Sabtu, 11 Oktober 2008


The Smart Woman Manifesto: What is a Smart Woman?
by: Vicki Flaugher




A Smart Woman uses her entire toolbox of experiences, talents, feelings, logic, intuition, education, and yes, even her mistakes, to live her life authentically engaged. She takes the time to care for herself, evaluate what she really thinks and feels, and acts and reacts from a place of patient love, energized compassion, and balanced accountability. Choices are opportunities and she welcomes them. Opportunity leads to her future and she faces that future with a ready and willing heart and a nimble and open mind.

A Smart Woman respects others’ points of view while still making her own choices. She gives generously to others while nurturing herself. She knows the value of boundaries and is skillful in using them to build stronger relationships. She speaks up when she needs to and she knows how and when to supportively listen as she keeps her vision of peace and tolerance in sight. She knows when to walk away, wishing luck and best wishes to those who are on another path. She knows and values her true worth.

Adaptable, caring, capable, and clever, a Smart Woman embraces life and triumphantly whoops and hollers her way to joy. She claims her power and her divine birthright, as each of us do, in a myriad of infinitely beautiful and unique ways, creating a fulfilling life as a Smart Woman. She's not out to prove anything to anybody. She is here to learn, live, love, laugh, and contribute.

I believe we all have a lot to share, to communicate, to witness, and to celebrate. I would feel honored and thrilled to know you are by my side. So, what do you think? Are you ready to explore? I hope so, because today, I am making firm plans and those plans include you. I am a Smart Woman with firm plans. Are you?

Here's to you and your Smart Woman path!

About The Author

Vicki Flaugher, creator of http://www.SmartWomanGuides.com, is on a mission to nurture and empower the 35-55 year old Coming of Age female audience. Her website is a worldwide community site where Smart Women everywhere can submit articles about their own experiences surrounding topics like aging, health, entrepreneurship, relationships, spirituality, and sex and sensuality (to name a few). You can join in the fun at her blog at http://speakout.smartwomanguides.com.


Sushi Recipe
by: Eugene Yeng Aik Ngin




Sushi is a delicious, healthy and easy to prepare food. Deciding on and finding your ingredients, preparing the beautiful presentation, and enjoying your creation are all part of the fun of sushi. Finding a great sushi recipe is the first step in putting together a wonderful meal.

Sushi, traditionally, refers to rice, but it has developed to include the whole concept of the finger food. It commonly is a fish or vegetable, served with vinegar rice. A sushi recipe can be presented in several ways. Some common ways are wrapped in seaweed, served in a bowl, in bite size pieces or in a cone type wrap. Wide ranges of vegetables, seafood, and shellfish are used throughout a sushi recipe.

There are some common ingredients that you should always have on hand to prepare a good sushi recipe. These include seaweed, called nori, rice, and sushi vinegar. These are the base ingredients you will need to start with for any sushi recipe. Several sauces such as soy sauce, and wasabi; a spicy paste like substance, are commonly served with sushi to enhance the flavor. Common vegetables in a sushi recipe include carrots, cucumber, peppers, and avocado. Common seafood used in sushi recipes are crab, salmon, octopus, and shrimp. This is by no means an exhaustive list of what you can use in your sushi recipe. The sky is the limit. Get creative as you like with your sushi recipe.

Where can you find a good sushi recipe? There are several great places where you can find a good sushi recipe. A great place to start is the Internet. By doing a quick search through a search engine for sushi recipe, you can find some great websites that will provide you with a great sushi recipe. Often, they will provide you with detailed pictures and instructions that can help when preparing your sushi recipe. Also, try bookstores for their cookbook selections or local sushi restaurants to see if they will share their sushi recipe.

