Sexual harassment is rampant in the workplaces of the modern day. But there are tons of laws in place that are there just to protect all employees from the throes of sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination. The legal definition of sexual harassment is “unwelcome verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is severe or pervasive and affects working conditions or creates a hostile work environment.”

The law on sex discrimination at work applies to:

- women

- men

- someone who is undergoing, is intending to undergo or has undergone gender reassignment (changing to another sex)

- someone who is discriminated against because they are married or in a registered civil partnership.

Examples of Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment can occur in a variety of situations. These are examples of sexual harassment, not intended to be all inclusive.

- Unwanted jokes, gestures, offensive words on clothing, and unwelcome comments and repartee.

- Touching and any other bodily contact such as scratching or patting a coworker’s back, grabbing an employee around the waiste, or interfering with an employee’s ability to move.

- Repeated requests for dates that are turned down or unwanted flirting.

- Transmitting or posting emails or pictures of a sexual or other harassment-related nature.

- Displaying sexually suggestive objects, pictures, or posters.

-Playing sexually suggestive music.

How to Stop Sexual Harassment at Work:

1. Verbally warn. If you so choose, and depending on the severity of the sexual harassment, you can verbally warn the person that if they falter again you will report them. Many times this will stop it dead in the tracks, but sometimes it will not.

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2. Report the incident. No matter what, you must report any incident of sexual harassment. Simply write down a brief synopsis of what happened, and make sure to submit it to your boss and the proper other channels at your workplace.

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3. Find the help you need. There are tons of resources you can find on the internet that have places that will help you. You do need to take the first step and research and contact these organizations in order to get the help you need.

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4. Take action. Do not let yourself sit idle. Sexual harassment is illegal, and there are plenty of things that you can do to stop it. Make sure your boss and co-workers realize how serious you are about defending your rights.

Swine flu, also known as 2009 H1N1 type A influenza, is a human malady. People get the malady from other people, not from pigs.

The disease initially was nicknamed swine flu because the virus that causes the disease came to humans from pigs. The virus contains genes from swine, bird, and human flu viruses. Scientists are still in dispute about what the virus should be called, but most people know it as the H1N1 swine flu virus.

How do I protect myself Against Swine Flu?

1. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Scrub for at least 20 seconds and rinse thoroughly. If soap and water are not available, wash your hands with an alcohol-based hand gel.
2. Use Masks. Masks can prevent the passing of airborne pathogens from spreading. Many areas that have a large number of cases of Swine flu are opting to have the residents wear them when they are out in public in an effort to prevent the disease from spreading even further. This is a very easy and smart way that people can use for protection.
3. Stay away from sick people. Avoid close contact — that is, being within 6 feet — with people who have flu-like symptoms.
4. Avoid touching your mouth, nose, or eyes. That’s not easy to do, so keep those hands clean.
5. Eat healthy food, getting plenty of sleep and keeping your immune system strong can help prevent infections. Vitamin D supplementation may also be of benefit when taken in adequate doses.
6. Get Swine Flu Vaccine. Vaccination is the best protection against contracting the flu. Find H1N1 (Swine) flu and seasonal flu vaccines where you live.
7. Use the Wein Air Supply Personal Air Purifier to help reduce exposure to airborne germs.

Swine Flu Symptoms:

Symptoms of swine flu infections can include:

- fever, which is usually high, but unlike seasonal flu, is sometimes absent cough

- runny nose or stuffy nose

- sore throat

- body aches

- headache

- chills

- fatigue or tiredness, which can be extreme

- diarrhea and vomiting, sometimes, but more commonly seen than with seasonal flu

Signs of a more serious swine flu infection might include pneumonia and respiratory failure.

Treatment of Swine Flu

If you contract the swine flu, there are 2 flu medications which can be helpful. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends the use of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza) for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses. These medications can also be used for the usual avian influenza. Symptomatic care is most important. Antibiotics will not help. Ask your doctor about your options. Those at high risk should strongly be considered for treatment with medications. High risk patients include those with diabetes, heart disease, immune compromised, seniors over age 65.

