How to Be Happy Being Yourself

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Being yourself is the easy bit, but being happy is difficult. They are similar but the results are massively different.

Steps

1. Be yourself! This means doing what you want, achieving your goals not living up to others expectations because this is your life. It's just tuning out the little voice that says "What will so-and-so think."
   
2. Accept and forget. Write down all your flaws everything you don't like about yourself. Divide them into three columns: worth worrying about, who cares? and why is it even on this list? Rip them all up. This is not about changing yourself. This is being yourself and loving yourself for it.
   
3. Eliminate! Identify places or people or things that make you feel uncomfortable with yourself. Eliminate this stuff from your schedule. You have no time for people who don't accept you.
   
4. Forget others' opinions. If you feel fat because someone said you were they were probably covering up for their own insecurity problem. Feel superior, take the high road and forget.
   
5. Learn to forgive. Once your self-esteem is booming and confidence glowing I bet at least one person will be sorry. Forgive and forget. Everyone makes mistakes. You did by listening to them.
   
6. Enjoy yourself! Life is short. Live it well. Never back down from an obstacle you face. And always remember,you are number one. You are you and its only the world around you.
   
7. Learn to have a good laugh everyday. Call it your daily dose of laughter. Laughter has been proven to help you relax, boost your immune system, protect your heart, and help you just feel good in general. Think about old stuff that you thought was funny and laugh about it again!
   
8. Enjoy what you do, and don't let ANYONE get you down because they don't do it, or they don't like it. No one can be normal because everyone's unique.
   

Tips

• Listen to Christina Aguilera's 'Beautiful' and Sugababes' 'Ugly' and other mood boosting songs.
  
• When you're forgiving someone - forgive them, then move on! Don't rehash or remind. It doesn't mean that it didn't happen... regain your power and choose to release yourself from the situation. Mistakes happen, people may or may not learn from them. Forgive.
  
• Try helping others. There is nothing like helping someone else to help improve your self confidence.
  
• Do something that you want to do, or like, every day. Whether it be listening to the song that you love, or dancing in your underwear in your bedroom, it doesn't matter. Just do it and forget about other people. Enjoy the moment of being free, and carry that with you for the rest of the day.
  
• It's your life; so live it how you want to! But be aware of what you are doing.
  
• Make a "happy" songs play list to listen to when you're not feeling so good. This especially helps at the beginning of your day.
  
• If you are feeling lonely spend some time doing fun things with the people that are close to you.
  

Warnings

• Could result in excessive happiness.
  
• -May also cause over-confidence and cause you to do things you wouldn't normally do!
  

Things You'll Need

• Confidence
  
• Patience
  
• Hopefulness
  

The Unbee Tree

The Unbee Tree

rests deep in the wood

where a cacophony of sound

inhales woodsy tones

rich earthy smells

that make the heart beat

and the chest swell

with all the sights

and sounds and

fragrance sweet

that make this

wondrous place

such a special treat

for all His little ones of

The Unbee Tree

sitting nestled in deep

soft luscious green grass

where His children play

and feel good all day

where never is there

a harsh word to say

where no heart is blue

and the sky is not gray

Under The Unbee Tree

boys and girls are

all safe and sound

there is no one

to hurt them and

no monsters around

no one even gets wounded

if they fall from the Unbee

Tree down onto the ground

into the soft green grassy

days of sunshine and glee

all the children are happy

all the children are free

each day anew for

each lad and lass

not a worry not a care

no school, not even a class

so frolicky free in the

warm summer sun

every day with Jesus

is going to be fun

and all the days will

soon be unending

in the eternal realm of joy

where our gentle priest king

loves and cares for each

broken little girl and boy

unkempt little ragdolls

just dying to see

what life is really like

under The Unbee Tree.

asa

Might as Well Watch Oprah

Might As Well Watch Oprah (article taken from blogcatalog.com newsletter)


Mark Jackson, President and CEO of Vizion Interactive, sometimes meets with resistance when trying to convince companies to add blogs to their corporate sites. When Mark posed the idea to one particular client, he responded by saying, "Blogs are just places where people can hear themselves talk about how smart they are and then other people link to it so they can get more people to their blogs so they can hear how smart they are – might as well watch Oprah."

Nothing against Oprah, but blogs are amazing tools for communication and provide many benefits for brands that watching Oprah simply can't. Jackson explains these benefits by covering a few key areas: thought leadership, adding depth to a website, the use of human language, getting links, and the benefits of fresh content.

It's worth a read. Plus, Oprah will be leaving her show in the near future, and maybe then all those naysayer executives will be forced to start looking for well-informed people to run their blogs.

The title of this section will link you to Mark's post. If you like what has to say you can follow him on Twitter at @vizionweb or visit Vizion's SEO Blog.

Submitted by Judy McGarry

Sweet Refreshing Summer Treat

Angel Food Cake Tropical Pineapple Strawberry Parfait Dessert

Hot weather and cool desserts go hand in hand and this dessert is easy to make, your family and friends will just love it!

The word Parfait in French means Perfect. In 1894 Parfait began being to referred to as a frozen dessert make of sugar, syrup, egg and cream.

Parfait made in America is made with cream, ice cream or jello layered with ingredients like yogurt, fresh fruit nuts, or whipped topping served in a tall glass showing off the layers. Even the Sundae traditionally could be referred to a Parfait.
This Angel Food Parfait is a take off of the Parfait and when done layering this dessert does look similar to the Sundae.

