Self Improvement Site
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
Articles from FSB Authors | Selfgrowth.com
- 7 Ways to Inspire Innovation - by Submitted on Mar 09, 2010 from FSB AuthorsThe recently introduced Apple iPad is the latest wowing of the world by the pioneering computer company. Taken in totality, with its iPhone, iPod, MacBook laptops, and the original Macintosh computer itself, Apple's ability to hit innovation home runs has changed technology -- and the way people ...
Views: 1359(6 votes) - Understand the Smoking-Diabetes Link - by Submitted on Nov 12, 2009 from FSB AuthorsCarole Willi, M.D., of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, and colleagues conducted a systematic review and analysis of studies describing the association between smoking and the incidence of diabetes or other glucose metabolism irregularities that covered thirty years. The data was ...
Views: 1710(4 votes) - Moving Through Grief on Foot - by Submitted on Sep 01, 2009 from FSB AuthorsAfter my 16-year-old son Justin died, I learned that some journeys can only be made on foot, and grieving is one of them. You can't fly across it to avoid touching down in the pain. You can't cruise through it by car and watch the landscape through a half-open window. You can't swim through the ...
Views: 1299(1 vote) - Genealogy for the Rest Of Us: A Writer's Guide to Diving into Family History - by Submitted on May 12, 2009 from FSB AuthorsI am not a genealogist. I am a storyteller. The difference? Well, I’ll tell you a story. In the spring of 2006, I was racing against a loudly-ticking generational clock, trying to find as many living relatives as I possibly could before their advancing age caught up with them. I was hoping ...
Views: 1013(1 vote) - The Ten Commandments of Parenting Teenagers - by Submitted on May 12, 2009 from FSB AuthorsAs we all know and regret deeply, kids aren't born with instruction manuals informing us of the intricacies of how they work. As parents, our only option is to learn as we go. When our kids were babies, we learned to nap when they napped, to put valuables up on the high shelves, and that m&ms ...
Views: 1405(1 vote) - Daughters in Danger - by Submitted on Apr 28, 2009 from FSB AuthorsAs you may recall from your own teenage years, separating from one's parents is a vital, and healthy, part of growing up. All well and good. But the question is this: as your daughters move away from YOU, who exactly are they moving TOWARDS? And more importantly, are those people taking them ...
Views: 1211(1 vote) - Premonitions: Making Money with the Mind - by Submitted on Apr 28, 2009 from FSB Authors"If people have the ability to sense the future, why aren't they rich?" This is one of the most frequent questions I've been asked by readers of my book The Power of Premonitions. The fact is, some are very rich, and they attribute their wealth in part to their ability to sense the future. As ...
Views: 1111 - Premonitions and Spirituality - by Submitted on Apr 28, 2009 from FSB AuthorsSpirituality involves an awareness of being connected with something greater than the individual ego or self. This "something greater" has traditionally been called God, Goddess, Allah, Great Spirit, the Almighty, the Absolute, and many other names. Some consider it as the Universe, or as a ...
Views: 1068 - May: Vinegar Month - by Submitted on Apr 27, 2009 from FSB Authors"It is better to be preserved in vinegar than to rot in honey." --E. Cobham Brewer Although the fine folks in Roslyn, South Dakota hold an International Vinegar Festival in June, May is actually National Vinegar Month. However, if you do make it to Roslyn in time, you'll see a mighty fine ...
Views: 1123 - The Story is in the Details - by Submitted on Apr 26, 2009 from FSB AuthorsI am often asked, "What sort of research went into your story to bring it to life so vividly?" The truth is months or even years of research. If I do not acquaint myself with the ins and outs of the periods I write about, how will I take readers back in time with me? So where does an author ...
Views: 977(1 vote) - 7 Great Affirmations for the Unemployed - by Submitted on Apr 26, 2009 from FSB AuthorsLost jobs. Lost homes. Lost hope. It's in the headlines, it's on the news, and it's in our day-to-day conversations with people we care about: family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and people within our spiritual circles. When you're out of work, where do you turn when it seems nobody can help ...
Views: 1638 - Rejection is Just an Invitation to Resubmit - Always RSVP - by Submitted on Apr 26, 2009 from FSB AuthorsI started writing songs when I was seventeen. This was in the Sixties when life seemed like one opportunity after another, waiting to be fulfilled. I played in a band, and we did original songs, inspired by Dylan, The Beatles, etc. I wanted to record, found a studio through an ad at the back of ...
