Simple Pleasures, Everyday Joie de Vivre.

Photo by Karsten Würth on Unsplash With the weather soaring into heated temperatures and crazy weather patterns all over the world, more people are concerned about the state of the environment and what they can do to help. So here are a few helpful hints for doing your fair share. I know it's a lot, and it's tempting to opt for more convenient options, but just try to do what you can. Even something as simple as tuning the lights off when you're not in the room can make a profound difference.  Turn the lights off when you're not in the room.  Pay your electricity company for green power. If they don't have this option, switch to a company that does.  Use a thermos to keep your tea or coffee hot, rather than boiling the kettle over and over again keep some tea or coffee in a thermos flask.  Recycle: Look for the little recycling symbols on your packaging and recycle accordingly.  Install solar power. If you own your own home, install solar panels. It's cheaper a...

Photo by Look Studio on Unsplash Sometimes looking at things from another point of view can be refreshing and enlightening. So what do other cultures say about motivation and well-being? Read on  to find out.  Willpower in Tao, mastery. If you act with vigor you will have willpower.  Mastering others is strength, mastering self is power.  Virya Virya is Sanskrit for energy, diligence, enthusiasm, zeal & effort.  It pertains to perseverance and vigor, It also stands for courage and strength. Virya is the antidote to Thina. Thina pertains to sluggishness, dullness and lack of drive. The Dalia Lama says that it is wise to be diligent.  Ppalli-Ppalli Ppalli-Ppalli  Is South Korean for the concept of speed. The phrase basically means  Quick quick, hurry hurry.  From serving in a restaurant in minutes to erecting buildings years before the deadline, Korean is a culture based on speediness. If you think about it, doing things with haste is more...

Photo by Jamison Wieser on Flickr Do you remember the golden story of the Little Engine that Could? A locomotive breaks down and other engines are asked to pull the train over the mountain but they have excuses for not doing it: One is broken down, one is too pompous, one is too self important, and one lacks the strength and determination. Finally a little switch engine is asked to pull the train and she decides to give it a go. So off she goes, repeating the phrase 'I think I can - I think I can - I think I can. Anyway she makes it over the mountain and then uses the phrase I thought I could - I thought I could - I thought I could. The moral of the story is to teach children about optimism and hard work. So using the idea of a train we are going to see how to manage projects and achieve goals. First: Plan your trip.  Decide on your project. Choose something you've been meaning to do to work on. It should challenge you just enough to interest you and not so much that's it...

Photo by Randy Fath on Unsplash This article is about health food, particularly processed foods. Processed foods are foods that have been treated to make them more convenient, improve taste and preserve. Whole foods are foods which stay close to their original state. As in an apple over an apple pie, or whole meal flour over white flour. The problem is that the processed foods spike your blood sugar and then a bit later you come down. Whereas the whole foods tend to keep your blood sugar stable, so you should also see an improvement in your moods and energy levels.  One of the best things you can do for your health is eliminate unhealthy foods, such as processed foods, sugars, and saturated fats. After you've read this article go to you pantry and throw away all the unhealthy food.  Swap white pasta with whole meal pasta. Stop eating sugar altogether. Replace sugar with stevia. A little bit of honey or fruit is okay.  Swap out ramen with brown rice pre-cooked sachets or ...

Attitude is everything. Success is just a mindset. The following 10 principles will help you to believe and achieve. You will also feel happier and more fulfilled in your life. Refer back to this article whenever you have fall-back and simply get back on track! Okay, let's go! Belief You can if you believe you can. Have faith and believe in yourself. Be positive about yourself, try listing your strengths and achievements. Eliminate negative thinking and don't ever beat yourself up. Things sometimes happen by chance, it's not necessarily your fault when things go wrong. Keep a growth mindset and continue to learn from your mistakes.  Work Take action. Be constructive  and, be consistent.  Hard work is the proverbial philosophers stone. ' Inspiration  strikes at 9 am'. (Somerset Maugham), 'Early to bed early to rise, makes a person healthy, wealthy and wise'. (English proverb). 'Work while it's day'. (Bible). 'Make hay while the sun shines'...

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash   The Busy Bee Knows No Sorrow. - English proverb Activity is often the cure for things like depression, avolition and apathy. Procrastination is the thief of time. Keeping occupied helps you to achieve more and can expand your sense of self. So let's get over the inertia and get going. ' Life is like riding a bicycle . To keep your balance, you must keep moving'.-  Albert Einstein 'One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself'. - Lucille Ball. Keep active and stay busy. Be present and engaged in everything you do. Exercise you body everyday. Inertia and rumination are a sure-fire recipe for feeling unhappy, you wallow in your thoughts and can't find anything to cheer you up.  'Inaction breeds doubt and fear.  Action breeds confidence and courage . If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think a...

Photo by Kinga Howard on Unsplash Sleep is integral to life. When you sleep you rest, and rejuvenate, ready for the next day. Sleeping too much or too little effects your life and work for the worse. Fatigue is stressful and it makes it dangerous to drive and operate machinery. Taking control of your sleep patterns can change your life for the better. And you are not always of the mercy of your tiredness or insomnia. There's things you can do to change. Whether it's sleep-hygiene, relaxation, herbal medicine or just having an alarm clock that works for you I assure you the situation is retrievable. So, just read on to find out how.  Sleep Hygiene So the question is, what is sleep hygiene.? It basically consists of going to bed and getting up at the same time every morning. It could include sleeping right through the night and not napping during the day if possible. Although I know naps can be nice but try not to.  Insomnia Insomnia is a state of not being able to sleep on tim...