Thursday, 22 December 2011

Il Divo Release Come What May in Spanish

Wonderful Il Divo have just released a new album "Wicked Game"

I am a fan of Baz Luhrmann's film "Moulin Rouge" and on their new album, pop-opera Il Divo do a cover of "Come What May" in Spanish called "Te Amare". I am in Heaven!

Download the MP3 of Come What May (Te Amare)

Here are the lyrics:


Lyrics | Il Divo lyrics - Come What May lyrics

On this page http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/i/il_divo/come_what_may.html you can download a "Come What May" ringtone and link to lyrics of Il Divo songs.

Buy Il Divo - Wicked Game

To date, IL DIVO have sold more than 25 million albums and have the only classical crossover album, Ancora, to ever enter the Billboard Top 200 at #1.

See Il Divo on tour at Il Divo.com

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Friday, 16 December 2011

I Had The Strangest Dream Whilst Taking a Catnap

I had the strangest dream whilst taking a catnap during working hours.

Next to my bed was a carpeted seating area with lots of cushions. Outside of this was a small flat roof which was overflowing with rainwater although it seemed to me there had been no rain recently and it was pleasantly sunny. The rainwater did not go down the drainpipe presumably because it was blocked by leaves and I had not cleared the blockage. Instead the rainwater was coming into my bedroom via a ventilation brick. I saw the water which was a couple of inches deep and was moving the cushions away when I heard a sound in the adjacent store room.

I found there a workman and asked him what he thought he was doing and how had he got into my house? He replied, “Well, I’m working with Mark.” Mark was a carpenter who specialized in marquetry. I had hired him to do some decorative woodwork in my living room. At that point, Mark walked sheepishly into my bedroom, apologized that he had not told me that the other man would be there and he had used my key rather than first check whether I was at home.

Suddenly, I heard my son laughing and playing in the garden and remembered that he had a friend with him. I looked out of the window and saw them running out of the garden down a side road. I called out to him but he did not hear. I left the workmen and ran after my son and his friend.

At the bottom of the road were ordinary houses but today the area had been transformed into an outdoors convention of The Salvation Army, the people who wear uniforms and play religious music and preach the Gospel. They can often be seen in town centres around Christmas when people give them money for the poor. In fact, I saw a TV commercial for them yesterday hoping to raise money for families who could not afford to buy any Christmas presents, let alone the ones their children really wanted. Meanwhile my children will receive an excess of LEGO and other toys which they want.

There were some stands set up providing drinks and food for these people but not the loud, garish burgers and chips type of stalls. They were serving plain warm English food like stew and bowls of soup.

This chain of events is symbolic to me. First, I was sleeping during working hours. On the one hand I know I should not have been doing this although I accept that a short sleep is better than a couple of coffees when tired. I know tonight that I have two hours of driving and an evening of networking so want to be refreshed.

I thought it had been sunny and had not noticed the rain which was now overflowing. There is a financial crisis on which I tend to think of affecting other people, not me, due to my mindset. At the same time I am dipping into capital rather than doing the necessary work to create income through different sources.

I was spending money on decorative work rather than ensuring the foundations were strong ie allowing the flooding to happen by not clearing the drainpipes. Beauty is a high value of mine and I like to look at beautiful things. Sometimes I fail to see the reality because I am so focused on what I want to see.

My son and his friend were alone yet I was responsible for them both. Why was I sleeping instead of supervising them? I am often doing my things but not being there for my children, especially my younger son, as the older one receives more attention through help with his school studies.

The Salvation Army were gently, in a non-intrusive way, reminding me of my soul, my spiritual side.

All very vivid and clearly lots of messages.

©Antonia Harrison 2011 from Personal Development in the 21st Century

Thursday, 15 December 2011

Don't Cry Because It's Over

“Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.” - Dr Seuss

Stand Up For Sprouts at Christmas

http://standupforsprouts.org/

In a recent survey, nobody liked sprouts.

Every year, millions of sprouts are mercilessly rounded up and boiled for no other reason than that’s the way it’s always been.

It’s time to put a stop to this barbaric practice.

P.S. My sons and I actually like sprouts. My youngest son even craves them!

