<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236</id><updated>2011-07-30T14:15:02.505-07:00</updated><title type='text'>GREEN HEALTH</title><subtitle type='html'>HEALTH NATURALLY IT'S GREEN HEALTH</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>20</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-6885294944365264236</id><published>2010-01-09T09:19:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2010-01-09T09:22:10.001-08:00</updated><title type='text'>No More Doctor...</title><content type='html'>Do you want:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;·        Prevent the terrible pain associated with gout&lt;br /&gt;·        Stop attacks quickly and efficiently&lt;br /&gt;·        Prevent future attacks&lt;br /&gt;·        Put an end to the need for expensive prescription drugs&lt;br /&gt;·        Allow you to return to a normal healthy living&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; No more of any of this:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;·        Frequent visits to the doctor&lt;br /&gt;·        Crawling to the bathroom during to the night in extreme pain&lt;br /&gt;·        Struggling to even put your shoes and socks on&lt;br /&gt;·        Harsh medicines that damage your body&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Find How by Clicking the image above "Quick Gout Pain Relief"&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-6885294944365264236?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/6885294944365264236/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=6885294944365264236' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/6885294944365264236'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/6885294944365264236'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2010/01/no-more-doctor.html' title='No More Doctor...'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-4373120881222939860</id><published>2009-08-11T03:04:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-08-11T03:09:24.081-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Back to nature HEALTH</title><content type='html'>Nowadays, chemical medicine is hard to be avoided. Many People use it everytime they feel unwell. Dont forget about Herbal, its better than the common medicine, you know why?. One important point is about side effect. Chemical medicine will infect your body &amp; brain. But for herbal it almost no effect, coz it comes from nature.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So lets back to nature for your Health&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-4373120881222939860?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/4373120881222939860/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=4373120881222939860' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/4373120881222939860'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/4373120881222939860'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2009/08/back-to-nature-health.html' title='Back to nature HEALTH'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-7522506004030336249</id><published>2009-06-21T18:33:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-06-21T18:53:28.324-07:00</updated><title type='text'>WHY ARE WE TIRED?</title><content type='html'>Have you ever seen cat that is sleeping?. Or "Sleep like a Baby", phrase. Why they can sleep with "no problemo". Its Easy, its caused they have no problem in their mind. When we are tired, trully our mind is tired, not always body. SO keep your mind fresh...&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-7522506004030336249?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/7522506004030336249/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=7522506004030336249' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/7522506004030336249'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/7522506004030336249'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2009/06/why-are-we-tired.html' title='WHY ARE WE TIRED?'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-4800731803994309032</id><published>2009-01-17T10:39:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-01-18T01:32:14.200-08:00</updated><title type='text'>SECRET BEHIND OUR DISEASE</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:180%;"&gt;B&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:180%;"&gt;elieve it or not, there is a hidden secret behind something that cause our disease. We are not going to talk about viruses, bacteria or other. Its about our self.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So What is it?. Based on her experience in handling thousand of patients, Louise L. Hay  state that "Almost all physical disease are the manifestation  of  unfinished emotion problems.".  She has made a long list of all kind physical disease &amp;amp; emotion problems that has relation with  it. For example  :&lt;br /&gt;1. Sinusitis is most of caused by  "The Hidden Anger" to our close person&lt;br /&gt;2.  Disease on our skin in caused by  some feeling such as worried,  not save, &amp;amp;  fear  that  left in our unconscious.&lt;br /&gt;3. Etc... I think we need to read "You Can Heal Your Self" to reveal all list that Louise made in her book.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So What we have to do?. My Suggestion are... keep always feel sincerity and total surrendering to our self when facing all disease that come to hit our weak body.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Keep healthy &amp;amp; Green...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-4800731803994309032?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/4800731803994309032/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=4800731803994309032' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/4800731803994309032'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/4800731803994309032'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2009/01/secret-behind-our-disease.html' title='SECRET BEHIND OUR DISEASE'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-7087182930737056188</id><published>2008-05-13T07:26:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2008-05-13T07:26:55.580-07:00</updated><title type='text'>"The Way to Wellness" It's time to start a Healthy life: your 7 days program</title><content type='html'>How many times have you gone to sleep at night, swearing you'll go to the gym in the morning, and then changing your mind just eight hours later because when you get up, you don't feel like exercising?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;While this can happen to the best of us, it doesn't mean you should drop the ball altogether when it comes to staying fit. What people need to realize is that staying active and eating right are critical for long-term health and wellness -- and that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The more you know about how your body responds to your lifestyle choices, the better you can customize a nutrition and exercise plan that is right for you. When you eat well, increase your level of physical activity, and exercise at the proper intensity, you are informing your body that you want to burn a substantial amount of fuel. This translates to burning fat more efficiently for energy.&lt;br /&gt;In other words, proper eating habits plus exercise equals fast metabolism, which, in turn gives you more energy throughout the day and allows you to do more physical work with less effort.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The true purpose of exercise is to send a repetitive message to the body asking for improvement in metabolism, strength, aerobic capacity and overall fitness and health. Each time you exercise, your body responds by upgrading its capabilities to burn fat throughout the day and night, Exercise doesn't have to be intense to work for you, but it does need to be consistent.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I recommend engaging in regular cardiovascular exercise four times per week for 20 to 30 minutes per session, and resistance training four times per week for 20 to 25 minutes per session. This balanced approach provides a one-two punch, incorporating aerobic exercise to burn fat and deliver more oxygen, and resistance training to increase lean body mass and burn more calories around the block.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Here's a sample exercise program that may work for you:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* Warm Up -- seven to eight minutes of light aerobic activity intended to increase blood flow and lubricate and warm-up your tendons and joints.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* Resistance Training -- Train all major muscle groups. One to two sets of each exercise. Rest 45 seconds between sets.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* Aerobic Exercise -- Pick two favorite activities, they could be jogging, rowing, biking or cross-country skiing, whatever fits your lifestyle. Perform 12 to 15 minutes of the first activity and continue with 10 minutes of the second activity. Cool down during the last five minutes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* Stretching -- Wrap up your exercise session by stretching, breathing deeply, relaxing and meditating.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When starting an exercise program, it is important to have realistic expectations. Depending on your initial fitness level, you should expect the following changes early on.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* From one to eight weeks -- Feel better and have more energy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* From two to six months -- Lose size and inches while becoming leaner. Clothes begin to fit more loosely. You are gaining muscle and losing fat.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* After six months -- Start losing weight quite rapidly.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Once you make the commitment to exercise several times a week, don't stop there. You should also change your diet and/or eating habits,' says Zwiefel. Counting calories or calculating grams and percentages for certain nutrients is impractical. Instead, I suggest these easy-to-follow guidelines:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* Eat several small meals (optimally four) and a couple of small snacks throughout the day&lt;br /&gt;* Make sure every meal is balanced -- incorporate palm-sized proteins like lean meats, fish, egg whites and dairy products, fist-sized portions of complex carbohydrates like whole-wheat bread and pasta, wild rice, multigrain cereal and potatoes, and fist-sized portions of vegetable and fruits&lt;br /&gt;* Limit your fat intake to only what's necessary for adequate flavor&lt;br /&gt;* Drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water throughout the day&lt;br /&gt;* I also recommend that you take a multi-vitamin each day to ensure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I suppose that's all I can think of for now. I should extend my thanks to a doctor friend of mine. Without him, I wouldn't be able to write this article, or keep my sanity.