Archive for January, 2008

The Amazing Seed

Monday, January 21st, 2008

By Paul Wonning The seed is kind of an amazing thing. Everything needed to grow a plant is packed into such a small package. The type of plant, how big it will grow, what kind of leaves it will have, and its flower color. Literally the entire blueprint of the plant is contained within that tiny little package we call a seed. All flowering plants grow from seeds, and that includes just about everything found in the flower and vegetable garden, excluding ferns, fungi, and mosses. The tiny seed produces everything from the diminutive moss roses to the huge oak tree. Seed size has virtually no impact upon the size of plant which grows from it. Some of the largest plants may grow from seed the size of dust, and smaller plants may sometimes be produced from large seeds. Seeds in the wild depend upon a number of different mechanisms to allow them to reach the proper locations and conditions for them to germinate. Some have fluffy wings to allow the wind to disperse them over a wide area. Others have velcro-like spurs to stick to animals fur. Others clothe themselves in fleshy fruit which in turn is eaten by birds and animals and thus dispersed. Many of these need the harsh enzymes produced by the digestive systems of these animals to dissolve the seed coat sufficiently to allow germination. Seeds are of immense commercial value to us. Corn supplies both food for us and also the livestock we depend upon for meat and protein. Corn is now also being explored as a heat source, too. Soy beans supply plastics, cooking oils and other important products. Other grain crops are used to make bread, beer, and other items we use in our everyday life. The amazing seed packs everything needed to grow a plant into a compact package. Seeds are produced by all flowering plants and supply both man and animal with food. Seeds are an indispensable part of our world. 2006Paul Wonning is the owner of Gardens and Nature.com a web site about gardening, hiking and other nature related topics. Our blog about gardening is located here: Abes Beer Garden - Blog about Gardening Our hobby and craft related blog, Hobby Hobnob, is located at this link:http://hobbyhobnob.blogspot.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Wonning http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Amazing-Seed&id=413835 online rx xanax xanax valium soma lortab no prescription required online pharmacies illegal for xanax no prescription xanax online canada

Do Plants Like the “Exotics”?

Sunday, January 20th, 2008

By C Roe Placement Of Exotic Plants And Trees Placement of exotic plants and trees is critical for their overall development and long-term survival. It not only determines the general happiness of the plants, but also the overall appeal it gives to the habitat. You should make the final choice of location only after having considered several other factors. If some part of your house or garden receives too much sunlight, you can grow sun; loving plants that will help to provide shade. It’s also important to ensure that the plants have the appropriate space for spreading themselves. Competing plants shouldn’t be grown very near to each other. Dominating and invasive plants and trees should be placed afar from tender plants. You should also keep in mind the ultimate size the plant is likely to achieve. This will avoid obstruction of driveways or sidewalks, not just for you but at times even for your neighbors. Growing Plants In Containers Can Be Rewarding If you are eager to incorporate tropical foliage, trees, palms and flowers in your garden, however feel discouraged because of relatively small area, growing plants in containers is the perfect solution. By confining the exotic plants to a relatively small space, maintenance can be less of an unpleasant task. This also gives you the liberty to move them back and forth to different sites, as and when the plant requirement for sunlight and moisture changes. At the same time, you can introduce changes in the overall look of the garden by combining and contrasting with other garden plants. Exotic plants can be in grown in containers with soil alone or with alterations, or completely soil less. Whatever be the preference, the medium must ensure good drainage and adequate water-retentive capacity. This is best accomplished by using a combination of materials (like sand, gravel along with loam) of various particle sizes to make available small air spaces and free-drainage. The composition of the soil bed should in essence be rather simple and purposeful. You can either use peat moss or rich loam to constitute the bulk of your mix. Since, peat moss is highly acidic, always add ground limestone to maintain the pH level of soil. To increase aeration and drainage, you can include pine bark or sand in the mix. Adding Vermiculite to soil will increase its water-retention capacity. For new plants, sparingly applied granular-type fertilizers can be beneficial as a starter feed. Soil-less plants are grown on liquid-feed and addition of fertilizers is advisable for supplying nutrients required by the plant. For more information see www.bamboosuccess.com and sign up to our FREE WEEKLY TIPS or our FREE SEVEN WEEK COURSE (of which this article is the first part!!) http://www.bamboosuccess.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=C_Roe http://EzineArticles.com/?Do-Plants-Like-the-Exotics?&id=238076 xanax prescription look like oxycontin without prescription xanax internet buy xanax and valium online buy xanax online without pres

