The Life of Abraham Lincoln

So I got the new Lincoln movie (not new as I speak of course, but I recently got it to watch it at home), and before watching it, I decided that I should read his biography first so I'd have a more rich background and understanding of events when I watch the movie.

The book I got as a first result of my search was "The life of Abraham Lincoln by Henry Ketcham" and I know it will take me so long to finish since I don't read it everyday; only when they're gracious enough to leave me the iPad to read :/. The reviews are very positive so far; the writer was coeval with Lincoln and had the privilege of meeting him once as the reviews say; which accounts him as being the most contemporary writer and the most accurate.

From what I read, I really like Lincoln; physically he was a large, tall man which helped him when was young in carrying out a lot of different jobs, but his character and personality are what matter and they really sound so noble and rare to find, especially these days.

What a Girl Wants ...

For men, to better understand their women; and for boys who are starting a relationship :).

This is a list I found very long ago on the internet; I refined it and added some more nice stuff. These are some of the things a girl would die for ;), and remember if you want your wife (lover) to be an angel; create her a heaven.

• Talk to her
• Share secrets
• Give her your jacket
• Kiss her hand as a gallant move - and mean it - when you meet her instead of just hi 
  
• Kiss her slowly
• Lay down under the stars and put her head on your chest so she can listen to the steady beat of your heart, link your fingers together while you whisper to her as she rests her eyes and listens to you.
• When walking next to each other grab her hand.
• When you hug her hold her in your arms as long as possible
• Carry her on your back when walking together 
• Call her at night to wish her sweet dreams.
• Comfort her when she cries and wipe away her tears
• Don't ask her what's wrong, just put your arms around her and hug her tight, and let her take it all out in tears and then talk when she is calm
• Take her for long walks at night 
• Hug her
• Hold her
• Cuddle under a blanket on a chilling night while sitting in the balcony or on the beach 
• Laugh with her
• Go out with her, even if for a walk only
• Let her be with you when you're with your friends
  
• Be her best friend
• Be as caring, patient, embracing and understanding as a father to her 
• Treat her a child, but trust her mind
• Smile with her
• Take pics with her
• Pull her onto your lap
• When she says she loves you more, deny it. Fight back
• When her friends say I love her more than you, deny it. Fight back and hug her tight so she can't get to her friends. It makes her feel loved
• Always hug her and say "I love you" when you see her.
• Kiss her unexpectedly
• Hug her from behind
• Tell her she's beautiful... Not sexy!
• Tell her the way you feel about her!

• 
• Kiss her on the cheeks and lips 
• Tell her what feels good
  
• Make her feel loved
• Buy her stuff. Small things can still help 
• Don't lie to her
• Don't cheat on her
• Take her anywhere she wants
• Spend time with her playing games and doing silly stuff together
• Text or call her in the morning and tell her have a good day at school, and how much you miss her
• Be there for her whenever she needs you, & even when she doesn't need you, just be there so she'll know that she can always count on you
  
• Hold her close when she's cold so she can hold you too.
• When you are alone hold her close and kiss her.
• Kiss her on the cheek; 
• While in the movie, put your arm around her and then she will automatically put her head on your shoulder, then lean in and tilt her chin up and kiss her lightly.
• Don't ever tell her to leave even jokingly or act like you're mad. If she's upset, comfort her 
• When people disrespect or piss her off, stand up for her
• Workout together
• Look deep into her eyes and tell her that you love her
• Always remind her how much you love her

How To Control Your Mind At Will? Highlights and Exercises.

One of the books (3 books to be exact) that I'm simultaneously reading nowadays is "How to control your mind at will". It's a kind of psychologically-based book that describes in a simple way how the brain functions from the "energy" point of view and states that there is the conscious and unconscious states of the mind and the linkage between them is the cerebral control, and that's what marks normal people from those suffering from lack of cerebral control, i.e., when the unconscious mind take over, the person has lost their cerebral control over their minds. It also shows how the latter are affected in their lives by this lack of control which are translated into fears, anxiety, phobias, insomnia and can sometimes affect them physically with organic pain attacks - or even chronic ones - that do not have any apparent physical cause.

I don't consider it something to go by blindly; after all, none has scientific prove of it, just theories and all depends on the brains; however, it mentions that people with uncontrolled brains or passive ones, need to have their own religious beliefs in order to get better and one of the factors or losing control over the mind is actually losing those beliefs and faith, which kind of make sense.

Anyway, here's a summary of what I've read in that book that I see a bit valuable. I copy/paste the important parts, but with some minor alterations to avoid those awkward starts or ends.

My Bucket list! :) 36 & counting...

Ahhhh .... I haven't been here for months now and it feels weird to start writing again.

I have recently created a bucket list - my bucket list -  on facebook as a note for the things I wish to do some day(and I say wish since it's unfortunately not totally up to me to just go and do them :( :@), they are like my day dreams wishing they would come true.

