Standard Of Living vs. Quality Of Life
Standard of living and quality of life are often referred to in discussions about the economic and social well-being of countries and their residents. But what is the difference between the two? The definitions of these terms can be difficult to tease apart and may overlap in some areas, depending on whom you ask. But the difference between the two is more than just semantics; in fact, knowing the difference between the two can affect how you evaluate a country where you might be looking to invest some money.
Standard of Living
Standard of living generally refers to the level of wealth, comfort, material goods and necessities available to a certain socioeconomic class in a certain geographic area. An evaluation of standard of living commonly includes the following factors:
• income
• quality and availability of employment
• class disparity
• poverty rate
• Quality and affordability of housing (For related reading, see Mortgages: How Much Can You Afford?)
• hours of work required to purchase necessities
• gross domestic product (GDP) (For more insight, see Don't Be Misled By Gross National Product.)
• inflation rate (See our Inflation tutorial for more.)
• number of paid vacation days per year
• affordable access to quality healthcare
• quality and availability of education
• life expectancy
• incidence of disease
• cost of goods and services
• infrastructure
• national economic growth
• economic and political stability
• political and religious freedom
• environmental quality
• climate
• safety
When you think about standard of living, you can think about things that are easy to quantify. We can measure factors like life expectancy, inflation rate and the average number of paid vacation days workers receive each year.
Standard of living is often used to compare geographic areas, such as the standard of living in the United States versus Canada, or the standard of living in Milwaukee versus New York City. If you live in a particular country, a certain number of vacation days per year will be the norm. In the United States, it's 10 to 20 days - in Denmark it's 31. Some companies within each country may be more or less generous, but one practice prevails.
Standard of living can also be used to compare distinct points in time. For example, compared to a century ago, the standard of living in the U.S. is considered to have improved greatly. The same amount of work buys a larger quantity of goods, and items that were once luxuries, such as refrigerators and automobiles, are now widely available. Also, leisure time and life expectancy have increased, and annual hours worked have decreased.
One measure of standard of living is the Human Development Index (HDI), developed in 1990 by the United Nations. It considers life expectancy at birth, adult literacy rates and per capita gross domestic product (GDP) to measure a country's level of development. (For related reading, see What is GDP and why is it so important?)
Quality of Life
Quality of life is more subjective and intangible. The United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, provides an excellent list of factors that can be considered in evaluating quality of life. It includes many things that citizens of the United States and other developed countries take for granted, but that are not available in a significant number of countries around the world. Although this declaration is 60 years old, in many ways it still represents an ideal to be achieved rather than a baseline state of affairs.
Factors that may be used to measure quality of life include the following:
• freedom from slavery and torture
• equal protection of the law
• freedom from discrimination
• freedom of movement
• freedom of residence within one's home country
• presumption of innocence unless proved guilty
• right to marry
• right to have a family
• right to be treated equally without regard to gender, race, language, religion, political beliefs, nationality, socioeconomic status and more
• right to privacy
• freedom of thought
• freedom of religion
• free choice of employment
• right to fair pay
• equal pay for equal work
• right to vote
• right to rest and leisure
• right to education
• right to human dignity
Comparing the Two
When people think about their own standard of living, the amount of money they bring in might be the first thing that comes to mind. If their income decreases (through job loss, for example), they might consider their standard of living to be decreasing along with it. Is this true? Well, consider the other factors that make up standard of living. If you have a good chance of securing another quality job because your country's economy is generally strong and the transportation infrastructure is good enough to give you a viable means of getting to that job, if you still have access to healthcare because there is a safety net for the poor (like Medicaid and sometimes state or local programs), and if the cost of goods and services is reasonable enough that you can more or less get by in the meantime until you find a new job, then your overall standard of living is still quite good despite your present lack of income. (To reduce healthcare expenditures, read Fighting The High Costs Of Healthcare and 20 Ways To Save On Medical Bills.)
Standard of living is somewhat of a flawed indicator, however. Looking at our earlier list, while the United States, for example, might be considered to rank highly in all of these areas, most people would agree that for some segments of the population, the standard of living in the United States is actually quite low. In East St. Louis, Illinois, for example, the quality and availability of employment has historically been poor, environmental quality is below average for the U.S., and the incidence of disease is high; life expectancy is also below average. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2000 census, the number of families living below the federal poverty level in East St. Louis was 35.1%, compared to a national average of 12.4%.
Like standard of living, what would be considered a good quality of life by one person may be considered as such by another? The earlier list of quality of life factors might also be considered to be a list of things the United States offers. The Economist, for example, produces an index that attempts to rate the quality of life in various countries. Predictably, developed nations like Norway, Australia and Luxembourg come out on top, and less-developed countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan come out on the bottom, according to the Economist's quality-of-life index. That said, there are certainly segments of the population in countries like the United States in which people don't have the right to marry whomever they choose, are discriminated against, are treated as guilty until proven innocent, do not have access to a meaningful and useful education, and/or do not get equal pay for equal work.
Conclusion
The main difference between standard of living and quality of life is that the former is more objective, while the latter is more subjective. Standard of living factors, like gross domestic product, poverty rate and environmental quality, can all be measured and defined with numbers, while quality of life factors like equal protection of the law, freedom from discrimination, and freedom of religion are more difficult to measure and are particularly qualitative. Both indicators are flawed, but they can help us get a general picture of what life is like in a particular location at a particular time.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Few things not to do during economic melddown
In a very sluggish economy or a recession people should generally try to watch their spending and not take any undue risks that might put their future financial goals in jeopardy. There are several types of risks that everyone should avoid during a recession. Let's look at some of the most common mistakes people make and how to avoid them.
Becoming a Cosigner
Cosigning a loan can be a very risky thing to do even in flush economic times. After all, if the individual taking the loan doesn't make the scheduled payments, the cosigner could well be asked to make them.
However, during an economic downturn the risks associated with cosigning a note could be even greater as the person may be at greater risk of losing his or her job and the means to pay down the loan. Also, the cosigner is more likely to land in the unemployment line as well.
With all that in mind, there are times when you may find it necessary to cosign for a family member or close friend regardless of what's happening in the economy. In such cases, it pays to have some money set aside as a cushion. (Find out how to help the ones you love without hurting yourself; read 8 Ways To Help Family Members In Financial Trouble.)
1. Getting Into an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage
when purchasing a home, some individuals may choose to take out an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM). In some cases, this move might make sense. After all, as long as interest rates are low, the monthly payment will be low as well.
However, what if the individual were to be laid off and interest rates were to rise as the recession or slowdown started to abate? As rates rise, the monthly payment may go up. In such a case, the homeowner may find it extremely difficult to come up with the money to make the payments. Keep in mind that late payments or non-payment can have an adverse impact on the individual's credit rating, which can in turn make it more difficult for them to obtain a loan at a future date. (Do you know how your borrowing activities affect your credit rating? Find out in The Importance Of Your Credit Rating.)
2. Adding Debt
Taking on new debt (such as a car loan, home loan or similar obligation) may not be a problem in good times if the individual makes enough money to cover the monthly payments and still has extra funds to live on and to save for retirement. However, what happens if the individual's livelihood is adversely affected in the midst of the economic turmoil? What happens if the borrower is laid off?
In many cases, recently laid off individuals may have to take jobs that pay less than their previous salaries just to make ends meet and to keep money coming in the door. Unfortunately, the new income may not be anywhere near the amount they had previously earned. When this happens, savings can quickly dwindle away. (Don't let excuses prevent you from reaching your financial goals. Read Debunking 10 Budget Myths.)
In short, if you're considering adding monthly payments/debts to your financial equation, understand that this could complicate your financial situation if you are laid off or have your income cut for some reason. Taking on new debt in a recessionary environment is risky, and should be approached with caution.
Remember, over leveraging yourself at any point can lead to financial setbacks. This can prevent you from achieving your longer-term financial objectives. In a worst-case scenario, it could even contribute to bankruptcy.
3. Taking Your Job for Granted
during an economic slowdown, it's important to understand that corporations, even large ones, may be under financial pressure. And when that happens, many companies will try to reduce expenses any way they can. In some instances, that may mean scaling back on company functions such as holiday parties, but in other cases, companies may cut the dividends they pay, and sometimes companies will cut jobs as a means of saving money. (Layoff rumors can run rampant, but if your company is required to give you two months' notice, you can plan for unemployment. See Layoffs: Know The WARNing Signs.)
Job cuts are targeted by many companies that are struggling because the cost of keeping an employee on board can be huge. Think about it. Sometimes in addition to salary, the employer may also have to contribute to healthcare costs and/or make retirement contributions.
Because the employment situation during a recession may be so fragile, employees should generally try to do all they can to make sure their employer has a favorable opinion of them. This may mean coming to work early, staying late and of course doing top-notch work at all times. While there is no guarantee this will save your job, it could make you important enough to your company to ensure you're kept on the payroll. (Want to learn more about how employees lose their jobs? Check out How To Lay Off Staff.)
4. Taking Risks with Investments
Business owners should always be thinking about the future. They should always be thinking about new and exciting ways to grow their businesses. However, an economic slowdown may not be the best time to make risky bets.
For example, taking on a new loan to add physical floor space or to increase inventory, or otherwise add to the business may sound good. But what if the business was to slow down? Would the business owner or owners have enough left over at the end of the month to pay interest and principal back to the lender on time? Would they have enough left to live on? When making any sort of investment, it is important to be cognizant of the potential risks and rewards associated. This particularly true during a slowdown or a recession. (In a recession, financial industry personnel are often hit hard. Find out how to avoid getting the ax, read Top 6 Ways To Recession-Proof Your Job.)
Bottom Line
Individuals may not need to live a monk's existence during an economic slowdown, but they should pay extra attention to their spending and budgeting, and be wary of taking any unnecessary risks.
Becoming a Cosigner
Cosigning a loan can be a very risky thing to do even in flush economic times. After all, if the individual taking the loan doesn't make the scheduled payments, the cosigner could well be asked to make them.
However, during an economic downturn the risks associated with cosigning a note could be even greater as the person may be at greater risk of losing his or her job and the means to pay down the loan. Also, the cosigner is more likely to land in the unemployment line as well.
With all that in mind, there are times when you may find it necessary to cosign for a family member or close friend regardless of what's happening in the economy. In such cases, it pays to have some money set aside as a cushion. (Find out how to help the ones you love without hurting yourself; read 8 Ways To Help Family Members In Financial Trouble.)
1. Getting Into an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage
when purchasing a home, some individuals may choose to take out an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM). In some cases, this move might make sense. After all, as long as interest rates are low, the monthly payment will be low as well.
However, what if the individual were to be laid off and interest rates were to rise as the recession or slowdown started to abate? As rates rise, the monthly payment may go up. In such a case, the homeowner may find it extremely difficult to come up with the money to make the payments. Keep in mind that late payments or non-payment can have an adverse impact on the individual's credit rating, which can in turn make it more difficult for them to obtain a loan at a future date. (Do you know how your borrowing activities affect your credit rating? Find out in The Importance Of Your Credit Rating.)
2. Adding Debt
Taking on new debt (such as a car loan, home loan or similar obligation) may not be a problem in good times if the individual makes enough money to cover the monthly payments and still has extra funds to live on and to save for retirement. However, what happens if the individual's livelihood is adversely affected in the midst of the economic turmoil? What happens if the borrower is laid off?
In many cases, recently laid off individuals may have to take jobs that pay less than their previous salaries just to make ends meet and to keep money coming in the door. Unfortunately, the new income may not be anywhere near the amount they had previously earned. When this happens, savings can quickly dwindle away. (Don't let excuses prevent you from reaching your financial goals. Read Debunking 10 Budget Myths.)