The Healing Arts - When Healing Becomes a Commodity

Saturday, January 19th, 2008

By Russ Reina Most practitioners of medicine (any modality) begin their careers with the intent to be healers. Many artists (any modality) enter their chosen modes of creativity to be vehicles of healing for others, through expression. The skewed concept of values that our society impose on us takes many of us further away from the work and deeply entrenches us into the mechanics of selling it. When were growing up, usually in our teens, we begin to make decisions regarding our livelihoods. So many of us embrace the idea that the work we will find in the world will be in the vein of helping others. In fact, as children are we not encouraged to follow our altruistic impulses? The basic urge to help others, for the sake of simplicity, could easily fall within the realm of the healing arts no matter how expressed. Artistic expression summons a vitality that we know affects others in positive ways. We bring joy to ourselves and others by our playful performances, visual representations, and song, dance and music. Joy heals. All around us we hear of athletes, actors, artists and singers who, by expressing themselves fully, inspire the rest of us to stretch our own perceived limits. This form of healing, which includes connecting individuals with their larger communities, was once recognized and embraced as the primary form of treatment available to the regular Joe or Josephina. Those of us who choose to pursue one form or another of medicine (Isnt this interesting: even I, after years of exploring the vast world of the healing arts still automatically refer to things in the realm of treating illness and injury as medicine; only one aspect of healing!) are first indoctrinated into an approach that almost wholly relies on facts and figures and the memorization of data, turns human beings into projects, and seeks solutions that are designed for the masses rather than the individual. In the world of the Arts itself, early schooling for most is more about learning the boxes that were allowed to fit in to rather than seeking the full expression of the individual. So much of our so-called education is about the re-cycling of old information rather than an emphasis on the creation of something as yet unseen. Even worse, the career/economic paths they offer define the boxes that we are shuffled into. But all this is only the start of an insidious process. Economics typically enters the picture as soon as the course of study/indoctrination is completed. Individuals find that they must focus a significant amount of their energy and attention not to the individual or task at hand, but on how to provide a service and derive profit from it. The reason for this is that our advanced schooling system requires that we place ourselves in debt to take advantage of it. Essentially, most actions taken in the pursuit of healing others have to be wrung through the filter of their economic consequences early enough in the process so that these seemingly incompatible elements are joined at the hip and color everything we do. It is no wonder that so many talented and inspired people discover that their experiences in their chosen professions are soul-less. What once was a calling becomes a vehicle for economic support. Stability takes precedence over innovation and exploration. We all suffer for it. Russ Reina shares over 35 years of experience in the healing arts through his web site http://mauihealingartist.com. It is a potent resource for those wishing to deepen their abilities in connection and develop their powers as healers. For a powerful free tool to explore your inner world, please check out his adjunct site http://thestoryofthis.net (Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line — the above resource paragraph — is kept intact) Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Russ_Reina http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Healing-Arts—When-Healing-Becomes-a-Commodity&id=510701 diazepam online pharmacy diazepam rezeptfrei online bestellen purchase valium online buy diazepam in uk

