Making The Most Of Your Gifts: Self Improvement Tips And Tricks ...

Personal development is not always an easy task. Striving to live a healthy lifestyle that benefits others consists of many changes. These goals could be anything from a commitment to looking for the best in others, or perhaps to become a better listener. There are many ways to develop yourself personally. Success in personal development leads to a more rewarding life, and others are sure to notice the new you.

Accomplish the things in life you want to accomplish. Pondering an ideal life without taking the action to make it a reality will inevitably lead to nothing. Identify your goals and take the necessary actions to make it happen.

To keep from saying something you may regret later, count from one to ten before speaking. This gives you time to get your emotions under control. Take a long, slow breath while thinking of peaceful things. Keeping what you say focused on the topic at hand can stop words being said out of pure anger.

Challenging Yourself

Try challenging yourself as much as possible. Challenging yourself opens up a whole world of possibilities. You might learn new ideas and cultivate new skills. Perhaps you could even set a new standard by achieving something no one has ever done before. Take on a challenge that is unique and personally meaningful, instead of tackling something that someone else has already accomplished.

You can learn to effectively handle your emotions, even during difficult situations. Learning the ability to stay cool when life deals you situations that are high in stress can give you the confidence to tackle anything that you get handed. Rhythmic deep breathing will help you regain control and remain self-assured.

Complex Carbohydrates

If you are battling depression, it may be helpful to adjust your diet by increasing your intake of complex carbohydrates. If you are not consuming adequate amounts of complex carbohydrates, your serotonin levels may be lower than they should be. Increase complex carbs through nuts, whole rice, beans and fruits.

Exercise is for all people, not just someone looking to lose weight. In fact, there are many other reasons to get in shape. Exercising stimulates your body to produce all kinds of chemicals that ultimately result in a happier, calmer you.

Keep in mind that everyday should be better than the previous one. Steady, unending improvement should be your goal. If you did something pretty well yesterday, tell yourself that wasn?t enough. You need to do it really well today.

Learn to not worry! Worrying is simply focusing on something that hasn?t happened and letting your fears take over. Instead of worrying endlessly about what might happen, start preparing for those scenarios. That way, you will feel prepared, and you will also be able to go on with your life.

Instead of talking up all of your trophies and accomplishments, ask other people about their notable achievements and proudest moments. People will appreciate your company more, and you will find new common points of interests between you and your friends.

It is vital for you to enhance your strengths, by working within your comfort zone. Celebrate your own diversity and remember that although you may not be able to do certain things as well as you?d like, there are things you can do that others can?t do nearly as well. You should be focused on the skills that you possess rather than the ones you haven?t learned yet.

Can?t find a date? Have a look on the Internet. Almost half of all couples meet online. There could be someone out there who is searching for their significant other, and that could be you. Both of these sites have pros and cons.

Focus on changing just one thing about yourself at any given time. It may be that you have several such things which you could concentrate on, but by selecting just one, you stand a better chance of prevailing. Remember that the goal is to change for good, and that those changes have to come slowly from the inside out.

Your pastor or counselor is there to help. These professionals are equipped to discuss very deep, emotional issues and often have many years of experience. They are ready to listen and to analyze certain things that will have you on the path to enlightenment. Talking these issues through with someone who is a professional will help you be healthier and happier in the long term.

You should now have a few ideas on things you can try to develop yourself. You can use them and many others to get started today. By improving things within and about ourselves, we can be a better contributor to the people and world around us.

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Source: http://www.empowernetwork.com/valentinocrawford/blog/making-the-most-of-your-gifts-self-improvement-tips-and-tricks/

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Video: The 'Manufacturing Cliff'

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/50332360/

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US, Europe hope the new year brings better times

NEW YORK (AP) ? From the glittering New Year's ball dropping in Times Square to joyous fireworks in London and cheers in a once-isolated Asian country, the world did its best to ring in 2013 with hope for renewal after a year of economic uncertainty, searing violence and natural disasters.

"With all the sadness in the country, we're looking for some good changes in 2013," Laura Concannon, of Hingham, Mass., said as she, her husband, Kevin, and his parents joined hundreds of thousands of revelers lined up for blocks through bustling Times Square on Monday.

Yvonne Gomez, 53, a physician from Grand Forks, N.D., glowed as she and her husband, 63-year-old potato farmer Gregg Halverson, took in the festivities in New York.

