Nutrition Needs for Atheletes

There are probably three basic dietary prescriptions for health and fitness. These apply to athletes and non athletes alike. They are:

1. Maintain a healthy body weight by adjusting food intake and exercise.
2. Eat less fat and specifically less saturated fats, such as those fats found in animal products and tropical oils.
3. Increase intake of total carbohydrate, especially complex carbohydrate.

For most athletes, increased energy should come from the vegetable group and the cereal group (bread, chapatti, rice, pasta, etc). Foods in these two groups contain a lot of starch, which is an excellent source of food energy.

Food such as butter, margarine, oil, fried foods, sweets, desserts, jams and jellies, should be used sparingly. Though these foods provide energy, go easy on them and get your energy from foods that are more nutritious.

Do athletes have special nutrient needs?
Increased physical activity increases some of your food needs. You require more energy, water, and possibly salt (sodium chloride). Increased physical activity also increases requirements of other nutrients like riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, and iron. These requirements are met through a well balanced diet. Supplements are no substitute to a good diet.

Water lost through sweating is not easily replaced. Low water-intake during strenuous physical activity leads to dehydration, which can lead to fatigue, heatstroke, and death. Replacement water should never be restricted during activity. Moderate amounts of water taken frequently before, during, and after the activity prevent this problem.

How much liquid should be ingested? When?
The amount of fluid required is dependent upon how much sweat will be lost during physical activity. Activity in hot, humid environments will require more liquid intake to maintain performance. Two hours prior to event drink 2 glasses of water or juice diluted by half with water. Half an hour prior to event drink 1glass of water - at this point fruit juice should probably be avoided since it contains fructose, a sugar known to increase complaints of stomach upset. During vigorous activity most people can tolerate ½ to ¾ glass of beverage every 20 minutes.

Salt needs can be met by increased use of salt on food. The use of salt tablets is not recommended. Salt tablets can cause stomach cramps. The tablets hold water in the stomach longer and can actually cause water to be pulled back into the intestinal tract and away from body tissues where the water is needed most.

What should the athlete eat before a game?
Before a game, your digestive processes may be slowed down by your keyed-up emotional state. To allow for this condition, you should eat an easily digestible meal no later than three hours before the contest. Avoid food that contain substantial amounts of fats or oils. Meals high in starches are better because they are digested more rapidly than fats or oils.

Some athletes prefer poached egg + toast + juice as a pre-game meal. Some prefer breakfast cereal + low-fat milk or a combination of rice + moong dal + juice. Avoid sugary foods such as candy or honey before a contest. Sweets can cause rapid swings in blood-sugar levels and result in low blood sugar and less energy.

Although the pre-game meal won't cause large increases in muscle glycogen, it will –

• Help avoid hunger during the event
• Stabilize blood-sugar levels and add some food energy to complement existing energy stores of muscle glycogen
• Hydrate the body
• Provide a relatively empty stomach at game time
• Prevent gastrointestinal upset or other adverse reactions to food
  No one pre-game meal is right for every athlete or every event, but some food choices are much smarter than others. Eat the meal at least three hours before an event to ensure digestion before the event.
• Choose a meal that's high in starch. Starch is easy to digest and helps steady the levels of blood sugar.
• Consume only moderate amounts of protein. Protein foods take longer to digest than starch.
• Limit fats and oils. They take too long to digest.
• Restrict sugary foods. Sweets can cause rapid energy swings in blood sugar levels and result in low blood sugar and less energy.
• Avoid foods and drinks that contain caffeine. Caffeine stimulates the body to increase urine output, which can contribute to dehydration problems, and a full bladder can be very uncomfortable.
• Watch out for foods that produce gas. Certain raw vegetables, fruits, or pulses may cause problems for some athletes.
• Within these guidelines, choose foods you like to eat.
• Remember to drink plenty of fluids with your pre-game meal.

Foods to Avoid:
Candy, sugar, honey, sweets, chocolates, ice-creams
After an initial rise, your blood-sugar level can actually drop below normal, resulting in a sudden feeling of tiredness or fatigue.
Tea, coffee, chocolate, cola
Caffeine consumption leads to dehydration.
Fried foods, high-fat meats, fats, oils, oily gravies, sour cream, etc.
Fat digests slowly and therefore stays in the stomach longer.
Fruits, raw vegetables, popcorn, nuts, whole pulses
Some of these foods may cause gas and/or an uncomfortable feeling of fullness during the game. An athlete needs to avoid the foods that cause problems.
Any new food
Don't experiment with new foods right before an event. If you experience any adverse reactions, your body has little time to recover.
Fruit-flavored drinks
Many drinks contain little fruit juice and a lot of sugar. Read the label.