Documentary source: http://www.webmd.com/

Double Personality is a condition indicated by the absence of a clear and comprehensive identity. In most cases two or more independent and distinct personality systems develop in the same individual. Each personality may alternately inhabit the person’s conscious awareness to the exclusion of the others, but one is usually dominant. The various personalities typically differ from one another in outlook, temperament, and body language and might assume different first names.

The condition is generally viewed as resulting from dissociative mental processes—that is, the splitting off from conscious awareness and control of thoughts, feelings, memories, and other mental components in response to situations that are painful, disturbing, or somehow unacceptable to the person experiencing them.

The patient is of psychopathic disposition. She suffers from various nervous troubles, from uncertain pain and hemorrhage from the lungs. Under the influence of some strong stimulus, such as a violent emotion, the patient has a tendency to pass into a secondary state. This is preceded by some sort of aura, a feeling of throbbing pain in the temples. The patient then falls into a short but deep sleep, from which no stimuli, however strong or painful, can possibly rouse her. This is the hypnoleptic state, the intermediate condition that separates the primary from the secondary state. The hypnoleptic state lasted at first about ten minutes, but afterward became shorter, until it was reduced to but a few seconds.

The primary and secondary states differ widely. In the primary state the patient suffers from various illnesses of functional nature; she is depressed, morose, not communicative, has a decided eagerness for work and has no memory whatever of what has occurred in the secondary state. In the secondary state, on the contrary, she is gay, lively, haughty, confident, free from functional troubles, and has memory for both secondary and primary states. Her natural instincts, her acquirements and many of her habits remained unchanged in both states. The only changes were in character, in disposition, in memory and in the general organic sensibility.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder) symptoms:

- Depression

- Mood swings

- Suicidal tendencies

- Sleep disorders ( insomnia, night terrors, and sleep walking)

- Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias (flashbacks, reactions to stimuli or “triggers”)

- Alcohol and drug abuse

- Compulsions and rituals

- Psychotic-like symptoms (including auditory and visual hallucinations)

- Eating disorders

Other symptoms of dissociative identity disorder may include headache, amnesia, time loss, trances, and “out of body experiences.

Treatment for dissociative identity disorder:

While there’s no “cure” for dissociative identity disorder, long-term treatment is very successful, if the patient stays committed. Effective treatment includes talk therapy or psychotherapy, medications, hypnotherapy, and adjunctive therapies such as art or movement therapy.

Because oftentimes the symptoms of dissociative disorders occur with other disorders, such as anxiety and depression, dissociative disorder may be treated using the same drugs prescribed for those disorders. A person in treatment for a dissociative disorder might benefit from antidepressants or anti- anxiety medication.

Documentary source: http://www.webmd.com/

A Brainstorming is a technique teams use to generate ideas on a particular subject. Each person in the team is asked to think creatively and write down as many ideas as possible. The ideas are not discussed or reviewed until after the brainstorming session.

One of the first things you need to determine is whether you need to use a brainstorming session at all. A brainstorming session should be used for generating lots of new ideas and solutions. It should not be used for analysis or for decision making. Of course you will need to analyze and judge the ideas but this is done afterwards and the analysis process does not involve brainstorming techniques.

A brainstorming session must be targeted to a specific topic or else you run the risk of downgrading any future sessions. You must define the problem area or the opportunity area you want to create ideas for. You must draw up a specific probortunity (problem/opportunity) statement which describes what you are trying to achieve. This statement must not even suggest what a typical solution might be because this will hinder the idea generation.

Here are some tips about the process:

• Produce a great number of ideas

• Record all ideas

• Allow no criticism - focus on quantity, not quality

• When you’re out of ideas, force yourself to add three more - innovation and creativity can surface after the apparent solutions have been exhausted

• Brainstorm with a group

• Let one idea give you another idea

• Include outrageous and off-the-wall ideas

• If you brainstorm alone, write continuously for another 5 minutes after you feel like you’ve run out of ideas

• Only after brainstorming, think through the ideas and begin narrowing the list

Here are some other important “do’s and “don’ts”:

1. Do collect as many ideas as possible from all participants with no criticisms or judgments made while ideas are being generated.