Views: 1092(1 vote) - Call the Midwife - by Submitted on Apr 26, 2009 from FSB AuthorsThe cot is ready. A good size washing bowl is available, and gallons of hot water are being boiled downstairs. There is no running hot water in the house and I wonder how they used to manage when there was no water at all. It must have been an all night job, going out to collect it and boiling ...
Views: 2293 - What is This Pain? - by Submitted on Apr 26, 2009 from FSB AuthorsIt starts as tightness in the upper solar plexus. Then it starts to droop like the top of an ice cream cone on a hundred-degree day, eventually melting over everything to form a vague coating of ambivalence. Sometimes it matures into hopelessness and, for some, even depression. The "it" is the ...
Views: 886 - Motherhood Brings Meaning, But Maybe Not How You Thought It Would - by Submitted on Apr 18, 2009 from FSB AuthorsIt's long been assumed that motherhood brings meaning to our lives. We guide, love, nurture and support our offspring and sometimes feel appreciated in return -- all elements that can fuel our connectedness and satisfaction in the world. It's easy to find meaningful moments as a mom, but it's ...
Views: 920 - The Secrets Unfold with Riddles and Rhymes - by Submitted on Apr 18, 2009 from FSB AuthorsWe must be open to many levels of reality and ways of looking at reality. Theology, science, history, archeology, and psychology have all been trying to discover the truth about how life evolved and what life is. Science can prove many things about the evolution of our planet and the universe. ...
Views: 1058 - Spiritual Experience is for Everyone: Communicate Comfortably with the God of your understanding - by Submitted on Apr 18, 2009 from FSB AuthorsYou can sit under a tree and meditate or visit your beloved house of worship. You can climb mountains, plant flowers or chop wood for the fire. You can find spiritual experience everywhere as it is within you, no matter who you are. Why do so many people doubt their direct spiritual experiences ...
Views: 991 - Chapter 7: A Little Girl Makes a Deal with God - by Submitted on Apr 18, 2009 from FSB AuthorsWhen I was a little girl, growing up and going to a Congregational church with my grandmother and later a Presbyterian church with my sister, I saw God as a being who sat in heaven and spoke to me. In other words, my view of God was personified. I was also taught that Jesus Christ was the Son of ...
Views: 1027 - Everyone Can Discover Their Intuitive Gifts - by Submitted on Apr 14, 2009 from FSB AuthorsWould you like to use your intuition to make better decisions for yourself, your family and the world? If so here are some tips on dealing with the challenges living an intuitive life brings. Inner guidance can be extremely helpful, so it's worth learning how to overcome the challenges of ...
Views: 1760 - Seven Thoughts on Our First Hell-Ride Through Filmmaking - by Submitted on Apr 12, 2009 from FSB AuthorsWhat follows was written from the IGNORANCE of having only produced and directed one film, and the ARROGANCE of having only produced and directed one film. 1. Every day is the Cuban Missile Crisis: Your world could blow up. Shooting an independent film is a radioactive adventure more volatile ...
Views: 996(1 vote) - Writing with Four Hands - by Submitted on Apr 12, 2009 from FSB AuthorsWhen shooting a movie, every faculty is humming at its highest frequency. You don't sleep. It's intoxicating. You're operating on the edge of delirium and grandiose promises of immortality. You think that if you do everything right the gift of the gods is attainable. And then it ends. And there ...
Views: 1013(1 vote) - When the Wheels Come Off - by Submitted on Apr 08, 2009 from FSB AuthorsI grew up in the 70's and 80's when parents still told their kids to go outside and play. My friends and I would spend all day in the yard and when we got hot and sweaty enough we'd run to the back patio, open the water spigot on the side of the house and get down on our hands and knees so we ...
Views: 779 - Organic Pest and Disease Control - by Submitted on Apr 08, 2009 from FSB AuthorsA plant's main enemies are pests (such as rabbits, insects, slugs and snails, and nematodes) and diseases (like fungi, bacteria, and virus). Most can be controlled using ecologically friendly methods. Rather than setting a goal of a pest-free garden, learn how to work with nature to keep ...
Views: 1185 - Annuals and Biennials - by Submitted on Apr 07, 2009 from FSB AuthorsA garden can be quickly filled with color by using annuals and biennials. These plants flower longer than many others and are ideal for filling gaps in a border. Almost any patch of soil can be transformed into a blaze of color in a matter of weeks by planting nursery-grown annuals, or in two ...
