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Category Archives: Healthy Living

30 Positive Quotes To Help You Rid Your Life Of Negativity And Live Like An Optimist

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With all that’s going around in the world and maybe even in your personal life, it can be difficult to stay optimistic. Still, we must somehow try to find ways to be optimistic no matter what life throws at you.

It is easy to fall victim to negative thought and to allow negativity to consume you. Training yourself to be optimistic is a way to bring happiness to both yourself and others.

Optimism even has numerous health and life benefits. For instance, some believe that optimism can help entrepreneurs succeed in their work. Similarly, in our daily lives, an optimistic outlook could help us relentlessly pursue and ultimately achieve our wildest dreams and goals. Optimism also promotes happiness, something we all strive for.

A little taste of optimism can go a long way. A few inspirational words can help bring out that optimism and remind us of all of the positive things in life.

Words have magical powers because they can move us, make us feel good and positive, and incite us to take action. That is why quotes are so well-loved by people, who sometimes want words of affirmation or just that extra push.

 

Without further ado, let’s check out these 30 optimistic quotes that will inspire you to be more positive.

1. Embrace the uncertainty.

“Trust the wait. Embrace the uncertainty. Enjoy the beauty of becoming. When nothing is certain, anything is possible.” — Mandy Hale

2. Choose kindness.

“The world is filled with nice people. If you can’t find one be one.” — Nishan Panwar

3. Hard times don’t last forever.

“Be strong because things will get better. It may be stormy now, but it never rains forever.” — Unknown

4. The possibilities are endless.

“Just because the past didn’t turn out like you wanted it to, doesn’t mean your future can’t be better than you ever imagined.” — Unknown

5. Embrace your imperfections.

“Real are never perfect and perfect are never real.” — Rita Pereira

6. Patience is a virtue for a reason.

“Everything will fall into place, just be patient.” — Unknown

7. Not everything is meant for us.

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.” — Helen Keller

8. Optimism attracts happiness.

“Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you.” — Mary Lou Retton

9.  Distance yourself from negativity.

“Beautiful things happen when you distance yourself from negativity.” — Unknown

10. Let your dreams guide you.

“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” — Roy T. Bennett

11. You will make it.

12. Appreciate what you have.

“Each morning you wake be thankful, grateful and appreciate who you are, you have life, you’re blessed and you’re beautiful.” — Unknown

13. Don’t be afraid to be a dreamer.

“I am and always will be the optimist, the hoper of far flung hopes and the dreamer of improbable dreams.” — Doctor Who

14. Happiness is the goal.

“Optimist: Person who travels on nothing from nowhere to happiness.” — Mark Twain

15. Always look on the bright side.

“Turn your face towards the sun, and the shadow fall behind you.” — Unknown

16. Everything is a lesson.

“I am strong, because I’ve been weak. I am fearless, because I’ve been afraid. I am wise, because I’ve been foolish.” — Unknown

17. There is a bright side to everything. Find it.

“No one ever injured their eyesight by looking at the bright side.” — Unknown

18. It’s just one day.

“Don’t make a bad day make you feel like you have a bad life.” — Unknown

19. If you can’t find door, just make one.

“I have become my own version of an optimist. If I can’t make it through one door, I’ll go through another door- or I’ll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present.” — Rabindranath Tagore

20. Become the best version of yourself.

“Give yourself permission to become who you already know you are.” — Unknown

21. Your inner light is more powerful than any darkness on the outside world.

“Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.” — Maya Angelou

22. Our cracks reveal how strong we are.

“One small crack does not mean that you are broken, it means that you were put to the test and you didn’t fall apart.” —​ Linda Poindexter

23. You always end up where you need to be.

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” — Douglas Adams

24. The world is full of opportunities.

“The world is ripe with new opportunities and chances. It’s up to you whether or not you’re going to take them.” — Unknown

25. Always choose light.

“Life is a fragile dance between light and darkness. Always choose the light.” — Unknown

26. Life is all about learning.

“Never regret a day in your life: good days give happiness, bad days give experience, worst days give lessons, and best days give memories.” — Unknown

27. The bigger our obstacles, the sweeter our victories.

“The greater your storm the brighter your rainbow.” — Unknown

28. Tomorrow will be a better day.

“No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.” — Maya Angelou

29. Optimism isn’t easy but it’s worth it.

“Pessimism isn’t smarter than optimism. In this life, the bravest thing can be is optimistic.” — Iris West

30. Speak optimism into existence.

“The eternal optimist very rarely speaks on the negative things. She/he realizes how ridiculously common they are. She realizes speaking on them – gives them more power than they deserve, and, in the end, chooses to redistribute that power to something she can actually use.” — Doc Waller

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German project spotlights happiness through the eyes of a child

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German project spotlights happiness through the eyes of a child

Happy surfing students. Photo: Karina Sillmann

By: Rachel Stern/The Local Germany

What is a happy day for you? To find the best answers, dance teacher Karina Sillmann began asking the children, ages 7-12, in her class in Aschaffenburg near Frankfurt.