2. Do welcome all ideas are welcome no matter how silly or far out they seem. Be creative. The more ideas the better because at this point you don’t know what might work.

3. Don’t allow discussion during the brainstorming activity. Talking about the ideas will take place after brainstorming is complete.

4. Don’t criticize or judge. Don’t even groan, frown, or laugh. All ideas are equally valid at this point.

5. Do build on others’ ideas.

6. Do write all ideas on a flipchart or board so the whole group can easily see them.

7. Do set a time limit (i.e., 30 minutes) for the brainstorming.

Benefits of brainstorming :

- It encourages creativity, expanding thinking to see all perspectives of a problem, providing a wide range of options

- Everyone equally involved, no one judging another persons ideas, every idea is recorded as worthy

- Ideas grow quickly, by allowing everyone to offer any ideas that come to mind

- Sense of ownership. With the entire team actively participating in the brainstorming session, this creates a sense of ownership in the topic that is being discussed.

- Environment free of criticism

- No discussions going on, no story telling

- Everyone paying attention and really focusing on the question

- Improvements in productivity

Emotional intelligence (EI or EQ as it is commonly called) is the capability to recognize your emotions, understand what they’re telling you, and understand how your emotions affect people around you. Emotional intelligence also involves your perception of others: when you understand how they feel, this allows you to manage relationships more effectively.

People with high emotional intelligence have a much better chance of becoming successful in life, regardless of their IQ. This article will teach you how to improve emotional intelligence. Once you’re through reading, you’ll have a better grasp of your emotions.

1. Being aware of your emotions is the single most important step you can take towards change. Work out one area in your emotions that you want to work on. Let’s say you want to navigate the feelings of anger that you experience. Notice that I say navigate and not control. Control may mean that the anger simply simmers under the surface, only to rise again at a most inappropriate moment. Think about the feeling of anger now while you are calm.

2. Focus on the feeling not the event. When you feel like blaming somebody, ask yourself whether what they’ve done justifies the way you’re feeling. Be honest with yourself about whether you’re over-reacting. Save yourself time and effort by not laying blame at all. Focus instead on the bad feeling, and work at making it feel better.

3. Look at your work environment. Do you seek attention for your accomplishments? Humility can be a wonderful quality, and it doesn’t mean that you’re shy or lack self-confidence. When you practice humility, you say that you know what you did, and you can be quietly confident about it. Give others a chance to shine - put the focus on them, and don’t worry too much about getting praise for yourself.

4. Do a self-evaluation. What are your weaknesses? Are you willing to accept that you’re not perfect and that you could work on some areas to make yourself a better person? Have the courage to look at yourself honestly - it can change your life.

5. Respect. Respect is not just a seven-letter word in your dictionary. It’s a principle you live by. In order to learn how to improve emotional intelligence, you first have to exercise respect for other people’s emotions.

When one of your co-workers gets emotional about a personal or professional problem, don’t just disregard that person’s emotions. Don’t start playing loud music just to distract yourself or don’t be insensitive to what is going on around you. Instead, give that person your respect through a moment of silence or a look of empathy.

6. Take responsibility for your actions. If you hurt someone’s feelings, apologize directly – don’t ignore what you did or avoid the person. People are usually more willing to forgive and forget if you make an honest attempt to make things right.

8. Think about how you think about it. You can help your feelings. You may or may not be able to affect what happens, but you can always affect the way you frame it in your mind. This will affect how you feel about it. Saying “That moron really upset me,” is likely to push your feelings into anger, unhappiness, and feelings of loss of control. Saying instead “It was difficult for us both, and it’s still not sorted,” leaves the way open for further thought and discussion.

9. Be realistic. When you’re told to be realistic, it usually means the other person thinks your expectations are too high. But ask yourself if your expectations are too low. Do you avoid testing situations that you could probably tackle perfectly well, because the possibility of failure is unbearable. This often happens with public speaking. The fearful person imagines the derision of the audience, and that imagination is enough to stop them trying.

10. Ear of your heart. When someone tells you to listen with the ear of your heart, it means to show compassion and respect to what other people are telling you. Don’t talk too much or interrupt someone who’s sharing something about themselves.

Do you want to make better use of your time at work or home?

