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	<title>Your Personal Development Website</title>
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	<description>Learn ways to improve yourself, boost your health, wealth and talent</description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 08 May 2009 07:46:58 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>Managing Your Stress</title>
		<link>http://www.simontay.com/2590/managing-your-stress/</link>
		<comments>http://www.simontay.com/2590/managing-your-stress/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 May 2009 07:46:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>simontay.com</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Stress Management]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Psychotherapists have many tools at their disposal for helping clients overcome stress and related issues. One of these tools is called rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT), which used to be known as rational-emotive therapy (RET). This system of therapy was pioneered by Dr. Albert Ellis decades ago, and today its principles and techniques are employed in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Psychotherapists have many tools at their disposal for helping clients overcome stress and related issues. One of these tools is called rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT), which used to be known as rational-emotive therapy (RET). This system of therapy was pioneered by Dr. Albert Ellis decades ago, and today its principles and techniques are employed in the more mature system known as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).</p>
<p>Dr. Ellis was a firm believer in the idea that an individual could help himself or herself overcome the destructive thinking tendencies that directly determine emotional responses such as stress. He created what is now known as the ABC model of psychotherapy.</p>
<p>A stands for Activating Event and is the external situation or event that is wrongly believed to cause C, the emotional Consequence. What stands between A and C, however, is B, a belief. This belief can be either rational or irrational, and Dr. Ellis believed that all negative emotional states are the result of irrational beliefs at point B.</p>
<p>The ABC model of psychotherapy could rightly be called the ABCDE model of psychotherapy, since the model has two additional components, D and E. D stands for Disputation and refers to a conscious effort on the part of the individual to challenge and uproot the irrational beliefs at B that are causing the negative emotional consequences at C. This disputation subjects the irrational, stress-causing beliefs to a scientific, logical, empirical, rational method of questioning. If the individual succeeds in recognizing and uprooting the irrational beliefs that are causing his or her current state of distress, the result is E, the Effect. E is ideally cognitive, emotional, and behavioral &#8212; cognitive in the sense that an irrational belief is replaced by a rational belief; emotional in the sense that a negative emotion such as stress is replaced either by a positive emotion or by a milder negative emotion that is more realistic; and behavioral in the sense that the individual will not respond to similar events in future with similar irrational beliefs.</p>
<p>There are various subtleties that we have overlooked for the sake of simplicity. One of these subtleties involves the vicious cycle that can result when irrational beliefs and negative emotional states have an influence on behavior and perception, leading to all sorts of self-fulfilling prophecies. In fact, perceptions, cognitions, emotions, and behaviors are highly interrelated. A simple demonstration of this fact can be observed if you try to be sad while smiling, or downbeat while walking at a fast pace with your head up high and your chest out.</p>
<p>An example will help tie the whole process together and illustrate how the ABCDE model of psychotherapy can be used to deal with stress and other negative emotions.</p>
<p>Let us suppose that you are running late for work and that you are feeling stressed out about the situation. The ABCDE breaks down as follows:</p>
<p>A - the Activating Event is that you are running late for work. </p>
<p>B - the irrational Belief we will examine below.</p>
<p>C - the emotional Consequence of B is that you are feeling stressed and highly anxious.</p>
<p>Let us now move to Disputation. You could ask yourself &#8220;What is the irrational belief that is making me feel this way?&#8221; Quite likely, the belief will be along the lines that you absolutely must be punctual at all times and that it is catastrophic when you are late. You could then ask yourself &#8220;Why is it catastrophic if I am late?&#8221; &#8220;Because,&#8221; you may answer, &#8220;I could get fired.&#8221; If you wanted to, you could keep examining this and ask yourself what would be catastrophic about being fired, and you could end up surprising yourself with where such persistent questioning can take you. But let us assume that being fired would indeed be the end of the world. You could still dispute the idea that you would be fired for being late. After all, doubtless you have seen other coworkers arrive late on occasion with total impunity. Maybe even the boss is late from time to time. </p>
<p>Eventually you may come to the realization that being late is nothing worth stressing out over, and this rational realization would be accompanied by a corresponding change in emotional state. You could take charge of your behavior by devising ways to ensure that you arrive early to work the vast majority of the time. You would now be at E, the Effect.</p>
<h3><small>Tags</small></h3><p class="mytag"><small>
<a href="http://www.simontay.com/category/stress-management" rel="tag">Stress Management</a>
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		<title>How to Motivate People to Do Good?</title>
		<link>http://www.simontay.com/2588/how-to-motivate-people-to-do-good/</link>