1 Small Angel Food Cake
7-8 Fresh Strawberries
1 Jar Strawberry Glaze
1 8 oz Size Cool Whip or Whip Topping
1 4 oz pkg Vanilla Pudding
1 20 oz Can Crushed Pineapple
1 Small Bag Sweet Flaked Coconut
1 TBL Sugar

Rinse Strawberries and cut off the tops. Slice length wise. Put into bowl, add sugar, toss and leave out about 20 minutes. (If your Strawberries are very sweet, skip this step)
In a strainer, drain the pineapple. Place pineapple in mixing bowl and add dry pudding, mix well. Fold in Whip Topping and mix until all blended, set aside.
On a cutting board, slice Angel Food Cake into bite size squares and put into pile.
Pick out your dessert glassware. They could all be the same or different designs, but try to pick them out to be close to the same size in width and height.

Assemble the Dessert:
Place a spoonful of the Strawberry glaze in the bottom of the glass.
Place 1 or 2 pieces of Angel Food Cake.
Add spoonful of Pineapple filling.
Add 3-4 Strawberry slices
Couple more pieces of cake
Drizzle another spoonful of Strawberry Glaze
Add spoonful of Pineapple filling.
Couple more pieces of cake
Drizzle another spoonful of Strawberry Glaze
Add spoonful of Pineapple filling.
Add a couple more slices of Strawberries to the top
Drizzle another spoonful of Strawberry Glaze
Top with Coconut

Makes 5-6 Parfait’s

Dessert Glassware
Strawberry Kitchen Decor
Pineapple Kitchen Decor
Pineapple Glassware

Go To MagiesPlaceCookbook for more family favorite recipes :}

I LOVE BUTTERCUPS

I LOVE BUTTERCUPS

bright yellow sun shining

on lazy days Buttercups

blowing in the

warm summer breeze

little boys running

in childish glee giggling

pick one up chin up

to see if you love butter

glowing with boyhood

in awestruck wonder

of  life, rolling and tumbling

in the soft white and

yellow peppered lawn

to the sound of

approaching thunder's

hoof beats as we lay

in the Buttercups

drifting on boyhood dreams

watching the clouds

roll quickly by

in all the shapes that

catch a young boys eye

elephants and freight trains

a cow that says moo

jellyfish and monkey brains

ewww,ewww,ewww

all we love to see and feel

most anything that we fancy......

except that itchy scratchy grass

was feeling kind of antsy,

and our fantasy's drifted

on the wings of the wind

….to the echoing sound

of a distant calling

….....boys come in....

....a storm is squalling...

and so like clouds

our wispy dreams

roll away as we

save them for another day

and head inside

to dream and play

leaving our sunny

Buttercups for Resse's

Peanut Buttercups

until the summer storm

goes on it merry way

asa

images; internet, collage; asa

STAYING YOUNG

Don't know who the author is, but I thought I would share this.

1.    Throw out non-essential numbers. This includes age, weight, and height. Let the doctor worry about .   
       them. That's why you pay him/her

2.   Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3.   Keep Learning! Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening,...whatever! Never let the brain idle.
      "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." The devil's name is Alzheimer's!

4.   Enjoy the simple things. When the children are young, that's all you can afford. When they're in college,
      that's all you can afford. After you retire, that's all you can afford!

5.   Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. Laugh so much that you can be tracked in
      the store by your distinctive laughter!

6.   The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is
      ourselves. Be alive while you are alive, don't put out a mailbox on the highway of death and just wait in
      residence for your mail.

7.   Surround yourself with what you love. Whether it is family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies,
       whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8.   Cherish your health. If it's good, preserve it. If it's unstable, improve it. If it's beyond what you can
       improve, get help.

9.   Don't take guilt trips. Take FUN trips......go tothe mall, the next county, a foreign country, but not to a
      guilty country.

10.  Tell the people you love that you love them,.....at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER, LIFE is not measured by the number of breaths we take, BUT by the
MOMENTS that take our breath away!   

Never Give Up

There will be days and times when you, just sit there and think to yourself, My business is just not going anywhere, I have not sold much this week, and some of my products have not sold in months. Take a deep breath, get up from your desk and take a walk. Better still go for a long walk, clear your head. Now while this walk will not cure all your problems, you will come back feeling refreshed and your listings will look alive again.

Also at times your listings will just sit there and one day suddenly they will sell. For instance I had an item that had been sitting there for 12 months and as it was in my shop on a buy it now I knew that it was due for a new listing fee in a few days so I had made up my mind the next day to take it down and give it away or something. Next morning I turned on my computer and had an email to say it had sold for the asking price of £50.00 !!!!! So it pays never to stop giving up hope.

Again being honest here, at times items will just sit, and never sell, it is at times like this to cut your losses and either give the items to a Charity shop or sell at sill prices to just try and get your money back. But like anything in life or business please never ever give up. Why ? You never know what is going to happen the next day. You need to dream big dreams and tell yourself you are a real winner.

You are a winner, and if you work hard, and reach for your dreams one day you will be able to say , I am glad I never gave up. For more ideas and articles please take a look at my blog over at http://www.MyAuctionEmpires.com