TRUE COURAGE IS To Keep On Travelling When You Can’t See THE MAP
Posted by Sangeeta on Jul 23, 2008
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“He who loses wealth loses much; he who loses a friend loses more; but he that loses his courage loses all” ~ Cervantes
The above quote rightly fits into everybody’s life although the definition of courage is different for different people. To some, it is looking over and speaking to a sea of four hundred familiar faces. To others, it is smiling and greeting a person whom they have never met. Still, some people would define courage as looking down from the top of a high building without that dizzy feeling or stepping on a roller coaster for the first time and so on. Whatever the definition be, the ground reality is that the courage shown at the time of crisis is what is called true courage.
A person who faces a situation, however difficult, with courage, conviction and boldness is bound to succeed. It is true that courage conquers, boldness pays and timidity fails. We should never forget that it is not the size of the dog in the fight; it is the size of the fight in the dog that counts.
People who are courageous may still be frightened when there is something to be scared of but they have the courage to face it. True courage is about pushing through your fear and doing what is right or enjoyable; true courage is not doing dare devil stunts, it is making it through the challenges all the way.
When Horace Walpole said that it is not life that matters, it is the courage you bring to it, he wanted us to discuss the aspect of living life to the fullest even thought the road may be paved with occasional disappointments. Indeed, the very essence of this quote speaks of the fact that one’s existence is not to be taken for granted or allowed to pass by without putting any effort into it, rather life is to be a highly participatory event where risks are taken and lessons are learnt. The courage one brings to life is found in the actual living aspect - the going out and seeking understanding and enlightenment as opposed to merely wading through ones days in a blind fog of indifference.
So, despite trials and tribulations, setbacks, etc., we can reach our cherished goal in life provided we have the courage, devotion and one point dedication to reach our re-determined destination in life.
We should be prepared for the battle of life which is the survival of the fittest, not just physical and mental, but more importantly spiritual.
14 ARTICLES – On Relationships – A RECAP
Posted by Sangeeta on Jul 21, 2008
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The following are a recap of some of the interesting articles on ‘Relationships’ published by me from February 2008 till date.
These will make a pleasant reading again, no doubt about it!
(i) Relationship : Live-In : Look Before You Leap
(ii) The Pros & Cons Of Marriage
(iii) 14 Reasons (or More) Why A Man Does Not Want to Commit Easily To Marriage
(iv) 14 Reasons - Marriage On The Rocks : According To The Husband
(v) 14 Reasons - Marriage On The Rocks : According To The Wife
(vi) 6 Positive Aspects Of Age Difference Between Married Couples
(vii) 6 Negative Aspects Of Age Difference Between Married Couples
(viii) 10 Ways You Fee Rejected By Your Spouse
(ix) 7 Easy Ways a Woman Gets Attracted To a Man
(x) 12 Vital Questions To Ask Yourself Before Going Into A Relationship
(xi) 10 Ways Marital Relationships Can Go Sour
(xii) Bad Communication In a Relationship
(xiii) 12 Foods For Love
(xiv) Boyfriend & Husband
DO EXAMINATIONS SUCCEED In Recognising THE REAL TALENT?
Posted by Sangeeta on Jul 18, 2008
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Each individual has talent. A talent may be defined as a skill in which one excels. Some excel in sports, some in arts, some in studies and research. A talent, therefore, helps a person specialize in a particular field.
Yes, examinations do succeed in recognizing the real talent of an individual. Most fields - be it studies, sports or arts, have examinations to rate the performance of the aspirants. Examinations are a measure of one’s talent. If a performer does not score well in the exams, he or she has to put in some extra efforts or rather change that particular field. Thus, examinations do rate the performance of the performer, the result of which determines his or her next action towards excelling in that talent.
Examinations also discard the candidates who are not fit, meaning that it is rare that you have both intelligent and non-serious candidates together. The exams will discard the non-serious students, thus creating groups of only intelligent and study-oriented students. If there were no examinations, there would be no way to provide the right environment for the development and success of a person’s talent.
Examinations shape up the life of an individual; it is a way that tends to make your mind work. Once you recognise your talent, it is up to you to shape its success. Examinations will give you your rating in that field. The competition makes you aim at the best performance.