		<comments>http://www.simontay.com/2588/how-to-motivate-people-to-do-good/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2009 07:45:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>simontay.com</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Motivation]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[It’s a common problem no matter where you are, and whether you’re gathering donations for your church or a charitable organization: you can really have a hard time motivating people to do good. Try as you might, you will always bump against people who do not think that going to a homeless shelter for a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It’s a common problem no matter where you are, and whether you’re gathering donations for your church or a charitable organization: you can really have a hard time motivating people to do good. Try as you might, you will always bump against people who do not think that going to a homeless shelter for a night of volunteering is not as worthwhile as going to the club.</p>
<p>No matter how hard you work at it, it can be hard to convince people to help you fold clothes or gather canned goods for the less fortunate, especially when they have jobs that they think are more important than any other earthly activity. And no matter what you do, there will be people who will criticize your work as being a band-aid to other problems that should be solved.</p>
<p>Despite all these criticisms and setbacks, you should be able to do the work that you want without worrying about what people think. Moreover, you should be able to bank on a willingness on your part to motivate people to do what they can to help your cause out. How do you motivate people to do good? Here are a few tips that you may want to take into consideration.</p>
<p>- When starting off your marketing blitz to get people to listen to you, keep in mind that you are not preaching to the choir, but neither are you trying to make devils listen to you. You will have a healthy mix of people who both want to help and who don’t really care. The key is to hit your note in the middle and not end up alienating any of them.</p>
<p>By being too solicitous and too pity-inducing, you end up irritating the people who don’t care yet. By being too appealing to people’s emotions, you may end up annoying the people who already do care and want to help out. Avoid being self-righteous or off handed. Remember, when you want to help people, you don’t want to show how helpful you already are.</p>
<p>- Avoid using negative language, such as, “Don’t go to the club tonight when you can help people!” You don’t want people to feel that they are doing something that they should substitute with something that you are endorsing. This could lead them into thinking that you are trying to change them, and whenever people feel that their feelings and perceptions are being attacked, they will go on the defensive.</p>
<p>- If you are working with a charitable organization, try to tie in your work with something enjoyable. Have a dance party or rent out the club for a party and charge for entrance. Promise that you will give proceeds from your earnings to a charitable organization or cause. Have people dress up in costumes, and then give prizes away for the best costume, and ask people to bring canned goods with them.</p>
<p>Find a way to tie in your cause to something that people could do and have fun with. You want to look human, too, and you want to get as many people as possible. Just be sure to stay within the bounds of decency and you will be fine.</p>
<p>- Lastly, surround yourself with reputable people. No one wants to donate a cause that is associated with gangsters, thieves, or anyone who doesn’t have a solid enough reputation. You want to have people around you that anyone can look up to and admire.</p>
<h3><small>Tags</small></h3><p class="mytag"><small>
<a href="http://www.simontay.com/category/motivation" rel="tag">Motivation</a>
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		<title>Bad Relationships and Love</title>
		<link>http://www.simontay.com/2586/bad-relationships-and-love/</link>
		<comments>http://www.simontay.com/2586/bad-relationships-and-love/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2009 07:43:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>simontay.com</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Love and Relationships]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Relationships are either built out of stone, or else built on sand, which later falls beneath the broken hearts in the world, and the pattern continues. When a relationship is built on stone the foundation often stands, since love, trust, honesty, communication and other elements that compose a relationship continues throughout the terms of the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Relationships are either built out of stone, or else built on sand, which later falls beneath the broken hearts in the world, and the pattern continues. When a relationship is built on stone the foundation often stands, since love, trust, honesty, communication and other elements that compose a relationship continues throughout the terms of the commitment. On the other hand, the relationships built on sand lack the elements required to make love grow and the relationships stand. </p>
<p>The love and relationships that intend to love their partner as they would love them self, by respecting the partner are good relationships that last. Bad relationships are built on “You trust me, but I decide if I will trust you.” Selfishness composes bad relationships, since one or both parties are out for gain, rather than to give and share. </p>
<p>Selfishness is an egotism state of mind where the person feels that some owes him/her something. Rarely do they consider what they owe; rather they believe that the world is forever in debt to him or her. When a person feels the world owes them, they often lack consideration, respect, loyalty, faithfulness, and commitment. The egotistic minds often-base relationships with family, friends and mate on what can I get from you. At the onset of a bad relationship, the joining mate with egotistical thinking will lead the mate on, making him or her believe good intentions come with the partner. In other words, the person leads the mate to believe that he or she has the best interest of the partner and of the relationship in mind. Often this type of relationship will move along fast, since the partner with egotistical thinking strives to prevent the other mate from noticing the real intentions. </p>