Poetry in Weddings: Let me Count the Ways

Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

By Joy Cagil Since most weddings are romantic and poetic, poetry has been attending them for more than two millenniums. Epithalamiums, first wedding poems of the western world, were sung by Greek and Roman poets outside the happy couple’s room. During the fourteenth century the poems became more sophisticated and this change eventually led to the writing of wedding poetry by well-known poets like Donne, Jonson, Herrick, and Edmund Spenser. Spenser wrote his famous “Epithalamion” to his young bride Elizabeth Boyle for his own wedding ceremony. “Epithalamion” starts with: “YE learned sisters which haue oftentimes beene to me ayding, others to adorne:” 430 lines later the poem ends with: “Ye would not stay your dew time to expect, But promist both to recompens, Be vnto her a goodly ornament, The Irish, also, blessed a marriage with ale and this blessing. “May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of his hand. May God be with you and bless you; May you see your children’s children. May you be poor in misfortune, Rich in blessings, May you know nothing but happiness From this day forward. May the road rise to meet you May the wind be always at your back May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home And may the hand of a friend always be near. May green be the grass you walk on, May blue be the skies above you, May pure be the joys that surround you, May true be the hearts that love you. During the eleventh and twelfth centuries, Spanish Jews wrote some notable poems on matrimonial themes, and in Italy, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Jews and Christians offered to the couple wedding poems–sacred, romantic, or in riddles–commemorating the occasion. These poems–some one hundred lines long–were often commissioned by the rich to the famous poets of the day to be luxuriously illustrated and handwritten in calligraphy on parchment. The wedding riddles were given to the guests several days before the wedding to give people time to solve the riddles. In old China, most of the wedding rituals were performed with a lot of writing exchange between the two families. Also, quoting from the I Ching during the marriage ceremony was customary. ” When two people are at one in their inmost hearts, they shatter even the strength of iron or bronze. And when two people understand each other in their inmost hearts, their words are sweet and strong, like the fragrance of orchids.” In India, wedding poems are not only written by the couple to each other but also by the people surrounding the couple who bless them and tell them the importance of marriage in their own words. As part of the entertainment, old wedding poems are also sung the couple’s friends and family to the accompaniment of sitars and other Indian musical instruments. In most Christian weddings, this piece from the Bible from the Corinthians 13:4-8, which can be considered a prose-poem, is read. “Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” In Catholic weddings, sometimes people read their poetic thoughts or sign a wedding scrapbook adding their lines of poetry. In view of the history of wedding poetry, if wooing, pleasing, and luring your partner to eat out of your hand is your aim, why not compose a poem for your wedding day? After all, a poem is communication in its most attractive finery and it shows that you are paying special attention to that special person; therefore, the most meaningful wedding gift you can give to your partner can be a poem of your own creation with your individual tone of intimacy. This article has been submitted by Joy Cagil in affiliation with http://www.Prye.Com/ which is a site for Wedding Invitations.Joy Cagil is an author on http://www.Writing.Com, which is a site for Love Poetry. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joy_Cagil http://EzineArticles.com/?Poetry-in-Weddings:-Let-me-Count-the-Ways&id=253163 buy xanax and valium online mail order valium diazepam online without a prescription buy anax online valium

Alone Or Widowed, The Trip Is More Important Than The Destination

Monday, January 14th, 2008

By Patricia Hubbard There is an expression that states: It is not the destination that is important, it is the trip. Imagine wanting to go to France to see the famous Louvre, but you are transported instantaneously. You would see the Louvre and be so happy to share with your friends your vision of the exquisite art, but miss all the interesting and beautiful parts of the trip in between. What a waste! Wouldnt you like to see all the sites around France, meet the people, and taste the scrumptious foods, also? And maybe visit other famous places in between? Creating new memories by gratitude Trying to change and move on in your life after the loss of a love is similar to that journey experience. Take time to feel the pain, remember the memories good and bad, and then push them to edge of your table of life. Begin to create new memories. Try to find ways to make the trip enjoyable. Be thankful! But, how does one do that? Recognizing your Table of Life Everyone has a table of life. Whatever is occupying your attention right now is in the middle of your table. Once you deal with the problem, situation or feeling, you can push it further away from you; leave it on the table and focus on another issue. It will still be there on your table, but maybe on the far edge. How do you move the bad feelings to the edge of the table? By spreading the table of life with different fruits of gratitude. Gratitude is paying attention and being joyful for the little thingsand the big things; when you are alone, or because you are alone. Looking for the upside of your pain may surprise you, when you discover that you can get past it. You are in control! Only you can make changes in your life and you are not helpless. Replacing those negative feelings can be accomplished by replacing them with thoughts of gratitude. How does one find gratitude in the midst of anger, loneliness and fear? In little, tiny steps: perhaps making a list of the good things in ones life would help. You will begin to crowd the resentment to the edge of the table. My list would go something like this: I am grateful for my children, grandchildren, brothers and sister and other family members.My parents, though dead, who left a legacy of love and trust in me.My second husband, whose last days were spent telling me how much he loved me, and that he didnt want to leave me.One less than perfect, first husband who, in his desertion of our family, forced me to look inside myself and pull up strengths I never knew I possessed. (I discovered ME and liked it.) One especially dear friend whom I can call at work and ask the spelling of a word because a dictionary is not handy. She laughs and gives me the answer.New friends who value me as I am and tell me I make them feel special.A dear person whom I can go toe to toe with in discussion about politics, religion and life in general and still not break that friendship, even though we may sometimes disagree.Im grateful for the wind and the unexpected music of the wind chimes on my front porch.I appreciate the tears of joy and sadness, as they refresh and cleanse my body of toxinsMy special buddy, God, who is always, silently in the background, waiting for me to cry out in fear or despair or thanksgiving. He, who shows His sense of humor when I least expect it; our friendship is always constant, even if I forget to say Thank You. Your initial gratitude list may be quite different from mine. You may say, I cant think of anything to be grateful for. Thats OK. But the next time you laugh at something, stop and say, Thank you, for the relief of my sorrow. Thank you, to the comedian on TV who makes you laugh: Thank you, for the refreshing breeze on my face; Thank you, for the green lights, when running late for work or for an appointment. Remember To Say Thank you for: The smile of a strangerYour home when you shut the door to intense heat or the burdensome cold of the outside worldThe welcoming comfort of your bed at night or a warm showerThe quiet of the night and if you really listen, you will feel the presence of God in the darkened roomwaiting, just waiting for you to say Thank you for my day, good, bad or not so good.Your cat or dog who will always be loyal to you even if your friends fail youLeftovers or that TV dinner, so you didnt have to cook when you were exhaustedThe smell of roses or a fresh Christmas tree or golden, red and brown Autumn leaves that crunch beneath your feet These daily experiences are all a part of the journey. Dont miss out on them. If you are so focused on the destination, that you neglect to observe the excitement of the journey, you’ll miss the most important part. Hanging on to the resentment of the past is not productive and denies us a better future. Take time to look at your “table of life. “Running towards the future while not enjoying the scenery is a wasted life, a destination without a journey. For more tips and tools to on how to survive divorce and loss and make healthy relationship choices you are invited to visit Butterflyintonewlife.com Patricia Hubbard has Facilitated a Support Group for Separated, Divorced and Widowed people for the past 11 years. She has been the writer/ producer of “SINGLES PERSPECTIVES” a newsletter for Single Friends in Christ, a social group for Singles in Virginia Beach. Besides her writing, coaching separated, divorced and widowed persons occupies most of her time. 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Taming The Drama Queen Within