"I couldn't begin the new year in a more beautiful way," she said. "I married him two weeks ago and here we are in the middle of Times Square celebrating the new year ? two widowers who found each other."

Revelers with New Year's hats and sunglasses boasting "2013" packed the streets in the 35-degree cold to count down the first ball drop in decades without Dick Clark, who died in April and was honored with his name printed on pieces of confetti and on one of the crystal panels on the Times Square ball.

Matias Dellanno, 37, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, stood in the middle of the square with his wife and 3-year-old son, beaming with joy as his eyes caught the multicolored lighting illuminating the square just before midnight.

"I feel a completely new hope for 2013," he said. "It can't be any worse than last year, when my business lost clients. It was a rough year for everyone. The new year has to be better!"

Security in Times Square was tight, with a mass of uniformed police and plainclothes officers assigned to blend into the crowd. With police Commissioner Raymond Kelly proclaiming that Times Square would be the "safest place in the world on New Year's Eve," officers used barriers to prevent overcrowding and checkpoints to inspect vehicles, enforce a ban on alcohol and check handbags.

Syracuse University student Taylor Nanz, 18, said she and a friend had been standing in Times Square since 1:20 p.m. Monday. They hadn't moved from their spot because "if you leave, you lose your place," she said, shivering behind an iron barricade with a clear view of One Times Square, the building where the crystal ball hovered.

"It's the first time - and the last time," she said.

Celebrations also were held around the country, from the family-oriented, alcohol-free first night event in Scranton, Pa., to expensive private parties and sold-out musical acts in Las Vegas, featuring Beyonce, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Black Keys.

Elsewhere, lavish fireworks displays lit up skylines in Sydney, Hong Kong and Shanghai. In the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai, multicolored fireworks danced early Tuesday up and down the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.

In Rome, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated New Year's Eve with a vespers service in St. Peter's Basilica to give thanks for 2012 and look ahead to 2013. He said that despite all the death and injustice in the world, goodness prevails.

In Russia, spectators filled Moscow's iconic Red Square as fireworks exploded near the Kremlin. In Rio de Janeiro, revelers dressed head-to-toe in white as dictated by Brazilian new years' tradition flooded onto Copacabana beach for a concert.

Organizers said about 90,000 people gathered in a large field Yangon, Myanmar, for their first chance to do what much of the world does every Dec. 31 - watch a countdown. The reformist government that took office in 2011 in the country, long under military rule, threw its first public New Year's celebration in decades.

"We feel like we are in a different world," said Yu Thawda, a university student who went with three of her friends.

Parts of Europe held scaled-back festivities and street parties, the mood a bit restrained - if hopeful - for a 2013 that is projected to be a sixth straight year of recession amid Greece's worst economic crisis since World War II.

London, the often soggy British capital, was dry and clear, as the familiar chimes of the clock inside the Big Ben tower counted down the final seconds of 2012 and a dazzling display of fireworks lit the skies above Parliament Square. People cheered as the landmarks were bathed in the light of the display, which included streamers shot out of the London Eye wheel and blazing rockets launched from the banks of the River Thames.

Elsewhere, the atmosphere of celebration was muted with concern.

Hotels, clubs and other sites in New Delhi, the Indian capital, canceled festivities after the death of a rape victim on Saturday touched off days of mourning and reflection about women's safety.

In Times Square, some revelers checked their cellphones to keep up with news of lawmakers' tentative deal to skirt the fiscal cliff combination of expiring tax cuts and across-the-board spending cuts that threatened to reverberate globally. And the elementary school massacre in Newtown, Conn., and Superstorm Sandy mingled into the memories of 2012.

"This has been a very eventful year, on many levels," Denise Norris said as she and her husband, the Rev. Urie Norris, surveyed the crowd jamming Times Square for the countdown show with Ryan Seacrest as host.

Seacrest remembered Clark and his legacy, saying it was one that would be continued, and that Clark himself had told him, "Seacrest, the show must go on."

Elvis Rivera, of Manhattan, was taking photos in Times Square to capture the moment. He wasn't planning to ring in the new year there but went by to take pictures.

How did he feel about the end of 2012?

"Relieved," Rivera said, adding that there had been a death and job losses in his family this year.

