How do you expect kids to listen to their parents when
Tarzan lives half naked,
Cinderella comes home at midnight,
Pinocchio lies all the time,
Aladdin is the king of thieves,
Batman drives at 200 mph,
Sleeping Beauty is lazy,
and Snow White lives with 7 guys.
We shouldn't be surprised when kids misbehave,
they get it from their story book!
- Copied from somewhere in the net
Over the years I've been teaching children about a simple but powerful concept - the ant philosophy. I think everybody should study ants. They have an amazing four-part philosophy, and the first part is: ants never quit. That's a good philosophy. If they're headed somewhere and you try to stop them; they'll look for another way. They'll climb over, they'll climb under, they'll climb around. They keep looking for another way. What a neat philosophy, to never quit looking for a way to get where you're supposed to go.
Second, ants think winter all summer. That's an important perspective. You can't be so naive as to think summer will last forever. So ants are gathering in their winter food in the middle of summer. An ancient story says, "Don't build your house on the sand in the summer." Why do we need that advice? Because it is important to be realistic. In the summer, you've got to think storm. You've got to think rocks as you enjoy the sand and sun. Think ahead.
The third part of the ant philosophy is that ants think summer all winter. That is so important. During the winter, ants remind themselves, "This won't last long; we'll soon be out of here." And the first warm day, the ants are out. If it turns cold again, they'll dive back down, but then they come out the first warm day. They can't wait to get out.
And here's the last part of the ant philosophy. How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for the winter? All he possibly can. What an incredible philosophy, the "all-you-possibly-can" philosophy.
Lessons from the ant: never give up, look ahead, stay positive and do all you can.
By Jim Rohn
I love the rush you get in firing people. But that would make for another story. Because I like hiring people too, when the slate is still freshly white clean and anything is possible and they can still have the chance to impress me.
Scouring all the materials available on how to better manage the people, I found this printed on a piece of paper, folded three times. I cannot remember exactly how I got this, but it may be one of those inspired and guided moments –
How to Properly Place New Employees
(or re-assign old ones needing that extra umph)
I read this material from Instyle.com and before I altogether lose it, I decided to reprint the best points here. I think I need to come back to numbers 3 and 6 and work harder on number 8!
1. Don't Be Impulsive When It Comes to Your Hair
have a signature style.. make subtle changes - moving the part, letting it grow past shoulders, or adding fringe - but nothing so drastic that anyone would notice a big difference.. it's all about keeping it fresh
2. Power Walk in Stilettos
.. tensing the muscles in your calves provides more balance so you can walk, not wobble, in even the most towering heels..
3. Skip Makeup - But Never Leave Home Without Sunglasses
.. just slip on a big pair of shades.. they hide tired eyes and allow you to get ready in a more peaceful environment..
4. Drink Your Way to Good Skin
.. lots of creams will make your skin look and feel nice.. but drinking at least a liter of water and several cups of peppermint tea a day is the easiest way to make your skin glow
5. Be Your Own Seamstress
.. become very good at dealing with clothing disasters.. carry two sizes of safety pins in your handbag: big ones to fix rips and smaller ones for broken straps or hems
6. Switch Your Scent Midday
.. have a fragrance wardrobe.. in the morning, apply which is very fresh and green and makes you feel like you've really woken up.. in the afternoon, switch to sophisticated florals
7. Leave Your Hair Slightly Damp
.. to enhance hair's natural texture and to make a blow-dry more interesting, you should never dry it 100 percent..
8. Pose For Pictures Like a Pro
.. relax your muscles from head to toe.. when you are tense, your shoulders go up, which is not flattering.. turn on an angle.. whether you are standing or sitting, never have your knees directly facing the camera.. choose your smile.. two classic smiles every woman should know are Marilyn Monroe's big laugh and Anita Ekberg's subtle grin..
9. Skip Foundation - Use Three Concealers Instead
.. get a more natural finish by skipping foundation and applying concealer only where needed.. buy three shades and use the darkest on cheeks and forehead, and the lightest under eyes
10. Travel With Healthy Snacks
.. brown-rice crackers and a packet of dry miso soup make for a really delicious energy boost that you can eat anywhere -all you need is a cup of hot water..
Illustration courtesy of wallcoo.net
When I came home in the rain,
my brother asked, "Why didn't you take an umbrella?"
My sister advised, "Why didn't you wait till the rain stopped?"
Father angrily warned, "You will realize only after you get a cold!"
But Mother, while drying my hair, said, "Stupid rain! Couldn't it wait, till my child gets home?"