<p>These types of relationship are built on sexual interest rather than true love. As the relationship progresses the mate believing that good intentions were intended at the beginning often find out when it is too late the relationship is heading down a dead end road, with only one partner working. </p>
<p>Different relationships in the world boil down to good or bad relationships. When two people join in intimate relations, both parties must work hard to make the relationship work. A bad relationship will utilize tools believing that the mechanisms will keep the spice in his or her life when they feel tired out of the mate. In other words, a bad relationship focuses on sexual gratification, which never occurs, since he or she tires out quickly. The person may engage in pornographic reading or viewing, promiscuous relationships, violence, and so forth to gratify the desire. </p>
<p>The love given by these people are superficial love that focuses on gain. Desire is the seated root of their intention and thus, they will lack the elements that make love work. Few egotistical types change over time, while others become more aggressive and seek harder to gratify their desires. The ultimate desire of these people is to please self, while taking what they can get from others and at the same time manipulating others into believing they are good souls. </p>
<p>If you are searching for love and relationships, the World Wide Net, bars, and other unsafe areas are not the place to search. Some people go to Church hoping to find their soul mate, but even churches pose threats, since true worship is un-existing. Thus, when searching for love and relationship take the wise word of caution, and heed to the voices of the past that tell you, love will come when you are least expecting it to arrive. Thus, you do not look for love; rather love will come to you if you allow room for it to arrive.  </p>
<p>Loneliness is one of the key tools that land hungry souls in bad relationships. Bad relationships are neglecting, failure directed, and sometimes abusive. If you are in a relationship and your partner is out for self-gain, thus take warning now, since in most instances failure is the path you will walk. Some self-seeking souls may turn violent, or frequently neglect their mate. The partner will disrespect, and place ongoing doubt in the mind of the partner, until a breakdown occurs, and sometimes the breakdown is by emotion.</p>
<h3><small>Tags</small></h3><p class="mytag"><small>
<a href="http://www.simontay.com/category/love-and-relationships" rel="tag">Love and Relationships</a>
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		<title>Time Management For Nurses</title>
		<link>http://www.simontay.com/2584/time-management-for-nurses/</link>
		<comments>http://www.simontay.com/2584/time-management-for-nurses/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 02 May 2009 08:01:33 +0000</pubDate>
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		<category><![CDATA[Time Management]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[A nurse deals and is responsible for a lot of things in a clinic, a hospital, or a place where their services are needed. They help treat, recover sick people with their acute or severe illnesses, maintain their patient&#8217;s good health, and treat life-threatening illnesses and emergencies within a very wide range of health care [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A nurse deals and is responsible for a lot of things in a clinic, a hospital, or a place where their services are needed. They help treat, recover sick people with their acute or severe illnesses, maintain their patient&#8217;s good health, and treat life-threatening illnesses and emergencies within a very wide range of health care practices. This is just among the many responsibilities of nurses, along with other health care professionals. </p>
<p>Indeed, a nurse&#8217;s task is not only difficult but also complicated. Nurses are their to provide the doctor a lending hand when it comes to treating sick patients. Not only that, they also have to continually acquire new and innovative ways to provide the best form of treatment needed according to a patient&#8217;s case. Some of these cases include caring for infants, promoting means to assist the growth of toddlers, or ways of preventing certain diseases. They work is critical because it is their patients&#8217; lives on the line, and so there&#8217;s no room for error. </p>
<p>Nurses need lo learn a lot of various skills that are important for practicing their profession. With all these strenuous activities that nurses undertake everyday, they would sometimes be unable to attend to other tasks at hand. </p>
<p>A nurse needs to prioritize all their activities in order to provide more room for his or her other important daily activities. One way to be able to succeed in doing that is through effective time management skills.</p>
<p>Some suggested time management techniques that nurses should use include the following: </p>
<p>1.) Organize Your Activities For The Day</p>
<p>First of all when you are a nurse, you should note down the most important things that you should be doing for the day, and even in the days to come. You have to emphasize your top priorities, in case you need some things done first before the others. This will help organize your tasks so you can easily attend to them and finish necessary tasks on time. And with good management of time, you still have enough time left to do other useful activities. </p>
<p>2.) Focus And Prioritize</p>
<p>Prioritize on the most important tasks that are to be done and focus on them. Don’t let yourself be distracted by things that would delay you and prevent you from finishing your tasks on time. Avoid interruptions such as taking long chats with fellow nurses or patients so as not to delay the completion of your tasks. You can attend to less important activities after you are done with your shift or during free time. </p>
<p>3.) Avoid Less Important Activities</p>
<p>Avoid activities that would make you spend a lot of time. Among these things are watching television, taking long chats, sending e-mails on the internet, or taking too long conversations on the telephone. You may not realize it but a majority of your time is spent on less important things that you can probably do a day without. Although you can allot a few time for these, you should not spend substantial or valuable time on them. </p>
