The winter of life

The winter of life.

Beautifully written. Captures all the essence and meaning of life.


And then it's Winter...

You know. . . time has a way of moving quickly

and catching you unaware of the passing years.

It seems just yesterday that I was young,

just married and embarking on my new life with my mate.

And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago,

and I wonder where all the years went.

I know that I lived them all...

And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams...

But, here it is... the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise...

How did I get here so fast?

Where did the years go and where did my youth go?

I remember well...

seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people

were years away from me and that winter was so far off

that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like...


But, here it is...

my friends are retired and getting grey...

they move slower and I see an older person now.

Some are in better and some worse shape than me...

but, I see the great change...

Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant...

but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks

that we used to see and never thought we'd be.

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day !

And taking a nap is not a treat anymore... it's mandatory !

Cause if I don't on my own free will... I just fall asleep where I sit !

And so...

now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared

for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability

to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did !!

But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last...

this I know, that when it's over... its over...

Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done...

things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done.

It's all in a lifetime...

So, if you're not in your winter yet...

let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think.

So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly!

Don't put things off too long!!

Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today,

as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not!

You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life... so,

live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...

and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things

that you have done for them in all the years past!!

"Life is a gift to you.

The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after.

Make it a fantastic one."


HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Remember "It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold or silver."

A call to personal holiness

DEAR LORD JESUS
In your mercy, you have sanctified our body to be the temple of God.

You desired us to be holy as you are holy. You have purify us to live a holy life.

As obedient children, we want to be made holy and to honour you with our body and to offer them as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to you.

In your faithfulness, strengthen our inner man and help us flee from sexual sins common to man such as our own evil desires of lusts, sinful thoughts, and temptations outside our body, and teach us to exercise self –control to avoid sexual immorality against the body.

We thank you that you have justified us and we invite the Holy Spirit to enable us to be holy and honourable in all we do. We pray that we will not be tempted beyond what we can bear, and will stand firm and not to fall, so that we may not sin against you.

AMEN

 
1 Peter 1:15-16


15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;

16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

那召你们的既是圣洁的，你们在一切所行的事上也要圣洁。因为圣经上记着说：“你们要圣洁，因为我是圣洁的。”


1 Cor 1:2

2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ-their Lord and ours:

写信给在哥林多神的教会，就是在基督耶稣里已经被分别为圣，蒙召为圣徒的人，和所有在各地呼求我们主耶稣基督的名的人。基督是他们的主，也是我们的主

Romans 12:1

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.

所以弟兄们，我凭着神的仁慈劝你们，要把身体献上，作圣洁而蒙　神悦纳的活祭；这是你们理所当然的事奉。

2 Timothy 2:19b 21-22

"Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."

然而，神坚固的根基已经立定，上面刻着这样的印：“主认识属于他的人”和“凡称呼主名的人都应当离开不义”。

21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

人若自洁，离开卑贱的事，就必作贵重的器皿，成为圣洁，合主使用，预备行各样的善事。

22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

你应当逃避年轻人的私欲，要和那些以清洁的心求告主的人，一同追求公义、信心、爱心、和平。

2 Cor 7:1

1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

以，亲爱的，我们有了这些应许，就应该洁净自己，除去身体和心灵上的一切污秽，存着敬畏　神的心，达到成圣的地步。

1Cor 10:12-13

12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!

13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

所以，那自以为站得稳的，应当谨慎，免得跌倒。

你们所受的试探，无非是人受得起的；神是信实的，他必不容许你们受试探过于你们抵受得住的，而且在受试探的时候，必定给你们开一条出路，使你们能忍受得住

James 1:13-17

13 When tempted, no-one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16 Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

人被试探，不可说“我被　神试探”；因为　神不能被恶试探，他也不试探任何人

每一个人受试探，都是被自己的私欲所勾引诱惑的。

私欲怀了胎，就生出罪；罪长成了，就产生死亡。

我亲爱的弟兄们，不要看错了。

各样美好的赏赐，各样完备的恩赐，都是从上面、从众光之父降下来的，他本身并没有改变，也没有转动的影子。

1Cor 6:9b 11 13b 18 a

9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Sexual Immorality

12 "Everything is permissible for me"-but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"-but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"-but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!

16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." 17 But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body.

你们不知道不义的人不能承受　神的国吗？不要自欺，无论是行淫乱的、拜偶像的、奸淫的、作娈童的、亲男色的、

你们有些人从前也是这样的，但现在借着我们主耶稣基督的名，靠着我们　神的灵，都已经洗净了，圣洁了，称义了。

食物是为了肚腹，肚腹是为了食物；但　神却要把这两样都废掉。身体不是为了淫乱，而是为了主，主也是为了身体。

你们要逃避淫乱的事。人所犯的，无论是什么罪，都是在身体以外，唯有行淫乱的，是触犯自己的身体

1Cor 7:2-5

2 But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfil his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

但为了避免淫乱的事，男人应当各有自己的妻子，女人也应当各有自己的丈夫。

丈夫对妻子应该尽他的本分，妻子对丈夫也应当这样。

妻子对自己的身体没有主权，权在丈夫；照样，丈夫对自己的身体也没有主权，权在妻子

夫妻不可彼此亏负，除非为了要专心祷告，双方才可以同意暂时分房。以后仍要同房，免得撒但趁着你们情不自禁的时候诱惑你们。

1 Thess 4:3-7

3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honourable, 5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no-one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.

神的旨意是要你们圣洁，远避淫行；

要你们各人晓得怎样用圣洁尊贵的方法保守自己的身体（“身体”原文作“器皿”）；

不要放纵邪情私欲，像那些不认识　神的外族人一样；

谁也不要在这事上越轨，占弟兄的便宜，因为这一类的事，主必报应。这是我们从前告诉过你们，又严严警戒过你们的。

神呼召我们，不是要我们沾染污秽，而是要我们圣洁。

1 Peter 14-16
14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

你们既是顺服的儿女，就不要再效法从前无知的时候放纵私欲的生活。

那召你们的既是圣洁的，你们在一切所行的事上也要圣洁。

因为圣经上记着说：“你们要圣洁，因为我是圣洁的。”

7 Reasons Why Coffee Is Good For You

Coffee isn’t just warm and energizing, it may also be extremely good for you.