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Enjoy life, we all deserve it.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-7087182930737056188?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/7087182930737056188/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=7087182930737056188' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/7087182930737056188'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/7087182930737056188'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2008/05/way-to-wellness-its-time-to-start.html' title='&quot;The Way to Wellness&quot; It&apos;s time to start a Healthy life: your 7 days program'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-2183629853509229379</id><published>2008-05-13T07:24:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-05-13T07:25:44.224-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Genuine Happiness Comes from Within</title><content type='html'>Life isn’t the sweetest candy. Sometimes, when I feel like the world is just too heavy, I look around and find people who continued to live fascinating and wonderful lives. And then thoughts come popping into my mind like bubbles from nowhere – “How did their life become so adorably sweet? How come they still can manage to laugh and play around despite a busy stressful life?”  Then I pause and observed for awhile… I figured out that maybe, they start to work on a place called ‘self’.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So, how does one become genuinely happy? Step 1 is to love yourself.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My theology professor once said that “loving means accepting.”  To love oneself means to accept that you are not a perfect being, but behind the imperfections must lie a great ounce of courage to be able to discover ways on how to improve your repertoire to recover from our mistakes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Genuine happiness also pertains to contentment. When you are contented with the job you have, the way you look, with your family, your friends, the place you live in, your car, and all the things you now have – truly, you know the answer to the question “how to be genuinely happy.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When we discover a small start somewhere from within, that small start will eventually lead to something else, and to something else. But if you keep questioning life lit it has never done you any good, you will never be able to find genuine happiness.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I believe that life is about finding out about right and wrong, trying and failing, wining and losing. These are things that happen as often as you inhale and exhale. Failure, in a person’s life has become as abundant and necessary as air. But this should not hinder us from becoming happy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;How to be genuinely happy in spite all these? I tell you… every time you exert effort to improve the quality of life and your being, whether it is cleaning up your room, helping a friend, taking care of your sick dog, fail on board exams and trying again, life gives you equivalent points for that.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Imagine life as a big score board like those which are used in the NFLs. Every time you take a step forward, you make scoring points. Wouldn’t it be nice to look at that board at the end of each game and think to yourself “Whew! I got a point today. I’m glad I gave it a shot.”, instead of looking at it all blank and murmur “Geez, I didn’t even hit a score today. I wish I had the guts to try out. We could have won!” and then walk away.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Genuine happiness isn’t about driving the hottest Formula 1 car, nor getting the employee of the year award, earning the highest 13th month pay, or beating the sales quota. Sometimes, the most sought after prizes in life doesn’t always go to the fastest, the strongest, the bravest or not even the best. So, how do you become genuinely happy?  Every one has his own definition of ‘happiness’. Happiness for a writer may mean launching as much best selling books as possible. Happiness for a basketball rookie may mean getting the rookie of the year award. Happiness for a beggar may mean a lot of money. Happiness for a business man may mean success. So, really now, how do we become genuinely happy? Simple. You don’t have to have the best things in this world. Its about doing and making the best out of every single thing. When you find yourself smiling at your own mistake and telling your self “Oh, I’ll do better next time”, you carry with you a flame of strong will power to persevere that may spread out like a brush fire. You possess a willingness to stand up again and try – that will make you a genuinely happy person.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When you learn to accept yourself and your own faults. You pass step 1 in the project “how to become genuinely happy”.For as long as you know how to accept others, you will also be accepted. For as long as you love and know how to love, you will receive love ten folds back.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Again, throw me that same question “how to become genuinely happy?”. I’ll refer you to a friend of mine who strongly quoted- “Most of us know that laughter is the best medicine to life’s aches and pain. But most of us don’t know that the best kind of laughter is laughter over self. Coz then you don’t just become happy… you become free.”&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-2183629853509229379?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/2183629853509229379/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=2183629853509229379' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/2183629853509229379'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/2183629853509229379'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2008/05/genuine-happiness-comes-from-within.html' title='Genuine Happiness Comes from Within'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-904361587383704347</id><published>2008-05-13T07:23:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-05-13T07:24:29.153-07:00</updated><title type='text'>5000 Year-Old Medical Secret Unearthed!</title><content type='html'>When you get sick, you go to the doctor. And the doctor will, of course, prescribe medicines. You will go and buy medicines. You take them, and hopefully, you get well.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is how the health profession goes on nowadays – a cycle of diagnosis and prescription.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If anyone were to give you herbs for medicine, you would probably say that that person was a quack.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But nowadays, studies are being conducted to see if there are really is any merit to what is called natural medicine.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Natural medicine is the use of natural methods, herbal medicines, and traditional practices to heal ailments. Every culture has a form of natural medicine. In ancient cultures, village medicine men served as the doctors of the community, passing on medical knowledge to the apprentices that followed them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Many categories of the healing methods fall under natural medicine. Among these are traditional medicine, complementary medicine, and alternative medicine.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Usually, natural medicine refers to medical practices that were in place before the advent of modern medicine.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This includes herbal medicine, or phytotherapy, which is prevalent in Chinese, Ayurvedic(or Indian), and Greek medicine.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Upon the advent of modern medicine, many professionals discarded the use of herbs in favor of man-made medicine. The fact that these treatments are based on the healing properties of some herbs was forgotten.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For example, opium, digitalis, quinine, and aspirin all have their roots in traditional medicine.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Natural medicine can be considered as a lost art. This does not mean that it has lost efficacy over time. In some cases, natural therapy is actually better than modern medicine. This leads some doctors to seriously consider and study the possible uses of natural medicine&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Before we continue, it is important to stress that not all the natural remedies are legitimate. It would help to only try those remedies which have been thoroughly studied and are relatively risk free.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Take herbal medicine for example. There are many well-documented and studied herbal remedies available. However, only those that deal with minor ailments such as cough, colds, fever, skin rashes, and its ilk are likely to be recommended by health professionals. These remedies are sometimes superior to synthetic medicine. This is because herbal medicines are less likely to cause negative side effects.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Currently there are numerous organizations that study the effects and advocacy of natural medicine – among which is herbal medicine. Some governments and health agencies openly advocate the use of natural methods since they are inexpensive and relatively risk-free.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As their studies compile, more herbs and treatments are added to the list of accepted medicines. However, many herbs and treatments have been proven to be bogus medicine. This represents a challenge for both the user and the agencies because they have to ascertain that the treatments they either use or advocate are legitimate.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There exist today many alternative medical treatments that fall under natural medicine. However, not all of them have been proven to be effective. You could mention homeopathy, aromatherapy, acupuncture, and other alternative medical treatments. It would pay to consult the experts as to the legitimacy of these treatments.