Life and Self Identity

Develop identity of the self and society for a good life

A child is given learning about how to behave and live be in the society and by this they develop a notion that they have to be perfect in front of others so as to show one’s status and position. This mentality of the people is very harmful as one should remain what he or she is and not pretend to be someone great. The more real you will be, the more you will be admired by all. Nevertheless, at the same time if you adopt negative approach to win the hearts of your fellow mates, this will not contribute in making your self-identity.

Self-identity is a state in which a person knows well about him and knows what his or her position is in the society. This self-identity is achieved when an individual tries to work on the areas to know about his or her inner self. A person is able to listen to his or her inner voice of the mind and soul when he or she is meditating in solace. Meditation has been a widely accepted practice in which a person is able to link his or her inner self and know what the strengths and weaknesses are. The development of the self-identity is possible when the person works towards shaping their personality so that the potentials and strengths of an individual can be used in shaping the society and thereby developing the identity of the society as a whole.

People often live authentically and feel embarrassed to give their opinions and views to other people, as they fear that others might make fun of their views. Therefore, they keep their ideas deep inside the mind and heart, which in turn hampers their overall development of the self. In addition, it further hinders them in society as if a person will not work towards making his or her society a successful one, the society will automatically be given the tag of ‘backward or orthodox’ and that would be the biggest shame pr threat. Therefore, people should understand that their self-identity and abilities are related directly or indirectly to the identity of the society in which they reside.

To maintain the true identity of a society, it is important the people should adopt a positive and normal behavior that is free from lies, deception and fakeness. A true behavior does not mean that people should always live under the spell of ethics and values. Nevertheless, they should be what they are and give your views openly so that these ideas can be useful in the development of the societal identity.

A society’s identity is dependant upon what its position is in the world. Like if a society adopts some notions and strictly follows them though they may be harmful for others, the society will be regarded as a selfish one, which thinks of catering to the needs of only their people and to others. Thus, a true identity of the self and society has to be maintained so that development can be done in the true sense.

Identity of the self and society can also be developed when the society starts appreciating its people of their contributions. People gets support from their fellow mates and this is turn increase their morale and they start working seriously towards the betterment of the society.

People should be confident enough so that the threats from the external factors should be faced with confidence. Individualism and ego are the two main threats that an individual and society faces. Therefore, ego should be kept aside as it will not contribute in maintaining the identity of the self and society.

Last but not the least, to attain social identity; it is important that one should be well acquainted with the self-identity. Discover you.

Evils of the Self Identity Self and Society

Because humankind was lead to believe that they evolved from apes, the average person that failed to verify, clarify and learn more about his creation stays stuck in one frame of mind. That mind has lead to many animalistic traits that has caused major havoc in our society.

Today, many people struggling with self-identity and what it means to them. They often swing from vine to vine trying to understand these animalistic ways. Because they lack knowledge and truth, they often wander through life coming face to face with unwanted criticism that causes them many difficulties. Rather than accept that they are created they would prefer to believe the many lies told them, which makes it harder for them to establish a natural identity.

Most people will adopt positive approaches to manage in life, yet still they are presented with chaos due to the fact that they have not established truth. Some people do well by taking positive approaches toward self-identity in society and will overcome external threats that could hold them back from growing.

We all face challenges each day and undue and due criticism. In any instance, we must stand strong and face the challenges by recognizing the truth. In society, we live around people full of animosity, animalistic ways, and all of these responses come from feelings of hatred, jealousy, etc, but primarily they come from misconceptions and lies told to them.

We need to develop higher grades of self-awareness and consciousness to survive in this animalistic society. Self-awareness and consciousness is one of the chief ingredients, since when we expand our awareness it becomes the biggest factor in our progress of self-development.

When we have a clutter mind, it steals our awareness to a large degree. The results lead to negative thinking that affects us in many ways. One of these ways is that it becomes difficult for us to face challenge successfully in society.

Self-awareness and a higher consciousness of your surroundings is an important component of any human being. When we are able to develop these components we are keen of others behaviors, but we also are keen, noticing our own behaviors and thoughts. This helps us to acknowledge our shortcomings and strengths.

