Null Play

I arrived at work that night as always: rushed, tired, frustrated, like most of us seem to be these days. I took it for granted that it would be just another night at work; that nothing would change, that everyone and everything, was fine. But I quickly learned everything wasn’t fine.

When I got to work, I was told some shocking news. But even more shocking to me, no… appalling to me, was the fact that given what had happened, no one seemed affected in the least by it. Sure, life goes on. We all know that. People were laughing and joking; people were carrying on as if they had not a care in the world, as if nothing had happened. I don’t fault them for that, not at all. I’m all for the fun side of life. It helps greatly to take away the pressures we constantly face. But surely they would have felt sadness, even for a brief moment? Maybe they would have had an even passing reflection upon their own lives?

No, it seemed not. Why is that? And why did what I learned affect me so tremendously?

Sure, I was at work; I had a job to do, and life was going on, but my attitude was rather subdued. I had a lot on my mind, and I found myself getting annoyed every time I was needed, because my thoughts, I felt, were being intruded upon. I had to take some time to come to terms with what happened.

It further annoyed me for some reason that no one else felt as I did. I wondered why.

But then I thought, why should that bother me? Surely no one else thinks about what may or may not be going through my head. Seldom does anyone ask me what I’m thinking. I kind of like it that way. But then again, therein lies an ugly truth about the human race.

Seldom does anyone ask what is going on in someone else’s head. We’re so preoccupied with our own lives that we rarely have time for anyone else. And that makes us appear as if we are cold, and unfeeling, and uncaring. Granted, some persons are that way, and there will always be some people like that. But the people I work with have feelings. They laugh, they grumble, they raise their voices at times; in short, they are capable of feeling something. But not empathy?

Not empathy for the life of a man that was cut short, albeit, of his own hand, but who is gone, nonetheless, because no one took the time to show him they cared enough about him to reach out to him.

I’m not immune to my own words. I’m not leaving myself out of the equation. I could make excuses for myself, sure, such as, I didn’t know him well enough, which is bull because I’ve reached out to total strangers before, as have many people I know.

Maybe I felt he was unapproachable.

Or maybe he hid it so well that we might have one day gone to him for help, because he looked strong; he looked as if he had the world by its reins.

Whatever… Who knows. But it’s a hard lesson learned, yet again. For me, and maybe for someone else. It can happen to anyone.

This man was one of the last people I’d ever dreamed that would take his own life. It’s so easy to take life for granted. It’s so easy to let your problems go unheeded; to allow them to continue to simmer on a backburner in a corner of your mind while the rest of your being comes to a slow boil, thus ending in the inevitable explosion. And that explosion can come in any form.

Why do we let it go to that extreme? Why don’t we, as individuals, deal with what we have as we get it? My God, it would greatly reduce and/or eliminate so much stress, so much sadness, hurt, anger, rage and everything that comes with those emotions.

When we reach our limits, our boiling point, so to speak, there’s no telling what the outcome will be. We don’t even know till the deed is done, and most times, it’s too late for help. We have destroyed ourselves, and countless others. In reaching out to ourselves, we can also reach out to others who might need our help.

It’s not selfish to take care of you first; we all have that right, and yes, the responsibility. The responsibility of self. In doing that, only then can we reach out to others. What is selfish is to continue to let your problems and worries go unheeded only to finally answer that call with a result that goes way beyond desirable. All that can result from reaching that boiling point is more pain for others.

But we can reverse this trend.

Simply put, take care of yourself. You’re the only one of you that you have. The only one of you that anyone has.

We all need to learn to take care of ourselves and each other.

Somewhere along the line, a lot of our humanity has been lost. It’s time to get it back. And we can.

Everything takes work. Including working on ourselves. The results can only be positive.

Not only for us, but for those who care about us.

*IN MEMORY OF GASTEN HOWELL* JULY 25 1940-MARCH 28 2001

LifeWriter is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/
which is a site for Creative Writing.

She writes frequently on issues of child abuse, mental health and animal issues.

With the proliferation of the Indian online casino nearly matching the growth of online poker sites, the question of “What’s better, online poker or live poker?” is more relevant today than ever before.