___

Associated Press writers Colleen Long in New York; Aye Aye Win in Yangon, Myanmar; Silvia Hui in London, and Ashok Sharma in New Delhi contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-europe-hope-brings-better-times-230903344.html

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Kim Zolciak is NOT Building a New Home. ? Tamara Tattles

Well Happy Fucking New Year.? Can I just tell y?all how much 2013 is sucking so far? I woke up with a Champagne hangover. It?s raining. I?m typing this in Word because the Internet is acting a fool today. My one note troll is in comments trying once again steer every post to be about racism, and then I get a comment calling me a thief. Some dude name Ed is claiming that I stole his story about Kim Zolciak?s new house. I say we just skip to 2014 and see if that is any better.

First, I?m going to explain to you (and? Ed) the background my story about Kim Zolciak?s? new (or is it) house.? As you all know, because I whine about it every week,? day nights can be a bit grueling. I try my best to do two back to back recaps on Real Housewives of Atlanta and Shahs and it?s usually 3-4 hours of rapid blogging trying to get both up before midnight. Not last Sunday but the Sunday before, with about ten minutes to go until RHOA I get an email from a source that say?s ?Kim Z is building on (name of street redacted).?? ?That?s? it. No house number. Source I?ve never gotten anything from before. Just that.? So I tucked that info away and went to recapping.

NOTE: THIS POST IS LONG. IF YOU JUST WANT TO SKIP TO THE TEA SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM AND READ THE PURPLE TEXT!

?

I?ve been extra bitchy lately mostly because I?m not feeling that great. When I?m sick my anxiety tries to out do the sick and overall I just don?t feel like doing much. So I wasn?t in super sleuth mode much.? First I googled the street name with Kim Zoliak to see who else had the information. Nothing came up. This means either the source is crap, or I have an exclusive. I went to public records and went through some property tax information on the house. I didn?t find anything there except for DeShawn and Eric Snow?s tax records on the same street. At first, I thought Kim had bought DeShawn?s house and was doing a renovation.? But no, Kim said she was building, and more importantly the source says she was building. So I hopped on Google Earth and found that there were a few empty lots still in the neighborhood. I?m back to being convinced that I?m on the right street and that Kim is indeed building a house.? When Kim tweeted the picture of the house I was able to match it up to a house on the street my source provided.

I researched the neighborhood for a bit. I looked into property prices (which were plummeting) and researched the company that owns the land that was for sale.? I decided I had enough information to run the story.? So I did that yesterday.

After I run the story,? TRho, who I know from other places and generally like a lot comes barreling into my exclusive? screeching about how it?s not a build, it?s a renovation.? She?s correcting all my many errors in comments and attributing her information to someone on twitter that I have block both from my twitter and here because she is Donna levels of crazy, and quite frankly we have enough crazy here. I finally after eight days of researching off and on, have the story.? What we all wanted to know was if Kim was really building a house and where it is located.? Yes she is! I say. Here it is. I write. You may all bow down and tell me what a great job I did now.? Except? I was wrong . I was wrong about something really important.

I asked Trho where she was getting all of her information and she said she was just ?reading tweets.? Whatever.? Then this morning Ed is trying to comment on my blog. I?ll approve his comment after I post this. It says ?You?re exclusive is about 20 days too late. Thanks for the theft!?? oh, and there is another from Roy that says, ?umm, how can this be an ?exclusive? on Dec 31, when we broke this story on Dec 11? Therefore, you dont have an ?exclusive? honey.??? Both Ed and Roy have a TVfishbowl? email address so I assume there is an article there.?? I know two things. I sourced this story myself and I searched the Internet for anything regarding Kim and the street.? Nothing came up. I?m reminded of the time that I interviewed someone about Danielle Murphree from Big Brother and that person also provided the information to another blogger. Neither of us knew and be both were adamant that the other stole the story. The source finally told us both that she had given us both this ?exclusive? information.? I?m wondering if something similar happened here.? So I head on over to the fishbowl. I have to say it?s a nice place. I also totally get being pissed off when people steal your stuff. I would never do that and always give credit to other site?s work.? There I see on December 11 their article. They have the picture of the house well before Kim tweeted a picture. They have all the real estate information, the price paid they have the whole enchilada right there.? How is it possible that this did not show up in a google search? How did none of the other housewives blogs have this information?? Better yet, why didn?t some of my readers who read everything everywhere and tweet me the tea know about? this?