The best pre-game strategy is to eat a meal, which contains about 100 grams of carbohydrate 3-4 hours prior to event.

What should the athlete eat after the game?
Eating high carbohydrate foods after physical activity enhances glycogen storage. Since people are usually not hungry immediately following physical activity, a glass of fruit juice + a banana may be preferred. If an active person does feel hungry after an event, then foods high in carbohydrate, moderate in protein, and low in fat, fiber are the ones to choose - the same ones recommended prior to competition. Food high in protein and fat should be avoided during the first few hours after activity as these food may suppress hunger and thus limit carbohydrate intake.

Health precautions and advice

• The event organizers recommend that a marathon be attempted only after a period of regular running, including three months directed toward long-distance training.
• On the day of the race it is important to take adequate fluids before and after the race.
• Do not wear new shoes or clothes as they will tend to cause chaffing and blisters.
• If you have been unwell in the 48 hours leading up to the event or if you are recovering from a viral infection, do not attempt to run. You must retire if you feel distressed, disoriented or are asked to do so by an official.
• If you answer yes to any of the following questions we strongly suggest you seek medical approval prior to running a marathon:

1. Do you have a history of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes or asthma?
2. Do you smoke?
3. Are you 15% or more over the ideal weight for your height?
4. Have you been running for less than a year and are aged 35 years or over?

(DISCLAIMER : The information found in the website is of general nature only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional health advice and no person should act in reliance on any statement contained in the information provided and at all times should obtain specific advice from professional medical practitioners should they require medical help or assistance.)

Tips for a marathon run

Fitness is not about being thin, having a small waist or bulging muscles. Fitness enables us to perform vigorous physical activities like long distance running. Physical fitness involves cardio-respiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance & flexibility. It also influences our mental & emotional development.

To start training for a marathon, you must have a basic level of fitness. Most healthy people can train themselves for a half marathon (21 km run). To be able to train for a half marathon, you must be able to run at least three miles, three to four times a week. If not, your first big run should be a 10 km run. A half marathon requires 12 weeks of training, a full marathon requires 18 weeks, & a smaller run like the 10 km requires at least five weeks.

Each week of training has to combine the following:

• 3 days of varied distance running
• 1 day of speed running (short distances with breaks)
• 1 day of strength training
• 1 day of rest

1 day (Sundays) for the longest distance of the week.

Pace: Run at a comfortable pace. You should be able to have a conversation while running. Else you are running too fast.

Distance: Improving distances is very important for endurance training. You must do an entire 26 km (half) or 42 km (full) once at the end of your training schedule.

Rest: This is as important as your runs. It minimizes the risk of injury.

Long Runs: These are the key to marathon running. You may miss a few of the small runs, but never cheat on the long runs on weekends.

Flexibility: Stretching is a very important element. Stretch before and after a run.

Strength training

• Muscular strength can be improved mainly with strength training.
• Strength training improves your lean muscle mass whilst cutting down the fat in the body.
• This is important for a runner as stronger muscles lead to better muscular endurance.

Aerobic and anaerobic training

• It is important to combine both forms of training for optimum fitness.
• Aerobic training improves cardio respiratory fitness. This in turn increases maximal oxygen intake. For example - slow running, jogging and aerobics.
• Anaerobic training is activities that involve short bursts of intense activity. For example - strength training, sprinting, running up a flight of stairs, etc

Nutrition for the runner

• Concentrate on carbohydrates.
• You must have a daily intake of 60-65% of carbohydrates, 15% proteins and 20% fat.
• Endurance athletes benefit from complex carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables, pasta, bread, cereals & legumes.
• A runner who runs 30-35 km a week requires a daily intake of approximately 2500 calories to maintain muscle glycogen stores.

Hydration

• A marathoner’s body temperature rises to 102 degrees F whilst running. Up to this point, your sweat system works as air conditioning. But, if conditions are hot & humid, the body temperature will rise further, resulting in dehydration with minimal sweat production.
• During training, before & after a big run, constant hydration is required to avoid heat strokes & dizziness
  
  To sum it up, marathon running needs a strong mind & a fit body. After long distances, when your energy tank is empty, your fuel source is negligible and the body wants to stop. But it’s your mental strength and determination that carries your through

Chandra Gopalan
Marathon Runner, and Master Franchisee of Contours Express (India’s first Women-only Gym) Hydration is equally important for a runner.