<p>Beyond better performance at your job, better time management helps lessen the stress in the life of nurses. This would then help them to better communicate with the people they are working with. And better communication at work increases your effectivity and productivity at work.</p>
<h3><small>Tags</small></h3><p class="mytag"><small>
<a href="http://www.simontay.com/category/time-management" rel="tag">Time Management</a>
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		<title>Bill Gates</title>
		<link>http://www.simontay.com/2582/bill-gates/</link>
		<comments>http://www.simontay.com/2582/bill-gates/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2009 08:00:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>simontay.com</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Worlds Billionaires]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[William Henry Gates III is currently the world&#8217;s third-richest person, with a current net worth of around $58 billion USD. Out of all of the billionaires on the Forbes and Fortune magazine&#8217;s lists, it is William Henry Gates III, better known as Bill Gates, who is the most world-famous. And, also unusual for a top [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>William Henry Gates III is currently the world&#8217;s third-richest person, with a current net worth of around $58 billion USD. Out of all of the billionaires on the Forbes and Fortune magazine&#8217;s lists, it is William Henry Gates III, better known as Bill Gates, who is the most world-famous. And, also unusual for a top world billionaire, he is what you might call a one-trick pony. He made his fortune from microcomputer software at the exact moment when the world adopted microcomputers, and that is that. One company, one product.</p>
<p>Bill Gates was born on October 28, 1955 in Seattle, Washington, United States. He was the son of two already highly affluent parents; his father, William H. Gates, Sr. (the only one in the family line not to have the number), was already a career business lawyer who co-founded Preston Gates &#038; Ellis LLP, and his mother, Mary Maxwell Gates, was a career banker who was serving on the board of directors for First Interstate Bank. Furthermore, his grandfather, William H. Gates II, was the president of a bank himself, and there are many other affluent business persons in the Gates family tree.</p>
<p>Although it was his father&#8217;s wish that he become a lawyer, Bill Gates did not at first seem to start out with much motivation to create his own career. Though he attended and graduated Lakeside, an exclusive preparatory school, he only briefly attended Harvard University before dropping out. Despite this, he holds an honorary degree from Harvard anyway, in recognition of his business success.</p>
<p>Bill Gates&#8217; first brush with computers happened almost accidentally, in 1971. His best friend from Lakeside, Paul Allen, happened to be interested in programming, and founded the Lakeside Programming Group, a hobby club within the prep school. The hobby club attracted new members who would tinker with the big, mainframe machines - PDPs among them - of the time, playing with assembly, Lisp, and BASIC code and using teletypes and even punched cards. Eventually Gates and Allen joined another hobbyist computer club, called the &#8220;Homebrew Computer Club&#8221;, which had an open-source BASIC program interpreter which they had written. This put them in the right place at the right time when a new computer company, called Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MIPS) approached the club offering to buy their BASIC interpreter. Gates and Allen acted for the club and sold the program to MIPS. The rest of the club was not happy with this outcome, reasoning that it was everyone&#8217;s open source program and Gates and Allen had no right to sell it. </p>
<p>The feud between them eventually fueled Bill Gates&#8217; famous &#8220;Open Letter to Hobbyists&#8221; in 1976, and this set a precedent for Gates to hold all free and open source software in contempt and to swear to stamp it out wherever he could. The feud between Microsoft and the open source community still goes on today, in the form of the rivalry between Microsoft and Linux, as well as with BSD and Apple, whose Mac OS software is also based on BSD. Nevertheless, the pair of Gates and Allen formed Micro-Soft Corporation and continued to hire programmers and sell more software. Microsoft, as the company eventually came to be called, essentially grew up alongside the microcomputer revolution, when old mainframe machines and time-shared systems gave way to stand-alone personal computers that could fit on a desktop.</p>
<p>It was Bill Gates&#8217; family connections that paved the way for the next big break, when his mother, Mary Maxwell Gates, served on the board of the United Way charity at the same time as John Akers, the CEO of IBM. Akers mentioned to Mrs. Gates that the company was looking for an operating system for the new personal computers, and Mrs. Gates naturally recommended her son. Bill Gates, upon being approached, had to hire a scab programmer by the name of Tim Paterson to quickly write the QDOS (literally &#8220;Quick and Dirty Operating System&#8221;) operating system, which was a clone of the then-existing CP/M operating system. IBM bought the license rights to QDOS and yet through the nature of an unusual agreement between IBM and Microsoft, Microsoft continued to own the system and IBM had to pay them every time it sold a computer. The concept of proprietary software was born, since before this time the normal practice was that software had been given away for free, because computers themselves were so expensive as to prohibit additional costs. Gates continued this business plan by buying up other software products and companies, then incorporating the software into its own programs to be sold as part of its offerings.</p>