Monday, January 14th, 2008

By Brian Rzepczynski Introduction Question: My boyfriend had enough of me being a drama queen as he called me and then ended our relationship. I didnt get what he meant by that. I was only trying to express my feelings and communicate my thoughts. Now he calls me a big drama queen in front of his friends and I feel humiliated. How do I know if Im a drama queen and if I am one, what can I do to stop being one? One of three things is possibly going on for this subscribers situation: 1. His partner ended the relationship for some other reason than he stated and used the global drama queen label as an easy out for avoiding taking responsibility for why he truly left. 2. His partner may be emotionally stifled, uncomfortable with his own or others feelings and could not tolerate his boyfriends expressiveness, thereby leading him to terminate the relationship to distance himself. 3. He may be overly-passionate with his emotions and lack restraint or boundaries with effectively managing his feelings, unaware that he may have been overwhelming and pushing his partner away with his intensity. There could be a whole host of other reasons for the breakup, but the above could be most likely. If the reason was #1 or #2, our subscriber is better off searching for a more compatible partner who is capable of emotional expression, active listening, and direct communication of his needs and wants. The fact that the ex-boyfriend taunted him about his emotionality to his friends is also a sign of disrespect and he should view this as a big red flag about his exs level of maturity, character, and integrity. If the reason is #3, our subscriber may benefit from learning skills to better regulate his emotions to avoid reactivity in his relationships with others; this could be alienating him from getting his needs met. This article will offer some strategies for how to manage your feelings in your relationship with your partner so you can change the dynamics that exist toward more positive results for both of you. What Is A Drama Queen? Personally, I hate labels and drama queen tends to carry a negative connotation that describes someone who is over-emotional, irrational, and over-the-top with his reactions and interpretations of events. I prefer to define a drama queen as someone who is very passionate about how he feels and communicates this exuberance in a magnified way that can be out-of-proportion to the situation at-hand. Hows that for a politically correct definition?! Other personality characteristics might include extreme sensitivity, jumping to negative conclusions, thinking the worst about everything, moody, prone to overreacting, taking things out of context, impulsive, flamboyant, and the list goes on and on. These are, of course, stereotypical qualities; however, the defining feature would be the exaggerated sense of being reactive. Drama queen-types share common distorted thinking styles that lend them to react to situations the way they do, namely catastrophizing (blowing things out of proportion, dramatizing, creating worst-case scenarios and basing their decisions off of these judgments), mindreading (assuming they know what others are thinking without having the evidence to back it up), black-and-white thinking (thinking in all/nothing and either/or terms), and overgeneralizing (making sweeping judgments about something or someone across the board, using such words as always, never, everybody, and nobody). The problem with the drama queen label is that it gives feelings a bad rap, and thats a dangerous consequence. The key to success is finding that balance so that one doesnt operate within extremes. Facts About Feelings As clich as it sounds, all feelings are valid and ok; its what you do with them that counts. They arent right or wrongthey just are. Feelings communicate to us what we need, what matters to us, and whats going on. They are signals to pay attention to and help us make decisions about what to say and do. Therefore, its important to label the emotions we experience. We choose how we feel; nobody makes us feel a certain way, and conversely, we cannot change other peoples feelings. Our reactions to situations are within our control. Feelings demand recognition and should not be stuffed. Without some kind of healthy outlet for release, they can contribute to stress, medical and mental health issues, interpersonal problems, and lead to self-destructive behaviors to self-medicate against their effects. 8 Strategies For Quieting Your Inner Drama Queen Here are some suggestions for keeping your feelings in-check so they dont bubble-over and create undue stress for yourself or contribute to escalating conflict with your partner during important discussions. 1. Pay attention to the sensations you feel in your body that signal upset developing. Delay your reaction to whats happening and take a Time Out to compose yourself and gain some clarity of thought and perspective. 