Category Archives: Look & Feel Great

Compilation of Must-See Graduation Videos Before the Big Day

Here are five of the best graduation-based videos on YouTube. We posted several videos that we thought would be useful to future college grads, including famous graduation commencement speeches, tips on cap decorations, and funny videos. If you know of any other must-see videos about graduation, let us know! We’d love to post them!

33 Ways to Care

Caring for somebody is the ultimate form of freedom. Whenever you genuinely care for somebody else, you’re setting yourself free. Free from judging, free to accept the other one exactly for who she/he is, free to express your love without a reason. Caring is also one of the rarest attitudes in the modern world, where most of the time is perceived as a form of weakness, if not as plain stupidity. To such an extent that people almost forgot how to express it. Here are 33 ways to help you remember how to care.

1. Support

Don’t just look at the other, acknowledging from a distance his actions, his intentions, his ideas. Support her/his actions. Put yourself into the other person shoes. Help that person, if you can. Say something nice, at least. Or just do things that will ease or support her/his activities. Be there somehow in flesh and bones.

2. Don’t Hold A Grudge

People say or do things that you may not like. But remember that all people are ok. Their actions may not be in sync with what you want or with what you expect. That doesn’t mean the people who performed those actions are not worthy of your attention. On the contrary. Maybe that’s the time they’ll need you the most.

3. Give Advice Only When It’s Needed

People have their own minds, their own expectations, their own lives. Give advice only when it’s needed, otherwise you will obtain the opposite effect. Your genuine intention to help will be in fact perceived as a pressure. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for somebody is to let him hit his own wall.

4. Don’t Take Crap

Rejecting crap (in all of its forms: words, actions, attitudes) is not only a form of self-respect, but also a way to show them that you really care: “I understand you and I see what you’re doing, but I’m not taking it”. Eventually, they’ll realize there’s something wrong somewhere. If you find it difficult to avoid crap, start practicing your “No”’s.

5. Share

Share a nice word. A good joke. A meal. A book you’ve recently read. A place on the bench in the park. Share your good mood and your ideas. Share your memories and experience. Sharing your life with other people will enrich them at least as much as it will fill you with joy and comfort. Sharing IS caring.

6. Avoid Fighting

When there’s too much pressure in a relationship, that compressed energy tends to explode uncontrollably in fights. Don’t go there. A fight is an act of selfishness: “look, I’m so pissed off that I need to let out steam and I don’t care about you”. Instead, find ways to recycle that aggressiveness and balance your energies.

7. Reciprocate

If you received a nice word, give it back. If you received a gift, give one back. If somebody smiled at you, return the smile. If you don’t reciprocate, you break a subtle channel of energies that are building our day to day experience. Soon, you’ll be disconnected. Not able to receive or to give care anymore.

8. Protect

Things can break down. Relationships can lose momentum. Feelings can fade away. Everything can disappear, dissolve, get lost, unless you don’t actively protect it. Pay attention to your stuff. Fortify your relationships. Nurture you feelings. Protect what you really care for. What you give will come back to you somehow.

9. Get Out Of The Way

Sometimes you gotta understand that you’re the one that’s holding things back. You are the obstacle in the other person way. For the sake of “good old times”, or just because you’re feeling insecure. The best thing to do for somebody is to set her/him free. Get out of the way and let them break free. You’ll be ok. They’ll be ok too.

10. Say Thank You

As often as you can. There is no imaginable context in which you cannot say “thank you” when somebody does something for you. Or at least I can’t imagine such a context. Saying “thank you” is not only the simplest form of respect, but also the easiest way to show that you’re just caring.

11. Listen

At least as much as you talk. If you don’t listen, something strange will happen: soon you’ll run out of things to talk about. Listening is what feeds your thoughts, what triggers new ideas, what confirms your suppositions. Remember how you felt last time when somebody listened to you? That’s what I’m talking about.

12. Trust

If you can. Give to the other person all the freedom she/he’s asking for. Even if that freedom crosses the boundaries you’d be willing to accept. That’s the only way to find out if you’re in a healthy relationship. If you don’t have reasons to trust the other, then don’t. In this case, you will show that you care about yourself.

13. Forgive

Forgiveness is an incredible gift. Unfortunately, it’s heavily underused. We still don’t understand the benefits of forgiveness as a mundane, daily act. We either push it into the religion realm, taking its life away by making it a dead, dogmatic concept, either avoid it all together as a social “faux pas”. Just let go. The person who’s freed by forgiveness is you.