Obviously, many people play both, but here’s a look at some benefits.

The first major difference between online poker and live poker is the amount of hands played. Obviously there are many, many more hands played online, sometimes as much as 500 percent more.

In addition, online poker also allows players to sit for just a short period of time while casino poker generally involves a lot more time. In a live game at a casino you are usually going to be playing with the same opponents for a long period of time, while online poker will see players come and go. You will have to adjust strategy for both situations.

That especially relates to bluffing. When you play against live poker opponents you need to mix up your play. Obviously bluffing doesn’t really work as well online. People can’t see your face or your eyes. Online poker is a game where all you see are the names, not the faces. You can’t get as many tells when playing online poker. At online poker sites you are more likely to run into a player who will call anything.

Meanwhile, a live player isn’t just going to go all-in on nothing continually. You will begin to know if he or she is bluffing. It’s almost like players online have more courage to play wild than do live people.

Online poker is a place where you can play tighter and still get action. In live poker if you sit there and rarely play a hand, most people will notice. Most players don’t concentrate as much on their opponents when playing online as they do in person.

At a live table, you will begin to get an image. That’s more unlikely in online poker, especially as you can have several accounts or several hands going. In fact, that’s a good tactic if you play the same sites often: Use different nicknames or accounts if you tend to run into the same players. That way you stay “mysterious.”

It is a well-known fact that we use only a small percentage of our total brain capacity. Yet many ask, why not use more of it? Why waste it? Does this indicate that humans are stupid and fail to use their whole brains? Some might argue that such a notion is obvious because you only need to drive on the freeway and wonder if these drivers are even using 1% sometimes? And maybe that is all they are using when they put up that single finger gesture to you while attempting to control their own car?

One thought on the amount of the brain used at any one time might be that we cannot use all of our brain simultaneously perhaps because if all the neurons were activated at once we might glow in the dark? Maybe that might be good for finding our way in a cave? But in all seriousness it seems that humans are not using their brains to their maximum and have not for a long time. In fact we know from other anatomy parts that if you do not use anything then you lose it.

There are indeed savants who can memorize abundant amounts of information and there maybe an upper limit to this and that could be an issue as well, because all this irrelevant information could cause meaningless clutter. A 16 year old who can finish University Level College course and receive a degree is indeed an anomaly in our day and age, but we do know that it is possible don’t we? So to your point I too ask the question, why not more? Why not everyone?

Some believe that expectations are simply too low, others that the method of teaching using memorization of symbols to make words and words to make sentences is getting in our way and that we ought to teach math using shapes and concepts using visions, projections and abstractions? Perhaps. Maybe we limit ourselves by teaching our brains to think the wrong way, in an unnatural way, that prevents us from working to greater concepts and comprehending more. Think on this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Positive affirmations are those bits of positive thoughts, ideas, and statements, which are consistently repeated to yourself over a period of time, to implant them in your mind as a future source of inspiration for achieving personal growth and happiness. When you embed these positive thoughts into your subconscious mind, you’ll be guided and assisted by those bits of positive information, in a preset direction to achieve future goals. Most of us are born with negative attitudes and undesirable traits, and in the course of time, we may also develop additional negative aspects as a result of the environment around us. By using positive affirmations, you can get rid of those negative thoughts and perceptions and replace them with positive traits and other beneficial parameters.

Positive affirmations help us in many ways like:

1. We can be our own guide to instruct our mind and body to act in a predefined manner. This helps us to control our own destiny and life.

2. We can also break all obstacles and barriers, which are standing between us and our future goals.

3. By positive affirmations, we can easily focus on our goals and achieve the impossible.

4. Positive affirmations also make us better persons and empower us with a better personality, which is socially acceptable.

5. We can also overcome fear of failure; instead ensure mental toughness to achieve our goals.

Though positive affirmations may not give you all that you wanted in your life, you can still create a favorable ambience, in which you can find fresh opportunities to get success in life. Though you can not become a super human being, you can still be confident, authoritative, self sustaining, and socially responsible. Another added bonus is your ability to lead a life of good habits and nice mannerisms.