Here's the list that I'm sure will keep on extending as life goes on, but hope someday I get to scratch a few before I actually kick the bucket :).

1. Horse riding on an empty seashore 
2. Skydiving
3. Bungy Jumping
4. Jumping off a cliff into water
5. Scubadiving
6. Car Racing
7. Driving a speedboat and owning a yacht
8. Swim with Dolphins
9. Travel the world and the seven seas (Visit Disneyland, Ride a gondola in Venice, Dinning in Paris, visiting the countryside of Switzerland, yachting in greece, ...)
10. Learn to dance (especially latin and ballroom dancing)
11. Dance Waltz in an English or French palace.
12. Play Hotel California on guitar as a pro, and learn drums
13. Speaking 5 different languages
14. Dancing in the rain (w/o catching cold :))
15. Sail a boat
16. Climb the highest mountain and watch sunrise and sunset from up there
17. Drive a motorcycle
18. Camping in a forest
19. Go on a safari
20. Go on a private cruise
21. Save a life and make a difference in others lives
22. Learn to fly a plane or helicopter
23. Run my own personal spa
24. Make a great discovery
25. Go on an archeological expedition
26. Ride in a hot air balloon
27. See the Northern Lights
28. Sleep on a beach
29. Learn to surf
30. Stay in a castle/palace as royality
31. Sleep under the stars
32. Volunteer at a Homeless Shelter
33. Have my own garden to grow exotic and rare flowers and trees
34. Have a new haircut
35. Have a new hair color
36. Skiing
37. Make a Perfume

Is it all About people?!

One of the things I hate is being forced into something, especially something that I've already proven and something that I know I can do but don't want to at the moment, but anyway, here's the summary of what I read:

Now this chapter's main concept is "It's All About People!", treating people as VIPs, each individually, giving them the attention when talking like no one else existed. The way business is ran has changed to a more "people" based, where believing that building good relationships on the basis of helping, mentoring and leading others will eventually get you to the higher goals; profit and self satisfactory.

Another thing that was mentioned, and it's not something that is totally true, which is surrounding yourself with only good, passionate and positive people who make us feel happy. It's something that everyone aspires, but is not always the case. Happy people are not 100% of the time happy, they go through tough times themselves, but they don't stay down for long, they lift themselves up and they can lift others up too.

I'm so tired and with nothing else to say except that the most true thing he said was that we're living in an utterly boring world and we need more fun :). Over and out.

Lead Yourself Up

 Lead Yourself Up

They tell you life is easy and beautiful all the time and if you’re happy it will always go smooth without any troubles or difficulties? LIARS!

As a matter of fact, life has to have hardships and pain because that’s the only way you’ll truly take pleasure in the good times. You won’t know how happiness really feels like if all you know is being content; not until you have gone through something else and compared your life during and after a hardship.

However, the trick is not only about convincing yourself that after a difficulty has passed the good times will follow; the real trick is actually during the turbulent times when you choose to challenge yourself that you will get over it; so you start analyzing the problem, innovating the solutions or ways that will help you overcome it, acting and implementing those solutions step by step, even if slowly but consistently and always envisioning yourself celebrating and enjoying the success of defeating that problem as well as gaining more confidence, more knowledge and the power to be in control of your life. 

It’s always during those hard times that people excel and reveal their true and best capabilities; just like the stars that twinkle and sparkle best when it’s the darkest and that’s also when you enjoy the bright moon, or like gold that has to go through fire to be purified, or the diamonds that have to go through harsh polishing phases & cut into pieces to be so beautifully shaped and sparkles with those amazing colors. 

Those people who shine at those times are mostly viewed as lucky people who had everything at their hands to succeed; well, they did, they had the positive mindset, they had the willingness to act, they had the desire to create and innovate, they had the passion to enjoy what they do, they had the control over their inner switch which they turned on and it activated the leader inside to guide them to their objectives without the need of someone else leading them or telling them you can do it because you have the power to. They are seen as happy people because they are lucky, when actually the adjective that combines the words “happy” with “lucky” is the “happy-go-lucky” and not vice versa. They might not be lucky to have rocks thrown at them, but they are surely happy people to be able to view those rocks as being thrown to them to help them in building themselves a staircase to move up.

But if it’s a matter of choice and capability that everyone can have, why do a lot of people have endless difficulties and they seem to be forever drowned in that bottomless well of problems? Because most probably they approach the problems with the most common mindset; the problem is huge and I won’t defeat it by myself. They choose to switch off the inner leader and commander within them that would know how to go through such an obstacle and becomes a stronger person; yes, they choose to give themselves the infamous excuse of I can’t do it. Maybe they don’t want to do some effort by stepping out of the darker room to the brighter one. At the end, it’s their call to act or not, to act positively or passively.

You have the choice to perceive situations and circumstances as problems or ways of growth and enhancements, and you have the choice to approach each with a determination to defeat and learn from or to be defeated by them. And remember, there won’t be rainbows without the rain, and it’s during the rain that view becomes clearer and new things start to grow.