Often it seems that when you try and say something encouraging to someone who is really down, it has no effect. You could become the target of misdirected anger or disappoint. Maybe they feel shame or embarrassment and shut down or turn away from you – change the subject.

It is difficult for some people to accept or hear positive things about themselves because they don’t believe in themselves to begin with. What we know to be true in our mind we sometimes cannot embrace with our hearts.

At difficult times like these it is important to stay positive and encouraging, and to perservere. This eventually lets the person know that you are not just trying to flatter them, but genuinely care about how they feel. When you really care, your heart will be felt in the weight and tone of your words.

Positive, encouraging feedback from others: family, friends, a community, is necessary for us all to feel whole. It helps us realize that we are human like everyone else, that other people are hurting too, and that we can take strength [...]]]> When someone is sad, depressed, feeling anxious or insecure about themselves and in pain, what can you do to help them?

Often it seems that when you try and say something encouraging to someone who is really down, it has no effect. You could become the target of misdirected anger or disappoint. Maybe they feel shame or embarrassment and shut down or turn away from you – change the subject.

It is difficult for some people to accept or hear positive things about themselves because they don’t believe in themselves to begin with. What we know to be true in our mind we sometimes cannot embrace with our hearts.

At difficult times like these it is important to stay positive and encouraging, and to perservere. This eventually lets the person know that you are not just trying to flatter them, but genuinely care about how they feel. When you really care, your heart will be felt in the weight and tone of your words.

Positive, encouraging feedback from others: family, friends, a community, is necessary for us all to feel whole. It helps us realize that we are human like everyone else, that other people are hurting too, and that we can take strength from them.

What part do you play in the lifting up of others? Have you said something nice to your kids today? Have you offered them words of encouragement; told them you were proud of them? Have you tried to reach out to someone who needs help?

If this is hard for you to do – the spiritual uplifting of others – then look inward and think about what might be blocking your feelings of love and support. Perhaps you have hurts you still carry within you, that prevent your heart from unfolding.

When you give positive words and emotions to others you are like a gardener or farmer planting seeds. If you have ever gardened or farmed, you know that planting and tilling and sewing seeds is hard work. They may not grow right away, or as fast, or in the way that you would have liked, or they may not grow at all.

But if you nourish them steadily, reinforcing feelings with words and words with feelings – and good deeds – usually they will grow and blossom into something greater, something beautiful. Whey you speak kindly and encouragingly to others you are planting seeds that one day can make a big difference in a person’s life, when they finally take root and blossom.

So we are social animals and get our identity from the feedback of people and culture around us. We all have this power to uplift others, which in turn will help uplift ourselves. We must also be aware of our ability to hurt others through careless words and selfish disregard. We each have a responsibility to uplift each other.

When you hurt others you injure your own heart, and you can no longer walk without a shadow over you, in the light of integrity. You will no longer feel whole within yourself.  When you hurt others your soul dies a little too. There is no greater feeling, or task, than empowering another through love and support. But the work comes before the reward; as ye shall sew, so shall ye reap.

If you think that your life does not touch others, that they are not your business, you will find yourself cut off from those around you, from the society around you. And even if you form your own little society, it too will be alienated from society at large.  There is a communal soul we all must share and take part in.

When you try to encourage others, don’t try and force a solution onto their life, or set a timetable for them to heal. Some people get over a relationship in 2 weeks; some take 2 years. Practice patience. Be like an old Oak Tree by their side. Listen to them closely enough and they will tell you what they need to heal. Then help them to get it.

Have faith that you can be a positive influence in a person’s life. Believing something makes it much easier to do. When you see some of the fruits of your efforts and find some success, you share in the bounty. You begin to have more faith in yourself.

One way it does this is to boost and balance neurotransmitters in the brain that are responsible for mood and energy – for example, serotonin and dopamine. Dopamine is integrally linked to feeling energetic, and one of the only ways ever discovered to extend lifespan is by maintaining youthful levels by protecting dopamine cells in the brain. More about that in another article.

Scientific studies have shown that people who take pharmaceutical anti-depressants for long periods of time are 7 times more likely to develop cancer than those who don’t. This should be a major concern for people people who are taking pharmaceutical antidepressants on a long-term basis.