In recent years and decades, scientists have studied the effects of coffee on various aspects of health and their results have been nothing short of amazing.

Here are 7 reasons why coffee may actually be one of the healthiest beverages on the planet.



1. Coffee Can Make You Smarter

Coffee doesn’t just keep you awake, it may literally make you smarter as well.

The active ingredient in coffee is caffeine, which is a stimulant and the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world.

Caffeine’s primary mechanism in the brain is blocking the effects of an inhibitory neurotransmitter called Adenosine.

By blocking the inhibitory effects of Adenosine, caffeine actually increases neuronal firing in the brain and the release of other neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine (1, 2).

Many controlled trials have examined the effects of caffeine on the brain, demonstrating that caffeine can improve mood, reaction time, memory, vigilance and general cognitive function (3).

Bottom Line: Caffeine potently blocks an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, leading to a net stimulant effect. Controlled trials show that caffeine improves both mood and brain function.

Espresso: Evan Swigart/Wikimedia Commons

2. Coffee Can Help You Burn Fat and Improves Physical Performance

There’s a good reason why you will find caffeine in most commercial fat burning supplements.

Caffeine, partly due to its stimulant effect on the central nervous system, both raises metabolism and increases the oxidation of fatty acids (4, 5, 6).

Caffeine can also improve athletic performance by several mechanisms, including by mobilizing fatty acids from the fat tissues (7, 8).

In two separate meta-analyses, caffeine was found to increase exercise performance by 11-12% on average (9, 10).

Bottom Line: Caffeine raises the metabolic rate and helps to mobilize fatty acids from the fat tissues. It can also enhance physical performance.


3. Coffee May Drastically Lower Your Risk of Type II Diabetes

Type II diabetes is a lifestyle-related disease that has reached epidemic proportions, having increased 10-fold in a few decades and now afflicting about 300 million people.

This disease is characterized by high blood glucose levels due to insulin resistance or an inability to produce insulin.

In observational studies, coffee has been repeatedly associated with a lower risk of diabetes. The reduction in risk ranges from 23% all the way up to 67% (11, 12, 13, 14).

A massive review article looked at 18 studies with a total of 457.922 participants. Each additional cup of coffee per day lowered the risk of diabetes by 7%. The more coffee people drank, the lower their risk (15).

Bottom Line: Drinking coffee is associated with a drastically reduced risk of type II diabetes. People who drink several cups per day are the least likely to become diabetic.


4. Coffee May Lower Your Risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

Not only can coffee make you smarter in the short term, it may also protect your brain in old age.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disorder in the world and a leading cause of dementia.

In prospective studies, coffee drinkers have up to a 60% lower risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia (16, 17, 18).

Parkinson’s is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by death of dopamine-generating neurons in the brain. Coffee may lower the risk of Parkinson’s by 32-60% (19, 20, 21, 22).

Bottom Line Coffee is associated with a much lower risk of dementia and the neurodegenerative disorders Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.



5. Coffee May be Extremely Good For Your Liver

The liver is a remarkable organ that carries out hundreds of vital functions in the body.

It is very vulnerable to modern insults such as excess consumption of alcohol and fructose.

Cirrhosis is the end stage of liver damage caused by diseases like alcoholism and hepatitis, where liver tissue has been largely replaced by scar tissue.

Multiple studies have shown that coffee can lower the risk of cirrhosis by as much as 80%, the strongest effect for those who drank 4 or more cups per day (23, 24, 25).

Coffee may also lower the risk of liver cancer by around 40% (26, 27).

Bottom Line: Coffee appears to be protective against certain liver disorders, lowering the risk of liver cancer by 40% and cirrhosis by as much as 80%.



6. Coffee May Decrease Your Risk of Dying

Many people still seem to think that coffee is unhealthy.

This isn’t surprising though, since it is very common for conventional wisdom to be at exact odds with what the actual studies say.

In two very large prospective epidemiological studies, drinking coffee was associated with a lower risk of death by all causes (28).

This effect is particularly profound in type II diabetics, one study showing that coffee drinkers had a 30% lower risk of death during a 20 year period (29).

Bottom Line: Coffee consumption has been associated with a lower risk of death in prospective epidemiological studies, especially in type II diabetics.



7. Coffee is Loaded With Nutrients and Antioxidants

Coffee isn’t just black water.

Many of the nutrients in the coffee beans do make it into the final drink, which actually contains a decent amount of vitamins and minerals.

A cup of coffee contains (30):

6% of the RDA for Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5).

11% of the RDA for Riboflavin (Vitamin B2).

2% of the RDA for Niacin (B3) and Thiamine (B1).

3% of the RDA for Potassium and Manganese.

May not seem like much, but if you drink several cups of coffee per day then this quickly adds up.

But this isn’t all. Coffee also contains a massive amount of antioxidants.

In fact, coffee is the biggest source of antioxidants in the western diet, outranking both fruits and vegetables combined (31, 32, 33).

Bottom Line: Coffee contains a decent amount of several vitamins and minerals. It is also the biggest source of antioxidants in the modern diet.

Take Home Message

Even though coffee in moderate amounts is good for you, drinking way too much of it can still be harmful.

I’d also like to point out that many of the studies above were epidemiological in nature. Such studies can only show association, they can not prove that coffee caused the effects.

To make sure to preserve the health benefits, don’t put sugar or anything nasty in your coffee! If it tends to affect your sleep, then don’t drink it after 2pm.

At the end of the day, it does seem quite clear that coffee is NOT the villain it was made out to be.