There are several pieces of kitchen equipment that can help you in preparing a sushi recipe. One of the most important pieces of equipment is a sharp knife. A sharp knife is essential in cutting and preparing the ingredients for your sushi recipe. It will allow you to cut your fish into thin slices, slice vegetables into attractive shapes and designs, and do all of these with ease. Another very helpful piece of equipment is a bamboo mat, traditionally called sushimaki sudare or makisu. This mat is what you use when you roll your sushi such as in a California roll. It is possible to roll with your hands, but the rice can be very sticky, so the mat can help eliminate a little frustration while preparing your sushi recipe. Other equipment such as rice cookers and sushi presses can also help make the preparation quicker, but they are not essential for preparing a good sushi recipe.

A final touch in the presentation of your sushi recipe is the plates and dishes you serve them on and the utensils that you use to eat them. Patterned china dishes, saucers, and cups are a beautiful touch. You can also use matching dispensers for items such as soy sauce. Often, chopsticks are used when eating sushi. Chopsticks come in all styles from wooded to metal and can complement your presentation beautifully. You can also eat sushi with your fingers, so make sure to have some nice matching napkins with the dishes.

It is easy to find the ingredients you need to complete your sushi recipe. Sushi recipes generally use basic ingredients that can be found easily. Many of the ingredients, if not all, can be purchased at most local grocery stores. If your grocery store does not carry what you need, try asking them to bring it in. Many companies will bring in supplies that are requested by their customers. For more complicated recipes that require special ingredients, many Asian specialty stores carry the more obscure ingredients on a regular basis. These stores can provide hard to find sushi recipe ingredients, often directly from Asian suppliers. A final option for finding your sushi recipe ingredients is online. There are countless websites that you can use to order everything from your good ingredients to equipment to finishing touches such as utensils.

Sushi is a wonderful food style. It's fun to follow a sushi recipe and see your final result. Many people consider preparing a sushi recipe an art form. It can be an exciting addition to your family dinner or an impressive dinner party concept. With a great sushi recipe, you can make out standing delicacies. It can be a great bonding event; gather the family together and everyone can make their own sushi dish. Grab your sushi recipe, your ingredients, your equipment, and have some fun.

For more info, please visit http://www.thairecipe-sushirecipe.info

About The Author

Eugene Yeng is the webmaster of http://www.thairecipe-sushirecipe.info. This website is a resourceful portal on sushi recipes and thai recipes.

Senin, 06 Oktober 2008






How Soy Isoflavones Increase Women's Health

by: Greg Wirth


Soybeans, containing various phytochemicals, are one of richest source of isoflavones, also known as phytoestrogens. They contain about 36% protein, 18% fat, 30% carbohydrates, isoflavones and other minerals and vitamins.

Soy Isoflavones are similar to natural estrogens. They show both estrogenic and anti-estrogenic effects. Soy isoflavones also act as antioxidant agent. Major constituents of soy isoflavones are genistein, daidzein, and glycitein.

May help prevent cancer

Soy Isoflavones are helpful in preventing various types of cancers - breast, lung and mouth cancer. They also find use in reducing risk of heart disease and osteoporosis. Soy isoflavones also help in increasing bone density.

Pregnant women and men with prostate cancer should avoid the use of soy isoflavone supplements. However since the preventative effects of isoflavones are particularly important for young women soy products should be included daily to increase the prevention of breast cancer. The low incidence of breast cancer in Asian women primarily from Japan and China could be explained by the high intake of soy isoflavones.[1]

Additionally a new study suggests isoflavones may prevent DNA damage to the immune system in postmenapausal women: Soy isoflavones from supplements and soymilk benefit the immune system of postmenopausal women The recommended serving contains 40-50 mg per day of soy isoflavones. Providing about 25 mg of genistin, 19 mg of daidzin and about 6 mg of glycitin.

More Information

One of the most comprehensive no-fluff sites of information on soy isoflavones is Isoflavones.info. If you are a women or young lady please take time to review that site for a better understanding of how isoflavones can keep you living long and healthy. Additionally be sure to review my site listed below for more information on using a high quality broad-spectrum vitamin supplement.