Time management is in fact about managing yourself. It’s about making a commitment to be extra organized, maintain your focus and use your time to your best advantage.

Here are a few tips to help you become active with your time:

1. Make a plan. It’s never too early to start figuring out how you’ll do all the work in each of your five classes. In fact, the very first day of classes is the right time. Enter all the assignments—including weekly assignments, quizzes, and exercises or short papers—into your electronic or print calendar. Then develop a plan for both your run-of-the-mill weekly studying and the mondo research paper or killer final.

2. Learn to say NO. For example, an acquaintance of yours would like you to see a movie with him tonight. You made social plans for tomorrow with your friends and tonight you were going to study and do laundry. You really are not interested. You want to say no, but you hate turning people down. Politely saying no should become a habit. Saying no frees up time for the things that are most important.

3. Create time management goals. Remember, the focus of time management is actually changing your behaviors, not changing time. A good place to start is by eliminating your personal time-wasters. For one week, for example, set a goal that you’re not going to take personal phone calls while you’re working.

4. Do the most important thing first. Trapani calls this “running a morning dash”. When she sits down to work in the morning, before she checks any email, she spends an hour on the most important thing on her to-do list. This is a great idea because even if you can’t get the whole thing done in an hour, you’ll be much more likely to go back to it once you’ve gotten it started. She points out that this dash works best if you organize the night before so when you sit down to work you already know what your most important task of the day is.

5. Learn to Prioritize. Prioritizing your responsibilities and engagements is very important. Some people do not know how to prioritize and become procrastinators. A “to do list” places items in order of importance. One method is the ABC list. This list is divided into three sections; a, b, or c. The items placed in the A section are those needed to be done that day. The items placed in the B section need completion within the week. The C section items are those things that need to be done within the month. As the B, C items become more pertinent they are bumped up to the A or B list. Try it or come up with your own method, but do it.

6. Admit multitasking is bad.For people who didn’t grow up watching TV, typing out instant messages and doing homework all at the same time, multitasking is deadly. But it decreases everyone’s productivity, no matter who they are. “A 20-year-old is less likely to feel overwhelmed by demands to multitask, but young people still have a loss of productivity from multitasking,” says Trapani.

7. Learn to focus. You’re used to getting your content in 140-character units, in 20-second bursts, or with lots of video to go with it. But college is not Twitter, YouTube, or Hulu. In college, whether in the lecture, the reading, or the problem sets, sustained attention is needed. Learn to focus—without breaks and without additional stimulation—for 15- to 20-minute units. We know it’s hard to reprogram your brain. But doing so will prevent your having to start focusing again—and overcoming your resistance—50 times an hour.

8. Dare to be slow. Remember that a good time manager actually responds to some things more slowly than a bad time manager would. For example, someone who is doing the highest priority task is probably not answering incoming email while they’re doing it.

9. Use time management tools. Whether it’s a Day-Timer or a software program, the first step to physically managing your time is to know where it’s going now and planning how you’re going to spend your time in the future. A software program such as Outlook, for instance, lets you schedule events easily and can be set to remind you of events in advance, making your time management easier.

10. Divide and conquer. Break up larger projects, such as research papers, field studies, and cumulative finals, into manageable chunks. And spread the stages over a reasonable number of days. Always add some extra time above what you think you need, because usually there’s a major crunch or crisis toward the end. It’s better to have a little extra time than to find yourself running around like a madman when your computer crashes at 4 o’clock the morning before a paper is due.

Volunteer :  Someone who contributes time, effort and talent to meet a need or further a mission, without going on the payroll.

Why become a volunteer?

People volunteer for lots of reasons, and often it is a very personal decision. There are lots of benefits to be gained, including:

Gain specific skills to add to your CV

All employers look for transferable skills such as team working, problem solving, leadership and communication skills. Volunteering can be an excellent way to gain these skills and provide impressive evidence for your CV and applications. The skills that you develop through voluntary work are regarded as highly by employers as skills gained through any other type of activity. Indeed, working on a voluntary basis can also be a clear way of demonstrating your commitment, determination and drive.