14. Get Involved

One of the miracles of life is that you are at the same time the observer and the player in this huge game. You can watch, but you can also do. Getting involved means helping the game going on. Being just an observer and experiencing feelings of compassion will never help you genuinely care about somebody. You can’t really care if you’re not there.

15. Teach Others

If you learned something, don’t keep it to yourself. Go out and teach others. Maybe you think your life is not worthy of such an honor, maybe you think you’re just an ordinary person. And that might be true. But there are millions of ordinary persons in this world who can benefit from your experience.

16. Inspire

Sometimes all you have to do is to live a life of freedom. Live the adventure, become extraordinaire and others will pick up. It’s called inspiration. Focus on what you do better and in the end, other people will tune in to your vibration and start to do extraordinaire stuff by themselves. Be a great blogger a loving father or just you. But be great at being you.

17. Motivate

If inspiration is not enough, don’t be afraid to push it further, to motivate directly. Motivation does not last, they say, but so it’s bathing. This is why is recommended to be done every day (Zig Ziglar said that, not me). Make a list of what motivates you and share it. You’ll be surprised how many people will care about it.

18. Pay Attention

To what the other one is doing. Just look at how he talks, how he looks, what actions he performs. Your attitude will channel a flow of invisible energy which will somehow validate and support her/him. Your attention, your focus, is what builds your reality. Putting your focus on the other one will make her/him alive.

19. Remember

It’s not only about birthdays or special days from your shared history. Although those are utterly important too, of course. But it’s also about what the other one likes or doesn’t likes. About what she/he thinks about certain things. Remembering all those details is like reinforcing your commitments: “I know and I accept what you want”.

20. Pay Yourself First

Might seem totally counter intuitive and awfully against this post topic. But it’s not. A mindless altruism is the shortest path to decay. Don’t give away your time, your actions or yourself foolishly. Instead, be well so you can help others be well too. Be balanced so you can bring balance to others too. Be self sustained so you can help others achieve self-sustainability too.

21. Be Patient

In everything. Real things are not unfolding instantly, they need time to grow, to manifest. Be patient with the other one if she/he is going through some tough times. It will help getting over the heat. Be patient with the other one if she/he is on the peak of its career. It will make the happy days taste even better.

22. Give Feedback

All the time, in all the imaginable situations. Say out loud you liked or didn’t liked something, but give feedback. As the name implies, feedback will feed something. In this case, the actual relationship. If you don’t care about a relationship, the easiest way to break it is to stop giving feedback. It will die in a few weeks.

23. Ignore The Unimportant

Too much time and attention are wasted on useless, not important things. Either by uncontrollable addiction, either by lack of personal values. Ignore what’s unimportant about the other one until you get to her/his real, indivisible core. That’s where you should put the attention. Learning to ignore should be taught in schools.

24. Surprise Him/Her

Break the flow of the predictable events in her/his life with small surprises. Might be just an unexpected end of the evening or a sudden trip to the countryside. Surprises are a way to fracture the other one familiar reality and fill the crack with pleasant, enjoyable life slices. The bigger the surprise, the more enjoyable the life slice…

25. Think Nicely About Her/Him

You do what you repeatedly tell to yourself to do. Your actions are a direct consequences of your thoughts. If you keep having supportive thoughts about the other one, your actions will eventually follow. The root of everything you do or experience is in your thoughts. Don’t let them wander at lost.

26. Make Plans Together

Making plans will always make God laugh, that’s true. But that doesn’t mean you should stop doing them. On the contrary, you should keep God laughing for as much as you can, wouldn’t you? ;-) Projecting a new reality together is an incredibly powerful form of caring. You may never be there, in that new reality, but at least your tried together.

27. Talk

Ask questions. Respond to questions. Say yes or no. But do talk. Keep the communication channels opened. Don’t think the other one should guess what you want, what you need or what you may want to happen in your life. Give clear answers, and ask clear questions. An uncomfortable truth shows more caring than a comfortable but deceiving silence.

28. Smile

As often as you can. There are persons who are somehow killing your smile before it’s even born. With pessimism, anger or just constant irony and arrogance. Smile in their presence even more, regardless of the fact that it will take incredibly more effort from you. Smiling is the cheapest and most effective act of caring.

29. Write A Letter

Doesn’t necessarily have to be a full letter. Leave a note on the fridge. Send a short email out of the blue. Even the message doesn’t have to be something deep, or serious or fundamental. Just a simple “wish you a good day” or “I’m thinking at you” will do miracles. Start now. :-)

30. Cook For Her/Him

Sharing food used to be an ecstatic and spiritual experience. Traces of this my be found in our modern society, when inviting somebody over to dinner has most of the time hidden meanings. Again, doesn’t have to be an exotic meal, but the mere fact of feeding the other one will trigger some deeply buried feelings of security and comfort.