Views: 1238 - How Do You Get Back Up? A Counterintuitive Approach to Thriving in Challenging Times - by Submitted on Apr 07, 2009 from FSB AuthorsA while back, I received a distressed email from Ken, a young manager at a high-tech company. Ken and I had never met, but he had read my first two books and had done his best to apply the ideas and practices of Extreme Leadership to the way he'd led his team. To their culture, their work ...
Views: 857 - Jobs to Be Done When Spring Arrives - by Submitted on Apr 06, 2009 from FSB AuthorsKeeping the Ground Clear of Weeds Begin weeding as soon as growth appears. Neglecting the job only leads to more work later on if the weeds are allowed to mature and disperse their seeds. Also, weeds flourish in well-prepared soil and deprive the perennials of both nutrients and moisture. Keep ...
Views: 1075 - Go Organic to Shrink Your Gardening Budget - by Submitted on Mar 29, 2009 from FSB AuthorsSaving the Earth and protecting children and pets from dangerous chemicals are the reasons most gardeners cite for giving up pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, but guess what? Making the switch to organic gardening methods will save you money too! Here are six examples of how going organic ...
Views: 1020 - The Energy of the Financial Meltdown - by Submitted on Mar 29, 2009 from FSB AuthorsWe are in a time of financial crisis. People are anxious. People are seeking solutions. People are scared. With all of this activity, tremendous bursts of energy are being expended, some positive but mostly negative. But the energy that we project into the cosmos is not an isolated event. Your ...
Views: 1019(1 vote) - You've Got Males - by Submitted on Mar 29, 2009 from FSB AuthorsThe mother of boys can't help but think, once in a while, of those female characters in children's literature who find themselves in all-male households: Snow White, looming large over the irrepressible dwarfs, or Wendy Darling, placed in a freakishly early state of pseudo-motherhood. I was ...
Views: 1041 - This Land is Their Land - by Submitted on Mar 29, 2009 from FSB AuthorsMy fourteen-year-old son and his friends travel the streets of the city like Oliver Twist and the Artful Dodger and co. -- not ripping off people's wallets and purses, but just hanging out in an excitable, ragged crowd, thrilled to be together and thrilled to be wandering, and certainly in no ...
Views: 1016 - Mothers of Contention and the Mommy Wars - by Submitted on Mar 29, 2009 from FSB AuthorsWhat will become of the mommy wars in the flailing economy? My fantasy (and it is just a fantasy) is that they will eventually fade into obscurity like, say, the Punic Wars -- relics from a past that seems to have taken place a very long time ago. The idea of working mothers pitted against ...
Views: 1007 - Be Yourself - by Submitted on Mar 29, 2009 from FSB AuthorsStatistics say men lie five times more often than women. (Now ask yourself, is that true, or did I just make it up?) And despite human progress and enlightened times, we're still slaves to our genes. Males are hardwired to impress women. Watch the elaborate dances some birds go through to win ...
Views: 1104 - Unsticking an Idea - by Submitted on Mar 25, 2009 from FSB AuthorsSince Made to Stick came out, many anxious people have asked us, "How do I unstick a sticky idea?" They want to unstick a rumor about their company or a false perception of a particular product. They want to unstick whispered mistruths about political candidates. Once, we were even asked, "How ...
Views: 940 - Sharing Your Stories - by Submitted on Mar 23, 2009 from FSB AuthorsHave you ever noticed, when you teach, that the moment you start sharing a personal story with your students, they instantly snap to attention? You understand the value of stories. But some teachers don't insert many stories into their lessons, because they're worried that they don't have ...
Views: 1060 - "Honor Killing" and Islam - by Submitted on Mar 19, 2009 from FSB AuthorsThe American Muslim community is reeling from news of the horrific beheading of Aasiya Hassan, allegedly by her husband Muzzammil Hassan. They were respected members of the community and co-founded BridgesTV, a television network ironically dedicated to fighting negative stereotypes of Muslims. ...
Views: 1029 - There Are Times When You Should Move On - by Submitted on Mar 18, 2009 from FSB AuthorsSometimes we have to be patient and sometimes we have to get moving. Wisdom is knowing which time is which and when to do what. I know, easier said than done. But we all know when we've exhausted certain possibilities -- and quite possibly ourselves -- in the course of finding out. Wouldn't it ...
Views: 894 - Environmental Sustainability -- Still a Business Imperative - by Submitted on Mar 18, 2009 from FSB AuthorsWho cares about greening business when the economy is deteriorating? You do, if you are a corporate leader with your eye on the horizon. Yes, even though 2008 was a global economic reset, environmental sustainability remains a powerful strategy -- in operations, supply chain, human resources, ...
