Earthly Sensibilities.TheLittle Green Blogis a comprehensive online resource for all ecological concerns.
If your goal is to make sure that every aspect of your life is ecologically sound, then the Little Green Blog is sure to be your favorite one-stop online resource center.
The blog has got everything covered with its five main content categories: Family and Food, Green Tips, Mind and Spirit, Health and Wellness, and Green Home. It even has a repository of all sorts of information and articles discussing green living.
The blog draws in more members by its interactive approach. For those who are new to the concept of being green, there are fun do-it-yourself projects (such as growing your own tomatoes and other vegetables) that you can try out.
To wit, the Little Green Blog makes it very easy--and very enjoyable--to be green.
Pseudo Cure. Massachusetts Institute of Technology behavioral economist Dan Ariely talks about what makes placebos work.
When I was a kid, my mom would give me some Smarties whenever I scraped my knees or bumped my head. She told me that eating the red ones would make the pain go away. Of course, I believed her. So, whenever I was in pain, I would immediately wolf down a handful of them and then feel fine.
Little did I know that I was an unwitting guine pig in my mom's own version of a placebo treatment.
Placebo trials have remained controversial--and very fascinating. If anything, the results of the said trials give credence to the fact that the human mind is powerful enough to help the body overcome pain and, perhaps, other health quirks.
In particular, placebos have been noted for the following "powers:"
1. It's a painkiller. Various research show that subjects who take placebos report significant signs of improvement--especially in the areas of pain management. For some reason, the faux pill makes the patient adopt a mind-over-matter stance against pain.
2. It soothes nerves. Research participants likewise report feeling calmer after ingesting placebos. Experts say this is because the participant gets some peace of mind after taking a pill that's supposed to make him or her feel better.
3. It fires up energy. When subjects strongly believe that the placebo pill is the real deal, their brains release chemicals designed to fight depression or raise energy levels.
Whether or not placebos are really potent mind boosters, the fact remains that they play a part in making people feel better. Because while the so-called placebo pills get a lot of attention, the real milestones in such trials are the many mysteries of the human mind that get discovered.
Slow Down. If you've got the cash, it doesn't necessarily mean you have to spend it all on outrageously-priced items such as luxury cars.
Answer me this. If you had five million dollars to spend, what would you do with it right now?
Chances are, you (just like many of us) will be splurging on some luxury items. Maybe the largest plasma TV available? What about jewelry? Or, better yet, care for a luxury car or two?
If you've got cash to burn, it's easy to get carried away. The rush of excess cash will go right to your head and override your good sense. But, even without five million dollars at our disposal, many of us make the mistake of buying big ticket items.
To make sure that you don't give in to the costly temptation, here are three questions you ought to ask yourself when you're all set to take home something that costs and arm and a leg:
1. Do I really need it? Ask yourself if the item will improve the quality of your life. Don't just use arbitrary reasons. You must justify why it absolutely has to be in your life. For instance, what would an oversized plasma TV add to your life when you already have a modest-sized TV that's still working. You should also ask yourself if you can really afford to have the big ticket. Consider maintenance and other costs attached to it.
2. Do I know enough about it? You have to know if you will use the item to the fullest? You can't just buy, say, a souped up 13" laptop if you really don't like working on something that small. Or, perhaps, the product in question involves more effort before you can use it. Case in point: Fancy furniture that need to be assembled.
3. Can I get it for less? It's a bad idea to snap up the first thing in sight when it comes to pricey stuff. If you're shopping around for, say, a pair of high-end shoes, it pays that you visit multiple stores or explore other avenues before you decide to shell out some cash for it. This way, you'll still get the best price for the item.
Keep in mind that you have to be prudent with your finances even if you do have excess cash. Sure, you can treat yourself to big ticket items. But that doesn't mean you have to go crazy over them. No sense in wasting money.
This is proven in the Recession-Proof Your Career Strategy Cashmap. One of it's segments, "Increase Job Security," tackles the strategic moves you can take so that you get to "a position of strength and security."
According to the map featured in the segment, you must possess qualities that would make it near-impossible for the company to replace you. Here are three of the sought-after qualities:
1. Positive Attitude. It makes more sense to stick with an employee with a can-do spirit than one who keeps asking what the company can do for him or her. It pays to present yourself as a problem-solver in every way. It doesn't mean that you have to do everything, you just have to make it clear that you're willing to do whatever it takes to help the company achieve its targets.
2. Initiative. You will stand out if you take it upon yourself to find ways to make things more efficient at work. You don't have to wait to be told to improve yourself or find better ways of doing things. The company will appreciate your initiative, as it means that you're making the most out of your workdays.