<p>QDOS became DOS, DOS became Windows 3.0, Windows became Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP, and Vista, and Microsoft grew into the richest software company in the world. In 1986, at the age of just 31, Bill Gates became the youngest billionaire in history at the time. In 1990, Windows 3.0 enjoyed sales of over $1 billion, a historical record for a software product. In 1993, United States president George H.W. Bush presented Bill Gates with the National Medal of Technology, an act which would foreshadow his son George W. Bush&#8217;s presidential act of pardoning Microsoft from its antitrust and monopoly convictions. Gates became the richest person in the United States in 1994 and the richest person in the world in 1995, although since relinquishing that title to Warren Buffett and Carlos Slim Helú.</p>
<p>While other billionaires have shown a great deal of struggle and fortitude to get where they are today, Bill Gates seems to have simply fallen into his success. To his credit, he does not take himself too seriously to this day, appearing in public in the relaxed, casual manner of any &#8220;computer geek&#8221;. Nevertheless, although he has now, at the age of just 52, stepped down as CEO of Microsoft, his personal fortune is still vast and he has stated that he has many more ambitious plans in store.</p>
<h3><small>Tags</small></h3><p class="mytag"><small>
<a href="http://www.simontay.com/category/worlds-billionaires" rel="tag">Worlds Billionaires</a>
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		<title>The Stress Triangle</title>
		<link>http://www.simontay.com/2580/the-stress-triangle/</link>
		<comments>http://www.simontay.com/2580/the-stress-triangle/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:59:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>simontay.com</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Stress Management]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[As an individual functioning in the world, you can have only three kinds of problems: problems with yourself, problems with your relation to objects, and problems with your relation to other people. Problems with yourself may loosely be described as problems with your health; problems with your relation to objects may loosely be described as [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As an individual functioning in the world, you can have only three kinds of problems: problems with yourself, problems with your relation to objects, and problems with your relation to other people. Problems with yourself may loosely be described as problems with your health; problems with your relation to objects may loosely be described as problems with your wealth; and problems with your relation to other people may loosely be described as problems with your relationships.</p>
<p>Health, wealth, and relationships &#8212; the big three. These three spheres of your life form a triangle in which stress can develop at any time. Mastery of your three spheres results in a substantial decrease in the stress you experience on a daily basis.</p>
<p>Ideally, you should always be working on some area of improvement in each of your three spheres. Humans, by nature, are most happy when they are growing, not when they are stagnant. As long as you feel that you are growing in each of your three spheres, happiness is always yours for the taking.</p>
<p>Balance is the key here. If you focus too much on one sphere to the detriment of the other two spheres, you will most probably invite stressors in those two spheres of your life. There are plenty of instances from everyday life that attest to this fact: the workaholic who has no time for his family and loved ones and who develops ulcers and other health conditions through neglect of his physical health; the fitness fanatic who is so fixated on running the extra mile or lifting the extra kilogram or admiring his physique in the mirror that his relationships go down the toilet and who just scrapes by on his income; and the romantic husband who is not making enough money to deal with the many factors involved in owning a home or raising kids and who dies at an early age from heart disease. Although these are all extreme examples, the point is that you need to strive for balanced progress in the three facets of your life.</p>
<p>You can never eliminate stressors entirely from your life, but by mastering your stress triangle, you can dramatically reduce both the frequency and the severity of stressors.</p>
<p>Health is holistic health: the health of your body, mind, emotions, and, if you are spiritually inclined, your spirit. Again, balance is the key, since you are unlikely going to find much happiness in life if your body is fighting fit, your mind is sharp, but you have the emotional maturity of a three-year-old kid and throw temper tantrums by the hour. Nor would it be wise to focus on the development of your spirit at the expense of your body, as many ascetics are wont to do. There is no need to dwell on the specifics of health, for the way to healthy living is now a matter of common sense.</p>
<p>Wealth is all about financial security, having enough money to satisfy your needs and wants and then some. You should try to gain a basic understanding of economics, finance, and the markets. There are many good guides out there for starting out on the path to financial freedom. Beware of get-rich-quick schemes. On the other hand, do not be too quick to dismiss opportunities that may seem to go against the grain of conventional practice. Thinking like the herd will keep you in the herd. If you are currently doing underpaid grunt work, make it a goal to become self-employed and independent, the captain of your own ship. Consider taking part-time or evening courses to gain additional qualifications in whatever fields interest you. Never settle for less than you feel you deserve. Do not make the mistake of thinking that you and your current job are welded together like inseparable Siamese twins.</p>
<p>Relationships require constant nurturing. Love dies and fights occur when the initial sparks have died as a result of gross neglect. Always be on the lookout for new adventures that you and your partner can participate in together. Do not take your friends for granted. Be open to meeting new people at all times. Work on your communication skills, your listening skills, and your overall people skills. Take a look along the psychology aisle at your local bookstore for books about developing interpersonal skills. Learn to express yourself.</p>
<p>What we have termed the stress triangle can be termed the life triangle. What is the state of your triangle?</p>
<h3><small>Tags</small></h3><p class="mytag"><small>