2. Keep a journal, draw out your feelings on paper, express yourself through some type of art project, exercise, practice relaxation techniques. 3. Identify the triggers that prompt times of strong emotion for you. Do you notice any patterns? How can you restructure those situations? Engage in some productive problem-solving to generate some possible solutions. 4. Monitor your self-talk. Your thoughts contribute to your feelings and behavior (they interrelate with each other too). During emotional times, keep a written log of the situations, feelings, and thoughts that occur and work at uncovering self-talk that can heighten your mood or cause distortions in thinking. Pay close attention to catastrophizing and overgeneralizing thoughts and beliefs. 5. During a moment of drama, ask yourself these questions to gain some additional perspective: Is this a real or imagined threat? If its real, whats the likelihood that it will happen? Can I really not cope with it? Whats the worst possible thing that could happen and is it a life or death threat? More often than not, you will feel defused after doing some reality-testing like this. 6. Examine your times of strong emotion and determine their function. Whats the purpose behind your feelings or outbursts? What do you hope to accomplish? What do you gain with such behavior? Stress relief? A sense of power? Attention? Try to find alternate ways of getting these needs met. 7. A lot of times in relationships, conflicts occur because the couple has unmet needs that they are acting-out toward each other rather than being direct and asking for what they want. When you overreact with your partner, is it because hes not meeting a need? Do you not feel heard or understood so that drama becomes a way of demanding his attention or adding an element of emphasis to your points? Learn to be assertive and make requests while doing the same for your boyfriend. Develop your mastery of communication and conflict negotiation skills. 8. Arguments or drama sessions with our partners take on predictable patterns over time, called chain reactions. He does or says something, you respond, he reacts, you react, and a downward spiral of negative responses to each others statements and behaviors ensues. Draw a diagram on a piece of paper of your chain reactions in your relationship and practice re-writing these scripts so they point toward more productive outcomes. Conclusion There is a cure for drama-queenitis! Be open to and identify your feelings, seek healthy channels of release for your emotions, and find ways to strike a balance with them and logic to create a more level and stable emotional posture. As a couple, support each other and try to understand the underlying feelings and dynamics at play underneath your conflicts because there is special meaning behind the drama. In addition, make sure to take an appraisal of your life history and begin to heal any past hurts that you might be projecting into your relationship that could take the form of dramatization. If you or your partner have difficulty understanding the language of emotions, read books on emotional intelligence and resiliency. Applying these strategies can help modulate your emotions and promote a much happier personal life. Let the drama be served up at the theatre instead! 2006 Brian L. Rzepczynski WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE? This article can be reprinted freely online, as long as the entire article and this resource box are included: Brian Rzepczynski, Certified Personal Life Coach, is The Gay Love Coach: I work with gay men who are ready to create a road map that will lead them to find and build a lasting partnership with Mr. Right. To sign up for the FREE Gay Love Coach Newsletter filled with dating and relationship tips and skills for gay singles and couples, as well as to check out current coaching groups, programs, and teleclasses, please visit http://www.TheGayLoveCoach.com Please also include with the article the words Copyright and prominently display a link to our main page at the end of the article. Any feedback would be appreciated and can be sent to brian@thegaylovecoach.com. Thank you! Brian Rzepczynski holds a master’s degree in Social Work from Western Michigan University and is also a Certified Personal Life Coach through The Coach Training Alliance. He launched his private coaching practice, The Gay Love Coach: Man 4 Man Coaching Services (http://www.TheGayLoveCoach.com), in 2003 and works with gay men, both singles and couples, on developing skills for improving their dating lives and relationships. He publishes a free monthly ezine called “The Man 4 Man Plan” that has helpful articles, tips, resources, and an advice column relating to gay relationships and dating. He is also the co-author of the 2005 self-help book “A Guide to Getting It: Purpose & Passion.” Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Rzepczynski http://EzineArticles.com/?Taming-The-Drama-Queen-Within&id=257036 zopidem diazepam purchase online buy valium without prescription purchase valium diazepam online recept