If anything, coffee may literally be the healthiest beverage on the planet.

This article was republished with permission from Authority Nutrition.

Just How Bad Is It to Exercise at Night?

Just How Bad Is It to Exercise at Night?


by Fiora Stevens on February 12, 2013

Conventional wisdom says don’t exercise at night. After all, doesn’t exercise get your heart racing and activate hormones that aren’t exactly sleep inducing? Well, yes and no. Let’s take a deeper dive into this question and separate some of the myths from science.

There are four main reasons that many people use to argue that you shouldn’t exercise at night:

Exercise increases your body’s core temperature for 4-5 hours.

Exercise releases endorphins.

Exercise increases epinephrine levels.

“It just isn’t healthy.”

Let’s address these four reasons, looking at the science and rationalization behind them.

Core Temperature

Your body maintains a core temperature of 98.6 ºF, which is healthy for most people. Exercise will raise your body’s core temperature, which is perfectly normal and healthy. In extreme cases, body temperature can even go as high as 104 ºF (which is unhealthy). However, rest and hydration will bring your body temperature back down to normal.

It takes 4-5 hours for your body to return to its normal, resting temperature. However, after thirty minutes to an hour, depending on the intensity of your workout, your body should feel normal – not warm enough to interfere with your sleep.

Endorphins

Many people who are against working out at night claim that the release of endorphins, which happens in exercise, makes it more difficult to sleep. However, other scientific studies have revealed that the release of endorphins through sex actually helps you sleep. It seems that endorphins themselves aren’t the problem. Rather, people are more prone to shirk the responsibilities of exercise and enjoy the pleasures of sex before going to bed!

Epinephrine Levels

It’s well known that epinephrine/adrenaline increases during exercise. The question is, does the presence of epinephrine last long enough to interfere with sleep? Generally speaking, once your heart rate has returned to normal (which should happen a half hour after exercise) the epinephrine in your body should have stabilized. Bottom line? Finish workouts at least a half hour before you want to go to bed.

“Just Not Healthy”

This is an excuse spoken by people who are either ignorant about science or lazy. Don’t let them stop you from pursuing optimum health with a workout routine. If you can only workout at night, that’s okay. We encourage you to go for it!

Why All the Argument Against Night Time Exercising?

Most experts tend to agree that the reason exercising at night has gotten such a bad rap is that most people are looking for an excuse not to exercise! If the evening is the only available time in your schedule, it’s easy to dismiss exercise in the name of sleep.

Plus, if you’re already exhausted, exercise will only make you more tired. And, contrary to what you might expect, being completely exhausted does not mean better sleep. Over-exhaustion, which could be the result of daily life and late night exercise, can interfere with good sleep.

(Check out some tips from WebMD on coping with exhaustion and sleep.)

Sources:http://firstaid.webmd.com/body-temperature

Why Can Some Kids Handle Pressure While Others Fall Apart?

Why Can Some Kids Handle Pressure While Others Fall Apart?

Platon for The New York Times

By PO BRONSON and ASHLEY MERRYMAN
February 6, 2013
Noah Muthler took his first state standardized test in third grade at the Spring Cove Elementary School in Roaring Spring, Pa. It was a miserable experience, said his mother, Kathleen Muthler. He was a good student in a program for gifted children. But, Muthler said, “he was crying in my arms the night before the test, saying: ‘I’m not ready, Mom. They didn’t teach us everything that will be on the test.’ ” In fourth grade, he was upset the whole week before the exam. “He manifests it physically,” his mother said. “He got headaches and stomachaches. He would ask not to go to school.” Not a good sleeper anyway, Noah would slip downstairs after an hour tossing in bed and ask his mom to lie down with him until he fell asleep. In fifth grade, the anxiety lasted a solid month before the test. “Even after the test, he couldn’t let it go. He would wonder about questions he feared he misunderstood,” Muthler said.

So this year, Muthler is opting Noah out of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, using a broad religious and ethical exemption. Just knowing he won’t be taking the tests in March has put Noah in a better frame of mind about school. “The pressure is off his shoulders now,” his mother said. When he doesn’t grasp a concept immediately, he can talk it through without any panic. “He looks forward to science class and math class again,” Muthler said. “He wants to be a chemical or nuclear engineer.”

Muthler understands Noah’s distress; more mysterious is why her son Jacob, who is in eighth grade, isn’t the least bit unnerved by the same tests. He, too, is in the gifted program, but that seems to give him breezy confidence, not fear. “You would think he doesn’t even care,” Muthler marveled. “Noah has the panic and anxiety for both of them.” Nevertheless, she will opt out Jacob from the tests, too, to be consistent.

Never before has the pressure to perform on high-stakes tests been so intense or meant so much for a child’s academic future. As more school districts strive for accountability, standardized tests have proliferated. The pressure to do well on achievement tests for college is filtering its way down to lower grades, so that even third graders feel as if they are on trial. Students get the message that class work isn’t what counts, and that the standardized exam is the truer measure. Sure, you did your homework and wrote a great history report — but this test is going to find out how smart you really are. Critics argue that all this test-taking is churning out sleep-deprived, overworked, miserable children.

But some children actually do better under competitive, stressful circumstances. Why can Jacob thrive under pressure, while it undoes Noah? And how should that difference inform the way we think about high-stakes testing? An emerging field of research — and a pioneering study from Taiwan — has begun to offer some clues.

Like any kind of human behavior, our response to competitive pressure is derived from a complex set of factors — how we were raised, our skills and experience, the hormones that we marinated in as fetuses. There is also a genetic component: One particular gene, referred to as the COMT gene, could to a large degree explain why one child is more prone to be a worrier, while another may be unflappable, or in the memorable phrasing of David Goldman, a geneticist at the National Institutes of Health, more of a warrior.