In short, if you're considering adding monthly payments/debts to your financial equation, understand that this could complicate your financial situation if you are laid off or have your income cut for some reason. Taking on new debt in a recessionary environment is risky, and should be approached with caution.
Remember, over leveraging yourself at any point can lead to financial setbacks. This can prevent you from achieving your longer-term financial objectives. In a worst-case scenario, it could even contribute to bankruptcy.
3. Taking Your Job for Granted
during an economic slowdown, it's important to understand that corporations, even large ones, may be under financial pressure. And when that happens, many companies will try to reduce expenses any way they can. In some instances, that may mean scaling back on company functions such as holiday parties, but in other cases, companies may cut the dividends they pay, and sometimes companies will cut jobs as a means of saving money. (Layoff rumors can run rampant, but if your company is required to give you two months' notice, you can plan for unemployment. See Layoffs: Know The WARNing Signs.)
Job cuts are targeted by many companies that are struggling because the cost of keeping an employee on board can be huge. Think about it. Sometimes in addition to salary, the employer may also have to contribute to healthcare costs and/or make retirement contributions.
Because the employment situation during a recession may be so fragile, employees should generally try to do all they can to make sure their employer has a favorable opinion of them. This may mean coming to work early, staying late and of course doing top-notch work at all times. While there is no guarantee this will save your job, it could make you important enough to your company to ensure you're kept on the payroll. (Want to learn more about how employees lose their jobs? Check out How To Lay Off Staff.)
4. Taking Risks with Investments
Business owners should always be thinking about the future. They should always be thinking about new and exciting ways to grow their businesses. However, an economic slowdown may not be the best time to make risky bets.
For example, taking on a new loan to add physical floor space or to increase inventory, or otherwise add to the business may sound good. But what if the business was to slow down? Would the business owner or owners have enough left over at the end of the month to pay interest and principal back to the lender on time? Would they have enough left to live on? When making any sort of investment, it is important to be cognizant of the potential risks and rewards associated. This particularly true during a slowdown or a recession. (In a recession, financial industry personnel are often hit hard. Find out how to avoid getting the ax, read Top 6 Ways To Recession-Proof Your Job.)
Bottom Line
Individuals may not need to live a monk's existence during an economic slowdown, but they should pay extra attention to their spending and budgeting, and be wary of taking any unnecessary risks.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
10 PRINCIPLES FOR PEACE OF MIND
1. Do Not Interfere In Others' Business Unless Asked. Most of us create our own problems by interfering too often in others' affairs. We do so because somehow we have convinced ourselves that our way is the best way, our logic is the perfect logic and those who do not conform to our thinking must be criticized and steered to the right direction, our direction. This thinking denies the existence of individuality and consequently the existence of God.. God has created each one of us in a unique way. No two human beings can think or act in exactly the same way. All men or women act the way they do because God within them prompts them that way. Mind your own business and you will keep your peace.
2. Forgive And Forget: This is the most powerful aid to peace of mind. We often develop ill feelings inside our heart for the person who insults us or harms us. We nurture grievances. This in turn results in loss of sleep, development of stomach ulcers, and high blood pressure. This insult or injury was done once, but nourishing of grievance goes on forever by constantly remembering it. Get over this bad habit. Life is too short to waste in such trifles. Forgive, 2 Forget, and march on. Love flourishes in giving and forgiving.
3. Do Not Crave For Recognition:This world is full of selfish people. They seldom praise anybody without selfish motives. They may praise you today because you are in power, but no sooner than you are powerless, they will forget your achievement and will start finding faults in you. Why do you wish to kill yours lf in striving for their recognition? Their recognition is not worth the aggravation. Do your duties ethically and sincerely.
4. Do Not Be Jealous:We all have experienced how jealousy can disturb our peace of mind. You know that you work harder than your colleagues in the office, but sometimes they get promotions; you do not. You started a business several years ago, but you are not as successful as your neighbor whose business is only one year old. There are several examples like these in everyday life. Should you be jealous? No. Remember everybody's life is shaped by his/her destiny, which has now become his/her reality. If you are destined to be rich, nothing in the world can stop you. If you are not so destined, no one can help you either. Nothing will be gained by blaming others for your misfortune. Jealousy will not get you anywhere; it will only take away your peace of mind.
5. Change Yourself According To The Environment: If you try to change the environment single-handedly, the chances are you will fail. Instead, change yourself to suit your environment. As you do this, even the environment, which has been unfriendly to you, will mysteriously change and seem congenial and harmonious.
6. Endure What Cannot Be Cured: This is the best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Every day we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations, and accidents that are beyond our control... If we cannot control them or change them, we must learn to put up with these things. We must learn to endure them cheerfully. Believe in yourself and you will gain in terms of patience, inner strength and will power.
7. Do Not Bite Off More Than You Can Chew: This maxim needs to be remembered constantly. We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable of carrying out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. . Why take on additional loads that may create more worries? You cannot gain peace of mind by expanding your external activities. Reduce your material engagements and spend time in prayer, introspection and meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind that make you restless. Uncluttered mind will produce greater peace of mind.
8. Meditate Regularly: Meditation calms the mind and gets rid of disturbing thoughts. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it yourself. If you meditate earnestly for half an hour everyday, your mind will tend to become peaceful during the remaining twenty-three and half-hours. Your mind will not be easily disturbed as it was before. You would benefit by gradually increasing the period of daily meditation. You may think that this will interfere with your daily work. On the contrary, this will increase your efficiency and you will be able to produce better results in less time.
9. Never Leave The Mind Vacant: An empty mind is the devil's workshop. All evil actions start in the vacant mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile . Actively follow a hobby. Do something that holds your interest. You must decide what you value more: money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social work or religious work, may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement. Even when you are resting physically, occupy yourself in healthy reading or mental chanting of God's name.
10. Do Not Procrastinate And Never Regret: Do not waste time in protracted wondering " Should I or shouldn't I?" Days, weeks, months, and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Value your time and do the things that need to be done. It does not matter if you fail the first time. You can learn from your mistakes and succeed the next time. Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes, but do not brood over the past. DO NOT REGRET. Whatever happened was destined to happen only that way. Why cry over spilt milk?
1. Do Not Interfere In Others' Business Unless Asked. Most of us create our own problems by interfering too often in others' affairs. We do so because somehow we have convinced ourselves that our way is the best way, our logic is the perfect logic and those who do not conform to our thinking must be criticized and steered to the right direction, our direction. This thinking denies the existence of individuality and consequently the existence of God.. God has created each one of us in a unique way. No two human beings can think or act in exactly the same way. All men or women act the way they do because God within them prompts them that way. Mind your own business and you will keep your peace.
2. Forgive And Forget: This is the most powerful aid to peace of mind. We often develop ill feelings inside our heart for the person who insults us or harms us. We nurture grievances. This in turn results in loss of sleep, development of stomach ulcers, and high blood pressure. This insult or injury was done once, but nourishing of grievance goes on forever by constantly remembering it. Get over this bad habit. Life is too short to waste in such trifles. Forgive, 2 Forget, and march on. Love flourishes in giving and forgiving.
3. Do Not Crave For Recognition:This world is full of selfish people. They seldom praise anybody without selfish motives. They may praise you today because you are in power, but no sooner than you are powerless, they will forget your achievement and will start finding faults in you. Why do you wish to kill yours lf in striving for their recognition? Their recognition is not worth the aggravation. Do your duties ethically and sincerely.
4. Do Not Be Jealous:We all have experienced how jealousy can disturb our peace of mind. You know that you work harder than your colleagues in the office, but sometimes they get promotions; you do not. You started a business several years ago, but you are not as successful as your neighbor whose business is only one year old. There are several examples like these in everyday life. Should you be jealous? No. Remember everybody's life is shaped by his/her destiny, which has now become his/her reality. If you are destined to be rich, nothing in the world can stop you. If you are not so destined, no one can help you either. Nothing will be gained by blaming others for your misfortune. Jealousy will not get you anywhere; it will only take away your peace of mind.
5. Change Yourself According To The Environment: If you try to change the environment single-handedly, the chances are you will fail. Instead, change yourself to suit your environment. As you do this, even the environment, which has been unfriendly to you, will mysteriously change and seem congenial and harmonious.
6. Endure What Cannot Be Cured: This is the best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Every day we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations, and accidents that are beyond our control... If we cannot control them or change them, we must learn to put up with these things. We must learn to endure them cheerfully. Believe in yourself and you will gain in terms of patience, inner strength and will power.
7. Do Not Bite Off More Than You Can Chew: This maxim needs to be remembered constantly. We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable of carrying out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. . Why take on additional loads that may create more worries? You cannot gain peace of mind by expanding your external activities. Reduce your material engagements and spend time in prayer, introspection and meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind that make you restless. Uncluttered mind will produce greater peace of mind.
8. Meditate Regularly: Meditation calms the mind and gets rid of disturbing thoughts. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it yourself. If you meditate earnestly for half an hour everyday, your mind will tend to become peaceful during the remaining twenty-three and half-hours. Your mind will not be easily disturbed as it was before. You would benefit by gradually increasing the period of daily meditation. You may think that this will interfere with your daily work. On the contrary, this will increase your efficiency and you will be able to produce better results in less time.
9. Never Leave The Mind Vacant: An empty mind is the devil's workshop. All evil actions start in the vacant mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile . Actively follow a hobby. Do something that holds your interest. You must decide what you value more: money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social work or religious work, may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement. Even when you are resting physically, occupy yourself in healthy reading or mental chanting of God's name.
10. Do Not Procrastinate And Never Regret: Do not waste time in protracted wondering " Should I or shouldn't I?" Days, weeks, months, and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Value your time and do the things that need to be done. It does not matter if you fail the first time. You can learn from your mistakes and succeed the next time. Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes, but do not brood over the past. DO NOT REGRET. Whatever happened was destined to happen only that way. Why cry over spilt milk?
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Caffeine may reverse Alheimer
The evidence regarding the positive effect of caffeine consumption in the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease continues to mount with more studies lending support. Most people are well aware of the stimulating effect that comes with the consumption of caffeine. In fact, with an estimated 80 percent of the population consuming caffeine on a daily basis, it is considered the most commonly used psychoactive drug worldwide.Americans consume an estimated 280 milligrams (mg) daily, although 20 to 30 percent of them consume over 600 mg per day. The consumption of 130 to 300 mg daily is considered a low to moderate intake, while consuming 6,000 mg per day is considered to be heavy intake.Recently, University of South Florida researchers at the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center found that a daily intake of 500 mg reversed memory problems in mice bred to develop Alzheimer’s symptoms. This amount of caffeine is equivalent to the amount contained in five 8-ounce cups of coffee. The researchers noted that after two months on the daily dose of the stimulant, the memory of the mice recovered to the extent of attaining a score on memory tests equivalent to that of normal mice never having shown signs of dementia. The results of the research team’s studies were published in the July 5th online edition of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.The studies also revealed that caffeine significantly decreased abnormal levels of the beta amyloid, a protein linked to the characteristic plaque found with Alzheimer's, in both the brains and the blood of the mice exhibiting symptoms of the disease. The studies support previous research by the Florida researchers that indicated the consumption of caffeine in early adulthood prevented the onset of memory problems in the mice bred to develop Alzheimer's symptoms. The researchers had also previously shown that caffeine reduced beta amyloid levels in elderly people without dementia as quickly as it had in the mice bred to experience Alzheimer's symptoms.In a news release, lead author Gary Arendash, a University of South Florida neuroscientist, said “The new findings provide evidence that caffeine could be a viable 'treatment' for established Alzheimer's disease, and not simply a protective strategy.” He went on to explain, “That's important because caffeine is a safe drug for most people, it easily enters the brain, and it appears to directly affect the disease process.”In further experiments, the researchers discovered that caffeine did nothing to improve the memory of normal mice. According to Arendash, “This suggests that caffeine will not increase memory performance above normal levels. Rather, it appears to benefit those destined to develop Alzheimer's disease.”Arendash noted that for most individuals, a moderate level of caffeine intake at 500 mg daily would pose no adverse health effects, according to both the National Research Council and the National Academy of Sciences. However, he pointed out that individuals with high blood pressure or those who are pregnant should limit their daily caffeine intake. He also acknowledged that if larger, more rigorous clinical studies confirm that caffeine prevents Alzheimer's in humans, as it does in mice, that the benefit would be substantial.Caffeine is completely absorbed by the body within 30 to 45 minutes of its consumption, and its effects are largely diminished within three hours. Since it is eventually excreted, there is no accumulation in the body. Caffeine affects mood, stamina, and the cerebral vascular system, as well as gastric and colonic activity. The most common sources of caffeine in the human diet are coffee, tealeaves, cocoa beans, cola, and energy drinks. In addition, it can be produced synthetically and added to food, beverages, supplements, and medications.Study investigator Huntington Potter, director of the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, said in the news release that the research team hopes to begin human trials to evaluate whether caffeine can benefit people with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer's disease.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Beauty Tips for Women
Women who wear make-up should carry out a routine of cleansing, toning and moisturing each evening, as well as washing the face in the morning. Cleansing will remove old make-up and the grime and grease that have been accumulated during the day.