(DISCLAIMER : The information found in the website is of general nature only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional health advice and no person should act in reliance on any statement contained in the information provided and at all times should obtain specific advice from professional medical practitioners should they require medical help or assistance.)

Share time with someone you love

A small touching story mainly for professionals...

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.

SON: "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"

DAD: "Yeah sure, what is it?" replied the man.

SON: "Daddy, how much do you make an hour?"

DAD: "That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily.

SON: "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?"

DAD: "If you must know, I make Rs.100 an hour."

SON: "Oh," the little boy replied, with his head down.

SON: "Daddy, may I please borrow Rs.50?"

The father was furious, "If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I work hard everyday for such this childish behavior."

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that Rs.50 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.

"Are you asleep, son?" He asked.

"No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.

"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier" said the man.

"It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you.. Here's the Rs.50 you asked for."

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. "Oh, thank you daddy!" He yelled.

Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.

"Why do you want more money if you already have some?" the father grumbled.

"Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied.

"Daddy, I have Rs.100 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with
you."

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness.

It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts.

Do remember to share that Rs.100 worth of your time with someone you love.

If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easilyr replace us in a matter of days. But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family.

Sent by: Senthil

Focusing on Problems & Solutions

Difference between Focusing on Problems and Focusing on Solutions

Case 1

When NASA began the launch of astronauts into space, they found out that the pens wouldn't work at zero gravity (ink won't flow down to the writing surface). To solve this problem, it took them one decade and $12 million. They developed a pen that worked at zero gravity, upside down, underwater, in practically any surface including crystal and in a temperature range from below freezing to over 300 degrees C.

And what did the Russians do...?? They used a pencil.

Case 2

One of the most memorable case studies on Japanese management was the case of the empty soapbox, which happened in one of Japan's biggest cosmetics companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer had bought a soapbox that was empty. Immediately the authorities isolated the problem to the assembly! line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery department. For some reason, one soapbox went through the assembly line empty. Management asked its engineers to solve the problem. Post-haste, the engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with high-resolution monitors manned by two people to watch all the soapboxes that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty. No doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they spent a whoopee amount to do so.

But when a rank-and-file employee in a small company was posed with the same problem, he did not get into complications of X-rays, etc., but instead came out with another solution. He bought a strong industrial electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each soapbox passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line.

Moral: Always look for simple solutions.

Devise the simplest possible solution that solves the problems.

Always focus on solutions & not on problems

So at the end of the day the thing that really matters is HOW ONE LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM, mere perceptions can solve the tough problems....

Sent by: Wellington

Good old lessons in teamwork from an age-old fable

The Tortoise And The Hare

Once upon a time a tortoise and a hare had an argument about who was faster.

They decided to settle the argument with a race. They agreed on a route and started off the race.

The hare shot ahead and ran briskly for some time. Then seeing that he was far ahead of the tortoise, he thought he'd sit under a tree for some time and relax before continuing the race.

He sat under the tree and soon fell asleep.

The tortoise plodding on overtook him and soon finished the race, emerging as the undisputed champ.

The hare woke up and realized that he'd lost the race.

The moral of the story is that slow and steady wins the race.

This is the version of the story that we've all grown up with.

The story continues …

The hare was disappointed at losing the race and he did some soul-searching. He realized that he'd lost the race only because he had been overconfident, careless and lax. If he had not taken things for granted, there's no way the tortoise could have beaten him.

So he challenged the tortoise to another race. The tortoise agreed.

This time, the hare went all out and ran without stopping from start to finish. He won by several miles.

The moral of the story?

Fast and consistent will always beat the slow and steady.
If you have two people in your organization, one slow, methodical and reliable, and the other fast and still reliable at what he does, the fast and reliable chap will consistently climb the organizational ladder faster than the slow, methodical chap.

It's good to be slow and steady; but it's better to be fast and reliable.

But the story doesn't end here …

The tortoise did some thinking this time, and realized that there's no way he can beat the hare in a race the way it was currently formatted.

He thought for a while, and then challenged the hare to another race, but on a slightly different route.

The hare agreed.

They started off. In keeping with his self-made commitment to be consistently fast, the hare took off and ran at top speed until he came to a broad river. The finishing line was a couple of kilometers on the other side of the river.

The hare sat there wondering what to do. In the meantime the tortoise trundled along, got into the river, swam to the opposite bank, continued walking and finished the race.

The moral of the story?