7 WAYS HOW YOU CAN MOVE WHILE YOU GET YOUR CHILDREN MOVING
Posted by Sangeeta on Jul 16, 2008
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In today’s world where stress, obesity and other health problems are taking over, it is important to get your children used to a regime where exercise, healthy eating and keeping fit is a priority. All said and done, what do you do or what can you do to keep your children moving? You must not forget that you also have to practice what you preach, that is, only asking or telling the children ‘do this’ or ‘do that’ will not suffice; you also have to take active part in it also.
Don’t worry; here are a few tips for you to start with:-
(1) If you do not have a regular physical activity, now is the time to start. Whether it is taking up a sport, going to the gym, walking in the local park or swimming, any kind of exercise is highly recommended. Your children will see you doing this and not only learn the importance of physical activities firsthand but may join in as well.
(2) When you take a look at the activities you engage in with your children, you need to reassess them and focus less on watching television and having them tag along with you and do more action oriented things like taking them to a park and tossing a ball or frisbee around with them or having them walk the dog with you which not only will enable you to engage in some activities together, but also will give them a sense of responsibility.
(3) Children love to do housework from when they are very young. You think this is because it involves them in what the adults of the house are doing and makes them feel a part of things. As parents, you can encourage them to continue with this as it teaches them responsibility and gets them moving from the start.
(4) Gardening is another great way to get children in the fresh air and active and it also tends to nurture their skills as they become one with nature and help things grow.
(5) Teaching children how to ride their bikes or swim are great ways to get their adrenalin going and learn life-long handy skills.
(6) You may not always agree with what your children do but it is important to support and encourage their choices so that you continue to have an open, approachable relationship with them. Going to watch them play the sport they put their heart into and rooting for them to succeed, boosts their confidence and encourages them to continue with their active effort.
(7) Every child walks around saying ‘I am bored’ at some stage or the other. Although it is not at all a good idea to spoon feed suggestions to them which will only stop their imagination and creativity from flowing freely, we can guide them to active options like playing outdoor instead of playing video games, etc.
MIND THE LANGUAGE!
Posted by Sangeeta on Jul 14, 2008
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English is a very difficult language with words difficult to spell. It is not pronounced like Indian languages which tend to have phonetic spellings - words are written the way they are spoken. Perhaps it has to do with the way our mother tongue influences the way we speak and write English.
‘Dias’, which means for us the raised platform from which speeches are made, is widely used in newspapers and magazines but it does not exist in dictionaries; only ‘dais’ does which ought to be pronounced as ‘day-is’.
Similarly, the word ‘memento’ is wrongly spelt not only in India but all over the world as ‘momento’. A memento reminds you of a person, a thing or a place not just for the moment, but for always. It has to do with memory and comes from the Latin word ‘meminisee’ meaning ‘remember’.
Numerous organizations, institutions, etc. say that they offer ‘advance‘ courses. If you mean a course that takes you to higher levels of learning, then it should be ‘advanced’ courses.
Like this, many words, which are often heard in daily usage, do not actually exist.
How many of us know that ‘prepone’ is not an English word? We use it so frequently that if you were to ask someone what the correct expression was, they would be clueless. The word is ‘advance’, as in Let’s advance the meeting by a day. ‘Prepone’ is an original and clever Indian invention, with built-in safeguards….for instance, you can get confused if you were told to advance the advanced mathematics class; but preponing it won’t be ambiguous at least for an Indian. ‘Prepone’ is not standard English. But even the website of the English Department of Washington State University in the US, which lists ‘prepone’ as an error, acknowledges that it is a handy word.
Even the English people should thank us for the way we have enriched the English language with all kinds of useful words ranging from ‘air-dash’ to ‘bell-bots’ and ‘neta’ to ‘white money’.
Anyway, thanks to ‘English’.
YOUR BABY’S FIRST BATH
Posted by Sangeeta on Jul 12, 2008
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Hey new moms or mom to be ………………
Your baby’s first bath is an exciting and yet daunting experience. It is a very big day because you get to bathe your ‘bundle of joy’ at home for the very first time without the help of nurses or any family member. At the same time, you have to handle all those little limbs and the fragile little body all by yourself. Also, you must enjoy your baby’s bath time because the whole experience of massage and bath is a very special time between the two of you. It is not only important to be careful and gentle but it is also important to have fun during the whole process.
Let me try to give you some tips on how to go about the ‘first bath’.
