Taking good care of your body is extremely important on the road to improving your self esteem. We all do the daily routine of taking a shower, doing our hair, brushing our teeth, etc. But, unfortunately, not all of us are good at really taking care of ourselves.
I know a lot of us are doctor shy, but routine doctor visits are so key in maintaining a healthy body. A lot of diseases and ailments can be detected early with regular check-ups. If you know your family has a history of certain medical conditions, it is extremely important that you get checked for those conditions, even at your young age. You should also have routine dental and eye exams. There are also other certain gender specific checks that should be done as described later in this article. You may feel invincible because you are young, but how well you take care of yourself now can determine the condition your body will end up in during your golden years!
Daily routines such as, exercising, eating properly and drinking water, will contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Keeping yourself well hydrated is excellent for healthy skin. As we all know, exercising is key to staying fit and feeling energized. If you are just starting out with an exercise regiment, choose one that you know you can achieve safely as to not injure yourself. Make sure you know your limitations and gradually increase your exercise regiment as you increase your endurance level. Whatever your eating habits are, make sure that you understand that the saying you are what you eat means that what you put into your body will help determine how you feel. If you do not think that is true, pay attention to how miserable you are the next time you over eat! Remember that proportion is key and two pounds of salad with a half a bottle of salad dressing is not healthy eating. If you eat properly and exercise on a regular basis, there will never be a need to binge diet. Please note that binge dieting can be very dangerous and I do not encourage it. It is also important to know that drugs, drinking and smoking can wreak havoc on your body! It is best not to start any of those bad habits!
To my young ladies, if you are 18 or older and/or sexually active, it is time for you to schedule a yearly pap smear. A Pap smear is a vaginal test that detects cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is treatable if it is detected early enough. Be smart about your body. You are old enough now to know when something is different about the way you feel and what your body is going through. If something does not feel right, it probably is not right. If you have a family doctor or a specific doctor that you visit regularly, make sure that you are comfortable enough to discuss your body and anything that might be going on with it.
On another note, looking beautiful does not mean wearing a ton of make up! If you truly take care of yourself, unless you have specific issues that need to be taken care of, your skin will start to look beautiful on its own and will not need a whole lot of cover up. If you do find that you still need to wear make up, tone it down and wear colors that compliment your skin tone. Otherwise, save the make up for special occasions when you really want to get dressed and dazzle the crowd! Let your inner beauty shine and it will reflect in your outer beauty. It is great to be sexy, but be discreet. If you put all of your business out there, there is nothing left for the imagination. Curiosity is a conversation piece!! Learn which colors and styles look best on you and compliment your body type. You do not have to have an hour glass figure to be beautiful or feel good about yourself. If you and your best girlfriend are not built the same, then nine out of ten, you cannot wear the same type of clothes. Always remember that your physical appearance is the first thing that people will notice about you, so give them something positive to say about you!
To my young men, for some reason, it is a little tougher to get you to go to the doctor for check-ups, but there are male medical issues that you need to be aware of, as well. You too need to be concerned about family medical conditions. While some young ladies do like a rugged look, I think it is safe to say that no young lady wants to be around an unclean man! Physical hygiene is just as important for you, as it is for your female counterparts! First and foremost, PULL YOUR PANTS UP OVER YOUR BUTT!! I do not have a clue who started this fashion trend, but it is one of the most degrading ones that I have ever seen. No one wants to see your under garments, with emphasis on the word UNDER!
If you truly want people to respect you, then you must at least look the part, for starters. We all know athletic gear is most comfortable, but enlist a few dressier pieces of clothing in your wardrobe. People take you serious when you look professional. The same principal applies to you that you do not have to have a six pack and bulging muscles to look good or feel good about yourself. You make yourself so much more attractive when you are clean, healthy and have pride in your physical appearance.