The answer appears to be that much like me the people at TVFishbowl? didn?t include the street name in their story. So it never came up for me. If it had, I would have sourced them in a story on December 11^th. I wasn?t aware of their story until today. Had I read it, my post would have been much more accurate and I would not have had to deal with the wrath of TRho.? Trust me. I would much rather have had all the info from them before I posted yesterday. BECAUSE THAT POST IS FULL OF AWESOME!

Here is why. The real estate information they posted shows that the house was A FORECLOSURE!? Yes, Kim Zolciak, who trotted her wig all through Kandi Burrusses house with her nose in? the air because Kandi bought a foreclosure?.Kim who demanded a brand new house that no one has ever lived in? that Kim bought a foreclosure at a steal of a price.? Hypocrite much, Kimberleigh?? I?m not sure if it was ever lived in by random people or not. But that is the real tea. And it has been sitting right there on the Internet since December 11^th.

So, Miss TRho, I?m sorry I was such a ginormous bitch yesterday. I plead guilty with the above long ass explanation. ?And to the gentlemen at TVFishbowl, I plead not guilty. But I hope this post makes up for any slight and agree that you indeed had the exclusive more than two weeks ago. I only wish I had known about it then, honey.

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Source: http://tamaratattles.com/2013/01/01/kim-zolciak-is-not-building-a-new-home/

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PFT: AP comes up short, but Vikes reach playoffs

Getty Images

As you take a breath following a riveting regular-season finale between the Packers and Vikings and wait for what necessarily will be the first game of the 2012 postseason, take a look at this item from Judy Battista of the New York Times regarding the manner in which the NFL planned the final course of a 17-week meal.

The seeds were planted several years ago, when the NFL decided to go with intra-division games for the last week of the season.? More recently, the NFL began to pay attention to the scheduling of the games played on the final Sunday of the season.

That Cowboys-Redskins game, with the winner capturing the NFC East and the loser heading home, nearly couldn?t have happened because the NFL and NBC considered placing the Week 16 game between the Saints and Cowboys on NBC.? Doing so would have maxed out the Cowboys? national-TV allotment for the year, preventing the Cowboys from appearing in prime time in Week 17.

In all, 10 of the 16 games from the final week of the season had playoff implications, and the NFL deliberately selected games like the Packers and Vikings for a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff and not for prime time because there?s no guarantee that the outcome would have changed playoff scenarios.? The Packers could have sewn up the No. 2 seed before 8:30 p.m. ET, and the Vikings could have nailed down a playoff berth before playing their final game of the year.

And so the NFL chose to go with Cowboys-Redskins, even though FOX didn?t want to give up that game.

?FOX wasn?t thrilled, but we have constant dialogue with them,? Howard Katz, NFL senior V.P. of broadcasting and media operations told Battista.? ?They let us know they?d like to keep the Dallas game if at all possible. It could have been Green Bay going for the 1 seed, Minnesota having to win to get the 6 seed and Adrian Peterson going for the rushing record. But in the end, there were things that could have negated it all. We had to go with the sure thing.?

The only sure thing was Cowboys at Redskins, which became even more of a sure thing once the Bears won, preventing the Redskins from backing in to the postseason with a loss.

The message is that, while the Week 17 slate already featured plenty of compelling games with playoff implications, the NFL specifically configured the day to maximize the drama inherent to the effort both to qualify for the playoffs and to capture the highest possible seed.

For Sunday night, the drama will be high.? Cowboys vs. Redskins, in the biggest installment of the rivalry since they squared off in the 1982 NFC title game.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/30/the-vikings-are-going-to-the-playoffs/related/

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S.Africa stocks up 22 pct in 2012 on retail surge

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African stocks ended the year near record highs on Monday, after a 22 percent surge that marks their best annual return since 2009, lifted by a runaway performance from the booming retailing industry.

Equities in Africa's biggest economy have confounded market watchers this year, as shares largely shrugged off lacklustre economic growth and three months of crippling strikes in the crucial mining sector that sparked credit downgrades.

"It surprised everybody. If you look back at the consensus forecasts, even the optimists were not even close," said Abri du Plessis, chief investment officer at Gryphon Asset Management in Cape Town.

"Our market is running ahead and it is already discounting the commodities cycle picking up again, and I still cannot see that with what's happening in Europe... For that reason, I'm a bit negative on our market in the first half."