Eyes Right
If eyes are the window to your soul, make sure they stand out. Instead of applying that same jet black liquid eye liner on the upper lid of the eye, try something different. Invest in a dark blue eye pencil and line your eyes all around with it.
Water Water
Want to lose weight but just can't seem to stop eating? Try drinking at least 2 glasses of water before your meal. Drinking subdues the appetite and tricks your stomach into feeling satisfied with less. You're definitely not starving yourself, and neither are you overeating. Perfect, isn't it?
Steaming
Steam your face once a week to open pores, so it can be cleansed more effectively. Add a few herbs like basil (tulsi) for extra advantage. Don't steam face directly over the burning stove - too hot! Instead, remove the boiling water from the stove and form a tent with your towel
OOOO..!
Though you can't prevent those tiny lines from forming around your mouth and eyes, you can certainly delay their onset. Try this simple exercise. Stretch your mouth into a wide grin and say 'eee' and then into a circle saying 'ooo'. Oh, and do this in the privacy of your room if you don't want to be shipped to the funny farm.
Soft And Silky
For a deep, moisturising skin treatment apply olive oil to your skin once a week. Let it soak in while you take a steamy shower, and blot out the excess with a tissue.
You Better Not Pout..!
Lipstick applied to dry lips does not last long. Moisturise lips with lip balm or Vaseline and let it get absorbed before applying lipstick. For a final touch, add a bit of glitter to lips. It's dynamite, but do keep it subtle!
Cheating Mother Nature
The general rule of thumb is that light colours bring things forwards, while dark colours make them recede. So hide that prominent jawbone by brushing a dark shade over it. You could also brush a dark colour in the hollow of your chin for a flirtatious cleft! Who said you needed plastic surgery?
Ice Ice Baby
Keep skin looking young and fresh by splashing your face with ice-cold water.. This rejuvenates the skin and delays the onset of wrinkles. (Don't try this if you are prone to broken capillaries. )
Lime N' Lemony
For a great shine to hair, squeeze the juice of one lemon into a mug of water and give your hair a final rinse with this mixture, after shampooing. You could also use a tablespoon of vinegar instead of a lemon.
AND SO TO BED
Never, ever go to sleep without washing off your make-up. That's a surefire step to a disastrous complexion.
Fun In The Sun
The sun's warmth may make you feel good but it's ultraviolet rays over time cause at best, dry wrinkly skin and at worst, skin cancer. Don't step out without loading on that sunscreen. In the summers, avoid stepping out between 12:00 to 2:00 when the sun is at its peak.
Blackheads
To remove blackheads, steam for 5 mins and exfoliate immediately.
Shiny & Strong Hairs
To make your hair shiny and strong, after taking a shower apply olive oil into damp hair. It will make your hair shiny and much stronger.
Eye Makeup
Use foundation on your eyelids before applying eye shadow. It helps the eye shadow stay on longer.
acne prone skin
Use a gentle soap like Dove for acne prone skin. It makes your skin a lot less oily because its PH balanced.
Clay Mask
A Clay Mask works wonders on oily skin!
eyelash curler
Use a hair dryer for a few seconds on your eyelash curler.
remove stubborn eye makeup
Use petroleum jelly or cold cream to remove stubborn eye makeup. its cheap and it works (even on waterproof mascara).
remove stubborn eye makeup
Use petroleum jelly or cold cream to remove stubborn eye makeup. its cheap and it works (even on waterproof mascara).
blotting oily skin
Instead of buying expensive oil blotter papers, buy a box of perm papers. Very cheap and works great for blotting oily skin.
reduce redness
Spray your face with cold water or stand with your head in the air from the freezer for a few moments to reduce redness.
lighter shades of eyeliner
Line deep set eyes with lighter shades of eyeliner to emphasize them!
Drink 8 glasses of water a day and use a moisturizer
Nothing ages a person more than worry. Try to be positive and love every day as a new adventure and get joy from all the little things (so many cost nothing). Drink 8 glasses of water a day and use a moisturizer.
Keep lashes smooth
Keep lashes smooth and supple by brushing them with petroleum jelly before going to bed at night. It is also a good way to emphasize natural-looking lashes in the daytime.
Lips
Apply carmex on your lips before putting on lipgloss or lipstick, it helps it stay on longer, keep it moisturized, and sometimes makes your lips "juicier" looking.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Stress Management II
Stress
A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience,
Raised a glass of water and asked;
'How heavy is this glass of water?'
Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.
The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter.
It depends on how long you try to hold it.
If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.
If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.
In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.'
He continued,
'And that's the way it is with stress management.
If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later,
As the burden becomes increasingly heavy,
We won't be able to carry on. '
'As with the glass of water,
You have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.
When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. '
'So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.
Whatever burdens you're carrying now,
Let them down for a moment if you can.'
So, my friend, Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.
Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
* Accept that some days you're the pigeon,
And some days you're the statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet,
Just in case you have to eat them.
* Always wear stuff that will make you look good
If you die in the middle of it.
*Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be
"Recalled" by their maker.
* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again,
It was probably worth it.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time,
Because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well..
Just get up and dance.
* When everything's coming your way,
You're in the wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you.
The more you have, the longer you live.
* You may be only one person in the world,
But you may also be the world to one person.
* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
* We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery
on a detour.
Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today...I did
A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience,
Raised a glass of water and asked;
'How heavy is this glass of water?'
Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.
The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter.
It depends on how long you try to hold it.
If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.
If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.
In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.'
He continued,
'And that's the way it is with stress management.
If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later,
As the burden becomes increasingly heavy,
We won't be able to carry on. '
'As with the glass of water,
You have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.
When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. '
'So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.
Whatever burdens you're carrying now,
Let them down for a moment if you can.'
So, my friend, Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.
Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
* Accept that some days you're the pigeon,
And some days you're the statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet,
Just in case you have to eat them.
* Always wear stuff that will make you look good
If you die in the middle of it.
*Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be
"Recalled" by their maker.
* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again,
It was probably worth it.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time,
Because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well..
Just get up and dance.
* When everything's coming your way,
You're in the wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you.
The more you have, the longer you live.
* You may be only one person in the world,
But you may also be the world to one person.
* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
* We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery
on a detour.
Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today...I did
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Stress Management Techniques
Stress Management Techniques for People Searching for Answers
Guide on How to Mange Stress
Stress Management is more than anger management and relaxation. It is self management. There are many different ways to manage stress. I have compiled the various stress management techniques that are simple and most effective to follow and practice. Please feel free to use as many as you can, keeping an open mind, so you can have a collection of techniques that are the most effective for you.
Feel Good about your Self
Take Care of your Body
Develop the Right Attitude
Develop the Right Environment
Short Tips for Busy People
1. Feel Good about your Self
If you want to bring down your level of stress level in a matter of minutes, these techniques will help you. Use them as needed to feel better quickly; practice them regularly over time and gain even greater benefits.
Ø Deep Breathing from the Abdomen
Ø Meditation
Ø Having a dose of Laughter
Ø Progressive Muscular Relaxation
Ø Listening to light music
Ø Practicing Yoga
Ø Aerobic Exercises
Ø Creative Visualization
2. Take Care of Body
When we're stressed, we don't always take care of our bodies, which can lead to even more stress. Here are some important ways to take care of yourself and keep stress levels lower.
Ø Eat Healthy low fats and high protein meals
Ø Have six to eight hours of regular sleep
Ø Exercise regularly
Ø Develop a Hobby
Ø Have healthy Sex Life
3. Develop the Right Attitude
Attitude plays a great role in managing stress. Much of your experience of stress has a lot to do with your attitude and the way you perceive your life's events. Here are some resources to help you maintain a stress-relieving attitude.
Ø Let go your Ego
Ø Have a Optimistic approach to life
Ø Do not react under pressure
Ø Stop Worrying about things not in your control
Ø Accept that everything cannot be perfect
Ø Find an opportunity in every problem
Ø Say good things to your self and affirmations
Ø Have a health sense of humour
4. Develop the Right Environment
Having ambiance and pleasant environment make stress management very easy. Your physical and emotional surroundings can impact your stress levels in subtle but significant ways. Here are several ways you can change your atmosphere and less your stress.
Ø Clutter free home, office and working desk
Ø Green and Clean surrounding
Ø Light instrumental music
Ø Motivational Posters
Ø Words of Wisdom
5. Short Tips for Busy People
Busy People add a lot of stress to their already stressed life. People who may have more stressors in their lives is because they have more activity in their lives, and less time to devote to stress management. If you're a busy person, these resources can help you to manage stress efficiently in a short amount of time, and eliminate some of what's causing you stress in the first place.
Ø Time Management Tips
Ø Communication Skills
Ø Listening Skills
Ø Managing Priorities
Ø Enhancing Team Work
Ø Enhancing People Skills
Guide on How to Mange Stress
Stress Management is more than anger management and relaxation. It is self management. There are many different ways to manage stress. I have compiled the various stress management techniques that are simple and most effective to follow and practice. Please feel free to use as many as you can, keeping an open mind, so you can have a collection of techniques that are the most effective for you.
Feel Good about your Self
Take Care of your Body
Develop the Right Attitude
Develop the Right Environment
Short Tips for Busy People
1. Feel Good about your Self
If you want to bring down your level of stress level in a matter of minutes, these techniques will help you. Use them as needed to feel better quickly; practice them regularly over time and gain even greater benefits.
Ø Deep Breathing from the Abdomen
Ø Meditation
Ø Having a dose of Laughter
Ø Progressive Muscular Relaxation
Ø Listening to light music
Ø Practicing Yoga
Ø Aerobic Exercises
Ø Creative Visualization
2. Take Care of Body
When we're stressed, we don't always take care of our bodies, which can lead to even more stress. Here are some important ways to take care of yourself and keep stress levels lower.
Ø Eat Healthy low fats and high protein meals
Ø Have six to eight hours of regular sleep
Ø Exercise regularly
Ø Develop a Hobby
Ø Have healthy Sex Life
3. Develop the Right Attitude
Attitude plays a great role in managing stress. Much of your experience of stress has a lot to do with your attitude and the way you perceive your life's events. Here are some resources to help you maintain a stress-relieving attitude.
