Parenting is exhausting. We all know that it is the truth.
Instead of portraying the (extremely) occasional perfect moments, Danielle Guenther, as a family photographer and a mom herself, decided to capture the real moments of parenting.
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What purpose does examining personality serve? For one, it helps your relationships run smoother and with fewer surprises. You can find better understanding of those around you by simply considering how personality shapes their decisions. Furthermore, you can better understand yourself and your own tendencies – both the good and the bad.
Do these characteristics apply to you?
Some experts believe that routines are more common among successful people. Particularly, following a morning routine can help strengthen your willpower, and is associated with better self control. Along with this, those who consider themselves morning people were found to have fewer neurotic and depressive traits than night owls.
Everyone is guilty of engaging in gossip once in a while. But if gossip is your bread and butter, it’s not a great sign. Research has indicated that gossipers may have higher levels of anxiety, due to factors like boredom, envy, or a need for attention. Gossiping may also reflect a need for leverage or superiority in a social group.
We often call nice people “sweet,” and strangely enough research has hinted that kindhearted folks may actually be more likely to have a sweet tooth. In the study, those who opted for sugary snacks were more likely to volunteer to help out. They were also found to be more agreeable.
We all love a good vacation. But why is it that some are ready to return home after just a week, while others set out around the world for months at a time? Research suggests that travelers may be more open-minded, as well as creative, intelligent, and (no surprise) wealthy.
If you have no trouble wrangling a group of new pals at any social event, you’re probably a charismatic individual. More specifically, you may put others at east and posses the confidence they admire. This makes you a great candidate for leadership positions and managing people.
Indecisiveness is often confused for flakiness. In reality, the difference between decisive and indecisive people is about information. A study found that decisive people tend to consider fewer factors during decision-making, while indecisive people look at various advantages and disadvantages.
For some folks, intimidating others is a regular occurrence – in most cases, unintentional. Being intimidating suggests that you possess a specific trait that is exceptional. For example, one study found that men were intimidated by highly intelligent women. Another found that very attractive men received fewer job offers because they intimidated bosses.
Messiness is often considered a negative or problematic trait. But several studies have shown a correlation between messiness and creativity. So don’t be too hard on yourself for the tornado that’s happening in your workspace.
Many people who are adrenaline junkies share a common desire for excitement and spontaneity. And while everyone enjoys some excitement now and then, these kinds of people are especially experience-oriented, valuing activities that stimulate their senses in new ways. Thrill-seekers need only make sure they are not chasing thrills at the expense of safety or purposeful goals.
Remembering birthdays isn’t necessarily an indicator of an impeccable memory. We know that salient information tends to stick in our memories much easier. Thus people who are natural caretakers will remember others’ birthdays, as they feel responsible for family, friends, and even coworkers.
OK, so basically everyone likes children and animals. However, empaths have been said to possess a particularly strong connection with them. This is likely due to empaths’ ability to sense and feel the emotions of others without in-depth verbal communication.
Being comfortable with long stretches of time alone shows a tendency toward introversion. However, even more significant than this is time spent meditating. Studies have shown that learning how to meditate can mold a personality that is less reactive and better at emotional regulation.
Featured photo credit: carianoff via flickr.com
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For some people public speaking is worse than watching “Insidious” all alone in the dark, the first and second part back to back. It’s their worst nightmare, and when they think of speaking in front of a crowd they feel nauseous, but if you think about it for a moment, you will realize just how ridiculous this fear is. However, the fact is that the fear is so deeply ingrained that no amount of rationalizing can help you.
I had stage fright before, and whenever I started speaking, my face would turn red and I’d look like I was about to start crying at any moment. Using these eight steps I overcame my fear, and even became a public speaking addict in the end. Moreover, once I conquered the fear I stopped using fillers and became better at conveying my ideas, and so can anyone else.
Many people have stage fright, but in order to learn how to cope with it, you need to find out exactly what you are afraid of. Some are afraid that they will embarrass themselves, whereas some think they will be rejected by the audience. This all leads to sweating, forgetting your lines and being unable to speak fluently.
In order to make the first step to becoming a more confident public speaker, you need to face your fears. Find what you are scared of, and analyze your fear. I was afraid of embarrassing myself and creating an awkward situation. So, I asked myself two questions:
In some cases, people don’t know the cause of their fear, and cannot explain why they start to shiver and mumble the moment they step on the stage.
Practice, practice and practice, will make you the best public speaker. There is no better way to become more confident than knowing everything about the subject matter you are covering in your speech. This was my routine before I got used to speaking in public: I’d stand in front of the mirror and pretend a large audience was listening to me.
It’s not the same, but speaking in front of a big audience is a lot like watching yourself in the mirror while speaking. Let’s not stop there. Everyone hates how their voice sounds when it’s recorder and played back to them, and even famous actors don’t like to see themselves on big screens because they sound “weird” to themselves. When you start feeling awkward, pay attention to see if you are speaking clearly, and focus on your intonation.