Understanding their propensity to become stressed and how to deal with it can help children compete. Stress turns out to be far more complicated than we’ve assumed, and far more under our control than we imagine. Unlike long-term stress, short-term stress can actually help people perform, and viewing it that way changes its effect. Even for those genetically predisposed to anxiety, the antidote isn’t necessarily less competition — it’s more competition. It just needs to be the right kind.

Every May in Taiwan, more than 200,000 ninth-grade children take the Basic Competency Test for Junior High School Students. This is not just any test. The scores will determine which high school the students are admitted to — or if they get into one at all. Only 39 percent of Taiwanese children make the cut, with the rest diverted to vocational schools or backup private schools. The test, in essence, determines the future for Taiwanese children.

The test is incredibly difficult; answering the multiple-choice questions requires knowledge of chemistry, physics, advanced algebra and geometry, and testing lasts for two days. “Many students go to cram school almost every night to study all the subjects on the test,” says Chun-Yen Chang, director of the Science Education Center at National Taiwan Normal University. “Just one or two percentage points difference will drag you from the No. 1 high school in the local region down to No. 3 or 4.”

6 Habits of Remarkably Likable People

6 Habits of Remarkably Likable People


They're charming. They're genuine. And they can make an entire room full of people smile.

When you meet someone, after, "What do you do?" you're out of things to say. You suck at small talk, and those first five minutes are tough because you're a little shy and a little insecure.

But you want to make a good impression. You want people to genuinely like you.

Here's how remarkably likeable people do it:

They lose the power pose.

I know: Your parents taught you to stand tall, square your shoulders, stride purposefully forward, drop your voice a couple of registers, and shake hands with a firm grip.

It's great to display nonverbal self-confidence, but go too far and it seems like you're trying to establish your importance. That makes the "meeting" seem like it's more about you than it is the other person--and no one likes that.

No matter how big a deal you are you pale in comparison to say, oh, Nelson Mandela. So take a cue from him. Watch how he greets Bill Clinton, no slouch at this either.

Clinton takes a step forward (avoiding the "you must come to me" power move); Mandela steps forward with a smile and bends slightly forward as if, ever so slightly, to bow (a clear sign of deference and respect in nearly every culture); Clinton does the same. What you have are two important people who put aside all sense of self-importance or status. They're genuine.

Next time you meet someone, relax, step forward, tilt your head towards them slightly, smile, and show that you're the one who is honored by the introduction--not them.

We all like people who like us. If I show you I'm genuinely happy to meet you, you'll instantly start to like me. (And you'll show that you do, which will help calm my nerves and let me be myself.)

They embrace the power of touch.

Nonsexual touch can be very powerful. (Yes, I'm aware that sexual touch can be powerful too.) Touch can influence behavior, increase the chances of compliance, make the person doing the touching seem more attractive and friendly.

Go easy, of course: Pat the other person lightly on the upper arm or shoulder. Make it casual and nonthreatening.

Check out Clinton's right-hand-shakes-hands-left-hand-touches-Mandela's-forearm-a-second-later handshake in the link above and tell me, combined with his posture and smile, that it doesn't come across as genuine and sincere.

Think the same won't work for you? Try this: The next time you walk up behind a person you know, touch them lightly on the shoulder as you go by. I guarantee you'll feel like a more genuine greeting was exchanged.

Touch breaks down natural barriers and decreases the real and perceived distance between you and the other person--a key component in liking and in being liked.

They whip out their social jiu-jitsu.

You meet someone. You talk for 15 minutes. You walk away thinking, "Wow, we just had a great conversation. She is awesome."

Then, when you think about it later, you realize you didn't learn a thing about the other person.

Remarkably likeable people are masters at Social Jiu-Jitsu, the ancient art of getting you to talk about yourself without you ever knowing it happened. SJJ masters are fascinated by every step you took in creating a particularly clever pivot table, by every decision you made when you transformed a 200-slide PowerPoint into a TED Talk-worthy presentation, if you do say so yourself...

SJJ masters use their interest, their politeness, and their social graces to cast an immediate spell on you.

And you like them for it.

Social jiu-jitsu is easy. Just ask the right questions. Stay open-ended and allow room for description and introspection. Ask how, or why, or who.

As soon as you learn a little about someone, ask how they did it. Or why they did it. Or what they liked about it, or what they learned from it, or what you should do if you're in a similar situation.

No one gets too much recognition. Asking the right questions implicitly shows you respect another person's opinion--and, by extension, the person.

We all like people who respect us, if only because it shows they display great judgment.

(Kidding. Sort of.)

They whip out something genuine.

Everyone is better than you at something. (Yes, that's true even for you.) Let them be better than you.

Too many people when they first meet engage in some form of penis-measuring contest. Crude reference but one that instantly calls to mind a time you saw two alpha male master-of-the business-universe types whip out their figurative rulers. (Not literally, of course. I hope you haven't seen that.)

Don't try to win the "getting to know someone" competition. Try to lose. Be complimentary. Be impressed. Admit a failing or a weakness.

You don't have to disclose your darkest secrets. If the other person says, "We just purchased a larger facility," say, "That's awesome. I have to admit I'm jealous. We've wanted to move for a couple years but haven't been able to put together the financing. How did you pull it off?"

Don't be afraid to show a little vulnerability. People may be (momentarily) impressed by the artificial, but people sincerely like the genuine.

Be the real you. People will like the real you.

They ask for nothing.

You know the moment: You're having a great conversation, you're finding things in common... and then bam! Someone plays the networking card.

And everything about your interaction changes.

Put away the hard-charging, goal-oriented, always-on kinda persona. If you have to ask for something, find a way to help the other person, then ask if you can.

Remarkably likeable people focus on what they can do for you--not for themselves.

They "close" genuinely.

"Nice to meet you," you say, nodding once as you part. That's the standard move, one that is instantly forgettable.