Greg S. Wirth

[1] Biological effects of a diet of soy protein rich in isoflavones on the menstrual cycle of premenopausal women. Cassidy A, Bingham S, Setchell KD. Am J Clin Nutr. 1994 Sep;60(3):333-40

About The Author

Greg Wirth is a nutritionist, author and consultant on multi-vitamin supplements. Focusing on pharmaceutical-grade vs food-grade supplementation. Please contact him at his website http://www.my- antioxidants-guide.com for specifics on the nutrient you are researching.

Minggu, 05 Oktober 2008



What Does RICH Mean To You?
by: Paul Mara

Have you ever been asked that question?
I was!
Back in 1979 while doing a “pressure cooker” course on selling with an insurance company!
I wondered how relevant that question was, considering my personal and financial situation at the time.
No wife!
No job!
I was a solo dad with three children, one of them a baby less than a year old.
“You must be kidding”, I thought to myself at the time!
What relevance can that have to me learning to sell insurance policies?
How naive I was!
The course that followed had an unbelievably positive and a life changing effect on me. Although it only took affect several years later. The seed had been sown!
You’re probably saying to yourself, “How can a course on selling life insurance have that much effect on anyone?”
Well that Insurance Company was the one created by W Clement Stone.
I found the course to be very challenging, because in New Zealand at that time we weren’t really aware of the “Hype” that Americans used to motivate their workers to perform at their optimum. It pleases me each time I think about it now, to know that I passed, top of the class and received a book as a reward, this book was already a best seller, but I’d never heard of it.
Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, of which W Clement Stone was co-author with Napoleon Hill. They shared their secrets on becoming wealthy and having a healthy, productive lifestyle, utillising the power of a "positive mental attitude". Sadly my motivation and my persistence waned and I stopped selling insurance.
I kept all the information, studies and the book I had won.
The “BOOK” Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, which I never opened or read for probably 3 years.
However I did continue two very positive things! I continued to read on a daily basis some of his quotes and I even put them on the wall.

My two favorites were;
“Success is achieved and maintained by those who try and keep trying” and
“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve”.

The second thing and the one which I believed the most important was “Goal Setting” I enjoyed the challenge and had learned enough during the course to realize its long term value.
Life began to take several steps in the right direction not major ones, but positive ones.
Several important things happened in my life over the next 12 years.

Around 1981-2 I began reading, Through a Positive Mental Attitude,
I applied so many of their ideas and formula, and by 1992 mine and my families life had completely turned around, this included a wonderful wife and two more children and a list of goals I had made in 1986 after father passed away, became a reality.
I had arrived finally, or so I thought, and was ready to respond to the question that still continued to bother me after all those years.

What Does RICH Mean To You?
I had some answers!
That’s what I believed anyway!

1 - " A consistent income created from hard work
2 - " A healthy family
3 - " A loving wife and loving children
4 - "A nice car
5 - " A great holidays

There are other things, but they are either directly or indirectly related to the above list.
Even now when I look at that list it seems to have “hit the nail on the head”.
Then within three years it all slowly began to fall apart, business wise, thankfully not family wise our “Polynesian Inheritance” is so strong, family always come first!
Where was I going wrong?
What was I doing wrong?
Whose fault was it?
Why now when we seemed so successful?
A myriad of questions passed through my mind, I began to blame myself, I was making wrong decisions.

I had begun a downward slide a personal one that took away my mental fortitude, my belief, my self-confidence, I lost motivation, the thing that really hurts me when I think back is that, “I didn’t really care anymore” I began to think that the world owed me, I was a good person so for that I should be rewarded. What a “Pity party”, darn pitiful is all I can say now!
After all these years I am finally getting back on track!
I realize that age and the new generation means I can never be what I was back then, why?
Well that’s the past and I now live for today!
Not tomorrow!
I have found a “Certain Way” that has been available to each and every one of us for more than ninety years.
Probably what W Clement Stone and Napoleon Hill and thousands of others used to become rich, but forgot to tell us some very vital points, whether they did it consciously or just took it for granted that we would figure it out, I am really not to sure.
Want to find out as I have???
The real meaning of what “RICH” is, go to my website “Right Now” and find out how you to can have a “RICH” balanced and fulfilled life with “Prosperous Equilibrium”.