When you pass these two phases, you need to call some friends over and have them listen to you. All singers, actors and performers say that they become ashamed and nervous when they see their family members and close friends in the audience. It’s better to face the worst immediately, so you won’t be afraid of unfamiliar faces when you go on stage.
The best thing to do in order to become more confident is pretend you are participating in some slightly bigger dinner party – something like a Greek family reunion, with all of the close and extended family seated at a long table – and are discussing something with the other guests. Act naturally, and talk with them, don’t just focus on finishing your speech as fast as you can.
Relax, take a deep breath and be yourself. There is no need to act differently and copy some public speakers, because the only way to have an interesting speech and convey the message is to act naturally. Some even suggest that people who suffer from anxiety during interviews or speeches, should only inform themselves about the matter and just go with a flow. Think about it.
If you start your speech with a joke, it will both lighten up the atmosphere and relax you. A joke will instantly boost your confidence, as you will feel more comfortable speaking. Moreover, the audience won’t be bored and will definitely pay attention.
If you are at an event that hosts many different speakers, there is a huge chance people will get bored and lose concentration quickly. When no one listens to you, it can be very hard to stay confident. That’s why I break the ice with a joke, then introduce the topic in an interesting manner.
During my studies, whenever I had to present some essay or hold a debate, I was afraid of saying something that will make me sound stupid. It was so bad that I even forgot the meaning of some terms related to the topic. All that I could hear was the voice in my head saying: “Pay attention, don’t be stupid.” I wasn’t afraid of the other students, but of professors who were judging my every sentence.
However, once I realized that this irrational fear prevented me from presenting all of my knowledge and capabilities, I focused on the material and just saying what I wanted to say. I didn’t pay attention to what the audience thinks, as I was determined to prove my point and have my voice heard. You need to keep eye contact with the audience in order to engage them better, so learn not to think about their facial expressions and what they might be thinking.
When I had to stand in front of hundreds of people, everyone told me to sit in a quiet room and concentrate. It’s like meditation that will make you relaxed and calm. However, this didn’t help a lot, as I couldn’t calm myself because of all the adrenalin pumping through my veins. My friend, who had more experience than me, sent me a playlist and told me just to listen to it.
The negative energy and the nervousness I had were transformed into a calm positive energy after listening to a few encouraging songs. This put me in a positive mood, which helped me overcome my fear, and I felt like a rock star. The songs I listened to were different things from The Queen and RHCP, and “Waiting all night” from Rudimental, which made me jump around the room. It actually doesn’t matter what you listen to, as long as it is a fast song and you love it. Music plays a huge role in our lives, especially when it comes to motivation.
I feel a lot more confident when I’m dressed well. This means I wear comfortable clothes, which make me look both professional and beautiful. When I am dressed like I’m speaking at the most important event of the year, I feel more confident to stand on stage and be looked at. I usually wear clothes that I am used to, rather than buying new clothes and worrying I might experience a wardrobe malfunction.
If you haven’t tried it, put on your favorite clothes and make a big entrance, flying out to the stage and feeling like you’ve just won an Oscar. If you fall, don’t worry, you can always pull of a cute Jennifer Lawrence look after you get up.
The worst thing that can happen to you is to get confused when you make a mistake. You start blushing, sweating, and then you say something that makes the whole audience uncomfortable. When I was just starting to speak in public on a more regular basis, I used to always prepare some backup lines in case I made a mistake. Once, I accidentally said the conclusion before including the previous steps, and I said “Oops, that escalated quickly.” Everyone laughed and I continued confidently my speech.
Mistakes have a positive effect on people, as you are human and it is normal to make a mistake – you cannot just recite the text you’ve prepared. This way you show that you think about the things you are talking about, and are not just going through a script.
When you get to love public speaking some issues like what to do with your hands, won’t be a problem as it will come naturally. However, if you have some problems with posture, try keeping your back straight as it will boost both your confidence and credibility. Try out different methods, as we are all different, and you cannot expect to overcome your problem by doing only one thing. According to my experience, these eight points will certainly help you become a rock star in front of the crowd.
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You want to get rich and you are tired of reading through websites that are offering you stale practices of becoming successful? Do not get frustrated. The thing about becoming rich is that you need to have an in-depth financial education to guide you through the process. Education can be expensive though.
There are several websites that can help you through your journey of becoming the wealthy person you want to be. You do not have to pay a dime for the wealth of information these websites can offer you if you want to become rich. And yes, you should bookmark these ten websites if you are really serious about your intentions of being the next Bill Gates!
It is difficult to ignore Ramit Sethi’s website which name emanates from the New York Times bestselling book he wrote I Will Teach You to Be Rich. What this website offers is a whole kit with an idea generator tool. He lets you understand how you can negotiate your salary and apply techniques that have worked not only for himself but also for his students who have gone further to make thousands of dollars.