<a href="http://www.simontay.com/category/stress-management" rel="tag">Stress Management</a>
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		<title>How to Motivate People to Change?</title>
		<link>http://www.simontay.com/2578/how-to-motivate-people-to-change/</link>
		<comments>http://www.simontay.com/2578/how-to-motivate-people-to-change/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 26 Apr 2009 07:58:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>simontay.com</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Motivation]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[A lot of adages tell us that we cannot make people change. An old dog cannot learn new tricks, says one; a zebra cannot change its stripes, says another. But one adage does go, “There is nothing more permanent than change.” How can you reconcile the fact that you can still change no matter how [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A lot of adages tell us that we cannot make people change. An old dog cannot learn new tricks, says one; a zebra cannot change its stripes, says another. But one adage does go, “There is nothing more permanent than change.” How can you reconcile the fact that you can still change no matter how old you are?</p>
<p>Does this mean that there are ways for people to mend their ways? Thankfully, there is hope for you to be able to change people and motivate them to do better. Here are a few tips that you can take into account when you would like to take on the monumental task of convincing someone to change.</p>
<p>- An adage goes, “Acceptance comes before change,” and this is something that is true no matter what the occasion or thing that you want changed. You cannot simply go smashing and hurtling and driving headlong into a person’s life, and act as the revolutionary whirlwind that will enact change. Change must go slowly, and if it goes too fast, you can expect reversion to occur quickly as well. When starting out a friendship, accept a person’s faults first. Make sure that you set the stage for that person to change because he or she wants to, not because you demanded it and that person simply feels it to be an obligation.</p>
<p>- Try some dolphin training. What do trainers do to motivate animals to do tricks? They reward animals for a job well done and ignore animals if they do something wrong. This actually works with people as well. You know the exhilaration when you get that raise after years of working hard, that medal after all your hard work in school, that baby after all your hours in painful labor. But you also know how painful it is to be ignored and shown indifference.</p>
<p>When you are pleased with someone’s actions, reward that person with a smile, a compliment, even a treat at a nearby ice cream parlor, if you are so inclined. But when that same person acts badly and you want that person to change, avoid a confrontation: ignore the person instead, and let that person vent until the dust settles and he or she feels that you are ignoring him or her. Repeat until you have the results that you want.</p>
<p>- Be patient. Change does not happen overnight. If you want a person to change quickly, you are treading into uncertain waters. And if that person does change quickly, you are bound to be heartbroken on two fronts: first, that person could easily be changed and swayed to do anything, and you are stuck with a pushover; and second, that person could quickly revert to old times and hurt you again. You need to muster up a lot of courage and patience to have to deal with such people.</p>
<p>- Be gentle. You may be tempted to get mad at a friend for hurting you over and over, and you may be tempted to shout and throw a tantrum. You will only add fire to a flame, and you can risk getting yourself hurt without having any significant changes happening. Try talking calmly to your friend, and then leave it at that.</p>
<p>- Don’t be afraid to walk away. Sometimes, leaving a person to find himself or herself can be a powerful way to make a person actually change for the better.</p>
<h3><small>Tags</small></h3><p class="mytag"><small>
<a href="http://www.simontay.com/category/motivation" rel="tag">Motivation</a>
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		<title>Commitment in Love and Relationships</title>
		<link>http://www.simontay.com/2576/commitment-in-love-and-relationships/</link>
		<comments>http://www.simontay.com/2576/commitment-in-love-and-relationships/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:04:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>simontay.com</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Love and Relationships]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Be capable of committing one self is required, since love and relationship is built on commitment. Commitment is a promise. Commitment requires the ability to uphold promises made to another individual. The wedding vows at one time committed two in matrimony, thus committing them to love one another through thick and thin, better or worse, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Be capable of committing one self is required, since love and relationship is built on commitment. Commitment is a promise. Commitment requires the ability to uphold promises made to another individual. The wedding vows at one time committed two in matrimony, thus committing them to love one another through thick and thin, better or worse, sickness and health, and until death ended their love. </p>
<p>When a person commits to another, they are targeting the person’s mentality and emotions when failure occurs, since commitment is a consignment to a disciplinary or mental institution. Thus, joining in marriage or relationships outside of marriage, or even in friendship, commitment is the element that initiates the arrangement. </p>
<p>Once the person’s fall together whether words are crossed, the parties are saying by their actions, “I commit myself to you.” Although friendships differ than marriages or intimate relationships, still a level of commitment exists. Marriages have obvious commitments; however, failures occur when one or the other fails to adhere to their promise to love until death does them apart. Often, disrespect of one or the other, lack of trust and communication will breakdown a relationship, or commitment. </p>