PS. Get a “FREE COPY” about this “Certain Way”, with THE SCIENCE OF GETTING RICH check it out right now!

http://www.prosperous-equilibrium.com/

About The Author

I have been involved in several businesses over the last 38 years, some very successful and some not so good! But I love it! I began as a Motor Mechanic who owned several car repair businesses employing up to 15 people in New Zealand and Tahiti. When my father passed away in 1986 I took over his work as a Medical Interpreter and Guide in New Zealand, being fluent in three languages. We owned apartments for clients also. We now live in Australia and I am now involved in Internet Marketing and loving the challenge. A very happy "Baby Boomer"! http://www.prosperous-equilibrium.com/

Meminta Maaf dan Memberi Maaf

by : Titut Mulyono



Idul Fitri telah tiba, seiring dengan berakhirnya ramadhan, kita seperti terlahir kembali karena diharapkan telah kembali fitri, yang artinya kembali bersih, suci. Waktunya kita meminta maaf dan memberi maaf di hari yang fitri ini.
Tahukah anda, ternyata dalam hal meminta dan memberi maaf ini, memiliki aturan atau nilai-nilai tersendiri...?

Pagi ini, sebuah pintu wacana telah dibukakan kepada kita, melalui sebuah tayangan acara Mama&Aa' di Indosiar, yang dipandu oleh Mama Dedeh dan Aa' Abdel. Topiknya adalah mengenai meminta maaf dan memberi maaf.


Dari tayangan tersebut, kita jadi mengetahui bahwa : Yang memiliki nilai dan pahala yang lebih tinggi dan lebih banyak, akan dilimpahkan kepada orang-orang yang terlebih dahulu meminta maaf, daripada yang memberi maaf setelah diminta. Mengapa begitu, ya?

Ternyata, karena meminta maaf itu amat berat. Apalagi sifat dasar manusia yang selalu merasa benar, dan juga pendendam atau pendengki. Padahal, jelas-jelas Allah SWT tidak menyukai manusia-manusia pendendam dan pendengki, namun mengapa masih saja kita merasa berat untuk meminta maaf lebih dulu?

Mungkin banyak dari kita yang juga mengalami sendiri, bagaimana beratnya meminta maaf pada orang lain, apalagi jika jelas-jelas orang tersebut yang lebih dulu berbuat kesalahan, semisalnya telah memfitnah atau menghina kita. Bagaimana kita bisa meminta maaf lebih dulu pada orang-orang seperti itu? Sungguh amat sulit dan berat, pastinya..


Sekalipun Allah SWT telah menjanjikan limpahan berkah dan pahala, bagi siapapun yang terlebih dahulu meminta maaf, tapi tetap saja kebanyakan dari kita akan mengurungkan niat untuk meminta maaf terlebih dahulu kepada orang-orang semacam itu. Mengapa....?

Apakah kita tidak percaya pada janji Allah? Atau karena hati kita telah membatu karena dendam dan dengki, sehingga kita tidak mampu melakukan hal tersebut?
Semua itu tergantung pada pilihan kita. Mau masuk ke dalam golongan manakah kita?
Mari bersama-sama kita renungkan, dan pikirkan. Apakah kita termasuk orang-orang yang beruntung, atau justru merugi...?

Kebersihan hati di hari fitri, adalah tujuan dari dilaksanakannya berpuasa. Jika setelah bulan ramadhan ternyata hati kita masih dipenuhi oleh kebencian, dendam dan dengki, maka berhati-hatilah. Karena bisa jadi di akhir jaman nanti, kita akan termasuk kepada golongan orang-orang yang bangkrut dan merugi.

