Your Happiness Factor

September, Dragons and Fresh Starts I've spent most of today, sorting things out and doing the kinds of things that I usually do when I am spring cleaning my office.  Why all this activity, well my partner went back to work after his late summer holiday today.  And for me, working at home, it feels like the beginning of the Autumn term and the long run up to Christmas. When I think about it, September is all about change and transitions.  Not all of them good - the end of summer, for example.  We also have the anniversary of 9/11 which for many of us marked an end to innocence.  It is also the month my Mother died in and that is always pretty hard to bear. But as well as that it is a month for fresh starts - at work and particularly for students and academics. September begins on the same day of the week as December every year, because there are 91 days separating September and December.  91 is a multiple of seven, the number of days...

Time to Kick Start Your Exercise Program The most important part of any exercise program is making the decision to do it.  Make your decision and you can start out motivated and excited! Now is the time to have that fantasy of a new, fitter, you! Let your fantasy inspire you.  Now we get to the tough part  - following through with your plans.  Planning and preparation are important when you're just getting starting with exercise and to be successful you need some momentum. The more momentum you kick off with, the easier it is to stay motivated!  Now is the time to take action   Here is a link to a 30-Day Quick Start Guide to Exercise.  It provides simple, progressive workouts that will help you get the most out of your first month of exercise. But remember you should always consult your physician if you have a ny injuries, illnesses or conditions or are on any medications just to make sure an exercise program is the right thing for yo...

 " Do not go gentle into that good night " About a month ago, I was writing something that included a reference to the Dylan Thomas poem "Do not go gentle into that good night".  I really didn't know whether I should go ahead with the piece I was writing until I was inspired by a visit to the South Bank Centre to see  aMAZEme.    This was a gargantuan maze created using 250,000 books.   It was designed by Brazilian artists Marcos Saboya and Gualter Pupo but constructed by the public. The walls were over 13 feet high and the labyrinth was over 5,000 square feet.  As I wandered the maze this is what I heard - 

Angry Poems about Family Anger is a human emotion that we all feel at one time or another. I t is a dfficult emotion to deal with. Sometimes anger leads to great and positive changes in the world.  Other times it leads to destruction and pain.  Caring about someone doesn't mean we never get angry with them and learning to deal with and express that anger is an important part of learning to build healthy relationships.  This is true both in family relationships and friendships. At the link you will find poems written by people expressing anger in families   Angry Poems - Poems Expressing Anger   http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/family/angry-poems.asp#ixzz26GmaYU00   www.FamilyFriendPoems.com  Wendy Mason is a career coach.  She helps people reach their goals and aspirations, without sacrificing their home and personal life.  Before working as a coach, Wendy had a long career in both the public and private sectors in g...

How To Survive A Long Distance Relationship Distance can be very tough on a relationship but it will also help clarify how you really feel. If two people remain interested in each other and commit to doing what it takes to make the relationship work, despite the distance, then it can you make you a stronger and more solid couple.  If both people aren't ready for the pressure that distance puts on a relationship or are not fully committed then it can mean the end of that relationship.  And may be that is for the best! But don't let the distance make you feel depressed or guilty. Go forward remembering how much you have much to offer and all that time ahead.  Remember if you are in a long time relationship, communication is precious.  Don't waste it on being petty - even if you are not meant to be together you can both still be kind to each other Here are some tips to help you on your way

Randy Pausch Lecture: Time Management Randy Pausch learned that he had  pancreatic cancer  in September 2006, and in August 2007 he was given a terminal diagnosis:  "3 to 6 months of good health left". He   died of complications from pancreatic cancer on July 25, 2008.This talk is truly inspirational and it is fun. Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch gave a lecture on Time Management at the University of Virginia in November 2007. Randy Pausch -- http://www.randypausch.com  -- was a virtual reality pioneer, human-computer interaction researcher, co-founder of Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center --  http://www.etc.cmu.edu  -- and creator of the Alice -- http://www.alice.org  -- software project. The slides for this lecture and high-res downloadable versions of this and other lectures can be found at: http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~robins/Randy/ . Related articles Dealing with anger - advice from the Dalai Lama Twen...

        . (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) I love Morroco and the food of Morocco is really something special. In the video below you will learn how to make Chicken Tagine.  Here is the recipe . Ingredients 1 whole chicken - cut into large pieces (1.5 pounds) 1 large onion - peeled and diced 6 carrots - peeled, cut into halves, and cored 1/4 cup of finely chopped cilantro 1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley Preserved lemons (substitute with olives or 1 tablespoon of lemon juice) 2 tablespoons of olive oil 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic 1 teaspoon of ginger powder 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder 1 teaspoon of salt (to taste) 1/4 teaspoon of pepper (to taste) water Directions On medium heat, drizzle the olive oil in your pan, add the onions, all the spices, and the chicken. Cover your pan and let them cook for 5 minutes. Add the parsley and cilantro to the chicken. Cover the chicken with water, close the pan with the lid, and l...