When my friend sensed that in a few weeks the light of life was about to be extinguished, and that there was no more hope for him, he called me to his side and said, “If only I had lived my life differently, I might not have felt such an emptiness now. Promise me,” he caught my hand, “Promise me that you won’t make the same mistake." And when I asked him what mistakes, he asked me to get a pen and paper and to jot down his last words. Here they are in condensed form:
1) Talk less; listen more.
2) Listen to your grandfather’s stories about his youth. When he’s gone, you will relive the bond through these memories.
3) Invite friend over for a snack or dinner even if the house is a mess.
4) Eat popcorn in the living room even though its messy.
5) Invite the friends who have children home. Don’t worry about their children creating a mess.
6) Sit on the grass even though it dirties your pants.
7) Never buy something just because it lasts for a long time or because it is practical.
Stay in bed and at home when sick and stop pretending that the world cannot go one without me for a day.
9) Light up the wonderfully crafted candles and let them burn out. Better this than they accumulate dust in the closet.
10) Share life’s responsibilities with a partner, not only expenses.
11) (Meant for Women) Instead of waiting for the pregnancy to get over, cherish each moment in your heart. Understand that the life in you is the only chance you will get to help god create magic.
12) Let your children hug and kiss you whenever they wish to. Don’t stop them by saying things like: later, go wash your hands first, we have to eat dinner.
13) Say the following two phrases as often as possible: "I love you" and "I am sorry.”
14) Stop worrying about who loves or and who doesn't or about what others have or don't have.
15) Cherish all personal human relations.
16) Play with a pet every day. Laugh and run with it and take part in all its antics.
17) Spend more time with the people who love you.
18) Stop sweating because of all the small details and problems of life.
19) Grab every moment, look at it and live it. That moment will never return again.
One day when I was around my early to mid twenties, I went to the hairdressers for my monthly trim. This woman enquired about whether I had heard about the tragic car crash that had recently occured. I hadn’t and she then went on to describe what had happened.
Three young men who were all aged twenty-two, were on the way for an evening in the local public house. One of the men was speeding and was unable to keep control of the car. His vehicle had then careered straight into a large tree, all three of the people in the car had died at the scene.
She continued that one of the men which had died, had worked in the butchers, which was only two doors away from her shop. She described the man in question, which turned out to be a person that I knew, just to say hello to. I actually saw him on most mornings and we often smiled at each other, and would say something like, hi there.
Later on when I was at home, I started to think even more about this particular person. Even though he was friendly, he always looked quite stressed and did not seem that happy. My guess is that he would have perhaps been more care-free and positive had he known that he did not have long to live.
It should not have taken this kind of tragedy to bring me to my senses, but it did. I suddenly realised that we are all terminally ill as we all will die at some point in the future. I am sorry if that is a bit morbid, but it is true. Not all of us will live until retirement age and our lives could end tomorrow.
I have always been a bit of a worrier; mainly about my speech I suppose as I had a stuttering speech impediment. I did eventually manage to gain fluency via an intensive one-to-one stuttering therapy course but even then I started to worry about business; I work for a composite door company and for a business cost reduction specialist on a part time basis.
I now have learnt to stop stressing so much – life, I have now learnt, is just too short.
The Great Depression was a period of economic and social devastation that started in the US with the Wall Street stock exchange collapse on October 29th, 1929, the day that has come to be well-known as Black Tuesday.
The great depression facts, record that the poorest and most difficult times which were to follow, might last for lots of years, till the beginning of World War II, when a lot of countries began pouring huge sums of money in the new war driven economy, finally bringing unprecedented worldwide slump to an end.
What mustn’t be forgotten of course is that in those days, there was no social support. If you were penniless and hungry, there was nowhere or no-one to turn to. It was under such circumstances as these that one of the most shocking depression statistics emerged, that 50% of all children did not have adequate food, shelter, clothing, or medical care.
For most persons, too poor to put food on the table, the only choice was the soup kitchen, where persons waiting all day for a bowl on meager, thin, watery soup. People were reduced to hunting among the dustbins for something to eat.
Industry ground to a halt, virtually. Because people didn’t have any money, they couldn’t afford to buy anything. With no income coming in from sales, businesses were forced to lay workers off, and eventually, to put themselves into liquidation.
It was the African Americans who were always first to lose their livelihood. For those people who were lucky enough to stay in work, the wages were abominably low. Depression pictures reveal that the average wage for a farm worker was $216 per year, whilst a doctor earned $3822.29.
The president at the beginning of the great depression was Herbert Hoover and as it can now be imagined, he was not a popular man, being considered by many for doing too little and not managing to avert the crisis.
The name of Hoover was taken and used for some results at the time, as settlements or shanty towns that sprang everywhere called “Hoovervilles, or the soup ” cocktail ” that starving people might make when they went to a restaurant, diverted the waitresses attention, made a soup of all that was left on the table top (tomato sauce, water, pepper, salt) and drink it, whilst her attention was still unfocused, a creation that has come to be well-known as “Hoover Soup.” A pathetic but true fact of great depression.