Instead go back to the beginning. Shake hands again. Use your free hand to gently touch the other person's forearm or shoulder. Say, "I am really glad I met you." Or say, "You know, I really enjoyed talking with you." Smile: Not that insincere salesperson smile that goes with, "Have a nice day!" but a genuine, appreciative smile.

Making a great first impression is important, but so is making a great last impression.

And they accept it isn't easy.

All this sounds simple, right? It is. But it's not easy, especially if you're shy. The standard, power pose, "Hello, how are you, good to meet you, good seeing you," shuffle feels a lot safer.

But it won't make people like you.

So accept it's hard. Accept that being a little more deferential, a little more genuine, a little more complimentary and a little more vulnerable means putting yourself out there. Accept that at first it will feel risky.

But don't worry: When you help people feel a little better about themselves--which is reason enough--they'll like you for it.

And you'll like yourself a little more, too.
Jeff Haden learned much of what he knows about business and technology as he worked his way up in the manufacturing industry. Everything else he picks up from ghostwriting books for some of the smartest leaders he knows in business. @jeff_haden

THINGS TO LEARN FROM YOUR DOG

Hi Kids please learn from the dog

18 things we can learn from a dog


1. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride

2. Allow the experience of fresh air and wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

3. When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

4. When it is in your best interest, practice obedience.

5. Let others know when they have invaded your territory.

6. Take naps and stretch before rising.

7. Run, romp and play daily.

8. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.

9. Be loyal.

10. Never pretend to be something you’re not.


11. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.


12. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle him or her gently.

13. Thrive on attention and love.

14. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

15. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

16. When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

17. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

18. No matter how often you’re scolded, don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout, run right back and make friends.

I HAVE INDEED LEARNT

What I've Learned



We all learn things in life, sometimes the hard way.


We aren't sure who wrote this, but take a look and see how many apply to you...probably quite a few :)


I've learned- that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.

I've learned- that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.

I've learned- that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

I've learned- that it's not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.

I've learned- that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you'd better know something.

I've learned- that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do.

I've learned- that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I've learned- that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I've learned- that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I've learned- that you can keep going long after you can't.

I've learned- that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I've learned- that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I've learned- that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

I've learned- that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I've learned- that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I've learned- that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I've learned- that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I've learned- that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I've learned- that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I've learned- that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I've learned- that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I've learned- that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.

I've learned- that your family won't always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren't related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren't biological.

I've learned- that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I've learned- that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you are to learn to forgive yourself.

I've learned- that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I've learned- that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I've learned- that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I've learned- that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I've learned- that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I've learned- that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I've learned- that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.

I've learned- that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I've learned- that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I've learned- that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I've learned- that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I've learned- that it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people's feelings and standing up for what you believe.

DO NOT MOCK GOD

DID YOU KNOW THESE FACTS?


I SURE DIDN'T TILL NOW

Death is certain but the Bible speaks about untimely death!

Make a personal reflection about this......
Very interesting, read until the end......
It is written in the Bible (Galatians 6:7):

'Be not deceived; God is not mocked:

for whatsoever a man sow, that shall he also reap..

Here are some men and women who mocked God :

John Lennon (Singer):
Some years before, during his interview with an American Magazine, he said:

'Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that...  I am certain.

Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too simple,

today we are more famous than Him' (1966).

Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ,

was shot six times.

Tancredo Neves (President of Brazil )

During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500,000 votes

from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency.

Sure he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died.

Cazuza (Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer and poet):

During a show in Canecio ( Rio de Janeiro ),while smoking his cigarette,

he puffed out some smoke into the air and said: 'God, that's for you.'

He died at the age of 32 of LUNG CANCER in a horrible manner.

The man who built the Titanic

After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be.

With an ironic tone he said:'Not even God can sink it'

The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic

Marilyn Monroe (Actress)

She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show.

He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her.

After hearing what the Preacher had to say,

she said: 'I don't need your Jesus'.

A week later, she was found dead in her apartment

Bon Scott (Singer)

The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC

On one of his 1979 songs he sang:

'Don't stop me; I'm going down all the way, down the highway to hell'.

On the 19th of February 1980,

Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his own vomit.

Campinas (IN 2005)

In Campinas , Brazil , a group of friends, drunk,went to pick up a friend......

The mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends

and she said to the daughter holding her hand, who was already seated in the car:

'My Daughter, Go With God And May He Protect You.'

She responded: 'Only If He (God) travels In the trunk, cause inside here.....

It's already full.'

Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident,

everyone had died, the car could not be recognized what type of car it had been,

but surprisingly, the trunk was intact.

The police said there was no way the trunk could have remained intact.

To their surprise, inside the trunk was a crate of eggs, none was broken

Christine Hewitt (Jamaican Journalist and entertainer)

said the Bible (Word of God) was the worst book ever written.

In June 2006 she was found burnt beyond recognition in her motor vehicle.

Many more important people have forgotten that there is no other name

that was given so much authority as the name of Jesus.

Many have died, but only Jesus died and rose again, and he is still alive.

'Jesus'

PS: If it was a joke, you would have sent it to everyone.

So are you going to have courage to send this?.

I have done my part, Jesus said

'If you are embarrassed about me, I will also be embarrassed about you before my father.'

You are my 8 in 8 seconds. I am not breaking this. No way!

I'M TOLD THIS WORKS!!!!!

Bishop T.D. Jakes '8 Second Prayer.'

Just repeat this prayer and see how God moves!!

'Lord, I love you and I need you,


come into my heart, and bless me,


my family, my home, and my friends,


in Jesus' name.

Amen.'

You will receive a miracle tomorrow AND let God bless you.

Patience with family is love

If you are right then there is no need to get angry

And if you are wrong then you don't have any right to get angry.



Patience with family is love,

Patience with others is respect,

Patience with self is confidence

and

Patience with GOD is faith.


Never Think Hard about PAST,

It brings Tears...

Don't Think more about FUTURE,

It brings Fears...