Wednesday, 14 December 2011

The Wrong Email Address - Brilliant

A Scottish couple decided to go to Spain to thaw out during a particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years earlier. Due to hectic schedules, it was difficult to coordinate their travel schedules. So the husband left Glasgow and flew to Barcelona on Thursday, with his wife flying down the following day. The husband checked into the hotel. There was a computer in his room, so he decided to send an email to his wife. However, he accidentally left out one letter in her email address, and without realizing his error, sent the email.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Blackpool, a widow had just returned home from her husband's funeral. He was a minister who died following a heart attack. The widow decided to check her email expecting messages from relatives and friends After reading the first message, she screamed and fainted. The widow's son rushed into the room , found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen which read:

To: My Loving Wife

Subject: I've Arrived

I know you're surprised to hear from me. They have computers here now and you are allowed to send emails to your loved ones. I've just arrived and have been checked in. I see that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then! Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.

P.S. F***ing hot down here!

Euro Zone - a story about how the bailout package works

Seen on Facebook today:

It is a slow day in a little Greek Village. The rain is beating down and the streets are deserted. Times are tough, everybody is in debt, and everybody lives on credit.

On this particular day a rich German tourist is driving through the village, stops at the local hotel and lays a €100 note on the desk, telling the hotel owner he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick one to spend the night.

The owner gives him some keys and, as soon as the visitor has walked upstairs, the hotelier grabs the €100 note and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher.

The butcher takes the €100 note and runs down the street to repay his debt to the pig farmer.

The pig farmer takes the €100 note and heads off to pay his bill at the supplier of feed and fuel.

The guy at the Farmers' Co-op takes the €100 note and runs to pay his drinks bill at the Taverna.

The publican slips the money along to the local prostitute drinking at the bar, who has also been facing hard times and has had to offer him "services" on credit.

The hooker then rushes to the hotel and pays off her room bill to the hotel owner with the €100 note.

The hotel proprietor then places the €100 note back on the counter so the rich traveller will not suspect anything.

At that moment the traveller comes down the stairs, picks up the €100 note, states that the rooms are not satisfactory, pockets the money, and leaves town. No one produced anything. No one earned anything. However, the whole village is now out of debt and looking to the future with a lot more optimism.

So now you know how the bailout package works!

Tuesday, 13 December 2011

Top Five Regrets of the Dying

I saw this article about a a powerful book by a wonderful woman named Bronnie Ware which focuses in on the actual voiced regrets of people she encountered when they were dying. Powerful stuff – go and pick up the book! Here’s a small excerpt:

For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.

People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learnt never to underestimate someone’s capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.

When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.

It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.

This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.

By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.

We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.

It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.

When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.

Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. Did this article stir something in your soul (like it did with mine)? Let’s talk. I’ve worked with many clients who have the same questions — and we developed a successful plan to turn that around. If you’re not a client . . . pick up the phone and call me. You can find me at http://www.AntoniaHarrison.com

article by Rich Gee

Wednesday, 7 December 2011

Be Grateful for our Children

My little boy asked me if it was difficult for me to look after him and his older brother. I gave him my knee-jerk answer in the affirmative. But then I thought about my answer and brought up the subject the next day on the school run. I told him there are times when my patience runs out, when I am tired, when they make a mess, when they don't listen or simply disobey. when they are simply too demanding, when I think of the sacrifices I have made and continue making. All of that is true but there is a yin and yang in everything. For every action in the universe there is a reaction. I could dwell on the negatives which would make me more tired, more stressed. Or I could think of the positives, of the joy, the fun, the proud moments and all the little moments when having children is the most wonderful gift anyone could imagine. There is so much to be grateful for about my boys.

"The Secret" reminds us that if we dwell on the things we don´t want we shall only reap more of what we don´t want. Instead focus on what we are grateful for, really develop a sense of gratitude and we shall see the good rather than bring ourselves down by focussing on the bad.

I recommend you visit my blog post Importance of Keeping a Gratitude Journal at http://the-secret-and-law-of-attraction.blogspot.com/2007/10/importance-of-keeping-gratitude-journal.html< This has helped me so much. In one of Oprah's final programmes she mentioned the Gratitude Journal and what a profound effect it has had on her life. The book starts on 1 January so now is a great time to give yourself and your loved ones this book - the best Christmas present which will last a lifetime.