Even over the holidays, amid the gift-giving and glittering Christmas markets, happiness for them boiled down to the immaterial. One girl said her most joyful day was baking cookies with her mom. For others it was simply spending time with their sister, brother, parents or anyone they love.

“I like the honesty that children have and I was curious of their answers,” said Sillmann, who began collecting their answers in the form of letters. “It shows that the simple things make us happy.”

An avid world traveller, Sillmann sought to hear what happiness is for children around the world – from Bolivia to Thailand. In February, she started Children’s Happy Days project, and through the blog and connections in other countries, began asking for letters from around the globe.

Sillmann has now received 52 letters from 16 different countries, and responds to each of them personally – sometimes through the help of friends who can translate, as was the case when she received a letter from a boy in Thailand.

She published the letters on her website as a way of reminding people what happiness is when seen from a child’s perspective.

When she travels abroad on holidays, Sillmann also participates in other sports projects with children, be it surfing on the Portuguese coast, or football in the hills of Bolivia.

The dance-enthusiast observed how movement makes children happy – abroad and at back at home. “A happy day to me is a day on which I can dance or do gymnastics. I just feel well then,” wrote a 10-year-old student from her class.

Letter reprint courtesy Karina Sillmann. Photo: DPA

Other non-materialistic experiences that give Sillmann’s students joy are finding a new song to dance to, or inventing their own dance moves, she says.

In general happiness lies in their favourite hobbies such as reading books from a particular writer, playing an instrument or doing sports.

“It’s good to see the world through the eyes of a child,” said Sillmann who continues to collect letters through post. “We often forget what’s important.”

On her website, Sillmann writes letters in five languages, including her German mother-tongue, to request letters from around the world. Photo courtesy: Karina Sillmann

5 Things To Try When You Can’t Stand The Pain Of Loneliness

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Image result for reading a book at home

(Photo: Google)

By: Brock Hanson/yourtango.com

Loneliness is a feeling related to abandonment. Chronic loneliness can be a habit we need to fight.

Loneliness is usually considered to be the emotional effect of a life situation, the situation of being isolated, rejected, or abandoned. But most of us have experienced feeling lonely in a crowd, or being entirely content when we’re all by ourselves. So the emotion we experience as loneliness in adulthood is actually independent of whether we’re alone.

Some of us experience chronic loneliness, a persistent sense of sadness we associate with being alone or unloved, and an enduring expectation that our isolation will never be relieved by the unconditional love and companionship we believe we lack. This is a painful dilemma indeed, made worse by the fact that the loneliness prevents us from doing the things we could to find love and companionable security.

Unfortunately, focusing on and anticipating loneliness can become a habit, just as focusing on anxiety can easily become a phobia, or focusing on anger can become an habit of abusive or self abusive behavior. The emotion of loneliness will make it hard for you to connect with others so that the facts of your life will grow to fit your feelings and expectations more and more.

You can choose to fight this trend if you put your mind to it. Here’s how to deal with loneliness and reduce the impact of that emotional experience.

1. Smile more often.

https://giphy.com/embed/B0vFTrb0ZGDf2via GIPHY

 

When you succeed in smiling in public, people will be drawn to you, and you’re more likely to get smiles or conversations in return. If you have trouble, go on YouTube and search for laughing baby videos. Or join a laughing yoga class.

2. Reach out to others.

By phone or text or email or in online chat rooms. When you connect with someone, resist the temptation to express your sadness first and foremost. Prepare yourself by choosing some uplifting topics, something interesting and positive you noticed recently, or something for which you are grateful, no matter how small.

Gratitude for the smallest things in life can open the door for mutual appreciation. By asking others about their lives, their problems and their blessings, you can take the focus off of yourself and your own insecurities, and begin to build a relationship based on your compassion for them.

3. Practice gratitude.

Chances are, you can find something in the present moment or in a memory that you feel grateful for. No matter how small, you can begin there. Once you open that filing cabinet drawer in your mind, you will discover other things you are grateful for. If you stay in this drawer, you’ll develop a steadily increasing capacity for gratitude.