<p>Looking at examples could help you to see failure in different types of relationships and help you to appreciate the elements required to make a relationship work. One example of a surefire failing relationship is visual in the following illustration. </p>
<p>Two join in a relationship. The woman had a disturbing past, consisting of abuse, neglect and degradation. The man has a disturbing background; however, the severity of the woman’s past far succeeds the man. The two share emptiness inside when they meet, with one considering lust and desire while the other is considering love. The woman is beautiful in physical form, thus the man desires her and they join in intimacy. The woman is seeking love, however she finds the man unattractive, yet handy since she feels he can help her escape a nasty relationship in existence. Thus, together they join and later marry since a child is born. The woman disrespects the man since he is obviously an alcoholic, but she fails to see that he also sells and administers drugs. The woman is naïve to drug addicts and seller, thus she continues seeing the man on occasions until the baby is born and finally the two take of residence together. </p>
<p>Finally, marriage is required since the two join a religious group that enforces marriage rather than relationships outside of marriage. The woman thinks, “I will marry this monster,” as she rushes out of her workplace to join her mate in marriage. She stops at the liquor store to pick up a bottle of Vodka and rushes home to dress. The two are marrying at the Justice of Peace, and when she arrives, her mind is in a whirl. The night of their marriage the man is too drunk to join her in their honeymoon, thus she becomes angry and storms out of the room. For the next six months, she ponders on annulment, seeking out advice from her friends. The marriage continues. The woman comes to terms that she will do her up most to make the relationship work. Over time, she develops a natural love for her husband and works effortless to please him and make the relationship last with him abandoning the family and drinking every day. Over time, the woman finds that he is selling drugs, administering drugs and soliciting prostitution. She decides she had enough and applies for a divorce, even when doubt lingers in her mind. </p>
<p>The two finally divorce after the man abuses her for applying for a divorce and over time, the two never see each other again. Now, the man loved her. He loved the way she looked, how she performed in the bedroom and how her behaviors worked to make their marriage stand for more than three years. The woman illustrated patience and long-suffering, however commitment was lacking. Therefore, we see a lack of communication, commitment, long-suffering, respect, thrust, loyalty, faithfulness, and so on, thus the relationship was a surefire failure.</p>
<h3><small>Tags</small></h3><p class="mytag"><small>
<a href="http://www.simontay.com/category/love-and-relationships" rel="tag">Love and Relationships</a>
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		<title>The Stress of Paying With Plastic</title>
		<link>http://www.simontay.com/2574/the-stress-of-paying-with-plastic/</link>
		<comments>http://www.simontay.com/2574/the-stress-of-paying-with-plastic/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2009 03:03:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>simontay.com</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Eliminate Stress and Anxiety]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[You might have gotten your first credit card offer when you were still in college.  It was exciting—the idea that you could be entrusted with a credit card account.  You could suddenly buy things you never dreamed possible.  Your standard of living seemed to grow considerably.  This was especially important during [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You might have gotten your first credit card offer when you were still in college.  It was exciting—the idea that you could be entrusted with a credit card account.  You could suddenly buy things you never dreamed possible.  Your standard of living seemed to grow considerably.  This was especially important during your college years, when money was so tight.</p>
<p>You may have run up your credit card balances when you had your first child.  You had to buy so many things—a bassinet, crib, stroller—and a credit card seemed a good way to pay for it.  You might have realized that it was wrong to overcharge, but you felt as if you had no other option.  Suddenly, you found yourself facing a mountain of credit card debt.</p>
<p>Millions of us use credit cards each day to pay for both major ticket items and minor goods.  Credit cards are a multi-billion dollar industry, and the industry seems to be growing all the time.  Yet, there can be a tremendous amount of stress associated with paying with plastic.  This stress can also be difficult to alleviate, since credit card use can be so addictive.</p>
<p>There can be the stress involved in paying off your monthly balances.  The balances might grow so great, in fact, that you may have trouble paying them off entirely.  There can be the stress involved in trying to manage multiple credit cards.  Also, you might find yourself stressed out by even minimum monthly payments.  If you have to balance other major bills, such as a mortgage and car payments, the financial stress can seem overwhelming.</p>
<p>How do you deal with such stress?  There are a number of strategies you can use.  To begin with, you can try cutting up your credit cards.  This will eliminate the temptation to overspend altogether.  When your balances are no longer rising, you might find it easier to deal with credit card debt.  </p>
<p>However, you may view credit cards as a natural part of life.  Therefore, you might not want to eliminate them from your wallet.  In such a case, you must learn to somehow deal with credit card debt.  There are a couple of different ways to do this.  For instance, you might call the credit card company and try to re-negotiate your interest rate.  This may require you to talk with a supervisor, but it can be well worth the effort.  Cutting your interest rate can significantly lower your payments.</p>
<p>Another technique you can use is to put yourself on a credit card budget.  Figure out, realistically, how much credit card debt you can handle each month.  Once you figure out your limit, do not go over it under any circumstances.  Otherwise, you could find yourself paying significant monthly payments.</p>