First identify your core competency and then change the playing field to suit your core competency.

In an organization, if you are a good speaker, make sure you create opportunities to give presentations that enable the senior management to notice you.

If your strength is analysis, make sure you do some sort of research, make a report and send it upstairs.

Working to your strengths will not only get you noticed, but will also create opportunities for growth and advancement.

The story still hasn't ended …

The hare and the tortoise, by this time, had become pretty good friends and they did some thinking together. Both realized that the last race could have been run much better.

So they decided to do the last race again, but to run as a team this time.

They started off, and this time the hare carried the tortoise till the riverbank.

There, the tortoise took over and swam across with the hare on his back.

On the opposite bank, the hare again carried the tortoise and they reached the finishing line together. They both felt a greater sense of satisfaction than they'd felt earlier.

The moral of the story?

It's good to be individually brilliant and to have strong core competencies; but unless you're able to work in a team and harness each other's core competencies, you'll always perform below par because there will always be situations at which you'll do poorly and someone else does well.

Teamwork is mainly about situational leadership, letting the person with the relevant core competency for a situation take leadership.

There are more lessons to be learnt from this story.

Note that neither the hare nor the tortoise gave up after failures. The hare decided to work harder and put in more effort after his failure. The tortoise changed his strategy because he was already working as hard as he could.

In life, when faced with failure, sometimes it is appropriate to work harder and put in more effort. Sometimes it is appropriate to change strategy and try something different. And sometimes it is appropriate to do both.

The hare and the tortoise also learnt another vital lesson. When we stop competing against a rival and instead start competing against the situation, we perform far better.

When Roberto Goizueta took over as CEO of Coca-Cola in the 1980s, he was faced with intense competition from Pepsi that was eating into Coke's growth. His executives were Pepsi-focused and intent on increasing market share 0.1 per cent a time.

Roberto decided to stop competing against Pepsi and instead compete against the situation of 0.1 per cent growth.

He asked his executives what was the average fluid intake of an American per day? The answer was 14 ounces. What was Coke's share of that? Two ounces. Roberto said Coke needed a larger share of that market. The competition wasn't Pepsi. It was the water, tea, coffee, milk and fruit juices that went into the remaining 12 ounces. The public should reach for a Coke whenever they felt like drinking something.

To this end, Coke put up vending machines at every street corner. Sales took a quantum jump and Pepsi has never quite caught up since.

To sum up, the story of the hare and tortoise teaches us many things:
• Never give up when faced with failure
• Fast and consistent will always beat slow and steady
• Work to your competencies
• Compete against the situation, not against a rival.
• Pooling resources and working as a team will always beat individual performers

Let’s go and build stronger teams!

Sent by: Sudhindra

Never give up!

Fat Loss Lie #1: "You have to starve yourself to get a lean body"

What if I told you that very low calorie diets will actually make you fatter in the long term, and that there's an almost embarrassingly simple way that you can eat more and still burn more fat?

I know it sounds too good to be true, but you're about to see the science behind it, and I've got the real-world results to prove it, so read on.

To get rid of fat, the laws of energy balance and thermodynamics declare that you have to consume fewer calories than you burn. Sorry, theres no way around it. There's no such thing as "calories don't count." Run for cover the next time you hear that claim because it's absolutely false and any scientist will tell you that.

You must have a "calorie deficit" to burn fat off your body. However, the fatal flaw in most popular diet programs is that the calorie deficit is too aggressive or too extreme.

Have you ever been told that to get a lean body you had to eat 1200 calories a day or 1000 calories a day or even less? Did you ever just get FED UP with no results and tell yourself, "That's it, I'm hardly going to eat ANYthing," because you were desperate to get the pounds off as fast as possible?

Yeah, sure, it works in the beginning, because there's a HUGE calorie deficit at first, but theres also a HUGE irony:

When you cut your calories too far, eventually YOUR BODY ADAPTS.

If you're a Star Trek fan, it's kind of like the BORG, where a phaser weapon works against the alien BORG creatures once, but then they adapt, and soon the same phaser blast no longer does anything.

Well, diets are kind of like that, aren't they?

You "fire" a low calorie diet at your body and it zaps off some weight in the begining. But then your body figures out what's going on. Your body doesn't care that you want to look good in a swimsuit; your body thinks you're under attack! Your body thinks you're about to starve to death!

When you fire something extreme at your body (like hardly eating), your metabolic rate slows down in order to protect you.

This "defense mechanism" is often called, "the starvation response."

