male. While the shopping part of the trip turned out to be something of an enjoyable adventure for Yours Truly (who knew toy stores could be such fun?), the same couldn’t be said for the six (or so) year-old who was test driving trucks in the next aisle. As the excited young truck driver lifted the object of his desire above his head to show the Chief Financial Officer what he needed for his next birthday, his chubby little fingers somehow lost their grip and the rather-costly toy (over a hundred bucks) came crashing down on to the concrete floor, transforming it instantly into a jigsaw puzzle. Which, of course, is a euphemism for… an expensive pile of crap.
For a nanosecond there was silence.
I knew it wouldn’t last. I looked at the little boy. I saw terror. I looked at the mother. I saw wild rage. I felt a bit nervous for the little fella. I think I had some kind of deja vu moment. Sympathy pains. Or something.
For a moment I thought she might actually kill him with what remained of the truck. Simultaneously it started: his crying and her screaming. For what seemed like an eternity, the mother bellowed at the distraught child. Oblivious to her own disgraceful behaviour, the out-of-control woman ranted and raved like a lunatic.
If not for the ever-growing audience, I am sure she would have hit the boy. Leaving the broken toy on the floor, the woman dragged the screaming child out of the store and left us spectators stunned. I said something to the shop assistant who informed me that such scenes are a regular occurrence in the store.
Life: A Never-Ending Series of Reactions
In many ways, our lives are a series of reactions. It’s unavoidable. And while we do our best to create our own destiny and to live proactive and productive lives, the reality is that we all live in a dynamic and unpredictable world. Reacting is a fundamental and necessary part of the human experience. It’s a required skill. It’s what we do hundreds of times a day. Consciously or not. Positively or negatively.
We hear the weather forecast, we react. The guy in the Mazda hits his brakes, we react. Our partner says something, we react. Our child spills milk, we react. The boss walks in, we react. We hear good or bad news, we react. One way or the other. Somebody lets us down, we react. The lights change, we react. Somebody gives us feedback, we react. A song comes on the radio, we react. An opportunity presents itself, we react. We’re confronted with a challenge, we react.
Today you will react hundreds of times and many of those reactions will happen on auto-pilot. Some reactions will be incidental and for the most part, meaningless (scratching an itch, stepping over a puddle, swaying to some music). Some will impact on others (reacting to the woman who cuts you off in the car park). Some will affect your personal relationships (an argument with a friend). Some will be life-impacting (dealing with a tragedy). Some will create positive outcomes. Some negative. One reaction could even involve a child who has accidentally broken a toy.
In reacting the way she did in the toy store, the mother created numerous (undesirable and unnecessary) outcomes. She:
- Terrified a child that (I assume) she loves.
- Humiliated him (by dragging him through the store by his shirt).
- Taught him that mistakes are not okay.
- Drew unnecessary attention to herself and made everyone within fifty feet feel uncomfortable.
- Put herself into a negative and destructive emotional state. And no, the demise of the truck wasn’t the problem: her reaction was.
- Made herself look like a complete idiot!
In this life there are many things (most things, in fact) which will happen despite you and me. They will happen to us and around us. Some good. Some bad. However, there is one thing that will always be in our control – unless we choose to hand over that power – and that is, how we react. Life is not fair or unfair my friends; life just is.
A long time ago I made a conscious decision that situations, circumstances and events wouldn’t define me or determine my emotional and psychological states; I will do that myself. Consciously and intentionally. I will choose my mood, my attitude, my behaviours, my reactions and therefore, my outcomes. And therefore my reality. I will be influenced by – but not determined by – the events of my world. To the best of my ability, I will consciously and thoughtfully choose my reactions. Will it always be easy? No. Will I do my best anyway? Yep. I will be ever-mindful of the likely consequences and potential impact of my reactions – on my life and the lives of others. Consciousness and awareness (of how I react and the likely consequences of my reactions) are things that need to be worked on. Forever.
Our reactions can be relationship-enhancing, or relationship-destroying. They can put us in a solution-focused headspace, or a problem-obsessed pity-party. They can make people laugh or fill a room with tension. They can empower people or discourage them. They can make people feel safe and secure or terrified and confused. They can lead to learning and personal growth or bitterness and anger.
Someone much smarter than me once said:
In the context of life, it’s not what happens that matters, but how we react (to what happens) that matters.
I tend to agree.
Today I’m encouraging you to be more mindful, more conscious and more aware of your reactions (big and small) – and the likely outcomes of those reactions – on your life, and the lives of the people in your world. Sometimes, a better life is the by-product of better reactions. So choose to react consciously and responsibly.
As always, love to hear your ideas, thoughts, feedback and stories.