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Natural medicine should also be thought of as an accompanying medicine. Right now, the current collective medical thought suggests that natural medicine be used only to supplement accepted modern medical practices. In that case of minor ailments your expert we actually advise you to take natural therapies instead.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The practice of modern medicine revolves around diagnosing an illness and prescribing treatments for such. Natural medicine is helpful because it suggests that treatment be not necessarily given only when sick. Natural medicine strives to make each patient practice good health habits. These habits include good diet, healthy living, and the regular natural treatment.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It is this same line of thought that leads our parents to tell us to eat our vegetables. Yes, a healthy lifestyle and will do no harm to our well-being. And this is the foundation of natural medicine – may it be massage, herbal medicine, aromatherapy or others.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It is funny but true that science, in its quest for excellence, is studying the knowledge of sages past. This, surprisingly, leads us back to the remedies nature offers. The possibilities of finding remedies to everyday illnesses in natural medicine are encouraging. So staying tuned to studying these remedies is worthwhile until we can verify that these therapies are truly helpful to our health and our society.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-904361587383704347?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/904361587383704347/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=904361587383704347' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/904361587383704347'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/904361587383704347'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2008/05/5000-year-old-medical-secret-unearthed.html' title='5000 Year-Old Medical Secret Unearthed!'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-2927260982786138298</id><published>2008-05-13T07:22:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-05-13T07:23:29.910-07:00</updated><title type='text'>To Go or Not to Go Herbal, that is the Question…</title><content type='html'>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.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What is the difference between a drug and a dietary supplement?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;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.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;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.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;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.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Is there a growing concern with the use of herbal supplements?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;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.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Is using herbal supplements worth the risk?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;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:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Your doctor knows best.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;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.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Follow the directions for use.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;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&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It has no approved curative effect.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;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.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-2927260982786138298?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/2927260982786138298/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=2927260982786138298' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/2927260982786138298'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/2927260982786138298'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2008/05/to-go-or-not-to-go-herbal-that-is.html' title='To Go or Not to Go Herbal, that is the Question…'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-4155228784590995783</id><published>2008-05-13T07:21:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-05-13T07:22:35.237-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Does a Law on Human Attraction Exist?</title><content type='html'>“Opposites attract” is a law of attraction, at least where electromagnetism is concerned. But are there laws about attraction between two people? “In a world that is full of strangers” as a line in a famous song of the 1980’s goes, is there a clear set of rules that allows two people to fall for each other?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Is attraction a matter of chemistry?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Maybe. According to scientists, the attraction between animals of the opposite sex is all about chemicals called pheromones. The effect of pheromones in behavior of insects is the most studied to date. It has been observed, at least in some experiments, that pheromones are responsible for communication among same species and colony of ants. The horrible odor released by skunks to ward off enemies is said to be a kind of pheromone. Some species of apes rub pheromone-containing urine on the feet of potential mates to attract them. Some scientists believe that animals (usually the females) such as insects and mammals send out these chemical signals to tell the male of their species that their genes are different from theirs. This gene diversity is important in producing offspring with better chances of survival. The perfume industry has capitalized on pheromones as a means to increase one’s sexual attractiveness to the opposite sex. Animals such as the whale and the musk deer were hunted down for these chemicals.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lately, scientists are looking into the existence of human pheromones and its role in mate selection. There are many conflicting views in the realm of biology, chemistry, genetics, and psychology. Most scientists would assert that these do not exist, or if they do, do not play a role in sexual attraction between a man and a woman. But new researches such as that conducted by Swiss researchers from the University of Bern led by Klaus Wedekind are slowly making these scientists rethink their stand. Their experiment involved women sniffing the cotton shirts of different men during their ovulation period. It was found out that women prefer the smell of men’s shirts that were genetically different, but also shared similarities with the women’s genes. This, like in the case of insects and other mammals, was to ensure better and healthier characteristics for their future children. But researchers also cautioned that preference for a male odor is affected by the women’s ovulation period, the food that men eat, perfumes and other scented body products, and the use of contraceptive pills.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Does personality figure in sexual attraction?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yes, but so does your perception of a potential mate’s personality. According to a research conducted by Klohnen, E.C., &amp;amp; S. Luo in 2003 on interpersonal attraction and personality, a person’s sense of self-security and at least the person’s perception of his/her partner were found to be strong determinants of attraction in hypothetical situations. What does this tell us? We prefer a certain personality type, which attracts you to a person. But aside from the actual personality of the person, which can only be verified through close interaction through time, it is your perception of your potential partner that attracts you to him/her, whether the person of your affection truly has that kind of personality or not. This could probably account for a statement commonly heard from men and women on their failed relationships: “I thought he/she was this kind of person.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So how does attraction figure in relationships?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You have probably heard that attraction is a prelude, or a factor towards a relationship. Most probably, at least in the beginning; but attraction alone cannot make a relationship work. It is that attraction that makes you notice a person from the opposite sex, but once you get to know the person more, attraction is just one consideration. Shared values, dreams, and passions become more significant in long-term relationships.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So should I stop trying to become attractive?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;More than trying to become physically attractive, work on all aspects of your health: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Physical attraction is still a precursor. Remember, biology predisposes us to choose the partner with the healthiest genes. Where your emotions are concerned, just ask this to yourself: would you want to spend time with a person who feels insecure about him/herself? Probably not! There is wisdom in knowing yourself: who you are, your beliefs, values, and dreams. And do not pretend to be someone you are not. Fooling another person by making him/her think that you share the same values and beliefs is only going to cause you both disappointments. When you are healthy in all aspects, attractiveness becomes a consequence and not an end. As mentioned in the Klohnen and Luo’s research, a person’s sense of self-security matters, perhaps even beyond attraction. But remember: do these things for yourself and not for other people. Only then can you truly harness your attractiveness as a person.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-4155228784590995783?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/4155228784590995783/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=4155228784590995783' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/4155228784590995783'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/4155228784590995783'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2008/05/does-law-on-human-attraction-exist.html' title='Does a Law on Human Attraction Exist?'