Ø Let go your Ego
Ø Have a Optimistic approach to life
Ø Do not react under pressure
Ø Stop Worrying about things not in your control
Ø Accept that everything cannot be perfect
Ø Find an opportunity in every problem
Ø Say good things to your self and affirmations
Ø Have a health sense of humour
4. Develop the Right Environment
Having ambiance and pleasant environment make stress management very easy. Your physical and emotional surroundings can impact your stress levels in subtle but significant ways. Here are several ways you can change your atmosphere and less your stress.
Ø Clutter free home, office and working desk
Ø Green and Clean surrounding
Ø Light instrumental music
Ø Motivational Posters
Ø Words of Wisdom
5. Short Tips for Busy People
Busy People add a lot of stress to their already stressed life. People who may have more stressors in their lives is because they have more activity in their lives, and less time to devote to stress management. If you're a busy person, these resources can help you to manage stress efficiently in a short amount of time, and eliminate some of what's causing you stress in the first place.
Ø Time Management Tips
Ø Communication Skills
Ø Listening Skills
Ø Managing Priorities
Ø Enhancing Team Work
Ø Enhancing People Skills
Negative Thinking Vs Attitude
The way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful. - Dalai Lama
Life could be so much better for many people, if they would just spot their negative thinking habits and replace them with positive ones.
Negative thinking, in all its many-splendored forms, has a way of creeping into conversations and our thinking without our noticing them. The key to success, in my humble opinion, is learning to spot these thoughts and squash them like little bugs. Then replace them with positive ones. You will notice a huge difference in everything you do.
Lets take a look at 10 common ways that negative thinking emerges ” get good at spotting these patterns, and practice replacing them with positive thinking patterns. It has made all the difference in the world for me.
10 Deadly Sins of Negative Thinking
1. I will be happy once I have _____ (or once I earn X).
Problem: If you think you cant be happy until you reach a certain point, or until you reach a certain income, or have a certain type of house or car or computer setup, youll never be happy. That elusive goal is always just out of reach. Once we reach those goals, we are not satisfied ” we want more.
Solution: Learn to be happy with what you have, where you are, and who you are, right at this moment. Happiness doesn't have to be some state that we want to get to eventually ” it can be found right now. Learn to count your blessings, and see the positive in your situation. This might sound simplistic, but it works.
2. I wish I were as ____ as (a celebrity, friend, co-worker).
Problem: Well never be as pretty, as talented, as rich, as sculpted, as cool, as everyone else. There will always be someone better, if you look hard enough. Therefore, if we compare ourselves to others like this, we will always pale, and will always fail, and will always feel bad about ourselves. This is no way to be happy.
Solution: Stop comparing yourself to others, and look instead at yourself ” what are your strengths, your accomplishments, your successes, however small? What do you love about yourself? Learn to love who you are, right now, not who you want to become. There is good in each of us, love in each of us, and a wonderful human spirit in every one of us.
3. Seeing others becoming successful makes me jealous and resentful.
Problem: First, this assumes that only a small number of people can be successful. In truth, many, many people can be successful ” in different ways.
Solution: Learn to admire the success of others, and learn from it, and be happy for them, by empathizing with them and understanding what it must be like to be them. And then turn away from them, and look at yourself ” you can be successful too, in whatever you choose to do. And even more, you already are successful. Look not at those above you in the social ladder, but those below you ” there are always millions of people worse off than you, people who couldnt even read this article or afford a computer. In that light, you are a huge success.
4. I am a miserable failure ” I cant seem to do anything right.
Problem: Everyone is a failure, if you look at it in certain ways. Everyone has failed, many times, at different things. I have certainly failed so many times I cannot count them ” and I continue to fail, daily. However, looking at your failures as failures only makes you feel bad about yourself. By thinking in this way, we will have a negative self-image and never move on from here.
Solution:
See your successes and ignore your failures. Look back on your life, in the last month, or year, or 5 years. And try to remember your successes. If you have trouble with this, start documenting them ” keep a success journal, either in a notebook or online. Document your success each day, or each week. When you look back at what youve accomplished, over a year, you will be amazed. Its an incredibly positive feeling.
5. Im going to beat so-and-so no matter what ” Im better than him. And theres no way Ill help him succeed ” he might beat me.
Problem: Competitiveness assumes that there is a small amount of gold to be had, and I need to get it before he does. It makes us into greedy, back-stabbing, hurtful people. We try to claw our way over people to get to success, because of our competitive feelings. For example, if a blogger wants to have more subscribers than another blogger, he may never link to or mention that other blogger. However, who is to say that my subscribers cant also be yours? People can read and subscribe to more than one blog.
Solution:
Learn to see success as something that can be shared, and learn that if we help each other out, we can each have a better chance to be successful. Two people working towards a common goal are better than two people trying to beat each other up to get to that goal. There is more than enough success to go around. Learn to think in terms of abundance rather than scarcity.
6. Dammit! Why do these bad things always happen to me?
Problem:
Bad things happen to everybody. If we dwell on them, they will frustrate us and bring us down.
Solution:
See bad things as a part of the ebb and flow of life. Suffering is a part of the human condition ” but it passes. All pain goes away, eventually. Meanwhile, dont let it hold you back. Dont dwell on bad things, but look forward towards something good in your future. And learn to take the bad things in stride, and learn from them. Bad things are actually opportunities to grow and learn and get stronger, in disguise.
7. You cant do anything right! Why cant you be like ____ ?
Problem:
This can be said to your child or your subordinate or your sibling. The problem? Comparing two people, first of all, is always a fallacy. People are different, with different ways of doing things, different strengths and weaknesses, different human characteristics. If we were all the same, wed be robots. Second, saying negative things like this to another person never helps the situation. It might make you feel better, and more powerful, but in truth, it hurts your relationship, it will actually make you feel negative, and it will certainly make the other person feel negative and more likely to continue negative behavior. Everyone loses.
8. Your work sucks. Its super lame. You are a moron and I hope you never reproduce.
Problem: Ive actually gotten this comment before. It feels wonderful. However, lets look at it not from the perspective of the person receiving this kind of comment but from the perspective of the person giving it. How does saying something negative like this help you? I guess it might feel good to vent if you feel like your time has been wasted. But really, how much of your time has been wasted? A few minutes? And whose fault is that? The bloggers or yours? In truth, making negative comments just keeps you in a negative mindset. Its also not a good way to make friends.
Life could be so much better for many people, if they would just spot their negative thinking habits and replace them with positive ones.
Negative thinking, in all its many-splendored forms, has a way of creeping into conversations and our thinking without our noticing them. The key to success, in my humble opinion, is learning to spot these thoughts and squash them like little bugs. Then replace them with positive ones. You will notice a huge difference in everything you do.
Lets take a look at 10 common ways that negative thinking emerges ” get good at spotting these patterns, and practice replacing them with positive thinking patterns. It has made all the difference in the world for me.
10 Deadly Sins of Negative Thinking
1. I will be happy once I have _____ (or once I earn X).
Problem: If you think you cant be happy until you reach a certain point, or until you reach a certain income, or have a certain type of house or car or computer setup, youll never be happy. That elusive goal is always just out of reach. Once we reach those goals, we are not satisfied ” we want more.
Solution: Learn to be happy with what you have, where you are, and who you are, right at this moment. Happiness doesn't have to be some state that we want to get to eventually ” it can be found right now. Learn to count your blessings, and see the positive in your situation. This might sound simplistic, but it works.
2. I wish I were as ____ as (a celebrity, friend, co-worker).
Problem: Well never be as pretty, as talented, as rich, as sculpted, as cool, as everyone else. There will always be someone better, if you look hard enough. Therefore, if we compare ourselves to others like this, we will always pale, and will always fail, and will always feel bad about ourselves. This is no way to be happy.
Solution: Stop comparing yourself to others, and look instead at yourself ” what are your strengths, your accomplishments, your successes, however small? What do you love about yourself? Learn to love who you are, right now, not who you want to become. There is good in each of us, love in each of us, and a wonderful human spirit in every one of us.
3. Seeing others becoming successful makes me jealous and resentful.
Problem: First, this assumes that only a small number of people can be successful. In truth, many, many people can be successful ” in different ways.
Solution: Learn to admire the success of others, and learn from it, and be happy for them, by empathizing with them and understanding what it must be like to be them. And then turn away from them, and look at yourself ” you can be successful too, in whatever you choose to do. And even more, you already are successful. Look not at those above you in the social ladder, but those below you ” there are always millions of people worse off than you, people who couldnt even read this article or afford a computer. In that light, you are a huge success.
4. I am a miserable failure ” I cant seem to do anything right.
Problem: Everyone is a failure, if you look at it in certain ways. Everyone has failed, many times, at different things. I have certainly failed so many times I cannot count them ” and I continue to fail, daily. However, looking at your failures as failures only makes you feel bad about yourself. By thinking in this way, we will have a negative self-image and never move on from here.
Solution:
See your successes and ignore your failures. Look back on your life, in the last month, or year, or 5 years. And try to remember your successes. If you have trouble with this, start documenting them ” keep a success journal, either in a notebook or online. Document your success each day, or each week. When you look back at what youve accomplished, over a year, you will be amazed. Its an incredibly positive feeling.
5. Im going to beat so-and-so no matter what ” Im better than him. And theres no way Ill help him succeed ” he might beat me.
Problem: Competitiveness assumes that there is a small amount of gold to be had, and I need to get it before he does. It makes us into greedy, back-stabbing, hurtful people. We try to claw our way over people to get to success, because of our competitive feelings. For example, if a blogger wants to have more subscribers than another blogger, he may never link to or mention that other blogger. However, who is to say that my subscribers cant also be yours? People can read and subscribe to more than one blog.
Solution:
Learn to see success as something that can be shared, and learn that if we help each other out, we can each have a better chance to be successful. Two people working towards a common goal are better than two people trying to beat each other up to get to that goal. There is more than enough success to go around. Learn to think in terms of abundance rather than scarcity.
6. Dammit! Why do these bad things always happen to me?
Problem:
Bad things happen to everybody. If we dwell on them, they will frustrate us and bring us down.
Solution:
See bad things as a part of the ebb and flow of life. Suffering is a part of the human condition ” but it passes. All pain goes away, eventually. Meanwhile, dont let it hold you back. Dont dwell on bad things, but look forward towards something good in your future. And learn to take the bad things in stride, and learn from them. Bad things are actually opportunities to grow and learn and get stronger, in disguise.
7. You cant do anything right! Why cant you be like ____ ?
Problem:
This can be said to your child or your subordinate or your sibling. The problem? Comparing two people, first of all, is always a fallacy. People are different, with different ways of doing things, different strengths and weaknesses, different human characteristics. If we were all the same, wed be robots. Second, saying negative things like this to another person never helps the situation. It might make you feel better, and more powerful, but in truth, it hurts your relationship, it will actually make you feel negative, and it will certainly make the other person feel negative and more likely to continue negative behavior. Everyone loses.
8. Your work sucks. Its super lame. You are a moron and I hope you never reproduce.
Problem: Ive actually gotten this comment before. It feels wonderful. However, lets look at it not from the perspective of the person receiving this kind of comment but from the perspective of the person giving it. How does saying something negative like this help you? I guess it might feel good to vent if you feel like your time has been wasted. But really, how much of your time has been wasted? A few minutes? And whose fault is that? The bloggers or yours? In truth, making negative comments just keeps you in a negative mindset. Its also not a good way to make friends.
Solution: Learn to offer constructive solutions, first of all. Instead of telling someone their blog sucks, or that a post is lame, offer some specific suggestions for improvement. Help them get better. If you are going to take the time to make a comment, make it worth your time. Second, learn to interact with people in a more positive way ” it makes others feel good and it makes you feel better about yourself. And you can make some great friends this way. Thats a good thing.