Give something back

You may want to contribute your time and effort for the well being of the local community. Volunteering can be a great way to help improve the lives of others and enable you to have a beneficial impact on your local community. It can also help individuals feel more connected to their local environment and those around them.

Try out a career path

You may decide you would like to experiment with a career before fully committing yourself.

Gain experience for a specific career

You may need to get specific experience related to your chosen career. For many careers such as social work, teaching, journalism and jobs in conservation and the environment volunteer experience is essential.

Training and accreditation

Most volunteering will involve some level of training. You might also receive accredited training or the chance to work towards an award or qualification such as the Leicester Award for Employability Skills.

Make a difference

Perhaps you are inspired by a particular issue and want to make a difference in that area.

Meet new people

Volunteering can expand your social circle and put you in contact with people you might otherwise not meet. You may also find that the project you work on helps you to meet people with similar outlooks to your own.

New challenges

For fun!

It’s a brilliant way to have fun and enjoy your spare time!

Improve your health and well being

What is voluntary work?

Voluntary work is working without payment, or working for minimum expenses, for a not-for-profit organisation, such as a charity.

Why should I volunteer?

A lot of people volunteer because they want to “give back to society” or make a contribution to their community, often helping out with causes they believe in. As the volunteers’ organisation Timebank puts it: “Given the chance to do something they feel passionate about, most people develop a new sense of belonging and confidence in their community.” Voluntary work can give people the chance to travel, meet new people and accumulate life and career enhancing experiences and skills.

What can I do as a volunteer?

You can volunteer for almost everything. From national charities to local community groups, there are thousands of organisations in the UK that seek volunteers.

How much time will it take up?

As much or as little as you like - although obviously your commitment will have to be agreed with the organisation for whom you volunteer. It could be an hour a week - or it could be a long term, full time commitment, such as a two year overseas posting through Voluntary Service Overseas. You can do volunteer work during the day, the night or at weekends. You can even be a virtual volunteer - doing research over the internet or building a website.

Do I need qualifications?

Not normally, although some work may require particular skills. Voluntary organisations will offer training if necessary.

What if I volunteer then discover I don’t enjoy it?

There are no obligations for you to continue if you are unhappy - although volunteering groups advise that you talk first to the organisation you are working for.

How do I find out more about volunteering?

Several bodies exist to match volunteers with voluntary organisations. The SocietyGuardian.co.uk special report on volunteering has a list of the most useful websites. The charity YouthNet UK runs a search engine on its the Do-it website that finds volunteering opportunities within a 10km radius of your address.

Sources:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/

http://www2.le.ac.uk/

Many people simply enjoy a healthy sex life because sex is pleasurable. Now there’s another reason to stay under the sheets; there are substantial health benefits of sex.

Here are ten different reasons why sex and sexual activity may help you live a longer, happier life due to the health benefits of sex:

1. Sex burns calories

Thirty minutes of sex burns 85 calories or more. It may not sound like much, but it adds up: 42 half-hour sessions will burn 3,570 calories, more than enough to lose a pound. Doubling up, you could drop that pound in 21 hour-long sessions.

2. Good sex reduce stress, sleep well

A recent survey revealed that people who have more sex reported that they felt more at ease, happier and learned how to handle stress better. So perhaps the term “sexual frustration” is not too far from the truth. After an orgasm, an intense wave of calm and relaxation overcomes humans (that’s why men usually fall asleep) and it’s a time when people can truly liberate themselves and let go. Plenty of people who enjoy a regular dose of sex convey that they sleep much better during the night and feel alive and refreshed throughout the day. So, one of the health benefits of sex is a better nights sleep, which allows you to handle day-to-day stress much more efficiently

3. Sex increase blood flow

It goes without saying that when we get aroused our blood starts to pump at a quicker rate and, thus, blood flow to our brain increases. Both an increased heart rate and more blood pumping through the brain result in better performance (in and out of the bedroom).

What this ultimately means is that the fresh supply of blood pumping through your body provides the organs with a healthy dose of oxygen and rids the body of old and wasteful products. So, another health benefit of sex is a cleansed system. Treat your temple right with the help of a little excitement.

4. Sex boosts self-esteem

Boosting self-esteem was one of 237 reasons people have sex, collected by University of Texas researchers and published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.