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-7795055575290805388</id><published>2008-05-13T07:20:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-05-13T07:21:09.332-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Spiritual Growth: the Spiritual Challenge of Modern Times</title><content type='html'>To grow spiritually in a world defined by power, money, and influence is a Herculean task. Modern conveniences such as electronic equipments, gadgets, and tools as well as entertainment through television, magazines, and the web have predisposed us to confine our attention mostly to physical needs and wants. As a result, our concepts of self-worth and self-meaning are muddled. How can we strike a balance between the material and spiritual aspects of our lives?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To grow spiritually is to look inward.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Introspection goes beyond recalling the things that happened in a day, week, or month. You need to look closely and reflect on your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and motivations. Periodically examining your experiences, the decisions you make, the relationships you have, and the things you engage in provide useful insights on your life goals, on the good traits you must sustain and the bad traits you have to discard. Moreover, it gives you clues on how to act, react, and conduct yourself in the midst of any situation. Like any skill, introspection can be learned; all it takes is the courage and willingness to seek the truths that lie within you. Here are some pointers when you introspect: be objective, be forgiving of yourself, and focus on your areas for improvement.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To grow spiritually is to develop your potentials.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Religion and science have differing views on matters of the human spirit. Religion views people as spiritual beings temporarily living on Earth, while science views the spirit as just one dimension of an individual. Mastery of the self is a recurring theme in both Christian (Western) and Islamic (Eastern) teachings. The needs of the body are recognized but placed under the needs of the spirit. Beliefs, values, morality, rules, experiences, and good works provide the blueprint to ensure the growth of the spiritual being. In Psychology, realizing one’s full potential is to self-actualize. Maslow identified several human needs: physiological, security, belongingness, esteem, cognitive, aesthetic, self-actualization, and self-transcendence. James earlier categorized these needs into three: material, emotional, and spiritual. When you have satisfied the basic physiological and emotional needs, spiritual or existential needs come next. Achieving each need leads to the total development of the individual. Perhaps the difference between these two religions and psychology is the end of self-development: Christianity and Islam see that self-development is a means toward serving God, while psychology view that self-development is an end by itself.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To grow spiritually is to search for meaning.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Religions that believe in the existence of God such as Christianism, Judaism, and Islam suppose that the purpose of the human life is to serve the Creator of all things. Several theories in psychology propose that we ultimately give meaning to our lives. Whether we believe that life’s meaning is pre-determined or self-directed, to grow in spirit is to realize that we do not merely exist. We do not know the meaning of our lives at birth; but we gain knowledge and wisdom from our interactions with people and from our actions and reactions to the situations we are in. As we discover this meaning, there are certain beliefs and values that we reject and affirm.  Our lives have purpose. This purpose puts all our physical, emotional, and intellectual potentials into use; sustains us during trying times; and gives us something to look forward to---a goal to achieve, a destination to reach. A person without purpose or meaning is like a drifting ship at sea.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To grow spiritually is to recognize interconnections.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Religions stress the concept of our relatedness to all creation, live and inanimate. Thus we call other people “brothers and sisters” even if there are no direct blood relations. Moreover, deity-centered religions such as Christianity and Islam speak of the relationship between humans and a higher being. On the other hand, science expounds on our link to other living things through the evolution theory. This relatedness is clearly seen in the concept of ecology, the interaction between living and non-living things. In psychology, connectedness is a characteristic of self-transcendence, the highest human need according to Maslow. Recognizing your connection to all things makes you more humble and respectful of people, animals, plants, and things in nature. It makes you appreciate everything around you. It moves you to go beyond your comfort zone and reach out to other people, and become stewards of all other things around you.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Growth is a process thus to grow in spirit is a day-to-day encounter. We win some, we lose some, but the important thing is that we learn, and from this knowledge, further spiritual growth is made possible.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-7795055575290805388?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/7795055575290805388/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=7795055575290805388' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/7795055575290805388'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/7795055575290805388'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2008/05/spiritual-growth-spiritual-challenge-of.html' title='Spiritual Growth: the Spiritual Challenge of Modern Times'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-4708646161989205045</id><published>2008-05-13T07:18:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-05-13T07:19:46.128-07:00</updated><title type='text'>More than One Way to Skin a Cat: Adventures in Creative Thinking</title><content type='html'>How many times have you caught yourself saying that there could be no other solution to a problem – and that that problem leads to a dead end? How many times have you felt stumped knowing that the problem laying before you is one you cannot solve. No leads.  No options.  No solutions. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Did it feel like you had exhausted all possible options and yet are still before the mountain – large, unconquerable, and impregnable? When encountering such enormous problems, you may feel like you're hammering against a steel mountain. The pressure of having to solve such a problem may be overwhelming.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But rejoice! There might be some hope yet!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;With some creative problem-solving techniques you may be able to look at your problem in a different light. And that light might just be the end of the tunnel that leads to possible solutions.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;First of all, in the light of creative problem-solving, you must be open-minded to the fact that there may be more than just one solution to the problem. And, you must be open to the fact that there may be solutions to problems you thought were unsolvable.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now, with this optimistic mindset, we can try to be a little bit more creative in solving our problems.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Number one; maybe the reason we cannot solve our problems is that we have not really taken a hard look at what the problem is. Here, trying to understanding the problem and having a concrete understanding of its workings is integral solving the problem. If you know how it works, what the problem is, then you have a better foundation towards solving the problem.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Not trying to make the simple statement of what problem is. Try to identify the participating entities and what their relationships with one another are. Take note of the things you stand to gain any stand to lose from the current problem. Now you have a simple statement of what the problem is.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Number two; try to take note of all of the constraints and assumptions you have the words of problem. Sometimes it is these assumptions that obstruct our view of possible solutions. You have to identify which assumptions are valid, in which assumptions need to be addressed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Number three; try to solve the problem by parts. Solve it going from general view towards the more detailed parts of the problem. This is called the top-down approach. Write down the question, and then come up with a one-sentence solution to that from them. The solution should be a general statement of what will solve the problem. From here you can develop the solution further, and increase its complexity little by little.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Number four; although it helps to have critical thinking aboard as you solve a problem, you must also keep a creative, analytical voice at the back of your head. When someone comes up with a prospective solution, tried to think how you could make that solution work. Try to be creative. At the same time, look for chinks in the armor of that solution.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Number five; it pays to remember that there may be more than just one solution being developed at one time. Try to keep track of all the solutions and their developments. Remember, there may be more than just one solution to the problem.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Number six; remember that old adage," two heads are better than one." That one is truer than it sounds. Always be open to new ideas. You can only benefit from listening to all the ideas each person has. This is especially true when the person you're talking to has had experience solving problems similar to yours.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You don't have to be a gung-ho, solo hero to solve the problem. If you can organize collective thought on the subject, it would be much better.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Number seven; be patient. As long as you persevere, there is always a chance that a solution will present itself. Remember that no one was able to create an invention the first time around.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Creative thinking exercises can also help you in your quest be a more creative problems solver.