Defining beauty

It is difficult to define beauty . . .

When a person declares what is beautiful forhim or her, they reveal whom they love and how they love, and what they love todo.

Beauty reveals itself over time inrelationship. The people you love are beautiful to you. Their beauty comes fromtheir liveliness and authentic sweetness, their intention to live lives thatmake some sense the spirited coherence of being who they are.

When we are most alive, we are beautiful.When we are in love, we are reminded that we are beautiful. In addition,sometimes when we know we are beautiful, we find ourselves in love. "Inlove" usually means the romantic sense of being with one other person whoin that moment we feel reflects us perfectly. In love, living in the field oflove.

"Love is blind," we say, butperhaps it is more accurate to say love sees with different eyes. Love seesbeyond the surface. Love opens the door for beauty. When we see with the eye,we develop the ability to refine, to judge, to discriminate. When we see withthe heart, we expand the view of what it is to be human, see the common dream,see the wisdom of friends and neighbours, and see there is no separation betweenthat which is most beautiful and the everyday world. The eye of the heart seeswith a wholeness that allows imperfections and idiosyncrasies to coexist withbeauty. The eye of the heart knows surface and depth are not opposites.

Beauty is a process, a revelation, not afinished state.

The bond between humans and their pets

Take control of your own romantic needs

One way to get your man in your life totake notice of the romantic you is to romance yourself. You deserve it and ifhe is not going to do it for you, you can do it for yourself. Start out bygetting yourself into shape both physically and mentally, change what you canand want to change and learn to accept the things that cannot be changed.

Get comfortable with your naked body anddecide that you want to have a great sex life. Get a makeover; change yourhairstyle and even your hair colour. Go for a day at the spa. Pamper yourself.

Get moving, exercise for a strong healthyand sexy body. Take dance classes that really get you moving like a Latin orsalsa class or a belly dancing class, something with moves you can use in thebedroom. Then go shopping and buy some new stylish and sexy clothing,especially sexy underwear and lingerie.

You should be becoming more confident andfeeling sexy. He should start to notice the changes in you too. Maybe he willwonder what is going on. Buy yourself flowers and send yourself gifts. I hopethat by now he is taking the hint and sending some of his own style of romanceyour way.

Never give up, make the first move withhim. Most men love nothing more than having their woman desire them and comeafter them. Sometimes the hunter really enjoys becoming the hunted. This willsurely make him take notice. Be a little aggressive with him. Take charge. Hewill be surprized at the new you and you’ll have him eating out of your hand.

Sometimes it is not even the man that needsprompting with the romance, it is us. We get bogged down with the kids, home,and work and forget that we are sexual creatures with needs. Our sexuality getsplaced on the backburner after everything else that needs to be taken care of.By learning to romance yourself and put your needs and desires at the top ofthe list, romance and passion from your partner are sure to follow.

Improve your brain power

Have a workout at work

You spend one-third of your day at work, but that doesn’tmean you have to spend that time without exercise. Knowing a few simple tipswill help you fill your days with efficient exercise breaks that not only keepyou fit but relieve stress, too.

Anyone who has tried to start a new exercise routine knowsthat half the battle is just getting you to stick with it.Try these suggestionsto keep yourself on track:

- Let your first step be two minutes of walking. Get off thebus one stop earlier.

- Use small holes in your schedule- between meetings orappointments, for example – to stretch your limbs or do simple exercises.

- Join a gym. Working out after work gives you an excuse toleave the office at a reasonable hour.

- When traveling on business, consider staying in hotelsthat have gyms.

Peopleexercise regularly when reminded to do so. Maybe you need to find the rightreminder:

§ Wear a watch with beeper.

§ Write a reminder on your desk calendar.

§ Put a note to yourself in your in-basket.

§ Ask a co-worker to remind you at a certain time.

Thinkof your exercise time as a break from your workday, not as a chore. Thefollowing 5 exercises outline a simple routine that you can do at your desk to stretchout those stiff muscles:

ü Clock Stretch: This neck stretch is excellentfor relieving the day’s tensions. Imagine you are facing the hands of a hugeclock. Turn your head to the left to look at nine o’ clock then look to theright, to three o’clock. Look up to 12 o ‘clock and then down to six o’clock. Dothe movements slowly, feeling the stretch in your neck muscles.

ü Shoulder Shrugs: Hunch your shoulders, movingthem upwards. Then rotate them forwards, down, back, and up to your ears threetimes.

ü Apple Picker:  Stretch your arms as though you were pickingapples from a tree. Stand or remain seated as you reach up with your left arm,then, with your right, stretching as far as you comfortably can.

ü Shoulder Stretch:   While standing, reach behind you, graspingyour hands behind your back. With your hands joined, lift them up as far asthey will comfortably go. You should feel a stretch in the front of theshoulders.

ü Simple massage: With your fingertips, massagethe muscles between your shoulder blade and spine. Use firm, circularmovements, paying attention to any tenderness or knots you might, feel.

When doing any of these exercises, move only as far iscomfortable for you. Stop if you feel pin of great discomfort.

Any exercise counts. The benefits of simple routines, suchas stretching or taking short walks, will add up when they are done oftenthroughout the day.

How to enrich your marriage

A strong marriage will provide a refuge from the stresses ofdaily life. Here is some good tips to enrich your marriage:

     Do not keep your feelings to yourself. Say ‘Ilove you’, to your partner often.

     Make physical gestures part of yourrelationship. When you sit on the couch, for example, exchange hugs, hold handsand enjoy the closeness.

     Surprize your partner with little gifts thatwill convey the message ‘I was thinking of you today’.

     Regularly compliment your partner’s looks. Everywoman wants to hear the magic words ‘you look beautiful’.

     Make your partner feel appreciated. Say ‘thankyou’ for the little things he or she does for you.

     Carry a photograph of your partner in yourwallet or purse. It will help you feel connected when you are apart.

Enjoy each other – marriage is a life-long journey!

Tips to deal with stress

Have a healthier sex life

The best relationships take time, patience, and commitment. Thisincludes your sex life with your partner.

Here are some valuable thoughts on sex:

Always make some time for intimacy. Teach your children torespect your time alone when you are in your bedroom. Install a lock on thedoor if needed. Frequent sex may not be absolutely essential for a healthymarriage, but emotional intimacy is.

Be realistic. Too often people think that in a goodrelationship sexual desire should be as strong after several years as it was atthe beginning. Even among happily married couples, desire will waneoccasionally. However, this need not be a problem. In fact, many happilymarried couples find greater emotional depth and satisfaction in sex as timegoes on.

Both partners should be equal active in initiating sex.

Remember; keep all your battles out of the bedroom.

Food for thought

Happiness can bethought, sought or caught, but never bought: the best way to keep happiness isto share it.

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