SAM-e is not only great at reducing depression and elevating your mood, but is also one of the best health supplements you can take for your joints - building and protecting the soft tissue, cartilage, tendons, etc. that allow you to move easily and fluidly, without pain, while [...]]]> SAM-e. What if I told you there was an all-natural health supplement on the market – like a vitamin – that in scientific studies has proven to be more  effective at treating and alleviating depression than the best pharmaceutical antidepressants on the market, without the harmful side-effects?

One way it does this is to boost and balance neurotransmitters in the brain that are responsible for mood and energy – for example, serotonin and dopamine. Dopamine is integrally linked to feeling energetic, and one of the only ways ever discovered to extend lifespan is by maintaining youthful levels by protecting dopamine cells in the brain. More about that in another article.

Scientific studies have shown that people who take pharmaceutical anti-depressants for long periods of time are 7 times more likely to develop cancer than those who don’t. This should be a major concern for people people who are taking pharmaceutical antidepressants on a long-term basis.

SAM-e is not only great at reducing depression and elevating your mood, but is also one of the best health supplements you can take for your joints - building and protecting the soft tissue, cartilage, tendons, etc. that allow you to move easily and fluidly, without pain, while reducing the inflammation that leads to and aggravates joint conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, etc.

SAM-e is also one of the most powerful nutrients ever discovered by science that aids and protects the liver against aging and disease – keeping it in a youthful state. It has been shown to reverse liver damage and disease in those suffering from ailments such as cirrhosis of the liver, often brought on by alcohol abuse.

As you know, the liver is one of the most important organs in your body because it is responsible for cleansing toxins from your blood, produces critical enzymes, breaks down and converts important nutrients and hormones, and a host of other vital functions.

Another important benefit of sam-e is the role it plays in the formation of the myelin sheath, the protective coating surrounding nerve cells, which increases the fluidity of the membranes in brain cells and improves the functioning of brain receptors. That means your brain communicates more effectively across neurons and synapses and operates more efficiently.     

Sam-e is short for s-adenosylmethionine, a substance that exists naturally in animals, humans and plants, and is involved in many important biochemical processes in the body, but it is difficult to get adequate amounts from your diet alone. Your body has to produce most of it on its own.

And of course, as we age, our bodies naturally produce less and less, so supplementation – especially in old age – is necessary for everyone (but don’t wait until you are too old). You can begin supplementing small doses over the age of 30, but for most people over the age of 40 is perhaps more reasonable. Sam-e is not cheap, and most people will produce reasonably adequate amounts up until age 40 anyway. But of course, if you are fighting various diseases (or are an anti-aging fanatic), higher doses of sam-e may be desired.

One of the best qualities of sam-e is the almost total lack of side-effects in virtually everyone who takes it. Irresponsible and excessive use – taking too large doses – may induce anxiety, headaches, heart palpitations, restlessness and insomnia in very rare cases. If you should ever feel nausea when taking sam-e, it can be reduced by taking the pills with food. Should you ever experience any negative side-effects, lower your dose until they disappear, or stop taking it completely and consult an anti-aging health expert.

Also, people suffering from manic-depressive disorders have been advised by some not to take sam-e because it may cause manic episodes. But the scientific literature has not yet really supported this. All in all, these side-effects are very rare when sam-e is used appropriately and in proper doses. Some people claim that sam-e can raise homocystine levels, thereby increasing risk of heart disease. However, there is no evidence for this in the scientific literature.

He begins by saying that economic cycles and downturns are a natural part of the economic cycle [and "nature's" cycle], but that we may be more sensitive to them now because  the big downturns have been coming less frequently since the 1980’s. In other words, we may have gotten a little spoiled and less used to the hardships of the normal business cycle [this lag in business cycles may have something to do with the increasingly loose monetary policy of the last several decades, which climaxed during the reign of "Bubbles" Greenspan].

And according to the theories of Soviet economist Nikolai Kondratiev on the nature of economic supercycles, we are basically due for another big downturn in the world economy. In other words, this is all part of the divine plan and this too shall pass.

But comparison with the Great Depression just doesn’t hold up. Yes the stock market is down about 40% [...]]]> A happy shout out to economic historian Price Fishback for reminding us in a piece published in the New York Times that, as bad as things may now seem in the economy, they are nowhere near as bad as during the great depression of the 1930’s in the US.

He begins by saying that economic cycles and downturns are a natural part of the economic cycle [and "nature's" cycle], but that we may be more sensitive to them now because  the big downturns have been coming less frequently since the 1980’s. In other words, we may have gotten a little spoiled and less used to the hardships of the normal business cycle [this lag in business cycles may have something to do with the increasingly loose monetary policy of the last several decades, which climaxed during the reign of "Bubbles" Greenspan].