To sum it all up, when you feel good on the inside and look good on the outside, you are on your way to a confidence level that will skyrocket a healthy self esteem.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Appreciation For Life
I was watching a report on the aftermath of Hurricane Ike and its affects on Texas and other areas that were hit by the hurricane. For a brief second, I almost gave power to sadness and let that terrible image remain in my head for the rest of the day. Instead, I decided to find out how I could help some of the families that were affected by that natural disaster. Where I could have easily slumped into a negative state of mind and let the misfortune of others bring depression into my life, I turned that terrible thought into a positive solution. Not only that, once again the woes of the world affirmed my appreciation for life!
Too many times we take our own life for granted and think that everything has to be the way it is. Fortunately, we were all blessed with the ability to overcome anything. We can let society dictate to us that we have to stay a certain way once turmoil has entered our lives or we can take our lives into our own hands and choose to be positive and create a better path for ourselves, even if we need to enlist the help of others. We are of no use to anyone if we do not understand that life is valuable and that each day has to be treated as a precious commodity. How we are to ourselves and how we are to others play an important role on the emotional mind set that we set for ourselves.
It is always easy to give up and let life’s misfortunes knock you down and keep you down, but you will always find yourself in a sad or angry state of mind if you let that happen. A positive attitude is so uplifting and powerful that it even empowers people in your path to want to do better and often people will ask you how you are able to always stay in a good mood despite any negative surroundings. But when you are always negative and/or sad you will find that people alienate you because deep down nobody really wants to be sad or angry all the time, nor do they wish to be around people who constantly succumb to those emotions.
I personally know a beautiful young lady who lost her mother when she was only eight years old. Her sister, who was just 19 at the time, took her in and did her best to take care of her. Because her sister was also dealing with the loss of their mother while trying to raise a family in her teen life, it was difficult for the older sister to give her baby sister the type life she had hoped. This young lady would go on to endure other personal pitfalls in her young teen life. The tragic loss of her mother at an early age, compounded with other challenges she faced in her teen years had all of the makings for giving up and rebelling against the world. Through her own determination, she persevered, she prayed a lot and she decided to do what it took to change the quality of her life in memory of her mother. Because of that wonderful decision, today she is a Dean’s list senior in college with her mind already set on furthering her education in Graduate school. She is strong willed, she is smart and most of all she has an appreciation for life! I am extremely proud of her and all that she has accomplished despite the adversities in her life!
It is easy to get caught up in all the things that are wrong in your life, but when you overcome your adversities, your life becomes other people’s strength. Someone is always watching you and it is your responsibility to give them something positive to see.
Too many times we take our own life for granted and think that everything has to be the way it is. Fortunately, we were all blessed with the ability to overcome anything. We can let society dictate to us that we have to stay a certain way once turmoil has entered our lives or we can take our lives into our own hands and choose to be positive and create a better path for ourselves, even if we need to enlist the help of others. We are of no use to anyone if we do not understand that life is valuable and that each day has to be treated as a precious commodity. How we are to ourselves and how we are to others play an important role on the emotional mind set that we set for ourselves.
It is always easy to give up and let life’s misfortunes knock you down and keep you down, but you will always find yourself in a sad or angry state of mind if you let that happen. A positive attitude is so uplifting and powerful that it even empowers people in your path to want to do better and often people will ask you how you are able to always stay in a good mood despite any negative surroundings. But when you are always negative and/or sad you will find that people alienate you because deep down nobody really wants to be sad or angry all the time, nor do they wish to be around people who constantly succumb to those emotions.
I personally know a beautiful young lady who lost her mother when she was only eight years old. Her sister, who was just 19 at the time, took her in and did her best to take care of her. Because her sister was also dealing with the loss of their mother while trying to raise a family in her teen life, it was difficult for the older sister to give her baby sister the type life she had hoped. This young lady would go on to endure other personal pitfalls in her young teen life. The tragic loss of her mother at an early age, compounded with other challenges she faced in her teen years had all of the makings for giving up and rebelling against the world. Through her own determination, she persevered, she prayed a lot and she decided to do what it took to change the quality of her life in memory of her mother. Because of that wonderful decision, today she is a Dean’s list senior in college with her mind already set on furthering her education in Graduate school. She is strong willed, she is smart and most of all she has an appreciation for life! I am extremely proud of her and all that she has accomplished despite the adversities in her life!