Our brains are designed to focus first on pain and danger for survival reasons, but they have the capacity to experience gratitude, compassion, and love, and these emotions help us to connect, thrive, and grow. Rather than letting habits of loneliness stifle your talent for gratitude, stretch your capacity for gratitude and reduce the amount of time you suffer from loneliness.

4. Practice compassion.

https://giphy.com/embed/rG0y4FuGZbavuvia GIPHY

 

No matter how bad your situation is, it’s not difficult to find someone with a story you can feel compassion for. The more you know about another person, the better you are able to understand their sorrows, needs, or pain, so taking time to listen to others is essential.

Because most people won’t share their needs with just anyone, using the internet to locate a well moderated forum or chat room where people with similar backgrounds and problems are willing to talk about their challenges may be a safe place to start. I’ve often been impressed by the warmth and sensitivity expressed by members of a forum or discussion group online.

5. Seize the moment.

A large part of the habit of loneliness is the expectation that our isolation will go on forever. If you focus on the present moment and understand that this moment is just this moment, but it is the moment we have now, you can learn how to deal with loneliness. In this moment, there are a number of things to pay attention to: what you hear, what you see, what you think about what you hear or see, and what physical sensations you notice.

All of these keep changing and offer you a parade of phenomena on which to focus briefly and then let go. Some of the sights, sounds, and sensations may be unpleasant, or maybe your thoughts about them will seem unpleasant, but not all of them will be. Staying in the moment is a discipline that helps break the habits we fall into involving living in the past or future — with a bias toward the painful parts of the past and future.

Why does loneliness make it so difficult for us to practice these things? Early in life, the emotion of loneliness has a purpose in helping us cope with dangerous situations when we find ourselves separated from the caretakers on whom we depend.

Loneliness compels the helpless little animal to keep quiet and stay put so that Mama Bear has a better chance of finding her before something else does. But we don’t automatically grow out of emotions when we no longer need them. In fact, we can accidentally fall into habits of evoking emotions that are unnecessary and unhelpful for the situation we find ourselves in.

We seem to understand that fear or anger is dysfunctional when they become an automatic response to situations, and we turn to treatment for anxiety or anger management, but it often seems difficult to see loneliness in the same way.

Because the emotion of loneliness reminds us so vividly of times when we were helpless, it’s easy to become confused and believe that we’re helpless. The cognitive (beliefs) and behavioral (actions) habits that are shaped by the emotion of loneliness tend to reinforce one another.  In order to free yourself from the habit of loneliness, you need to choose to act according to plan rather than according to how you feel.

Brock Hansen, LCSW is a clinical social worker and personal effectiveness coach with over 30 years of experience in counseling individuals with a variety of problems related to shame and anger. Visit his website at www.Change-for-Good.org.

South Africa: ‘Dead’ woman found alive in mortuary fridge

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The unnamed woman had been certified dead by paramedics at the scene of a pile-up in the early hours of June 24

Image Credit: Supplied  Image for illustrative purpose only
 

JOHANNESBURG:  A South African woman who paramedics had declared dead after a horrific car crash was later found alive in a mortuary fridge, emergency services said on Monday.

Ambulance service Distress Alert confirmed that the unnamed woman had been certified dead by paramedics at the scene of the pile-up outside of Carletonville, southwest of Johannesburg, in the early hours of June 24.

Mortuary technicians then found her alive in a morgue fridge several hours after the crash in which the victims’ car rolled, throwing all three occupants clear of the vehicle, killing two of them.

“We followed our procedures – we’ve got no idea how it happened,” Distress Alert operations manager Gerrit Bradnick told AFP.

“The crew is absolutely devastated – we’re not in the business of declaring living people dead, we’re in the business of keeping people alive.”

“All the right checks were done – breathing, pulse – so the patient was declared deceased,” he said.

The company has now launched an investigation.

“Paramedics are trained to determine death, not us,” a source at the Carletonville mortuary told the Sowetan newspaper.

“You never expect to open a fridge and find someone in there alive. Can you imagine if we had begun the autopsy and killed her.

 

 

 

Source: Gulf News: South Africa

 

 

Tacky Comment:   They found her in the fridge, and she was cold…..

Are you being ‘GASLIGHTED’? The subtle red flags you’re being emotionally manipulated in the office, at home or in your relationship

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GASLIGHTING, is a term to describe people who emotionally abuse others

They can distort your mind by planting seeds of self-doubt without you knowing

behavioral expert Grazina Fechner reveals the warning signs

By:Cindy Tran/Daily Mail Australia

To the outside world, they lead a seemingly happy life.But behind closed doors, they can deliberately distort your mind by planting seeds of self-doubt without you even knowing.