These days everyone is engrossed with his or her work in an aim to earn livelihood and earning. The level of desire within the people has rose to such a limit that they have forgotten the main purpose of life, the same being happiness. In the vague of success and hunger for name and fame, people are forgetting to laugh, they are forgetting to cherish and they are even forgetting how to live life. The aspiration in them is slowly taking the form of aggression, which is not at all a good mark. This aggression is ruining youngsters and is making them more vulnerable to frustration and even depression in severe cases. The extent of frustration is rising within them day by day. The only cause for this is that they all expect a lot. Accordingly they work really very hard to achieve their goals and ambitions. If their aspiration is fulfilled, its well and good, else their disturbance ruins them. But it is actually suggested to all the youngsters and even the middle aged that they should keep in mind that victory doesn’t comes without failure. Also, even failure teaches you many things. Nothing goes in vain, not even a single effort. Life doesn’t ends after failure, there is always a next time. Trials and failures take you closer to success. This attitude if followed by everyone, earth would be a wonderful place to live in. Also, one should never be engrossed in loads of work that restrain you from locating time for yourself, say popular Sierra Madre Electricians . Myrtle Beach Roofers (Need one? click here!) say that as can be seen through our legendary professionals, getting involved in too much of work makes life pathetic. This is because you don’t find time for yourself. The day you start outlooking yourself, your life will turn miserable. To demonstrate, our famous and very talented Rocklin Plumbers , though are very successful and famous today but they are not living a quality life. To live a qualitative and beautiful life should be prioritized over all works.
Someone once said that the statistics of depression are miserable, and in fact, the statistics showing how many American people are depressed are staggering. For example, the National Institute of Mental Health, called the NIMH, said that depression affects about 17 million adults every year in America.
Unfortunately, this is much more than cancer, coronary heart disease and, even more than AIDS! Moreover, they indicate that in their estimates, 15 percent of cases of chronic depression may end in suicide. Women are said to be twice as possible as men to be chronically depressed. And 90% of suicides had a diagnosis of mental illness and it’s generally a depressive disorder.
Other depression statistics point out that approximately 80-90% of all cases can be effectively and successfully treated. This information is borne by the American Psychiatric Association (APA).
The National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association has stated that an estimated $43 billion a year is lost to depression. Mostly this is attributed to medical costs, lost productivity and of course absenteeism from the work force. Also, 80-90% of people who have a serious mental illness are unemployed.
You may want to know what is depression. There are three dissimilar kinds of depression, bipolar disorder or manic depression, major depression and dysthymia at last. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has indicated that major depression will affect up to 15% of American people sometime during their lifetime.
Major depression is said to come in episodes, whereas dysthymia does not come in episodes at all, but rather is persistent through many years. According to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Depression Statistics point to almost 10 million Americans that may have dysthymia each year.
Bipolar or manic depression is much less common, as it is reported in Depression Statistics that only approximately 6 million or 3% of Americans are affected by this kind of depression in a given year.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has reported that having a serious medical illness will also cause depression. For instance of those who have had a heart attack, they will have a 40% chance of feeling depressed.
Truly frightening on the topic of Depression Statistics are the great depression facts that nearly 80% of those who are now experiencing depression symptoms aren’t getting treatment. And 4% of adolescents may develop severe depression and really unfortunate is the truth that suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for people aged 10 to 24 years. It’s also expected that depression is going to be the world’s 2nd most universal health problem by the year 2020.
As we live through life we are often confronted with situations that requires some free words of encouragement.As much as there are happy times in life there are also some sad times that we can not just pretend don’t exist. If you are not sure when it is best to share some biblical encouragement then take a few minutes to go through this brief but insightful article.
Someone dealing with the death of a loved one
A person who has just lost a loved one needs to be encouraged and supported. They need to hear good things and positive talk. Just becareful not to go overboad. Find the right things to do and words to say.
Grieving people go through various phases of grief and you need to be sensitive to understand the grieving process and what words to say at each stage.
Someone starting a new job
Starting a new job may be all well and good yes but it does have its fair share of frustration and intimidation. So if you know someone who is just starting a new job then you have a candidate to help out. For someone who has a good sense of humor, you can just send through some poems that give encouragement about being in a new job.
Someone in a new country
Being in a different country can be so stressful especially if you can not understand the local language. One of the predominant feelings are anxiety and being home sick. I know someone who fell into a major depression after going overseas to pursue her studies. It took two months to get that person out of the “slump” .
There are many more people who need to be encouraged from time to time. These include those who are sick and those in prisons. As you live through each day, always remember that someone needs you to speak some few inspiring words.
Sometimes, it’s best to ask yourself why you want to utilize personal development techniques to become popular in the first place. Why do you want to become popular? Is there someone or something in particular that you want to impress? If you can ask yourself the hard questions (and answer them honestly) about what you want and why, then you are ready for your next step.
Try mind mapping a personal mission statement to help you design and achieve your ideal life. When you are uncertain where your life is heading, or when you doubt your own abilities, this mission statement will remind you: who you are, what you are determined to achieve, and what you have already accomplished to date. See the mind map I created to go with this article.