In society, we are challenged often. Everyone has their own views and opinions, which reflect on us indirectly or directly. We must stay on our toes in order to slow people that try to persuade us into doing something we regret later. This means we need to develop a positive outlook on life as well. Of course, building self-awareness and consciousness will give you a greater measure of optimistic views.

We expand as humans every day. Each day we expand, we move closer to our identity. The problem is because many people lack the higher plane of consciousness and self-awareness, they often find themselves following others despite how they behave, rather than taking their own lead. What occurs is these people develop a small measure of their own identity and a large measure of various others identity.

The old saying, “You are what you eat,” expands further than just nutritional foods. It also expands to the mind, since what you observe, hear, and listen to; etc all takes a toll on deciding your direction. We have to keep looking at the world in a positive light; otherwise, it will cause us more distresses than we already face from daily living.

Some of the best ways to expand human components, such as higher consciousness, self-awareness and so on is by meditating daily. Yoga and other natural remedies will also assist us with growing stronger mentally, emotionally and physically. Our evils must be addressed however, which include doubt, fears, wrongful behaviors and so on.

When trying to improve your Personal Life Doctors are Important People

When you want to improve your personal life, your health is an important issue, since you have to be healthy to have a good life. There are a lot of good doctors that can make you feel better about your self as well as make you feel healthy. It is very important to go see your local doctor once a year for your yearly exams. This will help your doctor keep an eye on your general health like your blood pressure, cholesterol, aces and pains. If your happy inside and out side you will feel, better and you will be able to change your personal life all together.

About doctor visits:
No one can make you go see a doctor that is your right. However, you need to know that if you are not healthy your life forces will pull you down. I don think anyone likes to go see the doctor, old or young but its something we have to do in order to live a healthy life. Going to see a doctor you feel comfortable around is a start.  Some people don’t feel comfortable with doctors and that’s why they won’t go see a doctor and others may just be scared of going and finding out the unknown. This is a serious mistake. Doctors have discovered that if Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, or other conditions are noted earlier, there are cures. Yet, many people allow their diseases to elevate until it is too late, you have no cure. If you don’t go you will never know and it could be something that can be taken care of, but if you wait, you could be facing deadly cancerous diseases. Why not go since it could save your life. You will be able to enjoy the rest or your life as a happier and healthy person inside and out.

How can I find a good doctor?
There are many ways to find a good doctor. Not every doctor is good. You want to look for caring doctors. If a doctor cares about his or her patients, it is likely you will have the right care you deserve. If you feel uncomfortable at a doctors visit, you will need to evaluate you and the doctor. If the doctor is presenting characteristics that make you feel uncomfortable, perhaps you want to consider his expertise. Is the doctor providing you excellent care? If so, perhaps you may learn how to deal with your discomforts.

Some of the ways you can find a doctors is make a appointment with a few that you think you may like and go talk to them get the feeling of them see if its feels right you may not feel comfortable so you won’t want to go on a regular basis. Maybe you can talk to friends and family and try it that way you will never know if you do not try.

Just remember many doctors are good people. They can’t help you if you don’t go to them and tell them what is wrong with you. You have to be honesty with them in order for the doctor to help you. If you feel better inside you will feel better outside, so in that case you have improved your personal life.

About Healthcare and coverage:
Perhaps you do not have healthcare coverage, which hinders you from seeking medical care and continuing care. If this is true, we encourage you to consider Medicaid, Medicare, HMO, or other policies.
You have many options available to you online as well. You will find healthcare coverage for all age groups, as well as for those with special needs, such as budgets.

Stop Smoking to Improve Personal Life

I know that if you are a smoker it can be hard to quite. However, if you want to stop you will. You will acquire the willpower to take control. Smoking is not good for anyone. Second hand, smoke has proven to be worse than smoking. For those around you, when you smoke you are hurting them too. Many people smoke for years, which make it difficult to quite. Nevertheless, you have help and hope, especially if you want to quite bad enough.