Related image

Meet ‘gaslighters’ – a term to describe people who emotionally abuse others with such conviction and confidence that the victim starts to feel uncertain themselves.

So given they can manipulate people so subtly, how easy can you spot one?

Here, Sydney‘s behavioural expert Grazina Fechner reveals the warning signs to help you identify whether you’re a victim of gaslighting.
'Gaslighters is a term to describe people who emotionally abuse others with such conviction and confidence that the victim starts to feel uncertain themselves (stock image)

Gaslighters is a term to describe people who emotionally abuse others with such conviction and confidence that the victim starts to feel uncertain themselves (stock image)

‘In the whole gaslighting arena, you generally think you’re going crazy. It’s the emotional abuse, thinking you’re going crazy and lack of control,’ she told The Morning Show.

‘There’s lots of different ways to spot a gaslighter – everything from you starting to doubt yourself, so straight away, you’re on the back foot all the time.

Image result for gaslighting gif

How to Spot A Gaslighter

Always Lying

Correcting Your Memory

Calls You Crazy

Plant seeds of self-doubt

There mistakes becomes yours

‘They’re always lying and they’re correcting your memory – so what will happen is, you’ll say “no, I didn’t do that” but they’ll say “yes, you did, that’s exactly what happened”. They’ll call you crazy, so often you’ll sit there and go “far out, maybe I am going crazy”.

And their mistakes often become yours. So when they’ve made the mistake, they’ll bring it back to you and say “you know what, that was all about you, nothing to do with me”.’

Describing their behaviour, Ms Fechner said gaslighers have a ‘fake little persona’.

Sydney's behavioural expert Grazina Fechner (pictured) reveals the warning signs to help you identify whether you're a victim of gaslighting

Sydney’s behavioural expert Grazina Fechner (pictured) reveals the warning signs to help you identify whether you’re a victim of gaslighting

Behind closed doors, they can deliberately distort your mind by planting seeds of self-doubt without you even knowing (stock image)
Behind closed doors, they can deliberately distort your mind by planting seeds of self-doubt without you even knowing (stock image)

‘So to the outside world, they live this glamorous life, and they are the perfect husband, the perfect father and the perfect employer,’ she explained.

‘They feed off drama, so they love drama. They have that “perfect” image, they rationalise everything, they always think they’re right, and they stay in control.’

‘When they can manipulate and when they can emotionally abuse, that means they have control over you… It’s in various situations and they are very good at doing it.’

And it’s not just couples who are suffering emotionally. Ms Fechner said employers can also gaslight by shifting the blame onto you after they made a mistake at work.

She said mother-in-laws or family members are also good at gaslighting – but when they are with their friends, they have a different persona because they know they don’t have control over them.

Why Being a Morning Person Makes You Better Than Everyone Else

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Hate sleeping in? You’re in luck: research says being an early riser is much better for your health.

 

By: Jenn Sinrich/Mens Health

Do you wake up in the morning at 6:30 a.m. on the dot, excited to start your day? Do you feel like you get your best work done right when you get to the office? When your friends bitch and moan about not being able to sleep in, do you not understand what they’re talking about? You are a rare breed, my friend. You are a morning person.

Lucky for you, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that your early rising habit is beneficial to your quality of life. Here are some science-backed reasons why it’s better to be a morning person (and if you’re a night owl, here are a few reasons why you should start setting your alarm clock for an hour earlier.)

 

1

YOU’RE MORE LIKELY TO EAT A WELL-BALANCED BREAKFAST.
​The 6 Worst Breakfast Foods You Can Eat

There’s a reason why people say breakfast is the most important meal: not only does it get your metabolism going, which is beneficial for overall weight loss, but it also gives your body and brain vital nutrients to help you perform throughout the day.

“Eating a hearty breakfast with protein can help build dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps control your brain’s pleasure centers and balances out the stress hormone cortisol,” explains Brandon Mentore, strength and conditioning coach, functional medicine practitioner and sports nutritionist. That’s not the case for night owls, who are more likely to grab a donut on-the-go — or worse, skip breakfast entirely.

2

YOU CAN GET AN EARLY MORNING WORKOUT IN.
man exercising
GETTY IMAGES

During these early morning hours, your body is in prime condition for movement. “Your body produces more testosterone in the morning and these elevated levels can help support muscle repair and growth,” says Robert S. Herbst, a weight loss and wellness coach and powerlifter.

Herbst says that moderate-intensity exercises like cardio are best for this time of day. “If one is going to lift heavy weights, it is better to save it for later in the day when the body’s core temperature is elevated and joints and tendons are warmed up,” he adds.