9. Insulting People Back
Problem: If someone insults you or angers you in some way, insulting them back and continuing your anger only transfers their problem to you. This person was probably having a bad day (or a bad year) and took it out on you for some reason. If you reciprocate, you are now having a bad day too. His problem has become yours. Not only that, but the cycle of insults can get worse and worse until it results in violence or other negative consequences ” for both of you.
Solution: Let the insults or negative comments of others slide off you. Dont let their problem become yours. In fact, try to understand their problem more ” why would someone say something like that? What problems are they going through? Having a little empathy for someone not only makes you understand that their comment is not about you, but it can make you feel and act in a positive manner towards them ” and make you feel better about yourself in the process.
10. I dont think I can do this ” I dont have enough discipline. Maybe some other time.
Problem: If you dont think you can do something, you probably wont. Especially for the big stuff. Discipline has nothing to do with it ” motivation and focus has everything to do with it. And if you put stuff off for œsome other time, youll never get it done. Negative thinking like this inhibits us from accomplishing anything.
Solution: Turn your thinking around: you can do this! You dont need discipline. Find ways to make yourself a success at your goal. If you fail, learn from your mistakes, and try again. Instead of putting a goal off for later, start now. And focus on one goal at a time, putting all of your energy into it, and getting as much help from others as you can. You can really move mountains if you start with positive thinking.
It is your attitude and not your aptitude that determines your altitude.
Defeat never comes to any man until he admits it.
Life is beautiful... !!!."
Secreet of Parenting
A child's greatest period of growth is the month after you've purchased new school clothes.
2. An alarm clock is a device for waking people up, who don't have small kids.
3. Any child can tell you that the sole purpose of a middle name is so he can tell when he's really in trouble.
4. Anyone who says "Easy as taking candy from a baby" has never tried it.
5. Children are natural mimics who act like their parents, despite every effort to teach them good manners.
6. Children don't sleep ... They recharge.
7. Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said.
8. Cleaning your house while your kids are at home is like trying to shovel the driveway during a snowstorm.
9. Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your kids.
10. Gym clothes left at school in lockers mildew at a faster rate than other clothing.
11. If raising children was going to be easy, it never would have started with something called labor!
12. Kids really brighten a household. They never turn off any lights.
13. Leakproof thermoses - will.
14. Refrigerated items, used daily, will gravitate toward the back of the refrigerator.
15. Shouting to make your kids obey is like using the horn to steer your car and you get about the same results!
16. Sick children recover miraculously when the doctor enters the treatment room.
17. Teach a child to be polite and courteous in the home and when he grows up, he'll never be able to merge his car onto a freeway.
18. The item your child lost, and must have for school within the next ten seconds, will be found in the last place you look.
19. The chances of a piece of bread falling with the grape jelly side down is directly proportional to the cost of the carpet.
20. The garbage truck will be two doors past your house when the argument over "whose day it is to take out the trash" ends.
21. The main purpose of holding children's parties is to remind yourself that there are children more awful than your own.
22. The shirt your child must wear today will be the only one that needs to be washed or mended.
23. The tennis shoes you must replace today will go on sale next week.
24. There are only two things a child will share willingly - communicable diseases and their mother's age.
25. Trying to dress an active little one is like trying to thread a sewing machine while it's running.
26. We childproofed our home three years ago and they're still getting in!
27. You spend the first two years of their life teaching them to walk and talk. Then, you spend the next sixteen telling them to sit down and shut up.
28. Your chances of being seen by someone you know dramatically increase if you drive your child to school in your robe and curlers.
29. Your children may leave home, but their stuff will be in your attic and basement forever.
2. An alarm clock is a device for waking people up, who don't have small kids.
3. Any child can tell you that the sole purpose of a middle name is so he can tell when he's really in trouble.
4. Anyone who says "Easy as taking candy from a baby" has never tried it.
5. Children are natural mimics who act like their parents, despite every effort to teach them good manners.
6. Children don't sleep ... They recharge.
7. Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said.
8. Cleaning your house while your kids are at home is like trying to shovel the driveway during a snowstorm.
9. Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your kids.
10. Gym clothes left at school in lockers mildew at a faster rate than other clothing.
11. If raising children was going to be easy, it never would have started with something called labor!
12. Kids really brighten a household. They never turn off any lights.
13. Leakproof thermoses - will.
14. Refrigerated items, used daily, will gravitate toward the back of the refrigerator.
15. Shouting to make your kids obey is like using the horn to steer your car and you get about the same results!
16. Sick children recover miraculously when the doctor enters the treatment room.
17. Teach a child to be polite and courteous in the home and when he grows up, he'll never be able to merge his car onto a freeway.
18. The item your child lost, and must have for school within the next ten seconds, will be found in the last place you look.
19. The chances of a piece of bread falling with the grape jelly side down is directly proportional to the cost of the carpet.
20. The garbage truck will be two doors past your house when the argument over "whose day it is to take out the trash" ends.
21. The main purpose of holding children's parties is to remind yourself that there are children more awful than your own.
22. The shirt your child must wear today will be the only one that needs to be washed or mended.
23. The tennis shoes you must replace today will go on sale next week.
24. There are only two things a child will share willingly - communicable diseases and their mother's age.
25. Trying to dress an active little one is like trying to thread a sewing machine while it's running.
26. We childproofed our home three years ago and they're still getting in!
27. You spend the first two years of their life teaching them to walk and talk. Then, you spend the next sixteen telling them to sit down and shut up.
28. Your chances of being seen by someone you know dramatically increase if you drive your child to school in your robe and curlers.
29. Your children may leave home, but their stuff will be in your attic and basement forever.
Every day should be a good day and you should live it like it's your last. Some people live a life of anger, frustration, pain, jealousy, and/or dishonesty, but all of these things will come to pass when your time here is over. Just take a moment to think, we will not be on this earth forever.One day, we will not have to worry about going to work or how we will make our car payment.
We will not have to worry where our next meal will come from, or how we can buy that beautiful house. At anytime, God could take us off of this earth, so you should appreciate today and not worry about tomorrow, for nobody knows what tomorrow will bring. When you wake up each morning, thank the Lord for waking you up.
When you lie down to sleep at night, thank the Lord for another day. If you have a job, thank the Lord for your place of employment. Ask that He May bless you in everything that you do. Ask Him to give you the knowledge and the wisdom to do your job. If you don't have a job, thank Him anyway. Ask him to direct you to the job that is right for you.
When you are eating breakfast, lunch or dinner, say a prayer. Thank the Lord for providing food and nourishment to your body. If you are healthy, thank the Lord for the health and strength in your body. If you aren't, thank Him anyway for life, and ask Him to heal your body. So the next time that you get mad, think twice.
The next time you complain about something at your job, think twice. The next time you say you wish you had steak instead of chicken, think twice. Be thankful for what you have, and the life that God has given you. Pray and ask the Lord for guidance. Be sincere, as God knows whether or not we mean it from the heart. Help those in need as a gift from your heart, and not so you can get a pat on the back.
Put forth the extra effort in everything that you do. Go after what you want in life, and do whatever it takes to achieve your goals. No matter how perfect you think you are, there is always room for improvement, and an opportunity for you to do better. If you are depressed, don't cry just hold your head up and the Lord will help you through.
Pray and ask the Lord to deliver you from your state of depression. Whatever it is that you are depressed about, God will take that pain from your heart. It may not be at that moment, or that next hour, or maybe not even the next day, but He WILL do it if you just believe in Him.
God may not show up when YOU want Him to, but He's ALWAYS right in time. God will not give us more than we can bear. Sometimes He will present us with issues that will test our faith, but you have to be strong enough to believe that God will do exactly what He says. The message for today is to praise the Lord, have faith in the Lord, give thanks to the Lord, and live every day like it is your last.
Theoretically speaking, if the Lord never does anything else for us, other than wake us up each day, put food in our mouths and clothes on our backs, we should thank Him anyway. He died so that we could have life on this earth. Please keep this message flowing and send it to your loved ones and friends.
Sue Divine - Treat the earth well.....it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the earth from our ANCESTORS, we borrow it from our children.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Thanks and Gratutide, the missing link
Every day should be a good day and you should live it like it's your last. Some people live a life of anger, frustration, pain, jealousy, and/or dishonesty, but all of these things will come to pass when your time here is over. Just take a moment to think, we will not be on this earth forever.One day, we will not have to worry about going to work or how we will make our car payment.
We will not have to worry where our next meal will come from, or how we can buy that beautiful house. At anytime, God could take us off of this earth, so you should appreciate today and not worry about tomorrow, for nobody knows what tomorrow will bring. When you wake up each morning, thank the Lord for waking you up.
When you lie down to sleep at night, thank the Lord for another day. If you have a job, thank the Lord for your place of employment. Ask that He May bless you in everything that you do. Ask Him to give you the knowledge and the wisdom to do your job. If you don't have a job, thank Him anyway. Ask him to direct you to the job that is right for you.
When you are eating breakfast, lunch or dinner, say a prayer. Thank the Lord for providing food and nourishment to your body. If you are healthy, thank the Lord for the health and strength in your body. If you aren't, thank Him anyway for life, and ask Him to heal your body. So the next time that you get mad, think twice.
The next time you complain about something at your job, think twice. The next time you say you wish you had steak instead of chicken, think twice. Be thankful for what you have, and the life that God has given you. Pray and ask the Lord for guidance. Be sincere, as God knows whether or not we mean it from the heart. Help those in need as a gift from your heart, and not so you can get a pat on the back.
Put forth the extra effort in everything that you do. Go after what you want in life, and do whatever it takes to achieve your goals. No matter how perfect you think you are, there is always room for improvement, and an opportunity for you to do better. If you are depressed, don't cry just hold your head up and the Lord will help you through.
Pray and ask the Lord to deliver you from your state of depression. Whatever it is that you are depressed about, God will take that pain from your heart. It may not be at that moment, or that next hour, or maybe not even the next day, but He WILL do it if you just believe in Him.
God may not show up when YOU want Him to, but He's ALWAYS right in time. God will not give us more than we can bear. Sometimes He will present us with issues that will test our faith, but you have to be strong enough to believe that God will do exactly what He says. The message for today is to praise the Lord, have faith in the Lord, give thanks to the Lord, and live every day like it is your last.
Theoretically speaking, if the Lord never does anything else for us, other than wake us up each day, put food in our mouths and clothes on our backs, we should thank Him anyway. He died so that we could have life on this earth. Please keep this message flowing and send it to your loved ones and friends.
Finally, treat the earth well.....it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the earth from our ANCESTORS, we borrow it from our children.
We will not have to worry where our next meal will come from, or how we can buy that beautiful house. At anytime, God could take us off of this earth, so you should appreciate today and not worry about tomorrow, for nobody knows what tomorrow will bring. When you wake up each morning, thank the Lord for waking you up.
When you lie down to sleep at night, thank the Lord for another day. If you have a job, thank the Lord for your place of employment. Ask that He May bless you in everything that you do. Ask Him to give you the knowledge and the wisdom to do your job. If you don't have a job, thank Him anyway. Ask him to direct you to the job that is right for you.
When you are eating breakfast, lunch or dinner, say a prayer. Thank the Lord for providing food and nourishment to your body. If you are healthy, thank the Lord for the health and strength in your body. If you aren't, thank Him anyway for life, and ask Him to heal your body. So the next time that you get mad, think twice.
The next time you complain about something at your job, think twice. The next time you say you wish you had steak instead of chicken, think twice. Be thankful for what you have, and the life that God has given you. Pray and ask the Lord for guidance. Be sincere, as God knows whether or not we mean it from the heart. Help those in need as a gift from your heart, and not so you can get a pat on the back.