There are many methods by which we can write our own positive affirmations:

1. Always create a text of positive affirmations, which is directly related to your problems.

2. Use these scripts regularly to embed them into your subconscious mind. Preferably it must be a part of your life in the future.

3. Create a handy script note of all positive affirmations you want to talk to yourself. Carry that list with you wherever you go.

4. Start and end your day with those positive affirmations; it is always better to recite them whenever you find time.

5. Let your positive affirmations be simple and straight, with simple but powerful words.

6. Never use negative words in your positive affirmations.

7. Be personal and add a tinge of emotions to your positive affirmations. Being emotional helps you to achieve your goals in a quick time.

8. Visualize the outcome, as you recite your lines of positive affirmation. Act as if you have already reached your goals.

Whatever you do, never stop reciting those beautiful words of positive affirmations; this may help you even, if you do not have any goals to achieve in the future. There are countless ways of taking the control of your life, but positive affirmations are perhaps the most authentic method to create a good person out of you.

Choosing a therapist is a rite of passage for many. It’s a
declaration of needing the support of a professional for a
problem one cannot resolve through resources at hand. In simpler
terms, it means paying someone for their expertise to solve a
problem you have. And therapists are available to meet their
client’s needs in many areas of life. The most common type of
therapist is a psychotherapist, some with an advanced degree and
licensed in their state to assist individuals in improving their
mental and emotional health. These therapists may have
specialties in grief therapy, family therapy, group therapy, or
couples therapy - but the principles and training are the same,
and the end result is to give people more control through having
a better understanding of their life and circumstances. These
type of therapists help with acute problems such as marriage
issue or the death of a loved one, but also meet with people
over a longer term period to assist with issues like anxiety,
depression, self-esteem, or difficult relationship
circumstances. A profession that has become popular over the
last decade is that of the massage therapist. As people have
become more attuned to self-care and taking care of their body,
massage therapists have grown in demand. This is a demanding job
physically but one that nurtures many massage therapists
spiritually and relationally. And as long as the societal demand
for an improved quality of life continues, massage therapists
will play a part in this. As will physical and occupational
therapists. Also known as PTs and OTs, these professionals have
an interest in restoring physical health to individuals who have
undergone surgery or suffered an accident. All of these
therapists play a significant role in improving the quality of
life of others and derive great value from helping, whether this
is through mental, emotional, or physical means.

Lifestyle coaching is a therapy that has become incredibly familiar over the last eight years. The term life coaching first became fashionable in the United States of America where, together with NLP, it became part of a redesigned eye-opening wave of highly proactive therapy techniques. Use www.easilyachieve.com to book yourself a life coach.

In many ways both Life Coaching and NLP are a reaction against certain factors of the Humanistic movement, in particular Humanistic Counselling. A criticism of the humanistic therapy approach is that it is astonishingly reactive and not awfully proactive. Although this works spectacular with some people, with other customers long periods of impasse or low return for time and effort occur. Life coaching and Neuro Linguistic Programming are both person-centred therapy in stance, spending time on improving a person?s well-being rather than looking into the minefields of childhood, like traditional psychology. Life coachings emphasis is, however, deliberately proactive and their to resolve your problems.

Life coaching is not about preaching to the client what to do. This is a common misconception. Some therapists are fairly successful in their business careers and then make the cross over to personal coaching, thinking that they will at most be required to divulge their pearls of terrific business wisdom with the customer. This is more like mentoring a person in a specific environment. Coaching is instead about life as a holistic view.

There are mental health secrets that everyone should know, including how to prevent misdiagnosing. Since money is, the issue and insurance companies play a role in treatment a patient will often receive a series of diagnoses that conform to the standards laid out in health care coverage.

This is only one area of problems in mental health. The DMS guide copyrighted by APA, who brilliantly stated that the manual was a guide to mental health, instead of claiming that the book was factual is another area of concern. Therapists often base their diagnoses on the codes listed in this manual. If the symptoms match the patients then this is what the patient gets. Another area of problem is when a patient receives a diagnose he or she is ‘labeled,’ which brings forth additional problems.