Views: 1185 - Tips for Healthier Eating for Stuck-in-Their-Ways Adults - by Submitted on Mar 17, 2009 from FSB AuthorsAre you stuck in a food rut and having a hard time changing to healthier eating habits? If you want to make lasting changes to the way you eat, you need a plan. Follow these steps for changing an unhealthy behavior into a healthy one: 1. List your behaviors that you think are unhealthy. For ...
Views: 992 - Tips for Helping Children Eat Healthy - by Submitted on Mar 16, 2009 from FSB AuthorsHelping kids eat a healthy diet doesn't have to be difficult. Here are 12 tips: 1. Make it fun. Serve broccoli and other veggies with a favorite fat-free dip or sauce. Cut foods into various shapes with cookie cutters. 2. Recruit your child's help. At the grocery store, ask your child to help ...
Views: 1119 - God Love Ed McBain and Evan Hunter Too - by Submitted on Mar 11, 2009 from FSB AuthorsBefore I was introduced to Ed McBain I knew Evan Hunter. His book Blackboard Jungle had riveted me and I'd been scared out of my wits by The Birds for which he wrote the screenplay. I met him through his son Richard, when I was seventeen in my senior year in High School. That was the year my ...
Views: 1273 - Tweet Etiquette - by Submitted on Mar 02, 2009 from FSB AuthorsEvery conversation has rules. We know not to interrupt someone when they're talking. We know not to use bad language when we talk. We know not to talk too loudly. And we know too how and when to break all of the rules. Exactly the same is true for a Twitter conversation. The site hasn't been ...
Views: 1220 - Top 10 List of Tips for Making Your Ideas Stick - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2009 from FSB AuthorsTip 1: Break expectations. Your audience will walk in with certain assumptions about your message. If you believe those assumptions are mistaken, you've got to confront them directly. Effective teachers do this well. Imagine an eight-grade science class: "The earth feels pretty solid, ...
Views: 944 - Sticky Brain Teasers - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2009 from FSB AuthorsTest the Curse of Knowledge With Tappers and Listeners Take a song like "The Star-Spangled Banner" and tap out the rhythm to a friend on a table. Ask your friend to listen and guess the name of the song. Do you think your friend will guess right? A 1990 study on this experiment showed that ...
Views: 2153 - What's up Wittgenstein? - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2009 from FSB AuthorsWherever I go in the English speaking world someone will say something in words that are completely familiar but leave me scratching my head wondering "What the hell is he talking about?" Take the expression "What's up?" The traditional answers are often one of several that have been easy to ...
Views: 908(1 vote) - Causes of Learning Disabilities - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2009 from FSB AuthorsCurrently, there are no known causes for learning disabilities. Recent brain research using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has linked the origins of dyslexia to the brain, but we have yet to determine with certainty what causes the garden-variety learning disability we have been seeing crop up ...
Views: 1578 - Parent-Teacher-Student Partnership - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2009 from FSB AuthorsThe conversation about changing our minds, our schools, and our nation to a paradigm that focuses on strengths begins with parents and teachers. Parents, teachers, and students can begin to form a strength alliance between the home and the school. If you are a parent and use this book at home, ...
Views: 1301 - The Strengths Code - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2009 from FSB AuthorsIn the early years, parents can do four things to set the stage for a child's self-discovery: * Record observations of preferences, quirks, and choices * Stimulate imagination through creative play * Create rich memories with tradition and ritual * Model positive attitudes and ...
Views: 988 - Discover Your Children's Strengths - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2009 from FSB AuthorsParent-Teacher Conferences, A Time to Celebrate Strengths It is parent-teacher conference time and you arranged your schedule three months in advance to attend. If you are like most parents, you feel a certain amount of anxiety around this event. You attend hoping there won't be any surprises ...
Views: 5029 - Balancing the Strengths-Weakness Equation - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2009 from FSB AuthorsFor too long, we have focused on weaknesses at school. We believe that children will get ahead when we spent most time on the areas where they are most challenged. The problem with this notion is that it is a one-sided or half-baked approach to education. In the long run, children don't make ...
Views: 2755 - The Obama Effect - by Submitted on Feb 11, 2009 from FSB AuthorsDuring a recent segment on an ESPN sports show, Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers was being interviewed by one of the show's reporters. As the hour wound down, the in-studio host asked Mr. Iguodala, "Why did you do the interview outside? It's so cold, and you're not even wearing a hat." ...
Views: 1025(1 vote)