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Here is one example.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Take a piece of paper and write any word that comes to mind at the center. Now look at that word then write the first two words that come to your mind. This can go on until you can build a tree of related words. This helps you build analogical skills, and fortify your creative processes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So, next time you see a problem you think you can not solve, think again. The solution might just be staring you right in the face. All it takes is just a little creative thinking, some planning, and a whole lot of work.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-4708646161989205045?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/4708646161989205045/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=4708646161989205045' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/4708646161989205045'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/4708646161989205045'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2008/05/more-than-one-way-to-skin-cat.html' title='More than One Way to Skin a Cat: Adventures in Creative Thinking'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-5205678495042103501</id><published>2008-05-13T07:17:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2008-05-13T07:17:58.398-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Enjoy Your Life: Change Your Point of View</title><content type='html'>"Two men look out through the same bars: One sees the mud, and one sees the stars."- Frederick Langbridge, A Cluster of Quiet Thoughts&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you’ve placed second in a writing contest, will you jump for joy and push for better results the next time or will you be discouraged and find an excuse not to join again?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In life, you are always filled with choices. You may opt to have a pessimist’s view and live a self-defeated life or you may decide to take the optimist’s route and take a challenging and fulfilling life.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So why nurture an optimist’s point of view? And why now?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Well, optimism has been linked to positive mood and good morale; to academic, athletic, military, occupational and political success; to popularity; to good health and even to long life and freedom from trauma.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;On the other hand, the rates of depression and pessimism have never been higher. It affects middle-aged adults the same way it hits younger people. The mean age of onset has gone from 30 to 15. It is no longer a middle-aged housewife’s disorder but also a teen-ager’s disorder’ as well.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Here’s how optimists are in action and researches that back up why it really pays to be an optimist:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Optimists expect the best&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The defining characteristic of pessimists is that they tend to believe bad events, which will last a long time and undermine everything they do, are their own fault.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The truth is optimists are confronted with the same hard knocks of this world. What differs is the way they explain their misfortune---it’s the opposite way. They tend to believe defeat is just a temporary setback, that its causes are confined to this one case.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Optimists tend to focus on and plan for the 'problem' at hand. They use 'positive reinterpretation.' In other words, they most likely reinterpret a negative experience in a way that helps them learn and grow. Such people are unfazed by bad situation, they perceive it is a challenge and try harder.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They won’t say “things will never get better,” “If I failed once, it will happen again” and “If I experience misfortune in one part of my life, then it will happen in my whole life.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Positive expectancies of optimists also predict better reactions during transitions to new environments, sudden tragedies and unlikely turn of events. If they fall, they will stand up. They see opportunities instead of obstacles.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;People respond positively to optimists&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Optimists are proactive and less dependent on others for their happiness. They find no need to control or manipulate people. They usually draw people towards them. Their optimistic view of the world can be contagious and influence those they are with.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Optimism seems a socially desirable trait in all communities. Those who share optimism are generally accepted while those who spread gloom, panic and hysteria are treated unfavorably.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In life, these people often win elections; get voted most congenial and sought for advice.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When the going gets tough, optimists get tougher&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Optimists typically maintain higher levels of subjective well-being during times of stress than do people who are less optimistic. In contrast, pessimists are likely to react to stressful events by denying that they exist or by avoiding dealing with problems. Pessimists are more likely to quit trying when difficulties arise.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They persevere. They just don’t give up easily, they are also known for their patience. Inching their way a step closer to that goal or elusive dream.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Optimists are healthier and live longer&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Medical research has justified that simple pleasures and a positive outlook can cause a measurable increase in the body's ability to fight disease.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Optimists’ health is unusually good. They age well, much freer than most people from the usual physical ills of middle age. And they get to outlive those prone to negative thoughts.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So why not be an optimist today? And think positively towards a more fulfilled life.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Why not look forward to success in all your endeavors? Why not be resilient? Like everybody else you are bound to hit lows sometimes but don’t just stay there. Carry yourself out of the mud and improve your chances of getting back on the right track. And why not inspire others to remove their dark-colored glasses and see life in the bright side?&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-5205678495042103501?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/5205678495042103501/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=5205678495042103501' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/5205678495042103501'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/5205678495042103501'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2008/05/enjoy-your-life-change-your-point-of.html' title='Enjoy Your Life: Change Your Point of View'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-7052660150901553400</id><published>2008-05-13T05:59:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-05-13T06:00:06.157-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Impossible is Just a Word</title><content type='html'>Everyone, at some point of his or her life, has dreamed of being somebody special, somebody big. Who hasn't fantasized about being the one who hits the game-winning homer? Who hasn't dreamed of being the homecoming queen? And how many times have we dreamed of being rich, or successful, or happy with our relationships?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Often, we dream big dreams and have great aspirations. Unfortunately, our dreams remain just that – dreams. And our aspirations easily collect dust in our attic.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is a sad turn of events in our life. Instead of experiencing exciting adventures in self actualization, we get caught up in the humdrum of living from day-to-day just barely existing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But you know what? Life could be so much better, if only we learned to aim higher.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The most common problem to setting goals is the word impossible. Most people get hung up thinking I can't do this. It's too hard. It's too impossible. No one can do this.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;However, if everyone thought that, there would be no inventions, no innovations, and no breakthroughs in human accomplishment.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Remember that scientists were baffled when they took a look at the humble bumblebee. Theoretically, they said, it was impossible for the bumblebee to fly. Unfortunately for the bumble, bee no one has told it so. So fly it does.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;On the other hand, some people suffer from dreaming totally outrageous dreams and not acting on them. The result? Broken dreams, and tattered aspirations.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you limit yourself with self-doubt, and self-limiting assumptions, you will never be able to break past what you deem impossible. If you reach too far out into the sky without working towards your goal, you will find yourself clinging on to the impossible dream.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Try this exercise. Take a piece of paper and write down some goals in your life. Under one header, list down things ‘you know you can do’. Under another header, write the things ‘you might be able to do.’ And under one more, list the things that that are ‘impossible for you to do.’&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now look at all the headers strive every day to accomplish the goals that are under things ‘you know you can do’. Check them when you are able to accomplish them. As you slowly are able to check all of your goals under that heading, try accomplishing the goals under the other header-the one that reads ‘you might be able to do.’&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As of the items you wrote under things I could do are accomplished, you can move the goals that are under things that are ‘impossible for you to do’ to the list of things ‘you might be able to do.’