Tuesday, 6 December 2011

Wanted: Internal Communications Specialist

1. Internal Communications: Implement the standards of internal communications in line with a Universal roadmap and priorities. Adapt internal communications to the current local requirements. Responsible for internal channels and memorable interactive events.

2. Change Management: Through internal communications support change management processes and programs coordinating them lightly and closely with the creative sources. Advocate and promote the development of an even state of mind. Support adapting and implementing abundance for all on Earth, worldwide binding principles, codes and standards, like Vision and Values, in such a way that they are understood and lived by all participants at all levels in the world. Build a close relationship with a mentor and guides to develop Internal Communication programs that will achieve a sustainable value contribution and build a strong internal conviction.

3. Brand Management: Manage the universal brand operationally on the inside and in close cooperation with yellow. Encourage internal and external communications and events that determine and increase beauty on the planet.

4. Messaging : Invite internal messaging that combines a cosmic “message house” material with local heart/mind messaging to co-create briefing materials that will dazzle and inspire. Design and teach with sketches, doodles and documents for various participating audiences to build message consistency and skill.

5. Stakeholders and Media Relations: Establishing and cultivating respectful relations with all beings seen and unseen, focusing on close proximity audiences. Able to be a spokesperson for love. Play and organize interviews, film and photo shoots in Cape-Town with key listeners, thought thinkers, decision makers and friends. Give prizes and thank you gifts.

6. Communications: Effective communications plan that works with ancient wisdom and the corresponding strength to apply universal love. Co-develop and communicate the availability of helpful tools and training for use in internal communication and offer to the world at large. Participate in nature walks with business associates and senior management. These plans should blend with virtues such as compassion, tolerance and patience and understanding.

7. Sustainability : Support gardens and people at one with the natural environment in the communication of sustainability strategy and activities.

8. Management: Facilitator of a team, mind, body and soul, bringing added value, sharing best practises and lessons learned, developing stories to be used in global communications channels. Start immediately.

From a Henkel headhunting ad.

Tuesday, 13 September 2011

How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

Here are our three chickens. They give us delicious eggs so I wanted to know how to cook perfect hard boiled eggs and found this advice on a blog.




Cook time: 12 minutes

If you want hard boiled eggs that are easy to peel, make sure they are several days old. If this is Easter time, and everyone is buying their eggs at the last minute, buy your eggs 5 days in advance of boiling. Hard boiling farm fresh eggs will invariably lead to eggs that are difficult to peel. If you have boiled a batch that are difficult to peel, try putting them in the refrigerator for a few days; they should be easier to peel then. If you need to hard cook fresh eggs, and want them easy to peel, steaming the eggs works well. Even fresh eggs steamed for 20 minutes will be easy to peel.

METHOD
1 Put the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan, covered by at least 1-2" of cold water. Starting with cold water and gently bringing the eggs to a boil will help keep them from cracking. Some people add a tablespoon of vinegar to the water to help keep the egg whites from running out of any eggs that happen to crack while cooking, but some people find that the vinegar affects the taste. Adding a half teaspoon of salt is thought to help both with the preventing of cracking and making the eggs easier to peel. Put the burner on high and bring the eggs to a boil. As soon as the water starts to boil, remove the pan from the heat for a few seconds.

2 Reduce the heat to low, return the pan to the burner. Let simmer for one minute. (Note I usually skip this step because I don't notice the eggs boiling until they've been boiling for at least a minute! Also, if you are using an electric stove with a coil element, you can just turn off the heat. There is enough residual heat in the coil to keep the eggs simmering for a minute.)

3 After a minute, remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let sit for 12 minutes. If you are doing a large batch of eggs, after 10 minutes you can check for doneness by sacrificing one egg, removing it with a slotted spoon, running it under cold water, and cutting it open. If it isn't done, cook the other eggs a minute or two longer. The eggs should be done perfectly at 10 minutes, but sometimes, depending on the shape of the pan, the size of the eggs, the number of eggs compared to the amount of water, and how cooked you like them, it can take a few minutes more. When you find the right time that works for you given your pan, the size of eggs you usually buy, the type of stove top you have, stick with it.