3

YOU GET MORE NATURAL LIGHT, WHICH IS BETTER FOR YOUR OVERALL MOOD.
Morning Runs
GREGORBISTER/GETTY IMAGES

Additionally, when you’re up early enough to see the sun rise, you’re exposed to far more sunlight throughout your entire day. “The importance of natural morning light has been backed by science,” says Mentore. “One study out of Northwestern Medicine showed that the timing, intensity, and duration of your light exposure during the day is linked to your weight: people who had most of their daily exposure to even moderately bright light in the morning had a significantly lower body mass index (BMI) than those who had most of their light exposure later in the day.”

Plus, exposure to natural light has been linked to increased workplace performance and an overall better mood.

4

YOU’RE MORE LIKELY TO GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP.
​5 Reasons Every Man Must Make Time For Yoga
GETTY

If you’re getting a solid 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, as recommended by the National Sleep Foundation, waking up early helps get your body in sync with your natural sleep patterns. “Our circadian rhythm naturally encourages our body to calm down at dusk, sleep when it’s dark and awake when the sun comes up,” says Chris Brantner, the founder of the sleep research site SleepZoo. “So if you’re getting out of bed early on a regular basis and getting to bed early as well, your body is likely more in tune with its natural evolutionary processes.”

5

YOU’RE LESS LIKELY TO PROCRASTINATE.
8 Insanely Busy People Reveal the #1 Way They Stop Procrastinating
GETTY IMAGES

If you’re a night owl, you might postpone important tasks for later in the evening. But morning people know that they have to turn in at a certain hour, so they’re awake and energized for the day ahead of them. This often leads them to be better prioritizers, according to a 2008 study assessing the work habits of night owls vs. early risers.

“There seems to be a correlation with waking up early and getting things done,” says Brantner. “Perhaps this is also because you’re more likely to have gotten longer sleep and be energized and ready to go!”

 6

YOU’RE MORE LIKELY TO BE A HAPPIER PERSON.
benefits of massage
GETTY IMAGES

If you like to sleep in, you probably attribute your good mood to getting a few extra minutes of shut-eye. But researchers at RWTH Aachen University in Germany found that night owls are actually at an increased risk for depression (all of that late-night Googling isn’t good for anyone’s mental health).

Brantner says that lack of sleep and disrupted sleep cycles have also been linked to depression. “Sleep deprivation can lead to depression which can lead to more sleep deprivation which can lead to more depression… it’s a vicious cycle.”

7

YOU’RE MORE LIKELY TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR CAREER.
window-office.jpg

GALLERY STOCK

Setting your alarm clock for an hour or two earlier might also help you climb up the career ladder. One study conducted by a professor at the University of Education in Heidelbergfound that employees who perform better in the mornings are better positioned for success in their career.

Don Vaughn, a neuroscientist and data consultant at Santa Clara UCLA, agrees, adding that the morning is the best time of day for our brains to focus before daily distractions take over. “Although we can do deep work in the evening, the morning holds an advantage that many of us are squandering,” he says.

Clean Hands

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Image result for seinfeld pizza dirty hands

 

Remember that Seinfeld episode, where he was on date with a woman who’s father owned a restaurant.  At one point, Seinfeld went into the restroom and this man used the urinal and left without washing his hands.   Then the man turned out to the father of his date, who owned the restaurant.    The father went on to make them a pizza by hand and Jerry Seinfeld refused to eat the pie.    I can relate.

I would guess more than 60 percent of men bypass the sinks as they conclude their business.  I’m not a surgeon, but I wash my hands like one.  I often take several wash towels to open those doors that require turning or pulling. After all, I’ve invested time washing, drying to have it all undone by an unclean handle.

SHOCK HORROR!

I recently learn that many women bypass the wash basins too.

For years, I gave women a pass but with this resent news, they have made the list.

While I don’t think I’m a germaphobe, but I have phobe tendencies. I tend to avoid most finger foods at parties unless I’m first.  If there is a bucket of chicken and tongs aren’t available, I will use a napkin.  However, if that chicken has been picked over put a fork in this party goer, I’m done!        No Chicken for me!

Like Jerry, if I witness an unclean action by the cook, its ovah.   I’ve witnessed a mother wipe her sons nose with her fingers as she was putting out the bread.  I faked an illness-“Flash Pneumonia”and crawled to my car and to freedom.  If it weren’t for the Altoids in my car, I might have starved to death!

I live alone and yet I wash my hands when I handle my personal food.  Who knows I might have guest. It out of respect for them.   Clean hands, its important!

CityFella

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