When you go into starvation mode, here are some of the consequences:

1. Your body releases fewer fat-releasing and fat-burning enzymes such as hormone sensitive lipase and lipoprotein lipase.

2. Your fat cells release less of the hormone leptin, which is the signal that tells your brain you are well fed and not starving (it's the "anti-starvation" hormone)

3. Fat burning hormones crash, including your levels of T3 (no, not the latest Arnold terminator movie, T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone, the important "metabolism-regulating hormone" that you've probably heard about before).

4. You lose muscle. Muscle is metabolically-active tissue, which means it takes a lot of energy just to keep it. When you're "starving," you're in an "energy crisis", so excess muscle is the LAST thing you need. Muscle becomes expendable, and your body cannibalizes your own lean tissue.

5. Appetite hormones rage out of control. When you're starving, a part of your brain called the hypothalamus switches into high gear and flips the appetite switch, sometimes to the point where you become ravenous and cannot fight these physiological cravings with willpower.

Bottom line: It's hormonally, metabolically and physiologically impossible to achieve permanent fat loss by starving yourself.

And that's the first BIG LIE:

Any program that's extremely low in calories may work in the short term, but the "honeymoon" never lasts for long.

In the long run, very low calorie diets can actually make you fatter. Eventually, they lead to binge eating and weight re-gain and you end up with less muscle and a slower metabolism than when you started.

The TRUTH is, you DON'T have to starve yourself to get a lean body. In fact, you can eat more and burn more fat.

Here's how:

1. Avoid very low calorie diets.

Before going on any diet, look at the recommended calories. You'll probably discover that in most cases, you are required to slash your calories to "starvation" levels (1200 or less for women, 1800 or less for men, and active people need even more.

2. Make sure your calorie intake is customized.

Depending on your activity level, age and gender, your calorie needs may be much higher or much lower than the average person. If a diet program recommends the same amount of calories for everyone, that should be a red flag to stay away. It could be perfect for someone else, but starvation level for you.

3. Decrease your calories just a little below maintenance.

Decrease your calories conservatively - only about 20% below your daily maintenance level. A mild calorie cut doesn't trigger the starvation response as much.

For example: If you're female and you maintain your weight on 2150 calories per day,a 20% deficit is 1720 calories per day (correct). Conventional diets might have you slash to 1000 or 1200 calories per day or less without emphasis on exercise (incorrect)

4. Increase your calorie deficit more by increasing activity

If you only cut calories slightly below maintenance, then how do you reduce body fat without the process taking forever? Simple, you BURN more calories and increase your deficit by increasing your activity. (No brainer simple!)

First, if you're not doing so already, you should aim for three days per week of strength training with weights.

Second, you should do at least three days per week of moderate to vigorous cardiovascular exercise.

Third, if you wish to accelerate fat loss more, or if you need to break a progress plateau, you bump up your activity even further by adding additional cardio sessions or increasing the intensity or duration of your current workouts.

It also helps to get more physical activity in general, and to participate in physical hobbies, sports or recreational activities that you enjoy.

Bottom line:

The first secret to permanent fat loss is to BURN THE FAT, don't STARVE THE FAT

Mouse Trap Story

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.

What food might this contain? The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning : There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. " "I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The pig sympathized, but said, I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. "Be assured you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose." So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.

The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever.

Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.

But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well; she died.

So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.

The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.

We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

SEND THIS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER HELPED YOU OUT AND LET THEM KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE.

REMEMBER,,,, EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY; OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON.

Sent by: Prem

Think Positive

Think Positive!!


This is nice - finding positive out of every negative - which we don't
always manage to do.

I am thankful...

1. For the husband who snores all night, because he is at home asleep with me and not with someone else.

2. For my teenage daughter who is complaining about doing dishes, because that means she is at home & not on the streets.

3. For the taxes that I pay because it means that I am employed.

4. For the mess to clean after a party because it means that I have been surrounded by friends.

5. For the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.

6. For a floor that needs mopping, and windows that need cleaning because it means I have a home.

8. For all the complaining I hear about the government because it means that we have freedom of speech.

9. For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking and that I have been blessed with transportation.

10. For the noise I have to bear from my neighbours because it means that I can hear.

11. For the pile of laundry and ironing because it means I have clothes to wear.

12. For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been capable of working hard.

13. For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I am still alive.

Sent by: Mubi

Realise the fact

A student asks a teacher, "What is love?"

The teacher said, "in order to answer your question, go to the wheat
field and choose the biggest wheat and come back.

But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back
to pick."