Put forth the extra effort in everything that you do. Go after what you want in life, and do whatever it takes to achieve your goals. No matter how perfect you think you are, there is always room for improvement, and an opportunity for you to do better. If you are depressed, don't cry just hold your head up and the Lord will help you through.
Pray and ask the Lord to deliver you from your state of depression. Whatever it is that you are depressed about, God will take that pain from your heart. It may not be at that moment, or that next hour, or maybe not even the next day, but He WILL do it if you just believe in Him.
God may not show up when YOU want Him to, but He's ALWAYS right in time. God will not give us more than we can bear. Sometimes He will present us with issues that will test our faith, but you have to be strong enough to believe that God will do exactly what He says. The message for today is to praise the Lord, have faith in the Lord, give thanks to the Lord, and live every day like it is your last.
Theoretically speaking, if the Lord never does anything else for us, other than wake us up each day, put food in our mouths and clothes on our backs, we should thank Him anyway. He died so that we could have life on this earth. Please keep this message flowing and send it to your loved ones and friends.
Finally, treat the earth well.....it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the earth from our ANCESTORS, we borrow it from our children.
Dont Sleep with
DON'T SLEEP WITH PHONE
Putting the phone beside your bed or anywhere near you is not encouraged. Though some of us will use phones as alarm clocks, but please put the phone as far as possible. Scientists have proved that electrical items including mobile phone and television sets emit magnetic waves when used. These waves can cause disruptions to our nervous system. Therefore if you need to put your mobile phone near you, switch it off first.
DON'T SLEEP WITH BRA
Scientists in America have discovered those that wear bras for more than 12 hours have a higher risk of getting breast cancer. So go to bed without it.
(I thought the bra helps uplit the down trodden. )
DON'T SLEEP WITH WATCH
Watches can emit a certain level of radioactivity. Though small, but if you wear your watch to bed for a long time, it might have adverse effects on your health.
DON'T SLEEP WITH MAKE UP
People who sleep with make up might have skin problems in the long run. Sleeping with make up will cause the skin to have difficulty in breathing and problem in perspiring. You will also need a much longer time to go into deep sleep.
DON'T SLEEP WITH OTHERS' WIFE / HUSBAND
You may never wake up again. : )
Putting the phone beside your bed or anywhere near you is not encouraged. Though some of us will use phones as alarm clocks, but please put the phone as far as possible. Scientists have proved that electrical items including mobile phone and television sets emit magnetic waves when used. These waves can cause disruptions to our nervous system. Therefore if you need to put your mobile phone near you, switch it off first.
DON'T SLEEP WITH BRA
Scientists in America have discovered those that wear bras for more than 12 hours have a higher risk of getting breast cancer. So go to bed without it.
(I thought the bra helps uplit the down trodden. )
DON'T SLEEP WITH WATCH
Watches can emit a certain level of radioactivity. Though small, but if you wear your watch to bed for a long time, it might have adverse effects on your health.
DON'T SLEEP WITH MAKE UP
People who sleep with make up might have skin problems in the long run. Sleeping with make up will cause the skin to have difficulty in breathing and problem in perspiring. You will also need a much longer time to go into deep sleep.
DON'T SLEEP WITH OTHERS' WIFE / HUSBAND
You may never wake up again. : )
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Solutions for Nigeria economic meltdown
Nigerians are deeply religious people and with the economic meltdown hitting hard on the people, there could be no better time to seek divine intervention as the new Finance Minister now calls for prayers to stir the economic ship successfully, Lucky Fiakpa writesDr. Mansur Muhtar, former Director General of the Debt Management Office, DMO, and new Finance Minister, no doubt has a rich credential. A renowned Economist who is coming to the ministerial job from Africa Development Bank (ADB), Muhtar is well equipped for the job. Before coming to DMO, he was a Senior Economist with the African Region of the World Bank. At DMO, he was first Director of Portfolio Management and Strategy.
As DG DMO when Prof. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala held the saddle as Finance Minister, Muhtar was generally managing Nigeria's debt portfolio and played a major role in the negotiations that led to Nigeria's exit from Paris and London Clubs of creditors.Of course during that period Nigeria had so much money to play with. That was when international oil price hovered in the neighbourhood of $100 per barrel. Things were much easier then and Muhtar seems to realize this.At a reception in his honour by the people of Dambatta, held at the palace of the District Head of Dambatta, Sarkin Dan Kano, Dr Mukhtar Adnan, Muhtar admitted that his appointment is a challenge in view of the current world economic meltdown, and called on Nigerians to put all hands on deck to improve the country's economy.
He also called on Nigerians to assist with prayers towards curbing the economic meltdown.Surely, the Finance Minister would need a whole load of prayers to manage the economy successfully. He is coming in at a time the economy is at its lowest ebb in more than a decade. The 2009 budget benchmarked at crude oil price of $45 per barrel is already wobbling with oil prices below the benchmark price. There are fears it could stay in the $30 pb neighbourhood for a good part of this year , which could spell untold hardship for the Nigerian economy.The excess crude oil account created to serve as a buffer for period such as this had since been depleted at present it has depleted to less than $45b. This therefore leaves the various tiers of government at the mercy of the harsh economic realities of the day.Oil prices remained near three-year lows as the slowdown in United States and Chinese economies continues to hurt demand for crude, especially in the U.S. which serves as the major oil market for Nigeria.Muhtar is also assuming office to manage a budget many have written off as dead on arrival given the poor performance of crude oil in the international market. The budget also has a huge deficit component the source of its financing looks blurred.
The deficit announced in the budget leaves considerable room for uncertainty. While the government announced a recall of $200 million from the Nigeria Trust Fund Account of the African Development Bank (ADB) and a bond issue of a Naira denominated $500 million, other aspects of the deficits are quite unclear, raising speculations as to the extent of borrowing.The revenue expected from signature bonuses and proceeds from privatization are not clear and were not stated. As the government may have made projections based on certain parameters, it is likely that borrowing will be greater than expected if the projections are not met. So as government deficits grow, so also do the growth risks in the economy.Again, Muhtar is coming into office at a time the naira, the nation's currency is heading for the canvass and at a dashing speed.
The greatest force against the strength of the naira is the uncertainty of how low oil price could go and the implications it would have on balance of trade and the level of foreign reserves coupled with the recent change in batton of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria. It is thought that the greatest pressure on the naira will emanate from continuous worsening of the terms of trade and the threat to macroeconomic growth through debt and inflation.The foreign exchange market, which for almost a year now has been stable, suddenly lost ground against major traded currency last month and has not been able to recover since then. The CBN effort to stem the market failed to achieve set objective as the naira continued its downwards plunge against the United States dollar and other traded currencies. The naira closed at N135.5 per dollar, down from N132.3 the previous week as banks and other authorised dealers scrambled for the greenback to meet customer obligations in an increasingly tight market.
Depreciation of the NairaAfter some tight lips as to the reason behind the falling value of the naira, the foremer CBN governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, finally admitted that the depreciation was at the instance of the government. He said the devaluation of the naira is a deliberate and strategic move to shore up the nation's economy and slow down the depletion of the nation's foreign reserve put at $57 billion last month, amid falling crude oil prices.The CBN strategy is to enable Nigeria to maintain a healthy balance of payment position through a constriction of imports, though some analysts have said that the devaluation is to allow government pay its bills. This further drove the naira value aground as it hit an exchange rate of N140 to the dollar at the parallel market.Apparently unable to sustain the huge demand for forex amidst dwindling supply of dollar occasioned as a result of depleting reserves caused by poor oil revenues, the government on Monday, December 22, 2008 announced the closure of the foreign exchange market and it is expected to open today January 5, 2009 which eventually was opened. In a circular, announcing the closure and sent to authorised dealers last December 2008, the CBN's Acting Director, Trade and Exchange, Mr. B Musa, said the foreign exchange auction market, otherwise known as Wholesale Dutch Auction System, would be closed "in consideration of the Christmas and New Year holidays."The closure of the official foreign exchange, which many considered to be an unusual move, highlighted the scarcity of forex following the rationalisation of banks' offshore credit lines and the refusal of the Central Bank of Nigeria to fill the gap in the whole month of December.
However, the new Minister of Finance believes the Federal Government is in a position to tackle the present global economic trend, and called on everybody to support the government's drive to find solution to the problem. He said the Federal Government will collaborate with the 36 governors to transform the country's economy in a way that it would improve the standards of living of the people, as they are closer to the grassroots.He expressed appreciation to President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua for giving him the opportunity to serve, and assured of his total commitment to promoting the economy.Not a few sector of the economy will celebrate if the government could find solution to the economic meltdown, except that the indices hardly support an administration on the path of fixing the economy.
Burden of Manufacturers
The manufacturing sector already burdened with huge stock of unplanned inventory is now facing rising lending rates. From an average of 17 per cent for a better part of last year, the rates hit an average of 25 per cent in the last quarter of 2008.Alhaji Bashir Borodo, the President of the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria, MAN, would want the CBN to do something to firm the downwards movement of the naira fast in other to save manufacturers another round of agonising moment. He believes the current operating environment is bad enough and a further fall in the value of the naira, could spell disaster for the sector.In a chat with Financial Vanguard, the MAN President said the decline in the value of the Nigerian currency against the dollar in the foreign exchange market will have an adverse effect on the cost of production in two ways. First, he said, cost of imported raw materials will rise which will further hike cost of production and of course, lead to increase in general price level across the country.He also believes the falling value of the naira if not arrested could also lead to increase in interest rates. Put differently, as more naira is generated to buy dollar in the foreign exchange market, what would be left for lending for businesses would be less, which will in turn push up the lending rates by banks.Speaking on behalf of other manufacturers, he says, "We believe the Central Bank should intervene effectively to preserve the value of the naira and protect the macro-economic gains achieved in the last four years. Otherwise, we will be repeating our experiences of four years ago".Some other manufacturers even believe the problem is worse than that. A source close to the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industries, LCCI, told Financial Vanguard that it will take divine intervention for businesses to survive this year if the naira continues to fall. He said there are certain businesses that take goods from manufacturers abroad, sell and return money at the end of sales. "Mind you, these contracts were entered into and the goods sold when the naira was stronger. At the current position, it means the agent in Nigeria may have to look for additional money to be able to pay the foreign manufacturer the agreed sum," he said.Apart from that, he said that some manufacturers had opened letters of credit for imports when the naira was strong.
With the fallen value of the currency now, the importer may have to source for more funds to be able to finance the same equipment or materials. "He will be lucky if he can pass on the additional cost to the consumers if not he may have to bear the cost all alone with attendant consequences on the cost of operation. The banks too make need to do alot to keep their liquidity and be able to meet their shareholders obligations. This could result in drop in profit margins and there would be the temptation to lay off workers,". Alternative to lay off workers would be casualisation which is the order of the day in the banking sector.
As DG DMO when Prof. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala held the saddle as Finance Minister, Muhtar was generally managing Nigeria's debt portfolio and played a major role in the negotiations that led to Nigeria's exit from Paris and London Clubs of creditors.Of course during that period Nigeria had so much money to play with. That was when international oil price hovered in the neighbourhood of $100 per barrel. Things were much easier then and Muhtar seems to realize this.At a reception in his honour by the people of Dambatta, held at the palace of the District Head of Dambatta, Sarkin Dan Kano, Dr Mukhtar Adnan, Muhtar admitted that his appointment is a challenge in view of the current world economic meltdown, and called on Nigerians to put all hands on deck to improve the country's economy.