&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As you iterate through this process, you will find out that the goals you thought were impossible become easier to accomplish. And the impossible begin to seem possible after all.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You see, the technique here is not to limit your imagination. It is to aim high, and start working towards that goal little by little. However, it also is unwise to set a goal that is truly unrealistic.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Those who just dream towards a goal without working hard end up disappointed and disillusioned.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;On the other hand, if you told someone a hundred years ago that it was possible for man to be on the moon, they would laugh at you. If you had told them that you could send mail from here to the other side of the world in a few seconds, they would say you were out of your mind. But, through sheer desire and perseverance, these impossible dreams are now realities.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Thomas Edison once said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Nothing could be truer. For one to accomplish his or her dreams, there has to be had work and discipline. But take note that that 1% has to be a think-big dream, and not some easily accomplished one.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ask any gym rat and he or she will tell you that there can be no gains unless you are put out of your comfort zone. Remember the saying, “No pain, no gain”? That is as true as it can be.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So dream on, friend! Don’t get caught up with your perceived limitations. Think big and work hard to attain those dreams. As you step up the ladder of progress, you will just about find out that the impossible has just become a little bit more possible.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-7052660150901553400?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/7052660150901553400/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=7052660150901553400' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/7052660150901553400'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/7052660150901553400'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2008/05/impossible-is-just-word.html' title='Impossible is Just a Word'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-5879277167023396388</id><published>2008-05-13T05:58:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-05-13T05:59:07.564-07:00</updated><title type='text'>The Road to Intuition</title><content type='html'>The Road to Intuition&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Have you had that experience when all of a sudden you just had this huge hunch that something is about to happen, and to your surprise, that intuition was eventually translated to reality?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When you feel strongly about something without logical basis to it, that's called intuition. It comes in three impressions: clairvoyance or "the third eye", sensing clearly and feeling through listening.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clairvoyance is when your eye goes beyond what it can see. This is when you know what is happening somewhere.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Sensing clearly is basically what we refer to as "hunch" or "gut feel." This is the time when you are overwhelmed with a feeling and you can't explain it and all you can say is "I just know."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;On the other hand, feeling through listening or clairaudience is being able to "listen" between the lines. Intuition also happens at times when a certain sound, whatever it is - be it a car's honk or a bird's twitting - ushers in an intense feeling.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They say only a number of people are gifted with intuition. Astrologers even insist that people born under the Scorpio or Pisces signs are naturally intuitive it almost borders on E.S.P. But studies have been sprouting left and right that proclaim that anyone can develop intuition.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Why the need to develop intuition, you ask? Why not let your emotional and psychological state as it is? First and foremost, intuition promotes good communication. It makes you more sensitive to the people around you; it often keeps you from hurting those you love because you are intuitive enough to understand them. Intuition also makes you far more creative than ever. Intuition means releasing more creative juices for any means of expression. Lastly, intuition has a healing power. This healing power is not in the physical sense, but in delving deep into your soul to eradicate some negative energy buried in it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;With that being said, are you ready to develop your intuition? Here are some ways to unlock this gift:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1. Hypnosis&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Oh yes, get yourself hypnotized. Hypnosis is not limited to watching a pendulum move back and forth. Perform self-hypnosis or you can avail of hypnotic programs that can strengthen your intuition.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;2. Meditation&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Meditating means finding peace in yourself. If your mind and heart are cluttered with too many baggage and hurt,  you wouldn't be able to quiet down that part of you that could eventually initiate intuition. There are so many ways to meditate: take a yoga class, or just simply practice some breathing that could bring you straight to Zen.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;3. Think positive!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A worry-free, fear-free state could do so much to improve your intuitive ability. By staying positive, you attract good energy that would be able to easily recognize imminent feelings and events.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;4.  Just let go.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What does this mean? If you are on the brink of making a huge decision, let go of all the inhibitions and head to a quiet place where you could find out where the letting go has brought you. Sometimes you just have to listen to the voice within you, and that voice wouldn't come out unless you let go.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;5. Never expect.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After letting go of the inhibitions and all those things that stop you from thinking and feeling clearly, never expect for an answer right away. Never expect that the "hunch" would fall on your lap immediately. Give it a little time then you'd just get surprised that -- wham! -- now you have your answer.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;6. Believe in your first impressions.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When you see someone for the first time and think that he is a bit too arrogant for your taste, chances are that impression actually holds true. Most of the time, first impressions are brought by intuition.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;7. Stay happy!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;See? All you need to be intuitive is to stay happy! Happiness attracts immense power and such power includes intuition. In tapping your intuition, your motivation must be happiness and contentment. Given that premise, intuition will fall to you easily.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Intuition is helpful, because sometimes it leads you to something that cannot be achieved otherwise. A lot of lives have been saved by intuition alone. Decisions are easier done if armed by this gift. Develop intuition now and reap benefits you have never imagined.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-5879277167023396388?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/5879277167023396388/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=5879277167023396388' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/5879277167023396388'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/5879277167023396388'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2008/05/road-to-intuition.html' title='The Road to Intuition'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-5319641030993625899</id><published>2008-05-13T05:57:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2008-05-13T05:57:42.186-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Why Coaching is the Way to Go in Team Management</title><content type='html'>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?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Coaching is no longer reserved to sports teams; it is now one of the key concepts in leadership and management. Why is coaching popular?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Coaching levels the playing field.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;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.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Coaching builds up confidence and competence.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;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.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Coaching promotes individual and team excellence.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;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.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Coaching develops high commitment to common goals.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;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.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Coaching produces valuable leaders.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;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.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;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.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-5319641030993625899?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/5319641030993625899/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=5319641030993625899' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/5319641030993625899'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/5319641030993625899'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2008/05/why-coaching-is-way-to-go-in-team.html' title='Why Coaching is the Way to Go in Team Management'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-7502800849518650739</id><published>2008-05-13T05:56:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2008-05-13T05:56:38.758-07:00</updated><title type='text'>BUILD YOUR SELF ESTEEM, A STARTER GUIDE TO SELF IMPROVEMENT</title><content type='html'>So how do you stay calm, composed and maintain self esteem in a tough environment? Here are some tips you may to consider as a starter guide to self improvement.