Quotes on happiness

Orison Swett Marden
There is no investment you can make which will pay you so well as the effort to scatter sunshine and good cheer through your establishment.
George Sand
There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.
Epictetus
There is only one way to happiness, and that is cease worrying about the things which are beyond the power of our will.
Euripides
There is something in the pang of change more than the heart can bear, unhappiness remembering happiness.
Gelett Burgess
There is work that is work and there is play that is play; there is play that is work and work that is play. And in only one of these lies happiness.

5 tips to have a happy life

Be honest with yourself...!
Do the right thing and accept the consequences...!
Never lie in order to save yourself and do not blame others for your mistakes...!
Accept people as they are...!
and above all
Be yourself...!

Pursue your goal...!

The absence of goals in our lives, or more specifically avoiding to pursue our goals, makes us feel like we are stuck and ineffective. The pursuit of goals in our personal lives, in our relationships, or with our careers, is the difference between having a mediocre life or a life full of passion and enthusiasm. pursue your goals and watch your happiness soar.

What is a Portion of Fruit and Veg?....healthy eating

1 apple, banana, pear, orange or other similar sized fruit
2 plums, satsumas, kiwi fruit or other similar sized fruit
1⁄2 a grapefruit or avocado
1 large slice of melon or fresh pineapple
3 heaped tablespoons of vegetables, beans or pulses
3 heaped tablespoons of fruit salad or stewed fruit
1 heaped tablespoon of raisins or sultanas
3 dried apricots
1 cupful of grapes, cherries or berries
1 dessert bowl of salad
1 small glass (150ml) of pure fruit juice

Drink water and stay healthy

We all need around two litres of fluid a day to keep our bodies properly hydrated. Water is the medium in which most of body processes take place, and makes up about two thirds of body weight. We lose it via breath, sweat and urine.

The recommended daily two litres of fluid should come from water, plain or flavoured. We also get approximately half a litre from food eaten each day, about a quarter of daily needs, mostly from fruit and vegetables.

Of course, alternatives to water do tend to have more calories, so it makes sense to get at least some of our daily fluid needs from water. Also, some studies have indicated that drinking plenty of water is beneficial to the immune system; good for the skin; alleviates constipation and can reduce the risk of kidney stones.

Dehydration can make you feel tired and lethargic, and will decrease your capacity for exercise. Extra fluid is needed in hot weather and when you exercise. For each hour of exercise you should drink an extra litre of fluid. If you have an illness that is causing sickness, diarrhoea or sweating, you will need to up your fluid intake to make up for the extra loss.

Making sure you are properly hydrated is an important part of general wellbeing - both feeling and looking good - drink up!

---- shared by a friend through mail

6 Ways To Improve Behaviour And Give Your Child Self-Confidence

1. Show That You CareSay "I love you" and "You're important and special to me." Praise talents. Don't use sarcasm or kidding to point out weaknesses. Be positive and encouraging. Reward good behaviour and have FUN- these POSITIVE parenting strategies are the most effective in teaching children to be well behaved! Never ignore good behaviour as there is then no incentive for your child to repeat it.

2. A Hug A DayKids need to feel your affection through positive physical touch by hand holding, an arm around the shoulder or a simple hug.

3. Quality Time Is Quantity TimeCaring and being close is about making time so do more with your child. Spend more time doing things your child enjoys. Turn off the television.Do activities as a family.

4. Take Their PlacePut yourself in your child's place and ask: "Is what I've said or done building my child up or putting my child down?""Is what I've said or done really for my needs or the needs of my child?"

5. Go With Your Gut FeelingIf someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable, go with your gut feeling. Teach your children to trust their instincts too, by listening to them and respecting what they feel.6. Reward And Reward AgainEncourage good behaviour by rewarding it as soon as possible after it has occurred. Reward frequently and in small amounts. The most effective reward is your time and positive attention. Praise, smile and say why you are pleased. For very good behaviour use treats such as sweets and going to the park. To provide an incentive, a reward should be earned rather than just given.

The basic philosophy of these articles is that caring for children is one of the most responsible and difficult things you will ever do in your life - yet there is very little practical help and advice on how to do it. In a small way it is hoped that the articles can begin to fill a massive gap. The information and parenting tips have been developed from material produced by the KidsPeace Corporation,Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA. --- a web extract

The "3 Fs" of Positive Parenting

Firm: Consequences should be clearly stated and then adhered to when the inappropriate behaviour occurs.

Fair: The punishment should fit the crime. Also in the case of recurring behaviour, consequences should be stated in advance so the child knows what to expect. Harsh punishment is not necessary. Using a simple Time Out can be effective when it is used consistently every time the behaviour occurs. Also, use of reward for a period of time like part of a day or a whole day when no Time Outs or maybe only one Time Out is received.

Friendly: Use a friendly but firm communication style when letting a child know they have behaved inappropriately and let them know they will receive the "agreed upon" consequence. Encourage them to try to remember what they should do instead to avoid future consequences. Work at "catching them being good" and praise them for appropriate behaviour.

I got inspired by this

Most of us know that physical activity is vital we find it difficult to start an exercise program or stick with it. Exercise have been proven to help you feel better and live a longer healthier life. It also helps in boosting positive thoughs. But some have negative thoughts about exercising.

Isn't it time to start building more positive thoughts on exercise? Develop positive statements about activity and repeat them often to yourself. Repeat affirmations like I can feel myself becoming healthier and more energetic, and say you feel so good to move your muscles and you can do it! Start thinking of your self as an active, healthy person and you will become one!