Live this Moment with a Smile,

It brings Cheers.!!!!


Every test in our life makes us bitter or better, Every problem comes to make us or break us, Choice is ours whether we become victim or victorious !!!

Search a beautiful heart not a beautiful face.

Beautiful things are not always good but good things are always beautiful.


Remember me like pressed flower in your Notebook.

It may not be having any fragrance but will remind you of my existence forever in your life.


Do you know, why God created gaps between fingers?

So that someone who is special to you, comes and fills those gaps by holding your hands forever.

My June Holidays

Chung Guo Zi Li                                                                                                                                

I spent my June  holidays from 5 June to 25 Jun 2011, in Taiwan, China and HK with my brother, parents and grand parents.  The entire trip was 20 days. It was my first encounter with real Chinese culture of different countries. It was an enriching experience for me to learn about different Chinese communities  and the way they speak the Chinese language. In Taiwan, they like to use “sze ah”to end the sentence whilst in China, the people like to use “mei she” to express it is OK.

In Taiwan, we visited the Fisherman’s Wharf  just across from  Dan Shui in Northern TAIPEI. In the city, we visited Taipei  101 and also the famous Palace Museum, where I  learn about the Chinese civilisation. It  also showcase the  treasures from the various Chinese dynasties e.g Ming Dynasty..  such  as the Jade Cabbage.

From Taiwan, we crossed over to China’s Quan Zhou where I visited my ancestor shrine /hall and learnt about the history of our Ding clan which has its roots in Tan Tay.  I am the 25^th generation and it first started in 1251. And till now 2011 it has a  760 ancestral history.

Then we went on to visit Xiamen, Xiamen University ..also the beautiful island of Gulangyi- with so many attractive shopfronts like our conservation shophouses  with multi-racial crowds like  Orchard Road. The most outstanding feature is the statue of hero  Zhen Chen Kong standing 15.6 m and build from 621 huge white granite stones  standing at the island.

Then we take the night train to Ji An, I slept in the train cubicle beds like in Star Cruise. From Ji an, we also explored the mountain springs and spas in An Fu - Wu Gong Shan as well as Jing Gang Shan, which is the  birth place of the Communist party in 1921. This year is their 90^th anniversary celebrations so it was very exciting. We spent several days in Jing Gang Shan and took the cable cars over the waterfalls and forests, also went to the peak to  enjoy  the splendid mountainous ranges like Huang Yang Jie where a famous battle was fought between the Nationalist and Communist. The state museum in Jing Gang Shan also capture the entire history of the birth of Chinese Communist Party  until the beginning of Modern China.  The entire Jiong Gang shan  has become a popular tourist district and we also do some shopping at Tien Jie.

For a change from city life, we travelled to  the farms near Kan Zhou  in Ma Jia Shi to enjoy village life. We spent several days fishing in the ponds, looking at pigs, and stayed in  the simple house of our relatives who are farmers.  They are very friendly and hospitable to us.  Along Gan River, I saw  the fisherman using Commorants to catch fishes.

Then we travelled to  Shenzhen and took the MTR to Hong Kong. It was tiring moving from place to place with several luggages. HK is very crowded and squeezy but the MTR is very convenient. Our Hotel L  in Island South overlook and has a  full mountain view of the Victoria Peak. I enjoyed the special tram ride up the slope  to the Victoria Peak- and see the whole HK city landscape of skyscrapers. We also visited the Wax Museum, and at last, I can have a picture with Albert Einstein’s wax  look a like.

It was a fruitful and meaningful trip for me as I try to speak mandarin, read Chinese road names and try to understand  the culture of our Chinese friends in Taiwan, China and HK  to appreciate much more than what I see on TV.

remember this and do well

Sweet words are easy to say... Sweet things are easy to buy... But... Sweet people are difficult to find....



Life ends when you stop dreaming...


Hope ends when you stop believing...


Love ends when you stop caring.....


Friendship ends when you stop sharing.....


So share this with whoever you consider a friend...


To love without condition.....


To talk without intention.....


To bless without regret.....

wise sayings from lao tzu

“Love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart and the senses.”


“Anticipate the difficult by managing the easy”

“He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still”

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be”

“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”

“One can not reflect in streaming water. Only those who know internal peace can give it to others.”

“Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream.”

“At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.”

“Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”

“Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.”

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”

“The words of truth are always paradoxical.”

“Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment.”

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”

“Great acts are made up of small deeds.”

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

“If you would take, you must first give, this is the beginning of intelligence.”

“Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides.”

“To lead people, walk beside them... As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate... When the best leader's work is done the people say, 'We did it ourselves!'”

“A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.”



“Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”

“One who is too insistent on his own views, finds few to agree with him.”

“He who is contented is rich”

“To realize that you do not understand is a virtue; Not to realize that you do not understand is a defect.”

“From caring comes courage”

“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it”

“To know yet to think that one does not know is best; Not to know yet to think that one knows will lead to difficulty.”

“I do not concern myself with gods and spirits either good or evil nor do I serve any”

“He who talks more is sooner exhausted”

“When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you.”

“He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.”

“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment.”

“To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.”

“He who obtains has little. He who scatters has much.”

“I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.”

“When virtue is lost, benevolence appears, when benevolence is lost right conduct appears, when right conduct is lost, expedience appears. Expediency is the mere shadow of right and truth; it is the beginning of disorder.”

“Knowing others is wisdom; Knowing the self is enlightenment; Mastering others requires force; Mastering the self needs strength”

“Truthful words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not truthful. Good words are not persuasive; persuasive words are not good.”

“He who does not trust enough, Will not be trusted”

“He who conquers others is strong; He who conquers himself is mighty”

“The more laws and order are made prominent, the more thieves and robbers there will be.”

“Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing”

“The way to do is to be.”

“He who has no faith in others shall find no faith in them”

“The power of intuitive understanding will protect you from harm until the end of your days.”