Craig Harper (B.Ex.Sci.) is a qualified exercise scientist, author, columnist, radio presenter, television host, motivational speaker and university lecturer. For the past 25 years he has been a leading presenter, educator, motivator and commentator in the areas of personal and professional development. You can visit Craig’s blog at Motivational Speaker.FREE eBook – So… You’ve Decided to Get in Shape (Again) Craig’s FREE eBook takes 20 – 30 minutes to read, and addresses the REAL getting-in-shape issues based on his 25 years of experience. To get Craig’s FREE eBook click here, weight loss books.
Free Stuff And Gifts Online – Interesting Facts To Know
Feb/100
If you search something online, then you will see a lot of proposes for free stuff. You can find it in the search results or in the advertisers. What is this about?
If you are taken to receive the free stuff, then it could be the free gift, free samples of some product and other free offers to you. The first page of this site asks you for a zip code or an email account. It gives you some opportunity to take part in the free offers. The second page asks your address and contact information. So, it does two things: it gives the company of the free propose a contact with you and it provides the address to send your free stuff there.
The participation in the required part is the next and important part of their offers. It is the catch! In order to get your free stuff, you will see something like ” 3 silver and gold offers, and 1 platinum propose to get your free item”.
Sometimes the free proposes are overlook, but often it is a test of some products and services which you can sign up for. You must sign up for 5-10 free products or services and test what they propose in order to get your free stuff. When you agree to do it, you will get your free products by mail, during almost 2-4 weeks. It is a business model. You have to be a customer of the free test offers for some period. Some free offers and products you can like, but some of them you may neglect after the required time.
The owners of the websites can provide thefree products and services, because the silver, gold and platinum propose companies pay them for every service which you sign up for. The owners get paid, the companies get a new client and you receive the free stuff. So, it is good for everyone. We hope that you understand the process of free stuff on the web. You can receive hundreds of free stuff online if you try. But not all of these websites are legit. So, the best recommendation that we can make is to make own research. If you go to the website, then copy the main domain name and do small research about the domain. See review of some persons about these sites . You can look for it in the blogs and forums.
There are many reputable companies that advertise on the websites. And we are not the only persons offer the free items, if you ask somebody who sell good stuff for cheap, you will find out it. We hope that gave you some good information about free stuff online.
Looking for a place where you can get some freebies? Then make sure to visit this freebies site.
And a final piece of advice – today the Internet technologies give you a really unique chance to choose exactly what you require at the best terms which are available on the market. Strange, but most of the people don’t use this opportunity. In real life it means that you must use all the tools of today to get the info that you need.
Search Google or other search engines. Visit social networks and have a look on the accounts that are relevant to your topic. Go to the niche forums and join the online discussion. All this will help you to create a true vision of this market. Thus, giving you a real opportunity to make a wise and nicely balanced decision.
And also sign up to the RSS on this blog, because we will do the best to keep this blog tuned up to the day with new publications about free samples and how to get the best of them.
Homeopathy And Herbal Essences
Feb/100
Those who are keen on homeopathy and herbal essences certainly know what the Bach remedies are. They are popular among the common people too as they are very helpful when it comes to the emotional and mental disorders. Dr. Bach created the set of 38 remedies dealing with main psychical problems. But the most famous medicine is Rescue Remedy. In fact it’s a mixture of several Bach essences.
Rescue Remedy is not prescribed according to the character and personality traits. Everyone can use it in case of emergency or an accident. It is tended to cope with the sudden stress, fears and other negative emotions which occur because of the emergency states.
But 38 Bach flower essences are also well-known. They are the part of the great healing system. It is unique in the approach of healing. Dr. Bach didn’t treat physical illnesses at all. He was sure that the nature gave everything to the human so that he could overcome all the difficulties himself. That’s why he wanted to create the remedies to cure emotions which were the real reason of the physical diseases according to Dr. Bach. Nobody can clearly explain how Dr. Bach has chosen this or that plant to create the remedy. But in any case they are helpful and there are practionners of Bach healing system.
Dr. Edward Bach spent lots of time studying the orthodox medicine before he referred to homeopathy. He worked as a surgeon, bacteriologist and immunologist. He discovered a series of bacteriological medicines known today as seven Bach nosodes. This work made him famous in the medical society but he was still disappointed with the common approach to treatment. He didn’t want the remedies to do any harm to the patient. His nosodes and all other remedies were produced from materials which were harmful for the human health. Even if the part of the toxic components was low, Dr. Bach thought that it was not the right cure. That’s why he started his own study. He was willing to create fully natural remedies without any side effects. At this time this idea seemed very strange.