Avoiding unhealthy living:
Why do people start smoking? Some people start smoking because they think it is something cool and their friends are impressed. They believe it makes them look mature. Unfortunately, many people start smoking early in life. Many people unfortunately end up with bronchitis, breathing problems, cancer, lung disease and so on. As teenagers, we thought it was the cool thing to do, since all of our friends were doing it. We may have picked up the habit watching parents or grandparents smoke.

How to stop smoking:
When you want to stop smoking, there is help. You just have to want to stop. You have go to want to stop before anyone or anybody can help you. You can go to your family doctor and he/she will give you something to help you to stop. On the other hand, maybe you want to do it on your own. Everyone has there own idea for trying to quite smoking. Some think hard candy will help, while others think that chewing gum will help, then some think chewing on something will help. You have to figure out what you want to try to go from there. We all have different idea. Prayer is the ultimate answer. When you pray to improve your life, God will answer your prayers.

How smoking affects you:
No one knows what would happen to you if you don’t quite until the time comes for you to know. You can get cancer in your mouth, in your lungs, you could have a hard time breathing, fast heartbeat, you may have problems walking across the room. Many things could happen to you if you do not quite. Ironically, however, some people smoke for years and nothing happens to them. Yet, throughout the years these people feel sluggish, tired, and often get colds more frequently.

The benefits of stopping smoking:
Just think if you quite smoking you won’t have to worry about the smell in your house, in your car or on your clothes. You won’t have those nasty ash trays to empty or wash out. You won’t have to smell nothing but the air you breathe. If you quite now you will start to get back your self. You will be able to walk across the floor or be able to breathe without using oxygen to help you there are a lot of reason to quite I wish you the best.

Some of the reasons people do not quite smoking are because they believe they will gain weight.


Contrary to your notions, smoking will make you gain weight as you start to age. To improve personal life you must take measures to protect your overall health, which includes maintaining weight, stop smoking and so on. The steps you take will lead you to a healthier future and a successful conclusion.

If you are finding it difficult to beat the habit, we encourage you to learn about the drugs inside cigarettes. If it isn’t enough to scare you into stopping now, then consider your future, living on life-support or oxygen tanks.

UNLOCK YOUR SELF IMPROVEMENT POWER

When we look at a certain object, a painting for example – we won’t be able to appreciate what’s in it, what is painted and what else goes with it  if the painting is just an inch away from our face. But if we try to take it a little further, we’ll have a clearer vision of the whole art work.

We reach a point in our life when we are ready for change and a whole bunch of information that will help us unlock our self improvement power. Until then, something can be staring us right under our nose but we don’t see it.  The only time we think of unlocking our self improvement power is when everything got worst. Take the frog principle for example –

Try placing Frog A in a pot of boiling water. What happens? He twerps! He jumps off! Why? Because he is not able to tolerate sudden change in his environment – the water’s temperature. Then try Frog B: place him in a luke warm water, then turn the gas stove on. Wait til the water reaches a certain boiling point. Frog B then thinks “Ooh… it’s a bit warm in here”.

People are like Frog B in general. Today, Anna thinks Carl hates her. Tomorrow, Patrick walks up to her and told her he hates her. Anna stays the same and doesn’t mind her what her friends says. The next day, she learned that Kim and John also abhors her. Anna doesn’t realize at once the importance and the need for self improvement until the entire community hates her.

We learn our lessons when we experience pain. We finally see the warning signs and signals when things get rough and tough. When do we realize that we need to change diets? When none of our jeans and shirts would fit us. When do we stop eating candies and chocolates? When all of our teeth has fallen off. When do we realize that we need to stop smoking? When our lungs have gone bad. When do we pray and ask for help? When we realize that we’re gonna die tomorrow.

The only time most of us ever learn about unlocking our self improvement power is when the whole world is crashing and falling apart. We think and feel this way because it is not easy to change. But change becomes more painful when we ignore it.

Change will happen, like it or hate it. At one point or another, we are all going to experience different turning points in our life – and we are all going to eventually unlock our self improvement power not because the world says so, not because our friends are nagging us, but because we realized its for our own good.