The student went to the field, go thru first row, he saw one big wheat,
but he wonders....may be there is a bigger one later.

Then he saw another bigger one... but may be there is an even bigger
one waiting for him.

Later, when he finished more than half of the wheat field, he starts to
realise that the wheat is not as big as the previous one he saw,

he knew he has missed the biggest one, and he regretted.

So, he ended up went back to the teacher with empty hand. The teacher
told him, "...this is love... you keep looking for better ones, but
when
later you realise, you have already missed the person.

Sent by: Mubi

11 ways to be a Happy Employee

1. Plan your week on Sunday night
Look at your work calendar and plan your week on Sunday night or Monday morning. This would include important meetings, deliverables, a brief summary of things that are pending from last week and any tasks to be achieved during the week. Though this might look like a time management tip, at the end of the week, on Friday night when you re-visit what you have achieved over the last five days, the satisfaction is immense.

2. Undertake activities that you are passionate about even though it might not be in your job profile
Start an initiative that you would love to do irrespective of whether it is required for you to do or not.

• Send a daily newsletter to your team on the topics that most of them will be interested.
• Do a presentation on the topic that you are passionate about.
• Organize a small sports event for your team.
• Call everyone in your team for a team coffee, breakfast or lunch break
• Appreciate colleagues in your team or in a cross-functional team who did a great job
• Write a poem on your team's achievements
• Arrange a potluck lunch

3. Do not indulge in the blame game
If something goes wrong do not blame others blindly. If you commit a mistake, do not hesitate to accept it. As Gauthama Buddha said, there are three things we can't hide for long: the sun, earth and the truth. Accepting your mistake gracefully will only make you look like a true professional and also give you the satisfaction of not cheating.

4. Communicate more often in person
Utilise all the opportunities where you can speak to an individual in person rather than e-mail or phone. But be aware of the other person's time and availability. Listening to a positive answer from a person will give you more happiness than if it is done over the phone or via e-mail.

5. Know what is happening at your workplace
Will this make a person happy? Truly, yes! Imagine a cricket team that doesn't know how many runs to score to win a match? More than losing the game, the player will never be interested or motivated to play well.

Attend all meetings that are addressed by the CEO to your immediate manager to know what is going to happen around you. It could be the company's growth plan or your department's next big project. Jack Welch mentions in his book Winning "every employee, not just the senior people, should know how a company is doing."

You will also get an extra edge if you are in a position to answer queries raised by your peers or juniors. This is not just for the good reasons, but bad reasons as well. You do not want to be the last employee to know if your company is laying off employees (in the worst case, if you are the one who is on that list).

6. Participate in organisation-level activities
This could be as simple as spending one weekend for a corporate social responsibility activity or attending a recruitment drive to help your HR team or arranging a technical/sports event at the organisational level. Most of these events will be successful as people do come on their own to contribute.

7. Have a hobby that keeps you busy and happy
Many people say their hobby is watching TV or listening to music or reading the newspaper. These aren't hobbies, they are just ways of passing the time. Some hobbies are evergreen and will keep you evergreen as well: dancing, painting, writing short stories, poems, blogs and sharing your experiences.

8. Take up a sport
While choosing a sport make sure that there is physical activity. There is the danger of becoming addicted to sports where there is less physical activity (like computer games, chess, cards etc). Physical activity keeps a person healthy and happy. If you pick up one sport well, you can represent your organisation in corporate sports event too.

9. Keep yourself away from office politics
Politics, as a practice, whatever its profession, has always been the systematic organization of hatreds. -- Henry Brooks Adams

Politics is everywhere and the office is no exception. Playing politics might be beneficial but only for the short term. So the best thing to do is play fair.

10. Wish and smile
More often than not, there are fair chances that the other person will smile back. This could be your security guard at the gate, your receptionist, your office boy, your CEO or your manager -- never forget to wish them and smile.

11. Volunteer for some activity

"The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving." � Albert Einstein

Do at least one activity without expecting anything in return. There is no set frequency for this. This could be once in a day or once in a week or thrice in a week. It could be as simple as making tea at the office for your colleague, helping a colleague who is working in another department by using your skills, dropping your colleague at his door step in your car, going to your manager or colleague to ask if there is any help you can extend, contributing to technical or knowledge management communities in your organisation etc.

Sent by: Sudheer

Change

"Changing the face" can change nothing

"Facing the change" can change everything

PRICELESS WORDS

A husband wakes up at home with a huge hangover. He forces himself to open his eyes, and the first thing he sees is a couple of aspirins and a glass of water on the side table.
He sits down and sees his clothing in front of him, all clean and pressed. He looks around the room and sees that it is in perfect order, spotless, clean. So is the rest of the house.