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Imagine yourself as a Dart Board. Everything and everyone else around you may become Dart Pins, at one point or another. These dart pins will destroy your self esteem and pull you down in ways you won’t even remember. Don’t let them destroy you, or get the best of you.  So which dart pins should you avoid?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dart Pin #1 : Negative Work Environment&lt;br /&gt;Beware of “dog eat dog” theory where everyone else is fighting just to get ahead. This is where non-appreciative people usually thrive. No one will appreciate your contributions even if you miss lunch and dinner, and stay up late. Most of the time you get to work too much without getting help from people concerned.  Stay out of this, it will ruin your self esteem. Competition is at stake anywhere. Be healthy enough to compete, but in a healthy competition that is.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dart Pin #2: Other People’s Behavior&lt;br /&gt;Bulldozers, brown nosers, gossipmongers, whiners, backstabbers, snipers, people walking wounded, controllers, naggers, complainers, exploders, patronizers, sluffers… all these kinds of people will pose bad vibes for your self esteem, as well as to your self improvement scheme.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dart Pin #3: Changing Environment&lt;br /&gt;You can’t be a green bug on a brown field. Changes challenge our paradigms. It tests our flexibility, adaptability and alters the way we think. Changes will make life difficult for awhile, it may cause stress but it will help us find ways to improve our selves. Change will be there forever, we must be susceptible to it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dart Pin #4: Past Experience&lt;br /&gt;It’s okay to cry and say “ouch!” when we experience pain. But don’t let pain transform itself into fear. It might grab you by the tail and swing you around. Treat each failure and mistake as a lesson.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dart Pin #5: Negative World View&lt;br /&gt;Look at what you’re looking at. Don’t wrap yourself up with all the negativities of the world. In building self esteem, we must learn how to make the best out of worst situations.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dart Pin #6: Determination Theory&lt;br /&gt;The way you are and your behavioral traits is said to be a mixed end product of your inherited traits (genetics), your upbringing (psychic), and your environmental surroundings such as your spouse, the company, the economy or your circle of friends. You have your own identity. If your father is a failure, it doesn’t mean you have to be a failure too. Learn from other people’s experience, so you’ll never have to encounter the same mistakes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Sometimes, you may want to wonder if some people are born leaders or positive thinkers. NO. Being positive, and staying positive is a choice. Building self esteem and drawing lines for self improvement is a choice, not a rule or a talent. God wouldn’t come down from heaven and tell you – “George, you may now have the permission to build self esteem and improve your self.”  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In life, its hard to stay tough specially when things and people around you keep pulling you down. When we get to the battle field, we should choose the right luggage to bring and armors to use, and pick those that are bullet proof. Life’s options give us arrays of more options. Along the battle, we will get hit and bruised. And wearing a bullet proof armor ideally means ‘self change’. The kind of change which comes from within. Voluntarily. Armor or Self Change  changes 3 things: our attitude, our behavior and our way of thinking.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Building self esteem will eventually lead to self improvement if we start to become responsible for who we are, what we have and what we do. Its like a flame that should gradually spread like a brush fire from inside and out. When we develop self esteem, we take control of our mission, values and discipline.  Self esteem brings about self improvement, true assessment, and determination. So how do you start putting up the building blocks of self esteem? Be positive. Be contented and happy. Be appreciative. Never miss an opportunity to compliment. A positive way of living will help you build self esteem, your starter guide to self improvement.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-7502800849518650739?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/7502800849518650739/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=7502800849518650739' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/7502800849518650739'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/7502800849518650739'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2008/05/build-your-self-esteem-starter-guide-to.html' title='BUILD YOUR SELF ESTEEM, A STARTER GUIDE TO SELF IMPROVEMENT'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-3740260109929057687</id><published>2008-05-13T05:54:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2008-05-13T05:54:59.609-07:00</updated><title type='text'>What Innovation Can Do to Your Life</title><content type='html'>It's a talent that everyone has, yet they think they don't. The power of innovation. If you've ever marvelled at somebody's creative prowess, guess what, you can create and innovate too. It just takes time. Everyone is born creative. The box of crayons in kindergarten were not limited to those who possessed potential; because the truth is, everybody has potential.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You know how long it took to learn to ride a bike or drive or to never commit the same mistake again? It's the same with innovation. It takes a  bit of practice and a lot of time before this mind function comes easily  when called. This article will teach you a few tips on how to bring innovation into your life.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Don't listen to what other people say. Follow the beat of your own drum. Allowing for the input of other people will only bring cacophony to the music you are trying to make. If you have an original idea, don't waste your time and effort trying to make people understand. They won't. And the help you will probably get comes in the form of negative feedback. If all those geniuses listened to their peers, we would probably still be living in the middle ages.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Spend time on it. I cannot stress that enough, although, please do not mistake this tip to tell you to quit your day job entirely. Do not. This involves some tricky time management but with a little discipline you'll be able to squeeze both in.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Exercise. Take a walk. Run a mile or two. Send all those endorphins coursing through your veins. Exercising certainly clears and relaxes your mind and allows for anything to pop up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Record your dreams. Aren't some of them just the craziest things that your conscious mind would never have thought of? If you've had these dreams before, and I'm sure have, this only shows you the untapped innovative power you have lying within. So jot down those notes. Those dreams may just create an innovative spark in you.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Find your own style. You can always tell a Van Gogh from a Matisse. You'll know Hemingway wrote something by the choice of words on the paper. So it is the same with you. People will appreciate your innovation more because it is uniquely yours and that no one else would have thought of what you were thinking. That will let people see how valuable an asset you are.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Don't hide behind nifty gadgets or tools. You don't need the most expensive set of paints to produce a masterpiece. The same way with writing. You don't need some expensive fountain pen and really smooth paper for a bestseller. In fact, J.K. Rowling wrote the first book of the Harry Potter Series on bits of tissue. So what if you've got an expensive SLR camera if you're a crappy photographer? Who cares if you've got a blinging laptop if you can't write at all? The artist actually reduces the number of tools he has as he gets better at his craft: he knows what works and what doesn't.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Nothing will work without passion. What wakes you up in the mornings? What keeps the flame burning? What is the one thing that you'll die if you don't do? Sometimes people with talent are overtaken by the people who want it more. Think the hare and the tortoise. Ellen Degeneres once said that if you're not doing something that you want to do, then you don't really want to do it. And that's true. Sometimes you just want something so bad you become a virtual unstoppable. And that is passion. Passion will keep you going.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Don't worry about inspiration. You can't force it; inspiration hits when you least expect it to, for those unpredictable yet inevitable moments you should prepare. An idea could strike you on the subway, yet alas, you poor unfortunate soul; you have no sheet of paper to scribble down a thought that could change the world. Avoid these disasters. Have a pen and paper within your arm's reach at all times.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I hope this article has helped you bring more innovation into your life. Keep in mind that you're doing these things for your own satisfaction and not anybody else's. But soon enough they will notice, and everything should snowball from there.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-3740260109929057687?