He also called on Nigerians to assist with prayers towards curbing the economic meltdown.Surely, the Finance Minister would need a whole load of prayers to manage the economy successfully. He is coming in at a time the economy is at its lowest ebb in more than a decade. The 2009 budget benchmarked at crude oil price of $45 per barrel is already wobbling with oil prices below the benchmark price. There are fears it could stay in the $30 pb neighbourhood for a good part of this year , which could spell untold hardship for the Nigerian economy.The excess crude oil account created to serve as a buffer for period such as this had since been depleted at present it has depleted to less than $45b. This therefore leaves the various tiers of government at the mercy of the harsh economic realities of the day.Oil prices remained near three-year lows as the slowdown in United States and Chinese economies continues to hurt demand for crude, especially in the U.S. which serves as the major oil market for Nigeria.Muhtar is also assuming office to manage a budget many have written off as dead on arrival given the poor performance of crude oil in the international market. The budget also has a huge deficit component the source of its financing looks blurred.
The deficit announced in the budget leaves considerable room for uncertainty. While the government announced a recall of $200 million from the Nigeria Trust Fund Account of the African Development Bank (ADB) and a bond issue of a Naira denominated $500 million, other aspects of the deficits are quite unclear, raising speculations as to the extent of borrowing.The revenue expected from signature bonuses and proceeds from privatization are not clear and were not stated. As the government may have made projections based on certain parameters, it is likely that borrowing will be greater than expected if the projections are not met. So as government deficits grow, so also do the growth risks in the economy.Again, Muhtar is coming into office at a time the naira, the nation's currency is heading for the canvass and at a dashing speed.
The greatest force against the strength of the naira is the uncertainty of how low oil price could go and the implications it would have on balance of trade and the level of foreign reserves coupled with the recent change in batton of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria. It is thought that the greatest pressure on the naira will emanate from continuous worsening of the terms of trade and the threat to macroeconomic growth through debt and inflation.The foreign exchange market, which for almost a year now has been stable, suddenly lost ground against major traded currency last month and has not been able to recover since then. The CBN effort to stem the market failed to achieve set objective as the naira continued its downwards plunge against the United States dollar and other traded currencies. The naira closed at N135.5 per dollar, down from N132.3 the previous week as banks and other authorised dealers scrambled for the greenback to meet customer obligations in an increasingly tight market.
Depreciation of the NairaAfter some tight lips as to the reason behind the falling value of the naira, the foremer CBN governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, finally admitted that the depreciation was at the instance of the government. He said the devaluation of the naira is a deliberate and strategic move to shore up the nation's economy and slow down the depletion of the nation's foreign reserve put at $57 billion last month, amid falling crude oil prices.The CBN strategy is to enable Nigeria to maintain a healthy balance of payment position through a constriction of imports, though some analysts have said that the devaluation is to allow government pay its bills. This further drove the naira value aground as it hit an exchange rate of N140 to the dollar at the parallel market.Apparently unable to sustain the huge demand for forex amidst dwindling supply of dollar occasioned as a result of depleting reserves caused by poor oil revenues, the government on Monday, December 22, 2008 announced the closure of the foreign exchange market and it is expected to open today January 5, 2009 which eventually was opened. In a circular, announcing the closure and sent to authorised dealers last December 2008, the CBN's Acting Director, Trade and Exchange, Mr. B Musa, said the foreign exchange auction market, otherwise known as Wholesale Dutch Auction System, would be closed "in consideration of the Christmas and New Year holidays."The closure of the official foreign exchange, which many considered to be an unusual move, highlighted the scarcity of forex following the rationalisation of banks' offshore credit lines and the refusal of the Central Bank of Nigeria to fill the gap in the whole month of December.
However, the new Minister of Finance believes the Federal Government is in a position to tackle the present global economic trend, and called on everybody to support the government's drive to find solution to the problem. He said the Federal Government will collaborate with the 36 governors to transform the country's economy in a way that it would improve the standards of living of the people, as they are closer to the grassroots.He expressed appreciation to President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua for giving him the opportunity to serve, and assured of his total commitment to promoting the economy.Not a few sector of the economy will celebrate if the government could find solution to the economic meltdown, except that the indices hardly support an administration on the path of fixing the economy.
Burden of Manufacturers
The manufacturing sector already burdened with huge stock of unplanned inventory is now facing rising lending rates. From an average of 17 per cent for a better part of last year, the rates hit an average of 25 per cent in the last quarter of 2008.Alhaji Bashir Borodo, the President of the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria, MAN, would want the CBN to do something to firm the downwards movement of the naira fast in other to save manufacturers another round of agonising moment. He believes the current operating environment is bad enough and a further fall in the value of the naira, could spell disaster for the sector.In a chat with Financial Vanguard, the MAN President said the decline in the value of the Nigerian currency against the dollar in the foreign exchange market will have an adverse effect on the cost of production in two ways. First, he said, cost of imported raw materials will rise which will further hike cost of production and of course, lead to increase in general price level across the country.He also believes the falling value of the naira if not arrested could also lead to increase in interest rates. Put differently, as more naira is generated to buy dollar in the foreign exchange market, what would be left for lending for businesses would be less, which will in turn push up the lending rates by banks.Speaking on behalf of other manufacturers, he says, "We believe the Central Bank should intervene effectively to preserve the value of the naira and protect the macro-economic gains achieved in the last four years. Otherwise, we will be repeating our experiences of four years ago".Some other manufacturers even believe the problem is worse than that. A source close to the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industries, LCCI, told Financial Vanguard that it will take divine intervention for businesses to survive this year if the naira continues to fall. He said there are certain businesses that take goods from manufacturers abroad, sell and return money at the end of sales. "Mind you, these contracts were entered into and the goods sold when the naira was stronger. At the current position, it means the agent in Nigeria may have to look for additional money to be able to pay the foreign manufacturer the agreed sum," he said.Apart from that, he said that some manufacturers had opened letters of credit for imports when the naira was strong.
With the fallen value of the currency now, the importer may have to source for more funds to be able to finance the same equipment or materials. "He will be lucky if he can pass on the additional cost to the consumers if not he may have to bear the cost all alone with attendant consequences on the cost of operation. The banks too make need to do alot to keep their liquidity and be able to meet their shareholders obligations. This could result in drop in profit margins and there would be the temptation to lay off workers,". Alternative to lay off workers would be casualisation which is the order of the day in the banking sector.
Honesty
There was a farmer who sold a pound of butter to the baker. One day the baker decided to weigh the butter to see if he was getting a pound and he found that he was not. This angered him and he took the farmer to court.
The judge asked the farmer if he was using any measure. The farmer replied, "ur Honor, I am primitive. I don't have a proper measure, but I do have a scale." The judge asked, "Then how do you weigh the butter" The farmer replied "Your Honor, long before the baker started buying butter from me, I have been buying a pound loaf of bread from him. Every day when the baker brings the bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter. If anyone is to be blamed, it is the baker."
What is the moral of the story? We get back in life what we give to others.
Whenever you take an action, ask yourself this question - Am I giving fair value for the wages or money I hope to make ?
Honesty and dishonesty become a habit. Some people practice dishonesty and can lie with a straight face. Others lie so much that they don't even know what the truth is anymore. But who are they deceiving ? Themselves -- more than anyone else.
Honesty can be put across gently. Some people take pride in being brutally honest. It seems they are getting a bigger kick out of the brutality than the honesty. Choice of words and tact are important.
The judge asked the farmer if he was using any measure. The farmer replied, "ur Honor, I am primitive. I don't have a proper measure, but I do have a scale." The judge asked, "Then how do you weigh the butter" The farmer replied "Your Honor, long before the baker started buying butter from me, I have been buying a pound loaf of bread from him. Every day when the baker brings the bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter. If anyone is to be blamed, it is the baker."
What is the moral of the story? We get back in life what we give to others.
Whenever you take an action, ask yourself this question - Am I giving fair value for the wages or money I hope to make ?
Honesty and dishonesty become a habit. Some people practice dishonesty and can lie with a straight face. Others lie so much that they don't even know what the truth is anymore. But who are they deceiving ? Themselves -- more than anyone else.
Honesty can be put across gently. Some people take pride in being brutally honest. It seems they are getting a bigger kick out of the brutality than the honesty. Choice of words and tact are important.
Congratulations 50's, 60's and 70's
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE 50’s, 60’s, & 70's!!
First, we survived being born to mothers who worked hard while they carried us. They took aspirin (cafenol), drank full cream milk, fish from a can (geisha), and didn't get tested for diabetes. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As children, we would rode in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We ate fatcakes (puff-puff), white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because....... WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back before sunset. No one was able to reach us all day.. And we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chatrooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents . We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks, dolls with mud and tennis balls with left over material although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or just yelled for them! Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.
They actually sided with the law! This generation has produced some of the best risk!-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! And YOU are one of them!
CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good. and while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.
First, we survived being born to mothers who worked hard while they carried us. They took aspirin (cafenol), drank full cream milk, fish from a can (geisha), and didn't get tested for diabetes. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As children, we would rode in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We ate fatcakes (puff-puff), white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because....... WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back before sunset. No one was able to reach us all day.. And we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chatrooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents . We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks, dolls with mud and tennis balls with left over material although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or just yelled for them! Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.
They actually sided with the law! This generation has produced some of the best risk!-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! And YOU are one of them!
CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good. and while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.
Justin
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Love it is
A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat." "Is the man of the house home?", they asked.
"No", she replied. "He's out."
"Then we cannot come in", they replied.
In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.
"Go tell them I am home and invite them in!"
The woman went out and invited the men in"
"We do not go into a House together," they replied. "Why is that?" she asked. One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home." The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How n ice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!" His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?" Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!" "Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite Love to be our guest." The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest." Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, t he lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?" The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!!!!" MY WISH FOR YOU... -Where there is pain, I wish you peace and mercy. -Where there is self-doubting, I wish you a renewed confidence in your ability to work through it. -Where there is tiredness, or exhaustion, I wish you understanding, patience, and renewed strength. -Where there is fear, I wish you love, and courage.
"No", she replied. "He's out."
"Then we cannot come in", they replied.
In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.
"Go tell them I am home and invite them in!"
The woman went out and invited the men in"
"We do not go into a House together," they replied. "Why is that?" she asked. One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home." The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How n ice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!" His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?" Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!" "Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite Love to be our guest." The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest." Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, t he lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?" The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!!!!" MY WISH FOR YOU... -Where there is pain, I wish you peace and mercy. -Where there is self-doubting, I wish you a renewed confidence in your ability to work through it. -Where there is tiredness, or exhaustion, I wish you understanding, patience, and renewed strength. -Where there is fear, I wish you love, and courage.
Love story
A long time ago, before the world was created and humans set foot on it, God had put all the human "qualities" in a separate room. Since all the qualities were bored they decided to play hide & seek.
"Madness" was one of the qualities and he shouted: "I want to count, I want to count!" And since nobody was crazy enough to want to seek "Madness", all the other qualities agreed. So "Madness" leaned against a tree and started to count:
One, two, three..." As "Madness" counted, the qualities went hiding. "Treason" hid in a pile of garbage.. "Lie " said that it would hide under a stone, but hid at the bottom of the lake. And Madness continued to count "... Seventy nine, eighty, eighty one..." By this time, all the qualities were already hidden-except "Love ".
For stupid as "Love " is, he could not decide where to hide.
And this should not surprise us, because we all know how difficult it is to hide "Love".
"Madness": "...ninety five, ninety six, ninety seven..." Just when "Madness" got to one hundred..... ...."Love" jumped into a rose bush where he hid.