Happy people don’t just accept change, they embrace it. Now, you don’t have to feel a tremendous heat before realizing the need for self improvement.  Unlocking your self improvement power means unlocking yourself up in the cage of thought that “its just the way I am”. It is such a poor excuse for people who fear and resist change. Most of us program our minds like computers.

Jen repeatedly tells everyone that she doesn’t have the guts to be around groups of people. She heard her mom, her dad, her sister, her teacher tell the same things about her to other people. Over the years, that is what Jen believes. She believes its her story. And what happens? Every time a great crowd would troop over their house, in school, and in the community – she tends to step back, shy away and lock herself up in a room. Jen didn’t only believed in her story, she lived it.

Jen has to realize that she is not what she is in her story. Instead of having her story post around her face for everyone to remember, she has to have the spirit and show people “I am an important person and I should be treated accordingly!”

Self improvement may not be everybody’s favorite word, but if we look at things in a different point of view, we might have greater chances of enjoying the whole process instead of counting the days until we are fully improved. Three sessions in a week at the gym would result to a healthier life, reading books instead of looking at porns will shape up a more profound knowledge, going out with friends and peers will help you take a step back from work and unwind.  And just when you are enjoying the whole process of unlocking your self improvement power, you’ll realize that you’re beginning to take things light and become happy.

Keys that Unlock the Doors to Personal Life Improvement

How to improve your personal life

Learning is the key to unlock doors to success. When you learn about you, what you want, and what specific difficulties you want to change, you are improving your personal life. To get started learning you, your wants, and so on you will need to use new ideas. If you need to hit the “refresh,” tab then go online to find articles. Read the information, since someone may provide you with the keys that unlock doors in your mind. You can also visit your local library, a great place to start improving your life.

Life is filled with problems, diagnostics and solvers. To start improving your life you can start by reliving a time in your life. Look back to see obstacles in your pathway. What did you do to overcome those obstacles? Were your decisions capable of helping you handle the problems? Did your decisions have good or bad consequences? If you made good decisions then, can you use those decisions now to fix problems?

Once you review your history of problem-solving tactics move on to evaluate your skills. What skills do you have that will help you improve your personal life? What skills can you develop that will guide you to a prosperous life? Do you need to continue school? Can you find a better job?

How to travel the discovering road to unlock doors:
The first action you will need to take to unlock doors is to be honest. When you are honest with self and others, it helps reduce emotional chaos. When a person lies, they live in denial, anger, misery, hopelessness, etc and often drown in their own pity. Stop the pity and hop on the road, traveling down the trail ways to discover the keys that unlock your doors to success. To get started tell the truth about something that hinders you.

Start: I dwell on negative thoughts rather than focusing on positive thoughts. What can you do to change this? Say, my life is filled with stress, yet I feel I can change my life to make it better. Think about those people in the world who has it worse than you do.

Do you have addictions?
Consider drugs, sex, alcohol, and cigarettes and so on when thinking of addictions. Also, consider shopping, work, food and so on. If you discover an addiction ask, how can I take steps to change this harmful habits? Do I have support? Is there hope? Can I find help? How can I find that help? You will find many helpful resources, including addiction clinics of all sorts that will offer you a hand. Never deal with addictions alone. You will also need to work on your own to take control of your addictions. The key to success is accepting you have a problem. Honesty is the key that opens many doors. Once you accept you will find it easier to get help.

Looking ahead:
Looking ahead is good. When you look ahead, you are visualizing your future. You want to avoid dwelling on reaching tomorrow.

Rather keep one day in your mind and work in that day to complete your goals. Taking it one day at a time is the key to success. You have many options, yet it takes you to discover those options.

Communication:
Communication is the ultimate key that opens many doors. When you learn to communicate effectively, you are taking steps to improve your personal life. To learn effective communication skills, consider continuing your education. You can also learn communication tools by frequently talking with others about positive topics.

Do Yoda Proud: Meditation 101

Meditation refers to a state where your body and mind are consciously relaxed and focused.  Practitioners of this art report increased awareness, focus, and concentration, as well as a more positive outlook in life.