From a personal mission statement comes a plan that keeps you on track, regularly reminded, and a source for inspiration. It’s a significant personal compass, and one that you can carry with you at all times.
Be Comfortable and Confident
One of the first things to remember is that confident body language can often help you be more at ease with yourself and who you are. Like ducks to water, people will flock to you when you exude confidence. It’s true, and often stubbornly accepted, that the more satisfied you become with who you are and the feelings that might surround you, the easier it is to make friends.
Your Style and Look
Just as Picasso, Da Vinci, and Rembrandt crafted and molded masterpieces that incorporated themselves, so must your personal image be carved, painted, shaded, and shaped the best way that represents you. Contrary to what most people would believe, constantly switching up the style of your appearance seems rather desperate for popularity, rather than cemented in confidence of one’s self. For example, a nice short hair cut could do wonders for an individual to bring out their eyes, or smile. These enhancements to your facial appearance give you not only a unique style, but a look that best represents you.
Dress to Impress. So, dress like an apple
I remember my elders telling me that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. I wondered to my self several years later, if we’ve discovered this revolutionary information, why don’t we utilize it? Why do we refuse to take action? These questions can only be answered honestly by you and perhaps comes down to self discipline. The healthier we are, the better we feel. The better we feel, the better we look. And if you look healthy, people will most likely be attracted to you. Having a shower every day will help. Need I mention deodorant, a comb through the hair, and a toothbrush to the teeth will aid in anyone’s quest for popularity? I suppose I just did.
Be Passionate
Throughout the years, America, and many other countries, has created movies that dazzle us and shoots us toward some form of personal development. They wrap us in a choke hold of suspense, or they drown us in admiration for a fictional character’s plights, victories, and lessons learned. One common characteristic each hero in these movies has, is passion. Their passion is the reason our breaths become baited with anticipation of their triumph. Those story bound people have what most viewers feel they lack.
Now, if we focus on the real life characters with passion we see why Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, George Lucas, Michael Jackson, Truman Capote, Fred Astaire, and Princess Diana were so popular. In regards to their passion for what they achieved, they astounded many, and bewildered the rest. Do something you love, but have been too afraid to try. The stronger your passion, the greater your spirit will shine, and the more people will flock to you like a shepherd guiding their way.
Hesitate To Shine No More
Your gifts and talents should not be hidden from the world. Don’t be afraid to share your ideas with others. By showing all facets of who you are, your knowledge, and your capacity to learn what you didn’t know, will cause people to forge relationships with you, almost instantly! The more people you expose this talent to, the more a ripple effect of popularity and charm with shine over you. Your name will spread faster. But beware of the vanity, arrogant, boastful side effects that infect most individuals who catch the popularity bug. Be humble, and open to new ideas, new people, and new ways to express your thoughts creatively.
Talk It Up
Make sure to keep talking. You certainly don’t want to become a chatter box that doesn’t know how to be quiet. This is the type of talking that is comfortable and reassuring. When you speak, try to make a point, or discover information. At the end of the day, it is all about communication.
Try to talk to at least one person, whom you do not know, each day. Then move on and next week try talking to two new people daily. The next week, try to talk to three, etc. You need to gradually over time, (and practice makes perfect) feel more comfortable with chatting with anyone.
Do Something New
Try to venture out into the unknown and familiarize yourself with it. It is often too easy to sit back in our comfort zone. We cling to our environment, our culture, our personal forms of entertainment; but trying something new, more than once a decade, is one of the best ways to gain popularity.
Keep in mind that you should not participate in anything solely because you want attention. When you do decide to try something new, make sure you have a genuine interest in doing it and are not just doing it because you should. It’s a hold your breath underwater as long as you can, but make sure you can swim first kind of thing.
Remember to be humble and grateful. These things could be attending a writing class, joining a short term business class, enjoying the theater arts, or celebrating with a wonderful dinner, glass of wine, and chat by the fireplace. Make sure it’s around people who enjoy doing the things you haven’t tried, and build a bond with them (even if you’ll never, say, attend an Opera again). This will really help in skyrocketing your popularity.
Go With the Flow
Do you remember when you where younger and you discovered a talent you had, one that was magically given to you in the blink of an eye, and you happened to master within two to five minutes? But do you remember talking the talent to someone, a teacher, mom, dad, sibling, or grandparent, and having your talent completely flop and not work. “I did it so many times before,” you’d muffle through embarrassed eyes. Don’t be embarrassed, because it has happened to all of us at some point. Our momentary talent show is ruined, because we are thinking about it too hard. We concentrate so hard on getting it right and not messing up that we end up doing just that.
Just like in the analogy used in the previous paragraph, so must you relate it to the world of popularity? Embrace new ideas, be open to new styles, cultures, etc after all the key to popularity is about you being true to yourself while being open enough to accept new things. Try something at least once, that’s within your moral and ethical boundaries, and if you don’t like it then don’t do it again. The more you are exposed to, the more you understand or have empathy for. The people you meet, and the friends that you make along your way to social stardom will send your spirit soaring through the sky, a shinning star, bright with status, regard, and esteem.
Stay in bed and at home when sick and stop pretending that the world cannot go one without me for a day.
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