<p>Also, try, if at all possible, to pay your credit card bills on time.  This means eliminating late fees, which can prove to be a significant expense.  By paying your bills on time, you will improve your credit rating and you’ll find yourself dealing with less stress.</p>
<p>In some cases, the best way to deal with credit card stress is to discuss your problems with a credit counselor.  He or she may be able to work out a more manageable payment plan for you.  With the counselor’s help, you should also learn techniques for better managing your money.  Best of all, such counseling is free, so it will not cause you additional financial stress.  You may find yourself to be tremendously relieved after talking with a credit counselor about your problems.  </p>
<p>You should not be embarrassed by the fact that you are undergoing major credit card stress.  It can literally happen to anyone, particularly since credit cards are so widely available.  The important thing to remember is that credit card stress, while difficult, is completely manageable.  By invoking proven money management strategies, you can learn to deal effectively with your stress.  You may even find that using credit cards becomes an enjoyable experience, since you are doing it so rarely.   Also, be sure to talk with members of your family about the stress you are undergoing.  They may be able to help ease your stress level—and they may curb their own spending habits as a result.      </p>
<p>DISCLAIMER: </p>
<p>This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.</p>
<p>Since natural and/or dietary supplements are not FDA approved they must be accompanied by a two-part disclaimer on the product label: that the statement has not been evaluated by FDA and that the product is not intended to “diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”</p>
<h3><small>Tags</small></h3><p class="mytag"><small>
<a href="http://www.simontay.com/category/eliminate-stress-and-anxiety" rel="tag">Eliminate Stress and Anxiety</a>
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		<title>Advantages Of Time Management</title>
		<link>http://www.simontay.com/2572/advantages-of-time-management-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.simontay.com/2572/advantages-of-time-management-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:01:47 +0000</pubDate>
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		<category><![CDATA[Time Management]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Having a job can be a stressful activity. Most people lose a lot of time just trying to think about their job. Too often, your job consumes you that it becomes a part of your everyday life and you tend to lose priorities on other activities. However, all of these are due to improper management [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Having a job can be a stressful activity. Most people lose a lot of time just trying to think about their job. Too often, your job consumes you that it becomes a part of your everyday life and you tend to lose priorities on other activities. However, all of these are due to improper management of time.</p>
<p>The problems</p>
<p>Without proper time management, you could be facing a lot of stress. You have to remember that productivity does not just mean doing several things. You need to create a balance in these activities and make sure each are properly done. When you have so many things to consider, you are very much likely going to fail in meeting your deadline or you can schedule more than one meeting at the same time. This could lead to lower efficiency and lots of time wasted. Although you might not lose your job in the process, you could easily forsake other aspects of your life.</p>
<p>The remedy</p>
<p>Time management can help prevent such events from happening. This is because you won’t have to worry about things when you schedule your events properly. You get a lot of stress relief and a lot of time to prioritize your life.</p>
<p>However, successful time management is quite tricky. You have to incorporate a little self-discipline in order to set up your events properly. You also have to be more flexible with your goals and priorities. These prerequisites are easy to attain. You just have to learn the basic concepts in order to set things in motion.</p>
<p>Proper time management creates a few of the most powerful advantages within and outside your job sphere. Since all these problems stem from stress, the main advantage of time management is the reduction of stress. You probably have experienced chasing deadlines or suddenly realizing that you set up two meetings on the same date. You can prevent such scenario from happening if you practice clear time management plan and a timetable for your activities.</p>
<p>By having a clear plan, you give yourself the chance to set up a great schedule that suits your planned activities both in and out of the job. Furthermore, you avoid compromising the most important aspect of all your activities: your health.</p>
<p>Another good thing about having a successful time management program is having a higher chance of completing everything on time. When you miss a deadline, you fall out of favor with your boss. This leads to additional pressure to complete other tasks and even to outdo your other officemates. This leads to a lot of unnecessary pressure that may cause you to extend your work outside the office just to keep up. It might even mean that you will bring your work to the dinner table. </p>
<p>And the worse that could happen, you get so stressed out that you pass on the stress to your family members. The sooner you complete your tasks, the more you free yourself of all the stress.</p>
<p>The best thing about time management is that you get the chance to live your life on a proper routine. Your working schedule is not swamped and so you can leave enough time for relaxing and having fun. And despite of your hectic schedule, never forget to take a break from time to time as it helps you become more productive.</p>
<h3><small>Tags</small></h3><p class="mytag"><small>
<a href="http://www.simontay.com/category/time-management" rel="tag">Time Management</a>
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