“An ant on the move does more than a dozing ox.”

“Without stirring abroad, one can know the whole world; Without looking out of the window one can see the way of heaven. The further one goes the less one knows.”

“The well-run group is not a battlefield of egos.”

“Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water. Yet when it attacks the firm and the strong, none can withstand it, because they have no way to change it. So the flexible overcome the adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful. Everyone knows this, but no one can do it.”

“To see things in the seed, that is genius.”

“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.”

“Manifest plainness, Embrace simplicity, Reduce selfishness, Have few desires”

“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”

“For the wise man looks into space and he knows there is no limited dimensions.”

“One may know the world without going out of doors”

“I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.”

“Activity conquers cold, but stillness conquers heat”

“One who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.”

“Those who have knowledge, don't predict. Those who predict, don't have knowledge.”

“Born to be wild - live to outgrow it.”

“He who accounts all things easy will have many difficulties”

“Govern a great nation as you would cook a small fish. Do not overdo it.”

“Kindness in giving creates love.”

“To lead the people, walk behind them.”

“Silence is a source of great strength.”

“From wonder into wonder existence opens.”

“When the effective leader is finished with his work, the people say it happened naturally.”

“When the best leader's work is done the people say, ''We did it ourselves.''”

“Marriage is three parts love and seven parts forgiveness of sins.”

“Because of deep love, one is courageous. Because of frugality, one is generous. Because of not daring to be ahead of the world, one becomes the leader of the world.”

“The sage does not hoard. The more he helps others, the more he benefits himself, The more he gives to others, the more he gets himself. The Way of Heaven does one good but never does one harm. The Way of the sage is to act but not to compete.”

“People in their handling of affairs often fail when they are about to succeed. If one remains as careful at the end as he was at the beginning, there will be no failure.”

“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.”

“Muddy water, let stand - becomes clear”

“The sage wears clothes of coarse cloth but carries jewels in his bosom; He knows himself but does not display himself; He loves himself but does not hold himself in high esteem”

“There are many paths to enlightenment. Be sure to take one with a heart.”

“Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.”

“A good manager is best when people barely know that he exists. Not so good when people obey and acclaim him. Worse when they despise him.”

“All difficult things have their origin in that which is easy, and great things in that which is small.”

He who knows, does not speak. He who speaks, does not know.”

“Great indeed is the sublimity of the Creative, to which all beings owe their beginning and which permeates all heaven.”

“Treat those who are good with goodness, and also treat those who are not good with goodness. Thus goodness is attained. Be honest to those who are honest, and be also honest to those who are not honest. Thus honesty is attained...”

“The supreme excellence is not to win a hundred victories in a hundred battles. The supreme excellence is to subdue the armies of your enemies without even having to fight them.”

“The people are hungry: It is because those in authority eat up too much in taxes.”

“Nature is not human hearted.”

“The wicked leader is he who the people despise. The good leader is he who the people revere. The great leader is he who the people say, we did it ourselves.”

“Those who make their living by collecting taxes cause the people to starve; when the people starve, the tax collectors, having no one to tax starve also”

“In the world there is nothing more submissive and weak than water. Yet for attacking that which is hard and strong nothing can surpass it.”

“For all things difficult to acquire, the intelligent man works with perseverance.”

“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond the winning.”

“He who possess virtue in abundance may be compared to an infant”

“The reason why the universe is eternal is that it does not live for itself; it gives life to others as it transforms”

“Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend. Non-being is the greatest joy.”

“He who gains a victory over other men is strong; but he who gains a victory over himself is all powerful.”

“From of old the things that have acquired unity are these: Heaven by unity has become clear; Earth by unity has become steady; The Spirit by unity has become spiritual; The Valley by unity has become full; All things by unity have come into existence.”

“The name that can be named is not the eternal Name.”

“The wise man does not lay up his own treasures. The more he gives to others, the more he has for his own.”

“By accident of fortune a man may rule the world for a time, but by virtue of love he may rule the world forever”

“Clay is molded to form a cup, But it is on its non-being that the utility of the cup depends. Doors and windows are cut out to make a room, But it is on its non-being that the utility of the room depends. Therefore turn being into advantage, and turn non-being into utility.”

“Such is the essential mystery.”

“Fail to honor people,they fail to honor you; but of a good leader, who talks little, when his work is done, his aims fulfilled, they will all say, 'We did this ourselves.'”

“The leader shows that style is no substitute for substance, that creating an impression is more potent than acting from one's center.”

“The career of a sage is of two kinds: He is either honored by all in the world, Like a flower waving its head, Or else he disappears into the silent forest.”

“The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself.”

“A tree trunk the size of a man grows from a blade as thin as a hair. A tower nine stories high is built from a small heap of earth.”

“Pride attaches undue importance to the superiority of one's status in the eyes of others; And shame is fear of humiliation at one's inferior status in the estimation of others. When one sets his heart on being highly esteemed, and achieves such rating, then he is automatically involved in fear of losing his status.”

“Ambition has one heel nailed in well, though she stretch her fingers to touch the heavens.”

“Go to the people. Live with them. Learn from them. Love them. Start with what they know. Build with what they have. But with the best leaders, when the work is done, the task accomplished, the people will say "We have done this ourselves".”

“Rule a kingdom as though you were cooking a small fish - don't overdo it”

“Of all that is good, sublimity is supreme. Succeeding is the coming together of all that is beautiful. Furtherance is the agreement of all that is just. Perseverance is the foundation of all actions.”

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist in whatever way they like.”

“The journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step.”

“Acting without design, occupying oneself without making a business of it, finding the great in what is small and the many in the few, repaying injury with kindness, effecting difficult things while they are easy, and managing great things in their be”

“Advise the ruler to govern the state as one cooks a small fish - that is, don't turn it so often in the pan that it disintegrates”

“The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.”

“When armies are mobilized and issues joined, the man who is sorry over the fact will win”

“Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it.”