I also find that it is very hard to overcook eggs using this method. I can let the eggs sit, covered, for up to 15-20 minutes without the eggs getting overcooked.
4 Either remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place them into a bowl of ice water (this is if you have a lot of eggs) OR strain out the water from the pan, fill the pan with cold water, strain again, fill again, until the eggs cool down a bit. Once cooled, strain the water from the eggs. Store the eggs in a covered container (eggs can release odors) in the refrigerator. They should be eaten within 5 days.

Source: Elise - Simply Recipes

Monday, 12 September 2011

The Purpose of Life is to be Happy

“I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the principal source of success in life. Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace.” - Christopher Howard

Wednesday, 7 September 2011

Regain Control of Your Life

Regain control of your life and your results so that you can begin to live with passion, purpose and power.

How Hugs are Proven to Help Your Health: Have You Been Hugged Today?

Hugs certainly feel good, both on the giving and receiving end, and it turns out their effects are more than skin deep. A study by University of North Carolina researchers found that hugs increase the "bonding" hormone oxytocin and decrease the risk of heart disease.

Hugs are good for your heart, they lower blood pressure, and reduce stress, so make it a point to hug someone today.

In fact, when couples hugged for 20 seconds, their levels of oxytocin, released during childbirth and breastfeeding, increased. Those in loving relationships had the highest increases.

Meanwhile, levels of the stress hormone cortisol decreased in women, as did their blood pressure. Said lead researcher and psychologist Dr. Karen Grewen, "Greater partner support is linked to higher oxytocin levels for both men and women. However, the importance of oxytocin and its potentially cardioprotective effects may be greater for women."

Hugging for Your Heart
"Scientists are increasingly interested in the possibility that positive emotions can be good for your health. This study has reinforced research findings that support from a partner, in this case a hug from a loved one, can have beneficial effects on heart health," said Dr. Charmaine Griffiths, spokesperson for the British Heart Foundation.
Indeed, a previous study, also led by Grewen, found that hugging and handholding reduces the effects of stress. Two groups of couples were asked to talk about an angry event, but one group had previously held hands and hugged, while the others sat alone. It was found that:

• Blood pressure increased significantly more among the no-contact group as compared to the huggers.
• Heart rate among those without contact increased 10 beats a minute, compared to five beats a minute for huggers.

What's more, Grewen suggests that warm contact such as hugs and hand-holding before the start of a rough day "could carry over and protect you throughout the day."

Benefits of Touch Start Early
A hearty hug in the morning may help your loved one ward off stress all day.
Humans are clearly social animals, as evidenced by countless studies showing that those who have friends are healthier, as are people who are married.

We need social contact, and that includes touch, even beyond a couple's capacity. Take, for example, the fact that babies benefit from skin-to-skin contact with their mother with better physical development and positive bonding.

A telling example was a study of Korean infants in an orphanage. Those who received an extra 15 minutes of a female voice, massage and eye-to-eye contact, five days a week for four weeks, gained more weight and had greater increases in body length and head circumferences after the four weeks and at 6 months of age than children without the extra stimulation.

Therapeutic touch has also been shown to reduce stress and pain among adults, and reduces symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, such as restlessness, pacing, vocalization, searching and tapping.

Time to Get, and Give, More Hugs
"U.S. couples aren't very touchy feely in public," says Tiffany Field of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami Medical School. This is a shame as touch also releases two feel-good brain chemicals, serotonin and dopamine. Yet, according to Field's studies of U.S. and Parisian cafes, French couples spend three times more time touching than American couples.

So what are we waiting for? Grab your partner, friend or family member and give them a hug today. And if you're really feeling bold, check out the first link below and treat your significant other to a special treat tonight.

Recommended Reading
The Amazing Benefits of Massage and Different Types of Massage Explained
How to Drop the Drama and Master the Art of Loving Simply in Seven Easy Steps


Source: SixWise

Monday, 5 September 2011

The American Banker and the Mexican Fisherman



The American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.



Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.



The Mexican replied, "Only a little while."



The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?"



The Mexican said, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs."



The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"



The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life."



The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."



The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"



To which the American replied, "15 to 20 years."



"But what then?" asked the Mexican.



The American laughed and said that's the best part. "When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."



"Millions?...Then what?"



The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."