Senin, 29 September 2008


Mengapa Harus Berubah...?

by : Titut Mulyono


Tahukah anda, bahwa perceraian akan merubah sebagian besar kehidupan anda? Bahkan hal-hal baik yang biasa dilakukan ketika masih bersama, baik antara kita dengan pasangan kita, keluarga besar kita, bahkan anak-anak kita, bisa jadi akan hilang seiring dengan dicabutnya surat nikah?

Hal-hal yang hilang yang akan dapat langsung kita rasakan di masa-masa awal perpisahan adalah :

  1. Komunikasi.
  2. Pengertian.
  3. Toleransi.
  4. Kerja sama/koordinasi.

1. Komunikasi.

Sebagian besar perceraian yang terjadi, akan meninggalkan luka. Berbeda dengan cerai mati, cerai hidup selalu membawa masalah berbuntut. Di samping luka yang sulit untuk sembuh, rasa jera untuk berkomunikasi lagi dengan mantan, sering menambah parah hubungan atara insan yang bercerai. Belum lagi jika salah satu dari yang bercerai telah menikah lagi. Pendamping baru, sering menjadi tembok bagi hubungan komunikasi dan silaturahmi antara pihak yang bercerai. Belum lagi sakit hati antara keluarga besar kedua belah pihak. Buruknya komunikasi ini akan membawa dampak buruk bagi buah hati kita. Mereka akan selalu dihadapkan pada situasi "tegang", "permusuhan", dan bahkan mungkin situasi "genting" atau "perang", jika sudah meyangkut pada masalah ijin atas suatu hal yang akan dilakukan oleh buah hati kita.

Disini dituntut tingkat kedewasaan yang tinggi bagi orang tua yang berpisah. Orang tua, dituntut untuk dapat mengesampingkan "perasaan" atau "gengsi" diri sendiri, demi anak-anak. Dan hal ini benar-benar dituntut dari kedua belah pihak. Jika salah satu pihak saja yang memiliki tingkat kedewasaan yang tinggi, sementara pihak lainnya tidak, maka buruknya komunikasi akan terus terjadi, dan anak-anak akan terus menjadi korbannya. Karena itu, kita sebagai orang tua, mampukah kita melakukan hal yang terbaik untuk anak-anak kita di masa pasca perceraian..? Hal itu akan kembali kepada diri kita masing-masing.

2. Pengertian.

Pengertian, sekalipun sudah tidak bersurat-nikah, tetap harus dipertahankan. Jika kita bisa memiliki pengertian untuk saudara-saudara, atau sahabat-sahabat, atau teman-teman kita; mengapa kita tidak bisa memiliki pengertian kepada mantan suami/istri kita...?? Ingat ! Pengertian ini tidak semata-mata dimiliki oleh pasangan yang telah menikah saja. Tapi juga wajib dimiliki oleh siapapun, baik yang menikah maupun tidak. Apalagi jika telah menyangkut kepada hal proses pendidikan anak terhadap nilai-nilai dan norma-norma dalam kehidupan. Tahap ini baru akan bisa dicapai jika hubungan komunikasi antara kedua belah pihak telah tercapai. Jangan berharap akan ada pengertian pada sebuah hubungan (apapun hubungan tersebut) jika tidak terdapat komunikasi yang baik.

Sekali lagi, kembali orang tua yang bercerai, dituntut untuk mengesampingkan "ego"nya demi kebahagiaan dan kenyamanan bathin buah hati mereka. Karena jika kita selalu ingat, bahwa dampak yang akan diterima oleh anak-anak kita atas apa yang mereka alami (dalam hal ini perceraian kedua orangtuanya ) baru akan terlihat beberapa tahun ke depan. Apakah mereka akan dapat tumbuh dengan jiwa dan tubuh yang sehat.....? Semua itu tergantung dari apa yang kita perlakukan kepada mereka mulai hari ini dan ke depan. Jika kita memperlakukan mereka dengan baik dan benar, insyaAllah ke depannya pun mereka akan menjadi anak-anak yang baik. Begitu pula sebaliknya. Pilihannya ada di tangan kita, bukan di tangan mereka. Karena kita yang membentuk mereka akan menjadi seperti apa.