And according to the theories of Soviet economist Nikolai Kondratiev on the nature of economic supercycles, we are basically due for another big downturn in the world economy. In other words, this is all part of the divine plan and this too shall pass.

But comparison with the Great Depression just doesn’t hold up. Yes the stock market is down about 40% from its highs and real estate has taken a 25%+ beating with possibly more to come, but he “can safely say that the current situation is nowhere near as bad as the situation during the 1930’s . . . the problems of the Great Depression were several magnitudes greater.”

For example, since the Recession began in 2007 until January 2009, the unemployment rate in America has only risen from 4.9% to 7.6%, a level not particularly abnormal by historical standards. In contrast, during the Great Depression unemployment shot up the first year from 2% to over 10%, went to almost 17% the next year, then stayed above 20% for a shocking 4 years.

Then add on another 5 years at a 14% unemployment rate before getting back below 10%. These are far more serious numbers than anything we have seen so far in this economic crisis.

With respect to GDP the numers are even more shocking. While the US economy has been contracting slightly, during the Great Depression GDP plunged 8.6% the first year, 15% the second and a crushing 26% the following 2. These numbers are  almost incomprehensible to us today with respect to the amount of pain and suffering and dislocation this would cause in our society. 26% unemployment might bring more serious social unrest than in the past, with urban riots, etc.

___________

And then one must think about the stability of a country such as China if it were to undergo sever economic dislocation. Already there may be 30,000,000 (million) unemployed there, with thousands of factories closing as American consumers are forced to tighten their belts, stop borrowing to buy things they cannot pay for, and start saving for a rainy day. That day is upon us.

If the current global economic crisis is the result of too much easy money and liquidity pumped into the system by the US federal reserve, one has to wonder about the current explosion of the money supply in China. In the first quarter of this year bank loans surged to 4.58 trillion yuan or $670.6 billion US dollars, or more than triple the amount for the same period a year ago. This despite the yearly goal set by the government at only 5 trillion yuan. The lending surge has raised concerns among economists and analysts that non-performing loans will be on the rise since China’s economy is vulnerable to the economic downturn.

Where is all this money going and who is getting these loans? Are they creditworthy consumers, or is China desperately throwing money at the problem like fuel on a future conflagration? Who is going to occupy the millions of office buildings and apartments currently under construction? While the overall money supply and debt levels of the government may not be alarming at the moment, this unprecedented expansion of lending feels ominous. Call it Deja vu.

While the news was good in April of a drop to about 600 billion yuan, the first 3 months of 2009 each saw loan rates above 1 trillion yuan. March saw a record 1.89 trillion yuan worth of loans made. These are worrisome numbers as the Chinese seem to be making some of the same monetary mistakes as the US. Total loans by Chinese financial institutions are up about 30% to 35.55 trillion yuan this year. The “reminbi deposit” (money supply?) is up 26%.

In the upcoming months, new bank loans should keep growing by 400 to 500 billion yuan per month, estimates Liu Yuhui, an economist with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), and new loans for the year should be about 9 trillion yuan.

Can someone help put these numbers in perspective? Please leave your comments!

___________________

If you feel like you are bored with your life or not doing what you should be doing with it then it is time to make a change. There may be obstacles or fears holding you back from accomplishing the goals you have set forth in your life. It is time to get past the obstacles and make your dreams happen. You CAN do it. Believe it, because it starts with belief.

Many people aren’t quite sure what their true passion is. They want to work toward being successful as they see many other people but they just aren’t sure what it is that they can do. Finding your passion is possible and it will take some deep searching within yourself. Your passion may be right in [...]]]>

There are many successful people out there who are living their life as they want to. They are working hard doing what they absolutely love to do. The most successful people are those who work toward the things they are passionate about and love. There are many reasons for this. The more you love what you do the harder you are going to work at it because you will be enjoying your work.

If you feel like you are bored with your life or not doing what you should be doing with it then it is time to make a change. There may be obstacles or fears holding you back from accomplishing the goals you have set forth in your life. It is time to get past the obstacles and make your dreams happen. You CAN do it. Believe it, because it starts with belief.

Many people aren’t quite sure what their true passion is. They want to work toward being successful as they see many other people but they just aren’t sure what it is that they can do. Finding your passion is possible and it will take some deep searching within yourself. Your passion may be right in front of you and you don’t even realize it.

