Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Depression as blessing

A recent research study found that traits like sadness and defeatism define depression but they have their positive side, too. The research conducted by the University of Basel, Switzerland, says depressive individuals perform better than their normal peers in decision-making tasks.

What is depression? Depression is a sign of mental disturbance. Such disturbance leads to intellectual upheaval and, finally, to brainstorming.

Why depression? Depression is a symptom of deprivation. When you think that you are seriously lacking in something that you earnestly desire, this thought is bound to lead to depression. Depression is not a physical phenomenon: it is psychological in nature. If you feel that you have gained what you wanted to gain, that will give you a sense of satisfaction. But when you feel that you have failed to achieve your goal, it leads to depression. In the first case, your life very soon comes to a full stop, but in the second case, your life goes on, punctuated by commas.

Unpleasant experiences are painful but they make a necessary contribution to advanced intellectual development. Without undergoing this kind of experience, no one can be a super achiever.

A survey undertaken earlier entailed studying the lives of one hundred super achievers in order to discover their common features. It observed that one common trait of all these super achievers was discontent.

Discontent not only leads to an unending passion to achieve some prospective goal but it also engenders an unremitting urge to achieve more and more. Thus it becomes the master key for a high degree of success, whatever the field of action. Where contentment puts a full stop to everything, discontent pushes you on a non-stop journey. This is the greatest advantage of depression.

History has always shown that those living in carefree comfort, and not therefore a prey to despair, have generally failed to achieve any notable success; in contrast to those who, beset by adversity, have fallen into depression only to emerge subsequently as super achievers.

You may feel that depression is something that you do not want to experience, but this phenomenon is produced by the law of nature and, when it comes to the law of nature, you have no option but to accept it as it is. If, according to the law of nature, the journey of super achievement pursues a painful course, you are bound to keep to that course. In this case, you have only two options: either achieve super success by paying its natural price, or die without ever knowing super achievement.

Nature has demonstrated this fact in several ways. For example, if you want a glass of apple juice, you have to crush an apple. Without crushing the apple, you cannot have the desired fruit juice. This applies to anyone who wants to be a super achiever. He is obliged to tread the thorny path prescribed by nature because, without fulfilling this condition, no one can reach his desired goal.

It is a fact of life that one who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth is fated to live out his life as an average person, whereas those who are born without this silver spoon contrive to achieve great success.

In the beginning, depression seems to be a curse but, in the end, depression turns out to be a blessing. In fact, depression is only a temporary phase of life. It is in no way permanent. Depression is like a tedious journey. During this journey, you may be tired or bored, but when you reach your destination, you experience total happiness and satisfaction.

Alpha adulteress: Powerful women willing to have flings

LONDON: A new survey has found that high-earning, successful women are every bit as willing as their male counterparts to use their power to attract younger lovers for quick flings.

A new academic study has suggested that women are inherently no more virtuous than men. It's just that, in the past, they have lacked confidence or opportunity to stray.

Like men, women are finding that power is a potent aphrodisiac, and they are giving in to the thrill of illicit lunchtime assignations and the sheer excitement that accompanies their transgression.

Nor do they feel any more guilty or ashamed about it than a man would.

Joris Lammers of Tilburg University in the Netherlands, who conducted an anonymous survey of more than 1,500 readers of a business magazine, found being powerful makes women more prone to be unfaithful.

He questioned people, from top corporate executives to ordinary employees, about whether they had had affairs.

They were asked how powerful they thought they were and quizzed on other factors including their feelings of confidence, and what they thought their risk of being caught was.

The results showed a link between power and infidelity, regardless of gender. "The strongest predictors are not moral belief, but power and opportunity," Lammers said.

"Power can undermine your morality and increase your risk-taking, and the effect of power on women is just as strong as on men."

Why successful men have affairs: It's the need to 'top up' testosterone

Why are today's men having an affair at the back of their wives, fiancee or girlfriends? According to one of the world's best-selling psychologists, powerful men have higher than average levels of testosterone, which they seek to 'top up' when their reserves become depleted. One way they do that is to have an affair.

Dr John Gray, author of 'Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus', has claimed that the gulfs in understanding that divide men from women are being exacerbated by hormones, which are working against people achieving monogamy in a stressful world.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

The Secret Diary of an IPL Cheerleader – Part II




BEFORE departing for India, I had friends and family passing on travel tips, advice and personal experiences. Some of it good, and some of it worrying. As this was my first trip overseas, I needed to take it all in. But with any challenge in life, I like to have an open heart, clear head and positive attitude. This was not just a holiday abroad, this was a job and nobody could prepare me to become a cricket-loving, cheerleading, IPL girl but me!
Already three weeks have passed and in that time I cannot believe how a group of normal girls can become instant celebrities! Each team of ten girls has a manager and we all receive strict instructions from them about safety, behaviour and reputation, as it seems girls from previous years did not heed the rule book!
For example, if people ask why we are in their country, we have to say that we are friends on holiday. The majority of Indians are cricket crazy, glued to their televisions, reading the papers, supporting their teams. So as the tournament kicked off, it became pretty obvious we were not telling the truth!
On our days off, we are free to explore and take in what India has to offer but its not always easy. You can just imagine, a group of fit, easy on the eye, western ladies cruising the congested busy streets…

To the citizens, we are practically like walking porn! All eyes are on you all the time; it is complete voyeurism. The women double take, see you and then pretend you do not exist. The men see your face, then your boobs, your butt, and then your boobs again! As we walk, all you hear is “IPL, IPL!” with a little head jingle!
Usually only after day matches there is an exclusive after party and at night is when it all happens. The music pumps, the drinks flow and the cricketers come and go. We mingle and associate with important people of the IPL wearing their finest and sexiest, sponsors of all sorts, media and fashion shows, even Indian MTV! But the real funhappens in the VIP rooms where the players and night owls can cause scandal! The few Indian players we have met, such as MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma have been very polite and keep to themselves in the dark corners. Hotshots like Tendulkar with families at home are never present. The likes of Jonty Rhodes and Albie Morkel are notorious for having a good time with friends!
‘Ol Graeme Smith will flirt with anything while his girlfriend lurks behind him. The Aussies are fun but naughty, such as Aiden Blizzard and Dan Christian. By the end of a crazy evening, a certain someone had played kissing catchers with three girls known to me only, although he has his own girlfriend back home. He cooed to each girl, “Come home with me, I just want to cuddle!’
Oh, please! I have come to realise that cricketers are the most loose and mischievious sportsmen I have come across. Makes me wonder if I should worry about them more then the commoners on the street! I still have a long while here, so I shall keep my tip list in mind.
Tip number 1: ‘Beware of the cricketers!’
Read more: http://www.thealternativecricketalmanack.com/2011/04/the-secret-diary-of-an-ipl-cheerleader-part-ii/#ixzz1M2OWDQSR

Internet Pornography Statistics

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.