He takes the aspirins and notices a note on the table. "Honey, breakfast is on the table, I left early to go grocery shopping. Love You!"

Totally shocked with the note , he goes to the kitchen and sure enough there is a hot breakfast and the morning newspaper.

His son is also at the table, eating. He asks, "Son, what happened last night?"
His son says, "Well, you came home around 3 AM, drunk and delirious. Broke some crockery, puked in the hall, and gave yourself a black eye when you stumbled into the door".

Confused, the man asks, "So, why is everything in order and so clean, and breakfast is on the table waiting for me? I should expect a big quarrel with her!"

His son replies, "Oh, that! Mom dragged you to the bedroom, and when she tried to take your clothes n shoes off, you said,

"LADY LEAVE ME ALONE! I'M MARRIED!"

Moral
Self-induced hangover - $ 400.00
Broken crockery - $ 800.00
Breakfast - $ 10.00
Saying the Right Thing While Drunk – "PRICELESS "

There are truly some things that both money and MasterCard can't buy

Challenges keeps us alive and fresh

The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the water close to Japan has not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever. The farther the fisher men went, the longer it took to bring the fish. If the return trip took more time, the fish were not fresh.
To solve this problem, fish companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer.


However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen fish. And they did not like the taste of frozen fish. The frozen fish brought a lower price. So, fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, they were tired, dull, and lost their fresh-fish taste.


The fishing industry faced an impending crisis! But today, they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan. How did they manage? To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks but with a small shark. The fish are challenged and hence are constantly on the move. The challenge they face keeps them alive and fresh!


Have you realized that some of us are also living in a pond but most of the time tired and dull? Basically in our lives, sharks are new challenges to keep us active. If you are steadily conquering challenges, you are happy.

This learning can be applied anywhere and everywhere – in all spheres of our lives. The sharks/challenges are much needed to bring out the best in us.

Sent by: Thangaraj

Excellence

A gentleman once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby.

Surprised, he asked the sculptor, "Do you need two statues of the same idol?" "No," said the sculptor without looking up, "We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage."

The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage. "Where is the damage?" he asked.” There is a scratch on the nose of the idol." said the sculptor, still busy with his work.

"Where are you going to install the idol?" The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high. "If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?" the gentleman asked.

The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and

said, "I know it and God knows it!"

The desire to excel should be exclusive of the fact whether someone appreciates it or not. "Excellence" is a drive from inside, not outside. Excel at a task today - not necessarily for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction.

The Meaning of TEAM

If you want help, help others,
If you want trust, trust others,
If you want love, spread it away,
If you want friends, be a True one.

If you want a great Team, Be a Great Teammate.

Team work is less “EGO” and more “WE GO”.

The great Companies and Teams are those
That share the similarities,
And celebrate the differences.

They seek Harmony, not uniformity.
They hire Talent, not colour.
They strive for Oneness, not sameness.

No one goes alone to the height of Excellence.
Your Success will depend on others,
And theirs will depend on you.

Remember, the meaning of TEAM is

T : Together
E : Everyone
A : Achieves
M : More......

LACING in style...

1. The lace is run straight across the bottom and emerges through both bottom eyelets

2. The laces then go straight up and are fed into the next set of eyelets up the shoe

3. The ends are crossed over and are fed under the vertical lace section on the opposite sides of the shoe before going straight up and into the next set of eyelets up the shoe

4. At the top set of eyelets, the laces can once again cross over and pass under the straight section as shown. This not only looks consistent with the rest of the lacing but also forms a High Lace Lock, which tightens the lacing even more firmly.

1. The lace is run straight across the bottom and emerges through both bottom eyelets

2. The ends are looped back under the lace where it feeds under the side of the shoe

3. The ends are then crossed over each other, then they go under and out through the next set of eyelets up the shoe

4. Steps 2 and 3 are repeated until both ends reach the top eyelets.

1. The lace runs straight across the second set of eyelets from the top of the shoe

2. Cross the ends over and feed into the fourth set of eyelets, skipping the third set

3. Continue down the shoe, two sets of eyelets at a time

4. At the bottom, run the laces vertically between the bottom and second from bottom eyelets

5. Double back and work your way back up the shoe through the vacant sets of eyelets.

1. The lace is run straight across the bottom and emerges through both bottom eyelets

2. The left (red) end is spiralled up the left side of the shoe, with the end fed under and emerging from each eyelet 3. The right (orange) lace is spiralled up the right side of the shoe, at each eyelet looping through the left (blue) lace in the middle of the shoe before feeding under and emerging from the next eyelet.

