Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Learn to Kick Your Bad Habits

Habits acquired over the years can be unhealthy, sheer waste of time, utterly boring or unrewarding. They can reduce efficiency. Lower our life span. Make people love us less. Or push us to the brink of risking our lives.

But, they could also be good, healthy and positive. They could improve our efficiency. Help organize our lives better. Inculcate self-discipline.

A lot depends on whether the habit is good or bad. Something that's done regularly over a long period of time turns into a habit. And when that happens it's no longer in the realm of conscious acts. Habits exist independently in our subconscious. Which makes it all the more important for you to identify and work on the bad habits, or they could kill your time, reduce efficiently and stunt your personality.

Kicking your bad habit
Remember you weren't born with a bad habit you just acquired it over the years. So it's something you can undo.

Drawing up a plan
Decide which habit you want to do away with first. Procrastination, back-biting, killing time before the TV, overeating, smoking or drinking. Take on one habit at a time. They are as tough as nails.

Visualization
Writing your intention on a piece of paper works like magic. That's how most successful people have realized their dreams. When you put them on paper that's commitment. Then you must visualize doing away with that bad habit. See yourself smoking fewer cigarettes. Attending to things immediately. Spending lesser time before boring soaps. Eating healthily. This helps tremendously in your fight against bad habits.

Get family and friends to support you
Quitting a compulsive habit like smoking or drinking is tough. Not having the support of loved ones only worsens your resolve. Inform everyone of your resolve to throw a bad habit out of the window. Seek their support. They'll only be too glad to lend it. Join alcoholics anonymous or a non-smokers club. Being amidst people who've benefited from losing a negative habit will motivate you.

Substitute with alternate activities
You can kick a bad habit in the butt only if can find a better activity to replace it. Let's say you want to stop sitting in front of the television for long hours.

Can you do something more healthy and rewarding during that time. Maybe reading a book. Notes to Myself, Chicken Soup for the Soul or Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, if you please. Or get into a routine of exercising. You'll be a lot more healthier. Perhaps, an Evening Walker's Club or polishing some unused skill of yours. Painting or playing the guitar. And why not join a computer class.

Monday, January 28, 2008

How to express love on Valentine’s Day

What’s the best way to express love to your valentine? Valentine’s Day is one of the most beautiful days in the life of every couple. Make sure you express your love to your beloved in an innovative way that will be remembered.



One of the most touching ways to do it is get a huge card and write `I Love You` in many different languages. Another interesting idea is a musical card that says `I Love You`. A Valentine poem brimming with love and passion can make your beloved feel overwhelmed. Once it’s written, present it innovatively, for instance you can make it a message in a bottle by buying a pretty bottle and filling it with your poem, some rose petals and shells. Other ideas to present the poem are to frame it on a silver heart-shaped frame.



Express your love by gifting your love a basket of all his or her favorite things. This can be anything from perfumes, T-shirts in his or her favorite color, pens, cosmetics, books, music CDs to cell phones. The time and effort that you have taken to understand his or her tastes will be cherished.



If you have been dating your love for some time, make a gift of those lovely memories with a collage of your photos together. You can also put together a scrapbook of your photos together and decorate it with cute stickers in heart shapes, Cupids and so on.



Gift your love something that tells the world you are a couple. Get identical T-shirts with a message of love on it and wear it together on Valentine’s Day. You can also buy couple watches and wear them together to celebrate the timelessness of love.



A Valentine Headline newspaper is an interesting idea. Make a dramatic declaration of your love on the front page of a personalized newspaper. This can be quite a thrill for the recipient.



Gift your love a Valentine picnic basket. Fill it with fine wine or champagne, cheese and other gourmet eats. Them whisk your love off to a quiet spot where both of you can enjoy a picnic.



Gift a piece of jewelry to express your love, do make it personalized by gifting a chain or bracelet with the initials of your love. You can also have a personal Valentine message inscribed on it.



These ideas should help you find the perfect way to connect with your love this Valentine.

What is Valentine's Day. Find Out

Valentine’s Day is a day that celebrates the beauty of love. A day when couples celebrate the joy of being in love. In a world marked by breaking families and relationships, this day assumes greater significance as couples endeavor to forget hurts and focus on the joys of being together.



The origin of Valentine’s Day dates back to the Roman Emperor Claudius II. He was involved in many military campaigns and was finding it difficult to recruit soldiers to his army. He believed that this was because the men were too attached to their families and sweethearts.



Emperor Claudius II then took the extreme step of canceling all marriages and engagements in his kingdom. He ordered that young men in his kingdom remain single. However, the priest Valentine secretly performed marriage ceremonies. When this reached the ears of Emperor Claudius, he was furious. Valentine was arrested, thrown in jail and sentenced to death. Just the evening before he was to be executed, he wrote the first Valentine himself addressed to a young girl, a jailer's daughter whom he had befriended. The note read `From your Valentine`. This is where the custom of exchanging love messages o Valentine’s Day came from. He was martyred on February 14 and this day is celebrated to honor the spirit of love.


There are some interesting customs and beliefs associated with Valentine’s Day. In some countries, if a woman sees a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it means that she will marry a sailor. If she sees a sparrow, she will marry a poor man and be very happy. However, if she sees a goldfinch, she will marry a millionaire In Wales, wooden love spoons are carved and gifted On Valentine’s Day. Hearts, keys and keyholes are the most popular decorations on the spoons and mean `You unlock my heart!`


The term `wearing the heart on the sleeve` originated from a Valentine custom dating back to the Middle Ages. Young men and women would draw names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be and these names would be worn on their sleeves for a week.


In some countries, a young woman receives apparel as a gift from a young man and this is akin to a marriage proposal. If she keeps it, this will be taken to mean she will marry him.


Today, Valentine’s Day is celebrated the world over by couples exchanging cards and gifts. Special lines of Valentine gifts with Valentine hearts and other romantic gifts overflow on the racks of stores. The festival has grown to be a giant celebration of love and romance and couples loves to show the world how much in love they are. And many couples who have been dating each other take this opportunity to pop te question or get married.