Tips to Become a Good Listener

My friends talked about best day creams they’ve ever use yesterday. I listen to their basis why each one of them tell the group what made the day cream the best for them. I listen to them intently for me to learn more from them. That scenario made me decide to share some tips how to become a good listener.

We need to make an effort to listen when someone is talking to us. We need to give them our attention. For you to have a focus on what the speaker is trying to say, put yourself in the position of the speaker.

Make sure to understand what the speaker is talking about, and digest the message on the clearest way as possible for you to become more eager to hear more from the speaker.

Avoid giving an opinion until the speaker finished talking. Better reserve all your questions until the speaker finished giving his or her message of what he or she wants to convey.

Nonverbal messages like facial expressions and body movements are additional sources of message from the speaker, so be aware of it.

Do not just hear from what other people say, try to listen and learn from them.

Make Great Photo Effects!

Who doesn’t like Edward Cullen? He’s one of my best book and movie characters, that’s why I’ve decided to create this artistic photo effect with an old man sketching him. It’s cool, isn’t it? You can also create your own funny photo online using any picture of your selection and apply different effects to it. It was a friend who told me about it and so I’ve tried it too. You can use your own photos, your pets, friends, and print it out as funny cards. I’ll be printing out some later and give them to my friends.

I will be searching for funny photoshop pictures online that would surely make my friends laugh. Like what they say, laughter is the best medicine, and the best gift we can give to our friends who are going through sad times is a good laugh. You can make people smile without saying a single word, try it! I’m pretty sure they would appreciate your effort to make them smile, laugh even.

It’s so easy to make funny pictures with photos with websites like picjoke.com, you just upload a photo of your choice and apply a lot of great effects in no time. With over a hundred of new effects to choose from, there will be no dull moments and unlimited choices of funny photo-cards to print out or share with your friends in online social networking sites. Try to post one and see how many comments you will get from your family and friends.  Make someone smile everyday, share a good laugh!

Healthy Diet Tips In Celebrating The Holiday Season

Some practical healthy diet tips in celebrating the holiday season is my Christmas gift to all of you because lots of people  are more prone to diseases  during and after holiday season due to weak immune system because of simply forgetting to eat what their body needs.  How come? Most of the people eat lots of foods, particularly sweet ones and those that are made from processed ingredients as well.

When I was young, my mom always remind me and my siblings not to take in so much of sweet food and drinks to avoid tonsillitis. And, to drink plenty of water after we eat or drink something sweet. It has been a big “why” to me that time but now I realized that she has a point. Too much sweets could weaken the immune system’s activity. Our tonsils are the first line of defense that control the entrance of army of germs. When we take in too much of sweet food and, or drinks, it overworks the tonsils causing them to be inflamed.

I noticed that during Christmas season most people fail to eat vegetables which is so important to our health. Thus, I want to share to you a great combination of fresh vegetable juices that are not just palatable to taste but best to the immune system and health in general. You must not add sugar or any kind of sweetener and milk to it. For every 10 oz of freshly extracted carrot juice, you just need to add 3 oz of extracted beet juice and 3 oz of cucumber juice. So simple to prepare, right?

Following a healthy lifestyle is the best way to attain wellness. It does not mean that because you are health conscious person you can no longer celebrate the holiday season with gladness through gatherings with friends and loved ones. Instead of preparing sweet and processed foods, why not shift to healthy ones? Lessen some sweet foods and drinks, and serve more of fresh fruits and extracted fruits or vegetable juices instead. Fresh fruits and vegetables boosts the immune system rather than suppressing it. If you are the one who is invited, better choose the food to eat and remember to drink lots of plain water after.

The Exit Signs

I love exit signs. It helps me be on the right path. Did you know that I met lots of exit signs lately? Not just the literal exit signs you can see on different establishments but an exit sign on relationship too.

Just few hours ago I went shopping for 4 pairs of new shoes on the nearby store. Thanks to entrance and EXIT SIGNS posted on doors so that people could come and go freely without interfering others. I actually plan to buy just 2 pair of shoes but I was attracted to the other 2 pairs as well. At the end I decided to purchase all the 4 pairs. No, I am not a compulsive shopper, it just happened that I really like those shoes.

Yes, just few months ago I met an Exit Sign in my relationship. I was engaged to be married but instead of tying a knot with my fiance, we parted ways for some reasons. It was bit depressing  because I “thought” he is the one. Thanks God because I learned to let go and move on with my life now. If there is an exit sign, definitely God will post an entrance sign for a much better future for me.  As of now I am happy and enjoying  moments being single with no attachment. I have been open to the idea of expanding my circle of friends. And, I give  additional time to my family for our family bonding. Marriage is an exit sign to singlehood and an entrance sign to a lifetime partnership. The exit sign in my previous relationship instead of marriage  just indicate that it is not yet the right time for me to be married. That, He has a much greater plan for me to do than be lifetime committed to my ex-boyfriend.

How To Become A Good Listener

Who wants to become a good listener? Listening is a powerful tool of communication. Listening and just hearing has great difference. All of us wants to have a companion who is a good listener and most of us aim to be one as well. When you assess yourself now, what kind of listener are you? A deep careful listener, a bored listener, a selective listener, a defensive listener, an interruptive listener or an insensitive listener? Do you want to know some tips how to become a good listener? If so, here are my simple tips for you:

Follow the golden rule: “Do unto others what you want others do unto you.” Put yourself on the position of the one who is speaking to you. Make an effort to listen to the person who is speaking by giving your full attention to the speaker.

Focus your mind to what he is trying to say and for the unspoken messages. Watch for the non-verbal communication like tone of voice, hand gestures, facial expressions and other body movements. Listen for the real meaning and not just for the literal words.

Finish listening first before you begin to speak for you to be sure that you understand what is being said and think clearly what to react. Ask questions if you are not sure, to understand what the speaker is trying to convey.

Good listening requires practice and patience. But, if you hone this skill you’ll appreciate life more.