Meditation is most commonly associated with monks, mystics and other spiritual disciplines.  However, you don’t have to be a monk or mystic to enjoy its benefits.  And you don’t even have to be in a special place to practice it.  You could even try it in your own living room!

Although there are many different approaches to meditation, the fundamental principles remain the same.  The most important among these principles is that of removing obstructive, negative, and wandering thoughts and fantasies, and calming the mind with a deep sense of focus.  This clears the mind of debris and prepares it for a higher quality of activity.

The negative thoughts you have – those of noisy neighbors, bossy officemates, that parking ticket you got, and unwanted spam– are said to contribute to the ‘polluting’ of the mind, and shutting them out is allows for the ‘cleansing’ of the mind so that it may focus on deeper, more meaningful thoughts.

Some practitioners even shut out all sensory input – no sights, no sounds, and nothing to touch – and try to detach themselves from the commotion around them.  You may now focus on a deep, profound thought if this is your goal.  It may seem deafening at first, since we are all too accustomed to constantly hearing and seeing things, but as you continue this exercise you will find yourself becoming more aware of everything around you.

If you find the meditating positions you see on television threatening – those with impossibly arched backs, and painful-looking contortions – you need not worry.  The principle here is to be in a comfortable position conducive to concentration.  This may be while sitting cross-legged, standing, lying down, and even walking.

If the position allows you to relax and focus, then that would be a good starting point.  While sitting or standing, the back should be straight, but not tense or tight.  In other positions, the only no-no is slouching and falling asleep.

Loose, comfortable clothes help a lot in the process since tight fitting clothes have a tendency to choke you up and make you feel tense.

The place you perform meditation should have a soothing atmosphere.  It may be in your living room, or bedroom, or any place that you feel comfortable in.  You might want an exercise mat if you plan to take on the more challenging positions (if you feel more focused doing so, and if the contortionist in you is screaming for release).  You may want to have the place arranged so that it is soothing to your senses.

Silence helps most people relax and meditate, so you may want a quiet, isolated area far from the ringing of the phone or the humming of the washing machine.  Pleasing scents also help in that regard, so stocking up on aromatic candles isn’t such a bad idea either.

The monks you see on television making those monotonous sounds are actually performing their mantra.  This, in simple terms, is a short creed, a simple sound which, for these practitioners, holds a mystic value.

You do not need to perform such; however, it would pay to note that focusing on repeated actions such as breathing, and humming help the practitioner enter a higher state of consciousness.

The principle here is focus.  You could also try focusing on a certain object or thought, or even, while keeping your eyes open, focus on a single sight.

One sample routine would be to – while in a meditative state – silently name every part of you body and focusing your consciousness on that part. While doing this you should be aware of any tension on any part of your body.  Mentally visualize releasing this tension.  It works wonders.

In all, meditation is a relatively risk-free practice and its benefits are well worth the effort (or non-effort – remember we’re relaxing).

Studies have shown that meditation does bring about beneficial physiologic effects to the body.  And there has been a growing consensus in the medical community to further study the effects of such.  So in the near future, who knows, that mystical, esoteric thing we call meditation might become a science itself!

DEALING WITH OTHERS.

In all application of magnetism to persons, you are urged to remember that your very first goal, always and preeminently, is an agreeable feeling within their minds. You should never try to induce a person to act your way until you have thoroughly established in him a good feeling toward yourself. This is the prime initial step. When such a condition has been secured, you are then ready for the magnetic assault and then only.

When you are dealing with other people, endeavoring magnetically to win them to your wish, you should summon the general magnetic feeling within yourself, will them to do as you desire, and at the same time think of them as already consenting and acting. Your inner condition should be perfectly calm, buoyant, hopeful, whatever the external means employed, your mind should be concentrated upon the thing desired, and its accomplishment should be thought of as now secured. The response of the person may be delayed, but this should not discourage you, for some minds do not take suggestions (those of your unspoken will are referred to) quickly, and they do not act instantly upon their own thought. It is invariably best to induce people to believe that they are acting on their personal impulse or judgment; they should be made to feel perfectly free, not at all coerced, and that they are doing their own will rather than yours simply because they wish so to do.