Another area may sound ludicrous since we have so-called professionals in the field, but just like individuals in the world that are caught in a practice of interest for a short time and twisted with an exaggerated zeal, (craze-fad), professionals when they find a diagnose of interest that are overzealous burning their wheels to produce more material on the subject. Ever heard the saying, beating words down?

Well, professionals in mental health will often beat down diagnoses. While one of the issues in mental health revolves around labeling, I have to disagree, since I feel the real problem stands between acceptances. If a person has a disorder, disease of the mind, or a chemical imbalance, then accepting is the first step in recovery.

Some of the most helped people in the world attend alcoholic classes and the first thing they recognize is the problem, which allows them to move forward. There is not a person in his or her right frame of mind wants to understand that they have a series of symptoms and no reason behind it.

It is ok to say I am a paranoid schizophrenia working toward recovery. It is not ok to say I am a misfit in society and cannot understand why I was chosen for torture. As you can see, we have a bunch of professionals contributing to the problem, since they are thinking they know what is best for the patients. Anyone that is suffering knows more than any professional does, since they are the ones living through the problems.

The patients can tell you better than any counselor with a piece of paper and no experience what they survive. Another area of problem is many professionals are from different countries and they understand diagnoses one way or in another term, while the American Psychiatrist Society relates in other terms. Professionals also believe that patients will avoid the issues, and/or bury the real problems beneath. This is not always true, since the patient is there in the first place asking help to understand his or her disability.

If they knew the answers, they would not be there in the first place. For example, Nikki goes to counseling explaining her many symptoms, as well as talks about the people around her that are contributing to the problem. She is trying to control her behavior but others are making it difficult since they center her out, bringing forth the issues of her disability every single day. First, we can see that others are a problem, since many people will center out individuals flaws first, before complimenting.

Therefore, that problem can be resolved if we teach Nikki how to handles other people around her. The next issue is the symptoms. What symptoms do you have Nikki? Nikki says I am having night sweats, nightmares, flashbacks, impulsive outbursts, and so on. Well, why do you think this is happening Nikki? I do not know why it is happening.

First, Nikki is illustrating symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, so it is apparent that she is a trauma patient. Therefore, Nikki is certain she was victimized, but uncertain of the emotions, feelings, and thought process she is enduring. Now Nikki may or may not be able to tell you the entire event that brought forth this disorder, but Nikki can tell you the surroundings of the event.

This means the counselor needs to invoke talk therapy to find out the underlying source of her suffering. Does Nikki blame herself for the violence against her, or the violence she witnessed? Probably so, since she is in a battle of understanding the mind at a greater level than the so-called normal minds and Nikki will battle to find the source within that is haunting her dear soul and mind. The mind is a tricky thing, and to understand it, you must address it.

The mobile phone, a conception that has now been around for & existing for ages. Its found its skills evolve and move ahead from something which was simply & effortlessly only a phone, to something else extraordinary which has an MP3 or maybe a digital camera or in fact both. All this is what the new generation of today is searching for. The more electrifying gadgets which can be found included along with it the more you yourself yearn for the product. The recent most popular cell phone at the moment seems to be the startling iphone. Created by Apple, it is top of the line, its an iPod & a phone. So if you are a devotee of technology then this is certainly the exact mobile phone for you.

The mobile telephone is also called a wireless or cellular telephone. Although cell phones have taken over our current society they have been all over for several decades, in some style or another. The cell handset trade maintains to grow and increase by leaps and bounds as it has in the previous few years. Even though it went underway little more than twenty years ago. Owners have formed loads of new gadgets that keep mobile hand set consumers returning back for extra. They go on each and every week to increase the collections of capabilities and services to take on the mounting requests of what todays, on the go customers wish for.

There are countless particular networks. The new best & most in style types are Orange, T-Mobile, and Vodafone. These days people can decide whether people need to have your telephone contract on pay as you go or possibly a on an actual contract. Contract handsets are on average the most sought after type of deal and with it it means the greater part of the time you do not have to pay for a state of the art new cell phone, it in general comes free along with the package. Mobile cell phones on contract give people the most adaptable options in regards to how people use it, there is a hefty selection located in the forms of deals for sale to you. It makes it uncomplicated for people to decide on a contract that are correct for one’s demands & how you apply it. Get some help with finding the best Mobile Phones and deals with MobileShop.