It is easy to get caught up in all the things that are wrong in your life, but when you overcome your adversities, your life becomes other people’s strength. Someone is always watching you and it is your responsibility to give them something positive to see.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Effective Communication Clears Up Confusion
How often have you told someone, “you know what I meant”? Well, it is a good practice to get out of that habit! We all wish that people knew what we were thinking just by looking at us or “knowing” us. However, the fact is that people can change so much from day to day that it is hard to always understand what one is thinking, even those we think we know well. Good example, my daughter’s favorite color has been pink for as long as I can remember, or so I thought. Well, today, I actually asked her what her favorite color was and to my surprise she does not have a favorite color! Imagine that! And I know her so well! Now, this particular example is certainly a minor issue, but it just goes to show you that unless you ask specific questions from a person or tell people precisely what you want them to know about you, you can never be sure what a person is thinking or feeling and they will not know you as well as you might think they do. Therefore, it is almost impossible for people to always know what you mean or know what is going on with you, unless you tell them.
I recently talked to a young woman discussing her disappointment concerning a gift she was expecting her husband to get her for her birthday. She assumed he knew what she wanted for her birthday. I asked her if she told him that she wanted to replace her stolen tennis bracelet for her birthday and her answer to me was, “he should have known that I would want to replace my bracelet.” Well, maybe he should have known. However, I told her that the disconnect was hers because she did not directly tell him that she wanted her bracelet replaced for or by her birthday. Yes, he probably intended to replace it eventually, but the only way he would have truly known what the intended time frame for the replacement to take place, was for her to tell him. Now, he could have been kind enough to ask, but the burden of surety lies on her for this particular incident, because it was her wish that was to be fulfilled, not his. You really set yourself up to be disappointed when you assume that people know what is on your mind.
A more serious example; a young couple left their child in daycare for over an hour after the facility was due to close because the mother assumed the dad was going to pick up the child and the dad assumed the mom was going to pick up the child, based on a very unclear conversation they had earlier in the day. The rules of the center was clear that if a parent or guardian was going to be late picking up their children, a phone call must be placed before the closing hour or the facility had the right to terminate the daycare service immediately. The parents missed more than 4 days of work a piece trying to find replacement daycare due to their lack of communication to each other; not to mention the tension that built up within the relationship with blame and finger pointing. Again, both people were actually to blame because neither parent bothered to get in touch with the other to confirm the plans for their own child! A phone call, which could have taken all of twenty seconds to confirm, would have alleviated this issue.
So here are some key suggestions to improve on your communications skills:
1. Be honest with yourself about what it is you want people to know about you. The more information you give, the more likely a person can effectively reach out to you. Some people tend to “bottle up” their personal information in an attempt to be elusive, but then get upset or disappointed when no one really knows personal things about them. I have seen grown women cry because they did not receive a visit or phone call for a special occasion, but when asked if they told anyone about the special occasion, the reply was no! End of the pity party!!
2. Never assume that a person already knows what is in your heart or mind. And never assume you know what is in a person’s heart or mind. Ask clear, precise questions in the attempt to get clear, precise answers. You could lose out in a lot of situations holding back on your thoughts for fear of being hurt or misunderstood. The hurt and misunderstanding is always worse when you never speak up and lose out because of it.
3. Be detailed in the information that you are giving. For example, if you are depending on a ride to or from somewhere, make sure the person you are depending on knows very close to, if not the exact time and location of where they need to be. Trust me, it is not fun standing out in the cold or rain waiting for a ride because the information exchanged was not clear to either you or the driver!