31. Give A Present Out Of The Blue

Giving presents is a great way to mark special occasions, but giving presents out of the blue will make any occasion a special one. The only thing you should pay attention to is not to buy your way to the other one’s heart, because it wouldn’t last long. But a genuine, carefully taught present, will always leave a positive mark.

32. Criticize. Constructively

If you don’t agree with something, speak up. Maybe the other one doesn’t realize that her/his path is a wrong one. If you sense something bad, it’s not only an act of kindness to point (politely and gently) to the other one’s mistakes, but also a respected act of responsibility. An honest and good critique always ends up with a “thank you”.

33. Eliminate Expectations

People are people.Don’t act like they follow a certain algorithm. They will never do. People are doing strange things. They will surprise you, amaze you or disappoint you. Eliminate all expectations and just be happy because you share this moment, this place or this life. Life is not fair sometimes, that’s true. But it’s always beautiful.

 

Looking to Get Fit and Strong? Try a Free Week Trial at Train Insane Boot Camp!

Train Insane Boot Camp is a group fitness program that is extremely successful at getting people to their fitness goals. Geoff and Aaron, the owners of Train Insane, both used to work at larger health clubs and were disgusted with the way members were treated. They wanted do better.  Train Insane is not just another gym where you are an anonymous member.  They know your name, your goals, and succeed in getting you there.

What’s great about Train Insane is the classes are different every time, making each visit unique and fun. There are variety of work outs, including weight lifting, and every part of your body being used. Best of all, there is a true emphasis on personalization. They consistently produce blogs with subjects that members are concerned about, and will produce detailed meal plans that can be customized to your liking.

There are amazing success results that you can view on their website at www.traininsanegym.com. If you are interested in a free week trial or discount on a month plan, you can contact me, Tatiana Nahai, at nahai100@mail.chapman.edu.

Marketing Majors: Be Advised!

11 Email Marketing Terms You Need to Know

Picture 8As an email service provider we are constantly throwing around terms that sometimes our customers may or may not know. So I decided to pick 11 email marketing terms and give you the low down on what they mean. Don’t be offended if you know some of these, I’m trying to cover a lot of bases here. Here goes!

ROI (Return on Investment) – Your ROI is the measure of the profit you make and/or costs saved at your business. For your email marketing campaigns you calculate cost of sending email plus time.

ROI = [(Payback – Investment)/Investment)]*100

So if you made $780 on your email campaign, your time was worth $50 to create it and it costs $15 to send it it would look like this:

(($780 – $65)/$65)*100 = 1100% ROI (which is really good!)

If you want to take it a step further subtract your cost of your products or services as well. 

Open Rate – Your open rate is simply the number recipients who opened your HTML emails. It is typically measured as a percentage of the total number of emails sent, although calculation methods may differ. The open rate is considered a useful metric for judging response to an email campaign but it should be noted that open rates for text emails can’t be calculated AND some email clients don’t display images as a default which would under report your total number of opens.

Above the Fold – The bottom of your browser window or the bottom of your email before you have to start scrolling is commonly referred to as the “fold”. These viewable areas should be where your most important information should be located since it’s the first thing your viewer will see.

Preview Pane – Email programs like Microsoft Outlook, Entourage, and Mac Mail allow users to view email through a preview pane before your recipient clicks to open. The preview pane is important to bear in mind when composing the opening lines of an email so you can get your recipient’s attention fast.

Copy – Your copy is simply the text of the email you write.

Hosted Email – A hosted version of an email allows users to view the email message as a web page, ensuring that all formatting remains intact. VerticalResponse does this for you for free you just need to include the “hosted version” link. Hosted versions of your email are also great for you to send your Twitter and Facebook followers to when you launch your campaign.

Spoofing – Email spoofing involves forging a sender’s address on email messages. It can be used by malicious individuals to mislead email recipients into reading and responding to deceptive mail. These fake messages can jeopardize the online privacy of consumers and damage the reputation of the companies purported to have sent the messages. Spoofed email often contains phishing scams. VerticalResponse doesn’t allow for this in our systems.

Phishing – In a phishing scam, a spammer, posing as a trusted party such as a bank or reputable online vendor, sends email messages directing recipients to Web sites that appear to be official but are in reality fraudulent. Visitors to these Web sites are asked to disclose personal information, such as credit card numbers, or to purchase counterfeit or pirated products.