We may summarize all these suggestions in the words of a distinguished scientific writer:

"Life is not a bully who swaggers out into the open universe, upsetting the laws of energy in all directions, but rather a consummate strategist, who, sitting in his secret chamber over his wires, directs the movements of a great army." This is a good description of magnetism.

The success-magnetism assumption: We are now ready for the great  assumption-principle of magnetism in applied life.

Think of every goal as already reached, of every undertaking as already achieved.

Search Engine Relationships To Marketing

The landscape of search engines have went through
some drastic changes over the years.  Not only with
technology, but also with various partnerships
between the many different search companies as well.

You might be running your search engine queries on
a particular search engine, although who is actually
supplying the results - it could be a different
company altogether.

Below, is a list of the search engines that feed your
precious keywords:

Yahoo
Yahoo provides the primary search results for Yahoo
search, Alta Vista, and AllTheWeb, and receives paid
listings from Yahoo Search Marketing (formerly known
as Overture).

Google
Google provides the primary search engine results
to Google AOL Search and also Netscape.  Google also
supplies paid listings to Lycos, Ask, Netscape, AOL
Search, and HotBot.  It also supplies secondary
results to HotBot and receives it's directory data
from DMOZ.

Lycos
Lycos receives the directory search results from
DMOZ, primary results from Ask, and paid listings
from Google Adwords.

Hotbot
Hotbot receives directory search results from DMOZ,
primary search results from Ask, and paid/secondary
results from Google Adwords.

Ask
Ask provides primary results to Ask, Hotbot, and
Lycos.  It receives secondary search results from
Teoma and the directory results from DMOZ, with
paid listings from Google Adwords.

In relations to marketing, search engines can
provide anything you want to know.  If someone is
looking for something, they normally refer to the
search engines.  When they type it in, the highest
sites on the engines will show - which is normally
where the visitor will go.

By keeping good position on the search engines,
you'll be near the first for visitors who are looking
for a certain product.  You can make a lot of money
with search engines as well, if you know what you
are doing. 

To Go or Not to Go Herbal, that is the Question…

Many people nowadays are turning to “organics” and “naturals” otherwise known as herbals. The rising popularity of herbal supplements has created a new fad if not a new health lifestyle. But before you join the bandwagon, here are some things you need to know about this mean, “green” dietary supplementing machine.

What is the difference between a drug and a dietary supplement?

According to the definition set by food and drug administrations in different countries, drugs are chemicals that can prevent, prolong the life, treat other effects of a health condition, improve the quality of life, and/or cure ailments and diseases, or alter the function of any part or chemicals inside the body. These drugs have approved therapeutic claims. For example, paracetamol is a drug given to bring down the body temperature in fever. Ascorbic acid is indicated for the treatment of scurvy. Iron supplements are given to treat mild cases of anemia.

Herbal supplements are not classified as drugs but as dietary supplements. The main difference is that they do not have approved therapeutic claims unlike in the case of drugs. Moreover, dietary supplements could either contain vitamins, minerals, herbals, or amino acids, all aimed to add to or supplement the diet of an individual. They are not intended to be taken alone as a substitute to any food or medicine.

Most of the manufactured medicines we now have once came from animals and plants. Through the years, chemists isolated the life-saving or life-curing components and separated them from the harmful ones. This lead to the further drug research and drug development that lead to the production of a different variety of drugs for many ailments and conditions from synthetic sources. But still we have semi-synthetic drugs, as well as drug that more or less approximate more natural composition. Since herbal supplements are made from a mixture of crude herbs reduced into powder or gel form, and later on packaged as tablets and capsules, there is a possibility that life-threatening or at least body chemistry-altering components are still present, thus the expression of concern from the medical community.

Is there a growing concern with the use of herbal supplements?

Yes. With the rising popularity of using and consuming anything herbal or organic is the proliferation of fake herbal supplements that threaten to endanger lives. If that’s the case, then why are herbal supplements given drug administration approvals? One way of ensuring the safety of the people is to have all candidate drugs, food, drinks, and dietary supplements registered with the proper authority. Otherwise, they would pose more risk with these things being sold in the black market for a hefty sum. We could ensure the quality and safety of herbal supplements if they get proper classification with the food and drug administration. Moreover, people may be able to file the proper complaints in the event a worsening of health condition is proven to be linked to the use of a particular herbal supplement.