Interpersonal Skill Building — Yank The Suckers & Weeds

Thursday, January 10th, 2008

By Althea DeBrule According to the National Gardening Association, suckers are rapidly growing shoots rising from an underground root or stem, often to the detriment of the tree. They can be very irritating and annoying for they bear no flowers or fruit. Rather than cut them off, one way to get rid of them is to roughly yank the suckers off to remove the cells and tissues that cause re-growth. Even if you are not a gardener, you know a lot about weeds. They are everywhere and tend to take over, crowd a plants root system, and provide a chaotic and unsightly mess. While there are many kinds of weed-killer sprays on the market, orchard growers hesitate to use them for fear of damaging the trees. Unfortunately, businesses have suckers and weeds too. These unattractive thieves rob the organization blind by ruining its competitive advantage, and choking and stifling its people. To avoid these outcomes, try applying a heavy layer of protective interpersonal mulch to effectively stop all but the most persistent of suckers and weeds. Here are four suckers and weeds that are typically found in the business garden, along with ways to yank them out before they root too deeply: Office Politics Far too many workers put their faith in office politics and believe their careers will either soar or plunge as a result of them. Office politics are a fundamental part of the daily grind. Sometimes people who cannot succeed on their own merit play them, and oftentimes, workers who pursue personal hidden agendas at the expense of others practice them. How do you keep this damaging sucker from taking root? Learn and understand how the office political game is played. You cannot afford to ignore office politics; whether you choose to play the political game or abstain is up to you. Use ethical influence to impact others without being sucked into the game. Strengthen professional relationships with others in your company and industry. Increase your awareness of how the company workswho has informal power and clout, and the unwritten as well as written rules of engagement. Jumping to Conclusions We often criticize others for jumping to conclusions or assuming the worst about a situation that may be erroneous or is not justified by the facts. When we jump to conclusions, we tend to label others based on prejudice or stereotype, interpret their behavior as a result of assumptions, and narrow our objectivity by becoming overly critical or intolerant. To uproot this weed, you have to continually dig deep into the soil of your mind and heart and repeatedly yank it out: Think of ways to jump to positive conclusions or consider alternative aspects of any problem, issue or situation. Refrain from speaking or acting before hearing all the facts. Stop wasting precious time and energy on what you think may have happened. There may be a perfectly good explanation for why a particular action was taken. Ask for it. Avoid the tendency to pigeon-hole others or use labels and stereotypes. Wishy-Washiness Do you have a boss or co-workers who just cant seem to make of their minds? One minute they model commitment and confidence, promise to support and back you up; the next minute they hesitate, become indecisive, and do not know the right direction to take. You will need both hands to handle this slippery weed: Focus on whats important. Ask for advice and insight. When you have considered all the available facts, move forward with prudence and good sense. Put some stakes in the ground. Take a stand and stop straddling the fence. Clearly outline any roles and expectations; then follow the plan. Double-Talk In the business world, double-talk looks like excuse making and blame shifting. It often involves the deliberate use of ambiguous, vague or confusing language that is spoken or written in an earnest, sincere or meaningful tone. Yet, when you reflect on what you have just read or heard, you realize it is a mixture of sense and nonsense, drivel, rubbish, and just bunk! When someone uses double-talk, we are left with a bad taste in our mouths. So, how do we get rid of this poisonous weed? Dont do it! Understand that to continue to engage in double-talk will negatively impact your character, integrity and reputation in the end. When you hear double-talk, try to discover motives, hidden agendas, intentions and reasons by listening with an objective filter. Hold yourself accountable for your mistakes and failures instead of making excuses and blaming others. Dont let pervasive suckers and weeds choke your career and business garden. Dont just cut them out; yank themroot system and all! Youll be more successful if you do. Althea DeBrule, entrepreneur and seasoned human resources executive, has focused for more than 30 years on helping people achieve their career goals. Creator of The Extreme-Career-Makeover and a founding partner of RADSGroup Organizational Consultants, she is recognized for her bottom line and practical application of career development and management strategies in a way that penetrates hearts and compels action. She speaks and teaches with inspired talent, humor and contagious zeal at management conferences and leadership retreats nationwide, and has been featured in CFO Magazine, Strategy@Work, Human Resource Executive Magazine. Althea is the author of Bosses & Orchards, a compelling and candid book about how to make your work relationship with your boss succeed. To discover how you can take your career to a new level, visit http://www.extreme-career-makeover.com/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Althea_DeBrule http://EzineArticles.com/?Interpersonal-Skill-Building—-Yank-The-Suckers-and-Weeds&id=57971 buy xanax no prescription canadian online pharmacy xanax online xanax xanax online