And Madness turned around and shouted: "I'm coming, I'm coming!" As Madness turned around, "Laziness" was the first to be found, because "Laziness" was too lazy to hide. "Madness" searched madly and found "Lie" at the bottom of the lake. One by one, Madness found them all - except Love. Madness was getting desperate, unable to find Love.
Envious of Love, "Envy" whispered to "Madness ": "You only need to find Love, and Love is hiding in the rose bush."
"Madness" Jumped on the rose bush and he heard loud cry. The thorns in the bush had pierced "Loves" eyes.
Hearing the commotion God came into the room and saw what had happened. He got very angry and cursed "Madness" and said since "Love" has become blind because of u... ..u shall always be with him"
And so it came about that from that day on, Love is blind and is always accompanied by Madness
"Madness" was one of the qualities and he shouted: "I want to count, I want to count!" And since nobody was crazy enough to want to seek "Madness", all the other qualities agreed. So "Madness" leaned against a tree and started to count:
One, two, three..." As "Madness" counted, the qualities went hiding. "Treason" hid in a pile of garbage.. "Lie " said that it would hide under a stone, but hid at the bottom of the lake. And Madness continued to count "... Seventy nine, eighty, eighty one..." By this time, all the qualities were already hidden-except "Love ".
For stupid as "Love " is, he could not decide where to hide.
And this should not surprise us, because we all know how difficult it is to hide "Love".
"Madness": "...ninety five, ninety six, ninety seven..." Just when "Madness" got to one hundred..... ...."Love" jumped into a rose bush where he hid.
And Madness turned around and shouted: "I'm coming, I'm coming!" As Madness turned around, "Laziness" was the first to be found, because "Laziness" was too lazy to hide. "Madness" searched madly and found "Lie" at the bottom of the lake. One by one, Madness found them all - except Love. Madness was getting desperate, unable to find Love.
Envious of Love, "Envy" whispered to "Madness ": "You only need to find Love, and Love is hiding in the rose bush."
"Madness" Jumped on the rose bush and he heard loud cry. The thorns in the bush had pierced "Loves" eyes.
Hearing the commotion God came into the room and saw what had happened. He got very angry and cursed "Madness" and said since "Love" has become blind because of u... ..u shall always be with him"
And so it came about that from that day on, Love is blind and is always accompanied by Madness
6 ways to make money on the internet
A staggering $2.1 billion in affiliate marketing fees were paid to blog and website owners in 2008. This finding in a recent study by Jupiter Research confirms what many savvy Internet marketers have known for a while: Affiliate marketing has become one of the top business opportunities online because the startup costs are so low and the income you generate can be mind-blowing.
Affiliate marketing involves having your own site and sending your traffic to someone else's site to buy their products or services. For every sale initiated by a link from your site, you earn a percentage--an affiliate sales commission.
Affiliate marketing can be done on a part-time basis, and many are so successful that they've made it their full-time job. Equally exciting, you can get in the game in just a few hours. But how successful you are is based on the amount of time and effort you devote. Here are six tips to get you started:
1. Create a website or blogTo start as an affiliate marketer, you must have a site on which to place links to the products or services you recommend. There are many inexpensive website services such asHostgatorandGoDaddy. It's also easy to set up a free blog through services such as Google's Blogger blog network. I also useNamecheapfor domains andHostnine(get a reseller account) for hosting.
2. Decide your product/service nicheAffiliate marketers help companies and entrepreneurs sell everything from jewelry and cell phones to website services and how-to e-books. Choose an area you're familiar with or one you're enthusiastic about learning. You'll be more likely to do the work and less likely to get bored before the money starts rolling in.3. Find products and services to promoteMany affiliate networks exist to connect merchants with affiliate site publishers who can help sell their goods. Companies such as:
Clickbank,E-junkieandPayDotComlead the pack in connecting the creators of e-books and software with affiliates to help sell their digital download products.
Commission Junctionis popular for those who want to sell more traditional wares ranging from travel services to janitorial franchises.
Google AdSense, which doesn't require your involvement to result in a sale. Your income is realized on a pay-per-click basis, just for leading your traffic to click to a merchant's site. PPC affiliate programs pay a lot less than programs where your referral must result in a sale. Keep in mind that a site peppered with ads and no authority or trust can look and feel like spam, and you won't get good results.
4. Affiliate site contentThere are two main approaches or business models to choose from when setting up an affiliate marketing site:
Resource Sites These sites are focused on offering lots of how-to articles and posts, and then provide affiliate links or banner ads to click for more details. Frequently adding fresh related content is vital because it gives people a reason to return to your site--and click some of your money-making links.
Review Sites You've tried the products in your niche, now you write them up and rate them to help your site visitors decide what to buy. For each product you review, you provide a link or banner ad that clicks through for sales on your merchant partner's site. Less frequent content updates are necessary--just tweak your site about once a week to let the search engines know your site's still alive, and always try to build links.
5. Affiliate sites must attract lots of targeted traffic to succeedMost people visiting your website or blog won't click your affiliate links. That's why it's crucial to employ a mix of marketing tactics to increase traffic--highly targeted traffic--to your site.There are four main ways to get more site exposure and attract more potential customers:
Paid Advertising This is most effective when your ad copy headline, call-to-action message and graphics come together just right to compel people to click through and buy.
Free Advertising Sites likeCraigslistandUS Free Adsare but two of many popular places that accept links and banner ads for free. These tend to be affiliate marketing sites themselves, earning the owner money whenever you click their ads.
Article Marketing This popular marketing method offers several benefits. You're building credibility as a reliable source in your niche, gaining a higher search engine ranking by increasing the number of links leading to your site, and pulling traffic to your site. Work in an organic manner and don't spam using software engines.Ezinearticlesis a great place to begin.
E-mail Marketing Every visitor to your site is valuable, so capturing their names and e-mail addresses to stay in touch is important. Many people might not buy your affiliate products until the third or fourth time they hear from you. So it's crucial to place an opt-in subscription box on your site for people to start receiving a weekly or monthly newsletter from you. My personal favorite isaweber, but many quality ones exist.
6. Learn the ropes in forumsThese are online communities of likeminded people who exchange insights and ideas. Join at least one of these free affiliate marketing forums to benefit from advice shared by other newbies, intermediates and gurus alike:
Digital PointHuge, with about 25,000 active members. An excellent place to learn affiliate marketing tips, plus other techniques that impact your success such as link building and SEO.
aBestWebOne of the largest affiliate marketing forums, with nearly 100 sub-forums. Covers the broadest range of affiliate marketing-specific subjects, with heavy participation by numerous go-getter merchants and serious affiliates.
Warrior ForumA killer networking forum for beginners and advanced alike. Set up a profile, start participating, ask questions and promote as well.
To do well, read all you can about the opinions, tool and strategies of both experts and peers. But before you even start, choose a niche about which you're passionate. The more you truly enjoy what you're immersed in, the more likely you are to transform your affiliate marketing and money-making venture into a huge success.
Jon Rognerud is Entrepreneur.com's SEO columnist, anSEO consultantand the author ofThe Ultimate Guide to Search Engine Optimization, available fromEntrepreneur Press. He has more than 20 years experience building marketing and web projects, including creating content and application solutions at Yahoo!/Overture.
Affiliate marketing involves having your own site and sending your traffic to someone else's site to buy their products or services. For every sale initiated by a link from your site, you earn a percentage--an affiliate sales commission.
Affiliate marketing can be done on a part-time basis, and many are so successful that they've made it their full-time job. Equally exciting, you can get in the game in just a few hours. But how successful you are is based on the amount of time and effort you devote. Here are six tips to get you started:
1. Create a website or blogTo start as an affiliate marketer, you must have a site on which to place links to the products or services you recommend. There are many inexpensive website services such asHostgatorandGoDaddy. It's also easy to set up a free blog through services such as Google's Blogger blog network. I also useNamecheapfor domains andHostnine(get a reseller account) for hosting.
2. Decide your product/service nicheAffiliate marketers help companies and entrepreneurs sell everything from jewelry and cell phones to website services and how-to e-books. Choose an area you're familiar with or one you're enthusiastic about learning. You'll be more likely to do the work and less likely to get bored before the money starts rolling in.3. Find products and services to promoteMany affiliate networks exist to connect merchants with affiliate site publishers who can help sell their goods. Companies such as:
Clickbank,E-junkieandPayDotComlead the pack in connecting the creators of e-books and software with affiliates to help sell their digital download products.
Commission Junctionis popular for those who want to sell more traditional wares ranging from travel services to janitorial franchises.
Google AdSense, which doesn't require your involvement to result in a sale. Your income is realized on a pay-per-click basis, just for leading your traffic to click to a merchant's site. PPC affiliate programs pay a lot less than programs where your referral must result in a sale. Keep in mind that a site peppered with ads and no authority or trust can look and feel like spam, and you won't get good results.
4. Affiliate site contentThere are two main approaches or business models to choose from when setting up an affiliate marketing site:
Resource Sites These sites are focused on offering lots of how-to articles and posts, and then provide affiliate links or banner ads to click for more details. Frequently adding fresh related content is vital because it gives people a reason to return to your site--and click some of your money-making links.
Review Sites You've tried the products in your niche, now you write them up and rate them to help your site visitors decide what to buy. For each product you review, you provide a link or banner ad that clicks through for sales on your merchant partner's site. Less frequent content updates are necessary--just tweak your site about once a week to let the search engines know your site's still alive, and always try to build links.
5. Affiliate sites must attract lots of targeted traffic to succeedMost people visiting your website or blog won't click your affiliate links. That's why it's crucial to employ a mix of marketing tactics to increase traffic--highly targeted traffic--to your site.There are four main ways to get more site exposure and attract more potential customers:
Paid Advertising This is most effective when your ad copy headline, call-to-action message and graphics come together just right to compel people to click through and buy.
Free Advertising Sites likeCraigslistandUS Free Adsare but two of many popular places that accept links and banner ads for free. These tend to be affiliate marketing sites themselves, earning the owner money whenever you click their ads.
Article Marketing This popular marketing method offers several benefits. You're building credibility as a reliable source in your niche, gaining a higher search engine ranking by increasing the number of links leading to your site, and pulling traffic to your site. Work in an organic manner and don't spam using software engines.Ezinearticlesis a great place to begin.
E-mail Marketing Every visitor to your site is valuable, so capturing their names and e-mail addresses to stay in touch is important. Many people might not buy your affiliate products until the third or fourth time they hear from you. So it's crucial to place an opt-in subscription box on your site for people to start receiving a weekly or monthly newsletter from you. My personal favorite isaweber, but many quality ones exist.
6. Learn the ropes in forumsThese are online communities of likeminded people who exchange insights and ideas. Join at least one of these free affiliate marketing forums to benefit from advice shared by other newbies, intermediates and gurus alike:
Digital PointHuge, with about 25,000 active members. An excellent place to learn affiliate marketing tips, plus other techniques that impact your success such as link building and SEO.
aBestWebOne of the largest affiliate marketing forums, with nearly 100 sub-forums. Covers the broadest range of affiliate marketing-specific subjects, with heavy participation by numerous go-getter merchants and serious affiliates.
Warrior ForumA killer networking forum for beginners and advanced alike. Set up a profile, start participating, ask questions and promote as well.
To do well, read all you can about the opinions, tool and strategies of both experts and peers. But before you even start, choose a niche about which you're passionate. The more you truly enjoy what you're immersed in, the more likely you are to transform your affiliate marketing and money-making venture into a huge success.
Jon Rognerud is Entrepreneur.com's SEO columnist, anSEO consultantand the author ofThe Ultimate Guide to Search Engine Optimization, available fromEntrepreneur Press. He has more than 20 years experience building marketing and web projects, including creating content and application solutions at Yahoo!/Overture.
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