That finding makes sense to Gina Ogden, PhD, a sex therapist and marriage and family therapist in Cambridge, Mass., although she finds that those who already have self-esteem say they sometimes have sex to feel even better. “One of the reasons people say they have sex is to feel good about themselves,” she tells WebMD. “Great sex begins with self-esteem, and it raises it. If the sex is loving, connected, and what you want, it raises it.”

5. Sex life improve mental health

Sex is considered to be a form of treatment for difficulties in a person’s mental health. Depression is common in a number of groups of people; however, it has been discussed that sex could be a tool to assist in relieving depression. As discussed above, sex is considered to be a form of exercise, and some people go as far as saying that exercise may be just as effective at treating depression as antidepressant medicines

6. Sex Reduces Pain

As the hormone oxytocin surges, endorphins increase, and pain declines. So if your headache, arthritis pain, or PMS symptoms seem to improve after sex, you can thank those higher oxytocin levels.

In a study published in the Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 48 volunteers who inhaled oxytocin vapor and then had their fingers pricked lowered their pain threshold by more than half.

7. More hormones are good

Both testosterone and estrogen levels experience a boost through regular sexual activity. Testosterone does more than just boost your sex drive, it helps fortify bones and muscles, and it keeps your heart in good working condition as well.

In women, sex increases the levels of estrogen, which protects against heart disease. Ever wonder why women love the touchy, feely stuff so much? It’s because of their rise in estrogen levels. This hormone also plays a huge role in a woman’s body scent. While estrogen makes women sentimental, a rise in their testosterone levels is what makes them desire penetration.

Men also produce estrogen and as they age, their estrogen levels increase while their testosterone levels drop. This reversal often results in men becoming somewhat calmer as they get on in years.

8. Good sex improve the senses

The feeling after sex is quite simply indescribable; however, not only does it leave you with an amazing feeling throughout your body, believe it or not it actually increases your sense of smell. Although this is probably the last thing you are thinking about after experiencing mind shattering, knee knocking, finger tingling sex, you will have produced the hormone ‘prolactin surges’. Alan Farnham in his article ‘Is Sex Necessary’ (Forbes.com) describes this hormone as causing stem cells in your brain to develop new neurons in the brain’s olfactory bulb (its smell centre).

9. Sex reduces prostate cancer risk

Frequent ejaculations, especially in 20-something men, may reduce the risk of prostate cancer later in life, Australian researchers reported in the British Journal of Urology International. When they followed men diagnosed with prostate cancer and those without, they found no association of prostate cancer with the number of sexual partners as the men reached their 30s, 40s, and 50s.

10. Sex Helps You Sleep Better

The oxytocin released during orgasm also promotes sleep, according to research.

And getting enough sleep has been linked with a host of other good things, such as maintaining a healthy weight and blood pressure. Something to think about, especially if you’ve been wondering why your guy can be active one minute and snoring the next.

Healthy Body, Healthy Sex

Health is important for life and sex. Without it, neither can exist. Sex is life and, certainly, life is a product of sex, but how good or bad it is depends entirely on you. By making slight changes to your lifestyle such as taking the stairs, joining a gym, getting off the couch and thinking about the quality of food you put in your system, you will finely tune your mind and body into sex-worthy shape. Maintain a healthy, active, focused life and your sex will improve immensely.

If you desire to stay positive in your life, try to avoid these bad human habits. When you make these changes, you will feel it will make great changes in the way you see things and will help you live a happier life.

1. Fear “Fear” is one of the harmful negative or depressing emotions. Fear, like all other depressing emotions, poisons the body. This is not said in a figurative sense. It is an actual scientific fact; it has been demonstrated chemically. Were it not for the fact that the lungs, skin, kidneys and the bowels are constantly removing poisons from the body, an acute attack of fear would prove fatal.

2. Worry Worrying is perhaps the most common and the worst of our mental sins. Worry is like a cancer: It eats in and in. It is destructive of both body and mind. It is due largely to lack of self-control and is a symptom of cowardice. Much worry is also indicative of great selfishness, which most of those afflicted will deny. Those who worry much are always in poor health, which grows progressively worse. The form of indigestion accompanied by great acidity and gas formation is a prolific source of worry, as well as of other mental and physical troubles. The acidity irritates the nervous system and the irritation in time causes mental depression.