Solves Storage Problems - Bulk Containers

Tuesday, January 8th, 2008

By Mia Bilkins When we buy aromatherapy products or aroma essential oil in bulk, the first question which arises in our mind is the storage problem that how will we store the material in bulk? But, now there is no need to think about the storage problem since bulk containers solve all our problems. Before we proceed further, there is a need to understand as to why bulk containers are necessary or, in order words, importance of bulk containers. Practically, when we purchase material or products used in aromatherapy such as preservatives, salt, colors, food extract, dyes, salts in bulk, then in order to store that bulk purchase, we try to shift things in our house or work place, so that the purchase is easily adjustable. It is true that it is adjusted but it results in making the place congested. So, the better option is bulk containers. Bulk containers make the task of storing easier. Following are some of the features of bulk containers: Bulk containers are considered as environment compatible. These containers do not harm the environment and they are eco-friendly. In other words, they do not create imbalance in nature. They are regarded as economical, that is, they are not expensive. They carry economical cost which everyone can easily afford to buy. Bulk containers are strong and simultaneously they are designers. They look good and designer, that is, they dont give the bulky look. Due to their designer look they can be stored anywhere. Bulk containers not only solve the storage problem rather, they also save the material from getting spoiled from rats, rain or insects etc. One of the finest features of bulk containers is that they are reusable. In the sense that we are not required to spend again and again for buying them. It is one time investment as they are durable and can be used for long time. Bulk containers are available in varieties of shapes and sizes and we can choose from them as per our needs and requirements. The best of part of bulk containers is that they can store each kind of aromatherapy product or material. And, along that it also restores the look and freshness of the material and product. Many times, it is seen that we spent large sum of money again and again to store our bulk purchase. However, now there is no need to spend again and again as purchasing bulk containers is long term investment. Along that they are economical, eco-friendly and effortless way to store aromatherapy material. Mia Bilkins is working with the New Directions AU. He has also been involved in research on plants and oils for a long time. To find bulk containers, botanical skin care products, floral water, raw materials, recipes, bottles, caps, accessories, wellbeing you need to visit http://www.newdirections.com.au Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mia_Bilkins http://EzineArticles.com/?Solves-Storage-Problems—Bulk-Containers&id=382580 xanax online overnight delivery buy xanax online delivered overnight prescription xanax online with physical online prescription xanax