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/3740260109929057687/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=3740260109929057687' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/3740260109929057687'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/3740260109929057687'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2008/05/what-innovation-can-do-to-your-life.html' title='What Innovation Can Do to Your Life'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-9086001658424170613</id><published>2008-05-13T05:52:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-05-13T05:53:39.633-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Happy as You Want to Be</title><content type='html'>Almost everyone have heard the hit single 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' by Bobby McFerrin. The song has a very catchy way of conveying its message of being happy to everyone. Bobby Mcferiin's simple message surely made a lot of people by telling them not to worry.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Living a happy, resilient and optimistic life is wonderful, and is also good for your health. Being happy actually protects you from the stresses of life. Stress is linked to top causes of death such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;One of the better things ever said is - 'The only thing in life that will always remain the same is change', and in our life we have the power to make the necessary changes if we want to. Even if we find ourselves in an unbearable situation we can always find solace in the knowledge that it too would change.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Social networks or relationships are essential to happiness. People are different, accept people for who or what they are, avoid clashes, constant arguments, and let go of all kinds of resentments. If arguments seem unavoidable still try and make an effort to understand the situation and you might just get along with well with&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Happiness is actually found in everyone, increasing it is a way to make a life more wonderful and also more healthy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To be happy is relatively easy, just decide to be a happy person. Abraham Lincoln observed that most people for most of the time can choose how happy or stressed, how relaxed or troubled, how bright or dull their outlook to be. The choice is simple really, choose to be happy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There are several ways by which you can do this.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;Being grateful is a great attitude.  We have so much to be thankful for. Thank the taxi driver for bringing you home safely, thank the cook for a wonderful dinner and thank the guy who cleans your windows. Also thank the mailman for bringing you your mails, thank the policeman for making your place safe and thank God for being alive.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;News is stressful. Get less of it. Some people just can't start their day without their daily dose of news. Try and think about it, 99% of the news we hear or read is bad news. Starting the day with bad news does not seem to be a sensible thing to do.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A religious connection is also recommended. Being part of a religious group with its singing, sacraments, chanting, prayers and meditations foster inner peace.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Manage your time. Time is invaluable and too important to waste. Time management can be viewed  as a list of rules that involves scheduling, setting goals, planning, creating lists of things to do and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient personal time management skill. These basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra reserve to make the results you desire.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Laugh and laugh heartily everyday.  Heard a good joke? Tell your friends or family about it. As they also say -'Laughter is the best medicine'.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;Express your feelings, affections, friendship and passion to people around you. They will most likely reciprocate your actions. Try not to keep pent up anger of frustrations, this is bad for your health. Instead find ways of expressing them in a way that will not cause more injury or hurt to anyone.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-9086001658424170613?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/9086001658424170613/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=9086001658424170613' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/9086001658424170613'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/9086001658424170613'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2008/05/happy-as-you-want-to-be.html' title='Happy as You Want to Be'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-6256410004411721521</id><published>2008-05-13T05:48:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-05-13T05:52:30.955-07:00</updated><title type='text'>10 inspirational quotes than can improve yourself</title><content type='html'>It might take a little coffee or probably a few rounds of beer or any other booze you could get your hands on when it comes to relaxing after a hard day's work. Well, yeah I'm guilty about that one as well, unless I'm caught dead wearing a lampshade over my head after a few rounds of vodka… half-naked! Okay, bad example and I apologize to everyone reading this after getting nightmares about me in that state of drunken stupor.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Just don't ask how it happened, please.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But what's really interesting is that how do people go through the usual part of life when faced with vein-popping stress? I mean, the new age thing like Zen or yoga is one of the good things and it actually works. Is there room for the intellectual side of people who can actually smell the roses-in-a-can while on the move? It kind of had me thinking that there really must be something in this 'mind-over-matter' thing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Humor is indeed the best medicine there is whenever you are. I mean anyone can pay good money to listen to a comedian just to make you wet your pants after laughing so hard. Despite of what's been happening, and to those who has gone though the ordeal, it's better to just laugh while facing the troubles with a clear mind than anger with a clouded vision. One of my favorite celebrities of all time may have to be Woody Allen. Now this is one guy who gives you the in-your-face bluntness that he pulls out with gusto, even without even trying. You can talk just about anything with a man, and he's bound to mock the subject and you'll end up laughing rather than being upset about it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Woody Allen has this to say:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1. "Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons." It sounds good to me, I mean the practicality of all things does involve money but it doesn't have to take an arm and a leg to get it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;2. "I believe there is something out there watching us. Unfortunately, it's the government." 'Nuff said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;3. "There are worse things in life than death. Have you ever spent an evening with an insurance salesman?" This happens to be one of the classic ones. I mean the issue about life's little problems isn't all that bad, until 'he' shows up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Sure, relationships can get complicated, or does have its complications that probably any author about relationships is bound to discover it soon. We follow what our heart desires, unless you're talking about the heart as in the heart that pump blood throughout your body.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;4. "Love is the answer, but while you're waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty interesting questions." And if you want more, just keep on asking!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;5. "A fast word about oral contraception. I asked a girl to go to bed with me, she said 'no'." It sounds, 'practical', I think.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And when it comes to everyday life, he really knows how to make the best out of every possible scenario, and it doesn't involve a lawsuit if he strikes a nerve.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;6. "Basically my wife was immature. I'd be at home in the bath and she'd come in and sink my boats." I never had a boat in my bathtub before. Just staring at it while soaking in hot water makes me seasick already.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;7. "I am not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens." If it rains, it pours.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;8. "I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose." It could get worse when you're guzzling on beer… or mouthwash, and it happened to me once!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-6256410004411721521?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/6256410004411721521/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=6256410004411721521' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/6256410004411721521'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/6256410004411721521'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2008/05/10-inspirational-quotes-than-can.html' title='10 inspirational quotes than can improve yourself'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473297215428971236.post-1890937292073103539</id><published>2008-03-24T06:33:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-03-24T08:22:40.680-07:00</updated><title type='text'>hi....</title><content type='html'>Hi....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My name is Abah-abi. I'd like to express everything in this blog with one condition... Useful for others. It will be appreciated if can give me some comments for my writing about life, motivation, and contemplation.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;See you soon...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Warm regards&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Abah-Abi&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6473297215428971236-1890937292073103539?l=abah-abi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/feeds/1890937292073103539/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6473297215428971236&amp;postID=1890937292073103539' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/1890937292073103539'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6473297215428971236/posts/default/1890937292073103539'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://abah-abi.blogspot.com/2008/03/richman-is.html' title='hi....'/><author><name>Abah-Abi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07115384936502703503</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry></feed>