Preparing for the bath
(1) Keep all the accessories i.e. soap, cotton balls, massage oil, diapers, wipes and a set of clothes ready in a box before taking the baby for a bath.
(2) Check the water in the baby bath tub to see that it is neither too hot nor too cold. If you don’t do it then know that hot water will scald the baby easily and cold water will make the baby catch a chill if exposed to it for long.
Starting the bath
(1) Massage your baby with a very good quality natural massage oil like almond or olive (preferred will be olive). Talk to your baby and look at her/him during this time because this is a real bonding experience between the two of you.
(2) After this, the baby would require a sponge bath with gentle water being put on her/him with the help of your hands or some cotton wool rather than the rough water of a shower or a tap. Be very careful with the naval area of the baby.
(3) Try and do the head last so that you can wipe your baby down as soon as the bath is over. This will reduce the chances of the baby catching a chill.
(4) Using hands, pour little water on his head from sideways (so that water does not wet her/his body again). Do it 3 to 4 times. Wipe off excess water from the head by using your hand and then, rub the hair gently with a very soft towel.
After the bath
(1) Now, massage some baby cream and put fresh clothes on her/him.
(2) Your baby is ready for your cuddle; a good drink of milk and a nap!
12 WAYS TO TEACH CHILDREN How To Recycle …….
Posted by Sangeeta on Jul 10, 2008
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Given below are few ways to teach the children how to recycle certain things at home which otherwise, go out as a waste.
(1) Food
(i) Discourage the children from wasting food because they should realize how lucky they are to have food and that thousands and thousands of children in the world don’t even get food one time a day.
(ii) Tell them that if they don’t feel like eating certain food, they can keep it away and have it the next day.
(iii) If at all they don’t want to have it, teach them how it can be disposed off sensible in order to work better for the whole ecosystem.
(2) Water
(i) Tell the children to keep the taps off when water is not required and that they should use water only when brushing their teeth or washing up or bathing.
(ii) Bowls of water can be kept by kitchen and bathroom sinks in order to reduce usage of flowing tap water.
(iii) They can be put in charge of placing and policing these bowls. They will love the fact that they have authority over something in the house.
(3) Clothes
(i) Encourage the children to go for products that take less packaging and show them by example how, when we go shopping, we take our own reusable bags with us.
(ii) Re-using clothes is a great way to ‘reduce’ and this can be done through sharing clothes with siblings instead of just throwing them out.
(iii) Involve the children in dropping off old clothes to charities which will help the underprivileged.
(4) Paper
(i) Teaching the children to reuse paper is a great way to start the recycling process. This can be done through encouraging them to use both sides of a paper when drawing or colouring to get the most use of it.
(ii) Newspapers can be re-invented to make wrapping papers or gift bags with a little creativity by using paints or stamps to decorate and personalize them.
(iii) Teach your children to use white or black boards to draw on when they are doodling or playing around and not paper as it will be wasted. Tell them that they can use paper for making cards or drawing to be given as gifts to reduce usage.
BOYFRIEND & HUSBAND
Posted by Sangeeta on Jul 7, 2008
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We all know that between boyfriend and husband, there is always a fine line. Given below is an interesting way to find out how much boyfriend he still is and how much husband he has moulded into.
I give below a brief comparative study and for this, I have used ‘/’ to differentiate the comparison.
More Boyfriend Less Husband / More Husband Less Boyfriend
(1) I like your eyes / Why are you looking at me like that?
(2) Happy birthday / I am sorry.
(3) Happy Valentines Day / I hate commercializing my love.
(4) Happy anniversary / I am sorry.
(5) Yes / No.
(6) Baby / Your first name here.
(7) No, you hang up first / I could not call because…..
(8) Is that a new dress I see? / Are you blowing my money on new dresses again?
(9) The stars look so beautiful tonight / So much pollution I tell you.
(10) You look great! / Okay…, you look great.
(11) Dinner tonight; any place you like / My boss is coming home for dinner with his wife.
(12) Let’s rent ‘Titanic’ / Let’s rent ‘The Break-Up’.
A wise Chinese woman once said, “A husband gained is a lover lost.” And, most married woman will agree to it (they may not voice it loudly)!
Marriage brings with it many good things like security, babies, joint incomes and love. But, it also has its side effects which include selective amnesia, the art of saying the wrong things at the wrong time and in-laws. Getting sweet somethings on weekdays have been replaced with getting nothing at all, even if the occasion is a birthday or an anniversary.