The Winning Employee-Customer Link

Tuesday, January 8th, 2008

By Jan Stringer In recent years, many in the academic and popular business press have grabbed hold of a very intuitive realization: positive work attitudes and greater commitment and loyalty among employees all feed directly into greater customer satisfaction and loyalty. Why? There are several important reasons. First, when top management advocates the importance of focusing on customer needs and wants, it will be the committed loyal employees (as opposed to indifferent or negative employees) who embrace this vision, take up the customer charge, and actually make it happen. Second, person-to-person relationships are at the heart of business, especially in service industries, B-to-B settings, and contexts involving ongoing personal selling and customer service. Turnover in the employee base will disrupt and destabilize these relationships, whereas retaining critical contact employees will work to preserve the relationships. Next is the notion of organizational knowledge. To truly serve customers, their stated and unstated needs and wants must be understood. More and more, this understanding is at the individual customer level (1-to-1). But every time employees exit the organization, some of that vital customer understanding is lost too. So it becomes clear from these dynamics that business success resulting from quality customer experiences and reactions depends on employee commitment and loyalty to the organization. One of the factors operating here is that committed loyal employees are known to go “above and beyond the call of duty.” If customer delight and customer loyalty hinge on having excellent or even surprisingly over-the-top experiences, doesn’t it make sense that employees primarily bent on going the extra mile will produce this kind of experience? And, what an incredibly powerful additional rationale for HR managers to build employee commitment and loyalty! Not only will employee commitment and loyalty be good for all the traditional HR reasons (retention, reduced replacement costs, increased productivity, increased organizational knowledge, etc.), but the more vital ultimate downstream effect is that it will feed and fertilize the vitality and health of the customer base - the direct source of revenue and profit for the company. All of the previous lines of reasoning are especially relevant for customer-contact employees. They are the face of the company to the customer. A positive, enthusiastically committed, loyal employee will put forth the best personification and representation of the company. If, however, these frontline employees are discouraged, de-motivated, feeling trapped, mistreated, angry, or even just indifferent, what kind of ambassadors will they be? Is it really reasonable to assume customers will have the best possible experience and get the best possible service from such uncommitted, disloyal, and disgruntled employees? And, if customers are not served well, customer dissatisfaction, disloyalty, and defection are likely consequences. An important qualification should be raised here. We are not just advocating simple employee retention. It is well known that some employees stay with a company because they have no other viable options, or they feel they owe the company or certain people in the company, or they feel locked in with the proverbial “golden handcuffs.” But let’s face it: some of those employees, while retained, are organizational dead weight. They are warm bodies that have shown up for the last 10 years but are average or minimal performers at best. They are not staying with the company because they want to, they are staying because they feel they have to. There is a huge difference. In fact, employees sticking around because they have to (technically called continuance commitment), may give lackluster customer service, or even worse, “bad-mouth” the organization to customers. So, the kind of commitment and loyalty we are talking about here is based on a true desire to stay, an almost feeling-based attachment or bond to the company (technically called affective commitment). When employees stick around as a natural manifestation of that kind of attitude, then it is likely that customers will be served in all the previously described ways that build customer satisfaction and loyalty. It just makes sense. Strong commitment to the organization motivates employees to work hard and to perform and behave in ways that are highly meaningful and helpful to customers. And, the manifestation of these customer-enhancing behaviors by loyal employees will be especially strong when an organization has an explicit, internally well-communicated strategic focus on serving customers. One of the key takeaway implications of these concepts for organizations is the need to simultaneously leverage the power of employee and customer information. It is time to break down organizational barriers between isolated and disconnected departments, data sources, research efforts, and continuous improvement planning/initiatives that now exist in separated organizational silos. The employee-customer system should be managed as a unified whole to strategically leverage the linked information. That goal needs to influence the way customer and employee research is designed, analyzed, interpreted, and acted upon. While there are obvious methodological, organizational, and operational challenges here, the payoff for doing so is also obvious: an organization strategically managing the employee-customer-profitability chain to help achieve sustainable enhanced business success - all built on the solid interconnected base of loyal employees and customers. Dr. Jan Stringer is the Founder of National Business Research Institute, Inc., and she has a doctoral degree in organizational psychology with a focus in quantitative methods. Click here to view a free Web-based Customer Satisfaction Survey Demo. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jan_Stringer http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Winning-Employee-Customer-Link&id=262778 prescription xanax best place to buy xanax soma vailum xanax lortab no prescription required cheap xanax without a prescription

Your Abs Start In The Kitchen

Monday, January 7th, 2008

By Brad Howard Its amazing. Every year I see the same routine over and over again. Youll see a person with a little bit of a spare tire run over to the ab machine and diligently start knocking out crunch after crunch after crunch only to discover weeks later that their waist hasnt shrunk an inch. Whats going on? Its the biggest misconception about ab training out there and Im about to hit you in the face with it If you cant control your caloric intake and expenditure youll never see the fruits of your ab work. First and foremost: Your abs start in the kitchen Think about it, if you cant spot reduce bodyfat (which you cant), then the overall reduction of total body fat must be paramount in order to reveal a nice midsection. Body fat levels in the low teens and below are needed. and the easiest way to help assure that youll get there is to watch what you put in your mouth. If you keep slapping Big Macs down your throat you can kiss those ab dreams goodbye ditto for the tubs of ice cream. Keep it simple for yourself: Try to get at least one serving of protein with each mealAvoid High GI carbs (like white bread, white rice) except for immediately after your workoutsMake sure to include a hearty amount of fruits and veggies in your diet (anything that has a deep color to it is a great choice)Try to up your water intake to one gallon per day to make sure that youre hydrated Remember, you can do all of the ab work you want, but if you dont have your diet in check its all for nothing. Brad Howard’s Fat Loss Black Book delves into the “meat and potatoes” of all of the misinformation generated by the diet and fitness industry today. An industry veteran for years, his fat loss manifesto completely shatters all of the myths and misguided, outdated advice being propagated today. FatLossBlackBook.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brad_Howard http://EzineArticles.com/?Your-Abs-Start-In-The-Kitchen&id=575079 xanax no prescription needed buy xanax without prescription xanax 2mg buy order xanax