1. The lace is run straight across the bottom and emerges through both bottom eyelets
2. One end of the lace (orange end) runs straight up the right side, is fed into and runs straight across the second set of eyelets
3. Both ends now run straight up the left side, each skipping one eyelet before feeding in two eyelets higher up
4. Continue running both ends across the shoe, then straight up two eyelets at a time
5. At the top of the shoe, the laces end up on the same side and the shoelace knot is tied at that point.

1. The lace runs straight across the bottom and the ends are fed into both bottom eyelets

2. One end of the lace (orange end) runs straight up the right side, emerges from and runs straight across the second set of eyelets

3. The other end (red end) runs diagonally underneath and, skipping the 2nd set of eyelets, emerges from and runs straight across the 3rd set of eyelets

4. Continue running each lace diagonally across and up 2 sets of eyelets until one end (orange in my example) reaches the top right eyelet

5. The other end (red in my example) then runs straight up the left side to emerge from the top left eyelet.

1. The lace runs straight across and emerges from the third set of eyelets from the bottom

2. Both ends run straight down and are fed into the second set of eyelets from the bottom

3. Both ends again run straight down and emerge from the bottom set of eyelets

4. Both ends now run straight up along the outside and are fed into the fourth set of eyelets (the first vacant pair) 5. The ends are crossed over each other, then they go under and out through the next set of eyelets up the shoe 6. Repeat step (5) until both ends reach the top.

1. The lace is run straight across the bottom and is fed into rather than emerging from both bottom eyelets

2. The ends are crossed over, then inserted into the next set of eyelets up the shoe

3. This process is repeated until both ends reach the top eyelets and end up inside.

1. The lace runs straight across the bottom and emerges through both bottom eyelets

2. Skipping two sets of eyelets, cross the ends over and feed into the fourth set of eyelets

3. Both ends now run straight down one eyelet and emerge from the third set of eyelets

4. Continue up the shoe, each time crossing over and going up three sets of eyelets, then straight down to emerge from the next set of eyelets below.

1. The lace is run straight across the bottom and emerges through both bottom eyelets

2. The ends are twisted together with one complete twist in the middle of the shoe

3. The ends then continue across to the opposite sides, where they go under and out through the next set of eyelets up the shoe

4. This process is repeated until both ends reach the top eyelets.

1. The lace runs straight across the bottom and emerges from both bottom eyelets

2. Cross the ends over and feed into the 4th set of eyelets up the shoe (skip past 2 sets of eyelets)

3. Both ends now run straight up and emerge from the 5th set of eyelets

4. Cross the ends over and feed into the 2nd set of eyelets up the shoe (skip past 2 sets of eyelets)

5. Both ends now run straight up and emerge from the 3rd set of eyelets

6. Cross the ends over, feed under and emerge from the top set of eyelets (skip past 2 sets of eyelets).

1. The lace is run diagonally and emerges from the bottom left and the top right eyelets

2. The top (red) end of the lace is zig-zagged from the top set of eyelets down to the middle eyelets in a similar manner to the Shoe Shop Lacing

3. The bottom (orange) end of the lace is similarly zig-zagged from the bottom set of eyelets up to the middle eyelets.

1. Start with two pairs of different colour laces, preferably the wide, flat variety (I was lucky to receive two such pairs with my last runners!)

2. With one colour (orange in my example), lace the shoe using either Straight (Fashion) or Straight (Lazy) Lacing

3. With the other colour (red in my example), start at the bottom of the shoe and weave the lace in and out of the other lace until you reach the top

4. Fold around the top lace and head back down, weaving out and in until you reach the bottom

5. Continue across the shoe until you're out of room or out of lace, whichever comes first

6. Tuck all the loose ends of the laces into the shoe.

1. The lace runs straight across the bottom and emerges from both bottom eyelets

2. Cross the ends over and feed into the 4th set of eyelets up the shoe (skip past 2 sets of eyelets)

3. Both ends now run straight up and emerge from the 5th set of eyelets

4. Cross the ends over and feed into the 2nd set of eyelets up the shoe (skip past 2 sets of eyelets)

5. Both ends now run straight up and emerge from the 3rd set of eyelets

6. Cross the ends over, feed under and emerge from the top set of eyelets (skip past 2 sets of eyelets).