4. Speak up for yourself! Your boss will never know you deserve a better raise if you do not tell him/her! Your teacher will never know you do not understand an assignment if you just walk out of class every day and say nothing to him/her. Mind reading is not a popular course!
5. Being rude is not a part of effective communication. You can clearly tell someone how you feel or what you are thinking without being rude. In fact, your words are heard more thoroughly when you remain calm, professional and sure of yourself. Make it a practice not let people take you out of your calm element. I know it is very hard sometimes, but you have to dig deeper and try harder in order for effective communication to become a part of you.
And, just so you know, I think you are wonderful, I would love to get to know you better and I hope you have learned something important on my website! If there is anything you would like to know about me, just ask!
I recently talked to a young woman discussing her disappointment concerning a gift she was expecting her husband to get her for her birthday. She assumed he knew what she wanted for her birthday. I asked her if she told him that she wanted to replace her stolen tennis bracelet for her birthday and her answer to me was, “he should have known that I would want to replace my bracelet.” Well, maybe he should have known. However, I told her that the disconnect was hers because she did not directly tell him that she wanted her bracelet replaced for or by her birthday. Yes, he probably intended to replace it eventually, but the only way he would have truly known what the intended time frame for the replacement to take place, was for her to tell him. Now, he could have been kind enough to ask, but the burden of surety lies on her for this particular incident, because it was her wish that was to be fulfilled, not his. You really set yourself up to be disappointed when you assume that people know what is on your mind.
A more serious example; a young couple left their child in daycare for over an hour after the facility was due to close because the mother assumed the dad was going to pick up the child and the dad assumed the mom was going to pick up the child, based on a very unclear conversation they had earlier in the day. The rules of the center was clear that if a parent or guardian was going to be late picking up their children, a phone call must be placed before the closing hour or the facility had the right to terminate the daycare service immediately. The parents missed more than 4 days of work a piece trying to find replacement daycare due to their lack of communication to each other; not to mention the tension that built up within the relationship with blame and finger pointing. Again, both people were actually to blame because neither parent bothered to get in touch with the other to confirm the plans for their own child! A phone call, which could have taken all of twenty seconds to confirm, would have alleviated this issue.
So here are some key suggestions to improve on your communications skills:
1. Be honest with yourself about what it is you want people to know about you. The more information you give, the more likely a person can effectively reach out to you. Some people tend to “bottle up” their personal information in an attempt to be elusive, but then get upset or disappointed when no one really knows personal things about them. I have seen grown women cry because they did not receive a visit or phone call for a special occasion, but when asked if they told anyone about the special occasion, the reply was no! End of the pity party!!
2. Never assume that a person already knows what is in your heart or mind. And never assume you know what is in a person’s heart or mind. Ask clear, precise questions in the attempt to get clear, precise answers. You could lose out in a lot of situations holding back on your thoughts for fear of being hurt or misunderstood. The hurt and misunderstanding is always worse when you never speak up and lose out because of it.
3. Be detailed in the information that you are giving. For example, if you are depending on a ride to or from somewhere, make sure the person you are depending on knows very close to, if not the exact time and location of where they need to be. Trust me, it is not fun standing out in the cold or rain waiting for a ride because the information exchanged was not clear to either you or the driver!
4. Speak up for yourself! Your boss will never know you deserve a better raise if you do not tell him/her! Your teacher will never know you do not understand an assignment if you just walk out of class every day and say nothing to him/her. Mind reading is not a popular course!
5. Being rude is not a part of effective communication. You can clearly tell someone how you feel or what you are thinking without being rude. In fact, your words are heard more thoroughly when you remain calm, professional and sure of yourself. Make it a practice not let people take you out of your calm element. I know it is very hard sometimes, but you have to dig deeper and try harder in order for effective communication to become a part of you.
And, just so you know, I think you are wonderful, I would love to get to know you better and I hope you have learned something important on my website! If there is anything you would like to know about me, just ask!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