3. Good Internal Relations. Being able to work with all sorts of people in the company is an asset. It's a skill that can't be taught. The fact that you already command people's respect without anyone else having to mediate saves the company a lot of time. Your good rep will get you classified as a keeper.
No matter what your position may be, it's imperative that you show how much you take pride in your tasks. More importantly, you have to perform your duties impeccably so that when your bosses do the math, the odds will be in your favor.
User Friendly. Parsons Buick--a car dealer based in Plainville, Connecticut--makes sure that its customers feel like superstars. What's the company's secret? It keeps employees happy so that they, in turn, will always cheerfully meet customers' expectations.
While high-profile promotional schemes grab customers' attention, it's old school values that turn them into your lifelong friends. The Voice of the Customer Strategy Cashmap highlights this fact, as it provides a detailed step-by-step guides to customer care. In fact, the strategies that it features all follow these three non-negotiable principles:
1. Find out customers' expectations. You have to know what makes your customers happy. You should use every means possible to get their feedback about your products and services. You can take surveys or use social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
2. Meet customers' expectations at all times. Never ever disappoint your customers. In the event of unforeseen developments (such products or services not being available) you have to go out of your way to find solutions that would make things easier for them.
3. Always try to exceed customers' expectations. You must take care not to let complacency set in. Render service or produce goods as if your life depends on it. Because, really, customer reviews can make or break your business.
Your customers determine the fate of your business. Thus, you have to get to know them and listen to what they have to say. If you do this, their loyalty to you could very well span generations. Ultimately, your success depends on your ability to take appropriate action to assure that your products and services are in alignment with what your customers want.
Good Lead. Kevin Eikenberry's book highlights the importance of honing your skills if you want to be recognized as a leader.
Is it possible to get to the top without stabbing anyone's back?
This is the question that Kevin Eikenberry aims to answer in his book Remarkable Leadership: Unleashing Your Leadership Potential One Skill at a Time. And he does answer the question in the most direct way possible. In fact, the answer is right on the book's cover.
Eikenberry reiterates that the most honorable path to becoming a leader is through strengthening and adding to one's skills. He writes: "We are all given a unique set of talents when we are born and it is our job to tap into our personal skills and abilities to maximize our potential throughout our lives. Some of our natural talents help us on our journey to become an effective leader, but other skills need to be nurtured and developed."
Eikenberry then presents a checklist of the qualities that remarkable leaders must have. They...
Learn continually
Champion change
Communicate powerfully
Build relationships
Develop others
Focus on customers
Influence with impact
Act innovatively
Value collaboration and teamwork
Solve problems and make decisions
Take responsibility and have accountability
Manage projects and processes successfully
Set goals and support goal achievement
Bottom line: Great leaders rise to the top by playing up their strengths and working on their weaknesses. They don't resort to ruthlessness to earn the right to the position. The focus on doing things to the best of their ability.
Suggested Resource: Start your journey to the top with weekly mental upgrades from the Kaizen Club.
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Doing It. Sasha Cagen, author of To-Do List: From Buying Milk to Finding a Soul Mate (What Our Lists Reveal About Us), points out that our lists are extensions of our lives.
A to-do list can either be a blessing or a curse. It's a blessing if it helps keep you focused, but it becomes a curse when you see it as "a testimony of all the things you probably won't be able to accomplish."
Simpleology user Jamie Edison certainly saw it this way. "For years, I kept writing to-do lists that would just haunt me," she shares. "It was not until I signed up for Simpleology that things became clearer to me. The course helped me get in touch with my common sense."
1. Think small. "Your to-do list doesn't have to be long," Jamie says. "It can be just three important things you have to do for that day. You don't have to prove anything to anyone. You have to be realistic about what you would be able to accomplish. Otherwise, you'll spread yourself too thin and just end up not doing anything right."
2. Set it off. "Don't let your list become the task," states Jamie. "In the past, I made the mistake of overthinking my list. Thus, I wouldn't get anything done anymore because I had wasted all my time in coming up with a list. Take 15 minutes each day to write your to-do list and then start on your first task as soon as you put down your pen."
3. Get help. "If you're really in such a scatterbrained state, it'd be a good idea for you to get a friend to help you think things through. It can't just be you and your to-do list. Another person would also be more impartial about your to-do list. In my case, my husband was the one who said, 'Honey, with all these things you want to do... How on earth are you going to fit in sleep?'"
To-do lists are supposed to help you get results, so make full use of them by getting things done in the most efficient way. As Jamie advises: "By keeping things simple, you'll find that you'll actually get more done."
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Earthly Sensibilities. The Little Green Blog is a comprehensive online resource for all ecological concerns.