Now that's a MOM!
I am not for forwarding emails. But Coco somehow in a way tagged me and challenged me to spread the material below. For what, I don't know. It's all in the dare I guess. So here goes.
People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.
Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real, but only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
Photo: "This Time and Tide" by This Girl
It's a long time I've read or heard something like this. Thank you, Mike Banos. Never realized that I crave some mind tickles. Prepare to leap when you face the sarchasm!
Once again, The Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its yearly neologism contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternative meanings for common words.
1. Coffee (n), the person upon whom one coughs.
2. Flabbergasted (adj), appalled over how much weight you have gained.
3. Abdicate (v), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
4. Esplanade (v), to attempt an explanation while drunk.
5. Willy-nilly (adj), impotent.
6. Negligent (adj), describes a condition in which you absent-mindedly answer the door in your nightgown.
7. Lymph (v), to walk with a lisp.
8. Gargoyle (n), olive-flavored mouthwash.
9. Flatulence (n) emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.
10. Balderdash (n), a rapidly receding hairline.
11. Testicle (n), a humorous question on an exam.
12. Rectitude (n), the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.
13. Pokemon (n), a Rastafarian proctologist.
14. Oyster (n), a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.
15. Frisbeetarianism (n), (back by popular demand) The belief that, when you die, your soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.
16. Circumvent (n), an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.
The Washington Post's Style Invitational also asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.
Here are this year's winners:
1. Bozone (n): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
2. Foreploy (v): Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
3. Cashtration (n): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.
4. Giraffiti (n): Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
5. Sarchasm (n): The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
6. Inoculatte (v): To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
7. Hipatitis (n): Terminal coolness.
8. Osteopornosis (n): A degenerate disease.
9. Karmageddon (n): it’s like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
10. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
11. Glibido (v): All talk and no action.
12. Dopeler effect (n): The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
13. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
14. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
15. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you're eating.
I am suddenly interested with this amount as I happen to get advices all the time. For what's the worth of a friendly word or reminder?
In my Nokia Inbox:
"Don't let someone become a priority in your life when you are just an option in theirs. Relationships work best when they are balanced."
"Value yourself. Sometimes your very existence gives hope to others."
In my Yahoo Inbox:
"Angels exist, only sometimes they haven't got wings and we call them friends."
"Control your emotions. You should also know and realize that the people who make your day bad are jewels because you need them for you to mature."
In my Hotmail Inbox:
"Take the domestic flight of Vietnam Airline from HCM city to Hue at the earliest time, depart at 7:00 and arrive Hue at 8:20 am. In Hue, you book the Saigon Morin Hotel that has a good view by the river."
"Pour water directly into the vase to provide moisture for the plant."
In my Flickr Inbox:
"I presume the photo was taken in the afternoon. You can lower your ISO to say 120, apperture to 7, speed to say below 100 to give you a not so saturated shot."
"Pay very close attention to the reflections & lighting behind you - and any shadows. Eliminate them whenever possible."
HERE ARE MY TWO CENTS.
Meaning: An individual's opinion. Origin: "My two cents' worth" (or "two bits' worth") implies that, in order to express and opinion, a small charge is levied. This could well be a simple notional charge and not related to any actual payment. It has been suggested that "two cents" was the minimum wager required of a new player in order to enter poker games. There's no documentary evidence to support that idea. The US version of the phrase is pre-dated by the British "two-penneth" and there's little reason to believe "two cents' worth" to be anything other than a US translation of that. The card-playing origin of the phrase could just as well apply to the British version but, without evidence, that's merely speculation. [The Phrase Finder]
"My two cents" and its longer version "put my two cents in" is an American idiomatic expression, taken from the original British idiom expression: to put in "my two pennies worth" or "my tuppence worth". It used to preface the tentative stating of one’s opinion. By deprecating the opinion to follow — suggesting its value is only two cents, a very small amount — the user of the phrase hopes to lessen the impact of a possibly contentious statement, showing politeness and humility. However, it is also sometimes used with irony when expressing a strongly felt opinion. The phrase is also used out of habit to preface uncontentious opinions. [Wikipedia]
Hi Ms. Ela! Thanks so much for this very interesting material - I'm keeping a copy for present and future use! But it's not from Bill Gates as purported around in the web. The original eleven rules are from a book not written by him. I just care for the ten though. So how are you? Tell me what you've been doing! Keep in touch!
Rule 1:
Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2:
The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3:
You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4:
If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5:
Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Rule 6:
If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7:
Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8:
Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9:
Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10:
Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