3. Toleransi.

Kehidupan pasca perceraian, memiliki banyak liku-liku. Dimana masing-masing individu akan menjalani hidupnya secara terpisah, tidak bersatu lagi seperti dulu. Karena itu permasalahan dari masing-masing pihak akan tetap muncul, yang mana pihak lainnya tidak lagi selalu mengetahui permasalahan apa yang sedang melanda salah satu dari mereka. Oleh karena itu, dalam rangka memberikan atmosfir yang sehat dan baik bagi anak-anak, "sense of" toleransi antara kedua belah pihak yang telah berpisah, justru dituntut untuk menjadi lebih tinggi. Mengapa...? Karena kita tidak bisa lagi mengetahui secara otomatis, apa yang tengah dialami oleh mantan pasangan kita. Dan tidak mungkin lagi kita menuntut mantan pasangan kita untuk selalu bercerita mengenai perjalanan hidupnya, termasuk masalahnya. Karena itu, toleransi atau besar hati harus selalu dikedepankan, jika sudah menyangkut kepada pembentukan atmosfir yang sehat dan baik bagi anak-anak.

Lagi-lagi disini dituntut tingkat kedewasaan kedua belah pihak, bahkan mungkin ketiga atau keempat belah pihak, jika salah satu atau keduanya telah menikah lagi. Bukan hal yang mudah, memang..tapi juga bukan berarti sulit. Semua itu membutuhkan perjuangan. Tapi jangan takut....jika kita memiliki tujuan yang baik, maka Allah akan membukakan, memudahkan, dan melancarkan hal tersebut. InsyaAllah..

4. Kerjasama/koordinasi.

Masih perlukah...? Sekalipun sudah bercerai, kerjasama atau koordinasi masih sangat diperlukan,terutama jika menyangkut pada masa depan dan proses mendidik anak. Mengapa...? Karena sekalipun terjadi perceraian, bagi anak-anak, tidak ada kata "bekas" ayah ataupun "bekas" ibu. Anak-anak, pada suatu hari, mungkin akan dapat mengerti mengapa kedua orang tuanya bercerai. Kedewasaan mereka yang mengantarkan mereka pada sebuah pengertian dan pemahaman mengenai perceraian kedua orang tuanya. Tapi jangan lupa, yang membentuk kedewasaan dan kemampuan berpikir mereka, adalah kita juga, orang tuanya. Karena itu, sekalipun telah bercerai, kerjasama dan koordinasi diantara kedua orang tua, tetap dibutuhkan.

Contoh kecil saja, misalnya, jika anak-anak tinggal dengan ibunya, maka akan ada waktu-waktu rutin dimana sang ayah akan bertemu atau mengunjungi anak-anaknya. Waktu kunjungan ini sekalipun rutin, tetap harus dikoordinasikan. Karena bisa saja, ketika waktu berkunjung ayah tiba, anak-anak sedang sakit, atau sedang ulangan/ujian sekolah. Hal ini selayaknya dikoordinasikan, mengingat untuk kebaikan anak-anak itu sendiri.

Melihat ulasan di atas, seperti terbuka mata dan hati kita, bahwa pasca-perceraian itu sendiri, memerlukan tingkat kedewasaan yang tinggi yang dimiliki oleh kedua belah pihak. Jika kita masih sering mengedepankan "ego" sendiri, atau "ego" pendamping baru kita, maka sesungguhnya kita belum siap untuk bercerai. Karena yang akan menjadi korban berkepanjangan adalah buah hati kita sendiri.

Sanggupkah kita melihat buah hati kita selalu menjadi korban, atau bahkan rusak jiwanya oleh perbuatan kita sendiri...? Mari kita renungkan bersama dengan hati yang rendah serendah-rendahnya. Mari kita persiapkan perubahan masa pasca-perceraian ini, bukan hanya untuk diri kita, tapi juga untuk anak-anak kita.