Is using herbal supplements worth the risk?

Yes. It cannot be discounted that many who have tried herbal supplements experienced an improvement in their health—whether this is due to the herbals themselves or due to a placebo effect, as long as they do not worsen the condition of an individual, then using them is worth the risk. But of course, certain things must be considered before taking those herbal supplements:

Your doctor knows best.

First of all, clear your condition with your doctor. Ask him/her if taking a particular herbal supplement is safe given your health condition. People with heart, liver, or kidney trouble or malfunction, are usually not advised to take these, or at the minimum is to take these herbals in minimum amounts. All substances pass through the liver and kidney to be processed and filtered respectively. Kava, which is used to relieve people from stress, has been pulled out from the Canadian, Singaporean, and German markets because it contains substances that cause liver damage. Certain herbals such as Ephedra used for losing weight, contains chemicals with heart-inducing effects that can increase heart rate, which in turn can exhaust the heart and cause heart attacks in several documented cases by the American Medical Association.

Follow the directions for use.

Never take more herbal supplements than what is directed by the doctor or as instructed on the bottle. Each individual reacts differently to the components of herbal supplements. While it is perfectly safe for one individual to take in a supplement of primrose oil capsules, another person may be allergic to it. So, do not even think about downing one bottle of

It has no approved curative effect.

No matter how the product pamphlet or the label of the bottle sounds about how it has been found to be helpful in certain health conditions, these herbal supplements are not therapeutic. So do not substitute these for the medications prescribed by your doctor for the treatment of certain diseases, or for the maintenance of blood pressure, lowering of blood sugar and cholesterol, and fight off infections.

Herbs to Improve Your Memory

Does it sound bizarre?  Using herbs to improve memory have long been practiced not only by those in the United States, but in other countries as well.  The American Indians, Orientals, Egyptians, and Greeks have all used herbs to enhance the mind.
Spicy foods are said to increase the cognitive functions of your brain, and there are several spicy herbs available.

Have you ever heard of turmeric?  Maybe curry?  Well, turmeric is an ingredient in curry.  Curcumin is an ingredient in turmeric, which in turn works to improve your memory.  It reduces the effects of diseases like Alzheimer's disease.  Ginger is another herb, containing zingerone, which defends the neurons of the brain to improve memory.  Cinnamon is a brain activity booster; simply smelling it enhances cognitive function and lifts the mood.  All these wonderful spices can be found in your local grocery store, usually on the isle with the basic cooking ingredients such as flour and sugar.

Health food stores abound in the United States.  They've become more popular for the youth of today alone.  Health food stores can also benefit adult shoppers.  They offer things like ginkgo biloba, touted as the best herb to improve blood flow to the brain.  Suggested use is 80 mg, 3 times a day.

Another herb found in health food stores which increases memory and guards against senility is gotu kola.  It has a calming effect.  Suggested use is 1/2 teaspoon in warm water 3 times a day.

Siberian Ginseng can help the body adapt to stress, helps promote a strong, balanced nervous system, and gives a mild energy boost.  Suggested use is 250 mg, 2 times a day.

Before partaking in the benefits of any of these suggested herbs, please do your research and make sure they won't have a negative interaction with any medications you are currently taking.  The idea is to improve your memory, not further damage your health in another way.

Herbs don't just serve to improve your memory by oral ingestion.  A popular way to stimulate your brain these days is by aromatherapy.  Some herbs can be heated in either water or as an ingredient in a candle, maybe even as an ingredient for use with a potpourri burner placed on a cloth as an essential oil to inhale, or simply burned as incense.  Aromatherapy can be done as a low-cost addition to your steps towards good mental health.  It clears the mind, helps you relax, sharpens your ability to focus, and improves your mood.  Two essential oils to use in aromatherapy to help improve memory are rosemary and basil.  Although, anything that is pleasant to your nose will help you calm your thinking so that you can focus more clearly and feel uplifted in spirit.