Bach was a good psychologist and his homeopathic studies made him think that the physical disease is not the thing to be treated. The problem is inside and as soon as the patient has harmony inside, he will recover. This idea was the main in his herbal studies. His remedies referred to the emotions and mind instead of the body. He discovered the necessary remedies and then prescribed them according to the personal traits instead of the physical symptoms. His patients recovered better when he prescribed his remedies and in this way he proved his theory.
Dr. Bach has lots of followers. Thousands of people use his essences to make their life better. He achieved his aim even if he couldn’t see the results of his discovery.
Those who are looking for more info more about Bach flower – go to this site which is run by a professional Bach flower practitioner who has assisted many people with the Bach flower training.
And do not forget that nowadays we live in the world where info makes life easier.
Due to this if you are properly armed with the knowledge in your topic you can rest assured that you will always find the solution to any bad situation. So, please make sure to visit this blog on a regular basis or – best of all – sign up to its RSS feed. Thus you will have your hand on the pulse of the freshest info updates here. Blogs can be helpful, you just need to understand how to use it.
Do Your Beliefs Empower You or Limit You?
Feb/100
What if it Just Ain’t True?
A few years ago one of my friends accidentally discovered that his dad was in fact not his dad at all. Ouch. At twenty seven years of age, he discovered that something he absolutely knew (not thought, hoped, or wished) to be fact, was in reality, not true at all. Let’s just say that his reaction wasn’t a totally positive one. It never occurred to him that his ‘truth’, may in fact, be a big lie. A well-meaning lie (his mum had tried to protect him). A noble lie (is there such a thing?). But a major deception nonetheless.
What if you were to wake up tomorrow and discover that something you’ve believed (thought to be absolute fact) for years, simply wasn’t true? Completely and utterly false. You weren’t even close. How would you feel? Mad? Betrayed? Confused? Stupid? Maybe a little of each? Could it be that some of us hold on to certain beliefs in order to avoid the above feelings? After all, imagine having to unlearn something we’ve believed for decades? That would be quite the mental and emotional challenge, wouldn’t it?
We’ve spoken about beliefs many times here at me-dot-com but today I want to give you a little something to chew on, think about and discuss; if you feel so inspired.
Some questions for you:
- Is it possible that you’ve ‘learned’ certain things over the years that are, in fact, false? Is it maybe even likely?
- Is it possible that some of your (self-limiting) beliefs are the very things which stop you from fulfilling (or at least, exploring) your potential, making certain decisions, taking chances and possibly finding happiness?
- Did you consciously choose and develop your own beliefs, or did you simply adopt ”hand-me-downs” from somebody else? (Many people do this). But Craig, why wouldn’t I believe dad? He knows and I trust him, so his beliefs become mine - consciously or not. Intentionally or not. Besides, I wouldn’t want to offend him would I?
- Is it possible that you’ve believed certain things (seen the world in a particular way) for so long that the very thought of questioning some of your long-held beliefs makes you feel (1) uncomfortable, (2) anxious, (3) disloyal, (4) unfaithful, or perhaps even (5) overwhelmed?
- Have you ever been coerced, pressured or expected to believe certain things, and because of those imposed beliefs you have been compelled to adhere to certain standards, rules and behaviours? Even though deep down you resented it?
- Have you ever felt like questioning certain beliefs (to others) but held your tongue in order to keep the peace and avoid potential confrontation? (Why bother – it will only create problems?).
- For the most part, do your beliefs empower you or limit you?
Breaking Free
Sometimes beliefs are like handcuffs or leg irons. They restrict movement, potential, exploration and of course, freedom. Freedom to learn, grow and change. They keep us in the custody of something or someone. You know what I mean.
One of the most liberating, empowering and cathartic things we can do as authors of our own lives is to question our beliefs. Not for the sake of being different, difficult or rebellious, but for the sake of learning who we are, what we are and what we really believe beyond the social conditioning, the weight of expectation, the years of mental and emotional programming and beyond the pressure of group thinking.
After all, our beliefs determine our choices and behaviours (for the most part) and our choices and behaviours determine the kind of results we produce in our world. So why wouldn’t we? Is it time for you to do a little unlearning?
Tell me about what you’ve unlearned lately.
Craig Harper (B.Ex.Sci.) is a qualified exercise scientist, author, columnist, radio presenter, television host, motivational speaker and university lecturer. For the past 25 years he has been a leading presenter, educator, motivator and commentator in the areas of personal and professional development. You can visit Craig’s blog at Motivational Speaker.FREE eBook – So… You’ve Decided to Get in Shape (Again) Craig’s FREE eBook takes 20 – 30 minutes to read, and addresses the REAL getting-in-shape issues based on his 25 years of experience. To get Craig’s FREE eBook click here, weight loss books.