The benchmark Top-40 index finished the half day of trade down 0.39 percent at 34,795.50, just off its record high hit last week and up 22.22 percent for the year.

That was the Top-40's best annual performance since 2009, when it rose nearly 29 percent.

The broader All-share index finished the session 0.34 percent lower at 39,250.24, also near a record high and up 22.71 percent for the year.

Shares of Assore surged 94 percent in 2012, making the base mineral mining company the top performer on the blue-chip index.

Retailers have been the real standout in Johannesburg this year, lifted by optimism that government grants to the poor and the growth of a middle class will translate into stronger consumer spending.

SUB-SAHARAN EXPANSION

Woolworths, a clothing and high-end food retailer that is expanding its sub-Saharan presence beyond South Africa, rose 82 percent in 2012.

Mr Price, which targets money-conscious consumers, gained 76 percent, while grocer Shoprite gained 51 percent.

Some investors have cautioned that retailers were now too expensive after this year's steep gains. Eight of South Africa's largest retailers were trading at an average price-to-earnings ratio of 21, well above the average of 14 for the Top-40.

Like other emerging markets, South Africa was helped this year by global monetary stimulus that increased demand for riskier assets.

"It's the emerging markets story again. As global sentiment started to ease and got a bit more positive... emerging markets are one of the first that investors pick," du Plessis said.

In local currency terms, South Africa was the tenth best performer among 31 emerging stock markets tracked by Thomson Reuters.

The best performing emerging market this year was Venezuela, where the benchmark index has quadrupled in value.

In dollar terms, however, the Top-40 managed a more modest 16 percent return, putting South Africa in 18th place among the emerging market indices.

The rand currency has been hit this year by concerns about the outlook for Africa's top economy, which is saddled with high unemployment, slow growth and labour unrest.

Ratings agencies Moody's and Standard & Poor's have both downgraded South Africa's credit rating this year. Analysts expect Fitch will cut its rating at its next annual review in January.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/africa-stocks-22-pct-2012-retail-surge-102845726--finance.html

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How To Come Up With Better Portrait Photography ? Arts and ...

When you get in to the area of symbol photography you might be moving away from taking candid shots. With this type of photography, it can be planned and somewhat unnatural compared to genuine moments.You need to plan your own lighting, your angle to use and the topics facial term. If you desire to enter into taking photos you will need to learn basic expertise and techniques that the pro professional photographer uses.

Examine the persons encounter when you want to perform portrait photos such as family portraits. Learning the individuals face may be the deciding aspect as it pertains to the position to use. There is certainly such a thing as a person creating a best facet. The person could have scar or pimple on the one hand of their face and therefore may not want to seize that side of the encounter.

Portrait photography is about capturing the details of the subjects encounter. This is what brings impact for the person?s picture. If you?re want is to focus on portrait digital photography than you?ll want to take time to meet the person prior to shoot takes place just to examine the persons encounter and determine the easiest method to capture these. You can also do that by taking a couple of practice photographs of them at different aspects and view the digital photographs to find out you best method.

Be sure to get your illumination set up effectively. Many professional photographers prefer daylight as opposed to artificial. The subject is generally the person that determines the sort of lighting based on if they will be indoors or out. Setting the actual aperture to take up the slack of the camcorders lack of definition will be essential when you?re employing natural light. You will employ your camera configurations to create your own perfect face.

When getting shots in the studio, you will want to select a track record that does not rinse out the subjects clothing color?s as well as facial capabilities. You want to possess a clear variation between your themes face and background. Your own background should certainly give lifestyle to the themes features, require away from their particular from them. Don?t select a history that is extremely busy and abstract you would like the subject being the focal point of the portrait not merely one of many pictures to look at.

These kind of 3 guidelines are not stop all be just about all and should stop taken as a result. I suggest you search for a website such as Amazon. Internet and purchase several books on the art regarding portrait digital photography. Grab yourself 3-5 textbooks on the subject and you will start to visit your skill increase as you get more photographs. One may also pay attention to photographersinc.co.nz/contemporary/sitting-types/couples for more tips.

Tags: photography, portrait photography

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 30th, 2012 at 8:23 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Source: http://artsandentertainment.russiacourse.com/uncategorized/how-to-come-up-with-better-portrait-photography/

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