3. Quiltiness/regret. For one thing, we are all guilty. We live not knowing as much as we need to know about the problems that we have, and so we make mistakes, all of us. It is Nature itself that is imperfect, and we are all the heirs of this imperfection. Knowing that you are totally created makes it possible to rise above personal injuries and move beyond guiltiness and regret. In the words of Lao-Tse, “When I let go of who I am, I become who I might be.”

4. Depression-despair. Depression affects more than just an individual’s mood and general overall sense of well being. Depression surfaces in a number of other ways, including the form of eating disorders. To be a whole person again, you can move away from ignoring or repudiating your bad feelings and move into a position of being receptive to change. From this position you are compassionate - you recognize that you are more than your bad feelings. Implicit in this attitude lie the words, “I am with you. I do not turn away from you. I acknowledge you. I recognize your bad feelings. My compassion recognizes that you are more than you think you are. Who you are and who you have been have been produced by the processes of Nature/life. I do not repudiate or desert any of you. I do not turn my back on you. I do not try to will you out of existence. I acknowledge your existence, each part of your body and each part of your mind. A person is going to feel the full range of human feelings, including fear, shame, hostility, and guiltiness.

5. Anger. Anger is a normal human emotion. However, when it’s unresolved or unchecked, it can lead to devastating consequences for the person holding onto the anger and those around him or her. The major reason that anger is so difficult to manage for most people is that it has become a habitual response to certain people, places and situations. Most habits tend to operate below our awareness—meaning we react without considering our choices

6. Self-blame If you are down on yourself, practicing a lot of self-blame, please remember that it is very difficult to get by in this complicated world as it is without any disorders. Blaming yourself for all kinds of stuff such as whether other people are happy, whether other people work hard, whether your relationship fails to thrive, whether a social event is going well - is so much work! People who blame themselves for too much mistake influence for control. A mother may be able to influence her child when it comes to academic study but she can’t completely control the child’s motivation (or lack of). You may be able to influence whether your partner or friend has a good time but you certainly can’t be totally responsible.

7. Indifference is an absence of compulsion to or toward one thing or another.

To be indifferent is to realize that I have no interest — not now, not yet or maybe ever — in something I have become aware of and spent some time prioritizing. To not know is to realize how futile self-importance is. Ignorance however represents a procrastinization of thought. Ignorance is the substitution of belief for knowledge. Where continuing ignorance would curtain with darkness, realization provides the ubiquity of sun light. The bliss of ignorance is ironic — I’m giving away my bliss to the rapturous.

The United Nations has released its 2009 Human Development Index (HDI). The index uses three major factors to compare countries on how they treat their own citizens. The countries rated highest are generally considered the best countries to live in.

The factors considered in computing the index are health, knowledge and standard of living. Health is determined by life expectancy at birth. Knowledge is measured by a combination of the adult literacy rate and the gross school enrollment ratio. Standard of living is arrived at by the Gross Domestic Product per capita.

For the second year running, Norway has been named as the best place in the world to live, according to an annual report from the United Nations.

Sierra Leone was placed last, and the bottom 24 countries are all in Africa.

Here are the top 25 countrys according to the HDI:

1. Norway

2. Australia

3. Iceland

4. Canada

5. Ireland

6. Netherlands

7. Sweden

8. France

9. Switzerland

10. Japan

11. Luxembourg

12. Finland

13. United States

14. Austria

15. Spain

16. Denmark

17. Belgium

18. Italy

19. Liechtenstein

20. New Zealand

21. United Kingdom

22. Germany

23. Singapore

24. Hong Kong

25. Greece

These are the 15 countries with the lowest HDI (starting with the worst):

182. Niger

181. Afghanistan

180. Sierra Leone

179. Central African Republic

178. Mali

177. Burkina Faso

176. Congo

175. Chad

174. Burundi

173. Guinea-Bissau

172. Mozambique

171. Ethiopia

170. Guinea

169. Liberia

168. Gambia