Replace Negative Thoughts With Positive Ones

With regular practice, you can identify negative thoughts and self-talk and then take steps to change them to positive thoughts, before they get a chance to interfere with your choices and actions. Each time you find yourself thinking negatively, you can say 'stop' and force yourself to rationally replace that thought with something positive and helpful. The exercise will feel unnatural at first but the more you do it, the more it will become an unconscious habit. As your faith in yourself and your qualities increases, so will your positive thoughts.

You can reinforce positive thoughts through the use of images coupled with emotions. This will require a bit more time and effort but can strengthen the quality of positive thoughts. Begin by focusing on a happy memory that makes you feel 'good.' Close your eyes and think about what you were feeling at that time. By associating a feeling with an image, the positive thoughts are reinforced and become much stronger. The more often you practice this exercise, the more positive thoughts you will experience and the more positive your overall attitude to yourself and those around you will become.

Positivity is a circular concept and is indeed contagious as well. Your personal improvement will encourage those around you to be just as positive, which in turn, will reflect back to you and trigger more positive thinking. Take the time to slowly change your negative thinking into positive thought patterns, and you can feel better about yourself while reducing the chances of a depressive episode.

---- a forward message which I received sometime back

Success...!

Flaming enthusiasm, backed by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success.
Dale Carnegie

You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don't do too many things wrong.
Warren Buffett

A person is a success if they get up in the morning and gets to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.
Bob Dylan

Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.
Sir Winston Churchill

Some famous quotes

Never look down on anybody unless you're helping him up. Jesse Jackson
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. Ralph Waldo Emerson
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. George Bernard Shaw
People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within. Elizabeth Kubler Ross

Memory

Memory exercises increase brain power because in your conscious mind you can only work with what you can remember. Intelligence without memory is like a builder without tools. What could he build?
The simplest memory exercise is to start telling yourself to remember. If you just learned a person's name, for example, tell yourself, "remember that". This signals the unconscious mind to rank this input higher in importance.Other good memory exercises involve telling yourself why you want to remember something, and how you will remember it. If you just learned a person's name, think about how that person will be important to you in the future, where you are likely to see them next, and anything you notice about them. Clearly seeing the importance of remembering will motivate the brain to retain the name, and the additional associations in the brain (where you expect to see the person next, for example) fix the name even more firmly in your memory.

--- web extract

What Is Motivation?

In essence, motivation is the internal impulse to take action. It is the feeling triggered within that compels you to do something. From brushing your teeth in the morning to following through on your lifelong goals and dreams, motivation is at the root of every action you take.Without motivation, the progress of the world would come to a grinding stop. Nothing could improve for every individual capable of working toward change would lack the motivation to move forward with their plans.On a more personal note, progress within your own life would be impossible without the motivation to do something about what you wanted. Your health, career, money, relationships...nothing would move forward without an internal drive.Why Master Motivation?However, you do make progress in these areas. You do take actions each day. The reason is motivation. But there's just one problem. The motivation that is making you take actions isn't being used to its potential. It's running on autopilot and therefore can't begin to offer the life-changing rewards and benefits locked within.By learning how to control your internal drive, you can launch every area of your life to levels never before imagined. When you know which steps to take - and which to avoid - you can literally tap into a power that compels you to do whatever it takes to create the life you've always wanted to live.All of this is possible by learning the secrets of motivation.

extracted from a web page

Think...!

A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco. "Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring home with me." "Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him." "There's something you should know the son continued, "he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us." "I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live." "No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."

"Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own." At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him.

A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn't know, their son had only one arm and one leg. The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are. Thankfully, there's someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.

Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!!

Building your own house

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go & asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor.

The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career. When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, "This is your house... my gift to you."The carpenter was shocked! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.

So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.But, you cannot go back. You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Someone once said, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Your attitude, and the choices you make today, help build the "house" you will live in tomorrow. Therefore, Build wisely

A true story

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and drove the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car, shouting, "What was that all about and who are you?Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money.Why did you do it?"The young boy was apologetic. "Please mister ... please, I'm sorry... I didn't know what else to do," he pleaded."I threw the brick because no one else would stop..."With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car."It's my brother," he said."He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up." Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his fancy handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. "Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger.Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the little boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention! .

Quotable quotes

A decision is made with the brain.

A commitment is made with the heart.

Therefore, a commitment is much deeper

and more binding than a decision. - Nido Qubein

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.

Live the life you have imagined.- Henry David Thoreau

Personality can open doors,

but only character can keep them open. - Elmer G. Letterman

Can you sleep when the wind blows?

Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the Awful storms that raged across the Atlantic,Wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, Hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from Dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore.Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushedNext door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!"The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No Sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows." Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. to his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins.the cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down.Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically,You have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the Wind blows through your life?The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm.We secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God.We don't need to understand, we just need to hold his hand to have peace in the middle of storms.

Can you sleep when the wind blows?

Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the Awful storms that raged across the Atlantic,Wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, Hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from Dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore.Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushedNext door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!"The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No Sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows." Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. to his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins.the cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down.Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically,You have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the Wind blows through your life?The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm.We secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God.We don't need to understand, we just need to hold his hand to have peace in the middle of storms.

The Shipwreck - the story

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going badly. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground--it just may be a smoke signal that summons The Grace of God.