Targeting – Targeting gives you the ability to deliver emails to those most likely to respond to your emails, based on a variety of things like their geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioral information.

Whitelists – Whitelists are usually created by an ISP (internet service provider) and are made up of commercial emailers (including ESPs) who have been approved to send email through their gates. The ISP requires a list of IP (internet protocol) addresses that email will be sent from, and in some cases a test period where the commercial emailer will be approved or rejected. VerticalResponse is on all available whitelists.

Web Friendly fonts – Almost all web browsers are capable of displaying four primary fonts properly: Times, Arial, Helvetica, and Verdana, as well as their variants (Arial Narrow, Times New Roman, etc.) If a web developer decides to stray from one of these fonts he or she risks browser compatibility problems and the prospect that their pages may render inaccurately when viewed through certain web browsers.

Just BREATHE.

Studies show that if we take a step back, and relax on occasion, we will be more productive at the task at hand. Here’s a tool to help with the process:

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1uiQyb/www.donothingfor2minutes.com/

Hakunna Matata ~

Going Back to the 8-Track Days…

Well, not really… Check out this website (http://8tracks.com/) for a whole site of different playlists. They have music varying from the perfect background music to study for, to the music you want to listen to before heading to the gym or before the big game. Check it out!

Life’s a Road Trip…

This past week, I have been in the midst of preparing for midterms, submitting my resume to potential employers, and writing what seem like endless cover letters… I am sure all of you have been stepping through the same process I have been going through, as well! As I was searching for the “perfect post” to share with all of you this week, I came across a website of a motivational speaker, Julienne Gordon. She has written two books and given numerous speeches about college students and the process of preparing for graduation and life in the “real world”. She has posted her “Top 66 Things to Do Before Graduation” list on her website, and I feel that all of us, as graduates, have a lot to gain from her insights. She calls it “Route 66”.  I have included her summary (below) as well as the important things to do so that YOU, as an individual, walk away from college with great memories, a diploma in hand, and ready to conqer to world. 🙂

~Jordan

“If you (have graduated or) are afraid of graduating college unemployed or underemployed with an expensive piece of paper and a pile of loans, then you should consider taking Route 66. Route 66 is an alternative way to move through college that will maximize your personal, intellectual, social, and financial capital so that you can graduate on the path to do what you love. It requires taking the road less traveled.
Your life is your vehicles to design, drive, and maintain. Unfortunately, too many people end up backseat driving through life or driving someone else’s vehicle without every getting in the driver’s seat of their own life. It’s time to take the wheel and take control of your life, career, and education.

College is a 4 year stepping stone for your 40 year career. But today, a college degree doesn’t guarantee anyone a job. Results from NACE’s Student Survey show that less than 20 percent of 2009 grads who have applied for a job actually have one in hand. In comparison, more than half of 2007 grads and 26 percent of those graduating in 2008 who had applied for jobs had one by time of graduation. Of the students who did land jobs, 73 percent had completed an internship at some point in their college careers.

In today’s economy, a 4.0 is not enough—students coming out of college have to be exceptional. Academic excellence is the minimum. If I was in college today knowing what I know now, here are 66 ways I would maximize my college experience in addition to getting good grades. The list is organized according to my latest book The 8 Cylinders of Success: How to Align your Personal & Professional Purpose and supported by the 30 day goal setting framework in my second book Good Excuse Goal: How to End Procrastination & Perfectionism Forever.

1. Principles » Your Dashboard
What beliefs equate to success to me?

01. [] Take the Gallup Strength Finder 2.0
02. [] Host a Potluck Dinner
03. [] Read The Alchemist
04. [] Take a Personal Development Course
05. [] Read Rich Dad Poor Dad
06. [] Journal for 30 Days in a Row
07. [] Hold 2 Leadership Positions
08. [] Read a Spiritual Text Cover to Cover

2. Passions » Your Keys
What do I love doing and why?

09. [] Play an Intramural Sport for Fun
10. [] Volunteer for an Organization that Moves You
11. [] Take a Graduate School Course
12. [] Finish an Assignment One Week Early
13. [] Do a Public Speech
14. [] Start a Campus Club
15. [] Learn to Play an Instrument
16. [] Write a Business Plan

3. Problems » Your Fuel
What social, scientific, technical, and/or personal problem do I want to solve?

17. [] Wear a Costume to Class (on a day other than Halloween)
18. [] Do Karaoke
19. [] Write an Article for the Campus Paper
20. [] Recite a Poem at an Open Mic
21. [] Correct your Professor
22. [] Do something you’ll likely get Rejected from
23. [] Get a Grade Change
24. [] Take a Quarter, Semester, or Year off

