Berries: Contain lots of antioxidants to support the immune system and fight against aging and disease.

Broccoli: Rich in antioxidants, vitamins C, E and beta-carotene (A), folate and fiber – a mega immune booster.

Carrots: I’ve been told just one carrot a day can prevent from getting sick.

Citrus fruit: High in vitamin C, which helps maintain the body’s defence against bacterial infections.

Fish: High in protein and omega-3 fats which have been shown to help prevent heart disease and protect the body aagainst damage from infection. Great for healthy skin, hair and eyes.

Green leafy vegetables: Tops the list of antioxidant-rich and health-boosting foods.

Green tea: Shown to increase the body’s ability in burning body fat. That a cup or two a day has a lower risk of certain cancer.

Nuts and Seeds: Great source of preotein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and polyunsaturated fatty acids such as omega-3s. Help support the immune system and protect against heart disease, high cholesterol and cancer.

Oats: Full of soluble fiber that give long lasting energy.

Soy: Good source of complete protein, which the body needs to help build and repair muscle tissue.

Tomatoes: Rich source of lycopene, an antioxidant that helps prevent heart disease and cancer.

Water: Transport all the nutrients we’ve eaten to our cells, help us stay hydrated and get rid of waste products.

Sometimes, the obvious things we already know that are good for us are exactly the ones we tend to take for granted. Oh, how guilty I am. Perhaps, the flesh is weak? Like not being able to resist french fries? or a Mars bar? How about a second serving of an apple strudel? I rest my case.

This insight comes to mind … that ”While we do control our choice of action, we cannot control the consequences of our choices. Universal laws or principles do. So, we are not in control of our lives; principles are. We suggest that this idea provides key insight into the frustration poeple have had with the traditional ‘time management’ approach to life.”

From First Things First, a popular book that American management consultant Steven Covey co-wrote with A. Roger Merrill and Rebecca Merrill.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Sincere apologies to my readers and visitors. Recently, technical problems occurred causing all contents to be wiped out.  We’ve greatly progressed but still have a lot to do.

Thank you for your support and patience.

Tel

3 Sept 2010

“The measure of success is not

whether you have a tough problem to deal with,

but whether it’s the same problem

you had last year.”

- John Foster Dulles -

Related articles:

• Biography of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Biography
• Goethe’s Requisites for Contented Living

“Mr. Jones, I have your manuscript, and it is like a precious jewel. I’m sure it will sparkle the more it’s cut.”

As in life, it’s also true. Often, if we cut out the unnecessary trimmings, the padding, result will be much effective.

There’s too much turbulence in our world today.  If only we can respect and tolerate each other… and our differences.

Differences can form a path to mutual understanding. We can walk that path and learn to appreciate each other, or, we can complain about the conditions and never begin the journey.

We are – each of us – in the midst of choices based on our individual experiences. We may have the same goal but have different approach in dealing with that goal. One may choose coercive ways, and another decides to pray for peace.

To choose to tolerate the right of another is a sign and act of respect.

It’s not easy, but can always be learnt – a choice to respect and tolerate, amid disagreement.

Rosemary Gemmell

On Being a Freelance Writer

Guest Writer: Rosemary Gemmell

I’ve been writing for many years now, with varying success. My first love is short stories and these have been published in several UK magazines and I’m about to be published in an
American Love Story magazine this year. Many articles are published in UK magazines and an American magazine about Scottish history. Since I also write poetry, non-fiction articles and children’s stories, I quite often have to decide what mode of writing my mind is in.

Sometimes, it’s like I am two different people. One who is analytical and produces sharp, objective articles, and another who loves to write creative fiction or short lyrical pieces, often in poetry form. Since becoming a contributing writer for Suite101 last year, I was getting used to producing lots of articles on many different subjects. My husband and I travel a lot, as he is a travel professional, and that informs much of my writing. But my particular love is literature, history and the arts. For some reason, I’m in fiction mode just now and I’m neglecting the articles for the moment.

Some years ago, I had a consistent run of having work published and winning competitions. Then it slowed down and I seemed to lose my focus. I also had two adult novels and two children’s novels almost completed, yet couldn’t seem to finish them. Then two quite different friends (who don’t know each other) spoke to me within the same week. Both had a similar message, in a way.

The first told me I wasn’t getting any younger and to get my novels sent out. She was right. I’ve wasted so many years procrastinating, and she didn’t want me to lose out as she had. The other friend, who was a busy pastor’s wife and professional writer, asked me if I wanted to have a busy life, or did I want to be a professional writer. Well, they both hit the right spot. And I changed my attitude. It was almost as if I was suddenly being given permission to be a writer – after being a mum, a wife, a student, church magazine editor, writing group secretary and everything else life had thrown at me, often at the same time.

Since the beginning of this year, I have focused on sending work out to editors and getting other work finished. So far, I have won first and second prize in two different competitions, and had four stories accepted for publication. My two adult novels are with publishers awaiting a decision, and I started a blog to help other writers know where to send work, as well as a website. I still do other things, but writing is my priority at long last.

My advice to other writers? Get it written, and get it sent out. At a large Scottish writing conference the other weekend, one inspirational writer told us what changed his life. After
writing 22 unpublished novels, he decided to give up. Then 9/11 happened and he remembered his grandmother’s words: “Don’t live a ‘what-if’ life”, or words to that effect. His 23rd novel finally catapulted him into the beginning of his fast-rising crime writing stardom. Never give up!

About Rosemary Gemmell:

Will be provided later…  Thanks.

A college professor of mine who I respected a lot and looked up to, once told me that there’s a great pleasure in doing what other people say we can’t do. Through the years, my professor’s words have kept coming back as a challenge. And indeed, what a pleasure to know that we can actually do it.

Let’s go ahead, have faith in ourselves, accept a mighty dare, set our minds and energies to it. Simply do it, and be pleased.

And succeed.

Even when we listen, our brains are thinking, cooking something for what to do next or those pending deadlines. We all want to talk. And who really cares to listen? Simply, we hear what is being said by someone in front of us or on the phone but are we really listening?

What is listening? I mean active listening?  An obvious answer is, it’s not talking and neither is it thinking.

Why do we need to have good listening skills?

For one thing, not to listen when someone is talking to us is impolite. More so, to listen greatly enhances our understanding and abilities in life. We learn a lot by listening. By listening we pave a way for better opportunities that we might have missed had we not listened. It’s more likely difficult for something hardly listening to get through with life. As a basic knowledge in communication, people who are most skilled in listening are able to understand better. Most especially in the workplace, listening as a skill is important to be able to work better, by doing what is told them to do. By the same token, those who can’t and don’t listen well, are most likely to fail as they are less effective and efficient in their given assignments.

Among our family and friends, do we actively listen, or do our minds often wander when being talked to? Perhaps it’s time to revisit our listening skills.

One of the greatest acts we can do for another person is to listen.  Listening is an art, and good manner, which should never be taken for granted.