Our Accommodation in Rome offers a friendly bed and breakfast atmosphere with all the comforts of a hotel. Sleeping Beauty offer Spacious, well-lit rooms, some with ensuite bathroom and other budget rooms with shared bathroom all with tasteful decoration.

Our prices compete with other bed and breakfasts, cheap Rome hotels and Rome hostel accommodation. Prices of our rooms in Rome include a full breakfast.
Our clients CONTINUALLY REMARK on our great breakfasts!
Sleeping Beauty is run by an international team that has had many years experience in the hotel and accommodation industry.
City maps and tourist information are provided on arrival and throughout the stay.
Rooms were renovated in late 2007 to a deluxe standard. All rooms have a choice of single and matrimonial beds. Include the type of beds required in your reservation request.
Our aim is to create a residence comparible to a hotel in Rome, without paying the price! Sleeping Beauty is in an ideal central location in the historic center of Rome, a short walk to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and other archeological sites

Amenities
Fridge
Electronic room safe
Television and DVD Player
Free Tea and Coffe
Free Internet Use
Alarm Clock
Iron and Ironing Board
Hairdryer
Heating in Winter
City Maps
Tourist Information
Great Breakfast!

We offer affordable lodging just a 5 minute walk from the well renowned Saint John in Lateran Church and a brisk walk from the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Piazza Venezia.

Our bed and breakfast, comparable to other hotels in Rome, is situated in a friendly and lively neighborhood. Stepping out of the door you will find bars, shops, restaurants and feel part of the Italian dolce vita.

Centrally located just a short walk from the Colosseum and connected to all means of public transportation. Step out of the front door to find connections to bus, tram and metro lines - just a 2 minute walk.
In front of the St.John (San Giovanni) Church, the second most important church in Rome after the Vatican.

Other suggestion for Rome? Charming accommodation in the centre of Rome: find an Hotel Spanish Steps, or compare price for cheap Rome hotels, or make a reservation for a tour in Rome

Check out our guide and you can the the “it” girl with the perfect bag for all seasons. If you would like to chose the best bag for yourself here are some great tips for you to follow.

Come Fall, the changing weather should be a jumping-off point for accessories, designer watches and fashion jewellery; choose your bag accordingly. Breathtaking shades of yellow, red and orange adorn the foliage in the fall season. For fall there are great pumpkin coloured purses, brown leather handbags and suede camel bags that will be great accessories. The best would be medium sized bags, and then it will match the Thanksgiving dinner pumpkin pie!

Winter time is a time to be reminded of the color white. Winter is the most popular time to take advantage of white designer handbags. White handbags take the chill away. In case the dress that you are wearing is a long white coat then go in for a black and white handbag so that it doesn’t get lost in your beautiful coat. Tan coloured hand and shoulder designer bags match well with a dark peacoat. We suggest hobo bags which are large enough to carry your scarf and gloves.

It’s during the Spring that the birds chirp, right? Floral harndbags are a sure sign Spring is here. You do not have to necessarily take a bag with big flowers all over it,; it could always be a cream colored bag with hints of floral designs. The best way to break out of the winter blues and put a smile back on your face is to carry a bright bag. light blue, soft pinks, and lavender are some of the colours that you should think of. A great color for Spring is green. Make sure that the bag you pick will fit an unbrella for all the showery days in April.

During summers it get quite hot here. The greatest designer handbags for summer season are cool and brisk. There is no need to have a large leather purse to lug you down. Bright bags like florecent green, hot pink, or bright sky blues, are a great choice for day time use. Do your best not to allow it to clash with your outfit. If you want to be stylish and classy at those summer dinner parties buy a python print handbag. Don’t forget to stay with smaller bags.

When it comes to finding the perfect bags for every season, these tips can help you find the right one for you. Women want to take the season into account when choosing the color and style of a purse or tote they carry. You will be the girl on block with the best accessories.