“The farther you go, the less you know”

“Be the chief but never the lord.”

“Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”

“He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened.”

“A thousand miles starts from beneath one's feet.”

“Darkness within darkness. The gateway to all understanding.”

“Naturally forward in whatever way they like.”

“He who knows he has enough is rich.”

“To perceive things in the germ is intelligence”

“To have little is to possess.

To have plenty is to be perplexed.”

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

“A scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar.”

“Heaven and earth are ruthless and treat the myriad creatures as straw dogs.”

“Because of a great love, one is courageous.”

“As soon as you have made a thought, laugh at it.”

“The Way of Heaven does not compete, and yet it skillfully achieves victory.”

“Simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline; simulated fear postulates courage; simulated weakness postulates strength.”

“Favor and disgrace are like fear. Favor is in a higher place, and disgrace in a lower place. When you win them you are like being in fear, and when you lose them you are also like being in fear. So favor and disgrace are like fear.”

“If the Great Way perishes there will morality and duty. When cleverness and knowledge arise great lies will flourish. When relatives fall out with one another there will be filial duty and love. When states are in confusion there will be faithful servants.”

“The Way is empty yet use will not drain it.”

“It is the Vague and Elusive. Meet it and you will not see its head. Follow it and you will not see its back.”

“How could man rejoice in victory and delight in the slaughter of men?”

“Violence, even well intentioned, always rebounds upon oneself.”

“To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage.”

“Tao invariably takes no action, and yet there is nothing left undone.”

“He who knows others is learned; he who knows himself is wise.”

“The softest things in the world to overcome the hardest things in the world.”

“To know men is to be wise; to know oneself is to be illumined”

what is friendship

FRIENDSHIP



Friendships are relaxed, loyal relationships that involve intimacy, communication, and empathy. Friendship is a relief. Friends relate.


Friendship is an in-depth, relaxed relationship!


Friends relate.


It is an in-depth relationship combining trust, support, communication, loyalty, understanding, empathy, and intimacy.


These are certainly aspects of life that all of us crave.


Being able to trust and relax with your friend is a big part of friendship.


Remember when you were young and went with a friend to her grandma's for the week-end. It was fun but when you got home, home was wonderful. Your feeling was "I'm home. I can relax now."


That's what a friendship should be.


You go out into the world and do your best. You have your ups and downs, your problems and triumphs, your fun and tribulations. You charm and you perform.


Then you come "home" to a friend. You can relax, put up your feet; you are relieved. If you still have to be charming and/or performing, it's not a relief.


Friendship is a comfy situation like home. You get home, kick off your shoes, relax and sigh, "Ahh, home."


Being able to trust and relax with your best friend is a big part of friendship. Friendships are relationships.


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A friend is friendly, happy, and playful, too. A friend doesn't yell at you. You play with each other all the time.


You try not to fight with a friend. You help each other when you get hurt.


A friend is someone who goes with you in the good times and bad times.'


Good friends are always by your side. When you're playing they don't walk away.


They never fight with you because then they aren't your friend.


If you don't have any friends then you aren't friendly.


God bless, friends.


A friend is a person who comes and won't judge a flower by its color.


A person who will never give up on you.


A person who will comfort you when storms of tears are in your mind.


A person who will just have some fun with you and give you a good laugh.'


A person that doesn't mind expressing their happy or sad feelings to you.


A friend is someone you can depend on. Someone who you can talk to. A friend could be anything like a person, dog or cat. Whatever a friend is it doesn't matter as long as it's your friend. Many people don't know that. A friend is a friend and that's all that matters.


A friend is for loving, helping, playing, and comforts you all the time. They try to love you.


A friend shares tops, popcorn and money. They don't try to ditch you and they never hurt your feeling.


A friend doesn't boss you around or call you dreadful names. A friend worries about you for ever and ever.


But most of all a friend should love you. You should have a wonderful friendship forever.


A friend is someone who is spectacular! You love them deep down inside your heart. Someone who helps you when you are hurt or sad, or even if you're happy.


A friend is someone who is kind to you and knows how you feel when you are scared.


A friend is someone who cares and helps you when you are in trouble or when you are hurt.


A friend comes in different ways.


A friend will always remember you in their heart and you will remember them, too.


A friend is someone who doesn't dump you and who helps you when you get hurt. Someone who says they are sorry when they do something to hurt your feelings.


Someone who doesn't make fun of you or your name.


A friend is someone who shares his toys with you and helps you when you need help in reading or writing.


A friend is someone who helps you and is loving. They make sure you are okay and plays with you. They don't make fun of you. Forgive them when they get into a fight with you.


A friend is someone who doesn't tell you to do bad things.


A friend is someone who likes you and everything you do.


A friend is someone who likes your room.


A friend is a person who cares about you. He would let you borrow stuff, and wouldn't say mean things. He would be by your side and would not let you down.


A friend is someone who cares about you, plays with you and sticks up for you if someone is mean to you.


A friend is someone that never makes fun of you. They help you, share with you and never boss you around. I also think a friend is someone who never hurts you and cares for you.


A friend to me is like a hug! It is very special.


A friend is someone who cares for people. Friends are people who are thoughtful. They help you when you're hurt.


A friend is someone who is thoughtful, kind, caring and helpful.


A friend is someone who you can depend on.


A friend is someone you have fun with, someone you care about and someone you love.


A friend is someone you can tell secrets to. Friends especially don't steal from each other or fight. They always help and are kind to one another.


A friend is someone who cares for you, who sticks by your side when you're lonely, who helps you up when you get hurt, but most importantly friends come in different ways.


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~ Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity. ~ Kahlil Gibran 1883


~ To find a friend one must close one eye; To keep him, two. ~ Norman


The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, adapted


~ The only way to have a friend is to be one. ~


~ But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life; and thanks to a benevolent arrangement of things, the greater part of life is sunshine. ~