Every passion has the capability of making money. It is just seeing the angle you need to take to make it happen. You shouldn’t sit around and avoid your passion because you don’t think you could financially survive on it because you can. With hard work.

The purpose of this article  is to help you find your real passion within. You will learn many techniques that will help you find your true passion and learn ways you can go about making them a reality. You can work toward your passions and make them happen.

Once you finish this article you will know yourself well enough to know exactly what your true passion is. You will know what you need to do to make your dreams a reality by using your passion to become a successful person.

Healthy Choices Lead to Happiness

If you are not a happy person that is a choice you are making. You have tremendous control over your life and the decisions that you make (more than you probably realize.) There are many factors by which people measure happiness. Some people think money is happiness, however they may be absolutely miserable with what they do on a daily basis to make their money.

You might look at people who have absolutely everything and you strive to be like them. These things may have wealth, possessions, status, or even the position you covet at work. These things don’t create happiness. Happiness is a choice.

There are many people who have wealth and a high status who are completely miserable. They may be lonely, divorced, addicted and more. Happiness comes from within. These people may be working jobs they absolutely hate but just have a knack for making money.

Happiness is Subjective

There are things in life that can make you happy that are subjective. They are subjective because happiness comes differently for everyone.

You might find joy and happiness seeking thrills through rides like roller coasters and bungee jumping. This thrill may be more than torture for someone with a fear of heights who would never step foot on a roller coaster or ever be brave enough to jump from a bridge suspended by a bungee cord.

Everyone seeks happiness in their own way. What makes you happy is a natural high that you deserve to seek. There is nothing wrong with the things that you find joy in. You may be told you are crazy but that is because of the subjectivity of life. Everyone has a unique perspective, nature and combination of talents.

Natural Health & Happiness

It is true some people are naturally happy. This is proven through a genetic disposition. This doesn’t mean that you were born to be miserable if you are not a naturally happy person. Your happiness is influenced by your genetics but it is not fixed as a determining factor.

If you are not a naturally happy person you can change the way you think and feel so you are. The key is to change the way your brain thinks and the things you do. You can learn to do things on a daily basis to bring up your happiness level which will help you learn to smile more and be a happier person.

Sleep

Sleep is a big factor if you want to be a happy person. Sleep is needed for the body to be able to function properly. When you don’t get enough sleep you might be moody, have an inability to think clearly, and very unhappy.

You might think you’re getting 8 hours of sleep but you’re not really getting the quality sleep you need. You may be oversleeping (if you sleep generally more than 8 hours) or even be sleeping the wrong way. Some people don’t get a good night’s rest with a pillow that is too hard or soft. Your mattress could play into a bad night of sleep also.

Sleep is a big factor and lack of sleep can cause problems with your health also. Ensuring total well being requires a good night sleep. Remember, your room must be completely dark also. This is very important.

If you are not sleeping well and you have determined the lack of sleep plays into how miserable you are throughout the days you need to fix this. You might need to change your daily schedule so you can get to bed earlier. You also might need to encourage other people in your household to help you a little bit more if you are working too hard.

Lack of  sleep can be the entire reason you are miserable. If you have the inability to get to sleep and you toss around all night long staring at the alarm clock this could mean many different things. Some people are very depressed and it causes them not to be able to sleep well. To ensure happiness you need to get a good night of sleep, so it is important to address the underlying issues as to why you are not sleeping well. If you are depressed, for example,  seek counseling. Take action.

Exercise

Exercise is very good for the body and it helps the brain put out endorphins which help enable you to be happy. Exercise is important for total health. This doesn’t mean that you have to be on a heavy exercise routine on a daily basis. However, it is very healthy to sweat at least a few times a week. You can get an amazing exercise by just cleaning the house and doing normal household chores. This isn’t just about losing weight and caring for your body through movement. It is about creating happiness.

Meditation

Practicing meditation doesn’t mean you belong to a cult or you are doing anything religiously weird. Many people associate meditation with Buddhism and think it is “not for them.” They are missing out on something extremely important which could be exactly what they need to balance out their days and help find that inner peace we all long for.

Meditation is one of the most effective ways to change your psychological well being. Doctors have proven meditation to generate brain activity on the left side, which produces a positive emotion in the body. And many studies have linked meditation with less stress and less disease. Meditate at least 15 minutes every day.