7 SYMPTOMS For Exam Stress In CHILDREN
Posted by Sangeeta on Jul 6, 2008
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Off late I find that more and more children are falling victims of examination stress. Why? What are the reasons? Very difficult to answer ….. still, let me try to find out.
(1) The child is either sleeping too little or too much; pecks at food or binges.
It seems that the child’s appetite may have been disturbed due to high stress levels.
Now, forcing her to eat or sleep will not help at all. Talk to him/her about the fears and give assurance that you understand the fear. Without being dictatorial, try to establish consistent sleep and meal times. Encourage the child to keep time for some physical and recreational activities. Relaxation exercises will also help.
(2) The child spends tension-filled hours cramming the night before the examination and cribs for not being able to remember what is being learnt.
The child may be suffering from high anxiety and also mental block due to an inefficient study pattern.
Now, teach the child to preview each chapter; to self-question and self-answer and then check whether it is correct; to remember the keywords and the basic explanation of each and every chapter.
(3) The child complains of not being able to concentrate on the studies.
The child can be suffering from stress and mental fatigue which is preventing the child from focusing on the studies.
Now, help the child practice deep breathing exercises twice a day for 10-15 minutes. Auto-suggestion is also an effective exercise. This is a relaxation therapy that instills positive thoughts since one positive and encouraging statement is repeated. It frees the child from unnecessary worries. Make sure that the child gets enough breaks between study sessions; this is a must.
(4) The child has become moody and irritable and gets agitated at the slightest provocation.
This may be due to hormonal changes at puberty or an inability to cope with the pressure of studies and the hassles of growing up. It is also a period of high insecurity since the child is grappling with the issues of aptitude and goal.
Now, be tolerant of the child’s mood swings. Help the child to understand that these mood swings may be due to physiological changes in the body. Try not to react on the double when the child shows hostility. Teach the child appropriate ways of managing emotions such as open communication, sharing thoughts with peers and parents and the right anger management techniques.
(5) The child seems to be putting in sincere efforts but is not making much headway in her preparation.
Performance anxiety could be putting a strain on her mental capacity.
Now, help the child stay active. Maintain a good balance between intellectual and physical activities. Staying active allows the body to release tension.
(6) The child makes excuses to avoid going to the school.
The child may be avoiding a situation in the school (due to behavioural pattern) which causes tension and anxiety to the child.
Now, try to understand the reasons for such a behaviour. Then, address the child’s anxiety and fears which may be personal, academic or both. Help the child articulate and share her/his worries. Speak with the teachers about the problem and try to find a solution with their help.
(7) The child sometimes suffers from dizziness, fatigue, nausea, fast and shallow breathing (very common among high achievers).
The child is probably cooped up in the room studying for too long with no time to relax.
Now, insist that the child takes a break every 2 hours. Talk to the child about the things that interest her/him. Help the child to unwind; explain to the child the importance of physical exercise; accompany the child for evening walks which refreshes the mind.
12 FOODS For LOVE (Love-foods)
Posted by Sangeeta on Jul 4, 2008
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These are very textural : smooth, soft, luscious - they usually tempt and seduce! Some of these may turn out sinful but a lot of them can actually be quite healthy.
Let’s now see which foods are these :-
(1) Pine nuts : have been used as aphrodisiacs since Roman times. They are rich in zinc.
(2) Oysters : high in protein. Try them steamed with garlic and white wine.
(3) Chocolate : known for its pleasure-bringing qualities! It is an interesting fact that centuries ago, chocolates were banned in the monasteries.
(4) Caviar : makes you feel rich and carefree; it is high in zinc which helps potency.
(5) Banana : rich in potassium and B vitamins, it also has an enzyme called bromelain, proven in some studies to be a stimulant!
(6) Alcohol : a stiff drink lowers inhibitions and increases confidence. Over-indulgence will be a strict turn-off.
(7) Cucumber : stimulates a woman’s olfactory senses.
(8) Aniseed : has special powers to increase desire.
(9) Almond : its aroma induces passion; has been a symbol of fertility for ages.
(10) Ginger : stimulates the circulatory system.
(11) Honey : believed to cure impotency! No doubt, many medieval medicines and drinks were made with honey!
(12) Mustard : increases desire.