When making tough financial decisions, you sometimes need an expert to guide you. Created by John, he explains how you can become more successful by taking the frugal approach of living within your means.
What you need to become wealthy may not be hard work after all but productivity. Getting more done, retiring early, and paying off your debts are some of the topics Jeff covers on his website. There is also the podcast category and more that can help you reprogram your life and get you the results you want.
Sometimes what you need in a website is the financial knowledge of how to invest. And Kiplinger supplies you with a range of topics from investing to real estate.
Wisebread is all about frugal living and personal finance. Through its forums you will be able to learn how to save money from everyday people through their experiences and tips.
The founder of the website, FI Pilgrim makes his content comprehensive and supplies regular and valuable insights on how you can reach financial independence.
Brian Tracy shares his journey to becoming a millionaire. He supplies tools for your personal development, whether it is time management or sales and business training you will gain a lot of insights on how to become rich from visiting his website regularly.
Money, the creator of the website curates the best money articles from a wide web of personal finance writers and bloggers. What you could gain from this website are personal experiences and reflections from several money bloggers and writers.
What Trent Hamm, founder of this website does is provide you a lot of details on how to fight debts. He purports that it is possible to build good habits while you build a financially secure future. Who says you cannot afford a latte or two even while you journey to becoming the next millionaire?
You may not have enough money to get a financial planner since such services are expensive. However there are free articles on LearnVest that can help you structure your finances to becoming successful. There are personal stories from financial planners. Also available on the website are tools such as calculators, checklists for reaching major life milestones, a budgeting tool, videos, and more. If you are looking insights from certified planners on subjects such as spending, saving, budgeting and more then you need to visit LearnVest.
Featured photo credit: New Years Eve by Kent Wang via Flickr via flickr.com
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One of the most elegant accessories at any wedding is the flower bouquet. Nowadays, brides are faced with an endless variety of stunning arrangements for their special day. Here, we’ve gathered 5 of the most beautiful flower bouquets from around the Internet to get your creative ideas flowing. Even if these aren’t quite the right style for your wedding, you’re sure to get some ideas after browsing through them. Selecting matching decor, such as wedding centerpieces, flower-inspired wedding wine labels, balloons, and favors will help tie your color scheme together and solidify your vision.
This bouquet works well with flowing or “ruffled” wedding dresses, and compliments color schemes with white, fuschia, or lilac. Floral arrangements at weddings vary in price, with the overall average flower cost ranging from $1,000–2,000. Bride’s bouquets alone tend to cost anywhere from $100–300.
White roses are the classic flower chosen for weddings, anniversaries, and christenings, historically representing new beginnings and innocence. This bouquet looks stunning with traditional, fuller wedding dresses, and can mesh well with just about any color scheme. Simple white rose bouquets can run anywhere from $75–150. White roses are often paired with thistle for a greener bouquet, but are most striking on their own.
This bouquet flows beautifully with a breezy summer wedding gown, and compliments color schemes pink and purple color schemes. Just be sure to match colors precisely, so as not to end up with a hodgepodge of too many hues. Summer bouquet costs vary greatly, due to the variety of flowers available for inclusion. Some of the most common flowers for summer weddings include lilies, peonies, daisies, and hydrangeas.
Who says bouquets have to have flowers? The biggest upside to this bouquet style is that it lasts indefinitely. You’ll have this as a beautiful keepsake from your wedding day for years to come. This bouquet works well with a more modern, form-fitting wedding dresses, and compliments color schemes with pale blue, ivory, or peach. It’s nearly impossible to predict the price of a nontraditional bouquet because such a wide variety of materials may be used. However, if you’re looking to cut down on expenses, many nontraditional bouquets fall far below the average floral costs, with materials such as paper, felt, and burlap.
Baby’s breath is simple yet elegant, and adds an unmistakable earthiness to your ceremony. This bouquet works well with a more rustic-style wedding gown, and compliments earth tone color schemes like beige and brown. A small handful of baby’s breath will run you only $6, making a full bouquet come in at about $85. This is one of the most affordable flowers for your bouquet. Baby’s breath can also be used as an inexpensive supplement to make your bouquet appear fuller.
Regardless of what you choose, your bouquet should make you feel comfortable and confident on your wedding day. If you’re feeling adventurous, a fun activity to do with your bridal party is creating you own bouquets. This can be done with a few basic craft supplies and some flowers sourced from a wholesale supplier. While DIY isn’t always the cheaper route, making your own bouquets will likely cut costs in your overall wedding budget, giving you the freedom to experiment and come up with just the right floral arrangement. Just remember to keep in mind that certain flowers are available during certain seasons and this will impact your price. Most importantly, be sure to consider your dress and overall color scheme before making a decision.
Featured photo credit: Carlos Gracia via flickr.com
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