An important thing to consider is whether you would rather slow down your lifestyle now and begin to take proper care of your mind and body, or whether you'd rather suffer more later as you've aged and have more trouble undoing the effects of your neglect.  It's never too late to adapt a positive outlook and take charge of yourself!

Why Coaching is the Way to Go in Team Management

When you hear the word “coach”, what comes first into your mind? Do you picture a basketball team with a man/woman shouting out directions? Or perhaps a football team with a man/woman pacing to and fro and calling out the names of the players?

Coaching is no longer reserved to sports teams; it is now one of the key concepts in leadership and management. Why is coaching popular?

Coaching levels the playing field.

Coaching is one of the six emotional leadership styles proposed by Daniel Goleman. Moreover, it is a behavior or role that leaders enforce in the context of situational leadership. As a leadership style, coaching is used when the members of a group or team are competent and motivated, but do not have an idea of the long-term goals of an organization. This involves two levels of coaching: team and individual. Team coaching makes members work together. In a group of individuals, not everyone may have nor share the same level of competence and commitment to a goal. A group may be a mix of highly competent and moderately competent members with varying levels of commitment. These differences can cause friction among the members. The coaching leader helps the members level their expectations. Also, the coaching leader manages differing perspectives so that the common goal succeeds over personal goals and interests. In a big organization, leaders need to align the staffs’ personal values and goals with that of the organization so that long-term directions can be pursued.

Coaching builds up confidence and competence.

Individual coaching is an example of situational leadership at work. It aims to mentor one-on-one building up the confidence of members by affirming good performance during regular feedbacks; and increase competence by helping the member assess his/her strengths and weaknesses towards career planning and professional development. Depending on the individual’s level of competence and commitment, a leader may exercise more coaching behavior for the less-experienced members. Usually, this happens in the case of new staffs. The direct supervisor gives more defined tasks and holds regular feedbacks for the new staff, and gradually lessens the amount of coaching, directing, and supporting roles to favor delegating as competence and confidence increase.

Coaching promotes individual and team excellence.

Excellence is a product of habitual good practice. The regularity of meetings and constructive feedback is important in establishing habits. Members catch the habit of constantly assessing themselves for their strengths and areas for improvement that they themselves perceive what knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to acquire to attain team goals. In the process, they attain individually excellence as well. An example is in the case of a musical orchestra: each member plays a different instrument. In order to achieve harmony of music from the different instrument, members will polish their part in the piece, aside from practicing as an ensemble. Consequently, they improve individually as an instrument player.

Coaching develops high commitment to common goals.

A coaching leader balances the attainment of immediate targets with long-term goals towards the vision of an organization. As mentioned earlier, with the alignment of personal goals with organizational or team goals, personal interests are kept in check. By constantly communicating the vision through formal and informal conversations, the members are inspired and motivated. Setting short-term team goals aligned with organizational goals; and making an action plan to attain these goals can help sustain the increased motivation and commitment to common goals of the members.

Coaching produces valuable leaders.

Leadership by example is important in coaching. A coaching leader loses credibility when he/she cannot practice what he/she preaches. This means that a coaching leader should be well organized, highly competent is his/her field, communicates openly and encourages feedback, and has a clear idea of the organization’s vision-mission-goals. By vicarious and purposive learning, members catch the same good practices and attitudes from the coaching leader, turning them into coaching leaders themselves. If a member experiences good coaching, he/she is most likely to do the same things when entrusted with formal leadership roles.

Some words of caution though: coaching is just one of the styles of leadership. It can be done in combination with the other five emotional leadership styles depending on the profile of the emerging team. Moreover, coaching as a leadership style requires that you are physically, emotionally, and mentally fit most of the time since it involves two levels of coaching: individual and team. Your members expect you to be the last one to give up or bail out in any situation especially during times of crises. A coaching leader must be conscious that coaching entails investing time on each individual, and on the whole team. Moreover, that the responsibilities are greater since while you are coaching members, you are also developing future coaches as well.