4. People » Your Motor
Whom do I want to serve and how?

25. [] Attend a Meeting of a Group you Think Thinks Differently
26. [] Get off Campus and go Camping
27. [] Join a National Organization
28. [] Mentor a Younger Person
29. [] Raise $1,000 for an Organization you Care About
30. [] Go on a Cross Country Road Trip
31. [] Study Abroad
32. [] Visit your Country of Cultural Origin

5. Positioning » Your Lane
What do I want to be #1 in the world at?

33. [] Buy your own Domain Name
34. [] Start a Blog/Website
35. [] Start Tweeting
36. [] Buy Business cards
37. [] Create a Resume 2.0 on KODA.US/nscs
38. [] Do your Future Job Now
39. [] Create a Portfolio of your work
40. [] Intern with Two Companies

6. Pioneers » Your Pace Cars
Who are my models, mentors, or guides?

41. [] Watch 20 Videos
42. [] Find an Upperclassman Mentor
43. [] Take a Professor to Lunch
44. [] Seek to Meet a Prominent Alumni
45. [] Interview your Grandparents
46. [] Shadow an Alumni on a Project
47. [] Conduct Research with a Professor
48. [] Choose something to Master and Practice Everyday

7. Picture » Your Road Map
What’s my vision for myself and my world?

49. [] Learn WordPress
50. [] Master Excel and Powerpoint
51. [] Abstain from Something
52. [] Organize a Huge Event and Build a Team
53. [] Create a Vision Board
54. [] Learn how to use Photoshop or iMovie
55. [] Learn HTML & CSS
56. [] Sell something and Make a Profit

8. Possibility » Your Destination
What would be possible in the world with me that is not possible without me?

57. [] Learn to do your own Taxes
58. [] Run a Marathon
59. [] Take the GMAT, GRE, LSAT, or MCAT
60. [] Save $5,000 to $10,000
61. [] Clear your Credit Card Debt
62. [] Learn a Foreign Language
63. [] Get your Real Estate License
64. [] Earn a Certificate or License relevant to your Path

Last but not least…

65. [] Complete the 64 Things to do before you Graduate List
66. [] Graduate 10 Times more ready for the World than your Classmates

Got the Midterm Blues?

Are the stress of midterms are getting to you? Are those papers and assignments are beginning to pile-up on you? Try some of these stress-reliving tips!

  • Throw On Some Music and Clean House
  • Watch Aquarium Fish
  • Take a Walk With A Friend
  • Sing Along With Music
  • Set Up a Home Spa
  • Cut Down On Some of Your Commitments
  • Play Positive Affirmations Hangman
  • Play the Stress Management Memory Game
  • Walk Your Dog
  • Try Breathing Exercises
  • Draw a Picture
  • Dance to Your Favorite Music
  • Work on Becoming An Optimist
  • Try Focused Meditation
  • Decode a Cryptogram Puzzle
  • Take a Mini-Vacation
  • Pray
  • Keep a Gratitude Journal
  • Play Music and Cook Something Wonderful
  • Surround Yourself with Positive Energy
  • Guided Imagery
  • Self-Hypnosis
  • Journaling
  • Meditation
  • Yoga
  • Breathing
  • Playing Games
  • Laughter
  • Music Therapy
  • Take a Walk
  • Plant a Garden
  • Listen To Music
  • Eat a Balanced Diet
  • Enjoy Aromatherapy
  • Reduce Caffeine Intake
  • Drink in Moderation
  • Don’t Procrastinate
  • Drink Green Tea

Or, you could use the Anti-Stress Kit:

🙂 Happy Studying!

Sources:
http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/a/stressrelievers.htm
http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/a/25_relievers.htm

The Pomodoro Technique

Do you feel like there’s never enough time in a day to get everything done on that continually growing “To-Do List”? Sometimes, the reason the items on that list never seem to get crossed off are because we get so distracted on websites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or StumbledUpon.

A suggestion from a professor at Chapman, Dr. Niklas Myhr, helps to maximize your full potential and productivity. This strategy is called “The Pomodoro Technique”.

The theory behind The Pomodoro Technique is that if you allot a specific amount of time (25 minutes is suggested), you will be able to focus on that one item or paper for that amount of time. Set a time, and begin that project. Once the timer goes off, step away from the project, take a quick break, and come back to the project for another 25 minutes. This can be incredibly helpful – especially with midterms coming up!

You can visit The Pomodoro Technique’s website for more information!  Best of luck with that to-do list!

http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/